“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
HOMESTEAD.COM
| AVON | 70 | INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE | 51 | |
| BLOOMINGTON SOUTH | 78 | NORTHVIEW | 68 | |
| BORDEN | 61 | SALEM | 41 | |
| CASTON | 64 | NORTH MIAMI | 61 | |
| COLUMBUS NORTH | 53 | CENTER GROVE | 41 | |
| CORYDON CENTRAL | 81 | SPRINGS VALLEY | 49 | |
| CROWN POINT | 65 | HANOVER CENTRAL | 36 | |
| EDGEWOOD | 50 | EASTERN GREENE | 41 | |
| EDINBURGH | 45 | BROWN COUNTY | 42 | |
| FAITH CHRISTIAN | 58 | NORTH WHITE | 25 | |
| FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK | 54 | FORT WAYNE NORTHROP | 49 | |
| FORT WAYNE SOUTH | 75 | NEW HAVEN | 47 | |
| GIBSON SOUTHERN | 51 | NORTH POSEY | 39 | |
| HAUSER | 80 | GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN | 49 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS RIVERSIDE | 80 | INDIANA DEAF | 16 | |
| JASPER | 60 | BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE | 52 | |
| LAVILLE | 59 | TRINITY GREENLAWN | 46 | |
| LANESVILLE | 87 | MEDORA | 38 | |
| LAWRENCE CENTRAL | 73 | SOUTHPORT | 55 | |
| LAWRENCEBURG | 45 | OLDENBURG ACADEMY | 39 | |
| LOOGOOTEE | 46 | NORTH KNOX | 33 | |
| MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) | 65 | SOUTH SPENCER | 64 | |
| NEW PALESTINE | 67 | WARREN CENTRAL | 60 | OT |
| NEW PRAIRIE | 55 | BOONE GROVE | 39 | |
| PLAINFIELD | 72 | DANVILLE | 60 | |
| PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD | 56 | INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN | 42 | |
| RIVER FOREST | 66 | OREGON-DAVIS | 36 | |
| RUSHVILLE | 58 | NORTH DECATUR | 49 | |
| SHAKAMAK | 53 | OWEN VALLEY | 46 | |
| SHELBYVILLE | 63 | BATESVILLE | 59 | |
| SOUTH BEND RILEY | 72 | BOWMAN ACADEMY | 34 | |
| SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) | 62 | MORGAN TWP. | 59 | |
| SOUTHRIDGE | 55 | BOONVILLE | 49 | |
| TAYLOR | 50 | ALEXANDRIA | 47 | |
| TRI-COUNTY | 54 | NORTH NEWTON | 29 | |
| UNIVERSITY | 64 | PHALEN ACADEMY | 55 | |
| WEST LAFAYETTE | 71 | ROSSVILLE | 47 | |
| WHITE RIVER VALLEY | 56 | VINCENNES RIVET | 44 | |
| WINAMAC | 54 | DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN | 28 | |
| WOOD MEMORIAL | 73 | SOUTH KNOX | 61 |
INDIANA GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL STATE FINALS
SESSION 1
9:30 AM ET | PUBLIC GATES OPEN
10:30 AM ET | CLASS 1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (25-4) VS. BORDEN (22-5)
PREVIEW | RECAP
APPROX. 12:45 PM ET | CLASS 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
RENSSELAER CENTRAL (26-2) VS. SOUTH KNOX (27-2)
PREVIEW | RECAP
FIELDHOUSE CLEARED
SESSION 2
5 PM ET | PUBLIC GATES OPEN
6 PM ET | CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
NORWELL (22-6) VS. GREENSBURG (27-0)
APPROX. 8:15 PM ET | CLASS 4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
WARSAW COMMUNITY (26-1) VS. LAWRENCE NORTH (18-8)
INDIANA BOYS SWIMMING STATE FINALS
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
FRIDAY, FEB. 28, 2025
GATES OPEN AT 4:30 PM ET / 3:30 PM CT
6 PM ET / 5 PM CT | SWIMMING PRELIMINARIES | HEAT SHEETS | PSYCH SHEET
SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 2025
GATES OPEN AT 7:30 AM ET / 6:30 AM CT
9 AM ET / 8 AM CT | DIVING PRELIMINARIES, SEMIFINALS
1 PM ET / 12 PM CT | CHAMPIONSHIP/CONSOLATION FINALS IN ALL SWIMMING EVENTS; DIVING FINALS
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
#15 MICHIGAN 84 RUTGERS 82
#23 ST. MARY’S 58 LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 55
ROBERT MORRIS 82 IU INDY 68
NORTHERN KENTUCKY 79 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 74
GREEN BAY 76 DETROIT 71
MILWAUKEE 71 OAKLAND 66
TENNESSEE MARTIN 79 SOUTHERN INDIANA 63
WRIGHT STATE 82 CLEVELAND STATE 76
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
#25 LOUISVILLE 78 CLEMSON 52
#9 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 78 WAKE FOREST 57
#15 KENTUCKY 82 #11 TENNESSEE 58
#16 DUKE 68 #8 NORTH CAROLINA 53
#5 CONNECTICUT 72 #22 CREIGHTON 53
#13 OKLAHOMA 89 FLORIDA 65
#19 MARILYN 74 INDIANA 60
#1 TEXAS 68 MISSISSIPPI STATE 64
#24 FLORIDA STATE 86 #3 NOTRE DAME 81
#6 SOUTH CAROLINA 75 OLE MISS 59
#20 ALABAMA 88 #7 LSU 85 OT
PURDUE 92 PENN STATE 85
GEORGIA 62 AUBURN 59
UT MARTIN 84 SOUTHERN INDIANA 69
VALPARAISO 66 BRADLEY 64
BOSTON COLLEGE 92 VIRGINIA TECH 89 OT
DETROIT 81 NORTHERN KENTUCKY 75
PURDUE FORT WAYNE 82 MILWAUKEE 46
NORTHERN IOWA 71 EVANSVILLE 54
SYRACUSE 83 PITTSBURGH 65
DRAKE 107 INDIANA STATE 86
SETON HALL 76 DEPAUL 67
ILLINOIS STATE 65 ILLINOIS CHICAGO 64
MISSOURI 75 ARKANSAS 73
MARQUETTE 62 XAVIER 37
VIRGINIA 63 SMU 51
GONZAGA 72 PACIFIC 56
CALIFORNIA 79 GEORGIA TECH 65
STANFORD 86 MIAMI FLORIDA 69
ST. MARY’S 69 OREGON STATE 66
NBA SCOREBOARD
GOLDEN STATE 121 ORLANDO 115
MILWAUKEE 121 DENVER 112
DALLAS 103 CHARLOTTE 96
NEW ORLEANS 124 PHOENIX 116
LA LAKERS 111 MINNESOTA 102
NHL SCOREBOARD
MONTRÉAL 4 SAN JOSE 3 OT
FLORIDA 4 EDMONTON 3
ST. LOUIS 5 WASHINGTON 2
TAMPA BAY 3 CALGARY 0
CAROLINA 5 BUFFALO 2
NY ISLANDERS 2 BOSTON 1
COLUMBUS 5 DETROIT 2
PITTSBURGH 5 PHILADELPHIA 4 OT
NASHVILLE 2 WINNIPEG 1
UTAH 6 MINNESOTA 1
ANAHEIM 5 VANCOUVER 2
VEGAS 7 CHICAGO 5
MLB SPRING TRAINING
PHILADELPHIA 7 NY YANKEES 7
PITTSBURGH 12 MINNESOTA 1
DETROIT 7 TAMPA BAY 7
ST. LOUIS 8 MIAMI 4
BOSTON 6 DETROIT 5
BALTIMORE 11 TORONTO 8
NY METS 5 HOUSTON 0
TEXAS 8 SEATTLE 0
ARIZONA 3 CINCINNATI 3
LAS VEGAS 6 SAN DIEGO 4
LA ANGELS 4 CHICAGO CUBS 4
CHICAGO WHITE SOX 4 CLEVELAND 2
COLORADO 2 LA DODGERS 0
SAN FRANCISCO 6 SEATTLE 4
MILWAUKEE 12 KANSAS CITY 5
ATLANTA 4 WASHINGTON 3
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
COLLEGE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
UC SAN DIEGO 4 #23 CINCINNATI 3
WASHINGTON STATE 12 IOWA 7
COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCOREBOARD
#5 LSU 2 #6 UCLA 1
#8 DUKE 2 MICHIGAN 1
#12 OKLAHOMA STATE 3 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 2
#6 UCLA 7 NOTRE DAME 2
#4 TEXAS A&M 9 TEXAS STATE 1
#12 OKLAHOMA STATE 11 WICHITA STATE 2
#10 FLORIDA STATE 10 FLORIDA GULF COAST 2
CAL STATE FULLERTON 6 #5 LSU 5
#4 TEXAS A&M 5 PRINCETON 0
WASHINGTON 8 HOWARD 0
WASHINGTON 10 JACKSON STATE 0
COLLEGE MEN’S LAX SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
COLLEGE WOMEN’S LAX SCORES
#8 STANFORD 16 PITTSBURGH 12
COLLEGE HOCKEY SCORES
#8 Ohio State 2 #11 Michigan 1 OT
#16 UMass Lowell #17 UMass 2
NATIONAL NEWS RELEASES
NFL NEWS
NFL SETS 2025 SALARY CAP AT $279.2M, A $23.8M JUMP
NFL teams were informed on Thursday that the 2025 salary cap will be a record $279.2 million per club, a $23.8 million increase from last season.
The NFL and the players association agreed to the number that the 32 teams must be under when the new league year begins on March 12 at 4 p.m. ET.
It had been previously reported that this year’s cap would be somewhere between $277.5 and $281.5 million.
The biggest factors contributing to the cap’s climb are the league’s most recent TV rights deals with its broadcast partners.
The cap has risen annually since 2011, except for 2021 when the league prioritized recovery from the pandemic, including loss of live attendance gate and concessions profits.
In 2011, the cap was $120.37 million. It crossed the $200 million barrier in 2022 at $208.2 million and was at $255.4 million last season.
COLORADO CB-WR TRAVIS HUNTER TO NFL TEAMS: ‘I’M JUST DIFFERENT’
INDIANAPOLIS — Travis Hunter played 111 snaps per game as the Heisman Trophy winner at Colorado last season and boldly lobbied future employers to allow him to continue dual-position duty in the NFL.
Hunter was designated a defensive back at the NFL Scouting Combine this week if only because prospects require a position designation for scheduling their four days at the event, where calendars hold appointments for medical evaluations, media, drug testing, measurements (height, weight, arm length, hand size, etc.), agility and athletic testing and position-specific on-field workouts.
“They say nobody has ever done it for real the way I do it,” said Hunter, who declined to say which teams are on his Indianapolis interview schedule. “I tell them I’m just different. I’m just a different person.”
Browns general manager Andrew Berry said Monday that Cleveland slots Hunter as a wide receiver primarily. The Tennessee Titans pick No. 1 and believe Hunter is further along at cornerback.
“In terms of Travis Hunter, cornerback or receiver? The answer is yes,” Berry said. “He can play both, I think that’s what makes him special. I think receiver primarily first, but I think what makes him a bit of a unicorn is the fact that he can do it at a high level.”
Hunter said he’s done meetings with teams at both positions. He said he told teams taking care of his body is part of the reason he can play two roles at the next level. He was first-team All-Big 12 at both positions last season with four interceptions on defense and 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns on offense.
The NFL financial precedent of playing two positions isn’t a focus, he said, but Hunter is intent on being the No. 1 overall pick.
“It should be important,” Hunter said. “It was one of my dreams, to go No. 1, and to be the best I can be.”
Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi and head coach Brian Callahan said there are no identical comparisons to Hunter as a prospect, which presents a unique challenge in the evaluation process and projecting how vast his ceiling might be entering the league.
“We were watching him, and I don’t know if there’s anybody who has ever done what he’s done in the modern day football, playing both offense and defense during the course of the season,” Borgonzi said. “He’s definitely a special player.”
BASKETBALL NEWS
GENE HACKMAN AND ‘HOOSIERS’ LONG HAVE BEEN POINT OF PRIDE FOR TINY MILAN, INDIANA
The dazzling films of Gene Hackman stand out for sports fan for one reason: His unforgettable role as Norman Dale, coach of the feel-good, state champion Hickory Huskers in “Hoosiers.”
News of his death hit hard in basketball-mad Indiana.
The movie — ranked as the No. 1 sports film of all-time by The Associated Press in 2020 — was released in 1986. Hackman starred as Dale, a man who was given a second chance at coaching after his first one ended after striking one of his players years earlier.
The tale follows the journey of the Hickory Huskers, a team that in the movie version took on big-city South Bend Central in the 1952 state championship game and won with Jimmy Chitwood hitting a buzzer-beater. The story is loosely based on the real-life story of small-school Milan winning Indiana’s 1954 state championship. Bobby Plump was the hero in the actual game.
“It’s about change,” Hackman once said. “It’s about what happens with change, how we deal with it, where we learn to give up our ideas about who we are as people.”
Since the movie’s release, tourists have stopped in Milan and other sites where filming took place.
Susan Cottingham, secretary and treasurer of the Milan ’54 Hoosiers Museum and lifelong resident of the town of 1,800, said Thursday she expected a steady flow of visitors over the next few days, though the place was quiet hours after news of Hackman’s death broke.
Cottingham said she’s watched the movie at least a dozen times — probably on the low end for Hoosiers aficionados — and has hazy memories of when Milan High made its real-life run to the championship. Other than to say, “Oh, my,” she couldn’t put into words what the team’s accomplishment and movie have meant to the town.
“I remember the excitement and the celebration and my parents heading to the games,” she said. “The celebration when they got back from winning state, there was between 30 and 40,000 people here. So even at 5 years old, that was pretty noticeable.”
The museum first opened in the early 1960s with displays from the 1954 Milan High team. The museum moved into its current location in 2013 and features the uniforms worn in the movie and the set from the hospital scene featuring co-star Dennis Hopper.
Hackman never visited the museum though he had a standing invitation. The movie’s writer, Angelo Pizzo, and a few of the lesser-known cast members have made several appearances.
NO. 15 MICHIGAN UPENDS RUTGERS ON NIMARI BURNETT BUZZER-BEATER
Nimari Burnett hit a 3-pointer at the final buzzer to give No. 15 Michigan an 84-82 Big Ten Conference win over Rutgers at Ann Arbor, Mich., on Thursday night after trailing by as many as 12 points in the second half.
Burnett scored from the right wing off a Danny Wolf pass to allow Michigan (22-6, 14-3 Big Ten) to pull even with Michigan State atop the conference standings.
After trailing by 12 with just over 11 minutes to play, the Wolverines went on a 10-0 run to cut Rutgers’ advantage to two with 5:54 remaining. Wolf started that run with a layup and also finished it off with a layup.
Will Tschetter’s layup with 4:33 left tied the score at 76. After the teams traded baskets, Wolf gave Michigan a one-point lead by splitting free throws.
Ace Bailey made a turnaround shot to give Rutgers (14-15, 7-11) a one-point lead, but Tre Donaldson’s layup with 33 seconds left pushed the Wolverines back in front, 81-80.
Donaldson then fouled Acuff, who made two free throws with 12 seconds remaining. Michigan, though, had one last shot, and Burnett made it count to lift the Wolverines to their eighth win in nine games.
Vladislav Goldin led the Wolverines with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Burnett had 20 points and Will Tschetter finished with 16. Wolf added 10 points and eight rebounds.
Dylan Harper and Lathan Sommerville had 17 points apiece for Rutgers. Tyson Acuff supplied 16 points and Ace Bailey added 13 with nine rebounds.
Harper, Acuff and Bailey had 11 points apiece as Rutgers led 57-49 at halftime. The Scarlet Knights shot a whopping 68 percent from the field and made eight 3-pointers. Goldin kept the Wolverines within striking distance with 17 points.
Michigan led by as many as seven points in the early going. However, a 23-9 run gave the Scarlet Knights a 13-point lead with 1:13 remaining in the half. Acuff knocked down three 3-pointers during that stretch.
After the Wolverines pulled within eight by halftime, Dylan Grant made a dunk for Rutgers to open up the second half, then Sommerville’s basket with 16:53 remaining extended the visitors’ advantage to 65-54.
Michigan cut Rutgers’ lead to 65-60 on a Burnett jumper. Acuff answered with a 3-pointer, and Sommerville scored the next four points to put the Scarlet Knights on top 72-60.
DESPITE POOR SHOOTING, NO. 23 SAINT MARY’S DEFEATS LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
Paulius Murauskas recorded 18 points and 12 rebounds as No. 23 Saint Mary’s persevered through a sluggish effort while dispatching Loyola Marymount 58-55 on Thursday night in West Coast Conference play at Los Angeles.
Murauskas drained a clutch corner 3-pointer to give the Gaels a six-point lead with 29.9 seconds left and Saint Mary’s (26-4, 16-1 WCC) finished off its sixth straight win and 16th in its last 17 contests.
The game was Saint Mary’s first of the season as a team ranked in the Associated Press poll.
Caleb Stone-Carrawell scored 17 points and Will Johnston added 12 for the Lions (16-14, 8-10), who lost for the 36th time in their past 38 meetings with the Gaels.
Saint Mary’s previously clinched the WCC regular-season crown with last Saturday’s win at Gonzaga.
The Gaels shot just 37.5 percent from the field, including 4 of 15 from 3-point range.
Loyola Marymount made 38.9 percent of its shots and was 4 of 12 from behind the arc. The Lions committed just three turnovers but still lost for the sixth time in their past eight games.
Saint Mary’s led by five at halftime before pushing its lead to 43-31 on back-to-back baskets by Harry Wessels with 11:33 left in the contest.
The Lions didn’t get dismayed and pulled within 50-45 on a 3-pointer by Johnston with 6:15 remaining.
Loyola Marymount moved within 52-49 on Stone-Carrawell’s basket with 3:17 left. However, Jordan Ross drove for a layup to push Saint Mary’s lead back to five with 2:04 left.
Johnston made two free throws with 59.7 seconds to go for the Lions but Murauskas answered with his big trey from the left corner.
Jevon Porter’s two free throws brought the Lions within three with 5.7 seconds left. Saint Mary’s Mikey Lewis missed the front end of a one-and-one with 2.7 seconds left but a desperation attempt from about 70 feet away by Myron Amey Jr. was well short of the basket.
Murauskas had eight points and 10 rebounds as the Gaels led 24-19 at the break.
Saint Mary’s shot just 33.3 percent from the field in the half, but the Lions were even worse at 26.7 percent.
Stone-Carrawell made two baskets to cap a 7-0 run as Loyola Marymount led 15-8 with 9:37 left in the half.
Saint Mary’s answered with 13 straight points and 16 of 18 to take a seven-point lead.
WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 16 DUKE HANDS NO. 8 UNC FIRST ROAD LOSS
Reigan Richardson sank five 3-pointers and scored 23 points as No. 16 Duke avenged an earlier Atlantic Coast Conference overtime loss by defeating No. 8 North Carolina 68-53 on Thursday at Durham, N.C.
Toby Fournier posted 19 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for Duke (22-7, 13-4 ACC), which outscored the Tar Heels 21-9 in the third quarter.
North Carolina (25-5, 13-4) had been the only Division I women’s team this season without a road loss. Lanie Grant had 17 points to pace the Heels while Indya Nivar and Lexi Donarski both had 10.
North Carolina, which bounced back from a rough start and led 32-31 at halftime, couldn’t overcome 20 turnovers.
The Tar Heels played without starters Reniya Kelly and Alyssa Ustby, who were out with injuries. Kelly’s absence came as a surprise, while Ustby has missed recent games.
No. 5 Connecticut 72, No. 22 Creighton 53
Sarah Strong’s 22 propelled the Huskies as they clinched the Big East regular season crown in Harford, Conn.
Paige Bueckers totaled 15 points, seven assists and seven rebounds for UConn (27-3, 17-0 Big East).
Morgan Maly had 11 points and Molly Mogensen added nine points for Creighton (23-5, 15-2), which had 19 turnovers.
Creighton scored the game’s first eight points, but the Huskies led 11-10 by the end of the first quarter, then outscored the Blue Jays 27-12 in the second to take control.
No. 9 North Carolina State 78, Wake Forest 57
Aziaha James scored 18 of her 21 points in the first half to help the Wolfpack grab a 24-point halftime lead as NC State cruised in its regular-season home finale in Raleigh, N.C.
Zoe Brooks poured in 17 points and Madison Hayes had 14 for the Wolfpack (23-5, 15-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who are unbeaten in 16 home games. The Wolfpack made eight first-half 3-pointers, leading 48-24 at the break and showing no letdown after upending then-No. 1 Notre Dame in double overtime on Sunday.
Reserve Malaya Cowles had 14 points and Elise Williams provided 13 for Wake Forest (9-19, 2-15), which has lost 12 in a row in the series. The Demon Deacons went 4-for-20 on 3-point attempts.
No. 18 Kentucky 82, No. 11 Tennessee 58
Clara Strack’s 23 points and 15 rebounds carried the Wildcats in the Southeastern Conference win in Lexington, Ky.
Teonni Key and Georgia Amoore both scored 18 points for Kentucky (22-5, 11-4 SEC), which led 45-26 at the half. Dazia Lawrence added 13 points for the Wildcats, who outrebounded Tennessee 52-31.
Talaysia Cooper was the only double-figure scorer with 25 points for Tennessee (21-7, 8-7), which shot 31.1 percent from the floor.
No. 13 Oklahoma 89, Florida 65
Payton Verhulst’s 17 points and Raegan Beers’ 16 paced the Sooners to a Southeastern Conference road win in Gainesville, Fla.
Skylar Vann had 13 points for Oklahoma (22-6, 10-5 SEC), while Liz Scott and Sahara Williams both had 11. The Sooners were up 44-32 at halftime and scored at least 20 points in every quarter.
Liv McGill had 14 points to lead Florida (14-15, 5-10), while Ra Shaya Kyle and Alexia Dizeko each had 11.
No. 19 Maryland 74, Indiana 60
Shyanne Sellers had 25 points for the Terrapins, who outscored Indiana 28-21 in the fourth to pull away for the Big Ten Conference win in Bloomington, Ind.
Kaylene Smikle added 16 points for Maryland (22-6, 12-5 Big Ten) and Christina Dalce had 11.
Yarden Garzon’s 18 points led Indiana (17-11, 9-8), and Shay Ciezki finished with 15. The Hoosiers rallied from a 30-20 halftime deficit to close within two in the third quarter before fading.
No. 25 Louisville 78, Clemson 52
Tajianna Roberts racked up 19 points and the Cardinals, who couldn’t hold a lead in their last game, bounced back with an Atlantic Coast Conference home win.
Jayda Curry added 15 points and 10 rebounds while reserve Izela Arenas notched 14 points for Louisville (20-8, 13-4 ACC), which endured fourth-quarter snags in Sunday’s loss to then-No. 9 North Carolina. Louisville led Clemson 31-30 at halftime before pouring it on in the second half, including a 23-6 fourth quarter.
Loyal McQueen had 16 points to pace Clemson (13-15, 6-11), which was 3-for-15 on 3-pointers.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: STEPHEN CURRY SCORES 56 IN WARRIORS’ WIN
Stephen Curry ignited his own third-quarter explosion with a 50-footer at the halftime horn, then capped a 56-point performance with his 11th and 12th 3-pointers to protect a late lead that resulted in the Golden State Warriors’ 121-115 victory over the host Orlando Magic on Thursday night.
Curry’s 56 points were the fourth most of his career and his 12 3-pointers equaled his second most, helping the Warriors win their fifth in a row and their seventh in eight games since acquiring Jimmy Butler in a trade. Curry shot 16-for-25 overall, 12-for-19 on 3s and 12-for-12 at the free throw line.
Quinten Post finished with 18 points off the bench, Draymond Green scored 12 to complete a double-double with a team-high 10 rebounds, and Moses Moody had 10 points for Golden State, which completed a season-series sweep of the Magic.
Led by Paolo Banchero’s 41 points, the Magic got within 108-104 with 2:56 remaining and to 111-109 with 1:55 left. But Curry countered both times with 3-pointers, allowing Golden State to retain a lead the rest of the way.
Pelicans 124, Suns 116
Zion Williamson scored 27 points, matched his career high of 11 assists and collected 10 rebounds for his first career triple-double while leading New Orleans to a win in Phoenix.
Williamson made 13 of 17 field-goal attempts as New Orleans won its third straight game and fourth in its past five outings. CJ McCollum scored 19 points, Trey Murphy III added 18 points and Karlo Matkovic had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Pelicans.
Devin Booker recorded 36 points, nine assists and seven rebounds but couldn’t prevent the underachieving Suns from losing for the 10th time in their past 12 games. Kevin Durant scored 28 points, Tyus Jones had 15 points and matched his season best of 12 assists, Bol Bol tallied 15 points.
Mavericks 103, Hornets 96
Kyrie Irving poured in 25 points while powering Dallas past visiting Charlotte.
Irving, who tallied 19 points in the second half, tied his season best with nine rebounds. Moses Brown tacked on season bests of 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Klay Thompson logged 18 points as the Mavericks ended a two-game skid.
Mark Williams (26 points, 16 rebounds) and Miles Bridges (20 points, 12 rebounds) both picked up double-doubles for the Hornets, who absorbed their fifth loss in a row.
Bucks 121, Nuggets 112
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 28 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and dished seven assists to lead Milwaukee over visiting Denver.
Brook Lopez added 22 points for Milwaukee, which earned its fifth win in six games. Damian Lillard poured in 19 points, and Kyle Kuzma produced 16 points and nine rebounds.
Nikola Jokic compiled 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists for the Nuggets, who have lost two of the past three since winning nine straight. Jamal Murray added 20 points while Christian Braun (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Michael Porter Jr. (12 points, 10 boards) each had a double-double.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: PREDATORS END JETS’ 11-GAME WIN STREAK
First-period goals by Filip Forsberg and Tommy Novak held up as the host Nashville Predators snapped the Winnipeg Jets’ 11-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory on Thursday.
Goaltender Juuse Saros made 23 saves as Nashville ended a two-game losing skid, arguably the most important coming in the final minute as Saros turned away a wrist shot by Nikolaj Ehlers on a golden chance to tie the affair.
Neal Pionk scored the lone goal for the Jets, whose franchise-record winning spree began on Dec. 22. Eric Comrie finished with 28 saves for Winnipeg.
The Jets failed to convert a 1:54 five-on-three power play late in the second period and after that looked like a team that had played the night before and traveled. Winnipeg struggled to mount anything of a third-period comeback, managing only four shots on goal in the final frame.
Canadiens 4, Sharks 3 (OT)
Cole Caufield scored 3:21 into overtime to lift host Montreal to a victory over reeling San Jose.
Caufield’s 28th goal of the season tied his career high. Suzuki collected two goals and an assist to boost his point total to eight in the past three games. Alex Newhook scored a goal and Sam Montembeault turned aside 23 shots for the Canadiens, who have won three in a row.
San Jose’s Will Smith recorded a goal and an assist, while Fabian Zetterlund and Nico Sturm each scored a goal. Alex Wennberg notched two assists and Georgiev made 29 saves for the sinking Sharks, who have lost seven in a row (0-4-3).
Penguins 5, Flyers 4 (OT)
Evgeni Malkin scored the tying goal early in the third period and then the game-winner 1:03 into overtime to cap a four-point night as Pittsburgh overcame a three-goal deficit to beat visiting Philadelphia and end a four-game skid.
Erik Karlsson also had two goals and Philip Tomasino scored in his second straight game for the Penguins, who trailed 3-0 near the halfway mark of the second but rallied for the win after losing 6-1 at Philadelphia on Tuesday. Pittsburgh’s Joel Blomqvist stopped 21 shots in relief of Alex Nedeljkovic, who was pulled for allowing three goals on 15 shots.
Rookie Matvei Michkov had two goals and an assist for Philadelphia, which had won three straight. Owen Tippett had a goal and an assist, Noah Cates also scored and Samuel Ersson turned away 20 shots.
Golden Knights 7, Blackhawks 5
Ivan Barbashev scored two goals and had two assists and Keegan Kolesar also scored twice as Vegas tied a team record with five goals in the first period and then held on for a wild victory over Chicago in Las Vegas.
Tomas Hertl had a goal and an assist, Brett Howden had three assists, Noah Hanifin collected two assists and Nicolas Hague and Pavel Dorofeyev also scored for Vegas. Ilya Samsonov made 17 saves.
Nick Foligno, Colton Dach, Ethan Del Mastro, Ilya Mikheyev and Philipp Kurashev scored goals, Connor Murphy had three assists and Frank Nazar added two assists for Chicago, which lost its fifth straight game (0-4-1).
Lightning 3, Flames 0
Andrei Vasilevskiy made 27 saves to record his fourth shutout of the season, Brandon Hagel notched a goal and an assist, and Tampa Bay topped visiting Calgary to extend its season-best winning streak to seven games.
Hagel moved his point streak to seven games (seven goals, six helpers) as the Lightning improved to 8-0-1 over the past nine games. Erik Cernak and Nikita Kucherov had markers for Tampa Bay, while Victor Hedman had two assists.
Dustin Wolf stopped 20 shots, but the Flames were shut out for the third time this season and the first time by a team other than the Vegas Golden Knights.
Blue Jackets 5, Red Wings 2
James van Riemsdyk scored two goals to lift Columbus to a road win over Detroit.
Kent Johnson had a goal and an assist, Boone Jenner had three assists and Daniil Tarasov stopped 29 shots for the Blue Jackets, who had won three straight. With the victory, Columbus pulled level on points with Detroit, and the teams occupy the two Eastern Conference wild-card positions.
J.T. Compher had a goal and an assist and Alex DeBrincat added a goal for the Red Wings, who lost for just the third time in their past 12 games. Cam Talbot made 25 saves.
Islanders 2, Bruins 1
Goals by Alexander Romanov and Kyle Palmieri were enough to lift New York to the road win and hand the Bruins their fifth straight loss.
Ilya Sorokin had 38 saves, including 15 in the opening period, to help the Islanders snap a four-game skid.
David Pastrnak notched the lone score for Boston after the Bruins fell behind 2-0, extending his point streak to 16 games for the longest such streak in the NHL this season. It also tied the longest all-time run by a Czech-born player.
Blues 5, Capitals 2
St. Louis picked up its season-best third straight win as Philip Broberg netted two goals for the visitors.
Jake Neighbours recorded a goal and an assist for the Blues, while both Dylan Holloway and Colton Parayko also scored and Pavel Buchnevich notched two assists. Joel Hofer made 16 saves for the win.
Connor McMichael and Pierre-Luc Dubois scored for Washington. Alex Ovechkin was held without a goal on four shots to remain at 883 for his career, 11 behind Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record. Charlie Lindgren finished with 14 saves.
Ducks 5, Canucks 2
Ryan Strome and Troy Terry each had a goal and two assists as host Anaheim recorded its first win over Vancouver in three years.
Frank Vatrano, Jackson LaCombe and Cutter Gauthier also scored as Anaheim snapped an eight-game skid to the Canucks. Mason McTavish and Isac Lundestrom had two assists each while Lukas Dostal stopped 22 shots for the Ducks, who rallied from a two-goal deficit to score five unanswered goals in the final two periods.
Defenseman Tyler Myers had a goal and an assist and Pius Suter scored a goal for the road-weary Canucks, who were playing the fourth game of a five-game road trip and the second of a Southern California back-to-back. Arturs Silovs made 20 saves.
