INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL REGIONAL PAIRINGS
REGIONAL PAIRINGS
CLASS 4A
MICHIGAN CITY
EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL [22-4] VS. MISHAWAKA [19-7]
**EAST CHICAGO FAVORED BY 6
MICHIGAN CITY
WARSAW [19-5] VS. CROWN POINT [19-5]
**CROWN POINT FAVORED BY 7
NEW CASTLE
KOKOMO [25-3] VS. FISHERS [25-1]
**FISHERS FAVORED BY 8
LOGANSPORT
FORT WAYNE NORTH [19-8] VS. FORT WAYNE WAYNE [21-3]
**FT. WAYNE WAYNE FAVORED BY 8
GREENFIELD
AVON [15-10] VS. LAWRENCE NORTH [24-3]
**LAWRENCE NORTH FAVORED BY 15
SOUTHPORT
NEW PALESTINE [22-5] VS. BEN DAVIS [20-5]
**BEN DAVIS FAVORED BY 5
SOUTHRIDGE
JEFFERSONVILLE [18-7] VS. EVANSVILLE HARRISON [20-4]
**JEFFERSONVILLE FAVORED BY 1
SOUTHPORT
FRANKLIN [18-4] VS. CENTER GROVE [20-4]
**CENTER GROVE FAVORED BY 3
CLASS 3A
TRITON
HAMMOND NOLL [20-7] VS. FAIRFIELD [19-6]
**HAMMON NOLLFAVORED BY 4
SB WASHINGTON
JOHN GLENN [13-13] VS. SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH [17-9]
**ST. JOSEPH FAVORED BY 19
LOGANSPORT
PERU [15-10] VS. WEST LAFAYETTE [19-6]
**WEST LAFAYETTE FAVORED BY 1
LAPEL
DELTA [21-6] VS. FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA [14-12]
**DELTA FAVORED BY 11
GREENFIELD
GUERIN CATHOLIC [20-7] VS. INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON [14-12]
**GUERIN FAVORED BY 9
LEBANON
NORTHVIEW [14-11] VS. DANVILLE [21-3]
**DANVILLE FAVORED BY 9
SEYMOUR
BATESVILLE [20-5] VS. SCOTTSBURG [21-5]
**SCOTTSBURG FAVORED BY 14
SOUTHRIDGE
SOUTHRIDGE [19-6] VS. EVANSVILLE BOSSE [14-10]
**BOSSE FAVORED BY 1
CLASS 2A
TRITON
WABASH [20-5] VS. WESTVIEW [20-5]
**WESTVIEW FAVORED BY 2
NORTH JUDSON
NORTH JUDSON [15-9] VS. GARY 21ST CENTURY [20-6]
**GARY 21ST FAVORED BY 19
LAPEL
WAPAHANI [23-2] VS. TIPTON [24-2]
**WAPAHANI FAVORED BY 3
FRANKFORT
FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK [20-6] VS. LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC [17-8]
**FW BLACKHAWK FAVORED BY 11
LEBANON
IRVINGTON PREP [16-9] VS. PARK TUDOR [19-5]
**PARK TUDOR FAVORED BY 27
MARTINSVILLE
PARKE HERITAGE [22-5] VS. NORTHEASTERN [18-7]
**PARKE HERITAGE FAVORED BY 6
SEYMOUR
SWITZERLAND COUNTY [15-10] VS. FOREST PARK [17-9]
**FOREST PARKE FAVORED BY 10
WASHINGTON
SULLIVAN [21-5] VS. BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL [24-4]
**BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL FAVORED BY 22
CLASS 1A
SB WASHINGTON
MARQUETTE CATHOLIC [11-15] VS. DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN [19-7]
**MARQUETTE FAVORED BY 2
NORTH JUDSON
TRI-COUNTY [14-11] VS. ELKHART CHRISTIAN [16-9]
**ELKHART CHRISTIAN FAVORED BY 7
NEW CASTLE
SETON CATHOLIC [19-7] VS. LIBERTY CHRISTIAN [16-9]
**LIBERTY CHRIATIAN FAVORED BY 1
FRANKFORT
FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY [15-9] VS. NORTH VERMILLION [15-10]
**FW CANTERBURY FAVORED BY 15
MARTINSVILLE
OLDENBURG ACADEMY [13-11] VS. GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN [17-7]
**GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN FAVORED BY 9
WASHINGTON
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN [20-7] VS. CLAY CITY [21-5]
**BETHESDA CHRISTIAN FAVORD BY 2
LOOGOOTEE
CHRISTIAN ACADEMY [22-4] VS. BARR-REEVE [23-2]
**BARR-REEVE FAVORED BY 8
LOOGOOTEE
TRINITY LUTHERAN [14-11] VS. EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN [23-2]
**EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN FAVORED BY 29
2023-24 GIRLS GYMNASTICS STATE TOURNAMENT
Site: Worthen Arena, Ball State University, 1699 W. Bethel Avenue, Muncie | Facility
Time: Doors open to spectators at 10 am ET; Opening ceremonies at 11 am ET; Competition at 11:30 am ET.
Admission: All tickets will be digital through your mobile phone and may be purchased through Eventlink (additional fees may apply). No cash. Present your purchase verification on your mobile phone at the gate for admission. $15 per person. Children age 5 and younger admitted free. All seats general admission. No pass outs. Patrons will enter at Gate 1 on the northeast side of the facility.
Results: Unofficial live results are available online once the meet begins. Official results will be posted following the conclusion of the event.
Streaming: Competition will be streamed exclusively (no commentary) at IHSAAtv.org and the IHSAAtv suite of apps (iPhone, Android phone, Roku Amazon Firestick, AppleTV, and Android TV) via pay-per-view for $15.
Photography: Double Edge Media is the Official Photography Service of the IHSAA and posts state championship images for purchase. Website
Sports Medicine: Athletic trainers from Forté Sports Medicine, the Official Sports Medicine Provider to the IHSAA, will be on hand to assist student-athletes as needed. Website
Apparel: Contact Team IP, our official online provider of state tournament apparel. Website
MEN’S TOP 25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES
WASHINGTON 74 #18 WASHINGTON STATE 68
#5 ARIZONA 88 UCLA 65
ELSEWHERE:
BELMONT 86 VALPARAISO 61
WISCONSIN 78 RUTGERS 66
EVANSVILLE 59 ILLINOIS STATE 53
OAKLAND 75 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 65
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP 25 SCORES
#24 LOUISVILLE 58 BOSTON COLLEGE 55
#13 OREGON STATE 85 #18 COLORADO 79 2OT
#2 STANFORD 71 CALIFORNIA 57
#25 FAIRFIELD 63 ST. PETER’S 46
#5 USC 65 ARIZONA 62
#7 UCLA 67 #22 UTAH 57
ELSEWHERE:
MARYLAND 75 ILLINOIS 65
NEBRASKA 64 PURDUE 56
NORTHERN IOWA 91 INDIANA STATE 62
PENN STATE 80 WISCONSIN 56
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 60 VALPARAISO 51
DRAKE 86 EVANSVILLE 53
PURDUE FORT WAYNE 66 DETROIT 35
MICHIGAN 76 MINNESOTA 57
NBA SCOREBOARD
MINNESOTA 113 INDIANA 111
DETROIT 118 BROOKLYN 112
DALLAS 114 MIAMI 108
PHOENIX 120 TORONTO 113
CHICAGO 125 GOLDEN STATE 122
DENVER 115 BOSTON 109
SACRAMENTO 131 SAN ANTONIO 129
NHL SCOREBOARD
WASHINGTON 6 PITTSBURGH 0
BOSTON 4 TORONTO 1
NEW JERSEY 4 ST. LOUIS 1
CAROLINA 4 MONTRÉAL 1
PHILADELPHIA 2 FLORIDA 1
CALGARY 6 TAMPA BAY 3
COLUMBUS 4 EDMONTON 2
NASHVILLE 4 BUFFALO 2
MINNESOTA 5 ARIZONA 2
VANCOUVER 3 VEGAS 1
NY ISLANDERS 7 SAN JOSE 2
LOS ANGELES 4 OTTAWA 3 OT
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
CLEVELAND 0 OAKLAND 0 CANCELED
KANSAS CITY 0 COLORADO 0 CANCELED
LA DODGERS 0 SAN FRANCISCO 0 CANCELED
ATLANTA 3 BOSTON 2
TAMPA BAY 3 PHILADELPHIA 2
HOUSTON 6 ST. LOUIS 3
TEXAS 7 ARIZONA 5
MILWAUKEE 8 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 2
SEATTLE 5 LA ANGELS 0
TORONTO 5 DETROIT 4
NY METS 3 WASHINGTON 1
DETROIT 11 NY YANKEES 5
CHICAGO CUBS 2 CINCINNATI 2
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES
GONZAGA 7 MINNESOTA 3
VCU 9 WESTERN MICHIGAN 7 (11)
COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES
MINNESOTA 5 CLEMSON 3
TEXAS STATE 5 PENN STATE 2
NEBRASKA VS. ARKANSAS CANCELED
NATIONAL SPORTS RELEASES/HEADLINES
NFL NEWS
DENVER BRONCOS RELEASING STAR SAFETY JUSTIN SIMMONS IN A COST-SAVING MOVE
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Justin Simmons became one of the top free agents on the market Thursday when the Denver Broncos released their star safety in a cost-cutting move.
Simmons is the first veteran to pay the price for the enormous dead cap charges the Broncos are facing when they release quarterback Russell Wilson next week.
A second-team All-Pro in four of his last five seasons, Simmons intercepted multiple passes in each of his eight years in Denver and his 30 picks lead all NFL players since his rookie season in 2016, when the Broncos selected him in the third round out of Boston College.
Simmons was set to earn $14.5 million this upcoming season, the final year of the four-year, $61 million deal he signed in 2021.
All high-earning veterans on the Broncos roster are vulnerable to release because the team is facing a record $85 million in dead cap charges in the fallout from Wilson’s impending departure.
The team hasn’t decided whether to absorb $35.4 million or $53 million of Wilson’s dead-cap hit in 2024, but either way they’ve got a long way to go to get under the salary cap, and Simmons’ release is just the beginning of a painful roster purge this offseason.
Others who could follow Simmons out of Denver include left tackle Garett Bolles, linebacker Josey Jewell and receivers Tim Patrick and Courtland Sutton.
Simmons teamed with cornerback Patrick Surtain II the last three years to form one of the NFL’s most spectacular secondaries even as the Broncos extended their playoff drought to eight seasons and their string of losing campaigns to seven.
Simmons was also the Broncos’ most active player in charitable appearances and was a fan favorite on a team that’s had little to cheer for since winning Super Bowl 50 after the 2015 season.
In a series of posts on the social media site X, the Broncos thanked Simmons for his work both on and off the field, saying his “impact as a Bronco extends far beyond his exceptional play during eight seasons with our organization.”
“In addition to growing into an All-Pro and team captain, Justin became our perennial NFL Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year devoted to uplifting others and using his influence for positive change,” the team said. “Whether it was in Denver or his hometown of Stuart, Florida, Justin inspired and mentored countless youth while providing unwavering support to the community. The hundreds of hours he spent at the Denver Broncos Boys & Girls Club will be as much a part of Justin’s legacy with the Broncos as his leadership, dependability and many interceptions.
STEELERS RELEASE VETERAN SAFETY KEANU NEAL AFTER FAILING A PHYSICAL
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers released safety Keanu Neal on Thursday after he failed a physical with the team.
Neal played in nine games for the Steelers in 2023, eight of them starts. He suffered a rib injury in a win over Green Bay on Nov. 12 when he was hit at the end of a 32-yard interception return in the fourth quarter.
The team placed Neal on injured reserve on Nov. 18.
The 28-year-old Neal signed a two-year, $4.25 million deal with the Steelers last March. He had 50 tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception with Pittsburgh. Neal’s departure leaves perennial Pro Bowler Minkah Fitzpatrick and veteran Damontae Kazee as the two most experienced safeties left on the roster with free agency set to start next week.
REPORT: STEELERS INTERESTED IN SIGNING WILSON
The Pittsburgh Steelers are interested in signing Russell Wilson and plan to meet with him before the start of free agency, sources told Gerry Dulac of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Wilson is also interested in joining the Steelers, Dulac adds.
The Denver Broncos confirmed they plan to release Wilson next week when the new league year starts, but they reportedly gave the veteran permission to begin speaking to other teams. Wilson’s release from the Broncos will cost the franchise a record $85 million in dead money.
The Steelers have reiterated their faith in former first-round pick Kenny Pickett throughout the offseason but have also promised to bring in competition at the quarterback position.
“(I) feel really good about Kenny, but he knows, and we all know, that there’s going to be competition in the room,” Steelers general manager Omar Khan said at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.
A 2022 first-round pick, Pickett has struggled in the NFL. He finished the 2023 campaign as the No. 2 quarterback behind Mason Rudolph after suffering an ankle injury late in the year. Rudolph impressed down the stretch, so Pickett was reduced to a backup role for the regular-season finale and wild-card round even after he became healthy.
Pickett threw for 2,070 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions on a 62% completion rate in 2023.
Meanwhile, Rudolph led the team to a 3-0 record in the regular season and a playoff berth. He finished the campaign with three touchdowns to zero interceptions. He is not under contract for 2024.
Wilson’s two-year tenure with the Broncos did not go as hoped. He recorded career lows in wins (four), completion percentage (60.5%), touchdowns (16), and passer rating (84.4) in his first season. He showed improvements in his second year with 26 touchdowns to eight interceptions, but he didn’t finish the year as the starter.
A former Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson is four years removed from the last time he exceeded 4,000 passing yards or 30 touchdown passes.
JAGUARS AND GUARD EZRA CLEVELAND AGREE TO A 3-YEAR, $28.5M CONTRACT, AP SOURCES SAY
The Jacksonville Jaguars and guard Ezra Cleveland have agreed to a three-year, $28.5 million contract that includes $14.5 million guaranteed, according to a person familiar with negotiations.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither side had announced the deal publicly.
The move prevents Cleveland from hitting the free-agent market next week and should solidify a position that was a revolving door in front of franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence last season.
The Jaguars gave Minnesota a sixth-round draft pick in exchange for Cleveland at the trade deadline in October. He started five of Jacksonville’s final nine games, four at left guard and one at left tackle.
General manager Trent Baalke has said repeatedly he believes Cleveland can upgrade a position at which Jacksonville used four different starters in 2023, including Ben Bartch, Tyler Shatley and Walker Little.
Cleveland started 49 games over four seasons in Minnesota before getting traded in the final year of his rookie deal.
Jacksonville is expected to return most, if not all, of its starting offensive line and add a veteran center to compete with third-year pro Luke Fortner. The Jaguars gave up 41 sacks in 2023 and saw Lawrence have to leave four games with various injuries.
DERRICK HENRY AND SAQUON BARKLEY AMONG VETERANS EAGER TO SEE HOW THE NFL VALUES RUNNING BACKS
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Derrick Henry is back in the gym, eager to prove turning 30 is just a number that shouldn’t affect the four-time Pro Bowl running back’s value on the NFL’s open market.
The man who organized a group chat among the league’s top running backs last summer is about to find out exactly what teams are willing to pay for proven experience.
And Henry has company with stars such as Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard — the three running backs hit with franchise tags in 2023 — also hitting free agency. Barkley didn’t sign his tag and wound up playing last season for $10.1 million.
So will these running backs find big contracts when the NFL free agent market opens next week? Or will they have to be patient, choosy or simply have to settle for less?
“We’re all going to find out,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio said. “Free agency is just — it’s what does the market tell you? And then any player, what are you willing to pay that player commensurate with their role?”
The cost of free agents changes every March with the start of each new NFL year. Positions get slotted, and running backs have been hit the hardest with less expensive replacements available. Only kickers and punters are paid less on average by position than backs whose bodies take crunching hits every handoff and block.
No NFL team in the offseason gave itself more negotiating time with either a franchise or transition tag on a running back that would’ve cost a mere $9.7 million for 2024. Again, only kickers and punters had a lower value.
Of the nine total tags since the start of the offseason, seven went to defensive players.
So a group of experienced and talented players is poised to hit the free agent market.
“There’s some good names there,” Giants GM Joe Schoen said at the NFL combine last week. “I mean, it’s a little bit of a saturated market. There are some guys at different ages that have had success, there’s some older guys that have had some success. So, it’s a diverse group.”
Age isn’t a factor for Jacobs at just 26. But he is coming off his worst season, having rushed for only 805 yards last season, and the Raiders also have Zamir White as they look for a possible replacement for Jacobs.
“The talent pool at that position in free agency is relatively high,” Raiders GM Tom Telesco said.
Even with the jump in the NFL salary cap for 2024, running backs may be forced to be patient and choosy.
One thing in their favor? The pool for running backs in April’s draft is a bit shallow with only 12 projected as fifth-round picks or better out of 35 graded before the combine.
Incoming running backs have noticed the low value the NFL has placed on their position. Blake Corum of Michigan said it’s up to running backs to fix that narrative by being game-changers.
“Running backs obviously want to get paid more, but at the end of the day it is what it is, you can only control the controllables and that’s the way I look at it so I’m not so worried about it,” Corum said.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said that just because the market price hasn’t risen along with others doesn’t negate the impact of good running backs.
“All it does is take one team, one deal to reset a market and change things,” Adofo-Mensah said. “I’m not going to say that it’s not going to be this year, but there’s a lot of exciting options on the market. We’ll take a look at them like we take a look at every position.”
Henry made clear after the Titans’ season ended that he was looking forward to becoming a free agent, essentially for the first time since high school. He agreed to a four-year extension after being tagged in 2020.
Yes, he turned 30 in January, but the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner started only four games combined over his first two seasons in the NFL behind DeMarco Murray. Henry led the NFL in carries with 280 and was second in rushing behind the 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey in 2023.
One of only eight men to run for at least 2,000 yards in a season, Henry also is tied for 13th in NFL history with 90 rushing TDs, tied with Eric Dickerson and Curtis Martin. He’s also 508 yards from passing Eddie George as the franchise’s career leading rusher.
Whether Henry gets that chance has been the most popular question in Tennessee for general manager Ran Carthon. He goes into his second season with a new coach in Brian Callahan and Tyjae Spears, a big dual threat out of the backfield as a rookie in 2023.
“I have a responsibility to build this team long term,” he said. “And like I said, we’ll cross that bridge with Derrick and his team when we get there.”
That time is here. The only question is at what price.
REPORTS: RAMS, OG KEVIN DOTSON AGREE TO $48M EXTENSION
Rams guard Kevin Dotson agreed to a three-year, $48 million deal that keeps him with Los Angeles, according to multiple reports.
Dotson, 27, was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next week. General manager Les Snead said during the NFL Scouting Combine that the Rams expected negotiations with Dotson to go “into the window,” referring to the negotiating period between March 11-13.
A fourth-round pick in 2020 who started for the Steelers before a trade to the Rams before the 2023 regular season began, Dotson has 44 career starts with experience with right guard and left guard over 53 games.
At $16 million per season, Dotson would be among the top 10 guards in annual salary with the Falcons’ Chris Lindstrom the highest-paid player at the position ($20.5 million average).
Snead and Los Angeles face more work to keep the offensive line intact.
Center Coleman Shelton is an unrestricted free agent after he voided the player option in his contract for the 2024 season.
REPORTS: EAGLES, RB SAQUON BARKLEY HAVE MUTUAL INTEREST
The Philadelphia Eagles and running back Saquon Barkley have a mutual interest heading into the start of free agency, according to multiple reports.
The New York Post and Philadelphia’s WIP radio both reported Thursday on Barkley’s potential move from the New York Giants to their NFC East rivals.
The Giants opted not to put the franchise tag on Barkley earlier this week, and the two-time Pro Bowl selection is set to become a free agent for the first time.
Barkley, who turned 27 last month, is coming off a 2023 season with 1,242 yards from scrimmage and 10 scores.
Drafted by the Giants with the No. 2 pick in 2018, Barkley has rushed for 5,211 yards and 35 touchdowns on 1,201 carries in 74 games (all starts). He also has 288 receptions for 2,100 yards and 12 touchdowns.
D’Andre Swift, 25, rushed for 1,049 yards in his first season with his hometown Eagles in 2023 but is also a free agent.
REPORTS: BEARS SIGN TAGGED CB JAYLON JOHNSON TO $76M DEAL
Two days after the Bears used the franchise tag to keep him, cornerback Jaylon Johnson secured a $76 million deal to stay in Chicago, according to reports Thursday.
Once the signing is official, Johnson, 24, would become one of the highest-paid players at the position on a deal that would average $19 million per year and reportedly includes $54.4 million guaranteed.
The 2024 franchise tag would’ve guaranteed Johnson a one-year salary of $19.8 million. But general manager Ryan Poles said at the NFL Scouting Combine he felt the sides were extremely close to a long-term deal.
“I think there is really good space for us to find the middle ground. Again, we always have the tag to use, but I really would like to get something done long term,” Poles said in Indianapolis.
A second-round pick in 2020, Johnson was the highest-rated cornerback in the NFL by Pro Football Focus in 2023, allowing a passer rating of 33.3 in more than 500 coverage snaps.
Talks that began more than a year ago included some acrimony.
Chicago’s track record of not setting the market rate at a position even when re-signing its own free agents led to trades in similar situations. When linebacker Roquan Smith demanded $20 million per year, the Bears blinked and traded him to the Baltimore Ravens.
Johnson and the Bears had been at odds since the trade deadline in October, when Poles granted the lockdown cornerback permission to seek a trade. Johnson was hoping for a new deal at the time but said ongoing talks were progressing “slower than expected.”
“At the end of the day, it goes back to respect as well,” Johnson said after the trade deadline passed last season. “You can throw some numbers at someone and hope they take anything. That’s not what I’m looking to do. I’m looking for respect and security.”
Only two cornerbacks average a salary higher than the franchise tender rate: Jaire Alexander of the Packers averages $21 million and Denzel Ward of the Browns is at $20.1 million.
Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed was designated the franchise player of the Chiefs.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
DETROIT MERCY AND COACH MIKE DAVIS AGREE TO PART WAYS AFTER TITANS FINISH SEASON AT 1-31
DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Mercy and men’s basketball coach Mike Davis have “mutually agreed to part ways” two days after the Titans finished their season with a 1-31 record, the school announced Thursday.
Davis’ departure also comes a year after his son, Antoine, came four points shy of breaking Pete Maravich’s NCAA men’s Div. I scoring record of 3,667 points.
The Titans were 60-119 in six seasons under Davis, including 44-65 in Horizon League play. They began this season with 26 consecutive losses.
“On behalf of our entire community, I want to thank Coach Davis and his family for their dedication, commitment and competitive spirit he brought to Detroit Mercy,” athletic director Robert Vowels said in a school statement. “We wish the best for him and his family as his coaching journey continues.”
Davis has made four stops in his head coaching career — Indiana, UAB, Texas Southern and Detroit Mercy — staying for six years at each institution. His career record is 412-360.
UW TOPS RIVAL NO. 18 WASHINGTON STATE 74-68
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Koren Johnson scored 23 points, Keion Brooks Jr. added 22 and Washington knocked off No. 18 Washington State 74-68 in the final Pac-12 Conference matchup between the cross-state rivals.
“Really proud of our guys,” Coach Hopkins said after the win. “To be able to play against your rival on the road – our guys competed, we kept being resilient, kept playing and we made some plays.”
Johnson nailed a corner 3-pointer with 1:21 left that proved to be the final blow, putting the Huskies up 68-61.
The Huskies held Washington State to 4 of 24 from 3-point range to hand the Cougars just their second home loss of the season.
It was Washington’s first road win over a ranked opponent since beating Kansas on Dec. 6, 2017.
Washington (17-14, 9-11) used an 11-0 run midway through the second half to take the lead for good, which included a three from Brooks and Johnson’s jumper to make it 61-53.
The Cougars pulled to 63-60, but couldn’t get closer. Washington State struggled badly at the free-throw line, hitting just 8 of 17.
UW held leading scorer Myles Rice to eight points on 2-of-9 shooting. Rice and Jaylen Wells, who made the game-winning three in the overtime win in February in Seattle, combined for just 17 points on 1-of-12 3-point shooting.
Washington State shot 39% for the game and started 1 of 12 from behind the arc.
Johnson, who started just his first conference game of the season, is averaging 18.7 points and 4.2 assists in his last seven games.
The Huskies will watch the Pac-12 scoreboard the rest of the week before discovering their seed in the conference tournament, which starts Wednesday. UW can be no lower than No. 9.
NO. 5 ARIZONA THRASHES UCLA TO CLINCH FINAL PAC-12 REGULAR-SEASON TITLE
LOS ANGELES (AP) — KJ Lewis scored 18 points, Caleb Love added 17 and No. 5 Arizona routed UCLA 88-65 to clinch the Pac-12 regular-season title Thursday night in the Wildcats’ final season in the league.
The Wildcats (24-6, 15-4 Pac-12) got some help in the Pacific Northwest, where Washington defeated second-place Washington State 74-68. Arizona is headed to the Big 12 next season, while the Bruins are bound for the Big Ten.
Jaden Bradley added 13 points for Arizona, which had five players in double figures while winning its fourth in a row. The Wildcats earned their first win at Pauley Pavilion under third-year coach Tommy Lloyd, who was 0-2 in the building.
The Bruins had won five in a row at home against Arizona, but the Wildcats took over after the game was tied three times in the opening minutes.
They outscored UCLA 29-12 the rest of the first half to lead 44-27 at the break, with the large number of Arizona fans chanting “U of A! U of A!” Love scored his first 12 points during that spurt, while the Bruins went scoreless over the final two minutes.
Arizona picked up where it left off after halftime. The Wildcats opened with a 15-6 run, including six points by Oumar Ballo, who dunked twice. Pelle Larsson and Ballo hit back-to-back 3-pointers in extending the lead to 59-33. Arizona led by 26 twice after that.
Lazar Stefanovic scored 20 points to lead UCLA (14-16, 9-10). The Bruins got 18 points from Dylan Andrews and 10 from foul-prone Adem Bona in losing their season-worst fifth in a row.
The Wildcats trailed by 19 against the Bruins at home in January before rallying to win 77-71. UCLA couldn’t turn the tables and never put together a sustained run in the second half.
Ballo finished with nine points and three rebounds, ending his run of nine consecutive double-doubles.
BIG PICTURE
Arizona: The Wildcats head into next week’s Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas mindful that they lost twice to Washington State by three points. Their only other league losses came against Stanford and Oregon State, both on the road.
UCLA: The Bruins need to beat Arizona State to finish at .500 in the league standings and head into the conference tourney with a modicum of momentum. They’ll have to play a first-round game in Las Vegas.
UP NEXT
Arizona: Visits Southern California on Saturday to conclude the regular season.
UCLA: Hosts Arizona State on Saturday in its last game before the Pac-12 Tournament.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 13 OREGON ST. TOPS NO. 18 BUFFS IN 2OT
Raegan Beers poured in 27 points and No. 13 Oregon State overcame a 12-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat No. 18 Colorado 85-79 in double overtime in the quarterfinals of the women’s Pac-12 tournament on Thursday in Las Vegas.
Beers completed a double-double with 13 rebounds for the fourth-seeded Beavers (24-6), who also got 13 points apiece from Donovyn Hunter, Talia von Oelhoffen, Timea Gardiner and Dominika Paurova.
Gardiner came up in the clutch, scoring seven points as part of a 15-3 regulation-closing run from Oregon State. Paurova’s trey gave the Beavers a 63-61 lead with 22 seconds to go in the first extra session, but Jaylyn Sherrod canned a short jumper 12 seconds later to extend the game.
Neither team led by more than two in the first three minutes of the second overtime. Oregon State then pulled away with an 8-0 burst, and it led by at least four the rest of the way.
Sherrod paced the fifth-seeded Buffaloes (22-9) with 23 points, six rebounds, seven assists and four steals. Aaronette Vonleh posted 20 points before fouling out, and Frida Formann netted 19 in the loss.
No. 24 Louisville 58, Boston College 55
Nyla Harris scored a team-high 14 points and converted a go-ahead layup with 32 seconds left as the Cardinals edged the Eagles in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C.
T’yana Todd hit a 3-pointer to put Boston College (14-19) up 55-52 with 3:41 remaining, but Louisville (24-8) proceeded to end the game on a 6-0 run. Kiki Jefferson, Olivia Cochran and Sydney Taylor each added nine points for the fifth-seeded Cardinals, with Harris and Jefferson also grabbing nine rebounds apiece.
The 13th-seeded Eagles got a game-high 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting from Teya Sidberry. Todd and Dontavia Waggoner each chipped in 12 points for Boston College, which trailed by as many as nine in the third quarter before moving in front with 11 unanswered points to close the period.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: NIKOLA JOKIC POWERS NUGGETS PAST CELTICS
Nikola Jokic had 32 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his 20th triple-double of the season, and the host Denver Nuggets overcame a big night by Jaylen Brown to beat the Boston Celtics 115-109 on Thursday night.
Denver swept the season series and has won seven of eight out of the All-Star break. Jamal Murray scored 19 points, Aaron Gordon contributed 16 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Peyton Watson had 11 points each for the Nuggets.
Brown had 41 points and 13 rebounds, both season highs, but missed seven free throws. Kristaps Porzingis had 24 points and 12 rebounds, Jayson Tatum finished with 15 points and Jrue Holiday added 12 for Boston, which lost consecutive games for just the second time this season.
Denver led 62-54 at halftime, but Boston scored the first eight points of the third. The teams traded buckets before Denver went on a 14-5 run to go ahead 82-73 and took a 90-80 lead into the fourth quarter.
Kings 131, Spurs 129
Domantas Sabonis racked up 31 points and 17 rebounds and produced the winning points on a steal and dunk with 7.7 seconds to play as host Sacramento defeated short-handed San Antonio.
Sabonis also had nine assists, falling just short of a triple-double. De’Aaron Fox poured in 33 points, 17 in the fourth quarter before fouling out with 57.1 seconds left. Malik Monk added 18 points, Harrison Barnes 17 and Keon Ellis 11. The Kings have won three of their past four games.
Devin Vassell led San Antonio with 30 points while Malaki Branham had 23. Keldon Johnson and Zach Collins hit for 22 points each and Wesley tallied 11. Tre Jones had a game-high 12 assists, but the Spurs dropped their second straight game.
Timberwolves 113, Pacers 111
Anthony Edwards scored 44 points and recorded a key block with 1.6 seconds remaining to fuel Minnesota to a victory over Indiana in Indianapolis.
Edwards made 18 of 35 shots from the floor while playing through an apparent injury he sustained after stepping on a defender’s foot just 26 seconds into the game. Rudy Gobert collected 18 points and 14 rebounds and Naz Reid added 13 and eight, respectively, for the Timberwolves, who overcame the absence of Karl-Anthony Towns.
Indiana’s Pascal Siakam scored 24 points and Tyrese Haliburton collected 23 points and 13 assists. Jalen Smith scored 14 points off the bench for the Pacers, who have lost three of their last four games.
Mavericks 114, Heat 108
Luka Doncic recorded his 15th triple-double of the season — 35 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds — and contributed to a late-game flurry of 3-pointers as Dallas outlasted visiting Miami.
Doncic tied Russell Westbrook’s NBA record with his fifth consecutive game posting a 30-plus-point triple-double. Dante Exum scored 13 points in just 17 minutes off the bench, shooting 3 of 5 from the floor, 2 of 2 from 3-point range and 5 of 5 at the free-throw line. Daniel Gafford shot 5 of 5 from the field for 12 points, P.J. Washington scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 11 points off the bench.
