THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” SATURDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2023

“THE SCOREBOARD”

INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL

ADAMS CENTRAL	64	SOUTH ADAMS	20
ANDERSON	64	LOGANSPORT	44
ANDREAN	50	HOBART	43	OT
AVON	64	FRANKLIN CENTRAL	53
BEECH GROVE	59	CASCADE	36
BELLMONT	54	DEKALB	52
BEN DAVIS	62	LAWRENCE NORTH	45
BENTON CENTRAL	49	TRI-COUNTY	40
BLOOMFIELD	73	WASHINGTON	45
BLUE RIVER	75	CENTERVILLE	46
BOONVILLE	51	MOUNT VERNON (POSEY)	39
BROWNSBURG	60	NOBLESVILLE	54
BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL	47	BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE	46
CARMEL	48	HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN	37
CARROLL (FLORA)	74	SHERIDAN	41
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE)	84	FORT WAYNE NORTHROP	57
CASTLE	60	JASPER	42
CHESTERTON	76	PORTAGE	42
CHURUBUSCO	82	HAMILTON	52
CLARKSVILLE	68	SALEM	59
CLAY CITY	57	NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG)	37
CLINTON PRAIRIE	68	PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY	29
COLUMBIA CITY	46	LEO	42
COLUMBUS NORTH	51	BLOOMINGTON SOUTH	38
CORYDON CENTRAL	52	EASTERN (PEKIN)	45	OT
COVENANT CHRISTIAN	51	BREBEUF JESUIT	49
CROTHERSVILLE	62	SEVEN OAKS CLASSICAL	44
CULVER	53	PIONEER	37
DALEVILLE	71	UNION CITY	45
DELPHI	51	ROSSVILLE	45
DELTA	43	NEW CASTLE	39
EAST NOBLE	64	NEW HAVEN	61
EASTERN HANCOCK	75	MORRISTOWN	28
EASTSIDE	31	GARRETT	27
ELWOOD	39	EASTERN (GREENTOWN)	36
EVANSVILLE BOSSE	72	EVANSVILLE MATER DEI	55
EVANSVILLE HARRISON	47	EVANSVILLE REITZ	45
EVANSVILLE NORTH	67	EVANSVILLE CENTRAL	62
FAIRFIELD	61	FREMONT	57
FAITH CHRISTIAN	78	CLINTON CENTRAL	62
FLOYD CENTRAL	62	MADISON	40
FOREST PARK	57	HERITAGE HILLS	42
FORT WAYNE NORTH	58	FORT WAYNE DWENGER	56
FORT WAYNE SNIDER	80	FORT WAYNE LUERS	67
FORT WAYNE WAYNE	74	FORT WAYNE SOUTH	33
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL	42	PARKE HERITAGE	40	OT
FRANKFORT	49	NORTH MONTGOMERY	35
FRANKLIN	59	PERRY MERIDIAN	39
FRANKTON	49	MISSISSINEWA	43
GIBSON SOUTHERN	61	TECUMSEH	43
GOSHEN	60	WAWASEE	45
GREENFIELD-CENTRAL	57	FRANKLIN COUNTY	25
HANOVER CENTRAL	56	LOWELL	42
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN	50	INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI	43
ILLIANA CHRISTIAN	62	CALUMET CHRISTIAN	35
INDIAN CREEK	50	SULLIVAN	49	OT
INDIANA MATH & SCIENCE	82	CHRISTEL HOUSE MANUAL	81	OT
INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS	81	INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY	54
INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL	47	FISHERS	44
INDIANAPOLIS RIVERSIDE	89	IRVINGTON PREP ACADEMY	52
JAC-CEN-DEL	57	HAUSER	52
JAY COUNTY	45	HERITAGE	44
JENNINGS COUNTY	74	COLUMBUS EAST	48
JOHN GLENN	72	JIMTOWN	34
KANKAKEE VALLEY	74	HEBRON	50
KNOX	72	OREGON-DAVIS	40
KOKOMO	72	RICHMOND	62
LAPORTE	84	MERRILLVILLE	75
LAVILLE	51	TRITON	35
LAFAYETTE JEFF	67	INDIANAPOLIS TECH	52
LAKE STATION	79	BOONE GROVE	47
LAKELAND	59	CENTRAL NOBLE	56
LAKEWOOD PARK	66	BETHANY CHRISTIAN	59
LAPEL	49	SHENANDOAH	41
LAWRENCE CENTRAL	81	INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON	38
LEWIS CASS	56	WESTERN	45
LOOGOOTEE	69	MITCHELL	34
MACONAQUAH	80	SOUTHWOOD	78
MADISON-GRANT	59	ALEXANDRIA	42
MANCHESTER	54	PERU	51
MARION	91	MCCUTCHEON	81	2OT
MARQUETTE CATHOLIC	84	HAMMOND NOLL	67
MARTINSVILLE	70	MOORESVILLE	64
MICHIGAN CITY	78	LAKE CENTRAL	57
MISHAWAKA MARIAN	76	SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH	48
MONROVIA	51	OWEN VALLEY	44
MORGAN TWP.	69	WHEELER	34
MUNCIE CENTRAL	44	HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE)	42
NEW PALESTINE	61	SHELBYVILLE	51
NEW PRAIRIE	60	SOUTH BEND ADAMS	49
NEW WASHINGTON	62	LANESVILLE	41
NORTH DAVIESS	77	NORTH KNOX	39
NORTH DECATUR	68	UNION COUNTY	37
NORTH HARRISON	61	CRAWFORD COUNTY	52
NORTH JUDSON	65	CASTON	39
NORTH NEWTON	42	FRONTIER	39
NORTHWOOD	64	MISHAWAKA	28
NORTHEAST DUBOIS	56	PERRY CENTRAL	41
NORTHEASTERN	62	TRI	48
NORTHFIELD	48	BLUFFTON	47
NORTHRIDGE	47	CONCORD	30
NORTHVIEW	85	BROWN COUNTY	56
NORTHWESTERN	57	TWIN LAKES	30
NORWELL	57	HUNTINGTON NORTH	32
OAK HILL	70	BLACKFORD	35
ORLEANS	46	PAOLI	28
PENN	85	SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON	51
PIKE CENTRAL	77	TELL CITY	32
PIKE	91	NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS)	70
PLAINFIELD	55	GREENWOOD	39
PROVIDENCE	31	NEW ALBANY	29
PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD	70	INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN	68
RANDOLPH SOUTHERN	77	COWAN	71
RIVERTON PARKE	72	NORTH VERMILLION	49
ROCHESTER	62	WABASH	61
ROCK CREEK ACADEMY	64	EDINBURGH	54
SCOTTSBURG	58	SILVER CREEK	35
SEEGER	72	COVINGTON	39
SHAKAMAK	80	EMINENCE	39
SHOALS	54	VINCENNES RIVET	39
SOUTH BEND CLAY	68	ELKHART	48
SOUTH BEND RILEY	68	BREMEN	28
SOUTH KNOX	49	BARR-REEVE	43
SOUTH RIPLEY	55	SOUTH DEARBORN	46
SOUTH SPENCER	48	PRINCETON	47
SOUTH VERMILLION	65	ATTICA	14
SOUTHRIDGE	56	NORTH POSEY	50
SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER)	71	RISING SUN	70
SWITZERLAND COUNTY	66	SHAWE MEMORIAL	36
TAYLOR	70	TRI-CENTRAL	55
TERRE HAUTE NORTH	58	BLOOMINGTON NORTH	57
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH	78	WEST VIGO	75	OT
TIPPECANOE VALLEY	86	NORTH MIAMI	39
TRI-TWP.	61	WEST CENTRAL	53
TRI-WEST	48	CRAWFORDSVILLE	44
TRINITY GREENLAWN	53	HAMMOND SCIENCE & TECH	33
TRITON CENTRAL	65	INDIANAPOLIS RITTER	59
VALPARAISO	78	CROWN POINT	73	OT
VINCENNES LINCOLN	61	EASTERN GREENE	46
WALDRON	56	SOUTH DECATUR	54
WAPAHANI	66	MONROE CENTRAL	40
WARSAW	38	PLYMOUTH	37
WASHINGTON TWP.	48	SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS)	45	OT
WES-DEL	52	EASTBROOK	46
WEST LAFAYETTE	54	LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC	49
WESTFIELD	64	HAMILTON HEIGHTS	42
WESTVIEW	61	PRAIRIE HEIGHTS	51
WESTVILLE	70	WHITING	59
WHITE RIVER VALLEY	72	SPRINGS VALLEY	68
WHITELAND	67	DECATUR CENTRAL	62
WINCHESTER	57	CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN	46
WOOD MEMORIAL	65	CANNELTON	21
WOODLAN	79	SOUTHERN WELLS	56
ZIONSVILLE	54	LEBANON	35
PUTNAM COUNTY TOURNAMENT
GREENCASTLE	40	CLOVERDALE	38	2OT | 3RD
NORTH PUTNAM	67	SOUTH PUTNAM	58	1ST

GIRLS BASKETBALL REGIONAL PAIRINGS

CLASS 4A

LAPORTE

VALPARAISO [23-2] VS. SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON [26-0]

LAKE CENTRAL [21-5] VS. NORTHRIDGE [22-5]

MARION

HOMESTEAD [19-5] VS. FISHERS [23-2]

FORT WAYNE SNIDER [20-4] VS. HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) [16-9]

DECATUR CENTRAL

LAWRENCE NORTH [17-9] VS. BROWNSBURG [16-9]

BEN DAVIS [17-9] VS. MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) [19-6]

BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE

CENTER GROVE [21-4] VS. FRANKLIN [18-5]

BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE [23-3] VS. EVANSVILLE CENTRAL [15-11]

CLASS 3A

JIMTOWN

MISHAWAKA MARIAN [22-5] VS. TIPPECANOE VALLEY [21-3]

FAIRFIELD [24-2] VS. HIGHLAND [17-6]

BELLMONT

HAMILTON HEIGHTS [19-5] VS. NORWELL [21-3]

TWIN LAKES [26-0] VS. GARRETT [14-11]

GREENCASTLE

INDIAN CREEK [25-1] VS. PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD [22-5]

CASCADE [22-2] VS. INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD [11-13]

CHARLESTOWN

CORYDON CENTRAL [24-2] VS. RUSHVILLE [14-13]

GIBSON SOUTHERN [20-4] VS. PRINCETON [16-10]

CLASS 2A

WINAMAC

CENTRAL NOBLE [24-2] VS. SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) [23-3]

ANDREAN [24-3] VS. NORTH MIAMI [19-5]

LAPEL

EASTBROOK [19-5] VS. LAPEL [19-7]

LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC [19-6] VS. FORT WAYNE LUERS [11-13]

SOUTHMONT

EASTERN HANCOCK [22-3] VS. UNIVERSITY [20-4]

GREENCASTLE [22-4] VS. UNION COUNTY [16-9]

CRAWFORD COUNTY

SOUTH RIPLEY [16-9] VS. NORTH KNOX [26-1]

BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL [19-7] VS. FOREST PARK [22-3]

CLASS 1A

CASTON

TRI-COUNTY [14-11] VS. BETHANY CHRISTIAN [21-3]

WASHINGTON TWP. [19-6] VS. ARGOS [13-12]

WES-DEL

TRI-CENTRAL [11-13] VS. ROSSVILLE [15-10]

TRI [24-1] VS. SOUTHWOOD [19-5]

SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)

JAC-CEN-DEL [15-11] VS. BETHESDA CHRISTIAN [12-13]

EMINENCE [17-6] VS. BLOOMFIELD [13-14]

WEST WASHINGTON

SPRINGS VALLEY [17-7] VS. TRINITY LUTHERAN [21-6]

LANESVILLE [24-2] VS. WOOD MEMORIAL [14-10]

INDIANA WRESTLING SEMI-STATE

1. EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (JOHN C. BARATTO ATHLETIC CENTER) | 8 AM CT 
FEEDER REGIONALS: CROWN POINT, HOBART, LOGANSPORT, PENN.

VIEW BRACKETS: https://www.trackwrestling.com/predefinedtournaments/MainFrame.jsp?newSession=false&TIM=1675638826745&pageName=%2Fpredefinedtournaments%2FBracketViewer.jsp&twSessionId=waenamisok

2. NEW HAVEN (ALLEN COUNTY WAR MEMORIAL COLISEUM) | 8 AM ET 
FEEDER REGIONALS: CARROLL (FORT WAYNE), GOSHEN, JAY COUNTY, PERU.

VIEW BRACKETS: https://www.trackwrestling.com/predefinedtournaments/MainFrame.jsp?newSession=false&TIM=1675638940555&pageName=%2Fpredefinedtournaments%2FBracketViewer.jsp&twSessionId=waenamisok

3. NEW CASTLE (NEW CASTLE FIELDHOUSE) | 8 AM ET 
FEEDER REGIONALS: FRANKFORT, PENDLETON HEIGHTS, PERRY MERIDIAN, RICHMOND.

VIEW BRACKETS: https://www.trackwrestling.com/predefinedtournaments/MainFrame.jsp?newSession=false&TIM=1675638980129&pageName=%2Fpredefinedtournaments%2FBracketViewer.jsp&twSessionId=waenamisok

4. EVANSVILLE F.J. REITZ (FORD CENTER) | 8 AM CT 
FEEDER REGIONALS: BLOOMINGTON SOUTH, CASTLE, JEFFERSONVILLE, MOORESVILLE.

VIEW BRACKETS: https://www.trackwrestling.com/predefinedtournaments/MainFrame.jsp?newSession=false&TIM=1675638907855&pageName=%2Fpredefinedtournaments%2FBracketViewer.jsp&twSessionId=waenamisok

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

BUTLER 69 #13 XAVIER 67

YOUNGSTOWN STATE 81 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 72

KENT STATE 72 BUFFALO 65

CLEVELAND STATE 57 ROBERT MORRIS 55

OHIO 90 AKRON 81

DAYTON 70 ST. LOUIS 56

WRIGHT STATE 83 NORTHERN KENTUCKY 65

AIR FORCE 89 NEW MEXICO 77

NEVADA 77 FRESNO STATE 66

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/CBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230210

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

#7 UTAH 92 WASHINGTON 69

#18 UCLA 62 OREGON STATE 54

#25 COLORADO 71 WASHINGTON STATE 68

INDIANA STATE 82 MURRAY STATE 71

BELLMONT 93 EVANSVILLE 53

DRAKE 71 VALPARAISO 54

ILLINOIS STATE 73 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 70

MISSOURI STATE 74 BRADLEY 64

NORTHERN IOWA 55 ILLINOIS CHICAGO 47

WRIGHT STATE 74 MILWAUKEE 65

GREEN BAY 54 NORTHERN KENTUCKY 51

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/WCBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230210

NBA SCOREBOARD

PHOENIX 117 INDIANA 104

DETROIT 138 SAN ANTONIO 131 2OT

PHILADELPHIA 119 NEW YORK 108

BOSTON 127 CHARLOTTE 116

UTAH 122 TORONTO 116

MIAMI 97 HOUSTON 95

MEMPHIS 128 MINNESOTA 107

CLEVELAND 118 NEW ORLEANS 107

OKLAHOMA CITY 138 PORTLAND 129

DALLAS 122 SACRAMENTO 114

MILWAUKEE 119 LA CLIPPERS 106

BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/NBA/SCOREBOARD.ASP

NHL SCOREBOARD

NY RANGERS 6 SEATTLE 3

TORONTO 3 COLUMBUS 0

CHICAGO 4 ARIZONA 3

PITTSBURGH 6 ANAHEIM 3

BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/NHL/SCOREBOARD.ASP

TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES

NFL NEWS

SUPER BOWL PREVIEW

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS VS. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

On Sunday, February 12, the Kansas City Chiefs (16-3) and the Philadelphia Eagles (16-3) will meet in Super Bowl LVII (6:30 PM ET, FOX) at State Farm Stadium in Arizona. It marks the sixth time since 2000 that the two No. 1 seeds will meet in the Super Bowl.

Kansas City and Philadelphia combined for 28 regular-season victories and 32 wins, including the postseason, this year, both tied for the second-most among Super Bowl opponents. The Chiefs became the third team with at least 12 regular-season wins in five consecutive regular seasons, joining NEW ENGLAND (eight straight seasons from 2010-17) and INDIANAPOLIS (seven straight seasons from 2003-09).

The Eagles, who led the NFL with 70 sacks, and Chiefs, who ranked second with 55, combined for 125 regular-season sacks, the most-ever by Super Bowl opponents. Philadelphia is looking to become the sixth team to lead the league in sacks and win the Super Bowl in the same season. The Eagles, who enter Super Bowl LVII with a single-season NFL record 39 rushing touchdowns, can become the fourth team since 1990 to lead the NFL in rushing touchdowns and win the Super Bowl in the same season, joining DALLAS (Super Bowl XXX), DENVER (Super Bowl XXXIII) and WASHINGTON (Super Bowl XXVI).

Kansas City head coach ANDY REID has 21 career postseason victories, trailing only BILL BELICHICK (31) for the most playoff wins by a head coach all-time. Including the postseason, he has the fifth-most total wins (268), by a head coach in NFL history, trailing only Belichick (329) as well as Pro Football Hall of Famers DON SHULA (347), GEORGE HALAS (324) and TOM LANDRY (270).

Reid, at 64 years and 330 days old on Sunday, can become the fourth-oldest head coach to win a Super Bowl. Philadelphia head coach NICK SIRIANNI, who will be 41 years and 242 days old on Sunday, can become the fifth-youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl. He would also become the ninth individual to win a Super Bowl within his first two seasons as a head coach and the first since 2017 (DOUG PEDERSON).

On Sunday, with starts by Chiefs quarterback PATRICK MAHOMES (27 years and 148 days old) and Eagles quarterback JALEN HURTS (24 years and 189 days old), it would mark the youngest combined age (51 years and 337 days) by starting quarterbacks in a Super Bowl.

Mahomes can become the fifth quarterback under the age of 30 to start three Super Bowls in a four-season span, joining TOM BRADY (three starts from 2001-04) and Pro Football Hall of Famers TROY AIKMAN (three from 1992-95), JOHN ELWAY (three from 1986-89) and BOB GRIESE (three from 1971-73). He can also surpass Brady (27 years and 187 days old in Super Bowl XXXIX) as the youngest quarterback ever to start three career Super Bowls.

Mahomes, who led the NFL with 5,250 passing yards, is looking to become the first player to throw for at least 5,000 yards and win the Super Bowl in the same season. He is set to face the league’s top pass defense in Philadelphia, who allowed 179.8 passing yards per game. There have been two previous instances of the passing yards leader and the top passing defense meeting in a Super Bowl, each won by the team with the top-ranked pass defense [Super Bowl XLVIII (Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING vs. SEATTLE) and Super Bowl XXXVII (RICH GANNON vs. TAMPA BAY)].

Hurts can become the fourth starting quarterback under the age of 25 to win a Super Bowl, joining BEN ROETHLISBERGER (23 years and 340 days old in Super Bowl XL), PATRICK MAHOMES (24 years and 138 days old in Super Bowl LIV) and TOM BRADY (24 years and 184 days old in Super Bowl XXXVI). Hurts is 16-1 as a starting quarterback this season, including the playoffs, the sixth-highest winning percentage by a quarterback in a single season in the Super Bowl era (minimum 10 starts).

Both Mahomes and Hurts are finalists for the Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player Award. There have been six previous instances of players winning both the NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP awards in the same season: Pro Football Hall of Famers TERRY BRADSHAW (1978), JOE MONTANA (1989), EMMITT SMITH (1993), BART STARR (1966), KURT WARNER (1999) and STEVE YOUNG (1994).

Kansas City tight end TRAVIS KELCE and Philadelphia center JASON KELCE are set to become the first pair of brothers to face off in a Super Bowl and the fourth set of brothers to appear in the same Super Bowl, joining GLENN and LYLE BLACKWOOD (Super Bowls XVII and XIX), ARCHIE and RAY GRIFFIN (Super Bowl XVI) and DEVIN and JASON MCCOURTY (Super Bowl LIII). The Kelce’s have combined for nine First-Team All-Pro selections, the most of any brother duo in NFL history.

Travis Kelce enters Super Bowl LVII ranked second in receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,467) and tied for second in touchdown receptions (15) in postseason history, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer JERRY RICE in all three categories.

Mahomes has thrown 13 postseason touchdown passes to Kelce, trailing only the pair of TOM BRADY and ROB GRONKOWSKI (15) for the most postseason touchdowns between a quarterback-receiver pairing in NFL history. The Chiefs duo have also connected for 1,129 yards in their postseason careers, the fourth-most yards in postseason history by a quarterback-receiver pairing, trailing only Brady and JULIAN EDELMAN (1,442 yards), Brady and Gronkowski (1,389) and the Pro Football Hall of Famer duo of TROY AIKMAN and MICHAEL IRVIN (1,169).

Hurts, who has 15 rushing touchdowns including the postseason – the most in a single season by a quarterback in NFL history – and running back MILES SANDERS (13 rushing touchdowns, including playoffs) are the first teammate duo each with at least 13 rushing touchdowns in a single season in NFL history, including the postseason. During the regular season, wide receivers A.J. BROWN (88 receptions for 1,496 yards) and DEVONTA SMITH (95 receptions for 1,196 yards) became the first duo in Philadelphia franchise history with at least 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. The Eagles look to join the 2006 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (Pro Football Hall of Famer MARVIN HARRISON and REGGIE WAYNE) as the only teams with two players each with at least 80 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards in the regular season and win the Super Bowl in the same year.

Kansas City defensive end FRANK CLARK recorded 1.5 sacks in the AFC Championship game and has 13.5 career postseason sacks, trailing only WILLIE MCGINEST (16) and Pro Football Hall of Famer BRUCE SMITH (14.5) for the most postseason sacks by a player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. Chiefs defensive tackle CHRIS JONES and Eagles linebacker HAASON REDDICK each recorded two sacks on Championship weekend and have a chance to join VON MILLER (2015) and LAMARR WOODLEY (2008) as the only players since 1982 to have at least two sacks in both a conference championship game and Super Bowl in the same postseason.

Reddick enters Super Bowl LVII with 19.5 sacks, including the postseason, tied for the fourth-most sacks by a player entering the Super Bowl since 1982. With Reddick (16 regular-season sacks), defensive end BRANDON GRAHAM (11), defensive tackle JAVON HARGRAVE (11) and defensive end JOSH SWEAT (11), the Eagles became the first team since 1982 with four players each recording at least 10 sacks in the same season.

DATE/TIME Sunday, February 12, 2023 @ 6:30 PM ET STADIUM State Farm Stadium, Arizona REFEREE Carl Cheffers PLAYOFF SERIES HISTORY LEADER First meeting in postseason KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (16-3 – AFC WEST – NO. 1 SEED) VS. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (16-3 – NFC EAST – NO. 1 SEED) • 6TH SB since 2000 to feature both No. 1 seeds. • 32 COMBINED WINS between KC & Phi., tied-2nd most in SB matchup ever. • 51 YEARS & 337 DAYS, combined age of Patrick Mahomes & Jalen Hurts on SB Sunday, youngest ever combined-age by starting QBs in SB.

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER Chiefs leads all-time series, 5-4

STREAKS Chiefs have won past 3

LAST GAME 10/3/21: Chiefs 42 at Eagles 30

PLAYOFF SERIES HISTORY

LEADER First meeting in postseason

CHIEFS NOTES:

PLAYOFF RECORD 19-21

CHAMPIONSHIPS 3: 1960, 1969 (SB IV), 2019 (SB LIV)

LAST POSTSEASON

GAME W 23-20 vs. Cincinnati (1/29/23 – AFC-C)

VS. COMMON

OPPONENTS

6-1: AZ (1-0), HOU (1-0), JAX (2-0), IND (0-1),

SF (1-0), TEN (1-0)

PTS. FOR 29.2

OFFENSE 413.6

PASSING Patrick Mahomes: 435-648-5,250-41-12-105.1

RUSHING Isiah Pacheco (R): 170-830-4.9-5

RECEIVING Travis Kelce (TE): 110-1,338-12.2-12

PTS. AGAINST 21.7

DEFENSE 328.2

SACKS Chris Jones: 15.5

INTs Juan Thornhill, L’Jarius Sneed: 3

TAKE/GIVE -3 (20/23)

PR Kadarius Toney: 6.1

KR Isiah Pacheco (R): 20.6

PUNTING (NET) Tommy Townsend: 50.4 (45.6)

KICKING Harrison Butker: 92 (38/41 PAT; 18/24 FG)

KANSAS CITY makes 3rd SB appearance in past 4 years & 5th in franchise history. • ANDY REID has 21 career postseason wins, 2nd-most ever by HC. • CHIEFS led NFL in total offense (413.6 yards per game) for 3rdconsecutive season & led in scoring offense (29.2 points per game).

