INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL
| DELPHI | 42 | TWIN LAKES | 40 | OT |
| EVANSVILLE REITZ | 62 | OWENSBORO CATHOLIC (KY.) | 61 | |
| GREENCASTLE | 57 | OWEN VALLEY | 44 | |
| HAMMOND MORTON | 61 | LOWELL | 49 | |
| MADISON | 54 | TRINITY LUTHERAN | 44 | |
| MARQUETTE CATHOLIC | 90 | HAMMOND SCIENCE & TECH | 39 | |
| NEW CASTLE | 35 | EASTERN HANCOCK | 34 | |
| NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) | 74 | MARSHALL (ILL.) | 56 | |
| OAK HILL | 51 | LOGANSPORT | 46 | |
| SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) | 52 | CULVER | 45 | OT |
| VINCENNES LINCOLN | 49 | GIBSON SOUTHERN | 47 |
FRIDAY NIGHT
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SEMI-STATE MATCH-UPS
NORTH
CLASS 4A AT HUNTINGTON NORTH
G1: FORT WAYNE SNIDER (21-4) VS. FISHERS (24-2) 10 AM ET
G2: SB WASHINGTON (27-0) VS. LAKE CENTRAL (22-5) 12 PM ET
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER. 8 PM ET
CLASS 3A AT LAPORTE
G1: TWIN LAKES (27-0) VS. HAMILTON HEIGHTS (20-5) 10 AM CT
G2: TIPPECANOE VALLEY (22-3) VS. FAIRFIELD (25-2) 12 PM CT
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER. 7:30 PM CT all use
CLASS 2A AT LOGANSPORT
G1: ANDREAN (25-3) VS. LAPEL (22-7) 10 AM ET
G2: CENTRAL NOBLE (25-2) VS. LAF. CENTRAL CATHOLIC (20-6) 12 PM ET
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER. 8 PM ET
CLASS 1A AT FRANKFORT
G1: TRI (25-1) VS. TRI-CENTRAL (12-13) 10 AM ET
G2: BETHANY CHRISTIAN (22-3) VS. WASHINGTON TWP. (20-6) 12 PM ET
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER. 8 PM ET
SOUTH
CLASS 4A AT SOUTHPORT
G1: BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (24-3) VS. CENTER GROVE (22-4) 10 AM ET
G2: LAWRENCE NORTH (18-9) VS. BEN DAVIS (18-9) 12 PM ET
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER. 8 PM ET
CLASS 3A AT JASPER
G1: GIBSON SOUTHERN (21-4) VS. CORYDON CENTRAL (25-2) 10:30 AM ET
G2: INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD (12-13) VS. INDIAN CREEK (26-1) 12:30 PM ET
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER. 8 PM ET
CLASS 2A AT SHELBYVILLE (BROADCAST ON INDIANA SRN)
G1: FOREST PARK (23-3) VS. GREENCASTLE (23-4) 10 AM ET
G2: NORTH KNOX (27-1) VS. EASTERN HANCOCK (23-3) 12 PM ET
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER. 8 PM ET
CLASS 1A AT NEW ALBANY
G1: BLOOMFIELD (14-14) VS. JAC-CEN-DEL (16-11) 10 AM ET
G2: LANESVILLE (25-2) VS. TRINITY LUTHERAN (22-6) 12 PM ET
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER. 8 PM ET
INDIANA WRESTLING STATE FINALS
FRIDAY, FEB. 17, 2023
SESSION 1
GATES OPEN AT 12:30 PM ET
PARADE OF CHAMPIONS AT 1:30 PM ET
FIRST ROUND WEIGHT CLASSES 106 – 145 BEGIN AT 2 PM ET
FIRST ROUND WEIGHT CLASSES 152 – 285 BEGIN AT 5:30 PM ET
SATURDAY, FEB. 18, 2023
SESSION 2
GATES OPEN AT 8 AM ET
QUARTERFINALS BEGIN AT 9 AM ET WITH SEMIFINALS TO FOLLOW
FIELDHOUSE CLEARED OF ALL SPECTATORS FOLLOWING SEMIFINALS
SESSION 3
GATES OPEN AT 3:30 PM ET
CONSOLATIONS AT 4:30 PM ET WITH STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS TO FOLLOW AT 7:30 PM ET
BRACKETS ARE AVAILABLE VIA FLOWRESTLING.COM
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES
#2 HOUSTON 80 SMU 65
MARYLAND 68 #3 PURDUE 54
MATT PAINTER POST GAME: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFifMYLtdCA
#4 UCLA 73 STANFORD 64
#8 ARIZONA 88 UTAH 62
#13 GONZAGA 108 LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 65
#17 ST. MARY’S 62 SAN DIEGO 59
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 74 #25 FLORIDA ATLANTIC 70
SOUTHERN INDIANA 82 LITTLE ROCK 81
IOWA 92 OHIO STATE 75
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/CBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230216
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
#1 SOUTH CAROLINA 87 FLORIDA 56
#2 INDIANA 68 #12 MICHIGAN 52
INDIANA COACH TERRI MOREN POST GAME: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYGfWCe6xMA
#5 LSU 69 OLE MISS 60
#11 VIRGINIA TECH 61 #9 DUKE 45
#10 NOTRE DAME 78 LOUISVILLE 76 OT
#13 OHIO STATE 67 PENN STATE 55
NORTH CAROLINA STATE 77 #19 NORTH CAROLINA 66 OT
#20 GONZAGA 69 PACIFIC 58
#23 UNLV 77 SAN JOSE STATE 60
#24 FLORIDA STATE 78 SYRACUSE 65
PURDUE FORT WAYNE 95 WRIGHT STATE 82
LITTLE ROCK 58 SOUTHERN INDIANA 50
DETROIT 57 IUPUI 48
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/WCBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230216
NBA SCOREBOARD
MILWAUKEE 112 CHICAGO 100
WASHINGTON 114 MINNESOTA 106
LA CLIPPERS 116 PHOENIX 107
BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/NBA/SCOREBOARD.ASP
NHL SCOREBOARD
FLORIDA 6 WASHINGTON 3
CAROLINA 6 MONTRÉAL 2
COLUMBUS 3 WINNIPEG 1
BOSTON 5 NASHVILLE 0
ST. LOUIS 4 NEW JERSEY 2
DETROIT 5 CALGARY 2
VEGAS 2 SAN JOSE 1
SEATTLE 6 PHILADELPHIA 2
BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/NHL/SCOREBOARD.ASP
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES
NBA NEWS
GIANNIS SETS ASSISTS MARK, HURTS WRIST; BUCKS BEAT BULLS
CHICAGO (AP) Giannis Antetokounmpo stayed on the ground, grimacing in pain before heading to the locker room. A sprained wrist in the early going ended his night.
Not before he set yet another franchise record.
Antetokounmpo became Milwaukee’s career assists leader before getting injured, and the Bucks won their 12th straight, beating the Chicago Bulls 112-100 on Thursday night.
Brook Lopez scored a season-high 33 points. Jevon Carter had 22 against his hometown team, and Jrue Holiday added 15 points and nine assists.
The Bucks were never seriously threatened. But Antetokounmpo’s injury early in the second quarter cast a bit of a cloud over a team that otherwise has so much going for it heading into the All-Star break.
Coach Mike Budenholzer said initial reports were “hopeful” and the X-ray was “clean.”
“We’ll just see how he feels tomorrow, see how he feels the next few days and continue to evaluate it,” Budenholzer said.
He had “no idea” if Antetokounmpo would travel to Salt Lake City for the All-Star Game.
The two-time MVP was hurt trying to block a finger roll attempt by Chicago’s Coby White after the guard drove past him. He jammed his wrist when he reached out – perhaps to soften the blow – as he crashed into the padded stanchion. He continued to flex his hand and got subbed out a few seconds later before heading to the locker room.
“He’s a guy that’s attacking the basket all the time,” Budenholzer said. “He’s fearless. He takes a lot of falls so you kind of learn to just expect him to always just bounce back up, and that’s what we’re hoping for from this one.”
Antetokounmpo finished with a season-low two points and three assists, giving him 3,274 over 10 seasons to break Paul Pressey’s record of 3,272 from 1982 to 1990. He also had seven rebounds.
SETTING THE RECORD
Antetokounmpo matched the assists mark when he fed Lopez for a 3-pointer two minutes into the game and broke it when he passed to Carter for another 3 that bumped Milwaukee’s lead to 19-10 in the first quarter. He also is the Bucks’ career leader in blocks, triple-doubles, free throws made, free throws attempted and minutes.
“It’s greatness, right?” Holiday said. “Especially to do it with one franchise, to be here through the ups and the downs, to see where he started and where he is now. I’m so happy for him.”
Lopez made three 3-pointers. Carter hit four from beyond the arc, and the Bucks beat Chicago for the first time in three games this season.
SLIDE CONTINUES
The Bulls lost their sixth in a row, their worst skid since dropping six straight in the 2020-21 season. They also fell seven games under .500 at 26-33, not what they envisioned after making the playoffs a year ago.
Nikola Vucevic had 22 points and 16 rebounds. Zach LaVine scored 18, and Patrick Williams had 16 points.
“We’re not just throwing in the towel,” LaVine said. “I don’t think we have the type of team or personnel to do that. Losing hurts.”
SIDELINED STARS
Both teams were missing stars, with Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton managing a sore right knee that has kept him out for a big portion of the season and Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan sidelined for the second time in as many nights because of a strained right quadriceps.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Though Middleton’s absence was not expected, coach Mike Budenholzer said the three-time All-Star did not experience a setback against Boston on Tuesday. Middleton had 16 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes against the Celtics. “I think we’re overall not concerned, but we’ll see how he does over the break and just continue to work with him and make sure he’s in a good place when he plays,” Budenholzer said.
Bulls: The Bulls said DeRozan is expected to play in the All-Star Game on Sunday. … G Ayo Dosunmu was selected to replace injured Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green on fellow former Illinois star Deron Williams’ team in Friday’s Rising Stars game. The Chicago product played in the game as a rookie last year and was averaging 9.6 points and 2.9 assists in his second season after being drafted in the second round. Dosunmu called it a “blessing” to be selected again and said Williams was “a big mentor” for him in the draft process.
UP NEXT
Bucks: Host Miami on Feb. 24.
Bulls: Host Brooklyn on Feb. 24.
BEAL, WIZARDS OVERCOME 20-POINT DEFICIT TO RALLY PAST WOLVES
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Bradley Beal had 13 of his 35 points over the final 4 1/2 minutes to help the Washington Wizards polish off their rally from a 20-point first-quarter deficit to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-106 on Thursday night.
Kyle Kuzma – who had 16 points on just 6-for-21 shooting – swished a top-of-the-key fadeaway from deep for a 107-106 lead that was Washington’s first of the game with 1:14 to go.
Beal, who topped the 30-point mark for the third time in four games, followed with a 3-pointer with 37 seconds left – after a miss by Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards – to make it 110-106.
Edwards had 18 of his 34 points in the first quarter to help the Timberwolves surge to a 30-10 lead. They were still ahead 99-92 with 4:38 left after three free throws by Kyle Anderson, before Beal hit a wide-open 3-pointer to spark his late surge.
Corey Kispert scored 15 points off the bench to offset off nights by Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis and help the Wizards (28-30) build on their recent momentum entering the All-Star break. They have won 10 of their last 14.
Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 19 rebounds for the Timberwolves (31-30), who were derailed by their characteristic mid-game lulls and missed an opportunity to move a season-best three games above the .500 mark.
With the Wizards wearing their hot pink “City Edition” uniforms in an ode to the city’s iconic cherry blossoms, the Wolves were the hotter team for most of the game while new point guard Mike Conley continued to help Gobert find his offensive groove with the pick-and-rolls and lob passes they perfected together in Utah.
But Edwards began to make some rash decisions after his strong start, and the Wolves were outrebounded and outhustled down the stretch.
The Wizards have won seven straight games against the Wolves, extending the longest streak in the series. Minnesota’s last win over Washington was on Nov. 2, 2019.
ANT GOES MARCHING
Edwards, who was added to the All-Star roster last week as an injury replacement, was headed to Utah for the annual in-season showcase this weekend while his teammates scattered on vacations.
“I think moments like that are perfectly suited for him,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “He enjoys that type of environment. It’ll be fun for him in and around all of those other players. He’ll get treated like the star that he is becoming.”
TIP-INS
Wizards: Beal, who became the second player in franchise history to hit the 15,000-point mark for his career in a loss on Monday at Golden State, went 14 for 28 from the floor. … Kispert went 4 for 6 from 3-point range. He was 5 for 22 over his last five games.
Timberwolves: Edwards had only one higher-scoring first quarter in his three-year career, with 19 points at Orlando on Nov. 16. … Towns missed his 40th straight game with the right calf strain he suffered when Minnesota played at Washington on Nov. 28. “We’ll evaluate him coming out of the break,” Finch said, “so it’s closer than he was yesterday.”
UP NEXT
Wizards: Host New York on Feb. 24.
Timberwolves: Host Charlotte on Feb. 24.
ALL-STAR GEORGE, MANN LEAD CLIPPERS PAST SUNS 116-107
PHOENIX (AP) Paul George and Terance Mann each scored 26 points and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Phoenix Suns 116-107 on Thursday night in the final NBA game before the All-Star break.
Kawhi Leonard added 16 points, all in the second half, and nine rebounds. Ivica Zubac and Eric Gordon each scored 13 points and Zubac had 12 rebounds.
The Clippers go into the break with wins in their last two games as they adjust to a new lineup rotation. Recent acquisitions Gordon, Bones Hyland and Mason Plumlee all played important roles in the victory. They combined for 30 points and 10 rebounds and were a collective 11 for 11 from the foul line.
“The new guys came in and just plugged right in as if we started the season,” George said. “We played great team basketball. We shared it and got stops as we needed to.
“We got everything we need. We just have to bring that all together and find an identity that can carry us.”
Leonard missed all eight of his shots in the first half but was 5 of 10 after that and made all six of his free-throw tries.
“I just made shots,” Leonard said abut the difference. “You just gotta keep pushing.”
The Suns missed nine of their first 10 3-point attempts, with only Josh Okogie warming up later in the game. Okogie led Phoenix with 24 points. He was 6 of 12 from behind the arc, but the rest of the Suns made five combined.
“It feels good without having to look over your shoulder when you mess up,” said Okogie, whose recent performances have put him in the running to join Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Deandre Ayton in Phoenix’s starting lineup when Durant returns from a knee injury.
“Coach (Monty Williams) told me, `I don’t care if you miss eight in a row. I won’t take you out for missing but I will take you out for not shooting.'”
Booker had 19 points and nine assists for Phoenix. Ayton scored 18 points and newcomer Terrance Ross had 16 points. Booker was 1 of 6 from 3-point range, but tied Steve Nash’s franchise record with 1,051 3s.
Paul had 11 assists, two nights after having a season-high 19 against Sacramento.
The Clippers have scored 100 or more points in 20 of their last 21 games.
The loss was the Suns’ first against a Pacific Division opponent in 10 games, and the Clippers moved ahead of Phoenix into second place going into the All-Star break.
TURNOVER
The Suns won the first two meetings between the teams, both in Los Angeles, but the squads have undergone major changes since then.
The Clippers’ new threesome made their presence known Thursday night, while the Suns expect Kevin Durant to play soon. He was acquired with T.J. Warren from Brooklyn for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Jae Crowder plus four first-round picks.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said the Suns’ trio of Durant, Booker and Paul reminds him of going against Durant, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson when Lue was coaching Cleveland in the NBA Finals.
“I don’t want to think about it,” Lue said about the Suns adding Durant to their rotation. “It’s a tough coverage, tough matchup. I’m interested to see how they play, how they share the basketball. But on paper it looks really good.”
NEW GUY
Ross joined the Suns for the game and made a quick impact, scoring a team-high seven points in the first quarter. Ross, a 6-foot-6 guard/small forward, was waived by Orlando as his contract was expiring after this season.
Ross, in his 11th NBA season, was averaging eight points in 22 minutes per game for the Magic.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Los Angeles played without Norman Powell, who was resting his ailing right knee. “No bigger concerns,” Lue said of Powell resting the Clippers’ last game before the All-Star break. Phoenix remains without Durant (knee), Landry Shamet (foot) and Cameron Payne (foot).
NEXT
Clippers: Host Sacramento on Feb. 24.
Suns: Host Oklahoma City on Feb. 24.
AP SOURCE: KEVIN LOVE DISCUSSING POSSIBLE BUYOUT FROM CAVS
CLEVELAND (AP) Kevin Love’s long, winding run with the Cleveland Cavaliers could be ending after nearly nine years.
The five-time All-Star forward has discussed the possibility of a contract buyout with the Cavs after being dropped from their rotation, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Love is in the final year of a $120 million, four-year extension he signed in 2018.
The 34-year-old hasn’t played in the last 12 games and his representatives approached the Cavaliers about the buyout, said the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because negotiations continue.
At this point, nothing has been finalized and the sides are expected to engage in discussions during the All-Star break, the person said.
Love has been with Cleveland since 2014, and one of the NBA’s most versatile big men is the last remaining link from the 2016 title team, which ended the city’s 52-year pro sports championship drought.
Although he’s not contributing like he once did on the floor, Love has become a beloved player to Cleveland fans.
His acceptance of a reserve role last season helped fuel the team’s turnaround after winning just 60 games combined in the three previous seasons. And Love’s public disclosure of struggling with mental health issues in the past made him relatable and easy to root for.
The Athletic first reported Love’s buyout request.
Love played well earlier this season before being slowed by a thumb injury. When forward Dean Wade and guard Ricky Rubio recently returned from injuries, Love’s minutes shrunk, and lately he hasn’t been in coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s rotation at all.
Love’s situation became cloudier when the team signed veteran forward Danny Green after he became available via buyout. Green made his debut in Wednesday night’s 118-112 loss at Philadelphia while Love sat again.
Love wants to play, and if the Cavs, who entered the day fourth in the Eastern Conference standings, agree to a buyout, he could draw interest from other contending teams. Miami and Phoenix are among the potential landing spots.
Last week, Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman said he had not spoken to Love or his agents about a buyout and expected him to have a contributing role again at some point this season.
Bickerstaff said something similar while complimenting Love on continuing to be a good teammate and leader.
“We still believe he’s capable of helping us in big moments because he has that experience and has been through those pressures,” Bickerstaff said Monday night before a win over San Antonio. “I do think there’s going to be times where we really need him because again he’s another one of those guys who’s been through those moments and seen those types of things that we’re going to need hopefully down the stretch here.”
Love has averaged 17.2 points and 10.5 rebounds since 2008. He spent six seasons with Minnesota before being traded to Cleveland.
Love had some initial struggles trying to fit in when he first arrived. Accustomed to being the star with the Timberwolves, he had to learn how to be a supporting player aside LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.
Love eventually found his footing, and Cavs fans will long remember his defense on Steph Curry in the closing minutes of Game 7 in 2016 as Cleveland completed a comeback from a 3-1 deficit to stun the Golden State Warriors.
CELTICS REMOVE INTERIM TAG, NAME JOE MAZZULLA HEAD COACH
BOSTON (AP) Joe Mazzulla has been so steady guiding the Celtics through a franchise-shaking crisis that their turbulent offseason has taken a back seat to their championship aspirations.
The team rewarded him by turning a temporary opportunity of a lifetime into a permanent one.
Boston named Mazzulla its full-time head coach on Thursday, removing the interim tag he had held since stepping in for Ime Udoka in the preseason.
Udoka initially was given a yearlong suspension before training camp for having an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the organization. The 34-year-old Mazzulla, previously an assistant under Udoka, will now replace his former boss, who is no longer with the team. Mazzulla is the NBA’s youngest head coach.
“Since I’ve been here I always knew where I stood,” Mazzulla said Thursday. “And even though it was an interim position … I knew I was going to get a fair shake and get an opportunity. I knew I was going to be able to do it the way that I thought to give us the best chance to be successful without any pressure because of that.”
Terms of his new deal were not released, but the team said his promotion includes a contract extension.
“I’ve always been surrounded by great people and great coaches,” Mazzulla said. “I just think I’m a byproduct of all the different environments I’ve been in.”
Mazzulla’s Celtics have the best record in the NBA (42-17) and led Milwaukee by one game in the Eastern Conference ahead of the Bucks’ game at Chicago on Thursday night. Boston won’t play again until after the All-Star break.
Mazzulla said he found out the process of making him the permanent coach was underway two days ago and that the deal was finalized after the Celtics’ 127-109 win over Detroit on Wednesday.
Mazzulla and his assistants will coach Team Giannis – the team that will be captained by Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo – in the All-Star Game Sunday at Salt Lake City. Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were named All-Stars.
“One of the things that’s pretty obvious and evident about Joe is he’s a really good coach and he also is just an outstanding leader,” Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said. “I think he’s done a great job right from the get-go of galvanizing the locker room around a mission.”
Stevens said he decided to elevate Mazzulla now because of the job he’s done and because he didn’t want the coach and his staff to enter the second half of the season under “a cloud of uncertainty.”
“They’ve certainly have earned that,” Stevens said.
He declined to elaborate on why he made the move now instead of waiting until the season ended.
“We said in our original statement long ago that decision would be made at a later date. We wanted to make sure we were thorough, we were really focused on our team from that day on,” Stevens said. “I thought the players leadership, the staff’s leadership and Joe’s leadership have all stood out during that time.”
Mazzulla, who is from Johnston, Rhode Island, was recognized as the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for games played in October and November after leading the team to a league-best 18-4 record (.818).
He said being on top of the East is something he would take the time to appreciate over the All-Star break – while also thinking about how the Celtics can maintain their strong play in the second half.
“It’s there, you can’t run away, you can’t ignore it,” Mazzulla said. “I do think there is a comfort level knowing that. But that was kind of my message to the guys. That at the same time you can’t be too comfortable because when we get back, it picks right up.”
Udoka, a longtime assistant, led Boston to a 51-31 record last season, his first as a head coach – going 26-6 in the final 32 games. The Celtics then beat Brooklyn, Milwaukee and Miami on the way to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games.
Before training camp, the Celtics banned Udoka for a full season over what two people with knowledge of the matter said was an improper relationship with a member of the organization. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team did not reveal that detail publicly.
Despite those circumstances, Boston looks fully capable of winning a title.
“All things considered, everything that we’ve went through this season as a team with coaching changes and guys getting injured, missing games and being in and out of the lineup. … Overall, it’s been a hell of a start,” Tatum said after the win over Detroit.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
NO. 2 HOUSTON BEATS SMU 80-65, EYES NO. 1 IN AP TOP 25 POLL
DALLAS (AP) Marcus Sasser won’t go so far as to say he doesn’t want second-ranked Houston to be No. 1 again.
The senior guard simply echoes coach Kelvin Sampson that the Cougars don’t talk much about it.
Sasser scored 20 points, freshman Jarace Walker added 14 and Houston cruised to an 80-65 victory over SMU on Thursday night.
With a win at home over Memphis on Sunday, the Cougars could be in line for their third stay atop The Associated Press Top 25 poll this season after losses by No. 1 Alabama and third-ranked Purdue, which has dropped three of four.
“We want to be No. 1,” said Sasser, responding with a soft smile to the suggestion that maybe it’s better without the target. “Just really don’t just care about it too much, really.”
Losses to the Crimson Tide and Temple knocked them off the first two perches. The third could come just two weeks before the end of the regular season.
That’s where Houston finished in 1983 – the last season the Cougars were No. 1 prior to this one – before losing to North Carolina State in the title game.
“That never creeps into our conversations,” Sampson said. “I’ve got enough stuff to watch, things to critique about this game when I get on that bus.”
Jamal Shead, who scored 13 points, finished the first half with an isolation layup before starting the second half with one of his eight assists on a one-handed, alley-oop dunk by Walker.
Those plays were part of a 12-0 run on either side of halftime as the Cougars (24-2, 12-1 American Athletic Conference) took a 48-29 lead and led by at least 11 points the rest of the way in their sixth consecutive win.
Zhuric Phelps had 22 points, six rebounds and five assists to lead the Mustangs, (9-18, 4-10), who lost by 34 at Houston last month and never gave the often-raucous Moody Coliseum crowd much chance to get loud a year after a two-point upset of the Cougars at home.
SMU was tied five minutes in, but fell behind for good not long after.
“We got off to a good start and we weren’t overwhelmed by the presence of their team the way we were the first time,” SMU coach Rob Lanier said. “I thought we accepted that, that there was a level of relief in the group that it isn’t a drubbing.”
One of Walker’s two 3-pointers gave Houston its first 20-point lead midway through the second half, and Sasser pushed the lead to 23 with another 3 on the next possession. Sasser was 4 of 9 from deep.
J’Wan Roberts helped the Cougars establish a post presence early, making all four of his shots for all eight of his points in the first half. He had 10 rebounds.
BIG PICTURE
Houston: Free throws continue to be an issue for a team ranked in the 200s nationally in that category. The Cougars finished 16 of 26, missing at least 10 for the third time this season. Houston lost the first two, but the lead was too big for it to matter this time. Tramon Mark, who scored 11 points, helped the cause by making six of seven from the line.
SMU: The Mustangs finished with a respectable 11 turnovers, but four came in a three-minute span late in the first half and early in the second during the decisive 12-0 run by Houston.
FINAL TRIP HOME
This was Sasser’s final trip home to the Dallas area. He starred at Red Oak High School, south of Dallas, and comes from a long line of basketball Sassers. One uncle (Jason) played at Texas Tech, and another (Jeryl Jr.) at SMU. “Wanted to leave on a good note,” Sasser said.
UP NEXT
Houston: The Cougars play Memphis, which started the day tied for second in the AAC, twice in their final five regular-season games.
SMU: East Carolina at home Sunday.
NO. 4 UCLA RALLIES TO BEAT STANFORD 73-64 BEHIND JAQUEZ
LOS ANGELES (AP) Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 26 points and No. 4 UCLA rallied in the second half to beat Stanford 73-64 on Thursday night and improve to 14-0 at home this season.
Jaylen Clark added 16 points for the first-place Bruins (22-4, 13-2 Pac-12), who have won five in a row overall. They have won 22 consecutive home games dating to last season.
Michael Jones scored 15 points to lead Stanford (11-15, 5-10), and Harrison Ingram added 13. Maxime Raynaud had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Spencer Jones, the Cardinal’s leading scorer at 13.7 points per game, was held to six.
The Bruins burst out to start the second half. They outscored the Cardinal 16-4 to take a 43-36 lead. Clark stole the ball from Michael O’Connell and dunked, then he hit a 3-pointer before Jaquez completed a three-point play to cap the spurt.
Stanford responded with a 14-2 run, including 12 in a row, to go back in front, 50-45. Michael Jones scored seven straight points and Spencer Jones dunked.
The Cardinal had five players in foul trouble in the second half: O’Connell, Michael Jones, Spencer Jones, Ingram and Raynaud. O’Connell fouled out in the closing seconds.
Four times the Bruins clawed within one. Clark grabbed a defensive rebound and streaked down the court to dunk and put UCLA ahead, 58-57.
After Ingram’s jumper cut the Bruins’ lead to one, Will McClendon hit a high-arcing 3-pointer in front of UCLA’s bench that extended their lead to 63-59. UCLA made all eight of its free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Stanford controlled the first half and led 31-27. The Cardinal were better than the Bruins in shooting (48%), rebounding (22-15), bench points (10-5) and paint points (22-12). Stanford was in front for 17 1/2 minutes of the half, and its largest lead was eight points.
BIG PICTURE
Stanford: The Cardinal came into Pauley Pavilion full of confidence, having beaten then-No. 4 Arizona last week for their first win over a top-four team since 2007. But they couldn’t make shots in the closing minutes against the Bruins’ defense.
UCLA: The Bruins have four games remaining until facing their last ranked opponent of the regular season, No. 8 Arizona at home on March 4. They figure to have no problem against last-place California before going on their last road trip.
UP NEXT
Stanford: Visits Southern California on Saturday.
UCLA: Hosts California on Saturday.
KRIISA SCORES 17, NO. 8 ARIZONA DOMINATES UTAH 88-62
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) Azoulas Tubelis missed a couple shots, got frustrated with a foul call and booted the ball into the student section.
Arizona’s leading scorer spent the rest of the first half on the bench. The rest of the Wildcats ran past Utah to get a bit of revenge.
Kerr Kriisa had 17 points and six assists, Courtney Ramey added 13 points and No. 8 Arizona pulled away after Tubelis went to the bench in an 88-62 rout Thursday night.
“Everybody knows Zu is a special part of our team, a major role, but we know how to play with four guards or whatever the situation may be,” Arizona’s Kylan Boswell, who had eight points. “Doesn’t really change much.”
Arizona (23-4, 12-4 Pac-12) struggled in a loss to Utah that had Utes coach Craig Smith high-fiving fans in the stands.
Back in their own boisterous arena, the Wildcats returned the favor with a dominating performance that had Smith shaking his head.
Arizona stretched its lead to 17 after Tubelis went out and kept making shots to bounce back from a loss at Stanford last weekend.
The Wildcats shot 56% from the floor, went 9 of 18 on 3-pointers and outscored Utah 38-10 in the paint while shutting the Utes down most of the night.
“In that the Stanford game, we had some good defensive possessions, but in the end, we made some crazy decisions – like why would you do this or that? Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “We just made better decisions overall defensively and were able to contest some of their shooter’s shots.”
Utah scored 81 points and held Arizona to 35% shooting in its win on Dec. 1. The Utes (17-10, 10-6) had nowhere near the same efficiency this time, falling into a 20-point hole early in the second half to remain winless at McKale Center since 1986.
Branden Carlson had 19 points to lead Utah, which shot 32% from the floor.
“They certainly had a great look to them tonight,” Smith said. “They were in a great rhythm all night. We we were trying to disrupt it some, but really didn’t have an answer to anything that way and credit to them for doing that.”
Arizona got off to a shaky offensive start in the rematch against Utah, then Tubelis headed to the bench after his in-game boot.
Instead of struggling, the Wildcats pulled away.
Arizona went on a 10-0 run to go up by nine and held Utah scoreless for another three-minute stretch to push the lead to 33-18. The Wildcats kept hitting shots, going 18 of 31 from the field and 5 of 10 from 3 to lead 43-31 at halftime despite Tubelis playing just five minutes.
“I’m looking around like how are we only down 12?” Smith said.
Tubelis returned to the lineup to start the second half and Arizona went on a quick 9-0 run. Kriisa hit a 3-pointer, then set up Ramey for a layup that stretched the lead to 59-39.
Utah finally started to show some offensive life midway through the second half, hitting seven straight shots to pull within 12.
It was the Utes’ last gasp.
Arizona went on an 11-0 run, capped by Ramey’s three-quarter-court alley-oop to Pelle Larsson, pushing the lead to 79-56.
“We mixed up our defenses there and that was the one time we maybe got them on their heels, and they call the timeout,” Smith said “But then after that point, we really didn’t have any answers.”
TUBELIS TEMPER
Tubelis normally has a stoic demeanor on the court, but the frustrating start coming off a quiet game against Stanford had him broiling with anger.
The Lithuanian big man missed a shot at the rim, then was called for a loose-ball foul near midcourt that he didn’t agree with. Tubelis kicked the ball about 10 rows deep into the stands and, after the officials reviewed the play during a timeout, was hit with a technical foul.
“You can’t do what you did,” Lloyd said. “He’s a great kid. He’s had an incredible year, but you can’t boot the ball into the stands. This isn’t like open gym. This is a game with rules and customs and standards.
Tubelis finished with 11 points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes.
BIG PICTURE
Utah squandered its opportunity for a huge NCAA Tournament resume booster.
Arizona has a knack for bouncing back from losses under coach Tommy Lloyd. The Wildcats did it again with an impressive all-around performance, improving to 17-4 against Utah since the Utes joined the Pac-12 in 2011.
UP NEXT
Utah: At Arizona State on Saturday.
Arizona: Hosts Colorado on Saturday.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE KNOCKS OFF NO. 25 FLORIDA ATLANTIC, 74-70
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) Camryn Weston scored 16 points, Elias King added 15 and Middle Tennessee beat No. 25 Florida Atlantic 74-70 on Thursday night for the Blue Raiders’ first win over a ranked opponent since 2016.
Middle Tennessee (16-11, 9-7 Conference USA) avenged an 85-67 loss to then-No. 21 FAU on Jan. 26 in its first home game against a ranked team since the 2008-09 season. Middle Tennessee’s previous victory over a Top 25 squad came on March 18, 2016, against No. 2 Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament.
“Anytime you beat a Top 25 team, you’ve played well,” Middle Tennessee coach Nick McDevitt said. “Our prep was for sure the best it’s been all year.”