Terry Rozier was one of six Miami scorers with at least 13 points. Duncan Robinson matched Rozier’s 5-of-8 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc and shot 7 of 10 from the floor overall en route to 19 points. Jaime Jaquez Jr. shot 3 of 4 from long distance for 13 points off the bench, and Caleb Martin added another 13 in a reserve role. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, both averaging more than 20 points per game, each scored 14.
Suns 120, Raptors 113
Kevin Durant scored 35 points and Grayson Allen poured in 26 first-half points to help Phoenix post a victory over visiting Toronto.
Bradley Beal recorded 20 points and eight assists as Phoenix won for the fourth time in its past six games. Bol Bol had 11 points and eight rebounds and Royce O’Neale contributed 10 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Suns, who were without Devin Booker (ankle) for the third straight game. Allen set a franchise record with seven treys in the first quarter. He finished the game with eight after going scoreless in the second half.
Gary Trent Jr. hit five 3-pointers and scored 30 points for Toronto, which never led and lost for the fourth time in its past five games. RJ Barrett added 23 points and Immanuel Quickley had 21 points and a career-high 18 assists for the Raptors. Gradey Dick had 12 points and Chris Boucher had 11 points and nine rebounds for Toronto.
Pistons 118, Nets 112
Jaden Ivey had 34 points and host Detroit topped Brooklyn.
Cade Cunningham supplied 32 points and 11 assists in the opener of a six-game homestand for the Pistons, who had lost nine of their previous 10 games. Ausar Thompson had 14 points and seven rebounds, while Jalen Duren added 12 points and 14 rebounds.
Dennis Schroder led the Nets with 31 points and eight assists. Lonnie Walker IV had 21 points, while Nic Claxton contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds. Mikal Bridges and Dorian Finney-Smith added 13 points apiece.
Bulls 125, Warriors 122
DeMar DeRozan converted a go-ahead three-point play with 26 seconds remaining, Nikola Vucevic capped a 33-point performance with two clinching free throws 20 seconds later and Chicago topped Golden State in San Francisco.
Vucevic also tallied a game-high 11 rebounds. Coby White complemented 20 points with a team-high seven assists for Chicago, which had already won at Sacramento and Utah on its four-game trip. Ayo Dosunmu had 14 points and Jevon Carter 10.
Jonathan Kuminga had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Warriors. Klay Thompson finished with a team-high 25 points, Stephen Curry and Chris Paul had 15 apiece, Brandin Podziemski chipped in 11 and Moses Moody scored 10.
PHOENIX NAMED TO HOST NBA ALL-STAR 2027
The NBA All-Star celebration is headed for Phoenix in 2027, the league announced Thursday.
Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns, will play host to the All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2027, Phoenix’s fourth time hosting the event (1975, 1995 and 2009).
“Our NBA All-Star festivities in 2027 will showcase Phoenix’s love of everything basketball,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday, joined by Suns managing partner Mat Ishbia and others during a news conference in Phoenix.
“And we couldn’t be more excited to work with Mat Ishbia and the entire Suns organization for what promises to be an unforgettable celebration of our sport.”
The format is planned to resemble the 2024 version, beginning Friday, Feb. 19, 2027, at Footprint Center with first-year and second-year players participating in the NBA Rising Stars competition.
The following day is capped by the All-Star Saturday Night events featuring the Kia Skills Challenge, the STARRY 3-Point Challenge and AT&T Slam Dunk.
The 76th All-Star Game is set for Sunday, Feb. 21.
“Phoenix is the ultimate basketball destination and we are excited for fans from around the world to experience our amazing city,” Ishbia said. “We will provide an NBA All-Star Weekend unlike any other, showcasing the passion of our fans, our city and everything that we’re building here.”
The NBA also will present fan-friendly events, including the All-Star practices and celebrity game, at several sites in Phoenix.
An All-Star fan fest will run through the weekend with entertainment and access to NBA luminaries and celebrities.
Phoenix also is hosting this season’s WNBA All-Star festivities.
The last time the NBA All-Star Game was in Phoenix, 2009, the Suns’ Shaquille O’Neal (17 points in 11 minutes) played with the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (27 points), sharing the MVP award.
The Western Conference won 146-119 to cap a weekend that saw Oklahoma City Thunder youngster Kevin Durant, now with the Suns, score 46 points in the Rising Stars event.
CELTICS COULD BE HISTORICALLY GREAT, BUT STILL ROOM FOR DOUBT
A blown 22-point fourth-quarter lead has a way of leaving a bitter taste in one’s mouth, no matter how savory the course that preceded it.
In the case of the Boston Celtics, what preceded it was three-quarters of a season for the ages, and, more recently, the most emphatic 11-game win streak in NBA history. Tuesday night’s collapse against the Dean Wade brigade in Cleveland didn’t tell us anything new about this team, but it did seem to pick at some festering doubts, starting a familiar take-and-countertake cycle anew.
So with that game in the rearview mirror, and a potential palate cleanser against the defending champion Nuggets on tap, let’s take stock of where the Celtics are at, what makes them so good, and why people still have a hard time trusting them.
We can start with the facts: the Celtics have led the Eastern Conference for all but one week this season (shout out to the November Sixers), and they’re on pace to win 65 games. They currently have an eight-game cushion for the East’s No. 1 seed, and a 5.5-game lead for the top record in the NBA overall. And their underlying numbers are somehow even more impressive than that, painting a picture of a team that’s not just great but potentially historic.
They’ve outscored opponents by 11.4 points per 100 possessions, the fourth-best mark in NBA history behind only the 1995-96 and 1996-97 Bulls and the 2016-17 Warriors, per Basketball-Reference. Only 12 other teams have even cracked double-digits in net rating over a full season, and eight of those teams went on to win the championship.
Boston also owns the highest offensive rating in history, which partly speaks to this era of inflated offense – last year’s Kings set the previous record, for context – but not entirely. Relative to league average, the Celtics’ offense still ranks as the 16th-best unit all time, and the best since Golden State’s 73-win outfit in 2015-16. That alone wouldn’t make them historically great, seeing as only four of the 15 teams above them in relative offensive efficiency won titles (three being Jordan-era Bulls teams). But the Celtics happen to pair that offense with the league’s second-ranked defense, which is probably an even more reliable entity.
At that end, Boston simply doesn’t face the kind of difficult coverage questions that basically every other defense has to wrestle with. Even the top-ranked Timberwolves defense has to scheme around the limitations of Karl-Anthony Towns and, to a lesser extent, Mike Conley. The third-ranked Cavaliers need to insulate their small backcourt, and they have some question marks on the wing. The always innovative Heat tie themselves into pretzels to protect Tyler Herro.
The Celtics, comparatively, have no real weak spots to prod at. They can switch into virtually any matchup and feel secure enough not to consider it an emergency. Heck, they spend chunks of almost every game using nominal point guard Jrue Holiday as the primary defender of the opposing team’s center. If that’s a matchup they’re deliberately starting possessions with, it’s hard to find a “mismatch” that can truly trouble them.
As a result, no team is better at staying out of rotation. (If the Celtics do put two on the ball and put themselves in scramble mode, it’s usually the result of a calculated choice rather than one the opponent has forced them into.) As a result, they surrender the league’s fifth-lowest rate of corner threes, foul less frequently than any team, and induce more isolation possessions than all but three defenses. With Kristaps Porzingis able to stay out of ball-screen action and camp out in the lane, they also rank third in suppressing opponent rim shots.
Thanks to the strength and versatility of Holiday, the point-of-attack stickiness of Derrick White and Jaylen Brown (which frees Holiday to function as a roving big man defensively), the length and help-and-recover instincts of Jayson Tatum, and the enormity and agility of Porzingis as the last line of defense, Boston can cross-match and toggle assignments like no other team. And the rub is that opposing teams can’t do the same at the other end of the floor.
If those opponents want to avoid having their best rim-protector yanked out to the perimeter by the shooting gravity of Porzingis, the most viable place to stash that guy is on Holiday, the Celtics’ lowest-usage starter. The problem with that is Holiday’s still a very capable creator who’s shooting 45% from 3-point range this season. Last week, the Warriors tried to throw a curveball by making Brown their designated help point, and that went about as well as you’d expect.
Even though Tatum is clearly Boston’s best player and biggest offensive pressure point, there’s no easy answer for where a defense should direct its attention. Because they have so much shooting and so much shot creation, the Celtics can put together any number of two- and three-man partnerships for their various pick-and-roll, dribble-handoff, and split actions. That also owes to their primary scorers’ willingness to set screens, Tatum in particular. His actions with White are especially deadly no matter who’s handling and who’s screening.
Opponents are reluctant to switch White’s defender onto Tatum, so they’ll often put two on the ball and let White slip free out of inverted actions. When Tatum screens and pops, the screen defender won’t linger in the lane and risk giving him an open above-the-break three, which means White can often stroll into the lane unimpeded. Off-ball screens, especially flares from Tatum for a curling White, have much the same effect.
Brown’s developed great synergy with Porzingis, particularly when they run empty-side DHOs or when Porzingis slips out of weak-side pindowns. White and Porzingis run a mean two-man game as well. In fact, Porzingis has formed effective pick-and-roll combinations with almost everyone, because all of Boston’s other starters are killer pull-up jump shooters and Porzingis is a serious pick-and-pop threat.
The most sensible way to neutralize those actions is to switch, but defenses that do so risk getting smoked by Porzingis either slipping to the basket or posting a mismatch on the back side. The big man leads the league in scoring efficiency on post-ups, at a ridiculous 1.37 points per possession. Porzingis has also improved as a playmaker, so the Celtics feel comfortable running stuff through him at the elbow, with everyone else cutting and screening off of him.
So why does it feel like this team lacks the gravitas of an all-time juggernaut, even though every statistical indicator suggests they are one? Why do they still seem to engender so much doubt?
There are a few explanations, for which there are varying degrees of validity. One is the simple fact that this iteration of the Celtics hasn’t won a championship, and people tend to have a hard time imagining the future as anything but an extension of the present. There are also real scars from recent postseason letdowns (especially against Miami) in which Boston looked like the better team on paper.
Then there’s the fact Tatum isn’t a consensus top-five player in the league, which means the Celtics may find themselves in a scenario (or multiple scenarios) in which they don’t have the best player in a playoff series. There are questions about whether Brown’s shaky handle and vision will become liabilities against the best defenses. Holiday has a habit of disappearing offensively in the playoffs, clanking his way to 48% true shooting in three postseasons with the Bucks. And beyond the vaunted starters, Boston’s bench feels a bit precarious; the only reserves likely to see real playoff rotation minutes are the 38-year-old Al Horford, 6-foot-1 Payton Pritchard, and untested Sam Hauser.
There are also stylistic concerns, namely that the Celtics are jumper-dependent and don’t get to the rim a ton, which leaves them vulnerable to variance that could swing the wrong way at the wrong time. Though they have multiple solid playmakers, they lack one elite individual passer, which can contribute to some stodgy and predictable tendencies. That manifests most glaringly in their late-game offense, which tends to slow to a crawl as ball and player movement dries up.
Again, there’s at least a sliver of merit to all of those concerns, but Boston’s answered most of them as comprehensively as they possibly can until the playoffs give them the chance to prove this year is different. Sure, Tatum has some blemishes on his postseason resume, but critics tend to fixate on a couple of tough series (one against Miami in the bubble, another in the Finals against an exceptional Warriors defense) and ignore the triumphs, including the fact he set the record for Game 7 scoring to eliminate the rival Sixers nine months ago. Brown’s an improved playmaker, and a Holiday dropoff feels less likely (and wouldn’t hurt as badly) given his scaled-down offensive role.
The Celtics rank 27th in rim frequency and dead last in overall paint-shot frequency, but they’re one of the best teams in the league at converting from those zones because of the space they create. Porzingis has also given them an interior dimension that’s different from previous seasons, including nudging their free-throw attempt rate up to league average.
As for the crunch-time bug: though it did bite them Tuesday, when they scored seven points in the last six minutes against the Cavs, it hasn’t been an issue on the whole. It tends to stand out because it’s the only way the Celtics lose (they’ve lost only four games all season that didn’t include clutch time), but their offensive process in those scenarios isn’t much different from any other contender’s, with the exception of Denver’s. Boston ranks fifth in the league in crunch-time offense, and fifth in crunch-time net rating, per NBA Advanced Stats. Even their assist rate ranks 10th in the clutch, compared to 22nd overall.
For now, because of all the aforementioned nitpicks and the lack of precedent, we can still go on treating this season as a wide-open race. That’s fair, given Milwaukee’s championship pedigree, Miami’s recent penchant for giant-slaying, the upside of the fully healthy Sixers and Knicks, and the bevy of dangerous teams in the West, including the defending champs and their indomitable two-time MVP. But if the Celtics do wind up ripping through the East en route to hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy, as the numbers suggest they should, it could wind up being one of those title runs that feels inevitable in hindsight.
REPORT: WOLVES’ KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS (KNEE) BEING EVALUATED
Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns is being evaluated for a left meniscus injury, ESPN reported on Thursday.
The big man’s return to the lineup is up in the air as doctors determine whether the four-time All-Star requires an immediate procedure on his knee, per the report.
Towns, 28, played only 21 minutes in Minnesota’s 119-114 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.
The timing of the injury is brutal for the Timberwolves (43-19), who entered Thursday tied for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Towns is averaging 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 60 games (all starts) this season and is shooting 42.3 percent from 3-point range, a career best.
The 7-footer has averaged 22.9 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 571 games (all starts) since the Timberwolves drafted him No. 1 overall in 2015.
NETS G BEN SIMMONS (BACK) DONE FOR REGULAR SEASON
Former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons is out for the regular season with lingering back trouble, the Brooklyn Nets announced Thursday.
The oft-injured guard appeared in just 15 games (12 starts) this season, averaging a career-low 6.1 points with 7.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 23.9 minutes per game. The three-time All-Star last played on Feb. 26.
“Ben Simmons will remain out for the remainder of the season while he consults with specialists and explores treatment options for the nerve impingement in his lower back,” the team said in a statement.
“Simmons, along with his representatives and Nets medical personnel, are currently in discussions with numerous experts to determine the course of action that will provide him with the best opportunity for long-term sustainable health.”
Simmons, 27, has a $40.3 million expiring contract for the 2024-25 season.
Drafted No. 1 overall by Philadelphia in 2016, the 6-foot-10 Australia native missed the entire 2016-17 season with a foot injury. He returned to win Rookie of the Year honors in 2017-18 and made three straight All-Star teams, starting in 2018-19, before falling out of favor in Philadelphia.
The Sixers traded him to Brooklyn in February 2022 in a deal for James Harden, but he did not play at all during the 2021-22 campaign.
Simmons appeared in 42 games for the Nets in 2022-23, averaging 6.9 points before back issues ended his season in mid-February.
NHL NEWS
REPORT: PREDATORS ACQUIRE ANTHONY BEAUVILLIER FROM BLACKHAWKS
The Nashville Predators acquired forward Anthony Beauvillier from the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, TSN reported.
Beauvillier, 26, will be joining his third team of the season. He has totaled 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 45 games split between the Vancouver Canucks and Blackhawks.
Beauvillier was traded from the New York Islanders along with a first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and forward Aatu Raty to the Canucks in exchange for forward Bo Horvat. He then was sent from Vancouver to Chicago on Nov. 28 for a fifth-round pick in 2024.
Beauvillier, has totaled 243 points (115 goals, 128 assists) in 535 career games with the Islanders, Canucks and Blackhawks. He was selected by the Islanders with the 28th overall pick of the 2015 NHL Draft.
PANTHERS SIGN GUSTAV FORSLING, JONAH GADJOVICH TO EXTENSIONS
The Florida Panthers are giving defenseman Gustav Forsling an eight-year contract extension.
Multiple outlets pegged the value at $46 million. He was due to become an unrestricted free agent in July.
Forsling, 27, was a fifth-round draft pick by the Vancouver Canucks in 2014 and traded to the Chicago Blackhawks the following year. Chicago traded him in 2021 to the Carolina Hurricanes, who waived him.
The Panthers picked him up off waivers on Jan. 9, 2021. Since then, he’s appeared in 258 games and tallied 126 points (37 goals, 89 assists).
This season, the Swede has 31 points (nine goals, 22 assists) and a league-leading plus-43 rating in 62 games.
Also Thursday, the Panthers announced that the team had agreed to terms with forward Jonah Gadjovich on a two-year contract extension through the 2025-26 season.
“Jonah’s competitiveness and physicality have meshed seamlessly with our style of play here in South Florida,” general manager Bill Zito said. “We are pleased to have him continue his career with the Panthers.”
Gadjovich, 25, has four points (two goals, two assists) in 33 games. He leads the Panthers in penalty minutes with 90 and has 71 hits.
He is in his first season with the Panthers after spending time with the Canucks (2020-21) and San Jose Sharks (2021-23). In 112 NHL games, he has 14 points (six goals, eight assists).
The Panthers (43-16-4) enter play Thursday against the Flyers with the best record in the NHL. Vladimir Tarasenko, acquired Wednesday in a trade with the Ottawa Senators, will make his Florida debut vs. Philadelphia, the team said.
LEAFS ACQUIRE D JOEL EDMUNDSON FROM CAPITALS
The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired defenseman Joel Edmundson from the Washington Capitals on Thursday, one day before the NHL trade deadline.
The Capitals are retaining 50 percent of Edmundson’s salary and will receive a third-round draft selection in 2024 and a fifth-round pick in 2025 in exchange.
Edmundson, 30, has one goal and five assists in 44 games this season. The Manitoba native has 110 points (29 goals, 81 assists) in 521 career games with the St. Louis Blues (2015-19), Carolina Hurricanes (2019-20), Montreal Candiens (2020-23) and Capitals.
Edmundson won a Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019 and has 21 points (six goal, 15 assists) in 75 career postseason games.
NHL ROUNDUP: TIMO MEIER’S HAT TRICK CARRIES DEVILS PAST BLUES
Timo Meier recorded his fifth career hat trick and collected four points as the New Jersey Devils never trailed and earned a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night in Newark, N.J.
Meier scored for the fourth straight game as the Devils won for the fourth time in 11 games (4-7-0) and pulled within six points of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Meier scored a power-play goal and again on even strength in a span of 2:40. He added his third goal late in the second, giving New Jersey its fourth hat trick of the season.
Brandon Saad scored for the Blues, who are 6-8-1 in their past 15 since a late-January five-game winning game streak. St. Louis entered six points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Flyers 2, Panthers 1
Garnet Hathaway batted in a rebound with 22 seconds left as visiting Philadelphia defeated Florida in Sunrise, Fla.
The Flyers, who snapped Florida’s six-game win streak, also got a goal from Ryan Poehling and 29 saves from Samuel Ersson.
Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who leads the Eastern Conference with 31 wins, stopped the original shot by Marc Staal, but Hathaway got in behind him for the go-ahead goal. Bobrovsky, who finished with 24 saves, has allowed two or fewer goals in 12 straight games. He is 19-7-1 in his career against the Flyers.
Kings 4, Senators 3 (OT)
Kevin Fiala scored the overtime winner and Jacob Moverare netted his first NHL goal as host Los Angeles claimed a clutch victory over Ottawa.
Quinton Byfield and Pierre-Luc Dubois also scored goals, Anze Kopitar collected two assists and goaltender Cam Talbot made 28 saves for the Kings.
Drake Batherson had a goal and an assist and Dominik Kubalik and Brady Tkachuk also tallied and Shane Pinto had two assists for the Senators, who took their sixth loss in a row (0-5-1). Goalie Joonas Korpisalo stopped 31 shots as his team collected its first road point against a Western Conference squad (0-12-1).
Canucks 3, Golden Knights 1
Thatcher Demko made 27 saves for his league-leading 33rd win as Vancouver notched a third straight victory, in Las Vegas.
Quinn Hughes, Phillip Di Giuseppe and Conor Garland scored goals for Vancouver, which completed a sweep of a three-game road trip that also included visits to Anaheim and Los Angeles. The Canucks increased their Pacific Division lead to 11 points over the second-place Edmonton Oilers.
Michael Amadio scored for Vegas, which dropped to the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with its fourth straight loss. Adin Hill finished with 32 saves while taking his sixth loss in his past seven starts.
Predators 4, Sabres 2
Filip Forsberg recorded a hat trick to help Nashville knock off visiting Buffalo.
Luke Evangelista also scored and Gustav Nyquist had three assists for the Predators, who improved to 9-0-1 in their past 10 games. Juuse Saros made 26 saves, making him 7-0-1 in his past eight starts.
Bowen Byram had a goal and an assist in his Sabres debut, and Owen Power also found the net. Buffalo goalie Eric Comrie stopped 21 shots. The Sabres played without center Tage Thompson, who is day-to-day due to an upper-body injury.
Hurricanes 4, Canadiens 1
After an absence of more than four months because of blood-clot issues, goaltender Frederik Andersen made 24 saves as Carolina beat Montreal in Raleigh, N.C.
Brady Skjei scored two goals and Stefan Noesen and Andrei Svechnikov had the other goals for the Hurricanes, who have points in 10 of their last 13 games.
Joshua Roy scored for the Canadiens, who had a four-game points streak snapped. Sam Montembeault made 35 saves.
Bruins 4, Maple Leafs 1
David Pastrnak, Trent Frederic, Morgan Geekie and Brandon Carlo each scored goals to help host Boston beat Toronto to complete a season sweep.
Boston’s power play finished 2-for-5 and scored multiple goals for the first time since Jan. 9 at Arizona. Geekie has five goals in his last five games. Jake DeBrusk and Brad Marchand dished out two assists apiece. Jeremy Swayman stopped 28 shots to earn the win.
Mitchell Marner scored Toronto’s lone goal and Joseph Woll made 22 saves for the Maple Leafs, who took their second loss in three games despite outshooting Boston 29-26.
Blue Jackets 4, Oilers 2
Dmitri Voronkov scored the game-winner as host Columbus doubled up Edmonton.
Mathieu Olivier, Alexander Nylander, and Jack Roslovic also scored for the Blue Jackets, who won for the sixth time in 11 outings. Daniil Tarasov made 29 saves for his first career win against the Oilers.
Zach Hyman and Corey Perry scored for Edmonton, which saw its five-game winning streak come to an end. Calvin Pickard stopped 30 shots in the loss.
Islanders 7, Sharks 2
Seven players scored a goal apiece for New York, which beat host San Jose for its season-high fifth straight win.
Noah Dobson, Alexander Romanov, Bo Horvat, Kyle MacLean, Mathew Barzal, Sebastian Aho and Anders Lee tallied for the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin made 23 saves.
Thomas Bordeleau and Mike Hoffman scored for the Sharks, who have lost nine straight (0-7-2) — just their third-longest losing streak of the season. Magnus Chrona recorded 26 saves.
Capitals 6, Penguins 0
Goaltender Charlie Lindgren stopped all 39 shots he faced and visiting Washington walloped Pittsburgh.
Alex Ovechkin and Sonny Milano each had a goal and an assist, Tom Wilson, Nick Jensen, Hendrix Lapierre and Ivan Miroshnichenko also scored, Dylan Strome added three assists and Beck Malenstyn two assists for the Capitals, who have alternated wins and losses for seven games.
Pittsburgh goaltender Tristan Jarry gave up four goals on 22 shots before he was pulled in the second period for Alex Nedeljkovic, who stopped five of the seven shots he faced.
Flames 6, Lightning 3
Yegor Sharangovich scored twice in Calgary’s three-goal second period to top host Tampa Bay.
Sharangovich finished with two assists for a career-best four-point outing. Dryden Hunt, Jakob Pelletier, Blake Coleman and Andrew Mangiapane also tallied for Calgary, and Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar notched two assists apiece.
Tampa Bay’s Conor Sheary broke a 35-game goal drought and had an assist, and Anthony Cirelli and Michael Eyssimont also scored for the Lightning. Nicholas Paul had two assists, but the Lightning fell to 1-4-1 in their past six home games.
Wild 5, Coyotes 2
Joel Eriksson Ek’s goal broke a third-period deadlock and led Minnesota to a victory in Tempe, Ariz. The Wild are 9-4-1 since the All-Star break.
Mats Zuccarello assisted on all three Wild goals. Brock Faber had a goal and an assist for Minnesota, and Ryan Hartman had two assists. Kirill Kaprizov, Zach Bogosian and Connor Dewar also scored, and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 23 shots.
Clayton Keller and Michael Carcone scored within a seven-second span for the third-quickest pair of goals in Coyotes franchise history. Karel Vejmelka made 23 saves as Arizona lost its seventh consecutive home game.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
SPRING TRAINING ROUNDUP: MICHAEL HARRIS II, BRAVES EDGE RED SOX
Jordan Luplow and Michael Harris II hit home runs, Bryce Elder struck out six batters in 3 1/3 innings and the visiting Atlanta Braves topped the Boston Red Sox 3-2 in spring training action on Thursday in Fort Myers, Fla.
Luplow’s two-run shot off Nick Pivetta (0-1) put the Braves ahead 2-1 in the second before Harris added a solo shot off Tanner Houck in the fifth, his third homer of the spring, for the critical insurance run.
Elder (1-1) walked two and yielded two of Boston’s four hits, including Masataka Yoshida’s home run in the first inning. Atlanta’s pitching staff racked up 12 strikeouts, while Boston’s answered with 13.
Rob Refsnyder hit an RBI single in the eighth for the Red Sox but Braves reliever Trey Riley recorded the final out to lock up the save.
Astros 6, Cardinals 3
Chas McCormick went 3-for-3 with an RBI, Cristian Javier fanned six batters in three innings and Houston defeated host St. Louis in Jupiter, Fla.
McCormick’s run-scoring single capped a four-run first inning for the Astros, plenty of run support for Javier (2-0), who yielded two runs on three hits and a walk. Grae Kessinger and Joey Loperfido added RBI singles in the seventh after the Cardinals drew within a run.
Jordan Walker and Matt Carpenter homered off Javier for the Cardinals. Kyle Gibson (0-2) was dinged for four runs on five hits while striking out three in three innings.
Rays 3, Phillies 2
Jose Siri hit a two-run infield single to cap a three-run first inning and host Tampa Bay held off Philadelphia in Port Charlotte, Fla.
Harold Ramirez had an RBI single before Siri brought two runs in to improve his spring training total to five RBIs. Rays starter Jacob Lopez (1-0) threw two scoreless, hitless innings with two walks and two strikeouts.
Aramis Garcia drove in two runs in a single for the Phillies, upping his spring total to seven RBIs. Aaron Nola (1-1) struck out five without a walk but allowed three runs on six hits over 3 2/3 frames.
DODGERS NOT YET DECIDED ON GAVIN LUX AS STARTING SS
Gavin Lux will need to show more progress to continue his expected trajectory toward becoming the Los Angeles Dodgers’ everyday shortstop this season.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that he has not committed to Lux, 26, becoming the regular starter just yet.
“I don’t know,” Roberts said when asked about Lux taking over the job, adding that “performance matters.”
Lux was supposed to take over the starting shortstop role last season after Trea Turner departed as a free agent. But a knee injury in spring training cost Lux the entire 2023 season.
Healthy again, Lux is now raising concerns about his defense. He made errors in the first two ground balls hit to him this spring.
He also is showing issues throwing the ball on target to first base after doing the same when playing at second base in recent seasons.
“I think we just have to understand that it still takes time to get back up to major-league speed and feel that once the bell rings that it’ll be there where it needs to be,” Roberts said about Lux earlier this week, according to the Orange County Register.
Lux is batting .348 in eight spring training games with three walks that has helped him to a .423 on-base percentage. But there is no opportunity to see time at designated hitter with Shohei Ohtani slotted there this season.
Veteran Miguel Rojas took over at shortstop last season for the Dodgers and while his offensive contributions were limited, his above-average defense was key in helping Los Angeles to 100 regular-season victories and a spot in the playoffs.
The Dodgers don’t have much time to decide on a shortstop for Opening Day. Los Angeles opens the regular season Wednesday, March 20, against the San Diego Padres at South Korea.
CARDINALS RHP KEYNAN MIDDLETON LEAVING CAMP TO CHANGE HATS
St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Keynan Middleton hopes that his next save will arrive as he returns to his native Oregon for the state high school basketball tournament.
Middleton left Cardinals camp Thursday to return to his home state where the Putnam High School boys basketball team will compete in the 5A division state semifinals. Middleton had been serving as an assistant coach for the team before duty called when spring training opened last month.
No. 6 seed Putnam defeated No. 3 seed North Eugene 61-57 in overtime of the quarterfinals Wednesday. The team will face No. 2 seed Wilsonville in the semifinals Friday, with the state final set for Saturday. Wilsonville is the two-time defending state champion.
The semifinal losers play in a third-place game, also Saturday.
MIddleton’s opportunity to rejoin the Putnam team was cleared with manager Oliver Marmol long before Putnam started its state tourney run, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Middleton, 30, was born in Portland, Ore., and attended Milwaukie High School before going to Lane Community College in Eugene. He was drafted in the third round in 2013 by the Los Angeles Angels.
In seven seasons with the Angels, Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees, Middleton is 10-8 in 205 appearances (one start) and has a 3.84 ERA with 15 saves. He signed a free-agent deal with the Cardinals on Feb. 3.
Middleton has not allowed a run in three innings over three appearances during spring training. He had a scoreless inning against the Houston Astros on Thursday and was not scheduled to pitch in the next few days.
SPRING BREAKOUT ROSTERS INCLUDE O’S HOLLIDAY, BREWERS’ CHOURIO, PIRATES’ SKENES
SECAUCUS, N.J. (AP) — Baltimore infielder Jackson Holliday, Milwaukee outfielder Jackson Chourio and Pittsburgh right-hander Paul Skenes headline rosters for the inaugural Spring Breakout designed to showcase top prospects.
Each of the 30 major league organizations announced rosters Thursday for the event, which includes 16 games from March 14-17 at spring training sites. Rosters include only players who have rookie eligibility — they haven’t exceeded 130 at-bats, 50 innings pitched or 45 days on an active major league roster.
Most games will be seven innings as part of doubleheaders with Cactus League or Grapefruit League games.
Holliday and Chourio are regarded as baseball’s top prospects.
Holliday, the son of retired seven-time All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday, was the first overall pick in the 2022 draft. Chourio, who turns 20 on Monday, signed the most lucrative contract ever for a player with no major league experience this offseason when he agreed to an eight-year, $82 million deal.
The Spring Breakout schedule includes a March 14 game between the Orioles and Pirates, which at least opens up the possibility that Skenes could pitch to Holliday in a matchup between the top overall picks in each of the last two amateur drafts.
Skenes, a 6-foot-6 right-hander, was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft and agreed to a $9.2 million signing bonus after going 13-2 with a 1.69 ERA and 209 strikeouts for College World Series champion LSU last year.
These two No. 1 picks already faced in a Feb. 29 Grapefruit League game, with Skenes retiring Holliday on a grounder to second.
REPORTS: RED SOX RHP BRAYAN BELLO REACHES 6-YEAR EXTENSION
Boston Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello agreed to terms on a six-year, $55 million extension, multiple media outlets reported on Thursday.
Per The Boston Globe, the deal includes a $21 million club option for a seventh season.
The reported contract comes on the heels of Red Sox offseason acquisition Lucas Giolito’s potential season-ending injury. ESPN reported Tuesday that initial imaging revealed a partially torn UCL and flexor strain in his pitching elbow for Giolito.