QB PATRICK MAHOMES can join Tom Brady as only QBs to start 3 SBs in 1st 6 career seasons. Passed for 326 yards & 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 105.4 rating in AFC-C. Has 3,902 pass yards (300.2 per game) & 37 TDs (32 pass, 5 rush) vs. 7 INTs for 106.1 rating in 13 career postseason starts. Became 5th QB to lead NFL in pass yards (5,250) & TD passes (41) & advance to SB in same season. Had 5 TD passes vs. INT for 131 rating in last meeting. • RB JERICK MCKINNON led RBs with 9 rec. TDs in 2022, tied-most by RB in single season in SB era. Finished reg. season with TD catch in 6 straight games, longest streak ever by RB. • RB ISIAH PACHECO (rookie) aims for his 3rd in row in playoffs with 85+ scrimmage yards. Ranked 4th among rookie RBs with 830 rush yards & 2nd with 5 rush TDs, both 3rd-most ever by KC rookie. • TE TRAVIS KELCE had 7 catches for 78 yards & rec. TD in AFC-C. Ranks 2nd in postseason history in catches (127) & rec. yards (1,467) & ranks tied-2nd in rec. TDs (15). Aims for 6th in row in playoffs with rec. TD. Led TEs with 110 catches (tied 2nd-most ever by TE in single season) & 1,338 rec. yards (4th-most ever by TE in single season) in 2022. • WR MARQUES VALDES-SCANTLING had 6 catches for 116 yards & rec. TD in AFC-C. Aims for his 3rd in row in playoffs with TD catch.

DT CHRIS JONES had 1st 2 career playoff sacks & 3 TFL in AFC-C. Ranked tied-4th in NFL with 15.5 sacks in 2022 & is 1 of 5 players with 7+ sacks in each of past 5 seasons. • DE FRANK CLARK had 1.5 sacks in AFC-C & aims for his 3rd playoff game in row with sack. Has 13.5 career playoff sacks, 3rd-most since 1982. • DE GEORGE KARLAFTIS ranked 3rd among rookies with 6 sacks in 2022. Had 1st-career playoff sack in AFC-C. • LB NICK BOLTON ranked 2nd in NFL with career-high 180 tackles in 2022, most by KC player in single season since at least 2000. • CB L’JARIUS SNEED was 1 of 2 players in 2022 with 100+ tackles (108), 3+ sacks (3.5) & 3+ INTs (3). Has 9+ tackles in 3 of his past 4 playoff games. • CB JAYLEN WATSON can become 1st rookie & 6th player ever with INT in each of his 1st 3 career playoff games. • CB TRENT MCDUFFIE (rookie) aims for his 3rd playoff game in row with PD.

EAGLES NOTES:

PLAYOFF RECORD 25-24

CHAMPIONSHIPS 5: 1948, 1949, 1960, 2017 (SB LII)

LAST POSTSEASON

GAME W 31-7 vs. San Francisco (1/29/23 – NFC-C)

VS. COMMON

OPPONENTS

6-0: AZ (1-0), HOU (1-0), JAX (1-0), IND (1-0),

SF (1-0), TEN (1-0)

PTS. FOR 28.1

OFFENSE 389.1

PASSING Jalen Hurts: 306-460-3,701-22-6-101.6

RUSHING Miles Sanders: 259-1,269-4.9-11

RECEIVING A.J. Brown: 88-1,496-17.0-11

PTS. AGAINST 20.2

DEFENSE 310.5

SACKS Haason Reddick: 16

INTs C.J. Gardner-Johnson: 6

TAKE/GIVE +8 (27/19)

PR Britain Covey: 9.3

KR Boston Scott: 27.1

PUNTING (NET) Brett Kern: 40.8 (36.6)

KICKING Jake Elliott: 111 (51/53 PAT; 20/23 FG)

PHILADELPHIA advanced to 4th SB in team history. • NICK SIRIANNI has led Phi. to postseason in each of 1st 2 seasons. • EAGLES have 39 rush TDs in 2022 (incl. postseason), most rush TDs ever in single season, incl. playoffs. • PHILADELPHIA has 78 sacks in 2022 (incl. postseason), 3rd-most ever by team in single season, incl. playoffs.

QB JALEN HURTS can become 1st QB ever with rush TD in 3 straight postgame games within single season. Became 3rd QB ever with 3,500+ pass yards (3,701), 20+ TD passes (22) & 10+ rush TDs (13) in single season, 2nd-most rush TDs by QB in single season in NFL history. Became 1st QB alltime with 10+ rush TDs in consecutive seasons. Had 434 yards (career-high 387 pass, 47 rush) & 2 TD passes vs. 0 INTs for 105.1 rating in last meeting. • RB MILES SANDERS had 1st 2 career playoff rush TDs in NFC-C. Had career highs in rush yards (1,269) & rush TDs (11) in 2022. • RB KENNETH GAINWELL has 195 scrimmage yards (97.5 per game) & rush TD in 2022 postseason. Had rush TD in last meeting. • WR A.J. BROWN had 88 catches for franchise-record 1,496 yards (4thmost in NFL) & 11 rec. TDs in 2022. Had 8 catches for 133 yards & rec. TD in his last game vs. KC (10/24/21 w/ Ten.). • WR DEVONTA SMITH had 7 catches for 122 yards in last meeting. Had career highs in catches (95), rec. yards (1,196) & rec. TDs (7) in 2022. Brown & Smith were only pair of teammates each with 85+ catches & 1,100+ rec. yards this season. • TE DALLAS GOEDERT aims for his 5th in row in playoffs with 5+ catches.

LB HAASON REDDICK had 2 sacks, FF & FR in NFC-C & can join LaMarr Woodley (4) as only players since 1982 with 1.5+ sacks in 3 straight playoff games. Ranked tied-2nd in NFL with career-high 16 sacks & ranked tied-1st with 5 FFs. Became 1st player since 1982 with 10+ sacks in 3 straight seasons with 3 different teams. • DE BRANDON GRAHAM had sack in SB LII vs. NE. Had career-high 11 sacks in 2022. • DT JAVON HARGRAVE had career highs in sacks (11) & TFL (10) this season. Had 3rd-career playoff sack in NFC-C. Had sack in last meeting. • DE JOSH SWEAT had career highs in sacks (11) & TFL (15) in 2022. Has sack in 6 of his past 8 games, incl. playoffs. • DT FLETCHER COX has 7 TFL in 10 career playoff games. • LB T.J. EDWARDS was 1 of 4 with 150+ tackles (159 – tied-6th in NFL) & 10+ TFL (10) in 2022. • CB DARIUS SLAY (14 PD, 3 INTs) & CB JAMES BRADBERY (17 PD, 3 INTs) were only pair of teammates each with 14+ PD & 3+ INTs in 2022. • S C.J. GARDNER-JOHNSON ranked tied-1st in NFL with career-high 6 INTs.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

TIME 6:30 PM ET

TV FOX, FOX Deportes: Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews & Tom Rinaldi (field reporters)

NATIONAL RADIO Westwood One: Kevin Harlan, Kurt Warner, Laura Okmin & Mike Golic (field reporters)

Kansas City SiriusXM 82 or 226 and the SXM App

Philadelphia SiriusXM 83 or 225 and the SXM App

National SiriusXM 88 and the SXM App

DOLPHINS’ TAGOVAILOA SAYS HE’S ‘ALL IN’ TO PLAY NEXT SEASON

PHOENIX (AP) Tua Tagovailoa is grateful the Miami Dolphins kept him off the field after suffering his second concussion and he has no doubts about returning to play next season.

The third-year quarterback missed Miami’s final three games, including a playoff loss to Buffalo, after being diagnosed with a concussion following a loss to Green Bay on Dec. 25.

“One of the biggest things I was trying to do was get back on the field and it was something that I had to consult with my wife, consult with my parents, my family,” Tagovailoa told the AP Pro Football Podcast on Friday. “But at the end of the day, I think others had bigger interests in my health than I did. (I’m) talking about the Dolphins, and their whole plan was: `Hey, we want to just protect you from yourself and not put any pressure on you to return back for this year.’ And so, as much as I wanted to come back and a lot of the conversations that we’ve had, it’s just that’s how the cards played out.

“Looking back at it, I’m very, very grateful that they didn’t rush me back. I’ve been able to take care of myself that much more and better.”

The NFL and the players’ union revised concussion protocols in October following a joint investigation into the procedures after Tagovailoa suffered what was described as a back injury against the Buffalo Bills in September.

In the first half of a game against Buffalo on Sept. 25, Tagovailoa took a hit from Bills linebacker Matt Milano, which caused him to slam to the ground. He appeared disoriented afterward and stumbled as he tried to get to his feet.

Tagovailoa was immediately taken to the locker room and returned after he was cleared of any head injury.

Just four days later, Tagovailoa started against the Cincinnati Bengals in a Thursday night game. He suffered a concussion in the first half after his head violently slammed the ground on a sack. He displayed the fencing response after the scary hit and was taken off the field by stretcher. Tagovailoa returned after missing two games.

When he suffered the second concussion, the Dolphins held him out.

“I would say it’s very important,” Tagovailoa said about the team not allowing him to return. “In a game like this where masculinity is everything and how you portray yourself in a building like that, you either earn respect from your guys or you lose respect. There’s no `I respect you, but.’ It’s either you do or you don’t.

“And so having the doctors and all of those guys being able to kind of help take a lot of the load off with all that pressure has been really good.”

Tagovailoa was 8-5 in his 13 starts and threw for a career-high 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns with an NFL-best 105.5 passer rating. He plans to be ready for offseason workouts when the Dolphins return.

“No reservations here,” said Tagovailoa, who appeared on Radio Row on behalf of Subway. “I believe you’re either all in or you’re not. So I’m all in.”

NBA NEWS

BOGANDOVIC’S 32 LEAD PISTONS TO DOUBLE OT WIN OVER SPURS

DETROIT (AP) Bojan Bogdanovic scored 10 of his 32 points in overtime and the Detroit Pistons beat the San Antonio Spurs 138-131 in double overtime on Friday in a matchup of two of the NBA’s worst teams.

“That was two young teams with guys trying to make a mark in this league,” said Pistons rookie Jalen Duren, who had 30 points and 17 rebounds in 42 minutes. “I love games like this, where it is a bunch of young guys out there battling.”

Duren joined Moses Malone, LeBron James and Paolo Banchero as the only teenagers to have 30 points and 15 rebounds in an NBA/ABA game.

“He made a lot of big plays at the right time tonight,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. “He was big on the boards and he was catching the ball in traffic and finishing. He could have had even more if not for the (five) free throws he missed.

“He could barely walk by the end.”

San Antonio, which lost its 11th straight game, led 125-121 after Devonte’ Graham hit his sixth 3-pointer of his Spurs debut with 18 seconds left in the first overtime.

However, Bogdanovic hit a jumper and Isaiah Livers stole the inbounds pass. Bogdanovic, who missed a short jumper at the end of regulation, was fouled with 13.2 seconds left. He made both free throws, and the Spurs couldn’t get off a shot before the buzzer.

Detroit has the worst record in the Eastern Conference. San Antonio is slightly above Houston in the West and both are on pace to share the best odds to win the lottery and the No. 1 pick in the draft.

“I couldn’t ask any more out of those guys,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “They gave us a heck of a performance with teammates they had never played with before.”

Livers hit a 3-pointer to give the Pistons a 132-131 lead with 1:54 left in the second overtime, and Isaiah Stewart’s follow shot made it a three-point game. Graham missed a 3-pointer, and Bogdanovic clinched the game from the free-throw line.

Graham, acquired at the trade deadline, set a franchise record with 31 points in his team debut.

“They called me 15 minutes before the deadline and told me I had to get on a flight to Detroit,” he said. “I threw together two suitcases, grabbed some hoop shoes and met them here.”

Zach Collins had 29 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out in the first overtime while rookie Malaki Branham had a career-high 27 points.

“They both played great tonight,” Graham said. “(Branham) was really aggressive scoring the ball, and Zach did a great job playing a lot of minutes with five fouls. That shows he’s a smart player.”

Both teams were short-handed because of trade-deadline moves. James Wiseman, acquired for Saddiq Bey, wasn’t available for Detroit with that four-team trade still pending, while Khem Birch didn’t play for San Antonio after being picked up in the Jakob Poetl trade.

TIP INS

Spurs: Doug McDermott missed the fourth quarter with a sore right Achilles tendon.

Pistons: Detroit signed Stanley Umude to a 10-day contract on Friday. Umude was averaging 12.8 points and shooting 36.5% on 3-pointers for the Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s G-League affiliate.

A NIGHT OF IMPROV

Graham broke Willie Anderson’s record for points in a Spurs debut, but Anderson had been through a full training camp before putting up 30 points in his NBA debut. Graham barely knew his teammates, much less the Spurs system.

“I obviously didn’t know many plays, but we went over the basic concepts that every team uses,” he said. “(McDermott) was giving me some defensive schemes and a couple plays during timeouts.”

UP NEXT

Spurs: Visit the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.

Pistons: Visit the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

MAXEY GIVES 76ERS SPARK IN 119-108 WIN OVER KNICKS

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Tyrese Maxey provided a huge boost off the bench, scoring 27 points to help the Philadelphia 76ers rally from a 13-point deficit for a 119-108 win over the New York Knicks on Friday night.

Joel Embiid had 35 points and 11 rebounds on 14-of-18 shooting from the floor, while James Harden added 20 points and 12 assists to help the Sixers gain a measure of revenge for a loss in New York on Sunday night when Philadelphia relinquished a 21-point lead.

Philadelphia flipped the script with a 27-15 margin in the fourth quarter Friday night, holding the Knicks to just 35% (6 of 17) shooting in the final 12 minutes.

“It’s always better when you have stops and you aren’t taking the ball out of the nets every single time,” Maxey said. “You can advance the ball and cause matchup problems. You can get open 3s, and that’s hard to defend.”

Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson both scored 30 points for the Knicks.

“We played well for three quarters, but then we took the foot off the gas,” Brunson said. “You have to play four quarters and they did a good job in the fourth quarter of coming out with energy.”

Maxey was part of a key stretch late in the third quarter that changed the momentum of the contest.

After trailing by eight after a layup by Harden, Maxey stepped in front of a poor inbounds pass by R.J. Barrett and drilled a 3-pointer to cut a 10-point deficit to five and wake a sleepy Wells Fargo Center.

“That changed the game,” said Sixers forward Tobias Harris, who had 12 points. “That shifted the momentum and energy. All night, he was able to give us that spark and gave everyone energy out there.”

The Sixers were a plus-27 with Maxey on the floor Friday.

“I loved how he played,” Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers said. “He didn’t force it, he just let the play come to him. I love that he had it in his head early to attack first and let the shots come.”

Added Brunson: “That’s Tyrese Maxey for you. He’s a great player who is capable of a lot of things.”

Embiid added six assists and was instrumental down the stretch, including a three-point play with 1:36 left to stretch the 76ers’ lead back to six after the Knicks had made a run.

“Embiid is going to put some pressure on you, but I thought we covered (the 3-point line really well) and the rebounding was good through three quarters,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “But in the fourth quarter, we could have done better.”

Brunson, who played his college ball at Villanova and frequently played at the Wells Fargo Center, established the tone early for the Knicks by scoring 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the floor in the first quarter. Randle was 11 for 20 from the floor and 5 for 11 from beyond the 3-point line, grabbing 10 rebounds.

“I was just trying to get rid of the ball quick and stay aggressive,” Brunson said. “I didn’t want to force anything because I have a lot of confidence in my teammates.”

TIP-INS

Knicks: Josh Hart, acquired Wednesday night in a trade with Portland, was cleared through his physical Friday afternoon, but was declared inactive for the game. “We just want to see where we are,” Thibodeau said. When asked what role Hart, a Villanova teammate of Brunson on the 2016 NCAA champions, will have for the Knicks, Thibodeau was more circumspect. “Whether he comes off the bench doesn’t matter to me,” Thibodeau said. “He can play with different groups and his physicality is a natural.”

76ers: The Sixers activated Jalen McDaniels, who was picked up at Thursday’s trade deadline from Charlotte in a four-team deal that sent Matisse Thybulle to Portland. McDaniels did not play, however, after passing his physical. “His athleticism and his multi-positional abilities play well,” Rivers said. “He’s a high energy guy.” … Rivers said Furkan Korkmaz was fine despite not being traded at the deadline. Korkmaz had asked for a trade earlier in the week after undergoing a drop in playing time upon the return of Maxey to Philadelphia’s rotation. “I think he’s in a good spot,” Rivers said. “He’s not in a great spot, because he wants to play. But he’s good.”

UP NEXT

Knicks: Host Utah on Saturday night.

76ers: At Brooklyn on Saturday night.

TATUM SCORES 41, WHITE 33 AS CELTICS BEAT HORNETS 127-116

BOSTON (AP) Jayson Tatum scored 41 points and Derrick White set new career highs with 33 points and eight 3-pointers to help the Boston Celtics hold off the Charlotte Hornets 127-116 on Friday night.

Tatum began the fourth quarter on the bench but was reinserted after Charlotte cut Boston’s lead to 14 points with 7:03 to play. The Hornets trailed by 28 in the third quarter before closing period on 15-3 run.

It was Tatum’s eighth game this season with 40 or more points, but he played 37 minutes to do it on what was an otherwise light night of work for the MVP contender.

“You understand in the course of a game leads are never safe, regardless of a team’s record they’re always capable of making plays and knocking down shots,” Tatum said. “I seen earlier (president of basketball operations) Brad (Stevens) told you guys he was making me sit out next week. So I’ll get some rest then.”

Boston has won five of its last six overall and swept the season series with the Hornets 4-0.

Terry Rozier led Charlotte with 27 points. LaMelo Ball added 24 points and 10 assists. The Hornets have lost their last six games.

White hit his first eight shots of the night, including six from beyond the arc as Boston built as much as a 20-point, first-half lead. White ended the opening half with 26 points and seven 3-pointers. He finished 8 of 14 from 3 for the game. He also had 10 assists.

“When you’re in the zone it feels good and you just try to hit every shot,” White said.

His early scoring punch helped fill the void created by the absence of All-Star Jaylen Brown, who was diagnosed with a maxillary fracture in his face after he took an inadvertent elbow from Tatum on Wednesday while going for a rebound during the Celtics’ win over Philadelphia.

Brown’s unavailability did little to slow Boston, which shot 49% on the night and hit 25 3-pointers.

Charlotte fell behind 6-0 and never led.

The game also saw the debut of Boston’s newly acquired big man Mike Muscala after he was added at Thursday’s trade deadline in a deal with Oklahoma City for Justin Jackson and a pair of future second-round draft picks.

Muscala checked in for the first time at the 3:30 mark of the first quarter and netted his first points as a Celtic less than two minutes later when he connected on a 3-pointer from the wing.

He played 16 minutes and scored 12 points (hitting four 3s) with Al Horford missing his second straight game with a sore right knee.

With the No. 33 Muscala wore in Oklahoma City retired in the TD Garden rafters for Larry Bird, he chose to wear No. 57 with the Celtics. It honors his mother, who died before the season. She was born in 1957.

NO SURGERY

Stevens said he doesn’t anticipate Brown missing a significant amount of time.

Stevens said Brown has been fitted with a mask and will be evaluated over the next few days.

Tatum he feels terrible for his role in the “freak accident” that injured Brown.

“Whether it’s the mask or buying him a card, I think I got it,” Tatum said.

What kind of card?

“Something safe.”

TIP-INS

Hornets: Outscored Celtics 28-26 in third quarter. . Shot 48% for the game and 35% from the 3-point line (8 of 23).

Celtics: With a 3 in the closing seconds of the second quarter, Tatum became the youngest player (24 years, 344 days) in NBA history to reach 1,000 3-pointers. He’s the first to do it before turning 25 years old. He beat friend and fellow St. Louis’ native Bradley Beal’s mark of 25 years, 223 days. . Boston led 71-53 at halftime, connecting on 16 of 31 from the 3-point line. . Marcus Smart sat for the ninth consecutive game with a sprained right ankle. Stevens said Smart continues to get closer to a return but still is experiencing pain.

UP NEXT

Hornets: Visit Nuggets on Saturday.

Celtics: Host Grizzlies on Sunday.

JAZZ RALLY TO BEAT RAPTORS 122-116, SNAP 3-GAME SKID

TORONTO (AP) Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler each scored 23 points, Collin Sexton had 22 and the Utah Jazz overcame a 12-point deficit in the final five minutes to beat the Toronto Raptors 122-116 on Friday night and snap a three-game losing streak.

Kelly Olynyk scored 15 points and former Raptor Rudy Gay had 12 for the Jazz, who won despite shooting 6 for 24 from 3-point range, matching a season low. Utah also made six 3-pointers in a Feb. 6 loss to Dallas.

The Jazz lost 143-118 to Minnesota on Wednesday, their worst home defeat of the season – the same day they traded four players, including veteran guard Mike Conley.

“Last game, that’s a hard day,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “Today, I just felt like everybody was a little more settled. The nerves of the trade deadline are over, the uncertainty of all that is over, which helps settle everybody’s mind.”

Sexton liked the way the Jazz responded to the emotions from Wednesday.

“Tonight was one of those games where we had to play together,” Sexton said. “It was one of those games where we had to fight to the end and fight for one another, and that’s what we did.”

Pascal Siakam scored 35 points, topping 30 for the second straight game, but Toronto couldn’t extend its three-game winning streak. The Raptors have not won four straight at any point this season.

Gary Trent Jr. scored 19 points, Fred VanVleet had 17 and Precious Achiuwa 16 in a disappointing loss for the Raptors.

“It’s unacceptable by our standards,” VanVleet said.

Toronto led 112-100 with 4:53 remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Jazz tied it with a 12-0 run capped by Sexton’s 3-point play with 2:34 left.

Markkanen’s free throw with 2:07 to go completed a three-point play and gave the Jazz their first lead since the score was 4-3 in the first quarter.

The Raptors led 96-83 through three quarters but shot 8 for 23 in the fourth. Utah outscored Toronto 39-20 in the final period.

“A lot of guys made big plays down the stretch, but I’m most impressed with our defense,” Hardy said. “Fifty-five points (allowed) in the second half, 20 points in the fourth quarter, four points in the last five minutes of the game.”

Hours after being named an injury replacement for the All-Star Game, Siakam shot 12 for 21, making a season-high five of his seven attempts from distance and going 6 for 7 at the free-throw line. Siakam scored 37 points in Wednesday’s 112-98 win over the Spurs.

Center Jakob Poeltl came off the bench for Toronto after being acquired from San Antonio ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. Poeltl, who began his career with the Raptors, had six points and four rebounds in 17 minutes.

“I thought he played decent for just getting here,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.

TIP-INS

Jazz: G Jordan Clarkson (non-COVID illness) was not available. … Finished with 76 points in the paint. … Markkanen and Kessler each had nine rebounds. … Olynyk had eight assists and seven rebounds. … Talen Horton-Tucker had nine points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

Raptors: F O.G. Anunoby (sprained left wrist) missed his seventh straight game. … Scottie Barnes had 12 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. … Ended a nine-game run against Western Conference opponents.

FINDING THEIR RANGE

Utah finished 6 for 19 from 3-point range after an 0 for 5 start.

“As the game went on, we did a better job of getting to our second and third actions and creating some better looks from 3,” Hardy said.

HELPING HAND

Toronto had 18 assists on 20 made baskets in the first half. They finished with 28.

UP NEXT

Jazz: Visit New York on Saturday.

Raptors: Host Detroit on Sunday.

BUTLER’S DUNK AT END GIVES HEAT 97-95 WIN OVER ROCKETS

MIAMI (AP) The play was drawn up by assistant coach Chris Quinn during a Miami Heat scrimmage at the NBA restart bubble in 2020. A lob to the rim off an inbounds pass, and the result was a Jimmy Butler dunk.

When that happened, Butler hung on the rim, pointed to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and demanded it be used in a game.

Almost three years later, the play – “CQ” on Spoelstra’s game sheet, the initials of its inventor – finally got used. And it worked.

Gabe Vincent threw an alley-oop inbounds pass to Butler for a dunk with 0.3 seconds remaining, giving the Heat a 97-95 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday night for their eighth consecutive home win.

“It took us about three years to get back to it,” Spoelstra said. “That’s one of those benefits of all the time we had in the bubble.”

Tyler Herro had 31 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Heat, who won despite scoring only 39 second-half points. Bam Adebayo scored 20 points, Butler had 10 of his 16 points in the fourth and Max Strus added 14 for Miami.