The Blue Raiders led 56-41 with 10 minutes left as FAU (24-3, 14-2) made just four of its first 12 shots after halftime. FAU rallied to get within 61-54 on a 3-pointer by Michael Forrest with 4:22 left as Middle Tennessee went without a field goal for four-plus minutes.
FAU twice got within three in the final minute, on 3-pointers by Alijah Martin and Jalen Gaffney, but Middle Tennessee made free throws at the other end each time to regain a two-possession lead.
Eli Lawrence finished with 13 points and Justin Bufford added 12 for Middle Tennessee.
Middle Tennessee went scoreless in the final three minutes of the first half, but scored eight straight points in the opening 2:13 of the second half. The Blue Raiders added another 8-0 run for the first double-digit lead of the game at 47-36.
Martin, the Conference USA player of the week, scored 15 points for Florida Atlantic, which was coming off back-to-back 90-point games. Vladislav Goldin had 14 points and eight rebounds, and Forrest added 13 points. Johnell Davis, the leading scorer for FAU at 13.5 points per game, was held to nine on 4-of-10 shooting.
FAU trailed by eight with 4:53 left in the first half but closed on an 11-2 run for a 32-31 lead. The final 11 points by the Owls were scored by reserves.
“To get only one point at the free throw line while turning it over 15 times, it’s not a recipe for success on the road against a quality team like Middle Tennessee,” FAU coach Dusty May said.
UP NEXT
Florida Atlantic has the weekend off before hosting UTSA next Thursday.
“With this bye weekend, we need to refocus and figure out how to get our edge back,” May said.
Middle Tennessee continues its three-game homestand Saturday against Florida International.
NFL NEWS
NFL’S KAMARA, LAMMONS INDICTED IN 2022 VEGAS NIGHTCLUB FIGHT
LAS VEGAS (AP) A grand jury in Nevada has indicted New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara, Cincinnati Bengals newly acquired cornerback Chris Lammons and two others on two criminal counts in connection with an alleged beating at a Las Vegas nightclub last February.
The Clark County grand jury handed up the indictment in Las Vegas on Wednesday on the same two battery charges prosecutors filed last year against the NFL players and two other men, KLAS-TV in Las Vegas first reported Thursday.
Kamara was arrested Feb. 6, 2022, after he played in the NFL Pro Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Police say he told officers he punched a man after he thought he had done something to someone in his group and was trying to run away.
A preliminary hearing had been scheduled for March 1 in Justice Court in Las Vegas to determine if there was enough evidence to bound them over for trial in district court on the charges – felony battery resulting in substantial bodily harm and conspiracy to commit battery.
The indictment means the case can go directly to trial in district court without a preliminary hearing. No trial date has been set.
Kamara’s lawyers say the Saints’ star running back is innocent.
“The State has avoided a contested preliminary hearing by indicting Mr. Kamara,” Las Vegas lawyers Drew Findling, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld said in a joint statement emailed to The Associated Press on Thursday.
“He intends to vigorously fight the allegations at trial as he was defending himself and others at the time of the incident,” they said.
A Las Vegas lawyer who previously represented Lammons did not respond to an email seeking comment Thursday.
The NFL has not taken any action against Kamara or Lammons.
Lammons played all this past season and one playoff game for Kansas City before the Chiefs waived him last month and the Bengals claimed him Monday.
NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said in a statement Thursday the league continues to “monitor all legal developments in the matter which remains under review of the Personal Conduct Policy.”
Police say surveillance video shows Kamara and at least three other men attacked the victim Feb. 5 at about 6:30 a.m. They say it shows Kamara punching the man, Darnell Greene Jr., repeatedly before others stomped on the man while he was on the floor at the rooftop Drai’s Nightclub above The Cromwell Las Vegas Hotel & Casino.
Kamara originally was charged with a single count of felony battery resulting in substantial bodily harm and released on bond. Prosecutors amended the complaint later that month to include both charges listed in Wednesday’s indictment.
Lammons and the two other men – Darrin Young and Percy Harris – turned themselves in after police issued warrants for their arrest in mid-February 2022. They also were released on bond.
Las Vegas lawyers who previously represented Young and Harris did not respond to emails seeking comment Thursday.
Greene filed a civil lawsuit against Kamara in court in Louisiana in October seeking $10 million in damages after it said Greene was punched in the face and stomped on near an elevator and was unconscious for “over two minutes.”
The lawsuit claims Kamara “deliberately used violent force against (Greene) with the intent to inflict actual damage.”
It said Greene’s orbital lobe was broken, and he had severe injuries to his shoulder, back, head, knees, face and neck.
FORMER NFL PLAYER AMONG 8 ARRESTED ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING, GANG CHARGES
Eric Johnson, who played six seasons in the NFL from 2000-2005, is among eight accused of trafficking four women and one girl as well as other gang-related charges on Thursday.
Attorney General Chris Carr says the “LOTTO Gang” members are facing charges of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, violation of the street gang terrorism and prevention act, conspiracy to violate the racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations act (RICO), aggravated assault and kidnapping, per FOX 5 Atlanta.
All eight were indicted by a grand jury on Feb. 8.
Carr said that all eight members of the gang were uncovered following a month-long investigation. He alleges that the LOTTO gang engaged in human trafficking for money to support their members as well as purchase weapons, among other things.
The indictment on the LOTTO gang is extensive, as it found 41 “predicate and overt acts” that were committed between October 2021 and July 2022. In there, it is said the gang kept women who they trafficked under control through violence and held them against their will.
“Throughout our state, gangs are actively engaged in human trafficking as a primary means to make money, and we are using all available resources to fight back and protect our most vulnerable,” Carr said via FOX 5 Atlanta. “By combining the strengths of our Human Trafficking and Gang Prosecution Units, we are working to ensure that those who lead, promote and encourage this unlawful activity are vigorously pursued and held accountable for their actions. This indictment is just the latest outcome in our ongoing efforts to keep our children and our families safe as we seek to root out violent crime wherever it occurs.”
Johnson, known as “EJ” in the gang, is being charged with RICO, trafficking of persons for sexual servitude and violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.
The 46-year-old joined the Oakland Raiders out of Nebraska, and he would spend four seasons there from 2000 to 2003. He was best known as a special teams ace with the team, and he returned Tim Johnson’s blocked punt for a touchdown in the Raiders’ Super Bowl XXXVII loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003.
NHL NEWS
KYROU, SCHENN LIFT BLUES PAST DEVILS 4-2
ST. LOUIS (AP) Jordan Kyrou and Brayden Schenn each had a goal and an assist and the St. Louis Blues extended their winning streak to three games with a 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.
Pavel Buchnevich and Alexey Toropchenko also scored for the Blues, who swept the two-game season series and won for the ninth time in their last 10 homes games against the Devils. Robert Thomas had a pair of assists. Jordan Binnington made 34 saves.
The line of Kyrou, Schenn and Thomas combined for six points.
“Schenner’s awesome,” Kyrou said. “He can score, he can make plays, he can crush guys. For us just as a team, I think we’re doing a lot of the good things in the offensive zone, forechecking, we’re being super aggressive and it gives us more O-zone time with the pucks.”
Dawson Mercer and Erik Haula scored for the Devils, who had their five-game point streak snapped (4-0-1). Mackenzie Blackwood made 31 saves.
“I thought we had a terrible night in our own end,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. “I thought we got beat to pucks. Some of our puck play led to our goals against, turned over pucks, and I think when you turn over pucks, you know, especially against their top line a couple of times, you put yourself in a lot of trouble.”
The Blues took control with a pair of goals early in the second period.
Toropchenko broke a 1-all tie four minutes in with his fourth goal of the season. Kyrou made it 3-1 Blues less than two minutes later.
“I think we’ve just found our game as a whole unit, coming from the D-zone into the offensive zone,” Blues defenseman Colton Parayko said. “I think we’ve been making a good emphasis on playing in the O-zone, spending time down there. I think that’s the best when the defense is playing offense, as goofy as it sounds.”
Kyrou has a three-game multipoint streak since coming back from the All-Star break and has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in his last nine games.
“Any time you have a nice little break like that, you can get a little reset in your mind and your body,” Kyrou said. “A lot of guys are feeling good right now and we’re playing well.”
Haula got the Devils back in it midway through the second after Fabian Zetterlund’s pass found him all alone in front of the Blues’ net.
“I think in the second we just got a little bit loose in our own end,” Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler said. “There was some bouncing pucks that led to two goals and we’ve got to clean up our D-zone.”
Schenn’s power-play goal with 8:18 left in the third extended St. Louis’ advantage to 4-2.
Buchnevich gave the Blues the early lead with a late first-period goal, burying a feed from Ivan Barbashev with 3:28 left.
Mercer answered for the Devils 58 seconds later, roofing a rebound off Jesper Boqvist’s shot to tie it 1.
“We have a lot of good players on this team, we all know that, but looking at the effort and the competitiveness of our team right now, the attitude, it’s really good and that’s a big thing,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “That’s what wins hockey games.”
ROAD WARRIORS
Even with the loss, New Jersey has the league’s best road record at 20-4-3. With their win at Columbus on Tuesday, the Devils became the fastest team in league history to reach 20 wins in a season, doing it in 26 games and topping the previous mark of 27 games set by Washington.
NOTES: Injured Devils F Jack Hughes (upper body) and D Brendan Smith (lower body) took part in the team’s morning skate, but did not suit up for the game. … The Blues placed F Brandon Saad (upper body) on injured reserve and recalled F Jake Neighbours from its AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. Saad was injured Tuesday against Florida. … Devils C Yegor Sharangovich recorded his 100th career point with an assist on Haula’s goal. … Binnington made his 200th career start.
UP NEXT
Devils: Play at Pittsburgh on Saturday night.
Blues: Host Colorado on Saturday night.
RED WINGS BEAT FLAMES 5-2, EXTEND WINNING STREAK TO 5 GAMES
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) Detroit Red Wings winger Tyler Bertuzzi is healthy again and looks to be in vintage form.
Bertuzzi had a goal and two assists, Dominik Kubalik scored twice and the Detroit Red Wings extended their winning streak to a season-best five games with a 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night.
“You could see frustration in his game,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said of Bertuzzi, who has missed 31 games due to injury this season. “He misses half of camp, plays a game and a half (then) breaks his hand (and is) out six weeks. Comes back for a few weeks and breaks his hand again. Battles a lower-body (injury).
“He just hasn’t been able to get any rhythm in his game.”
That is until Thursday. Coming off a career-best 30 goals and 62 points last season, Bertuzzi was the difference maker against Calgary.
Robby Fabbri and Pius Suter also scored for Detroit (26-20-8), which closed within two points of Washington in the race for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Red Wings hold three games in hand. Dylan Larkin had three assists, extending his point streak to six games (six goals, six assists). Magnus Hellberg made 33 saves.
Elias Lindholm and Dillon Dube scored for Calgary (25-19-11). The loss knocked the Flames out of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, which now belongs to the Minnesota Wild.
Calgary’s Dan Vladar stopped 19 of 24 shots. On the heels of a 13-game points streak (10-0-3), Vladar has lost back-to-back games in regulation, both against Detroit.
“Certainly didn’t give us an opportunity to win, did it?” said Flames coach Darryl Sutter, when asked about his team’s goaltending.
Tied 2-2 in the second period, Kubalik scored his second at 15:21 after some hard work behind the goal from Bertuzzi. Battling Nazem Kadri for a loose puck, Bertuzzi sent the puck into the slot as he was getting clipped in the face by Kadri’s stick. While Bertuzzi was down and grabbing his face behind the net, Larkin zipped a cross-ice pass to Kubalik, who fired it past Vladar.
“(Bertuzzi) throws his body in front of the line all the time,” said Hellberg. “He’s such a great guy. He’s blocking shots. He’s playing tough. Making nice plays. Feels like he can do everything.”
Bertuzzi made it 4-2 just over three minutes later on the man advantage when he steered in Fabbri’s centering pass for his third of the season. Bertuzzi’s three-point game was a season best for the right winger who has been limited to 23 games due to injuries.
“The break was the best for him. He got healthy,” Lalonde said. “Now he’s winning those second battles. That’s a good sign for us.”
Calgary opened the scoring on Lindholm’s short-handed goal at 15:22 of the first period that was set up by Mikael Backlund.
The Flames only lead of the night was short-lived with Detroit tying it at 18:59. Bertuzzi got the puck out to Kubalik in the slot and his shot eluded Vladar after it partially deflected off the glove of Flames defenseman Michael Stone.
Stone also factored into Detroit going ahead 2-1 as his cross-checking penalty at 2:14 of the second put the Red Wings on the power play. Fabbri picked the top corner after a setup from Larkin 13 seconds later.
The Flames evened the game at 9:03 of the middle frame when Dube got loose down the right wing and scored his 16th goal of the season and fifth in the past three games.
ANDERSSON RETURNS
Calgary welcomed back defenseman Rasmus Andersson to the lineup. The team’s leader in average ice time (24:40) missed three games after he was struck by a car while riding a scooter a week ago, when the team was visiting Detroit.
POWER TRIP
Detroit’s power play was sizzling Thursday. A perfect 3 for 3 over the previous two games, the Red Wings went 2 for 4 on the man advantage.
UP NEXT
Red Wings: At Seattle on Saturday in the fourth game of a five-game trip.
Flames: Host New York Rangers on Saturday in the second game of a three-game homestand.
JOHNSON SCORES IN 3RD PERIOD, BLUE JACKETS BEAT JETS 3-1
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Kent Johnson’s third-period goal was the tiebreaker, Joonas Korpisalo had 36 saves and the Columbus Blue Jackets rallied to beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-1 on Thursday night.
The Blue Jackets overcame a terrible first period, tying a season-low with just two shots on goal in the frame. They tied the game in the second period and moved ahead at 9:40 of the third with Johnson’s shot through a screen seconds after a power play had ended.
“It wasn’t the start we wanted, but you know, we weathered that storm,” Columbus coach Brad Larsen said. “Korpi was outstanding for us.”
Patrik Laine also scored for Columbus, and Boone Jenner scored into an empty net with 3 seconds left in the game.
“The guys did a good job letting me see the puck, blocking shots,” said Korpisalo, who got a showcase game for teams that might be interested as the trade deadline approaches next month. He has split time with Elvis Merzlikins this season.
Kyle Connor scored for the Jets, and David Rittich had 21 saves.
With Dallas off on Thursday, the Jets missed a chance to pull even with the Stars at the top of the Central Division. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for Winnipeg.
Columbus is still a distant last in the Metropolitan Division.
The Jets got on the board in the final seconds of the first period on a power play.
After a questionable hooking call on Columbus’ Erik Gudbranson, Connor got a pass from Blake Wheeler and buried a shot from the right circle for his 25th of the season.
Laine tied the game on a power play 10 minutes into the second period when he shot over Rittich’s far shoulder from the left circle.
Johnson got the tiebreaker with a shot from the left circle.
“I was looking for a pass and didn’t want to force one through the seam. I thought I could surprise the goalie there,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t a hard shot. If he sees it, he probably saves it. I didn’t even see it go in.”
The game featured 12 power plays – seven for the Jets and five for the Blue Jackets. Each team scored once with a man advantage. Columbus killed three 5-on-3 power plays, the first time the team has done that since 2011.
“You get that many power plays to score and don’t – regardless of the opponent – that’s on us,” Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said.
GAVRIKOV SCRATCHED AGAIN
Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov was a healthy scratch for the second straight game to protect him from an injury ahead of a potential trade. He is expected to be dealt before the March 3 trade deadline. The 27-year-old Gavrikov, who will be unrestricted free agent, hasn’t been able to reach a deal with Columbus on another contract.
FAMILY AFFAIR
Manitoba Moose assistant coach Eric Dubois — father of Winnipeg forward Pierre-Luc – joined the Jets on the road trip through Columbus, New York, and New Jersey. He was standing in for assistant coach Brad Lauer, who is recovering from a back injury. Manitoba is the AHL affiliate of the Jets. Pierre-Luc Dubois was a first-round draft pick by the Blue Jackets in 2016 and played in Columbus until being traded to the Jets early in the 2020-21 season. He picked up an assist on Connor’s first-period goal.
NOTES: Korpisalo was credited with an assist on Jenner’s empty-net goal. … Columbus native Sean Kuraly played in his 400th NHL game. . Rittich made consecutive starts in goal for the first time since Dec. 18-20. . Former Blue Jacket Sam Gagner was in the Winnipeg lineup in place of Karson Kuhlman, who was a healthy scratch.
UP NEXT
Jets: At New Jersey on Sunday.
Blue Jackets: At Dallas on Saturday.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL NEWS
TIM MCCARVER, BIG LEAGUE CATCHER AND BROADCASTER, DIES AT 81
NEW YORK (AP) Tim McCarver, the All-Star catcher and Hall of Fame broadcaster who during 60 years in baseball won two World Series titles with the St. Louis Cardinals and had a long run as one of the country’s most recognized, incisive and talkative television commentators, died Thursday. He was 81.
McCarver’s death was announced by baseball’s Hall of Fame, which said he died Thursday morning due to heart failure in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was with his family.
Among the few players to appear in major league games during four decades, McCarver was a two-time All Star who worked closely with two future Hall of Fame pitchers: The tempestuous Bob Gibson, whom McCarver caught for St. Louis in the 1960s, and the introverted Steve Carlton, McCarver’s fellow Cardinal in the ’60s and a Philadelphia Phillies teammate in the 1970s.
He switched to television soon after retiring in 1980 and called 24 World Series for ABC, CBS and Fox, a record for a baseball analyst on television.
“I think there is a natural bridge from being a catcher to talking about the view of the game and the view of the other players,” McCarver told the Hall in 2012, the year he was given the Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting. “It is translating that for the viewers. One of the hard things about television is staying contemporary and keeping it simple for the viewers.”
McCarver became best known to national audiences for his 18-year partnership on Fox with play-by-play man Joe Buck. McCarver moved to Fox in 1996 when it began televising baseball and called his final World Series in 2013.
“I learned really fast that if you were in his inner circle, he would be a fierce defender of you and for you,” Buck said Thursday. “He taught me how to deal with criticism because he had been criticized, his whole broadcast career. And sometimes it was because he was a teacher of the game. If some player or manager didn’t manage or play the way he thought the game should be played, he let a national audience know it. He was always the first one in the clubhouse the next day. If that person had something to say back to him, he would engage and stood his ground, but it was fair.
“He taught me a lot about the game, but he taught me as much or more about how to broadcast on a on a national level.”
Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement that McCarver was “a respected teammate and one of the most influential voices our game has known.” McCarver, who in the 1960s was an early and prominent union activist, was praised Thursday by Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark for his “lead role” in the union’s formation.
Six feet tall and solidly built, McCarver was a policeman’s son from Memphis, who got into more than a few fights while growing up but was otherwise playing baseball and football and imitating popular broadcasters, notably the Cardinals’ Harry Caray. He was signed while still in high school by the Cardinals for $75,000, a generous offer for that time; just 17 when he debuted for them in 1959 and in his early 20s when he became the starting catcher.
McCarver attended segregated schools in Memphis and often spoke of the education he received as a newcomer in St. Louis. His teammates included Gibson and outfielder Curt Flood, Black players who did not hesitate to confront or tease McCarver. When McCarver used racist language against a Black child trying to jump a fence during spring training, Gibson would remember “getting right up in McCarver’s face.” McCarver liked to tell the story about drinking an orange soda during a hot day in spring training and Gibson asking him for some, then laughing when McCarver flinched.
“It was probably Gibby more than any other Black man who helped me to overcome whatever latent prejudices I may have had,” McCarver wrote in his 1987 memoir “Oh, Baby, I Love It!”
Few catchers were strong hitters during the ’60s, but McCarver batted .270 or higher for five consecutive seasons and was fast enough to become the first in his position to lead the league in triples. He had his best year in 1967 when he hit .295 with 14 home runs, finishing second for NL Most Valuable Player behind teammate Orlando Cepeda as the Cardinals won their second World Series in four years.
McCarver met Carlton when the left-hander was a rookie in 1965 “with an independent streak wider than the Grand Canyon,” McCarver later wrote. The two initially clashed, even arguing on the mound during games, but became close and were reunited in the 1970s after both were traded to Philadelphia. McCarver became Carlton’s designated catcher even though he admittedly had a below average throwing arm and overall didn’t compare defensively to the Phillies’ regular catcher, Gold Glover Bob Boone.
“Behind every successful pitcher, there has to be a very smart catcher, and Tim McCarver is that man,” Carlton said during his Hall of Fame induction speech in 1994. “Timmy forced me pitch inside. Early in my career I was reluctant to pitch inside. Timmy had a way to remedy this. He used to set up behind the hitter. There was just the umpire there; I couldn’t see him (McCarver), so I was forced to pitch inside.”
McCarver liked to joke that he and Carlton were so in synch in the field that when both were dead they would be buried 60 feet, 6 inches apart, the distance between the rubber on the pitching mound and home plate.
During a 21-year career, when he also played briefly for the Montreal Expos and Boston Red Sox, McCarver batted .271 and only twice struck out more than 40 times in a season. In the postseason, he averaged .273 and had his best outing in the 1964 World Series, when the Cardinals defeated the New York Yankees in seven games. McCarver finished 11 for 23, with five walks, and his 3-run homer at Yankee Stadium in the 10th inning of Game 5 gave his team a 5-2 victory.
Younger baseball fans first knew him from his work in the broadcast booth, whether local games for the New York Mets, Yankees, Philadelphia and San Francisco, as Jack Buck’s partner on CBS (1990-91) or with son Joe Buck for Fox from 1996-2013. McCarver won six Emmys and became enough of a brand name to be a punchline on “Family Guy”; write a handful of books, make cameos in “Naked Gun,” “Love Hurts” and other movies and even record an album, “Tim McCarver Sings Songs from the Great American Songbook.”
“To a generation of fans, Tim will forever be remembered as the champion whose game-winning home run during the 1964 World Series echoes throughout time,” Fox Sports CEO and executive producer Eric Shanks said. “To another, his voice will forever be the soundtrack to some of the most memorable moments in the game’s history. To us, he will forever be in our hearts.”
Knowledge was his trademark. In his spare time, he visited art museums, read books and could recite poetry from memory. At work, he was like a one-man scouting team, versed in the most granular details, and spent hours preparing before each game. At times, he seemed to have psychic powers. In Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, the score was tied at 2 between the Yankees and Arizona, and New York drew in its infield with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth. Mariano Rivera was facing Luis Gonzalez.
“Rivera throws inside to left-handers,” McCarver observed. “Left-handers get a lot of broken-bat hits into shallow outfield, the shallow part of the outfield. That’s the danger of bringing the infield in with a guy like Rivera on the mound.”
Moments later, Gonzalez’s bloop to short center field drove in the winning run.
“When you the consider the pressure of the moment,” ESPN’s Keith Olbermann told The New York Times in 2002, “the time he had to say it and the accuracy, his call was the sports-announcing equivalent of Bill Mazeroski’s home run in the ninth inning to defeat the Yankees in 1960.”
Many found McCarver informative and entertaining. Others thought him infuriating. McCarver did not cut himself short whether explaining baseball strategy or taking on someone’s performance on the field. “When you ask him the time, (he) will tell you how a watch works,” Sports Illustrated’s Norm Chad wrote of him in 1992. The same year his criticism of Deion Sanders for playing two sports on the same day led to Atlanta outfielder/Falcons defensive back’s dumping a bucket of water on his head. In 1999, McCarver was fired by the Mets after 16 seasons on the air.
The Mets said in a statement that McCarver gave Mets an insightful, humorous and knowledgeable behind the scenes look into the game.
“Some broadcasters think that their responsibility is to the team and the team only,” McCarver told the Times soon after the Mets let him go. “I have never thought that. My No. 1 obligation is to the people who are watching the game. And I’ve always felt that praise without objective criticism ceases to be praise. To me, any intelligent person can figure that out.”
After retiring from Fox’s national broadcasts, McCarver announced part-time for Fox Sports Midwest and worked the occasional Cardinals game before sitting out the 2020 season because of concerns about COVID-19. Besides the Frick award, he was inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame, in 2017.
“By the time I was 26 I had played in three World Series and I thought, ‘Man this is great, almost a World Series every year,” he said during his acceptance speech. “Uh-uh. The game has a way of keeping you honest. I never played in another World Series.”
McCarver is survived by his daughters Kathy and Kelley, and grandchildren Leigh and Beau.
CARLOS BELTRÁN, LET GO AS METS MANAGER, JOINS FRONT OFFICE
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) Carlos Beltran is joining the Mets as a special assistant to general manager Billy Eppler, his first work with a team since he lost his job as New York’s manager for his role in the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal.
Beltran was hired on Nov. 1, 2019, to replace Mickey Callaway as Mets manager. The Mets announced Beltran’s departure the following Jan. 16 without his managing a game.
Beltran’s departure was announced three days after he was the only Astros player mentioned by name in Major League Baseball’s report that concluded the team broke rules by using electronics to steal signs en route to the 2017 World Series title.
Beltran spent last season as an analyst on the New York Yankees’ YES Network.
Now 45, the nine-time All-Star played with the Mets from 2005-11 and is sixth on the team’s career list for homers (149) and RBIs (559).
“I’ve known Carlos for many years, and I’m excited to add his unique perspective to our baseball operations team,” Eppler said in a statement Thursday.
Beltran was the 1999 AL Rookie of the Year with Kansas City. He also played for San Francisco, St. Louis and the Yankees.
MEN’S GOLF
TIGER OPENS WITH 69 AT RIVIERA, TRAILS HOMA, MITCHELL BY 5
LOS ANGELES (AP) The scene was similar to the last time Tiger Woods played against the world’s best. Fans packed onto every balcony on every level of the Riviera clubhouse Thursday, all of them straining for a rare sight of golf’s biggest star.
Woods had them cheering even louder at the end.
He put on a show in his first competition in seven months, closing with three straight birdies and one big smile for a 2-under 69 in the Genesis Invitational, leaving him five shots behind Max Homa and Keith Mitchell.
Woods went bunker-to-fairway-to-bunker on the 10th hole and had to make an 8-footer to save bogey. He was wild off the tee for another bogey on the 12th, leaving him over par on a mild, breezy afternoon.
And then he looked like the Woods of old at the end – a tee shot to 5 feet on the par-3 16th, another birdie from 25 feet on the par-5 17th and then a big drive – a few yards longer than Rory McIlroy – on the 18th that set up 9-iron to 7 feet.
“I was able to fight back and get it going,” Woods said. “It was a nice finish.”
His legs held up fine, though still sore. The final task was making it up those 52 steps toward the clubhouse to sign his card. The next step is a quick turnaround. Woods finished about 5 p.m. local time, and faced a 7:24 a.m. start to the second round.
Homa played in the morning and also finished with three straight birdies for a 64. Mitchell played in the afternoon and birdied the last two holes to join him.
Jon Rahm opened with a 65 as he bids to return to No. 1 in the world. Matt Kuchar opened with a 30 on the front nine and settled for a 66, along with two-time major champion Collin Morikawa and Harris English.
Hardly anyone was watching them. That was to be expected with Woods playing. He has commanded all the attention for the last 25 years, and now Tiger sightings are rare because of legs that have been battered by knee surgeries (left) and a car crash (right).
There also was that matter of rust, which went beyond his golf. He hasn’t heard this kind of noise since last summer at St. Andrews.
“I haven’t played in a tournament in long time,” Woods said. “I didn’t look up as much. I was trying to calm myself down all day, figure out what the hell I’m doing out here. … I probably should have appreciated the fans more than I did, but there was so much going on in my head.”
The group certainly helped. For the third time in his last four appearances at Riviera, Woods played alongside Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy, two of his closest friends in golf. They all birdied the 18th, McIlroy for a 67, Thomas for a 68.
It was a treat for the thousands that followed them along.
The space behind the first tee at Riviera was so crammed that Seamus Power had to squeeze his way through fans to get to the putting green. Fans began chanting Woods’ name when he arrived. The applause when he was announced wasn’t quite as loud, mainly because so many people were holding phones high above their heads to get a picture.
And it stayed that way throughout the afternoon. There was a large rush of fans going down the eighth fairway as Woods was approaching the seventh green. No, this wasn’t the seventh inning of a Dodgers game in a bid to beat traffic. They were moving ahead trying to find a spot to see.
Woods opened with a good pitch to 4 feet for birdie on the par-5 first, the easiest hole at Riviera, and he followed with two more pars before missing the green and then a par putt from 10 feet on the long par-3 fourth.
As for his legs, there was a noticeable limp as he descended a steep cart path from the first tee.
It looked as though his round might fall apart on the 10th – a drive into the bunker some 50 yards short of the green, blasting out weakly short of the green, and then a pitch that ran past the flag and trickled into the back bunker.
He did well to make bogey, and that set up the big surge at the end.
Homa won at Riviera two years ago and called it the coolest thing he had ever done in golf, and for good reason. He grew up about 30 miles away and used to attend this tournament as a fan. He also won when his beloved Dodgers and Lakers were world champions. Oh, and Woods is the tournament host and presented him the trophy.
Victories are not routine for Homa, but he is getting used to them. He already has won twice this season, most recently three weeks ago down the coast at Torrey Pines.
He began his round on the 10th, regarded as the best short par 4 in the U.S., and went long off the green, hit a flop shot into the back bunker and then holed out for birdie.
The finish was even better, a prelude to what Woods delivered at the end of the day.
TOP INDIANA RELEASES
COLTS FOOTBALL
COLTS CLAIM WR KRISTIAN WILKERSON OFF WAIVERS FROM NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
The Indianapolis Colts today claimed wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson off waivers (from New England).
Wilkerson, 6-1, 201 pounds, played in four games (one start) in three seasons (2020-22) with the Patriots and compiled four receptions for 42 yards and two touchdowns. He participated in the Tennessee Titans’ 2020 offseason program and training camp after originally signing with the team as an undrafted free agent on May 7, 2020.
ELEVEN SOCCER
Indy Eleven & Keystone Group today unveiled renderings and announced May 2023 groundbreaking plans for Eleven Park, the transformational neighborhood development set to change the southwest quadrant of downtown Indianapolis.
Diamond Chain, the former company on the property, has recently ceased production at the facility and will vacate the property by the end of April. Rezoning to accommodate the project was filed on Thursday, and groundbreaking on Eleven Park for site work is scheduled to begin in May.
Anchored by a 20,000-seat multipurpose stadium that will be the new permanent home of Indy Eleven, the development will also include over 600 apartments; 205,000 square feet of office space; over 197,000 square feet for retail space and restaurants; a hotel; public plazas with green space; and public parking garages.
“The vision of this transformational development into a live, work, and play village is becoming reality. Eleven Park will not only change the skyline of Indianapolis, but will add over a thousand jobs, have a huge economic impact, create quality of life benefits and attract talent and opportunities to our city and state,” said Ersal Ozdemir, Chairman and Founder of Keystone Group & Indy Eleven. “We’ve been investing in downtown for over 20 years and believe it is important now more than ever. Our goal for Eleven Park is to continue the city’s tradition of using sports as a business driver for Indiana by increasing Indianapolis’ profile as a global city and showcasing the world’s most popular sport.”
Eleven Park will introduce several amazing amenities including a large public plaza and green spaces with features such as an outdoor stage with free concerts, kids play zone, outdoor activities, water features, dog park, and public art to name a few. The public plaza will offer access to many community events, farmer’s markets, and more – activating the village year-round.
Other highlights to the development will include an indoor 4,000-seat music and entertainment venue utilizing a national operator similar to other successful concepts around the country; rooftop bars; river front activation; and walkability and connectivity to The Cultural Trail and all of downtown.
The development will create a village and provide a great experience to those working at or attending events from the new Elanco Headquarters campus, Eli Lilly Global Headquarters, White River State Park, Lucas Oil Stadium, Victory Field, and the Indiana Convention Center.
This development will help support and activate the White River Vision Plan, with many improvements along the river including trails and gathering areas; overall the village will offer unique opportunities while complementing other neighborhoods in downtown Indianapolis.
Since announcing the site in June 2022, diligent work has been made on the conceptual and overall development designs with the project’s national lead designer Populous, a lead designer in state-of-the-art soccer and multipurpose stadiums.
“A world-class stadium is designed as a true destination, a reflection of its community, and a catalyst for growth in the area. This is our mission with the new stadium for Indy Eleven,” said Phil Kolbo, a principal at global design firm Populous. “The stadium will anchor Eleven Park, providing a home for Indy Eleven that creates new and tailored experiences for Indianapolis fans in a venue designed with the innovation and aspirations of a great global soccer venue.”
AECOM Hunt will be the Construction Manager for the stadium. Founded in Indianapolis in 1944, AECOM Hunt is the #1 Sports builder in the country as rated by ENR and has constructed numerous sports venues both in Indiana and across the country including Lucas Oil Stadium, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, SoFi Stadium, Little Caesars Arena, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Indy Eleven fans can expect to enjoy games in the new stadium by summer of 2025. The comprehensive planning process is well underway, and Indy Eleven will continue to meet with fans, supporters, stakeholders, and the overall community regarding optimal fan experience elements to be included in the final design.