Bello, who turns 25 in May, posted a 12-11 record with a 4.24 ERA in 28 games (all starts) last season. He struck out 132 batters in 157 innings but gave up 24 home runs.
That’s still an improvement from his first season with Boston in 2022. He was 2-8 with a 4.71 ERA in 13 games (11 starts).
“He’s an exciting, young starting pitcher that was acquired and developed internally. I think he embodies exactly what we’re trying to do,” chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said recently, per The Globe.
“We still think that his best years are ahead of him. We recognize some opportunities to further optimize the repertoire and we’re super excited about having him.”
MEN’S GOLF NEWS
PHIL MICKELSON: RANKINGS DEBATE UNFOLDING ‘JUST LIKE WE THOUGHT’
Several PGA Tour stars have openly questioned the value of the Official World Golf Ranking system without the inclusion of LIV Golf players.
That comes as no surprise to Phil Mickelson, who referenced his social media campaign over the past year to get the OWGR to recognize LIV events.
“I don’t really have any more to add. But it is all starting to play out just like we thought it would,” Mickelson said on Thursday ahead of this week’s LIV event in Hong Kong.
The Saudi-backed league has abandoned its efforts to be included in the OWGR, leading PGA stars including Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay and Matt Fitzpatrick to question the legitimacy of the rankings without several of the top players in the world.
“Obviously, now when you have a huge chunk of really, really good players that are not getting any ranking points, it definitely devalues that ranking,” said Hovland, who reportedly turned down a massive offer to join LIV.
It is the latest sign of cooling tensions between players on the rival tours. That support opened the door for Mickelson to tout the “extremely strong” product he believes LIV is delivering around the world.
He described the league as a startup that is nimble enough to experiment with new ideas and implement them without cutting through years of red tape. That has been exemplified, in Mickelson’s view, by the well-received nine-hole pro-am format that LIV players participate in before events.
“I think it’s a very big thing, an important part of the overall experience, meaning the interaction on pro-am day between the players and the amateurs is important because many of those players are people that are making decisions to support the game of golf, to sponsor the game of golf, to support other pros or just bring notoriety to the game,” Mickelson said. “It’s a positive for both sides. When that was discussed with LIV, it made sense, and we did it.
“Conversely, I tried for 10 years to make that happen on the (PGA) Tour, and then we got two events to do it and then we got four events to do it, and it took 15 years to get something like that done. I think that shows how fluid LIV Golf is and the ability to do whatever we can to make it a better experience and make decisions quickly and move swiftly to improve.”
Hong Kong is the fourth of 14 scheduled events in LIV Golf’s third season. It is also one of eight different international stops. While many have questioned the league’s format while investing billions of dollars to lure star players, Mickelson claimed the international flair of the tour exemplifies how it is growing the game globally.
“I’m proud to be a part of LIV Golf, and all the players on LIV are proud to be out here and enjoying it,” he said. “There’s a lot of things we can adjust to make it better, and we continue to do so weekly and make subtle changes.
“But our product is extremely strong. We have so many of the best players in the world and the ability to move the best players around the world to showcase golf at the highest level into parts of the world that have never been exposed to it has really helped pushing the game.”
SHANE LOWRY LEADS ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL AFTER HOT BACK NINE
Irishman Shane Lowry rolled in a birdie at the par-3 17th hole to take a one-stroke lead after one round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Thursday in Orlando, Fla.
In the field for the fourth signature event of the season on a sponsor’s exemption, Lowry carded a 6-under 66 to move a shot in front of Justin Lower and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama.
Lowry played the front nine at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in 1-under 35 before making his push. He started the back nine birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie — chipping in from 18 feet for eagle at the par-5 12th — before a bogey halted his run at the par-3 14th.
His luck turned at the last par 3, though, as his tee shot at No. 17 landed fewer than 8 feet from the pin to set up the go-ahead birdie.
Russell Henley, Lee Hodges, Sam Burns and Sahith Theegala are tied for fourth at 4-under 68. A large group at 3-under 69 includes notables Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Brian Harman, Will Zalatoris and Canadian Nick Taylor. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is at 2-under 70, as are Collin Morikawa and Australia’s Jason Day.
Though the Arnold Palmer Invitational is a signature event with a $20 million purse, as a player-hosted invitational it features a 36-hole cut down to the top 50 players and ties. That’s bad news for Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, who are among the group tied for 49th at 1-over 73.
Patrick Cantlay (74), Matt Fitzpatrick of England (74) and Rickie Fowler (75) also had rough starts. Defending champion Kurt Kitayama opened with a 6-over 78, second-to-last in the 69-player field.
RORY MCILROY STILL NOT INTERESTED IN LIV: ‘TOO MUCH OF A TRADITIONALIST’
Rory McIlroy has appeared to scale back his hardline stance against LIV Golf in recent months, but that doesn’t mean the star from Northern Ireland is considering switching allegiances.
In separate interviews in January, McIlroy admitted he had been “too judgmental” of the Saudi-backed LIV circuit and the players who signed there, and he said there should be no punishment for LIV players who would wish to return to the PGA Tour.
McIlroy was asked in an on-camera interview with ESPN, published Thursday, whether he’s considered joining LIV as the PGA Tour’s negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund continue.
In short, the money doesn’t sway him.
“It’s not for me,” McIlroy said. “I’m too much of a traditionalist, I’m steeped in the … I love winning golf tournaments and looking at the trophy and seeing that Sam Snead won this trophy or Ben Hogan or Gene Sarazen or Jack Nicklaus or Gary Player, Tiger Woods, Nick (Faldo), whoever it is. The people that came before me.
“That, to me, is a big deal in our game.”
McIlroy nonetheless struck a conciliatory tone about the reunification of men’s golf.
“If we were to all put our heads together and be like, ‘OK, what can we do to all come back together and move forward and be a little more cohesive?’ Then I would sort of be for that,” McIlroy said in the video.
McIlroy served on the PGA Tour’s policy board as a player director until he stepped down last November, citing personal and professional commitments.
It is unclear when or whether the tour and the PIF will finalize their “framework agreement” from last June after a self-imposed Dec. 31 deadline came and went. In the meantime, LIV Golf has attracted the likes of Spaniard Jon Rahm, and CEO Greg Norman has said the circuit is already working on setting its 2025 schedule.
INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES
INDIANA PACERS
GAME REWIND: PACERS 111, TIMBERWOLVES 113
In a matchup between the NBA’s most prolific offense and stoutest stoppers, the team with the league’s No.1-rated defense flexed its muscles at the final buzzer.
Down by two points with six seconds left in the game, Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith corralled a long pass from Tyrese Haliburton, saw some space and drove to the rim full-tilt with a chance to send the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves (44-19) to overtime.
Wolves All-Star guard Anthony Edwards, however, had other thoughts.
Edwards sprinted down the floor after missing a free throw, rose up from the middle of the paint and blocked Nesmith’s layup attempt, ultimately helping his team to a 113-111 win over the Pacers (35-29) on Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. With the loss, Indiana has now dropped six straight games against the Wolves, who remain atop the Western Conference standings.
After trailing by 11 points at halftime, the Pacers posted 34 points in the third quarter to knot the game at 83-83 going into the final 12 minutes. In the final frame, the teams battled to the end, but it was Edwards’ final block and hot shooting that proved the difference.
Edwards led all scorers with 44 points on 18-for-35 (3-for-7 3-point) shooting, three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert scored 18 points and pulled down 14 rebounds, and Jaden McDaniels finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Wolves.
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 24 points, All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton logged 23 points and 13 assists, and Jalen Smith added 14 points off the bench.
Indiana shot 51.2 percent from the field to Minnesota’s 46.9 percent. The Pacers were outscored 66-60 in the paint and outrebounded 48-39 by the visitors.
Both teams were without key players Thursday. Wolves All-Star forward Karl Anthony-Town sat out with left knee soreness, and Pacers second-year guard Bennedict Mathurin was sidelined with a right shoulder sprain. Pregame, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said Mathurin is expected to miss at least the next four games and will be re-evaluated next week.
The Wolves built a double-digit lead early in the first quarter and stayed ahead the remainder of the first half, holding a 60-49 lead over the Pacers at intermission. Minnesota dominated the paint in the first half, outscoring the Pacers 44-26 from inside and outrebounding Indiana 21-14.
Edwards had 15 points for the Wolves, 11 of which came in the second quarter, while Siakam led the Blue & Gold with 14 points at the break.
The Pacers struggled to find an offensive rhythm in the early minutes, falling behind by as many as 14 points in the first quarter before solid bench play narrowed the deficit to 33-23 by the end of the period. Indiana shot 44.4 percent in the first quarter while giving up 24 points in the paint.
In the first 3:30 of the game, the Wolves used a 10-0 run, anchored by an and-one by Gobert and a 3-pointer from Mike Conley, to lead 14-5 and force a Pacers timeout. Out of the huddle, Minnesota extended its scoring run to 25-8 on several baskets from close range and a 3-pointer by Naz Reid to go up 25-13 with 2:55 left in the first quarter.
T.J. McConnell injected some life into the Pacers’ offense in the remaining minutes, scoring a pair of baskets, drawing an offensive foul and grabbing a steal to help cut it to 10 points by the first-quarter buzzer.
“The game was pretty clearly lost in the first quarter,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “The first quarter was a dud. We didn’t come out with attitude or presence. We got in a big hole, were poor defensively, and from there it was an uphill climb.”
Edwards’ 11 points in the second quarter helped the Wolves to stay ahead by as many points by halftime.
Siakam made three of his first four shots to start the second quarter, but a 12-4 Wolves run punctuated by an Edwards 3-pointer propelled the Wolves to a 45-32 advantage with 7:22 left in the half.
The Wolves then extended their scoring to a 21-9 run, which included a 7-0 string in which T.J. Warren nailed a 3-pointer, and Edwards got back-to-back layups to fall to lead 54-37 and force another Pacers timeout.
Out of the mini-break, the Pacers responded with baskets from Isaiah Jackson, Andrew Nembhard and Siakam, but the Wolves largely went bucket-for-bucket down the last stretch of the first half.
In the third quarter, the Pacers shot 52 percent while holding the Wolves to 32.1 percent to even the score at 83 a piece. Edwards accounted for 13 of the Wolves’ 23 points in the frame, and Haliburton scored nine of the Pacers’ 34 in the third quarter.
Indiana came out of the locker room red-hot, putting together a 19-6 scoring streak – including two 8-0 runs – to go ahead 68-66 with 6:18 on the clock.
The first play of the third quarter set the tone for the second half, as Nembhard collected an offensive rebound and got it to Nesmith, who drilled a 3-pointer. Myles Turner then scored four straight points before the Pacers’ second 8-0 run, which ended on a two-handed flush by Turner, gave the Pacers the lead back for the first time since the opening minutes.
In the final 4:34, the teams traded the lead seven times before a 3-pointer before Nickeil Alexander-Walker stole the ball with five seconds left, was fouled, and hit two free throws to re-tie the game at 83.
The teams stayed within four points of each other in the fourth quarter until an 11-4 run by the Wolves, where Edwards scored six points, gave the visitors a 101-96 lead with 4:49 left in the game.
Indiana answered with an 8-2 run, with Haliburton scoring on a floater and layup and Siakam throwing down a thunderous dunk with two minutes left, to put the Pacers back ahead.
Minnesota again answered, with Conely draining a deep shot before Haliburton split free throws after a hard foul to tie the game at 105 with 1:25 left.
From there, Edwards took over the Wolves.
Edwards then rose on the next possession and drained a pull-up 3-pointer, the Wolves got a stop, and he hit another jump shot from 15 feet before Turner answered with a 3-pointer to make it 110-108. After Edwards got another floater to fall, his third straight make, Nesmith was fouled from beyond the arc and hit all his free throws to make it a one-point game with 16 ticks left.
“Ant made some special shots, that’s what he does, and they are a great defensive team,” Haliburton said. “Last play, I thought we got a good look. It was just a special defensive play by Ant.”
On the ensuing possession, Edwards split free throws before he ran down the court and blocked Nesmith.
The Pacers will play their next two games on the road, starting with the Orlando Magic on Sunday at Kia Center.
Stat of the Night
Anthony Edwards has scored 40 points or more in three games this season. He scored 29 of his team’s 53 total points in the second half, including 16 in the fourth quarter.
Inside the Numbers
Indiana’s biggest lead was two points and Minnesota’s was 17.
The Pacers were 17-for-23 from the free throw line and the Wolves shot 14-for-19.
Tyrese Haliburton has 36 double-doubles this season.
After shooting 54.2 percent in the first half, the Timberwolves were limited to 40 percent in the second half.
Jalen Smith matched a career-high in assists by dishing out four dimes.
Former Indiana Pacer T.J. Warren signed a 10-day contract with the Timberwolves on March 6. He played just under six minutes and scored seven points for the Wolves.
Indiana’s bench outscored Minnesota’s second unit 37-32.
The Pacers had 10 blocks as a team, led by four swats from Myles Turner.
You Can Quote Me on That
“This is where a young team has to learn, grow and get better.” – Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle on the loss
“We just didn’t have the attitude you need to have against a physical, high-level team like this. We paid a heavy price for it. Halftime was pretty animated. We talked about physicality. … But it can’t be just when you get punched in the mouth. We have to learn from it. Nothing is given. Everything has to be earned” – Carlisle on the loss
“I think things slowed down. He’s just calm, steady and proven, and makes play after play down the stretch. I thought he did a really good job for us getting buckets when the game kind of slowed down.” –Tyrese Haliburton on Siakam
“I know that we need to figure it out. We just can’t start games like that. All of us. The starters need more energy.” – Siakam on the slow start
“He made some tough shots. Credit to him. There was some really good defense on those shots. He made some tough shots. Sometimes a player like that gets going.” – Siakam on Edwards
Noteworthy
Tyrese Haliburton passed Vern Fleming for third-most games in Pacers history with 10 or more assists in a game by logging his 85th, according to ESPN. He now just trails Mark Jackson (130) and Jamaal Tinsley (85).
Pacers forward Doug McDermott has missed five straight games with a calf injury.
Minnesota guard Mike Conley Jr. is a graduate of Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis. From 2004 to 2006, he helped guide the Wildcats to three straight state championships.
Tickets
The Pacers will be back at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to tip off a three-game homestand against DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, March 13 at 7:00 PM ET.
FUEL HOCKEY
FUEL FACE K-WINGS ON FRIDAY NIGHT
INDIANAPOLIS- The Fuel will begin their weekend on the road in Kalamazoo with their twelfth meeting with the Wings this season on Friday night.
LAST TIME OUT
The last time these two teams met was January 28 when the Fuel visited Kalamazoo and the K-Wings took a 4-1 win despite Matus Spodniak scoring first for the Fuel. Hunter Vorva made 42 saves in net for Kalamazoo while Cam Gray made 19.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Fuel run in the middle of the pack when it comes to their power play, ranked thirteenth overall in the league whereas their penalty kill is ranked eleventh. In spite of this, special teams have proved to be very important to Indy this season. They are 21-5-4-0 when scoring a power play goal and 5-1-0-0 when scoring a shorthanded goal. They also have a winning record this season when not allowing a power play goal.
STANDINGS BATTLE
The Fuel head into the weekend still tied with Wheeling for second place in the Central division. They are nine points behind Toledo who are on a three-game win streak. With the entire division playing against each other this weekend, there is potential for Fuel to end up anywhere from second to fourth place by Monday.
INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
3-SEED HOOSIERS SET FOR 2024 TIAA BIG TEN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – No. 12 Indiana will open up 2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament action as it faces the winner of Michigan/Minnesota on Friday in the quarterfinals at approximately 9 p.m. ET.
GAME DAY INFO
#12/12 Indiana (24-4) at 2024 TIAA Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament
Friday, March 8, 2024 • 9 p.m. ET (approx.)
Target Center • Minneapolis, Minn.
Broadcast: BTN (Mike Hall, Meghan McKeown, Autumn Johnson)
Radio: B97 (Austin Render)
Live Stats: BigTen.org
Social Media: Facebook | X | Instagram
NOTES
All-time in the Big Ten Tournament, Indiana holds a 23-30 record with one tournament championship in 2002. It advanced to the semifinals in 2023 and had their last championship game appearance in 2022. This will be the first time that Indiana will be the No. 3 seed in the tournament.
Four players were honored on All-Big Ten teams in the league’s annual postseason honors on Tuesday. Graduate student forward Mackenzie Holmes and senior guard Sara Scalia each earned places on the league’s first team while senior guard Chloe Moore-McNeil was on the second team and sophomore guard Yarden Garzon was an honorable mention. Holmes and Moore-McNeil also made the league’s All-Defensive team for the second-consecutive year.
The Hoosiers closed out the regular season with a win at home over Maryland, 71-54, on Sunday. With the win, they completed back-to-back undefeated regular seasons at home posting 15-0 records in both 2022-23 and 2023-24.
All five starters were in double figures in the win over the Terps, led by Scalia’s 19 points. It also marked the first time the Hoosiers have swept the season series between the two schools.
IU currently owns the nation’s best shooting percentages, from the floor (51.6 percent) and 3-point line (40.5 percent). They have shot 50 percent or better from the floor on 15 occasions, shooting 60 percent or better four times this season. From the arc, IU has hit 10 or more 3-pointers in 11 times this season and has knocked down 233 3-pointers, which is fourth in a single season. The current record stands at 259 (2013-14).
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
BAD NEWS; MCNEELEY DECOMMITS
Thursday wasn’t a good day for Indiana men’s basketball. The programs only recruit Liam McNeeley decommitted and asked for a release from his letter of intent. McNeeley is a five-star forward from Montverde Academy. McNeeley was ranked the No. 15 player in the nation, per 247Sports.
PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BOILERS FALL TO NEBRASKA, SWANSON SETS FRESHMAN RECORD
MINNEAPOLIS – Sophie Swanson scored a career-high 25 points and made a record seven 3-pointers, but it was not enough as the No. 12 seed Purdue women’s basketball team fell to No. 5 seed Nebraska 64-56 on Thursday afternoon in the second round of Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Swanson powered the Boilermakers behind 9-of-13 shooting, including a 7-of-9 mark from behind the arc. Swanson’s nine triples were the most in a single game by a freshman and tied for fourth overall in Purdue history. It matched Brittany Rayburn’s Purdue single-game tournament record set in 2012 against Penn State.
The Barrington native also etched her name into the Big Ten record books, tying for most triples by a freshman in tournament history and placing fourth for most in a single game.
Abbey Ellis followed up her first career double-double with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists. It was her eighth straight game in double figures.
Jeanae Terry nearly reached 1,000 rebounds in her career. The fifth-year senior tallied 11 boards to go with four points, three assists, three blocks and three steals. It was just the fifth 3×5 by a Big Ten player this season. Terry finished with double-digit boards for the fourth straight game.
Purdue (13-18) shot 36.1% and had all seven triples come from Swanson. The Boilermakers took advantage of 19 Nebraska miscues to score a season-high 27 points off giveaways. Ellis and Rashunda Jones evenly split eight of Purdue’s 13 assists on the afternoon.
Nebraska (20-10) finished with a 41.1% shooting clip with a trio of players in double figures. The Cornhuskers won the rebounding battle 41-36 but managed just seven points off 10 second chance opportunities.
Defense set the tone in the first quarter with the two sides shooting a combined 8-for-33. Jeanae Terry started strong with four points and five rebounds in the opening frame. Purdue finished the final 4:30 of the period on an 8-2 run to take a 12-7 lead.
Sophie Swanson gave the Boilermakers a spark off the bench with seven points on 3-of-4 shooting, including a 3-pointer, in the second. Purdue forced eight turnovers in the second, but Nebraska connected on half its shots with four triples to tie the game at 25-25 at the break.
After both sides shot under 35% in the first half, the Cornhuskers used two runs of 10-plus points to pull away in the second half.
Ellis and Stevenson combined for a 6-1 run midway through the third to give Purdue a 31-30 advantage. Nebraska punched back with a 10-0 run, before Ellis converted an and-one opportunity and Swanson hit a triple to pull the Boilermakers back within three going into the fourth.
Swanson hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first two minutes of the fourth to keep it a one-possession game, but Nebraska rolled off 16 straight points until Mary Ashley Stevenson made a pair of free throws with 3:48 to play.
Down as many as 16, Swanson made three more 3-pointers and Jones connected on a floater in the lane in the final three minutes to pull Purdue all the way back within six.
Purdue became the only team in the nation this season to have three different freshmen record a 20-point performance.
PURDUE BASEBALL
EARLIEST HOME OPENER EVER MARKS BEGINNING OF 13-GAME HOMESTAND
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
UAlbany (0-6) at Purdue (8-4)
Friday to Sunday, March 8-10 / Watch B1G+
Series Opener: Friday, March 8 at 4 p.m. ET
Doubleheader: Saturday, March 9 at 1 p.m. ET
Series Finale: Sunday, March 10 at 1 p.m. ET
Alexander Field / West Lafayette, Indiana
Series History: First Meetings
Sunday Mar10 Day Promotion: Super Mario T-Shirt Giveaway (First 100 Fans), Bark in the Park
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1: Jordan Morales (Grad, LHP) vs. UA’s Owen Birkman (Sr, RHP)
Game 2: Luke Wagner (Sr, LHP) vs. UA’s Matt Mariano (R-So, RHP)
Game 3: Kyle Iwinski (Sr, RHP) vs. TBA for UA
Game 4: TBA for Purdue vs. UA’s Kyle Locklear (R-Sr, RHP)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – As Purdue Baseball hosts first-time foe UAlbany for its third four-game series of the season, Friday’s home opener is in line to potentially double up as the earliest home opener in program history and the opening game of the longest homestand in the Alexander Field era.
First pitch is slated for Friday at 4 p.m. ET, a Saturday doubleheader at 1 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. Schedule changes are likely this weekend with rain in the forecast for much of Friday and Saturday morning. The Boilermakers are scheduled to play a Saturday doubleheader for third time in the first four weekends.
The ticket policy for rescheduled and canceled games at Alexander Field remains the same – fans with tickets for a rescheduled or canceled game may exchange them for general admission seats at any future home game (excluding the May 3-5 weekend series). New this season is a reentry policy for pre-scheduled doubleheaders (March 9, March 16). One ticket is good for both games of those twibills. When a rain out leads to a doubleheader, an unused/unscanned ticket will be required to reenter Alexander Field.
The promotional schedule begins Sunday with a Purdue Baseball Super Mario t-shirt giveaway (first 100 fans) for Mar10 Day on the calendar. It’s also the first of six Bark in the Park Sundays in which fans can bring their dog to the stadium.
This year will mark the third time in the last six seasons that the Boilermakers will play their earliest home opener ever. Purdue begins its 30-game home schedule with 13 consecutive games at Alexander Field. If all 13 are played, it will match the baker’s dozen homestand the program enjoyed late in the 2017 campaign as the longest since Alexander opened in 2013.
EARLIEST HOME OPENERS IN PURDUE HISTORY
*Home-Opening Doubleheader
• 2022: March 10 vs Bellarmine – W, 8-4
• 2019: March 12 vs Milwaukee – L, 6-1
• 1996: March 13 vs Saint Joseph’s (Ind.) – L, 7-0
• 2023: March 15 vs Northern Illinois – W, 14-5
• 1992: March 16 vs Ball State* – W, 9-0
• 1991: March 16 vs Saint Joseph’s (Ind.)* – L, 2-1
• 1994: March 17 vs Saint Joseph’s (Ind.) – W, 3-0
• 1990: March 17 vs Saint Joseph’s (Ind.) – L, 5-3
• 2015: March 18 vs Valparaiso – W, 2-0
• 1998: March 18 vs Valparaiso – W, 5-4
• 1993: March 18 vs Saint Joseph’s (Ind.) – W, 8-0
Purdue set an attendance record last season by averaging 1,710 fans per home date, ranking third in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers have seven home weekends on the calendar this year and are scheduled to play 30 of their remaining 44 games at Alexander Field. Since the start of the 2022 campaign, Purdue is 25-19 at home and 53-26 when batting last in a game.
Kyle Iwinski, Connor Caskenette and Couper Cornblum were among the Boilermakers’ top performers at home last season and all three players ended their junior campaigns riding notable streaks at Alexander. Caskenette also enters the weekend leading the Big Ten with 17 RBI. This weekend he’ll look to make it three years in a row that a Boilermaker has reached the 20-RBI benchmark by March 10.
NOTABLE ACTIVE STREAKS
• Connor Caskenette – 18-game on-base streak at Home (since 3/31/23)
• Couper Cornblum – 13-game hit streak at Home (since 4/15/23); started 65 consecutive games (every game at Purdue)
• Logan Sutter – 12-game on-base streak (every game of 2024)
• Camden Gasser – 10-game on-base streak (every game he’s played in 2024)
• Kyle Iwinski – Pitched at least 6 innings in 5 straight starts at Home (every home start of 2023)
IWINSKI’S 5 STARTS AT ALEXANDER FIELD IN 2023
All Quality Starts
• April 2 vs Northwestern: ND, 6 2/3 IP, 3 H, R, 0 BB, 5 K
• April 15 vs Penn State: W, 8 IP, 6 H, R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• April 30 vs Rutgers: ND, 6 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• May 7 vs South Dakota State: ND, 7 1/3 IP, 7 H, 2 R, BB, 3 K
• May 19 vs Nebraska: W, 6 2/3 IP, 7 H, 3 R, BB, 3 K
• Combined at Home: 2-0, 35 IP, 27 H, 4 BB, 16 K, 2.06 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, .214 B/Avg
QUICK NOTABLES
• Purdue won its season opener in shutout fashion for the first time since 1991.
• Purdue won twice in shutout fashion in the first 10 games of a season for the first time since 2003.
• Purdue has scored 10-plus runs in a win in each of the first three weekends of a season for the first time since 2012. The 2012 Big Ten championship team did it in each of the first five weekends.
• Purdue has scored 10 runs in an inning in each of its last two Sunday wins and also scored 10 unanswered runs in the Sunday, Feb. 18 win. The Boilermakers have posted two 10-run innings in a season for the first time since 2012. They have scored 35 of their 97 runs (36%) in Sunday victories this year.
• Logan Sutter leads the Big Ten and ranks top five nationally with nine doubles, reaching base safely in every game this season. He’s in line to easily become the fastest Boilermaker (via date on the calendar) to reach 10 doubles since 2001.
• Luke Gaffney is the first player in conference history (since the award was adopted in 2011) to win Big Ten Freshman of the Week each of the first two weeks of the season.
• Luke Wagner and Jackson Dannelley teamed up to shutout Southeastern Louisiana on March 2, ending SELA’s five-game win streak. The Lions had scored 59 runs during their streak and then scored 11 runs while beating No. 11 East Carolina on Sunday on the final day of the four-team Keith LeClair Classic.
• Jordan Morales was the first lefthander since 2014 and only the second this millennium to start on Opening Day for Purdue. Now he’s line to become the 10th pitcher, and first lefty, to start the season and home openers since 1998.
• Purdue has committed just one error in the last five games and has a .971 fielding percentage overall.
TOP 10 IN THE BIG TEN ENTERING THE WEEKEND
• Logan Sutter – 1st in Doubles (9), 1st in Slugging (.818), 1st in OPS (1.318), T-4th in HR (3), T-5th in RBI (14), 7th in Batting Avg (.409), T-7th in Hits (18)
• Connor Caskenette – 1st in RBI (17), 8th in HBP (4)
• Jackson Dannelley – 1st in Saves (3)
• Luke Gaffney – T-2nd in Doubles (7), 4th in Batting Avg (.422), T-4th in Hits (19), 5th in Slugging (.711), T-5th in Runs (14), 7th in OPS (1.180)
• Keenan Spence – T-3rd in HR (3), T-8th in Slugging (.647)
• Jordan Morales – 3rd in Innings (18 1/3), 10th in ERA (2.45)
• Camden Gasser – T-9th in OBP (.612), T-9th in Steals (4)
• Jo Stevens – T-9th in Steals (4)
PURDUE FOOTBALL
33 TEAMS ATTEND PURDUE FOOTBALL PRO DAY
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The eyes of the National Football League were on Purdue Football Thursday (March 7), as 10 Boilermakers participated in the team’s annual Pro Day. Thirty-one NFL teams and two Canadian Football League teams arrived in West Lafayette to see which Boilermakers could be a good fit for them at the next level.
The following Boilermakers participated in the day’s events: Cam Allen, Jack Ansell, Ben Farrell, Daniel Johnson, Sanoussi Kane, Malik Langham, Preston Nichols, Nick Taylor, Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Marquis Wilson.
Unofficial results for Pro Day can be found below. All of the Boilermakers hope to hear their name called during the 2024 NFL Draft, set for April 25-27 in Detroit.
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
IRISH HEAD TO WEST VIRGINIA FOR MARSHALL MARCH MADNESS
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team will head to Huntington, West Virginia for a five-game weekend, hosted by the Marshall Thundering Herd. The Fighting Irish will take on the host once, as well as a pair of Indiana schools for two games each.
The Irish match up with Indiana State as the first game of split doubleheaders Friday and Saturday, before closing the weekend with back-to-back games against the Ball State Cardinals Saturday and Sunday.
Notre Dame is 12-5 all-time against Ball State, 13-7-1 against Indiana State and 0-2 against Marshall. In neutral site games, the Irish are 1-2 against the Cardinals, having last played in 2016 in Florida. Against the Sycamores, the Irish last took the field in 2002, a doubleheader sweep in South Bend. The series with Marshall has seen a pair of neutral site games go the way of the Herd, having played in 2005 and 2013.
The weekend’s schedule has been altered due to incoming weather. For all updates, be sure to check Irish Softball social media on X (@NDSoftball) and Instagram (@NotreDameSoftball).
Weekend Schedule
Friday
1:30 p.m. – Indiana State
6:30 p.m. – Marshall
Saturday
11 a.m. – Indiana State
1:30 p.m. – Ball State
Sunday
10:30 a.m. – Ball State
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL OPENS ACC PLAY AT VIRGINIA TECH
The (9-2) Irish will travel to Blacksburg, Va., for a three-game series at Virginia Tech March 8-10 to open ACC play. Led by John P. and Catherine Murphy Head Baseball Coach Shawn Stiffler in his second season with the Irish, Notre Dame welcomes 19 newcomers to the roster.
By The Numbers
2
Shawn Stiffler is in his second season with the Irish, after leading Notre Dame to a 30-24 season in 2023. He owns a 379-224 career record. Stiffler came to South Bend after spending the 10 seasons at the helm of the VCU program.
2
Notre Dame ranks second among all Division I programs in home runs per game this season, with 2.91 per game (32 home runs in 11 games). They rank T-fourth in total home runs nationally (leaders Duke and Georgia have 35 in 12 and 13 games, respectively).
3
INF Estevan Moreno hit three home runs in the 15-11 Saturday win at Tennessee Tech and in the 11-2 midweek victory at home vs. Purdue. He tied a program record for home runs in a single game with both performances. He has achieved the feat three times, the most of any Irish player in program history (also hit three April 21, 2023 vs. Virginia).
3
Notre Dame pitchers have combined for five saves, which ranks tied for first in the ACC. RHP Nate Hardman owns three, which ranks third in the ACC, while RHP Bennett Flynn has earned two (T-fourth in the ACC).
3
Three Irish pitchers have been named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List: RHPs Radek Birkholz, Bennett Flynn and Nate Hardman. All three played major roles in the series sweep of Rice.
