INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SEMI-STATE MATCH-UPS
NORTH
CLASS 4A AT HUNTINGTON NORTH
G1: FORT WAYNE SNIDER (21-4) VS. FISHERS (24-2) 10 AM ET
G2: SB WASHINGTON (27-0) VS. LAKE CENTRAL (22-5) 12 PM ET
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER. 8 PM ET
CLASS 3A AT LAPORTE
G1: TWIN LAKES (27-0) VS. HAMILTON HEIGHTS (20-5) 10 AM CT
G2: TIPPECANOE VALLEY (22-3) VS. FAIRFIELD (25-2) 12 PM CT
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER. 7:30 PM CT all use
CLASS 2A AT LOGANSPORT
G1: ANDREAN (25-3) VS. LAPEL (22-7) 10 AM ET
G2: CENTRAL NOBLE (25-2) VS. LAF. CENTRAL CATHOLIC (20-6) 12 PM ET
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER. 8 PM ET
CLASS 1A AT FRANKFORT
G1: TRI (25-1) VS. TRI-CENTRAL (12-13) 10 AM ET
G2: BETHANY CHRISTIAN (22-3) VS. WASHINGTON TWP. (20-6) 12 PM ET
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER. 8 PM ET
SOUTH
CLASS 4A AT SOUTHPORT
G1: BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (24-3) VS. CENTER GROVE (22-4) 10 AM ET
G2: LAWRENCE NORTH (18-9) VS. BEN DAVIS (18-9) 12 PM ET
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER. 8 PM ET
CLASS 3A AT JASPER
G1: GIBSON SOUTHERN (21-4) VS. CORYDON CENTRAL (25-2) 10:30 AM ET
G2: INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD (12-13) VS. INDIAN CREEK (26-1) 12:30 PM ET
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER. 8 PM ET
CLASS 2A AT SHELBYVILLE (BROADCAST ON INDIANA SRN)
G1: FOREST PARK (23-3) VS. GREENCASTLE (23-4) 10 AM ET
G2: NORTH KNOX (27-1) VS. EASTERN HANCOCK (23-3) 12 PM ET
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER. 8 PM ET
CLASS 1A AT NEW ALBANY
G1: BLOOMFIELD (14-14) VS. JAC-CEN-DEL (16-11) 10 AM ET
G2: LANESVILLE (25-2) VS. TRINITY LUTHERAN (22-6) 12 PM ET
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER. 8 PM ET
INDIANA GIRLS BB ALL-CITY/ALL COUNTY
ALL-CITY
BISHOP CHATARD: CAROLINE BELL, ANNA THOMPSON
CATHEDRAL: LAYLA GOLD, TAYLOR LEWIS
CRISPUS ATTUCKS: DAISHA BULLOCK
COVENANT CHRISTIAN: GABRIELLA CRANE
GEORGE WASHINGTON: MALAYSIA FLANAGAN
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN: MYA DAVIS, JOSLYN MARSHALL, KORYN MARSHALL
PURDUE POLYTECHNIC: AJACIA GRIFFITH, LAILAH HADLEY
SCECINA: ABBY MOORE, ANNA WELBORN
TECH: KAYLA LACOMBE
TINDLEY: ALILYONA MCKELLER
HONORABLE MENTION: ANNA CASKEY, CHATARD; CATHERINE CLINE, CATHEDRAL; AVERY REICHART, COVENANT CHRISTIAN, JAYCIANNA CLARK, HERRON
ALL-COUNTY
BEN DAVIS: CRISTEN CARTER, TAYLOR GUESS
DECATUR CENTRAL: KAMRAH BANKS
FRANKLIN CENTRAL: LILLIAN GRAVES
LAWRENCE CENTRAL: JAYLAH LAMPLEY, LOLA LAMPLEY
LAWRENCE NORTH: LANIYA EARLY, MONICA WILLIAMS
NORTH CENTRAL: AVA COUCH, NAKIYA HARRIS
PERRY MERIDIAN: MAYA MUNDY
RONCALLI: SYDNEY HORTON, CLAIRE LINDSEY
WARREN CENTRAL: ASIAH BAXTER, DENYHA JACOBS, SANAA THOMAS
HONORABLE MENTION: MYLEE BOLING, BEECH GROVE; SORIAH GOUARD, NAJA WINSTON, DECATUR CENTRAL; LAILA ADURRAQIB, LAWRENCE CENTRAL; JAMAYA THOMAS, LAWRENCE NORTH; CAITLYN BROOKS, LUTHERAN; TRINITY ARCHEY, NORTH CENTRAL; GRETCHEN FARLEY, PARK TUDOR; GIAVONNIE BELTON, LEXIE COLE, PIKE; KASSIE MCMASTERS, CECE MITCHELL, LELA SCOTT, SOUTHPORT; ALEX DELISLE, SPEEDWAY.
INDIANA WRESTLING STATE FINALS
SATURDAY, FEB. 18, 2023
SESSION 2
GATES OPEN AT 8 AM ET
QUARTERFINALS BEGIN AT 9 AM ET WITH SEMIFINALS TO FOLLOW
FIELDHOUSE CLEARED OF ALL SPECTATORS FOLLOWING SEMIFINALS
SESSION 3
GATES OPEN AT 3:30 PM ET
CONSOLATIONS AT 4:30 PM ET WITH STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS TO FOLLOW AT 7:30 PM ET
BRACKETS ARE AVAILABLE VIA FLOWRESTLING.COM
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES
KENT STATE 81 EASTERN MICHIGAN 54
DETROIT 96 OAKLAND 74
DAYTON 65 LOYAL CHICAGO 49
CLEVELAND STATE 85 WRIGHT STATE 68
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/CBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230217
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
#3 STANFORD 50 #25 USC 47
#18 ARIZONA 82 #4 UTAH 72
#16 UCLA 67 CALIFORNIA 54
#21 COLORADO 70 ARIZONA STATE 62
VALPARAISO 54 INDIANA STATE 47
EVANSVILLE 68 ILLINOIS CHICAGO 65 OT
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/WCBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230217
NBA SCOREBOARD
BOX SCORES:
NHL SCOREBOARD
CHICAGO 4 OTTAWA 3
NY ISLANDERS 5 PITTSBURGH 4
MINNESOTA 2 DALLAS 1
NY RANGERS 5 EDMONTON 4
LOS ANGELES 6 ANAHEIM 3
BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/NHL/SCOREBOARD.ASP
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES
NFL NEWS
AP SOURCE: COMMANDERS FINALIZING HIRE OF BIENIEMY AS OC
(AP) — Eric Bieniemy is finalizing terms of a deal to become the Washington Commanders’ offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the deal was not yet completed. It’s expected to be done Saturday.
Bieniemy, a two-time Super Bowl-winning assistant with Kansas City, now gets the chance to show what he can do without Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.
Bieniemy, who turns 54 in August, emerged from a pool of more than a half-dozen candidates as Washington’s choice for the job following the Chiefs’ second championship in his five seasons as their offensive coordinator. The longtime NFL assistant has interviewed for numerous head coaching jobs, but Reid calling plays for an offense featuring a two-time MVP in Mahomes clouded Bieniemy’s stock.
The decisions by teams not to hire Bieniemy, who is Black, as a head coach have been an ongoing talking point for critics of the NFL’s minority hiring practices.
Bieniemy will get the chance to call plays and run every aspect of Washington’s offense under Ron Rivera, a defensive-minded coach and former linebacker who’s going into his fourth season in charge of the team’s football operations.
Bieniemy inherits second-year quarterback Sam Howell, who goes into spring as the starter, and an offense that includes running backs Brian Robinson Jr. and Antonio Gibson and top receiver Terry McLaurin.
A running back for nine seasons in the 1990s, Bieniemy has coached at the college and pro levels. He coached running backs with Kansas City for five years before being promoted to offensive coordinator and before that worked at the University of Colorado and for the Minnesota Vikings as a position coach.