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL
GIRLS ROSTERS ANNOUNCED FOR INAUGURAL ‘FUTURES’ GAME
TEAM NORTH
Lillian Barnes, 5-11, Valparaiso, Fr.
Kira Reynolds, 6-3, South Bend Washington, So.
Addison Baxter, 5-9, Columbia City, So.
Jordyn Poole, 5-6, Fort Wayne Snider, Jr.
Ava Ziolkowski, 6-1, Crown Point, Jr.
Alli Harness, 5-8, Carroll (Flora), Jr.
Camryn Runner, 5-9, Hamilton Heights, Jr.
Adrianne Tolen, 5-10, West Lafayette, Jr.
Addie Bowsman, 5-7, Twin Lakes, So.
Maya Makalusky, 6-3, Hamilton Southeastern, So.
Avery Gordon, 6-5, Brownsburg, So.
Talia Harris, 5-8, Fishers, Jr.
Head coach: Matt Stone, Wabash
Assistant coach: Lisa Finn, Cathedral
TEAM SOUTH
Chloe Spreen, 5-9, Bedford North Lawrence, Jr.
Juliann Woodard, 6-2, Jennings County, Jr.
Faith Wiseman, 6-4, Indian Creek, Jr.
Lauren Foster, 5-7, Indian Creek, Jr.
Rachel Harshman, 6-0, Mooresville, Jr.
Avah Montgomery, 5-9, Southridge, So.
Aniyah McKenzie, 5-10, Lawrence Central, Fr.
Lola Lampley, 6-2, Lawrence Central, Fr.
Emma Haan, 5-7, Zionsville, Jr.
Ellery Minch, 6-2, Mt. Vernon, Jr.
Reagan Wilson, 5-8, Noblesville, Jr.
Meredith Tippner, 5-10, Noblesville, So.
Head coach: Kristi Sigler, Jennings County
Assistant coach: Brian Smith, Loogootee
INDIANA WOMEN’S BB
NO. 2/2 INDIANA SETS SCHOOL RECORD 25TH WIN
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Senior forward Mackenzie Holmes dropped 27 points and five blocks as the No. 2 Hoosiers defeated No. 12/13 Michigan, 68-52, on Thursday night inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
KEY MOMENTS
In a point-by-point battle in the first, it was Graduate student Grace Berger’s steal and a layup from senior Mackenzie Holmes, who scored 13 of her 27 points in the first quarter, that gave Indiana (25-1, 15-1 B1G) the six-point lead with 5:29 left on the clock.
The first 3-pointer of the night was scored by Junior Chloe Moore-McNeil, forcing Michigan (20-6, 10-5 B1G) to call its first timeout as the Hoosiers acquired a nine-point lead. As the two teams traded buckets, the first quarter came to an end with a five-point Hoosier lead, 22-17.
Holmes fourth block of the night (8:50) tied for second in program history. With 5:46 remaining, a steal from Moore-McNeil had Assembly Hall on its feet forcing another Michigan timeout. IU’s defense held Michigan to only two buckets until the 3:42 mark. With a comfortable 14-point lead, IU put themselves in position to take over the first half of the game.
The Indiana Hoosiers started hot with back-to-back 3-pointers from Moore-McNeil. Freshman forward Lilly Meister made her presence known in the third, scoring five of her seven points and closing out the quarter with a 24-point lead.
It was Holmes’ fifth block of the night at the 2:36 mark in the third quarter gave her full ownership of the second spot in all-time blocks in program history. Graduate student guard Grace Berger added to the record-breaking night, as she took control of the second spot in all-time assist (534) with five on the evening.
NOTABLE
Senior forward Mackenzie Holmes led the way in scoring with 27 points including 16 in the first half.
Tonight’s performance marked the 31st 20-point effort of her career and the 18th of the season.
The Gorham, Maine native has scored 20-or-more points in 13 of 16 conference games this season.
Holmes has reached the 20-point plateau in seven of nine games against AP Top-25 opposition this year.
She now has 1,795 career points, moving her past Cyndi Valentin into 8th on the program’s all-time scoring list.
Holmes blocked five shots on the evening, moving into second in program history with 198 rejections.
Graduate student guard Grace Berger totaled five points in the victory, moving her career total to 1,749.
Berger assisted on six buckets, moving her to second in program history with 535 assists. She is just 40 assists from passing Tyra Buss (2014-18) for the school record.
Moore-McNeil was in double figures with 13 points on five-of-seven shooting from the field. She had an outstanding all-around effort, adding four rebounds, three assists and three steals in the winning effort.
Tonight was the 16th victory by 15-or-more points this season.
IU won its 25th contest of the season, setting a new single-season program record for wins.
The victory marked the ninth ranked win of the season, extending the program’s single-season record.
Tonight’s win sets up a matchup with Purdue on Sunday afternoon. A win over the Boilermakers would clinch the Hoosiers a share of the Big Ten Regular Season title. IU’s last conference title came in 1983.
QUOTABLE
Indiana head coach Teri Moren
“Great win, great crowd once again here in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall! And with an 8:30 tip, we are just so grateful that our fans continue to show up and support us, they were big tonight. Other than the fourth quarter where we struggled hitting point blank layups. Other than that, I thought it was a solid night for this group. I thought Chloe (Moore-McNeil) did an outstanding job on Leigha Brown. Again, she continues to be a high-level, elite defender for us. Really proud of the job she did. Mack(enzie Holmes) got settled in offensively, even though she would tell you she struggled in the fourth. Those are missed that are uncommon for Mack, still no doubt in my mind that she will bounce back in a big way on Sunday for Senior Day. Michigan is a very good team, they are a team that we respect, and Kim does a great job. But tonight, give our guys credit for how they guarded, they kept their turnovers low, we did get out rebounded but I thought we battled. Other than the fourth quarter with our scoring, we were able to keep them at bay which was real important. You don’t shoot it well the last quarter, but you still win by 16 points. Great win for us and we have a quick turn around with the noon game against Purdue on Sunday. We will resume tomorrow and Saturday and get ready for a good Purdue team.”
UP NEXT
Indiana stays home in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall as they face Purdue on Sunday. Tipoff is set for Sunday February 19 at 12 p.m. ET.
INDIANA MEN’S BB
INDIANA BASKETBALL GAME NOTES – GAME 27 VS RV/RV ILLINOIS
Opening Tip
• Indiana University returns to the friendly confides of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall as its 123rd season of competition in men’s basketball continues against Illinois at noon ET on Feb. 18. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
• The Illini, led by sixth-year head coach Brad Underwood, enter the rematch on Saturday afternoon with a 17-8 record and an 8-6 mark in B1G play.
Game Information
Feb. 18, 2023 • Noon ET
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) • Bloomington, Ind.
TV: ESPN (Brian Custer, Robbie Hummel, Myron Medcalf)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
Series History: Indiana leads, 95-91
Last Meeting: IU 80, ILL 65 on Jan. 19, 2023 in Champaign
Series History
• Indiana holds a narrow 95-91 lead over Illinois. A season ago, the Hoosiers pulled off an upset over top-seeded Illinois in the quarterfinal round of the 2022 Big Ten Conference Tournament. Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis compiled 21 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in the tournament victory.
• Jackson-Davis also led the Hoosiers to an 80-65 victory at the State Farm Arena on Jan. 19. The National Player of the Year candidate joined former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons (LSU, 2015) as the only players in the last 25 seasons to record at least 35 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and three blocks on 75.0% shooting from the floor in a single game after he went for 35-9-5-3 on 15-of-19 shooting.
• Junior forward Jordan Geronimo was credited with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and three blocks in his starting role against the Illini.
• Head coach Mike Woodson scored a career-high 48 points in IU’s 72-60 win at Illinois on March 3, 1979. He averaged 24.1 points per game in his six contests against the Illini.
Last Time Out
• Indiana nearly erased a 19-point halftime deficit against RV/RV Northwestern at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Feb. 15. Ultimately, the Hoosiers emerged on the wrong side of a 64-62 result. IU now sits in third place of the Big Ten standings.
• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis continued his campaign for National Player of the Year with 23 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, and two blocked shots. He is the first Big Ten player since Purdue’s Trevion Williams (Dec. 12, 2021) to secured at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and two blocked shots in a game.
• Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino played the full 40 minutes and contributed 13 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Sixth-year senior forward Race Thompson was a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor in his return to the Hoosier lineup. He scored 13 points to go along with three rebounds.
• Indiana tied the game at 62-62 after being down as many as 21 points before Northwestern guard Boo Buie made the game-winning shot with 2.7 seconds remaining.
Jackson-Davis, The All-American
• Since the calendar flipped to 2023, senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis has averaged 23.3 points, 13.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 3.2 blocks per game. His rebounding figure marks the highest tally in the NCAA during the 12-game stretch.
• Over the last 25 years of basketball only Jackson-Davis (Jan. 2023), Tim Duncan, and Shaquille O’Neal have averaged at least 23.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game in a calendar month (min. 5 games) in Division I basketball or the NBA.
• Jackson-Davis made 118-of-218 (54.1%) of his shots from the floor and 67-of-95 (70.5%) of his free throw attempts in the first 13 games of the new year. He has recorded a double-double in 10 of the 13 games.
• TJD posted three 30-pooint games in the month of January, including back-to-back games with 35 points at Illinois (Jan. 19) and 31 points against Michigan State (Jan. 22). He also grabbed at least 20 rebounds three times during the stretch of nine games.
Rise of the Fino
• After hitting double figures in the scoring column just twice in his first six collegiate games, freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino scored 10-plus points in his next nine games.
• Since returning to the Indiana lineup against Kansas on Dec. 17, Hood-Schifino is averaging 14.3 points, 4.1 assists, and 0.9 steals on 43.3% shooting from the floor and 40.7% shooting from the 3-point line. He has 12 double-digit scoring outputs during that stretch, including four games exceeding the 20-point threshold.
• Hood-Schifino scored a career-best 33 points on 12-of-17 shooting from the floor and 5-of-7 shooting from the 3-point line against Northwestern on Jan. 8, the highest point total by a Hoosier freshman since Eric Gordon scored 33 against Chattanooga on Nov. 12, 2007.
• JHS ranks third among all freshmen in the Big Ten in scoring (12.6 points per game), second in assists (4.1), fifth in rebounds (3.9), and fifth in made 3-pointers per game (1.3). He is second in the league averaging a combined 20.7 points, rebounds, and assists per game.
The Trey Gallo-Way
• Junior guard Trey Galloway has averaged 7.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game in 16 starts this season. Indiana is 11-5 in his starts this season.
• Overall this season, Gallo is shooting 53.2% from the floor and 50.0% from the 3-point line. He has made more 3-pointers (21) this season than his first two seasons on campus (12) combined.
• Galloway scored a career-high 20 points on 4-of-6 shooting from deep in IU’s first Big Ten win of the season over Nebraska on Dec. 7. The Culver Academies graduate scored 17 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the 3-point line against MSU on Jan. 22.
TJD, The Big Fundamental, and The Diesel
• In the last 30 seasons of Division I men’s college basketball, only senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis and NBA Hall of Famer Tim Duncan have averaged at least 19.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game.
• Over the last 25 years of basketball only Jackson-Davis, Duncan, and Shaquille O’Neal have averaged at least 23.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game in a calendar month (min. 5 games) in Division I basketball or the NBA.
Chasing History
• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis currently sits sixth all-time at IU in scoring (2,055), third in rebounds (1,056), and holds the school record for blocked shots (246). He joins Alan Henderson as the only Hoosiers to be top-10 all-time in career scoring, rebounding, and blocks.
Up Next: Career Scoring Leaders
1. Calbert Cheaney (2,613)
2. Steve Alford (2,438)
3. Don Schlundt (2,192)
4. A.J. Guyton (2,100)
5. Mike Woodson (2,061)
6. Trayce Jackson-Davis (2,055)
Up Next: Career Rebounding Leaders
1. Alan Henderson (1,091)
2. Walt Bellamy (1,087)
3. Trayce Jackson-Davis (1,056)
Up Next: Career Double-Doubles
1. Walt Bellamy (59)
2. Archie Dees (56)
3. Alan Henderson (49)
4. Trayce Jackson-Davis (46)
• TJD is the fifth player in Big Ten history to record 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, joining Joe Barry Carroll (Purdue), Ethan Happ (Wisconsin), Greg Kelser (Michigan State), and Herb Williams (Ohio State).
• In 15 conference games, TJD is averaging 21.9 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game.
• TJD is the active career Big Ten leader in points (2,055), rebounds (1,056), blocked shots (246), double-doubles (46), made field goals (770), and free throws made (515).
INDIANA BASEBALL
BASEBALL GAMEDAY: AT AUBURN
AUBURN, Ala. – Opening weekend of the college baseball season has arrived, as the Indiana baseball program travels to take on Aubrun in a three-game series at Samford Stadium-Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park. The series will kick off at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 17, in the fourth meeting all-time between the two programs.
Quick Hitters
Indiana and Auburn will meet for the fourth time in series history to open the 2023 season. The Tigers own a 2-1 edge in the all-time series.
MORE ON PAGE 4
Indiana placed four student-athletes on the All-Big Ten Freshman Team in 2022 and redshirt-junior Matthew Ellis was named third-team All-B1G by the conference coaches.
Freshman Carter Mathison became IU’s freshman home run leader with 19 home runs in 2022, which was the second highest total in B1G history for a freshman.
MORE ON PAGE 6 & 15
Mathison and fellow freshman Josh Pyne finished 1-2 in the Big Ten among rookies in RBIs. Teammate Brock Tibbitts joined them in the 40 RBI club to form the top freshman trio in program history.
Redshirt-junior Matt Ellis finished tied for No. 8 in IU history with 18 homr runs. Of his 18 home runs, 13 traveled 400 feet or more in 2022.
MORE ON PAGE 6, 8 & 23
Indiana’s pitching staff posted a program record 600 strikeouts in 2022. That mark ranks No. 2 in Big Ten history, behind Iowa’s 602 punchouts in 2022, as well.
MORE ON PAGE 6
Head coach Jeff Mercer owns 99 victories as the Indiana frontman and is poised to become the eighth IU skipper to reach 100 victories in the cream and crimson.
FULL BIO ON PAGE 3
Scouting the Opponent
Auburn is coming off its third trip to the College World Series in its last four complete seasons. The Tigers finished 43-22 overall and 16-13 in the SEC, which was good for fourth in the SEC West.
The Auburn roster features 18 returners and 20 newcomers. The newcomers include 10 freshmen and 10 transfers (four four-year, six junior college).
The top four hitters in the Auburn lineup from a season ago have moved on, which leaves fifth-year senior Kason Howell as the top returning hitter at .287. He also had 50 runs scored and 11 stolen bases last season.
On the mound, Joseph Gonzalez is back after leading the staff in ERA (3.22) and victories (7) last season. Chase Allsup moves from the bullpen to the rotation this season after making 23 appearances in relief as a freshman in 2022.
Series Notes
Indiana and Auburn will meet for the fourth time in program history and first time since 1996.
Auburn holds the edge in the series at 2-1, with the last meeting coming in Troy, Alabama. The Tigers won that contest 6-3 in the opening game of a three-team event.
The first two meetings in the series came in 1941 when the two programs split a pair of games. The Hoosiers won , 11-7, on April 3 and Auburn took a 3-2 decision on April 4.
INDIANA SB
HOOSIERS DROP FIRST GAME AGAINST LOUISIANA IN TAXACT CLEARWATER INVITATIONAL
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Indiana Softball (3-2) dropped their first game against Louisiana, 4-1, on day one of the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational at Eddie C. Moore Complex.
INDIANA 1, LOUISIANA 4
KEY MOMENTS
• The Ragin’ Cajuns would get on the board first after an RBI double.
• Louisiana opened the top of the second inning with a home run to right center to take a 2-0 lead.
• Freshman Avery Parker earned the Hoosiers first hit of the game with a single to the left of the pitcher’s circle to reach base.
• In the top of the fourth, Louisiana would hit two doubles in the inning to score another run, 3-0.
• Sophomore Brianna Copeland singled to left field in the fourth inning for the Hoosiers.
• Freshman Taryn Kern singled to right field but was called out as she headed to second on the hit.
• In the top of the sixth, UL would score on a wild pitch to extend their lead. Indiana closed out the inning on an impressive double play.
• Parker stepped up to bat in the final inning and recorded another base hit to third.
• Kern hit an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to cut the deficit.
NOTABLES
• Copeland leads the team in hits after she recorded her fifth hit of the season. Freshman duo Parker and Kern recorded their fourth.
• Indiana’s pitching staff recorded a total of 65 strikes. Copeland led with 29 strikes followed by junior Macy Montgomery with 25.
UP NEXT
Indiana will face Mississippi State on day two of the ESPN TaxAct Clearwater Invitational. The first pitch is set for 12:30 p.m. and will be live on SEC Network.
INDIANA SWIMMING
CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL FILLERS, FOWLER GOLD KEEP HOOSIERS IN HUNT AT BIG TENS
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – It’s tight at the top.
Indiana women’s swimming and diving earned three medals Thursday (Feb. 16) night to remain among the leaders at the 2023 Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships inside Canham Natatorium.
No. 8-ranked IU had top-eight finishers in all five events contested in day two of the conference championships and brought its point total to 429.5 points halfway through the meet. The Hoosiers sit just 11.5 points behind No. 6 Ohio State. No. 16 Michigan is not far behind with 423.5 points.
“We’re in a fantastic team battle,” IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “It’s really four teams: Ohio State, Michigan, ourselves and Wisconsin. I thought we swam well and so did they.”
Indiana’s night was highlighted by junior Anne Fowler’s Big Ten title on the 1-meter springboard. Fowler tallied 324.60 points to capture her second-career conference championship and first on the 1-meter board. She had previously won on 3-meter as a freshman in 2021. Her fellow divers, sophomores Skyler Liu (286.45) and Megan Carter (285.65) finished fifth and seventh, respectively, in the championship final.
“What a great day for the girls,” IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. “I am so happy for Anne winning her second Big Ten title. The energy from all the ladies, swim and dive, is fantastic. We are in a tight race with multiple teams, and I look forward to seeing the girls try to separate from the pack tomorrow.”
“It was great to see Anne Fowler get a win,” Looze added. “She won her freshman year, and she showed a lot of perseverance through injuries and other adversity. To see her come back from that, that was the highlight of the night for us and for our staff.”
IU’s medal count stretched to five as the Hoosiers collected three top-three finishes on Thursday, one in each discipline. In two days, IU has won two gold, two silver and one bronze medal.
The Hoosiers have captured medals in all three relays thus far thanks to Thursday’s 400-yard medley relay runner-up finish. IU went 3:29.82, its first time under 3:30 since it won four straight conference titles in the event from 2015-19. It also went lower than the previous pool record, set by IU in 2016. Sophomore Anna Peplowski set the tone with the fastest leadoff split of the night in 51.62. Her sister, senior Noelle Peplowski, junior Elizabeth Broshears and freshman Kristina Paegle joined her on the podium.
Indiana also earned silver in the first event of the night, as sophomore Ching Hwee Gan went a career-best 4:38.96 to capture the runner-up position. Gan was one of three Hoosier sophomores to finish in the A final, as Mariah Denigan (4:40.52) and Elyse Heiser (4:41.48) each posted personal records while finishing fourth and sixth. A year ago, Heiser placed 27th in the same event with a time of 4:54.56.
IU had a pair of top-eight finishers in both the 200 IM and 50 free, as well. Seniors Noelle Peplowski (1:55.89) and Mackenzie Looze (1:57.38) placed fourth and sixth in the individual medley, while Paegle (21.91) and senior Ashley Turak (22.35) finished fourth and tied for seventh in the sprint freestyle event. Paegle’s 21.91 was a hundredth of a second short of tying Cora Dupre’s program record set in 2020.
“I was proud of how we did,” Looze said. “We’ll need our depth to come into play. We did not score a B final. Although A finals are great, we’re going to need those B finals. We need to get those tomorrow and on Saturday. That will be the key. We have been a deep team, now we need to show it in the last couple days of this meet.”
TEAM SCORES
1. Ohio State – 441
2. Indiana – 429.5
3. Michigan – 423.5
4. Wisconsin – 347
5. Minnesota – 297
6. Northwestern – 244
7. Penn State – 200
8. Rutgers – 188
9. Nebraska – 164
10. Purdue – 151
11. Iowa – 107
12. Illinois – 106
RESULTS
500 FREESTYLE
2. Ching Hwee Gan – 4:38.96 (Silver, NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
4. Mariah Denigan – 4:40.52 (NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
6. Elyse Heiser – 4:41.58 (NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
200 IM
4. Noelle Peplowski – 1:55.89 (NCAA B Cut)
6. Mackenzie Looze – 1:57.38 (NCAA B Cut)
50 FREESTYLE
4. Kristina Paegle – 21.91 (NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
7. Ashley Turak – 22.35 (NCAA B Cut)
1-METER DIVE
1. Anne Fowler – 324.60 (NCAA Zone Qualifier)
5. Skyler Liu – 311.10 (NCAA Zone Qualifier, Career Best)
7. Megan Carter – 285.25 (NCAA Zone Qualifier)
400 MEDLEY RELAY
2. Anna Peplowski, Noelle Peplowski, Elizabeth Broshears, Kristina Paegle – 3:29.82 (NCAA A Cut)
UP NEXT
Indiana will look to set the tone for another great night when they open day three with the morning preliminary session on Friday (Feb. 17) beginning at 10 a.m. ET. The 100 fly, 400 IM, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, 3-meter dive and 200 freestyle relay will be contested.
PURDUE MEN’S BB
#3 PURDUE FALLS AT MARYLAND
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) Maryland’s Kevin Willard walked away from a Thursday morning film session with little doubt his team would upend No. 3 Purdue less than 12 hours later.
Then his Terrapins went out and proved the first-year coach prophetic, unleashing a dominant stretch in the middle of the second half to rally past the Boilermakers 68-54 and deal Purdue its second consecutive loss.
Students stormed the court — and one even climbed onto a basket — after Maryland earned its fourth victory of the season over a ranked team. Exactly 10 years earlier, fans rushed onto the same court after Maryland beat then-No. 2 Duke.
“I knew we were going to win,” Willard said. “This was not a surprise to me. This is an unbelievable program. It’s one of the best programs in the country. I thought it was important for the fanbase and it was important for the students to just understand what this program is really all about.”
Jahmir Young scored 20 points for the Terps (18-8, 9-6 Big Ten), who trailed 37-29 before erupting on a 29-4 burst to take control. Hakim Hart added 13 points for Maryland, which defeated a top-three team for the first time since toppling then-No. 3 Iowa 74-68 on Jan. 28, 2016.
Maryland improved to 14-1 at home this season and continued its resurgence after going 15-17 last season, the program’s first losing season since 1992-93.
“Like coach said in the locker room, `Just think of where you were last year,'” said forward Julian Reese, who had 10 points and nine rebounds. “At this time last year, we had a bad record — I’m not exactly sure what it was — and (now) it’s (18-8) and we just beat a top-five team in the country. It’s definitely a confidence booster, but we have to keep working.”
Zach Edey and Braden Smith both scored 18 points for Purdue (23-4, 12-4), which has lost three of four — all on the road. The Boilermakers were outrebounded 35-23 by the smaller Terps. It was their largest deficit on the glass all season and only the third time they were beaten on the boards.
“We have to be tougher,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “You have to come in here and win the possession battle. You have to have more rebounds and fewer turnovers. Now you can start right there and work toward something. We didn’t do that. When you get on the road and you have fewer possessions and now you don’t shoot well, oh that’s going to be a long night versus a quality team.”
The Boilermakers seemed headed for a bounce-back from Sunday’s 64-58 loss at Northwestern when they took an eight-point lead in the second half. But a possession after a basket by Young, Purdue forward Mason Gillis was called for a foul and then was assessed a technical foul for arguing with official Doug Sirmons.
“It was definitely a momentum swing,” Young said. “We just tried to limit them to one shot and get out in transition. That’s when we play our best ball.”
That effectively ignited a 10-0 spurt that prompted Painter to call timeout. He tried to again stem the run when Hart hit a 3 to make it 50-41 – a 21-4 spree at that point.
Maryland kept surging after the timeout, and by the time Hart made another 3 with 7:15 remaining, the Terps were up 58-41 and Purdue faced its largest deficit of the season.
“It just seemed like they were living about eight feet from the rim right in the middle, and they were just breaking us down off the dribble,” Painter said.
The Terps eventually pushed the advantage to 18 and never saw their lead cut to single digits the rest of the night against a team that was ranked No. 1 earlier this month.
BIG PICTURE
Purdue: The Boilermakers’ recent struggles have all come against good teams, but they haven’t been as sharp as they were during their 22-1 start. There’s still time to sort things out before the postseason, and Purdue should get a boost from playing three of its final four regular-season games at home.
Maryland: The Terrapins improved to 8-0 in conference home games under Willard. Maryland also avenged an earlier loss for the third time this season; the Terps also split with Michigan and Wisconsin.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Purdue fell from No. 1 to No. 3 after its loss at Northwestern on Sunday, and the Boilermakers seem likely to slip at least a few more spots next week.
UP NEXT
Purdue plays host to Ohio State on Sunday.
Maryland visits Nebraska on Sunday.
(POSTGAME NOTES)
No. 3-ranked Purdue suffered its second straight loss, this time a 68-54 setback at Maryland, to fall to 23-4 on the season and 12-4 in the Big Ten Conference.
Purdue is averaging just 56.0 points per game in its last two contests.
Purdue had just seven turnovers, five of which came in the first seven minutes of the game.
Purdue was -12 on the glass (35-23), its worst margin since being outrebounded by 16 (34-18) by Illinois on Jan. 21, 2020.
Purdue’s three offensive rebounds were its fewest since having two against Ohio State on Feb. 7, 2018.
Purdue lost for the second straight game when leading at halftime (led by 7 vs. Northwestern). The Boilermakers are now 20-2 this season when leading at halftime.
Maryland’s 12 fouls were the fewest called for an opponent this season. In the previous meeting, Maryland was whistled for 18 fouls.
Purdue has scored just 47 points in the second halves of the last two games, shooting 15-of-44 (.341) from the field in that span. Purdue is 2-of-16 (.125) from 3-point range in the second half of the last two games.
Zach Edey scored 18 points with 8 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. He moved into 11th place on the Purdue career rebounds list (742) and into fourth on the Purdue single-season rebounds list (333).
Braden Smith scored 18 points with three rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot. He is now averaging 10.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists – on pace to become the third Purdue player in school history (Bruce Parkinson 2X, Troy Lewis) to average 10 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists per game. He’d be the first Boilermaker in almost 35 years to do so.
PURDUE SWIMMING
HILL INTO 3RD PLACE IN 50 FREE, 2 IN TOP 10 ON 1-METER
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Hannah Hill moved into third place in program history while winning the C final of the 50 freestyle and a pair of Boilermakers teamed up for a 1-2 finish in the 1-meter diving consolation final, leading the way for Purdue women’s swimming & diving Thursday at the Big Ten Championships.
Daryn Wright won the 1-meter diving consolation in her official debut at Big Tens. Sophie McAfee was the runner-up behind her teammate, giving the Boilermakers a pair of top finishers overall. Dating back to last season, McAfee has finished top 10 in each of her first four events at Big Tens.
Hill registered personal-best times in both the prelims and finals of the 50 free, winning the C final by .12 hundredths of a second with an NCAA provisional-qualifying time of 22.56. As well as moving the sophomore up to third place in team history, it was also stands as the best mark by a Boilermaker in a decade. Hill had a time of 22.64 in the prelims.
Wright won the 1-meter consol with a list score of 313.75, improving on her prelim mark (282.35) by 31 points. Wright’s second list would have been good enough for fourth place in the championship final. McAfee’s list 296.65 in the consol was a 23-point improvement from the prelim (272.75),
Jenna Sonnenberg (19th) and Kaitlin Simons (22nd) also finished top 24 in the 1-meter prelim to account for scoring finishes. The Boilermakers racked up 46 points in 1-meter diving Thursday.
The Boilermakers won three of the first five heats of the 50 free. Leanna Wall (heat 1), Mya Bailey (heat 2) and Kendal Schreder (heat 5) all won their races with season bests. Schreder’s time of 23.05 made her a top 30 finisher.
Kate Beavon (26th in the 500 free) and Maggie Love (33rd in the 200 IM) were Purdue’s top finishers in the other individual events Thursday.
The Big Ten Championships continue Friday with six individual events and the 200 freestyle relay. Swimming prelims are set for 10 a.m., diving prelims at noon and the finals session begins at 5 p.m. with the 3-meter diving consolation final.
THURSDAY TEAM SCORES
1.) #5 Ohio State 441
2.) #8 Indiana 429.5
3.) #16 Michigan 423.5
4.) #21 Wisconsin 347
5.) Minnesota 297
6.) #20 Northwestern 244
7.) Penn State 200
8.) Rutgers 188
9.) Nebraska 164
10.) Purdue 151
11.) Iowa 107
12.) Illinois 106
PURDUE BASEBALL
BOILERMAKERS RETURN TO SUGAR LAND FOR OPENING SERIES
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Holy Cross (17-37, 11-14 PL) vs. Purdue (29-21, 9-12 B1G)
4-Game Series / Friday to Sunday, Feb. 17 to Feb. 19
Constellation Field / Sugar Land, Texas
Series Opener: Friday, Feb. 17 at 4 p.m. ET
Doubleheader: Saturday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. ET
Series Finale: Sunday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. ET
All-Time Series: First Meetings
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: Khal Stephen (So, RHP) vs. HC’s Nate Chudy (Sr, RHP)
Saturday Game 1: Calvin Schapira (R-Sr, LHP) vs. HC’s Jack DiLauro (Sr, RHP)
Saturday Game 2: CJ Backer (Jr, RHP) vs. HC’s Luke Fox (Sr, RHP)
Sunday: Jonathan Blackwell (Jr, LHP) vs. HC’s Tyler Mudd (So, LHP)
SUGAR LAND, Texas – Purdue baseball opens its season at a Triple-A stadium in Texas for the fourth year in a row, hosting Holy Cross this weekend in a return to Constellation Field in suburban Houston.
It’s a four-game series with a Saturday doubleheader as the Boilermakers take on a Patriot League opponent for the first time since playing Navy on the 1991 spring break trip in Florida. First pitch is set for Friday at 4 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. (all times ET).
Purdue’s 39-man roster features 20 returnees and 19 true newcomers. Most of the Boilermakers’ experience is among its position players, welcoming seven starters back in the lineup. Only seven pitchers on this year’s roster have previously taken the mound for Purdue. Two of the seven – Calvin Schapira and Avery Cook – are back in the mix this year after being sidelined by Tommy John Surgery a year ago. Schapira was a constant in the rotation in 2021 and progressed quickly enough throughout his yearlong recovery that the staff felt comfortable having the lefty open the season in the rotation.
The roster for Holy Cross shapes up in an opposite fashion. The Crusaders are projected to start three seniors on the mound this weekend but much of their lineup could be composed of freshmen and sophomores.
Sophomore Khal Stephen is slated to make the season-opening start on the mound for the Boilermakers. It will also be his first collegiate start after Stephen pitched exclusively in relief last year. Tanner Andrews (in 2016) was Purdue’s last sophomore to take the ball on Opening Day, also making his first start that day. Andrews went on make three consecutive Opening Day starts and was selected in the 10th round of the 2018 MLB Draft. He’s currently in the San Francisco Giants system.
SOPHOMORES TO START THE SEASON OPENER ON THE MOUND (Since 1998)
* – Redshirt Sophomore
• Khal Stephen – 2023 vs. Holy Cross
• Tanner Andrews – 2016 at Georgia Tech
• Jordan Minch – 2014 at Tennessee
• Matt Bischoff* – 2008 at Baylor
• Mitch Pruemer – 2003 vs. Pittsburgh
Stephen is among the nine current Boilermakers to make their team debuts at Constellation Field a year ago. Purdue had 17 stolen bases and 44 pitching strikeouts in its four-game sweep of South Dakota State in Sugar Land last year. Those totals ultimately helped the Boilermakers set single-season team records in both categories.
Paul Toetz and Ty Gill both homered in their first Purdue at-bats at Constellation Field last year. Evan Albrecht and Cam Thompson also went deep in the series.
The Boilermakers are 3-0 in season openers under fourth-year head coach Greg Goff. They’ve also won five of their last six openers dating back to 2017.