4
D1Baseball tabbed four Irish players among the top national players in their positions. Jack Penney enters 2024 ranked No. 32 among the nation’s shortstops, Simon Baumgardt ranked No. 50 amond third basemen, David Glancy ranked No. 97 among outfielders, and Jackson Dennies ranked No. 105 among starting pitchers.
4
The Irish are set to face four teams ranked in the preseason Top 25 in 2024, including No. 1 Wake Forest, No. 10 Clemson, No. 13 NC State and No. 15 North Carolina.
10
Ten different Irish players have hit home runs this season. INF Estevan Moreno leads the team with six, OF David Glancy and INF Jack Penney each have four, and OF T.J. Williams, INF Simon Baumgardt, INF Connor Hincks, OF Tito Flores and INF Josh Hahn all own three each. OF Brady Gumpf has homered twice, and C Carson Tinney homered once.
15
Notre Dame’s 15 home runs in the weekend series at Tennessee Tech were more than any team in Division I baseball over the past week, and in fewer games than any of the other teams in the Top 10.
19
The Irish introduce 19 newcomers, featuring 10 freshmen and nine grad transfers, to the 2023 roster.
43
Notre Dame scored 43 runs in the series at Tennessee Tech (14-3 game one, 15-11 game two, 14-11 game three). It marked just the third time Notre Dame has scored 40 runs in three straight games against a single team since 2001 (the team scored 40 against Rutgers over three games in 2006 and 42 against Wake Forest over three games in 2022).
100
Perfect Game ranked two Irish players in their Top 100 Lists for each class. David Lally Jr. ranked No. 69 among the nation’s sophomores, and Jack Penney came in at No. 71 among juniors.
2024
.990
The Irish own a .990 fielding percentage on the season, ranking first in the ACC and sixth among all Division I programs
2024
Following the series sweep at Rice, Notre Dame received votes in the National College Baseball Writers Association poll.
Notre Dame’s three wins to begin the season was the program’s best start since 2010, when the Irish opened the season 3-0 with a three-game sweep of Mississippi Valley State.
Notre Dame split the four-game series at FIU, going 2-2 in Miami Feb. 23-25.
The Irish launched several comeback campaigns to earn the series sweep of Tennessee Tech March 1-3. The Irish posted 15 home runs over the weekend, the most of any Division I team that week and in fewer games than the rest of the Top 10. INF Estevan Moreno hit three home runs in Saturday’s contest, tying a program record, which he had already matched once before.
Notre Dame scored 43 runs in the series at Tennessee Tech (14-3 game one, 15-11 game two, 14-11 game three). It marked just the third time Notre Dame has scored 40 runs in three straight games against a single team since 2001 (the team scored 40 against Rutgers over three games in 2006 and 42 against Wake Forest over three games in 2022).
Notre Dame’s home opener was an 11-2 win over Purdue. Moreno set a program record for most career games with three home runs, hitting three bombs in the victory.
New Lineup in 2024
Notre Dame returns five regular starters from the 2023 lineup in DM Jefferson, Brady Gumpf, TJ Williams, Jack Penney and Estevan Moreno.
With the graduation of key pieces of the 2023 lineup (and 2022 College World Series team) in Carter Putz, Zack Prajzner, Jack Zyska, and Brooks Coetzee, new faces for the Irish have emerged in the lineup.
Notre Dame welcomes nine graduate transfers and 10 freshmen to the roster in the 2024 season.
The Outfield
Notre Dame returns three experienced outfielders in TJ Williams, DM Jefferson and Brady Gumpf. Williams, one of the top defensive centerfielders in college baseball, led the ACC in 2023 in sacrifice bunts (11).
The three are joined by graduate transfers Tito Flores and David Glancy. Flores is a two-time Big Ten all-tournament team selection, while Glancy led St. John’s with 13 home runs in 2023, and is ranked as one of D1Baseball’s Top 100 outfielders entering 2024.
No. 1 Jefferson: Has played most games as the starting DH for the Irish in 2024, and is T-second in the ACC in HBP (5).
No. 2 Glancy: Tied for second on the team in home runs (4); Hit two home runs in each of the first two series – at Rice and at FIU. Was responsible for Notre Dame’s first home run of the season, a no-doubter into the wind.
No. 6 Williams: A four-year member of the Irish, and a leader on the team, Williams currently leads the Irish with a .457 batting average, ranking eighth in the ACC. He posted the first multi-home run game of his career with two home runs in the 13-4 win at FIU (2/23/24).
No. 7 Flores: Leads the team in RBI (17) on the season. Hit Notre Dame’s first grand slam of the season in the ninth inning of the Rice series finale, cementing the sweep.
No. 16 Bowen: Has appeared in two games and scored two runs this season; marked his first appearance for the Irish at Rice as a pinch runner.
No. 21 Gumpf: Hit his first home runs of the season at Tennessee Tech, with one homer on Friday (March 1) and one on Sunday (March 3).
The Infield
Jack Penney and Estevan Moreno will look to build off their success in the infield in 2023. Penney tied for the team lead with 10 home runs before being sidelined by an injury, while Moreno, in a breakout freshman season, became the first Irish player since 2016 to hit three home runs in a single game (4/21/23 vs. Virginia).
The Irish also return Connor Hincks, Casey Kmet, Nick DeMarco and Rory Fox, all of whom saw playing time last season.
Joining the infield are impact transfers Simon Baumgardt and Josh Hahn. Baumgardt is ranked in D1Baseball’s Top 50 third basemen entering 2024.
No. 3 Moreno: Hit three home runs in the 15-11 win at Tennessee Tech and the 11-2 win vs. Purdue, tying a program record for home runs in a single game. He has achieved the feat three times, the only Irish player in program history to do so (also hit three homers April 21, 2023 vs. Virginia).
No. 11 Penney: Leads the team with in runs scored (17) and walks drawn (12) this season.
No. 12 Hincks: Started 10 games throughout the infield for the Irish, posting three home runs.
No. 15 Hahn: Recorded the go-ahead RBI after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the first game of the series at Rice.
No. 18 Baumgardt: Has started all 11 games at third base, and ranks second on the team with a .348 batting average.
Behind the Plate
With the departure of Vinny Martinez, the catcher position is open entering 2023-24 for the Irish, and multiple players could compete for playing time from the catchers group, which includes senior Tony Lindwedel, junior Joey Spence, and freshmen Carson Tinney, Troy Reader and Davis Johnson.
No. 8 Tinney: Started six games at catcher; hit the first homer of his career to score the go-ahead run in the series finale at Rice.
No. 13 Spence: Started two games at catcher, one at Tennessee Tech and one at FIU.
No. 28 Lindwedel: Started three games at catcher.
On the Mound
Senior Jackson Dennies leads a group with another year of collegiate experience under their belts. Dennies will be a mainstay started for the Irish, coming off a season in which he pitched 46.1 innings and posted 49 strikeouts. Dennies is ranked in D1Baseball’s Top 150 starting pitchers in the nation entering 2024.
Caden Spivey, David Lally and Matt Bedford all return for the Irish and will look to see significant time on the mound, in addition to Will Jacobsen, a Harvard transfer and 2023 second-team All-Ivy selection.
Radek Birkholz also returns for the Irish, and will join transfers Bennett Flynn and Nate Hardman in relief roles for Notre Dame.
Jack Findlay continues to recover from an injury.
Rice: The Irish started Spivey (Friday), Dennies (Saturday) and Bedford (Sunday). Birkholz (Friday), RHP Tobey McDonough (Saturday) and LHP Ryan Lynch (Sunday) earned the wins.
Hardman posted two saves on the weekend, a figure which was tied for the ACC lead after the first week.
FIU: The Irish started Spivey (Friday), Dennies (Saturday Game One), Bedford (Saturday Game Two) and McDonough (Sunday) at FIU. Flynn and RHP Jack Radel earned the two wins, and Bedford and Hardman absorbed the losses. Radel’s win was the first of his college career, while Flynn’s win was his first in an Irish uniform. Flynn also earned a save, his first at Notre Dame.
Tennessee Tech: The Irish started Bedford (Friday), Dennies (Saturday) and Spivey (Sunday) against the Golden Eagles. On Friday, Bedford went three full innings only allowing one hit. Birkholz entered to pitch for his second win, and Flynn got three innings of work, earning a save with an impressive seven strikeouts in nine batters faced. After a rocky start Saturday, Rory Fox secured the win, while Ricky Reeth pitched an impressive four innings with four strikeouts. The Irish got down early on Sunday, but a group effort including Jack Radel’s three full innings allowed the Irish to battle back. Keenan Mork secured his first-career win, and Hardman earned the save.
Purdue: Bedford earned the win via the bullpen day setup, going three innings and only allowing two hits and zero runs.
John P. And Catherine Murphy Head Baseball Coach
Shawn Stiffler is in his second season with the Irish, and led Notre Dame to a 30-24 record in his first season. He owns a 379-224 career record.
Stiffler came to South Bend after spending the last 10 seasons at the helm of the VCU program where he accrued a 340-198 overall record, and dominated the Atlantic 10 with a record of 146-71.
He was a monumental piece in VCU’s success where he turned the Rams into one of the most consistent programs in the country, as it is one of just seven programs nationally to earn 34 or more wins in each of the last eight full seasons.
In Stiffler’s 10-seasons at the helm of the VCU program, the Rams won Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championships in 2017, 2019 and 2021. The 2017 A-10 Regular Season Championship was the first in program history at VCU.
Stiffler also led VCU to the NCAA Championship Tournament in 2015, 2021 and 2022.
Stiffler earned American Baseball Coaches’ Association (ABCA) East-Region Coach of the Year honors following the 2015 season in which he led VCU to the A-10 Championship and its first-ever Super Regional.
The 2019 A-10 Coach of the Year guided four Rams to All-American honors, five Freshman All-Americans, 20 ABCA All-Region honorees and 48 All A-10 selections.
Meet the Assistants
Assistant coach Logan Robbins (position players) enters his second season at Notre Dame and joined the Irish after spending seven seasons at Old Dominion in Norfolk, Virginia.
Robbins led the Monarch offense to new heights as hitters finished second in Conference USA in 2021 and 2022, hitting a .301 and a .296 team average, respectively.
In 2021, the Monarchs finish second in the country with 105 home runs, smashing the previous home run record of 67, followed by a 2022 squad that hit 128 home runs as a team, finishing third nationally.
Robbins offense finished in the top 15 nationally in home runs, home runs per game, scoring and slugging percentage.
Robbins played at Western Kentucky University and was a 10th round draft pick by the Atlanta Braves in 2011.
Assistant coach Seth Voltz (pitchers) begins his second season with Notre Dame, having joined the Fighting Irish after spending the 2022 season under Stiffler at VCU, and previously worked as an assistant coach at Wofford College.
Voltz led the Rams to the 2022 Atlantic 10 Championship, winning 17-consecutive games `Hill Regional where they notched wins over North Carolina and Georgia.
VCU finished the 2022 campaign with a 42-20 record, and ranked in the top 20 in Division I in ERA (3.91 – 9th), WHIP (1.29 – 12th) and walks allowed per nine innings (3.12 – 10th).
Voltz was an assistant coach with the Wofford Terriers from 2017-20.
He helped the Terriers win the first Southern Conference Regular Season Championship in program history in 2021, after a 36-21 regular season and a 21-9 SoCon record.
The 492 strikeouts in the 2021 campaign is the second-most in SoCon history and the third-most in program history.
After graduating from VCU in 2012, where he was a four-year letterwinner under Stiffler, he began his coaching career as the Rams’ volunteer coach and then coached as an assistant at UT Martin from 2015-16.
Ryan Munger (position players/catchers) assumes an assistant coach role after serving as Notre Dame’s volunteer assistant coach in 2023. Munger served as an assistant coach at Davidson for the previous seven seasons, and was elevated to recruiting coordinator in July of 2018.
After joining Davidson in the fall of 2013, Munger worked primarily with the catchers and assisted with hitting. In 2022, he helped guide the Wildcats to a 43-13 overall mark, a 20-4 Atlantic 10 Conference record as Davidson earned the 2022 Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championship, finishing a game ahead of Stiffler’s VCU team.
In his time with Davidson, Munger helped lead the program to new heights, winning the most games in a season in program history in 2017, 2018 and further improving that total during the 2022 season. He led the Wildcats to their first-ever conference title in the program’s 115-year history in 2017, and was just the second four-seed to ever sweep an NCAA Regional.
Munger played baseball at Duke and was a team captain in 2012 and 2013.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
IRISH, CARDINALS SET FOR ACC TOURNAMENT MATINEE
GREENSBORO, N.C. — For the third time in a month and for the second time in a week, Notre Dame and Louisville will see each other on the court.
The fifth-seeded Cardinals notched a comeback win over 13th-seed Boston College on Thursday, and they will now see No. 4 seed Notre Dame on Friday morning. The rivals split the two regular season matchups; the home team won each time.
Notre Dame is coming off of back-to-back ranked wins over then-No. 5 Virginia Tech and then-No. 22 Louisville. The Irish played suffocating defense in both games, holding two of the conference’s best offenses to 58 points each. Virginia Tech’s 58 points were the fewest scored against Notre Dame by a top-five conference foe since 2008, and that was followed by allowing just one Louisville player to notch double-figures on Sunday.
Louisville will once again have to deal with Notre Dame’s three-headed monster: Hannah Hidalgo, Maddy Westbeld and Sonia Citron. All three made All-ACC teams earlier this week; Hidalgo was a member of the First Team, while Westbeld and Citron notched spots on the Second Team. Hidalgo was also named ACC Rookie and Defensive Player of the Year. Notre Dame is the only ACC team with three players on the All-ACC teams.
Friday morning’s game tips off on the ACC Network at 11 a.m. Pam Ward and Kelly Gramlich will be on the call.
NOTRE DAME HOCKEY
STAGE SET FOR B1G QUARTERFINALS
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The dawn of the postseason is upon the Notre Dame hockey program as they embark on a best-of-three series in Ann Arbor, Michigan against storied foe the Michigan Wolverines. The weekend series marks the second consecutive road trip to lower Michigan for the Irish skaters, having concluded their regular season at Yost Ice Arena just over 10 days ago.
Each game of the series is set for a 7 p.m. puck drop on B1G+ with Friday and Saturday guaranteed.
SERIES OVERVIEW
Opponent: Michigan Wolverines
Location: Ann Arbor, Mich.| Yost Ice Arena
Schedule: March 8-10* |7 p.m. | *Sunday if necessary
TV: B1G+
Live Stats: FightingIrish.com
Radio: fightingirish.com/radioaffiliates/
Game Notes: Notre Dame | Michigan
QUICK HITS
The Irish head into the Big Ten Playoff Quarterfinals after closing out the regular season at Michigan, February 23-24.
Danny Nelson scored his ninth goal of the season in the weekend series at Yost and leads all Irish rookies in goals, assists (14) and points (23).
After clinching a point in overtime in their final home game of the season, the Irish won the season series with the Gophers, earning seven of a possible 12 points for the conference standings.
A night before the team honored its seniors, the rookie class led the Irish to victory over Minnesota, notching four of Notre Dame’s six goals and combining for 10 points on the night.
The freshmen had a hand in all six of the team’s goals in the game one win, including two all-rookie tallies. The series’ opening goal came from the all-freshmen second line of Carter Slaggert, Danny Nelson and Brennan Ali while D Nelson and C Slaggert later connected again on a goal late in the second period to take the 5-1 lead in the final minute of the second stanza.
Cole Knuble’s two goals led the team in the Friday night win. The freshman center tallied his sixth multi-point game with his two-goal performance and now boasts 15 points in his last 16 games played.
With goals from both Slaggert brothers Friday against Minnesota, the freshman/senior duo recorded their second time both recording a goal in the same outing (prev. January 6 vs. Wisconsin). Carter Slaggert now boasts three career goals and two against Minnesota.
NOTRE DAME vs. MICHIGAN
In 165 all-time meetings between the two programs the Irish trail the series 72-87-6.
Most recently, the team fell for the first time in a regular season game at Yost Ice Arena since 2018 as the Wolverines took the series with 4-0 and 2-1 wins.
Prior to that the Irish were 8-0-1 in their last nine regular season meetings in Ann Arbor, with the lone tie ending in a shootout win for the visiting Notre Dame squad (2023).
Since the 2019-20 season, 11 games have been decided by a single goal with the Irish boasting an 8-3 record in those games.
Earlier this season, the Irish and Wolverines split a weekend series in December to close out the first half home slate. Notre Dame jumped out in front early in game one of the series earlier this season with a 6-1 victory to mark Coach Jackson’s 400th win behind the Irish bench.
IRISH HEADED HOME
The University of Notre Dame, in conjunction with The Odyssey Trust, announced the Irish would participate in the 2024 rendtion of the Friendship Four men’s college ice hockey tournament.
The annual tournament is set to be played in Belfast, Ireland, next November (2024) with the Irish joining Harvard, Merrimack and Boston University as participants competing for the coveted Belpot Trophy.
The tournament was last played in 2022 with Quinnipiac reigning victorious that fall before winning the national championship at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season.
The tournament first began in 2015 and is designed to promote education, social welfare, and community interation.
Over the course of six previous tournaments, 24 games have been played dating back to the inagural games in 2015.
Northern Ireland remains the only destination outside of the United States to host consequential NCAA Divison I ice hockey games.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
The 2022-23 Big Ten Goaltender of the Year was one of two unanimous selections for 2023-24 Preseason All-Big Ten Teams. He was selected to the All-Big Ten First Team ahead of the coming season. Bischel was also a Mike Richter Award semifinalist and a Hobey Baker nominee a season ago.
Drew Bavaro made an immediate impact at the blueline last season after joining the Irish and will look to continue that success this season as a senior. He was selected to the All-Big Ten Second Team for the preseason. Landon Slaggert also picked up preseason honors from the Big Ten when he was named an Honorable Mention heading into the season.
Following his performance against Mercyhurst, which included a nation’s best four goals on the weekend, Landon Slaggert was named the Big Ten’s Third Star of the Week October 31.
Two Irish were recognized for their play in the weekend sweep of Ohio State to open conference play at home. Bischel picked up First Star of the Week honors with a .984 save percentage in two games played. The graduate netminder stopped 60 of 61 shots faced and earned his 10th career shutout. With his third blanking of the season, Bischel leads the nation in blankings.
Landon Slaggert also picked up conference honors following the weekend against OSU, being tabbed Third Star of the Week by the Big Ten behind a goal and three assists.
After a weekend split against then-No. 13/12, Ryan Bischel was named Big Ten Third Star of the Week for his .953 save percentage and 1.50 goals against average.
Following a four goal weekend which included the team’s first hat trick performance in nearly two years, freshman Cole Knuble was named Big Ten Second Star of the Week. The honor came as Knuble’s first of his career and it was the fifth weekly award for the Irish this season.
FAMILY TIES
The 2023-24 Notre Dame roster features quite a few family connections to the program and hockey world.
Three sets of brothers are currently on the roster, including Justin and Trevor Janicke, Landon and Carter Slaggert, and Henry and Danny Nelson.
With the addition of the Nelsons this season, the Irish have had 17 sets of brothers lace up their skates together for the Irish.
Carter Slaggert also joins the Irish in 2023-24, becoming the third Slaggert brother to appear in a game for the Irish and joins his older brother Landon, who is a senior. Oldest brother Graham currently plays in the Buffalo Sabres organization and skated two years alongside Landon before graduating.
Senior forward Brady Bjork is the younger brother of former Irish All-American and current Chicago Blackhawk Anders Bjork.
Brady’s father, Kirt, played for the Irish from 1979-83 where he appeared in 141 and tallied 161 career points (76-85). When older brother Anders played for the Irish, they became the fourth set of father-son combinations within Notre Dame hockey.
The Slaggerts are part of the fifth set of father-son combinations to suit up for the Irish, joining their father and associate head coach Andy Slaggert.
Justin and Trevor Janicke are the sons of Curtis Janicke, who played for the Irish from 1989-93, appearing in 125 games while scoring 46 goals and adding 98 assists for 144 points.
Justin, Trevor and Curtis represent the sixth father-son duo to play for the Irish.
Freshman Paul Fischer is the nephew of Mike Gearan, a member of the first varsity hockey team at Notre Dame. Fischer will honor his uncle by wearing his number during his career with the Irish, No. 16.
Freshman forward Cole Knuble is the son of former NHLer Mike Knuble, who spent 16 seasons in the NHL, including stints with Detroit, New York Rangers, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington. Cole was recently drafted by the Flyers’ organization where his father played during his early childhood. He will wear No. 22 with the Irish to honor his father.
Four current Irish skaters have siblings playing at the collegiate level, away from South Bend.
Cole Knuble’s brother, Cam, is a senior at Western Michigan University.
Ryan Siedem’s brother is a freshman at the University of New Hampshire.
Jayden Davis’ brother Matthew is a junior on the Denver Pioneers’ hockey team.
Maddox Fleming’s sister Delaney is a freshman on the Ohio State University women’s hockey team.
CURRENT IRISH AND THE NHL DRAFT
The 2023-24 roster features nine NHL draftees, including Jake Boltmann (CGY ‘20), Justin Janicke (SEA ‘21), Danny Nelson (NYI ‘23), Brennan Ali (DET ‘22), Paul Fischer (STL ‘23), Patrick Moynihan (NJD ‘19), Landon Slaggert (CHI ‘20), Cole Knuble (PHI ‘23) and Trevor Janicke (ANA ‘19).
The 2023 NHL draft saw three Irish rookies selected, the most since 2020, and 15th time in program history that at least three Irish icers were selected in a single draft class.
The trio of skaters selected in 2023, Danny Nelson (2nd Rd., 49 overall), Cole Knuble (4th Rd., 103 overall) and Paul Fischer (5th Rd., 138 overall) join fellow rookie Brennan Ali (DET ‘22) as draftees in the ND freshmen class.
When D. Nelson was selected in the second round of this year’s Draft, Notre Dame extended its streak of players drafted to 21 years (2004-present).
NOTRE DAME MEN’S LAX
GAME 5 PREVIEW: OHIO STATE
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – No. 3/4 Notre Dame continues the Big Ten portion of its non-conference scheduled by traveling to Columbus, Ohio, to take on Ohio State at noon ET on Saturday, March 9. The game will be played at Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium and will be available to stream on B1G+.
GAME DETAILS
Location: Columbus, Ohio | Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium
Schedule: March 9 — Noon ET
Stream: B1G+ ($)
Live Stats: FightingIrish.com
Twitter Updates: @NDlacrosse
For a more in-depth look at the matchup – Game Notes: Notre Dame
THE OHIO STATE SERIES
• Saturday will be the 48th meeting all time between Notre Dame and Ohio State. The Irish lead the all-time series with the Buckeyes, holding a 35-12 advantage in the matchup.
• The most recent installment between the two sides came last season at Arlotta Stadium with the Irish winning by a score of 16-3.
• The Irish have won 17 of the last 20 matchups with Ohio State, including the 9-0 shutout at Arlotta Stadium on March 21, 2015, which is the last time the Irish held an opponent scoreless in a game.
• In last season’s victory the attack was led by Chris Kavanagh and Eric Dobson, who each finished with five points on the afternoon. Goalie Liam Entenmann made 13 saves while allowing just three goals and the defense recorded 14 caused turnovers, paced by three from Chris Conlin.
VIDEO GAME NUMBERS
• The Irish enter Saturday’s matchup ranked fourth in the country in scoring offense (17.5 goals per game), first in points per game (28.5) and first in assists per game (11.0).
• For the first time in program history Notre Dame recorded back-to-back 20+ goal performances, coming in its first two games of the season.
• The combined 46 goals over the two games shatter the previous program record for most goals in back-to-back games, as the 1992 squad previously held the record with 40 goals.
• The 22-goal win over Cleveland State, the 13-goal victory at Marquette and the five-goal win over Maryland represent the largest margin of victory for the Irish in the respective all-time series.
• The Irish have also played fairly clean games thus far, as they are averaging just 13.25 turnovers per game which is the tied for the best mark in the country.
PICK YOUR POISON
• The Irish starting attack has combined for 51 points this seasons.
• Pat Kavanagh (4G, 15A), Chris Kavanagh (10G, 5A) and Jake Taylor (15G, 2A) are each off to great starts this season.
• The three attackman have a combined 430 points in their career off 241 goals and 189 assists.
• The Irish starting midfield also presents headaches for the opposition with Eric Dobson, Jordan Faison and Devon McLane each presenting different challenges to try to stop.
• McLane leads the unit with 15 points (10G, 5A) while Faison has 12 (9G, 3A) and Dobson has added seven (3G, 4A).
DOMINATING DEFENSE
• The Irish have allowed just 31 total goals over the course of the season, giving up tjust 7.75 goals per game, which leads the country.
• The Blue and Gold have held three of its four opponents to their lowest goal totals of the season (Cleveland State – 3, Marquette – 8, Maryland – 9).
• Dating back to last season, which includes an NCAA Championship run, the Irish have held seven of theirl last nine opponents to single-digit goal outputs.
• The unit allowed just three goals in the win over Cleveland State, which is tied for the second fewest given up by ND in a season opener in program history.
• The Irish finished 2023 allowing just 9.69 goals per game, leading the ACC and ranking sixth in the country, despite playing nine games against opponents that ranked in the top 10 in goals scored per game.
• Notre Dame led the ACC and ranked ninth in the country in caused turnovers per game last season, averaging 9.69.
CASHING IN ON THE EMO
• For the third-straight season, Notre Dame’s man-up offense is among the nation’s best, scoring on 72.7 percent of its opportunities.
• Notre Dame comes into the weekend 8-of-11 on man-up situations.
• Jake Taylor and Jeffery Ricciardelli have each scored three goals for the Irish when having the player advantage this season.
• The Irish finished the 2023 season going 22-for-41 (.537) on the EMO ranking fifth in the country.
• Chris Kavanagh finished seventh in the nation in EMO goals with eight.
• The Irish EMO unit cashed in on 21-of-31 chances (.677) during the 2022 season.
THE CONDUCTOR
• Pat Kavanagh became the first Notre Dame player to be named a Tewaaraton Trophy finalist two times, earning the honor in 2021 and 2023.
• The attackman is the current active career leader in assists per game average (3.06) and tied for first for total career assists (150).
• Kavanagh is closing in on the Notre Dame all-time career points record, as he is currently 34 shy of breaking the record held by Randy Colley ‘95 (see table on left).
• The Rockville, New York, native broke the program record for points in a season in 2023 with 77 points off 25 goals and 52 assists.
• Kavanagh became the program record holder for career assists during the 2023 season and has 150 in his illustrious career.
• The attackman also shattered his own single-season program assists record in 2023, totaling 52 on the season. Kavanagh now holds the top three marks for assists in a season.
• Kavanagh is also the only player in program history to record 10 points in a single game, a feat which he has achieved three times in his career.
• The graduate student is off to a flying start in 2024, earning ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week after his first week of play in which he totaled 12 points off two goals and 10 assists.
• Kavanagh has recorded two or more assists in every game this season.
THE STOPPER
• Grad student Liam Entenmann cemented his status as the top goalie in the country with his play in 2023, being named the Ensign C. Markland Kelly Jr. Outstanding Goalie by the USILA, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, ACC Goalie of the Year and NCAA Championships Most Valuable Player.
• The grad student leads the ACC and ranks third in the country this season in goals allowed per game with a mark of 8.08.
• The goalie had a big game against No. 3 Maryland this season, making 13 saves while limiting the Terrapins to just nine goals.
• Entenmann led the ACC and ranked sixth in the country in goals against average, allowing just 9.55 goals per game in 2023.
• Entenmann had a save percentage of .570 (196 saves, 148 goals allowed), ranking fourth in the country last season.
• Entenmann made double-digit saves in each of the final 13 games in 2023, including a season-high 18 in the win over No. 1 Duke to win the national title.
• Entenmann currently ranks fourth on the ND all-time saves list with 583 in his career.
THE SCORER
• Chris Kavanagh had one of the most prolific goal scoring seasons in program history in 2023, recording a career-high 46 goals to lead the Irish attack.
• Kavanagh hasn’t missed a beat so far in 2024, as the junior is tied for third on the team in points with 10 goals and five assists
•The junior 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 attackman also added 16 assists to total 62 points, which ranks 10th all-time in Notre Dame men’s lacrosse history.
• Chris finished with 10 hat tricks during the 2023 campaign and has 13 in his career.
• The Rockville Centre, New York, native has 78 career goals.
THE FINISHER
• Jake Taylor has been one of the best crease finisher in the country this season, leading the Irish with 15 goals on the season.
• His average of 3.75 goals per game leads the ACC and ranks fifth in the country.
• Taylor has recorded hat tricks in three of four games and has scored multiple goals in all four outings.
• The grad student has 73 career goals, despite battling injury setbacks over the first four seasons in South Bend.
• Taylor came up clutch for the Irish in one of the biggest moments in program history, sending the 2023 NCAA Championship semifinal into overtime with a twister goal with under a minute left in regulation against Virginia.
LYNCH LEVELING UP
• Junior FOGO Will Lynch has gotten off to a great start in 2024, winning 67.2 percent of the faceoffs he hast taken, ranking third in the country.
• Lynch is 43-for-64 on the season at the dot, scooping up 23 ground balls.
• The junior had a remarkable performance in the win over No. 3 Maryland, winning 12-of-18 faceoffs against Luke Weirman, a 2024 preseason All-American.
• The FOGO also has added a goal this season, scoring in the win over Marquette.
THE ATTACK IS BACK
• The Irish returned a lot of firepower from the 2023 roster that claimed the national title, as the top five goal scorers are back in 2024.
• Notre Dame brings back 78.6 percent of its goals (195/248), 77.4 percent of its assists (103/133) and 78.2 percent of its points (298/381).
• Four players who recorded 30+ points last season are back, which include Pat Kavanagh (77), Chris Kavanagh (62), Eric Dobson (45) and Jake Taylor (33).
CHALLENGING SLATE AHEAD
• Notre Dame has never shied away from putting together a challenging schedule and the 2024 slate is no different.
• Of Notre Dame’s 11 regular-season opponents, eight are currently ranked in the top 20 in the USILA or Inside Lacrosse Top 20 Polls.
• Eight of Notre Dame’s final nine regular season opponents are ranked in the current Inside Lacrosse and USILA polls.
FAISON’S FIRST IMPRESSION
• Jordan Faison has had an impressive start to his ND lacrosse career, as he ranks fourth on the team in goals (9) and fifth in points (12).
• The freshman has two hat tricks, including a five-point effort (3G, 2A) in the win over No. 3 Maryland.
• Faison wasted no time introducing himself to the college lacrosse world, scoring 38 seconds into the 2024 season for the first Notre Dame goal of the season in his debut.
• The freshman finished with a three-goal hat trick and an assist in the win over Cleveland State.
• The three goals in his first career game are the most by a Notre Dame midfielder in their debut since at least the 2000 season.
• The freshman has scored at least one goal in each game and has nine goals and three assists on the season.
• Faison also had an electric start to his Notre Dame football career, finishing with 19 catches for 322 yards and was second on the team with four touchdowns receptions despite playing in just seven games.
• The WR was named the 2023 Sun Bowl C.M. Hendricks Most Valuable Player after recording five catches for 115 yards and a touchdown in the win over Oregon State.
FAMILY AFFAIR
• The Fighting Irish feature four pairs of brothers on the 2024 roster.