“Any way to get a win, at this point in the season, it’s all about wins,” Herro said. “We’ll take one any way we can get one.”

Jabari Smith Jr. scored 22 points for the Rockets. Kenyon Martin Jr. had 17 and Alperen Sengun added 12. Jalen Green had 11 points, including a game-tying layup with 0.7 seconds left.

But Miami called time, Vincent threw the lob and Butler ended up on his back – after the game-winner. The Heat swept the season series with the Rockets, winning two games by a combined five points.

“There was confusion whether we were switching or not,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said of the final play. “I said in the huddle, `Stay home, stay home, stay home.’ And we didn’t stay home, and it was an avalanche after that. … We’ve got to learn these lessons.”

It was Houston’s first game since being involved in trade-deadline deals – sending Eric Gordon to the Los Angeles Clippers in a three-team move that landed the Rockets Danny Green, and picking up Justin Holiday and Frank Kaminsky in another.

“We are going to have the most cap space this summer of any team in the NBA, I believe. … We’re going to have a lot of room to sign free agents, to make trades into that space, to really transform the team,” Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said. “And we decided that we’re really, really valuing that flexibility. Within that context, we think that we improved the team.”

But the acquisition of John Wall, as expected, was essentially just to make salary math work. Barring a major change in thinking, his return to the Rockets only exists on paper.

“We do intend, at this time, to waive John,” Stone said.

TIP-INS

Rockets: Houston’s 28-game streak of allowing at least 100 points ended. … The Rockets – as many teams have done this season when the schedule allows – are making a mini-vacation out of their trip to Miami. They’re not scheduled to leave town until Sunday. Some practice time before leaving Miami is planned.

Heat: Jamaree Bouyea got his first basket, making him the 278th player to score in a Miami uniform. … Udonis Haslem missed the game for personal reasons. … Kyle Lowry missed his third consecutive game with left knee soreness and won’t play on Saturday either. It wouldn’t seem likely that he plays again before the All-Star break.

MORE 3s

The first five baskets of the game were 3-pointers – three by Miami, two by Houston. Miami was 8 for 20 from beyond the arc in the first half, after going 6 for 19 in the entirety of Wednesday’s win over Indiana. Miami ended up 12 for 38 on 3s, exactly doubling the numbers against the Pacers.

CLANK

The third quarter score was Rockets 17, Heat 17. The 34 combined points was the third-fewest in a third quarter this season – the Heat and Brooklyn combined for 31 on Jan. 8, and the Nets and Boston combined for 32 on Dec. 4.

UP NEXT

Rockets: Visit Philadelphia on Monday.

Heat: Visit Orlando on Saturday.

MORANT HAS NEAR TRIPLE-DOUBLE AS GRIZZLIES TOP TIMBERWOLVES

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Ja Morant had 32 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, Desmond Bane added 20 points and the Memphis Grizzlies built a big lead through the fourth quarter and coasted to a 128-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.

Santi Aldama finished with 18 points, while Jaren Jackson added 15 points and four blocks as Memphis was still shooting close to 60% when both teams emptied their benches in the fourth.

Memphis, which built some cushion late in the first half, went on a 9-0 run to stretch its lead to 112-92 in the fourth. The win was the second straight for Memphis, after going through a stretch where the Grizzlies lost eight of nine.

“This was just a product of getting a couple of practices under our belt. A couple of shootarounds,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. “Guys watching film and craving it.”

Like many teams, Minnesota had to choose how to try to stop Morant, who was 13 of 23 from the field. He was 10 of 15 in the paint, scoring 20 points in that area. But things got tougher with Morant connecting on a trio of 3-pointers in the first half.

Minnesota coach Chris Finch said his defenders were too far off the ball at the point of attack.

“It’s certainly a challenge for anyone to keep A, Ja out of the paint, and B, away from the rim,” Finch said.

Jaylen Nowell led the Timberwolves with 21 points, while Anthony Edwards scored 17 points. Taurean Prince and Kyle Anderson scored 12 points apiece for Minnesota.

With Thursday’s trade deadline still working itself out, the Timberwolves pieces were available to play. Mike Conley, acquired by Minnesota from Utah at the trade deadline, started at point guard and had nine points. Luke Kennard, who the Grizzlies picked up from the Los Angeles Clippers, did not play.

“It was weird,” Conley said of walking into the starting point guard role the day after the trade, “But it was like basketball at the end of the day. … I didn’t know anything as much as I would like to.”

The teams played extremely close through the first two quarters. Neither team led by more than six points until Memphis went on a 12-2 run to close the half. There were nine ties and three lead changes before the Grizzlies took a 69-58 advantage.

The teams’ two electrifying guards – Morant and Edwards – led their respective teams in the half, with Morant scoring 20 points and Edwards, the top scorer for Minnesota, with 11.

The teams played even through most of the third until another closing burst by Memphis stretched the lead to 103-86. At that point, Memphis was shooting 62% for the game.

“They made a lot of tough shots,” Conley said, “but for the most part, we let them get too many easy ones.”

TIP-INS

Timberwolves: In addition to Conley, Nickeil Alexander-Wallace, picked up in trade deadline acquisitions, was available but did not play. … Gobert grabbed seven rebounds in the first half to pass Caldwell Jones for 83rd on NBA’s career list. In the fourth quarter, he tied Sam Perkins for 82nd.

Grizzlies: Bane passed Michael Dickerson for 20th in franchise scoring. … Morant’s 3-pointers in the first half, tied him with with Marc Gasol for 10th on franchise list with 301.

A LUKE BOOST

When asked about the improved play Friday night, Morant said it was due to “my dog, Luke (Kennard).”

And Morant, not necessarily known for his 3-point shooting, said Kennard’s presence helped him on his 3-pointers in the first half. “I had to step up a little bit,” Morant said. “Shoot like him.”

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: Play the Mavericks at Dallas on Monday

Grizzlies: Travel to Boston on Sunday

MITCHELL SCORES 30, CAVS TOP PELICANS TO WIN 5TH STRAIGHT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Donovan Mitchell and the surging Cavaliers arrived in a city where they hadn’t won in a decade and demonstrated why Cleveland was among just three teams that held off on making any deals at this week’s NBA trade deadline.

Mitchell scored 30 points and Cleveland maintained a double-digit lead most of the way for a 118-107 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night that extended the Cavaliers’ winning streak to five games.

“We just kept making the right play over and over again,” Mitchell said. “You’re starting to see us get more familiar with each other, get more comfortable and now you’re starting to see what that team looks like and the team we want to be ultimately.

“We believe in ourselves,” Mitchell added. “We believe in what we have.”

Evan Mobley had 28 points and 13 rebounds, while Jarrett Allen added 20 points and 11 rebounds for Cleveland, which snapped the Pelicans’ three-game winning streak and won in New Orleans for the first time since March 2010.

“Chemistry’s at an all-time high right now,” Mobley said. “Everyone’s clicking on offense. Everyone’s hitting shots, playing their role and on defense, we’re doing the same thing, getting to our spots and just running our system very well.”

Cleveland shot 56.5% (48 of 85), outscored New Orleans 70-58 in the paint and outrebounded the Pelicans 41-34.

“Offensively we were just completely selfless,” Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It was one of our best games, I believe, in picking apart an opponent by the way they were playing us. We were able to get open layups on the back side, open 3s.”

The Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram scored 25 points, his fourth straight game with at least that many. Trey Murphy added 17 points and CJ McCollum 12 for New Orleans.

Cleveland went in front for good in the first quarter and opened up a 22-point, first-half lead.

“Just a lack of toughness tonight to be honest,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “That game is not an example of who we are and who we have been.

“Our margin for error is small,” Green added. “We can’t allow teams to get out to leads like that.”

The Cavs led by as many as 25 in the second half and the lead hovered around 20 until the latter stages of the fourth quarter, when most of the starters had gone to the bench for good.

“We love the group that we have,” Bickerstaff said. “We are confident in giving it time and letting guys grow together. We are not in a rush. We have guys that are developing, learning how to win and learning how to play together. There is no reason to skip steps and do something desperate when we are not.”

Mitchell had 21 points in the first half, highlighted by an off-balance scoop off the glass while being fouled from behind by McCollum.

Mitchell’s driving floater gave Cleveland a 73-55 lead late in the second quarter before Ingram’s free throw made it 73-56 at halftime.

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: Darius Garland scored 11 points. … Mobley had 18 points and 10 rebounds before halftime. … Came in allowing an NBA-low 106.2 points per game. … Have won each game during their current winning by 11 or more points.

Pelicans: Herb Jones scored 11 points, highlighted by a soaring two-handed dunk in the first half. … Newly acquired guard Josh Richardson did not arrive in New Orleans in time to play and watched in street clothes. He was acquired in exchange for Devonte’ Graham and four second-round picks on Thursday. … Fell to 20-10 at home in what was their last home game before the All-Star break. … Fell to 11-14 vs. Eastern Conference teams. … Shot 47.6% (39 of 82), including 9 of 24 from deep. … All-Star forward Zion Williamson (right hamstring) missed his 20th straight game. Green said he will also miss New Orleans’ last two games before the All-Star Game, from which Williamson was officially scratched earlier in the day.

UP NEXT

Cavaliers: Host Chicago on Saturday.

Pelicans: Visit Oklahoma City on Monday.

GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER HAS 44, THUNDER TOP TRAIL BLAZERS 138-129

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander matched his career high with 44 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 138-129 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.

Gilgeous-Alexander was 13 of 16 from the floor and hit 18 of 19 free-throw attempts. He is the first player in Thunder history to score 40-plus points on 80% shooting. He also had seven assists.

“Shot a lot of free throws tonight for sure. That helps,” he said. “I just played in my comfort zone tonight. I tried to put pressure on the defense a lot.”

Josh Giddey added 19 points for the Thunder, who had lost three of their previous five games.

Damian Lillard led the Trail Blazers with 38 points, and Jerami Grant added 23.

It was back-and-forth for much of the game, but Portland went up 112-103 in the fourth quarter on Anfernee Simons’ 3-pointer.

But the Thunder took over, boosted by a 16-2 run.

Oklahoma City closed within 112-111 on Isaiah Joe’s 3-pointer and then went ahead on Giddey’s jumper with 7:31 left. Lillard answered with a basket that gave Portland back a slim lead.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s dunk gave Oklahoma City a 119-114 lead with 5:22 to go. Lu Dort’s 3-pointer made it 129-121 with 2:45 left to all but seal it for the Thunder. Dort finished with 18 points off the bench.

“From halftime on we were saying internally that we were going to have to get stops if we wanted to get the game — otherwise it was going to be a scoring fest, first to 140-type thing,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “It took us a while to get there … but once we got going, we got into nice defensive rhythm, we were really active, really helping each other, really engaged.”

The Trail Blazers started Cam Reddish, who they acquired in a trade before the deadline with the Knicks. Reddish scored 11 points starting in place of Josh Hart, who was sent to New York in the deal.

“We just couldn’t stop a nosebleed, man. It was really bad,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “But it started you know at the start, really. And they’re a tough team to guard. They really are.”

Grant was hit in the face midway through the first quarter and fell to the court. He stayed down for several moments before heading to the locker room. He returned in the second quarter.

There was drama Friday night surrounding another Portland move at the trade deadline: Guard Gary Payton II, sent to the Warriors in a four-team trade, had reportedly flunked his physical – putting the trade in jeopardy.

Blazers general manager Joe Cronin spoke to the media before the game and said he had only just seen the news, first reported by The Athletic, and could not comment.

Oklahoma City was also active before Thursday’s trade deadline, acquiring Justin Jackson and draft picks from the Boston Celtics in exchange for forward/center Mike Muscala. Jackson was waived on Friday.

The Thunder also acquired Dario Saric, a 2029 second-round draft pick and cash considerations from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for forward Darius Bazley. Saric was not yet with the team.

Lillard had 20 points in the opening quarter and the Blazers had a slim 35-33 lead.

The Thunder pulled ahead late in the first half and led 72-68 at the break. Gilgeous-Alexander led all players with 24 points.

Shaedon Sharpe’s 3-pointer gave the Blazers a 105-103 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

TIP INS

Thunder: Oklahoma City won the first two meetings with the Blazers this season. … The Thunder signed forward Eugene Omoruyi to a standard contract Friday, bumping him up from a two-way contract.

Trail Blazers: It was the third of a five-game homestand for the Blazers, who went 1-1 to start. … Portland opened the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run but couldn’t sustain the momentum.

UP NEXT

Thunder: Host New Orleans on Monday.

Trail Blazers Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.

IRVING’S 25 POINTS, 10 ASSISTS LEAD MAVERICKS OVER KINGS

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Kyrie Irving had 25 points and 10 assists as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Sacramento Kings 122-114 on Friday night for their third straight win.

Irving played his second game since being traded by the Brooklyn Nets to the Mavericks. In his Dallas debut, he scored 24 points Wednesday night in a road win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Josh Green scored 17 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 15 as the Mavericks won for the fifth time in six games.

“We are playing fast and moving the ball,” Green said. “Playing off the ball. Really unselfish style of the game. It’s fun to play with.”

Dallas led by as many as 24 points and never trailed. The Kings cut the deficit to six points with 20 seconds remaining.

“Just being connected and understanding the roles,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said of the success.

De’Aaron Fox scored 33 points for Sacramento. The Kings were coming off back-to-back wins over the Houston Rockets.

“Yeah, we struggled from 3,” Fox said. “But I don’t think offense was a problem tonight … 114 points should be enough to win an NBA game.”

Domantas Sabonis had 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Kings. He leads the NBA in double-doubles with 43.

“Dallas came out and hit us in the mouth to begin the game,” Kings coach Mike Brown said. “We gave up 45 points in the first quarter and that’s hard to recover from.”

Keegan Murray added 16 points, making four 3s.

TIP-INS

Mavericks: Dallas ruled out G Luka Doncic with a right heel contusion. His status for Saturday night’s game at Sacramento remains undetermined.

Kings: Fox was chosen as an NBA All-Star replacement earlier in the day. It will mark his first All-Star game appearance. . G Malik Monk exited in the final minute of the third quarter after taking a hard fall. He walked off the floor under his own power into the locker room and didn’t return because of an injured right ankle.

UP NEXT

The teams finish a two-game series with another game in Sacramento on Saturday night.

BUCKS BEAT CLIPPERS 119-106 FOR 10TH STRAIGHT WIN

LOS ANGELES (AP) Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 35 points and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Los Angeles Clippers 119-106 on Friday night for their first 10-game winning streak since 2019-20.

Brook Lopez had 22 points and 15 rebounds, and Jrue Holiday added 19 points for the Bucks, who have won 12 of 13. They completed a back-to-back sweep in LA, having beaten the Lakers a night earlier.

“There’s a point in the season where things get repetitive and winning has been,” Holiday said.

Paul George led six Clippers in double figures with 19 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. They were without Kawhi Leonard, who sat out due to injury management.

Antetokounmpo had 38 points and 10 rebounds against the Lakers. He picked up where he left off, scoring the Bucks’ first eight points as they raced to a 14-2 lead to open the game.

“You have a 7-footer that shoots a 3-point shot (Lopez) and if you put a forward on Giannis, he’s going to attack the basket, get to the free-throw line, finish at the rim,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “They put you in a tough predicament. That’s why they’re a good team and they won a championship a few years ago.”

The Greek Freak came in averaging 37.6 points, 14 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting 61% from the floor during the Bucks’ winning streak. He was the leading vote-getter in the Eastern Conference for the All-Star Game on Feb. 19. He’ll be making his seventh straight start and was voted a captain for the third time.

“We’re all playing confidently, playing together and clicking,” Lopez said.

The Clippers rallied before losing 106-105 at Milwaukee last week. They did it again in the third when neither team led by more than five for much of the period. Antetokounmpo eventually took over, stretching Milwaukee’s lead to 76-68 with three straight baskets and he assisted on a basket by MarJon Beauchamp.

The Bucks dominated the fourth, extending their lead from five points to double-digits.

Antetokounmpo scored seven of the Bucks’ first 10 points in the second. When he went to the bench, Lopez scored 14 points to send the Bucks into halftime leading 54-51.

TIP-INS

Bucks: Jae Crowder, newly acquired from Phoenix, will join the team in Milwaukee this weekend. … Lopez, who is 34, became the oldest player in the NBA to make 100 3-pointers and have 100 blocked shots in a season. … The Bucks earned their first season sweep of the Clippers since 2019-20 and just their third since 2000-01. … Khris Middleton (injury management) sat out after scoring 22 points against the Lakers. … Bobby Portis (right knee MCL sprain) missed his ninth straight game.

Clippers: George hit a 3-pointer in the third that gave him 16,000 career points. … Leonard missed his 20th game of the season while resting his right knee. The team fell to 9-11 when he’s out because of his knee.

UP NEXT

Bucks: Host Boston on Tuesday.

Clippers: Host Golden State on Tuesday.

SIAKAM, EDWARDS, FOX ADDED TO NBA ALL-STAR GAME ROSTER

NEW YORK (AP) Toronto forward Pascal Siakam, Minnesota guard Anthony Edwards and Sacramento guard De’Aaron Fox have been added to the player pool for the All-Star Game as injury replacements.

Commissioner Adam Silver’s office announced the picks Friday, after they were first reported by ESPN.

Siakam, Edwards and Fox replace Golden State’s Stephen Curry, New Orleans’ Zion Williamson and Phoenix’s Kevin Durant – all of whom are injured and will be unable to play in the Feb. 19 game at Salt Lake City.

It’s the second All-Star selection for Siakam, and the first for Edwards and Fox.

Curry, Williamson and Durant were all selected as starters for the game. Those starting spots will now go to Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, Utah’s Lauri Markkanen and Memphis’ Ja Morant, the NBA said.

All-Star starters are chosen in a weighted vote that takes into account fan, media and player balloting. All-Star reserves are chosen by NBA coaches. Injury replacements are selected by Silver.

The rosters for the game will be chosen by captains LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks shortly before tip-off. This is the sixth year that the NBA has used the captain-draft format for the game, but the first time that those selections will be made on game day.

TRAIL BLAZERS SAY THEY WERE CONFIDENT PAYTON II WAS HEALTHY

(AP) — Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin said Friday the team was confident Gary Payton II was healthy before agreeing to trade him to Golden State in a four-team deal that could be at risk.

The Athletic reported that Payton had failed Golden State’s physical on Friday. The Warriors can either allow the trade to go through anyway, or rescind it.

Cronin said he was aware of the report but hadn’t been contacted by the Warriors, Hawks or Pistons, who were also in the deal.

“I haven’t heard from any teams about this. So for now I have to defer,” said Cronin, who was at a news conference to speak about Portland’s moves at the NBA trade deadline.

Payton’s time in Portland was brief. He signed a $28 million, three-year contract last summer after playing on Golden State’s NBA championship team. But he missed the first 35 games of the season in Portland because of a core injury that required surgery.

The Athletic reported that that Payton could be sidelined for two to three months with the injury. The report also cite unnamed sources that said he had been playing through pain in Portland.

“He had been cleared and we were confident that he was healthy when he was playing,” Cronin said. “We would not have brought him back if we thought he wasn’t healthy or if he was at risk.”

Portland coach Chauncey Billups agreed.

“We would never push a guy to play. Whether it’s medical or whether a guy just doesn’t feel like he can play that night – say he’s got a headache or say he’s just got a lot of stress at home, or say he has a death in the family,” Billups said. “I would never push somebody to play because I would always be scared of me doing that and then something actually happening.”

As part of the trade, Golden State received unprotected 2026 and `28 second-round draft picks from Portland while giving up Memphis’ 2026 second-round pick and its own 2028 second-round selection to the Blazers.

The Warriors sent center James Wiseman to Detroit in the four-team trade. The Pistons traded forward Saddiq Bey to the Hawks and the Blazers acquired forward Kevin Knox II from the Detroit along with three conditional second-round picks from the Hawks.

In another move before the deadline, the Blazers also dealt forward Josh Hart to the New York Knicks in exchange for forward Cam Reddish, guard Ryan Arcidiacono and a 2023 first-round pick.

Billups said Reddish would start Friday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Blazers also acquired guard Matisse Thybulle from the Philadelphia 76ers for a 2029 second round pick and sent a 2027 second-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets.

NETS’ THOMAS FINED $40,000 BY NBA FOR DEROGATORY SLUR ON TV

NEW YORK (AP) Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas was fined $40,000 by the NBA on Friday for using derogatory and disparaging language during a live television interview.

Thomas was being interviewed along with Spencer Dinwiddie on TNT after the Nets’ 116-105 victory over Chicago on Thursday night. He was asked about Dinwiddie’s joke that he and Dorian Finney-Smith, who came together from Dallas in the trade for Kyrie Irving, helped make the Nets a better-looking team.

Thomas laughingly responded with a gay slur.

The 21-year-old guard, who before Thursday had become the youngest player in league history with three straight 40-point games, apologized after the game on social media.

“I want to apologize for the insensitive word I used in the post-game interview,” he wrote on Twitter. “I was excited about the win and was being playful. I definitely didn’t intend to offend anyone, but realize that I probably did. My apologies again. Much love.”

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

NEW MEXICO ST. SUSPENDS OPERATIONS OF MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM

(AP) — New Mexico State indefinitely suspended its men’s basketball program Friday night in a virtually unheard-of move that the university says is unrelated to a fatal shooting involving one of its players last year.

The school also placed first-year coach Greg Heiar and his staff on administrative leave for what it said were violations of university policy and separate from the Nov. 19 shooting of a student from rival University of New Mexico. Aggies power forward Mike Peake was suspended in early December while a third-party investigator looks into his involvement in the shooting in Albuquerque.

The shut-down of a Division I program in midseason for reasons other than a spate of injuries or, more recently, a COVID-19 outbreak, is virtually unheard of. SMU’s football program canceled its 1988 season after the NCAA handed it the “death penalty” the year before, but that move was made before the season was underway.

New Mexico State’s game against California Baptist on Saturday has been cancelled, and it is unknown how many more of the team’s five remaining games, all in the Western Athletic Conference, will also be wiped out.

The program has been teetering since the night of the shooting. Shortly after the shooting, Heiar loaded the team onto a bus and left town, minus Peake and three players who had picked him up and taken him to the hospital with a leg injuries. Police stopped the bus on its way back to the school’s campus, three hours south in Las Cruces.

Peake has not been charged in the shooting. The district attorney in Albuquerque is conducting a separate investigation.

The school’s announcement said Friday’s move was not related to the shooting and its aftermath. The board of regents released a separate statement saying it supported “the action taken by the university leaders and is confident a full and thorough investigation will be conducted.”

The Aggies had previously canceled the game against the Lobos in Albuquerque that had been scheduled for the day after the shooting, along with the Dec. 3 rematch in Las Cruces.

The Aggies have won seven WAC titles and made eight appearances in March Madness since 2007. They are supposed to move into Conference USA next year. But this year, they have struggled to a 9-15 record – including 10 losses in their last 12 games – under Heiar, who took over for Chris Jans when he left for Mississippi State. Jans went 122-32 in five seasons and took the Aggies to three tournaments.

Leadership at the school is also in flux. The board of regents recently decided not to renew the contract of Chancellor Dan Arvizu, which expires in June. Over the past 14 months, both the school’s president and provost have resigned or been removed from their positions.

NHL NEWS

TARASENKO SCORES IN DEBUT, RANGERS BEAT KRAKEN 6-3

NEW YORK (AP) Vladimir Tarasenko was still caught in the whirlwind of being traded for the first time when he put an emphatic stamp on his first game with the New York Rangers.

The 31-year-old Russian forward scored early in his New York debut, Kaapo Kakko and Vincent Trocheck each had a goal and an assist, and the Rangers beat the Seattle Kraken 6-3 on Friday night for their fourth straight win.

“I don’t think I’ve ever experienced this in my life. It’s my first time getting traded in the NHL, like I spent 11 years in one city,? Tarasenko said. “The guys give us a very warm welcome … Crazy day though.”

Ryan Lindgren also had a goal and an assist, and Jacob Trouba and Mika Zibanejad also scored for the Rangers, who have won five straight at home and are 12-3-0 in their last 15 at Madison Square Garden. Igor Shesterkin had 26 saves to improve to 13-4-4 in his last 21 starts.

The Rangers are 19-4-3 since Dec. 5, when their season turned with a 6-4 home win over St. Louis, who traded Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola to New York on Thursday.

Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and an assist, and Brandon Tanev and Jared McCann also scored for Seattle, who lost all three games against New York area teams this week. Vince Dunn had two assists and Martin Jones had 22 saves.