AP SOURCE: QB DEREK CARR MEETING WITH JETS THIS WEEKEND
(AP) — Free agent quarterback Derek Carr is meeting with the New York Jets this weekend, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The 31-year-old Carr, who spent his first nine NFL seasons with the Raiders, was released by Las Vegas on Tuesday after he declined to waive the no-trade clause in his contract. Las Vegas needed to trade or release him by Wednesday or $40.4 million of his contract over the next two years would have become fully guaranteed.
The Jets are looking for a veteran quarterback to lead their offense after Zach Wilson struggled mightily after being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft. Carr is a potential replacement and New York is bringing him in for a visit, the person told The Associated Press on Friday on condition of anonymity because the team didn’t announce its plans.
NFL Network first reported Carr will visit with the Jets, who are the second team that the quarterback has met with; he also visited New Orleans shortly before his release.
New York is also expected to be interested in Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers if he is made available. The four-time NFL MVP told “The Pat McAfee Show” earlier this week he was going to spend four days in isolation on a personal retreat and determine whether he wants to continue his playing career.
Carr, the Raiders’ second-round pick in 2014, threw 24 touchdown passes with 14 interceptions this season. After struggling late in the season, Carr was benched with two games remaining and acknowledged he was angry about the decision.
He said in a social media post “it breaks my heart” to stay away from the team as the season ended.
“I once said that if I’m not a Raider, I would rather be at home and I meant that, but I never envisioned it ending this way,” Carr wrote.
Carr confirmed he wasn’t retiring from playing and “that fire burning inside me to win a championship still rages.”
The Jets are looking for a quarterback who can team with new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett to jumpstart an offense that was among the NFL’s worst during the last two years under Mike LaFleur.
If he signs with New York, Carr would also be reunited with Todd Downing, the former Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator who was recently hired by the Jets as their passing game coordinator. Downing was the Raiders’ quarterbacks coach from 2015-16 before serving as offensive coordinator in 2017.
PANTHERS HIRE THOMAS BROWN AS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) The Carolina Panthers added the last major piece of Frank Reich’s coaching staff, hiring Thomas Brown as offensive coordinator on Friday.
The team has now filled all three coordinator positions.
After deciding not to retain last year’s interim coach, Steve Wilks, who is Black, the Panthers have hired two Black coordinators in Brown and Ejiro Evero, who will coach the defense.
The 36-year-old Brown was an assistant head coach/tight ends coach for the Los Angeles Rams last year under Sean McVay. He’s spent the last three seasons in Los Angeles and was the team’s assistant head coach/running backs coach when the Rams won the Super Bowl two years ago.
The Panthers also announced on Friday they have hired Tem Lukabu as outside linebackers coach, Bert Watts as safeties coach and Devin Fitzsimmons as assistant special teams coach.
Brown interviewed for the Houston Texans’ head coaching position before the team settled on DeMeco Ryans.
He’s spent 12 years as an NFL assistant and has worked at the college level.
Brown played four seasons at Georgia (2004-07) as a running back. He is 10th on Bulldogs’ all-time rushing list.
It’s unclear if Reich or Brown will call plays for the Panthers, but Reich indicated as his introductory news conference that he enjoys that part of the job.
Carolina’s offensive staff includes senior assistant Jim Caldwell, running backs coach Duce Staley, quarterbacks coach Josh McCown and passing game coordinator Parks Frazier. Carolina also retained offensive line coach James Campen and assistant offensive line coach Robert Kugler from last season.
RB AARON JONES STAYING WITH PACKERS UNDER RESTRUCTURED DEAL
(AP) — Running back Aaron Jones has agreed to remain with the Green Bay Packers on a restructured deal with a reduced salary for the upcoming season.
Drew Rosenhaus, Jones’ agent, said Jones will make $11 million in 2023 – including an $8.52 million signing bonus – rather than the $16 million he had been projected to make. Jones confirmed his return to Green Bay by tweeting, “Year 7 is Gonna be crazy in Lambeau. Honored to carry the G and blessed to be back.”
ESPN first reported Jones’ restructured deal.
Rosenhaus noted the $11 million salary will increase Jones’ total pay since 2021 to $31 million, the most for any running back other than San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey during that stretch.
Jones, 28, rushed for a career-high 1,121 yards on 213 carries and caught 59 passes for 395 yards last season as part of a running-back tandem with 2020 second-round pick A.J. Dillon. Jones scored seven touchdowns – five receiving and two rushing.
He also was the Packers’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which recognizes players for community service off the field as well as achievements on the field
The 2017 fifth-round pick from UTEP joined Jim Brown and Adrian Peterson as the only players in NFL history to combine 5,000-plus yards rushing, 60-plus touchdowns from scrimmage while averaging at least 5 yards per carry over their first six NFL seasons.
Jones, who is listed at 5-foot-9 and 208 pounds, has a career average of 5.11 yards per rush that ranks fourth in league history among running backs with at least 850 carries.
“When we got first here, you’re thinking, `Hey, this probably won’t last long because the way he’s built and his size,’ and he just keeps on defying the odds,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said last month during his season-ending news conference.
NBA NEWS
GASOL, NOWITZKI, PARKER, POPOVICH AMONG HOOP HALL FINALISTS
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker and Gregg Popovich are all one step closer to basketball immortality.
The three international greats – Gasol, Nowitzki and Parker – were among the list of Class of 2023 finalists unveiled Friday by the Basketball Hall of Fame, putting them on the doorstep of enshrinement this summer. Also on that list: Popovich, the winningest coach in NBA history with the San Antonio Spurs, and Dwyane Wade, part of three championship teams with the Miami Heat.
“It’s really about the journey,” Gasol said. “These type of recognitions, which are an amazing honor, they come along when you do things very, very well for a long time and when you love what you do. I’m just privileged to have played the game for so long, at a high level, with amazing people who taught me so much.”
Also making the finalist cut were four selections from the Women’s Committee – 1990 national player of the year, Olympic champion and world champion Jennifer Azzi; six-time WNBA All-Star and WNBA championship-winning coach Becky Hammon; and longtime coaches Gary Blair and Marian Washington.
The other finalists from the North American Committee include Gene Bess, believed to be the all-time collegiate coaching wins leader with 1,300 to his credit; two-time Division III national champion David Hixon; and seven-time Big Ten coach of the year Gene Keady.
“I love the class. I think this is a loaded class,” Hall of Fame Chairman Jerry Colangelo said.
Colangelo said it’s unusual for finalists to get this far in their first year on the ballot. Wade, Popovich, Gasol, Parker, Nowitzki and more got this far in their first opportunity.
“The Class of 2023 will be remembered as one of the most distinguished classes the Hall of Fame will ever see, and we are extremely excited for this unparalleled collection of talent and achievement to be one step closer to Springfield,” Colangelo said.
Popovich has coached San Antonio to five NBA titles, four of them with Parker as the team’s point guard, and led the U.S. to the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The other two legs of the Spurs’ Big 3 from that championship era – Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili – are already Hall of Famers.
Nowitzki is sixth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list and led Dallas to the 2011 NBA title as the top moment in his 21-year career, all of it spent with the Mavericks. Gasol won NBA titles and led Spain to a FIBA world championship, and Wade was a 13-time All-Star, Olympic champion and earned membership on the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.
Hall of Famers get an orange jacket to commemorate their enshrinement. Wade said he’s dreamed of wearing one, noting that he’s now “one step closer.”
“A young Dwyane Wade never would have thought this moment would be here,” Wade said. “Sometimes when you’re young and you have a dream, a lot of people don’t believe in your dream. It seems so far-fetched. But I’ve always been a dreamer.”
The Hall also announced Friday that longtime high school scout Tom Konchalski will receive the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor the Hall bestows short of enshrinement. CBS Sports will receive one of the Curt Gowdy media awards handed out this year, with ESPN’s Holly Rowe and Marc Spears also now Gowdy recipients.
The Hall class will be announced April 1 at the NCAA men’s Final Four in Houston. Enshrinement weekend is August 11 and 12 at Uncasville, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts.
NO HURT FEELINGS: NBA CHANGES FORMAT FOR ALL-STAR DRAFT
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The “last pick” of Sunday night’s All-Star Draft will be a starter.