Hurricanes 5, Sabres 2
Carolina picked up just its second victory in seven games as Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist against Buffalo in Raleigh, N.C.
Jordan Staal, Sebastian Aho, Taylor Hall and Seth Jarvis also scored for the Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov had 14 saves for Carolina, which dealt the Sabres their just their second loss in eight games.
Alex Tuch and JJ Peterka scored for Buffalo, which fell behind 2-0 eight minutes into the game, leading to the Sabres pulling starting goaltender Ukko-Pikka Luukkonen.
Panthers 4, Oilers 3
Two goals midway through the third period allowed Florida to escape with the win over Edmonton in Sunrise, Fla., the Panthers’ fourth victory in five games.
Anton Lundell had a goal and two assists for Florida, and Uvis Balinskis, Nate Schmidt and Carter Verhaeghe added a goal apiece. Sergei Bobrovsky made 24 saves.
Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl scored for the seventh consecutive game, giving him a league-best 44 goals this season. Zach Hyman and Brett Kulak also scored for the Oilers, who took their fifth straight loss.
Utah 6, Wild 1
Clayton Keller had a goal and four assists as part of a career-high five-point night as the Utah Hockey Club beat Minnesota in Salt Lake City for their third straight win.
Utah’s Nick Schmaltz scored once and dished out two assists, while both Logan Cooley and Barret Hayton each recorded a goal and a helper. Dylan Guenther and Sean Durzi both scored, and Mikhail Sergachev finished with a pair of assists. Karel Vejmelka finished with 16 saves.
The Wild’s lone goal came from Frederick Gaudreau. Marc-Andre Fleury yielded six goals on 31 shots.
BASEBALL NEWS
SPRING TRAINING ROUNDUP: PROSPECTS HELP RED SOX HOLD OFF TIGERS
Marcelo Mayer went 3-for-3 with an RBI triple and a two-run home run, Roman Anthony added the go-ahead double and the visiting Boston Red Sox hung on to beat the Detroit Tigers’ split squad in spring training action Thursday in Lakeland, Fla.
Anthony and Mayer are considered two of the top prospects in baseball, as is their teammate Kristian Campbell, who scored a run. Anthony’s double in the fifth inning put Boston ahead for good, and David Hamilton and Trayce Thompson added home runs in the sixth to provide crucial insurance, as the Tigers rallied from a 6-1 deficit to make it a one-run game.
Justice Bigbie had an RBI in a three-run Detroit seventh and then hit a run-scoring single in the ninth before Boston’s Hobie Harris struck out Max Anderson looking to end the game.
Red Sox starter Quinn Priester allowed two hits and two walks in two innings before Josh Winckowski (1-0) got the decision in two innings of relief. Jack Flaherty started for the Tigers and finished with one run on one hit and two walks with two strikeouts. Kenta Maeda (0-1) yielded three runs and five hits in three relief innings while fanning five.
Tigers 7, Rays 7
Tres Barrera, Tanner Murray and Tristan Peters each hit solo home runs in the bottom of the ninth for Tampa Bay to earn a come-from-behind tie with visiting Detroit in Port Charlotte, Fla.
Barrera, Murray, Peters and Jake Mangum each had two hits in the Rays’ 14-hit attack. Starter Mike Vasil lasted 1 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out two.
Spencer Torkelson opened the scoring with a two-run shot for the Tigers and Tomas Nido went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Starter Matt Manning went 2 2/3 frames and gave up one run on four hits and two walks, fanning two.
Yankees 7, Phillies 7
Philadelphia drew a hit by pitch and three consecutive walks in the bottom of the ninth, the last one scoring Oscar Mercado to force a tie with visiting New York in Clearwater, Fla.
Johan Rojas and Rafael Lantigua homered for the Phillies in the back-and-forth game. Zack Wheeler started for the hosts and struck out four with just one hit over two innings.
Anthony Volpe and Oswaldo Cabrera went deep for the Yankees before prospect Tyler Hardman put the Yankees ahead 7-6 in the eighth with a three-run shot. Starter Carlos Rodon was tagged for three runs on four hits while striking out four in 2 2/3 innings, and reliever Cade Austin was responsible for the disastrous ninth.
Mets 5, Astros 0
Converted reliever Clay Holmes went three innings in his second start of spring, yielding one hit and one walk while fanning two, as host New York blanked Houston in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Ryan Clifford and Brett Baty each provided two-run home runs in the sixth inning for the Mets, with reliever TJ Shook (1-0) picking up the win with one out of relief.
New Astros first baseman Christian Walker supplied two of the team’s four hits. Starter Colton Gordon struck out three with one hit over two innings, and Miguel Ullola (0-1) surrendered all five runs on three hits and two walks in 1 2/3 frames.
Cardinals 8, Marlins 4
Trade candidate Nolan Arenado hit a three-run homer and a double for St. Louis in a win over visiting Miami in Jupiter, Fla.
Willson Contreras broke a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the second with a single to score Victor Scott II. Starter Andre Pallante pitched one-plus inning and gave up all four Marlins runs in the top of the second before Matthew Liberatore (1-0) pitched two perfect innings.
Andrew Pintar hit a two-run single and Xavier Edwards and Matt Mervis added RBIs in the Marlins’ second-inning uprising after St. Louis’ four-run first off starter Cal Quantrill. Valente Bellozo (0-1) threw two innings of relief.
Pirates 12, Twins 1
Nick Solak went 3-for-3 with two doubles, three runs and an RBI as visiting Pittsburgh hammered Minnesota in Fort Myers, Fla.
Jack Suwinski drove in runs on a single in the second inning and a double in the fourth before the Pirates poured on three runs in the sixth and another five in the eighth. Starter Caleb Ferguson (1-0) scattered one run and five hits in two innings, fanning three.
The Twins’ only run came when Ferguson hit Matt Wallner with a pitch with the bases loaded in the second. Ty France went 2-for-2 to lead Minnesota’s offense while starter Pablo Lopez (0-1) allowed three runs on four hits and two walks with four Ks in two innings.
Orioles 11, Blue Jays 8
Ramon Urias delivered a two-run shot and Tyler O’Neill had a three-run blast in a seven-run second inning for host Baltimore in a victory over Toronto in Sarasota, Fla.
Nine different Orioles had one hit apiece, including Sam Basallo’s solo homer in the seventh. Roansy Contreras (1-0), the second of nine pitchers, threw 1 1/3 spotless innings.
Orelvis Martinez and Myles Straw had two-run singles for the Blue Jays, and Charles Mcadoo cut the deficit in half with a three-run bomb in the ninth. Starter Easton Lucas (0-1) went 1 2/3 innings and gave up three runs off three hits and two walks.
GOLF NEWS
BILLY HORSCHEL CHASES AWAY GATOR AT COGNIZANT CLASSIC
One Florida Gator encountered another on the golf course Thursday during the first round of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches.
That’s right.
Billy Horschel, who attended the University of Florida, came within a few feet of the actual reptile while heading toward the seventh hole of his opening round. Horschel bravely used his club to chase the gator off the fairway and back into the water.
“Yeah, I’m not afraid of gators,” he said. “Listen, as I tell most people, I said, they’re more afraid of you. The majority of the time they’re only going to come after you during mating season where they’re a little aggressive and then if you’re around their nest when they’ve got some eggs.
“The majority of the time, they’re fine. I grew up with my dad grabbing their tail when they’re on the side of the bank and shooing them back in the water. I never touched a tail with my hand but I’ve done it with a club. Not that big of a deal.”
Well, it could’ve been — and Horschel knew it.
“The cop who was working with us walked over there and tried to shoo (the gator), but he didn’t have anything to touch him and he was trying to get as close as he could,” Horschel said. “It was either someone was going to have to go up to No. 8 and grab a rake or I was 30 yards away, 25 yards away, and I just grabbed a club and went over there and pushed him away.
“Listen, he was going nowhere good. So I just went over there, helped the cop. As (Cameron Young) said before I went over there, he goes, what was he going to do, try and use a Tazer on him? But I think he would have had to get a little close on that one to try and make it effective.”
Horschel, 38, didn’t seem to be fazed by the incident. He finished his round with a 5-under-par 66.
JAKE KNAPP FIRES 59 IN OPENING ROUND AT COGNIZANT CLASSIC
Jake Knapp recorded the 15th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history with a 12-under-par 59 in the first round of the Cognizant Classic at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on Thursday.
Knapp, 30, had a chance to tie the lowest round in tour history, but his eagle putt from just inside 19 feet on the 18th hole slid a few inches right of the cup. He then tapped in for birdie to complete his bogey-free round.
The winner of last year’s Mexico Open as a tour rookie, Knapp took advantage of ideal scoring conditions on the Champion course. He birdied his first five holes and had two other stretches of three consecutive birdies. That included draining a 31-foot put on the par-3 15th hole to reach 11 under.
“I knew obviously I had it going really early, but at the same time, that can happen and then it can kind of fizzle out pretty quick,” Knapp said when asked at what point he started thinking about breaking 60. “I thought I did a good job of just trying to focus on shot by shot and not letting what happened or what could happen affect anything.
“Then once I made the long putt on 15, it was like, ‘OK, now this is kind of here.’ But at the same time, didn’t let it affect the game plan or anything like that.’
After consecutive pars, Knapp arrived at the 18th hole needing eagle to match Jim Furyk’s PGA Tour record round of 58 at the Travelers Championship in 2016. He striped his tee shot 335 yards into the middle of the fairway and then put his approach shot to 18 feet, 8 inches.
He narrowly missed the eagle attempt, but easily converted the birdie to break the course record of 61 previously shared by Brian Harman (Round 2, 2012) and Matt Jones (Round 1, 2021).
“I didn’t really think about it, to be honest with you,” Knapp said of his mind set on the final hole. “I think you start thinking about it too much, you’re just going to add pressure to something that’s very unnecessary.
“At the same time, if it was Sunday and the tournament was coming down to the line, it might be different. But at the same time, it’s Thursday morning and I’m doing my best to just put myself in position going into the weekend.
“Tried to just focus on the shot at hand and trust what I was doing all day.”
Of the previous 14 sub-60 rounds in tour history, Knapp’s was only the fifth to be accomplished in the first round of an event. Two of the previous four went on to win the tournament.
No. 99 in the Official World Golf Ranking entering this week, Knapp rose as high as 45th during his rookie season in 2024 when he followed up his maiden win at the Mexico Open with a tie for fourth at the Cognizant Classic.
He is coming off a tie for 25th in his title defense in Mexico last week. Knapp slid to 107th following a missed cut at The American Express last month, but has since made five consecutive cuts, highlighted by a T17 at The Genesis Invitational two weeks ago.
Playing in the morning wave on Thursday, Knapp led a contingent of players who went low on the Champion course. That included Daniel Berger, whose 8-under 63 included scrambling for par on the par-5 10th hole — his first of the day — after his tee shot got lodged in a palm tree.
“It was an interesting start to the day,” he said. “I really didn’t feel like I hit that bad of a shot, and then next thing you know, I saw everybody trying to look for my ball.
“Definitely not the way you want to start a round. But kind of hung in there and made a great chip for par, and that kind of got the round going a little bit. Even though it was for par, it felt good.”
Berger said the course, which includes the famed “Bear Trap” stretch of hole Nos. 15-17, was playing soft and short Thursday morning.
“I thought I played well, but then someone shot 59,” Berger said. “Clearly the course was not the old ‘Bear Trap’ that we’re used to. But still a great start to the event, and just got to continue to do what I did today for the next three days.”
He’ll be among those chasing Knapp, who said he planned to work out and “maybe take a little nap” following his historic round. The 59 followed last year’s T4 when he carded a pair of 66s while finishing four shots behind winner Austin Eckroat.
“I like this golf course. I’m comfortable on it,” Knapp said. “”There’s no real goofiness to it or anything like that. It’s just kind of right in front of you. It’s very execution based. You just have to hit the shots that the hole calls for.”
A LIM KIM LEADS CHARLEY HULL BY ONE IN SINGAPORE
South Korea’s A Lim Kim opened the HSBC Women’s World Championship with a 4-under-par 68 Thursday to lead England’s Charley Hull by one stroke in Singapore.
Kim and Hull were the only players to shoot in the 60s amid the blustery conditions on the Tanjong course at Sentosa Golf Club.
“Today a lot of wind, and that’s very hard for me but everybody has the same situation,” said Kim, who carded five birdies with one bogey at the par-5 16th hole.
“Tomorrow, I’m going to work harder. The wind is a lot of swirling and it’s not consistent, so it was hard to read. But I have three more rounds to learn.”
Kim hit 13 of 14 fairways to build her second first-round lead of 2025. She opened with a 65 and went on to win the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions earlier this month in Orlando, Fla.
Hull was one of two players to post a bogey-free round along with South Korea’s Amy Yang, who is one of seven tied for seventh at 1-under.
“Not too badly,” Hull said when asked how the winds affected her play. “It was good. I quite enjoyed it. It was really fun out there. My boyfriend said to me, try to be inside like the top 5 by the first day to make him happy. I was just trying to like climb that leaderboard all the way around.”
Four players are tied for third at 2-under: China’s Ruoning Yin, Australia’s Minjee Lee, Mexico’s Gaby Lopez and South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi.
“Yeah, the wind was a little trickier today,” Lee said. “I don’t think we played or practiced in higher wind as strong as it was at times. A little swirly, like 4, all around there. So that was a little bit tricky.”
Yin was 3-under through six holes and matched Kim for the day’s lead with five birdies. Choi had a stretch with four birdies and a bogey from Nos. 12-16.
World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand and No. 3 Lydia Ko of New Zealand, the highest-ranked golfers in the field, are part of the group tied for seventh after shooting 71.
It was the 32nd consecutive round under par for Thitikul, just two short of the LPGA Tour record set by Jin Young Ko of South Korea set in 2022.
INDIANA NEWS RELEASES
INDIANA PACERS
GAME PREVIEW: PACERS AT HEAT
After closing out a 4-game homestand with a win over the Toronto Raptors, the Pacers (33-24) travel to Miami for a Friday night matchup with the Heat (27-30). The Pacers occupy the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference as they power through the stretch run of the season. Miami sits in eighth place, but is just a half-game behind the seventh-place Orlando Magic.
Tyrese Haliburton has been a force for the Pacers in the four games they’ve played since the All-Star break. He’s averaging 25.8 points and 11.8 assists in that span while shooting over 60 percent from the field.
Haliburton most recently recorded a 33-point, 11-assist, double-double in the win over the Raptors on Wednesday. He currently carries a three-game streak of points and assist double-doubles, and has recorded a combined 38 assists and just three turnovers over Indiana’s last three contests.
Miami’s Tyler Herro has been impressive of late as well. Herro also averages 25.8 points over the Heat’s last four games, and 7.8 assists, but shoots it at just 41.3 percent from the field.
The Pacers will face off with a new-look Heat team for the first time since Miami traded Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors in February. Miami received Andrew Wiggins back in that transaction, who averages 17.8 points in six games with the Heat. Miami owns a 3-6 record since the trade.
After the brief trip to Miami, Indiana will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday, March 2, to take on the Chicago Bulls at 5:00 PM ET.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Aaron Nesmith, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Heat: G – Tyler Herro, G – Davion Mitchell, F – Andrew Wiggins, F – Bam Adebayo, C – Kel’el Ware
Injury Report
Pacers: T.J. McConnell – questionable (right ankle sprain), Isaiah Jackson – out (torn right Achilles tendon)
Heat: Dru Smith – out (torn Achilles tendon), Nikola Jovic – out (fractured right hand)
Last Meeting
Jan. 2, 2025: A 33-point, 15-assist double-double from Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers past the Heat in Miami, 128-115. The victory handed Miami just its second loss in five games.
Myles Turner notched 21 points and five rebounds for the Blue and Gold, while Pascal Siakam added another double-double with his 18 points and 11 rebounds. The Pacers took the lead just two minutes into the first quarter and never relinquished it.
Former Indiana Hoosier Kel’el Ware led Miami in scoring as he recorded 25 points off the bench along with three blocks. It wasn’t enough to overcome Indiana’s 53 percent shooting night, including six 3-pointers from Haliburton.
Noteworthy
Miami’s Kel’el Ware played one season for the Indiana Hoosiers (2023-2024) before he was selected 15th overall by the Heat in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Tyrese Haliburton and Davion Mitchell were each drafted by the Sacramento Kings, and were teammates for one season (2021-22) before Haliburton departed for Indiana.
The Pacers lead the season series with the Heat, 2-1.
Myles Turner is three defensive rebounds away from passing George McGinnis (3,332 defensive rebounds) for sixth place in Pacers franchise history.
T.J. McConnell sustained an ankle sprain in Indiana’s matchup with the Clippers on Sunday. He’s missed the Pacers’ previous two games, and remains on the injury report.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
FanDuel Sports Network – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (studio host)
Tickets
The Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday, Mar. 2, to host the Chicago Bulls at 5:00 PM ET.
INDY IGNITE
IGNITE TAKE THE THRILL OUT OF VEGAS WITH WIN IN FOUR SETS
FISHERS, Ind. (February 27, 2025) – The Indy Ignite set the right tone with their first match following the Pro Volleyball Federation All-Star Match. Capitalizing on a complete team performance tonight, the Ignite defeated the visiting Vegas Thrill in four sets (25-23, 14-25, 25-18, 25-16).
The victory advanced Indy’s record to 7-5, tied with Vegas for third in the league standings. The Ignite have been particularly strong at Fishers Event Center, posting a 6-1 record on their home court.
“We needed that one,” said opposite hitter Azhani Tealer, one of four Ignite players named to the All-Star Team. “We set a team goal that we wanted to win or tie every (season) series with every team, and that’s a good start for us. We lost the first one to them, so we came out tonight with a little bit of a vengeance and it was good.”
Indy lost at Vegas on January 31 in a reverse sweep when the Thrill rallied to win the final three sets after dropping the first two. After Vegas won the second set tonight to even the match at one apiece, the Ignite were determined not to let the outcome repeat itself. Instead, Indy kicked in the after burners. Leading 17-16 in the third set, the Ignite closed it out with an 8-2 burst.
Indy jumped to a 3-0 lead in the fourth set and never trailed. Outside hitter Nina Cajic was deadly in that clincher, tallying eight kills and a block, scoring seven of the team’s last nine points.
Putting the second-set loss out of their minds quickly, Tealer said, was what allowed them to refocus, regain their composure and rally to victory.
“It was so bad,” she said of the second set, “that there were too many things to talk about. We just had to forget what just happened and go about our business. So, we did that.”
With her splendid fourth set numbers, Cajic paced the Ignite with 21 points on 18 kills, two blocks and a service ace. Tealer was close behind with 18 points (17 kills and an ace) to go along with 14 digs. Middle blockers Lydia Martyn (seven kills, three blocks, one ace) and CC Crawford (seven kills, two blocks, one ace) scored in double figures as well. Setter Sydney Hilley played her typical exemplary match, with 48 assists, seven digs, two blocks and an ace.
“I looked at the court at one point,” Tealer said with a laugh, “and I was like, ‘It’s a bunch of rookies and me and Syd.’ We’re proud of the rooks, though, they’re good.”
One of the “rooks” was outside hitter Anna DeBeer, making her first start. The Ignite’s first-round draft pick from Louisville played all four sets and totaled eight kills. Afterward, she teared up discussing her ongoing recovery from the serious ankle injury she sustained near the end of the collegiate season that kept her sidelined until a week ago.
“It’s definitely going to be sore after this,” DeBeer added. “We really didn’t know when the best time was going to be (to play in a match). It’s never going to be 100% this season, probably going to deal with a lot of the stiffness, so just kind of working through that and managing it. I’m not where I want to be but just working toward that every day and trying to contribute in other ways.”
DeBeer has many fans within the Ignite locker room, Tealer included.
“Her recovery has been really hard,” Tealer said. “We’re super proud of her and glad to have her back.”
The Ignite head to Omaha on Sunday for the first of a three-match road trip. It’s the next on the revenge tour since the Supernovas swept Indy at home on February 6.
“We haven’t really won a ton on the road and that’s something that we’re really going to focus on as we head into a big travel stretch,” DeBeer said. “We’re just going to go out there and do what we know we can.”
Sunday’s match streams live on the PVF YouTube Channel starting at 4 p.m. ET.
INDY FUEL
INDY FUEL TRANSACTION REPORT: 2.27.25
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indy Fuel have announced recent transactions for the team.
Dakota Seaman signed standard player contract
The Indy Fuel signed Dakota Seaman to a standard player contract on February 26.
Seaman, 23, has played both forward and defenseman and is from Prescott, ON. The 6’1” rookie has played 15 games in the ECHL with the Allen Americans and Wheeling Nailers.
He played two seasons totaling 85 games in the FPHL. He played with the Elmira Mammoth and Watertown Wolves where he collected four goals and nine assists.
Sam Rhodes signed standard player contract
The Indy Fuel signed Sam Rhodes to a standard player contract on February 26.
Rhodes, 25, is a left-shooting forward from Powhatan, VA. The rookie has not played a professional game, coming off of four years in USports with Wilfrid Laurier University.
He also played with the Barrie Colts in the OHL from 2017 to 2020 until he joined the Tri-City Storm in the USHL. With the Colts he played 121 games and had 12 goals and seven assists. In USports he has played 94 games with 34 goals and 33 assists.
INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
HOOSIERS SETBACK BY NO. 19/17 MARYLAND
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Four Hoosiers scored in double figures, but Indiana couldn’t keep pace with No. 19/17 Maryland as it fell in the home finale, 74-60, on Thursday night.
KEY MOMENTS
The Hoosiers (17-11, 9-8 B1G) came out strong, starting the game on a 6-0 run, Maryland (22-6, 12-4 B1G) answered with a scoring run of their own. Junior guard Shay Ciezki broke the Indiana drought with her first three-pointer of the night to tie the game at 14 after one.
The Terrapins used a big quarter in the second, outscoring the Hoosiers 16-6 including a 14-0 run put Indiana down ten at the break, 30-20.
Showing some life in the third quarter, Garzon started a 7-0 scaring urn for IU who came within as few as two, 39-37, with 2:43 to play. The Terps had the edge in the final portion of the frame, as it took 46-39 lead going to the fourth.
Garzon’s and-1 opportunity early in the fourth quarter had kept IU within seven but Maryland responded with five points in 30 seconds and a double digit lead they would never relinquish.
NOTABLE
Thursday night’s game would be the would be the 148th career game played for Moore-McNeil, tying Grace Berger’s record for all-time games played for the program.
Moore-McNeil also had 10 assists on the night, her
Garzon knocked down three 3-pointers, taking over second place all-time on the all-time career 3-pointers made list. She needs one more to tie (and two to break) Kris McGrade’s 31-year-old record of 206 triples made in an IU uniform.
Indiana has its fourth game in a row with at least four players scoring in double figures, with Garzon (18), Ciezki (15), Parrish (13), and Striplin (10) all chipping in on the score sheet
UP NEXT
The regular season closes at Purdue on Sunday afternoon in a 2 p.m. ET tip at Mackey Arena.
IU SWIMMING
NO. 2 INDIANA BREAKS IT OPEN AT BIG TENS
MINNEAPOLIS – No. 2-ranked Indiana opened a 126.5-point lead on Thursday (Feb. 27), the second day of the 2025 Big Ten Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships inside the Jane K. Freeman Aquatic Center on the campus of the University of Minnesota.
IU’s day included three conference titles, six medals, two program records and a meet record. Indiana’s three event winners were all first-time Big Ten Champions.
“It was a great night for the Hoosiers with three individual wins and multiple additions to our NCAA roster,” IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “We still have room to improve on relays.”
Junior Owen McDonald became the first Hoosier to break the 1:40 barrier in his 200-yard IM championship, setting the Big Ten Championship and IU program record in 1:39.89. It also ranks No. 2 in the country this season. McDonald beat the 2024 champion, Michigan senior Gal Groumi (1:40.34), to become IU’s first 200 IM champion since Vini Lanza won a third consecutive title in 2019.
The sixth-place finisher in 2024, senior Luke Barr touched three hundredths in front of Michigan Colin Geer to grab the bronze medal – his first individual Big Ten medal – in 1:40.62. Barr came into the meet with a 1:41.91 personal best.
Seniors Quinn Henninger and Carson Tyler managed another multiple-medal performance on the 1-meter springboard. A six-time Big Ten medalist, Henninger won his first-career Big Ten title with a 414.85 after scoring 69 points or better on five of his six dives. Tyler earned his seventh-career medal, third on 1-meter, finishing third with a 393.30. Indiana divers have won nine of the last 10 Big Ten diving championships between the three events.
Henninger is Indiana’s 15th 1-meter diving champion, winning IU’s 28th title and 10th in 13 years.
“What a great day for IU swim and dive,” IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. “Quinn joins a long list of 1-meter Big Ten Champions here at IU, and it’s so well deserved.
“Carson, [Maxwell Weinrich] and our freshman, Joshua Sollenberger, all raised their games today to help IU get off to a great start in the team standings. We’re looking forward to swinging the hammer again tomorrow.”
Junior Zalán Sárkány won Indiana’s first Big Ten title in the 500-yard freestyle since James Sweeney in 1989. Sárkány’s 4:11.62 marked the second-fastest performance in program history, only trailing Marwan Elkamash’s 4:10.87 from the 2017 NCAA Championships. Late in the race, Sárkány had to hold off Michigan junior Eduardo Moraes and Minnesota senior Bar Soloveychik, and he did that well. Both pulled within a second of Sárkány at the 450-yard mark, but the Hoosier shut the door with a 24.89 split – both challengers were over 25 seconds.
Junior Matt King neared the program record in the 50-yard freestyle, finishing third in 18.92. King came into the meet at No. 8 in program history (19.24), moved up to sixth in the morning (19.10) and now ranks second to Van Mathias’ 18.89 after Thursday night’s swim.
King anchored IU’s 200-yard freestyle relay that finished fourth despite setting a program record in 1:15.33 – a time that would have won gold one year ago. King had IU’s best split, 18.60, as one of three Hoosiers under 19 seconds alongside McDonald (18.81) in the No. 2 spot and senior Finn brooks (18.75) in the three. Sophomore Mikkel Lee led it off in 19.17. Their time broke an almost six-year-old record, the 1:15.41 set by Zach Apple, Bruno Blaskovic, Mohamed Samy and Brandon Hamblin at the 2019 NCAA Championships.
TEAM SCORES
1. Indiana – 526
2. Michigan – 419.5
3. Ohio State – 413
4. USC – 281
5. Wisconsin – 272
6. Northwestern – 262
7. Minnesota – 260
8. Purdue – 223.5
9. Penn State – 153
RESULTS
500 FREESTYLE
1. Zalán Sárkány – 4:11.62 (Big Ten Champion, NCAA B Cut)
19. Rafael Miroslaw – 4:19.19 (NCAA B Cut)
200 IM
1. Owen McDonald – 1:39.89 (Big Ten Champion, Big Ten Championship Record, Program Record, Career Best, NCAA A Cut)
3. Luke Barr – 1:40.62 (Big Ten Bronze, Career Best, NCAA A Cut)
7. Miroslav Knedla – 1:42.67 (NCAA B Cut)
9. Jassen Yep – 1:42.98 (Career Best, NCAA B Cut)
10. Brian Benzing – 1:43.01 (NCAA B Cut)
17. Toby Barnett – 1:43.13 (Career Best, NCAA B Cut)
50 FREESTYLE
3. Matt King – 18.92 (Big Ten Bronze, NCAA B Cut)
6. Finn Brooks – 19.12 (Career Best, NCAA B Cut)
10. Mikkel Lee – 19.07 (Career Best, NCAA B Cut)
11. Dylan Smiley – 19.21 (Career Best, NCAA B Cut)
16. Caspar Corbeau – 19.38 (NCAA B Cut)
23. Gavin Wight – 19.69 (NCAA B Cut)
1-METER
1. Quinn Henninger – 414.85 (Big Ten Champion, NCAA Zone Qualifier)
3. Carson Tyler – 393.30 (Big Ten Bronze, NCAA Zone Qualifier)
9. Maxwell Weinrich – 374.35 (NCAA Zone Qualifier)
11. Joshua Sollenberger – 334.45 (NCAA Zone Qualifier)
200 FREESTYLE RELAY
4. Mikkel Lee, Owen McDonald, Finn Brooks, Matt King – 1:15.33 (Program Record, NCAA A Cut)
UP NEXT
Indiana will look to set the tone for a great night when they open day three with the morning preliminary session on Friday beginning at 11 a.m. ET. The 100 fly, 400 IM, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, 3-meter dive and 400 medley relay will be contested.
INDIANA BASEBALL
BASEBALL CENTRAL: STETSON & MOUNT ST. MARY’S
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana Baseball team (3-5) will finish off a run of six games in seven days when it plays a four-game, round-robin weekend at Conrad Park on the campus of Stetson in DeLand, Florida. Games will begin with a doubleheader on Friday (Feb. 28) and wrap up with a Sunday matinee (March 2).
IU will play two games each against Stetson and Mount St. Mary’s. With the expanded Big Ten schedule, this will be the final non-conference weekend before conference play begins. The Hoosiers will step back out of league play in May to face Abilene Christian in Texas.
After a midweek setback to Xavier, the Hoosiers will hope to regain some momentum heading into the month of March. Redshirt sophomore centerfielder Korbyn Dickerson is hitting .480 (12-25) over his past five games with four home runs, 12 runs scored and 14 RBIs. His teammate, sophomore designated hitter Joey Brenczewski, had eight hits last weekend in North Carolina.
Fifth-year senior pitchers Gavin Seebold and Cole Gilley each went five-plus innings of work last weekend to get IU its first two wins of the season. Gilley has recorded 18 strikeouts to just one walk on the young campaign. His counterpart Seebold has 10 strikeouts and just three free passes through two starts.
Junior outfielder Devin Taylor has found his stride at the plate. He’s hit two home runs in the last three games, including a towering two-run blast against Xavier on Wednesday. In his past five games, he’s recorded 10 RBIs while being slotted in the two hole between Brenczewski and Dickerson.
IU found a big boost out of its bullpen last weekend in freshman right-handed pitcher Henry Brummel. He worked 2.2 innings of action while allowing just one earned run. Along with graduate student right-handed pitcher Drew Buhr and junior southpaw Anthony Gubitosi, IU has had productive outings from various relief arms over the last week.
All four games this weekend will be broadcasted on the radio by Ben Haller on whcc105.com and iuhoosiers.com. The Hoosiers will play a doubleheader on Friday at 1:00 p.m. (Mount St. Mary’s) and 6:30 p.m. (Stetson). They will close out the four-game set with additional games on Saturday (Stetson) and Sunday (Mount St. Mary’s).
Gameday Info
vs. Mount St. Mary’s (Friday, February 28th – 1:00 PM ET)
Live Video: TBD
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: t.ly/QE-9n
vs. Stetson (Friday, February 28th – 6:30 PM ET)
Live Video: TBD
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: t.ly/QE-9n
vs. Stetson (Saturday, March 1st – 1:00 PM ET)
Live Video: TBD
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: t.ly/QE-9n
vs. Mount St. Mary’s (Sunday, March 2nd – 11:00 AM ET)
Live Video: TBD
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: t.ly/QE-9n
Probable Starters
Stetson & Mount St. Mary’s
• Friday vs. Mount St. Mary’s: RHP Gavin Seebold, R-Sr. (1-1, 4.50 ERA)
• Friday vs. Stetson: RHP Ben Grable, Gr. (1-0, 9.00 ERA)
• Saturday vs. Stetson: RHP Cole Gilley, Gr. (1-0, 2.61 ERA)
• Sunday vs. Mount St. Mary’s: TBD
Leading Off
HANLEY HITS: Freshman first baseman Jake Hanley has been fantastic to begin his college career. He racked up 12 hits in his first eight games and owns an eight-game hitting streak to begin his college career. Hanley also has three doubles and has recorded three multi-hit days.