Tarasenko paid quick dividends in his first game with his new team, converting a pass from fellow Russian Artemi Panarin past Jones just 2:49 into the contest. It was his 11th goal of the season and sent the home crowd into hysterics with many thunderously chanting Tarasenko’s name.

“Obviously it’s nice to connect for a goal,? Tarasenko said of receiving the pass from Panarin. “We hope more are coming and we play well every game.”

Tarasenko said it took him by surprise to hear his name echoing throughout his new home rink after he scored.

“I was thinking I was mishearing,” he said. “It’s different because as a visitor you really don’t hear the crowd. This was exciting!”

Kakko made it 2-0 at 5:01 with 10th goal, assisted by linemates Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafreniere. Kakko has a career-high of 26 points – including a career high-tying 10 goals – and Lafreniere has points in six of his last seven games.

Trocheck scored his 15th with 5:31 left in the first and Trouba extended the margin to 4-0 at 1:03 of the second with his fourth.

Bjorkstrand put the Kraken on the scoreboard at 2:07 of the second with his 10th goal.

Zibanejad scored his team-leading 26th on the power play at 3:19 of the third to restore the Rangers’ four-goal lead.

McCann scored his team-leading 24th at 5:59 of the third and Tanev made it 5-3 just 22 seconds later.

“We dug ourselves too much of a hole,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “They are big and they are fast. They were good at puck retrieval and keeping plays alive.”

Lindgren added his short-handed empty-netter with 2:09 left to cap the scoring.

Rangers coach Gerard Gallant was succinct in his appraisal of Tarasenko, a six-time 30-plus goal scorer.

“He’s excited to play, he’s a great hockey player,” Gallant said. “He’s going to help our team.”

NOTABLE DEBUTS

Only three previous Rangers have scored within the opening three minutes of their debuts: Norm Lowe (1:00 on Feb. 26, 1950), current Islanders coach Lane Lambert (2:28 on Dec. 10, 1986) and Mike Allison (2:44 on Oct. 9, 1980).

LINES

Tarasenko skated on the right wing on a line with Zibanejad at center and Panarin on left wing. The 31-year-old forward played 11 seasons with the Blues where he had 262 goals in 644 games. He had a career-best 40 goals in 2015-16. … Mikkola played on a defense pairing with Braden Schneider.

UP NEXT

Kraken: At Philadelphia on Sunday.

Rangers: At Carolina on Saturday night.

TAVARES SCORES 2, MAPLE LEAFS BEAT BLUE JACKETS 3-0

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) John Tavares scored twice and Ilya Samsonov stopped 30 shots for his third shutout of the season, leading the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 on Friday night to snap a three-game road losing streak.

Pierre Engvall also scored and Mitch Marner added two assists for Toronto, which remains in second place in the Atlantic Division with 72 points – 11 points behind first-place Boston.

“I thought we played a pretty solid and patient game,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said. “We didn’t give up a lot and extended our lead in the third period, which is what you want to do.”

Joonas Korpisalo had 41 saves for Columbus, which has lost four straight and remains last in the NHL standings.

Tavares put Toronto up at 5:45 of the first period with his team-lead-tying 10th power-play goal of the season, slipped between Korpisalo’s pads.

“We did some good things, got involved,” Tavares said. “I think after the first period we controlled the neutral zone.”

Korpisalo kept Columbus in the game through two periods, stopping 27 shots, before Toronto took charge in the third period, burying goals 48 seconds apart from Engvall and Tavares for a 3-0 lead at 8:38.

“(We) were a shot away for a long time,” Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. “We actually had a couple of decent looks there at the end of the second and early in the third, and then they get those two quick ones on us.”

WELCOME BACK

The Blue Jackets recalled D Tim Berni from Cleveland of the AHL. … The Maple Leafs recalled F Pontus Holmberg, F Alex Steeves and G Joseph Woll from Toronto of the AHL after putting G Matt Murray on injured reserve.

ON POINT

The Maple Leafs have earned at least one point in seven consecutive games against Columbus (5-0-2).

HURRY UP AND WAIT

Lane Pederson, claimed off waivers from Vancouver before the All-Star break, remained on the sidelines as he does not yet have the proper documentation to join the Blue Jackets on the ice.

STREAKING

Marner’s assists extended his point streak to five games and Morgan Rielly’s assist on Engvall’s goal extended his point streak to three games.

UP NEXT

Maple Leafs: Host Columbus on Saturday night to finish the home-and home.

Blue Jackets: At Toronto on Saturday night.

STAUBER REMAINS PERFECT AS BLACKHAWKS BEAT COYOTES 4-3 IN OT

CHICAGO (AP) Jaxson Stauber is the first goaltender in Chicago Blackhawks history to win each of his first three NHL games.

Jaxson … Stauber.

“It’s pretty cool. … Original Six team and so many great goalies, yeah, it feels good,” a smiling Stauber said.

Stauber made 24 saves in his first home start and Caleb Jones scored 3:37 into overtime, sending Chicago to a 4-3 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Friday night.

Andreas Athanasiou had a goal and two assists as the Blackhawks (16-29-5) rallied for the win in a matchup of two of the NHL’s worst teams. Colin Blackwell and Seth Jones also scored.

“After that first period, we came in and regrouped and started working and moving,” Athanasiou said, “and you can see that, when we start doing that, a lot of good things happen.”

Clayton Keller had a goal and two assists for Arizona (17-28-7), and Nick Schmaltz had a goal and an assist. Connor Ingram made 40 stops.

Blackwell snapped a 2-2 tie when he stuffed home a loose puck 14:34 into the third period. But Nick Bjugstad responded for Arizona, beating Stauber from the high slot with 2:27 remaining.

“They never quit. We never let go. We got better during the game so, we’ll build on the positive,” Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny said.

Athanasiou set up Caleb Jones’ game-winner when he was denied by Ingram on a breakaway. Jones jumped on the loose puck and sent a wrist shot through the goaltender’s legs for his second goal of the season.

The Blackhawks played without captain Jonathan Toews, who missed his second straight game with a non-COVID-19 illness. He could return on the team’s four-game road trip.

Chicago trailed 2-1 after the first period, but Athanasiou flipped a backhand by Ingram on the goaltender’s glove side 2:43 into the second. It was Athanasiou’s 11th goal of the season.

“We created some breakaways, 2-on-1s in the second period, and I think that kind of gave us some life offensively,” Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said.

The Blackhawks appeared to move in front when Taylor Raddysh knocked in a great pass by Max Domi with 11:57 left in the second, but it was waved off for interference after Domi collided with Ingram.

Bjugstad had a prime scoring opportunity for Arizona about 6 1/2 minutes into the third, but he was denied by Stauber.

“It was a back-and-forth game,” Bjugstad said. “It’s been kind of a theme. We’ve got to find a way to be better to start and play a full 60.”

Arizona jumped in front when Keller converted a wrist shot from the left circle 1:28 into the first period. It was the first shot on goal for either team.

Then Keller set up Schmaltz’s one-timer with a pass through the legs of Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy. Schmaltz’s 12th goal of the season in his 400th career game made it 2-0 at 12:34.

Chicago got on the board on Seth Jones’ sixth goal at 13:53. The All-Star defenseman, who also scored during Tuesday night’s 3-2 loss to Anaheim, beat Ingram right after Boris Katchouk was unable to finish a drive to the net.

WORTH NOTING

Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi is expected to return to the lineup Saturday night at Winnipeg. Tinordi (facial fracture) hasn’t appeared in a game since Dec. 18. “Get fresh legs in tomorrow, against a bigger team, too,” Richardson said. … Keller became the fifth player from the 2016 draft to record 300 career points, joining Auston Matthews (510), Matthew Tkachuk (453), Patrik Laine (358) and Alex DeBrincat (348).

UP NEXT

Coyotes: At the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.

Blackhawks: At the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night.

MALKIN REACHES 1,200 POINTS AS PENGUINS BEAT DUCKS 6-3

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Evgeni Malkin and the Pittsburgh Penguins began their West Coast road trip with a milestone night.

Malkin had two assists to become the third player in franchise history to reach 1,200 career points as the Penguins set a franchise road record with 59 shots on goal in a 6-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night.

Pierre-Olivier Joseph had two goals and an assist to tie a career high with three points. Kasperi Kapanen and Bryan Rust each had a goal and an assist while Jeff Carter and Jake Guentzel also scored.

“I thought it was a pretty dominant performance,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. “We had the puck a lot and generated a numerous amount of scoring chances.”

Malkin reached his milestone with the primary assist on Rust’s goal at 10:04 of the third period, which put Pittsburgh up 5-1. He joined Mario Lemieux (1,723) and Sidney Crosby (1,472) as the only Penguins players to reach that mark.

“I don’t want to say it’s just numbers, but it’s huge,” Malkin said. “It’s a big number and I’m trying to keep going.”

Malkin also is the fourth active player in the league to reach 1,200 points, behind Crosby, Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin (1,464) and Chicago’s Patrick Kane (1,214). It was Malkin’s seventh multi-point game in his last 11. He has 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) during that span.

“He’s such a dominant player. The way he protects pucks, his vision, his offensive instincts. And when he’s playing that way it poses a huge challenge for our opponents from a matchup standpoint,” Sullivan said.

Casey DeSmith made 28 saves for the Penguins, who had 10 players record at least a point.

Mason McTavish had a goal and an assist while Trevor Zegras and John Klingberg also scored for the Ducks, who had a five-game point streak snapped. John Gibson made a franchise-record 53 saves.

“We played a hesitant game,” Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins said. “And for a good part of that game, I thought we stood in awe of some of their players.”

Joseph came into the game with two goals this season and three goals in 66 career games before finding the back of the net twice. The third-year defenseman put Pittsburgh on the board nine minutes into the first with a snap shot from the point that went in off the near post.

Joseph then extended the lead to 4-1 at 14:55 of the second period when he took a pass from Evgeni Malkin and beat Gibson on his blocker side.

“I think it was opportunities created by our forwards in front of me where I had the chance to put it in,” said Joseph, who became the fifth Penguins defenseman age 23 or younger to record a multi-goal game in the past 30 years.

Anaheim trailed 3-1 after the first period after it was outshot 25-8 in the first 20 minutes. The huge disparity in shots was due to the Ducks racking up 5:39 with the man advantage in the first period.

“I think it was a little self-inflicted, the whole game, but obviously when it’s self-inflicted and you’re chasing from behind to start the game, it’s always tough,” Klingberg said.

QUICK GOAL

Zegras tied it at 1 at 15:26 of the first when he scored two seconds into Anaheim’s power play.

Adam Henrique won the faceoff in the offensive zone and chipped it to Zegras, who beat DeSmith with a backhand goal. Zegras has 19 goals this season, including four on the power play.

STREAKING

Crosby extended his points streak to nine games with an assist on Guentzel’s goal. Crosby has three goals and 11 assists during his run.

UP NEXT

Penguins: Remain in Southern California to face the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

Ducks: At Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday afternoon.

MEN’S GOLF

TIGER WOODS RETURNS TO RIVIERA TO PLAY 1ST EVENT OF THE YEAR

(AP) — Tiger Woods is returning to competition for the first time without the use of a cart since July, announcing Friday he will play at the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles.

Woods was hopeful of playing next week’s tournament at Riviera, where he is the host of an event that typically had the strongest field of the West Coast swing even before it became elevated with a $20 million purse.

The uncertainty came from a bout with plantar fasciitis as he was preparing to play in December. That kept him from playing in his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. He played a made-for-TV exhibition over 12 holes and the PNC Championship with his son. Both times he was allowed to ride in a cart.

Carts are not allowed on the PGA Tour – Casey Martin used one under the Americans with Disabilities Act – and Woods has said he was not interested in using one to play at the highest level.

“I’m ready to play an ACTUAL PGA Tour event next week,” Woods said on Twitter, a reference to playing only three majors last year.

It will be his first regular PGA Tour event since Oct. 25, 2020, when he tied for 72nd against a 78-man field in his title defense of the Zozo Championship. The tournament had moved that year from Japan to Sherwood Country Club in California because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Woods has said he can hit all the shots, “I just can’t get from Point A to Point B.”

“That’s awesome,” Max Homa said of the news after his second round in the Phoenix Open. “I imagine we’ll be carrying him down the hill on 1 and up it on 18, which no one would mind. But it’s awesome. I’m really glad he’s back. I think we’re privileged any time he plays now.”

That Woods can play next week is an encouraging sign that he will return to the Masters in April, although missing the Bahamas was an indication Woods doesn’t entirely control when his legs and feet will act up.

“Any time Tiger can be present on the golf course playing makes the tournament even better,” Jon Rahm said at the Phoenix Open. “So, I’m hoping he can play comfortably and I’m hoping he can play well.”

Woods was recovering from a fifth back surgery in February 2021 when he crashed his SUV on a coastal road in Los Angeles two days after the Genesis Invitational, suffering multiple fractures of his right leg and ankle.

Woods missed 14 months, and it was remarkable that he returned to the Masters last April and made the cut. He also made the cut in the PGA Championship, only to withdraw after the third round of Southern Hills with a severe limp. He skipped the U.S. Open to make sure he was ready for St. Andrews, but missed the cut in the British Open.

“It’s great,” Justin Thomas said at the Phoenix Open. “Any time he is on property, let alone playing, is great for the event.”

Riviera is where Woods made his PGA Tour debut as a 16-year-old amateur in 1992, and remains the one course he has never quite mastered. He played 11 times at Riviera as a pro, the most of any course without winning.

DEFENDING CHAMPION SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER LEADS WM PHOENIX OPEN

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) Defending champion Scottie Scheffler took the lead into the weekend in the WM Phoenix Open, with local favorite Jon Rahm right behind at TPC Scottsdale.

The second-ranked Scheffler played 25 holes Friday, completing a 3-under 68 in the first round and shooting a bogey-free 64 in the second to get to 10 under. He had a two-stroke lead over Rahm and Adam Hadwin when play was suspended because of darkness.

Rahm, the former Arizona State star ranked No. 3, also returned early to finish the first round. He shot 68-66 to possibly set up a Super Bowl weekend showdown with Scheffler for the No. 1 ranking.

“That would be a lot of fun,” Scheffler said. “It looks like right now we’re 1 and 2, but we’ll see how things shake out. A lot of guys still have a lot of golf out there to play. Should be a fun weekend.”

Hadwin had eight holes left when play was suspended. None of the afternoon starters were able to finish the round.

Last year, Scheffler beat Patrick Cantlay in a playoff for his first PGA Tour title. Scheffler added victories in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, WGC-Match Play and Masters and was the PGA Tour’s player of the year.

The Texan has hit 20 of 28 fairways and 27 of 36 greens in regulation.

“Around this place when you’re hitting fairways and you’re hitting it well the golf course can kind of open up for you,” Scheffler said. “But the opposite can happen in a hurry because there’s trouble lurking on basically every hole.”

After a frost delay and gusting wind Thursday, the players faced a lighter breeze that shifted frequently.

“The wind was really moving around,” Scheffler said. “It could be difficult to judge at times. But it was nice and warm, so it was good.”

Rahm opened the year with consecutive victories in the Sentry Tournament of Champions and The American Express. He had his best finish at TPC Scottsdale in 2015, when he tied for fifth as an amateur.

Rahm played a four-hole stretch in 4 under on his first nine in the second round. He birdied the par-5 13th, holed out of a greenside bunker for eagle on the par-5 15th and made a 7-footer for birdie on the par-3 16th.

“I hit a lot of great tee shots today,” Rahm said. “A lot of good iron shots that … didn’t end up in great spots.”

His mother and 87-year-old grandmother, visiting from Spain, watched him on No. 16.

“Unexpected. Very unexpected,” Rahm said. “I’m glad I didn’t know until I hit the shot, honestly, because otherwise I think I would have tried too hard for my grandma to hit a good shot.”

While Scheffler and Rahm topped the leaderboard, top-ranked Rory McIlroy had to rally after an opening 73 in the toughest conditions Thursday. He had four birdies in a five-hole stretch and was 3 under overall when play was suspended.

McIlroy is trying to make it three wins in a row on the PGA Tour after taking the Tour Championship in August and The CJ Cup in October. He also won two weeks ago in Dubai on the European tour in his first start of the year.

Wyndham Clark was 7 under after rounds of 68 and 67. Sungjae Im also was 7 under with six holes left.

Jason Day was 6 under, finishing off a 65 to take the first-round lead and adding a 71.

“I’m glad I’m in the house,” Day said. “I’m just going to go rest up.”

MLB NEWS

CRISTIAN JAVIER, ASTROS AGREE TO $64M, 5-YEAR CONTRACT

HOUSTON (AP) Pitcher Cristian Javier and the Houston Astros agreed Friday to a $64 million, five-year contract that avoided a salary arbitration hearing.

Javier gets a $2 million signing bonus, payable within 30 days of the deal’s approval by the commissioner’s office, and salaries of $3 million this season, $7 million in 2024, $10 million in 2025 and $21 million in each of the following two years.

His salaries in the final two years can increase based on Cy Young Award voting, by up to $6 million in 2026 and $8 million in 2027. He would get a $2 million boost for each first-place finish, $1 million for second and $500,000 for third through fifth,

Javier has the right to block trades to 10 teams without his approval in 2026 and 2027.

A 25-year-old right-hander, Javier went 11-9 with a 2.54 ERA in 25 starts and five relief appearances last year, striking out 198 and walking 52 in 148 2/3 innings. He set career bests for wins, ERA, strikeouts and innings.

Javier won both his postseason starts, pitching 11 1/3 scoreless innings in Game 3 of the AL Championship Series against the Yankees and Game 4 of the World Series against Philadelphia.

He started a pair of no-hitters, pitching seven innings at the Yankees on June 25 and six innings in the game at the Phillies – just the second no-hitter in World Series history.

Javier had asked for $3.5 million in arbitration and had been offered $3 million. He made $749,100 last year.

TOP INDIANA RELEASES

GAME REWIND: PACERS 104, SUNS 117

PACERS POST GAME: https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/rewind-pacers-suns-230110

While wins have been hard to come by lately for a Pacers team focused on developing its young players, the Suns have found their groove in recent weeks — and soon will be adding arguably the best player in the NBA to a team with serious championship aspirations.

Those narratives held true on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where Phoenix (31-27) coasted to a 117-104 victory over Indiana (25-32).

Rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin scored a team-high 22 points for the Pacers, who have dropped three straight, seven of their last eight, and 14 of their last 16 contests.

The Suns, on the other hand, have won 10 of their last 13, got All-Star guard Devin Booker back this week from a groin injury that had sidelined him since Christmas, and made the biggest move of any team at Thursday’s trade deadline, acquiring four-time scoring champ and former MVP Kevin Durant from Brooklyn in a four-team deal.

Durant wasn’t in Indianapolis on Friday, as he is still recovering from an MCL sprain and isn’t expected to make his Suns debut until after next week’s All-Star break. But Phoenix didn’t need him, as six players scored in double figures to lift the visitors to victory.

The Pacers played a part in that four-team deal, acquiring third-year guard Jordan Nwora and veteran former Pacer George Hill from Milwaukee along with three second-round draft picks. To make room on their roster, the Pacers waived fourth-year center Goga Bitadze, second-year forward Terry Taylor, and veteran forward James Johnson.

Hill and Nwora arrived at the Fieldhouse in the hours before Friday’s game and watched their new teammates from the bench. They will not play on Saturday in Washington, but are expected to be available on Monday against Utah.

The Suns surged in front early on Friday. Phoenix held the Pacers just one field goal over more than five minutes of game time during a 14-2 run that opened up a 23-9 lead.

Indiana’s reserves mounted an impressive close to the opening quarter. T.J. McConnell scored seven points as the Pacers outscored Phoenix 15-7 over the final four minutes of the frame, trimming the deficit down to six points after one.

Mathurin’s three-point play on the opening possession of the second quarter pulled the Pacers within three, but the Suns answered with a 3-point barrage. Devin Booker and Ish Wainwright hit two threes apiece during a 12-3 Suns run to push their lead back to 42-30.

Mathurin did his best to keep the Pacers competitive. He drained a three of his own with 8:31 remaining in the second quarter, then threw down perhaps the best dunk of his rookie season a minute later, leaking ahead of the defense after a turnover, catching a half-court pass from Chris Duarte, and converting a right-handed windmill that brought the home crowd out of their seats.

Mathurin scored 10 of his team-high 12 first half points in the second quarter, but the visitors led by double digits at the intermission, taking a 60-47 advantage into the half.

The Pacers were unable to make any sort of run in the third quarter. Behind nine points apiece from Chris Paul and Josh Okogie and eight by Deandre Ayton, the Suns scored 35 points in the frame.

Tyrese Haliburton scored 10 in the frame for Indiana, but the visitors extended their lead to as many as 21 points and were up 95-77 entering the fourth quarter.

The Blue & Gold never managed to get within single digits over the final 12 minutes as the Suns cruised to victory.

“This is a tough time of the year,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’ve got three games to the All-Star break. Trade deadline was yesterday — everybody’s worn out by that. We’ve all got to rise above it.”

Haliburton finished with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting and five assists in 25 minutes, sitting out the entire fourth quarter. Buddy Hield added 14 points on 4-of-11 3-point shooting. Second-year forward Isaiah Jackson amassed 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting and five rebounds, all in the fourth quarter.

Ayton led Phoenix with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Booker tallied 21 points, four rebounds, and five assists, while Paul added 19 points and nine assists.

Josh Okogie finished with 17 points, six rebounds, and three steals. Ish Wainwright scored 13 points off the bench and former Pacer Torrey Craig recorded a double-double for the Suns with 11 points and 12 boards.

Buddy Hield had nine points for Indiana, going 3-for-8 from beyond the arc. Tyrese Haliburton added eight points and four assists.

The Pacers will play in Washington on Saturday on the second half of a back-to-back before returning to Indiana for their final two games before the All-Star break. Indiana hosts Utah on Monday and Chicago on Wednesday before All-Star Weekend tips off next weekend in Salt Lake City.

Inside the Numbers

After scoring a season-low two points in Wednesday’s loss in Miami, Mathurin bounced back by topping 20 points for the 23rd time this season. He now has one more 20-point game than each of Haliburton and Hield.

Rookie guard Andrew Nembhard went scoreless in 26 minutes, but dished out 10 assists, the third time in his young career that he has had double-digit assists.

The Suns outscored Indiana 54-40 in the paint on Friday.

The Pacers outscored Phoenix 19-5 in fastbreak points.

Led by Mathurin and Jackson, the Pacers reserves outscored Phoenix’s bench, 60-27.

You Can Quote Me On That

“A team like Phoenix that’s so precise, that has two great players like Paul and Booker, you’ve got to be completely precise. And Ayton had a great game, too.” -Carlisle on Friday’s outcome

“Hustle plays, offensive rebounds. They kicked our (butts) on the glass. I think they kind of took us out of our style of play.” -Pacers center Myles Turner on the difference in the game

“He did some good things. The thing that we’re working on with our young guys is attention to detail on defense…I think he did a better job tonight, but it’s something that we’re going to continue to work on with all our guys.” -Carlisle on Mathurin bouncing back from Wednesday’s game

“Just trying to stay aggressive, trying to see what the defense gives me. Just trying to take advantage of that.” -Mathurin on his focus on Friday

“Whether I score two points or 22 points, I always feel better with winning the game.” -Mathurin on bouncing back after Wednesday

Stat of the Night

The Suns outrebounded Indiana 53-38 overall and 19-11 on the offensive boards.

Noteworthy

The Pacers have lost four straight against the Suns, who have swept the season series with Indiana in each of the past two seasons.

Hield now has made 218 3-pointers on the season and is nearing in on Reggie Miller’s single-season franchise record of 229 made threes in 1996-97 season.

Indiana is 4-8 on the season when playing on the first night of a back-to-back.

Up Next

The Pacers travel to Washington to take on Bradley Beal and the Wizards on the second night of a back-to-back on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 7:00 PM ET.

Tickets

The Pacers host Lauri Markkanen and the Utah Jazz at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday, Feb. 13 at 7:00 PM ET.

INDIANA SOFTBALL

COPELAND THROWS FIRST CAREER NO-HITTER AS THE HOOSIERS DEFEAT PVAMU, 5-1

CLEARWATER, Fla.  – Sophomore pitcher Brianna Copeland threw her first career no-hitter as the Hoosiers (2-0) defeated Prairie View A&M, 5-1, on Friday afternoon at Eddie C. Moore Complex.

INDIANA 5, PVAMU 1

KEY MOMENTS

• Copeland held the Hoosier defense strong as she sent the

• The third inning proved to be the turning point as the Hoosiers scored all five of their runs on four hits.