PURDUE’S TEXAS TIES
• Couper Cornblum (Jr, OF) – Hometown: Woodway, Texas
• Jackson Danelley (Jr, RHP) – Hometown: Colmesneil, Texas; Played JUCO ball at Panola College (Carthage, Texas); Pitched for the University of Houston in 2022
• Davis Pratt (Jr, RHP) – Played JUCO ball at Temple College (Temple, Texas)
PROGRAM RECORDS SET IN 2022
• Stolen Bases – 116 of 135, eclipsing a record (106) that had stood since 2000 while playing 8 fewer games
• Strikeouts (Game) – 19 on March 29 vs. UIC, eclipsing a mark (18) from 2019; record in a 9-inning game was 17 (in 2002)
• Strikeouts (Season) – 479, eclipsing a record (477) from 2019 while playing 4 fewer games
• Strikeouts Per 9 Innings – 9.57, eclipsing a record (9.10) from 2019
• Runs Per Game – 7.44, eclipsing a record (7.21) from 2010
• Hit By Pitch – 112, most in a season since HBP totals available beginning in 1982
NOTABLE STREAKS IN 2022
• Cam Thompson: 13-game RBI streak (longest by a Boilermaker in the last 20 years)
• Cam Thompson: 44-game on-base (3rd longest since 2001, 2nd longest to open a season)
• CJ Valdez: 34-game on-base (5th longest since 2001, 3rd longest to open a season)
• Curtis Washington Jr.: 29-game on-base (6th longest since 2001)
• Evan Albrecht: 25-game on-base, 12-game hit in Big Ten play
• Mike Bolton Jr.: 21-game on-base
• Cam Thompson: Homered in 6 consecutive weekends (March 6-April 10), the longest streak by a Boilermaker in the last 20 years
2022 STATISTICAL MILESTONES & NOTABLES – TEAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Purdue opened the season 15-0 and 18-1 as part of the best start in program history. The Boilermakers were the last undefeated team remaining nationally until suffering their first loss on St. Patrick’s Day at Illinois State (in 11 innings).
• After also winning its final game of the 2021 season, Purdue enjoyed a 16-game win streak that matched a program record from 1908-1909. The 15-0 start also was the best single-season win streak in team history.
• Purdue scored 10 runs in the eighth inning of its April 9 win vs. Indiana, posting a double-figure total in a frame for the first time since 2013. The Boilermakers also had a pair of eight-run innings – vs. South Dakota State and Dayton – during their 15-0 start.
2022 STATISTICAL MILESTONES & NOTABLES – OFFENSIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Cam Thompson homered in both games of the March 20 doubleheader vs. Illinois State and also went deep in the March 25 Big Ten opener vs. Ohio State. He became the first Boilermaker since 2018 to homer in both games of a doubleheader and go deep in three consecutive games.
• Thompson’s 13-game RBI streak helped him reach the 40-RBI mark by April 9, making him the fastest to reach the benchmark in the last 20 years. He hit his 10th home run the following day, making him the third fastest in the same timeframe to post a double-figure total. Thompson’s 13 home runs matched the most by a Boilermaker in the BBCOR bat era (2011-present).
• CJ Valdez and Troy Viola both registered a two-homer game and a pair of five-RBI efforts. Not surprisingly, those big nights overlapped – Valdez went deep twice in a five-RBI night at UIC on April 19 and Viola did likewise vs. Michigan on April 30. They joined a short list of six Boilermakers in the last 20 years to have a pair of five-RBI games in the same season. It marked the first time that two players had done it in the same year. Viola also posted just the fourth multi-homer game by a Boilermaker at Alexander Field (since 2013).
• Purdue posted its first 20-hit game since March 2017 in an April 30 series-opening win, crushing Michigan 18-4. The Boilermakers rolled past U-M with an effective base-hit approach, pounding out 17 singles.
• Curtis Washington Jr. (31-35), Mike Bolton Jr. (28-34) and Evan Albrecht (22-24) led the way as Purdue eclipsed the team record for stolen bases. Bolton has 46 stolen bases in 93 career games (11th all-time). Together they became the first set of teammates to each steal 20 bases and their combined 81 steals were the most by any trio. Purdue ranked sixth nationally in stolen bases per game.
• Albrecht led the way with a .365 batting average, Purdue’s highest since 2009. He had 11 three-hit games, becoming just the fourth Boilermaker since 2001 with a double-figure total of games with three-plus hits.
• Thompson posted Purdue’s highest OPS (1.031) of the BBCOR bat era (2011-present). With 29 extra-base hits in 50 games, Thompson’s per-game average (.580) ranked fourth best by a Boilermaker since 2001.
2022 STATISTICAL MILESTONES & NOTABLES – PITCHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• The Boilermakers racked up 44 strikeouts over 36 innings in the season-opening sweep of South Dakota State. Purdue had 43 Ks in 36 innings the following weekend in another four-game sweep (of Princeton). Both Ks per nine inning totals (11.0, 10.75) rank among the top five by a Purdue team in a four-game set since 2001.
• While breaking the team record for strikeouts, Purdue pitchers had nine outings in which a Boilermaker struck out at least five batters while fanning at least half the batters they faced. Khal Stephen and Landon Weins both accomplished the feat twice. Stephen fanned five of the six batters he faced in the May 10 win vs. Butler, with his 83% clip being the best by any Boilermaker since the start of the 2005 season. CJ Backer did it against UIC with five Ks vs. nine batters faced.
2022 STATS FOR TRANSFERS
• Jonathan Blackwell at Coastal Carolina: 13 App, 16 2/3 IP, 18 H, 11 BB, 15 K, 5.40 ERA, .273 B/Avg
• Couper Cornblum at Wichita State: 43 GP, .267 Avg, 11 XBH, 15 RBI, 20 R, 12 SB
• Jackson Dannelley at Houston: 18 App, 19 IP, 18 H, 8 BB, 15 K, 5.21 ERA, .250 B/Avg
• Connor Caskenette at Cochise JC: 61 GP, .364/.417/.550, 23 2B, 6 HR, 58 RBI
• Lukas Cook at Dyersburg State JC: 54 GP, .328/.412/.492, 18 XBH, 6 HR, 50 RBI, 26 BB, 40 R
• Kyle Iwinski at Kankakee JC: 11 GS, 67 IP, 58 H, 18 BB, 78 K, 2.55 ERA
• Malcolm Gilchrist at Bergen JC: 11 GS, 56 2/3 IP, 41 H, 31 BB, 88 K, 4.13 ERA
• Cal Lambert at Yavapai JC: 14 App, 11 GS, 47 2/3 IP, 66 H, 24 BB, 54 K, 6.99 ERA
• Camden Melvin at New Mexico JC: 47 GP, .351/.451/.636, 23 XBH, 9 HR, 37 RBI, 53 R
• Davis Pratt at Temple JC: 8 App, 6 GS, 30 IP, 34 H, 12 BB, 20 K, 4.80 ERA,
• Aaron Suval at Glendale JC: 16 App, 13 GS, 83 2/3 IP, 69 H, 31 BB, 80 K, 2.26 ERA
• Jo Stevens at Yavapai JC: 41 GP, .324 Avg, 15 XBH, 34 RBI, 28 R
• Keenan Taylor at Parkland JC: 50 GP, .400/.465/.706, 21 2B, 10 HR, 63 RBI, 40 R, 12 SB
PURDUE FOOTBALL
JOHN PURDUE CLUB INTRODUCES THE LAMAR LUNDY LEAGUE TO FURTHER RECOGNIZE CAPITAL GIFT SUPPORT
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Lamar Lundy was a two-sport star at Purdue and the first African-American student-athlete to receive a football scholarship at the university. Among his many notable accomplishments as a Boilermaker, he earned recognition as an All-Big Ten student-athlete and was honored as MVP for both the football and basketball programs.
In an effort to honor Lundy`s legacy, the John Purdue Club will now recognize its most generous donors as members of the Lamar Lundy League. This newly established group will acknowledge JPC members who support Purdue Athletics above and beyond their annual membership with gifts $250,000 or more over a five year period. Benefits associated with the Lundy League encompass experiences such as personalized Lundy League credentials with game day access to areas of Ross-Ade Stadium and Mackey Arena – including the Ross-Ade Stadium Pavilion, pre-game Rohrman Field access, and access to the premium Spurgeon and Wooden club spaces during basketball season. Benefits also include, but are not limited to, exclusive travel experiences to future games in Los Angeles, Hawaii, and elsewhere with Boilermaker teams.
“Lamar Lundy was a Purdue Athletics pioneer who exhibited excellence in all he did,” said Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director and Associate Vice President for Development, Tim House. “As we thought about how to recognize supporters who continue that tradition of excellence and transformation, it was obvious there is no more fitting namesake. Simply put, Purdue Athletics is the organization that makes us all proud today because of Mr. Lundy`s decision to become a Boilermaker seventy years ago.”
A gifted and versatile athlete, Lundy went on to be drafted by organizations in both the National Football League and National Basketball Association. He ultimately chose football and excelled throughout 13 seasons in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams as a member of their famed “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line. Lundy is one of only two athletes to be enshrined in both the Indiana Basketball and Indiana Football Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995.
To learn more about the Lamar Lundy League, visit this site, call 765.494.2582, or email the John Purdue Club at jpc@purdue.edu. If you are already a JPC member, please contact your personal Boilermaker Athletics Representative directly.
BUTLER WOMEN’S TENNIS
BUTLERWTENNIS FALLS IN CLOSE MATCH AGAINST UINDY 4-3
Butler’s women’s tennis team dropped their Thursday meeting with Indianapolis, 4-3. The Greyhounds opened the season as the No. 8 team in ITA’s Division II rankings.
The Bulldogs lost a close doubles point to start. The No. 1 duo of Natalie Boesing and Chase Metcalf led the way cruising to a 6-2 set win. UIndy’s No. 2 and No. 3 pairings got the better of their opponents and closed out their point going into singles play.
Butler’s No. 1, Boesing, faced a test in last week’s GLVC Player of the Week, Margarita Andreiuk, but impressed with a straight set win. Metcalf and Norah Balthazor followed up by earning points of their own. Delaney Schurhamer and UIndy’s Anna Novikova battled in a close three-set matchup at the No. 2 that ended up sealing the Greyhound’s win.
Butler is in action again this weekend when they visit Chicago for matches on Saturday and Sunday against UIC and DePaul.
Match Results
Singles:
1. Natalie Boesing (BU) def. Margarita Andreiuk (UINDY) 6-1, 6-2
2. Anna Novikova (UINDY) def. Delaney Schurhamer (BU) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6
3. Chase Metcalf (BU) def. Diane Flament (UINDY) 6-2, 6-4
4. Norah Balthazor (BU) def. Maria Fiacan (UINDY) 6-4, 6-3
5. Lea Cakarevic (UINDY) def. Katie Beavin (BU) 6-2, 6-3
6. Aimee Reynoso (UINDY) def. Veronika Bruetting (BU) 6-4, 6-2
Doubles:
1. Natalie Boesing/Chase Metcalf (BU) def. Anna Novikova /Sofia Sharonova (UINDY) 6-2
2. Maria Fiacan/ Margarita Andreiuk (UINDY) def. Veronika Bruetting/Delaney Schurhamer (BU) 6-3
3. Lea Cakarevic/ Diane Flament (UINDY) def. Norah Balthazor/Jordan Schildcrout (BU) 7-5
BUTLER BASEBALL
BUTLER BASEBALL OPENS 2023 CAMPAIGN WITH FOUR-GAME SERIES VS. FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON
INDIANAPOLIS – Butler will play a four-game series against Fairleigh Dickinson this weekend to open up the 2023 campaign. The two teams will meet in Lexington, S.C. Single games are slated for Friday and Sunday. Saturday’s doubleheader will begin at noon.
Weekend Schedule
Friday, Feb. 17 – 3 PM
Saturday, Feb. 18 – 12 PM (DH)
Sunday, Feb. 19 – 12 PM
*All Games Played at the Lexington County Baseball Stadium in Lexington, S.C.
Projected Starters
Game 1 – LHP Cory Bosecker vs. RHP Ethan Rembish
Game 2 – RHP Aaron Barokas vs. RHP Rich Racobaldo
Game 3 – RHP Alex Voss vs. RHP Jason Diaz
Game 4 – TBD vs. RHP Jeremy Cheeseman
Scouting Fairleigh Dickinson
Fairleigh Dickinson went 24-30 last year with a 16-11 record in the Northeast Conference. FDU qualified for the NEC Tournament last spring for the first time since 2016 and its 16-11 mark in NEC play was its best since the 1999 campaign. First-year head coach Manny Roman can pencil a pair of NEC first team all-stars into his lineup in pursuit of the Knights’ first conference championship. Junior third baseman Hunter D’Amato hit .293 and ranked in the NEC top-10 with 14 doubles and 40 RBIs. Graduate student catcher George Rosales comes off a terrific season at the plate that saw him post a .329/.468/.506 slash line and finish with six homers, 35 runs and 25 RBIs. He led the league in on-base percentage. The Knights were recently picked third in the 2023 Northeast Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll behind Central Connecticut and LIU.
Beemer to Lead Butler Baseball
Blake Beemer became the head coach of the Butler baseball program in June of 2022. Before joining the Bulldogs, Beemer worked as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Ball State (2019-22). The Cardinals were 123-65 with Beemer on staff. Beemer was also a four-year letter winner and three-time team captain at Ball State (2010-13).
Bosecker is Back
LHP Cory Bosecker returns to Butler for his senior season in 2023. A year ago, Bosecker led the Bulldogs in starts (14), innings pitched (68.0) and strikeouts (69).
BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1) UConn
2) Creighton
3) Xavier
4) Georgetown
5) Seton Hall
6) St. John’s
7) Villanova
8) Butler
BIG EAST Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year – SS Jack Housinger, Xavier
Preseason Pitcher of the Year – RHP Ian Cooke, UConn
A Year Ago
Butler opened the 2022 campaign with a three-game series at Murray State. The Racers were receiving votes in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason Top-50 Poll and they were able to record three wins over Butler. Cory Bosecker made the BIG EAST Weekly Honor after his start against Murray State. Bosecker exited the mound with a 4-1 lead early in the sixth inning. He struck out six and limited the Racers to just two earned runs.
2023 Schedule
“We have some marquee matchups on the schedule this year,” Beemer said. “We want to be ready when BIG EAST play opens against Xavier on April 6, and to do that, we scheduled programs like LSU, Notre Dame, Campbell and SEMO. We are challenging ourselves because we need to be ready for the conference opener. Once BIG EAST play arrives, we still have tough games on the schedule against teams like Michigan and Purdue so we are going to go out there and compete every single day.”
Team Goal
“Our ultimate goal is to make the BIG EAST Tournament,” Beemer stated. “We want to find a way to be in the top four of the standings and that allows us to compete for a championship. Once we get through our non-conference slate there won’t be anything we haven’t seen that will surprise us. It’s going to be tough, but we are not shying away from it. We won’t back down, our guys will be ready to go. We are excited to get rolling.
2023 Team Motto: Chop Wood, Carry Water
Every member of the Butler baseball program read the book Chop Wood, Carry Water before the start of the 2023 season. “We want our guys to appreciate every day and try to get better every single day.” Beemer explained. “We understand that there will be ups and downs throughout a long season, but it doesn’t defer us from staying in the moment and keep working.”
Up Next
Butler will travel to Buies Creek, N.C. to play a three-game series against Campbell next weekend. The Camels won 41 games a year ago on their way to winning the BIG South Championship. They opened the Knoxville Regional with a win over Georgia Tech, but would eventually take losses to top-ranked Tennessee and Georgia Tech to be eliminate from the NCAA Tournament.
BUTLER SOFTBALL
BUTLERSOFTBALL RETURNS TO FLORIDA FOR FIU INVITE
Tournament Information – FIU Panther Invitational
DATE: Friday, Feb. 17 – Sunday, Feb. 19
LOCATION: Miami, Fla. / Felsberg Field at FIU Softball Stadium
LIVE STATS: butlersports.com
LIVE VIDEO: CUSATV (selected games)
Full Notes
The Butler softball team returns to Florida for the second weekend in a row, this time to participate in the Panther Invitational at Florida International. The Bulldogs (1-5) will play No. 23 Missouri, FIU, and Pitt, and will then play two more games, against two of the same teams, depending on initial results.
Butler (1-5) won its first game of the season, last weekend, when Ellie Boyer stole home in the bottom of the seventh inning against Marshall.
Bulldog Bits
Kaylee Gross was named to the BIG EAST weekly awards honor roll after leading the Bullogs with a .417 batting average in six games over the opening weekend of play. She also stole three bases.
Monique Hoosen’s home run vs. Marshall was her first of the season and the 14th of her career, moving her into the 9th spot on Butler’s all-time career list.
No. 23 Missouri will be the first ranked opponent that the Bulldogs will face this season.
Butler’s 2023 schedule includes four teams that qualified for the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs lost to Minnesota last weekend and face Missouri this weekend. Also on the schedule are Miami (OH) (3/8), and Villanova (4/6-8).
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
MISSOURI (3-2) Series: Missouri leads, 2-0 Last game: 3/5/17- Missouri 8, Butler 0 (5)
2023 wins: No. 8 Northwestern, Fordham, and Prairie View A&M
losses: No. 6 Texas and Louisville
Batting Leaders
Jenna Laird (.500) 9-for-18
Vanessa Hollingsworth (.300) 3-for-10
Julia Crenshaw (.278) 5-for 18
Pitching Leaders
Cierra Harrison (2-0) (0.00 ERA, 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 14 K)
Megan Schumacher (0-0) (2.63 ERA, 5.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K)
Laurin Krings (1-0) (2.71 ERA, 10.1 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K)
FIU (3-2) Series: (teams have never met)
2023 wins: Missouri-Kansas City (twice) and Georgia State
losses: No. 10 Clemson (twice)
Batting Leaders (as of Feb. 12)
Frankie Izard (.556) 5-for-9
Alexis Ross (.529) 9-for-17
Carmen Perez (.500) 7-for-14
Pitching Leaders (as of Feb. 12)
Brooke McNichols (3-0) (4.06 ERA, 10.1 IP, 17 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K)
Sydney Birling (0-1) (4.59 ERA, 10.2 IP, 11 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 5 BB, 5 K)
Ella Whitney (0-1) (5.44 ERA, 9 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 2 K)
PITT (3-1) Series: Pittsburg leads, 1-0 Last game: 3/1/14- Pitt 6, Butler 4
2023 wins: No. 21 Auburn, Fordham, and Prairie View A&M
losses: Indiana
Batting Leaders
Sarah Seamans (.500) 6-for-12
Rachael Fuerst (.500) 4-for-8
Bailey Drapola (.444) 4-for-9
Pitching Leaders
Abby Edwards (2-0) (3.52 ERA, 7.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K)
Cani Drogmuller (1-1) (7.43 ERA, 13.1 IP, 16 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 7 BB, 18 K)
IUPUI SWIMMING
JAGUARS WRAP DAY TWO OF THE #HLSD CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH TWO MEET RECORDS
INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI swimming and diving team closed out day two of the Horizon League Swim and Dive Championships with two first-place finishes and two new meet records. The night was highlighted by Emmaleigh Zietlow’s gold performance in the 500 free and the men’s 200 free relay team earning the gold with a new meet record time.
“I’m excited, speechless and overwhelmed,” said head coach Damion Dennis. “We had a great morning! The best morning we’ve ever had as a complete program. Zietlow continues to establish herself as the most dominate swimmer, not only in school history but in the Horizon League with a conference record in the 500 free during prelims. Gabby followed suit and set one of the fastest times as a freshman in program history. The men’s 500 free, everyone made it to finals with some of the fastest times in school history. “
The Jags kicked off the meet with the women’s 500 free. Zietlow set a new meet record in the prelims earlier in the day with a time of 4:47.09. She didn’t quite beat her record from prelims, but she swam a time of 4:47.33 to earn the gold in the 500 free. Gabby Puryear-Lynch earned bronze with a time of 4:55.33.
“Tonight, we had Zietlow once again show her dominance beating the second place swimmer by several seconds,” said Dennis.
Emma Theobald earned bronze in the 200 IM with a time of 2:01.93 while Ben Kimmel set a new IUPUI record time of 1:47.57 in the men’s 200 IM, barely missing the podium in fourth place.
“All the guys going out and sneaking points in the 500 free and 200 IM. Emma Theobald had one of the best 200 IM swims of her career,” said Dennis.
After the 200 IM, the race sped up a little with the women’s and men’s 50 free. Lilly Brandt earned the silver in the 50 free with a new IUPUI record time of 23.16 while Avery Brooks just missed the podium in fourth with a time of 23.57. On the men’s side, Spencer Jyawook earned the silver with a new IUPUI record time of 19.80 while Kevin Burke took bronze with a time of 19.85.
Sadie Smith then took silver on the boards for the Jaguars in the 1-meter dive with a score of 275.15 besting her prelims score (246.45).
“We can’t forget about Sadie, she finished prelims in fifth then came out tonight and took second,” said Dennis.
The Jags closed out night two with the 200 free relay. The women’s team made up of Lilly Brandt, Avery Brooks, Emma Theobald and Emmaleigh Zietlow took silver with an overall time of 1:33.16. The men’s relay team made up of Spencer Jyawook, Kevin Burke, Logan Kelly and Wes Wickens set a new IUPUI and meet record with a time of 1:19.16 to earn the gold.
“The women’s 200 free relay was electric, with the times they set. The men came out with a new meet record. I mean what did we just do?! It’s unreal, the position we are in right now. I don’t even know how to put it into words,” said Dennis.
The men’s team is currently in first with 321 points, leading Oakland who has 294 points. The women’s team is in second with 234 points behind Oakland with 361. The Jags will continue competition tomorrow with prelims at 10:00 AM.
IUPUI WBB
COLD SHOOTING SPELLS DOOM IN JAGUARS’ ROAD LOSS
DETROIT – The IUPUI women’s basketball team scored a season-low 48 points and shot just 25.4 percent from the floor as the Jaguars fell on the road to Detroit Mercy inside Calihan Hall, 57-48. The typically dependable three-point shooting Jaguars connected on just 5-of-27 (18.5 percent) attempts and left an additional seven points at the free throw line as the balanced Titans led nearly wire-to-wire.
Rachel Kent scored a game-high 17 points and Jazmyn Turner added eight points, seven rebounds and four steals in the loss. Irene Murua led the Titans with 13 points and Imani McNeal contributed 12 points for the victors. Emma Trawally Porta made life tough on the inside for the Jaguars as she closed with nine points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots.
The IUPUI (14-12, 10-7 HL) never got going for any extended period as the Jaguars shot just 6-of-34 (17.6 percent) in the second half. The Titans (5-21, 3-14 HL) built a 10-point lead late in the second quarter, only to see the Jaguars score the final seven points of the half to cut the lead back to 29-26 at the break. The hosts outscored IUPUI 9-1 to start the third quarter and the Jaguars were held without a field goal until Kent splashed a three at the 5:09 mark. However, an 8-0 UDM run pushed the lead out to 15 late in the third stanza as IUPUI hit just 2-of-18 shots in the period, but from Kent.
Despite holding Detroit Mercy to just 11 points in the fourth quarter, IUPUI got no closer than nine points over the final 10 minutes.
Destiny Perkins labored to a 3-of-16 shooting night, including 1-of-9 from deep, and Turner closed at 1-of-11 overall. Ali Berg finished with five points and seven rebounds and Natalie Andersen had four points and five rebounds. Logan Lewis added four points and four rebounds off the IUPUI bench.
IUPUI will close out the road trip at Oakland on Saturday (Feb. 18) at 2:00 p.m. on ESPN3.
BALL STATE BASEBALL
BALL STATE OPENS SEASON AT CHARLOTTE
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State baseball team begins the 2023 campaign on Friday, Feb. 17, on the road against Charlotte. The Cardinals and the 49ers will take part in a four-game series, with a doubleheader on Saturday.
Earlier this week, the Cardinals were voted to win the Mid-American Conference regular season as well as the MAC Tournament. Despite losing all three of its starting outfielders and ace pitcher from a season ago, Ball State picked up five first-place votes and are favorites to win the MAC according to the coaches in the conference. BSU also secured five votes to win the MAC Tournament.
The Cardinals will be led by defending Gold Glove winner, Ryan Peltier, and closer, Sam Klein. Both Peltier and Klein earned Preseason All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Klein was named to a Preseason All-America team by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).
BSU will have most of its starting rotation return, including Trennor O’Donnell and Ty Johnson. Ryan Brown was named the No. 49 prospect in college baseball by D1 Baseball. The Cardinals were effective as a pitching staff, striking out 559 batters, and look to continue the success on the mound this season.
Gold Glove Peltier
At the conclusion of last season, Peltier was honored as the best defensive third baseman in the NCAA and received an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove. After being named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year and earning a spot on the All-MAC Second Team for back-to-back seasons, Peltier was awarded the first Gold Glove in BSU history. He was a 2023 Preseason All-American honoree from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
Peltier has been a highlight machine for the Cardinals at third base. He made numerous difficult plays look routine throughout the 2022 season. He posted a team-high 99 assists and added 42 putouts. He was a pivotal cog in Ball State’s regular season MAC Championship with his defensive prowess at the hot corner. Offensively, he led the team with 20 doubles. He added 50 runs scored, 44 RBIs, eight home runs, and two triples.
What Can Brown Do for You
Ryan Brown was named the No. 49 prospect in college baseball by D1 Baseball. Brown was the only Mid-American Conference player selected to the top-100 list. He was also tabbed as one of the top mid-major prospects for the 2023 season. Brown also landed on the 2023 MLB Draft: Rising Righthanded Pitchers watch list.
Last season, Brown earned recognition as a Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Freshman All-American along with the MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year. He also earned a spot on the All-MAC Second Team. He was phenomenal in his first season in Muncie and finished the season with 65 strikeouts. He finished the season with a 4-2 record in 46 1/3 innings. He held opposing hitters to a .157 batting average and had an ERA of 2.14. In MAC only contests, he had an ERA of 1.71 and held opponents to a .160 average.
Kloser Klein
Sam Klein was named a Preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and earned a spot on the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NBCWA) Preseason All-America Team. He recorded 11 saves last season, which were tied for 18th in the NCAA and led the MAC. He finished the season with a 4-3 record in 23 appearances. He posted an ERA of 3.18 in 34 innings of work. He struck out 47 batters and held opponents to a .179 batting average. Klein earned a spot on the 2022 All-MAC First Team.
Solid Staff
The Cardinal pitching staff finished last season fifth in the NCAA with 7.57 hits allowed per nine innings, which led the MAC. The Ball State pitching was tied for 11th in the NCAA and led the MAC with 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
All-League Returnees
Along with Peltier, Klein, and Brown, the Cardinals bring back Ty Johnson, who earned an All-MAC Second Team honor last season. Johnson finished the season with a 7-3 record. He appeared in 16 games, including 14 starts, and pitched 75 2/3 innings. He recoded 76 strikeouts, the most of any returning pitcher. He posted an ERA of 5.47.
Weekend Outlook
Trennor O’Donnell looks to get the start in game one for Ball State. Last season, he finished with a 6-2 record. He started 14 games and threw 65 2/3 innings. He tallied 74 strikeouts last season, which is second most among returners. Johnson is slated to get the start in game one of the doubleheader on Saturday.
Possible Starting Matchups (subject to change)
Friday: Trennor O’Donnell (RHP) vs. Wyatt Hudepohl (RHP)
Saturday: Ty Johnson (RHP) vs. Donye Evans (RHP)
Saturday: TBA vs. TBA
Sunday: TBA vs. TBA
Weekend Schedule
Friday: 4 p.m.
Saturday: Noon
Saturday: 4 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m.
*Times and locations are subject to change
Cardinals vs. 49ers: The Series
Ball State and Charlotte will meet for just the fourth time on Friday. The 49ers lead the series 2-1. The Cardinals won the first ever meeting, 7-1, on March 11, 2011.
Scouting Charlotte
The 49ers are led by Jake Cunningham, Jack Dragum, Cam Fisher, and Austin Knight as 2023 Conference USA Preseason All-Conference honorees. Dragum finished third on the squad with a .352 batting average. He produced 82 hits, 62 runs, and led the 49ers with 26 multi-hit games. Knight was a 2021 C-USA Player of the Year and earned three All-America honors. Knight is listed as the 24th ranked second baseman by D1 Baseball. Cunningham was fourth on the team last season with a .304 batting average. He was second on the team with 16 stolen bases and tied for second with 16 home runs. Fisher led the team with 18 home runs and produced a team-best 36 extra-base hits. He holds a Charlotte record with eight RBIs in a single game, a game in which he hit two grand slams.
Wyatt Hudepohl is projected to get the start in game one of the series for the 49ers. He is a transfer from Kentucky. Last season with the Wildcats, Hudepohl posted a 1-2 record with a 7.48 ERA. He appeared in 22 games, with one start, in 27 2/3 innings of work. He struck out 31 batters. Donye Evans is slated to get the start in game one of the doubleheader on Saturday. Evans is a transfer from Vanderbilt. Last season, he appeared in 14 games and had 13 strikeouts. He posted an ERA of 5.54 and he held opponents to a .196 batting average.
BALL STATE MVB
LOYOLA CHICAGO DEFEATS BALL STATE 3-1 IN MIVA ACTION THURSDAY
CHICAGO, Ill. – The Ball State men’s volleyball team (6-5, 1-2 MIVA) dropped a 3-1 match to Loyola Chicago (10-2, 3-0 MIVA) Thursday night at Gentile Arena.
The Cardinals started the match off hot, taking the first set 25-23 to earn the early 1-0 edge over the Ramblers.
It was a close first frame but after Ball State scored four-straight kills from veteran Kaleb Jenness to take a 24-21 advantage the Cardinals were able to come out atop of the Ramblers.
After that, Loyola Chicago came back to take sets two (25-21), three (25-21), and four (25-22) despite Ball State’s competitiveness throughout the match which included many ties and lead changes.
For the night, Jenness had a season high 21 kills for the Cardinals while teammate Tinaishe Ndavazocheva put down 15 kills. Jenness also was efficient from the floor hitting a .516 percent off 31 total attacks.
The entire match saw plenty point-for-point action and the Cardinals battled throughout the contest but unfortunately the Rambler’s would pull away from Ball State towards the end to earn the victory tonight.
The Ball State men’s volleyball team continues Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association action when it plays at long-time rival Purdue Fort Wayne Saturday night at 7 pm ET.
BALL STATE SB
SOFTBALL IS BACK: OPENS 2023 FRIDAY AT SAMFORD
» THIS WEEKEND IN BALL STATE SOFTBALL: The Ball State softball team is back on the field Friday, when it opens the 2023 season with a 5 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. CT doubleheader at Samford as part of the UAB Blazer Bash … The Cardinals will also play a 1 p.m. ET / Noon CT doubleheader at UAB on Saturday, before closing its opening weekend versus Lindenwood with an 11 am. ET / 10 a.m. CT first pitch back at UAB.
» LOOKING TO SNAP OPENING DAY STREAK: Ball State enters Friday’s doubleheader at Samford with a 27-21 record in season-opening games since the 1975 season … However, the Cardinals will be looking for its first season-opening win since the 2019 season, as the team has lost its last three openers … Last season, Ball State suffered a hard-fought 6-5 setback to St. Thomas at the DePaul Dome Tournament.
» THE OVERALL RECORD: Ball State enters the 2023 season with a 1121-1116-4 (.501) overall record dating back to the 1975 season … The Cardinals have tallied 30-or-more wins in 16 seasons, most recently a 37-18 mark under current head coach Lacy Schurr in 2021 … Of the 16 seasons with 30-or-more wins, 11 have come in the past 15 seasons.
» A QUICK LOOK AT THE CARDINALS: Ball State returns seven of nine players who finished the 2022 season in the starting lineup, along with another regular starter who was injured partway through league play … BSU also welcomes back two of its top three pitchers from a year ago, including win leader Angelina Russo who threw the program’s first recorded perfect game in a 5-0 victory in the nightcap of a doubleheader versus Western Michigan on April 20, 2022.
» ABOUT THIS WEEKEND’S OPPONENTS:
– Samford opened the season by going 1-2 at the USM Tournament … The Bulldogs topped Seton Hall by a score of 1-0 in its season opener, before dropping a pair of games to tournament host Southern Mississippi by scores of 3-0 and 3-2
– UAB opened the season with a 2-3 mark at the McNeese State Cowgirl Classic … After falling to Central Arkansas by a score of 6-3 to start the campaign, the Blazers picked up wins over Texas Southern, 8-0, and Idaho State, 7-2 … However, UAB closed the weekend with losses to Central Arkansas, 4-1, and host McNeese State, 4-2
– Lindenwood opened the year 1-4, with the lone win coming versus Western Michigan by a score of 1-0 in its final game of the Best on the Bayou Classic hosted by Louisiana-Monroe.