DICKERSON DOMINATES: There hasn’t been a player that’s had a better start to IU’s season than redshirt sophomore center fielder Korbyn Dickerson. He’s picked up 15 hits so far and has five-straight multi-hit games entering the weekend. He also has home runs in four of his past five contests (as of 2/27).
BIG, BAD BUHR: Graduate student right-handed pitcher Drew Buhr has picked up where he left off last season. The Austin, Ind. has given up just two earned runs in nine innings this year. Buhr has gone 4 scoreless innings against both UNLV (2/14) and Northwestern (2/24).
FRESHMEN ARE READY: IU has needed contributions from true freshmen so far this season. Entering the weekend, IU has received 18 hits from its first-year players. Hanley leads the way with 12 but infielder Cooper Malamazian also has three.
1-2 PUNCH: Fifth-year pitchers Gavin Seebold and Cole Gilley have been tremendous on the mound for the Hoosiers. The two have started the opening games of each weekend. They have combined to throw 20.1 innings while allowing just eight earned runs. The duo has 28 strikeouts to just four walks.
PATIENCE IS KEY: Sophomore outfielder Andrew Wiggins has been a boost of energy in the cleanup role for IU. But it’s his patience that’s worked best. He has a Big Ten-leading 13 walks this season. He’s reached base in nearly half of his plate appearances this year.
Scouting the Opponent
Stetson (4-4, 0-0 Atlantic Sun)
• Stetson has been one of the premier mid-major programs over the last 15 years. It made a NCAA Regional last season and won 40 games while winning the Atlantic Sun conference tournament.
• The Hatters have played a tough non-conference schedule to begin the season. The Hatters have already beaten UConn, Penn State and Missouri. They suffered close defeats to Michigan, Iowa, Notre Dame and Florida.
• Junior infielder Isaiah Barkett leads the team with a .303 batting average. He’s the only player with at least 10 hits. Sophomore infielder Juan De La Cruz and senior infielder Lorenzo Meola each have hit two home runs this year.
• The Stetson pitching staff has worked a 4.69 earned run average this season. It has struck out 79 batters while allowing just 31 walks. Former IU pitcher Ethan Phillips is now on the team at Stetson. He has made two starts and is in line to pitch one of the games this weekend.
Mount St. Mary’s (6-1, 0-0 MAAC)
• The Mount is off to a 6-1 start following a dominant 17-5 midweek victory over Maryland-Eastern Shore. Mount St. Mary’s has a collective .299 team batting average. Sophomore infielder Ty Fredo leads the way with a .379 batting average and 11 hits. Senior outfielder Mateo Zeppieri has hit four home runs.
• Mount St. Mary’s has been terrific on the bump through seven games. Freshman southpaw Serigne Sarre has a 0.77 earned run average in 11.2 innings of action. He has recorded 19 strikeouts and allowed just two walks in his first season of college baseball.
Inside the Series
Stetson
• There have been seven all-time meetings between the Hatters and Hoosiers. The two sides last played in 2009 on Stetson’s home field. Stetson has won the past three outings. IU last won a contest in the series in 1985.
• When IU and Stetson last played, there were three future MLB players in the lineup. Josh Phegley and Alex Dickerson hit third and fourth respectively for the Hoosiers. Future Cy Young winner, Jacob DeGrom, was the Stetson shortstop on the day. Stetson won that game 11-1.
Mount St. Mary’s
• These two teams have never played. The last MAAC school that IU played against was Siena in 2020.
INDIANA VOLLEYBALL
BIG TEN ANNOUNCES 2025 VOLLEYBALL OPPONENTS
ROSEMONT, Ill. – The 18 Big Ten volleyball programs learned their designated conference opponents for the 2025 season on Thursday afternoon (Feb. 27), as announced by the conference office. All teams will play 20 league matches with 14 single play opponents and three double play opponents.
The Hoosiers went 8-12 in the first season of the 18-team Big Ten. Head coach Steve Aird’s team closed the year winning three of its final four games including commanding victories over Michigan and Illinois at Wilkinson Hall. IU has won at least eight conference games in each of the last three seasons.
A year ago, IU was paired with Purdue, Illinois and Ohio State for its home-and-home Big Ten series’. That will change in 2025 with the Hoosiers set to meet Purdue, Northwestern and Maryland in their only double play league matchups. Those three teams will combine to make up six of the 20 Big Ten games on IU’s schedule. IU has won three-straight matchups against Maryland and two of the last three against Northwestern.
The rest of IU’s matchups are set to flip from the designated location last year. After going to the Pacific Northwest to play Oregon and Washington on the first weekend of conference play in 2024, those two schools will make the return trip to Bloomington next year. In turn, IU’s west coast swing will take it to Los Angeles to face USC and UCLA.
Additional home matches at Wilkinson Hall will come against Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Rutgers and Ohio State. Road contests at Penn State, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin will round out the 2025 conference slate for the Hoosiers. IU’s road game at Rec Hall in University Park will mark back-to-back years that the program has taken on the defending national champions in their home gym (2024 – at Texas).
The full Big Ten schedule will come out this summer after TV networks make their national television selections for the season. IU will build its first four weekends of the season against non-conference opponents with high-leverage RPI’s. Expect the full 2025 schedule to be released in June.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
#20 PURDUE WELCOMES UCLA TO MACKEY ARENA FOR FIRST MEETING IN 25 YEARS
GAMEDAY INFORMATION — GAME 29
[20] Purdue (19-9, 11-6) vs. UCLA (20-8, 11-6)
Friday, February 28, 2025 | 8 p.m. ET
West Lafayette, Indiana | Mackey Arena (14,876)
TELEVISION: FOX (Gus Johnson, Jim Jackson)
RADIO: Purdue Global Radio Network (Rob Blackman, Bobby Riddell)
ABOUT GAMEDAY
• The No. 20 Purdue men’s basketball team looks to snap a four-game losing skid as the visiting UCLA Bruins visit Mackey Arena for the first time in almost 25 years. Currently tied for fourth with Maryland and UCLA in the Big Ten standings, a win would go a long ways toward clinching a double-bye for the upcoming Big Ten Tournament in two weeks. It would also give Purdue 12 league wins for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons.
THE NOTES TO KNOW
THE NUMBERS (AS OF FEB. 27): A look at Purdue’s numbers entering the UCLA contest.
• NCAA NET: 18th
• Quad-1: 7-8 | Quad 2: 7-1 | Quad 3: 1-0 | Quad 4: 4-0
• KenPom: 17th | Off. Efficiency: 11th | Def. Efficiency: 49th
• Associated Press: 20th | USA Today Coaches Poll: 19th
• Strength of Schedule (KenPom): 5th
THE CONNECTION: Despite meeting just 13 times in series history, Purdue and UCLA have a storied connection.
• John Wooden was a 1932 Purdue graduate and a three-time All-American, helping Purdue to a 42-8 career record and the 1932 Helms Poll National Championship.
• The Bruins, led by Lew Alcindor (17 pts, 19 rebs), opened Mackey Arena on Dec. 2, 1967. No. 1 UCLA knocked off the Boilermakers 73-71, despite 28 points from Rick Mount in his first career game. UCLA’s Bill Sweek hit a long jumper just before the final horn to let No. 1 UCLA escape Mackey Arena with the win.
• The two programs would then meet in the 1969 NCAA Championship, where the short-handed Boilermakers fell 92-72. Playing in the final game of his career, Alcindor had 37 points and 20 rebounds. Mount had 28 points for Purdue, who was playing without 6-11 starting center Jerry Johnson.
• The two teams haven’t faced each other since Dec. 30, 2000.
QUAD SUCCESS: Purdue’s 14 quad-1 and quad-2 wins combined are tied for the third-most nationally (Auburn – 20; Alabama – 16). Purdue’s eight quad-2 wins are tied for the second-most nationally behind Florida’s nine quad-2 wins.
• Purdue’s 23 quad-1 and quad-2 games combined are the most in the country.
• Purdue has two quad-1 games remaining (UCLA, Illinois).
WE SHALL CALL IT A DOZEN: Purdue is looking for Big Ten win No. 12 on the season for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons. No other Big Ten program currently has more than seven 12-win seasons.
• Purdue is looking for its 20th win of the season for the 15th time under Matt Painter. He is tied with Gene Keady for the most 20-win seasons in Purdue history, currently with 14.
THE LEADERS: Purdue’s has shot at least 50.0 percent from the field in 11 of 17 Big Ten contests. In league games, Purdue leads the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.498).
• In league games only, Trey Kaufman-Renn is 4th in the Big Ten in scoring, while Braden Smith leads in assists again.
• Braden Smith’s 8.6 assists per game average in league play would rank as the highest in Big Ten history (2019 – Cassius Winston, 7.9).
ON THE CUSP: Point guard Braden Smith is on the cusp of becoming Purdue’s all-time leader in career assists, needing two assists to tie Bruce Parkinson (1973-77) on the top of the charts.
• Smith needs 12 assists to become the 12th player in NCAA history with 700 assists by the end of his junior year and seven assists to become the first player in Big Ten history with two seasons of at least 250 assists.
• Smith is one of eight players in NCAA history to have played at least 75 games and average 12.0 PPG, 6.5 APG and 4.5 RPG. He is the first player since Marist’s Jared Jordan (2004-07) to reach those marks.
500-POINT PACE:Trey Kaufman-Renn (538) and Braden Smith (442) are on pace to become the first Purdue teammates since 2017-18 (Carsen Edwards, Isaac Haas) to both have at least 500 points in a season, on pace for almost 1,300 combined points.
YOUNG GUNS: Among coaches under age 55, Mick Cronin (500) and Matt Painter (491) rank 1-2 on the active wins list.
PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
JONES, SWANSON LEAD PURDUE TO ROAD WIN AT PENN STATE
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Sophomore tandem Sophie Swanson and Rashunda Jones combined to score 61 points as the Purdue women’s basketball team knocked off Penn State on the road 92-85 on Thursday night at the Bryce Jordan Center. The win kept Purdue in the hunt for a bid to the Big Ten Tournament.
Jones paced the Boilermakers (10-18, 3-14) with 32 points, including a perfect 9-of-9 at the line. The South Bend, Ind. Added eight assists and six rebounds over 36 minutes of action. Swanson dropped a career-high 29 points on an efficient 10-of-13 shooting, 5-of-6 from distance and 4-of-6 at the line.
They are the first Purdue duo to score 29 points in a game since Katie Gearlds and Shereka Wright did it against Iowa on Feb. 10, 2004.
Lana McCarthy joined the sophomore duo in double figures with 11 points, all in the second half. The freshman was 3-of-3 from the field and 5-of-6 at the line over the final 20 minutes of the game.
The Boilermakers outpaced Penn State (10-18, 1-16) 22-5 on the break, while flipping 17 Lady Lion turnovers into 23 points.
Purdue shot 53.3% from the field and went 10-of-21 (47.6%) from behind the arc to go with 18-of-21 at the line. The Boilermakers dished out 20 assists on 32 made field goals.
TOP STATS
Combined, Jones and Swanson were 21-of-34 from the floor, 6-of-11 from distance and 13-of-15 at the stripe. They scored 30 of Purdue’s 41 points in the first half and 31 of the team’s 51 points in the second half.
Jones’ 32 points were the most by a Boilermaker under Katie Gearlds, while Swanson’s ranked third. It was the highest point total by a Boilermaker since Karissa McLaughlin dropped 34 against Kent State in 2019-20, and the most against a BIg Ten foe since Andreona Keys finished with 34 at Iowa in 2017-18.
Jones and Swanson were the first Boilermaker partnership to score 20 points in a game since Jones and Abbey Ellis paired up against Texas A&M last season.
They became the first underclassmen duo at Purdue to tally 20 points in a game since Karissa McLaughlin and Dominique Oden did it against Michigan on Feb. 1, 2018.
KEY MOMENTS
• Neither side found much rhythm to start. Jones connected on a pair of mid-range jumpers to score four of Purdue’s opening six points.
• Swanson checked in at the 4:51 mark of the first and took over to score 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting with a pair of triples.
• The Boilermakers rolled off 10 straight points to open a 14-10 lead midway through the frame with eight points coming from Swanson.
• Purdue led 18-17 after the first while shooting 47.1% from the floor and half its points off turnovers.
• Jones paced Purdue in the second with nine points.
• The Boilermakers opened the second on a 13-2 run to take a 31-19 lead.
• Penn State rolled off a four-point run to cut the gap to eight with 2:51 to play, but a Jones’ 3-pointer stopped the streak. Purdue carried a 41-30 lead at the break.
• Destini Lombard and Reagan Bass were the only other Boilermakers to score in the first half with nine and two points, respectively.
• Purdue converted 12 Penn State turnovers into 13 points.
• Penn State scored 10 straight early in the third to tip Purdue’s lead down to 43-40 with 7:04 to play in the frame.
• Swanson and McKenna Layden connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to spur eight straight points for Purdue to get the lead back to 11 points at 53-42.
• The Boilermakers hit four 3-pointers in the third and carried a 61-54 lead into the fourth after Penn State closed the frame on a 11-5 run.
• McCarthy started the fourth with a layup on Purdue’s opening possession, before the Boilermaker put the game out of reach with 11 unanswered points to make it 79-63 with five minutes to play.
• After McCarthy scored her seventh point of the fourth, to open an 18-point advantage, the Lady Lions fought back to within seven with a minute to play.
NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series with Penn State 36-25.
• The Boilermakers knocked down 10 or more 3-pointers for the first time this season and the 16th time under head coach Katie Gearlds.
• Jones is the 11th player nationally this season and the first from the Big Ten with at least six rebounds and eight assists in a 30-point performance. She is the first Boilermaker to reach that in over 20 years.
• The Boilermakers shot 50% or better for the sixth time this season and are 20-3 under Gearlds.
• Purdue’s 22 fastbreak points were a season high.
• McCarthy led Purdue on the glass with eight rebounds.
• Swanson recorded three of Purdue’s nine steals on the night.
• Jones became the 20th underclassmen in program history to dish out 100 assists in a season.
• Lombard crossed the 250-assist plateau for her career with four helpers on the night.
• Purdue recorded its highest point tally against a Big Ten opponent since dropping 91 against Penn State in 2020-21.
• The 31-point fourth quarter matched the program record for most points in final frame with a win over MInnesota in 2015-16.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers will close out the regular season on Sunday afternoon against Indiana at Mackey Arena. The noon tip will be televised on Peacock. A win will secure the Boilermakers’ spot in Indianapolis for the 2025 Big Ten Tournament.
PURDUE VOLLEYBALL
2025 BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL OPPONENTS ANNOUNCED
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Big Ten Conference announced the home/away opponents for the 2025 season.
The schedule features 20 conference matches, including three opponents that Purdue will face both home and away. Purdue will both travel and host Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota.
Boilermaker fans can catch matchups vs. Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State, Washington and Oregon in West Lafayette. Meanwhile, Purdue will travel to the campuses of Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Rutgers, in addition to the west coast trip at UCLA and USC.
Purdue is coming off one of its best seasons in program history with a 27-7 (16-4 Big Ten) record, fourth place finish in the league, No. 8 AVCA final ranking and a Big Ten match attendance record (14,876) on two occasions. Under Shondell’s guidance, the Boilermakers have finished fourth or better in the league in three of the last four seasons. Meanwhile, the program has racked up a 161-58 record over the last seven seasons.
Head coach Dave Shondell announced the program’s spring slate, which boasts five opportunities for Purdue fans to catch the squad in action, including three at Holloway Gymnasium: 3/26 vs. Butler, 4/5 vs. Miami (Ohio), 4/5 vs. Loyola Chicago; one at the Fishers Event Center: 4/12 vs. Vanderbilt; and a match at Ball State (4/15). The spring schedule will serve as the fan’s first look into a Boilermaker squad that features eight returners and seven newcomers, including two freshmen and five transfers.
The squad returns 2024 Second Team All-Big Ten honoree Taylor Anderson, who not only ranked No. 8 in the nation in assists per set (11.25), but guided Purdue to its third-highest hitting % in single-season history (.280%). In addition to returning rising stars which include Kenna Wollard, Ryan McAleer and Grace Heaney, Shondell’s incoming freshmen and transfer class set Purdue up to tie the tallest team in over 22 years, with an average front court height of 6’2″.
PURDUE SWIMMING
SAMUELS BREAKS ANOTHER RECORD, DIVERS PLACE 3 ON 1M PODIUM
MINNEAPOLIS – Brady Samuels eclipsed the team record in the 50 freestyle and was even faster with a split of 18.78 on the 200 free relay, accomplishing the feats on the same night in which three Purdue Divers earned a place on the 1-meter diving podium at the Big Ten Championships.
Max Miller, Jordan Rzepka and Zach Welsh teamed up for a 4-5-6 finish on 1-meter, all three Boilermakers improving on their prelim scores when they also accounted for a 4-5-6 combination.
Samuels’ prelim time of 19.24 in the 50 free gave the senior four individual records at Purdue. He eclipsed the 200 free record on the opening leg of the 800 free relay on Wednesday.
Miller finished just seven tenths of a point shy of a bronze medal in his first career championship final at Big Tens, improving on his list total by 57 points from the prelim to the final. Welsh was fourth in the prelim and a championship finalist in his individual event debut at Big Tens. Rzepka improved to 10-for-10 in career Top-10 finishes at Big Tens. Thursday was his ninth career championship final at Big Tens.
Going back to the women’s Big Ten Championships last week, Purdue has produced three of the eight podium finishers in all three springboard events so far at the conference championships. The men accounted for 75 team points on 1-meter Thursday, with the best still to come as all five divers compete on 3-meter Friday.
Samuels’ lifetime best 50 split of 18.78 on the 200 freestyle relay is believed to be a team record for relay split. It helped the Boilermakers’ 200 free relay team move into fourth place in program history with a time of 1:17.44. Samuels teamed up with Nathaniel Thomas, Idris Muhammad and Andy Kelly on the 200 free relay.
In his debut at Big Tens, Matheo Mateos earned a second swim, qualifying for the C final of the 200 IM while moving into eighth place in team history with a prelim time of 1:45.76.
Evan Mackesy (4:23.28, 8th) and Pat Broderick (4:24.80, 15th) did not earn second swims, but they did move up the program’s all-time leaderboard in the 500 freestyle. Both underclassmen posted lifetime bests. Junior Wyatt Blair’s lifetime best (1:46.49) in a 200 butterfly time trial moved him into 13th place in program history.
Muhammad and Thomas finished just shy of the cut line in the 50 free, taking 25th and 26th place. A top-24 showing would have made either of them a scorer in the event.
Will Jost (19.87 in 50 free) and Gabe Eschbach (1:39.51) posted lifetime bests in time trials as well.
The Big Ten Championships continue Friday with swimming prelims at 11 a.m. ET, diving prelims at 1 p.m. ET and the finals session at 6 p.m.
THURSDAY TEAM SCORES
1.) #2 Indiana 526
2.) #10 Michigan 419.5
3.) #13 Ohio State 413
4.) #16 USC 281
5.) Wisconsin 272
6.) Northwestern 262
7.) #24 Minnesota 260
8.) Purdue 223.5
9.) Penn State 153
PURDUE BASEBALL
UNBEATEN BASEBALL SET FOR HOLLY SPRINGS REMATCH WITH AKRON
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Akron (3-4 • 2024: 15-39, 10-20 MAC) vs. Purdue (8-0 • 2024: 33-24, 13-11 B1G)
4-Game Series / Friday to Sunday, Feb. 28 to March 2
Ting Stadium / Holly Springs, North Carolina
Series Opener: Friday, Feb. 28 at 5 p.m. ET
Doubleheader: Saturday, March 1 at 1 p.m. ET
Series Finale: Sunday, March 2 at 1 p.m. ET
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Purdue leads 3-2
Last Series: Purdue won 3 of 4 (March 2023 in Holly Springs, N.C.)
First Meeting: Akron 4, Purdue 3 (March 1997 in Jacksonville, Fla.)
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: Carter Doorn (Sr, RHP) vs. Akron’s Jared Schaeffer (Jr, RHP)
Game 1 Saturday: Cole Van Assen (So, RHP) or Easton Storey vs. Akron’s Jack Kelley (Sr, RHP)
Game 2 Saturday: Easton Storey (So, LHP) or Cole Van Assen vs. TBA for Akron
Sunday: TBA for Purdue vs. Akron’s Landon Vandergrift (Fr, RHP)
HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. – Purdue Baseball’s return to its home away from home in Holly Springs features another four-game series, but this time its against a team it has history with at Ting Stadium as Akron is the opponent for the season’s third weekend again.
First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. ET on Friday, 1 p.m. for a Saturday doubleheader and 1 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free all weekend at Ting Stadium, the home of the Holly Springs Salamanders of the Coastal Plain League.
The Boilermakers and Zips also squared off in Holly Springs in March 2023. Akron won a 2-1 pitcher’s duel Friday but Purdue came back to take three of four while scoring 53 runs over the final three games.
The Boilermakers have compiled a 19-4 record at Ting Stadium since making their debut there during the second weekend of the 2022 campaign. Five of those 19 victories have come in walk-off fashion, including four in 2022 during the program-record 15-0 start. Three years later, Purdue is unbeaten again going into the third weekend of the season. The Boilermakers entered the week as the only one of the 17 Big Ten teams without a loss so far. Around the country, the number of remaining unbeatens was in the teens this week.
Besides its home state of Indiana, Purdue has played more games in North Carolina since both 2019 (33) and 2022 (27) than any other state.
PURDUE RECORDS OF NOTE
• In North Carolina Since 2019: 27-6
…Teams Purdue has played: NJIT (7 games), Campbell (1), Villanova (1), Maine (1), Princeton (4), Charlotte (1), Longwood (3), Akron (4), George Mason (4), East Carolina (1), Southeastern Louisiana (1), Cal State Fullerton (1), Niagara (4)
• At Ting Stadium Since 2022: 19-4
…Teams Purdue has played: Princeton (4 games), Longwood (3), NJIT (4), Akron (4), George Mason (4), Niagara (4)
• Neutral-Site Games in North Carolina Since 2018: 26-7
…Teams Purdue has played: Houston (2 games), North Carolina A&T (1), NJIT (7), Villanova (1), Maine (1), Princeton (4), Longwood (3), Akron (4), George Mason (4), Southeastern Louisiana (1), Cal State Fullerton (1), Akron (4)
Logan Sutter’s 6-for-6 game Saturday – in which he homered twice, drove in five runs and scored five times – was in many ways a baseball unicorn, but it was Purdue’s pitching staff that really shined over the course of the four games vs. defending Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champion Niagara. On the mound, the Boilermakers surrendered just nine runs over 36 innings while racking up 55 strikeouts vs. 24 hits allowed.
During the 8-0 start, Purdue has limited the opposition to just 16 extra-base hits and a .302 slugging percentage in 72 innings. The pitching staff has also pounded the strike zone to the tune of a 3.9 strikeout-to-walk ratio (86 Ks vs 22 walks). The Boilermakers have a 77-30 edge in free passes (walks and HBP) over the first eight games. And while a .185 difference in season-long on-base percentage may be unsustainable, the pitchers can continue to do their part in making hitters earn their way on base even when the opposition starts throwing more strikes to Purdue hitters.
Akron’s lineup has seen its ups and downs over the first seven games – scoring 38 runs in a season-opening series win at Radford. The bats went quiet in Alabama last weekend as Jacksonville State limited the Zips to four runs in while bringing out the brooms. But Akron got back on track Wednesday with an 11-2 win vs. Youngstown State in the home opener at Skeeles Field.
ACTIVE STREAKS
• Keenan Spence – 11-game on-base (since May 18, 2024)
• Logan Sutter – 10-game on-base (since May 21, 2024)
• Albert Choi – 8-game on-base
• Ty Gill – 8-game on-base
• Brandon Anderson – 7-game on-base, 6-game hit (all multi-hit)
• CJ Richmond – 7-game on-base
• Avery Moore – 6-game on-base
• Lukas Cook – 5-game hit
PURDUE LEADERS IN HOLLY SPRINGS
Active Boilermakers Who’ve Played Multiple Years at Ting Stadium
• Albert Choi (Includes 2023 Stats for NJIT vs Purdue): 16-for-30, 3 3B, 5 RBI, 7 BB, HBP, 7 R, 3 SB
• Keenan Spence: 11-for-25, 4 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 5 BB, HBP, Sac Fly, 8 R, SB
• Logan Sutter: 11-for-26, 4 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 7 BB, 2 HBP, 11 R, SB
• Camden Gasser: 7-for-19, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 6 BB, 7 R, 2 SB
• Carter Doorn: 5 app, 11 2/3 IP, 11 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 13 K
Leaders Last Weekend vs. Niagara
• Brandon Anderson: 9-for-16, 2B, HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 3 HBP, 8 R
• Eli Anderson: 4-for-8, 3B, 5 RBI, BB, HBP, 3 Sac Flies, 4 R, 3 SB
• CJ Richmond: 4-for-12, 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, HBP, 4 R
• Pitching Staff: 36 IP, 24 H, 12 BB, 55 K, 1.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
ACES AND WINGS TO TIPOFF PRESEASON AT NOTRE DAME
The University of Notre Dame’s Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center will play host to a 2025 WNBA preseason game between the Las Vegas Aces and the Dallas Wings on Friday, May 2, 2025, at 7 p.m. ET.
The contest will welcome back three former Notre Dame women’s basketball All-American student-athletes; Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas), Jewell Loyd (Las Vegas) and Jackie Young (Las Vegas) to Purcell Pavilion.
“We are super excited to be able to welcome WNBA championship organizations in the Las Vegas Aces and Dallas Wings to Purcell Pavilion while supporting Arike, Jackie and Jewell and inspiring the current Notre Dame team and the South Bend community,” Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Women’s Basketball Coach Niele Ivey said. “I always want to bring new experiences to our program, and I am thrilled we are able to do this while elevating and showcasing women’s basketball.”
Presale tickets will be made available to the following groups:
- Tuesday, March 4 | Notre Dame Women’s Basketball season ticket members
- Thursday, March 6 | Notre Dame Men’s Basketball, Football and Hockey season ticket members
- Tuesday, March 11 | University of Notre Dame students (discounted tickets)
More information to these ticket member groups will be sent via email closer to the presale dates and information can be accessed on the above dates at FightingIrish.com/buytickets. Tickets also will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, March 11.
NO. 24 FLORIDA STATE TOPS NOTRE DAME, 86-81
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — No. 24 Florida State (23-6, 13-4) handed No. 3 Notre Dame (24-4, 15-2) its first home conference loss of the season on Thursday night, as the Seminoles topped the Irish, 86-81. Sonia Citron paced Notre Dame with 21 points, and Liatu King had 17 points and 11 rebounds for her 12th double-double of the year.
Maddy Westbeld got the scoring started with a triple before Notre Dame went into pick-your-poison mode, as the team so often does. Seven players scored in the first quarter, led by Hannah Hidalgo’s 6 points. The Seminoles struggled to get anything going, shooting 20 percent from the floor in the first frame (4-20). The nation’s leading scorer, Ta’Niya Latson, was 1-4 from the floor.
Notre Dame started the second quarter on a 6-0 run before Florida State took over. The Seminoles went on a 21-3 run, seemingly getting every roll while also going 6-8 from beyond the arc. Florida State outscored Notre Dame 30-17 in the second quarter and took a 44-40 lead into the locker room.
Citron came out of the locker room and scored 5 quick points, as she has taken over in the third quarter multiple times this season. King added 5 more to bring Notre Dame to within a couple of points before Notre Dame retook the lead on a Citron layup. The Seminoles responded with a 10-0 run, as Notre Dame went 0-7 to end the third quarter. Florida State had a 67-57 lead leading into the fourth.
Citron notched the first basket of the Irish effort for the second straight quarter. Notre Dame kept fighting and started the fourth on a 9-0 run before Mikayla Timpson hit a turnaround jumper for the visitors. From there, the Seminoles and Latson asserted themselves with an 11-4 run and ultimately held on.
Notre Dame closes out the regular season with No. 25 Louisville on Sunday. College GameDay will be on site at Purcell Pavilion, and Beth Mowins and Debbie Antonelli will be on the call for the noon ESPN game.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S LAX
PREVIEW: IRISH SET FOR A WEEKEND IN NORTH CAROLINA
IRISH SET FOR A WEEKEND IN NORTH CAROLINA
The No. 17 Irish are back on the road for another conference matchup as they head to Duke (2-2, 0-1) on Friday, Feb. 28. for a 2:00 p.m. game at Koskinen Stadium.
This will be the first road test of ACC play for Notre Dame as they are 0-1 to start league play after a close battle to Clemson at home, falling 11-12 in the final minute.
The Irish lead the overall series 14-13 with their last win over Duke coming last season at home as Notre Dame defeated the Blue Devils, 19-7. The Irish have won 5 of the last 6 matchups against Duke as they look to make it four straight wins on Friday.
The last time the Irish have played Duke in Durham was March 28, 2001, where Notre Dame won 13-9.
On Sunday, March 2, the Irish will head to Elon (2-2, 0-0) to take on the Phoenix at 11 a.m. The Irish are 2-0 in the overall series with the last match up happening on Feb. 25, 2018.
The Irish will continue to look for it’s top offensive weapons this weekend. Madison Rassas leads the Irish offense with 13 goals and 16 points.
Kate Timarky and Kristen Shanahan have each recorded 10 goals a piece this season, followed by Angie Conley and Emma Murphy with seven. Shanahan leads the Irish with 14 draw controls, followed by Rassas with 11.
Meghan O’Hare leads the team with 10 ground balls and eight caused turnovers for the Irish.
A LOOK AHEAD
The 2025 season features 15 regular season games with eight at home and seven on the road. Nine conference games are set for this upcoming spring season after the additions of Cal and Stanford to the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024.
“This year’s schedule has us entering a new era of ACC lacrosse with an expanded conference and new scheduling model,” said Notre Dame Women’s Lacrosse Head Coach Christine Halfpenny.
“The ACC will again be one of the strongest conferences in the country. We’re excited to attack the games in front of us this year both in and out of conference beginning with a great season opening regional rivalry with Northwestern.”
IRISH WELCOME 11 FRESHMEN
With a large class of 17 graduating last season, the Irish have welcomed 11 freshmen to the roster.
Five of which were included in the ILWomen’s Class of 2024 Power 100 Incoming Freshmen Rankings:
– Madison Rassas (#2)
– Katie Mallaber (#32)
– Carson Didden (#42)
– Kiki Liebezeit (Watchlist)
– Ellie McClelland (Watchlist)
THE RASSAS FAMILY IS NO STRANGER TO NOTRE DAME
Rassas isn’t just listed as one of the top players in the 2024 class in the country, but she has a chance to continue her family’s legacy at Notre Dame.
She comes from a long line of Notre Dame graduates, including both parents (Todd and Angela Rassas) as well as her grandfather and great-grandfather.
Her father, Todd, was an All-American lacrosse player at Notre Dame (‘98), while her grandfather and great-grandfather were both All-American football players for the Irish.