• Senior utility Cora Bassett singled to left field before junior Brooke Benson doubled to

Benson sent a double to the left side for 2 RBI’s.

• Sophomore Taylor Minnick doubled to left field to send Benson home, 3-1.

• The Hoosiers would take the 4-0 lead after freshman Avery Parker singled to right field and advanced to third on an error by the Panthers to score Minnick.

• Indiana would score off another error from the Panther’s as Parker extended the lead, 5-0.  

• PVAMU scored in the top of the sixth after capitalizing on errors, but Copeland would shut down the inning, striking out the next batter.

NOTABLES

• The Hoosiers advance to 2-0 for the first time since 2019 when the Hoosiers won 14 straight games.

• Indiana recorded six hits in the game.

• Copeland set a new career high with 10 strikeouts in her first career no-hitter.

• Freshman Cassidy Kettleman earns her first hit in her collegiate at bat.

INDIANA WRESTLING

NO. 18 INDIANA DROPS ROAD DUAL AT NO. 24 MICHIGAN STATE

EAST LANSING, Mich. –––– No. 24 Michigan State defeated No. 18 Indiana, 20-16, on Friday night at Jenison Fieldhouse.

The loss drops Indiana to 7-4 on the season and 3-4 in the Big Ten.

Indiana and Michigan State split the match, each team picking up wins at five bouts.

The Hoosiers won three of the first four bouts to take a 10-3 lead. From there, Michigan State stormed back and won four of the last six, including a handful of bonus point victories to edge out the Hoosiers.

KEY MOMENTS

• No. 29-ranked freshman Henry Porter (133) picked up arguably his best win of the season, defeating No. 17 Rayvon Foley by decision, 10-5.

• Indiana senior Cayden Rooks (141) found his rhythm again with a dominant 12-5 win by decision over Michigan State’s Jordan Hamdan.

• It was a methodical bout at 149 where redshirt senior Graham Rooks picked his spot and a handful of takedowns in a major decision win over Peyton Omania, 13-4.

• Redshirt junior Donnell Washington (174) won a defensive battle over Ceasar Garza in a 4-0 decision.

• Senior Jacob Bullock (285) picked up a late reversal in the closing seconds of the third period to earn a 3-1 win over Ryan Vasbinder.

NOTABLES

• Porter’s win over Foley was his first ranked victory of the season.

• Cayden Rooks’ win improved his season record to 11-8.

• It was Graham Rooks’ seventh win by major decision of the year.

• Washington improved to 19-4 on the season and 8-3 in duals.

• Bullock’s win over Vasbinder was his second of the season over him, previously defeating him at the Tournament of Champions at Reno, as well.

UP NEXT

• Indiana Wrestling will stay in the Great Lakes state as it travels to face No. 12 Michigan on Sunday at noon for their last Big Ten dual of the season.

PURDUE WOMEN’S BB

PURDUE FACES NORTHWESTERN AT MACKEY ON SUNDAY

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Winning four of its last five games, the Purdue women’s basketball team returns to Mackey Arena to start a two-game homestand with a Sunday tip against Northwestern. The game is slated for a 2 p.m. start on B1G+.

Tim Newton and Jane Schott will have the action for the Purdue Radio Network on 95.3 BOB FM.

GAME INFORMATION 

Purdue (16-7, 7-6) vs. Northwestern (8-16, 1-12)

Sunday, Feb. 12

Time: 2 PM  

TV: B1G+ 

Radio: 95.3 BOB FM 

Live Stats: Purduestats.com 

LAST TIME OUT 

The Boilermakers bounced back with a 68-54 win on the road at Rutgers on Thursday night. Purdue opened the game on an 18-3 run to set the tone and never look back. Lasha Petree led the way offensively with 17 points, while Rickie Woltman joined with 10 points off the bench in 13 minutes. Cassidy Hardin connected on four of Purdue’s 10 3-pointers to finish with 12 points.

NOTES 

• Purdue leads the all-time series with Northwestern 51-26.

• The Boilermakers extended their road winning streak to four games with a 68-54 win at Rutgers, the longest streak since 2012-13.

• Jeanae Terry notched her 15th game of the year with five rebounds and five assists, second in the nation to Caitlin Clark’s 19 outings.

• Cassidy Hardin’s four 3-pointers on Thursday night gave her 201 for her career, as she joined head coach Katie Gearlds, Brittany Rayburn, Courtney Moses and Karissa McLaughlin as the only Boilermakers to hit 200 triples in a career.

• Purdue’s 3-point defense has stepped up in the last six games, holding opponents to just 25.7% from distance during that span. The Boilermakers are 9-2 this season when holding an opponent to six or fewer makes from behind the arc. Purdue has dropped its opponent’s field goal percentage down to 38.1%, good for second in the Big Ten. Eleven opponents have shot 40% or less.

• With 181 rebounds, 152 assists and 50 steals, Terry is the only player in the Big Ten to rank in the top 10 of each category in the league.

• The Boilermakers have made 10 or more 3-pointers in five games this year with a record of 4-1.

• Lasha Petree needs 24 points to join the 2,000-point club for her career, following a 17-point outing against Rutgers.

• Cassidy Hardin sits ninth in program history with 135 games played, five short of Danielle Campbell’s (2006-09) record of 140.

• The Boilermakers hold a 11-2 record when scoring 70 or more points this season, while also posting a 12-1 mark when holding opponents below that mark.

PURDUE WRESTLING

WRESTLING DROPS FINAL ROAD TEST AGAINST MARYLAND

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Kendall Coleman picked up his first pin of the Big Ten dual season and Purdue got four more wins on the night but ultimately came up one point short to lose 19-18 to Maryland in the XFINITY Center Pavilion Friday night.

The Boilermakers drop their penultimate dual of the season despite splitting the matches with the Terrapins five apiece. The wins gave Purdue an eight-point lead with two weights left to wrestle, but a pin and a decision for Maryland at 197 and 285 turned the tide in their favor.

The massive fall from No. 6 Coleman was backed up by decisions from No. 3 Matt Ramos, Dustin Norris, No. 13 Parker Filius and Ben Vanadia, but it would not be enough to give the Boilermakers their first Big Ten dual win of the season.

The momentum peaked for Purdue in the 157-pound match when redshirt-senior Kendall Coleman showed off his strength to put Michael North on his back for a first period pin (2:23). He had just picked up back points and had North on the ropes before managing to disengage from the previous move and immediately throw a new one to put the match away for good. It was Coleman’s third win by fall and his 11th bonus point victory of the season.

Purdue started the dual with three straight wins, the first of which came from redshirt-sophomore Matt Ramos. His 10-3 decision over No. 17 Braxton Brown was his eighth win over a ranked opponent and his sixth in a row. He has won 10 of his last 11 matches and has only given up one takedown in that stretch.

133-pound redshirt-freshman Dustin Norris picked up a 3-0 decision over King Sandoval for his first dual shutout. The Sixth-year senior Filius followed that up with a decision of his own, beating Kal Miller 8-3 by grabbing a takedown in all three periods. It is the 75th career win for the Havre, Mont., product who is set to be honored on senior day on Sunday along with Coleman and teammates Brennan Doyle, Kooper Loehr and Thomas Penola.

The final win of the evening came from the 184-pounder Vanadia, who also earned an 8-3 win by taking down Kevin Makosy. A big first period for Vanadia gave him a 4-1 lead with a big advantage in riding time, and then a third period takedown put the match away.

Purdue takes the mat for the final dual of the season against No. 13 Northwestern on Sunday at noon ET. The aforementioned senior day ceremony will take place following the dual.

Purdue 18 – Maryland 19

125: #3 Matt Ramos (PUR) over #17 Braxton Brown (MD) (Dec 10-3)

133: Dustin Norris (PUR) over King Sandoval (MD) (Dec 3-0)

141: #13 Parker Filius (PUR) over Kal Miller (MD) (Dec 8-3)

149: #18 Ethen Miller (MD) over Jaden Reynolds (PUR) (MD 12-1)

157: #6 Kendall Coleman (PUR) over Michael North (MD) (Fall 2:23)

165: John Best (MD) over Cooper Noehre (PUR) (TB-2 5-5)

174: Dominic Solis (MD) over Brody Baumann (PUR) (Dec 5-4)

184: Ben Vanadia (PUR) over Kevin Makosy (MD) (Dec 8-3)

197: #17 Jaxon Smith (MD) over Hayden Filipovich (PUR) (Fall 2:00)

285: #25 Jaron Smith (MD) over Hayden Copass (PUR) (Dec 3-2)

BUTLER MEN’S BB

TAYLOR AND BATES LEAD BUTLER TO 69-67 WIN OVER NO. 13 XAVIER

Butler held on down the stretch after building a lead during a dominant first half, knocking off No. 13/15 Xavier, 69-67, Friday night at sold-out Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

With the result, Butler levels its record at 13-13 overall and 5-10 in BIG EAST play. Xavier is now 19-6 (11-3 BIG EAST).

TOP DAWG:

Sophomore Jayden Taylor had a game-high 20 points, knocking down nine of his 11 attempts at the free throw line. Taylor has scored 19, 19 and 20 points over the last three games. Friday night was his third 20-point game of the season and the fourth of his career.

STAT OF THE NIGHT:

Butler shot 54 percent from the field, including 67 percent in the opening half as the Bulldogs built a 35-21 lead.

HOW IT TRANSPIRED:

Butler’s hot shooting gave the Bulldogs a 35-21 halftime lead.

Xavier scored the first nine points of the second half to pull within 35-30 less than three minutes into the half.

A stretch with Xavier making seven consecutive shots pulled Xavier within two at 61-59 with 1:35 remaining.

The teams traded empty possessions before a Taylor three-point play gave Butler a 64-59 lead with 40 seconds remaining.

Souley Boum chopped the lead back to two with a three-pointer.

Taylor turned the ball over, but Xavier called a timeout they did not have with 23 seconds remaining, resulting in a technical foul. Taylor hit both free throws to extend the lead back to four at 66-62.

A Jack Nunge three cut the lead to one before Taylor hit the front end of two free throws after being fouled with 13 seconds to play (Butler then led 67-65).

Taylor fouled Boum with nine seconds to play and his two free throws tied the game for the first time in the second half (67-67).

Butler drew up a high ball screen for Eric Hunter Jr., who was able to get to the rim for a contested dunk and Xavier was called for goaltending.

Boum’s halfcourt heave as time expired was no good and Butler’s student section rushed the court with the 69-67 win. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

Manny Bates had 19 points on 9-for-10 shooting. He matched his season-high with five blocks. Twelve of those points came in the first half.

Simas Lukosius scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half before exiting with his second foul at the 7:48 mark.

Xavier shot 60 percent in the second half to overcome Butler’s 15-point first half lead. The Musketeers shot 46 percent for the game.

Butler had 16 turnovers, with 12 coming in the first half. The Bulldogs had 12 turnovers and seven missed shots in the first half.

Xavier had 18 turnovers.

Colby Jones led Xavier with 17 points and eight rebounds.

Each team scored 36 points in the paint.

OF NOTE:

Butler was without junior guard Chuck Harris for the third straight game as he works toward returning from a concussion sustained Jan. 28 against Seton Hall.

Butler and Xavier will play again March 4 in Cincinnati in the regular season finale.

Bates now has 47 blocks on the season and is seventh on Butler’s single-season blocks list.

Entering the game, Butler had played the tenth-toughest schedule in the nation according to KenPom.

This was Butler’s 11th game this season shooting 50 percent or better from the field; Butler has won all 11 of those guys.

The 67 points scored by Xavier matched the second-lowest output of the season for the Musketeers.

UP NEXT: The Bulldogs head to Villanova for a Tuesday night tip. The game will air on CBS Sports Network at 8 p.m. Butler returns to Hinkle Fieldhouse Sunday, Feb. 19, hosting Georgetown at 3 p.m. Tickets are still available for that contest. 

IUPUI TRACK

WOLFE EARNS A NEW SCHOOL RECORD AT GVSU BIG MEET ON FRIDAY

ALLENDALE, Mich. – Sophomore Mason Wolfe broke IUPUI’s record in the 600m event and was one of eight Jaguars to set a new personal best at the GVSU Big Meet on Friday (Feb. 10). Wolfe shed more than three seconds off the program’s previous mark in the 600 as three different Jaguars went under the prior school record.

The Jaguars’ day began with seven runners spread across five heats of the 5,000m event. Grant Moon ran the team’s quickest time in the 5K at 14:45.50 and Mitchell Gits spun a personal best time of 14:54.04, taking three seconds off his prior best. Two freshmen, Deion Guise (15:38.33) and Nick Pulos (15:42.29), also set new personal bests on Friday.

In the 400, Jaylon Cooper just missed a new personal best with a time of 50.83 and James Kuisel just missed a personal best mark in the 800m event, crossing at 1:58.72. In the 600, Wolfe shattered IUPUI’s prior best mark with a time of 1:22.28 and Alex Parkhurst closed at 1:24.42. Connor Hamilton finished his race in a time of 1:25.48 as all three finished ahead of the previous school record time of 1:25.97.

Keith Bye took two seconds off his personal best in the mile with an impressive run of 4:21.60 and Alex Alba continued his surge with another impressive performance in the 800. Alba, coming off a personal best last weekend, took another half second off his personal best with a time of 1:54.90, missing the school record by less than a second.

A select group of Jaguars will compete on Saturday at the Jerry England Invitational, hosted by the University of Indianapolis, beginning at 1:30 p.m.

IUPUI SB

SOFTBALL SPLITS PAIR ON OPENING DAY OF RIVER CITY LEADOFF

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The IUPUI softball team began the 2023 season with a win and loss on the opening day of the River City Leadoff. The Jags defeated Syracuse, 6-5 to begin the day then fell to North Florida in five innings after a lengthy lightning delay, 8-0. Maicey Bedrick launched the first home run of the season while freshman Alexa Holman earned her first collegiate win in game one.

IUPUI took game one over Syracuse, 6-5. In the bottom of the first inning, Syracuse scored two runs off two wild pitches to take the early lead, 2-0. IUPUI tied the game up at 2-2 in the top of the third inning when Kayla Freiberg earned her first Jaguar RBI with a single followed by a fielding error to score Kelli Riordan.

Syracuse retook the lead with two runs in the bottom of the third inning, 4-2. The Jags stuck back with three runs on two hits in the top of the fourth inning. Bedrick led off the inning, hitting her first homer of the season over the left field fence. Freiberg then collected her second RBI with a single to third base, scoring Jaylin Calvert. After loading the bases, Jordan Jenkins walked, scoring Morgan Gilbert to take the 5-4 lead.

With one run on three hits, Syracuse tied the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the fifth inning, but IUPUI took the lead, scoring the winning run in the top of the sixth inning. Freiberg collected her third RBI of the game with a double to right field, scoring Riordan, sealing the lead at 6-5.

Holman earned the win after entering in the third inning, throwing five innings and striking out one. Freiberg went 3-for-4 with three RBI while Bedrick and Jaida Speth recorded hits as well.

In game two of the River City Leadoff, IUPUI fell to North Florida, 8-0 in five innings. The Jags were down 7-0 in the fifth inning when lightning struck and sent the game into a lengthy delay.

North Florida took the lead early in the second inning with five runs on five hits and one Jaguar error. UNF scored one run in the fourth inning to extend their lead to 7-0 then closed out the game in the fifth inning, 8-0.

Madison Bryant took the loss giving up seven runs, five of those unearned on eight hits and three walks. Jaida Speth recorded a double for the Jags while freshman Kennedy Cowan recorded her first collegiate hit in the loss.

IUPUI will continue the River City Leadoff tomorrow morning with a first pitch at 9:00 AM against Syracuse. They will also go head-to-head with Jacksonville at 3:00 PM.

BALL STATE MBB

CARDINALS RETURN HOME FOR MATCHUP WITH FALCONS

MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State men’s basketball team returns to the friendly confines of Worthen Arena on Saturday as Bowling Green makes the trip to Muncie. The Cardinals (17-7, 8-3 MAC) and Falcons (10-14, 4-7 MAC) are scheduled for a 2 p.m. tip. Saturday’s game is sponsored by Reed’s Plumbing.

BSU students, be among the first 500 in The Nest and receive a free hot dog, a slice of pizza, a fountain drink, or a beer. Arrive early, cheer loud, and enjoy responsibly.

Head Coach Michael Lewis is the first, first-year head coach to produce a seven-game winning streak. Ball State started 16-7 overall, which is the best start since the 1999-2000 season. The 17-7 record is the best start since the Cardinals started 1997-98 with a 21-7 record. He is the second coach in BSU history to win the regular season opener and the MAC opener in their first season as a head coach. He joins Rick Majerus in achieving the feat.

Last Time Out

The Cardinals are coming off a 65-51 road victory against the Central Michigan Chippewas. For the second-straight game, the Cardinals had five players in double digits. Mickey Pearson Jr. led the Cardinals with 13 points and brought down six rebounds. He posted back-to-back games in double figures. Demarius Jacobs finished in double digits for the second-straight game with 12 points. He added three rebounds, tied for a team-best three assists, and one block. Jaylin Sellers produced his third-straight game in double figures with 12 points. Sellers collected four rebounds and two assists. Payton Sparks recorded a double-double for his second-straight game with 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Sparks blocked a game-high two shots to go along with two assists and a steal. Basheer Jihad closed out the double-digit scorers with 10 points. He collected six rebounds, tied a career high with three steals, and dished out one assist.

Boogie on Down

Jarron Coleman is averaging a team-high 14.9 points per game. He leads the team with 58 made 3-pointers and is shooting 37.4 percent from behind the arc. He is tied for the team lead with 83 assists and leads the squad in steals with 36. Coleman has added 10 blocks. He has compiled five games of 20 or more points. Earlier this season, Coleman recorded his 1,000th career point.

Sensational Sellers

Sellers is second on the team with 13.1 points per game. He is shooting 48.1 percent from 3-point range, which leads the team. He is averaging 3.8 rebounds per game. He has produced a field-goal percentage of 50.0 on the season. Sellers has collected 20 assists, 16 steals and 12 blocks. He has notched four games with 20 or more points for the season.

Spark Plug

Sparks leads the team with 8.2 rebounds per game, which is tied for 69th in the country and fourth in the conference. His 3.08 offensive rebounds per contest have him tied for 38th in the nation and third in the MAC. He is third on the team averaging 12.4 points per game. He is shooting 60.6 percent from the field, which leads the team. He has seven double-doubles on the season, which is tied for 58th in the country and is third in the MAC. He is third on the team with 46 assists, second on the team with 23 blocks, and has added 12 steals.

Spreading the Love

The Cardinals have four players averaging double-digit points. Jacobs rounds out the double-digit scorers with 12.1 points a contest. He has a team-high 34 blocks, which is tied for 78th in the NCAA and most in the MAC. His 1.42 blocks per contest is tied for 85th in the nation and first in the conference. He is tied for the team lead in assists with 83 and is second on the team in steals with 32. He is averaging 3.8 boards per contest. Pearson is second on the squad with 5.4 rebounds per contest and is averaging 7.5 points a game. Pearson is shooting 50.4 percent from the field.

Taking Advantage at the Free-Throw Line

As a team, the Cardinals are averaging 24.8 free throws per game, which is third in the NCAA and leads the MAC. Ball State is averaging 16.6 free-throws made per contest, which is tied for 15th in the nation and leads the conference. Sparks is tied for seventh in the nation with 179 free-throw attempts, which is first in the MAC. The Cardinals are one of 15 teams in the NCAA that have made more free throws than their opponents have attempted.

Effective Shooting

The Cardinals are currently shooting 47.1 percent from the field, which is tied for 49th in the NCAA and is second in the MAC. Ball State has been effective from behind the arc with a combined 37.5 percent from 3-point range, which is tied for 28th in the country and second in the MAC.

Series History with Bowling Green

The Cardinals and Falcons will meet for the 94th time. Bowling Green holds the series advantage 53-40. Ball State has won the last three meetings, including a 69-60 victory in Bowling Green on Jan. 31. The Cardinals are 26-18 at home against the Falcons.

Scouting the Falcons

In the matchup earlier this season, Leon Ayers III led the Falcons with 14 points and three assists. Chandler Turner chipped in with 13 points, six rebounds, and two steals. Rashaun Agee went for 11 points, a team-high eight rebounds, and had two steals. Ayers leads Bowling Green with 18.4 points per contest. He is second on the squad with 77 assists and second in steals with 24. He is averaging 4.0 rebounds per game and has eight blocks. Samari Curtis is fifth in the NCAA averaging 91.3 from the free-throw line, which is second in the MAC. Curtis is second on the team with 12.0 points per game. He leads the team with 95 assists to go along with 3.4 boards a contest, 18 steals, and four blocks. Kaden Metheny comes into Saturday averaging 11.0 points a game with a team-high 25 steals. He has brought down 3.0 rebounds per contest with 54 assists. Agee has a team-best 6.2 rebounds per game and is averaging 10.7 points per contest. He leads the team with 30 blocks. He has added 15 assists and 14 steals.

BALL STATE WBB

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HITS THE ROAD TO TAKE ON AKRON SATURDAY

Game 25 | Ball State (20-4, 10-1 MAC) vs. Akron (14-8, 5-6 MAC)

Feb. 11 | Akron, Ohio. | James A Rhodes Arena | 2 pm ET

Opening Tip:

– The Ball State women’s basketball team looks to improve to a 11-1start in Mid-American Conference play for the first time in program history. Right now the Cardinals are tied for the best start with a 10-1 MAC mark which also occured in 2001-02.

– Ball State is looking to extend its win streak to nine when it travels to Akron Saturday for a 2 pm ET tipoff in James A. Rhodes Arena. The longest MAC regular season win streak is eight which happened in 2000-01, 2001-02, 2008-09 and 2022-23.

– Currently, the Cardinals are tied for first place in the Mid-American Conference standings with Bowling Green.

– The Cardinals earned their 20th win of the season Wednesday, Feb. 8 when BSU defeated EMU, 68-50. The win gave 11th-year head coach Brady Sallee his sixth 20 win season at Ball State.

– Since Akron lost to Ball State 89-66 Jan. 25 in Muncie the Zips have lost three and have won one. The Zips beat Buffalo (69-47) and fell to Kent State (55-57), Western Michigan (71-76) and recently on Wednesday to Northern Illinois (63-88).

– Saturday’s game against Akron will mark the 47th time in program history the two schools have met with the Cardinals leading the all-time series, 27-19. Ball State has won nine of the last 12 meetings against the Zips. Brady Sallee owns an 9-8 mark against Akron.

 – Ball State 11th-year head coach Brady Sallee knows how to win in the month of February. Under Sallee, the Cardinals have a 47-30 (.610) overall record for the shortest month of the year. Sallee’s most successful February was in 2019-20 after the Cardinals posted a 7-1 record that year.

Dynamic Duo:

The dynamic duo of Thelma Dis Agustsdottir and Anna Clephane made up for over 69 percent of the Cardinals total 68 point score against the Eagles Wednesday night in Ypsilanti. The duo combined for 47 points and shot 51 percent from the field (17-33).

Where the Cardinals Rank:

Nationally the Cardinals rank 14th in scoring offense (79.2), 23rd in 3-pointers per game (8.4), 46th in 3-point field goal attempts (24.3), 12th in field goal percentage (47.0), 18th in assists per game (17.2), 30th in scoring margin (13.3), 14th in assist/turnover ratio (1.26) and 19th in winning percentage (82.6).  Individually, Ally Becki is ninth in assist/turnover (2.66). The Cardinals currently sit at No. 7 in the latest College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll, the second highest of any MAC team.

When BSU Scores 80+ We Win:

When the Cardinals score 80+ points this season it results in a victory for Ball State. The Cardinals are 9-0 when the reach the 80 point plateau with wins over Indiana University East (105-51), Butler (84-68), Utah State (80-55), Western Kentucky (82-76), Saint Louis (85-51), Tarleton State (80-77), Chicago State (119-53), Bowling Green (81-73), Miami (92-61), Buffalo (81-59), Akron (89-66) and Kent State (80-71).

NOTRE DAME SB

IRISH SPLIT DOUBLEHEADER TO OPEN SEASON

SAN DIEGO – The University of Notre Dame softball team opened the 2023 season with a split of its two games in the SDSU Kickoff tournament Friday night. The Irish knocked off the #22 Arizona State Sun Devils 7-1 to begin the season, before falling to the host San Diego State Aztecs, 3-0 in the nightcap. Notre Dame is 1-1 to begin the young season.

Payton Tidd started in the season in the circle. The graduate student earned the win after throwing 6.0 innings, scattering seven hits, allowing an earned run and striking out five. Micaela Kastor came on in relief, allowing two hits in a shut-out inning in the seventh.