BALL STATE NEWS & NOTES:
» 14 AND COUNTING: A 2022 First Team All-MAC selection, fifth-year senior Amaia Daniel enters the season having reached base safely in each of her last 14 games … During the run, Daniel is batting .364, with 16 hits and a pair of home runs … She also has eight RBI and six runs scored, while boasting a .451 on base percentage over the span.
» MORE ON DANIEL: Amaia Daniel enters the season ranked ninth in program history with a .416 career on base percentage … She is also 17th on BSU’s all-time list in career RBI (89) and career doubles (31), while ranking 18th in career runs scored (94) and home runs (14) … On defense, she has helped turn 35 career double plays, which ties as the fifth-most in program history.
» SPEAKING OF DOUBLE PLAYS: Senior Haley Wynn has also made her presence felt on defense over her career, tying for 17th in program history with 18 career double plays turned … Wynn was second on the team last season, having a hand in 12 of BSU’s 29 total double plays … The only player with more double plays last season was Amaia Daniel at 15.
» WYNN BATTING: Senior Haley Wynn has also been solid on offense over her career, ranking 20th in program history with a .481 career slugging percentage … A .317 career batter, Wynn has tallied 120 career hits, including 27 doubles, nine home runs, and four triples … She has also scored 87 runs and driven in 52 RBI over her career, while owning a .384 on base percentage.
» ON THE BASE PATHS: Junior Remington Ross made an immediate impact on the base paths in her debut season for the Cardinals in 2022, ranking third in the MAC and 68th nationally with 22 stolen bases … She started the season a perfect 13-for-13 before being narrowly thrown out when attempting to steal third versus Kent State (April 1) … Ross finished the season going 9-for-9, pushing her to 22-for-23 on the year … The .957 stolen base percentage ranks as the fifth best in a single season in program history, while placing her second on BSU’s career charts … Ross has showed off her speed at the plate with eight bunt singles last season.
» PERFECTION: Angelina Russo, the 2022 MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year and a MAC All-Freshman Team selection, threw Ball State’s first recorded perfect game in the nightcap of the April 20 doubleheader versus Western Michigan last season … In helping lead the Cardinals to a 5-0 victory, Russo retired all 21 batters she faced over the 7.0 inning game … She struck out 10 total batters, including eight of WMU’s first nine … She also helped herself out on defense by registering a pair of assists, including fielding a soft grounder for out 20 of 21.
» NEAR PERFECTION: Ball State’s pitchers had flirted with perfect games before Angelina Russo’s gem, falling a walk shy of perfection on four occasions, most recently in a combined no-hitter by Aeshia Miles (3.0 innings) and Alyssa Rothwell (2.0 innings) in a 15-0 (5) victory over St. Bonaventure on March 17, 2018 … BSU has also been both an error shy and a hit batter shy of perfection.
» HOW ABOUT NO HITTERS: In addition to being the first recorded perfect game in program history, Angelina Russo’s effort marked just the 17th time Ball State’s pitchers have surrendered no hits in a game dating back through the 1980 season.
» THE RICHARDS FACTOR: After seeing limited time early in the season, Emma Richards was thrust into the everyday lineup after a pair of Ball State injuries at IUPUI last season … She would go on to start the final 18 games at third base for the Cardinals and rank third on the team with a .321 batting average over the span … She also led the team with nine doubles over the final 18 games, while ranking second in RBI (11), runs scored (9), and slugging percentage (.536) … For her play down the stretch, Richards was recognized as a member of the MAC All-Freshman Team.
» NOTHING A-“MATA” WITH HER: Junior Samantha-Jo Mata started her Ball State career with a bang last season, with her first three hits for the Cardinals all being home runs … Mata would go on to finish the season ranked second on the team with seven long balls … She also finished the season ranked third on the team with a .529 slugging percentage, while driving in 17 RBI and scoring 16 runs.
» “JAZ”-ING THINGS UP: A two-time career Academic All-MAC selection, redshirt senior Jazmyne Armendariz will look to make a big impact for the squad this season … Last season, Armendariz started 20 games at catcher, while making 17 starts as the designated player … In her role behind the plate, Armendariz led the squad by throwing out six runners trying to steal … She also had a hand in three double plays … Over her career, Armendariz has thrown out 10 runners trying to steal.
» WELCOME BACK: Redshirt sophomore McKayla Timmons will also look to work her way back in the lineup after ranking second on the squad with a .337 batting average last season … Timmons, who was one of two regular starters injured at IUPUI last season, finished the 2022 campaign with 23 RBI and 18 runs scored, while blasting four home runs … She was also second on the squad with a .558 slugging percentage, tying for second on the team with seven doubles.
NOTRE DAME SWIMMING
HOAGLAND, GUILIANO EARN INDIVIDUAL ACC TITLES
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Notre Dame walked into the Greensboro Aquatic Center on Thursday evening with high expectations after an impressive prelims showing. The results were even better than the Irish could’ve imagined.
On Day 3 of the 2023 ACC Swimming and Diving Championships, senior Jack Hoagland and sophomore Chris Guiliano earned conference titles. Hoagland — who already holds the school record in the 400 IM (3:40.73) – took the gold in the same event (3:41.15).
Just around an hour later, Guiliano’s 1:32.43 200 freestyle earned him a school record and his first ACC title. The record was previously held by Frank Dyer (1:33.20, set in 2014). Guiliano nows holds the fastest times in program history in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle.
Both Hoagland and Guiliano’s Thursday night times are NCAA B cuts and would have earned a spot at the NCAA Championships last year.
Prior to Thursday, Hoagland swam the 500 freestyle (4:16.31) on Wednesday, finishing fifth overall. Guiliano made the podium in the 50 freestyle on Wednesday, breaking his own school record and earning a bronze medal with a time of 18.93.
The No. 20 Notre Dame men’s team enters Friday’s competition in fourth place. The women are eighth.
Complete results through Thursday:
Women’s Standings (through 11 events)
Virginia, 879
Louisville, 665.5
NC State, 611
North Carolina, 431
Virginia Tech, 360
Duke, 347
Florida State, 293
Notre Dame, 248
Miami, 215
Georgia Tech, 197
Pitt, 169.5
Boston College, 100
Men’s Standings (through 11 events)
NC State, 898.5
Louisville, 522.5
Virginia Tech, 504.5
Notre Dame, 448.5
Virginia, 428
North Carolina, 360
Florida State, 353
Pitt, 271.5
Georgia Tech, 241.5
Duke, 166
Miami, 150
Boston College, 80
NOTRE DAME WBB
MILES BUZZER BEATER GIVES IRISH 78-76 OVERTIME VICTORY OVER CARDINALS
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Olivia Miles called game.
On Thursday night, No. 10 Notre Dame (21-4, 12-3) hosted Louisville (19-9, 10-5) at Purcell Pavilion. The Irish had fallen six straight times to the Cardinals in a rivalry that dates back to the Big East days. That streak is no longer, as Miles hit a buzzer-beater at the end of overtime to give her squad the 78-76 victory.
“I’m almost speechless because that was just a moment,” Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey said postgame. “In the last couple minutes, I told the team it’s time for us to separate ourselves, and that shot is what you call separation. That was unbelievable.”
Just seconds before the game-winner, Miles turned the ball over allowing Louisville to make a bucket to tie the game at 76. Notre Dame subsequently called a timeout to advance the ball to its side of the court. Sonia Citron inbounded the ball to Kylee Watson, who dumped it off to Miles. She got the shot off as time expired, hitting what she said was her first game-winning shot since high school.
“I blacked out,” Miles said with a smile. “I don’t know what just happened.”
The Irish had to do a fair amount of work to get back into the game in the fourth quarter, as they went down by 9 points with 7:49 to play. A few buckets from Watson had Notre Dame back in it, and they tied it at 68 with 1:13 left. It was 70-70 at the end of regulation.
In total, four women posted double-figure points on Thursday, and Watson put up 20 for the first time in an Irish uniform. She is the first Irish player to go 8-for-8 since Jessica Shepard in 2018. Miles had 18 points, Citron put up 15, and KK Bransford had 10. Miles was one assist shy of a triple-double, finishing with 11 rebounds and 9 assists.
She only had one bucket, but center Lauren Ebo returned for limited minutes on Thursday. She had missed the last five games with a lower body injury.
Notre Dame heads back on the road this weekend. The Irish will see Pittsburgh (10-16, 3-12) for the second time this year after topping them 69-63 on Feb. 9. Sunday’s game tips off at 2 p.m. ET on ACCNX.
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
IRISH OPEN UP 2023 SEASON AT LIPSCOMB
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The Irish are back in action as they kick off the 2023 season in Nashville, Tennessee for a three-game series against the Lipscomb Bison starting on Friday, Feb. 17. John P. and Catherine Murphy Head Baseball Coach Shawn Stiffler heads into his first season at the helm of the program, looking to build on the success of the last year’s season as he takes the field with the Irish for the first time this weekend.
Friday, Feb. 17 @ Lipscomb – 2:00 PM CT (3:00 PM ET) | Live Stats | ESPN+
Probable Starters: RHP Blake Hely (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP LHP Michael Dunkelberger (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Saturday, Feb. 18 @ Lipscomb – 2:00 PM CT (3:00 PM ET) | Live Stats | ESPN+
Probable Starters: RHP Radek Birkholz (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Ethan Smith (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Sunday, Feb. 19 @ Lipscomb – 1:00 PM CT (2:00 PM ET) | Live Stats | ESPN+
Probable Starters: RHP Jackson Dennies (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Braydon Tucker (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Irish Open Campaign at Lipscomb
This will be just the second time in program history that the Irish have faced the Bison. The last Irish-Bison matchup was nearly 63 years ago on April 21 in 1960, when Notre Dame defeated Lipscomb in a 7-6 road win.
Lipscomb went 36-22 in the 2022 season, including a 20-10 finish in conference play last year. The Bison placed second in the West Division of the ASUN conference and finished their 2022 season in the ASUN Semifinals as the Bison fell 6-4 to Kennesaw State.
The last time the Irish faced a team from ASUN was Stetson in February of 2022. The Irish defeated the Hatters 5-3 at Melching Field at Conrad Park.
Lethal Lineup is Back for 2022
Coming off the most successful season in almost 20 years, a strong portion of the 2022 leadership returns as seven graduate students are back for another year with the Irish, four of which were every day starters.
Graduate students Carter Putz, Zack Prajzner, Jack Zyska, and Brooks Coetzee all return to the field for the Irish.
Putz started all 58 games and was a big piece of Notre Dame’s success last season. He also led the team in hits (81) and runs (55) and was second on the squad in doubles (13) and batting average (.339).
Putz’s 81 hits were the most hits in a single season since 2013 when World Series Champion Trey Mancini had 89 hits on the year.
Prajzner returns to the Irish after starting all 58 games and setting career highs in runs, hits, doubles, home runs and RBIs last season. He was also fourth on the team in hits and runs as he finished with 44 runs and 58 hits.
Prajzner was named to the 2022 Statesboro Regional All-Tournament Team after hitting the game-tying home run in the 6-4 win over No. 22 Georgia Southern to advance to the Statesboro Regional Championship.
Both Putz and Prajzner were also recognized by Perfect Game as two of the top 50 seniors in the country heading into the 2023 season.
Zyska made 38 starts on the season and was a big piece of the Super Regional win over No. 1 Tennessee as he hit one of four home runs in the 8-6 win over the Volunteers in game one and set a career-high four hits against Tennessee in game two.
He finished with 34 runs, 45 hits, 12 doubles, 13 home runs, and seven stolen bases.
Coetzee started all 58 games and had a big year with the Irish as he set career highs in runs (42), hits (59), home runs (12), and RBI (43).
He finished second on the team in home runs and was one of three Irish players to hit double-digit home runs last season as the Irish set the program record for home runs in a single season with 79 homers.
Findlay, Tyrell, and Mercer Return
While the Irish lost main starters John Bertrand and Austin Temple, the Irish return Freshman All-American LHP Jack Findlay.
Findlay capped off his freshman season as a pivotal piece of Notre Dame’s postseason success. He made 20 appearances, including eight starts, but was recognized as a big-time closer for the Irish.
Findlay led the Irish in ERA and saves, was second in wins and third on the team in innings pitched after finishing the 2022 season with a 2.17 ERA, 54 strikeouts, and 6-2 record with four saves through 49.2 innings.
Findlay was named a 2022 Perfect Game Second Team Freshman All-American and a 2022 Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
At the beginning of this year, Findlay was also recognized by Perfect Game as one of the top 50 sophomores in the country.
Graduate student Aidan Tyrell also returns to the mound for Notre Dame.
Tyrell made 26 appearances and had five starts for the Irish as he finished the year with a 3.75 ERA, 37 strikeouts, and a 5-2 record with two saves through 48.0 innings pitched.
Tyrell won his first three starts of the season after allowing just one run in 16.0 innings pitched and had a string of four and five-straight appearances out of the bullpen without allowing a run.
Graduate student Will Mercer returns for his fifth season after making 13 appearances and 3 starts in 2022.
Mercer finished his senior year with a 4.18 ERA and a 2-1 record with one save through 23.2 innings pitched along with 24 strikeouts. He tossed a season-best 3.2 innings pitched and did not allow a run against #5 Texas A&M at the College World Series.
Newcomers
The Irish also have 14 newcomers, featuring 10 freshmen and four grad transfers.
Blake Hely is a graduate transfer that joined the Irish this fall after spending four years at Davidson.
He was another Notre Dame player recognized by Perfect Game this year as one of the top 50 impact transfers in the nation. Hely was a weekend starter for the Wildcats, appearing in and starting 15 games with a 3.80 ERA and a 9-2 record after leading Davidson in 2022 with 85.1 innings pitched.
Hely was also named Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year, Atlantic 10 First Team, and ABCA All-Atlantic Region Team this past season.
Hely held opponents to a .207 batting average, led the A-10 with 6.86 hits allowed per nine innings and was second in the league with 97 strikeouts.
Graduate transfers Vincent Martinez (C) and Justin Moore (RHP) joined the Irish this fall after each of them spent four years at Stanford.
RHP Carter Bosch is another graduate transfer who joins the Irish from Georgetown.
David Lally Jr., of Grand Blanc, Michigan, is predicted to be a force on the mound as he helped guide his high school to a 2021 State Championship, is a two-time Collegiate Baseball First Team All-American and was recognized this year as one of the top 100 freshmen in the country by Perfect Game.
Season to Remember in 2022
Notre Dames run at the College World Series came to a close on June 21, 2022 after a 5-1 loss to Texas A&M in the Bracket 1 elimination game.
The Fighting Irish finished the season with a 41-17 overall record after making the program’s third trip to Omaha for the College World Series.
The Irish reached the Super Regional round in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history and were the only ACC team that advanced to Omaha after four ACC squads were in the Super Regionals last year.
They eclipsed the 40-win plateau for the first time since 2006 and knocked off the No. 1 overall seed Tennessee in the Super Regionals.
Heading into the contest, Tennessee was 37-3 at home and had won 11-straight games.
The Irish hit four home runs in the win, the most home runs Tennessee had allowed all season.
The Irish handed Tennessee their first loss at home in the postseason since 2001.
Left-handed pitcher John Michael Bertrand, infielder/right-handed pitcher Jack Brannigan and left-handed pitcher Jack Findlay all earned All-American honors.
Bertrand was named a second team All-American by the NCBWA, Brannigan was named to the third team by Perfect Game and Findlay was a second team freshman All-American from Perfect Game.
It was Bertrand’s third postseason All-American honor this year (Collegiate Baseball & CoSIDA), Findlay’s second of the season (Collegiate Baseball) and Brannigan earned his first of the season.
Bertrand was also named the NCBWA District Five Player of the Year, ABCA All-Region First Team, and was named the Statesboro Regional Most Outstanding Player as he helped pave the way on the Irish’s run to the College World Series
2022 MLB Draft
The Irish saw four of Irish drafted on the second day of the Major League Baseball Draft in 2022.
It marks the second-straight season that Notre Dame has had a pair of players taken in the MLB Draft, and the 37th-consecutive season the Irish have had at least one player selected.
Infielder Jack Brannigan was selected in the third round by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Brannigan’s third round selection is the highest pick for a Notre Dame player since Eric Jagielo was taken in the first round in 2013.
Last season Brannigan started 56 games and appeared in 11 games on the hill with one start. Brannigan slashed .291/.360/.540 as he led the Irish in doubles (15) and was second on the team in homers (12).
Right-handed pitcher Liam Simon was picked by the San Francisco Giants in the fifth round.
Simon appeared in 16 games and made seven starts on the hill in 2022. He threw 30.2 innings, striking out 56 hitters as opponents hit just .188 against him.
Right-handed pitcher Alex Rao was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the eighth round.
Rao threw 47.0 innings and struck out 57 hitters, while also picking up three saves, and earning a 3-1 record. He held opponents to a .188 average against.
John Michael Bertrand was the final pick of the 10th round by the Giants.
In the 2022 season, Bertrand started 18 games for Notre Dame, leading the team in innings pitched (109.0), strikeouts (111) and wins (10). He earned a 2.81 ERA and limited opponents to a .234 average against.
NOTRE DAME SB
IRISH HEAD TO CLEMSON FOR B1G/ACC CHALLENGE
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Fresh off a 4-1 opening weekend, the University of Notre Dame softball team is set for its matchup at a familiar ballpark. Having played three games at Clemson’s McWhorter Stadium in 2022, the Fighting Irish return for four games against Big Ten Conference opponents. The Irish will take on Ohio State and #13/11 Northwestern over the weekend.
The weekend schedule sees the Irish take on Ohio State Friday at 12:30 p.m. Saturday is a split doubleheader, as Notre Dame faces Northwestern at 10 a.m., followed by a matchup with the Buckeyes at 12:30 p.m. The finale Sunday features the Irish and Wildcats at 10 a.m.
The Fighting Irish
Notre Dame enters the weekend having gone 4-1 the first week of the season, picking up a ranked win in the season opener against #22 Arizona State. The Irish dropped their second game to San Diego State before finishing the weekend with wins over CSUN, NIU and Memphis.
Leading the Irish into week two is the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Player of the Week in junior catcher Carlli Kloss. Kloss leads the Irish with a .500 batting average with two doubles, a home run and five RBI. The lead-off hitter owns a .600 on-base percentage through the first five games of the season.
Freshman Mickey Winchell started in centerfield on opening weekend, earning a .412 average with seven hits, three runs scored and three RBI. As a team, the Irish are hitting at a .367 clip with Karina Gaskins and Jane Kronenberger adding home runs. Kronenberger is second on the team with four RBI, with Gaskins knocking in a pair.
Shannon Becker highlighted the three-headed pitching attack on opening weekend. Becker appeared in four games with two starts, throwing in a team-best 13.1 innings and adding nine strikeouts. Micaela Kastor made her collegiate debut, throwing in four games and making her first collegiate start. She struck out seven in 8.0 innings of work. Payton Tidd picked up where she left off in 2022, throwing 12.2 innings in two starts, striking out 12 hitters.
Ohio State
Ohio State enters the weekend at 2-2, splitting games in Orlando last weekend. The Buckeyes earned wins over Boise State and UMass, dropping games to Georgia and UCF. 2022 saw Ohio State finish 36-17 and a berth to the NCAA Knoxville Regional.
The Buckeye offense is led by sophomore outfielder Kami Kortokrax. Kortokrax is hitting for a .500 oaverage, going 6-for-12 with two doubles and scored a team-best four runs. Four others have doubled on the season as the Buckeyes have hit seven doubles and average 3.25 runs per game.
Four pitchers have seen time in the circle, led by junior Allison Smith. Smith has appeared in three games, started two, throwing complete games in both starts. Smith has 17.1 innings pitched with 18 strikeouts and holds opponents to a .194 average against. Emily Ruck has two appearances on the season, throwing 7.0 innings, striking out seven hitters in a loss. Kennedy Kay and Lexi Paulsen have each made an appearance on the season, with Kay allowing three earned runs in 1.1 innings, and Paulsen allowing an earned run in her third of an inning.
Northwestern
Northwestern enters with a similar 2-2 record, taking the first two games of the season over South Alabama and #6 Texas. The Wildcats closed opening weekend at the NFCA Leadoff Classic with losses to Missouri and #13 Tennessee. 2022 saw the Wildcats earn a spot in the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, after hosting the Irish in an NCAA Regional, and defeating Arizona State in Tempe during the Super Regional round.
The Wildcats return the bulk of their 2022 WCWS roster. Through the first four games of the season, freshman Kelsey Nader leads the team with a .455 average with five hits in 11 at bats, scoring a pair of runs. Jordyn Rudd adds a .385 average with a team-best five RBI. Senior Angela Zedak owns the Wildcats two home runs on the season, with four RBI.
Northwestern has four pitchers who have seen time in the circle, all have thrown for 5.2 innings or more. Cami Henry leads the team with 8.1 innings, striking out six and allowing five earned runs. Lauren Boyd and Danielle Williams have each thrown 7.0 innings. Boyd adds five strikeouts, while Northwestern’s 2022 ace Danielle Williams has 11 strikeouts and a team-best 1.43 WHIP.
NOTRE DAME WLAX
IRISH FALL AT NO. 5 NORTHWESTERN
EVANSTON, Ill. – The No.14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish took on the No.5 Northwestern Wildcats in a midweek matchup but ultimately fell 18-14 in the matchup.
The Irish had impressive performances from Kasey Choma who tallied herself a hat trick in the first half of the game. Lilly Callahan also recorded a new career high of 15 saves.
The attacking end of Choma, Jackie Wolak and Madison Ahern combined for 15 points on the night.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Irish put themselves on top with a 1-0 lead after Jackie Wolak found Kasey Choma to put it in the back of the net. Northwestern immediately responded with two goals of their own from free position shots. The Irish couldn’t find their way back on top despite pulling off eleven shots in the quarter. The quarter ended with the Irish down 3-1.
Notre Dame once again struck first in the quarter thanks to Hannah Dorney quickly hitting the back of the net to cut the deficit 3-2. The Irish evened the score at 3-3 when Choma quickly fired on a shot again off a pass from Wolak. Northwestern scored three of their own but the Irish couldn’t end the quarter as Choma scored off an assist from Madison Ahern to cut the score to 6-4 at the half.
Choma came out of the half firing and continued to cut the Irish deficit when she scored on a free position shot making it 6-5. She continued to do her thing and fired past the Northwestern goalkeeper to cut the score to 8-6. Northwestern extended their lead with two goals making it 10-6. Wolak took it herself and scored for her fourth point of the night, to cut the score 12-7.
Wolak continued firing on all cylinders when she dodged a defender at the top of the eight and fired past the goalie for a 12-8 tally. Ahern added to the Notre Dame tally on a free-position shot, and shortly after Kristen Shanahan hit a dodge perfectly to give the Irish their tenth goal. Wolak continued to close the scoring gap when she tallied her third goal of the game. Choma, Mary Kelly Doherty, and Keelin Schlageter added to the Irish tally in the final minutes of the game but the Irish ultimately fell to the Wildcats 18-14.
NOTRE DAME NOTES
Choma scored her 25th hat trick of her career with her three goals coming in the first half of the contest. It is also the first time in her career that she has started the season with two hat tricks.
Callahan made her first double-digit save performance of her career, finishing with 15 saves.
Wolak’s three assist performance gives her seven in her career with three or more assists.
Choma matched her career high for goals with six on the night.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame doesn’t have much time to rest as they return home to host the Central Michigan Chippewas on Sunday, February 19 at 3:00 pm. The game will have live stats available and the contest will be streamed on ACCNX.
NOTRE DAME MBB
GAME 27 PREVIEW: IRISH VS #7/6 CAVALIERS
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The road tour rolls on and it’ll be a tall task ahead for the Notre Dame men’s basketball team. The Fighting Irish (10-16, 2-13) will look to topple a top-10 foe in No. 7/6 Virginia (20-4, 12-3) on Saturday, Feb. 18, inside JPJ Arena – a place where they have come close but have yet to win in. Tip is set for Noon ET on ESPN2.
ND VS UVA
Notre Dame is still searching for its first road win of the season and if they accomplish it this weekend, it’ll also mark their first one ever in Charlottesville. The Irish are 3-16 all-time against the Cavaliers and are 0-7 inside JPJ Arena.
The Irish have come close on many occasions over the years:
L 50-49 in OT on 2/11/20
L 60-54 on 2/16/19
L 62-57 on 3/318
The Irish won the encounter between the two last season, taking it 69-65 in South Bend. Dane Goodwin and Nate Laszewski co-led the team in scoring with 16 points each.
TAKEAWAYS FROM DUKE
Trailing by 10 in the 2nd half, the Irish rallied and made it a one-point game at 62-63 with 36 seconds left. The comeback was fueled by Dane Goodwin, who scored 17 straight points from 12:35-4:29. Goodwin finished with a season high 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting.
The Irish outscored the Blue Devils 41-37 in the 2nd half. ND thought they would have a chance for at least the tie at the end if it wasn’t for the heroics of Duke’s Mark Mitchell, who had one field goal at that point in the game. He then hit a corner three with 12.0 seconds left. Down 66-62 now, Notre Dame attacked the basket quickly and got a put-back from Lubin. Off the Duke in-bounds, Ryan thought he had a tie-up jumpball but the referees ruled it a foul instead, sending Duke to the line where they put the game away.
TAKEAWAYS FROM VT GAME
Can’t deny that the offense was clicking due to a combined 50-point effort from Laszewski and Ryan. In fact, the 87 points were the second most points the Irish have scored all season, second to their 88 points against Youngstown State.
Laszewski went off for a career high 33 points on 12-of-17 shooting, including a 6-for-9 mark from three-point range. He also grabbed a team best eight rebounds. It marked the first Irish 30-point performance since Matt Farrell dropped 37 points at Boston College on Feb. 17, 2018. The 33 points also land him in a tie for 15th place in Brey-Era single-game point totals.
Nate entered the year with six 20-point scoring games and he now has 6 on the season.
With that said, the problem continues to be defensive lapses in the second half. Virginia Tech recorded a stretch in which they made 14-of-16 from the field, pounding the ball down low. They finished with 42 points in the paint.
3 STARTS – 3 GAMES IN DOUBLE FIGURES
Freshman Ven-Allen Lubin has made 3 consecutive starts and has rewarded the Irish for it with 3 games in double figures. He scored a career high 13 points at Georgia Tech, then followed that up with 11 points vs Virginia Tech and 10 points at Duke. He’s totaled 34 points on a combined 15-for-22 shooting. He’s also grabbed a total of 18 rebounds.
One could argue that Lubin could have had even larger numbers against Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech if it weren’t for limited minutes due to foul trouble in both.
THREAT FROM THREE
Notre Dame’s offense may struggle from time to time, but you can’t argue with the team’s three-point shooting ability. The Irish rank 2nd in the ACC in made three-pointers per game and 32nd in the country, converting 9.0 per game. They also rank 2nd in three-point shooting percentage (.367). Their 9.0 threes per game would rank 6th all-time in program history – the program record is 9.7 set by the 19-20 squad.
23 IN ‘23
In 2023 (12 games), Goodwin is averaging 12.9 ppg (155 points) – which ranks 2nd on the team behind Laszewski for that time span. He’s also been more active on the glass in 2023 grabbing 77 boards aka 6.4 rpg – that number leads the team.
FEBRUARY GROOVE
Speaking of Goodwin, the man thrives in the month of February. Starting in 2021 (so over last 3 seasons), Goodwin is averaging 12.8 ppg in the month of February. He scored 112 points over 8 games in 2021. Then 81 points in 7 games in 2022. He has 50 through 4 games in 2023.
COMPETING, NOW JUST CLOSE
4 of Notre Dame’s last 5 losses have been oh so close – no larger than six points – for a combined deficit of 15 for those 4 games.
68-64 to Duke
93-87 to Virginia Tech
70-68 to Georgia Tech
85-82 to NC State
In fact, 8 of Notre Dame’s 13 ACC losses have been by single digits. They have been competitive and in just about every game this conference season.
INDIANA STATE SWIMMING
BETZER EARNS ALL-CONFERENCE RECOGNITION, SYCAMORES BREAK 200 FREE RELAY MARK ON DAY TWO OF MVC CHAMPIONSHIPS
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Bailey Betzer became the first Indiana State diver to earn All-Conference recognition in program history while the Sycamores’ 200 Freestyle Relay set a new school record to highlight the second day of the 2023 MVC Championships at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center.
Betzer became the first Sycamore in Indiana State history to advance to the conference championship diving finals as the junior finished fifth overall in the field in the morning’s preliminaries with a score of 239.25. She followed up by going 13 points higher in Thursday night’s finals as the Osceola, Ind. native finished on the podium with ISU’s first All-Conference finish of the weekend following her 252.84 in the final round.
The Sycamores’ 200 Freestyle Relay set ISU’s second relay school record of the championships to cap the evening. The team of Alexa Szadorski, Kaimi Matsumoto, Raine Boles, and Chloe Farro went 1:32.44 to finish fourth overall in the event and break the previous school mark set at the 2020 MVC Championships (1:32.69). ISU previously topped the 200-yard Medley Relay mark on Wednesday night.
Alexa Szadorski nearly set a school mark in the 50-yard Freestyle in Thursday morning’s swim-off as the sophomore touched the wall in 23.16 to advance to the finals. Her mark equaled the second-fastest time in school history matching Alexandra Malmborg’s time 23.16 set at the 2019 MVC Championships.
“We’re really excited and proud of what we did as a team today,” head coach Josh Christensen said. “We had lots of lifetime bests, an exciting swim-off win, a historic showing in diving, and a relay school record. We know that our last two days are our strength and we’re ready to make the most of the numerous opportunities we have over the back half of this meet.”
The Sycamores (382.5) sit third overall through the first seven events of the MVC Championships. Missouri State (500.5) and Illinois State (383.5) round out the top three, while UIC (326.5) and Northern Iowa (312) are also in the top five.
Thursday Evening Finals
Esther Rydbeck Norden turned in her second sub-5:00 minute mark in the 500-yard Freestyle event to finish seventh overall in the evening’s opening event of the night. The junior touched the wall in 4:59.50 to lead the Sycamores in the A-Finals of the event. In the B-Finals, Rhiannon Wozny (4:56.67, 10th) turned in the fifth-fastest time in Indiana State history on her way to finishing 10th overall in the field in the B-Finals, while Haley Halsall touched in 4:57.49 to finish 11th overall. Andrea Putrimas (4:59.89, 19th) also went sub-5:00, while Molly Fogarty (5:01.85, 21st) rounded out the Sycamores.
The Sycamores dominated the B-Final of the 200-yard IM as Dorotea Bukvic (2:02.50, 9th), Katie Dougherty (2:03.92, 11th), and Alexandria Cotter (2:04.72, 12th) finished 1-3-4 in the second heat. Carmen Alard Vegas touched the wall in 2:05.25 to finish 19th overall.
Alexa Szadorski led the Sycamores in the 50-yard Freestyle A-Final as the sophomore finished eighth overall in the field in 23.41. Chloe Farro (23.52, 11th) and Raine Boles (23.79, 15th) both competed in the second group, while Peyton Heagy (23.87, 21st) took on the field in the C-Final.
Bailey Betzer made history in the 1M diving event as the junior became the first Sycamore diver to claim All-Conference honors. Her score of 252.84 was 13 points higher than her preliminary score and put her third overall in the field. Zoe Smith won the B-Final group with a score 256.62 (9th), while Daniela Orta Castaneda (18th) rounded out the group with a score 214.20.
The Sycamores’ 200-yard Freestyle Relay group of Alexa Szadorski, Kaimi Matsumoto, Raine Boles, and Chloe Farro finished fourth overall in the field in 1:32.44 to lead Indiana State in the final event of the night.
Thursday Morning Prelims
Three Sycamores advanced to the A-Finals, while 16 athletes overall advanced to Thursday night’s finals as Indiana State opened up the second day of the 2023 Missouri Valley Championship Swimming & Diving Championships.
Esther Rydbeck Norden advanced in the 500-yard Freestyle, while Alexa Szadorski advanced following a swim-off in the 50-yard Freestyle. Bailey Betzer also made history for the Sycamores as the junior became the first diver in program history to advance to 1M Diving finals to be held on Thursday night.
Rydbeck Norden opened the event for Indiana State cutting nearly two full seconds off her previous best time in the Blue & White to touch the wall eighth overall in the 500-yard Freestyle field in 4:57.53. Rhiannon Wozny also went sub-5:00 for the Sycamores following her time of 4:59.06 to finish in 11th in the prelims, while Haley Halsall touched the wall in a personal-best 5:00.59 to finish 14th. Molly Fogarty (5:02.28, 19th) and Andrea Putrimas (5:03.89, 21st) also advanced to the evening competition following their opening swims.