WATCH OUT FOR WEIGAND
Senior defender Weigandwas recently named to 2025 Tewaaraton Watch list and also received USA Lacrosse Magazine Women’s Preseason All-American Honorable Mention honors.
She finished the 2024 season playing in 20 games and recorded 24 ground balls and forced 17 turnovers.
TWO NEW ADDITIONS TO THE COACHING STAFF
Head Coach Christ Halfpenny introduced two new additions to the staff in August 2024 as she welcomed Caroline Curnal and Ellie Masera to the Irish.
Curnal, a 2023 Villanova graduate, started 47 of the 54 games she played in and totaled 94 points and 17 assists for 111 points. In addition to her record 382 draws, she had 34 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers.
She helped guide the program to a 15-5 season, where they advanced all the way to the NCAA quarterfinal round in 2024. Penn ranked as high as fifth during the course of the regular season, boasted one of the strongest defensive units in the country, and saw Niki Miles break program records for draw controls in a game and a season.
Miles was one of four first-team All-Ivy and three All-Americans on the roster, and another of those All-America picks (Izzy Rohr) was the Ivy League Defender of the Year for the second straight season.
She capped off her Wildcat career as the team captain and draw specialist, breaking the program’s career draw record with 382 and the single-single season mark with 155.
She finished with 41 goals and eight assists, scoring in 14 of the 17 games, and earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST first team. That was her second appearance on the first team, as she also garnered the honor in 2022 when she also was first-team IWLCA All-Region.
Masera, a recent 2024 graduate from Stony Brook, joins the Notre Dame program as an assistant coach after an outstanding four-year career with the Seawolves and a rookie season in the professional league with Athletes Unlimited.
Masera was a decorated midfielder in her four year career at Stony Brook.
She was a 2024 Tewaaraton finalist, the second player in program history, alongside former Notre Dame attacker and all-time Irish points leader, Jackie Wolak (2020-2024).
The two-time IWLCA, USA Lacrosse Magazine, and ILWomen All-American was the third pick in the AU Pro Lax Draft in April. Masera was also named the 2023 and 2024 CAA Midfielder of the Year and the 2022 America East Midfielder of the Year.
She finished her senior season as the fifth-best goal scorer in Division I (77) and finished second in points (117), also leading the nation as a senior in shots on goal and shots on goal per game. Masera finished her college career with 232 goals, 317 points, and a program record of 388 draw controls.
THE BIG THREE
The Irish graduated 17 seniors and graduate students a season ago, including three individuals in Madison Ahern, Kasey Choma and Jackie Wolak, who spent five years with the program, shattering numerous records during their tenure.
The trio combined for 964 career points over their five years together, the most of any teammates in program history.
Since their arrival to campus in 2020, Choma, Ahern and Wolak sat atop the team leaderboard in nearly every offensive category. Ahern’s 60 goals in 2024 led the team while Choma had posted the team’s top mark the four years prior.
During her career, Wolak never surrendered her title of assists leader and posted a team-best 100+ points in both 2023 and 2024. Ahern led the team in points during 2020 and 2022 while Wolak took the top spot in 2021.
All three rank among the program’s single season goal leaders with Choma holding two spots at three and eight, Ahern holds the sixth and seventh all time spots and Wolak’s 2024 total holds the 10th place.
Wolak also holds three of the top-10 spots for single season assists while the trio combine for four of the top-10 spots in total points for a given year.
Career leaders include Choma holding the top spot for games played (85) while Ahern and Wolak sit tied for second with 84.
Choma and Ahern sit second and third respectively in all-time goals while Wolak holds the top-spot for assists (153). Ahern’s 89 career assists ranks her fourth all-time.
All three rank in the top-10 for career points: Wolak (1st; 341), Ahern (3rd; 317), Choma (5th; 306). The trio was also the first set of teammates to surpass 300 career points and are three of only five individuals in program history to hit 300+ points.
The three combine for 10 Inside Lacrosse/ILWomen All-American honors, 10 IWLCA All-Region/All-American honors, eight USA Lacrosse Magazine honors, and eight Tewaraaton watchlist candidiasis.
A 2024 Tewaaraton finalist, Wolak set the program record for career points (341) and assists (153). Her 110 points last season was also third-best in program history and set her apart from the rest as the only individual to record multiple 100+ point seasons at Notre Dame.
Her 110 points finished atop the ACC last season and ranked fourth in the country.
In two NCAA Tournament games a season ago, Wolak’s 18 points ranked among the best in the nation.
With six points in the first quarter of the team’s NCAA First Round game vs. Coastal Carolina was a program best while her nine assists through three quarters played that day also set a program best.
The trio of Ahern, Wolak, and Choma scored in nearly every contest during their five years with Wolak’s 78-game streak to end her career being a program record.
Wolak became the program’s first-ever ACC Attacker of the Year honoree when she was named the conference’s top attacker in 2024
As a freshman, Ahern earned National Rookie of the Year honors from Inside Lacrosse.
Ahern was the 2023 ACC Postgraduate scholarship award recipient.
IRISH IN THE PROS
With the start of the WLL in 2025, it didn’t take long for the Irish to get picked up.
Five Notre Dame Women’s Lacrosse alums were all selected to the Boston Guard: Madison Ahern (‘24), Kasey Choma (‘24), Jackie Wolak (‘24), Hannah Dorney (‘23), and Andie Aldave (‘21).
The Boston Guards will open up their season on Feb. 12 in Springfield, VA as they take on the California Palms.
NOTRE DAME MEN’S LAX
GAME 4 PREVIEW: #2 MARYLAND
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 2 Maryland are set for a showdown in the south, as the top two teams in the country put their undefeated records on the line in Atlanta at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 1. The game will air on ACCN.
GAME DETAILS
Location: Atlanta, Georgia | Bobby Dodd Stadium
Schedule: March 1 — 1 p.m. ET
TV: ACCN
Live Stats: FightingIrish.com
Twitter Updates: @NDlacrosse
For a more in-depth look at the matchup – Game Notes: Notre Dame
THE MARYLAND SERIES
• Saturday will be the 19th meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Maryland. The series is even at 9-9 heading into the weekend, with the Irish winning each of the last three contests between the two sides.
• Six of the last nine matchups have been extremely tight with the games being decided by two goals or less.
• Notre Dame won both matchups last season, winning by a score of 14-9 at Arlotta Stadium in March before claiming the 2024 NCAA National title with a 15-5 win in Philadelphia on Memorial Day.
• Chris Kavanagh led the Irish attack with five goals in the win. In total, 13 of the 15 goals scored came from players on this year’s team.
KAVANAGH LEADS THE ATTACK
• Chris Kavanagh picked up right where he left off to open the 2025 season, posting a career-high nine points (4G, 5A) to finish just one point shy of the program record held by his brother Pat.
• The senior leads the Irish in points this season with 17 off nine goals and eight assists.
• Kavanagh turned in the greatest statistical offensive season in Notre Dame history last year, setting the program record for points in a season with 81.
• The attackman totaled 44 goals and 37 assists during the 2024 season.
• Chris joined his brothers Matt (42G, 33A – 2015) and Pat (31G, 49A – 2024) as the only players in program history to record 30+ goals and assists in the same season.
• The Rockville Centre native earned NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player honors after a prolific four-game stretch in the tournament in 2024, recording 22 points off 14 goals and 8 assists.
• The attackman put an exclamation mark on his season with a 5-goal performance in the national title win over Maryland, tying the program record for goals in an NCAA tournament game.
• Kavanagh set the program record for points in an NCAA Tournament game against Georgetown in the quarterfinals, totaling eight points off five goals and three assists. The five goals tied the program record for most goals scored in an NCAA Tourney game.
• The senior has 193 points off 121 goals and 72 assists and currently ranks fourth in program history.
• Kavanagh not only paced Notre Dame’s offense in 2023 but his 46 goals ranked third all-time in program history for a single season, just three behind Randy Colley’s record of 49 goals set in 1995.
• The Rockville Centre, New York, native has scored a goal in 25 straight games and has recorded a point in 47 of 48 games in his career. Kavanagh has posted multiple points in 43 of 48 games in his career.
LYGHTS OUT
• It didn’t take long for Shawn Lyght to make a name for himself in the college lacrosse world, as he cemented himself as one of the top cover defenseman in the country during his 2024 freshman season.
• Lyght consistently drew the No. 1 option for the opposing attack throughout the season.
• The defenseman held Connor Shellenberger to just one goal between the two matchups, both resulting in wins and he limited Joey Spallina to just one point in their only matchup of the year.
• The sophomore opened the 2025 season against Cleveland State holding his main defensive assignment to zero points.
• Lyght was the only sophmore to earn first team All-America status in the Inside Lacrosse preseason honors.
LOCKDOWN DEFENSE
• Despite losing two starting defensemen and standout goalie Liam Entenmann, Notre Dame hasn’t allowed any of the three teams it has faced this season to reach double-digit goals in a game.
• Notre Dame is allowing just 8.0 goals per game this season.
• The Irish finished 2024 allowing just 8.94 goals per game, leading the country, despite playing six games against opponents that ranked in the top 15 in goals scored per game.
• Notre Dame held opponents to 10 or fewer goals in 12 of 17 games during the 2024 campaign, including seven of the last eight on the way to the title.
• The Irish limited the opposition to 12 or fewer goals in 16 of 17 outings last season.
• Preseason All-Americans Ben Ramsey, Will Donovan and Shawn Lyght each return to the defensive unit along with the addition of Greg Campisi from Harvard.
BEATING THE BEST
• The Irish come into Saturday’s top-ranked showdown winners of 12 straight against ranked opponents.
• Impressively, 10 of the 12 wins have come against teams ranked in the top 10 at the time of the matchup.
• Notre Dame has won it’s last three matchups against teams ranked either No. 1 or No. 2, with all three coming in the 2023 season (Duke 2x, Virginia 1x).
• Saturday will be the fifth time in program history that the Irish will be playing in a game between the top-two ranked teams according to the USILA polls at the time of the game. Notre Dame is 3-1 in the previous four instances.
TAYLOR MADE
• Graduate student Jake Taylor is one of the great finishers in lacrosse, totaling 109 goals in his Fighting Irish career.
• The attackman scored seven goals in the season opener to become the 11th player in program history to reach the 100-goal milestone.
• Taylor has 16 hat tricks in his Fighting Irish career and has scored at least three games in each of his first two outings this season.
• The Denver native finished the 2024 season with 41 goals on 83 shots, giving him a shooting percentage of .494 which ranked fourth in the country.
• Taylor scored one of the biggest goals in program history, sending the 2023 NCAA semifinal into overtime with a twister against Virignia in the final minute of regulation.
GREATEST SHOW ON TURF
• The Irish attack has been borderline unstoppable over the last couple of seasons, leading the country in goals per game in 2024 with an average of 15.65.
• The Blue and Gold has scored 57 goals over the first three games this season, averaging 19.0 per game, the best mark in the country.
• Notre Dame led the nation in points per game (25.06) and shot percentage (.374) while ranking third in assists per game (9.41).
• The Notre Dame offense has finished with 10 or more goals scored in 25 straight games, the longest active streak in the country.
• The Irish scored 24 goals in the season opener and recorded 19 assists to total 43 points, finishing just three points shy of the program record for points in a game.
DOMINATING THE DOT
• Senior FOGO Will Lynch has won 31-of-50 faceoffs through three games this season for a win percentage of .620.
• The senior enters Saturday with 286 career ground balls, the most by any player in program history. Lynch set the record in the win over Georgetown, passing Billy Ahmuty (280 GBs – 1991-94) for the top spot.
• Lynch is coming off his best season in his Fighting Irish career, winning 61.2 percent of his faceoff attempts to lead the ACC and rank fourth in the country.
• The FOGO won 202-of 330 attempts and scooped up a team-high 113 ground balls.
• Over the four NCAA Tournament games Lynch was even better than his season average, winning 63-of-97 (64.9%).
• Lynch added a career-high four goals last season, including one in the ACC Tournament and one in the NCAA Tournament.
• Lynch was named to the All-ACC Team and to the ACC All-Tournament Team.
• The standout won over 50 percent of faceoffs in 12-of-16 games last season.
FAMILY STYLE
• Everyone is eating in the Irish attack this season, as 14 different players have already recorded multiple points on the season.
• The Irish have racked up 34 assists on the 57 goals with Chris Kavanagh leading the way with eight.
• In the win over Marquette, all three starting attackmen and all three starting midfielders finished with mulitple goals.
• Notre Dame’s midfield has accounted for 26 of 57 goals this season.
• The Irish rank second in the country in points per game with an average of 30.33 heading into the weekend.
FROM THE GRIDIRON TO THE LACROSSE FIELD
• Three Notre Dame lacrosse players on the 2025 squad also suited up for the football team in the fall, as Jordan Faison, Tyler Buchner and Matt Jeffery are both dual-sport athletes.
• Faison finished the season with 30 receptions for 356 yards and a TD, including a seven-catch, 89-yard performance in the first round of the College Football Playoff win against IU.
• Buchner was used in trick plays on special teams, picking up a first down on a fake FG against GT and completing a 23-yard pass on a fake punt against USC.
• Jeffery played in three games on special teams during his freshman season, seeing the field against Purdue, Stanford and Navy.
• All three have seen action during the 2025 lacrosse season, as Buchner has played in all three games as a SSDM and Faison and Jeffery made their debuts in the win at Georgetown.
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
IRISH TRAVEL TO BELMONT FOR WEEKEND SERIES
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Notre Dame baseball team makes the trek to the Music City this weekend to face off against Belmont University in a three-game series starting on Friday.
| Date | Time (ET) | Opponent | Location | Probable Starters |
| Feb. 28 | 5:00 PM | Belmont | E.S. Rose Park | RHP Dylan Heine vs. RHP Will Pryor |
| Mar. 1 | 1:00 PM | Belmont | E.S. Rose Park | RHP Jackson Dennies vs. RHP Joe Ruzicka |
| Mar. 2 | 1:00 PM | Belmont | E.S. Rose Park | RHP Rory Fox vs. RHP Jake Timbes |
THE MATCHUP
- The Irish enter the weekend 5-1 overall with a 3-1 mark in true road games this season. The squad is coming off a 3-0 weekend with victories over Iowa, UMBC, and host Stetson.
- The Bruins are 1-7 heading into the weekend. Belmont earned a rivalry win over Lipscomb with a 14-9 decision on Tuesday. This weekend will be the second consecutive home weekend series for Belmont.
- It is just the second all-time meeting between the squads. Notre Dame won the previous contest 6-4 in a neutral site contest in Macon, Georgia in the 2015 season.
LAST TIME OUT
- Jared Zimbardo drove in the tying run in the sixth, and Connor Hincks smashed a solo home run off the video board in the top of the 11th as the Irish defeated Iowa in the opening game of the weekend.
- The victory over the Hawkeyes was also the 400th win of Shawn Stiffler’s coaching career.
- The offense put up multiple runs in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth in a 12-2 rout of UMBC.
- Rory Fox was perfect in a three-inning season debut on the mound while eight different players registered a hit in an 8-2 victory over host Stetson to end the weekend.
- The Irish outscored their opponents 21-5 in the three-game stretch.
2025 CAPTAINS
The 2025 Irish baseball team will look to four captains to help guide the way this spring. John P. and Catherine Murphy Head Baseball Coach Shawn Stiffler announced graduate students OF Brady Gumpf and RHP Jackson Dennies, senior RHP Radek Birkholz, and junior INF Estevan Moreno as team captains for the season.
- Gumpf has played in 92 career contests for the Irish heading into the spring season. He had a single-season career-high 48 games played in 2024 and boasted a .352 on-base percentage with 31 RBI, 12 doubles, and nine home runs.
- Dennies has 41 career appearances and 76.1 innings pitched over his career heading into 2025. During his 2023 campaign, Dennies struck out 49 batters over 46.1 innings of work.
- Birkholz has made 48 appearances with 83.0 innings of work over three seasons for the Irish. He went 3-0 on the mound during the 2024 season with 20 strikeouts in 17.1 innings over nine appearances.
- Moreno had a team-best .625 slugging percentage in 2024 with 13 home runs and 17 doubles. His 42 runs scored was third on the team, and he has competed in 100 games for the Irish through two seasons of play.
TOP TALENT
The Irish have four players listed in the D1baseball.com Preseason rankings by position.
- Junior Estevan Moreno was 24th on the Top 50 shortstops list.
- Sophomore Carson Tinney was tabbed 47th on the Top 50 catchers listing.
- Graduate student Jared Zimbardo was 40th on the Top 100 outfielders report.
- Junior Rory Fox was 106th on the Top 150 starting pitchers list.
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
IRISH SPLIT DAY ONE OF JUDI GARMAN CLASSIC
FULLERTON, Calif. – The Notre Dame softball team split Thursday’s opening day of the Judi Garman Classic, held at Cal State Fullerton. The Irish beat invite host Cal State Fullerton 5-2 in the nightcap after dropping their first game 7-2 to 4th-ranked UCLA.
Addison Amaral hit two homers on the day, one in each game, and had 5 RBI over the course of Thursday. Her 3-run shot against Cal State Fullerton broke a 1-1 tie early in the game and proved to be the difference maker.
Micaela Kastor pitched a gem on the road, going the distance against Cal State Fullerton. The junior finished with seven strikeouts over seven innings, only allowing two earned runs. It was the second complete game for Kastor this season.
Cal State Fullerton Recap
After a 50-minute delay due to the game prior running long, Tran ripped a leadoff triple into the left center field gap to start off the top of the first. She would come around to score on a passed ball as the Irish struck first 1-0.
Fullerton, coming off a win over No. 6 LSU, would load the bases in the bottom of the first, but starter Micaela Kastor would escape the jam, getting a big strikeout before a weak fly ball to right ended the threat.
Kastor made her team-most eighth start of the night, entering the game with a 4-1 record.
In the bottom of the second, the Titans again put traffic on. With runners at second and third, a ground ball was hit to Anna Holloway at second. She fielded it cleanly and fired it home to Rachel Allen who placed a perfect tag on the runner for the out. The Titans would get one back in the inning however to tie it up at 1-1.
The Irish took the lead back in the top of the third. Amaral, with two runners on, hit a shot out to dead center for her second home run of the day, and third of the season. The three-run homer gave Notre Dame a 4-1 advantage and gave the sophomore shortstop 18 RBI on the year.
The Irish tacked on another next inning, as Sydny Poeck hit her first career long ball, a solo shot out to right center to put another run on the board, 5-1.
Kastor kept dealing in the circle for Notre Dame. She retired nine in a row at one point and had four strikeouts through four.
Emily Tran recorded her third hit of the game in the top of the fifth on a ground ball to left. The senior outfielder crossed home twice in the nightcap and leads the team with 12 runs scored this season.
Kastor continued her dominance. The junior had no issues in the sixth and battled through the bottom of the seventh to secure the win for Notre Dame.
UCLA Recap
Notre Dame got back-to-back singles by Emily Tran and Mickey Winchell to start off the game. After a flyout by Addison Amaral, UCLA starter Jada Cecil got two consecutive swinging strikeouts to end the early threat.
Kami Kamzik made her fifth start of the season and her second start against a ranked team in her career. After a leadoff walk, the sophomore got a groundout and two flyouts to keep the first inning scoreless.
The Bruins struck first with a solo homer to left in the bottom of the second to take a 1-0 lead.
It wouldn’t take long for an Irish counter. Amaral stepped up in the top of the third and hit a two-run homer that nearly cleared the scoreboard in left, scoring Winchell to give the Irish a 2-1 lead. It was Amaral’s second home run of the year and RBI number 14 and 15 this season.
In the bottom of the fourth, UCLA would take the lead on a two-run single with one out to take the lead. After a pitching change, Bruins’ leadoff hitter Jessica Clements hit a two-run homer to right to put UCLA up 5-2. An RBI triple later in the inning gave the Bruins a 6-2 lead after four.
Notre Dame put traffic on to start the fifth. Wichell singled, then advanced to third thanks to a stolen base and a wild pitch. Amaral would walk and swipe a bag herself to put two runners in scoring position with only one out. Next batter up, Kaia Cortes hit a grounder to second that resulted in a long rundown at home, ending with Winchell being tagged out. A swinging strikeout for the final out kept the Irish off the scoreboard.
UCLA would hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth for its seventh run. The game ended 7-2 in favor of the fourth-ranked Bruins.
Notre Dame will take on two ranked opponents tomorrow during day two of the Judi Garman Classic. The Irish face No. 6 LSU at 12:00 pm PT/3:00 pm ET before facing No. 23 San Diego State at 2:30 pm PT/5:30 pm ET. Live stats are available for both games.
BUTLER BASEBALL
MAC MATCHUP AWAITS BUTLER BASEBALL
The Butler baseball team will travel to Athens this weekend to play the Ohio Bobcats at Bob Wren Stadium. Bulldog fans will be able to watch all three games with the first tilt and the finale streaming on ESPN+. Saturday’s 2 p.m. start will be on Ohio’s YouTube channel.
Weekend Schedule
Friday, Feb. 28 – 3 PM
Saturday, March 1 – 2 PM
Sunday, March 2 – 1 PM
Scouting Ohio
The Bobcats are 1-6 at the start of the season with all seven contests coming on the road. Their home opener will bring in the 3-4 Bulldogs.
Opening weekend featured a three-game series at Wofford with the Terriers winning all three. The season opener was lopsided with Ohio taking an 11-1 setback, but the final two games were just one-run wins for the home team. The next weekend, Ohio went 1-2 at West Georgia, winning the Saturday showdown 4-2. The Bobcats most recently lost 8-4 at West Virginia in their first midweek game.
Matt Ineich, Trenton Neuer, Trae Cassidy, and Ben Slanker are the top hitters in the lineup. Ineich has a team-best 10 hits, Neuer and Cassidy combine for 10 RBI’s and Slanker is the home run leader with two.
Projected starters on the mound include LHP Dillon Masters, RHP Blake Gaskey and LHP Jacob Tate. Masters is the ace on the staff with a 1.00 ERA and a team-high 11 strikeouts. Gaskey is 0-1 on the year with a 6.75 ERA. He has tossed a team-high 9.1 innings over his two starts. Tate has struggled in each start, throwing just 2.1 innings, and walking five.
BIG EAST Standings
Xavier 5-3
Villanova 4-3
Creighton 3-3
Butler 3-4
Seton Hall 3-4
Georgetown 3-5
UConn 1-5
St. John’s 0-6
Bulldog Bits
– Butler leads the BIG EAST in batting average (.326), hits (84), doubles (21), and home runs (15)
– BU leads the league in on-base percentage (.423), slugging percentage (.605) and runs scored (64)
– Jack Moroknek leads the BIG EAST in hits (14) home runs (6), runs scored (11), total bases (36), and slugging percentage (1.125)
– Jack Moroknek is one of just five players to have six home runs this early in the season
– Moroknek ranks third among BIG EAST players in RBIs (10)
– Moroknek has five multi-hit games this year
– Moroknek, Jack Bello and David Ayers all rank top ten in the league in batting average
– All three of the players mentioned above have four doubles this year
– Tommy Townsend ranks third in the conference in base on balls (9)
– Townsend and Moroknek each have three multi-RBI games already in 2025
– Townsend and Moroknek have each reached base safely in all seven games
– David Ayers is on a six-game hitting streak
– Harry Carr had four hits in his last game at Louisville
– Ian Choi hit two doubles at Louisville on Wednesday
– Butler has hit at least one home run in every game this year and have two or more in six of seven
– Butler has scored 10+ runs in three-straight games
– The Bulldogs have had at least eight hits in every game this year
– Butler has scored 12 runs in the fourth inning this year
– The team has yet to allow a run in the eighth inning
About Butler
The Bulldogs are 3-4 at the start of the season with a solo win over Tarleton State and a doubleheader sweep against Norfolk State. Their three-game win streak was snapped on Wednesday in a high-scoring affair at Louisville that saw the Cardinals come out on top 15-11.
Ben Whiteside and Marcus Goodpaster are likely to see starts this weekend while the third pitcher is still up in the air. Whiteside is a left-hander with a 7.00 ERA. He has a team-high 10 strikeouts over his first nine innings of 2025. Goodpaster has also tossed nine full innings for BU. He holds and ERA at 3.00 and has seven strikeouts.
Moroknek Named to BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Jack Moroknek hit .636 over the weekend helping Butler win a pair of games at Norfolk State. He recorded seven hits in 11 at-bats with two doubles, two home runs and five RBI. In game one of the doubleheader, Moroknek went 4-for-6 with a double, a home run, three RBI and three runs scored while adding a stolen base. In the nightcap, Moroknek went 3-for-5 in a seven inning game, giving the Bulldogs a double, a home run and two more RBI’s.
D1Baseball Top Hitting Performance
D1Baseball.com included Jack Moroknek on their top performers list for Saturday, Feb. 22. To be recognized as a top hitter in the nation, Moroknek recorded his seven hits in 11 at-bats while adding two doubles and two home runs. His seven hits were matched by only Mason Lytle of UTSA. Moroknek was also just one of two BIG EAST players to earn the nod, joining Jason Neff of Villanova.
Last Meeting vs. Ohio
Butler and Ohio have not played each other since 2017. That year opened with Butler, LaSalle, and Ohio all meeting in Lexington S.C. to play each other two times each. BU beat Ohio in the first matchup 15-4, but lost the next day 4-0.
Up Next
Butler will play at Miami Ohio on Wednesday before heading to St. Charles, Mo. to face Lindenwood in a four-game series.
BUTLER SOFTBALL
BUTLER SOFTBALL HEADS TO FLORIDA FOR SIX GAMES
Tournament Information – Make-It-Happen Games (Madeira Beach)
DATE: Friday, Feb. 28 – Sunday, Mar. 2
LOCATION: Madeira Beach, Florida / Make-It-Happen Games
LIVE STATS: butlersports.com (select games)
LIVE VIDEO: AthletesGoLive.com
The Butler softball team heads to the west coast of Florida to compete in the Make-It-Happen Games at Madeira Beach. Scheduled opponents are Bethune-Cookman, Binghamton, UAlbany, and Bellarmine.
Bulldog Bits
(through games 2/25/25)
Cate Lehner’s .472 batting average leads the BIG EAST and ranks 67th nationally. Her 7 stolen bases ranks 2nd in the conference (57th).
Ella White leads the BIG EAST (32nd nationally) with a .926 slugging percentage. She ranks 3rd (79th) with 1.20 RBI/game, 2nd with a .541 on base percentage, and 2nd (56th) with 4 home runs.
Makena Alexander is 3rd in the BIG EAST (79th nationally) with 1.20 RBI per game. She ranks 2nd (56th) with 4 home runs, and she ranks 3rd (75th) with a .821 slugging percentage.
Katie Petran ranks 3rd in the BIG EAST (95th nationally) with 7.5 strikeouts per 7.0 innings.
at Velvet Milkman Classic (Murray State)
Rylyn Dyer’s no-hitter vs. Western Illinois was a career first. It was her third win of the season and the ninth of her career.
Dyer’s no-hitter was the fourth in Butler Softball program history, and the first since 2019.
Ella White had a home run and two doubles with three RBI over three games. She is now third on Butler’s All-Time lists for career home runs and career RBI.
Cate Lehner was 3-for-3 stealing bases and now has seven this season and 50 for her career.
Gwen Baker’s complete-game win her second this season and her fourth overall win.
Katie Petran’s win was her third this season and the 18th of her career.
Ella White was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after her performance in game 1 at Murray State.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Bethune-Cookman (4-13, 0-0 Southwest Athletic)
Bethune-Cookman has wins over Morgan State, Wofford, Fairfield and Stetson. Losses include #5 Tennessee, #19 Nebraska, #24 Mississippi State, Notre Dame, and Rutgers.
Hitting leaders: India Stokes (.333) 4SB | Emma Bradley-Tse (.302) 16H, 4RBI, 4SB | Joslynn Davis (.275) 14H, 5SB
Pitching leaders: Sofia Vallejos-Coleman (0-2) 4.54 ERA, 8K | Alyssa Lopez (1-2) 4.79 ERA, 11K |
Halyne Gonzalez (3-9) 5.31 ERA, 27K
Binghamton (5-5, 0-0 America East)
Binghamton has wins over Providence, Tennessee-Chattanooga, and FDU. Losses include Florida, Boston College, and Duke.
Hitting leaders: Brianna Santos (.424) 14H, 4RBI, 3SB | Emma Lawson (.414) 12H, 8RBI | Elisa Allen (.154) 3HR, 8RBI
Pitching leaders: Brianna Roberts (3-1) 1.16 ERA, 13K | Delaney Glover (1-1) 2.40 ERA, 3K |
Olivia Kennedy (1-3) 5.40 ERA, 15 K
UAlbany (0-5, 0-0 America East)
UAlbany has losses to Ball State, Charlotte, and Lehigh.
Hitting leaders: Charlotte Lomb (.571) 4H, SB | Victoria Vilarchao (.364) 4H, 2RBI | Deanna Grahek (.333) 3H
Pitching leaders: Kate Powers (0-1) 6.00 ERA, 4K | Hailey Errichiello (0-2) 12.44 ERA, 7K |
Hayley Wieczerzak (0-1) 14.70 ERA, 2K
Bellarmine (1-4, 0-0 ASUN)
Bellarmine split two games with Charleston Southern and has losses to Georgetown and Siena.
Hitting leaders: Harlie Bickett (.333) 5H, 3-2B, 5RBI, 4SB | Megan Konermann (.333) 5H, 2HR, 5RBI
Pitching leaders: Kelsie Houchens (1-0) 5.04 ERA, 2K | Selena Zuniga (0-1) 5.50 ERA, 5K |
Claire Lehmkuhler (0-3) 9.13 ERA, 2K
IU INDY/HORIZON LEAGUE
HORIZON LEAGUE WELCOMES NIU
INDIANAPOLIS – Northern Illinois University will rejoin the Horizon League as our 12th member starting in the 2026-27 season.
Why it Matters:
The Huskies will compete in 14 of the League’s 19 sponsored sports, including men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, baseball, softball and men’s and women’s soccer.
Major Voices:
Northern Illinois University President Dr. Lisa C. Freeman
“We are delighted to be joining the Horizon League. The league will be a wonderful home and a great fit for Huskie Athletics. The regional footprint of the league provides NIU student-athletes with the opportunity to compete at a high level in cities throughout the Midwest while maintaining the high academic standards that have become a hallmark of NIU Athletics.”
Horizon League Commissioner Julie Roe Lach
“We are thrilled to welcome Northern Illinois University into #OurHorizon in a major move for our League and member institutions. The University’s commitment to holistically developing students for their future aligns closely with our mission, vision and core values and we look forward to the major experiences and impact this will create for our student-athletes.”
Northern Illinois University Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Sean T. Frazier
“We are looking forward to a great partnership with the Horizon League and are excited about the opportunities for NIU student-athletes to continue our legacy of success. Thanks to Commissioner Julie Roe Lach and the membership of the Horizon League, and to President Freeman and others in the NIU administration, who have been alongside as we chart the course for the future of NIU Athletics. This move continues our strategic approach to embracing a national model for our programs while preserving a regional base and returning to a league where Huskie Athletics can continue to thrive.”
Horizon League Board of Directors Chair and Oakland University President Dr. Ora Pescovitz
“The Horizon League’s commitment to growth and strength is clear through the addition of Northern Illinois University. There is important alignment academically, athletically and geographically which will have positive impact moving forward. We welcome President Freeman and all Huskies to the Horizon League!”
Dig Deeper:
NIU posted a multi-year GSR score of 88 for the 2022-23 cohort with an APR score of 979 that same year, rivaling averages across the HL membership.