The NBA has changed the format of Sunday’s draft, and LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo – the captains – will make their picks from the pool of reserve players first.
They’ll then choose their starting lineups, from the pool of eight other starters. The switch will ensure that no player will have to deal with the stigma of being picked last, even though that hasn’t been too much of an issue in the past.
This is the sixth year of the format where captains – determined by fan voting – choose their own All-Star rosters, but the first year in which those captains will do so on game night and basically right in front of the other All-Stars.
The 2018 draft was not shown publicly. The 2019 draft had Bradley Beal as the last pick among reserves, not including Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki – who were added to the game by Commissioner Adam Silver to commemorate their final seasons. (Nowitzki wound up being the last pick.)
In 2020, Domantas Sabonis, then of Indiana, was the last pick. In 2021, Rudy Gobert, then of Utah, was the last reserve left on the board. And last year, the final pick was James Harden – after Kevin Durant took Gobert, and didn’t choose his former Brooklyn teammate in a comical scene.
RISING STARS
New Orleans guard Jose Alvarado’s drifting 3-pointer clinched a 25-20 win for Team Pau (Gasol) over Team Joakim (Noah) in the title game of the Rising Stars event Friday at All-Star weekend.
Alvarado, who was named the Most Valuable Player, had five points in the title game.
The win capped a memorable day for Gasol, who was named a Basketball Hall of Fame finalist earlier Friday.
“I’m going out on top. It may be one and done for me,” Gasol said of his coaching debut.
New York’s Quentin Grimes scored 14 points in the final but was wrapped up – literally held at times – by Alvarado down the stretch.
“I didn’t know you could do that in the Rising Stars game. I should have alerted the refs to call a technical or something,” Grimes said. “It was all fun but I was going for the win tonight.”
Said Alvarado: “It might not have been (legal), but he was doing good.”
The four teams, comprised of 21 first- and second-year NBA players along with seven G League players, competed in semifinals games to a target score of 40.
Alvarado’s 13 points helped Team Pau top Team Deron (Williams) in the first game 40-27, despite an array of spectacular dunks by Trey Murphy III.
In the second semifinal, Grimes scored 13 points including the winning 3 to power Team Joakim over Team Jason (Terry), composed of the G Leaguers. Mac McClung, who is competing in Saturday’s Dunk Contest, nearly stole the show with 10 points in the comeback bid but missed a jam on his last attempt.
CELEBRITY GAME
Team Dwyane rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Team Ryan 81-78 in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday night. Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith and Basketball Hall of Fame finalist Dwyane Wade served as honorary captains of the celebrity teams.
Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf paced Team Dwyane with 20 points and 10 rebounds – but he’ll be best remembered for an array of dunks. Actor Everett Osbourne led Team Ryan with 23 points, 12 rebounds and three assists. Metcalf was named the game’s MVP.
Each celebrity team included a WNBA All-Star. Phoenix Mercury guard Diamond DeShields played for Team Ryan. Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale played for Team Dwyane. Other notable athletes participating included former NFL player Calvin Johnson and former MLB player Albert Pujols.
Wade added former NBA player Carlos Boozer to his team in the second half. Smith countered by adding former NBA player Richard Jefferson. Jefferson served as part of the officiating crew during the first half; he also worked as an official for one quarter of a Summer League game in Las Vegas last year.
Between the game, and a 3-point shootout between Smith and Wade, $142,000 was raised for 5 for the Fight, a charitable foundation devoted to funding cancer research.
Smith said the funds raised on Friday would benefit the Huntsman Cancer Institute on the University of Utah campus.
JABARI ON JORDAN
Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. was asked if Michael Jordan – who turned 60 on Friday – could compete if they were were to play 1-on-1 now.
Smith was pretty sure Jordan wouldn’t be getting buckets.
“He’s not beating me right now. If a 60-year-old is hooping on me, I need to hang it up,” Smith said. He then added, “Happy Birthday, MJ!”
SHORT STUFF
Alvarado is listed at 6 feet, which might be a tiny bit generous.
He doesn’t mind.
When told before Friday’s Rising Stars event that he was a hero for the undersized, Alvarado had a message for others who consider themselves vertically challenged.
“Hey short people, I’m just like y’all. We got a lot of heart,” Alvarado said. “I see lots of other little guys tagging me on Instagram. I see your love. Keep being yourself, don’t try to be nobody else.”
Alvarado admitted that the highlights of him hiding behind bigger players to get steals in the backcourt is making it tougher to surprise opponents.
“Everybody seen those clips. Now, so I just got to find another way, but I’m crafty,” he said.
WELCOME MOMENT
Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams said the season has been like a dream. He used to wear Derrick Rose’s shoes constantly when he was younger and then found himself guarding D-Rose in Madison Square Garden.
“So wild,” Williams said before the Rising Stars games. “Going up against people that I watched on TV is definitely kind of surreal.”
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
BRINK NEW STANFORD CAREER BLOCKS LEADER, CARDINAL BEAT USC
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) Cameron Brink became Stanford’s career leader in blocked shots with six more and scored 12 points, including a key putback with 1:04 left, and the No. 3 Cardinal beat No. 25 Southern California 50-47 on Friday night to take sole possession of the Pac-12 lead.
Brink began the night needing two blocks to break Jayne Appel’s mark of 273 set from 2006-2010, then swatted away a layup by Kadi Sissoko at the 5:25 mark of the second for the record. Close family friend and supporter Stephen Curry and his daughter, Riley – alongside 49ers quarterback Trey Lance – sat on the baseline cheering for her. Brink already had the single-season record, moving her total to 99. She also grabbed 10 rebounds.
Okako Adika’s jumper with 1:41 remaining pulled the Trojans (19-7, 9-6) to 48-45 but Brink answered after a miss by Jones. Destiny Littleton scored 15 points but missed a baseline 3 under pressure just before the final buzzer trying to send the game into overtime.
Haley Jones added eight points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the “Pink Game” as both programs wore pink to raise awareness for breast cancer. Stanford (25-3, 13-2 Pac-12) bounced back after having its 14-game winning streak stopped by the Trojans in a 55-46 loss in Los Angeles on Jan. 15.
The Cardinal are alone in atop the Pac-12 after No. 4 Utah’s 82-72 loss at 18th-ranked Arizona earlier Friday.
Sissoko, leading USC at 15 points per game for a Trojans team averaging 65.8 points, shot just 3 of 15 for nine points.
Adika made two early 3s and Littleton also knocked one down from deep as USC went ahead 11-5. Adika wound up with 13 points but the Trojans had just two points in the paint, none from the bench and none in the fast break.
BLOCK QUEEN
Appel, now Jayne Appel-Marinelli, offered her congratulations to Brink via text message to the AP.
“From one Stanford big to another Stanford big: You have taken the torch and moved it to a higher level. Congratulations, Block Queen! Truly an accomplishment to be on the top with all the other Stanford greats!”
BIG PICTURE
USC: Sophomore center Clarice Akunwafo went down hard on her left leg with 5:55 left and grabbed at her knee before going to the locker room. … USC was averaging 9.3 steals per game and wound up with five. … The Trojans lost their 19th straight at Maples Pavilion dating to a 62-59 win March 1, 2001. They are 7-33 all-time on Stanford’s home floor.
Stanford: Stanford attempted only four 3-pointers in the first half largely because the Cardinal outscored the Trojans 26-0 in the paint before the break. … Up 48-41 with 3:47 to play the Cardinal committed a rare shot-clock violation. … Stanford has won 22 straight Pac-12 home games.
UP NEXT
USC: On Sunday will visit California, coach Lindsay Gottlieb’s former program as the Golden Bears honor their Final Four team 10 years later.
Stanford: Hosts UCLA on Monday for senior night as the Cardinal conclude the home schedule.
PELLINGTON SCORES 35, NO. 18 ARIZONA TOPS NO. 4 UTAH 82-72
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) Shaina Pellington made 11 straight shots on her way to scoring a career-high 35 points, leading No. 18 Arizona over No. 4 Utah 82-72 on Friday night.