The offense was led by Jane Kronenberger in game one. The sophomore right fielder finished 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI. Carlli Kloss set the table with a 2-for-3 performance at the top of the lineup. Karina Gaskins added two hits with an RBI double. Lexi Orozco, Payton Tidd, Rachel Allen, Brooke Marquez and Mickey Winchell all added a hit in the first contest of the season.

Shannon Becker started the nightcap in the circle. The sophomore threw 5.0 innings, allowing six hits, three runs, one earned and suffered the loss. Kastor came on in relief once again, tossing a scoreless frame, allowing a hit to go with a strikeout.

Despite nine hits from the offense, Notre Dame couldn’t scratch a run home. Kronenberger, Miranda Johnson and Winchell all had two-hit performances. Kloss, Tidd and Macie Eck each added a hit apiece.

How It Happened – #22 Arizona State

The Irish got the scoring started in the bottom of the second with the Sun Devils. With one out, Rachel Allen was hit by a pitch to put the first runner on. Back-to-back singles from Marquez and Winchell turned the lineup over as Kronenberger doubled to shallow left to drive in two. The throw home was wild and Kloss, who had reached on a fielder’s choice, scored on the error. A wild pitch brought Kronenberger in and the Irish led 4-0 after two innings.

A solo home run in the fourth got Arizona State on the board.

Notre Dame answered back in the bottom of the frame, scoring three more. A two-out single from Kloss keep the inning going as Kronenberger left the yard for the first home run of the season. Orozco singled to left center for her first hit at Notre Dame, and Gaskins followed with a double to drive her in and extend the lead to 7-1.

How It Happened – (RV) San Diego State

In the nightcap, the Irish and Aztecs traded zeroes for the first four and a half innings, but each had chances to take an early lead. In the second inning, the Irish had back-to-back one out singles before a lineout and a strikeout ended the threat.

Becker wiggled off the hook in the third, giving up a leadoff triple before getting a ground out, a strikeout and another ground out to strand the runner.

Notre Dame threatened again in the fourth with back-to-back singles, the throw to get the Irish runner going first to third was wild, but SDSU backed up the play and threw the Irish out at home.

SDSU threatened again in the bottom of the fourth, putting two on before Becker caught a line drive and doubled up a runner. Kloss picked off the runner taking too large of a lead at second to extinguish the threat and hold serve.

The Aztecs got on the board In the fifth inning, putting up three runs. A single and a walk put two on. Shortstop Jillian Celis drove a single back to center field where it was misplayed, allowing two runs to score and putting Celis on third. A sacrifice fly brought in the final run of the frame and San Diego State took the 3-0 lead after five innings.

Notre Dame loaded the bases in the sixth, but as Kloss lifted a flare to shallow right that was ran down by the Aztec shortstop who made an over the shoulder catch to end the frame. The Irish went down in order in the seventh.

Up Next

The Irish return to the SDSU Softball Stadium Saturday afternoon as they take on the CSUN Matadors at 5 p.m. (EST), followed by a matchup with Northern Illinois.

NOTRE DAME HOCKEY

IRISH TOP #7/7 OSU IN GAME ONE

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey program topped No. 7/7 Ohio State in game one of the weekend series behind a two-goal performance from Landon Slaggert.

Despite even possession in the early minutes of the first, the visiting Buckeyes dominated the shots on goal margin, forcing Ryan Bischel to make a handful of big saves between the pipes.

Nearly eight minutes in, while leading the shots on goal 5-2, OSU was whistled for a bench minor and were sent to the box for two minutes.

The Irish thought they had broken the stalemate with a shot off Landon Slaggert’s stick on their first powerplay opportunity but the puck bounced off the crossbar and back into play.

Despite trailing in shots, the Irish capitalized late in the opening period off a goal from Landon Slaggert at 18:09.

The Buckeyes took another penalty with 54.4 seconds left in the period but the Irish advantage didn’t last long as they were called for a hook 28 seconds later and the first period ended four-on-four with ND up a goal.

Notre Dame took another penalty early in the second stanza but successfully killed it off before Nick Leivermann connected with Landon Slaggert on a cross-ice pass for the 2-0 lead.

A pair of coincidentals ended the second period with four-on-four play once again, with the Irish up 2-0 through 40 minutes of game time.

The Irish continued to cling to the two-goal lead halfway through the third period but a tripping call at 10:00 resulted in a Buckeye powerplay goal to snap Bischel’s shutout bid.

The two teams continued to battle to the very end, as Bischel came up with three huge saves in the waning minutes as OSU opted for the extra attacker.

As the final horn sounded, Ryan Bischel made one final save to secure the 2-1 victory and improve to 14-14-3 on the season.

GOALS

Justin Janicke intercepted a pass at center ice, kicking the loose puck onto his stick and skated back into the offensive end. Skating up along the far boards, the sophomore dropped a pass back to Landon Slaggert in the slot who lit the lamp for the 1-0 tally.

The Buckeyes dumped the puck in behind the Irish net where Bischel settled it. He found Nick Leivermann along the near boards who fired a cross-ice pass up to Slaggert on the breakaway to make it 2-0, Irish.

KEY STATS

Landon Slaggert recorded his first multi-goal game of the season, recording the game-winner in the second period for his sixth tally of the year.

Ryan Bischel posted 37 saves in goal Friday night, including 13 saves in the final period of regulation to secure the night one victory.

The senior netminder also picked up his first point of the season with an assist on the eventual game-winner.

In the defensive end, the Irish blocked 19 shots from reaching Bischel, led by Solag Bakich with six.

Compton Family Ice Arena recorded its eighth consecutive shutout, and 90th since opening in 2011, as the Irish defeated OSU, 2-1, Friday night.

UP NEXT

The Irish conclude their regular season home slate Saturday night at 6 p.m. for the annual Irish Wear Green game. Fans are encouraged to wear their favorite Irish green apparel and stick around following the handshake line for a senior night recognition.

NOTRE DAME W LAX

IRISH DOMINATE IN SEASON OPENER

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team opened the 2023 season with a dominant win over the San Diego State Aztecs, 18-2. The Fighting Irish are now 22-4 in season openers in program history.

“It’s a great start to the season. I am really proud of my team, all their preparation led to us seeing a lot of things directly from practice translate in the game and our focus was directly on  us in this game. I am proud of our girls. Our main three keys were to dominate the loose balls, which when you add up the draw controls, the ground balls, and second chance opportunities, you can check that box. We also slowed down their relentless fast break and slow break, and holding them to just two goals.” said Head Coach Chris Halfpenny.

The Irish featured 10 different goal scorers with Madison Ahern leading the way with four goals and Lilly Callahan tallied a career-high nine saves. Kelly Denes opened the season with a stellar draw control performance collecting 11, just two shy of her career high.

“What a great way to start your career as our starter,” said Halfpenny when talking about Callahan’s explosive start to the season. “It’s huge, it fuels our whole team, she did her work while she was waiting and whenever her number was called she did her job. This entire game is a reflection of everything she did with the minutes she had. We couldn’t be more proud of her.”

The first quarter opened with a goal from Mary Kelly Doherty after collecting a shot that went high from Hannah Dorney. Only 30 seconds later Kasey Choma scored the second goal for the Irish, and again thirty seconds later Jane McAvoy joined the scoring with off an assist from Jackie Wolak.

 Madison Ahern scored Notre Dame’s fourth goal after a draw controlled by Kelly Denes. With five minutes remaining in the period Alexandra McHugh drew a free-position shot and converted for a 5-0 lead. The Aztecs responded with a goal but a minute later the Irish expanded their lead with a goal from Wolak. Keeling Schlageter and Marleigh Sanders finished the scoring for the period when Sanders scored on a buzzer beater for an 8-1 lead. This goal was Sanders’ first career goal with the Irish.

The scoring for the second period opened on a woman-up situation for the Irish. Abby Maichin scored on an assist from Sanders. Ahern scored back-to-back goals giving her a hat trick with six minutes left in the quarter. Jackie Wolak capped off the scoring for the second quarter on a free position shot giving the Irish a 12-1 lead at halftime.

Coming out of the halftime break Kasey Choma took a diving shot and hit the back of the net for a 13-1 lead. The Notre Dame lead continued to grow when Kelly Denes fired a shot after dodging multiple defenders to score.The Aztecs scored their second goal of the game with just under four minutes left in the period.

Madison Ahern opened the fourth quarter with a goal on a backhand shovel shot. McHugh took the ball on her own and beat the goalie with a shot to the low right side of the cage. This became McHugh’s first multi-goal performance of her career giving the Irish a 16-2 lead with just under seven minutes left.

Choma had an impressive one-on-one with a defender down low, beating her for the goal and giving the Irish a 17-2 lead. Continuing to add on Kristen Shanahan added an 18th goal for the Irish. The final score gave the Irish a 18-2 victory to open the season.

The Irish return to action on February 16 when they travel to Northwestern for a 7:00 pm matchup.

NOTRE DAME BASEBALL

IRISH SET TO START 2023 SEASON

SOUTH BEND, IN – The Fighting Irish are just under two weeks away from opening day as they prepare for their 131st season of Notre Dame Baseball and their 53-game regular-season slate under John P. and Catherine Murphy Head Coach Shawn Stiffler.

Stiffler is in his first season with the Irish and comes to South Bend after spending the last 10 seasons at the helm of the VCU program. 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.

Stiffler looks to continue the upward trajectory of the Notre Dame Baseball program as the Irish finished the 2022 season with a 41-17 overall record while making the program’s third trip to Omaha for the College World Series after the upset win against No. 1 Tennessee in the Super Regionals. For the first time in program history, the Irish reached the Super Regional round in consecutive seasons as well as surpassed the 40-win plateau for the first time since 2006.

The Irish are returning several players who helped guide the team on their historic run last season. Graduate students Carter Putz, Zack Prajzner, Jack Zyska, and Brooks Coetzee all return to the field for the Irish.

Putz started all 58 games and was a piece of Notre Dame’s success last season. He also led the team in hits (81) and runs (55) and was second on the squad in doubles (13)  and batting average (.339). Putz’s 81 hits were the most hits in a single season since 2013 when World Series Champion Trey Mancini had 89 hits on the year.

Prajzner returns to the Irish after starting all 58 games and setting career highs in runs, hits, doubles, home runs and RBIs last season. He was also fourth on the team in hits and runs as he finished with 44 runs and 58 hits. Prajzner was named to the 2022 Statesboro Regional All-Tournament Team after hitting the game-tying home run in the 6-4 win over No. 22 Georgia Southern to advance to the Statesboro Regional Championship.

Both Putz and Prajzner were also recognized by Perfect Game as two of the top 50 seniors in the country heading into the 2023 season.

Zyska made 38 starts on the season and was a big piece of the Super Regional win over No. 1 Tennessee as he hit one of four home runs in the 8-6 win over the Volunteers in game one and set a career-high four hits against Tennessee in game two. He finished with 34 runs, 45 hits, 12 doubles, 13 home runs, and seven stolen bases.

Coetzee started all 58 games and had a big year with the Irish as he set career highs in runs (42), hits (59), home runs (12), and RBI (43). He finished second on the team in home runs and was one of three Irish players to hit double-digit home runs last season as the Irish set the program record for home runs in a single season with 79 homers.

The Irish also have 14 newcomers, featuring 10 freshmen and four grad transfers. David Lally Jr., of Grand Blanc, Michigan, is predicted to be a force on the mound as he helped guide his high school to a 2021 State Championship, is a two-time Collegiate Baseball First Team All-American and was recognized this year as one of the top 100 freshmen in the country by Perfect Game. 

Blake Hely is a grad transfer that joined the Irish this fall after spending four years at Davidson. He was another Notre Dame player recognized by Perfect Game this year as one of the top 50 impact transfers in the nation. Hely was a weekend starter for the Wildcats, appearing in and starting 15 games with a 3.80 ERA and a 9-2 record after leading Davidson in 2022 with 85.1 innings pitched. 

The Irish open their 53-game schedule in Nashville, Tennessee, with a three-game series against Lipscomb on Feb. 17-19. The 2023 schedule features 21 games against teams in last year’s tournament field of 64, 30 ACC games, as well as 25 home games at Frank Eck and 28 road games. The Irish will also play at Fenway Park in their final road series of the regular season as they take on Boston College on Friday, May 19 for the Eagles’ annual ALS Awareness Game.

INDIANA STATE WBB

LIGHTS-OUT SHOOTING LEADS SYCAMORES OVER RACERS

MURRAY, Ky. – Bella Finnegan scored a career-high 26 points Friday night and Del’Janae Williams added 17, propelling Indiana State past Murray State, 82-71, inside CFSB Center.

Chelsea Cain also finished in double-figures for the Sycamores with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Indiana State shot a season-best 63.5 percent from the floor and 61.5 percent from distance. Finnegan had seven rebounds and three assists in addition to her 26 points.

Indiana State got out to a strong start from the field, and the offensive attack carried throughout the game for the Sycamores. The Blue and White never trailed by more than four, with a Finnegan basket inside the final minute of the opening half putting the Sycamores ahead for good. Indiana State shot 70 percent from the field in the last 20 minutes, building up a double-digit lead behind eight third-quarter points from Cain and 12 in the fourth from Finnegan. The Sycamores scored 20-plus points in three of the four quarters to complete their season sweep of Murray State. 

First Half

Williams got things started for the Sycamores with a pair of 3-pointers, followed by baskets from Finnegan and Cain as Indiana State took an early 13-10 lead. Murray State answered with a run to take its largest lead of the game at 19-15, but the Sycamores answered with consecutive baskets from Mya Glanton, Caitlin Anderson and Cain to go back in front. A last-second basket down low by Lily Niebuhr gave Indiana State a 23-22 lead heading into the second.

Cain opened the second quarter with a fastbreak layup, with Williams and Finnegan adding baskets to keep Indiana State in front. Consecutive layups from Niebuhr and Anderson, along with a Finnegan fastbreak bucket, put the Trees up 35-32 late in the quarter. Murray State managed to tie the score, but Finnegan gave the Sycamores the lead just before halftime with a jumper inside the final minute. Indiana State took a slim 37-35 lead into the intermission. 

Second Half

Indiana State’s offense was clicking in the second half, as the Sycamores quickly extended their lead to five with a 3-pointer by Anna McKendree and a jumper from Cain. The Trees pushed their advantage even further following makes from Finnegan and Young, making it a 51-42 lead. Murray State cut Indiana State’s lead to three, but the Sycamores responded with a pair of Cain baskets and a three-point play from Williams to make it a 58-48 game. Murray State closed the quarter strong, but Indiana State took a 58-53 lead into the fourth.

The fourth quarter proved to be Indiana State’s best from the field, as the Sycamores made eight of their 10 shots in the period. Glanton converted on back-to-back baskets down low, and Finnegan followed with a 3-pointer as the Trees pushed their lead to 65-58 midway through. Another Finnegan three-ball just before the media timeout put the Sycamores ahead by double-digits, and it remained that way for the final four-plus minutes. McKendree and Finnegan each added another 3-pointer late in the game to help Indiana State close out its fifth MVC win of the season.

Inside the Numbers

Indiana State’s 63.5 percent clip from the field was its first time shooting over 60 percent from the field in a game since Nov. 28, 2016 at Eastern Illinois (35-for-58, 60.3). It’s the highest shooting percentage in a game for the Sycamores since going 40-for-59 (67.8 percent) against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 18, 2006.

Indiana State shot better than 50 percent from beyond the arc (8-for-13, 61.5) for the first time since last season’s Hoops in the Heartland quarterfinal against Southern Illinois (Mar. 11, 2022 – 6-for-12, 50.0).

Bella Finnegan’s career-high 26-point performance came on 11-for-16 shooting and 3-for-3 from 3-point range. The 11 field goals and three 3-pointers were both career-highs.

Indiana State was plus-14 in rebound margin (32-18), its best in a game since the opening weekend of conference play. Murray State’s 18 rebounds were by far the fewest by a Sycamore opponent in a game this season.

Indiana State outscored Murray State in all four quarters Friday (23-22, 14-13, 21-18, 24-18), the second time the Sycamores have done so in a conference game this season (at Bradley, Jan. 22, 2023).

News & Notes

Friday’s win over Murray State gave head coach Chad Killinger his 300th career win as a collegiate head coach. Killinger’s journey to the milestone mark included head coaching stints at Jacksonville College (32 wins), Lincoln Trail College (91), Moberly Area CC (147), East Carolina (9 – interim HC) and Indiana State (21).

Indiana State completed a season sweep of an opponent (62-56 in Terre Haute, 82-71 in Murray) for the first time since sweeping Bradley last season (73-57 in Terre Haute, 83-63 in Peoria).

Friday’s win gave Indiana State consecutive seasons with double-digit wins for the first time since the 2017-18 (11) and 2018-19 (11) seasons.

Four of Indiana State’s five conference wins this season have come on the road following Friday’s victory over Murray State.

Del’Janae Williams currently stands six points away from reaching 1,000 points for her career. Williams would become the 29th player in program history to score 1,000 points at Indiana State, and the first since the 2014-15 season.

Up Next

Indiana State’s three-game road trip closes Sunday afternoon at Belmont, with tipoff set for 3 p.m.

INDIANA STATE MBB

SYCAMORES TRAVEL TO UNI SATURDAY FOR FIRST OF TWO STRAIGHT ROAD GAMES

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Three road games remain for Indiana State this season beginning with a trip to Cedar Falls Saturday for the second matchup against Northern Iowa this season. The Sycamores will be looking for their fifth straight win and third season series sweep as they tip off against the Panthers at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN3 Saturday, Feb. 11.

Eight different Sycamores hit a three for the second game in a row Wednesday while ISU was just two triples shy of tying the program record set in the last game with 17 in an 84-62 win against Valpo at home.

Cooper Neese has hit three 3-pointers in his last three games to bring his career total to 206. He is 10 3-pointers away from moving into sole possession of fourth place on ISU’s all-time list of career 3-point leaders.

The Sycamores now have 17 overall wins for just the second time in nine seasons, and Josh Schertz is one of four ISU coaches all-time to improve win totals from year one to year two.

It’s no secret the Sycamores have struggled to put together 40 solid minutes in a game throughout the season, mainly with second-half struggles, but ISU has turned that around recently. In their last five games dating back to Jan. 24 at Drake, the Sycamores are outscoring their opponents in the second half by 87 (+17.4 scoring margin) compared to being outscored by 49 (-3.5 scoring margin) in the 14 games before that.

In their last two games, both 20+-point Valley wins at home, the Sycamores are averaging 18 threes, 24.5 assists, and 5.5 turnovers. Eight different players hit a three in both games, and Julian Larry has totaled 16 assists with just two turnovers in those two games.

With five games remaining on the regular season schedule, the Sycamores are one game out of first place, tied at 10-5 for fourth place with Belmont. There is currently a three-way tie for first place with Drake, Southern Illinois, and Bradley all sitting at 11-4.

SERIES HISTORY

Indiana State and Northern Iowa will meet for the 66th time Saturday afternoon. ISU leads the all-time series 34-31 dating back to 1992, but the Sycamores trail 21-11 in Cedar Falls. The series is tied 5-5 in the last 10 meetings, and ISU took the most recent meeting on Jan. 28, 2023, 79-71, at home to break a three-game skid against the Panthers and also kickstart the current four-game win streak after dropping the last five games before that.

A WIN WOULD…

Extend ISU’s win streak to five games.

Give the Sycamores their third season sweep of the year.

Give ISU 18 overall wins for the second time in nine seasons and six overall road wins for the first time since 2013-14.

Give ISU five Valley road wins for the second time in nine seasons.

Give ISU 11 Valley wins for the third time in eight seasons including three of the last four.

LAST GAME AGAINST THE PANTHERS

Five different Sycamores scored in double figures as Indiana State got back on track with a 79-71 win over Northern Iowa at Hulman Center in front of a loud home crowd that included men’s basketball alumni dating back to 1948.

In a game that saw 10 lead changes and six ties, the Sycamores led by just two points at 70-68 with just 2:00 to go in the second half. Indiana State took advantage of late free throws, shooting 6-of-6 at the line down the stretch with four straight stops to end the game.

Xavier Bledson led the Sycamores in scoring off the bench with 20 points while Cameron Henry posted a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Cooper Neese and Zach Hobbs added 14 points each while Robbie Avila posted 10 points.

With his 10th rebound at 9:42 in the second half, Cameron Henry notched his third double-double of the season and first since Dec. 7 against Southern Illinois. His 12 rebounds tie a season-high while his 14 points mark his 12th double-digit scoring game of the season.

Xavier Bledson came off the bench to play a season-high 31:11 and tied the game-high of 20 points for his second 20+-point effort of the year.

Zach Hobbs shot 4-of-5 from three for a season-high 14 points.

LAST TIME OUT

The threes were falling inside Hulman Center once again Wednesday night as the Sycamores defeated Valparaiso 84-62 for their fourth straight win. Eight different Sycamores hit a three for the second game in a row while Indiana State was just two triples shy of tying the program record set in the last game with 17 tonight.

ISU allowed Valpo the first bucket of the night, but after taking the lead with a Julian Larry triple a minute and a half later, the Sycamores would not allow the Beacons another lead in the game.

After leading by just one point at 11-10 with 15:50 to go in the opening frame, the Sycamores went on an 8-0 run and never looked back. They went 3-of-3 from three in a span of less than a minute and later pushed the lead to 10 points at 25-15 with a Zach Hobbs triple at 10:40.

By halftime, all nine Sycamores who had seen action were on the scoresheet. Eight of those nine attempted at least one 3-pointer while seven of them made at least one 3-pointer. As a team, the Sycamores had 11 3-pointers and 13 assists on 17 buckets in the first half and held a 46-39 lead at the break.

The Indiana State lead hit a game-high 25 points midway through the second frame after back-to-back triples from Cooper Neese and Larry followed by a layup from Trenton Gibson that made it 73-48 with 7:02 to go. Jayson Kent joined in as the eighth Sycamore with a 3-pointer at 4:55 and he added his second trey to close the scoring for Indiana State with 2:21 remaining.

SYCAMORES SHOW OUT ON NATIONAL STAGE

Saturday’s 43-point win over Murray State on CBS Sports Network is Indiana State’s largest margin of victory against a Valley team in program history, breaking the previous margin of 36 points against Evansville Feb. 21, 2001.

The Sycamores committed just four turnovers against Murray State Saturday, the least amount of turnovers against a Valley team since Jan. 18, 2012 when ISU committed four against Illinois State.

SHARING IS CARING

Indiana’s State’s 27 assists against Murray State Saturday is an all-time program second-best, behind the program record of 34 set in 1983 against West Texas State. Julian Larry led the way Saturday with a career-high nine assists in the game.

ISU leads the Valley in assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio while Julian Larry and Cameron Henry rank top-10 in the Valley in assists, assists per game, and assist-to-turnover ratio.

The Sycamores are 14-0 this season when they dish out 15 or more assists.

Cameron Henry is four assists away from 100 this season and would be the first Sycamore with 100 assists in a season since Jordan Barnes in 2019-20.

RAININ’ THREES

Indiana State set a single-game program record for 3-pointers in a game with 19 against Murray State Saturday, breaking the previous record of 18 vs. Arizona State Dec. 2, 1988. Those 19 3-pointers are the most all-time in a game between two Valley teams.

ISU was two triples shy of tying that program record Wednesday against Valpo.

Eight different Sycamores connected on a three in each of the last two games. ISU is 9-1 this season when six or more players hit a three in a game and 10-1 when making 10 or more threes as a team.

ISU is averaging over 15 3-pointers a game across the last three wins, and the Sycamores are 20 triples away from tying the season program record of 270 for the second straight season.

MCCAULEY EARNS SECOND NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK HONOR

Courvoisier McCauley was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week for the second time this season on Feb. 6. He averaged 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds on the week to help the Sycamores to back-to-back double-digit wins. He posted an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double Wednesday at Evansville before scoring a game-high 23 points while hitting five of ISU’s program-best 19 3-pointers against Murray State Saturday.

POWERED BY THE BENCH

Bledson posted a team-high 20 points against UNI for his second 20+-point outing this season, and Hobbs nailed four triples for a season-high 14 points. Those 34 points are tied for ISU’s second-most bench points against DI opponents this season, even with 34 bench points against Drexel when Bledson had an ISU career-high 22 points off the bench, and behind 38 bench points against Evansville when 12 different Sycamores made it on the scoresheet. ISU ranks second in the Valley in bench points this season.

INDIANA STATE SB

SYCAMORES SHUT OUT JMU, NIGHTCAP POSTPONED

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Indiana State softball started their season off on a positive note, shutting out James Madison 2-0 on Friday afternoon at Patriots Point in Charleston.