Rashon Burno is in his fourth season as head coach at Northern Illinois in 2024-25.
Burno came to DeKalb following six seasons at Arizona State, including five as associate head coach, and is the 29th head coach in Huskie men’s basketball history.
In 2023-24, Burno guided NIU to its best start since 2015-16 as the Huskies opened 5-1 with victories over Sun Belt regular season champion Appalachian State and NIU’s first win over DePaul since 2005.
Lisa Carlsen is in her 10th season in charge of the NIU women’s basketball program.
Carlsen’s teams have been recognized as one of the tops in the nation in the classroom. In 2023, NIU posted the third-highest team grade point average in the nation at 3.778 for its highest ranking in the WBCA Academic Top 25.
The city of DeKalb, Ill. is located within the League’s current Midwest footprint with an average distance to our current 11 campuses of less than 350 miles.
NIU was previously in the Horizon League (then known as the MCC) from 1994-1997.
The Huskies won the League’s McCafferty Trophy in the 1995-96 academic year.
The Horizon League has made a splash on the national stage in multiple sports, including two appearances in the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship Game since 2010 while seven men’s basketball programs have advanced to Sweet 16 in our history.
At the next level, 24 men’s basketball student-athletes have been selected in the NBA Draft.
Founded June 16, 1979, as the Midwestern City Conference with six charter members, the Horizon League celebrates its 46th season of operation in 2024-25.
The Horizon League is headquartered in downtown Indianapolis, the global epicenter of sports, with offices in the J.F. Wild Building.
League member institutions are located throughout the Midwest’s major metropolitan cities with nine schools in top-70 media markets.
The HL and ESPN announced in 2021 a multi-year, multi-platform media rights agreement, continuing a long-standing relationship that began in 1988.
Nine basketball games are on linear platforms each year, including the Horizon League men’s basketball semifinals and championship, five regular season men’s basketball contests, and the women’s basketball championship game.
The League supports the holistic development of our nearly four thousand student-athletes through several key initiatives including mental health grants for member institutions, our #OneHL working group and partnerships with Athlete Ally and Team Impact.
MEN’S BASKETBALL DROPS HOME CONTEST TO ROBERT MORRIS
INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indianapolis men’s basketball team came up short in its upset bid of the Horizon League’s top team, Robert Morris, inside the Jungle on Thursday night (Feb. 27). With the win, RMU earned a share of the Horizon League regular season title while the Jaguars lost any chance of hosting an opening round game in the upcoming Horizon League Tournament. Sean Craig and Jarvis Walker paced the Jaguars with 17 points apiece while Josh Omojafo had a game-high 27 points on 10-of-12 shooting for the victors.
Kam Woods finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds as RMU (23-8, 15-5 HL) won the glass 37-18 and shot 57.4 percent from the floor. The Colonials finished 10-of-27 (37 percent) from three while IU Indy closed at 9-of-24 (37.5 percent).
“I’m not thrilled that we lost the game, but honestly, I don’t fault our effort,” head coach Paul Corsaro said. “I thought we played incredibly hard and I thought we executed well in committing just two turnovers. We missed a lot of layups and a lot of shots in close and that was costly. Defensively, I thought we guarded well in the first half in holding them to 34 points.
“I challenged some of our guys tonight and they responded. I challenged Paul and he responded and I really got into Jarvis and when he came back (in the game), he was a difference maker.”
After RMU led 34-31 at the break, the Colonials took control early in the second half, using a 14-0 run to build a 15-point advantage with 14:30 to play. The lead grew as large as 17 before the Jaguars used a 9-0 run to close within eight. Walker scored seven points during the run, including a trey, to get the Jags back in the game. However, RMU retaliated with seven straight points, capped by a Woods trey to essentially seal the win.
The Jaguars had an early 14-11 lead when Keenan Garner scored on a putback, but RMU scored the game’s next nine points to build a six-point lead. The Jags stayed within a possession or two for the remainder of the half before RMU led by three at the break.
Craig hit three treys as part of his 17-point night and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds while Walker made a pair of triples as part of his 17-point evening. Paul Zilinskas finished with 14 points and three assists and Alec Millender, DeSean Goode and Garner closed with six points each. Millender also had four assists while Garner grabbed four rebounds.
“It’s been an emotional week for our basketball team and I think that took a toll on us,” Corsaro said. “We were tired. Our guys have been through a lot (this week), but we continued to fight. That’s what I’m most proud of.”
The Jaguars will close out the regular season on Saturday (Mar. 1) inside Corteva Coliseum when they host Wright State at 2:30 p.m. The program will honor Walker and Zilinskas ahead of Saturday’s game as part of Senior Day.
BALL STATE SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL SET FOR STOPS AT MTSU & LIPSCOMB THIS WEEKEND
» THIS WEEK IN BALL STATE SOFTBALL: The Ball State softball team opens spring break with a trip to Tennessee for games in both the MTSU Invitational and the Purple & Gold Challenge hosted by Lipscomb … The Cardinals open with games versus Middle Tennessee (Noon ET / 11 a.m. CT) and Illinois State (5 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. CT) Friday … BSU will play the same two teams Saturday, before shifting over to Lipscomb to battle Northern Iowa on Sunday.
» THE OVERALL RECORD: Ball State enters the weekend with a 1184-1173-4 (.502) overall record dating back to 1975 … The Cardinals have tallied 30-or-more wins in 16 seasons, most recently a 37-18 mark in 2021 … Of the 16 seasons with 30-or-more wins, 11 have come in the past 17 years.
» QUOTING COACH PEÑA: “Our goal this season is to have fun competing. If we can compete every single pitch, and have fun doing it, I believe we are going to have a really good season. It’s truly about getting better every weekend and not putting so much pressure on ourselves to be perfect.”
» A QUICK LOOK AT THE CARDINALS: Ball State enters the week as one of the nation’s top scoring programs, ranking 15th nationally at 8.11 runs per game … The effort is aided by a .321 team batting average, which ranks 58th nationally, as well as 11 combined home runs … Redshirt junior center fielder Hayley Urban made a splash last weekend at the Charlotte Invitational and currently leads all MAC players in slugging percentage (1.059) and OPS (1.609), while ranking second in both batting average (.471) and home runs (3) … As solid as the offense has been, Ball State has been just as stellar on defense, ranking fourth among all NCAA Division I programs with a .988 fielding percentage … BSU has committed just three errors over 52.2 innings in the field … The defense has helped Ball State’s pitching staff combine for a 4.12 ERA so far this season, with junior Ella Whitney leading the way at 2.36 … Whitney’s ERA is fourth in the league, while her four wins are tied for first among all MAC pitchers.
» VERSUS THE WEEKEND’S OPPONENTS:
– Ball State is a combined 4-20 versus teams it will face in Tennessee this weekend … The Cardinals are 2-4 all-time versus Middle Tennessee, 1-11 all-time vs. Illinois State, and 1-5 all-time versus Northern Illinois … On the bright side, Ball State beat both MTSU and UNI the last time the squads met.
– MIDDLE TENNESSEE: The Blue Raiders enter the weekend with a 4-11 overall record after suffering a 6-5 setback at Austin Peay last Wednesday … MTSU is batting .220 as a squad, led by Jana Want at .366 … Want also leads the squad in RBI (9) and walks (10) … In the circle, Middle Tennessee has a 4.33 team ERA, led by Leila Ammon at 3.82 … Over a team-high 29.1 innings of work, Ammon has struck out 20 batters and held opponents to a .295 average.
– ILLINOIS STATE: The Redbirds enter the weekend with a 4-9 overall record after going 2-2 at last weekend’s UT-Chattanooga Invitational … Despite batting just .198 as a team, ISU ended the event with back-to-back wins … Tatum Wolford leads the squad with a .320 average, while Belainey Bryant has the team’s only home run and is batting .308 … The Redbirds look solid in the circle, owning a 2.66 team ERA paced by Hannah Meshnick’s 1.32 mark … Meshnick has thrown 47.2 innings with 16 strikeouts and a .236 opponents’ batting average.
– NORTHERN IOWA: The Panthers enter the weekend with a 7-3 overall record after going 4-1 at least weekend’s Furman Classic … Winners of three straight, UNI has a .280 team batting average, led by Kylee Sanders at .433 … Addison McElrath is not far behind at .400 and leads the squad with four home runs and nine RBI … The Panthers are also strong in the circle with a 2.30 team ERA, led by Anna Wischnowski at 1.00 … Over 35.0 innings, Wischnowski has allowed just five earned runs and his limiting opponents to a .223 average with 20 strikeouts.
BALL STATE NEWS & NOTES:
» MAC PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS: Ball State was picked to finish fourth among 11 teams in the Mid-American Conference’s annual preseason poll … The Cardinals, who finished sixth in the league last season with a 12-13 MAC record, are looking for a third consecutive MAC Softball Championship berth, with the league’s top six teams advancing to Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio, for the three-day event which runs May 7-10 … BSU also picked up one of the 11 votes to win the MAC Tournament title.
» WATCH OUT FOR TIMMONS: McKayla Timmons was named a player to watch this season, ranking 36th on the Softball America Top 100 Preseason list and as the No. 8 ranked utility/designated player in the country by D1Softball.com … Timmons enters the weekend ranked second on Ball State’s career list in on base percentage (.486), second in slugging percentage (.742), second in home runs (43), fourth in batting average (.368), tied for 10th in RBI (135) and 12th in runs scored (114).
» SHINING BEHIND THE PLATE TOO: In addition to pacing the offense, McKayla Timmons has proven to be one of the nation’s top threats behind the plate and finished the 2024 season ranked as one of the nation’s best catchers by Softball America … She was fifth on SA’s final catchers list and 47th among the nation’s top 100 players … The effort was aided by Timmons throwing out 11 of the 37 runners attempting to steal a base on her last season … She has already caught one runner trying to steal this season, while surrendering just three stolen bases.
» ON THE BASES: Ball State has gone 14-for-15 in stolen bases so far this season, with seven different players recording at least one steal … McKayla Timmons leads the way at 5-for-5 and now ranks fourth in program history with a .903 (28-for-31) stolen base percentage … The Cardinals finished the 2024 season ranked second in the league and 25th nationally with 92 stolen bases … It was the seventh-best single season total in program history and included six different players with at least nine stolen bases.
» ON THE OFFENSIVE FRONT: Ball State has been putting on an offensive clinic so far this season, ranking 15th nationally by averaging 8.11 runs per game … The Cardinals have earned four run-rule victories so far this season and have scored 10-or-more runs in three games … In 2024, the Cardinals ranked second in the MAC and 58th nationally at 5.16 runs per game … Ball State scored five-or-more runs in 32 of its 58 games, including a season-high 13 runs in wins at Marshall (March 7) and at Buffalo (April 6 – Game Two) … Ball State was 29-3 on the year when scoring at least five runs, while going 7-0 when scoring 10-or-more runs.
» THE WHITNEY EFFECT: Ella Whitney, who played her first two seasons of collegiate softball at FIU, enters the weekend ranked first in the MAC in wins (4) and fourth in ERA (2.36) … Over a team-high 26.2 innings of work, she surrendered just nine earned runs and 21 hits to limit opposing batters to a .210 average … She also made a big impact with her bat, including posting Ball State’s first triple of the season in the 3-2 (8) victory over Cal Poly (Feb. 8) and her first home run with the Cardinals in the 12-1 (5) victory over Albany (Feb. 23).
» ANOTHER FRESH START: Redshirt sophomore pitcher Brinkley Kita, who began her collegiate career in 2023 at Lipscomb, earned her first win for the Cardinals in the 3-2 (8) win over Cal Poly by throwing the final 2.2 innings … Kita also picked up a complete game victory in Ball State’s 15-4 (5) win over Lehigh (Feb. 22).
BALL STATE BASEBALL
BASEBALL BEGINS THREE-GAME SERIES AT NORTH FLORIDA FRIDAY NIGHT
The Ball State baseball team is set to play a three-game series at North Florida beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday in Jacksonville.
The Cardinals (4-4) will also face the Ospreys (6-3) at 3 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. There will be no broadcast, but live stats are available at the link above and on the schedule page.
Ball State fell 11-1 to Illinois State in the home opener on Tuesday afternoon after splitting a series with Sacramento State last weekend.
North Florida dropped a 7-6 decision at No. 8 Florida on Wednesday evening to snap a six-game winning streak. The Ospreys swept Brown in a four-game set over the weekend.
Joe Mercadante is in his second season leading a program that finished 21-30-1 (11-17-1 ASUN) in 2024. The Ospreys were voted to finish seventh in the 12-team Atlantic Sun Conference preseason poll.
Senior infielder Connor Moore paces the North Florida offense with a .483 batting average including three doubles, two triples and nine RBI. Right-handed pitchers Bryson Treichel (9.0 innings, 10 strikeouts, 0.00 ERA), Jackson Bellhorn (7.0 innings, five strikeouts, 0.00 ERA) and Will Ross (9.1 innings, eight strikeouts, 2.89 ERA) have posted strong performances early in the year for the Ospreys.
The Cardinals will next head over to Tallahassee to play games at Florida A&M on Tuesday and Wednesday to wrap up the five-game Florida trip.
BEATING THE BIG BOYS: The Cardinals beat Maryland 5-3 on Feb. 15 at the Swig & Swine Classic in Charleston, S.C., to extend the Ball State baseball program’s streak of winning against at least one Power Four conference opponent to 14 seasons in a row.
Ball State has notched such a triumph in every season since 2012, with nine of those seasons featuring wins against multiple opponents from the Power Four.
HARTLAUB HEATERS: Senior right-handed pitcher Jacob Hartlaub backed up a strong Opening Day start with nine strikeouts in 5.0 innings of 2-run ball on Friday night at Sacramento State.
Hartlaub has struck out 17 and allowed only three hits in 10.2 innings of work with a 1.69 ERA in his first two appearances of the year.
CLOSING IN ON NO. 1,000: Head coach Rich Maloney is currently eight wins away from 1,000 in his career as a collegiate head coach, which is in the early stages of his 30th season.
Maloney (992) is 10th on the career wins leaderboard among active NCAA Division I coaches. The group consists of Paul Mainieri (South Carolina, 1,514 wins), Danny Hall (Georgia Tech, 1,418), Elliott Avent (NC State, 1,263), Dave Van Horn (Arkansas, 1,261), Rich Hill (Hawaii, 1,180), Steve Owens (Rutgers, 1,050), Rick Heller (Iowa, 1,044), Tim Corbin (Vanderbilt, 1,035), and Mike Bianco (Ole Miss, 1,013). Of the nine ahead of Maloney, only Hall, Mainieri, Avent, Van Horn and Bianco have more wins at the Division I level.
HIGH EXPECTATIONS: The 2025 Cardinals were picked to finish first in the recently released Mid-American Conference preseason poll. Ball State got six first place votes for the regular season and five to win the MAC Tournament.
The Ball State baseball program boasts the best winning percentage both overall (.636) and in conference play (.647) among MAC teams since 2019 entering the 2025 campaign.
HARKER HOLDING IT DOWN: Senior Garrett Harker has solidified the closer role for the Cardinals, beginning the year with 11 strikeouts in 8.0 innings pitched, a 2.25 ERA, 1.13 WHIP.
The right-hander has three saves, which ranks in a tie for second place among NCAA Division I pitchers.
COMEBACK CARDS: Ball State rallied back from a 7-0 deficit to claim a 13-10 win over Sacramento State in last Saturday’s series finale.
Down seven runs after the second inning, the Cardinals fought back with two tallies in the third, four in the third and three in the fourth to gain a 9-7 lead which they wouldn’t relinquish. Ty Davis hit a three-run home run in the fourth before Blake Bevis drove a go-ahead three-run shot in the fifth for the visitors to take the edge.
HOT START FOR HUTCHINSON: Sophomore pitcher Connor Hutchinson tossed 5.0 shutout frames with six strikeouts in last Thursday’s 4-3 winning in the series opener at Sacramento State.
The right-hander allowed only two hits in his first appearance of the year and first career start.
MIX OF NEW AND OLD: Ball State’s 2025 roster features 17 returning players from last year’s team, seven true freshmen and 13 incoming transfers.
BALL TATE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
NO. 11 BALL STATE DEFEATS NO. 16 OHIO STATE IN FIVE
MUNCIE, Ind. — The No. 11 Cardinals (11-5, 4-2 MIVA) took down the No. 16 Buckeyes (6-8, 3-3 MIVA) Thursday night at home in Worthen Arena in an action-packed five-set match.
Ball State bested MIVA rival Ohio State 3-2 (23-25, 25-20, 25-22, 15-25, 15-12) under the offensive leadership of Patrick Rogers, Rajé Alleyne and Ryan Bartz. Rogers added 18 kills while Alleyne added 10. Bartz subbed in for the Cardinals in the third set and was able to tally 6 kills at an impressive .857 hitting percentage.
Assisting the Cardinals’ offense was Griffin Satterfield. Satterfield soared to new heights against the Buckeyes, hitting career high numbers in assists, aces and blocks. In total, the junior setter was able to add 42 assists, three aces and three blocks.
Defensively, Vanis Buckholz, Rogers, and Braydon Savitski-Lynde protected at the net, each recording four blocks. Cameron Gray led the team in digs with nine total.
Ball State jumped ahead right away in the first set, taking a 4-0 lead over the Buckeyes. The Cardinals were able to maintain the advantage through 19-15, before Ohio State took a three-point run to get back within one. Rogers responded with a kill to put the Cardinals ahead 20-18, but Ohio State answered right back, tying the set at 20-20. The two teams went point-for-point until Ohio State was able to secure the frame 25-23 on a kill and a Cardinal error.
Momentum picked up for the Cardinals in set two, with the team taking an early 8-4 lead. Ball State was able to hold off the Buckeyes to the end of the set, winning the point at 25-20.
Ohio State came back forcefully in set three, leading by as much as six after a kill made it a 17-11 score. Despite being down, the Cardinals were able to battle back and tie the set at 19-19. From there, Ball State was able to secure the frame on a 25-22 kill from Bartz.
Once again, the Buckeyes responded well and took full control of the fourth. Ohio State was able to hold the Cardinals at 15, forcing a fifth set. For the win, Ball State finished the fifth frame 15-12 over the Buckeyes.
As a team, the Cardinals hit .337 (49-15-101) on the night in comparison to the Buckeye’s .286 (57-21-126).
Next up, Ball State will host Lindenwood on Saturday (Mar. 1) for their second matchup of the season. First serve is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET.
BALL STATE SWIMMING
KELLY’S RECORD-BREAKING GOLD LEADS WOMEN’S S&D ON DAY 2 OF MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
BUFFALO – Payton Kelly earned the Ball State women’s swimming and diving program’s first medal of the 2025 Mid-American Conference Championships with a dramatic ending in freestyle action at Buffalo’s Alumni Arena Natatorium & Dorsi Raynolds Pool.
In a charge to the wall after the final turn of the 50 freestyle, the Cardinals’ freestyle sprint specialist and Ohio’s Zita Szoke both finished at the exact same time at 22.23, sharing the top podium spot and naming them co-champions.
The two women battled for silver at last year’s MAC Championships in the same event, with Kelly getting the edge with a 22.40 finish. Kelly has placed in the top three in the 50 freestyle for the last three years, but claimed her first gold in the event tonight.
While earning gold, Kelly also bested her own program record time of 22.32, which she set back in 2023.
After matching her own best time of 22.82 in the 50 freestyle during prelims, freshman Anna Keen made her first individual league championship finals appearance as she earned a podium finish, taking 5th with a time of 22.60.
Sophomore Alexa Von Holtz added to the Cardinals’ point total after she clocked in at 2:03.82 in the consolation heat of the 200 individual medley, finishing 14th overall.
In the 400 medley relay, Ava Butterfield, Laura Wright, Keen and Kelly secured fifth place as they earned the fifth-fastest time in program history (3:42.94).
At the end of day two, Ball State remains fifth overall with117.5 points. Akron still holds the top spot with 264, while Buffalo follows with 228.
Action in the 2025 MAC Championships continues Friday with five more individual events, prelims and consolation finals of 3-meter diving, and the 200 freestyle relay. Prelims start at 10 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m.
Ball State Results on Day 2 of the MAC Championships
THURSDAY EVENING FINAL RESULTS
200 IM | Program Record – 2:00.85 by Alexa Von Holtz in 2023
14th – Alexa Von Holtz – 2:03.82
50 Freestyle | Program Record – 22.23 by Payton Kelly in 2025
Tied 1st – Payton Kelly – 22.23 – Program record
5th – Anna Keen – 22.60 – 3rd in program history
400 Medley Relay | Program Record – 3:39.86 by Pratt, Ruehl, H. Richter, Magley in 2013
5th – Ava Butterfield, Laura Wright, Anna Keen, Payton Kelly – 3:42.94 – Tied 5th in program history
THURSDAY MORNING PRELIM RESULTS
500 Freestyle | Program Record – 4:48.37 by Marcella Ribeiro in 2021
17th – Callie Tuma – 5:02.79
23rd – McKenna Potteiger – 5:05.93
29th – Olivia Owens – 5:10.35
31st– Kayla Newman – 5:11.12
200 IM | Program Record – 2:00.85 by Alexa Von Holtz in 2023
Advanced to B Finals – 11th – Alexa Von Holtz – 2:03.68
Prelims
19th– Magdalena Lechowska – 2:06.68
27th – Julia Ofman – 2:11.62
50 Freestyle | Program Record – 22.32 by Payton Kelly in 2023
Advanced to A Finals – 2nd – Payton Kelly – 22.53
Advanced to A Finals – 6th – Anna Keen – 22.82
Prelims
23rd – Haley Sakbun – 23.70
43rd – Natalie Marshall – 24.66
46th – Maya McDonald – 24.74
49th – Lauren Fecher – 24.86
EX – Eliza Bader – 24.34
1M Diving | Program Record – 305.48 by Caitlin Locante in 2021
26th – Leelah Fettig – 206.20
31st – Eeva-Liisa Gibson – 192.55
34th – Hannah Justice – 168.35
BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CLOSES OUT MAC REGULAR SEASON ROAD PLAY AT WESTERN MICHIGAN SATURDAY
Opening Tip:
– Saturday’s game against Western Michigan will mark the 94th time in program history the two schools have met with Ball State leading the all-time series record, 54-39. The Cardinals won their last meeting against the Broncos by a score of 61-51 just a month ago on Feb. 1 in Muncie.
– Ball State owns a 34-8 ledger over Western Michigan dating back to the 2004-05 season. Brady Sallee holds an 21-4 career mark against the Broncos.
– The last time the Cardinals lost to the Broncos in the MAC regular season was in Kalamazoo, Mich., which was on March 2, 2019 by a score of 72-54. Since then, Ball State has won nine-straight over Western Michigan.
– With the win at Eastern Michigan on Feb 15 the Cardinals secured their spot in the 2025 MAC Tournament in Cleveland (March 12-15). This marks the 35th appearance in the MAC Tournament in program history. Ball State has advanced to Cleveland 23 out of the past 25 seasons. The Cardinals are 24-33 all-time in MAC Tournament play and have advanced to the MAC Tournament finals on six occasions. Ball State defeated Bowling Green in 2009 in the MAC Tournament Championship game. This is the 10th time in current head coach Brady Sallee’s tenure the Cardinals have punched their ticket straight to the MAC Tournament in Cleveland.
– Ball State is coming off of a 60-58 overtime win at Central Michigan Wednesday. Lachelle Austin led the team in scoring with 17 points while Marie Kiefer tied her career-high in rebounding with 16.
– After three-straight losses, WMU rebounded Wednesday with a 77-66 victory at home against Akron. The Broncos’ Marina Asensio led the squad with 26 points. With only three games remaining in the MAC regular season, Western Michigan sits in eighth place in the league standings for the last seed in the MAC Tournament in Cleveland as of February. 27.
– A Ball State win at Western Michigan Saturday will clinch a share of the Mid-American Conference regular season title for the first time since the 2002-03 season.
– The Cardinals have been road warriors the past four years during Mid-American Conference action. Ball State owns a 35-11 (.767) ledger when playing league games on the road dating back to 2021 which was their best showing as the Cardinals went 9-1 that year.
19-2 at the Half:
The Cardinals own an 19-1 ledger when Ball State ends the first half with the lead. The two losses came against Columbia University and Toledo as the Cardinals held a halftime lead over both before losing in the fourth quarter.
NET Rankings:
The NCAA Division I net rankings have the Cardinals being ranked in the top 70 coming in at 69. Ball State has earned the highest net ranking out of all the schools in the Mid-American Conference.
The Possibility is Near:
With only four Mid-American Conference games left, Ball State remains atop of the league standings with a 12-2 MAC mark. The Cardinals are on pace to be crowned the MAC Regular Season Champions which hasn’t been done since the 2002-03 season. It will mark only the third time in program history that the Ball State women’s basketball team will have earned the regular season title the other year was in 2001-02.
Scouting Western Michigan:
– Shane Clipfell first year as the head coach of the Broncos was also Brady Sallee’s first year at Ball State. Clipfell was familiar with the MAC as he was an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan for nine seasons.
– The Broncos are led in scoring by Marina Asensio (13.8 ppg) and Hannah Spitzley (13.6) ppg. Spitzley also leads the squad defensively averaging 5.3 rebounds per game.
– Western Michigan junior guard Marina Asensio had a career-high 26 points as the Broncos snapped a three-game losing streak with a 77-66 win over Akron at University Arena on Wednesday night. Asensio was 9-for-12 from the field, including 7-for-10 from three and dished out seven assists. Her seven triples were also a career-best mark. Graduate student Hanna Spitzley had 17 points and seven rebounds, while Alli Carlson had 16 points and four rebounds.
INDIANA STATE SWIMMING
LOPEZ CLAIMS 1M DIVING CHAMPIONSHIP; SYCAMORES LEAD TEAM STANDINGS THROUGH DAY 2 OF MVC CHAMPIONSHIPS
WAUKEE, Iowa – Jecza Lopez became the first diver in Indiana State program history to win a conference title as the sophomore claimed the crown in the 1M Springboard Diving event to highlight the Sycamores’ second day at the Missouri Valley Conference Swimming and Diving Championships.
Lopez was the top qualifier in the 1M Diving prelims and took control of the evening’s finals on her fifth dive, on her way to setting a new school record with 305.35 points on her way to topping Illinois State’s Eva Reyes (297.60).
The Sycamores added another school record in the 400-yard Medley Relay, their third relay record of the week, while Chloe Farro (50 Free), Alexandria Cotter (200 IM), and Erin Cummins (500 Free) all finished on the podium to highlight Indiana State’s day in the pool.
Indiana State leads in the team standings with 492.5 points over the first seven events in the pool. Southern Illinois is second with 441, while Missouri State (379) rounds out the top three in the field.
Thursday Evening Finals
The Sycamores finished on the podium in all five events on Thursday evening highlighted by Jecza Lopez’s 1M Springboard Diving Championship, while Chloe Farro (50 Free) and the 400-yard Medley Relay team took second-place overall to highlight the second night of competition at the Waukee CSD Natatorium.
The night started with the 500-yard Freestyle finals as six Sycamores took on the 24-person field over the three finals. Erin Cummins finished third overall in finishing on the podium for the second consecutive season as the sophomore posted a time of 4:50.26. Claire Parsons was fourth in 4:50.63, while Maria Saldana Riebeling (4:52.97) and Haley Halsall (4:55.88) finished fifth and seventh respectively.
Trista Bullock was seventh in the B-Finals with 5:02.15, while Peyton Heagy was third in the C-Final in 5:00.68.
Four Sycamores advanced to the Thursday night finals led by Alexandria Cotter and Gemma Dilks’ showing in the A-Finals. Cotter finished third overall in the field with a time of 2:01.77 to make her first individual podium of the week, while Dilks placed eighth overall in 2:03.46. Dorotea Bukvic was second in the B-Finals in 2:03.84 with Pearson finishing two spots back in 2:05.23.
The Sycamores placed six athletes in the 50-yard Freestyle finals on Friday night led by Chloe Farro, Kaleigh Kelley, and Alexa Szadorski in the A-Finals. Farro set a new personal-best on her way to finishing second overall in the field in 22.84. Kelley was fourth in 22.99, while Szadorski placed seventh in 23.12. The C-Final featured Raine Boles tying for second in 23.37 to place just ahead of Visscher (23.50) and Kalli Agapios (23.71).
Jecza Lopez became the first Indiana State diver in school history to break 300 points on the 1M Springboard as the sophomore claimed the Sycamores’ first diving championship in program history. The Guadalajara, Mexico native posted a six-dive score of 305.35 to claim the title by seven points over Illinois State’s Eva Reyes (297.60).
Indiana State wrapped up the night with the A-Team of Visscher, Ali Pearson, Kelley, and Farro placing second overall in the 400-yard Medley Relay field with a school-record time of 3:38.90. Visscher went out in 54.74 in the backstroke, while Pearson (1:00.74), Kelley (53.94), and Farro (49.48) were solid the rest of the way.
Top Indiana State Finishers in Evening Finals
500-yard Freestyle: 3rd – Erin Cummins (4:50.26)
200-yard IM: 3rd – Alexandria Cotter (2:01.77)
50-yard Freestyle: 2nd – Chloe Farro (22.84)
1M Diving: Champion – Jecza Lopez (305.25, school record)
400-yard Medley Relay: 2nd – Sahara Visscher, Ali Pearson, Kaleigh Kelley, Chloe Farro (3:38.90, school record)
Thursday Morning Prelims
Indiana State put nine athletes in the A-Finals of the 500-yard Freestyle, 200-yard IM, and 50-yard Freestyle to open day two of the MVC Swimming & Diving Championships on Thursday morning.
Claire Parsons, Erin Cummins, Maria Saldana Riebeling, and Haley Halsall all qualified for the 500-yard Freestyle event final with Parsons, Cummins, and Riebeling finishing third, fourth, and fifth, while Halsall claimed the eighth and final position in the field. Trista Bullock was the lone Sycamore to qualify for the B-Final, while Peyton Heagy was in the C-Final.
Rose Parsons finished in 5:01.27 to wrap up the Indiana State athletes in the event.
The Sycamores added two more in the 200-yard IM event A-Finals as Gemma Dilks and Alexandria Cotter finished fifth and seventh respectively in the field. Dorotea Bukvic narrowly missed on joining her teammates in the A-Final finishing .05 behind Missouri State’s Olivia Sala (2:02.89) for the final position in the top eight. Ali Pearson joined Bukvic in the B-Finals.
Sophia Diaz (2:11.70) and Olivia Diruzza (2:09.99) also took on the field in the event.
Three Sycamores qualified for the 50-yard Freestyle A-Finals as Alexa Szadorski set a new personal mark in the event to place fifth, while Kaleigh Kelley and Chloe Farro finished tied for seventh overall. Sahara Visscher finished 17th in the field to claim the top spot in the C-Finals, where she will be joined by Kalli Agapios and Raine Boles as the Sycamores placed six overall in the top 24 in the event.
Allie Barasch (24.23), Ash Saple (24.42), and Kate Reeves (24.86), also took on the field in the 50-yard Freestyle event.
Jecza Lopez was the top overall qualifier in the Missouri Valley in the 1M Diving prelims as the sophomore topped Illinois State’s Eva Reyes 280.10-279.75. Lopez advanced to the A-Finals in the event, while Daniela Orta Castaneda (195.65), Evan McDougall (192.05), Brenna Woodruff (206.35), and Ella Taylor (199.30) rounded out the Sycamores overall in the preliminary field.