Cate Reese added 16 points for the Wildcats (20-6, 10-5). Helena Pueyo had 12 points, including four free throws in the final 90 seconds.
“I started off on fire,” Pellington said. “I feel like when I saw the first one go in, the second one go in, the third one go in. … It just kept going and going and going. I also wanted to make sure that I was making sure that I was taking shots that made sense in the flow of the game.”
Arizona broke the Utes’ seven-game winning streak and avenged an 80-79 loss in Salt Lake City a month ago.
Allison Pili scored 26 points, Jenna Johnson had 19 and Gianna Kneepkens 13 for the Utes (22-3, 12-3), who entered with the highest ranking in program history.
“To lose it with 1.5 seconds left there on free throws, that was tough to swallow” Arizona coach Adia Barnes said of the game in Salt Lake City. “We really were focused at home and we need these wins. Everybody needs these wins. We’re all chasing the top four in the Pac-12 tournament. We’re playing for postseason standings.”
Pellington had 23 points in the first half when she made all 10 field goal attempts. She made her first shot in the second half before missing.
Pellington finished 13 of 18 with eight rebounds and five steals.
“This game will help us in a lot of ways,” Barnes said. “Came out and battled against a very good Utah team. We’re starting to peak at the right time.”
Utah trimmed a 10-point deficit to 76-72 on Pili’s three-point play with 1:08 remaining before Madi Conner made two free throws for a 78-72 lead with 48.4 seconds remaining after Utah was called for an intentional foul. The Utes missed a 3-pointer on their next possession and were 4 of 19 from distance.
“That’s what it came down to,” Utah coach Lynne Roberts said. “We missed shots. That’s just how the game goes sometimes. This game was not a must-win. Our backs were not against the wall. It was an incredibly physical game. Our offense is predicated on ball movement and player movement. It was hard to do. We couldn’t even cut.”
Utah, sixth in Division I in scoring, was held 12.7 points below its average. Arizona beat its fourth ranked team this season after wins over Baylor, Oregon and UCLA.
AN INCH OF SEPARATION
Utah beat the Wildcats on Jan. 15 when the lead changed hands twice in the final two seconds. Paris Clark’s steal and layup gave Arizona a 79-78 lead. After a Utah timeout, Pili was fouled after catching a long pass and made two free throws with one second left.
HOME CROWD
The Wildcats drew 8,238, the second-largest this season after drawing 9,868 against Stanford last Friday. The largest crowd the Utes had seen this season was 6,289 at Oregon.
BIG PICTURE
Utah: The Utes’ only other losses are to ranked Pac-12 teams No. 3 Stanford and No. 21 Colorado. With a strong finish, they could capture one of eight host sites in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, which would be another program first program.
Arizona: The Wildcats can bank on their third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, and the victory over the Utes helps make the journey one step easier.
UP NEXT
Utah: At Arizona State on Sunday.
Arizona: Hosts No. 21 Colorado on Sunday.
NHL NEWS
ATHANASIOU SCORES IN OT, BLACKHAWKS BEAT SENATORS 4-3
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Andreas Athanasiou scored at 2:52 of overtime to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Friday night.
The Blackhawks overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period, tying it with 3:05 left on Patrick Kane’s second goal of the game. The goal was Kane’s 1,217th point, giving him the third-most points among U.S.-born players.
“Give our team a lot of credit,” Chicago coach Luke Richardson said. “We have guts and we played hard right until the end. (Our players) really pushed to tie that game up and I’m really glad they persevered and got the win.”
Sam Lafferty cut Ottawa’s lead to one with a short-handed goal with 9:11 left in the third.
Petr Mrazek made 28 saves to help Chicago snap a three-game losing streak.
Kane opened the scoring at 44 seconds of the first, and Shane Pinto tied it midway through the second. Claude Giroux and Brady Tkachuk scored early in the third to give Ottawa a 3-1 lead.
“We just made too many turnovers to finish off the game,” Tkachuk said.
Mads Sogaard stopped 28 shots for Ottawa.
HONORING NEIL
The Senators raised Chris Neil’s No. 25 jersey to the rafters in a pregame. Neil played 1,026 games across 15 seasons with Ottawa. A number of former teammates were on hand, including Daniel Alfredsson and Chris Phillips, who are the only other two former Senators to have their numbers retired. Richardson, a former teammate and coach of Neil’s, stood to watch the ceremony.
UP NEXT
Blackhawks: Host Toronto on Sunday night.
Senators: Host St. Louis on Sunday.
PARISE SCORES LATE, NELSON NETS 2 AS ISLANDERS EDGE PENGUINS
NEW YORK (AP) Zach Parise scored the tiebreaker late in the third period and Brock Nelson added two goals as the New York Islanders beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 on Friday night.
Anders Lee had two goals and an assist, Ilya Sorokin finished with 40 saves and the Islanders snapped a three-game skid that included two overtime losses. Mathew Barzal added two assists.
“We all look at the standings, we knew the importance heading into the game,” Parise said. “We got teams that are climbing behind us with games in hand, we got teams we are trying to catch, there is just not a lot of room for error.”
Rickard Rakell scored twice and Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist as the Penguins lost for the second time in three games. Casey DeSmith made 23 saves.
Kyle Palmieri bumped Penguins defender Brian Dumoulin off the puck and Nelson picked up the loose puck before feeding a darting Parise, who gave the Islanders a 5-4 edge at 17:17 of the third. With the win, the Islanders moved past the Washington Capitals in the wild-card standings and temporarily secure the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
“To get that win against a team we are hunting down (in the playoff race) is huge,” Nelson said. “It’s a big two points, to get that in regulation is nice. The road doesn’t get any easier.”
The Islanders knotted the game at 4 when Nelson converted a one-time shot on the power play for his second of the game and team-leading 24th of the season at 5:01 of the third period. Bo Horvat won the offensive zone faceoff cleanly and Noah Dobson set up Nelson.
Nelson pulled the Islanders to within one goal at 14:25 of the second period and extended his point streak to a career-best 12 games. Mayfield’s long outlet pass sprung Nelson into the offensive zone and he completed a wraparound to cut the Penguins’ lead to 3-2.
Pittsburgh briefly reclaimed a two-goal edge at 18:57 of the second as Rakell scored his second of the game. Crosby corralled a loose puck near the top of the crease and set up Rakell for a simple one-time finish.
“I thought for the majority of the night our team was terrific,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “I felt we were playing with the right intentions out there and unfortunately we couldn’t hold the lead.”
The Islanders trimmed their deficit to one for the second time to cap the middle period. Lee scored his second of the game as he inadvertently deflected Barzal’s shot past DeSmith.
Crosby opened the scoring at the 12-minute mark of the first period with his 25th of the season. The Penguins’ captain found the puck under the Islanders goaltender and pushed it across the goal line.
Lee responded with a quirky goal at 13:56 of the first to even the score at 1. DeSmith stopped Lee’s initial attempt, but the Islanders captain located the puck on top of the Penguins goaltender and whacked it in. Marcus Pettersson’s turnover behind the net led to the Islanders scoring opportunity.
The Penguins scored twice in a span of 1:42 early in the second period to gain a 3-1 advantage.
Rakell picked up his 20th of the season and broke a 1-all tie at 3:53 of the middle frame. Jake Guentzel slid a pass between the legs of Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield and Rakell redirected the puck past Sorokin.
Zucker extended Pittsburgh’s advantage to two goals when he redirected Pierre-Olivier Joseph’s shot at 5:35.
“We turned the puck over too many times in the neutral zone in the first 40 minutes,” Islanders coach Lane Lambert said. “We did a better job of getting it in deep and that led to a better forecheck.”
NOTES: Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry skated prior to Friday’s game against the Islanders and is nearing a return. He has been sidelined with an upper-body injury since a 2-1 overtime loss against the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 22. . Crosby became the third player in NHL history to record 130 career points against the Islanders, joining Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemieux. … Zach Parise appeared in his 1,200th career game and became the 12th active skater to reach the milestone, and the fourth active U.S.-born skater. . Lee became the ninth player in Islanders history to record seven or more seasons with 20-plus goals. . New York placed forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau on injured reserve, retroactive to Feb. 11. . Islanders recalled forward Andy Andreoff from their AHL affiliate and he made his season. debut.