• The four sets of brothers are BJ and Gavin Burlace, Will and Andrew Donovan, Pat and Chris Kavanagh, and Jeffery and Thomas Ricciardelli.
CORRIGAN ALL-TIME DI PROGRAM WINS LEADER
• With the win over No. 1 Duke on April 10, 2021, Baumer Family Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach Kevin Corrigan broke the NCAA record for most wins at a DI program with 311, passing Bob Shillinglaw (Delaware).
• Corrigan became just the third coach in NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse history to reach the 300-win mark at a single school with the win over Marquette on April 10, 2019.
• Corrigan is one of just four active Division I coaches to reach the 300-win mark in his career.
• Corrigan has an overall record of 347-175 in his 38 seasons of coaching.
• The head coach is 337-160 in his 36 seasons at Notre Dame.
• Corrigan is the longest tenured men’s lacrosse coach at the DI level.
NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL
REGULAR SEASON FINALE
BLACKSBURG, Va. – It’s been a journey for the Notre Dame men’s basketball program during the 2023-24 ACC season. After incurring a seven-game skid, the Irish regrouped, came together and fired off a 5-1 stretch, which included wins against Wake Forest and Clemson. Adversity struck once more with a setback at the measuring stick that is No. 7 North Carolina. However, Notre Dame plans on making the most of its opportunity of what’s left. That starts with the regular-season finale at Virginia Tech on Saturday, March 9, at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
What’s at stake: Win or lose: Notre Dame is pretty much locked into the No. 12-13 seed matchup for the ACC Tournament unless Louisville upsets Boston College on Saturday. Then an Irish victory on Saturday would push them into the No. 11 seed.
The all-time series with Virginia Tech is now tied at 10-10 after Notre Dame took down the Hokies, 74-66, earlier this season. It marked the turning point of their season. Markus Burton balled out with this impressive stat line: 16 points, 8 assists and 6 steals. Only two other Irish in the history of the program had produced at least a 16/8/6 game: Chris Thomas and Jerian Grant.
ND’S END OF SEASON SURGE
From Feb. 1 to March 1, Notre Dame was the biggest mover in Kenpom AdjEM across the Power-Five conferences. In addition, when the first NET rankings came on Dec. 4, the Irish were 238. As of March 7, the Irish are up to 130.
Notre Dame has been playing its best basketball of the season and that includes freshman sensation Markus Burton. During Notre Dame’s 5-2 surge, Burton is averaging 19.9 ppg. He’s followed by Braeden Shrewsberry’s 12.0 ppg and Tae Davis’ 10.9. Burton has also recorded 35 assists, 22 steals and 25 rebounds during this seven-game swing.
During this stretch, Notre Dame’s offense is averaging 68.4 ppg compared to its season average of 63.1. Another big difference is the fact that the Irish are taking better care of the basketball, averaging just 9.0 turnovers compared to the season’s 12.6.
BURTON LEAVING A FRESHMAN YEAR LEGACY
Freshman guard Markus Burton is grabbing the attention of Irish fans, ACC opponents and the national media, but what’s crazy about it all is that he’s doing something that has never been done before in the history of the program.
Burton is currently averaging over 17.0 points, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals. If that stat line holds up upon season’s end, he’ll be the first player to put up those numbers in Notre Dame history (aka at least 17 points, 4 assists and 2 steals). ND great Chris Thomas would be the closest one to that with his 15.6 points, 7.6 assists and 2.2 steals for the 2001-02 season.
Burton is the only rookie in the country and just 1-of-2 Power-Five players overall (other being Syracuse’s Judah Mintz) averaging at least 17p-4a-2s. Burton and Mitz are just 2 of 4 total ACC players to produce that stat line since 1996 (Duke’s Jason Williams & Maryland’s Steve Francis).
ACC ROOKIE OF THE YEAR?
Notre Dame has never taken home an ACC Rookie of the Year award and Markus Burton is looking to change that. He has proven himself to be one of the most dynamic freshman guards not just in the ACC, but in the entire country. Here are some quick hitters for those who haven’t been paying attention and why your vote should be for Burton:
His 17.0 ppg leads all ACC freshmen, with the next highest being Duke’s Jared McCain at 13.4. He also ranks 4th nationally amongst DI freshmen.
ACC freshman rankings: 1st in scoring, 2nd in assists/game (4.3), 1st in steals/game (2.0).
Double-digit points in all but 3 games. 8 games with 20+ points.
ACC play-only rankings: 17.1 points (7th), 2.3 steals (1st), 4.8 assists (3rd), .811 FT% (11th).
Overall rankings: 8th in the ACC in scoring, 5th in Assists (4.3), 4th in Steals (2.0), 11th in FT% (.811).
Only rookie in the country and 1-of-2 P5 players averaging at least 17 points, 4 assists and 2 steals.
Produced two games with 15+ point, 5+ assists, 5+ steals. Since 1996, only one other Irish player (Chris Thomas) had produced two games in the same regular season with at least 15 points, 5 assists and 5 steals.
Averaging 8.6 points in the 2nd half – has scored double-digit points 12 times in the 2nd half alone this season, including a season high of 20.
Averaging 18.1 points at home, shooting 44.5 percent from the field.
60 steals (tied for 6th most in a ND season)
2.0 spg — would become just the 4th player in program history to average 2 spg in a season (Chris Thomas, David Rivers, Jerian Grant).
Totaled 80 points over a three-game swing Feb. 24-March 2 (Syracuse, Wake, Clemson). Burton and Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard are the only 2 freshmen in the country to record at least 80 points in a three-game swing this season.
Career high 31 points, which included 19 in the first half, against Wake Forest on Feb. 27. Burton became 1-of-4 ND freshman all-time to record a 30-point game, joining the likes of Troy Murphy, Chris Thomas and Adrian Dantley.
Four-time ACC Rookie of the Week – set a new ND record.
1ST YEAR STAMP ON THE PROGRAM – DEFENSE
The year one Coach Shrewsberry stamp on the program has been the defensive intensity. 19 ACC games and 14 different ACC opponents – all but two (UNC on March 5 & Syracuse on Feb. 24) were held under their season average, with Miami, Duke and Louisville each held to season-low point totals. Of the 19 ACC matchups that have already happened, only 5 opponents have reached the 70-point park against the Irish defense.
Notre Dame’s scoring defense of 66.1 ranks 32nd in the country, plus 2nd in the ACC. According to KenPom, Notre Dame’s defensive efficiency ranks 26th nationally.
In ACC play only, Notre Dame ranks 2nd in scoring defense (65.5) and 2nd in field goal percentage defense (.415).
FRESHMAN RECORD WATCH
We are officially on Burton freshman scoring record watch as we head into the final game of the regular season. The freshman guard boasts 511 points on the season – which already puts him in the No. 3 spot and striking distance of No. 1 Troy Murphy and his 519 points.
From a scoring average perspective, Burton’s 17.0 ppg ranks 3rd all-time behind Troy Murphy (19.2) and Adrian Dantley (18.3).
SHARPSHOOTER SHREWS
Markus Burton won’t be the only freshman leaving his name in the ND record book this season after Braeden Shrewsberry continues to light it up from three.
Shrewsberry has knocked down 55 three-pointers in ACC play, breaking the Notre Dame ACC record. The previous record was 51 held by Prentiss Hubb, Matt Farrell and V.J. Beachem.
FYI – those 55 threes in ACC play are the fourth most this season and sit 10 behind Pitt’s Blake Hinson (65) for the most.
Shrews’ 72 made threes on the year are the 3rd most by a freshman in the entire country. Same goes for his 2.4 made threes/game.
As far as individual games – Shrewsberry tied the program record for made three-pointers by a freshman after draining seven against the Louisville Cardinals. He tied the likes of Pat Connaughton, Chris Thomas and Ryan Hoover. Shrews’ 23 points marked his second-highest points total on the season.
Lastly, Shrewsberry is shooting 42.0 percent from deep in ACC play – that number ranks 5th amongst ACC players and would rank 7th all-time in Notre Dame ACC program history.
His 2.9 made threes/game in league play ranks 4th.
YOUNG BUT NOT AFRAID
Two young freshman guards in Burton and Shrewsberry have proven they aren’t afraid of a hostile environment. In true road games, Burton and Shrewsberry are averaging 15.5 points and 13.0 points, respectively.
Road games in February for Burton – 28 points at Syracuse, 16 points at Louisville, 17 points at Pitt, 19 points at Duke.
For Shrewsberry, we’ve already mentioned his 18 points in the 2nd half at Syracuse and his 23-point showing at Louisville with seven made threes. Both of those were outdone by his season high 25-point effort in the OT win at Georgia Tech. He’s averaging 3.2 made threes/game in road games.
#TRENDING
Here are some other under-the-radar stats to keep an eye out for:
Tae Davis has recorded four straight double-digit scoring performances. He’s averaging 13.0 points on 52.8 percent shooting with 6.0 rebounds as well. Recently, Davis came up huge against Clemson with an 18-point second half performance in the win.
In addition, Davis has made 31 of his last 37 from the free-throw line, raising his percentage from .618 to its current .707.
During ND’s 5-2 stretch, Braeden Shrewsberry has averaged 12.0 points, shooting 42.6 percent from three, plus 3.3 threes/game.
Next, Booth has made 9 of his 29 made threes on the season during ND’s 5-2 swing, so nearly one-third.
Team-wise, Notre Dame is 6-0 this year when limiting their turnover total to single digits. They have produced single-digit turnovers five times over the last seven games.
IN YOUR BAG
Speaking of trending, Markus Burton has ratcheted up his defensive intensity down the final stretch. The starting point guard is now up to 60 steals (tied for 6th most in a single season at ND). Christ Thomas holds the record at 72.
He’s averaging 2.0 spg. If that holds, he would become just the 4th player in program history to average 2.0 spg in a season (Chris Thomas, David Rivers, Jerian Grant).
His 2.0 steals per game ranks 4th in the ACC. Furthermore, his 2.3 steals/game in league play leads all ACC players.
BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BIG EAST TOURNAMENT PREVIEW: NO. 8 SEED BUTLER VS. NO. 9 SEED PROVIDENCE
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Butler and Providence will play in the first game of the 2024 BIG EAST Tournament on Friday. The 11 AM tip is a BEDN production that will stream on FloHoops.com. The two teams split the regular season series and ended the year tied in the conference standings.
GameDay
Date: Friday, March 8, 2024
Time: 11:00 AM ET
Location: Uncasville, Conn. – Mohegan Sun Arena
Live Stats: BIGEAST.com – StatBroadcast
Watch: BEDN on FloHoops.com
Bulldog Bits
– Caroline Strande landed on the All-BIG EAST Second Team.
– Strande ranks 10th in the BIG EAST in scoring (14.9) and ninth in rebounding (7.2).
– Strande made a career-high five 3-point field goals in Butler’s setback to Providence on Jan. 21.
– Strande averaged 22 points and 8.5 rebounds vs. Providence this season, shooting 58 percent from 3.
– Riley Makalusky made the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team.
– Makalusky has scored in double figures seven times (11 games) since becoming a starter on Jan. 24.
– Butler leads the BIG EAST and ranks 4th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (39.2%).
– The Bulldogs rank second in the BIG EAST and 24th in the nation in made 3-pointers per game (8.4).
– Rachel Kent will make the 140th start of her career on Friday against the Friars. She is 13 points shy of 1,600.
– Kent has made a 3-pointer in 20-straight games. She ranks third in the BIG EAST in made 3-pointers with 69.
– Cristen Carter recorded three blocked shots in each game vs. Providence this season.
– Carter needs two rebounds Friday to get to 100 on the season.
– Butler’s last BIG EAST Tournament win came on March 3, 2018 against Providence.
Scouting No. 9 Seed Providence
The Friars went 2-8 over their last 10 games to end the conference season at 6-12. Defense has been the teams calling card as Providence ranks third in the league in field goal percentage defense (36%) and are the league leaders in defending the 3-point line (27%). The top player on the Friar roster is forward Olivia Olsen. She ranks 13th in the BIG EAST in scoring (14 ppg) and is the third-best rebounder in the conference (8.7). Grace Efosa and Brynn Farrell are two others for BU to keep an eye on. Each player averages double figures and scored 12 points in the win over BU. In the loss, Efosa had eight on 2-of-6 shooting and Farrell was limited to three on 1-of-9 shooting.
All-Time Series
Butler leads Providence in the all-time series 13-11. The two teams split a pair of games this season with each program winning on the road. Providence defeated Butler 63-53 at Hinkle Fieldhouse and the Bulldogs got revenge with a 55-48 victory at Alumni Hall nearly one month later. Butler also won at Providence last year to break up six-straight Friar wins. The Bulldogs won the first six meetings of the series before being swept by PC in 2016-17. The two clubs have met in the BIG EAST Tournament two times with BU winning in 2018 (73-67 OT) and PC winning in 2021 (63-61).
Last Meeting vs. Providence
Butler won at Providence on Valentine’s Day by the final score of 55-48. Caroline Strande scored a game-high 22 points and BU didn’t allow more than 15 points to Providence in any quarter. The game started to take shape in the second quarter with Butler outscoring Providence 16-6 to take a 28-19 halftime lead. Providence opened the second half on a 7-2 run to get back within four points of Butler, but the Bulldogs recovered by hitting three, 3-pointers in the third to regain their cushion. Olivia Olsen was the only Friar to score in double figures (11 points). Butler’s defense limited PC to just 33 percent shooting.
BIG EAST Honors
Caroline Strande was voted onto the All-BIG EAST Second Team by the conference head coaches and Riley Makalusky earned a spot on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team. Strande is the first Bulldog to earn Second Team accolades since Tori Schickel in 2019. She joins Schickel (2x) and Daress McClung (2x) as the only Bulldogs to appear on the Second Team. Makalusky is the fifth BU rookie to be named to the All-Freshman Team.
Tournament Talk
The BIG EAST Tournament will be played at Mohegan Sun Arena for the fourth-straight year. All 11 teams qualify for the postseason with the top five teams receiving first-round byes. The winner receives the league’s automatic bid into the 2024 NCAA Tournament. First round games include No. 8 seed Butler vs. No. 9 seed Providence; No. 7 seed Seton Hall vs. No. 10 seed DePaul and No. 6 seed Georgetown vs. No. 11 seed Xavier. All First Round games will stream on the BIG EAST Digital Network on FloSports.
Inside The Tournament Info
– The No. 1 seed is 41-0 all-time against the Nos. 8 and 9 seeds in the Quarterfinals
– Since moving to 11-teams, there have been at least two upsets every year
– The No. 5 seed has beaten the No. 4 seed in each of the last three tournaments
– First time since 2020 that the season ended with multiple ties in the conference standings
Tournament History
The Bulldogs have won three BIG EAST Tournament games. All three victories have been recorded in the first round of the tournament. They defeated Xavier in both 2016 and 2017 before being eliminated in the quarterfinals by DePaul and Creighton. BU made it three-in-a-row with an overtime win over Providence in 2018. They lost to Marquette the next day in a close game 73-61. Butler played as the No. 3 seed in the 2019 tournament but fell to Creighton. The Bulldogs have never played higher than a 3-seed.
Magic Number
60 is the magic number for the Bulldogs this season. The team is 10-4 when scoring 60 points or more and just 4-11 when scoring under 60 points. The same can be stated defensively as BU is 12-2 on the year when they hold opponents under 60 points. They are 2-13 when they allow 60 or more.
Winning Ways
Butler has won three more games this year than they did last while matching last year’s conference win total at six games. They were 1-9 in league action after the month of January but were able to win five of their seven games in February (3 on the road) to pass DePaul and Providence in the conference standings.
Five February Wins
Butler recorded five wins during the month of February for the first time since 2010 with their 73-70 victory at DePaul.
Sharpshooters
The top three, 3-point shooters in the BIG EAST Conference are all Butler Bulldogs. Riley Makalusky leads the league in 3-point field goal percentage (46.3), Jordan Meulemans ranks second (45.2) and Caroline Strande is close behind at third (45.1). Rachel Kent gives BU four players in the top six with her 42.1 percentage from behind the arc. These four players account for 198 of Butler’s 243 made 3-pointers this year (81%). Makalusky (3rd), Meulemans (6th), and Strande (7th) will all etch their names into the BU record book with these percentages.
Tied a Team Record
Jordan Meulemans made eight 3-pointers in Butler’s win over St. Thomas. She was just one 3-pointer shy of tying the single-game BU individual record and the ‘Dawgs tied their team record with 16 made 3-pointers in that victory.
Grab the Board
Caroline Strande is the top rebounding guard in the BIG EAST. She has led Butler in rebounding 20 times this season (28 games) and in 13 of Butler’s 17 BIG EAST games.
Up Next
If Butler defeats Providence on Friday they will advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament and face No. 1 seed UConn on Saturday at 12 PM. That contest will air on FS1.
STRANDE, MAKALUSKY EARN BIG EAST HONORS
NEW YORK – Caroline Strande and Riley Makalusky earned BIG EAST awards on Thursday morning after an announcement from the league office. Strande was voted onto the All-BIG EAST Second Team by the conference head coaches and Riley Makalusky earned a spot on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team.
Strande is the first Bulldog to earn Second Team accolades since Tori Schickel in 2019. She joins Schickel (2x) and Daress McClung (2x) as the only Bulldogs to appear on the Second Team. Makalusky is the fifth BU rookie to be named to the All-Freshman Team.
Strande was one of the most improved players in the BIG EAST during the 2023-24 campaign averaging 14.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest, leading BU in each category. Strande shot 43 percent from the field and knocked down 45 percent of her 3-point attempts. A starter in all 29 games, Strande also led the team in assists (77) while ranking second in steals (35).
Strande scored in double figures 25 times and led the Bulldogs in scoring 15 times. She was also the top rebounding guard in the conference, pulling down 209 total rebounds this season. She led BU in rebounding 20 times over 29 games and ranked ninth in the conference with her 7.2 average.
Her best individual performance came at Xavier on Jan. 24. Strande scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to post a double-double. Over the course of the season, she topped 20 points five times and hit double figures in the rebound column three times.
A top talent in the league, Strande’s BIG EAST rankings had her at 10th in scoring, ninth in rebounding, third in 3-point percentage, seventh in free throw percentage, fourth in defensive rebounds, and 12th in minutes played.
Makalusky was one of six freshmen in the conference to make the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team. After a standout career at Hamilton Southeastern, Makalusky appeared in 28 of Butler’s 29 games this season and averaged 6.4 points per contest.
Makalusky moved into the starting five on Jan. 24 and has scored in double figures seven times over the team’s last 11 games. Her career-high scoring total came early in the year against Roosevelt. The talented guard scored 23 points in 21 minutes, hitting seven of her eight 3-point attempts.
Makalusky leads the BIG EAST Conference in 3-point field goal percentage. She has made 31 of her 67 attempts (46.3) which currently ranks third in school history.
Additional highlights for Makalusky this season include scoring 21 points at Georgetown and recording 19 points in her first collegiate start at Xavier. She has logged over 20 minutes of playing time in every game since making her first start and has made at least one 3-pointer in eight of those 11 games. Makalusky averaged 7.7 points per game against BIG EAST competition and has averaged 9.8 ppg as a starter.
The full list of BIG EAST Award winners are listed below:
All-BIG EAST First Team
Paige Bueckers, UConn, R-Jr., G*
Aaliyah Edwards, UConn, Sr., F*
Lauren Jensen, Creighton, Sr., G*
Morgan Maly, Creighton, Sr., G/F
Emma Ronsiek, Creighton, Sr., F*
Kelsey Ransom, Georgetown, Sr., G
Liza Karlen, Marquette, Sr., F*
Unique Drake, St. John’s, R-Sr., G*
Azana Baines, Seton Hall, Grad., G/F
Lucy Olsen, Villanova, Jr., G*
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Caroline Strande, Butler, Sr., G
Nika Mühl, UConn, Sr., G
Anaya Peoples, DePaul, Grad., G
Jordan King, Marquette, Sr., G
Olivia Olsen, Providence, Jr., F
All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention
Ashlynn Shade, UConn, Fr., G
Mackenzie Hare, Marquette, So., G
Jillian Archer, St. John’s, Grad., F
Christina Dalce, Villanova, Jr., F
BIG EAST All-Freshman Team^
Riley Makalusky, Butler, Fr., G/F
KK Arnold, UConn, Fr., G*
Ashlynn Shade, UConn, Fr., G*
Savannah Catalon, Seton Hall, Fr., G*
Maddie Webber, Villanova, Fr., G*
Aizhanique Mayo, Xavier, R-Fr., G
*unanimous selection
^extra player added due to a tie in voting
BUTLER BASEBALL
BULLDOGS HEAD TO MEMPHIS FOR INAUGURAL GRIND CITY CLASSIC
INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler baseball team will play three games against three different opponents this weekend in Memphis. The Tigers will host the Bulldogs on Friday night and BU will play day games vs. Jackson State and Presbyterian on Saturday and Sunday.
Weekend Schedule
Friday, March 8: Butler at Memphis – 6 PM
Saturday, March 9: Butler vs. Jackson State – 1PM
Sunday, March 10: Butler vs. Presbyterian – 11 AM
– All Games Played at FedEx Park Avron Fogelman Field
Scouting Memphis
The Tigers are 7-7 at the start of the year with six of their seven victories coming on their home field. They recently took a 5-3 setback to Ole Miss in Oxford on Wednesday. Head Coach Matt Riser spent 10 seasons at Southeastern Louisiana before joining the program. It’s still early, but the has the Tigers leading the AAC in runs, home runs, doubles, and base on balls. Jake Curtis leads the club with seven doubles and Jacob Compton is the home run leader with five.
Scouting Jackson State
The Tigers have won four-straight and are now 10-3 on the year. Head Coach Omar Johnson took over the program in 2007 and has led JSU to a winning season every year. This year’s team leads the Southwestern Athletic Conference in batting average, home runs, on-base percentage, stolen bases, base on balls, and strikeouts per nine innings. Joseph Eichelberger holds the third-highest batting average in the nation (.558) with his 24 hits. He has 22 RBI and slugs at a .721 clip.
Scouting Presbyterian
The Blue Hose are 7-6 this season with all seven wins coming on their home diamond. Head Coach Elton Pollock is a graduate of Presbyterian and completed his 19th season at the helm in 2023. The 2024 team has the best team ERA of any team in the Big South Conference (4.18). They also rank 16th in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings. At the plate, Joel Dragoo holds a .525 batting average and leads the conference in home runs with six. Dragoo also has 27 RBI an 45 total bases.
Bulldog Bits
– Butler leads the BIG EAST in home runs (22) and triples (3)
– Carter Dorighi leads all BIG EAST players with 19 hits
– Dorighi went 6-for-6 from the plate at Morehead State to tie the BU School record
– Jack Moroknek ranks fourth in the league in slugging percentage (.788)
– Moroknek, Dorighi and Joey Urban have started in all 10 games for BU
– Dorighi and Moroknek head to Memphis on five-game hitting streaks
– Moroknek and Kade Lewis share the home run lead with four each
– Lewis and Xavier Carter have reached base safely in 10-straight games
– Billy Wurch leads BU in doubles with three
– Five Bulldogs have 10+ RBI after the first 10 games of the season
– Urban leads the Bulldogs with 14 RBI
– Nate Rosser is 2-0 on the mound over four appearances
– Rosser has the lowest ERA on the team at 1.35
– No one has touched the rubber more times than Ben Whiteside this season (5 appearances)
– Whiteside has tossed a team-high 10.2 innings
– Cole Graverson has a team-high 12 strikeouts
BIG EAST Standings
Creighton 9-1
Seton Hall 7-4
St. John’s 5-4
Xavier 7-6
Georgetown 6-6
Butler 4-6
UConn 3-6
Villanova 2-8
Up Next
Butler will play a three-game series against Bradley in Winter Haven, Florida during their spring break week. Action picks up on Thursday and will end with a single game on Saturday.
BALL STATE BASEBALL
CARDINALS TO HOST EMU IN MAC & HOME OPENER
The Ball State baseball team is set to host Eastern Michigan for three games to begin its Mid-American Conference and home slate of games starting at 1 p.m. on Friday.
The Cardinals (9-4) and Eagles (3-9) are set to square off at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday as well. Ball State outscored EMU 25-8 in a three-game series sweep last March in Ypsilanti.
Links to live stats and the video streams can be found above and on the schedule page. Any adjustments to game times will be announced on social media and changed on the schedule page.
Ball State most recently swept Florida A&M on Wednesday to give the Cardinals a 4-1 record for their Florida trip, which also included a series win at Jacksonville over the weekend.
Eastern’s three wins came at Belmont on Feb. 18, USI on Feb. 24, and Houston Christian on Feb. 29. The Eagles held their own at No. 9 Vanderbilt on Tuesday night, playing to a draw after the first two innings in a 6-2 setback.
SWINGING IN THE SUNSHINE STATE: The Cardinals’ offense averaged 7.2 runs per game on the spring break trip to Florida on the way to a 4-1 record against Jacksonville and Florida A&M.
Junior Michael Hallquist (9-for-23, three home runs and 11 RBI) and seniors Decker Scheffler (7-for-19, three RBI and six runs scored) and Nick Gregory (7-for-17, six RBI and three runs scored) produced at the plate down south.
MAC & HOME OPENER: Ball State returns to Muncie for the first Mid-American Conference and home game of the year when the Cardinals host the Eastern Michigan Eagles on Friday afternoon. The game time got moved up to 1 p.m. due to expected weather.
The Cardinals went 19-11 in MAC play before winning conference tournament in 2023 and sported a 13-6 record at Ball Diamond at First Merchants Bank Ballpark Complex.
IMPACT TRANSFER: Fargo, N.D., native Hallquist leads Ball State and ranks Top 100 in NCAA Division I in the following categories: hits (19, No. 85), home runs (five, No. 45) and total bases (37, No. 55).
The Minnesota-Crookston transfer has begun his Division I playing career posting a .380/.407/.740 slash line in 12 games.
BESTING THE BIG TEN: Ball State has gone 2-1 against opponents from the Big Ten Conference this year, allowing an average of only 2.3 runs per game against No. 20 Iowa, Michigan State and Illinois.
The Cardinals are scheduled to play in-state Big Ten teams Purdue and Indiana (twice) in April for a total of six games against the conference on the 2024 calendar.
NEW EAGLE IN CHARGE: Eastern Michigan is led by first year head coach Robbie Britt, who accumulated a 125-48 record over the last four seasons at NCAA Division II member University of Charleston in West Virginia.
The Eagles hold a 3-9 record in 2024, having most recently lost at No. 9 Vanderbilt 6-2 on Tuesday in Nashville, Tenn.
KNAPP TIME: Graduate student pitcher Tanner Knapp paces the MAC and ranks in a tie for ninth nationally with three saves so far.
The Cardinals’ closer has notched seven strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched on the year.
1,000 WINS IN SIGHT: Head coach Rich Maloney’s 962 career wins in 29 years as a coach ranks 13th among active skippers in NCAA Division I baseball.
Ball State’s schedule includes games against three coaches who’ve amassed 1,000 career wins: Iowa’s Rick Heller (1,016), Coastal Carolina’s Gary Gilmore (1,346) and NC State’s Elliott Avent (1,231).
Up Next
The Cardinals are scheduled to host Purdue Fort Wayne at 3 p.m. on Tuesday before welcoming in Bowling Green for a three-game set starting at 3 p.m. on Friday.
BALL STATE SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL RALLIES PAST MARSHALL IN MADNESS OPENER
HUNTINGTON, WV – – After building a 7-0 lead through the first three innings, the last thing the Ball State softball team expected was to find itself trailing 9-8 heading into the top of the seventh in Thursday’s opener in the Marshall March Madness invitational.
However, tournament host Marshall scored nine of the next 10 runs and capped its own come-back bid with a six-run sixth inning.
The Cardinals (11-11) would not be deterred, opening the top of the seventh with back-to-back walks before an error from The Herd (11-10) loaded the bases with no outs. While the hosts would get the force at home on the next play, a clutch two-run single to center from sophomore pinch hitter Ashlee Lovett helped BSU reclaim the lead.
Two batters later, one of the nation’s top sluggers in redshirt junior catcher McKayla Timmons came up to bat with two outs and two on. She once again made Marshall pay for pitching to her, blasting her second three-run home run of the day to center field.
After walking and scoring in the opening inning, Timmons belted her first three-run shot to center in the top of the second inning. She also reached on an error and scored in the sixth inning to finish the day 2-for-4 with four runs scored and six RBI.
With her two blasts, Timmons raised her season total to 12 which currently ranks second nationally among all NCAA Division I players.
In the circle, sophomore Bridie Murphy was credited with the win after throwing the final 2.0 innings. She improves to 5-3 on the year with the victory.
SCORING SUMMARY – Ball State 13 – Marshall 9
T1 | Timmons walks and steals second before scoring on an RBI double from redshirt sophomore designated player Jessica Hoffman (1-0)
T1 | Senior left fielder Kaitlyn Mathews follows with an RBI single to center (2-0)
T2 | Timmons smashes a two-out, three-run bomb to right center (5-0)
T3 | With two outs and bases loaded, graduate second baseman Jazmyne Armendariz drives a two-run single up the middle (7-0)
B4 | Marshall tallies its first run on an RBI double from B. Feringa (7-1)
B4 | R. Glanz follows with a two-run shot to center field, cutting BSU’s lead to four (7-3)
T6 | After reaching on an error, Timmons scores on a double to left center from graduate third baseman Haley Wynn (8-3)
B6 | Glanz singles to right to pick up her third RBI of the game (8-4)
B6 | An infield single by K Parks brings home one run (8-5)
B6 | B. Gerlach plates two more with a single to right center (8-7)
B6 | R. Lucas caps the scoring in the inning with a two-run triple to right field (8-9)
T7 | With bases loaded and one out, Lovett singles to center field to bring home two (10-9)
T7 | Timmons works her magic once again with another three-run blast to right center (13-9)
UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team continues play in the Marshall March Madness tournament Friday versus Indiana State (11 a.m.) and host Marshall (4 p.m.).
BALL STATE WOMEN’S TRACK
ROGERS READY TO REPRESENT CARDINALS AT NCAA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
BOSTON, Mass. — The Cardinals’ indoor track and field season will wrap up on Friday, March 8 as Jenelle Rogers competes in the NCAA Indoor Championships at the New Balance Track in Boston, Massachusetts.
Rogers will represent the Cardinals in the pentathlon starting at 10 a.m. Friday morning. She is currently ranked 10th in the event, seeking a strong finish to the indoor season.
Looking back, Rogers has continued to impress throughout the season. She started strong at the Tom Wright Opener (Dec. 9) by sweeping her three events that consisted of the 60m hurdles, the shot put and the long jump.
Entering 2024, Rogers finished second in the high jump at the Hawkeye Invite (Jan. 13). In the following weeks she secured two more first-place finishes in both the 60m hurdles and the shot put, as well as two more second-place finishes in the long jump at Eastern Michigan’s Bob Parks Memorial (Jan. 20) and IUPUI’s Jaguar Invitational (Jan. 26-27).
At the Meyo Invitational (Feb. 2) Rogers hit a new personal best in the pentathlon with 4163 points, a score good for a top-ten national ranking.
Closing the regular season, Rogers collected a first-place finish in the long jump at the GVSU Big Meet (Feb. 9).
At the indoor MAC Championships (Feb. 23-24) Rogers took home gold in two events, the pentathlon (4046) and the long jump (6.26m). She dominated the pentathlon, winning three of the five events which consisted of the 60m hurdles, the shot put and the long jump.