Dorotea Bukvic took .05 off her previous season-best to lead the Sycamores in the 200-yard IM on Thursday morning. The sophomore finished ninth overall in the field after touching the wall in 2:03.62 to advance to the B-Finals. She was joined by teammates Alexandria Cotter (2:03.67, 10th), and Katie Dougherty (2:04.89, 12th), while Carmen Alard Vegas touched the wall in 2:05.53 to finish 17th overall and advance to the evening competition.
Alexa Szadorski advanced to the A-Finals after winning a swim-off in the 50-yard Freestyle to put another Sycamore in the top-eight in the field. The sophomore went 23.49 on her way to setting a new P.R. in the event to lead ISU. Chloe Farro (23.52, 11th) and Raine Boles (23.67, 14th) also set new personal-bests in the event, while Peyton Heagy moved on to Thursday night’s finals with her 23.88 to finish 21st.
Bailey Betzer became the first ISU diver in program history to advance to the finals in any diving event as the junior scored 239.25 on her way to finishing fifth in the 1M Diving preliminary field. Zoe Smith advanced to the B-Finals after her score of 230.43 put her 11th in the field, while Daniela Orta Castaneda finished 18th in 214.20.
Advanced to A-Finals
500-yard Freestyle: Esther Rydbeck Norden (4:57.53, 8th)
50-yard Freestyle: Alexa Szadorski (23.48, 8th)
1M Diving: Bailey Betzer (239.25, 5th)
Advanced to B-Finals
500-yard Freestyle: Rhiannon Wozny (4:59.06, 11th), Haley Halsall (5:00.59, 14th)
200-yard IM: Dorotea Bukvic (2:03.62, 9th), Alexandria Cotter (2:03.67, 10th), Katie Dougherty (2:04.89, 12th)
50-yard Freestyle: Chloe Farro (23.52, 11th), Raine Boles (23.67, 14th)
1M Diving: Zoe Smith (230.43, 11th)
Advanced to C-Finals
500-yard Freestyle: Molly Fogarty (5:02.28, 19th), Andrea Putrimas (5:03.89, 21st)
200-yard IM: Carmen Alard Vegas (2:05.53, 17th)
50-yard Freestyle: Peyton Heagy (23.88, 21st)
1M Diving: Daniela Orta Castaneda (214.20, 18th)
Up Next
Indiana State is back in action on Day Three of the MVC Championship starting at 11:30 a.m. ET at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center. Friday morning’s events include the 100 Butterfly, 400 IM, 200 Freestyle, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, and the 3-Meter Diving Prelims.
INDIANA STATE SB
SYCAMORES SET FOR CHATTANOOGA CHALLENGE
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State softball will travel to Tennessee this weekend for the Chattanooga Challenge which begins Friday afternoon at Warner Park.
The five game slate for ISU will begin on Friday, February 17 at 12:30 p.m. ET with a matchup against Western Illinois. Friday’s action will conclude with a 5:30 p.m. ET contest against the host Chattanooga. On Saturday, Indiana State will play another doubleheader, beginning with Marshall at 12:30 p.m. ET followed by a 3:00 p.m. ET first pitch against Maine. The weekend trip will conclude on Sunday with an 11:00 a.m. ET game against Marshall.
The Sycamores began their 2023 campaign on February 10 with a 2-0 victory over James Madison at the Charleston Invitational at Patriots Point in Charleston, South Carolina. The remainder of the weekend was canceled due to inclement weather.
Indiana State’s offense in their lone contest last week was led by Danielle Henning and TeAnn Bringle who each drove in a run in the win over the Dukes. Preseason All-Conference pick Isabella Henning added a base hit as well. In the circle, Lexi Benko threw a complete game shutout, striking out seven JMU hitters and limiting them to just six baserunners on the afternoon.
Opponents
The Sycamores open their weekend with the Western Illinois Leathernecks who began their season with a 4-1 weekend at the Rosemont Dome Tournament. WIU is coached by Alisa Goler who is in her third season as head coach. Senior pitcher Savannah Rodriguez and sophomore catcher Georgia Rea were named to the Preseason Summit League Watch List. Indiana State and Western Illinois have faced off 44 previous times with WIU leading the all-time series 31-13.
Chattanooga and ISU were scheduled to face off last weekend at the Charleston Invitational but the game was canceled due to inclement weather. The Mocs are led by longtime head coach Frank Reed and were picked to finish third in the Southern Conference preseason poll. Coach Reed has been named SoCon Coach of the Year six times in his 22 years with Chattanooga. Senior infielder Emily Coltharp was selected as the 2023 SoCon Preseason Player of the Year after batting .382. last season where she recorded a league-best 72 hits and stole 24 bases.
Marshall comes into the weekend after a 3-1 trip to the Florida Spring Games in Leesburg, Florida. Megan Smith Lyon is in her fifth season as the Thundering Herd’s head coach. She has won over 500 games in her coaching career including 118 wins at Marshall. Pitcher Sydney Nester is the reigning Conference USA Pitcher of the Year after winning 26 games with a 2.35 ERA in 2022. Catcher Autumn Owens was an All-Conference Second Team choice after batting .354 with eight home runs. The Herd lead the all-time series 4-2 over ISU.
The fourth opponent of the weekend for ISU will be Maine who began their season last weekend at the Upstate Classic in Spartanburg, S.C. where they went 1-3. Jordan Fitzpatrick is the head coach of the Black Bears and is in her second season at the helm. Senior infielder Kelby Drews leads the Maine offense, being named America East Player of the Week for their opening weekend. The two programs have faced off just once, with Maine winning the lone matchup in 1994.
Up Next
Indiana State will play in the Easton Bama Bash beginning on February 24, which is hosted by the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
INDIANA STATE WBB
SYCAMORES TO OPEN WEEKEND HOMESTAND AGAINST VALPO
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State returns to the friendly confines of Hulman Center for its next two games, starting with a Friday evening tip against Valparaiso at 6 p.m. The game will be carried on ESPN3 and 105.5 The Legend.
Gameday Sponsor and Promotions
Planet Fitness is the game sponsor for Friday’s contest. For more information on our game sponsor, click HERE.
Indiana State will have a pair of pregame presentations prior to Friday’s contest. Anna McKendree will be recognized with the team’s annual Brenda Howell Spirit Award, while Del’Janae Williams will be honored for becoming the 29th Sycamore in the 1,000-point club.
Last Time Out
Del’Janae Williams became the 29th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points, but Indiana State was unable to keep pace with Belmont in an 81-69 setback inside Curb Event Center.
Williams scored Indiana State’s first nine points to reach the milestone, with a layup early in the first quarter being the basket to put her over the mark. Chelsea Cain led the Sycamores with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Williams had 14 points and Bella Finnegan had 13.
Both teams shot better than 50 percent from the field in the game, but turnovers loomed large for Indiana State. The Sycamores had 21 turnovers, which Belmont turned into 22 points on the other end. After trailing by double-digits in the second quarter, Indiana State got within one on multiple occasions in the third quarter but couldn’t find a go-ahead bucket, as the homestanding Bruins won their eighth straight game.
Milestone Moments
This season has seen a trio of Sycamore reach career milestones, including two which happpened during Indiana State’s recent road trip.
Del’Janae Williams became the 29th player to score 1,000 points at Indiana State by scoring each of the Sycamores’ first nine points at Belmont.
Chelsea Cain hit 1,000 points for her collegiate career with a layup in the first quarter at Evansville. Cain scored 857 points in three seasons at Nicholls State and has 272 points for the Sycamores this year, giving her 1,129 career points.
Head coach Chad Killinger picked up his 300th win as a collegiate head coach with Indiana State’s 82-71 win over Murray State.
Home Sweet Home
Indiana State’s return to Hulman Center this weekend is a welcome sign for the Sycamores, who have already bettered their home win total from last season.
Indiana State has six wins at home this season, a two-win increase from last season, with four home contests still on the schedule. The Sycamores’ average attendance of 1,351 per game ranks fifth in the MVC.
Light it Up
Indiana State put up 82 points in its road win at Murray State, the Sycamores’ most in a conference game this season. The Sycamores’ 63.5 percent clip from the field was its best in a conference game in program history.
Indiana State has now scored 80-plus points in three MVC games since the start of last season, and has gone a perfect 3-0 in those games.
Bucket Getter
Indiana State guard Bella Finnegan put together the best game of her young career in the Sycamores’ win over Murray State. Finnegan notched career-highs of 26 points and seven rebounds against the Racers, knocking down 11 of her 16 shots from the field and all three of her 3-point attempts.
Finnegan’s 26 points were the most by an Indiana State player in a game this season, and the most for a Sycamore freshman since Caitlin Anderson had 27 against Evansville on Feb. 28, 2020.
Sharp Shooting
Indiana State shot a season-best 63.5 percent from the field against Murray State, knocking down 33 of their 52 shots in the game. The Sycamores also connected on eight of their 13 3-point attempts. Indiana State shot better than 60 percent from the field in three of the four quarters, shooting better than 70 percent in both the first and fourth.
The 63.5 percent clip from the field was Indiana State’s best in a game since Nov. 18, 2006 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and it was the Sycamores’ first game over 60 percent from the field since Nov. 28, 2016 at Eastern Illinois.
Six of Indiana State’s seven players who took a shot finished better than 50 percent from the field, helping the Sycamores post the best shooting game by an MVC team this season.
Valparaiso at a Glance
Currently on a four-game slide, Valparaiso enters the weekend at 4-19 overall and 2-12 in conference play. The Beacons fell to Northern Iowa in their last game, 83-60.
Olivia Brown leads the team in scoring at 11.3 points per game, while Leah Earnest (10.6) and Ali Saunders (10.4) are also scoring in double-figures for the Beacons. Earnest also averages a team-high 8.0 rebounds per game, while Saunders leads Valparaiso with 58 assists.
Valparaiso is still in search of its first road conference win of the season, with the Beacons currently 0-6 on the road in MVC play. The only road win for Valpo this season came in its season opener at Central Michigan.
Head coach Mary Evans is now in her fifth season at the helm and owns a 52-87 career record. Since her arrival, Valpo has consistently been among the MVC leaders in 3-pointers.
Series History Against Valparaiso
Indiana State owns a 10-6 advantage in the all-time series following its 66-58 win in Valparaiso earlier this season. The Sycamores and Beacons have split the six previous meetings in Terre Haute.
Last Game Against Valparaiso (Jan. 7, 2023)
Indiana State overturned an early double-digit deficit, defeating Valparaiso 66-58 inside the Athletics-Recreation Center to complete a weekend MVC sweep.
Del’Janae Williams led all scorers with a season-high 25 points, while Anna McKendree and Chelsea Cain added nine and eight, respectively. Alona Blackwell and Hattie Westerfeld came off the bench to score seven points apiece for the Sycamores, who trailed by as many as 11.
Indiana State started slow but came alive for 61 points in the last three quarters, including 43 points in the second half. The Trees led for less than 10 minutes but hit timely shots when it mattered most, making 10 of their last 12 shots. McKendree put the Sycamores ahead for good with a 3-pointer from the wing midway through the fourth quarter. Indiana State’s defense held Valpo to just one basket in the last five minutes to seal its second straight road win.
Up Next
Indiana State remains at home to face UIC Sunday at 1 p.m.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
SYCAMORES OPEN UP 2023 SEASON AT SNOWBIRD BASEBALL CLASSIC
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State baseball hits the road as the Sycamores embark on a 10-day, seven-game road trip down to the Sunshine State. The Sycamores will open up the road trip in Port Charlotte, Fla. and Centennial Park this weekend games against Iowa on Friday and Quinnipiac on Saturday.
First pitch in Friday’s contest against the Hawkeyes is set for 3 p.m. ET. The ISU-Quinnipiac contest on Saturday is set to start at 3:30 p.m. The opening weekend marks the first of two weeks in Florida for the Sycamores as ISU will continue the season with games against Florida Gulf Coast (Feb. 21), at Miami (Fla.) (Feb. 22), and a three-game series against Northeastern (Feb. 25-26).
The Sycamores open the 10th season under the helm of head coach Mitch Hannahs as Indiana State looks to bounce back from a tough 26-22-1 overall record in 2022 with a 10-10-1 mark in conference play. ISU returns the bulk of the lineup that hit a conference-leading .300 from the plate in 2022, while the pitching staff is highlighted by the return of ace Matt Jachec (9-2, 2.88 ERA).
Scouting the Opposition
Iowa Hawkeyes
The Iowa Hawkeyes were selected third overall in the preseason Big Ten baseball poll as recognized by D1Baseball. The Hawkeyes featured preseason Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Ty Langenberg, while Brody Brecht and two-way star Keaton Anthony both received preseason All-American recognition. The Hawkeyes posted a 36-19 overall record in the 2022 season and advanced to the Big Ten Semifinals before bowing out to eventual champion Michigan.
Iowa went 2-1 against the Missouri Valley Conference in the 2022 season with the Hawkeyes lining up against both Illinois State and Bradley in midweek games. The Hawkeyes swept the Bradley Braves winning 9-8 (11) and 15-8, while Iowa lost their lone completed game against Illinois State, 3-2, on May 3. Iowa’s March 29 game at Illinois State was canceled.
Iowa Player Watch
Ty Langenberg is the expected opening day starter for the Hawkeyes as the junior makes the shift from Sunday to Friday in the 2023 season. He posted a 7-2 record with a 3.71 ERA last season while adding 74 strikeouts. He was named the preseason Big Ten Pitcher of the Year by both D1Baseball and Perfect Game. Langenberg went at least five innings in nine different games including a season-best seven-inning start against Purdue on May 8.
Indiana State – Iowa Series History
February 26, 2016 – W, 11-3 (Port Charlotte, Fla.)
Indiana State and Iowa have only faced off once in their respective program histories. The teams took to the field in the 2016 season down in Port Charlotte, Fla. on February 26. Indiana State took the 11-3 win in the game behind Tony Rosselli’s three-hit, three-RBI, three-run day, while Tyler Ward picked up the win on the mound.
Quinnipiac Bobcats
Quinnipiac was selected seventh in the 2023 preseason All-MAAC coaches poll as announced by the conference office. The Bobcats lineup will feature Preseason All-MAAC selction Anthony Donofrio, while outfielder Jared Zimbardo (.307) and infielder/catcher Kyle Maeves (.275, 23 SB) also return to the roster. On the mound, Kevin Seitter is back after posting team-highs in innings pitched (76.1) and starts (13).
The Sycamores are the lone Missouri Valley Conference team on Quinnipiac’s schedule this year. The Bobcats have not lined up against an MVC opponent since the 2015 season when they fell twice to Bradley in Nashville, Tenn.
Quinnipiac Player Watch
The Bobcat offense will go as far as senior outfielder Anthony Donofrio will take them in 2023. The SUNY Cortland transfer found his fit in the Bobcats lineup last season earning All-MAAC Second Team recognition after a stellar campaign. He hit .343 on the year with a team-high 61 hits while adding seven home runs and 25 RBI. He also added 15 stolen bases and saw some time on the mound as a spot reliever.
Indiana State – Quinnipiac/MAAC Series History
This is the first matchup all-time between the Sycamores and the Camden, Conn.-based Bobcats.
Quinnipiac becomes the fifth MAAC school Indiana State has lined up against joining Canisius (3-2), Iona (1-0), Marist (1-1), and Siena (2-1). Indiana State’s last game against a MAAC school came back in the 2019 season down in Wilmington, N.C. with ISU topping Iona, 10-0, on February 24.
Indiana State Notes
Preaseason All-American
Redshirt junior pitcher Matt Jachec picked up his first collegiate All-American selection in the 2023 preseason as the Hampshire, Ill. native was honored by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper as a Third Team selection. Jachec was one of four Missouri Valley Players to be honored by the organization and the lone starting pitcher in the conference to get the nod. Jachec posted the lowest ERA by a starting pitcher in the Missouri Valley (2.88) while finishing second in the MVC with 97.0 innings pitched. He finished up with a Valley-leading nine wins on the mound while sitting sixth in the conference with 80 strikeouts (28 looking). His control on the mound was a major factor to his success as he led the Valley in only surrendering nine walks on the year to sit among the NCAA leaders in both strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.89, 4th in NCAA) and walks allowed per nine innings (0.84, 3rd in NCAA).
Freshman All-American
Sophomore infielder Randal Diaz became just the 13th Indiana State baseball player to earn Freshman All-American status after a standout 2022 campaign. The Toa Alta, Puerto Rico native was honored by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and was the first ISU player to receive the honor since Tyler Ward was recognized following the 2015 season. Diaz was just the fourth ISU infielder to receive the recognition joining third baseman Boi Rodriguez (1984), shortstop Dan Frye (1989), and third baseman Chris Hall (2000). Diaz finished among the Indiana State offensive leaders in his first season posting a .304 batting average and finishing third on the team with 55 hits. He also led the Sycamores in doubles (17), home runs (7) and tied for the team lead with 37 RBI. He added 33 runs scored and finished second on the team with 95 total bases. He finished the 2022 season with 17 multi-hit games and added nine multi-RBI contests. He finished his freshman campaign hitting safely in nine of the last 10 games, while reaching base safely in all 10 contests. He added a career-high three hits with a double, triple, and home run on May 19 against Dallas Baptist.
Tops Among Their Peers
Matt Jachec and Randal Diaz were both recognized among the tops at their positions according to D1Baseball as the duo were honored in the organization’s preseason player rankings. Diaz was ranked 28th among the shortstops across the country, while Jachec was 66th among starting pitchers as announced by the organization. Rankings will continue to update as the season progresses.
Preseason All-Conference Selections
Continuing his trend of preseason accolades, Matt Jachec was also recognized on the Missouri Valley Conference’s preseason All-Conference team as voted on by the league’s head coaches. Jachec was joined by redshirt junior catcher Grant Magill as Indiana State boasts one of the top batteries in the region. Jachec picked up the preseason recognition for the first time in his career after a dominant 2022 season. The redshirt junior finished with a Valley-leading nine wins and boasted the lowest ERA among the conference’s starting pitchers at 2.88. His best start in 2022 was arguably his last as the Hampshire, Ill. native carried a perfect game into the ninth inning in an elimination game against Valparaiso needing just 83 pitches to retire the first 24 batters he faced. He added a career-high 10 strikeouts in the win. Magill picked up preseason honors for the first time as well as the Highlands Ranch, Colo. native was the lone catcher selected to the squad. A 2022 MVC All-Defensive selection, Magill recorded a conference-leading six pickoffs and threw out 12 baserunners. He was even better in conference play with six runners caught stealing. Known for his arm, Magill also hit .295 from the plate with seven extra-base hits. He finished fourth on the team with 26 RBI.
MVC Preseason Poll
The Sycamores were selected fourth overall in the preseason poll behind Southern Illinois, Missouri State, and Evansville. ISU garnered 75 total points and a first-place vote in the poll as voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Returning All-Conference Nods
The Sycamores return three players that garnered 2022 Missouri Valley All-Conference recognition in the 2022 season as Matt Jachec (SP), Josue Urdaneta (2B), and Seth Gergely (OF) all claimed the honors. Jachec took home First Team recognition, while Urdaneta and Gergely were both honored on the Second Team. A trio of Sycamores also picked up All-Defensive honors from the conference office including Jachec, Gergley, and catcher Grant Magill. Urdaneta finished the 2022 campaign among the MVC leaders in hits, triples, and assists. He finished third on ISU with a .321 batting average and a team-high 67 hits, while adding 18 extra-base hits including five home runs. He posted seven three-hit games in 2022 and added a two-home run game against Southeast Missouri State. Gergely lined up primarily in centerfield for the Sycamores as the Tallmadge, Ohio native finished second on the ISU roster with a .326 batting average. He finished fourth in the conference in triples, while adding 17 extra-base hits and 22 RBI.
Freshmen to Watch
Four Sycamores were listed among the top-31 freshmen to watch in the Missouri Valley Conference this season according to Perfect Game as announced by the organization back in September. Max McEwen (fifth), Dom Krupinski (sixth), Dom Oliverio (20th), and Jacob Pruitt (21st) were all honored by the organization prior to the year.
Max McEwen, RHP – Sellersburg, Ind.
Two-time All-Conference selection out of Jefferson High School, including receiving First Team recognition in his junior season. Lined up on the Midwest Canes club team.
Dominic Krupinski, C/IF – Livonia, Mich.
Two-time Second Team All-State selection and First Team All-Conference selection out of Livonia Churchill High School. Posted a .422 batting average with seven hmoe runs, 14 triples, and 22 doubles, while posting 34 stolen bases. Off the field, Krupinksi was a two-time First Team All-State hockey player.
Dom Oliverio, OF/IF – Fishers, Ind.
The Fishers High School home run and stolen base record holder. An All-County selection posted a .316 batting average with eight home runs and 26 stolen bases. He was also an All-State linebacker on the Fishers football team.
Jacob Pruitt, RHP – Yorktown, Ind.
A two-time All-Conference and All-County selection out of Yorktown High School, Pruitt was also a North/South All-Star. He posted a 2-2 record with a 1.40 ERA and 53 strikeouts in his senior season, while adding a .407 batting average with 22 hits and 12 stolen bases.
D1 Baseball MVC Top Draft Prospects
Five Indiana State players were recognized among the top Missouri Valley MLB Draft prospects heading into the 2023 season, while three additional players were honored among the ones to look at in 2024 as selected by D1Baseball.
2023 MLB Draft Prospects
12. Matt Jachec, RHP
17. Connor Fenlong, RHP
22. Grant Magill, C
25. Josue Urdaneta, 2B
28. Seth Gergely, OF
2024 MLB Draft Prospects
4. Randal Diaz, SS
6. Jared Spencer, LHP
9. Brennyn Cutts, RHP
Start Off the Season Strong
Florida was friendly to the Sycamores last season as Indiana State started off the year with a 5-2 record in Port Charlotte. ISU topped Brigham Young, Marshall, Merrimack, and Minnesota (twice), but fell in both games against Ohio State.
Returner Takeaways from Florida Last Year
The Sycamores hit a robust .323 as a team in Florida last season with eight different players hitting above .300 on the year.
Josue Urdaneta hit safely in all seven games on his way to starting off the year with an 18-game on-base streak and added four multi-hit games.
Parker Stinson led the team with three multi-RBI contests, including a four-RBI game in the 14-2 win over Merrimack
The Sycamores put up eight runs in the fifth inning in the 16-3 win against Minnesota. ISU would then add a 10-run eighth inning in the series finale to come-from-behind and beat the Golden Gophers, 14-8.
Matt Jachec posted a 2-0 record with a 1.35 ERA and a 13:0 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 13.1 innings with wins over Brigham Young and Minnesota
The Sycamore pitching staff posted a 4.94 ERA with a 68:21 strikeout-to-walk ratio as a team
Connor Fenlong picked up a pair of saves over four appearances on the mound
Jachec (two), Luke Patzner (two), and Jared Spencer (one) all made starts over the opening two weeks
These Guys Can Rake
Indiana State returns the bulk of a lineup that led the Missouri Valley Conference and finished 35th in the NCAA in batting average in the 2022 season. The Sycamores hit .300 as a team in 2022 with four returning starters hovering around the .300 mark, while Joe Kido (.400), Mike Sears (.400), and Isaiah Thompson (.333) also hit around the mark. Seth Gergely is the team’s leading returning hitter after posting a .326 mark in 2022. Josue Urdaneta (.321), Randal Diaz (.304), and Grant Magill (.295) also hit around the mark on the year over multiple at-bats. Overall, the Sycamores posted 517 hits with 162 extra-base hits (105 doubles, 12 triples, 45 home runs). Randall Diaz (17) led five different Sycamores to hit double-digit doubles with Gergely (14) and Urdaneta (10) returning. Gergely (3) and Urdaneta (3) were the team leaders in triples. Diaz (7), Keegan Watson (6), Urdaneta (5), and Luis Hernandez (4) were among the 13 Sycamores to hit home runs in 2022.
Crack That WHIP
Indiana State’s pitching staff returns as the Valley’s best at limiting base-runners according to the 2022 NCAA stats. The Sycamores led the conference and finished 71st in the NCAA in allowing just 1.44 walks/hits per inning pitched last year. Headlining the group was Matt Jachec as the redshirt junior finished as the conference leader and 52nd in the NCAA with a 1.08 WHIP on the year.
They Don’t Walk
Indiana State posted one of the top pitching tandems in the NCAA last season in terms of accuracy and limiting walks. Both Matt Jachec (0.84, 3rd) and Luke Patzner (1.76, 54th) finished among the tops in the country in walks allowed per nine innings. Overall, the Sycamores finished 56th in the NCAA and third in the conference allowing just 3.77 walks per nine innings. The ISU pitching duo also sat among the national leaders in strikeout-to-walk ratio. Jachec (8.89, 4th) and Patzner (4.92, 48th) finished 1-2 in the Missouri Valley Conference in the category last year, while the Sycamore pitching staff finished 57th in the NCAA and second in the MVC at 2.36.
Wear It
Indiana State was one of the nation’s best at getting by a pitch in the 2022 season led by former shortstop Jordan Schaffer (23). The Sycamores were hit a Missouri Valley-leading 78 times on the year with 17 players getting hit by a pitch. Seth Gergely (11) returns as the Sycamore leader in the category as ISU looks to return to get on base by any means necessary after posting a team .383 on-base percentage last season.
Indiana State Baseball Season Tickets
Season tickets for the 2023 Indiana State baseball season are on sale now as the Sycamores continue to gear up for the upcoming season. ISU will play 19 games at Bob Warn Field this season starting on March 17-19 with a weekend series against Michigan State.
Overall, the Sycamores home schedule features nonconference contests against Michigan State (Mar. 17-19), Purdue (Mar. 28), Indiana (Apr. 4), Illinois (May 2), and Ball State (May 9). The conference slate features Valparaiso (Mar. 24-26), Illinois State (Apr. 7-9), Southern Illinois (Apr. 21-23), and Murray State (May 12-14).
PURDUE FT. WAYNE WBB
MASTODONS SCORE 95 POINTS IN IMPORTANT LEAGUE WIN OVER WRIGHT STATE
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball team used a 32-point fourth quarter to pick up a 95-82 Horizon League victory over Wright State on Thursday (Feb. 16) at the Gates Sports Center.
The Mastodons’ 95 points stand as the most they’ve scored against a Division I team since Feb. 27, 2014 when the ‘Dons put up 99 against Western Illinois.
The offensive explosion came from both teams at the start. Wright State opened the game 8-of-9 from three. Purdue Fort Wayne started 5-of-6 from three in the same stretch. The Mastodons led by as many as nine in the first half at 47-38 after consecutive 3-pointers by Audra Emmerson and Amellia Bromenschenkel.
Wright State pushed back and by the 2:20 mark of the third quarter had a 65-57 lead. However, the ‘Dons responded in a big way. A 24-2 run followed with six different ‘Dons scoring in the push. The final quarter felt reminiscent of the wins over Milwaukee and Youngstown State where the ‘Dons followed each opponent miss with an open three or a good look around the hoop. They were 6-of-12 from the floor, 3-of-4 from 3-point range and 9-of-11 in this stretch without a turnover.
Bromenschenkel finished with a game-high 25 points. She was 7-of-12 from the floor and 9-of-10 from the stripe. She didn’t have a turnover on the night. In fact, the ‘Dons had only five turnovers in the entire game. It is their fewest turnovers in a game against a Division I opponent since February 4, 2016 when they had five at Western Illinois.
Jazzlyn Linbo added 15 points and seven rebounds. Audra Emmerson totaled 14 with five rebounds. Shayla Sellers scored 13 and Sylare Starks totaled 11 points on three 3-pointers.
The ‘Dons shot 51.7 percent (30-of-58) from the floor and made 10-of-17 from three. Purdue Fort Wayne withstood a 58.5 percent (31-of-53) shooting performance from the Raiders.
The Mastodons improve to 8-9 in the Horizon League and 11-16 overall. The Raiders fall to 4-13 in league play and 5-22 overall.
The ‘Dons are back in action on Saturday (Feb. 18). It will be Senior Day for the ‘Dons when Purdue Fort Wayne and Northern Kentucky tip at 3 p.m. at the Gates Sports Center. Purdue Fort Wayne will honor manager Kendal Muxlow and players Riley Ott, Sellers and Starks before the game.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MVB
DIEDRICH RECORDS 20 KILLS IN 3-1 SETBACK TO NO. 10 OHIO STATE
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball team fell 3-1 (23-25, 25-16, 34-32, 25-19) to No. 10 Ohio State on Thursday (Feb. 16) evening on Arnie Ball Court at the Gates Sports Center.
The homecoming crowd was treated to a high-level Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association contest which seemed destined to go five sets before an Ohio State rally in the third set and a late push in the fourth gave the match to the Buckeyes.
Jon Diedrich had a match-high 20 kills with four blocks and four digs for the ‘Dons. Mark Frazier added 14 kills. Zach Solomon recorded 45 assists for the ‘Dons in his first consistent work at setter this season. Ohio State out-hit the ‘Dons .289 to .264 with Jacob Pasteur putting down 19 kills with two aces for the Buckeyes.
The ‘Dons won set one after trailing 20-19. A key point came on a Solomon ace to put the ‘Dons up 23-21. The two-point lead allowed the ‘Dons to trade points the rest of the set to win the frame.
Ohio State controlled set two to even the match.
The two teams played a dramatic third set where both teams hit .333. The Mastodons were the first to earn a set point at 24-23. Ohio State denied five straight Mastodon set points before earning their first set point of the frame at 29-28. The ‘Dons denied four of them, until an Ohio State block gave the Buckeyes the set at 34-32. Diedrich had five kills during the extra points for the ‘Dons.
Purdue Fort Wayne led set four 18-16 until a 9-1 Ohio State run gave the set and the match to the Buckeyes.
Ohio State improves to 10-3 (3-0 MIVA). Purdue Fort Wayne falls to 10-3 (1-2 MIVA). The ‘Dons are back in action on Saturday (Feb. 18) against No. 11 Ball State.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
BASEBALL OPENS 2023 SEASON AT REIGNING SWAC CHAMPION ALABAMA STATE
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The Mastodons’ third season in the Horizon League will start with a four-game non-league series at Alabama State this weekend.
Game Day Information
When:
Friday, February 17 | 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, February 18 | 3 p.m. ET | doubleheader
Sunday, February 19 | 2 p.m. ET
Where: Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex | Montgomery, Ala.
Video: Link
Live Stats: Link
Series History: Alabama State leads 4-2. The two clubs played a three-game series in 2013 with the Mastodons winning the series 2-1, and another three-game series in 2019 with the Hornets winning the series 3-0.
Weather: High of 52 Friday, 59 Saturday and 65 Sunday.
Probable Starters:
Purdue Fort Wayne: RHP JD Deany, LHP Jacob Myer, RHP Rex Stills, RHP Mac Ayres
Alabama State: LHP Osvaldo Melendez, RHP Evimael Quiles, TBD, TBD
Scouting the Hornets: Alabama State was 34-25 last season, going 21-8 in the SWAC. They ultimately ended up winning the SWAC tournament, but were defeated in the NCAA tournament by Tennessee and Georgia Tech. Junior Corey King was awarded three major SWAC awards, SWAC Player of the Year, Hitter of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. Head coach Jose Vazquez received the title of SWAC Coach of the Year after leading the Hornets to 21 conference wins. Vazquez will be entering his eighth season as the Hornets head coach.
Scouting the Mastodons: The ‘Dons start the 2023 season with a mix of experienced veterans and multiple newcomers. Three of the Mastodons in the starting rotation this weekend were with the ‘Dons last season. Deany threw 71.0 innings last season and earned a 5-3 record. Myer picked up a Horizon League Pitcher of the Week honor last season after helping the ‘Dons to a win over Michigan and a league win at Milwaukee. Stills put together a team-best 3.24 ERA in his freshman season, earning All-Horizon League Freshman Team honors. Ayres, a transfer from Ball State, brings three seasons of Division I experience.
Back for More: The 2023 season will be Justin Miller’s fifth as a Mastodon. Miller owns 180 career strikeouts, the second most in program history for a career. He will look to pass Jason Horvath (2001-04) for the most in program history this season. Horvath recorded 210 strikeouts.
Back Again: Ben Higgins returns in 2023 after hitting a team-best.368 in league play while putting together an OPS of 1.112. In all games last season, Cade Fitzpatrick led the ‘Dons in hitting at .321. He also returns. Fitzpatrick was an All-League Second Team pick last season.
Up Next: The ‘Dons will head to Florida to play Bethune-Cookman in four games next weekend.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MBB
MASTODONS WELCOME NORTHERN KENTUCKY FOR HOMECOMING CONTEST FRIDAY NIGHT
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Mastodon men’s basketball team plays long-time rival Northern Kentucky on Friday (Feb. 17) evening at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
Game Day Information
Who: Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons (15-12, 7-9 Horizon League) vs. Northern Kentucky Norse (16-11, 11-5 Horizon League).