Top Indiana State Finishers in Morning Prelims
500-yard Freestyle: A-Final – Claire Parsons (4:51.47), Erin Cummins (4:53.51), Maria Saldana Riebeling (4:55.24), Haley Halsall (4:56.60); B-Final – Trista Bullock (4:59.23); C-Final – Peyton Heagy (5:02.72)
200-yard IM: A-Final – Gemma Dilks (2:02.35), Alexandria Cotter (2:02.49); B-Final – Dorotea Bukvic (2:02.94), Ali Pearson (2:06.06)
50-yard Freestyle: A-Final – Alexa Szadorski (23.08), Chloe Farro (23.15), Kaleigh Kelley (23.15); C-Final – Sahara Visscher (23.39), Kalli Agapios (23.55), Raine Boles (23.55)
1M Diving Prelims: A-Final – Jecza Lopez (280.10)
Up Next
Friday, February 28 Event Schedule
Morning Prelims: 100-yard Fly, 400-yard IM, 200-yard Freestyle, 100-yard Breaststroke, 100-yard Backstroke, 3M Diving
Evening Finals: 100-yard Fly, 400-yard IM, 200-yard Freestyle, 100-yard Breaststroke, 100-yard Backstroke, 3M Diving (9-16), 200-yard Freestyle Relay
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
SYCAMORES FALL IN HIGH-SCORING SHOOTOUT AT DRAKE
DES MOINES, Iowa – Indiana State had three starters score 20-plus points Thursday night, but it came in a high-scoring setback at the hands of Drake, 107-86, inside the Knapp Center.
Keslyn Secrist and Savannah White paced the Sycamores with a career-high 24 points each, with White also adding a team-high 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Bella Finnegan added 22 points and Deja Jones flirted with another double-double (nine rebounds, eight assists) for the Trees, who shot a season-best 52.4 percent from 3-point range.
Indiana State came out swinging from the start, as the Sycamores hit six threes in the first quarter and built a double-digit lead early on. The Trees led 35-33 after the opening frame and kept the lead until the late stages of the second quarter. A 16-2 Drake run to close the half saw the Sycamores go behind 59-49 at the intermission, and the Bulldogs took control from there. Indiana State never got closer than eight in the second half, as Drake withstood a valiant effort from the Blue and White to pull away late.
First Half
Indiana State hardly looked like a team with just four wins this season to start the game. Finnegan, Secrist and White contributed to a 7-0 run to start the game, with Secrist hitting a trio of threes in the first three minutes of the game. Finnegan forced Drake into an early timeout with another trey to make it 20-11 Sycamores less than four minutes into the game, and a layup from White out of the timeout gave the Trees their largest lead. Baskets from Mia Simpson and Finnegan kept the Blue and White in front, with back-to-back threes from the latter propelling Indiana State to its highest-scoring quarter of the season. White added a layup inside the final minute, as the Sycamores took a 35-33 lead after the first quarter.
Baskets from Jones and Secrist kept the Sycamores ahead early in the second, and Queen Ruffin knocked down a three-ball to make it 42-35 Trees less than two minutes into the frame. White scored the next seven points for the Trees with three baskets and a free throw as the Sycamores led for most of the half, but Drake surged ahead late. The Bulldogs closed the half on a 16-2 run and took a 59-49 lead into the intermission.
Second Half
Finnegan and Simpson kept things going for the Sycamores early in the third with baskets, but Drake used a 10-2 run to further extend its lead. Secrist added a layup and two more threes to pull the Blue and White within 12 at 75-63 midway through the quarter, and Ruffin hit another trey to cut the deficit to 10 late in the frame. Drake went on a 9-0 run in the span of a minute, but late baskets from Jones and Finnegan cut Indiana State’s deficit to 88-73 entering the fourth quarter.
Drake scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter before Finnegan hit a three to end the Bulldog run. White and Simpson added baskets down low midway through the frame, while Secrist connected on a pair of buckets in the span of a minute as the Sycamores continued to produce on the offensive end. White added another late layup, but the Sycamores ultimately fell in one of the highest-scoring games in the MVC this season, 107-86.
News and Notes
Indiana State’s 35 points in the first quarter represented the Sycamores’ highest scoring quarter of the season. It also was the most points allowed by Drake in a quarter to any opponent this season.
The Sycamores’ 35-point first quarter came on a 13-for-19 shooting performance (68.4 percent), including a 6-for-9 clip from 3-point range (66.7 percent). Indiana State hit eight of its first 11 shots in the game, including a 4-for-6 mark from deep in that span.
Indiana State had three players score 20-plus points in Thursday’s game (Savannah White 24, Keslyn Secrist 24, Bella Finnegan 22), marking the first time that the Sycamores had a trio of 20-point scorers in the same game since Nov. 23, 2018 at Grand Canyon.
Savannah White became the second Sycamore with a 20-10 game in as many games, finishing with a career-high 24 points and 11 rebounds. White joined Deja Jones (20 points, 12 rebounds at Valpo) as Sycamores with a 20-10 game this season.
Indiana State’s 11 threes and 52.4 percent mark from 3-point range were both the second-best marks for the Sycamores this season (15 threes at SIU, 53.8 percent 3FG vs. UNI).
Indiana State finished plus-five in turnover margin and had just 11 giveaways in the game. The Sycamores had a 16-15 advantage in points off turnovers.
Indiana State’s 86 points were its most in a loss this season and the third-highest point total for the Sycamores in any game this season.
Up Next
Indiana State closes the road portion of its schedule Saturday at Evansville, with tipoff set for 6 p.m.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
DONS TRAVEL TO SEMO THIS WEEKEND
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne baseball team (0-7) heads to SEMO (3-4) this weekend for four games. SEMO won two of three at future Horizon League foe Northern Illinois last weekend.
Game Day Information
When:
Friday, Feb. 28 | 4:00 p.m. ET
Saturday, March 1 | 1 p.m. ET (doubleheader)
Sunday, March 2 | 2:00 p.m. ET
Where: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Live Stats:GM 1 | GM2 | GM 3 | GM 4
Weather:
Friday: 66/39 – sunny
Saturday: 46/24 – partly cloudy
Sunday: 43/31 – sunny
Series History: SEMO leads 14-1
Last Week at Austin Peay:
– Freshman Sage Adams went 4-of-6 with three walks.
– Camden Karczewski had four hits and drove in two runs.
– Jackson Micheels knocked a home run.
– Zane Danielson allowed just one run in 5.2 innings at Austin Peay last week.
Top 5: Zane Danielson is fourth in the league in innings pitched at 10.1. Dillon Fischer (10.0) is fifth in the league.
House Call:Justin Osterhouse returns for his sophomore season after earning All-Horizon League Second Team accolades last year. He slashed .355/.424/.609 with nine home runs and 38 RBI for the ‘Dons in 2024. He had a busy summer as well. He was an all-star in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League for Muskegon and then was on the winning Home Run Derby X team in August at the home of the Fort Wayne TinCaps.
Two For the ‘Dons:Justin Osterhouse and Nick Hockemeyer were 2024 Preseason All-Horizon League picks by Perfect Game. Hockemeyer is a Fort Wayne native and Homestead High School graduate who spent last season at Dallas College Richland. He was a standout for the Thunderducks in junior college, earning National Junior College Athletic Association Division III First Team All-American honors. He slashed .383/.458/.574 with 26 extra base hits and nine stolen bases. In the nation he ranked sixth in doubles (20), ninth in hits (70), 10th in total bases (102) and 13th in RBI (58).
A Few to Watch: D1baseball.com picked Justin Osterhouse as the No. 3 prospect in the Horizon League in the 2026 MLB Draft. Drew Helton (No. 3), Trent Murphy (No. 4) and Tyson Greenwood (No.8) were picked as Impact Freshman in the league.
Nice to Meet You: This season isn’t the first time Kevin Hall and Nick Hockemeyer are teammates. They spent the summer of 2024 playing for the Elizabethton River Riders of the Appalachian League. Hall had a .453 OBP in 26 games for the River Riders. Hockemeyer hit .296 in 18 games.
Blood Lines: Mastodon head coach Doug Schreiber coached Trent Murphy’s father, Rob, when Schreiber was an assistant at Ball State.
CSC Pick: Owen Willard (Butler, Ind. / Eastside HS) was a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selection in 2024 after throwing 34.2 innings with 20 pitching appearances. This season he returns seeing some time in the field and at the plate by pitching and playing infield for the ‘Dons as he did in high school.
Up Next: The ‘Dons are at Tennessee Tech March 7-9.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE SOFTBALL
PURDUE FORT WAYNE SOFTBALL VISITS CARBONDALE FOR COACH B CLASSIC
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne softball team plays in the Coach B Classic this weekend (March 1-2), battling with Central Arkansas, Purdue and Southern Illinois.
Coach B Classic Information
Host: Southern Illinois
When: Saturday-Sunday | March 1-2
Where: Carbondale, Ill.
Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4
Watch: Game 4 Only
Tournament Schedule
Saturday, March 1
Noon ET – Purdue Fort Wayne vs. Central Arkansas
2:30 PM ET – Purdue Fort Wayne vs. Purdue
Sunday, March 2
Noon ET – Purdue Fort Wayne vs. Purdue
5 PM ET – Purdue Fort Wayne at Southern Illinois
Know Your Foes
• Central Arkansas is 5-8. Last weekend, the Sugar Bears beat South Dakota State twice and SIUE once. UCA is led by Kylie Griffin, who bats .372 and slugs .442. Bailie Runner is the Sugar Bears’ best pitcher, throwing a 5.18 ERA for a 2-5 mark.
• Purdue is off to a 9-6 start to 2025 and is coming off a 3-1 weekend at UAB’s tournament. Moriah Polar is batting .551 and slugging .653, both team-bests. Madi Elish is leading the Boilermakers from the circle, tossing a stout 1.58 ERA over 40.0 innings.
• Southern Illinois is 1-12 this season with the Salukis’ only win coming over Appalachian State, an 11-2 win. Last week, the Salukis went into extras with Big 12 foe Kansas. Anna Carder has a team-high .294 batting average and Jackie Lis is slugging .595. McKenzie Newcomb has a 3.32 ERA with a 1-5 record.
Series Histories
Central Arkansas: First meeting
Purdue: Purdue leads17-1-1, last meeting 4/3/2019
DePaul: Southern Illinois leads 3-0, last meeting 2/12/2022
We Love the Long Ball
The Mastodons have six home runs, which is the tied for the most in the Horizon League. Aglaia Rudd and Addison Zimpleman both have two, matching the most of any student-athletes in the league.
Taking Care of the Field
Purdue Fort Wayne has the highest fielding percentage in the Horizon League at 0.974.
Go Brooke, Go!
Brooke Lickey has a .316 batting average this season, the best of her career, improving on last year’s .216.
Last Time Out
The Mastodons are coming off a 5-2 win over Big East foe DePaul in the final game of the Skyhawk Classic, which saw Aglaia Rudd and Addison Zimpleman both hit home runs.
Up Next
Purdue Fort Wayne will head to Richmond, Kentucky to play in Eastern Kentucky’s Colonel Classic to play EKU and Indiana State twice each.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
MASTODON WBB THROTTLES MILWAUKEE, SETS UP LEAGUE REGULAR SEASON WINNER-TAKE-ALL FINALE
MILWAUKEE – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball team will play for the outright Horizon League regular season title on Saturday (March 1).
The 18-1 Mastodons will visit the 18-1 Green Bay Phoenix on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.
The Mastodons dismantled Milwaukee 82-46 on Thursday night (Feb. 27). The ‘Dons picked up their 23rd win of the season, matching the program record for wins in a season.
The game against the Panthers was frankly never close. By the time the first quarter wrapped up, the Mastodons had already built up a 17-point lead. At halftime, the ‘Dons had nine 3-pointers to their name and a 24-point lead.
In a stretch from the 4:22 mark in the second quarter to the 6:21 mark in the third, Purdue Fort Wayne was 8-for-8 from 3-point range. Meanwhile, the Mastodons held Milwaukee to just four points in the third quarter, the fewest a team has scored in a quarter against the ‘Dons since Robert Morris on December 4.
The Mastodons’ scoring effort was very balanced, with 12 different ‘Dons scoring at least one point. Lauren Ross went 4-of-5 from beyond the arc for 12 points and Audra Emmerson was 4-of-8 for 12 points. Amellia Bromenschenkel was 3-of-3 for 11 points and added six rebounds. Renna Schwieterman scored 10 points off the bench.
As a team, Purdue Fort Wayne shot 51.8 percent (29-of-56) from the floor and 51.9 percent (14-of-27) from 3-point range. The Mastodons dished out 17 assists while committing just 14 turnovers. The ‘Dons forced MKE into 23 turnovers, which led to 31 Mastodon points.
Purdue Fort Wayne moves to 23-6, 18-1 Horizon League while Milwaukee falls to 8-23, 5-15.
The Mastodons and Phoenix will clash for the outright Horizon League regular season championship on Saturday (March 1) at 2 p.m. ET.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL
‘DONS CLINCH FIRST ROUND BYE DESPITE LOSS TO NKU
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – A game that had 28 lead changes and eight ties ended up going to the visitors on Thursday (Feb. 27) evening as the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons fell to Northern Kentucky 79-74.
Despite the loss, the Mastodons secured a bye in the opening round of the 2025 Barbasol Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship.
The ‘Dons will close out the regular season on Saturday at Cleveland State on ESPN2.
Rasheed Bello had 20 points and three steals in 37 minutes. Jalen Jackson finished with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists. The Norse were led by Trey Robinson’s 25 points.
The Norse shot 50.0 percent from the floor in the second half as they used a 9-2 run to take a 69-64 lead with 5:02 left. The five-point advantage matched largest lead of the game for either team. A Corey Hadnot II driving layup got the ‘Dons within a point at 69-68 with 2:40 on the clock. Bello and Jackson followed with free throws and Bello had a layup later that each time got the ‘Dons within a point. But NKU had an answer every time.
The Mastodons shot 42.4 percent (28-of-66) from the floor.
Northern Kentucky improves to 15-15 (10-9 Horizon League). The Mastodons fall to 19-11 (12-7 Horizon League).
EVANSVILLE SWIMMING
SECOND DAY COMPLETE IN IOWA
WAUKEE, Iowa – Day two of the Missouri Valley Conference Championships is complete for the University of Evansville women’s swimming and diving teams.
Thursday morning saw the Purple Aces compete in three preliminary events. Luana Carrotta led the way in the 500-free, finishing with a time of 5:19.88. Hannah Krings and Lilly Yancey rounded out the top three. Their times finished at 5:25.66 and 5:34.24, respectively.
Sveva Brugnoli led the squad in the 200-IM. She came in 21st place with her time of 2:07.11. Following her was Mari Mueller, who finished in 2:09.08.
Rebecca Lago was the top finisher for UE in the 50-free. She swam a time of 24.24 to pace the team. Evelyn Chin finished the race in 24.60 while Ane Madina posted a 24.62.
Maddie Rollett competed in the 1-meter dive. She recorded a 227.75 in the prelims before improving to a 243.50 to finish 12th in the final.
In the 400-medley relay finals, the Aces came in 8th place with a time of 3:52.06. Madina, Mueller, Chin, and Brugnoli competed for UE to earn the top ten finish.
EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
UE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL DROPS FINAL ROAD CONTEST AT UNI
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team had a close first half but fell behind in the second half in a 71-54 loss to the Northern Iowa Panthers.
For the third straight game sophomore forward Maggie Hartwig (Sauk City, Wis. / Sauk Prairie HS) led the Purple Aces on the floor with a double-double. Hartwig was UE’s most efficient scorer at 54.5% from field goal range while also grabbing 10 boards against Northern Iowa. Evansville had two other players score in double figures while the Panthers had five players with similar outings.
It took over a minute for either team to score on Thursday night as both turned over their first possessions of the game. But it was UNI who struck first four points. Senior guard Júlia Palomo (La Seu d’Urgell, Spain) struck back with a second chance jumper to get the Aces on the board. The Panthers had two brief four-point runs before UE had two made threes in a minute and a half to make it a four-point game. Northern Iowa had another short run, almost putting Evansville behind by double digits. But Palomo came through again, getting to the line for two free throws to keep the game at a seven-point deficit after a quarter.
The teams traded shots to begin the second quarter of action. The Panthers began to pull away with their longest run of the half, leading the Aces by 13. UE answered with eight points in just under a minute and a half thanks to back-to-back threes from Palomo and Hartwig. But Evansville couldn’t keep the offense going as UNI again made it a 13-point game. The Aces were able to get their deficit back into single digits with a five-point run in the final minute of the first half. UE headed into the locker room at the McLeod Center only down by eight with the score at 35-27.
It’d be a tough start to the second half for Evansville as the Panthers came out of the locker room on a 13-2 run. It’d be freshman guard Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind. / Hamilton Heights HS) who broke the Aces scoring drought with four straight points. Runner and Hartwig were the only UE players who scored past the first minute of the third quarter as they each had six points. Evansville went into the final 10 minutes of the game trailing 61-41.
The Aces kept UNI scoreless for the first three and a half minutes of the fourth quarter. In that time UE added three points to its total, all of which came at the free throw line. The teams traded baskets through the middle of the quarter. Evansville had its final run of the game in the last two and a half minutes with six points. But the Aces would fall to the Panthers 71-54 on Thursday night.
A trio of UE players had double-digit performances as Hartwig had 17, Runner had 13, and Palomo was right behind her with 12. Palomo led the team with four steals while freshman guard Avery Kelley (Evansville, Ind. / Memorial HS) had a team-high five assists to match her career-high.
Evansville returns home for a game this weekend against the Indiana State Sycamores. The Aces will tip-off with their in-state rivals at 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 1.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
UE BASEBALL PLAYS MISSOURI FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALMOST 40 YEARS
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The University of Evansville baseball team heads to its second of three SEC ballparks in a week for a four-game series this weekend.
| Evansville at Missouri | February 28, March 1, and March 2, 2025 | 5 PM, 1 PM, 4 PM, 1 PM CT | |
| Site | Location | Taylor Stadium | Columbia, Mo. |
| Links | Friday, 5 PM CT: Live Stats | TV: SECN+ | Radio: None Expected Pitching Match-Up: UE LHP Kenton Deverman (0-1, 5.14 ERA) vs. MIZ LHP Ian Lohse (0-2, 4.00 ERA) Saturday, 1 PM CT: Live Stats | TV: SCEN+ | Radio: None Expected Pitching Match-Up: UE RHP Owen Byberg (0-0, 4.32 ERA) vs. MIZ LHP Wil Libbert (0-1, 9.00 ERA) Saturday, 4 PM CT: Live Stats | TV: SECN+ | Radio: None Expected Pitching Match-Up: UE RHP RJ James (0-1, 18.00 ERA) vs. MIZ TBD Sunday, 1 PM CT: Live Stats | TV: None | Radio: None Expected Pitching Match-Up: UE LHP Kevin Reed (1-1, 3.37 ERA) vs. MIZ TBD |
| Follow the Aces | Baseball Site | Twitter | Game Notes |
The Aces return to Columbia for the first time in almost 40 years this weekend. UE has not faced the Missouri Tigers since the mid 1980s when they played two games in 1986. The four games from Friday to Sunday will be Evansville’s first time playing in Taylor Stadium as the Tigers current home opened in the year 2000.
UE continues its week long tour in SEC country with the series against Mizzou. Evansville began the week at Kentucky on Tuesday with a 24-3 loss. The Aces will then spend three days in Columbia for this weekend’s series. UE then ends its time at SEC ballparks at #14 Vanderbilt on Tuesday, March 4.
Evansville began its longest road trip since 2022 on Tuesday. The Aces play 19 straight games away from the River City, returning to Charles H. Braun Stadium on March 25. Part of the reason for the long road trip is that the ground breaking to begin construction on the Freeland Clubhouse happened on Monday.
The Aces will look to take control of the series against Missouri over the weekend. The Tigers lead 2-1 as they took the first and last meeting between the two teams. UE’s win on March 27 1986 in Columbia was by a run in the 7-6 victory. Mizzou comes into this weekend with an even 4-4 record as the offense begins to heat up. The Tigers have 31 hits in their last two games for their best two game offensive stretch since the 2019 season. Missouri is currently being led by freshman outfielder Brady Picarelli over its offensive hot stretch with seven hits, three home runs and six RBIs.
UE struggled in its midweek match up with Kentucky, as half of Evansville’s roster saw the field. UE used eight pitchers in seven innings while on offense, two players accounted for Evansville’s four hits as senior center fielder Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) and freshman shortstop Drew McConnell (Blue Springs, Mo. / Blue Springs HS) had two each in the 24-3 loss. In two games McConnell has been an offensive powerhouse for the Aces going 4-for-6 with two multi-base hits and five RBIs.
SOUTHERN INDIANA SOFTBALL
USI SOFTBALL GEARS UP FOR THE WINTHROP COACH COOKE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT THIS WEEKEND
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball heads to Rock Hill, South Carolina this weekend for the Winthrop University Coach Cooke Memorial Tournament. The tournament marks the final set of games before the start of the Ohio Valley Conference season for the Screaming Eagles.
USI (1-8) will square off against Marist College (10-4), tournament host Winthrop (9-5), University of South Carolina Upstate (15-1), St. Bonaventure University (3-1), and Youngstown State University (0-10). On Friday, USI faces Marist and Winthrop at 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. CT, respectively. The Screaming Eagles will then play a back-to-back on Saturday against USC Upstate at 9 a.m. and St. Bonaventure at 11:30 a.m. CT. USI concludes the weekend trip Sunday at 9 a.m. CT against Youngstown State. USI is playing each school for the first time.
The Spin 95.7 FM will have radio coverage for all USI games this weekend except for Saturday’s tilt against St. Bonaventure due to USI Basketball coverage.
The Screaming Eagles are coming off a trip to the University of Alabama Birmingham Green and Gold Classic last weekend. USI went 0-4, falling to Samford University, Belmont University, Purdue University, and UAB. Some of the highlights for USI in the tournament included a three-home run game against Belmont and a near comeback win against UAB.
Sophomore infielder Sydney Long led Southern Indiana at the plate in the UAB Green and Gold Classic. Long batted .455 with two runs, four RBIs, and two home runs, both of which came in the game against Belmont. It was the first multi-home run game by a USI player since Allie Goodin had two against Tennessee State University in April 2023. Freshman catcher Jordan Mackey also hit her first career home run in the same game against Belmont. Senior outfielder Kennedy Nalley was also a big contributor during the tournament, recording two doubles and two RBIs. Freshman pitcher Kylie Witthaus stood out in her start against UAB. Witthaus tossed her first career complete game, allowing only two earned runs.
On the season, junior outfielder Caroline Stapleton is USI’s top hitter with a .357 batting average. Stapleton has also scored a team-high four runs. Long is also hitting above .300 and is tied with Nalley for a team-best four RBIs. On the pitching side, Witthaus (0-3) has a 4.85 ERA, and senior pitcher Josie Newman (1-4) has a 4.90 ERA. Newman tops the squad with 30 innings pitched, three complete games, and 46 strikeouts.
After two starts with double-digit strikeouts during opening weekend, Newman only totaled 12 strikeouts last weekend at the UAB Green and Gold Classic. However, Newman eclipsed 600 career strikeouts during the weekend. As one of three pitchers in USI Softball history with 600 or more strikeouts, Newman is 36 strikeouts away from second place all time (Brooke Harmening, 2012-15). Jennifer Leonhardt (2017-20) is USI’s strikeout record leader with 787 strikeouts.
Links and coverage information for the weekend can be found through USI Athletics social media platforms and at usiscreamingeagles.com.
SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
EAGLES CLIPPED BY SKYHAWKS, 79-63
MARTIN, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball opened the final road trip of the season with a loss to the University of Tennessee at Martin, 79-63, Thursday evening at the Elam Center. The Screaming Eagles are 10-19 overall and 5-14 in OVC action, while the Skyhawks go to 13-17, 9-10 OVC.
The Eagles found themselves down 10 midway through the first half, 23-13, before rallying to pull to within two, 30-28, on a three-pointer by junior guard Jack Campion with 4:41 to play. Campion has six points during USI’s 15-7 run.
UTM, however, took the momentum back and outscored the USI, 11-5, in the final four minutes to lead, 41-33, at the intermission. Campion reached double-digits during the first half to lead USI in the scoring column.
USI’s halftime deficit grew briefly after halftime, reaching 12 points, 46-34, but the Eagles slowly began to shrink the margin to six points, 51-45, with 13:43 to play. UTM rallied back and pushed the margin to 14 points, 59-45, with an 8-0 dash before the halfway mark of the final half.
The deficit would continue to grow in the final 10 minutes, climbing to 21 points, 79-58, before the Skyhawks closed out the 79-63 final.
USI had four players reach double digits, led by the 15 points of junior guard Jayland Randall. Sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi followed with 13 points, while junior guard Ryan Hall and Campion closed out the double-figure scorers with 11 points and 10 points, respectively.
Next Up For USI:
The Eagles conclude the 2024-25 campaign Saturday at Tennessee State University. Tipoff at TSU is 3:30 p.m.
TSU is 15-15 overall and 11-8 in the OVC after defeating Morehead State University, 64-55, tonight. The Tigers are 9-3 in the last 12 games after this weekend.
USI leads the series with TSU, 6-4, after defeating the Tigers, 77-75, at Liberty Arena in December. The Eagles were led in the first meeting by junior guard Damoni Harrison, who had 19 points. Owlowoniyi and Randall followed with 18 points and 15 points, respectively.
SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
EAGLES START FAST BUT FALL TO SKYHAWKS THURSDAY
MARTIN, Tenn. – Despite a fast start after the opening tip on Thursday evening, University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball fell 84-69 at the University of Tennessee at Martin to begin this week’s road trip in Tennessee.
Southern Indiana (20-10, 12-7 OVC) started Thursday’s game picking up where it left off from last week’s homestand. The Screaming Eagles scored seven unanswered points to begin the contest over the first two minutes. The lead grew to 10-2 early on thanks to a straightaway three by graduate forward Madi Webb. Fellow fifth-year senior forward Meredith Raley also drained a trey to help USI go ahead 14-8 by the first media timeout. However, UT Martin (13-17, 10-9 OVC) built a 14-0 run in the middle of the first quarter to surge in front. The two sides exchanged baskets late in the first, as UT Martin led 25-21 going to the second period.
The Skyhawks’ momentum carried over into the start of the second frame with an 8-0 run to go up 33-25. USI snapped the drought just over four minutes into the quarter when sophomore guard Sophia Loden drained a three from the top of the arc. In the back half of the second, Southern Indiana closed the gap. Junior guard Ali Saunders scored a layup and swished in a three off of two UT Martin turnovers in the last couple of minutes of the first half, helping bring USI back within four, 39-35, at halftime.
The two teams went back and forth to begin the second half. Webb knocked down a pair of field goals early in the third quarter to hit double figures for the game. The Skyhawks maintained a two-possession lead into the middle of the third. Later in the period, UT Martin connected on a few jump shots to pull ahead by 11, 58-47, before senior guard Vanessa Shafford answered with a layup to make it a nine-point deficit with under two minutes remaining in the third. Raley and Shafford scored the last two baskets of the third to make the score 60-53 in favor of UT Martin heading into the fourth quarter.
The Screaming Eagles cut into the deficit with baskets by Webb and Shafford in the early minutes of the fourth, and USI pulled back to within four points, 63-59, on a make by Loden with just over six minutes left. However, UT Martin made a string of eight consecutive field goals over a four-minute span in the back portion of the fourth quarter, making it difficult for USI to climb back in the final stretch of the contest.
Southern Indiana shot nearly 46 percent overall (28-61) and 42 percent (8-19) from beyond the arc. USI went 5-7 at the free-throw line. Webb led the Eagles with 15 points on 6-10 shooting. Raley tallied 13 points, and Saunders added 11 points with five rebounds and seven assists.
UT Martin went for 50 percent (32-64) from the floor and 38 percent (8-21) from three-point range. The Skyhawks were 12-13 for over 92 percent at the charity stripe. Junior forward Anaya Brown posted a double-double with a game-high 27 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Kenley McCarn notched 24 points for UT Martin.
Following Thursday’s results, the Screaming Eagles remained tied with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in the Ohio Valley Conference standings, as Little Rock fell on the road at Eastern Illinois University. The Panthers secured the no. 3 seed in next week’s conference tournament with the result.
Going into Saturday’s regular-season finale slate, USI needs a win and a Little Rock loss for the Eagles to grab the no. 4 seed and a first-round bye in next week’s tournament. Little Rock owns the tiebreaker over USI after the Trojans won both regular-season meetings.
The Screaming Eagles finish the road trip and the regular season Saturday at 1 p.m. against Tennessee State University from Nashville, Tennessee. Saturday’s game can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM. Additional coverage links can be found online at usiscreamingeagles.com.
VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
EARNEST’S LATE 3-POINTER LIFTS VALPO OVER BRADLEY
For most of Thursday night’s game at Bradley, it didn’t look like the Valpo women’s basketball team would need late heroics to come out victorious. But when the contest shifted in that direction, Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) came up with the biggest shot of the night, hitting a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 6.4 seconds to play to lift the Beacons over the Braves, 66-64. The win was Valpo’s third in a row and its eighth consecutive against Bradley.
How It Happened
Valpo led by 16 entering the fourth quarter before the Braves put together a 14-5 run over the opening half of the period to close to within 58-51.
Nevaeh Jackson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) had an acrobatic 3-point play to briefly restore the double-digit lead, but Bradley split a pair of free throws on its next possession and proceeded to hit 3-pointers on each of its next three possessions while the Beacons were unable to score to tie the game at 61-61 with 1:38 remaining.
Maci Rhoades (Beavercreek, Ohio/Beavercreek [Radford]) split a pair of free throws to give Valpo the lead back with 1:24 to play. The Beacons came up with a subsequent steal on the defensive end, but following a timeout, an inbounding violation returned possession to Bradley and the Braves took advantage, hitting yet another triple with 42 seconds left to take a 64-62 lead.
Jackson was fouled on the floor while Valpo was in the bonus on the offensive end and split her free throws to halve the deficit, but with the shot clock off, the Beacons were forced to foul on the other end and did so with 21 seconds to play. Bradley missed both its free throws and Earnest secured the rebound off the second miss, setting up her game-winner. Bradley’s last-second heave from 35 feet was off the mark, allowing the Beacons to leave Peoria victorious.
Until the fourth quarter, the game was all Valpo. The Beacons jumped out to a 21-12 lead after the opening 10 minutes, hitting 9-of-13 from the field in the first quarter.
Valpo led by as many as 16 points late in the second quarter and went into halftime with a 35-22 lead after holding the Braves to just 2-of-13 shooting from the field for the period.
An 8-0 run midway through the third quarter gave the Beacons their largest lead of the game at 53-32. Bradley scored the final five points of the quarter to make it a 16-point game entering the fourth period.
Inside the Game
The game-winning basket by Earnest was the second of her collegiate career within the game’s final 10 seconds. Last season, she beat the buzzer with a game-winning layup at UIC.
The Beacons have won their last three games, their first three-game winning streak since Feb. 17-23, 2023.
Valpo has won four of its last five contests for the first time since a four-game winning streak Feb. 20-28, 2021.
Thursday’s win was the program’s eighth straight over Bradley over the last four seasons. That is Valpo’s longest active streak against a single opponent, and the program’s longest winning streak against a conference foe since defeating Centenary in all eight meetings as Mid-Continent Conference opponents in the mid-2000’s.