Rogers has experience competing at this level having competed last year at the 2023 Outdoor NCAA Championships. In her first NCAA Championship appearance, she finished 5th in the heptathlon collecting a new personal best of 6018 points.
Friday’s pentathlon competition will open with the 60m hurdles.
BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
CARDINALS HEADING TO BOWLING GREEN LOOKING TO SECURE A MAC TOURNAMENT BERTH IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE
The Ball State men’s basketball team plays its regular season finale at Bowling Green at 7 p.m. on Friday night in a game that has Mid-American Conference Tournament implications.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Brad Woznicki and Brent Klassen on the call, while Mick Tidrow and David Eha handle the radio broadcast on WMUN 1340AM – 92.5FM. This will be the 96th meeting in the series between the Cardinals and Falcons.
Ball State (15-15, 7-10 MAC) must win on Friday and have Akron and Toledo win their games to clinch the No. 8 seed in the conference tournament, which consists of the Top 8 teams in the league and begins on Thursday, March 14 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Zips play at Western Michigan at 6 p.m., while the Rockets host Kent State at 8 p.m. on Friday night.
The Cardinals fell 81-72 to the Falcons (18-12, 9-8 MAC) on Jan. 30 in Worthen Arena despite 22 points and eight rebounds from Basheer Jihad. Bowling Green has secured a spot in the conference tournament and can be as high as the No. 5 seed depending on the outcomes of Friday’s games.
Ball State went on an 11-0 scoring run in the final three minutes of a 76-69 win over Kent State on Tuesday night in Muncie to keep its postseason aspirations alive. Jalin Anderson (23 points) and Davion Bailey (20 points, seven rebounds) led the way to victory in the final home game of the season.
The Falcons have gone 3-6 since the late January meeting in Muncie and are coming off a 73-69 win at Western Michigan on Tuesday night.
SCOUTING BOWLING GREEN: The Falcons are in their first season under the direction of head coach Todd Simon, who most recently coached Southern Utah for seven seasons.
Bowling Green paces the MAC in rebounds per game (38.1) and free throw attempts per game (21.9), ranking No. 56 and No. 53, respectively, in those categories among Division I teams.
Junior guard Marcus Hill went for 28 points in the previous game at Worthen and leads the MAC in total points (615), which is 22nd nationally. Hill’s 508 field goal attempts (No. 5 in NCAA Division I) and 226 field goals made (No. 9) both lead the league and rank in the Top 10 nationwide. Senior forward Rashaun Agee is second in the conference and No. 22 in Division I averaging 9.9 rebounds per game.
CARDINAL DIRECTIONS
Basheer Jihad leads the Cardinals in scoring (18.8 points per game) and rebounding (7.9) averages. The junior forward out of Detroit has led the Cardinals in scoring 17 games so far, scoring in double-figures 28 times, including 11 games with 20+ points. The big man’s rebounding and scoring averages are both fourth in the MAC. Jihad leads the MAC in free throw attempts (215) and makes (160), ranking No. 18 and No. 23 in those categories nationally.
The Cardinals lead the MAC and rank in the Top 50 in Division I in free throw shooting (76.8 percent, No. 25), free throws made per game (16.4, No. 41) and fewest fouls committed (15.1 per game, No. 44). Ball State 3-point shooting (36.5 percent, No. 50 nationally) ranks second in the league.
Ball State’s 20 wins last year were its most since 2016-17 when that team won 21. This season’s Cardinals will look for back-to-back 20-win schedules for the first time since that 2016-17 season.
The Cardinals are a young group, as the roster includes only one senior or graduate student (Ethan Brittain-Watts). Ball State returns only 21.5 percent of minutes played and 19.6 percent of points scored from last year’s team.
Brittain-Watts (Boston University), Jalin Anderson (Loyola Marymount) and Davion Bailey (Southeastern CC) form Ball State’s trio of transfers.
Joey Brown (Indianapolis), Zane Doughty (Indianapolis), Mason Jones (Valparaiso, Ind.), Trent Middleton Jr. (Philadelphia) and Jurica Zagorsak (Zadar, Croatia) are the Cardinals’ quintet of true freshmen.
Ball State signed forward Jai Anthoni Bearden (Phoenix, Ariz.) and guard Jermarhi “Fatt” Hill (Bessemer, Ala.) to national letters of intent to form the Cardinals’ 2024 recruiting class.
WIN AND SOME HELP: Ball State needs to win the Friday night game at Bowling Green and have Akron win at Western Michigan and Toledo at home against Kent State to secure the No. 8 seed in the MAC Tournament.
In that scenario, Toledo would get the No. 1 seed and play the Cardinals on Thursday in Cleveland.
ROAD WARRIORS: Ball State is 1 of 5 Mid-American Conference teams this season to win six road games, with five of wins being in MAC play.
Only Toledo has more MAC road wins (six) leading up to the final games of the regular season.
PUT ME IN THE RECORD BOOK: Junior forward Basheer Jihad’s 544 points scored on the season are one away from joining the Top 20 for most in a single season.
Ed Butler scored 545 in the 1963-64 season, and Jihad would get in the Top 15 with 18 more points.
SINGLE SEASON ASSISTS: Junior guard Jalin Anderson is within striking distance of the Top 10 for Ball State single season assists with his 134.
Randy Davis (2011-12) and Bob Faulkner (1974-75) are tied for 10th at 144 assists.
MAGIC MICKEY: Redshirt junior forward Mickey Pearson Jr. put up a career high 25 points in the Feb. 27 win at Central Michigan.
The Lincoln, Ala., native went 9 of 13 from the field, including 3 of 5 from distance, and 4-for-4 at the free throw line to establish a new career best for the second time this season (24 on Nov.
21 against USC Upstate).
GREAT LAKES STATE FINALE: Last Tuesday’s game at CMU marked the Ball State men’s basketball team’s last game in the state of Michigan on the 2023-24 calendar.
The Cardinals posted a 4-0 record in the state this season after taking down Detroit Mercy on Dec. 6, Eastern Michigan on Jan. 16, Western Michigan on Feb. 3 and the Chippewas on Feb. 27.
1,000 Points: Anderson hit the 1,000-point mark in his career with a last-minute free throw at Northern Illinois on Feb. 20.
The Jackson, Tenn., native scored 604 of those before transferring to Ball State, where he’s averaged 15.0 points per game in 28 games (420 total).
DB FOR THREE: Junior guard Davion Bailey leads the Cardinals in 3-pointers made (65) and 3-point shooting (42.5 percent) so far this season, and the shooting efficiency is first in the MAC among players who’ve made at least 40 triples.
The Indianapolis native’s 2.5 triples made per game and total made rank second in the MAC.
HANDLING THE HUSKIES: Ball State swept the season series with Northern Illinois and has now won 9 of 10 games against the Huskies thanks to the 70-63 decision on Tuesday in DeKalb.
The men’s basketball team has won by double-figures over the Huskies five times in that span and bettered its record to 63-40 in the series, including 26-23 on the road.
CROATIAN DESTINATION: Ball State is the only Division I school featuring Croatia natives on both its men’s basketball (Jurica Zagorsak) and women’s basketball (Hana Muhl) teams.
Zagorsak is one of only nine Croatians currently on Division I men’s basketball rosters. Ball State has played three of the other teams with a Croatian (Detroit Mercy, Little Rock and Toledo).
FREE THROWS FALLING: Pearson Jr. ranks second in the Mid-American Conference among qualifiers in free throw shooting percentage at 86.0 (98 of 114), which is No. 69 in NCAA Division I.
Bailey (82.9 percent, 29-35) and Middleton Jr. (81.3 percent, 52-64) have also been efficient at the foul line, while the Cardinals as a whole lead the MAC in free throw shooting at 76.8 percent, which ranks No. 25 nationally.
BANKING ON BASHEER: Jihad leads the team in scoring (18.8 ppg), rebounding (7.9 per game) and field goal percentage (46.0) among Cardinals averaging at least four field goal attempts this season.
Jihad has established or tied career highs in scoring six times already this season, including on Jan. 20 against Miami (29 points).
The Detroit native’s scoring average has nearly tripled over last year (7.1), while his rebounding average has doubled (3.6). Jihad started only one game in his first two seasons at Ball State, but has been a mainstay in the starting lineup as an upperclassman now.
JALIN JAMS: Anderson, a transfer out of Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, leads the Ball State backcourt in scoring and the team in assists (4.5 per game) as the Cardinals’ lead guard. Anderson leads the MAC in steals (30) in conference play and is fourth overall at 46 total steals so far.
The Jackson, Tenn., native boasts Ball State’s highest offensive output (29 points against Old Dominion) so far and has already established his career high for single season points, assists, rebounds and steals. Anderson has shown a penchant for explosive offensive performances, posting nine 20+ point games so far this season.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK X3: Jihad was named the Mid-American Conference Men’s Basketball Co-Player of the Week on Jan. 29 after taking home the honor on Dec. 4 and Dec. 11.
Jihad averaged 24.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.5 per game in wins at Buffalo and vs Northern Illinois, including a 28-point, 14-rebound double-double on Jan. 27 against the Huskies.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S GOLF
BOYD TIES FOR 13TH TO LEAD WOMEN’S GOLF AT PUERTO RICO CLASSIC
HUMACAO, Puerto Rico – – It was another solid day for sophomore Madelin Boyd who shot one over Thursday to lead the Ball State women’s golf team with a 13th-place finish at the Puerto Rico Classic.
Boyd finished the three-day, 54-hole tournament on the Flamboyan Course at the Palmas Del Mar Golf Club in Humacao, Puerto Rico, at +4 (220) and was also the top finisher among the 11 individual players in the field. She counted a pair of +1 (73) rounds, surrounding a +2 (74) on Wednesday, and shaved six strokes off her previous collegiate-best 54-hole tournament total of 226 (+10) set earlier this season at the Diamante Intercollegiate (Oct. 22-24).
“Madelin played incredibly steady golf all week long,” head coach Cameron Andry said. “She really responded after a disappointing week at Rio Verde, putting in the work, and competing with great focus this week. This will be a great building block for her as we hit the final stretch of the regular season.”
In Thursday’s final round, Boyd tallied three more birdies to raise her event total to six. She also tied for second among the 71-player field with 40 total pars.
Sophomore Jasmine Driscoll was Ball State’s biggest mover up the leaderboard on the final day of competition, carding her best round of the tournament at +1 (73). The effort helped her climb nine spots into a tie for 30th. Like Boyd, she was one of the steadiest players in the field, tying for fourth overall with 39 pars. She also collected three birdies, including two in today’s round.
“It was encouraging to see Jasmine play well today,” Andry said. “In all reality, 73 was about as high of a score that she could shoot today with how well she hit it tee to green. Now that her ball striking is rounding into form, I think we’re going to see her posting low scores.”
Sophomore Sarah Gallagher led the five Cardinals in the team lineup, tying for 25th overall at +9 (225). She collected five birdies and 37 pars over her 54-holes, including one on her next-to-last hole of the tournament on the 485-yard, par-4 third.
“Sarah played solid golf this week, she just couldn’t get many putts to fall,” Andry added. “That’s just golf from time to time but it’s clear her game is in a good spot.”
Despite a rough round Thursday in which she shot +7 (79), freshman JJ Gregston led the Cardinals and tied for eighth among all players with 10 total birdies over the three days. She started with five on Tuesday, added three Wednesday and carded a pair today. The effort helped her finished tied for 37th at +14 (230).
“JJ continues to show glimpses of great golf, but the big numbers really cost her again this week,” Andry added. “There’s a maturation process for freshmen and sometimes making big numbers is part of that process but she works hard and has a great attitude so it’s just a matter of time before we see great scores from her.”
Thursday’s team round also counted freshman Madelyn Young’s best round of the tournament at +4 (76).
As a team, the Cardinals shot 304 on the day and finished ninth overall among the 12-team field at +48 (912). Florida Gulf Coast won the tournament at +1 (865), while Ava Romfo of UNCG was the individual winner at -3 (213).
Back on the individual front, junior Payton Bennett closed the tournament with her second straight round of +3 (75) to climb five more spots and finish tied for 34th at +13 (229). Bennett was one of only eight golfers to record an eagle in the tournament with her circle three on the 455-yard, par-5 11th Tuesday. She also finished with eight birdies in the event, including four today.
The Ball State women’s golf team returns to action April 1-2 when it travels to the University Club at Arlington for the EKU Colonel Classic.
BALL STATE TEAM SCORES
25th – Sarah Gallagher – +9 (225): 77-72-76
T30th – Jasmine Driscoll – +11 (227): 76-78-73
T37th – JJ Gregston – +14 (230): 76-75-79
T52nd – Kiah Parrott – +19 (235): 77-77-81
60th – Madelyn Young – +25 (241): 86-79-76
BALL STATE INDIVIDUAL SCORES
T13th – Madelin Boyd – +4 (220): 73-74-73
T34th – Payton Bennett – +13 (229): 79-75-75
56th – Sabrina Langerak – +21 (237): 81-77-79
59th – Jenna Estravillo – +23 (239): 77-81-81
TEAM RANKINGS
1st – Florida Gulf Coast – +1 (865): 296-286-283
2nd – Cal Baptist – +8 (872): 281-301-290
3rd – Seattle – +12 (876): 294-291-291
4th – Little Rock – +14 (878): 290-294-294
5th – Western Carolina – +20 (884): 292-303-289
6th – UNCG – +32 (896): 297-293-306
7th – Wofford College – +45 (909): 297-307-305
8th – South Dakota – +46 (910): 295-308-307
9th – Ball State – +48 (912): 306-302-304
10th – Loyola – +54 (918): 306-308-304
11th – Georgia State – +56 (920): 314-295-311
12th – Northern Kentucky – +98 (962): 319-324-319
INDIANA STATE MEN’S TRACK
STAGGS TO FACE NATION’S BEST AT NCAA INDOOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State pole vaulter Will Staggs will square off with the nation’s best Friday afternoon, as he takes part in the pole vault at the NCAA Indoor National Championships in Boston, Massachusetts.
Friday’s competition from The TRACK at New Balance, which features the top 16 pole vaulters in Division I, will begin at 2 p.m.
The Road To Boston
Fresh off an outdoor season which saw him earn Honorable Mention All-America with a top-20 finish at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor National Championships, Staggs set his sights on being one of the 16 qualifiers for this year’s indoor championships.
Staggs had a pair of record-setting meets in February that booked his spot in Boston. He cleared 5.50m (18-00.50) at Notre Dame’s Meyo Invitational and followed that with a clearance of 5.52m (18-01.25) at Arkansas’ Tyson Invitational. The latter of those two marks stands as the current indoor program record and was also the mark that sealed Staggs’ spot in the NCAA Indoor National Championships.
Rising To The Top
Staggs’ 2023-24 season was arguably the best and most consistent season ever produced by an Indiana State men’s pole vaulter. He broke his own indoor program record twice, shattered Indiana State’s facility record and was named the MVC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week an unprecedented five times in a six-meet span.
A model of consistency, Staggs became the first MVC pole vaulter to clear 18 feet since 2001 with his back-to-back record-setting weekends at Notre Dame and Arkansas. He has cleared marks of 5.20m (17-00.75) or better in each of his last nine indoor meets, dating back to last year, and 13 of his last 14 meets, indoor or outdoor.
When one looks at Staggs’ marks this season, it’s no surprise to see him among the nation’s elite. From start to finish this season, Staggs has cleared 5.34m (17-06.25), 5.35m (17-06.50), 5.25m (17-02.75), 5.41m (17-09.00), 5.50m (18-00.50), 5.52m (18-01.25) and 5.45m (17-10.50). Each of those last four marks are equal to or better than the school record entering this season, which he also set last year.
Bright Lights, Big Stage
Indiana State athletes have shown a knack for producing their best results when it matters most, and Staggs is no exception to that. A member of each of Indiana State’s last five MVC title-winning teams, he already owns four MVC individual pole vault championships to his name.
Staggs has won each of the last three MVC indoor pole vault titles, becoming just the sixth pole vaulter, men’s or women’s, in conference history to win three straight individual indoor titles and the first since Indiana State and MVC Hall of Famer Kylie Hutson.
Staggs On The National Stage
Friday’s championship will be Staggs’ second career NCAA National Championship appearance and his first NCAA Indoor National Championships appearance. He earned a top-20 finish in the pole vault at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor National Championships with a clearance of 5.30m (17-04.50).
Staggs has also appeared in each of the last two NCAA East First Rounds during outdoor season, which afforded him the opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor National Championships last season.
Championship Format
All 16 qualifying athletes will be in one flight for the pole vault, starting at 2 p.m. Friday. The top eight finishers will be named First Team All-America, with those placing 9-16 being named Second Team All-America.
Athletes must record a mark to earn All-America honors.
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
LIGHTS-OUT SHOOTING LEADS PANTHERS PAST SYCAMORES
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Mya Glanton registered her sixth double-double of the season Thursday night, but visiting Northern Iowa shot better than 50 percent from the field and held Indiana State below 30 percent in a 91-62 win over the Sycamores inside Hulman Center.
Glanton finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Sycamores, while Bella Finnegan, Keslyn Secrist and Asia Donald had eight points each. Jailah Pelly and Saige Stahl had career-highs of six and five points, respectively.
Indiana State got off to a good start courtesy of a pair of Finnegan 3-pointers as part of a 10-2 run, but Northern Iowa worked its way back. The Panthers cut Indiana State’s lead to a point by the end of the first quarter, then began the second on a 10-3 run and never looked back. Northern Iowa shot better than 50 percent from the field in each of the last three quarters and better than 60 percent in both the second and fourth on their way to a lopsided win over the Sycamores.
First Half
A pair of early 3-pointers from Finnegan sandwiched a jumper from Glanton, as Indiana State built a 10-2 lead inside the opening three minutes. Finnegan added a pull-up jumper midway through and Savannah White added a late three-ball, but Northern Iowa closed the quarter strong. Indiana State took a narrow 17-16 lead into the second quarter.
Northern Iowa opened the second quarter on a 10-3 run and never trailed from that point on. Donald and Glanton cut into UNI’s lead midway through the period with baskets, and Chelsea Cain added a hook shot inside the final minute, but sharp shooting from the visitors saw Northern Iowa take a 39-28 lead at the break.
Second Half
Indiana State started the second half with a pair of early baskets from Stahl, and Donald added a layup to keep the Trees within distance. Northern Iowa followed with a 3-point barrage, hitting three in a span of less than three minutes to lead 59-41. Glanton added two more baskets down low, while Kiley Bess and Donald both converted from the charity stripe, but the Sycamores faced a 67-49 deficit entering the fourth.
Northern Iowa put the game out of reach early in the fourth with an 8-0 run, with Secrist ending the Sycamores’ scoring drought with a 3-pointer to make it 77-53. Pelly added a fastbreak layup off a turnover midway through, while both Pelly and Secrist both connected on baskets late, but the game was out of hand by that point. Pelly’s 3-pointer inside the final minute closed out a 91-62 defeat for Indiana State.
News and Notes
Mya Glanton’s double-double was her team-leading sixth of the season. Glanton accounts for six of the Sycamores’ 10 double-doubles this season.
All of Bella Finnegan’s eight points came in the first quarter.
Indiana State’s freshman class accounted for nearly half of the Sycamores’ point total, with ISU’s first-year players combining for 27 points.
Indiana State’s bench scored 30 points Thursday night.
Indiana State took care of the ball Thursday night, with the Sycamores committing just 10 turnovers.
Up Next
Indiana State closes the regular season Saturday at 1 p.m. against Drake.
INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
SYCAMORES SET TO OPEN MVC TOURNAMENT AGAINST MISSOURI STATE
ST. LOUIS – Indiana State men’s basketball is set to open the 2024 MVC Tournament on Friday from the Enterprise Center.
Sycamores in Arch Madness
Indiana State has won only three MVC Tournament championships (1979, 2001, 2011). Coach Schertz is 3-3 in the tournament while Indiana State is 28-39 overall.
Series History
This is the 84th all-time meeting between the Sycamores and Bears, but the third of the 2023-24 season. Indiana State won both games in the regular season: 88-66 at home on January 16 and 73-71 on the road in Springfield.
Last Time Out – Indiana State
Indiana State men’s basketball hoisted the regular season trophy on Sunday, winning the Missouri Valley regular season title outright with an 89-77 win on Sunday against Murray State. Indiana State also broke its own school record in made three-pointers as a team, set last season at 340. With 11 made triples on the day, ISU sits with 341 made threes, a new school record. This record includes postseason play, so the Sycamores will continue to add to this total.
Another program record was broken with the win: most MVC regular season wins. Sunday’s win marked No. 17 of the season, and the previous record was 16 set by the 1978-79 team.
Ryan Conwell led the way for the Sycamores, scoring 24 points on 7-for-10 from the floor, including a 6-for-7 effort from beyond the arc. He also tied his career-high with 12 rebounds, also dishing out three assists and swiping one pass. Conwell knocked down all four free throws. Robbie Avila scored 23 points shooting 8-for-10 from the field and was perfect from the charity stripe, 7-for-7. He pulled down four rebounds and recorded four assists.
Both Isaiah Swope and Jayson Kent finished with 14 points. Swope shot 4-for-7 and made three triples, and Kent finished 4-for-8 and recorded four rebounds. Julian Larry chipped in eight points, a rebound and four assists. Xavier Bledson chipped in six points.
Last Time Out – Missouri State
The Bears won the opening game of the tournament 60-35 over Murray State. Alston Mason led the way with 22 points, and N.J. Benson recorded a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
INDIANA STATE MEN’S TRACK
STAGGS TO FACE NATION’S BEST AT NCAA INDOOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State pole vaulter Will Staggs will square off with the nation’s best Friday afternoon, as he takes part in the pole vault at the NCAA Indoor National Championships in Boston, Massachusetts.
Friday’s competition from The TRACK at New Balance, which features the top 16 pole vaulters in Division I, will begin at 2 p.m.
The Road To Boston
Fresh off an outdoor season which saw him earn Honorable Mention All-America with a top-20 finish at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor National Championships, Staggs set his sights on being one of the 16 qualifiers for this year’s indoor championships.
Staggs had a pair of record-setting meets in February that booked his spot in Boston. He cleared 5.50m (18-00.50) at Notre Dame’s Meyo Invitational and followed that with a clearance of 5.52m (18-01.25) at Arkansas’ Tyson Invitational. The latter of those two marks stands as the current indoor program record and was also the mark that sealed Staggs’ spot in the NCAA Indoor National Championships.
Rising To The Top
Staggs’ 2023-24 season was arguably the best and most consistent season ever produced by an Indiana State men’s pole vaulter. He broke his own indoor program record twice, shattered Indiana State’s facility record and was named the MVC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week an unprecedented five times in a six-meet span.
A model of consistency, Staggs became the first MVC pole vaulter to clear 18 feet since 2001 with his back-to-back record-setting weekends at Notre Dame and Arkansas. He has cleared marks of 5.20m (17-00.75) or better in each of his last nine indoor meets, dating back to last year, and 13 of his last 14 meets, indoor or outdoor.
When one looks at Staggs’ marks this season, it’s no surprise to see him among the nation’s elite. From start to finish this season, Staggs has cleared 5.34m (17-06.25), 5.35m (17-06.50), 5.25m (17-02.75), 5.41m (17-09.00), 5.50m (18-00.50), 5.52m (18-01.25) and 5.45m (17-10.50). Each of those last four marks are equal to or better than the school record entering this season, which he also set last year.
Bright Lights, Big Stage
Indiana State athletes have shown a knack for producing their best results when it matters most, and Staggs is no exception to that. A member of each of Indiana State’s last five MVC title-winning teams, he already owns four MVC individual pole vault championships to his name.
Staggs has won each of the last three MVC indoor pole vault titles, becoming just the sixth pole vaulter, men’s or women’s, in conference history to win three straight individual indoor titles and the first since Indiana State and MVC Hall of Famer Kylie Hutson.
Staggs On The National Stage
Friday’s championship will be Staggs’ second career NCAA National Championship appearance and his first NCAA Indoor National Championships appearance. He earned a top-20 finish in the pole vault at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor National Championships with a clearance of 5.30m (17-04.50).
Staggs has also appeared in each of the last two NCAA East First Rounds during outdoor season, which afforded him the opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor National Championships last season.
Championship Format
All 16 qualifying athletes will be in one flight for the pole vault, starting at 2 p.m. Friday. The top eight finishers will be named First Team All-America, with those placing 9-16 being named Second Team All-America.
Athletes must record a mark to earn All-America honors.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
MASTODON BASEBALL TAKES ON MISSOURI IN FOUR-GAME SERIES
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The Mastodons (4-9) are heading to Columbia, Missouri, for a four-game weekend series with the Missouri Tigers (6-6) beginning Friday (Mar. 8). The games will air on the SEC Network+.
Game Day Information
When:
Friday, March 8 | 4 p.m. ET
Saturday, March 9 | 1 p.m. ET & 4 p.m. ET
Sunday, March 10 | 2 p.m. ET
Where:Taylor Stadium | Columbia, Mo.
Live Stats: Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Streaming Link: Friday | Saturday (1) | Saturday (2) | Sunday
Series History: Purdue Fort Wayne has only faced Missouri once in 2014. Purdue Fort Wayne won the matchup, 11-8, at a neutral site.
Weather:
Friday – High of 59/low of 43, 60% chance of rain
Saturday – High of 48/low of 35 30% chance of rain
Sunday – High of 58/low of 31, 0% chance of rain
Probable Starters:
Purdue Fort Wayne: RHP Mac Ayres, RHP Carter Sabol, RHP Josh Kuhns, RHP Brody Fine
Missouri: TBD
Scouting the Tigers: Missouri is 6-6 to start the season. They took their opening series 2-1 over Cal Poly before going 2-2 in the Tony Gwynn Legacy. The Tigers have played at home since the tournament, going 2-3 in that stretch, with losses to Southeast Missouri and Horizon League member Northern Kentucky twice. Jackson Lovich leads Missouri in at hitting .348 with four home runs and 15 RBIs. Charlie Miller has a team-best six apperances on the mound in relief with a 3.38 ERA. Bryce Mayer has thrown a team-high 14.0 innings this season. He has a 6.43 ERA.
‘DONS & ENDS
– Jacob Walker, Grant Thoroman and Camden Karczewski are tied for second in the league for hits with 17.
– Nate Simpson is second in the league in on-base percentage (.552).
– Ben Higgins has four home runs on the season, tied for third in the Horizon League.
– Grant Thoroman has six mult-hit games this season and enters the weekend with a 10-game hitting streak.
– Jacob Walker is the only Mastodon to bat in the same position (leadoff) all 13 games.
– Jacob Walker (second base), Nick Sutherlin (third base), Grant Thoroman (center field) and Ben Higgins (left field) have started all 13 games for the ‘Dons.
– The ‘Dons defeated Butler on Tuesday. A nine-run seventh inning lifted the ‘Dons to a 12-10 win after falling behind 9-1 after three innings.
B1G Wins: The Mastodons took down No. 20 Indiana in Bloomington earlier this season for the first ranked win in program history. It’s the third straight season the ‘Dons have beaten an opponent from the Big 10 conference. 2022 saw the ‘Dons win over Michigan State and in 2021, the ‘Dons topped Michigan.
Fresh Success: Purdue Fort Wayne started four freshmen in the win over Indiana. Sean Kasper made his first collegiate start on the mound while his battery-mate, Grant Sawa, made his second. Nate Simpson collected a hit and scored the third run of the game while Justin Osterhouse hit two home runs. Kasper combined with sophomore Owen Willard, who picked up his first collegiate save, to pitch five scoreless innings with two hits and seven strikeouts.
Masto-bombs: In the win over Indiana, Justin Osterhouse and Ben Higgins each hit two homers and even going back-to-back in the fourth inning. Camden Karczewski added a fifth home run. The three ‘Dons collected eight hits, eight RBI, and scored five runs.
Up Next: Purdue Fort Wayne travels to Ball State on Tuesday (Mar. 12) to take on the Cardinals at 3 p.m.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
ON TO INDY! ‘DONS STIFLE DETROIT MERCY TO WIN 66-35
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball team’s historic season will continue! The Mastodons blew out Detroit Mercy 66-35 on Thursday night (March 7) in the Barbasol Horizon League Basketball Championship quarterfinal, punching their ticket to Indianapolis to play in the semifinal.
The Mastodons will play No. 2 seed Green Bay on Monday (March 11) at 2:30 p.m. at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum in a rematch of last season’s semifinal game in Indy. Tickets can be purchased here. It will also be streamed on ESPN+.
Purdue Fort Wayne’s defense caused Detroit Mercy fits all night. The ‘Dons held the Titans to just 35 points, which is the fewest a Division I program has ever scored against the Mastodons. This broke the previous record set earlier this season, a 36-point day from Robert Morris during the regular season. The Titans were able to hit just eight 2-point shots. The ‘Dons forced the Titans into 20 turnovers, resulting in 15 steals. This is the most the Mastodons have ever had in a league tournament game.
While it was a relatively close game in the first half, the Mastodons stifled the Titans in the second half, allowing them to score just 17 points after the break, with seven in the fourth quarter. While holding the Titans to seven, the Mastodons poured it on in the fourth, scoring 21 of their own. They were 7-of-14 from the floor and 4-of-8 from 3-point range in the fourth. Extending back to the 3:35 mark in the third quarter, the Mastodons finished the game on a 31-9 run.
The point guards were key in Thursday’s win. Audra Emmerson finished with a team-high 14 points while adding five rebounds. Destinee Marshall scored 11 points and dished out five assists.
The scoring was relatively balanced in the win. Behind Emmerson’s 14 and Marshall’s 11, Jazzlyn Linbo (9), Erin Woodson (7), Klea Kaci (6), Shayla Sellers (5), Amellia Bromenschenkel (5) and Renna Schwieterman (3) all had at least one bucket. In three minutes off the bench, Lauryn Stover added three rebounds.
Detroit Mercy was led by 10 points from Emma Trawally Porta.
Purdue Fort Wayne improves to 21-11. Detroit Mercy falls to 17-16 as its season comes to a close.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL
#HLMBB POSTSEASON ENDS AT TOP-SEED OAKLAND
ROCHESTER, Mich. – Four Mastodons finished in double-digits in No. 8 Purdue Fort Wayne’s 75-65 loss at No. 1 Oakland on Thursday (March 7) in a 2024 Barbasol Horizon League Men’s Basketball Quarterfinal.
The ‘Dons led 5-4 after a Rasheed Bello 3-pointer three minutes into the game. Oakland followed with a 13-0 run to lead 17-5 with 10:50 left. A Bello trey cut the deficit at six with 8:39 left at 19-13, but the ‘Dons would go to the break down 38-27.
Oakland built a lead as large as 23 in the second half before a late Mastodon run. A 14-2 Mastodon stretch made the score 69-63 after a Quinton Morton-Robertson three with 57 seconds remaining. Oakland was still in the one-and-one and made their free throws in the final minute to clinch the game.
Bello scored a team-high 16 points with five assists. Jalen Jackson added 15. Anthony Roberts finished with 13 and Morton-Robertson had 10.
The ‘Dons shot 38.3 percent (23-of-60). Oakland shot 50.9 percent (27-of-53). Rocket Watts scored a game-high 18 for the Golden Grizzlies.