When: Friday, February 17 | 7 p.m. ET
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
Live Stats: Link
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: Listen
Tickets: Link
Game Notes (PDF): Purdue Fort Wayne | Northern Kentucky
Series Record: Norse lead 29-13
Homecoming Events:
// Pregame Bash: 5 p.m. – Coliseum Convention Center – food voucher (first 250 students) – DJ
// Free glow sticks (first 1,000 fans), free sweatshirt (first 500 fans), free stadium blanket (first 500 students)
// Student raffle prize: iPad
‘Dons and Ends:
// Jarred Godfrey broke the program’s all-time scoring record last Sunday vs. Robert Morris. He owns 2,068 points. He passed John Konchar’s 2,065 points. Godfrey broke the record on a free throw. Konchar also broke the record on a free throw when he set the previous record Jan. 24, 2019 against Omaha.
// Jarred Godfrey is closing in on the program’s all-time 3-point record. Godfrey owns 250 3-pointers. Only Mo Evans (266 from 2013-17) had made more 3-pointers than Godfrey in program history.
// Jarred Godfrey is averaging 24.5 points over the last four games. This includes a season-high 33 vs. Youngstown State. He has 11 games of 20 or more points this season.
// Jarred Godfrey is the all-time leader in games played in program history with 148. He set the record on Jan. 25th at Northern Kentucky, when he passed former teammate Cameron Benford (2017-22) who played in 141 games for the previous record mark.
// Ra Kpedi on the season has six double-digit rebound games, including double-doubles at Northwestern (Nov. 18), vs. Oakland (Dec. 3) and vs. Cleveland State (Jan. 16).
// Sunday against Wright State will be Senior Day for the Mastodons. Ra Kpedi, Jarred Godfrey, Damian Chong Qui and Bobby Planutis will each be honored prior to the game.
// Jarred Godfrey has made 115 free throws this season. He’ll need to make 121 to tie for 10th all-time in program history for single season free throws. Godfrey’s total is already a career best for a single season.
// Ra Kpedi has already passed his rebound total from last season. He owns 220 rebounds this season, and had 208 last year. He’ll need to reach 262 to crack the top 10 in program history in single-season rebounds.
// Ra Kpedi broke into the top 10 in career rebounds against Youngstown State on Friday, Feb. 10. He now owns 500 career rebounds as Mastodon, 8th in program history.
// Ra Kpedi is averaging 8.6 rebounds per game in league play. The last Mastodon to average that many rebounds per game in league play was John Konchar in 9.3 in the Summit League in 2016-17.
// Jarred Godfrey is the only active player in NCAA Division I men’s basketball with 2,000 points, 600 rebounds, 400 assists, 200 3-pointers and 200 steals. Since 1992-93 only four other student-athletes have finished with such a career stat line. D.J Cooper (Ohio, 2010-13), Kerry Kittles (Villanova, 1993-96), Ricky Minard (Morehead State, 2001-04) and Marreon Jackson (2017-12, Toledo/Arizona State) are the others. (per sports-reference.com)
// The ‘Dons are 13-2 this season when scoring 71 or more points in a game.
// Per sports-reference.com, Ra Kpedi leads the Horizon League in offensive rebounding percentage at 15.7 percent. He is first in the league with 101 total offensive boards.
// Jarred Godfrey owns 625 rebounds, fourth in program history. He is also in the top five in points, assists, steals, field goals, free throws and 3-pointers in program history.
// Jarred Godfrey is shooting 89.8 percent (115-of-128) from the free throw line this season, 11th in the nation. Only once in program history has a player made 50 or more free throws in a season and finished at 90 percent or better. That was Ben Botts in 2009-09, making 65-of-71 (91.5 percent). The best free throw percentage in program history with 100 attempts in a season is Steve Bard in 1987-88 who made 88-of-102 (86.3 percent). The Division I era program record for best single-season free throw percentage in school history is Bryson Scott’s 81.8 percent in 2017-18 on 202-of-247 shooting.
// Ra Kpedi has won the opening tip in 23-of-27 games this season. He also won the tip in overtime against Oakland (Dec. 3).
// The ‘Dons are 15th in the nation in 3-pointers per game (9.7).
// The ‘Dons are 7th in the nation in 3-point defense with teams shooting just 28.2 percent against them from three.
// Jarred Godfrey (2,068), Damian Chong Qui (1,535), Anthony Roberts (1,510), Bobby Planutis (1,160) and Deonte Billups (1,020) have each scored 1,000 career NCAA points.
// With a pair of student-athletes with 1,500 career points at the Division I level (Jarred Godfrey and Damian Chong Qui) ‘Dons are one of 13 teams in the nation with two or three players who have reached that mark in Division I contests.
// The ‘Dons have 15 games of double-digit offensive rebounds this season.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL SWIMMING
THREE ACES MAKE CONSOLATION FINALS ON DAY TWO AT MVC CHAMPIONSHIPS
IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Evansville junior diver Madison Rollett (Evansville, Ind./Reitz), senior swimmer Maya Cunningham (Yakima, Wash./Eisenhower) and sophomore swimmer Sveva Brugnoli (Rome, Italy) all advanced to the consolation finals of their events on Thursday, as the Purple Aces continued competition at the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships in Iowa City, Iowa.
Rollett posted UE’s best individual finish of the day by placing fourth in the consolation final of the one-meter diving competition with a score of 227.85. Overall, Rollett placed 12th in the 31-diver competition.
Brugnoli and Cunningham both advanced to the consolation final of the women’s 200-Yard IM event, as they placed 13th and 14th in the preliminary round with times of 2:04.96 and 2:05.11, respectively. Brugnoli’s time is the fourth-fastest time in UE history in the 200 IM, with the sophomore owning all four of the top times. Evansville also received personal-best performances from senior Allison McDonald (Cape Girardeau, Mo./Central) and junior Abigail Groenewold (Lombard, Ill./Timothy Christian) in the 50-Yard Freestyle preliminary round with times of 24.38 and 25.72, respectively.
In Thursday night’s 200 IM consolation final, Cunningham posted UE’s top time of 2:05.36 to place 13th overall. Brugnoli was not far behind, as she placed 16th overall with a time of 2:06.85.
UE’s 200-Yard Freestyle Relay squad finished Thursday’s action with a seventh-place finish with a time of 1:36.70. The relay team featured McDonald, Brugnoli, Cunningham and senior Sonsoles Aguayo (Jerez, Spain).
The MVC Championships will continue on Friday with preliminary swims in the 100-Yard Butterfly, the 400 IM, the 200-Yard Freestyle, the 100-Yard Breaststroke, the 100-Yard Backstroke, and the three-meter diving competition taking place beginning at 10:30 a.m. central time. Event finals for those swimming events, as well as the 400-Yard Medley Relay competition and the consolation finals for the three-meter diving competition will take place on Friday night beginning at 6 p.m. Fans can watch the action live at www.youtube.com/@UNIAthleticsPanthers/streams, while also following along on the Meet Mobile App for live results.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
HIGHLY ANTICIPATED 2023 CAMPAIGN BEGINS FOR ACES AT TROY
EVANSVILLE – Coming off of a resurgent campaign a season ago, the University of Evansville baseball team begins its 2023 season this weekend against the Troy Trojans in Troy, Ala.
Coming off of its best season in nearly a decade, Evansville returns much of its roster that helped it finish second in the MVC a year ago. The Aces bring back five MVC all-conference selections from 2022, including Valley Pitcher of the Year Nick Smith and first-teamers Brent Widder and Mark Shallenberger. Of Evansville’s 404 runs scored last season, players responsible for 302 are back for another run, including Shallenberger, who finished the year in the top 15 in The Valley in 12 statistical categories.
Along with its returning core, head coach Wes Carroll utilized his openings by adding impact newcomers. Transferring from Indiana, junior Kip Fougerousse looks to add a powerful bat to the Aces lineup. A pair of graduate students, Jarrett Blunt and John MacCauley bring nearly 150 innings of NCAA Division I experience to an already deep Evansville pitching staff. The Aces also bring seven freshmen into the fold who will look to make an impact as they begin their collegiate careers.
The Trojans are coming off a 2022 season that saw Troy finish with an identical 32-24 record as the Aces, finishing sixth in a strong Sun Belt Conference. Troy returns two of its top three hitters from a season ago in junior outfielder Kyle Mock and senior catcher Caleb Bartolero, as well as their top starting pitcher in junior right-hander Garret Gainous.
This weekend’s series represent the first ever meetings between the Aces and Trojans. First pitch of the season for Evansville is at 4 PM on Friday afternoon from Troy, Ala. with live coverage availabe on ESPN+.
EVANSVILLE WBB
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL BACK HOME TO SUPPORT TWO IMPORTANT CAUSES THIS WEEKEND
EVANSVILLE – After playing four of its last five games on the road, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team is back home in the River City for a pair of Missouri Valley Conference contests on Friday and Sunday inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
The Aces will be supporting two important causes during their home weekend. Friday night is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Night and Evansville’s Black History Celebration as the Aces will be wearing all black to support the initiative. Sunday against Valparaiso is Evansville’s Play4Kay game supporting breast cancer awareness. All fans are encouraged to wear pink on Sunday and the first 500 fans will receive an Aces foam pink spirit stick!
Evansville and UIC meet for the 16th time in series history when the two sides clash on Friday night inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse. The Aces own a 9-6 advantage in the all-time series, but its the Flames who come into this week’s matchup having won three-straight in the series, including the meeting in the Windy City earlier this season, 57-53.
UIC comes into Friday’s contest with a 14-11 overall record and a 6-8 record in MVC play, just one game ahead of the Aces in the conference standings. The Flames are fresh off an impressive 64-52 win over Drake on Sunday afternoon. UIC is led by Josie Filer and Jaida McCloud, who both average better than 11 points per game and over six boards per contest.
On Sunday, Evansville and Valparaiso renew their series for the 25th time with the Beacons owning a 14-10 advantage in the all-time series. The Aces captured this season’s first matchup between the two sides, 57-45, on Jan. 5 in Valparaiso, Ind. The Beacons enter the weekend with a 4-19 overall record and a 2-12 mark in MVC play, having lost four-straight in conference play dating back to a 78-71 win over Bradley on Jan. 29. Valpo is powered by three double-figure scorers in Olivia Brown, Leah Earnest, and Ali Saunders.
The Aces are looking to stop what is a season-long four-game losing streak and are back in a place that has been kind to them this season. Evansville is 5-5 inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse and is shooting nearly 43% from the field at home. In a little over a season and a half under head coach Robyn Scherr-Wells, the Aces have won 11 of their 18 games inside Meeks.
SOUTHERN INDIANA MBB
USI HOLDS OFF LITTLE ROCK, 82-81
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball fought off a late challenge by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to post an 82-81 victory Thursday evening in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Screaming Eagles go to 15-13 overall and 8-7 in the OVC, while the Trojans are 8-20, 4-11 OVC.
With the win, USI rises into a three-way tie for fifth with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Tennessee State University. The Eagles also are within shouting distance of second in the conference, one game behind the three-way tie of the University of Tennessee at Martin, Southeast Missouri State University, and Tennessee Tech University.
USI had to rally to stay in the game during the first half as Little Rock built a lead of as many as 11 points (26-15). The Eagles, trailing 34-26, went on a 9-0 surge to grab the lead, 35-34, with 3:39 left before the intermission.
After USI and Little Rock traded the lead four times in the final four minutes of the half, the Trojans took a 43-40 lead into halftime. USI senior forward Jacob Polakovich (Grand Rapids, Michigan) had a team-best 16 points in the opening 20 minutes, while sophomore forward Isaiah Swope (Newburgh, Indiana) posted 13 first half points.
In the second half, Little Rock had the early momentum and extended the margin to eight points twice (48-40, 50-42). USI came back with an 23-13 run to knot the game, 65-65, and eventually took the lead, 71-70, on an old-fashion three-point play by Swope with 10 minutes on the clock.
After the Trojans briefly regained control and posted a 78-74 lead, USI made their final push to take the lead for good. The Eagles used an 8-0 run, sparked by back-to-back three-point field goals by Swope and senior guard Jelani Simmons (Columbus, Ohio), to pull in front, 80-78.
Polakovich increased the lead to four points, 82-78, with a layup with 2:03 to play before the Eagles’ defense took over. USI held Little Rock without a field goal over the last minutes and without a shot attempt in the Trojans’ last chance with nine seconds to play.
In the final statistics, Polakovich led the Eagles in the scoring column with 27 points and concluded the game with 10 rebounds for this 12th double-double of the year. The 27 points tied a season and USI career best.
Polakovich was a sizzling 11-of-13 from the field and finished his scoring with five free throws.
Simmons and Swope followed Polakovich in the scoring column with 21 points each. The trio marked the first time since February 12, 2015, that USI had three players with 20-or-more points in a game (Bobo Drummond (23), TeNale Roland (21), Gavin Schumann (21) versus the University of Missouri-St. Louis).
USI graduate forward Trevor Lakes (Lebanon, Indiana) rounded out USI’s double-digit scorers with 11 points. Lakes’ first two three-point bombs early second half broke Little Rock’s momentum, while a third tied the game at 68-68.
Next Up For USI:
USI concludes the road trip Saturday at Southeast Missouri State University for a 4 p.m. contest in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
The Redhawks saw their record go to 14-14, 9-6 OVC, following a home win over Eastern Illinois University tonight, 78-64. SEMO was led by sophomore guard Aquan Smart, who had 14 points.
USI evened the all-time series with SEMO, 3-3, after winning the Eagles’ OVC-opener, 86-81, at Screaming Eagles Arena. Eagles’ Polakovich led USI to victory with his first 20-20 game of the season, 27 points and 26 rebounds.
SOUTHERN INDIANA WBB
USI TAKES FIRST-PLACE LITTLE ROCK TO FINAL MINUTE IN PHYSICAL BATTLE
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball went toe-to-toe against first-place University of Arkansas at Little Rock Thursday night, but a physical battle went Little Rock’s way by a final score of 58-50.
Just like the first matchup in January, Southern Indiana fought hard from the opening tip against Little Rock, as both matchups were determined by single digits.
The game started in a back-and-forth battle with physicality on both ends of the floor. The Screaming Eagles led 5-4 through the first 2:15 following a three-pointer from sophomore guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana). Little Rock then went on a 10-0 run in the middle of the first quarter to jump ahead 14-5. Southern Indiana answered with a strong finish to the first period, orchestrating an 8-0 run. USI finished the last two minutes with aggressiveness into the paint, which included two strong drives by junior guard Lexie Green (Indianapolis, Indiana). Little Rock led 14-13 through the opening quarter.
The game remained a one-possession battle in the first minutes of the second quarter. Senior forward Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio) made a strong scoop shot to tie the game at 18 with five and a half left in the second period. One possession later, junior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) gave USI a two-point lead, muscling one up and in. The two sides exchanged leads over the next few minutes. Shafford swished a three-pointer to put USI back up, 26-24, with 1:30 left in the first half. In the last minute, Little Rock scored four of its own to take a 28-26 lead into halftime.
In the beginning half of the third quarter, Little Rock moved ahead by as many as six points. With under 6:30 left in the third period, Haithcock made an individual push to cut into the deficit. Haithcock recorded a three-point play and made a jumper to make the score 36-35 Little Rock with 5:30 left in the third. Seconds later, senior forward Tara Robbe (Wildwood, Missouri) cashed in on a three-point play to tie the game at 38. Little Rock went ahead by as many as five in the final few minutes of the third, but Southern Indiana cut the deficit down to two after successful trips to the foul line. Little Rock led 46-44 going into the fourth quarter.
Early fourth-quarter momentum went in favor of Little Rock, as the Trojans went on a 9-0 run to grab a 55-44 lead. With under three minutes to play, Southern Indiana made a push to cut the deficit down to seven, which included baskets by Haithcock and Green. Inside the final minute, the Screaming Eagles were out of the scoring column.
On the night, Haithcock led USI with 15 points and nine rebounds. Shafford posted 13 points with four rebounds. Green finished with eight points. Southern Indiana went 17-45 for 38 percent from the field, 14-20 for 70 percent at the line, and made a pair of threes.
Little Rock was led by redshirt junior forward Sali Kourouma with 18 points. The Trojans had two others in double figures. Little Rock was 23-57 for 40 percent shooting and 12-17 for 71 percent at the stripe. Little Rock won the rebounding battle 38-29.
With Thursday’s results, Southern Indiana’s record moved to 11-15 overall and 5-10 in the OVC, entering a tie for eighth place in the standings. Little Rock improved to 17-9 this season and 14-1 in OVC play, jumping Eastern Illinois University for first place in the conference.
VALPO SWIMMING
STRAUSS SETS RECORD IN 100 IM AT MVC CHAMPIONSHIPS THURSDAY
Valpo women’s swimming sophomore Sara Strauss (Spring Lake, Mich./Spring Lake) broke the program’s 100 IM record on Thursday to highlight the first full day of competition at the 2023 MVC Championships in Iowa City, Iowa.
How It Happened
Strauss posted a time of 1:00.07 in the 100 IM to set the new standard in the event, shaving over a half-second off the previous record and nearly two full seconds off her PR.
Senior Sophie Morelock (Milan, Mich./Milan) also cracked Valpo’s all-time best in the 100 IM with a time of 1:02.78, moving into fifth in program history.
In addition to her record-setting swim, Strauss also led the Beacons in the 50 free. Her time of 24.74 in the prelims was just .13 off of moving into the top-10 in program history in the event.
Sophomore Bridget Pollard (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South) paced the Valpo contingent in the 200 IM, touching the wall in 2:16.37, while freshman Emma Schmidt (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley) led the way for Valpo with a time of 5:14.00 in the 500 free.
Valpo’s 200 free relay quartet of Strauss, Morelock, freshman Caroline Gorski (Melrose Park, Ill./Leyden) and sophomore Haley Hume (Ballwin, Mo./Marquette) claimed eighth-place points with a time of 1:39.62, the program’s fastest time of the season.
Valpo concluded the day in 10th place in the team standings with 112 total points.
Next Up
Valpo continues the 2023 MVC Championships on Friday from Iowa City. Prelims will begin at 10:30 a.m. and event finals at 6 p.m.
VALPO MBB
KRIKKE ON CUSP ON ALL-TIME TOP 10 ENTERING SUNDAY AT UIC
Valparaiso (11-17, 5-12 MVC)
at UIC (10-18, 2-15 MVC)
Game No. 29 – Sunday, Feb. 19, 2 p.m. CT
Credit Union 1 Arena (8,000) – Chicago, Ill.
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team will look to close out its perfect record against teams picked to finish below the Beacons in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll on Sunday afternoon. The team will take the short bus ride into the Windy City for a matchup with UIC in hopes of securing its third season sweep of the league slate. Valpo is currently 5-0 against Illinois State, UIC and Evansville. This also represents a big game in terms of Arch Madness seeding as Valpo is in a tight battle with Illinois State to earn the No. 9 seed in the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
Last Time Out: Valpo trailed by as many as 12 before rallying to take its first lead of the game with 5:48 remaining, but the Beacons could not put away visiting Southern Illinois in a 66-62 loss on Tuesday night at the Athletics-Recreation Center. Ben Krikke and Kobe King scored 24 points apiece, but didn’t get enough help as no other Beacon tallied more than five points. Valpo shot 55.6 percent in the second half compared to just 26.1 percent before the break.
Following the Beacons: Streaming – ESPN+
Radio – 95.1 FM, WVUR, ValpoAthletics.com, TuneIn Radio App – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Brandon Vickrey (analyst)
Twitter updates – @ValpoBasketball
Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.
Head Coach Matt Lottich: Matt Lottich (108-113) is in his seventh season as the head coach of the men’s basketball program in 2022-2023. Twice during his tenure, Valpo has upset Top-25 opponents, defeating Drake and Rhode Island at the ARC. Valpo has four wins over AP Top 25 teams in program history, and two have come under Lottich. In 2019-2020, Valpo became the first team in the history of Arch Madness, the annual Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in St. Louis, to reach the title game after playing in the opening round by winning three games in three days. Lottich, hired as the 22nd head coach of the Valpo men’s basketball program in April 2016, graduated from Stanford University in 2004 and New Trier High School (Illinois) in 2000.
Series Notes: These two teams will face off for the 59th time with UIC owning a 31-27 lead in the series. Valpo is 18-2 in the last 20 matchups between the two teams including a 76-66 win at the ARC earlier this season. The Flames are in their first season in the Missouri Valley Conference, marking the third time these two programs have shared conference affiliation. They were previously league mates in the Horizon League (2008-2017) and the AMCU/Mid-Continent Conference (1982-1994).
Jan. 17 – Valpo 76, UIC 66: Valpo and UIC were even at 51 with 8:23 remaining in regulation in the first matchup of the season between the two teams, but it was the Beacons who made the big plays in crunch time on Jan. 17 at the ARC. Valpo outscored the visiting Flames 25-15 down the stretch including Nick Edwards twice beating the shot clock horn with 3-point makes and Quinton Green completing a crucial 4-point play. That helped Valpo prevail 76-66 in the first Missouri Valley Conference showdown between two longtime foes. Kobe King was recognized for joining Valpo’s 1,000-point club prior to the game and went on to score a team-high 24 points.
VALPO WBB
BEACONS RETURN TO ROAD FRIDAY AT INDIANA STATE
Valparaiso (4-19, 2-12 MVC)
Game #24 – Feb. 17, 2023 – 5 p.m. CT
at Indiana State (10-13, 5-9 MVC)
Hulman Center (9,000) – Terre Haute, Ind.
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: After having played just one road game in a span of 22 days, the Valpo women’s basketball team will play four road games in a nine-day stretch, starting on Friday evening as the Beacons begin the swing downstate in Terre Haute, taking on Indiana State.
Previously: Valpo hosted its annual Play4Kay game Sunday afternoon at the ARC, with visiting UNI earning an 83-60 victory. Freshman Ali Saunders delivered the best shooting performance by a Valpo player in nearly two decades in the losing effort.
Following Valpo Basketball: Streaming Video: ESPN3
Radio: WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso)
Streaming Audio: TuneIn app
Links for live coverage: Available via ValpoAthletics.com
Head Coach Mary Evans: Mary Evans is in her fifth year at the helm of the program in 2022-23 and owns a record of 52-87. Evans has made an impact on the program in her first four years, raising the team’s level of play to be competitive in a strong Missouri Valley Conference. Evans’ preferred style of play has been a big part of the program’s turnaround, as Valpo has led the MVC in 3-pointers made per game in each of the last three seasons and in steals per game in two of the last three years.
Series Notes: Indiana State leads the all-time series with Valpo, 10-6. The Beacons had won four of the last five in the series entering this season, but it was the Sycamores who emerged victorious at the ARC in the season’s first meeting, 66-58. Valpo held a 54-49 lead with 5:20 to play in that matchup before ISU ended the game on a 17-4 run. Four of Valpo’s five starters scored in double figures, led by 17 points from Olivia Brown.
@ValpoWBB…
…and @ValleyHoops
– Valpo was picked to finish in 10th place in the MVC preseason poll, totaling 197 points, just 10 points behind Evansville.
– Valpo is in its sixth season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
– The Valley was ranked 10th in conference NET last year, was ranked seventh nationally in conference NET in 2020-21 and was eighth nationally in conference RPI in 2019-20.
…looking back at last year
– Valpo finished last year with an 11-19 overall record, but was strong in MVC play, going 9-9 in conference and finishing in sixth place – both of which match the program’s best since joining the Valley.
– The Beacons registered the first win at Drake and the first win at Bradley in program history.
– Valpo swept the season series over Drake, the program’s first two wins ever against the Bulldogs.
– The Beacons also tallied four top-100 wins within Valley play.
– Grace White was named MVC Sixth Player of the Year – the program’s first major postseason award since joining the Valley. Shay Frederick was a First Team All-MVC choice, while White was an All-Defensive Team selection and Olivia Brown earned a spot on the All-Newcomer Team.
…versus UNI
– Valpo led 13-11 with 2:11 to play in the opening quarter, but UNI closed the period on an 8-0 run to lead 19-13 at the end of one.
– The Beacons got to within two points in the second quarter, but the Panthers gradually increased their lead and led 37-26 at halftime.
– It was all Panthers to start the second half, as they scored on five of their first seven possessions of the half for a 14-2 run which gave them a 51-28 lead.
– Valpo came right back with a big run of its own, started by a 3-pointer from Maya Dunson. The Beacons then got three consecutive run-out baskets on the break, as steals and layups by Ilysse Pitts and Ali Saunders sandwiched a defensive rebound and coast-to-coast move by Leah Earnest.
– A driving layup by Earnest with 4:12 to play in the third quarter capped an 11-0 Valpo run and made it a 51-39 game, as close as the Beacons had been since intermission.
– But UNI scored 10 of the quarter’s final 11 points to lead 61-40 at the end of the third, and Valpo got no closer in the final quarter.
– Saunders tied for game-high honors with 19 points, the second-highest output of her career.
– Making her first start in a Valpo uniform, Emma Tecca smashed her previous season high with 12 points, a mark which matches her career best.
– Valpo and UNI shot at nearly identical clips from the field Sunday — Valpo 41.8% and UNI 41.7%. But the Panthers were 9-of-20 from deep versus the Beacons’ 4-of-18 mark, and UNI also went 24-of-28 from the foul line versus Valpo’s 10-of-14.
– The Beacons outscored the Panthers in the paint, 36-28.
…looking ahead
– Valpo continues the swing downstate on Sunday afternoon with a game at Evansville.
– The Beacons then head to Bradley and Illinois State next weekend.
…on the road
– Friday’s game is the 11th of 14 true road games for Valpo this season.
– The Beacons are currently 1-9 on the road.
@IndStWBB
– Indiana State enters Friday with a 10-13 overall record this year and is currently 5-9 in MVC play.
– The Sycamores have lost three of their last four, including an 81-69 setback at Belmont last time out.
– Three ISU starters average in double figures, led by 13.6 points/game from Del’Janae Williams. Chelsea Cain posts 11.8 points and a team-high 5.6 rebounds per game, while Anna McKendree records 10.0 points and 3.3 assists per game.
On the Road Again
– After a lengthy home stretch, the Beacons return to the road the next two weekends.
– Valpo is coming off a stretch where it played five out of six games at the ARC, spending just one night on the road in a span of 21 days.
– The script flips now, as Valpo plays four games in a nine-day stretch away from home.
– Outside of the COVID-affected 2020-21 campaign, it is the first time Valpo has played four conference games in a row away from home since the program’s first season in the North Star Conference in 1987-88. Those road games (Notre Dame, Dayton, Marquette, DePaul) were interspersed among nonconference games over a span of 36 days, however.
U OF I MBB
GREYHOUNDS CHARGE PAST PANTHERS IN THURSDAY WIN
INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 6 UIndy men’s basketball team (23-2, 15-2 GLVC) rattled off its 17th straight victory on Thursday, matching its longest winning streak since January 2015 with a 76-65 triumph over Drury (8-17, 4-13 GLVC).
The 2014-15 team began the season 17-0 and was ranked No. 1 in the country before dropping its first game.
Kendrick Tchoua led the Greyhounds’ charge in the paint, scoring a career-high 27 points with 14 rebounds. Jesse Bingham joined the big man with a season-best 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Hounds used a big first half to build a 15-point lead at the break, including a 9-0 run in the waning minutes with a pair of slams from Bingham and Julian Steinfeld.
Thirteen of UIndy’s 21 assists came in the opening 20 minutes, with Jakobie Robinson filling the box score with five dimes, four boards, and four steals in the early going. The Greyhounds shot 69.2 percent from the floor, as Sean Craig and Bruno Williams contributed to Bingham and Tchoua’s combined 12-for-15 effort.
Drury drilled a barrage of 3-pointers after intermission to pull within five with under seven minutes remaining, including six from Logan Applegate and Quenton Shelton. UIndy continued to respond, stretching the lead back to double digits with a pair of free throws from Tchoua at the 5:14 mark.
Ten of the Hounds’ final 15 points came from the charity stripe to seal the victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Tchoua upped his season field goal percentage to 74.6 with his 11-of-13 showing.
– The Greyhounds have now recorded 30+ rebounds in 18 straight games.
– UIndy’s 21 assists is the second-most in a single game this winter. Josiah Tynes joined Robinson with a game-high six helpers in the win.
– The Hounds outscored the Panthers in the paint, 52-20.
– Robinson recorded nine rebounds, adding six assists and five steals.
MORE NOTES
UIndy now leads the all-time series, 10-9 … Tchoua finished one shy of his career-high on the glass of 15 … Drury’s Shelton finished with a team-high 20 points.
HOUND BYTES
Tchoua on his physicality and getting to the line…
“Day in and day out, working on free throws every day trying to improve my percentage. I’m just trying to put some arc on the shot and hope it goes in.”
Tchoua on the team’s 17-game winning streak…
“Need the next one. That’s it.”
UP NEXT
UIndy welcomes Southwest Baptist to Nicoson Hall on Saturday for a 3 p.m. tip. Prior to the contest, the Greyhounds will honor their seniors for the final home game of the regular season.
U OF I WTENNIS
GREYHOUNDS COMEBACK FROM 3-1 DEFICIT TO BEAT BUTLER
INDIANAPOLIS – Still in the Circle City, but on different turf, the No. 8-ranked UIndy women’s tennis team made a miraculous comeback from being down 3-1 to beat the division I Butler University Bulldogs late on Thursday. The win over their northern rivals moves the Hounds to 6-0 heading into the weekend.
INS AND OUTS
The doubles point was a showing out of the Hounds No. 2 and 3 pairs as the Bulldogs grabbed the No. 1 match. Reigning GLVC Player of the Week Margarita Andreiuk alongside Maria Fiacan got business done at No. 2, leading into a clincher by the French pairing of Diane Flament and Lea Cakarevic.
Singles was a downward spiral for the Hounds, losing the No. 4, No. 1 and No. 3 singles bouts to put them into a massive 3-1 hole. Needing to muster the strength to claw themselves back into the match, Cakarevic came to the rescue, being the first Hounds to get on the board, scoring a 6-2, 6-4 victory. Just minutes later, the 2022 DII Senior Player of the Year Anna Novikova made her presence known, coming back from a tough first set to win 6-4, 7-6 in her second and third sets to make it tied at 3-3 apiece.
Aimee Reynoso was the woman with the match on her back and the freshman out of Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico was more than up to the task. A 6-4 first set saw Reynoso battle, eventually coming out on top. And with two Greyhounds wins to her back and her teammates cheering her on, Reynoso delivered the final blow of the Greyhound comeback with a 6-2 second set.
UP NEXT
The Hounds have some time before they head off to the ITA DII Indoor Team Championships in Lincoln, N.E. The yearly tournament is set to start on Feb. 24.
U OF I WBB
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS TO #2 DRURY DESPITE BIG FOURTH QUARTER
INDIANAPOLIS – Despite a late push in the fourth quarter, the University of Indianapolis women’s basketball team fell 86-79 on Thursday night at Nicoson Hall to the No. 2-ranked Drury Panthers.
In the final 10 minutes of play, the Hounds successfully outscored the Panthers by 15, forced Drury into seven turnovers, and held the Panthers to just a 4-of-12 shooting mark (33.3 percent) from the field.
With the loss, the Greyhounds fall to 14-11 (10-7 GLVC) while the Panthers improve to 24-1 (17-0 GLVC).
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Hounds faced a deficit of 22 points heading into the halftime locker room. Sadie Hill and Lauren With each led the team in scoring with eight points apiece. Most notably, Hill had an impressive five steals in the opening half of play which had already set a new UIndy career high for her.
The big fourth quarter by the Greyhounds nearly saw the team produce what would have been an improbable comeback. Trailing by 20 points with 5:28 remaining, the Hounds ended the game on an 18-5 scoring run that proved to keep things interesting until the final buzzer.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-Hill finished with a team-high 16 points while With was close behind with 14.
-A total of 11 players scored three or more points for UIndy.
-UIndy hit its season high by giving up 25 turnovers.
-The Hounds ended up shooting 54.2 percent from the field.
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds will cap off their regular season at Nicoson Hall on Saturday with Senior Day against Southwest Baptist. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. ET.
U OF I FOOTBALL
UINDY UNVEILS 2023 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
INDIANAPOLIS—The University of Indianapolis officially released its 2023 football schedule Thursday. The Greyhounds have 10 regular-season games and five home contests on the slate, as well as an open date coming Sept. 9.
The Hounds open the season at Key Stadium, hosting longtime-adversary Hillsdale College on Saturday, Sept. 2. Separated by just 200 miles, the two private schools and former GLIAC rivals have faced off 34 times since first butting heads in 1978. The two have matched up on eight occasions since UIndy transitioned from the GLIAC to the GLVC in 2012, with the Hounds going 7-1 in that span.