The win over the Braves guarantees that Valpo will be donning its home jersey on the first day of the Credit Union 1 MVC Women’s Basketball Tournament, as the Beacons can finish no worse than a tie for eighth place in the final regular season standings and will have the tiebreaker by virtue of the season sweep over Bradley if that is the case.
While Earnest had the final shot, the performance of Jackson set the Beacons up for Thursday’s win. The sophomore was one point off her career high with her fourth 20-point game of the year, finishing with a game-high 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range.
Jackson also tallied four rebounds, three assists and a game-high four steals.
Earnest battled through a tough shooting night to finish with 13 points and lead the Beacons with eight rebounds while also tallying three steals.
When Earnest stepped on the court Thursday, she tied Valpo alum Caitlin Morrison for the most games played in the Brown and Gold, donning the uniform for the 141st time. She moved up into a tie for seventh on the program’s single-season scoring chart (481 points) and is now within 17 rebounds of the program’s career record.
Rhoades added 10 points and a team-best four assists while not committing a turnover, while Katie Beyer (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) chipped in eight points and six rebounds.
Valpo limited the Braves to 30% shooting from the field through the game’s first three quarters before Bradley hit 8-of-10 from the field — including five 3-pointers — over the final 10 minutes.
The Beacons did hit double figures in steals for the 16th time this year, posting 10 thefts.
Next Up
Valpo (12-16, 8-9 MVC) goes after its fourth win in a row Saturday afternoon in Normal, Ill., looking to complete the sweep of the central Illinois road trip at Illinois State. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m.
VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEN’S HOOPS TO CLOSE REGULAR SEASON ON SUNDAY AT UIC
Valparaiso (13-17, 6-13 MVC)
at UIC (16-13, 9-10 MVC)
Game No. 31 – Sunday, March 2, 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 close out the regular season on Sunday afternoon as the Beacons make the short trip into the Windy City to face off with UIC. After a season that has seen the program take a significant step forward with a young core, Valpo will look to double its overall win total from last season and sustain its recent positive momentum going into the league tournament. Seeding for the upcoming State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament – Arch Madness in St. Louis – is very much up for grabs for UIC entering Sunday as the Flames are part of a three-way tie for fifth. Valpo is currently the No. 11 seed but could move up to No. 10 with a win plus help.
Last Time Out: Valpo celebrated seniors Darius DeAveiro and Tyler Schmidt prior to Wednesday’s Senior Night Game, a 76-65 loss to Bradley. Valpo led 29-28 at halftime while holding the Braves to 0-of-7 from 3, but the guests went off for seven made triples in the second half and outscored the Beacons 48-36 over the final 20 minutes. Cooper Schweiger scored a team-high 21 points, while All Wright (17) and Tyler Schmidt (11) joined him in double figures.
Following the Beacons: Streaming – ESPN+ – Sam Brief (play-by-play) and Joey Lane (analyst)
Radio – WVUR 95.1 FM Valparaiso, TuneIn Radio App, ValpoAthletics.com – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Brandon Vickrey (analyst)
X updates – @ValpoBasketball
Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.
Head Coach Roger Powell Jr.: Roger Powell Jr. (20-42) is in his second season as the head coach of the Valpo men’s basketball program. After helping guide Gonzaga to a 121-13 record during his four seasons as an assistant coach, Powell returned to Valpo, where he was part of head coach Bryce Drew’s staff from 2011-2016 and led the team to 124 wins in five seasons, including a program-record 30 victories and a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) title game appearance in 2015-16. He was part of head coach Mark Few’s Gonzaga staff as the Bulldogs reached the 2021 national championship game after winning their first 31 games of the season. During Powell’s first season on staff in 2019-20, Gonzaga was 31-2 at the time the NCAA college basketball season was halted due to COVID-19. The Bulldogs reached the Sweet Sixteen in each of his final three seasons on staff, including two Elite Eight appearances and the aforementioned trip to the 2021 national title game. Prior to his arrival at Gonzaga, Powell served as the associate head coach at Vanderbilt University under Bryce Drew from 2016-2019. During his stint as an assistant at Valpo, he was part of four Horizon League regular-season championships in a five-year period while also leading the 2012-13 and 2014-15 squads to Horizon League tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. A product of Joliet West High School and a native of Joliet, Ill., Powell capped a prolific collegiate playing career at Illinois with a national title game appearance in 2005 before going on to a successful professional playing career.
Series Notes: UIC leads 34-28 in an all-time series that dates back to 1979 as these two teams have shared conference affiliation in three different leagues – the AMCU/Mid-Continent Conference (1982-1994), the Horizon League (2008-2017) and now the Missouri Valley Conference (2022-pres.). UIC has won five of the last seven matchups, but before that Valpo had won 17 straight. The two teams split a year ago, with each team defending its home court – UIC 70-64 on Jan. 6 in Chicago and Valpo 84-77 on Jan. 20 in Northwest Indiana. UIC took a 3-2 edge since joining The Valley with the victory in Valpo earlier this season.
Jan. 18 – UIC 81, Valpo 74: For the second consecutive game, Valpo rallied from double figures down to take a late lead, but once again could not close out the comeback in an 81-74 setback to visiting UIC in January at the Athletics-Recreation Center. All Wright paced the team with 18 points and handed out five assists, while Tyler Schmidt matched a season-high with four helpers while also tallying 17 points. A 3 by All Wright gave Valpo a 70-69 lead with 3:12 on the clock, but the Beacons were outscored 12-4 the rest of the way.
Seeding Scenarios
Valpo is currently positioned to finish as the No. 11 seed for Arch Madness, the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, which begins on Thursday in St. Louis. If that seed holds, Valpo will play the No. 6 seed on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. at the Enterprise Center.
The only other possibility is Valpo moving up to the No. 10 seed. The Beacons enter Sunday one game behind Indiana State for 10th, so a Valpo victory at UIC and Indiana State loss to Southern Illinois would allow the Beacons to move into a tie for 10th.
Should a 10th-place tie occur between Valpo and Indiana State, the first tiebreaker, head-to-head, would not break the tie since the two teams split the regular-season series. Therefore, NET would be used as the tiebreaker for the 10th seed. Entering Sunday, Indiana State ranks 214 in the NET and Valpo ranks 228.
Should Valpo win, Indiana State lose and Valpo pass Indiana State in the NET, the Beacons would be the No. 10 seed and play the No. 7 seed at 6 p.m. on Thursday in the first round of Arch Madness.
Valpo’s possible first-round opponents are UIC, Illinois State, Murray State, Evansville and Southern Illinois.
Whether Valpo is the No. 10 seed or No. 11 seed, the Beacons would face either Bradley or UNI in the second round on Friday should they advance beyond Thursday’s first round.
With a Win on Sunday at UIC, Valpo Would…
Pick up its 14th win of the season, doubling last year’s overall win total.
Achieve its seventh Missouri Valley Conference win, over doubling the team’s league total from Roger Powell Jr.’s first season in 2023-24.
Snag its fourth win in a six-game span.
Surpass the team’s 2021-22 conference win total of six to clinch the team’s highest league win total in the last four seasons and tie with 2020-21 for the team’s highest league win total over the last five years.
Scouting the Flames
Coming off a 74-52 loss at UNI but beat Evansville 82-77 last weekend in Chicago.
Part of a three-way tie for fifth and could finish anywhere from fifth to ninth in terms of seeding for Arch Madness.
Led in scoring by Javon Jackson at 12.2 points per game.
UINDY BASEBALL
UINDY REMAINS AT #5 IN LATEST NCBWA NATIONAL RANKINGS
WINGATE, N.C. – The UIndy baseball team came in ranked at No. 5 in the latest edition of the NCBWA Division II Top-25 national poll, released Wednesday afternoon.
Along with their No. 5 national poll ranking, the Greyhounds also find themselves on top of the Midwest Regional rankings for the third week in a row. Along with the Hounds being in the top 10, is GLVC member UMSL, who makes their first appearance in the Midwest Regional rankings, with Maryville and Quincy both receiving votes.
The Hounds are coming off a 2-2 weekend against HIllsdale that saw stellar performances from both Diego Cardenas and Austin Bode.
Cardenas started the first game for the Hounds’ first game of the four game series. He pitched seven innings, racking up nine strikeouts and only allowing two runs on five hits. While Bode, the Columbus, IN native, had a strong weekend where he recorded five RBIs and seven hits in four games, extending his hitting streak to seven straight games in total to start the season.
UIndy will look to get back on track after dropping two straight to Hillsdale this past weekend, when they take on Grand Valley in the first of four games on Feb. 28.
The NCBWA region polls will be announced every Monday, while national polls will come out every Wednesday throughout the season.
UINDY MEN’S LAX
SCHAFFER LANDS ON USILA TEAM OF THE WEEK
BALTIMORE – UIndy men’s lacrosse senior Triston Schaffer was named to the USILA Team of the Week following his impressive performance at No. 4 Lenore-Rhyne last Saturday.
Schaffer recorded six points in the top-10 matchup, scoring five goals in the process.
UINDY MEN’S BASKETBALL
ANOTHER HEARTBREAKER CLOSES MEN’S HOOPS HOME SLATE
INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy men’s basketball team suffered yet another heartbreaker at the buzzer on Thursday evening in its final home game of the season, falling to Truman by a score of 78-76 as Dashawn Jackson’s overtime-hopeful spun around the rim as time expired.
The Greyhounds charged all the way back down nine with three-and-a-half minutes left to take a 74-73 lead following a Grant Disken fastbreak layup. The team’s traded punches in the final 65 seconds, with Truman’s Drew Kingery delivering the final blow.
Jackson led the team with 22 points, while three others finished in double figures.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Hounds could not get over the hump in the second half, trailing by three or more the entire time until Zac Szul tipped in his own miss to cut the deficit to two. Jackson drilled his own free throws moments later before forcing a loose ball that Disken swallowed up and scored to give UIndy its first lead in nearly 25 minutes.
The Bulldogs made big shots all night, as Xavier Hall answered with his third triple to put the visitors up once again. After tying it at 76, Jackson looked to send the game to overtime 30 seconds later with a similar look at the bucket before it spun around the rim for seemingly hours until it fell out.
Just as he did with 1:05 remaining, Disken gave the Greyhounds their last lead of the first half with a jumper at the 5:59 mark. The graduate student went a perfect 5-for-5 from the mid-range on the night, while making one 3-pointer.
Jackson played just eight minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, scoring 14 of his 22 points after the break to keep the Hounds alive.
INSIDE THE BOX
– Kelvin Amoako secured a career-best 10 rebounds, including three on the offensive end. The 6-11 center also recorded six points and two blocks.
– Truman took advantage of its eight offensive boards, outscoring UIndy, 10-2, in second-chance points.
– Brody Whitaker logged a team-high 37 minutes, finishing with double-digit points; the senior has scored at least 10 points in every other game dating back to Feb. 1.
MORE NOTES
UIndy now leads the all-time series, 13-7 … with Thursday’s final score, the Greyhounds have now competed in the following: 22 games decided by 10 or less points, 16 by five or less, 11 by two or less, and five by one … Truman’s Hall finished with a game-high 25 points, while Trey Shearer hit six 3-pointers and scored 21.
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds need some help to advance to their 18th straight GLVC Championship Tournament this weekend, but it first starts with them in their matchup at Quincy on Saturday. Tip is scheduled for 4 p.m. following the women’s season finale.
UINDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
GREYHOUNDS HOST BULLDOGS IN HOME FINALE
INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy women’s basketball team closed out its regular-season home slate on against Truman, falling by a score of 72-61 at Nicoson Hall.
Jaelynne Murray recorded a team-high 17 points and eight rebounds, while Amyrah Sapenter upped her season steal total to 55.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UIndy forged a 10-0 run midway through the third quarter to claw its way back into the game, with Patricia Chikamba joining Murray with buckets in a span of 87 seconds. Murray could not miss during the stretch, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, including two 3-pointers.
The Bulldogs quickly answered with five points in just 20 seconds to lead the rest of the way. Truman threatened a double-digit lead early in the final frame before Elana Wells drilled a triple from the left wing, but the Hounds would not get back within five over the final seven minutes.
Truman ballooned its lead to 13 late in the fourth, as Ruby Garner sunk a pair of free throws in the final seconds before the final horn.
INSIDE THE BOX
– The Hounds turned the ball over a season-low 10 times.
– UIndy outscored Truman in the paint, 34-20; Halie Gilbert and Kylah Lawson combined for eight points, the former totaling five boards.
– Seven Greyhounds recorded an assist, led by Chikamba’s four helpers. The team dished out 15 against Truman, its third-highest amount of the season.
MORE NOTES
UIndy now leads the all-time series, 12-11 … Chikamba sits two rebounds from 400 in her career … Truman’s Molly Joyce and Bryar Duwe combined for 42 points, each scoring at least 20 … prior to the game, Wells was recognized for scoring 1,000 career points on Feb. 13 at Illinois Springfield.
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds wrap up their 2024-25 season on Saturday with a 2 p.m. ET tip at Quincy. The Hawks defeated the Hounds back in January in the teams’ only other meeting of the winter.
UINDY WRESTLING
SIX HOUNDS GARNER ALL-GLVC STATUS
INDIANAPOLIS – Six UIndy wrestling student-athletes earned 2025 All-GLVC honors, per a league office press release Thursday. The Greyhounds were led by three second-team selections, including senior Brayden Lowery, redshirt-senior Derek Blubaugh and redshirt-junior Cale Gray.
UIndy also has three representatives on the GLVC third team; senior Jackson Hoover, and redshirt-seniors Nathan Conley and Aidan Petersen.
This marks the fourth straight year the program has had at least six representatives on the All-GLVC postseason lists.
The reigning national champion at 197, Blubaugh led the way with an All-GLVC Second Team appearance, earning his fifth career conference selection. He has posted a stellar 15-2 record this season to date, with his only conference loss coming to 2025 GLVC Wrestler of the Year Logan Kvien.
Gray picked up his second career All-GLVC Second Team selection, with this other postseason coming in 2022. Gray has a 20-5 record this season, including winning 10 of his last 11 matches leading up to this weekend’s Super Regional.
At 141, Lowery earned his first career All-GLVC accolade with a second-team honor. Lowery leads the Greyhounds team this year with nine pins and two tech fall wins on the season.
Hoover is making another appearance among the all-conference honorees this year with a third-team selection at 149. The 2024 national qualifier picked up his second career third-team selection to go along with a second-team nod last season.
The other two third-team selections for UIndy werr Conley (157) and Petersen (184), who are both making their first career appearance on the all-conference list.
The league also recognized one student-athlete from each team as honorees for the James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award, with Jackson Hoover earning the award for the Hounds. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These individuals must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. This is the first time Hoover has received this honor.
MARIAN TRACK
DAILEY’S ALL-AMERICAN AND RELAY SUCCESS PACE MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD ON DAY 1 OF NAIA CHAMPIONSHIPS
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Marian men’s track and field team started the 2025 U.S. Marines NAIA Men’s Indoor Track and Field Championship at a breakneck pace, as the Knights earned three qualified each of their relays toward the finals, while Victor Dailey became the men’s first NAIA All-American of the season.
Victor Dailey took the spotlight late in the day on Thursday, as the first year Knight got off to a quick start in the high jump. Dailey cleared his first three heights with ease, as he needed just one attempt to land successful marks at 1.98m, 2.03m, and 2.06m. Dailey struggled as the bar raised and he sealed his All-American bid, but kept locked in as he was able to clear 2.09m on the third attempt. Dailey’s efforts secured fifth place, and as he was unable to pass the 2.12 bar, the Knight completed his NAIA Championship run with an NAIA All-American effort.
Owen Myers was the first Knight on the track Thursday, competing in the race walk. Myers finished fifth in his heat of the event, clocking a school record and personal best time of 14:05.89. Myers is one of 12 student-athletes qualified for Friday’s All-American race.
In the relay’s, Marian’s 4x800m group took the track first and rewrote the Marian record book, breaking the school record with a 7:35.25 time. The team of Rick Williams, Mason Piatt, Owen Pittman, and Andrew McDade finished first in their heat, and will enter the finals with the No. 2 overall time in the NAIA Championships.
The 4x400m relay team was the second group to hit the track, as the team of Eric Materna, Richard Dube, Eli Givens, and Olivier Lifrange clocked their second fastest time of the season with a 3:11.80. The rapid time was good for second overall in the prelims, just 0.17 seconds behind Doane, who will enter the finals as the No. 1 team.
Closing down Marian’s action on the track was the distance medley relay, with the group of Charles Leedke, Raif Miller, Benjamin Riehle, and Tristan Trevino setting the tone with their race. Marian’s relay squad shattered their previous school record set earlier this season by seven seconds, as they placed a time of 9:54.58 on the board. The Knights have the top time in the NAIA entering the finals, holding a two-second lead over the field.
Also competing in the high jump on Thursday was Gunner Kovach, who cleared the bar at 1.98m before scratching at 2.03m. Kovach finished 15th in the NAIA Championships.
As the meet shifts to day two, Marian will compete for All-American honors in two races, while additionally aiming to score points in two field events. The Race Walk finlas open the day at 11:15 a.m., while the 4x800m relay race will complete the action on the track. Marian competes in the weight throw, long jump, 60m, 600m, 800m, 1000m, and mile on Friday.
WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD KICK OFF NATIONALS WITH TWO ALL-AMERICAN NODS
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Marian women’s track and field team had an extremely profitable outing on the first day of the 2025 U.S. Marines NAIA Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships, as the Knights scored in both of their open events of the day while qualifying two relay teams to finals. The Knights scored two NAIA All-Americans on the day, with Nina Marinkovic and Delaney Teachnor earning their first career awards.
Nina Marinkovic began the day for the Knights competing in the heptathlon, starting her five-event grind in the 60m hurdles. Marinkovic opened the day by winning her heat with a time of 8.89 seconds, scoring 933 points for her outing. The sophomore followed up with a sixth-place effort in the high jump as she cleared 1.62m, scoring an additional 759 points. Marinkovic earned a PR in the shot put hitting 8.41m in the event, staying in the top-eight overall through three events as she added 426 points to her total. Staying competitive throughout the meet, the second-year member of the program scored a seventh-place effort in the long jump, scoring 677 to her total.
The pentathlon’s final event was the 800m, and entering the race Marinkovic held eighth place overall for the day. In the 800m, Marinkovic clocked a 2:36.45, scoring 614 points which was enough to keep her hold for eighth place in the pentathlon and secure an NAIA All-American nod. Marinkovic scored a total of 3409 points, setting her own personal best as she scored an All-American honor for her eighth place finish.
Also earning a podium finish on Thursday was freshman Delaney Teachnor, who finished in a tie for eighth place in the pole vault. The young Knight cleared her first two heights with ease as she scored good marks at 3.45m and 3.60m, before taking two attempts at 3.70m. With her effort at 3.70m, Teachnor moved into a tie in the standings with Oliva Wingo of Viterbo, as both athletes would go out at 3.75m to finish deadlocked for eighth place. Teachnor earned a half-point for the Knights team total.
Marian’s relay teams both qualified for the finals after their efforts on Thursday, as both the 4x400m relay and 4x800m relays were blazing around the tracks. The 4x800m group ran first, with the team of Gracie Fields, Adrianna Boyd, Summer Rempe, and Katie Woods clocking the second-fastest time in program history as they won their heat in a 9:13.36 time. The 4x800m relay runs for All-American honors on Friday, as they will be the No. 3 seed in the finals. The 4x400m relay team of Hanna Reuter, Jovana Milosevic, Emma Edwards, and Janae Bailey dusted the Marian school record with their efforts, as the team posted their best race of the season with a 3:49.09 time. The new school record has the Knights as the No. 6 team in the finals, as they broke the previous record by three seconds.
On Friday the Knights will have a chance to score more points to their team total, as the 4x800m relay will run for All-American honors. Additionally, the Knights will compete in the weight throw and high jump as they aim to add to their All-American totals, while the Marian will have athletes compete in the open 200m, 600m, 800m, 1000m, Mile, and 60m hurdle preliminary races.
MARIAN SOFTBALL
KNIGHTS SWEEP WARRIORS TO OPEN 2025 SEASON
Box Score 1 Fort Wayne, Ind. – The Marian softball team opened their 2025 campaign as they traveled up to Fort Wayne to take on Indiana Tech in a doubleheader on Thursday afternoon. The Knights took the sweep over the Warriors with final scores of 6-2 in game one and 6-5 in game two. Marian starts out the year with a 2-0 record.
Game 1 | Marian 6-2 Indiana Tech
The Knights started off the game scoreless through the first three innings only able to record one hit with Emily Phillips grounding out to third. The Warriors on the other hand were able to get on the board quickly with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first and a run batted in off of a fielder’s choice. Marian was able to push at Indiana Tech’s lead with a single from Abbey Hofmann in the fourth inning.
After two and a half dry innings the Knights got the bats rolling with Grace Meyer firing off a single through the right side to allow Abby Madere to cross home plate. Lily Wendt got her hand in the mix, singling into right center and then advancing to second which allowed Karly Anderson to cross the plate and take the 3-2 lead. Next up to bat was Hayley Greene who fired a single into center field and was able to advance to second aswell while Wendt crossed home plate to increase the lead. After a walk from Macy Coan to fill first and third base, Ally Malone singled into left field which allowed Greene to score the fifth run for Marian. The Warriors got out of the inning with a strikeout from Marian but the Knights were able to pick it back up with the first home run of the season from Abby Madere to extend the Knights lead 6-2. The Warriors finished the inning with two outs off of fielder’s choices but were only able to fire off one hit in the bottom to end the score and allow the Knights to take the 6-2 victory.
Olivia Stunkel earned her first win of the season pitching all seven innings and only allowing five hits and two runs. Stunkel recorded nine strikeouts off of her 29 batters faced. Abby Madere led the Knights going 2-4 and recording two runs and one RBI. Ally Malone went 2-3 from the plate and recorded one RBI in her debut as a Knight. Emily Phillips went 1-3 and crossed the plate once while Grace Meyer went 1-3 also and recorded one RBI. Abbey Hofmann, Lily Wendt, and Hayley Greene all recorded one RBI as well in game one.
Game 2 | Marian 6-5 Indiana Tech
After two innings of play and Anna Pritchett getting on base early the Knights ended up dry to the Warriors. Indiana Tech fired early with a run scored right off the jump by the first batter to take the early 1-0 lead. Marian got their footing with Pritchett tying up the game 1-1 early in the third inning.
The Warriors however struck hard in the third inning with three runs crossing the bases to take back the lead and extend the score 4-1 over the Knights. Marian pushed back with Abby Hofmann crossing the plate in the third while Mystic Means, Abbey Madere, and Emily Phillips all scored runs in the fourth to take the 5-4 lead over the Warriors.
Indiana Tech struck last with a run late in the sixth inning to bring the game to a 5-5 bottleneck but Means fired off another run in the seventh to take the 6-5 win and the two game sweep over the Warriors.
The Knights are back in action as they travel down to Flordia next week to compete in the USSSA Space Coast Games with their first matchup against Cornerstone.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
“SPORTS EXTRA”
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
Feb. 28
1922 — In the first formal college conference basketball tournament, North Carolina beats Mercer 40-26 to win the Southern Intercollegiate Conference championship. The 13-team conference keeps standings in its’ second season.
1929 — The Chicago Black Hawks are shutout for an NHL-record eighth straight game. It’s not a total loss, as the Black Hawks hold the New York Rangers scoreless for a 0-0 tie.
1940 — College basketball is televised for the first time. Station W2XBS transmits a basketball doubleheader from New York’s Madison Square Garden. Pittsburgh plays Fordham and New York University competes against Georgetown.
1957 — Johnny Longden becomes the first jockey in history to reach 5,000 victories. Longden, who started his career in 1927, coaxes Bente to a head victory over Flying Finish II in the fourth race at Santa Anita Park.
1960 — The United States hockey team scores six goals in the third period to beat Czechoslovakia 9-4 and win the gold medal in the Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley, Calif. The U.S. is down 4-3 after two periods, but Roger Christian scores three times in the third. Roger’s brother, Bill Christian, assists on two of the three goals.
1971 — Jack Nicklaus wins the PGA Championship by beating Billy Casper by three strokes.
1981 — Houston’s Calvin Murphy makes the last of his 78 consecutive free throws, in a game against San Diego, setting what was then an NBA record.
1986 — Baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth conditionally suspends Dave Parker of the Cincinnati Reds, Keith Hernandez of the New York Mets, Joaquin Andujar of the Oakland Athletics, Lonnie Smith of the Kansas City Royals, Enos Cabell of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Jeff Leonard of the San Francisco Giants and Dale Berra of the New York Yankees for one year for drug abuse. After conditions are met the suspensions are reduced.
1987 — Chick Hearn, broadcaster for the Los Angeles Lakers, calls his 2,000th consecutive game for the club, a streak spanning 22 years.
1993 — Winnipeg’s Teemu Selanne scores four goals and becomes the third rookie in NHL history to score 50 goals in a season. Selanne scores his 51st goal in the third period to help the Jets defeat the Minnesota North Stars 7-6 at Winnipeg Arena.
1999 — Venus and Serena Williams become the first sisters to win WTA Tour events on the same day. Venus wins the IGA SuperThrift Tennis Classic in Oklahoma City after Serena takes her first title on the WTA Tour at the Gaz de France Open.
2003 — In Val Di Fiemme, Italy, Johnny Spillane wins the Nordic combined sprint to become the first American to win a gold medal at the Nordic world championships.
2010 — Sidney Crosby scores the winning goal in overtime to give Canada a 3-2 victory over the United States in the final event of the Vancouver Olympics. The American silver is the 37th medal won by the United States at these games and the U.S. wins the medals race for the first time since 1932.
2020 – Court of Arbitration for Sport bans Chinese triple Olympic gold medalist Sun Yang from swimming for 8 years for breaking anti-doping rules.
March 1
1919 — Newsy Lalonde of the Montreal Canadiens sets a Stanley Cup Playoff record by scoring five goals in a 6-3 win against the visiting Ottawa Senators. The record is matched four times.
1934 — Primo Carnera retains his world heavyweight title with a unanimous 15-round decision over Tommy Laughren in Miami.
1948 — Top-ranked NYU, the nation’s only unbeaten basketball team, is upset by Notre Dame 64-59 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. In a game with 17 lead changes, the Fighting Irish hold Dolph Schayes to nine points and Kevin O’Shea scores 18 for Notre Dame.
1955 — Allen Fieldhouse, home of the Kansas Jayhawks, hosts its first basketball game and the Jayhawks beat rival Kansas State 77-66.
1969 — Tuesdee Testa becomes the first female jockey to win a race at a major American Thoroughbred track when she rides Buz On to victory in the third race with at Santa Anita Park.
1973 — Robyn Smith becomes the first woman jockey to win a stakes race when she rides North Sea to victory in the Paumonok Handicap at Aqueduct Race Track in New York.
1981 — Calvin Murphy of the Houston Rockets misses a free throw in San Antonio, ending his NBA record consecutive free throw streak at 78.
1983 — Tamara McKinney becomes the first American woman skier to win the overall World Cup championship.
1987 — The Boston Celtics becomes the first NBA franchise to post 2,000 victories when they beat the Detroit Pistons 112-102.
1988 — Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers becomes the NHL’s all-time assist leader, breaking the longtime mark of Gordie Howe. In his ninth season, Gretzky picked up assist No. 1,050 in a game against the Los Angeles Kings.
1991 — Pat Day becomes the sixth jockey in history to earn $100 million in purses when he rides Wild Sierra to a second-place finish in the first race at Oaklawn Park.
1996 — Atlanta’s Lenny Wilkens becomes the first NBA coach to reach 1,000 career victories as the Hawks beat Cleveland 74-68.
1997 – Puerto Rican boxer Héctor Camacho stops Sugar Ray Leonard in 5th round in Atlantic City, NJ to retain IBC middleweight title; only time Leonard’s is KO’ed and sends him into permanent retirement
2000 — With 26-year-old rookie Dean Barker at Black Magic’s helm, New Zealand sails into America’s Cup history, becoming the first country other than the United States to defend the oldest trophy in sports.
2001 — Jackie Stiles of Southwest Missouri State becomes the NCAA career scoring leader in women’s basketball, running her career total to 3,133 points with 30 in Southwest Missouri State’s 94-59 victory over Creighton.
2014 — Jaromir Jagr becomes the seventh player to score 700 NHL goals during New Jersey Devils’ 6-1 victory over the New York Islanders.
2015 — Kiley McKinnon and Mac Bohonnon give the United States its first ever World Cup title double in aerials skiing. McKinnon becomes the first U.S. woman to win the World Cup since Nikki Stone in 1998, while Bohonnon was the first American men’s winner since Jeret “Speedy” Peterson in 2005.
March 2
1918 — Joe Malone is held scoreless in the Montreal Canadiens’ 5-3 season-ending loss to the Toronto Arenas, but finishes the first NHL season with a League-high 44 goals in 22 games. The 44 goals remains an NHL record that stands until 1944-45, when Maurice Richard scores 50 goals in 50 games.
1921 — Kentucky beats Georgia 20-19 in the Southern Intercollegiate men’s basketball championship game in Atlanta. The 14-team conference does not keep formal regular season standings. It’s college basketball’s first tournament.
1929 — The Chicago Black Hawks score a goal to snap their NHL record eight-game scoreless streak. Chicago scores twice to beat the Montreal Maroons 2-1.
1940 — Seabiscuit, ridden by Red Pollard, wins the Santa Anita Handicap in his final race. Beaten by a nose in both the 1937 and 1938 Santa Anita Handicaps, Seabiscuit beats Kayak II by 1 1-2 lengths to retire as the leading money-winning horse in the world.
1951 — In the first NBA All-Star Game, Ed Macauley of the Celtics scores 20 points to lead the East to a 111-94 victory at Boston Garden.
1951 — St. John’s Bob Zawoluk scores 65 points to lead the Redmen to a 105-61 rout of St. Peters. It’s the first time in its 43-year history that St. John’s scores over 100 points in a game.
1962 — Wilt Chamberlain scores an NBA-record 100 points to lead the Philadelphia Warriors to a 169-147 triumph over the New York Knicks. Chamberlain scores 59 second-half points and 28 points from the free-throw line for records.
1966 — Chicago’s Bobby Hull becomes the first NHL player to have two 50-goal seasons when he scores a third-period goal in the Black Hawks’ 5-4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
1969 — Boston’s Phil Esposito becomes the first NHL player to score 100 points in a season, scoring a goal in the Bruins’ 4-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
1991 — Chris Corchiani of North carolina State becomes first player in NCAA history to hand out 1,000 assists in a career. Corchiani, who has 12 assists in the game, gets the milestone with 1:16 left in the first half on a pass to Rodney Monroe. Wake Forest spoils the day with an 89-84 win.
1991 — Del Ballard Jr. throws the most famous gutter ball in PBA Tour history in the finals of the Fair Lanes Open. Ballard, needing seven pins on his last roll to beat Pete Weber, gets none as his ball falls into the gutter. Weber wins 213-207, claiming the $30,000 first prize, while Ballard takes $15,500.
2011 — Pittsburgh overcomes a slow start to clinch at least a share of the Big East regular-season championship with a 66-50 win over South Florida. Pitt coach Jamie Dixon sets an NCAA Division I record for most victories in the first eight seasons of a career with 214 — one more than Everett Case had at North Carolina State and Roy Williams had at Kansas in their first eight years.