Oakland improves to 21-11 and advances to the Horizon League Semifinals in Indianapolis on Monday. The ‘Dons fall to 21-12.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S GOLF
MASTODON WOMEN’S GOLF TRAVELS TO FLORIDA FOR SACRED HEART INVITATIONAL
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s golf team will travel to the Sunshine State and warmer weather for the Sacred Heart Invitational on Friday and Saturday (Mar. 8-9).
Event: Sacred Heart Invitational
Host: Sacred Heart
When: Friday-Saturday (Mar. 8-9)
Where: Fleming Island, Florida
Course: Eagle Harbor Golf Club
Par: 72
Format: Play 5, take 4
Yardage: TBD
Live Results: Live Results
About the Course
Eagle Harbor Golf Club in Fleming Island, Florida, is set amidst a forest of 60-foot pines. The 18-hole Course, designed by award-winning course architect Clyde B. Johnston, features rolling Bermuda grass fairways, multi-tiered TifEagle Greens, and both grass and fine, white sugar sand bunkers.
Meet the Field
Sacred Heart, Merrimack, Fairfield, Monmouth, Purdue Fort Wayne, Hartford, Saint Francis (Pa.) and Ferris State.
Mastodon Lineup
Anna Olafsdottir, Olivia Jang, Adrienne Rohwedder, Hunar Mittal and Natalie Papa will play for the team score and Lillie Cone will play as an individual.
Expectations Set
Purdue Fort Wayne was picked in a tie for fourth in the Horizon League Preseason Poll. This marks the highest the Mastodons have ever been selected in a league preseason poll. Fittingly, their fourth-place selection comes after the ‘Dons tied their best finish at a league tournament last season, with a sixth-place finish at the Horizon League Championship.
Record Setters
The Mastodons set the program’s 54-hole record at the Shirley Spork EMU Invitational on October 3. The ‘Dons shot 901, topping the previous record by nine strokes.
Record Setters x 2
Purdue Fort Wayne’s 307.3 four-player average this season is a program record. It is 13.1 strokes per round better than last season and 4.5 better than the previous best set in 2020-21.
Colder Than Gullfoss in Winter
Iceland native Anna Olafsdottir is shooting an average of 75.5 this season, which is the best in program history in a single season. She was selected as the Horizon League Golfer of the Week after going 2-0 at the Oyster Shuck Match Play
Runner-Up Vibes
Adrienne Rohwedder finished as the runner-up at the Braun Intercollegiate, the final tournament for the Mastodons in the fall. She shot 75-75-150, just one shot back of a tie for first place.
Last Fall Recap
Purdue Fort Wayne went 1-1 at the Oyster Shuck Match Play event, falling to Wofford 2-3 but beating The Citadel 3-1-1.
Coming Up
Purdue Fort Wayne will head to Kentucky to play in the Nevel Meade Collegiate, hosted by Horizon League foe Cleveland State, on March 18-19.
EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
SHORT-HANDED UE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL LOSES TO DRAKE
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With only seven active players, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team faced a battle in an 86-53 loss to the Drake Bulldogs.
Three Purple Aces ended Thursday evening’s game in double-figures while center Barbora Tomancova had her fifth double-double of the season. But it wouldn’t be enough for UE to get past the regular season champion Drake Bulldogs in the 33-point loss. Evansville did have a strong defensive game despite the score with 38 rebounds, three blocks, and drawing nine fouls.
Both teams had a tough offensive outing in the first quarter. A shot was made for each team in the first two minutes, but it was Drake who took the early lead on an eight-point run. A three-point play by forward Nevaeh Thomas got UE’s offense back into the game. The Bulldogs responded with two field goals to quickly make it a double-digit deficit. Evansville headed into the second quarter down by 11 as neither team could score in the final three and a half minutes of the first.
The Aces had a similar start to the second, not making a basket until it was past the two-minute mark. UE began to make it a back-and-forth game with just under six minutes to go in the half after Drake pulled out to a 21-point lead. Evansville’s best scoring runs came in the second with back-to-back layups. It was the last run of the half for either team as both again struggled to make shots in the final minutes of the second. Thomas had a second three-point stretch in the final minute of the first half. But a last-second three made by the Bulldogs still had the Aces down by 18.
In contrast to the first half, UE’s offense had the first bucket of the second as Thomas made another layup. But Evansville had a two-minute cold spell following that was broken by guard Kynidi Mason Striverson in the paint. Drake responded with another quick run that was stopped when Tomancova drew a foul and split her free throws. The Aces had another four-point run as guard Sydney Bradley had back-to-back jump shots. The final five minutes of the third quarter were mostly back-and-forth baskets until the final minute when the Bulldogs made two layups to keep UE down by 24 going into the fourth.
The shot-for-shot pace continued to start the third quarter. But Drake pulled away as guard Katie Dinnebier made four straight shots. Mason Striverson ended the streak with her third three of the game. The three sparked a rash of treys for the Bulldogs, forcing an Evansville timeout with six minutes to go. It took almost two minutes out of the timeout for either team to score, but the Aces broke through as Bradley made only her second three of the season. But a six-point run for Drake gave UE its largest deficit of the game at 37. Evansville found three more layups in the final two and a half minutes ending the 86-53 loss.
Thomas led the Aces on offense with 14 points while Mason Striverson was right behind with 13. Tomancova also finished the game in double-digits with 11 while leading UE in rebounds with 10 boards after a month away from the court. Freshman guard Sydney Bradley also set a career-high against the Bulldogs, scoring seven points in 26 minutes of action.
Evansville’s final game of the season is set for Saturday afternoon against the Northern Iowa Panthers. The Aces will celebrate their two senior players, Tomancova and guard Lexie Sinclair before the regular season finale. Tip-off for UE against the Panthers on March 9 is set for 2 p.m.
EVANSVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL
ACES ADVANCE WITH 59-53 WIN OVER ILLINOIS STATE
ST. LOUIS – Leading from start to finish, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team earned a 59-53 Arch Madness win over Illinois State inside the Enterprise Center. With the victory, the Purple Aces will face the #2 seed Drake on Friday evening at 6 p.m.
“As the game went on, Illinois State did not go away. It was a hard-fought game for 40 minutes. Proud of these guys for sticking together and finding a way. We did a lot of good things today to come out on top,” UE head men’s basketball coach David Ragland exclaimed. “This is the same team that started 6-0, the same special group that tripled our win total from last season and we made a decision as a group to have a ton of pride and play this game with no regrets.”
“The way we dove on the floor and got those 50/50 ball shows that we came here to win.”
Ben Humrichous was the leading scorer for UE, totaling 15 points and 11 boards. Yacine Toumi registered 10 points and 8 caroms while Antonio Thomas registered 9 points and Gage Bobe had 8. Myles Foster was the leading scorer for Illinois State, posting 18 points.
Bobe knocked down a triple to open the scoring while Yacine Toumi followed with a basket to put UE up 5-0. Illinois State registered the next three points and hung around a possession with the score sitting at 13-11 just past the midway point of the opening half.
Following two Ben Humrichous free throws, Bobe converted from downtown for the second time to put Evansville in front by an 18-11 margin. With 2:30 remaining in the half, Cam Haffner gave the Aces their largest advantage of the half at 22-13. ISU closed the gap over the final moments, cutting the UE lead to 25-21 at the break.
Antonio Thomas drained a triple to open the second-half to push the advantage to 28-21. Five in a row from the Redbirds got them right back within a possession. Humrichous converted his first triple to push the lead back to seven points before his putback gave the Aces a 37-27 lead with 13:16 left in the game.
Over the course of less than two minutes, Illinois State stormed back with seven in a row to cut the deficit to 37-34. Evansville countered with a 7-0 run of its own, holding ISU to five consecutive misses while taking a 44-34 edge. Humrichous had five during the run and would later add his third 3-pointer to make it a 47-36 game with under seven minutes remaining.
Another run by ISU saw them reel off eight in a row as they got back within three before cutting the gap to just a pair a few times, including the final minute. Three free throws in a row by Tanner Cuff and a pair from Thomas would seal the UE victory.
EVANSVILLE MEN’S SWIMMING
SANTOS LOPEZ BREAKS 50 FREE SCHOOL RECORD AT MAC SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Evansville junior Daniel Santos Lopez (Madrid, Spain) broke the school’s 50-Yard Freestyle record on Thursday night in the “A Final” at the 2024 Mid-American Conference Swimming & Diving Championships at Dr. Edward J. Shea Natatorium in Carbondale, Illinois.
Santos Lopez trimmed 0.07 seconds off the 50 Free record at UE by posting a finals time of 20.25 seconds. He placed sixth overall in a very fast final race, as the five men ahead of him all broke the 20-second barrier. It marks the second UE school record that Santos Lopez has broken at this week’s MAC Championships, as he was a part of the 200-Yard Medley Relay team which set a school record on Wednesday.
Santos Lopez’s performance highlighted a strong day in the pool for the Purple Aces. In the 200-Yard IM, freshman Omar Hassan (Doha, Qatar) advanced to the B Final by posting the second-fastest 200 IM time in school history with a time of 1:50.82 in the preliminary round. He placed 16th overall in the MAC after posting a finals time of 1:51.28 on Thursday night.
Senior Jackson Caudill (Mount Sterling, Ky./Montgomery County) also advanced to Thursday night’s B Final in the 500-Yard Freestyle with a prelims time of 4:34.38, before posting a finals time of 4:35.53 to place 16th as well. Junior Patrik Vilbergsson (Kopavogur, Iceland) keyed UE’s 400-Yard Medley Relay team to a time of 3:15.92 by posting the second-fastest 100-Yard Backstroke time on record at UE with a lead-split of 48.55. It falls just 0.11 seconds shy of Credence Pattinson’s school-record time of 48.44, set in 2018.
In the men’s one-meter diving competition, sophomore Levi McKinney (Boonville, Ind./Boonville) placed 12th overall with a final round score of 249.00.
As a team, the Purple Aces find themselves in sixth place, just behind Ball State. Miami of Ohio currently leads the MAC Championships after two days.
The MAC Championships continue on Friday, with action in the 100-Yard Butterfly, the 400 IM, the 200-Yard Freestyle, the 100-Yard Backstroke and Breaststroke events, as well as the 400-Yard Freestyle Relay. Preliminary round action of the three-meter diving competition will also take place. Preliminary round swimming action will begin at 10:30 a.m., with diving taking place at 1 p.m. and final-round swims beginning at 6 p.m.
SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
USI MAKES OVC CHAMPIONSHIP DEBUT FRIDAY
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Following its run to capture the 2023-24 Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship, University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball tips off its first-ever OVC Championship Tournament appearance Friday in the semifinal round at 1 p.m. against the No. 4-seeded Eastern Illinois University Panthers from Ford Center in downtown Evansville.
All games from the OVC Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament can be seen live with a subscription to ESPN+. 95.7 FM The Spin and 97.7 FM WREF will have radio coverage of USI contests.
The Screaming Eagles finished the regular season with a 22-6 overall record and a 17-1 mark in OVC play to earn the No. 1 seed in this year’s Ohio Valley Conference Championship Tournament. Southern Indiana earned the OVC regular season title in only the second Division I season for the program. USI improved its overall win total by 10 games and its OVC record by 11 games from its inaugural D-I season in 2022-23.
USI is also only the fifth team in OVC Women’s Basketball history to win at least 17 conference games, which was the most conference wins for USI since 2000-01 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference when the Screaming Eagles went 17-3 in the GLVC. Southern Indiana also went 17-1 in conference action in 1997-98 after the 1996-97 national finalist team went 20-0 in the GLVC.
Southern Indiana enters the OVC Tournament on an eight-game winning streak, the second-longest this season. USI had a 10-game winning streak earlier this season that was snapped on February 3 in a road loss at Tennessee State University.
Last Saturday, the Screaming Eagles punctuated the regular season with a 70-59 victory over Southeast Missouri State University on Senior Night. USI shot for nearly 49 percent overall and 47 percent from three-point range. Junior guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) led the Eagles with 26 points, matching a career high. Freshman forward Chloe Gannon (Manchester, Tennessee) tallied 16 points in the win.
Earlier this week, the OVC announced its postseason awards and all-conference selections. Shafford joined senior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) on the All-OVC First Team. Senior forward Madi Webb (Bedford, Indiana) was named Second Team All-OVC, and sophomore guard Ali Saunders (Depauw, Indiana) was selected to the OVC’s All-Newcomer Team. Plus, USI Head Coach Rick Stein was named OVC Coach of the Year after guiding USI to its first-ever OVC regular season championship in his 25th season at the helm. Stein was previously a three-time coach of the year at USI in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
Shafford led USI in multiple statistical categories during the regular season, including scoring, rebounding, steals, and minutes. The junior was eighth in the OVC and first on the team with 14.5 points per game. Shafford also paced the team with 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per contest.
Raley was second on the squad this season with 12 points and 5.7 rebounds per outing, ranking the senior top 15 in the OVC. Raley also shot the basketball at nearly 48 percent from the floor. Right behind Raley was Webb at 10.6 points and 5.1 boards per game, who ranked among the top of the conference with a 54.3 field goal percentage in league play.
Saunders averaged eight points per game, shooting nearly 46 percent overall and 43 percent from distance. The sophomore led USI in assists (96) and assists per game (3.4), placing at the top of the conference in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7).
Gannon also had a strong first season in a USI uniform alongside Webb and Saunders. The freshman posted 10.2 points and 4.5 caroms per outing. Gannon also shot efficiently at above 56 percent from the field.
Eastern Illinois went 14-17 in the regular season with an 11-7 OVC record. On Thursday, the Panthers defeated the No. 8 seed Tennessee State, 60-48, in a competitive contest. Eastern Illinois pulled away after a 9-0 run to start the fourth quarter and a 7-0 run to end it. EIU shot 41 percent for the game with 26 turnovers but held the Tigers to 27 percent shooting. Junior forward Macy McGlone scored a game-high 22 points.
Earlier this week, McGlone was named the OVC Player and Defensive Player of the Year. McGlone averaged a double-double this season to pace the Panthers, averaging 18.1 points and 12 rebounds per game. The forward also shot for over 50 percent from the floor and blocked 57 shots. The Panthers averaged 66.2 points on 41.3 percent shooting in the regular season.
Eastern Illinois leads the all-time series against Southern Indiana, 4-1. In the two teams’ lone regular-season meeting this season at Screaming Eagles Arena, USI claimed a 70-60 victory after rallying from a halftime deficit. Southern Indiana was above 48 percent shooting from the floor and held Eastern Illinois to 31 percent. While McGlone led EIU in that game with a double-double of 20 points and 11 boards, the Screaming Eagles had two players register double-doubles. Raley dropped 22 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, and Shafford notched 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Webb also had 15 points in that contest for the Screaming Eagles.
The winner of Friday’s semifinal game between EIU and USI will compete against the winner of the other semifinal matchup between No. 3 University of Tennessee at Martin and No. 2 University of Arkansas at Little Rock in Saturday’s championship game at 2 p.m. from Ford Center.
VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL
VALPO FALLS TO BELMONT IN MVC TOURNAMENT OPENER
The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team saw its season come to an end on Thursday afternoon in the opening round of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Isaiah Stafford (Bolingbrook, Ill. / Crispus Attucks [John A. Logan / Southern Indiana]) scored a team-high 20 points, while Jerome Palm (Almere, The Netherlands / Echnaton [Hillsborough CC]) turned in a double-double in an 86-61 loss to Belmont.
How It Happened
Belmont scored the game’s first six points before a triple by Darius DeAveiro (Kanata, Ottawa, Canada / Orangeville Prep) cut the early lead to 6-3.
The Bruins used a 10-0 run to extend an 11-4 lead to 21-4 with 14:18 left in the opening half.
A traditional 3-point play was completed by Stafford at the 13:37 mark of the half.
Freshman Cooper Schwieger (Overland Park, Kan. / Blue Valley Southwest [Link Year]) got going with two baskets in succession late in the half.
Belmont’s lead peaked at 42 with 7:51 to play. Valpo finished the game on a 12-0 run with Schwieger and Stafford combining for 11 of those. Valpo outscored Belmont in the second half 39-38.
Inside the Game
Stafford scored 20 points, his fourth time in the last six games scoring 20 or more. He finished the season with 12 20-point performances. Stafford swiped four steals as well, tying a career high.
Schwieger crossed the 400-point threshold for the season on Thursday, becoming just the 26th Missouri Valley Conference freshman of all-time to score 400 points. He tallied 12 points on Thursday to finish his rookie campaign with 409.
DeAveiro finished the season with 170 assists, the third most in single-season program history. He finished the year with 290 career assists, moving up into a tie for 16th in program history on Thursday.
Palm closed out his senior season with his second double-double of the season, compiling 10 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. He outdid his previous career high of 12 achieved on Nov. 10 of this season vs. IUPUI.
Sepp had a solid day rebounding the ball as well, squeezing eight boards. This was his fourth game with eight or more rebounds this season including two of the last three games.
Valpo outscored Belmont 17-2 on second-chance points in the second half and took that category 19-6 for the game.
VALPO SWIMMING
OOSTMAN SETS TWO MORE RECORDS, BEACONS CONTINUE STRONG SWIMS AT MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
Valpo men’s swimming sophomore Jackson Oostman (Aurora, Ill./Marmion Academy) followed one school-record swim on Wednesday with a pair of record-setting times on Thursday on the second day of action at the MAC Championships in Carbondale, Ill., the highlight of a day which saw the Beacons post five top-five times in program history.
How It Happened
Oostman’s first record-setting swim of the day came in the morning prelims of the 200 IM. The sophomore, who already held the program record entering the championship meet, lowered his own PR by four-tenths of a second, setting the new standard at 1:52.57.
Thursday evening, Oostman was tabbed with leading off Valpo’s 400 medley relay, giving him a chance to post a time in the 100 back. He shaved a second and a half off his PR in the event as he completed his leg in 50.56, surpassing the previous school record in the 100 back by a tenth of a second.
Oostman was joined by a trio of his classmates — Luke Snider (Germantown, Tenn./Memphis University School), Anthony Martin (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) and Tim Mai (St. Johns, Fla./Creekside) — as Valpo’s 400 medley relay quartet came home in 3:24.21, third-fastest in program history.
Mai’s performance in the relay came after a strong prelim effort in the 500 free earlier in the day, as the sophomore covered the distance in 4:40.97, lowering his PR by nearly four seconds and moving into fourth place in program history.
Sophomore Dathan Wolf (Columbus, Ind./Columbus East) paced the Valpo contingent in the 50 free prelims, posting a time of 21.71 to lower his PR by nearly half a second.
The Beacons’ time trial swims on Thursday were highlighted by Martin’s effort in the 50 fly, as the sophomore touched the wall in 23.36, second-fastest in program history.
Valpo ended the day with 72 points.
Next Up
Valpo continues action at the MAC Championships on Friday, with prelims starting at 10:30 a.m. and finals starting at 6 p.m.
VALPO SOFTBALL
BEACONS FALL TO OMAHA THURSDAY
The Valpo softball team opened up the Connie Claussen Classic in Omaha, Neb. Thursday afternoon, falling 8-0 to host Omaha.
How It Happened
Omaha scored two runs in the bottom of the first and two more in the second to take a 4-0 lead.
The Beacons got back-to-back singles to lead off the top of the third from sophomore Kam Utendorf (Columbus Grove, Ohio/Columbus Grove [Black Hawk College]) and senior Kayla Skapyak (Macomb, Mich./Dakota), but were unable to get the lead runner past second base.
The Mavs closed the scoring with a four-run fourth inning. Valpo got a runner to third base in the top of the fifth in an attempt to extend the game, but the runner was erased at the plate on a squeeze attempt.
Inside the Game
Five different Beacons picked up one hit apiece to account for Valpo’s five hits as a team.
Utendorf finished the day 1-for-2 at the plate, boosting her batting average to .419.
Freshman Natalie Bush (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian) had a pinch-hit double in the fifth inning, the first extra-base hit of her collegiate career.
Freshman Sydney McDermott (Stout, Ohio/Portsmouth West) started in the circle and took the loss, throwing three-plus innings.
Next Up
Valpo (5-14) continues action from Omaha with two games on Friday. The Beacons will rematch against the host Mavs at 1 p.m. before taking on Kansas City at 3:30 p.m.
VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL DROPS BATTLE WITH SIU THURSDAY
Valpo women’s basketball senior Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) scored a game-high 25 points Thursday evening, but the Beacons were unable to get over the hump in the second half as Southern Illinois held off every Valpo rally, eventually sending the Beacons to a 60-51 defeat.
How It Happened
The first quarter was contested almost entirely within a one-possession game either way. SIU did briefly extend its lead to five points late in the period, but redshirt senior Emma Tecca (Tallmadge, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban [Akron]) hit a 3-pointer less than 30 seconds later to bring it back to a two-point game.
The Salukis led 14-12 at the end of the opening quarter.
SIU used a 7-0 run midway through the second quarter to extend its lead to double digits and got its advantage to 10 points on three occasions in the period.
Earnest accounted for all 11 of Valpo’s points in the second period, including a driving layup with 20 seconds to play in the opening half which brought the Beacons within 31-23 at intermission.
Valpo held SIU to just two points over the first four-plus minutes of the third quarter, enabling the Beacons to close to within 33-31 on a putback by freshman Nevaeh Jackson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop).
The Beacons got as close as one point twice in the third period, and by the end of the period, had seven possessed the ball seven times with a chance to tie or take the lead. They were never able to even the score, however, and SIU pushed its lead back out to 42-37 at the end of the third quarter.
After giving up the first two points of the fourth quarter, Valpo scored eight of the next 10 points to close to within 46-45 with 6:02 to play.
In a span of 30 seconds, SIU secured an offensive rebound, got a second-chance basket and came up with a steal which led to a fast-break bucket, quickly making it a 50-45 game with five minutes to play.
Valpo never again possessed the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead.
Inside the Game
Earnest led all players with 25 points on Thursday, going 9-of-16 from the field and a perfect 7-of-7 from the foul line, and also tied for team-high honors with seven rebounds.
Earnest — who was honored prior to the game for surpassing a pair of statistical milestones last month — is up to 1,059 career points and 628 career rebounds. She is 18 points shy of moving into 16th on Valpo’s career scoring chart and 14 rebounds away from 11th in the career boards department.
Earnest was the lone Beacon to score in double figures, however, as Valpo’s next-highest scorer tallied seven points.
Freshman Saniya Jackson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) tied Earnest for team-high honors with seven rebounds.
Freshman Layla Gold (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) blocked a game-high three shots on Thursday and has recorded 27 rejections in 19 conference games.
The Beacons finished 2-of-20 from 3-point range, their worst shooting percentage from deep in MVC play this year. They did hit 11-of-12 as a team from the foul line, the sixth time in the last eight games they have hit at least 80% accuracy from the charity stripe.
Next Up
Valpo (5-23, 4-15 MVC) closes the regular season on Saturday afternoon against Missouri State at 1 p.m. The Beacons will hold their Senior Day ceremony prior to the game.
UINDY MEN’S BASKETBALL
SECOND-CHANCE POINTS THE DIFFERENCE IN GLVC QUARTERS VICTORY
ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The No. 23-ranked and UIndy men’s basketball returned the favor to eighth-seeded McKendree on Thursday evening, ending its season with a 77-68 loss in the GLVC quarterfinals on the campus of Lindenwood University.
The difference maker was offensive rebounds, with the Greyhounds outscoring the Bearcats, 13-0, in second-chance points. UIndy secured 18 boards on the offensive glass compared to McKendree’s two.
Jarvis Walker scored 21 points for the fifth time in the last six games, going 7-for-15 from the field with four triples. Meanwhile David Ejah and Kendrick Tchoua both contributed a double-double, each recording 14 points and 10 boards apiece.
INS & OUTS
It continued to be a physical contest in the second half as the Hounds clung to a four-point advantage. Ejah, who scored 10 of his 14 points after the break, converted on his first and-1 opportunity at the 16:27 mark.
Walker drilled his third 3-pointer of the night with more than five minutes left to build the Greyhound advantage to a game-high 11 before final triple with 81 seconds on the clock.
The Bearcats managed to cut the deficit to four before that Walker dagger, but Bingham and Ejah iced the game with free throws.
One of Tchoua’s six offensive rebounds resulted in an immediate putback, including this one late in the first half.
INSIDE THE BOX
– Bingham recorded a pair of blocks and sits one shy of tying Steve Kahl’s program career record of 137.
– McKendree’s two offensive rebounds is the second lowest UIndy has allowed this season.
– Zac Szul provided nearly 10 minutes off the bench, tallying two points, two rebounds, and one assist.
– The Greyhounds scored at least 40 points in all six halves this season against the Bearcats.
– Sean Craig and Julian Steinfeld contributed five quick points in the first half, the latter taking the top contender spot for poster of the tournament.
MORE NOTES
Prior to the game, the GLVC recognized its 2023-24 all-conference selections, including UIndy’s Bingham (first team, All-Defensive), Tchoua (first team, All-Defensive), and Paul Zilinskas (second team) … McKendree’s Caleb Zurliene surpassed 1,000 career points in the first half … the Greyhounds completed the season sweep of the Bearcats with their third victory of the winter … UIndy has advanced to at least the GLVC semifinals in each of head coach Paul Corsaro’s first four seasons.
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds await the winner of Friday’s quarterfinal between Truman and William Jewell. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET from Hyland Arena.
MARIAN MEN’S BASKETBALL
MARIAN MEN’S BASKETBALL SEEDED 10TH IN NAIA TOURNAMENT; KNIGHTS HEADED TO WILLIAMSBURG
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially announced the 64-team field and pairings for the 2024 NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship. The tournament will begin with the 2024 NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship First & Second Rounds, presented by Ballogy, on March 15 at host sites throughout the country.
Marian has been tabbed as the No. 10 seed in the Liston Quadrant, entering the NAIA Tournament as an at-large team. This is Marian’s seventh consecutive season qualifying for the NAIA National Tournament. Marian will play at the University of the Cumberlands, who will host as the No. 2 seed in the quadrant.
The 16 winners at each of these sites will advance to the 2024 NAIA National Championship Final Site in Kansas City, Mo., at the 86th annual NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship, March 21-26.
The field consists of 36 automatic qualifiers – given to conference regular season champions, regular season runners-up, tournament champions, or tournament runners-up, depending on the league. The number teams in each league determines the number of automatic bids in each conference. Leagues with 10 or more schools receive two automatic berths, while conferences with less than 10 institutions receive one. At-large teams were determined by the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Selection Committee (NSC). The NSC consists of one representative from each geographic area, a representative from the National Administrative Council, the past president of the NAIA-Men’s Basketball Coaches Association and four at-large members. The committee evaluated teams throughout the year on various criteria.
Marian, led by All-Crossroads League performers Gus Etchison, Brody Whitaker, and Maximus Gizzi, are the 10 seed and enter the NAIA Tournament with a 23-7 overall record. This is Marian’s 11th overall appearance at the NAIA National Tournament. The Knights will match up with No. 7 seed Florida College, who enter the NAIA First Round with a 27-4 overall record. Florida College is in the NAIA Tournament for the third time in program history, and earned an automatic bid as the winner of the Continental Conference Tournament.
The University of the Cumberlands is the host and No. 2 seed in the quadrant, earning an at-large bid in the field out of the Mid-South Conference. The Cumberlands are in the NAIA Tournament for the 31st time in program history, and have a record of 17-29 in the NAIA Tournament. They will take on Philander Smith, who will be the No. 15 seed in the NAIA Tournament Liston Quadrant, who qualified as the Gulf Coast Tournament Championship. Philander Smith has an overall record of 21-8, and are making their first appearance in the tournament since 2015.
More information will be released in the coming days on Marian’s NAIA Tournament Appearance in the First Round in Williamsburg, Ky.
MARIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
MARIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PUNCHES TICKET TO NAIA TOURNAMENT AS NO. 1 OVERALL SEED
KANSAS City, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially announced the teams and bracket for the 2024 NAIA Women’s Basketball Championship First Round presented by Ballogy. The 64-team bracket will begin with the first and second rounds at host sites nationwide on March 15-16. The 2024 NAIA second round winners will meet in Sioux City, Iowa, at the NAIA National Championship final site presented by Bomgaars and Sterling. The 43rd annual championship occurs at the Tyson Events Center from March 21-22.
For the first time in program history, the Marian women’s basketball team is the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, and will host the NAIA First and Second Round for the fourth consecutive year.
This year’s first round field includes 37 automatic qualifiers and 27 at-large selections. Automatic berths were given to teams that either won their respective conference tournament title or regular season championship, finished runner-up at the conference tournament or were otherwise selected by the conference. The NAIA Women’s Basketball National Selection Committee determined the at-large bids. The selection committee consists of one representative from each geographical area and six at-large members consisting of coaches and administrators from around the country.
MARIAN PROFILE
Marian is the No. 1 overall seed in the NAIA National Tournament, and enter the NAIA First Round as winners’ of 28 consecutive games, establishing program records for wins in a season and consecutive wins. Marian is 30-1 overall this season, and enter the NAIA Tournament as an automatic qualifier as winners of the Crossroads League Regular Season and Tournament. The Knights are led by leading scorer and Crossroads League Player of the Year Ella Collier and Defensive Player of the Year Abbey McNally, along with other All-Crossroads League honorees in Kinnidy Garrard, Allison Bosse, Aliyah Evans, and Taima Perryman.
PIKEVILLE PROFILE
Pikeville will be the No. 8 seed in the quadrant and enters with a 24-7 overall record on the season, taking an automatic bid as the winner of the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament, winning in double-overtime over Reinhardt. Pikeville is making their ninth NAIA Tournament appearance, and are led by five All-AAC Honorees, including first team recipients Morgan Stamper and Allie Stone. Stamper averaged 11 points and 12 rebounds per game, and Stone averages 20.3 points per game.
STEPHENS PROFILE
The Stephens Stars are the No. 9 seed in the quadrant, and hold a record of 22-7 overall. The Stars last played in the American Midwest Conference Semifinals, and have a win over then No. 2 Central Methodist under their belts this season. The Stars were the winners of the American Midwest Conference earning an at-large to the tournament, and are led by Savanna “Chu” Crockett, who was named the AMC Newcomer and Defensive Player of the Year. Crockett averages 13.2 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game.
FLORIDA NATIONAL PROFILE
Florida National will be the No. 16 seed and will take on Marian in the NAIA Tournament First Round. Florida National is 15-11 overall on the season, and have qualified for the NAIA National Tournament for the first time in their program history. Florida National earned their automatic bid as the Continental Athletic Conference Tournament Runner-Up. The Conquistadors are led by their pair of CAC All-Tournament Team honorees Janelisse Marty Marrero and Jullie Ruiz Paneto.
Tickets will go on sale by Monday, March 11. More information on live streaming, stats, and matchups will come in the coming days. Marian will take on Florida National to open the NAIA Tournament First Round in Indianapolis, with tip slated for 5:00 p.m. Pikeville and Stephens will play 30 minutes following the conclusion of Marian and Florida National, and the NAIA Tournament Second Round is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on March 16.
MARIAN SOFTBALL
COME-FROM-BEHIND WIN AGAINST LAWRENCE TECH HIGHLIGHTS UNDEFEATED DAY FOR MARIAN SOFTBALL
Melbourne, Fla. – The Marian softball team continued their undefeated start to the season on Thursday evening, as the Knights earned a pair of wins over WHAC schools Lourdes and Lawrence Tech. Marian is now 8-0 on the season with their wins.