After the bye week, UIndy clashes with two current GLIAC members, hosting Wayne State on Sept. 16 before traveling to Saginaw Valley on Sept. 23.
UIndy ends the regular season with seven consecutive conference games. Notable contests include a road trip to Truman on Oct. 14 and a home game against GLVC-newcomer Upper Iowa Oct. 28.
The NCAA Division II playoffs kick off with first-round action in Nov. 18 and run until the national championship game Dec. 16.
Stay tuned to UIndyAthletics for ticket information and additional game times.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
SPORTS EXTRA
NBA STANDINGS
| Eastern Conference | ||||||||||||
| Atlantic Division | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| Boston | 42 | 17 | .712 | — | 24-7 | 18-10 | 8-1 | 25-12 | 7-3 | 1 W | ||
| Philadelphia | 38 | 19 | .667 | 3.0 | 23-8 | 15-11 | 7-5 | 22-13 | 7-3 | 4 W | ||
| Brooklyn | 34 | 24 | .586 | 7.5 | 18-11 | 16-13 | 6-7 | 24-13 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| New York | 33 | 27 | .550 | 9.5 | 16-15 | 17-12 | 5-8 | 23-16 | 6-4 | 3 W | ||
| Toronto | 28 | 31 | .475 | 14.0 | 18-13 | 10-18 | 4-9 | 17-19 | 6-4 | 2 W | ||
| Central Divison | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| Milwaukee | 41 | 17 | .707 | — | 24-5 | 17-12 | 8-4 | 23-13 | 10-0 | 12 W | ||
| Cleveland | 38 | 23 | .623 | 4.5 | 25-6 | 13-17 | 11-3 | 22-11 | 8-2 | 1 L | ||
| Chicago | 26 | 33 | .441 | 15.5 | 16-13 | 10-20 | 5-7 | 20-20 | 3-7 | 6 L | ||
| Indiana | 26 | 34 | .433 | 16.0 | 18-14 | 8-20 | 4-5 | 18-17 | 2-8 | 1 W | ||
| Detroit | 15 | 44 | .254 | 26.5 | 8-21 | 7-23 | 0-9 | 6-27 | 3-7 | 2 L | ||
| Southeast Division | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| Miami | 32 | 27 | .542 | — | 19-10 | 13-17 | 7-3 | 15-17 | 5-5 | 2 L | ||
| Atlanta | 29 | 30 | .492 | 3.0 | 15-12 | 14-18 | 5-5 | 17-19 | 4-6 | 2 L | ||
| Washington | 28 | 30 | .483 | 3.5 | 14-12 | 14-18 | 6-3 | 15-17 | 6-4 | 2 W | ||
| Orlando | 24 | 35 | .407 | 8.0 | 14-15 | 10-20 | 3-8 | 12-25 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| Charlotte | 17 | 43 | .283 | 15.5 | 9-18 | 8-25 | 6-8 | 9-29 | 3-7 | 2 W | ||
| Western Conference | ||||||||||||
| Northwest Division | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| Denver | 41 | 18 | .695 | — | 27-4 | 14-14 | 10-5 | 29-11 | 7-3 | 3 W | ||
| Minnesota | 31 | 30 | .508 | 11.0 | 20-13 | 11-17 | 8-7 | 22-19 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| Oklahoma City | 28 | 29 | .491 | 12.0 | 17-12 | 11-17 | 5-6 | 15-17 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| Utah | 29 | 31 | .483 | 12.5 | 18-12 | 11-19 | 4-6 | 19-18 | 4-6 | 1 L | ||
| Portland | 28 | 30 | .483 | 12.5 | 16-14 | 12-16 | 5-8 | 20-16 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| Pacific Division | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| Sacramento | 32 | 25 | .561 | — | 17-12 | 15-13 | 5-6 | 20-13 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| LA Clippers | 33 | 28 | .541 | 1.0 | 15-13 | 18-15 | 6-4 | 19-16 | 6-4 | 2 W | ||
| Phoenix | 32 | 28 | .533 | 1.5 | 20-10 | 12-18 | 9-1 | 21-15 | 7-3 | 1 L | ||
| Golden State | 29 | 29 | .500 | 3.5 | 22-7 | 7-22 | 4-6 | 17-14 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| LA Lakers | 27 | 32 | .458 | 6.0 | 14-14 | 13-18 | 2-9 | 14-20 | 4-6 | 1 W | ||
| Southwest Division | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| Memphis | 35 | 22 | .614 | — | 24-5 | 11-17 | 6-2 | 17-16 | 4-6 | 1 W | ||
| Dallas | 31 | 29 | .517 | 5.5 | 19-10 | 12-19 | 7-2 | 23-16 | 5-5 | 3 L | ||
| New Orleans | 30 | 29 | .508 | 6.0 | 20-10 | 10-19 | 7-4 | 19-15 | 4-6 | 1 L | ||
| San Antonio | 14 | 45 | .237 | 22.0 | 9-21 | 5-24 | 2-7 | 5-30 | 0-10 | 14 L | ||
| Houston | 13 | 45 | .224 | 22.5 | 8-20 | 5-25 | 1-8 | 7-31 | 2-8 | 7 L |
NHL STANDINGS
| Eastern Conference | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Home | Road | L10 | ||
| 1 Boston Bruins | 54 | 41 | 8 | 5 | 87 | 39 | 201 | 115 | 22-2-3 | 19-6-2 | 6-3-1 | |
| 2 Carolina Hurricanes | 54 | 36 | 10 | 8 | 80 | 33 | 184 | 146 | 18-6-2 | 18-4-6 | 9-1-0 | |
| 3 New Jersey Devils | 54 | 35 | 14 | 5 | 75 | 34 | 186 | 145 | 15-10-2 | 20-4-3 | 6-2-2 | |
| 4 Toronto Maple Leafs | 55 | 33 | 14 | 8 | 74 | 33 | 186 | 147 | 21-6-4 | 12-8-4 | 6-3-1 | |
| 5 Tampa Bay Lightning | 54 | 35 | 16 | 3 | 73 | 33 | 191 | 157 | 21-4-2 | 14-12-1 | 6-2-2 | |
| 6 New York Rangers | 54 | 32 | 14 | 8 | 72 | 30 | 184 | 145 | 16-9-4 | 16-5-4 | 8-1-1 | |
| 7 Pittsburgh Penguins | 53 | 27 | 17 | 9 | 63 | 26 | 172 | 164 | 15-6-4 | 12-11-5 | 5-2-3 | |
| 8 Washington Capitals | 57 | 28 | 23 | 6 | 62 | 27 | 174 | 166 | 14-11-3 | 14-12-3 | 4-6-0 | |
| 9 Florida Panthers | 58 | 28 | 24 | 6 | 62 | 26 | 202 | 200 | 15-8-3 | 13-16-3 | 5-4-1 | |
| 10 New York Islanders | 57 | 27 | 23 | 7 | 61 | 27 | 164 | 158 | 16-10-3 | 11-13-4 | 4-4-2 | |
| 11 Detroit Red Wings | 54 | 26 | 20 | 8 | 60 | 24 | 170 | 175 | 14-11-3 | 12-9-5 | 7-3-0 | |
| 12 Buffalo Sabres | 53 | 27 | 22 | 4 | 58 | 26 | 197 | 185 | 11-14-2 | 16-8-2 | 6-3-1 | |
| 13 Ottawa Senators | 53 | 26 | 24 | 3 | 55 | 24 | 161 | 170 | 15-12-1 | 11-12-2 | 7-3-0 | |
| 14 Philadelphia Flyers | 56 | 22 | 24 | 10 | 54 | 21 | 151 | 177 | 11-14-3 | 11-10-7 | 3-4-3 | |
| 15 Montreal Canadiens | 55 | 23 | 28 | 4 | 50 | 19 | 150 | 200 | 14-14-1 | 9-14-3 | 4-5-1 | |
| 16 Columbus Blue Jackets | 55 | 17 | 34 | 4 | 38 | 16 | 140 | 208 | 12-17-2 | 5-17-2 | 4-4-2 | |
| Western Conference | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Home | Road | L10 | ||
| 1 Dallas Stars | 55 | 30 | 14 | 11 | 71 | 28 | 183 | 142 | 15-6-7 | 15-8-4 | 4-2-4 | |
| 2 Vegas Golden Knights | 55 | 33 | 18 | 4 | 70 | 30 | 179 | 153 | 16-13-0 | 17-5-4 | 5-3-2 | |
| 3 Winnipeg Jets | 55 | 34 | 20 | 1 | 69 | 33 | 174 | 143 | 20-8-0 | 14-12-1 | 5-5-0 | |
| 4 Seattle Kraken | 55 | 31 | 18 | 6 | 68 | 31 | 193 | 172 | 14-10-3 | 17-8-3 | 4-4-2 | |
| 5 Los Angeles Kings | 55 | 30 | 18 | 7 | 67 | 26 | 184 | 185 | 16-9-2 | 14-9-5 | 5-4-1 | |
| 6 Colorado Avalanche | 53 | 29 | 19 | 5 | 63 | 25 | 163 | 149 | 13-9-4 | 16-10-1 | 6-2-2 | |
| 7 Edmonton Oilers | 55 | 30 | 19 | 6 | 66 | 30 | 205 | 180 | 13-11-4 | 17-8-2 | 6-1-3 | |
| 8 Minnesota Wild | 54 | 28 | 21 | 5 | 61 | 23 | 161 | 157 | 16-10-2 | 12-11-3 | 3-6-1 | |
| 9 Calgary Flames | 55 | 25 | 19 | 11 | 61 | 24 | 174 | 170 | 14-10-2 | 11-9-9 | 4-4-2 | |
| 10 Nashville Predators | 52 | 25 | 21 | 6 | 56 | 23 | 142 | 156 | 14-10-3 | 11-11-3 | 6-4-0 | |
| 11 St. Louis Blues | 54 | 26 | 25 | 3 | 55 | 23 | 172 | 194 | 13-12-2 | 13-13-1 | 5-5-0 | |
| 12 Arizona Coyotes | 55 | 19 | 28 | 8 | 46 | 16 | 147 | 191 | 12-8-2 | 7-20-6 | 5-2-3 | |
| 13 Vancouver Canucks | 55 | 21 | 30 | 4 | 46 | 18 | 185 | 224 | 10-15-1 | 11-15-3 | 3-6-1 | |
| 14 San Jose Sharks | 56 | 17 | 28 | 11 | 45 | 16 | 168 | 209 | 5-13-7 | 12-15-4 | 3-5-2 | |
| 15 Anaheim Ducks | 55 | 17 | 32 | 6 | 40 | 14 | 138 | 230 | 9-15-1 | 8-17-5 | 5-4-1 | |
| 16 Chicago Blackhawks | 53 | 16 | 32 | 5 | 37 | 16 | 127 | 195 | 10-16-3 | 6-16-2 | 3-6-1 |
FOOTBALL HISTORY
Born February 17, 1936, in St Simons, Georgia, was the all time great running back Jim Brown. When you talk about a player that rewrote the record books, Jim Brown’s name has to be at the top of the list. The FootballFoundation.org website shares that Brown in 1956 had a season where his rushing yards per game read something like 197 yards, 162, 155, 154 & 151 yards! He ended up with 986 yards for the season ranking him third in the nation and giving him the nod for unanimous All-America status. But that wasn’t it for “First Down Brown’s” scoring though as he also kicked for Syracuse. This is made evident at the Colgate game in 1956 when Jim scored six touchdowns and kicked seven extra points. That was a total of 43 points in a 61-7 game. Jim Brown easily won on the ballot to be enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995. The Cleveland Browns wasted no time at all to make Jim their first round pick in the 1957 NFL Draft per the ProFootballHOF.com site. Brown played all nine of his years as a pro in Cleveland ammassing 12312 yards rushing and 15459 total accumulated yards. The powerful back scored 756 points in those nine years in the NFL and played in a Pro Bowl every season in the League including being selected as the 1957 Rookie of the Year. Jim was the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in three different seasons! The Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971’s ceremonies enshrined Jim Brown into their Canton, Ohio Museum of legends.
Andy Oberlander – An All-American HOF Dartmouth HB
Born February 17, 1905, was Andy Oberlander the fine Dartmouth halfback and tackle. Most of his close friends called the dashing youngster “Swede” because of his blonde hair. Andy played tackle for Dartmouth in 1923, halfback the next two years, and was All-America in 1925 per the Football Foundation’s bio on the great player. 1925 was a special season for Swede as he passed for 14 touchdowns and ran for 12. In the 62-13 win over rival Cornell University Swede especially showed what he could do because in that game Oberlander had 477 yards in total offense. Andy ran 19 times for 160 yards and connected on 11 of his 14 passes for 317 yards and six touchdowns! And not to be over looked he also booted a 55-yard punt in the contest! Andy Oberlander was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954 after the National Football Foundation tallied their votes. Learn more about Swede Oberlander in the excellent posts we have bookmarked below.
HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAYS FOR FEBRUARY 17
February 17, 1905 – Andy Oberlander the fine Dartmouth halfback and tackle celebrated his birth. Lean more about this legend by clicking his name!
February 17, 1920 – Huntington, West Virginia – The explosive halfback from Marshall University, Jackie Hunt arrived into this life. According to the NFF website Hunt lettered in football as a Freshman and got even better from there. Jackie thrived in 1940 when his team switched to the single wing offense, scoring 21 touchdowns in the season’s final five games. His 27 scores for the year set an NCAA record that would last for 31 seasons. Jackie made the first of back-to-back Little All-America teams. Jackie Hunt received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
February 17, 1936 – St Simons, Georgia – The all time great running back Jim Brown was born. There is so much more about this NFL and College FOotball Great, so click his name to catch up on this gridiron great!
February 17, 1959 – Portland Oregon – Neil Lomax the great quarterback from Portland State was born. Neil threw for 106 touchdowns and 13,220 yards at Portland State in the seasons of 1977 through 1980 as he left school with those as collegiate records per the NFF. The 1980 game against Delaware State, Lomax threw seven touchdown passes in the first quarter on the way to a 105-0 victory. The 1980 Portland State team won the national scoring championship with 541 points in 11 games as Neil tossed for 4094 yards in just 11 games! The National Football Foundation selected Neil Lomax for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1900 Instead of unpaid alimony, Mary H. Vanderbeck takes possession of the American League franchise in Detroit. Her ex-husband George Vanderbeck, who decided to build Bennett Park at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull Avenues, the Tigers’ home the next 104 seasons, will later regain control of the team.
1916 During their annual meeting held at the Hotel Wolcott in New York, the American League owners endorse a new major league draft concept proposed initially by Dodger president Charles Ebbets. The approved plan gives second-division clubs the first pick of the available minor leaguers each season.
1937 The Yankees purchase Red Sox first baseman Babe Dahlgren, who will end Lou Gehrig’s consecutive game streak. During his four-year tenure with the Bronx Bombers, the California native compiles a .248 batting average before being bought by the Braves before the 1941 season.
1943 Without notifying the Yankees, 28-year-old Joe DiMaggio waives his draft deferment and enlists in the U.S. Army Air Force, not playing for the team again until 1946. Although the Bronx Bomber outfielder asked for no special treatment, he will spend most of his time out of harm’s way by playing baseball in California and Hawaii.
1954 “Realization that you now count your years at the four score mark reminds me, with something of a shock, that it was fifty years ago that I used to follow your batting average with the keenest of interest.” – DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, 34th President of the U.S., congratulating Honus Wagner on his birthday. President Dwight Eisenhower sends a letter labeled “personal and confidential” to Honus Wagner, wishing the former Pirates’ shortstop a happy 80th birthday. The Hall of Fame infielder was Ike’s boyhood hero growing up in Abilene (KS).
1964 White Sox shortstop Luke Appling, although he received only two Baseball Hall of Fame votes when he first appeared on the ballot in 1953, is elected to the Hall of Fame by BBWAA, named on 189 of the 201 ballots cast (94%) to defeat Red Ruffing a run-off election. This selection method, used intermittently from 1947 to 1967, occurred when the writers did not select anyone on their initial ballot and then listed the top 20-30 players on a second ballot, with only the top vote-getter chosen for induction.
1976 Future National League Cy Young Award winner Mike Scott pitches a perfect game for Pepperdine against California Lutheran University. The Mets select right-hander, who will throw a no-hitter for the Astros, in the second round in the June draft.
1987 Yankee first baseman Don Mattingly wins his $1.975 million arbitration case. The award breaks the record for the most substantial sum ever given to a player, established just four days ago by Jack Morris.
1990 Herb Raybourn, the Yankee director of Latin American operations, signs amateur free-agent Mariano Rivera, an athletic 20-year-old who has an effortless pitching motion but a less than average fastball, to a modest $3,000 contract. The future all-time major league saves leader has no formal training as a pitcher, having hurled for the first time two weeks before being scouted at the team’s tryout camp in Panama City.
1995 Unwilling to be part of an inferior product placed on the field and as a show of support for his players, Tigers skipper Sparky Anderson is suspended without pay when he refuses to manage replacement players in spring training during the work stoppage. The popular pilot will resume his duties when the strike ends but will ‘retire,’ believed by some not to be voluntary, at the end of the season.
2003 Avoiding arbitration, the Braves and 36xyear-old righty Greg Maddux (16-6, 2.62) agree to the largest one-year contract in major league history. The $14.75 million deal for the four-time Cy Young Award winner eclipses the $12 million given to David Cone by the Yankees in 2000.
2003 After his body temperature soars to 108 degrees, Orioles pitching prospect Steve Belcher dies of multi-organ failure following a spring training workout in Fort Lauderdale. The use of ephedrine, the dietary supplement linked to heatstroke and heart attacks, may have led to the 23-year-old expectant father’s death.
2006 White Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen issues an apology for his comments published in Sports Illustrated that criticized Alex Rodriguez’s indecision concerning which country the Yankee All-Star would represent in the World Baseball Classic. At first, A-Rod, born in the United States, revealed he would play for the Dominican Republic due to his parents’ heritage, deciding not to participate before choosing Team USA.
2007 In a poll conducted by his hometown newspaper, more than half of the respondents thought Carl Pavano would not bounce back with the Yankees this year. The reader poll, posted on myrecordjournal.com, revealed 54.5% believe the Yankee pitcher would not overcome his slow start with the team, while 45.5% stated he would have a comeback season.
2009 The Marlins announced a contract extension for manager Fredi Gonzalez through the 2011 season. The South Florida native, who became just the third skipper in franchise history to compile a winning campaign, guiding the club to an 84-77 record, was named The Sporting News Manager of the Year last season.
2011 Jose Bautista and the Blue Jays agree on a $64-million, five-year contract extension. Last season’s major league leader with 54 home runs, the 30-year-old third baseman/outfielder set a record for the most significant increase in round-trippers for a single season in baseball history, hitting 41 more homers than his total of 13 in 2009.
2021 After playing 143 major league games, Fernando Tatis Jr. and the Padres agree to a $340 million, 14-year extension. The 22-year-old shortstop’s deal, which includes a full no-trade clause, ranks as the third-richest contract in baseball history, trailing only the money made by Angels’ Mike Trout and Mookie Betts of the Dodgers.
SPORTS IN NUMBERS
9 – 16 – 43
February 17, 1923 – Ottawa left wing Cy Denneny surged past Joe Malone in the record books as the all-time NHL goal scorer. Cy pounded his 143rd career goal in Ottawa’s 2-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens on this day. We are not quite sure if he ever wore a number on his sweater or not as records are non-revealing. He is featured in today’s banner photo (see credits below).
February 17, 1927 – The Toronto Maple Leafs have their first victory using that moniker when they defeated the New York Americans 4-1 on the ice. The team was previously known as the Toronto St Patricks.
February 17, 1951 – Detroit Red Wings Number 9, right winger Gordie Howe scored his 100th career NHL goal and adds an assist in a 2-1 Red Wings’ victory away to the Montreal Canadiens
February 17, 1952 – Montreal Canadiens center Elmer Lach, Number 16 picked up his 354th career assist in a 3-2 loss at the New York Rangers to become the NHL’s all-time assists leader. The former holder of the the record was Bill Cowley who played with the Boston Bruins during the 1930s and 40s and wore Number 10.
February 17, 1974 – The orange and blue Number 43 STP Dodge driven by Richard Petty claimed the checkered flag as Petty became the first person to win the Daytona 500 in back to back years.
TV FRIDAY
| NCAA BASKETBALL GAMES – MEN’S | TIME ET | TV |
| Eastern Michigan at Kent State | 6:00pm | CBSSN |
| Dartmouth at Cornell | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Dayton at Loyola Chicago | 7:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Wright State at Cleveland State | 7:00pm | ESPNU |
| Yale at Penn | 7:00pm | ESPNews |
| Harvard at Columbia | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Detroit Mercy at Oakland | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Canisius at Rider | 7:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Niagara at Mount St. Mary’s | 7:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Fairfield at Marist | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Brown at Princeton | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Manhattan at Iona | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Northern Kentucky at Purdue Fort Wayne | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Calumet at Chicago State | 8:00pm | FloHoops |
| Quinnipiac at Siena | 9:00pm | ESPNU |
| Utah Tech at Southern Utah | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Air Force at Wyoming | 10:00pm | FS1 |
| New Mexico at San Jose State | 10:30pm | CBSSN |
| Abilene Christian at Grand Canyon | 11:00pm | ESPNU |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| PGA: The Genesis Invitational | 4:00pm | GOLF |
| MOTORSPORTS | TIME ET | TV |
| NASCAR Truck: NextEra 250 | 7:30pm | FS1 |
| NBA ALL STAR BREAK | TIME ET | TV |
| Team Pau vs Team Deron | 9:00pm | TNT |
| Team Joakim vs Team Jason | 9:30pm | TNT |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| Chicago at Ottawa | 7:00pm | NBCS-CHI Sportsnet |
| Pittsburgh at NY Islanders | 7:00pm | ATTSN-PIT MSGSN |
| Dallas at Minnesota | 8:00pm | Bally Sports |
| Los Angeles at Anaheim | 9:00pm | ESPN |
| NY Rangers at Edmonton | 9:00pm | MSG Sportsnet |
| SOCCER MATCHES | TIME ET | TV |
| Bundesliga: Augsburg vs Hoffenheim | 2:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Serie A: Sassuolo vs Napoli | 2:45pm | CBSSN |
| La Liga: Girona vs Almería | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Ligue 1: Auxerre vs Olympique Lyonnais | 3:00pm | beIN Sports |
| Argentina Primera División: Gimnasia La Plata vs Instituto | 4:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Arsenal vs Racing Club | 7:30pm | Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Huracán vs Barracas Central | 7:30pm | Paramount+ |
| Liga MX: Juárez vs León | 8:06pm | FS2 |
| Liga MX: Puebla vs Cruz Azul | 10:05pm | TUDN |
TV SATURDAY
| NCAA BASEBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| James Madison at Florida State | 2:00pm | ACCN |
| NCAA BASKETBALL – MEN’S | TIME ET | TV |
| Seton Hall at UConn | 12:00pm | FOX |
| Illinois at Indiana | 12:00pm | ESPN/2 |
| Notre Dame at Virginia | 12:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| Texas Tech at West Virginia | 12:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| Rutgers at Wisconsin | 12:00pm | BTN |
| UNCG at Chattanooga | 12:00pm | CBSSN |
| Boston College at Florida State | 12:00pm | ACCN |
| William & Mary at Northeastern | 12:00pm | NESN+ |
| Queens at Kennesaw State | 12:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Saint Joseph’s at Davidson | 12:30pm | USA |
| Tennessee at Kentucky | 1:00pm | CBS |
| South Carolina at LSU | 1:00pm | SECN |
| Samford at VMI | 1:00pm | – |
| UMBC at New Hampshire | 1:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Binghamton at UMass Lowell | 1:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Stonehill at Central Connecticut | 1:00pm | NEC |
| Saint Francis U at LIU | 1:00pm | NEC |
| Wofford at The Citadel | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Bucknell at Boston University | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Lehigh at American | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Holy Cross at Colgate | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Iowa State at Kansas State | 2:00pm | ESPN |
| Florida at Arkansas | 2:00pm | ESPN2 |
| UMass at Rhode Island | 2:00pm | ESPNU |
| Merrimack at Sacred Heart | 2:00pm | CBSSN |
| Wake Forest at Miami (FL) | 2:00pm | ACCN |
| Elon at Monmouth | 2:00pm | SNY |
| UAlbany at Maine | 2:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Illinois State at Indiana State | 2:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Ohio at Central Michigan | 2:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Florida Tech at Georgia Tech | 2:00pm | ACCN |
| Texas State at Coastal Carolina | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Green Bay at Youngstown State | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Western Carolina at Mercer | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Oklahoma at Texas | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Oklahoma State at TCU | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Presbyterian at Campbell | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Gardner-Webb at UNC Asheville | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Fordham at VCU | 2:30pm | USA |
| Ball State at Western Michigan | 2:30pm | ESPN3 |
| South Dakota at Denver | 3:00pm | – |
| Georgia State at Arkansas State | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Georgia Southern at Southern Miss | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UTA at Stephen F. Austin | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Radford at Longwood | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Charlotte at Louisiana Tech | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Mississippi State at Ole Miss | 3:30pm | SECN |
| Loyola Maryland at Navy | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Baylor at Kansas | 4:00pm | ESPN |
| Southern vs. Grambling State (at Salt Lake City, UT) | 4:00pm | ESPN2 |
| DePaul at Xavier | 4:00pm | CBSSN |
| UAB at UTSA | 4:00pm | Stadium |
| North Carolina A&T at Towson | 4:00pm | NBCS-WSH |
| UC Davis at UC Irvine | 4:00pm | Spectrum |
| La Salle at George Mason | 4:00pm | MASN2 |
| Fairleigh Dickinson at Wagner | 4:00pm | NEC |
| UNI at Missouri State | 4:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Evansville at Murray State | 4:00pm | ESPN3 |
| USC Upstate at High Point | 4:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Central Arkansas at Bellarmine | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| North Florida at Austin Peay | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Lindenwood at Morehead State | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UT Martin at Tennessee Tech | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UIW at Nicholls | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| ULM at South Alabama | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Old Dominion at App State | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UNCW at Delaware | 4:00pm | FloSports |
| Drexel at Hampton | 4:00pm | FloSports |
| Morgan State at Norfolk State | 4:00pm | – |
| Howard at Coppin State | 4:00pm | – |
| Mississippi Valley State at Texas Southern | 4:00pm | YouTube |
| Villanova at Providence | 4:30pm | FOX |
| Alcorn State at Jackson State | 4:30pm | – |
| Miami (OH) at Northern Illinois | 4:30pm | ESPN3 |
| New Orleans at Northwestern State | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| A&M-Corpus Christi at McNeese | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| SIUE at Tennessee State | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Eastern Illinois at Little Rock | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Pitt at Virginia Tech | 5:00pm | ACCN |
| Colorado State at Fresno State | 5:00pm | – |
| Toledo at Bowling Green | 5:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Southern Indiana at Southeast Missouri | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Jacksonville at Lipscomb | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Liberty at Jacksonville State | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Northern Arizona at Idaho | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Northern Colorado at Eastern Washington | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Winthrop at Charleston Southern | 5:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Southeastern Louisiana at A&M-Commerce | 5:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Duke at Syracuse | 6:00pm | ESPN |
| Texas A&M at Missouri | 6:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| Georgia at Alabama | 6:00pm | SECN |
| Lafayette at Army West Point | 6:00pm | CBSSN |
| Utah at Arizona State | 6:00pm | PAC12N |
| Brown at Penn | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Yale at Princeton | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Harvard at Cornell | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| FIU at Middle Tennessee | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Hofstra at Stony Brook | 6:30pm | SNY |
| UAPB at Prairie View A&M | 6:30pm | – |
| Clemson at Louisville | 7:00pm | ACCN |
| Gonzaga at Pepperdine | 7:00pm | – |
| Vermont at NJIT | 7:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Buffalo at Akron | 7:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Dartmouth at Columbia | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Milwaukee at Robert Morris | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| North Alabama at Eastern Kentucky | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Stetson at FGCU | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Cal Poly at Cal State Fullerton | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Hawai’i at Long Beach State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Idaho State at Sacramento State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Troy at Marshall | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Louisiana at James Madison | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Creighton at St. John’s | 7:30pm | FS1 |
| Michigan State at Michigan | 8:00pm | FOX |
| Colorado at Arizona | 8:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Tulane at South Florida | 8:00pm | ESPNU |
| Nevada at Utah State | 8:00pm | CBSSN |
| Oregon State at Washington | 8:00pm | PAC12N |
| Duquesne at Saint Louis | 8:00pm | – |
| UC Santa Barbara at UC Riverside | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| WKU at Rice | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Lamar at Houston Christian | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Sam Houston at Tarleton | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Utah Valley at Seattle U | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| South Dakota State at Omaha | 8:00pm | – |
| Western Illinois at St. Thomas | 8:00pm | – |
| North Dakota at Kansas City | 8:00pm | – |
| North Dakota State at Oral Roberts | 8:00pm | – |
| Bethune-Cookman at Alabama A&M | 8:00pm | YouTube |
| Auburn at Vanderbilt | 8:30pm | SECN |
| Santa Clara at Portland | 8:30pm | Stadium |
| Penn State at Minnesota | 9:00pm | BTN |
| Montana at Montana State | 9:00pm | – |
| North Texas at UTEP | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Stanford at USC | 10:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| BYU at Saint Mary’s | 10:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| Pacific at Loyola Marymount | 10:00pm | Stadium |
| CSUN at UC San Diego | 10:00pm | Spectrum |
| Weber State at Portland State | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| California at UCLA | 10:30pm | PAC12N |
| NCAA BASKETBALL – WOMEN’S | TIME ET | TV |
| Iowa at Nebraska | 2:00pm | BTN |
| NCAA SOFTBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Clearwater Invitational: UCLA vs. Florida State | 10:00am | ESPNU |
| Clearwater Invitational: South Florida vs. Texas A&M | 10:30am | SECN |
| Clearwater Invitational: Virginia Tech vs. UCLA | 4:00pm | ESPNU |
| Omaha at Texas | 4:00pm | LHN |
| Loyola-Chicago at Texas | 6:30pm | LHN |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| PGA: The Genesis Invitational | 1:00pm | GOLF |
| MOTORSPORTS | TIME ET | TV |
| Xfinity: Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 | 5:00pm | FS1 |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Chicago at Ottawa | 7:00pm | NBCS-CHI Sportsnet |
| Pittsburgh at NY Islanders | 7:00pm | ATTSN-PIT MSGSN |
| Dallas at Minnesota | 8:00pm | Bally Sports |
| Los Angeles at Anaheim | 9:00pm | ESPN |
| NY Rangers at Edmonton | 9:00pm | MSG Sportsnet |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| English Premier League: Aston Villa vs Arsenal | 7:30am | USA |
| La Liga: Real Sociedad vs Celta de Vigo | 8:00am | ESPN+ |
| Serie A: Sampdoria vs Bologna | 9:00am | Paramount+ |
| Bundesliga: Borussia M’gladbach vs Bayern München | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Wolfsburg vs RB Leipzig | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Stuttgart vs Köln | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Eintracht Frankfurt vs Werder Bremen | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Bochum vs Freiburg | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| English Premier League: Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City | 10:00am | Peacock |
| English Premier League: Brentford vs Crystal Palace | 10:00am | Peacock |
| English Premier League: Brighton & Hove Albion vs Fulham | 10:00am | Peacock |
| English Premier League: Chelsea vs Southampton | 10:00am | Peacock |
| English Premier League: Everton vs Leeds United | 10:00am | Peacock |
| English Premier League: Wolverhampton Wanderers vs AFC Bournemouth | 10:00am | Peacock |
| La Liga: Real Betis vs Real Valladolid | 10:15am | ESPN+ |
| Ligue 1: Nice vs Reims | 11:00am | beIN Sports |
| Serie A: Monza vs Milan | 12:00pm | Paramount+ |
| English Premier League: Newcastle United vs Liverpool | 12:30pm | NBC |
| La Liga: Mallorca vs Villarreal | 12:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Serie A: Internazionale vs Udinese | 2:45pm | Paramount+ |
| La Liga: Osasuna vs Real Madrid | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Ligue 1: Strasbourg vs Angers SCO | 3:00pm | beIN Sports |
| Argentina Primera División: Lanús vs Rosario Central | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Godoy Cruz vs Estudiantes | 5:15pm | Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Argentinos Juniors vs Belgrano | 5:15pm | Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Newell’s Old Boys vs Banfield | 5:15pm | Paramount+ |
| Liga MX: Atlético San Luis vs Santos Laguna | 6:00pm | TUDN |
| Argentina Primera División: Tigre vs River Plate | 7:30pm | Paramount+ |
| Liga MX: Atlas vs Tigres UANL | 8:05pm | Univision |
| Liga MX: Pumas UNAM vs Guadalajara | 10:05pm | Univision |