UP NEXT:
Islanders: Visit Boston Bruins on Saturday.
Penguins: Host New Jersey Devils on Sunday.
BOLDY’S SHOOTOUT SCORE SENDS WILD TO 2-1 WIN OVER STARS
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Matt Boldy scored in the shootout and Filip Gustavsson turned back the tying attempt to help the Minnesota Wild to a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Friday night.
After the Stars’ Jason Robertson and the Wild’s Frederick Gaudreau traded shootout scores, Boldy beat Jake Oettinger with a backhand shot and Gustavsson stopped Wyatt Johnson’s attempt to seal the win.
“Obviously it’s nice to get rewarded positively in a game like that against a team like that,” Wild coach Dean Evason said. “To play the way that we played defensively, but the way that we worked, was again positive.”
Gustavsson also stopped Dallas’ Joe Pavelski and Tyler Seguin in the shootout to set up Boldy’s chance to score the go-ahead tally.
Minnesota went to overtime for the third time in four games. The Wild have not won in regulation in 12 games.
Johnson had a good look at an open net with just seconds left in overtime, but missed wide, sending the game to a shootout.
Dallas was 0 for 4 on the power play Friday and has gone a combined 0 for 18 with the man advantage over the last four games.
“We battled hard against a real desperate team,” Stars coach Peter DeBoer said. “That team needs to win that game. I thought we had lots of chances and fought back, got behind, so a lot of good stuff.”
Mats Zuccarello scored for Minnesota in regulation. He snapped the scoreless struggle with his 20th goal of the season, scoring on the power play. Boldy found Zuccarello cutting to the net, and he beat Oettinger, giving the Wild the lead with 13:23 left in the third period.
Stars captain Jamie Benn scored the tying goal four minutes later. Benn took a pass from Johnson and fired at a tough angle past Gustavsson with 9:36 remaining. It was Benn’s third goal in the last four games and his 22nd of the season.
Oettinger, from Lakeville, Minnesota, made 31 stops in net before the shootout, including a big save on Boldy in overtime.
“It felt like a playoff game. They’re a great team over there,” Oettinger said. “It’s tight out there. I had the chance to end the game in the shootout and I didn’t do it.”
Gustavsson finished with 29 saves. One of his biggest stops came early in the third when he robbed Radek Faksa from close range. He also made a key save early in overtime after a Minnesota turnover led to a breakaway for Dallas.
“I love to win. It’s way more fun than losing. I’m very happy,” Gustavsson said. “Tomorrow’s a new day and you’re no better than your last game.”
NOTES: Following Friday’s game, the Wild completed a three-team trade with St. Louis and Toronto that netted Minnesota a fourth-round draft pick in 2025. The Wild originally acquired center Ryan O’Reilly from St. Louis in exchange for Josh Pillar and then traded O’Reilly to the Maple Leafs for the draft pick. … The Wild entered Friday’s game 10 points back in the Central of division-leading Dallas. The Stars won two of the first three meetings against the Wild. … Minnesota’s penalty kill continued to shine in the win. The Wild killed off all four penalties, extending a streak of 18 consecutive short-hand situations killed.
UP NEXT
Stars: Host Columbus on Saturday.
Wild: Host Nashville on Sunday.
RANGERS BEAT OILERS 5-4 IN SO FOR 7TH STRAIGHT VICTORY
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) Alexis Lafreniere scored in the sixth round of a shootout and also connected in regulation to help the New York Rangers beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 on Friday night for their seventh straight victory.
Chris Kreider scored twice, Mika Zibanejad added a goal and Igor Shesterkin made 25 saves as the Rangers dug out of a 4-1 hole. They are 14-2-2 in their last 18 and 33-14-8 overall.
“I like the way we played,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. “We were down 4-1 and I thought the game was far from over, we still have 40 minutes. It’s the NHL, it’s not like the game was going to be over and we battled hard and found a way.”
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Tyson Barrie, Derek Ryan and Leon Draisaitl scored for Edmonton, and Jack Campbell stopped 34 shots. The Oilers have lost three straight to fall to 30-19-7. They have lost seven straight games that have gone to extra time.
“It was disappointing that we didn’t find the second point tonight,” Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft. said.
The Oilers got off to a terrific start, taking a 3-0 lead 12:30 into the first period.
On the power play, Zach Hyman sent a shot off the post and Nugent-Hopkins deposited his 27th of the season off a mad scramble in front at 7:52.
With an assist on the play, Connor McDavid picked up his 100th point of the season in his 56th game. It’s the sixth time in his career that he has hit triple digits.
At the 12:11 mark, a big rebound came out to Barrie, who jumped into the play to score his eighth of the season. Nineteen seconds later, Ryan beat Shesterkin with a glove-side snipe for his 10th.
New York got one back just over a minute after on the power play as a crisp four-way passing play culminated in Kreider tapping one in past Campbell from the doorstep to extend his point streaks to seven games.
Draisailt made it 4-1 when he rifled home his 32nd of the season on a feed from McDavid.
The Rangers trimmed the deficit with a short-handed goal 6:26 into the second period when a Kreider pass attempt hit a skate and came back to him, and he scored his second of the game.
New York kept coming to start the third. Lafreniere snapped his ninth 1:36 into the frame after the puck was chipped in front to him.
The Rangers tied it on a two-man advantage with 6:50 remaining in the third as Zibanejad blasted his 30th from the slot.
“If you look at that first period, you might say that’s a horrendous first period going down 4-1,” Zibanejad said. “But I thought we did some good things and the way we created some chances was good, they were things that we’ve been talking about all year.
“We had to make sure we trust our way of playing, just being patient, there is 40 minutes left at that point and little by little getting back into the game and that’s what we did.”
UP NEXT
Rangers: At Calgary on Saturday.
Oilers: At Colorado on Sunday.
KINGS OVERCOME GOALIE’S MATCH PENALTY, BEAT RIVAL DUCKS 6-3
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Viktor Arvidsson scored two goals, Kevin Fiala had a goal and two assists, and Adrian Kempe scored his eighth goal in four games during the Los Angeles Kings’ 6-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night in a feisty edition of the Freeway Faceoff.
Pheonix Copley made 16 saves before the Kings’ unlikely No. 1 goalie got a match penalty in the final minute of the second period for throwing punches with his blocker during a big brawl. Copley also skated out to accept John Gibson’s invitation for a center-ice goalie fight, but linesmen intervened first.
“They were going at (Copley) a couple of times earlier in the game, so he had probably just had enough,” said Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, who had two assists. “I would have loved for the linesmen to just let ’em go, but Cop has been playing great for us, and we don’t need him getting injured.”
Captain Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist for Los Angeles, which scored three times on the power play. Blake Lizotte also scored and Jonathan Quick made eight saves after relieving Copley for the Kings, who have won three straight out of the All-Star break while scoring at least five goals in three consecutive games for the first time since 2009.
“You get excited to play these games,” Kempe said. “Every game, there’s something on the line. We know we have to win these types of games for sure. We’ve got to keep playing the way we’ve been playing.”
The Southern California rivals separated by 30 miles of traffic engaged in a heated brawl in the final minute of the second period, leading to Copley’s match penalty for whaling on Frank Vatrano during the scrum.
Gibson then skated to center ice and slapped his stick to get the attention of Copley, who threw off his mask and skated out to tangle before getting stopped by a linesman.
The scrap was another intriguing chapter in the improbable rise of Copley, the 31-year-old native of North Pole, Alaska, who seized Los Angeles’ No. 1 job after Quick and Cal Petersen faltered early this season.
“He was given an opportunity, and he made good on it,” Los Angeles coach Todd McLellan said. “You can’t write a better script than that.”