Game 1 | Marian 5-0 Lourdes
The Knights got off to an early start in their fifth game of the week, as Lily Wendt and Hayley Green hit back-to-back singles to drive Savannah Harwegner and Abby Madere to home plate to score the first two runs for evening. There was no sign of stopping Marian in the opening inning of the game as Abbey Hoffman scored a run with a sacrifice fly and Grace Meyer singled through the right side to drive home a run, helping Marian to their 4-0 start.
The lead would be all Olivia Stunkel would need, as the junior ace tossed six scoreless innings on the night, allowing three total base runners in the game while striking out five batters. Stunkel had a perfect start through two innings, and shook off an error and walk in the third to keep a no-hit opportunity alive. Stunkel would follow with perfect fourth and fifth innings, and in the bottom of the fifth Marian would add insurance to the win with Raegan Hiatt delivering a sacrifice fly to score Hoffman to push the lead to five runs.
Stunkel would lose her no-hit opportunity in the top of the sixth, as a one-out single would bust the hitless opportunity. The junior got out of the inning with a strikeout and pop up, and the shutout was secured in the seventh inning as Lauren Mayer pitched a scoreless inning to end the 5-0 victory.
Olivia Stunkel finished the night with five strikeouts and one hit allowed in her six innings, collecting her fourth win of the season while dropping her ERA under 1.00. Lauren Mayer contributed to pitching as well pitching the last inning and striking out one batter. At the plate, Grace Meyer was a perfect 2-2 with an RBI to lead the team in hits in the win, while five other Knights collected a base hit. Wendt, Greene, Hoffman, and Hiatt each had one RBI in the win.
Game 2 | Marian 5-1 Lawrence Tech
The second game of the night for Marian was a pitchers dual, as Clover Brandt and Macy Coan locked horns throughout the seven-inning battle. Marian would manage to get base runners in both the first and second innings, but Brandt was able to limit Marian to just one trip to first base in each frame. Coan was just better than her counterpart in the first two innings, pitching a perfect first inning while stranding a two-out double in the second inning. Marian would manage to load the bases in the third inning in their offensive trip to the plate, but despite two singles and a walk the Knights came up empty against Brandt.
Coan would shut down the Blue Devils in the third inning with a diving catch by the pitcher starting a double play, and in the fourth the freshman pitched a three-up, three-down frame. After Marian came up empty in their trip to the dish in the fifth inning, Coan ran into her first spot of trouble on the day as a lead-off triple would come in to score on a sacrifice fly, but would manage to end the inning with a ground out and strikeout to limit the damage to one run. The Knights would attempt to match in the sixth inning as two runners reached base, but the Blue Devils and Brandt prevented any runs to score.
Trailing 1-0 entering the seventh inning, Marian put their rally hats on, starting a charge as Mackenzie Dalton and Jenna Minnix posted back-to-back singles to start the inning. Savannah Harweger followed with an RBI single to tie the game, and after Anna Pritchett was intentionally walked, Abby Madere delievered a go-ahead RBI single. Hayley Greene would add to the Marian lead two batters later hitting a three-RBI triple, giving Marian a 5-1 lead. Coan would finish her win strong, as the freshman recorded a game-ending strikeout to cap the 5-1 victory.
Marian had nine hits as a team in the win, with Harweger posting two hits and one RBI. Madere had the game-winning hit, and Greene led the team in RBI with Marian’s only extra base hit. Coan moved her record on the season to 2-0, as the freshman pitched her second complete game of the year. Coan allowed five hits and had two strikeouts with zero walks in the win.
The Knights will play Cornerstone and Keiser on Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 10:00 a.m. against the Golden Eagles.
MARIAN MEN’S TENNIS
MARIAN FALLS TO SCAD-SAVANNAH IN SPRING BREAK MATCHES
Savannah, Ga. – The Marian men’s tennis team ends off their spring break on a sour note Thursday evening, losing at the hands of SCAD-Savannah by a 6-1 final count. Marian is 10-7 on the season.
Marian gained only one victory in the doubles category with Jan Bartolome and Jones McNamar winning at No. 3 with a score of 6-4. James Ashworth and Andrew Ilett lost at No.1 with the final score of 5-7, and Jona Henze and Marc Soriano lost by a score of 4-6 at No.2.
The Knights scored two points at singles with Henze winning at No. 3 with a score of 4-6 and 4-6, while Bartolome won at No. 5 with scores of 7-6 (1) and 6-3.
Ashworth fell at No. 1 singles in consecutive 6-2 sets, at No. 2 Luis Sobanski fell 6-2 and 6-1. At No.4 Soriano fell 6-0 and 6-1 and McNamar fell in 6-4 consecutive sets.
Marian will play their next match on Sunday, March 17th against Indiana Tech at the Marian Tennis Courts starting at 1:00 p.m.
MARIAN WOMEN’S TENNIS
THE KNIGHTS FALL TO SCAD-SAVANNAH 6-1
Savannah, Ga. – The Marian women’s tennis team ends off their spring break on a sour note, losing at the hands of SCAD-Savannah by a 6-1 final count. Marian is 11-5 on the season.
The SCAD-Savannah Bee’s swept the Knights in doubles, as Marian fell on each of the courts. Katharina Bopst and Michelle Irigoyen were at No. 1 while Paloma Caceres Villalba and Isadora Muller were at No. 3, both got defeated 6-1 on the court. Ana Barbosa Fernandez and Yasmin Imamniyazova lost to their opponents in a draw.
Irigoyn claimed Marian’s only win of the day in singles, claming the No.3 win defeting Cherry Xiang 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (9). Imaminyazova fell at No. 1 7-6 (6) and 6-2, at No. 2 Barbosa Fernandez fell 6-2 and 6-4, at No.4 Bopst fell 6-0 and 6-1, at No. 5 Caceres Villalba fell 6-1, 6-1, and Muller fell at No. 6 6-7 (5), 6-1, and 1-0 (5) to end the match.
Marian will play their next match on Sunday, March 17th against Indiana Tech at the Marian Tennis Courts starting at 1:00 p.m.
WABASH MEN’S TENNIS
LITTLE GIANTS COMPLETE SPRING BREAK TRIP WITH TWO TENNIS VICTORIES
The Wabash College tennis team captured two victories in its doubleheader on Thursday to conclude its trip to Orlando, Florida. The Little Giants defeated Spring Arbor 5-2 in the morning session, then carried their momentum into the evening session with an 8-1 win against St. John Fisher.
With a quick turnaround from the previous evening[1] , Wabash (7-5) began the day with a win against Spring Arbor. Cole Borden and Ethan Koeneman combined for a 6-3 victory at number two doubles. Tharakesh Ashokar and Rafael Rin picked up a win in the third doubles flight by the same 6-3 score to earn the doubles’ point.
Ashokar added his second win of the day at number two singles in a 6-3, 4-6, 10-5 victory. Rin also captured a singles win with a 6-4, 7-6 victory in the third singles flight, securing the seventh game in the second set by a score of[2] 9-7. Eduardo Werneck scored a 6-4, 6-3 victory at number four singles. Vittorio Bona prevailed in the fifth singles flight with a 7-6, 5-7, 10-7 victory, taking the seventh game in the first set 7-4.
The Little Giants swept all three doubles matches in the evening session against St John Fisher. Ashokar and Blake Discher II scored an 8-5 win at number one doubles. Vittorio Bona and Eric Tien swept their opponents[3] 8-0 in the second doubles flight. Nathan Brackeny and Eli Arnold also combined for an 8-0 sweep at number three doubles.
Discher dominated at number two singles by a score of 6-1, 6-0 for his second win of the day. Bona also earned another victory by picking up a 6-2, 6-0 win in the third singles flight. Tien nearly blanked his opponent with a 6-0, 6-1 win at number four singles. Jett Brownlee completed a 6-0, 6-0 sweep in the fifth singles flight. Cole Langston captured a victory at number six singles with a score of 6-1, 6-1.
The team will be back on their home court when they host the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on Saturday, March 16.
WABASH BASEBALL
LITTLE GIANTS DROP EXTRA-INNINGS CONTEST TO HEIDELBERG
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL — The Wabash College Little Giants fell 9-7 in a 10-inning matchup to the Heidelberg University Student Princes Thursday.
The game started out looking like a slugfest. Wabash (3-3) scored six runs in the first two innings after Heidelberg (7-2) scored three in the top of the first. The Student Princes added three more runs in the third to tie the game at 6-6. Both teams’ pitching staffs settled in over the next six innings, allowing only a run apiece in the eighth inning to keep the score tied at 7-7.
Ethan Kimmerle (0-1) took the loss despite limiting Heidelberg to two runs over 6.1 innings of relief work on six hits. He walked only one batter. The Student Princes collected a pair of hits to open the tenth inning off Kimmerle to earn the win.
At the plate, the Little Giants were led by Benjamin Henke, who went 3-for-4 on the day with a double. William McKinzie went 1-for-4 with a walk and two RBI. Camden Scheidt added one hit in three trips to the plate, along with two walks and an RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Trailing 3-0, the Little Giants first put two runs on the board in the first inning. McKinzie drove in two runs for Wabash with a single that scored Scheidt and AJ Reid.
The Little Giants kept the Student Princes off the board before taking the lead in the second. The Wabash offense exploded for four runs, highlighted by RBI singles by Reece Bauer and Scheidt to put Wabash in front 6-3.
A run in the top of the eighth inning gave Heidelberg the 7-6 advantage. The Little Giants tied up the game at 7-7 in the bottom of the eight, scoring on an RBI single off the bat of Evan Neukam. Heidelberg scored twice in the tenth to break the tie and grab the 9-7 win.
GAME NOTES
» Henke led the Little Giants by going 3-for-4 with a double.
» Wabash’s highest-scoring inning was the second when it pushed four runs across.
» Wabash went 4-for-10 (.400) with runners in scoring position.
» Wabash pitchers faced 53 Heidelberg hitters in the game, allowing 11 ground balls and 15 fly balls while striking out two.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETICS
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
FOOTBALL HISTORY
Our First Few HOF Birthdays for March 8
March 8, 1873 – Charley Brewer the fantastic fullback of Harvard University during the stocking cap era of college football arrived into the world. Enjoy learning more about Brewer by clicking his name above.
March 8, 1893 – Charleston, West Virginia – The Marshall and then later Washington and Lee Halfback, Harry, better known as “Cy”, Young was welcomed into life. Now I know what you are thinking, but this is not the famous baseball pitcher Cy Young you may be thinking of even though he was a good player on the diamond as well as the gridiron. That more famous Cy Young’s real name was Denton True Young. Harry Young was welcomed into the College Football Hall of Fame rooms of legends in 1958. In fact though Young played varsity football at two schools he actually attended three colleges! The 1910 and 1911 seasons were spent with the Thundering Herd of Marshall. According to the NFF’s website bio, Cy on Nov. 2, 1910 kicked three field goals as Marshall beat Glenville 9-0. Marshall’s overall record in his time with the Herd was 9-2-2. In the fall of 1912 he attended the University of Michigan and was on the freshman football team. Cy transferred to Washington and Lee and was on the football team from 1913-1916. He won 16 letters at Washington and Lee and as a senior captain of four teams: football, baseball, basketball, and track. The 1913 W&L team was 8-1 and outscored opponents 200-7. Young had 54 points on touchdowns and extra points. In 1914, the team went 9-0, and outscored opponents 313-12. Young scored 57 points. The NFF voters secured a place in the College Football Hall of Fame for Cy Young in 1958.
March 8, 1917 – Asheville, North Carolina – Duke University’s star center Dan Hill was born. The FootballFoundation.org website tells us that Dan played for the famed Iron Dukes of the 1938 season. He was the starting center in the one platoon era when centers were also playing as linebackers on defense. He was an All-America selection and the co-captain of the undefeated, untied and unscored upon 1938 Duke University team. The Iron Dukes won five games with the score 6-0 or 7-0. Yes they were perfect in the regular season, that is until they ran into a powerful Southern Cal team who took the lead with just 41 seconds remaining in the Rose Bowl! The College Football Hall of Fame prepared a place for the legacy of Dan Hill in 1962.
HOF Birthdays
March 8, 1938 – Royal Oak, Michigan – Army’s outstanding halfback in the seasons of 1956 through the 1958 seasons, Pete Dawkins received his born on date. The NFF reveals the story of how Pete overcame the crippling grip of polio to become a not one a great military leader and hero but a gridiron star as well! Dawkins achieved some very prestigious heights in his college years including his senior season of 1958,when he won the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Trophy, was a Unanimous All-America as well as a Rhodes Scholar! It doesn’t get much more successful than that! He scored 12 TDs in that 1958 campaign for the cadets as well as running the ball and returning punts. The NFF party of voters chose the collegiate resume of Pete Dawkins for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1975. After leaving West Point he earned a Bachelors and Masters Degree at Oxford in London, served his country in Vietnam and attended Princeton earning yet another degree!
March 8, 1962 – Norfolk, Virginia – The brilliant defensive tackle of the University of North Carolina Tarheels in the years of 1981 to 1983, William Fuller was born. William was a large man that had quick hands and feet which helped him to beat blocks and shoot gaps into offensive backfields of opponents per the National Football Foundation. This skill set helped him to earn a very impressive feat of being a two time First-Team All-American selection. Fuller left the Tarheels holding some stellar school records. The D-tackle registered 57 tackles for loss and single season tackles for loss with 22 of them in both 1981 and 1983. Fuller was a finalist for the Outland Trophy twice in his collegiate career as he finished his career with 225 tackles and 20 sacks. The stats and gridiron memories of William Fuller were taken into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016. Though he was selected in NFL’s supplemental draft, William chose to accept a position in the USFL where his Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars won consecutive championships. After that league disbanded he joined the NFL’s Houston Oilers where he had a great 13 year career with that franchise along with the Chargers and Eagles. Fuller was a four time All-Pro in the NFL and played in four Pro-Bowl games.
March 8, 1965 – Holyoke, Massachusetts – Running back extraordinaire with Colgate University from 1984 to 1987, Kenny Gamble arrived into life. The FootballFoundation.org website tells that Kenny led the nation in all-purpose yardage, 2,425 as well as with his 1816 rushing yardage. Gamble was the top rusher at Colgate in all four seasons he played as he set 29 school records during his collegiate career. In 1987, he led the nation for Division I-AA in all- purpose yards, 2,097, was second in rushing yards, 1,411, and won the Walter Payton Award as the nation’s best player in that level of football. The National Football Foundation wisely chose to place Kenny Gamble into their museum called the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002. Kenny reached the pinnacle of playing in the NFL for the KC Chiefs for a few seasons.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1900 The National League decides to downsize to eight teams for the upcoming season by eliminating the circuit’s franchises in Baltimore, Cleveland, Louisville, and Washington. The remaining eight cities will stay the same for more than half a century until the Braves leave Boston, moving to Milwaukee in 1953.
1913 John Powers, the founder of last year’s failed mid-western Columbian League, organizes the Federal League in Indianapolis. The upstart league will operate independently with franchises in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis, avoiding agreement with the National Commission.
1923 Commissioner Landis allows pitcher Rube Benton to return to the major leagues despite the left-hander admitting to having prior knowledge of the 1919 World Series fix. The 32-year-old southpaw, who spent 6+ seasons with the Giants before sitting out the 1922 campaign, returns to the Reds for three years, compiling a 30-29 record during his second tour with the team.
1930 Babe Ruth inks a two-year deal for $160,000 with the Yankees, keeping him the highest-paid player of all time. The team’s general manager Ed Barrow predicts at the time that “No one will ever be paid more.”
1941 Phillies right-hander Hugh Mulcahy becomes the first major league player drafted into the Armed Forces, joining the 101st Artillery at Cape Cod’s Camp Edwards. The 27-year-old, known as ‘Losing Pitcher,’ lost 22 games last season and 20 in 1938 to lead the National League in defeats both years.
1946 Tucson’s Hi Corbett Field hosts Arizona’s first spring training game. The Indians, behind the pitching of Bob Lemon, beat the Giants, 3-1, in the inaugural Cactus League contest.
1947 In front of 5,000 fans at Havana’s new Gran Estadio de La Habana, the Yankees lose to the Dodgers in extra innings, 1-0, with Snuffy Stirnweiss’s tenth-inning single accounting for the Bronx Bombers’ only hit. Pete Reiser’s long double on a 3-2 pitch off Spec Shea scores Carl Furillo, giving Brooklyn the walk-off victory in Cuba.
1966 In a pregame ceremony before an intrasquad contest in St. Petersburg in a pregame ceremony, the Mets announce the election of their former manager Casey Stengel to the Hall of Fame. The 75-year-old ‘Old Perfessor’ benefitted from a new rule by the Baseball Writers Committee on Veterans that makes any manager, umpire, or executive 65 or older eligible for induction six months after retiring, bypassing the traditional five-year wait rule for players.
1985 Dave Stieb agrees to a $25 million, 11-year deal with the Blue Jays, the richest in baseball history. Although considered lucrative at the time, Toronto, in recognition of his years of service to the team, will voluntarily increase the value of the last three seasons of the contract, considering that some players will make several times the money annually than their right-hander.
2001 In a press release, the Orioles announce Albert Belle “has been found to be disabled and unable to perform as a Major League baseball player,” due to a degenerative right hip. The Orioles will place the 34-year-old outfielder on the 60-day disabled list, thus beginning the process which conforms to the procedure set forth by Major League Baseball in the case of a disabling and permanent injury to a player.
2006 A Canadian team comprised mostly of minor leaguers stuns the baseball world by beating a highly-favored Team USA in the first round of the WBC, 8-6. Thanks to Adam Stern’s inside-the-park homer, four RBIs, and a pair of sensational catches, along with southpaw Adam Loewen, who keeps the American all-stars scoreless for 3.2 innings, the Canadians post their most significant victory in its national history of baseball.
2008 In hopes of a more lucrative deal in the future, Ryan Zimmerman inks a new one-year contract to play infield with the Nationals. After the third baseman homers and drives in four runs during a 12-10 split-squad victory over the Astros, he agrees to a $465,000 deal, slightly improving his present salary.
2011 The MLB names Kim Ng their Senior Vice-President of baseball operations, making her the highest-ranking woman in the major leagues. The Dodger Assistant General Manager, a post she held since 2001, will report to Joe Torre, who managed in LA during the last three years of her tenure.
2013 Allen Craig (.307, 22, 92) and the Cardinals agree to a five-year, $31 million contract extension valued at $43 million over six seasons. The 28-year-old first baseman played a vital role in the 2011 St. Louis World Championship, contributing three go-ahead RBIs, including a clutch eighth-inning line drive in Game 6 that sparked the start of an unforgettable rally for the Redbirds.
2016 A meeting today (3/08) at 3:08 p.m at Clemens Field, with a .308 gate and a 308 right-field foul pole, a .309 suite, and a monument depicting a .309 batting average, will help solve a mystery surrounding a not-so-well-known resident, former National League first baseman Jake Beckley. The purpose of the gathering is to decide which number to use in commemorating the Hall of Fame infielder’s batting average, .308 as listed by Baseball-Reference.com and many other resources, or the .309, engraved on his plaque at Cooperstown.
2017 “When Moses Fleetwood Walker walked onto a field in Toledo, he did more than play a game. He was more than just an athlete. He did more than throw, catch, or hit. That day and every day he played, he started a conversation.” – CRAIG BROWN, an adjunct professor at Kent State University. By a vote of 93-1, the Ohio House passes Bill 59, setting aside October 7 each year in honor of Moses Fleetwood Walker, the first-openly African American to play under contract in the major leagues. In 1884, the bare-handed backstop caught for the American Association’s Toledo Blue Stockings until a rib injury and the team’s excessive payroll led to his release late in the season.
BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW: 1934 (BASEBALL ALMANAC)
Off the field…
American justice prevailed as Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker aka “Bonnie and Clyde” were ambushed and killed instantly by a posse of lawmen led by Texas Ranger Frank Hamer near Sailes, Bienville Parish, Louisiana on May 23rd. Together the pair committed thirteen murders, numerous kidnappings, and several burglaries and robberies requiring the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to engage in the largest manhunt the United States had seen up to that time. Another famous bank robber and cold-blooded killer who terrorized the Midwest during the early ’30s, John Dillinger was also shot and killed by FBI agents outside of a Chicago movie theater in July.
The Securities and Exchange Commission agency of the U.S. government was created by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and was charged with protecting the interests of the public and investors in connection with the public issuance and sale of corporate securities. The Federal Communications Commission was also established to regulate interstate and foreign communications in the public interest.
In the American League…
Washington Senators reserve catcher Moe Berg set an American League record on April 21st, after playing in his one-hundred seventeenth consecutive errorless game (dating back to 1931).
New York Yankees icon Lou Gehrig hit two home runs (one a grand slam) and a pair of doubles on May 10th, to tie the Major League record with four long hits and seven runs (in only five innings of play) to top the Chicago White Sox, 13-3.
The amazingly inconsistent St. Louis Browns shocked everyone on June 3rd after tying an American League record for most consecutive hits (nine in the sixth-inning — all with two outs) to beat the first place Cleveland Indians 12-8.
In the National League…
On April 29th, the Pittsburgh Pirates became the last remaining major league city to play a home outing on a Sunday (beating the Cincinnati Reds 9-5) after the state’s “Blue Law” (prohibiting games on Sundays) was repealed.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dazzy Vance notched the two-thousandth strikeout of his career during his last complete game, a 4-2 victory over the Boston Braves, on July 22nd.
Reggie Grabowski of the Philadelphia Phillies, set an unwanted National League record after surrendering eleven hits (and runs) in the ninth inning against the New York Giants for a humiliating 21-4 loss on August 4th.
Around the League…
Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who was granted absolute power in 1920 after the Black Sox scandal had tainted the game, denied participant Shoeless Joe Jackson’s appeal for reinstatement in January.
Due to declining attendance, both the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Browns discontinued radio broadcasts from Sportsman’s Park in an effort to promote ticket sales with the hometown fans. All games had been aired since 1926, but only on weekdays for the last two years.
As a novelty concept (that would eventually catch on), fans were tasked with voting in the participants for the second annual All-Star Game, which was to be played on July 10th at the Polo Grounds in New York. Bill Terry of the New York Giants was the top vote-getter in the Midsummer Classic balloting.
Negro League ace Satchel Paige tossed a 4-0 no-hitter on July 4th against the Homestead Grays in Pittsburgh, and then drove to Chicago to shut out the Chicago American Giants 1-0 (in twelve innings) giving him two shutouts (in two different cities) on the same day.
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
3
March 8, 1900 – The National League of baseball decides to go with 8 teams. Franchises excluded from the year prior were Baltimore, Cleveland, Louisville & Washington (in 1953 Boston Braves move to Milwaukee)
March 8, 1913 – The Major League Baseball’s Federal League organizes with 6 teams, including the Chicago Whales, who built and played at Weeghman Park (now Wrigley Field); League folded after 3 seasons
March 8, 1930 – Babe Ruth, Number 3 of the New York Yankees signed and unbelievable 2 year $130,000 contract with the team. Ed Barrow then the Yankees General Manager stated that,” No one will be paid more than Ruth.” Barrow’s jaw would drop if he saw current contracts in the big leagues!
March 8, 1966 – Casey Stengel, who played before Numbers in the MLB for the Brooklyn Robins, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Braves as a Right fielder was elected to Hall of Fame
TODAY IN NBA HISTORY
March 8, 1971
The Milwaukee Bucks defeated Seattle 104-99 to run their winning streak to 20 straight games, the second-longest winning streak in NBA history, behind the 33 consecutive games won by the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1971-72 season. Milwaukee finished the 1970-71 season with a 66-16 record and went on to capture the NBA championship.
March 8, 1994
Chicago’s Scottie Pippen and Pete Myers became the first set of teammates in NBA history to convert four-point plays (3-point field goal and free throw) in the same game, with both turning the trick in the fourth quarter of the Bulls’ 116-95 win over visiting Atlanta.
March 8, 1996
Utah coach Jerry Sloan won his 500th career NBA game after the Jazz defeated visiting Houston 109-89.
March 8, 2006
In the first major professional sporting event in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city more than six months earlier, the Lakers defeat the Hornets, 113-107. A sellout crowd of 17,744 shows up at New Orleans Arena, which encountered flooding problems following one of the worst hurricanes in American history on August 29, 2005.
March 8, 2008
Atlanta defeats the Miami Heat in the first NBA “do-over” game in a quarter-century. On December 19, 2007 Atlanta’s scorer mistakenly fouled out Miami’s Shaquille O’Neal with 51.9 seconds left in overtime and the Hawks up, 114-111. Miami appealed and the league ordered the end of the game to be replayed. The game ends in anti-climactic fashion, as neither team scores. Despite having only five fouls, Shaq does not play in the redo, having been traded in the interim to the Phoenix Suns.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1954 — The Milwaukee Hawks beat the Baltimore Bullets twice 64-54 and 65-54, in the only doubleheader in NBA history involving the same two teams.
1958 — Silky Sullivan, ridden by Bill Shoemaker, wins the Santa Anita Derby by three lengths after trailing by 40 early in the race and by 20 entering the final turn.
1971 — Joe Frazier wins the world heavyweight title with a unanimous 15-round decision over Muhammad Ali at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
1990 — Kurt Browning becomes the first Canadian to defend a title in the World Figure Skating Championships as he edges early leader Viktor Petrenko of the Soviet Union.
1992 — Ray Floyd, 49, holds off Fred Couples for a two-stroke victory in the Doral Open and joins Sam Snead as the only men to win PGA Tour titles in four decades.
1997 — In the World Indoor Championship in Paris, Kevin Little becomes the first white American sprinter in 41 years to win a major international competition, matching the U.S. 200 record of 20.40 seconds.
2008 — At age 60, Saoul Mamby loses a unanimous 10-round decision to Anthony Osbourne in Grand Cayman. Mamby, a former super lightweight champion, becomes the oldest boxer in a sanctioned fight.
2008 — Lindsey Vonn wins her 10th career World Cup downhill to break the U.S. record held by Picabo Street and Daron Rahlves. Vonn breaks the record with her fifth downhill of the season in 1:23.57 on the 1.4-mile Crans-Montana, Switzerland course.
2010 — The top-ranked Connecticut Huskies set an NCAA women’s record by winning their 71st straight game, a 59-44 victory over No. 6 Notre Dame in the semifinals of the Big East tournament. UConn surpasses its own mark set from Nov. 9, 2001, to March 11, 2003.
2013 — The Big East Conference announces the departure of DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Villanova, allowing them to separate from the football schools and create their own conference on July 1.
2014 — Doug McDermott scores a career-high 45 points to become the eighth player in Division I history to go over 3,000 for a career and Creighton rolls past Providence 88-73.
2015 — Leonardo Mayer defeats Joao Souza in the longest Davis Cup singles match ever, winning 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5), 5-7, 5-7, 15-13 to keep Argentina alive against Brazil in their first round series. Mayer needed 6 hours, 42 minutes to beat Souza, which is also longer than the record for a clay-court match on the ATP tour.
2022 — Reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers agrees to remain with the Green Bay Packers in a reported 4-year, $200m deal that would make him the highest paid player in NFL history.
TV SPORTS FRIDAY
AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL (MEN’S)
3:30 a.m. (Saturday)
FS1 — AFL: Collingwood at Greater Western Sydney
AUTO RACING
8:25 a.m.
ESPN2 — Formula 1: Practice, Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
11:55 a.m.
ESPN2 — Formula 1: Qualifying, Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
5 p.m.
FS1 — NASCAR Cup Series: Practice, Phoenix Raceway, Phoenix
8 p.m.
FS1 — ARCA Menards Series: The General Tire 150, Phoenix Raceway, Phoenix
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
6 p.m.
CBSSN — Akron at W. Michigan
7 p.m.
ESPN2 — VCU at Dayton
8 p.m.
CBSSN — Kent St. at Toledo
ESPNU — Ohio Valley Tournament: TBD vs. Little Rock, Semifinal, Evansville, Ind.
9 p.m.
ESPN2 — Wichita St. at Tulane
10 p.m.
FS1 — Boise St. at San Diego St.
10:30 p.m.
ESPNU — Ohio Valley Tournament: TBD vs. UT-Martin, Semifinal, Evansville, Ind.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
11 a.m.
ACCN — Atlantic Coast Tournament: TBD vs. Notre Dame, Quarterfinal, Greensboro, N.C.
Noon
SECN — Southeast Tournament: TBD vs. South Carolina, Quarterfinal, Greenville, S.C.
12:30 p.m.
BTN — Big Ten Tournament: TBD vs. Ohio St., Quarterfinal, Minneapolis
1:30 p.m.
ACCN — Atlantic Coast Tournament: TBD vs. Virginia Tech, Quarterfinal, Greensboro, N.C.
2:30 p.m.
SECN — Southeast Tournament: TBD vs. Alabama, Quarterfinal, Greenville, S.C.
3 p.m.
BTN — Big Ten Tournament: TBD vs. Michigan, Quarterfinal, Minneapolis
5 p.m.
ACCN — Atlantic Coast Tournament: TBD vs. NC State, Quarterfinal, Greensboro, N.C.
6 p.m.
SECN — Southeast Tournament: TBD vs. LSU, Quarterfinal, Greenville, S.C.
6:30 p.m.
BTN — Big Ten Tournament: TBD vs. Iowa, Quarterfinal, Minneapolis
7:30 p.m.
ACCN — Atlantic Coast Tournament: TBD vs. Syracuse, Quarterfinal, Greensboro, N.C.
8 p.m.
PAC-12N — Pac-12 Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Las Vegas
8:30 p.m.
SECN — Southeast Tournament: TBD vs. Mississippi, Quarterfinal, Greenville, S.C.
9 p.m.
BTN — Big Ten Tournament: TBD vs. Indiana, Quarterfinal, Minneapolis
10:30 p.m.
PAC-12N — Pac-12 Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Las Vegas
COLLEGE HOCKEY (MEN’S)
7 p.m.
FS2 — Big Ten Tournament: Penn St. at Minnesota, Quarterfinal – Game 1
10 p.m.
CBSSN — Denver at Colorado College
GOLF
6 a.m.
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Jonsson Workwear Open, Second Round, Glendower Golf Club, Gauteng, South Africa
10 a.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Puerto Rico Open, Second Round, Grand Reserve Country Club (Old), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
2 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Arnold Palmer Invitational, Second Round, Bay Hill Golf Course, Orlando, Fla.
7 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Cologuard Classic, First Round, La Paloma Country Club, Catalina Foothills, Ariz.
Midnight
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The Blue Bay LPGA, Third Round, Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Club, Hainan, China
6 a.m. (Saturday)
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Jonsson Workwear Open, Third Round, Glendower Golf Club, Gauteng, South Africa
HORSE RACING
3 p.m.
FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
MLB BASEBALL
1 p.m.
MLBN — Spring Training: NY Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays, Dunedine, Fla.
8 p.m.
MLBN — Spring Training: Cincinnati vs. LA Dodgers, Glendale, Ariz.
NBA BASKETBALL
7:40 p.m.
ESPN — Minnesota at Cleveland
10:05 p.m.
ESPN — Milwaukee at LA Lakers
NHL HOCKEY
9 p.m.
NHLN — Minnesota at Colorado
RUGBY (MEN’S)
4 a.m.
FS2 — NRL: Penrith at Melbourne
SOCCER (MEN’S)
8:45 a.m.
FS2 — Saudi Pro League: Al-Hilal at Al-Riyadh
10 p.m.
FS2 — Liga MX: Toluca at Juárez
TENNIS
2 p.m. TENNIS — Indian Wells-ATP/WTA Early Rounds