Friday’s nights action at the Charleston Invitational has been paused due to rain. Play will continue tomorrow at 10 a.m. beginning with the College of Charleston vs Chattanooga. The Sycamores contest against CofC will be played immediately following that game.

The Action

Indiana State broke a 0-0 tie in the bottom of the third when Abi Chipps stole second and scored on a Danielle Henning single to left field to give the Sycamores a 1-0 lead after three innings of play. Isabella Henning also added a base hit in the frame.

In the top of the fourth, Lexi Benko stranded runners at second and third as she got a JMU hitter swinging with her third strikeout of the afternoon. ISU would extend their lead in the bottom half of the frame when TeAnn Bringle launched a solo shot to left field which put the Trees up 2-0 after four.

Benko worked another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth with a pair of strikeouts to raise her total to five for the game. She would pick up another strikeout in the sixth as she sat the Dukes down in order once again.

The Sycamores held their 2-0 lead into the seventh inning where JMU threatened with a one-out double where the runner moved to third on a groundout. With two outs in the final frame, second basemen Abi Chipps made a great diving stop on a ground ball and threw the JMU runner out at first to end the game.

Benko finished the complete game shutout with seven strikeouts, allowing just three hits on the afternoon. The Sycamores also finished with three hits for the game.

Due to inclement weather, the game against CofC scheduled for 5:30 on Friday has been postponed until Saturday. Weather permitting, it will be played around noon following the completion of the CofC vs. Chattanooga contest which will start at 10 a.m.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE VB

MASTODON MVB FALLS IN MIVA OPENER AT LINDENWOOD

ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball team dropped its MIVA opener on Friday night (Feb. 10) at Lindenwood 3-2 (25-17, 19-25, 25-23, 27-29, 15-11).

The opening set was 6-6 before Lindenwood went on an 8-2 run from which the Mastodons never got back within two. Jon Diedrich had an ace to bring it within three at 17-14, but the Lions ran away with the set after a 5-0 run.

The Mastodons had an 8-2 run midway through the second set to go up 12-8 after Wilmer Hernandez had a kill. Bryce Walker put the exclamation point on the equalizing set with an ace.

Lindenwood led 15-13 at the media timeout in the third set before the Mastodons forced the Lions into four-straight attack errors. Two of them were blocked by Ryan Steponaitis, Hernandez and Mark Frazier. The Lions responded with a 5-1 run to go up 22-20 and put the set just out of reach.

The fourth set saw Lindenwood lead by as many as three for a majority of the frame. The Mastodons called timeout, icing the server for an error, then setting up for kills from Diedrich and Frazier. The ‘Dons went up one with another kill from Diedrich. The Lions went up 24-23, but the Mastodons held off the match point, then ultimately got a kill from Walker and a block from Steponaitis and Frazier.

After a 6-6 tie in set five, the home team went on 6-2 push, putting them up 12-8. The ‘Dons got it within two on a kill from Walker, but Lindenwood scored three of the last four, including a challenged match point.

Diedrich had a team-high 17 kills, followed by Frazier with 15 and Walker with 10. Lindenwood was led by AJ Lewis and Carter Stenmark, who had 18 kills each. Rayshawn Bonner had nine blocks.

The Lions out-dug the Mastodons 53-37. Noah Melendez had a match-high 11 digs. Diedrich had three aces and Walker had a pair.

Purdue Fort Wayne falls to 9-2 and starts MIVA play 0-1. Lindenwood improves 3-5, 1-0 MIVA. The Mastodons will take on Quincy on Saturday night (Feb. 11) at 8 p.m.

PURDUE FT.WAYNE MBB

JARRED GODFREY CLOSES IN ON SCORING RECORD WITH 33 POINTS AGAINST YSU

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Jarred Godfrey scored a season-high 33 points, but Purdue Fort Wayne men’s basketball fell to the league-leading Youngstown State Penguins 81-72 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on Friday (Feb. 10) evening.

Godfrey finished with 33 points, seven rebounds, four assists, a block and a steal. He now has 2,045 career points. He needs just 21 points to pass former Mastodon great and NBA player John Konchar.

The Mastodons jumped out to a 13-6 lead, which helped them weather a 6:42 scoreless stretch. Jarred Godfrey quenched the scoring drought, converting a layup through traffic.

From the 1:14 mark in the first to the 17:01 mark, the Penguins went on a 17-2 run that put them up for good.

Ra Kpedi had a thunderous dunk and converted the 3-point play to cut the lead to seven at 67-60. From there, YSU went to its best player in Dwayne Cohill, who scored four in a row to put it out of reach. Cohill matched Godfrey, scoring 33 of his own. The Penguins shot 63.0 percent from the floor in the second half.

Kpedi added 13 points and six rebounds.

Purdue Fort Wayne falls to 15-11 and 7-8 in Horizon League play. The Penguins improve to 20-6 and 12-3 in league. The Mastodons will take the floor at the Gates Sports Center on Sunday at 1 p.m. in a league game against Robert Morris.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE SB

PURDUE FORT WAYNE SOFTBALL DROPS A PAIR AT UNCW EVENT

WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Purdue Fort Wayne softball team dropped a pair of non-league games on Friday (Feb. 10) at the UNCW Home Weekend #1. The Mastodons fell to UNCW 7-0 and East Carolina 3-0.

GAME 1 – Purdue Fort Wayne 0, UNCW 7

The Mastodons dropped the morning game to UNCW after the home team scored four in the opening frame. The Seahawks scored on a sacrifice bunt, a home run, and a fielder’s choice.

UNCW expanded its lead with a solo home run in the fourth and a two-RBI single in the sixth.

Purdue Fort Wayne broke up the no-hitter in the sixth inning when Bailey Manos had a single to the shortstop. Sonia Solis had a double in the top of the seventh, but she was stranded there.

Kennedy Peckinpaugh took the loss for Purdue Fort Wayne. Janel Gamache got the win for UNCW. Gracie Brinkerhoff pitched 5.2 innings of relief for the ‘Dons.

UNCW improved to 2-1.

GAME 2 – Purdue Fort Wayne 0, East Carolina 3

Purdue Fort Wayne was even with East Carolina in game two, apart from the opening 3-0 inning.

The Pirates put a runner in scoring position after two plate appearances, then scored on a double and a groundout. From that moment on, Alyson Quinlan had a good performance from the circle, throwing for the rest of the game with no runs and two strikeouts. She finished with three runs to her name to take the loss. Addy Bullis for East Carolina took the win in seven innings pitched.

The Mastodons had back-to-back innings with two runners on in the third and fourth. In the third, Quinlan singled to right field, then Manos reached on a fielder’s choice and Taylor Warne reached on a fielding error. In the fourth, Brooke Wintlend drew a walk and Brayden Lickey singled to left field.

Purdue Fort Wayne fell to 0-4 with the loss, while East Carolina went to 2-1. The Mastodons will play No. 13/11 Virginia Tech on Saturday morning (Feb. 11) at 10 a.m. to finish up the UNCW Home Weekend #1.

EVANSVILLE WBB

COLD-SHOOTING HAMPERS ACES IN ROAD LOSS AT BELMONT

NASHVILLE – Down a starter and playing its fourth game in nine days, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team struggled to overcome a cold-shooting performance and its turnovers in a 93-53 loss to Belmont on the road in Nashville, Tenn. on Friday night.

Leading Evansville on the evening was fifth-year guard Myia Clark notched her 14th double-figure scoring performance of the season with a team-best 14 points. Also finishing in double-digits for UE was freshman guard Kynidi Mason Striverson, who made her second consecutive start, recording 10 points in the contest. The Bruins were led by forward Madison Bartley, who tallied a game-high 26 points.

In what was a slow start for both squads offensively, Evansville grabbed a 6-4 lead on a jumper from fifth-year guard A’Niah Griffin just over three minutes into the game. Belmont’s offense would heat up following UE’s lead, mounting a 12-0 run that would help the home side own a 23-13 lead after the opening quarter.

Evansville’s offense was much more efficient in the second period with the Aces shooting just shy of 50% (5-11) from the field in the frame, but this time, it was turnovers that limited their effectiveness. Nine total turnovers, combined with an 11-22 (50%) performance from the field in the quarter from Belmont, helped the Bruins secure a 49-27 advantage at the break.

Out of the break, Evansville kept pace with Belmont in the third quarter, but did not have enough offense to chip away at its deficit. In the fourth, Belmont continued to apply pressure to the Aces, scoring 28 points in the quarter as the home team grabbed a 93-53 win.

The Aces wrap-up the southern road trip on at 2 PM on Sunday with a trip to battle Murray State in Murray, Ky.

EVANSVILLE SB

SOFTBALL REMAINS UNBEATEN WITH TWO FRIDAY WINS

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Contributions continued to come from all parts of the lineup as the University of Evansville softball team improved to 3-0 with two more victories on Friday in the DePaul Dome Classic.

UE began the day with a 6-2 victory over St. Thomas before improving to 3-0 with a 10-5 triumph over Eastern Kentucky.

GAME 1 – UE 6, St. Thomas 2

Brooke McCorkle recorded two of the Purple Aces’ seven hits in a 6-2 win over the Tommies.  Mikayla Jolly scattered just two hits over a scoreless six innings of work with Elle Jarrett coming in for the 7th.  UE scored six runs on seven hits with Zoe Frossard crossing the plate twice.

Wasting little time in getting on the board, Evansville plated four runs in the bottom of the first.  Taylor Howe led with a walk while Frossard reached on a single.  After Marah Wood walked to load the bases, Jess Willsey flew out to left to score Howe.  Alexa Davis drew the second free pass of the inning and Hannah Hood was hit by a pitch to bring home the second run.  Next up was Brooke McCorkle, who delivered a 2-run single to make it a 4-0 game.

Things remained that way until the bottom of the sixth when the Aces added two more to the tally.  Frossard recorded her second RBI of the day when she grounded into a fielder’s choice while a triple by Wood plated the sixth run of the game.  St. Thomas scored twice in the seventh, but Evansville fended off the challenge to finish with the 6-2 decision.

GAME 2 – UE 10, Eastern Kentucky 5

It was Zoe Frossard coming through once again, going 2-for-3 with a home run, four RBI and a walk to help the Aces defeat the Colonels.  Taylor Howe also picked up two hits.  Jess Willsey and Alexa Davis scored two runs apiece.  Sydney Weatherford made the start, allowing two runs in four innings.  Paige McAllister pitched two innings to earn the win while Megan Brenton tossed a scoreless 7th frame.

Another nice start saw Evansville pick up two runs in the bottom of the first.  Howe hit a leadoff double and would score on a home run by Willsey.  After EKU scored twice in the top of the second, UE countered immediately.

Alexa Davis led the second off with a home run to right to put the Aces back in front.  Hannah Hood doubled to bring up Sydney Kalonihea.  Kalonihea doubled to left to bring in Hood before scoring a run of her own on a hit by Frossard.  Evansville held a 5-2 lead until the top half of the fifth when the Colonels scored three runs to knot the score once again.

Just as they did earlier in the game, UE had the immediate response.  Howe hit a leadoff single and was pinch run for by Dori Brown.  Frossard came to the plate and put her team in front, hitting a homer to left.  Alexa Davis added an RBI triple in the frame and would later cross the plate on a passed ball to solidify a 9-5 lead.  Lacy Smith completed the scoring in the seventh with a solo shot.

On Saturday, the Aces complete the opening weekend with games against Detroit Mercy (2:30 p.m.) and DePaul (5 p.m.).

VALPO SB

SOFTBALL BREAKS INTO WIN COLUMN WITH SHUTOUT OF WIU

It was a simple formula for the Valpo softball team to earn its first win of the season Friday at the Dome in Rosemont, Ill. — junior Emily Crompton (Salem, Ill./Christ Our Rock Lutheran) delivered a fourth-inning RBI double and senior Easton Seib (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs South) made it stand up with a six-hit shutout for a 1-0 victory over Western Illinois. The win was the first as head coach of the Beacons for Meaggan Pettipiece.

How It Happened

Batting as the visiting team, Valpo threatened right away in the top of the first, putting two on with one out. But the Beacons were unable to push anything across the plate in that frame.

WIU had a strong scoring chance in the top of the second with the bases loaded and just one out. Crompton came up with her first big play of the game to keep the game scoreless, initiating a fly-ball double play with a strong throw home to nab the Leatherneck runner trying to score.

The Beacons got the only run they would need in the top of the fourth. Freshman Kim Rodas (San Bernadino, Calif./Cajon) led off the frame with a base hit and moved up to second on a walk drawn by junior Autumn Acord (LaGrange, Ohio/Keystone [Kent State]). Crompton stepped in and ripped a double to the left-center gap, plating Rodas to give Valpo a 1-0 lead.

The threat continued as a walk loaded the bases, still with nobody out. But a failed squeeze attempt led to the first out registered on the bases, and a line-drive double play limited Valpo to just the single run.

That one run ended up being enough to stand up for the win, however. Seib had to work around baserunners in each of Valpo’s final four defensive innings, as WIU had a runner on second with one out in the fourth, runners on the corners with two away in the fifth and runners on first and second with one out in the sixth. Each time, however, the third out came before any damage was done.

WIU had one final threat in the seventh on a two-out infield single, but a grounder was dealt with by the Beacons’ middle infield to close out the win.

Inside the Game

Valpo has won six in a row over the Leathernecks after winning just six of the first 62 meetings in the all-time series.

Seib delivered a vintage performance in the circle, relying on pitching to contact and letting the Valpo defense make plays behind her. She scattered six hits and walked just one batter in earning the win to improve to 1-1 on the season.

The shutout was the fourth of Seib’s collegiate career. It is the second time she has blanked the opposition in a 1-0 victory.

The victory featured a pair of firsts for Crompton. The junior, who had not registered a defensive stat in her first two seasons, came up with her first career outfield assist on what proved to be the crucial out at the plate in the second inning. Crompton followed by picking up her first career extra-base hit on the game-winning RBI.

Fifth-year Taylor Herschbach (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) reached base twice Friday evening, picking up a base hit and drawing a walk.

Freshman Lyna Vasquez (Moreno Valley, Calif./Valley View), making her first collegiate start, relied on her eye at the plate to draw three walks in the win. The three walks in a single game are tied for third-most in a game in program history.

Next Up

Valpo (1-2) closes out opening weekend action from Rosemont with two games on Saturday, facing Bowling Green at noon and Eastern Kentucky at 2:30 p.m. Both games will have live stats available via ValpoAthletics.com.

VALPO WBB

DRAKE TAKES DOWN BEACONS FRIDAY NIGHT

The visiting Drake Bulldogs came away 71-54 victors over the Valpo women’s basketball team Friday evening at the ARC in MVC women’s basketball action. Valpo freshman Ali Saunders (Depauw, Ind./North Harrison) led all players with 16 points in her first career start.

How It Happened

Drake scored the game’s first six points in just 49 seconds, hitting triples on each of its first two possessions.

Valpo came back and outscored the Bulldogs 12-5 over the next 3:41, a stretch which included five points apiece from senior Olivia Brown (East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids [St. Bonaventure]) and junior Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH). When Earnest connected on a second-chance layup with 5:38 to play in the opening period, the Beacons led the Bulldogs, 12-11.

Drake scored the final eight points of the period to end the first quarter with a 19-12 lead. Valpo went without a point for a stretch of nearly nine minutes spanning the first and second periods, allowing the Bulldogs to extend their lead out to 13 points with a 14-0 cumulative run.

Drake held a 42-22 lead at halftime and the Beacons were unable to get any closer in the third period, as the Bulldogs held a 59-30 lead with 10 minutes to play.

The Bulldogs’ lead reached its apex at 62-32 with 6:21 remaining before Valpo closed the game by outscoring Drake 22-9 the rest of the way — a stretch during which the Bulldogs had multiple starters in the game the majority of the time. Saunders connected on four 3-pointers during that stretch, while sophomore Olivia Sims (Toledo, Ohio/Notre Dame Academy [Oakland]) scored six points in the span as well.

Inside the Game

Saunders’ big fourth quarter propelled her to a game-high 16 points, tying her second-highest scoring output of the year. The rookie connected on a season-best four 3-pointers and has scored in double figures four of the last five games.

Saunders’ 12-point fourth quarter marked the third time this season she has scored at least 10 points in a single period.

Saunders was the only Valpo player to score in double figures, as Sims was the Beacons’ next-highest scorer with nine points.

Fifth-year Ilysse Pitts (Aurora, Ill./Montini Catholic) matched Saunders for game-high honors with four assists and also tied for the game best with three steals.

Valpo shot 37% from the field Friday and was just 9-for-31 from 3-point range, while Drake hit at a 45.1% clip and was 10-of-22 from deep. The Bulldogs also attempted 15 more free throws than the Beacons, who did not attempt a free throw until 4:01 to play in the fourth quarter.

The Beacons forced Drake to commit 21 turnovers, a season high for Valpo opposition.

SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:

INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/

ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index

TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/

OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx

ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index

IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/

IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/

IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/

PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/

INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx

GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/

GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/

HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php

TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/

VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index

SPORTS EXTRA

NBA STANDINGS

Eastern Conference
	W	L	Pct	Conf GB	Home	Road	Div	Conf	Last 10	Streak
1 Boston	40	16	.714	—	22-7	18-9	8-1	24-11	6-4	3 W
2 Milwaukee	39	17	.696	1.0	23-5	16-12	7-4	21-13	10-0	10 W
3 Philadelphia	35	19	.648	4.0	21-8	14-11	6-5	20-13	7-3	1 W
4 Cleveland	36	22	.621	5.0	23-6	13-16	10-3	21-10	7-3	5 W
5 Brooklyn	33	22	.600	6.5	17-10	16-12	6-5	23-11	5-5	1 W
6 Miami	31	25	.554	9.0	19-9	12-16	6-3	14-16	6-4	2 W
7 New York	30	27	.526	10.5	14-15	16-12	4-8	21-16	5-5	1 L
8 Atlanta	28	28	.500	12.0	14-11	14-17	5-4	17-17	4-6	1 W
9 Chicago	26	29	.473	13.5	16-11	10-18	5-4	20-16	5-5	2 L
10 Washington	25	29	.463	14.0	13-12	12-17	6-3	14-17	7-3	1 W
11 Toronto	26	31	.456	14.5	16-13	10-18	4-9	15-19	6-4	1 L
12 Indiana	25	32	.439	15.5	17-13	8-19	3-5	17-16	2-8	3 L
13 Orlando	23	33	.411	17.0	14-14	9-19	3-7	11-23	6-4	1 W
14 Detroit	15	42	.263	25.5	8-21	7-21	0-9	6-25	3-7	1 W
15 Charlotte	15	42	.263	25.5	7-17	8-25	5-8	8-29	2-8	6 L
Western Conference
	W	L	Pct	Conf GB	Home	Road	Div	Conf	Last 10	Streak
1 Denver	38	18	.679	—	26-4	12-14	10-5	28-11	5-5	1 L
2 Memphis	34	21	.618	3.5	23-5	11-16	6-2	16-16	3-7	2 W
3 Sacramento	31	24	.564	6.5	16-12	15-12	5-5	19-12	5-5	1 L
4 Dallas	31	26	.544	7.5	19-9	12-17	7-2	23-13	6-4	3 W
5 Phoenix	31	27	.534	8.0	19-9	12-18	8-0	20-14	7-3	1 W
6 LA Clippers	31	28	.525	8.5	14-13	17-15	4-4	17-16	6-4	2 L
7 Golden State	28	27	.509	9.5	21-6	7-21	4-4	17-12	6-4	1 L
8 New Orleans	29	28	.509	9.5	20-10	9-18	7-4	18-14	3-7	1 L
9 Minnesota	30	29	.508	9.5	20-12	10-17	8-7	21-19	6-4	1 L
10 Utah	28	29	.491	10.5	18-12	10-17	4-6	19-17	5-5	1 W
11 Oklahoma City	27	28	.491	10.5	16-11	11-17	5-6	14-16	5-5	2 W
12 Portland	27	29	.482	11.0	15-13	12-16	5-8	19-16	6-4	1 L
13 LA Lakers	25	31	.446	13.0	13-14	12-17	1-9	12-19	4-6	3 L
14 San Antonio	14	42	.250	24.0	9-21	5-21	2-7	5-30	0-10	11 L
15 Houston	13	43	.232	25.0	8-20	5-23	1-8	7-30	3-7	5 L

NHL STANDINGS

Eastern Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Boston Bruins	51	39	7	5	83	37	192	111	22-1-3	17-6-2	7-2-1
2 Carolina Hurricanes	51	34	9	8	76	31	173	136	17-5-2	17-4-6	9-0-1
3 New Jersey Devils	51	34	13	4	72	33	179	136	15-10-2	19-3-2	8-1-1
4 Toronto Maple Leafs	53	32	13	8	72	32	178	141	20-5-4	12-8-4	6-3-1
5 Tampa Bay Lightning	51	33	16	2	68	32	184	152	21-4-2	12-12-0	6-3-1
6 New York Rangers	52	30	14	8	68	28	172	139	16-9-4	14-5-4	7-2-1
7 Pittsburgh Penguins	51	26	16	9	61	25	169	157	15-6-4	11-10-5	5-2-3
8 Washington Capitals	53	27	20	6	60	26	166	152	14-8-3	13-12-3	4-6-0
9 New York Islanders	55	27	23	5	59	27	159	151	16-10-2	11-13-3	4-5-1
10 Florida Panthers	54	26	22	6	58	25	189	185	15-7-3	11-15-3	6-2-2
11 Buffalo Sabres	50	26	20	4	56	25	186	170	11-13-2	15-7-2	6-2-2
12 Philadelphia Flyers	53	22	22	9	53	21	145	165	11-13-2	11-9-7	4-4-2
13 Detroit Red Wings	50	22	20	8	52	21	149	166	13-11-3	9-9-5	4-5-1
14 Ottawa Senators	50	24	23	3	51	23	151	159	14-11-1	10-12-2	6-4-0
15 Montreal Canadiens	51	20	27	4	44	16	134	189	11-14-1	9-13-3	4-5-1
16 Columbus Blue Jackets	52	15	33	4	34	14	131	201	11-16-2	4-17-2	2-6-2
Western Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Dallas Stars	53	30	13	10	70	28	180	136	15-5-6	15-8-4	5-2-3
2 Vegas Golden Knights	53	31	18	4	66	28	170	150	14-13-0	17-5-4	3-5-2
3 Winnipeg Jets	52	32	19	1	65	32	166	137	18-8-0	14-11-1	5-5-0
4 Edmonton Oilers	52	29	18	5	63	29	193	166	13-11-3	16-7-2	8-0-2
5 Seattle Kraken	52	29	18	5	63	29	181	164	13-10-3	16-8-2	3-6-1
6 Colorado Avalanche	50	27	19	4	58	23	152	140	13-9-3	14-10-1	7-2-1
7 Los Angeles Kings	53	28	18	7	63	24	173	183	14-9-2	14-9-5	5-4-1
8 Minnesota Wild	51	27	20	4	58	23	155	150	15-9-1	12-11-3	4-6-0
9 Calgary Flames	52	24	18	10	58	23	162	159	14-9-2	10-9-8	5-4-1
10 Nashville Predators	49	24	19	6	54	22	138	146	14-8-3	10-11-3	5-5-0
11 St. Louis Blues	51	23	25	3	49	20	156	185	10-12-2	13-13-1	3-7-0
12 Vancouver Canucks	52	21	27	4	46	18	178	207	10-13-1	11-14-3	4-5-1
13 San Jose Sharks	53	16	26	11	43	15	162	203	5-12-7	11-14-4	3-4-3
14 Arizona Coyotes	52	17	28	7	41	15	137	183	11-8-2	6-20-5	4-4-2
15 Anaheim Ducks	53	17	30	6	40	14	133	216	9-14-1	8-16-5	5-3-2
16 Chicago Blackhawks	50	16	29	5	37	16	124	182	10-16-3	6-13-2	5-4-1

FOOTBALL HISTORY

February 11, 1892 – (exact day in February unknown) George Wright decides to sell the Wright & Ditson Sporting Goods interests including the all important Wright and Ditson Publications to A. G. Spalding after the death of partner Henry A. Ditson on November 15, 1891. This included giving Spalding the exclusive rights to sponsor and supply the Football Rules books to players and coaches including the entire Spalding Sporting Goods catalog inside it. Spalding continued the Wright and Distson name on some of it’s products all the way into the 1970’s.