2012 — Major League Baseball expands its playoff format to 10 teams, adding a second wild-card in each league. The decision establishes a one-game, wild-card round in each league between the teams with the best records who are not division winners.
2018 — Kristina Vogel of Germany wins a record-tying 11th women’s world cycling title when she takes the individual sprint at the track world championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. Vogel ties Anna Meares’ record for most women’s world titles.
2019 – 37-year-old Swiss 20-time Grand Slam tennis champion Roger Federer beats Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4 to win his 100th ATP Tour title at the Dubai Championships.
2024 — LeBron James becomes first player in NBA history to score 40,000 regular-season points as his L.A. Lakers slip to a 124-114 defeat to Denver Nuggets in Los Angeles.
March 3
1920 — The Montreal Canadiens set an NHL record for most goals in a game with a 16-3 rout of the Quebec Bulldogs.
1951 — Temple’s Bill Mlkvy scores an NCAA-record 73 points in a 99-69 rout over Wilkes.
1966 — Buckpasser, ridden by Bill Shoemaker, wins the Flamingo Stakes by a nose. The colt is such a prohibitive favorite among the field of nine the race is declared a non-wagering contest. The race is known as “The Chicken Flamingo.”
1968 — Montreal’s Jean Beliveau becomes the second NHL player to score 1,000 career points with a goal in a 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
1984 — Peter Ueberroth, president of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, is elected commissioner of baseball by major league team owners.
1985 — Bill Shoemaker becomes the first jockey to win $100 million in career purses after riding Lord at War to victory at the Santa Anita Handicap in Arcadia, Calif.
1985 — Kevin McHale of the Boston Celtics scores a team-record 56 points, making 22 of 28 shots in a 138-129 home victory over Detroit.
1987 — Mike Tyson adds the WBA heavyweight crown to his WBC heavyweight crown with a unanimous 12-round decision over James “Bonecrusher” Smith in Las Vegas.
2000 — Edward Fryatt ties a PGA Tour record with eight consecutive birdies in the second round of the Doral-Ryder Open. Fuzzy Zoeller did it in the 1976 Quad Cities Open, and Bob Goalby in the 1961 St. Petersburg Open.
2001 — A bloodied John Ruiz becomes the first Hispanic heavyweight champion by knocking down Evander Holyfield in the 11th round and earning a unanimous decision for the WBA title.
2012 — Wladimir Klitschko stops France’s Jean-Marc Mormeck in the fourth round to retain the WBA and IBF heavyweight titles. Klitschko is credited with the 50th KO of his career as he improves to 57-3.
2012 — No. 2 Syracuse beats No. 19 Louisville 58-49 to tie the Big East record for victories. The Orange (30-1, 17-1) match Connecticut’s 17 conference wins in 1995-96 and finishes the regular season with 30 wins for the first time in Jim Boeheim’s 36 years as coach.
2014 — LeBron James scores a career-high 61 points, breaking Glen Rice’s franchise record, and the Miami Heat defeat the Charlotte Bobcats 124-107.
2017 — Kyrie Irving scores 43 points, LeBron James has 38 and the Cleveland Cavaliers set the NBA regular-season record with 25 3-pointers in holding off the Atlanta Hawks 135-130.
2018 — Deontay Wilder survives a pummeling from Luis Ortiz, then knocks out the challenger in the 10th round to retain his WBC heavyweight title.
2024 — Iowa’s Caitlin Clark becomes the NCAA Division I all-time career scoring leader, surpassing Pete Maravich’s career total of 3,667. Her 35 points in win over visiting Ohio State brings her total to 3,685 and counting
March 4
1960 — Phil Latrielle of Middlebury scores an NCAA-record 10 goals in a 13-2 victory over Colgate. Latrielle, a three time All-American, would score a record 250 goals in the 85 games of his collegiate ice hockey career.
1962 — Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors registers his fifth straight 50-point game with 58 against the New York Knicks and sets a season scoring record with 3,921 points.
1968 — Joe Frazier wins the vacant New York world heavyweight title with an 11th-round TKO of Buster Mathis at Madison Square Garden.
1981 — Guy LaFleur of the Montreal Canadiens scores his 1,000th point with a goal in a 9-3 rout over the Winnipeg Jets.
1990 — Hank Gathers, one of two Division I players to lead the nation in scoring and rebounding in the same season, dies after collapsing during Loyola Marymount’s West Coast Conference tournament game against Portland. He was 23.
2004 — Mianne Bagger makes sports history at the Women’s Australian Open as the first transsexual to play in a pro golf tournament.
2006 — Rafael Nadal ends top-ranked Roger Federer’s 56-match hardcourt winning streak with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory in the final of the Dubai Open.
2011 — Miikka Kiprusoff becomes the first goalie in 25 years to stop two penalty shots in a game and finishes with 37 saves, leading Calgary past Columbus 4-3.
2013 — Gonzaga, the small Northwest school that has delivered big NCAA tournament wins, is on top of The Associated Press’ Top 25 for the first time. Riding the best record in Division I at 29-2, the Bulldogs become the 57th school to be ranked No. 1 since the AP poll began in January 1949.
2013 — Brittney Griner scores a Big 12 single-game record 50 points in her final regular-season game at Baylor and leads the Bears to a 98-50 win over Kansas State.
2015 — Russell Westbrook becomes the first player since Michael Jordan in 1989 to have four consecutive triple-doubles and the first since Jordan that year to have back-to-back triple-doubles with at least 40 points. Westbrook sets career highs with 49 points and 16 rebounds, and adds 10 assists, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Philadelphia 76ers 123-118 in overtime.
2017 — Marit Bjoergen wins world championship gold in the 30-kilometer classical race as Norway completes a sweep of women’s cross-country ski titles at the world championships in Lahti, Finland. Bjoergen takes her record 18th career gold medal and fourth of the championships. No country had won all women’s cross-country gold medals at a single world championships since Russia in 1997, when there were only five events, rather than the current six.
2017 — Austrian Marcel Hirscher stuns the world of Alpine skiing by locking up an unprecedented sixth straight overall World Cup He becomes the first male skier to win six overall titles. Hirscher’s 44th career win also secures him the giant slalom title.
2017 — Napheesa Collier scores 24 points and top-ranked UConn routed Tulsa 105-57 in the American Athletic Conference quarterfinals. The Huskies (30-0) extend their NCAA-record winning streak to 105 games and reach the 30-victory mark for the 12th consecutive season.
_____
March 5
1924 — Frank Carauna, of Buffalo, N.Y., becomes the first to bowl two straight perfect 300 games. Carauna throws five strikes to open his third game, giving him 29 straight strikes.
1931 — WGL radio broadcasts the first game of the American Basketball League championship series. The Brooklyn Visitations beat the Fort Wayne Hoosiers 14-10 in the first professional basketball game to be broadcast live on radio.
1960 — Carol Heiss wins the ladies title at the World Figure Skating Championships in Vancouver.
1965 — Ernest Terrell wins the world heavyweight title with a unanimous 15-round decision over Eddie Machen in Chicago.
1973 — New York Yankee pitchers Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich announce that they’ve swapped wives and children.
1981 — Scott Hamilton wins the men’s title at the World Figure Skating Championships held in Hartford, Conn.
1985 — Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders scores his 50th goal, becoming the first NHL player to score 50 goals in eight consecutive seasons.
2004 — Ottawa and Philadelphia combine for an NHL-record 419 penalty minutes, with the Flyers setting a single-team mark with 213. There are five consecutive brawls in the final two minutes, including one involving both goalies. The previous record for penalty minutes was 406 by the Minnesota North Stars and Boston Bruins in 1981. The Flyers beat the Senators 5-3.
2016 — Makai Mason scores 22 points to lead Yale to a 71-55 victory over Columbia, clinching the Bulldogs’ first NCAA Men’s Tournament bid since 1962. The Bulldogs shared the Ivy championship last year with Harvard, but lost the playoff game with the Crimson. The win ends the second longest NCAA drought of any team that has made the tournament previously.
2016 — Clemson beats Boston College 66-50, completing the Eagles’ winless regular season in Atlantic Coast Conference play. The Eagles (7-24, 0-18) are the first men’s ACC team to go winless in their conference regular-season games since Maryland went 0-14 in 1986-87. Worse, BC’s football team went 0-8 in league play, making the school the first in ACC history to go winless in both sports in the same academic year.
_____
March 6
1920 — Mickey Roach of Toronto scores five goals to lead the St. Patrick’s to an 11-2 rout of the Quebec Bulldogs.
1964 — Boxing legend Cassius Clay joins the Nation of Islam and changes his name to ”Muhammad Ali″, calling his former title a “slave name”.
1976 — Dorothy Hamill wins the World Figure Skating Championships in Goteberg, Sweden.
1977 — Montclair State’s Carol Blazejowski scores 52 points against Queens College, setting a new collegiate scoring record (for men or women) in the current Madison Square Garden in New York.
1982 — The San Antonio Spurs and Milwaukee Bucks combine for 337 points in the highest scoring game in NBA history, to that point. The Spurs win, 171-166, in three overtimes.
1983 — The 12-team United States Football League begins its first season with five games.
1984 — Dale Hawerchuck of the Winnipeg Jets sets the NHL record for most assists in one period, with five in the second period of a 7-3 triumph over the Los Angeles Kings.
1988 — Julie Krone becomes the winningest female jockey in history with her 1,205th career victory. Krone rides a filly named Squawter to victory in the ninth race at Aqueduct Racetrack.
1996 — Detroit’s Chris Osgood becomes the third goalie in NHL history to score a goal, firing the puck into an empty net with 11 seconds remaining in the Red Wings’ 4-2 victory over Hartford.
2000 — Shaquille O’Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers scores an NBA season-high 61 points and had 23 rebounds in a 123-103 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
2001 — George Mason beats North Carolina-Wilmington 35-33 in the second-lowest scoring game in the shot-clock era of NCAA basketball.
2010 — Devin Harris scores 31 points and the New Jersey Nets erased an early 16-point deficit to beat New York 113-93. The Knicks miss all 18 attempts in the most futile 3-point shooting night in league history.
2011 — Lindsey Vonn clinches her third discipline title in three days with a super-G victory to wrap up a memorable weekend of ski racing in Tarvisio, Italy. Vonn took the super-combined and downhill titles the previous two days.
2014 — The Los Angeles Clippers rout the rival Los Angeles Lakers 142-94. It’s the most lopsided victory ever for the Clippers’ franchise and the most one-sided loss in Lakers history.
2015 — Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim is suspended for nine games, with the school punished for ignoring the “most fundamental core values of the NCAA” for academic, drug and other violations committed primarily by the men’s basketball program. The school is put on probation for five years and the basketball team is forced to vacate 108 wins in which ineligible players participated.
2015 — Shane Walsh scores the winning goal in the fifth overtime to lead UMass to a 4-3 victory over Notre Dame in the longest game in NCAA Division I ice hockey history.
2019 — LeBron James scores his 32,293rd point in the 2nd quarter of a Lakers’ 115-99 loss to Denver in LA to pass Michael Jordan into 4th place on the NBA all-time point scoring list.
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
32 – 53 – 13 – 23 – 11
February 28, 1940 – The world’s first televised basketball game as the University of Pittsburgh defeated Fordham University, 50-37. It would have been hard to appreciate the uniforms on the black and white broadcast.
February 28, 1960 – We touched upon it a bit the other day on the historic first Miracle on Ice as the US knocked off the USSR, but on this date the United States wins its first Olympic ice hockey gold medal at Squaw Valley before a home crowd, with 9-4 win over Czechoslovakia
February 28, 1966 – Los Angeles baseball pitching greats , Sandy Koufax, Number 32 and Number 53 Don Drysdale begin a joint holdout against Dodgers. They had some weight behind it to as this pair provided 49 wins for the Dodgers in 1965. Drysdale earned 23 W’s and Joufax led the Majors with 26 in ’65.
February 28, 1967 – Number 13, Wilt Chamberlain did the incredible once again when he drained his 35th consecutive shot in an NBA game
February 28, 1981 – Here is one man that you didn’t want to foul and put on the line. Houston Rockets star guard, Calvin Murphy who wore Number 23, set an NBA record with 78 consecutive free throws over a span of games.
February 28, 1998 – Vancouver Canucks Mark Messier is fourth NHL skater to earn 1,600 career points. The legendary star center and left winger wore Number 11 for his entire career with 3 different NHL teams which included the Canucks, the New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
1931 – The Canadian Rugby Union officially adopts the forward pass
1963 – Original NY Titans AFL owner Harry Wismer runs into financial difficulties midway through the 1962 season and is forced to sell the bankrupt team in February 1963 according to the Heritage Sports Art website. The AFL itself runs the franchise from November 1962 until the conclusion of the ’62 season, when it is bought by a group of 5 – spearheaded by Sonny Werblin – for $1,000,000.
2001 – NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue is named the Sports Industrialist of the Year by the Sports Business Daily.
1933 – Corpus Christi, Texas – The great pass catching end from Southern Methodist University, Raymond Berry celebrates his birth. For more on this legend, please click his name.
1945 – Orange, Texas – Michigan State’s giant of a defensive end, Bubba Smith was born.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1903 Pittsburgh owner Barney Dreyfuss and James Potter lead a syndicate to buy the Phillies from John Rogers and A. J. Reach for $170,000. Owning more than one team will not be prohibited for another seven years.
1966 Refusing to report to spring training, Dodger pitchers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale begin their joint holdout, asking for a $1 million three-year contract to be divided equally between them. The deal, equivalent to an annual salary of $167,000 for each hurler, will make them the best-paid baseball players, easily surpassing Willie Mays’ $125,000 yearly paycheck with the Giants.
1975 The Mets purchase slugger Dave Kingman from the Giants. San Francisco drafted the 26-year-old first baseman/outfielder as the team’s first pick in the initial round of the secondary phase of the 1970 amateur draft.
1985 Rick Reuschel signs as a free agent with the Pirates, spending the first two months in the minors. After being called up in May, ‘Big Daddy’ will win 14 games and be named the National League’s Comeback Player of the Year by the Sporting News.
1986 Joaquin Andujar, Dale Berra, Enos Cabell, Keith Hernandez, Jeffrey Leonard, Dave Parker, and Lonnie Smith, known as the ‘Cocaine Seven,’ are severely disciplined for their “prolonged pattern of drug use” and the distribution of drugs to others in the sport. Commissioner Peter Ueberroth drops their season-long suspension after they agree to donate ten percent of their base salaries to drug-related community service in the city they played, submit to random drug testing, and do one hundred hours of community service.
1989 The Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee elects Red Schoendienst, who spent 19 years in the major leagues and managed the Cardinals to a world championship in 1967, and Al Barlick, a 29-year veteran umpire, best known for his booming voice. The pair joins last month’s BBWAA selection of Reds’ catcher Johnny Bench and Red Sox outfielder Carl Yastrzemski.
1990 After meeting for more than five hours and taking three ballots, the Veterans Committee does not select a player for induction to the Hall of Fame for the second time in three years. The finalists, Phil Rizzuto, Nellie Fox, Richie Ashburn, Leo Durocher, Joe Gordon, Tony Lazzeri, Cecil Travis, Carl Mays, Vic Willis, Hal Newhouser, and umpire Bill McGowan, do not receive the 11 votes required for election from the 14 members present at the annual meeting.
2000 “In the end, I could not ignore Darryl’s past infractions and concluded that each of us must be held accountable for his or her actions. I am hopeful that he will use this time away from the game productively and will care for himself and his family.” – BASEBALL COMMISSIONER BUD SELIG, commenting on his decision to suspend Darryl Strawberry. Baseball suspends Yankee outfielder/DH Darryl Strawberry for one year after his positive test for cocaine last month. Commissioner Bud Selig does not make any provision for an early return to the eight-time All-Star game from the suspension based on good behavior.
2005 Right-hander Jake Peavy (15-6, 2.27) and the Padres agree to the terms of a four-year deal, with the team holding an option for a fifth year. The 23-year-old right-hander, who led the majors with the lowest ERA, opted to sign now rather than take a chance in his first year of salary arbitration eligibility after the season.
2011 The U.S. government places a plaque at Jackie Robinson’s former apartment in Montreal as a tribute to the Canadian city for its exemplary treatment of the future Hall of Fame infielder. The season before he broke the color barrier, the Dodger farmhand led the hometown Royals to the 1946 International League championship with a .349 batting average, earning the circuit’s Most Valuable Player for his outstanding performance.
2014 In an online contest sponsored by the MLB Network, the fans choose Mets’ third baseman David Wright as the Face of Major League Baseball. The seven-time All-star, dubbed “Captain America” due to his heroics last season’s WBC, narrowly beat A’s infielder Eric Sogard in the bracket-style competition where fans voted on Twitter.
TV SPORTS FRIDAY
| MLB SPRING TRAINING | TIME ET | TV |
| LA Angels vs. Chi. Cubs | 3:10pm | MLBN |
| LA Angels vs. LA Dodgers | 8:05pm | MLBN |
| NBA | TIME ET | TV |
| Denver Nuggets vs Detroit Pistons | 7:00pm | ALT2 FanDuel Sports DET |
| Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics | 7:30pm | ESPN FanDuel Sports OH NBCS-BOS |
| Oklahoma City Thunder vs Atlanta Hawks | 7:30pm | FanDuel Sports OKC FanDuel Sports ATL |
| Indiana Pacers vs Miami Heat | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports IND FanDuel Sports Sun |
| New York Knicks vs Memphis Grizzlies | 8:00pm | MSG FanDuel Sports MEM |
| Toronto Raptors vs Chicago Bulls | 8:00pm | Sportsnet CHSN |
| New Orleans Pelicans vs Phoenix Suns | 9:00pm | AFSN GCSN |
| Minnesota Timberwolves vs Utah Jazz | 9:30pm | FanDuel Sports North KJZZ |
| Los Angeles Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers | 10:00pm | FanDuel Sports SoCal Spectrum |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Toronto Maple Leafs vs New York Rangers | 7:00pm | NHLN MSG Sportsnet |
| Los Angeles Kings vs Dallas Stars | 7:00pm | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports West Victory+ |
| Minnesota Wild vs Colorado Avalanche | 7:00pm | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports North ALT |
| MEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Brown at Harvard | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Yale at Dartmouth | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Central Michigan at Eastern Michigan | 6:00pm | CBSSN |
| Iona at Niagara | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Davidson at VCU | 7:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Saint Peter’s at Quinnipiac | 7:00pm | ESPNU |
| Penn at Cornell | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Princeton at Columbia | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Manhattan at Canisius | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Rider at Merrimack | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Marist at Sacred Heart | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Mount St. Mary’s at Fairfield | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Old Dominion at Coastal Carolina | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Arkansas State at ULM | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| UCLA at Purdue | 8:00pm | FOX |
| Louisiana at South Alabama | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Georgia State at Georgia Southern | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| James Madison at Texas State | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Troy at Southern Miss | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Kent State at Akron | 9:00pm | ESPN2 |
| App State at Marshall | 9:00pm | ESPNU |
| Iowa at Northwestern | 9:00pm | FS1 |
| Nevada at UNLV | 11:00pm | FS1 |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| DP World Tour: SA Open | 6:00am | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: Cognizant Classic | 2:00pm | GOLF |
| LPGA Tour: Women’s World Championship | 9:30pm | GOLF |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| Bundesliga: Stuttgart vs Bayern München | 2:30pm | ESPN+ fuboTV |
| Belgium Pro League: Sporting Charleroi vs Genk | 2:45pm | ESPN+ |
| Ligue 1: Monaco vs Reims | 2:45pm | Fanatiz beIN Sports fuboTV |
| FA Cup: Aston Villa vs Cardiff City | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| La Liga: Real Valladolid vs Las Palmas | 3:00pm | ESPN+ fuboTV |
| Liga MX: Mazatlán vs Cruz Azul | 10:00pm | VIX |
| WOMEN’S NCAA GYMNASTICS | TIME ET | TV |
| Missouri at Florida | 6:00pm | SECN |
| Alabama at Arkansas | 7:30pm | SECN |
TV SPORTS SATURDAY
| MLB SPRING TRAINING | TIME ET | TV |
| Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore | 1:05pm | MLBN |
| San Francisco vs. LA Dodgers | 3:05pm | MLBN |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Washington Wizards vs Charlotte Hornets | 6:00pm | MNMT FanDuel Sports CHA |
| Brooklyn Nets vs Detroit Pistons | 7:00pm | FanDuel Sports DET YES |
| San Antonio Spurs vs Memphis Grizzlies | 8:00pm | KENS FanDuel Sports MEM |
| Sacramento Kings vs Houston Rockets | 8:00pm | NBCS-CA SCHN |
| Milwaukee Bucks vs Dallas Mavericks | 8:30pm | KFAA FanDuel Sports WI |
| Golden State Warriors vs Philadelphia 76ers | 8:30pm | ABC ESPN+ |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Nashville Predators vs New York Islanders | 12:30 pm | NHLN MSGSN FanDuel Sports South |
| Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals | 12:30pm | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports Sun MNMT |
| Calgary Flames vs Florida Panthers | 3:00pm | NHLN Scripps Sportsnet |
| Boston Bruins vs Pittsburgh Penguins | 3:00pm | ABC ESPN+ |
| Detroit Red Wings vs Columbus Blue Jackets | 6:00pm | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports DET FanDuel Sports Ohio |
| Philadelphia Flyers vs Winnipeg Jets | 7:00pm | NHLN NBCS-PHI Sportsnet |
| Edmonton Oilers vs Carolina Hurricanes | 7:00pm | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports South Sportsnet |
| San Jose Sharks vs Ottawa Senators | 7:00pm | ESPN+ Sportsnet NBCS-CA |
| Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres | 7:00pm | NHLN MSG-BUF Sportsnet |
| Los Angeles Kings vs St. Louis Blues | 8:00pm | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports MW KCAL |
| New Jersey Devils vs Utah Hockey Club | 9:00pm | ESPN+ Utah16 MSGSN |
| Vancouver Canucks vs Seattle Kraken | 10:00pm | NHLN KONG Sportsnet |
| Chicago Blackhawks vs Anaheim Ducks | 10:00pm | ESPN+ CHSN Victory+ |
| MEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| UConn at Providence | 12:00pm | CBS |
| Butler at Villanova | 12:00pm | FOX |
| Saint Joseph’s at Fordham | 12:00pm | USA |
| Clemson at Virginia | 12:00pm | ESPN |
| Miami (FL) at North Carolina | 12:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Syracuse at Virginia Tech | 12:00pm | CW |
| Maryland at Penn State | 12:00pm | BTN |
| American at Colgate | 12:00pm | CBSSN |
| Auburn at Kentucky | 1:00pm | ABC |
| Arkansas at South Carolina | 1:00pm | SECN |
| LIU at Fairleigh Dickinson | 1:00pm | NEC Front Row |
| Lafayette at Boston University | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Lehigh at Army West Point | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Chattanooga at VMI | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| ETSU at The Citadel | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Miami (OH) at Ohio | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Youngstown State at Northern Kentucky | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Vermont at UMBC | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Binghamton at UMass Lowell | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Texas Tech at Kansas | 2:00pm | ESPN/2 |
| Oklahoma at Ole Miss | 2:00pm | ESPN/2 |
| Minnesota at Nebraska | 2:00pm | BTN |
| Tulane at Tulsa | 2:00pm | ESPNU |
| Richmond at Dayton | 2:00pm | CBSSN |
| George Mason at Duquesne | 2:00pm | ATTSN-PIT |
| North Carolina A&T at Hofstra | 2:00pm | MSG |
| Monmouth at Drexel | 2:00pm | NBCS-PHI |
| Chicago State at Saint Francis U | 2:00pm | NEC Front Row |
| Bucknell at Holy Cross | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Furman at Wofford | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Ball State at Bowling Green | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Bryant at Maine | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UAlbany at NJIT | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Jacksonville State at FIU | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Charleston Southern at Radford | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Gardner-Webb at Presbyterian | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Oral Roberts at Omaha | 2:00pm | Summit |
| Northeastern at William & Mary | 2:00pm | FloSports |
| Seton Hall vs. St. John’s | 2:15pm | CBS |
| Wright State vs. IU Indianapolis | 2:30pm | ESPN+ |
| NC State at Georgia Tech | 3:00pm | ACCN |
| UCF at TCU | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Abilene Christian at UTA | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| South Dakota State at Denver | 3:00pm | Summit |
| UIW at East Texas A&M | 3:15pm | ESPN+ |
| LSU at Mississippi State | 3:30pm | SECN |
| Alabama A&M at Alabama State | 3:30pm | HBCU Go |
| Louisiana Tech at Sam Houston | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Alabama at Tennessee | 4:00pm | ESPN |
| Purdue Fort Wayne at Cleveland State | 4:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Utah State at Colorado State | 4:00pm | FS1 |
| Samford at UNCG | 4:00pm | ESPNU |
| USC at Oregon | 4:00pm | BTN |
| Loyola Chicago at Saint Louis | 4:00pm | CBSSN |
| Hampton at Towson | 4:00pm | MNMT |
| Prairie View A&M at Alcorn State | 4:00pm | SWACN |
| Air Force at New Mexico | 4:00pm | MWN |
| Howard at North Carolina Central | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Coppin State at Delaware State | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Detroit Mercy at Milwaukee | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Brown at Dartmouth | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Yale at Harvard | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Lindenwood at Tennessee Tech | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Loyola Maryland at Navy | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Middle Tennessee at UTEP | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UNC Asheville at Winthrop | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Montana State at Sacramento State | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Southern Utah at Utah Valley | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Creighton at Xavier | 4:30pm | FOX |
| Cincinnati at Houston | 4:30pm | CBS |
| Texas Southern at Jackson State | 4:30pm | SWACN |
| Le Moyne at Stonehill | 4:30pm | NEC Front Row |
| Little Rock at SIUE | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Morehead State at UT Martin | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Southeast Missouri at Eastern Illinois | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Southern Indiana at Tennessee State | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Western Carolina at Mercer | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Houston Christian at Northwestern State | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Western Michigan at Northern Illinois | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Toledo at Buffalo | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| SMU at Stanford | 5:00pm | ACCN |
| Portland at San Diego | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Montana at Portland State | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Idaho State at Eastern Washington | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Weber State at Idaho | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| CSU Bakersfield at Cal Poly | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| North Dakota at South Dakota | 5:00pm | Summit |
| Notre Dame at Wake Forest | 5:30pm | CW |
| Southern at Bethune-Cookman | 5:30pm | YouTube |
| Southeastern Louisiana at A&M-Corpus Christi | 5:30pm | ESPN+ |
| New Orleans at UTRGV | 5:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Pitt at Louisville | 6:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Central Connecticut at Wagner | 6:00pm | ESPNU |
| Missouri at Vanderbilt | 6:00pm | SECN |
| Elon at Stony Brook | 6:00pm | CBSSN |
| Campbell at Charleston | 6:00pm | WCBD |
| Indiana at Washington | 6:00pm | Peacock |
| Rhode Island at UMass | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| La Salle at George Washington | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Penn at Columbia | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Nicholls at Stephen F. Austin | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Florida State at Duke | 7:00pm | ACCN |
| UAPB at Mississippi Valley State | 7:00pm | YouTube |
| Boise State at Fresno State | 7:00pm | MWN |
| Oakland at Green Bay | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| McNeese at Lamar | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Arizona State at Utah | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| WKU at NM State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Longwood at USC Upstate | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Santa Clara at Pacific | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Delaware at UNCW | 7:00pm | FloSports |
| Georgia at Texas | 8:00pm | ESPN2 |
| San Diego State at Wyoming | 8:00pm | CBSSN |
| Marquette at Georgetown | 8:00pm | Peacock |
| Oklahoma State at Baylor | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UC Santa Barbara at CSUN | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Kansas City at St. Thomas | 8:00pm | Summit |
| Texas A&M at Florida | 8:30pm | SECN |
| Arizona at Iowa State | 9:00pm | ESPN |
| Northern Colorado at Northern Arizona | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| California Baptist at Utah Tech | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| West Virginia at BYU | 10:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| Boston College at California | 10:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| Oregon State at Saint Mary’s | 10:00pm | CBSSN |
| Washington State at Pepperdine | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Grand Canyon at Seattle U | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Cal State Fullerton at UC San Diego | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Long Beach State at UC Irvine | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Gonzaga vs. San Francisco | 11:00pm | ESPN |
| UC Davis at Hawai’i | 11:59pm | ESPN+ |
| WOMEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Virginia at Johns Hopkins | 12:00pm | ESPNU |
| Maryland at Notre Dame | 1:00pm | ACCN |
| MOTORSPORTS | TIME ET | TV |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series at Circuit of the Americas | 2:30pm | CW |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| DP World Tour: SA Open | 5:30am | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: Cognizant Classic | 1:00pm | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: Cognizant Classic | 3:00pm | NBC |
| LPGA Tour: Women’s World Championship | 9:30pm | GOLF |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| FA Cup: Crystal Palace vs Millwall | 7:15am | ESPN+ |
| FA Cup: Preston North End vs Burnley | 7:15am | ESPN+ |
| La Liga: Girona vs Celta de Vigo | 8:00am | ESPN+ fuboTV |
| Serie A: Atalanta vs Venezia | 9:00am | Paramount+ fuboTV |
| Bundesliga: Heidenheim vs Borussia M’gladbach | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: RB Leipzig vs Mainz 05 | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Bochum vs Hoffenheim | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Werder Bremen vs Wolfsburg | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: St. Pauli vs Borussia Dortmund | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| FA Cup: AFC Bournemouth vs Wolverhampton Wanderers | 10:00am | ESPN+ |
| La Liga: Rayo Vallecano vs Sevilla | 10:15am | ESPN+ fuboTV |
| Ligue 1: Saint-Étienne vs Nice | 11:00am | Fanatiz beIN Sports |
| Serie A: Napoli vs Internazionale | 12:00pm | Paramount+ fuboTV |
| La Liga: Real Betis vs Real Madrid | 12:30pm | ESPN+ fuboTV |
| FA Cup: Manchester City vs Plymouth Argyle | 12:45pm | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bayer Leverkusen | 12:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Ligue 1: Lens vs Le Havre | 1:00pm | Fanatiz beIN Sports |
| MLS: Charlotte vs Atlanta United | 2:00pm | FOX fuboTV MLS Season Pass |
| Serie A: Udinese vs Parma | 2:45pm | Paramount+ fuboTV |
| La Liga: Atlético Madrid vs Athletic Club | 3:00pm | ESPN+ fuboTV |
| Ligue 1: PSG vs Lille | 3:05pm | Fanatiz beIN Sports |
| MLS: Real Salt Lake vs Seattle Sounders FC | 4:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Liga MX: Necaxa vs Tigres UANL | 6:00pm | VIX |
| MLS: New England vs Columbus Crew | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: New York RB vs Nashville SC | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: Orlando City SC vs Toronto FC | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: Philadelphia Union vs Cincinnati | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Liga MX: León vs Tijuana | 8:00pm | VIX |
| Liga MX: América vs Toluca | 8:05pm | VIX fuboTV |
| MLS: Chicago Fire vs DC United | 8:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: Minnesota United vs CF Montréal | 8:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: Sporting KC vs SJ Earthquakes | 8:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: Colorado Rapids vs Dallas | 9:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Liga MX: Pumas UNAM vs Guadalajara | 10:10pm | VIX |
| MLS: Los Angeles FC vs New York City | 10:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: Portland Timbers vs Austin | 10:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: San Diego vs St. Louis City | 10:30pm | MLS Season Pass |