Gibson stopped 35 shots and Kevin Shattenkirk scored goals in back-to-back games for the first time in nearly two years for the last-place Ducks. Mason McTavish and Vatrano scored in the third period for Anaheim, which has yielded 26 goals during a four-game losing streak following a two-week stretch of solid play.
Lizotte opened the scoring by ending his 19-game goal drought, but Shattenkirk evened it with a long shot past a screen. The veteran defenseman ended his 60-game goal drought Wednesday against Buffalo.
Kempe got his 28th goal on a power play. The Swede has goals in four consecutive games, highlighted by his four-goal performance against Pittsburgh last weekend.
McTavish scored his 12th goal with 2:09 left in the Anaheim power play resulting from the brawl, but the Kings reclaimed a two-goal lead on Kopitar’s power-play goal through traffic.
Vatrano scored with 6:50 to play after Quick stopped his first two attempts from the slot, but Arvidsson walked in from the corner and scored on a power play 2:20 later. Fiala added an empty-net goal to cap his latest standout effort for his new team.
Kings forward Gabriel Vilardi returned from a 10-game absence since mid-January due to an undisclosed injury.
UP NEXT
Kings: Host Arizona on Saturday.
Ducks: At Florida on Monday.
MEN’S GOLF
HOMA FEELING AT HOME AND LEADS AT RIVIERA AS TIGER MAKES CUT
LOS ANGELES (AP) Max Homa in the lead at his hometown PGA Tour event used to give him chills. Now he’s playing so well it almost feels normal.
Homa, a winner last month down the coast at Torrey Pines, ran off three birdies around the turn at Riviera and tossed in a few big par saves Friday for a 3-under 68, giving him a one-shot lead over Jon Rahm, Keith Mitchell and Lee Hodges at the Genesis Invitational.
Tiger Woods will be part of the weekend, even with a sloppy finish and more attention over a juvenile prank than a putter that went cold. Woods finished with three bogeys over his last four holes for a 74.
He was at 1-over 143, leaving him 11 shots behind Homa, but certain to make the cut when the second round is completed Saturday morning. For the second straight day, darkness kept the round from finishing.
Woods, playing elite competition for the first time since the British Open last summer, apologized if anyone was offended by him jokingly slipping a tampon into the hand of Justin Thomas on Thursday after Woods outdrove him by about 10 yards.
“It was supposed to be all fun and games and obviously it hasn’t turned out that way,” Woods said.
Homa and Rahm had their own brand of fun on a crisp afternoon off Sunset Boulevard.
Homa hit wedge to 4 feet to a pin tucked behind the bunker for a birdie on No. 9, holed a 15-foot birdie on the 10th and then chipped beautifully to a back right pin for a third straight birdie on the par-5 11th.
He also saved par from a plugged lie in the bunker and made an 18-foot par putt on the 16th. His round ended with trouble off the tee that led to bogey, but he had no complaints at 11-under 131 and his name atop the leaderboard.
He already has won twice this season, including last month down the coast at Torrey Pines. When he won this tournament two years ago – the one he used to attend as a kid who grew up 30 miles away – he said, “I don’t know if I could ever do anything cooler in golf than this.”
Playing good every week is pretty cool.
“I kind of feel like I should be doing this when I’m playing well, and I am playing well,” Homa said. “Yeah, it’s exciting – 36-hole leads are awesome. Like I said, there’s a long way to go, but regardless, I can rest on the fact I’m playing great golf and I’m just going to try and do that for two more days.”
Rahm is playing even better. He has nine consecutive top 10s dating to September, four of those victories, and he is close to returning to No. 1 in the world.
Even the best need a break every now and then, and Rahm got a big one Friday evening. He went with a 5-wood from 270 yards on the par-5 17th and cooked it, sailing the green toward the back grandstands. The ball smacked off the base of the bleachers, tumbled along the edge of a bunker and settled just over 3 feet away for an eagle.
That capped off a stretch of playing five holes in 5-under par that put the Spaniard right into the mix going into the weekend.
“Obviously, I got very fortunate to get that bounce not only to go on the green, but to have basically 3 feet straight up the hill,” Rahm said. “That’s arguably the best bounce I’ve seen in person my whole golf career and it would be hard to beat in the future.”
He’s seen plenty of great bounces before on various video compilations, and he started reciting some of the bizarre ones, many on the European tour. He’s just never the star of those shows, and so maybe he’ll be in the next video.
“I hope it’s in it,” he said. “If anything beats that, I’d be surprised.”
Mitchell played in the morning, making five birdies to offset a few mistakes. He was in contention two weeks ago at Pebble Beach.
Collin Morikawa (68) was two shots behind, with Patrick Cantlay (67) another shot back. Both grew up some 20 miles from Riviera.
Rory McIlroy had a 69 and was four back.
The stars are out in Los Angeles, part of that due to Riviera, part of that due to the strongest field of the year competing for a $20 million purse.
Woods felt his 74 was as high as it could have been because of his putting, but at least he’s around for the weekend. So his Xander Schauffele, who looked certain to miss the cut until his shot from 173 yards flew straight into the cup on the 17th for an eagle. He made it on the number.
AUTO RACING
JIMMIE JOHNSON TOPS DAYTONA 500 PRACTICE IN RETURN TO NASCAR
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) Seven-time is officially back.
Jimmie Johnson, making his return to stock car racing after a two-year dalliance in IndyCar, topped the first practice session for the Daytona 500 on Friday.
The two-time Daytona 500 winner and seven-time Cup Series champion reached a top speed of 194.25 mph around the 2 1/2-mile superspeedway. He edged fellow Chevrolet drivers Chase Elliott – his former teammate at Hendrick Motorsports – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and pole-sitter Alex Bowman, the driver who replaced Johnson when he left NASCAR after the 2020 season, to create a feel-good moment for the bowtie.
It was Johnson’s first extended stint behind the wheel in the Next Gen car at Daytona International Speedway. He did take part in a one-day practice session at Phoenix last month.
“I honestly think it’s too early to read far into this. It is plate racing, and that was just a practice session,” Johnson said. “We didn’t make any mistakes and did some things right to end up where we did. …
“Anything can still happen. But I’m glad to be in here, I’m glad we’re at the top of the board and not the bottom. I’m sure the headlines would read a little differently if we were on the other end of it.”
Johnson returned to NASCAR in November as part-owner of what is now called Legacy Motor Club, an organization that began as Petty Enterprises nearly 75 years ago. He has so far as a driver entered the Daytona 500 – Johnson will start 39th on Sunday – the street course race in Chicago in July and the 24 Hours of Le Mans as part of NASCAR’s Garage 56 project.
How’d the new car feel?
“It drives like a stock car,” he quipped. “It doesn’t drive like an IndyCar, thank God. We know how that went.”
Johnson drove the No. 48 for his entire career but will be behind the wheel of the No. 84 when he competes in NASCAR this year.
Aric Almirola and Joey Logano, both winners in Thursday night’s qualifying races, led a train of Ford drivers behind the Chevy leaders. Almirola and Logano were fifth and sixth and followed by Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Kevin Harvick, Zane Smith, Chris Buescher and Harrison Burton.
Martin Truex Jr. was the fastest Toyota driver in 17th.
The fast lap capped a big day for Johnson, who earlier flew with the Air Force Thunderbirds before turning 34 laps in the one-hour practice session. He blacked out in the jet but didn’t get sick.
“Never felt anything like that, the adrenalize, the acceleration,” he said.
Thirty-seven of 40 drivers turned at least one lap in Friday night practice. Kaulig Racing teammates AJ Allmendinger and Justin Haley sat out along with Riley Herbst of Rick Ware Racing.
There’s one practice remaining for the 65th running of “The Great American Race,” and several drivers are expected to skip the final session because they don’t want to risk any damage before the season opener.
FEELING SICK
Toyota drivers Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick suffered from carbon monoxide exposure earlier this month at the exhibition Clash, the head of the manufacturer’s racing program said.
Hamlin complained of illness, and Reddick said he passed out on the plane ride home following the race held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
“The subsidization is it was a multifaceted issue,” TRD President David Wilson said. “One probably being the mufflers that we ran, and the other racing in a bowl and a lot of time at low speed contributing to that. I’m not aware if other drivers suffered to the same extent, but we don’t have any cause to believe that it is a Toyota-specific issue.”