February 11, 1997 – Bill Parcells becomes head coach of New York Jets. Parcells coached the Jets for three seasons and then retired in 1999.The Big Tuna brought success to the franchise too as his team was 9-7 in the first season 12-4 in 1998 and then finished with an 8-8 record in

HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAYS FOR FEBRUARY 11

February 11, 1882 – Nashville, Tennessee – Vanderbilt’s once great halfback John Tigert was born. Tigert was so much more to college football than this though. Click his highlighted name above to learn all the details of this legend.

February 11, 1949 – Mt Vernon, Ohio – Jim Stillwagon the awesome defensive tackle from Ohio State University stakes the claim in his date of birth. The FootballFoundation.org website tells how Stillwagon played for Hall of Fame Coach Woody Hayes’ Buckeye teams from 1968 through 1970. In that span Ohio State football went 27-2 overall and won two national championships including the consensus national title in 1968. The anchor of the OSU D-line took home hardware for his great work too. Stillwagon was the first player to win the Lombardi Award in 1970, and he also won the Outland Trophy that same season. He was named a consensus All-American in 1969 and a unanimous All-American in 1970, along with being honored as the UPI’s defensive lineman of the year. The National Football Foundation selected Jim Stillwagon to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.

TODAY IN BASEBALL HSITORY

1915       New York Giants president Harry Hempstead rejects the International League’s request to put a team in the Bronx. The proposed shift of the Jersey City team to the nearby borough, the future home of the Yankees starting in 1923, was conceived to prop up the failing minor league franchise and perhaps as an opportunity to thwart the invasion of the Federal League into the Big Apple.

1962       Before spring training, Don Zimmer and right-hander Bob Miller, both residents in the St. Pete area, become the first players to don a Mets jersey when they model the club’s away uniform tops for a photoshoot at Huggins Field. The expansion team’s inaugural third baseman, traded to the Reds in May for southpaw Bob Miller, poses with his nine-year-old son Tommy on his shoulders.

1974       In the first arbitration ruling in baseball history, Detroit lawyer Harry H. Platt, a labor arbitrator for thirty years, decides in favor of Dick Woodson, who posted a 10-8 record and a 3.95 ERA for the Twins last season. The 27-year-old right-hander, the first player to invoke the new free agency clause, is awarded the $29,000 he asked for, rather than having to take Minnesota’s offer, which was six thousand dollars less.

1977       The Cubs trade two-time NL batting champ Bill Madlock along with Rod Sperring to the Giants for Bobby Murcer, Steve Ontiveros, and a minor leaguer. During the 1979 season, San Francisco will trade the fiercely competitive ‘Mad Dog’ to the Pirates, where he will play a major role in the team’s world championship that season and will win two more batting crowns during his seven-year tenure in Pittsburgh.

1982       Ozzie Smith agrees to go to the Cardinals to complete the December deal that finally sends Gary Templeton to the Padres. An outside arbitrator, Tom Roberts, will determine the Wizard of Oz’s Cardinal salary before the season starts, awarding the light-hitting Gold Glove shortstop $450,000 rather than the $750,000 he requested.

1985       Kent Hrbek signs a five-year, $6 million contract with the Twins, making him the team’s first million-dollar player. The 24-year-old Minnesota first baseman, paid $375,000 last season, was the runner-up for the American League Most Valuable Player, finishing second to Tiger closer Willie Hernandez, batted .311 with 27 homers and 107 RBIs for the second-place club.

1987       After turning down the Mets’ $800,000 one-year offer and being granted free agency by the team, World Series MVP Ray Knight signs a two-year deal with the Orioles for $600,000. The 34-year-old third baseman, who won the 1986 NL Comeback Player of the Year Award, will play one season in Baltimore before being traded to the Tigers for Mark Thurmond.

1997       General Mills, the makers of Wheaties, unveils three new Jackie Robinson cereal boxes to be sold in stores nationwide. The Dodgers’ Hall of Fame infielder will be the first athlete to be honored on all three varieties of Wheaties: Original Wheaties, Honey Frosted Wheaties, and Crispy Wheaties ‘n’ Raisins.

2001       As thousands cheer, Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh’s 30-year-old sports venue, is imploded when electricity surges through a detonating cord connected to more than 4,800 pounds of dynamite in 2,500 spots in the former home of the Pirates and NFL’s Steelers. Roberto Clemente’s 3,000th hit, as well as Mike Schmidt’s 500th career home run, are part of the historic park’s legacy.

2005       Jose Canseco’s controversial book, Juiced, is made available in selected markets in anticipation of his appearance on CBS’s Sixty Minutes. The self-proclaimed godfather of the steroids in baseball alleges Mark McGwire, Juan Gonzalez, Rafael Palmeiro, and Ivan Rodriguez used illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

2005       The Mets announce their former slugging All-Star Darryl Strawberry will rejoin the team as an outfield instructor during spring training. The often-troubled Rookie of the Year will also join former 1986 World Champion teammates Gary Carter, Lenny Dykstra, Howard Johnson, and Tim Teufel at Shea Stadium on February 27 when single-game tickets go on sale.

2006       Avoiding an arbitration hearing, starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano (14-6, 3.26) and the Cubs agree to a one-year deal worth $6.5 million. After earning $3.76 million last season, the emotional right-hander had asked for $7.2 million, with Chicago offering $6 million.

2007       Avoiding salary arbitration, AL’s reigning batting champ Joe Mauer (.347, 13, 84) and the Twins come to terms on a $33 million, four-year contract. The hometown 23-year-old All-Star backstop is the first catcher to lead the majors in batting average, becoming the first to win the American League batting crown.

2008       Craig Biggio, following in the footsteps of fan favorites Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, and Jeff Bagwell, agrees to a three-year personal services contract with the Astros. The 42-year-old retired ballplayer spent his entire 20-year career with Houston, leading the franchise in games, at-bats, hits, doubles, and total bases.

2009       The Nationals sign slugger Adam Dunn to a two-year, $20 million deal. The 29-year-old southpaw swing free-agent, who played for Arizona last season, will bat cleanup for Washington, replacing Nick Johnson at first base.

2010       During WFUV Radio’s Spring Gala at Fordham UniversityErnie Harwell, the Tigers’ long-time voice, will receive the Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports Broadcasting. The 92-year-old Hall of Fame broadcaster is the third recipient of the VSLA, named for the former alum and Dodger broadcast icon, joining inaugural honoree Vin Scully (2008) and Dick Enberg (2009).

2012       Logan Morrison becomes the first player in the Marlins’ 19-year history to don the No. 5 after the team received permission from the National League to ‘unretire’ the digit once reserved to honor the late Carl Barger, the club’s first president and chief operating officer. The Miami first baseman/outfielder had asked owner Jeffrey Loria to allow him to switch from No. 20 to No. 5 in memory of his father, who encouraged his son to model his game after Hall of Famer George Brett, who wore the number.

SPORTS IN NUMBERS

24 – 4 – 13 – 1 – 99 – 14

February 11, 1966 – The San Francisco Giants inked the centerfielder who wore Number 24, Willie Mays the a record MLB contract at $130,000 per season. Mays led the League in 6 categories in the previous season including; 52 Home runs, a .398 On Base Percentage, a slugging percentage of .645 and more to earn the “giant” pay raise

February 11, 1971 – The Montreal Canadien’s lefthanded Center, Jean Beliveau, who wore the Number 4 proudly on his sweater for much of his career, scored his 500th NHL goal as the Canadiens downed the Minnesota North Stars 6-2.

February 11, 1974 – First Major League Baseball arbitration case; Minnesota Twins pitcher Dick Woodson, who sported the Number 13 uniform, sought $29,000 per win while the Twins offered $23,000. It was a new rule at the time where if the two sides could not reach an agreement the Players Association could send it to one of 14 arbitrators.

February 11, 1978 – 25th hat trick in NewYork Islander history, as Number 5, Denis Potvin’s posted the second of his brilliant career at that point.

February 11, 1982 – The San Diego Padres traded Ozzie Smith for Garry Templeton of the St Louis Cardinals. This blockbuster was finalized after days of agonizing negotiations between the two sides. Smith wore the Number 1 on his jersey for both clubs, while Templeton also wore the Number 1 for both.

February 11, 1984 – The legendary Number 99, Wayne Gretzky set an NHL short handed season scoring record at 11 while playing for the Edmonton Oilers.

February 11, 1985 – Kent Hrbek, who wore Number 14 signed a 5-year, $6 million contract with Minnesota Twins to continue to play First base for the club.

TV SATURDAY

NCAA BASKETBALL GAMES – MEN’S	TIME ET	TV
PROVIDENCE VS. ST. JOHN’S	12:00PM	FOX
KENTUCKY AT GEORGIA	12:00PM	ESPN
WEST VIRGINIA AT TEXAS	12:00PM	ESPN2/U
PITT AT FLORIDA STATE	12:00PM	ESPN2/U
MARQUETTE AT GEORGETOWN	12:00PM	FS1
PENN STATE AT MARYLAND	12:00PM	BTN
NC STATE AT BOSTON COLLEGE	12:00PM	ACCN
COLGATE AT BUCKNELL	12:00PM	ESPN+
ST. BONAVENTURE AT DUQUESNE	12:30PM	USA
KANSAS AT OKLAHOMA	1:00PM	CBS
SOUTH CAROLINA AT OLE MISS	1:00PM	SECN
BOSTON UNIVERSITY AT LAFAYETTE	1:00PM	–
BRYANT AT UMBC	1:00PM	ESPN3
LIU AT WAGNER	1:00PM	NEC
GEORGE WASHINGTON AT SAINT JOSEPH’S	1:00PM	ESPN+
BELLARMINE AT QUEENS	1:00PM	ESPN+
ARMY WEST POINT AT NAVY	1:30PM	CBSSN
UCONN AT CREIGHTON	2:00PM	FOX
CLEMSON AT NORTH CAROLINA	2:00PM	ESPN/2
ALABAMA AT AUBURN	2:00PM	ESPN/2
RUTGERS AT ILLINOIS	2:00PM	FS1
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AT DRAKE	2:00PM	ESPNU
VIRGINIA TECH AT NOTRE DAME	2:00PM	ACCN
RHODE ISLAND AT GEORGE MASON	2:00PM	MASN2
HOFSTRA AT MONMOUTH	2:00PM	SNY
OMAHA AT NORTH DAKOTA	2:00PM	–
WESTERN CAROLINA AT FURMAN	2:00PM	–
DENVER AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE	2:00PM	–
UIC AT BELMONT	2:00PM	ESPN3
INDIANA STATE AT UNI	2:00PM	ESPN3
MURRAY STATE AT BRADLEY	2:00PM	ESPN3
CAMPBELL AT GARDNER-WEBB	2:00PM	ESPN3
UALBANY AT BINGHAMTON	2:00PM	ESPN3
ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN AT STONEHILL	2:00PM	NEC
HOLY CROSS AT AMERICAN	2:00PM	ESPN+
CORNELL AT BROWN	2:00PM	ESPN+
PENN AT HARVARD	2:00PM	ESPN+
PRINCETON AT DARTMOUTH	2:00PM	ESPN+
BOWLING GREEN AT BALL STATE	2:00PM	ESPN+
UMASS AT LA SALLE	2:00PM	ESPN+
STETSON AT NORTH FLORIDA	2:00PM	ESPN+
UNC ASHEVILLE AT PRESBYTERIAN	2:00PM	ESPN+
LOUISIANA TECH AT FLORIDA ATLANTIC	2:00PM	ESPN+
JAMES MADISON AT COASTAL CAROLINA	2:00PM	ESPN+
NORTH CAROLINA A&T AT STONY BROOK	2:00PM	FLOSPORTS
TOWSON AT DREXEL	2:00PM	FLOSPORTS
WILLIAM & MARY AT ELON	2:00PM	FLOSPORTS
FORDHAM AT DAVIDSON	2:30PM	USA
EAST CAROLINA AT TULANE	3:00PM	ESPN+
ORAL ROBERTS AT WESTERN ILLINOIS	3:00PM	ESPN+
THE CITADEL AT SAMFORD	3:00PM	ESPN+
ARKANSAS STATE AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN	3:00PM	ESPN+
ST. XAVIER (IL) AT CHICAGO STATE	3:00PM	FLOSPORTS
UTEP AT UTSA	3:00PM	CUSATV
VANDERBILT AT FLORIDA	3:30PM	SECN
MERCER AT CHATTANOOGA	3:30PM	CBSSN
CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT MIAMI (OH)	3:30PM	ESPN3
ULM AT SOUTHERN MISS	3:30PM	ESPN+
UNLV AT SAN DIEGO STATE	4:00PM	FOX
DUKE AT VIRGINIA	4:00PM	ESPN
BAYLOR AT TCU	4:00PM	ESPN2
WISCONSIN AT NEBRASKA	4:00PM	BTN
LOYOLA CHICAGO AT RICHMOND	4:00PM	ESPNU
CAL POLY AT CSUN	4:00PM	SPECTRUM
MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT UAB	4:00PM	STADIUM
MAINE AT NJIT	4:00PM	ESPN3
WESTERN MICHIGAN AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS	4:00PM	ESPN3
MERRIMACK AT SAINT FRANCIS U	4:00PM	NEC
AUSTIN PEAY AT CENTRAL ARKANSAS	4:00PM	ESPN+
FGCU AT JACKSONVILLE	4:00PM	ESPN+
LONGWOOD AT HIGH POINT	4:00PM	ESPN+
PORTLAND STATE AT NORTHERN ARIZONA	4:00PM	ESPN+
CHARLESTON AT HAMPTON	4:00PM	FLOSPORTS
HOWARD AT DELAWARE STATE	4:00PM	YOUTUBE
MORGAN STATE AT NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL	4:00PM	–
JACKSON STATE AT FLORIDA A&M	4:00PM	FACEBOOK
ALCORN STATE AT BETHUNE-COOKMAN	4:00PM	YOUTUBE
ALABAMA STATE AT UAPB	4:30PM	–
A&M-COMMERCE AT NORTHWESTERN STATE	4:30PM	ESPN+
LAMAR AT A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI	4:30PM	ESPN+
NICHOLLS AT SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA	4:30PM	ESPN+
EASTERN ILLINOIS AT SIUE	4:30PM	ESPN+
TENNESSEE TECH AT TENNESSEE STATE	4:30PM	ESPN+
LITTLE ROCK AT UT MARTIN	4:30PM	ESPN+
GEORGIA TECH AT WAKE FOREST	5:00PM	ACCN
JACKSONVILLE STATE AT KENNESAW STATE	5:00PM	ESPN+
USC UPSTATE AT WINTHROP	5:00PM	ESPN+
MOREHEAD STATE AT SOUTHEAST MISSOURI	5:00PM	ESPN+
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT AT FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON	5:00PM	ESPN+
MCNEESE AT NEW ORLEANS	5:00PM	ESPN+
HOUSTON CHRISTIAN AT UIW	5:00PM	ESPN+
OLD DOMINION AT TEXAS STATE	5:00PM	ESPN+
LOUISIANA AT TROY	5:00PM	ESPN+
RADFORD AT CHARLESTON SOUTHERN	5:30PM	ESPN+
INDIANA AT MICHIGAN	6:00PM	ESPN
OKLAHOMA STATE AT IOWA STATE	6:00PM	ESPN2/U
MISSISSIPPI STATE AT ARKANSAS	6:00PM	ESPN2/U
MISSOURI AT TENNESSEE	6:00PM	SECN
SAINT MARY’S AT PORTLAND	6:00PM	CBSSN
USC AT OREGON STATE	6:00PM	PAC12N
CHARLOTTE AT NORTH TEXAS	6:00PM	ESPN+
APP STATE AT SOUTH ALABAMA	6:00PM	ESPN+
EASTERN WASHINGTON AT IDAHO	6:30PM	–
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M AT SOUTHERN	6:30PM	–
TEXAS SOUTHERN AT GRAMBLING STATE	6:30PM	–
LOUISVILLE AT MIAMI (FL)	7:00PM	ACCN
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT AT SANTA CLARA	7:00PM	NBCS-CA
SOUTH DAKOTA AT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE	7:00PM	–
UMASS LOWELL AT VERMONT	7:00PM	ESPN3
ILLINOIS STATE AT VALPARAISO	7:00PM	ESPN3
DETROIT MERCY AT GREEN BAY	7:00PM	ESPN+
COLUMBIA AT YALE	7:00PM	ESPN+
OAKLAND AT MILWAUKEE	7:00PM	ESPN+
LOYOLA MARYLAND AT LEHIGH	7:00PM	ESPN+
SOUTH FLORIDA AT CINCINNATI	7:00PM	ESPN+
TULSA AT UCF	7:00PM	ESPN+
KANSAS STATE AT TEXAS TECH	7:00PM	ESPN+
EASTERN KENTUCKY AT LIBERTY	7:00PM	ESPN+
RICE AT FIU	7:00PM	ESPN+
MARSHALL AT GEORGIA STATE	7:00PM	ESPN+
SAM HOUSTON AT ABILENE CHRISTIAN	7:00PM	ESPN+
NORTHEASTERN AT UNCW	7:00PM	FLOSPORTS
ALABAMA A&M AT MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE	7:00PM	YOUTUBE
TOLEDO AT EASTERN MICHIGAN	7:30PM	ESPN3
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN AT UTRGV	7:30PM	ESPN+
ARIZONA AT STANFORD	8:00PM	ESPN2
SETON HALL VS. VILLANOVA	8:00PM	FS1
WYOMING AT BOISE STATE	8:00PM	CBSSN
ARIZONA STATE AT CALIFORNIA	8:00PM	PAC12N
MONTANA STATE AT IDAHO STATE	8:00PM	ESPN+
SACRAMENTO STATE AT NORTHERN COLORADO	8:00PM	ESPN+
SOUTHERN UTAH AT UTAH VALLEY	8:00PM	ESPN+
KANSAS CITY AT ST. THOMAS	8:00PM	–
LIPSCOMB AT NORTH ALABAMA	8:15PM	ESPN+
TEXAS A&M AT LSU	8:30PM	SECN
LINDENWOOD AT SOUTHERN INDIANA	8:30PM	ESPN+
MONTANA AT WEBER STATE	9:00PM	ESPN+
TARLETON AT UTAH TECH	9:00PM	ESPN+
UCLA AT OREGON	10:00PM	ESPN
BYU AT GONZAGA	10:00PM	ESPN2
COLORADO AT UTAH	10:00PM	FS1
UTAH STATE AT SAN JOSE STATE	10:00PM	CBSSN
SAN DIEGO AT PACIFIC	10:00PM	STADIUM
PEPPERDINE AT SAN FRANCISCO	10:00PM	STADIUM
NM STATE AT CALIFORNIA BAPTIST	10:00PM	ESPN+
GRAND CANYON AT SEATTLE U	10:00PM	ESPN+
LONG BEACH STATE AT CSU BAKERSFIELD	10:00PM	ESPN+
UC DAVIS AT UC SANTA BARBARA	10:00PM	ESPN+
UC RIVERSIDE AT UC IRVINE	10:30PM	ESPNU
WASHINGTON AT WASHINGTON STATE	10:30PM	PAC12N
CAL STATE FULLERTON AT HAWAI’I	11:59PM	SPECTRUM
COLLEGE BASKETBALL – WOMEN’S	TIME ET	TV
ARMY AT NAVY	11:00AM	CBSSN
GOLF	TIME ET	TV
CHAMPIONS: TROPHY HASSAN II	8:00AM	GOLF
PGA: PHOENIX OPEN	1:00PM	GOLF
PGA: PHOENIX OPEN	3:00PM	CBS
MMA	TIME ET	TV
UFC 284: MAKHACHEV VS. VOLKANOVSKI – PRELIMS	8:00PM	ESPN
NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
PHILADELPHIA AT BROOKLYN	6:00PM	NBATV NBCS-PHI YES
DENVER AT CHARLOTTE	7:00PM	ALT BALLY SPORTS
MIAMI AT ORLANDO	7:00PM	BALLY SPORTS
INDIANA AT WASHINGTON	7:00PM	BALLY SPORTS
SAN ANTONIO AT ATLANTA	7:30PM	BALLY SPORTS
UTAH AT NEW YORK	7:30PM	ATTSN-RM MSG
CHICAGO AT CLEVELAND	8:00PM	NBCS-CHI BALLY SPORTS
LOS ANGELES AT GOLDEN STATE	8:30PM	ABC
DALLAS AT SACRAMENTO	10:00PM	NBCS-CA BALLY SPORTS
NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
VANCOUVER AT DETROIT	12:00PM	SPORTSNET BALLY SPORTS
CALGARY AT BUFFALO	12:30PM	SPORTSNET MSG-BUF
EDMONTON AT OTTAWA	12:30PM	SPORTSNET
NY ISLANDERS AT MONTRÉAL	12:30PM	MSGSN SPORTSNET
NASHVILLE AT PHILADELPHIA	12:30PM	BALLY SPORTS NBCS-PHI
TAMPA BAY AT DALLAS	1:00PM	ABC ESPN+
WASHINGTON AT BOSTON	3:30PM	ABC ESPN+
COLORADO AT FLORIDA	6:00PM	ALT BALLY SPORTS
COLUMBUS AT TORONTO	7:00PM	BALLY SPORTS SPORTSNET
NY RANGERS AT CAROLINA	7:00PM	MSG BALLY SPORTS
ARIZONA AT ST. LOUIS	8:00PM	BALLY SPORTS
NEW JERSEY AT MINNESOTA	8:00PM	MSGSN BALLY SPORTS
CHICAGO AT WINNIPEG	10:00PM	NBCS-CHI SPORTSNET
PITTSBURGH AT LOS ANGELES	10:30PM	ATTSN-PIT BALLY SPORTS
SOCCER MATCHES	TIME ET	TV
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: WEST HAM UNITED VS CHELSEA	7:30AM	USA
WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE: MANCHESTER CITY VS ARSENAL	7:30AM	PARAMOUNT+
SERIE A: LECCE VS ROMA	9:00AM	PARAMOUNT+
BUNDESLIGA: BAYERN MÜNCHEN VS BOCHUM	9:30AM	ESPN+
BUNDESLIGA: HOFFENHEIM VS BAYER LEVERKUSEN	9:30AM	ESPN+
BUNDESLIGA: FREIBURG VS STUTTGART	9:30AM	ESPN+
BUNDESLIGA: WERDER BREMEN VS BORUSSIA DORTMUND	9:30AM	ESPN+
BUNDESLIGA: MAINZ 05 VS AUGSBURG	9:30AM	ESPN+
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: SOUTHAMPTON VS WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS	10:00AM	USA
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: LEICESTER CITY VS TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR	10:00AM	PEACOCK
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: FULHAM VS NOTTINGHAM FOREST	10:00AM	PEACOCK
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: ARSENAL VS BRENTFORD	10:00AM	PEACOCK
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: CRYSTAL PALACE VS BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION	10:00AM	PEACOCK
FIRST DIVISION A: WESTERLO VS GENT	10:00AM	ESPN+
LA LIGA: ALMERÍA VS REAL BETIS	10:15AM	ESPN+
FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP THIRD PLACE MATCH	10:30AM	FS2
LIGUE 1: MONACO VS PSG	11:00AM	BEIN SPORTS
SERIE A: LECCE VS ROMA	12:00PM	PARAMOUNT+
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: AFC BOURNEMOUTH VS NEWCASTLE UNITED	12:30PM	NBC
LA LIGA: SEVILLA VS MALLORCA	12:30PM	ESPN+
BUNDESLIGA: RB LEIPZIG VS UNION BERLIN	12:30PM	ESPN+
SCOTTISH FA CUP: CELTIC VS ST. MIRREN	12:30PM	ESPN+
FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP FINAL	2:00PM	FS2
SERIE A: LAZIO VS ATALANTA	2:45PM	PARAMOUNT+
LA LIGA: VALENCIA VS ATHLETIC CLUB	3:00PM	ESPN+
LIGUE 1: CLERMONT VS OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE	3:00PM	BEIN SPORTS
ARGENTINA PRIMERA DIVISIÓN: DEFENSA Y JUSTICIA VS NEWELL’S OLD BOYS	3:00PM	PARAMOUNT+
ARGENTINA PRIMERA DIVISIÓN: SAN LORENZO VS GODOY CRUZ	3:00PM	PARAMOUNT+
LIGA MX: AMÉRICA VS NECAXA	6:00PM	UNIVISION
ARGENTINA PRIMERA DIVISIÓN: TALLERES CÓRDOBA VS BOCA JUNIORS	7:30PM	PARAMOUNT+
ARGENTINA PRIMERA DIVISIÓN: VÉLEZ SARSFIELD VS INDEPENDIENTE	7:30PM	PARAMOUNT+
LIGA MX: TIGRES UANL VS PUMAS UNAM	8:05PM	UNIVISION
LIGA MX: PACHUCA VS GUADALAJARA	10:10PM	UNIVISION