CHARITY FISHING
NASCAR driver Erik Jones notched a victory at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, only this one came on the water instead of on the track.
Jones and his team won the Hot Rods & Reels Charity Fishing Tournament, which benefits the Darrell Gwynn Chapter of the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis. The annual tournament takes place at Lake Lloyd inside the speedway.
Jones’ team hooked a three-fish total of 6.86 pounds, enough to edge David Blaney’s team (6.52 pounds) and Hall of Famer Donnie Allison’s team (5.08 pounds).
Bobby Allison, Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, Noah Gragson, Brad Keselowski, Michael McDowell, Ryan Newman and Martin Truex, Jr. were among the drivers and racing legends who took part in the event.
Darrell Gwynn and his charity donated a $25,000 custom wheelchair to injured dirt-track racer Grady Chandler, whose spinal cord was significantly damaged in a 2019 crash in Oklahoma.
HE SAID IT
“It is not going to happen overnight, and certainly there are days that we will miss Kyle and there are days that we won’t.” – Wilson on Toyota’s potential for success after losing Kyle Busch to rival Chevrolet.
MLB NEWS
PADRES’ MACHADO SAYS HE PLANS TO OPT OUT AFTER THIS SEASON
(AP) — Manny Machado says he plans to exercise the opt-out clause in his contract with the San Diego Padres after this season.
Machado signed a 10-year, $300 million deal with the Padres in February 2019, a deal that gives him the right to terminate the agreement after this season and become a free agent. The third baseman, who turns 31 in July, would forfeit $150 million from his current deal, which calls for a $30 million annual salary through 2028.
“Obviously the team knows where I stand, my situation with the opt-out coming,” Machado told reporters Friday at the Padres’ spring-training camp in Peoria, Arizona. “I think I’ve expressed that I will be opting out after this year, but I think my focus is not about 2024. I think my focus is about 2023, what I can do to this ballclub, what I’ve done for this organization and what we’re going to continue to do here. I think we’ve got something special here growing and I don’t think anything’s going to change.”
Machado’s contract was a record for a free agent when he agreed to it and the second-largest in the major leagues behind Giancarlo Stanton’s $325 million. But he is now tied for the 11th-highest after an offseason topped by AL MVP Aaron Judge’s $360 million, nine-year contract to stay with the New York Yankees. The Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout leads the major leagues at $426.5 million.
“Markets change,” Machado said. “From when I signed five years ago. It’s changed tremendously. Things change and evolve. As a player who’s about to opt out, it’s pretty good to see.”
A six-time All-Star, Machado is coming off a season in which he finished second in the NL MVP voting. He batted .298 with 32 homers, 102 RBIs, a .366 on-base percentage and a .531 slugging percentage.
His presence helped the Padres go 89-73 and reach the NL Championship Series before falling to Philadelphia.
Machado declined to comment on negotiations for a reworked deal.
“I’m just here to play baseball and continue to do what I’ve got to do,” Machado said. “I let my agent, front office and (general manager) A.J. (Preller) and (owner) Peter (Seidler) handle that.”
Padres manager Bob Melvin said that “I don’t want to know” what it would be like to have Machado playing elsewhere.
“That provision’s in his contract,” Melvin said. “It’s in his right to opt out, but we’ve also shown a willingness to keep the important guys here.”
KERSHAW TO MISS WBC
Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw says he won’t be pitching for the U.S. at the World Baseball Classic and called the situation “super disappointing.”
“Probably my last chance to get to do it, so I really wanted to do it, but it just didn’t work out for a number of reasons,” Kershaw told reporters Friday at the Dodgers’ camp in Glendale, Arizona. “Disappointing, but that’s OK. I’ll be ready for the season. I’ll be ready to go.”
The three-time Cy Young Award winner didn’t specify what is preventing him from participating. Kershaw, who turns 35 on March 19, added that Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has been helpful throughout the process.
Kershaw signed a $20 million, one-year contract to remain with the Dodgers this season. He went 12-3 with 2.28 ERA in 22 starts and had two stints on the injured list last season.
NO BITTERNESS FOR ROJAS AFTER ARBITRATION
Arizona Diamondbacks utilityman Josh Rojas said he had no hard feelings toward team management after attending and losing an arbitration hearing this week. Rojas will get $2,575,000 instead of his $2.9 million asking price.
Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said he and Rojas spoke Friday to clear the air.
“There’s definitely some playing with the numbers, some things they throw out there you disagree with, but that’s what they’re in there to do,” Rojas said. “They’re there to show the judges that you are worth less than the middle number. Our job on our side is to show we’re worth more than the number. When you sign up for the process, you know what you’re signing up for.”
Rojas made his comments one day after 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes said “there’s no denying that the relationship is definitely hurt” from his own arbitration hearing with the Milwaukee Brewers. Burnes lost his arbitration case and will make $10.01 million rather than the $10.75 million he was seeking.
HAMSTRING TIGHTNESS FOR SOROKA
Atlanta right-hander Michael Soroka’s comeback from two Achilles surgeries is being slowed by tightness in his left hamstring. Manager Brian Snitker told reporters on Friday Soroka is being held back from throwing as a precaution after reporting to camp with the hamstring issue.
Soroka was an All-Star as a rookie in 2019 and was Atlanta’s opening day starter in 2020. He hasn’t pitched in the majors since suffering his first torn right Achilles three starts into the pandemic-delayed 2020 season. He suffered another tear in 2021 and had a 5.40 ERA in six minor league starts last season.
CORTES THROWS BULLPEN SESSION
New York Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes had a 24-pitch bullpen session after 10 days of not throwing due to a strained right hamstring. Cortes remains optimistic about being ready for opening day on March 30.
“It went better than I expected, actually,” Cortes said. “No issue as far as throwing and landing. As of right now there is no pain.”
Cortes went 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts during an All-Star season last year.
“Nestor was really sharp,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I was really encouraged.”
Yankees reliever Michael King threw 25 pitches over two innings of a simulated game. He didn’t pitch after July 22 because of a fractured right elbow that required surgery.
EARLY START FOR LYNN
Chicago White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn had a pretty good idea at the end of last season that he was going to play for the U,S. in the World Baseball Classic.
So he prepared accordingly.
“Throwing-wise, it was normal,” Lynn said Friday after a bullpen session in White Sox camp. “If you don’t make the playoffs, you get that time off during the playoffs to rest. So November 1 was when I started throwing. … Jumped on the mound a little earlier than I normally would have, but that’s about it really.”
The 35-year-old missed last season’s start after he had right knee surgery, one of a series of injuries for the White Sox that contributed to a disappointing 81-81 finish.
Chicago hired Pedro Grifol for its manager job in November, and Lynn said he sees it as part of his responsibility to help the skipper with his new role.
“We have some guys in here that have been around and done some things,” Lynn said, “and he’s able to reiterate what he wants and how we want to go about our business. That’s our job as players to go out there and work as hard as we can, and that’s what we’re doing.”
ORIOLES’ HALL FEELING BETTER
Orioles left-hander DL Hall has dealt with some back issues but says he’s ready to compete for a rotation spot.
“It was just some minor discomfort in my low back. Nothing too crazy,” the 24-year-old said. “Obviously I’m already on the way back up. I’ve already started back throwing and everything. So I just shut down for a couple weeks. I’m good to go now.”
Hall made his big league debut last year, starting one game and making 10 relief appearances. He was 1-1 with a 5.93 ERA.
Baltimore has quite a few choices for its starting spots. The Orioles acquired Kyle Gibson and Cole Irvin in the offseason. Prospect Grayson Rodriguez figures to arrive before too long.
Hall didn’t express a preference between starting in the minors or making the Orioles as a reliever, if it comes to that. He left no doubt about where he sees his long-term future.
“I’m going to be a starter,” he said.
DODGERS’ KERSHAW SAYS HE WON’T PLAY FOR UNITED STATES IN WBC
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw says he won’t be pitching for the United States at the World Baseball Classic and called the situation “super disappointing.”
“Probably my last chance to get to do it, so I really wanted to do it, but it just didn’t work out for a number of reasons,” Kershaw told reporters Friday from the Dodgers’ spring training camp. “Disappointing, but that’s OK. I’ll be ready for the season. I’ll be ready to go.”
The three-time Cy Young Award winner didn’t specify the reasons that would prevent him from participating. A replacement was not announced.
“There were some factors that were making it hard for me to play,” Kershaw said. “I tried to work it out on my own, tried to work it out with MLB, union, the team. Everybody worked hard to try to make it work. Just wasn’t able to.”
Kershaw, who turns 35 on March 19, added that Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has been helpful throughout the process.
“Obviously it’s not the first choice of any team to let their guy play for somebody else, but they were great about it,” Kershaw said.
Kershaw signed a $20 million, one-year contract to return to the Dodgers this season. He went 12-3 with 2.28 ERA in 22 starts and had two stints on the injured list last season.
“We would have loved to have this future Hall of Famer on the mound for us,” U.S. general manager Tony Reagins said in a statement. “We now have to pivot and turn our focus toward the next man up.”
TOP INDIANA NEWS RELEASES
INDIANA BASEBALL
SEASON OPENING SETBACK
AUBURN, Ala. – Playing away from home is always a challenge and the Indiana baseball program gave Auburn all it could handle on Friday (Feb. 17) evening inside Samford Stadium-Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park in an 8-4 setback on opening night of the college season.
Auburn (1-0) plated one run in the first inning, before redshirt-senior Matthew Ellis hit a two-run home run in the second inning to give Indiana (0-1) the lead, 2-1. The Tigers answered with five runs over the next two innings to recapture the lead at 6-2, before two runs from the Hoosiers in the top of the fifth inning pulled the score within two, 6-4. Auburn capped the scoring with two runs in the bottom fifth inning.
Ellis finished the night 1-for-2 with the two-run home run and added a walk and hit-by-pitch to his line. Senior+ Phillip Glasser chipped in his 62nd career multi-hit game with a pair of singles in the game and senior Hunter Jessee reached base three times in the game with two hit-by-pitches and one walk, and scored one run.
On the mound, senior Ben Seiler (0-1) got the start and allowed four runs – three earned – on four hits. He walked four and struck out five. Graduate student Gabe Levy allowed four runs – two earned – on seven hits with four strikeouts and sophomore Adrian Vega came out of the bullpen to start the sixth inning and allowed just two base runners over three scoreless innings of relief.
For Auburn, Ike Irish posted a three-hit game with one RBI and two runs scored, while Kason Howell and Bryson Ware chipped in two hits apiece. Justin Kriby hit a home run and joined Irish with a game-high two runs scored. Tanner Bauman got the win in relief with 2 2/3 innings of work with two runs – one earned – allowed on one hit.
Scoring Recap
Bottom First
After retiring the first two batters, Ben Seiler allowed a single and a walk, before an error allowed the first run to cross the plate.
at Auburn 1, Indiana 0
Top Second
Brock Tibbitts singled to start the inning and Matthew Ellis sent a 2-0 pitch over the left-center field fence to give IU the lead.
Indiana 2, at Auburn 1
Bottom Third
A leadoff walk was followed by an out, before Auburn strung together three straight singles to score the first run of the inning. After Bryson Ware plated the first run, Caden Green reached on a fielder’s choice to score the second run of the inning. A wild pitch brought the third run of the frame home.
at Auburn 4, Indiana 2
Bottom Fourth
A leadoff single from Ike Irish was followed by a two-run home run by Justin Kirby.
at Auburn 6, Indiana 2
Top Fifth
A leadoff single from Phillip Glasser was followed by a hit batter and groundout to put runners on second and third with one out. Carter Mathison grounded out to score the first run of the inning and an error followed to allow the second run of the frame to score.
at Auburn 6, Indiana 4
Bottom Fifth
The first two base runners reached base, before Irish doubled down the left-field line to score the first run of the inning. A walk loaded the bases and Nate LaRue drove in the second run of the inning with a sacrifice fly.
at Auburn 8, Indiana 4
Up Next
Indiana and Auburn continue the three-game series with a 3 p.m. first pitch on Saturday, Feb. 18 from Plainsman Park.
INDIANA SWIMMING
ANNE AND ANNA STAR IN FRIDAY FINALS
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Anne Fowler and Anna Peplowski are again Big Ten Champions.
Indiana women’s swimming and diving junior Anne Fowler won her third-career Big Ten gold, while Anna Peplowski captured her first individual gold in the third night of finals at the 2023 Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships on Friday (Feb. 17) inside Canham Natatorium.
Fowler followed up her 1-meter win on Thursday with her second-career 3-meter title Friday to complete the sweep of the springboard events. Her career-best 385.55 score lifted her to a 12.50-point victory as she earned at least 60 points on all six dives. IU also got a bronze medal in the event as well, as sophomore newcomer Skyler Liu earned her first-career conference medal with a 356.10 score. Fowler was previously the Big Ten champion in the 3-meter dive in 2021 as a freshman.
“I’m so happy for the team today with four girls scoring and another championship for Anne,” IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. “It’s great to see her smiling on the pool deck and enjoying the great competition. She had such a rough season last year battling injury. She has worked so hard to get back, and it’s great to see her bringing the whole team with her as she embraces the competition.”
The silver medalist a year ago, Anna Peplowski is the new Big Ten Champion in the 200-yard freestyle.
Dueling Ohio State senior and 2022 champion Amy Fulmer, who had set the 200 free pool record on Wednesday during the 800 freestyle relay, the IU sophomore claimed the crown swimming a program record 1:43.33. The swimmers were tied after 100 yards with a 50.71 split before Peplowski took a slight edge in the next fifty and held off Fulmer through the end.
The win marked Peplowski’s first individual Big Ten gold after taking silver in the 200 free, 200 back and 800 freestyle in last year’s championships where she was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She had already won gold and bronze in relays coming into Friday night.
Two events after the win, Peplowski won her second straight silver medal in the 100-yard backstroke. After entering as the No. 3 seed, Peplowski dropped six tenths of a second from her time to touch in a career-best 51.72 and in the runner-up spot. It was Peplowski’s first time under 52.00 in the event.
The sophomore’s title in the 200 free is IU’s second in the event in four years after Cora Dupre won in 2020. The Hoosiers have totaled seven Big Ten titles in the event.
Following the diving, Peplowski was then inserted as the opening leg of the 200-yard freestyle relay, helping IU to its fourth relay medal in as many events. The quartet of Peplowski, freshman Kristina Paegle, senior Ashley Turak and Elizabeth Broshears was .05 seconds faster than their program record relay in midseason with a re-ordered lineup. Paegle and Turak both swam sub-22 legs, while Peplowski and Broshears went 22.3 each.
“Kudos to Anna Peplowski and Anne Fowler for getting a couple victories tonight,” IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “I thought that was an awesome 200 freestyle relay, and I’m really proud of the girls.
“We had a difficult morning with all those ninth places. It’s kind of the seed of death. All you can do is fall back, and it’s hard to be perfect coming out of that. But, I think we got that out of our system, and we’re kind of in between Michigan and Ohio State, and we’re going to push as hard as we can tomorrow. We’re better off than we’ve been in the last few years, and we’re going to push as hard as we can and see where we can finish in this.”
Peplowski totaled three medals on the day to bring her meet total to five.
Indiana totaled 10 top-10 finishes on the night, including sophomore Mariah Denigan (4:11.25) and senior Mackenzie Looze (4:11.78) in the 400 IM, Elyse Heiser (1:46.58) in the 200 free and Noelle Peplowski (59.10) and Brearna Crawford (1:00.24) in the 100 breast.
TEAM SCORES
1. Ohio State – 934
2. Indiana – 848.5
3. Michigan – 773
4. Wisconsin – 649
5. Minnesota – 529.5
6. Northwestern – 464.5
7. Penn State – 375
8. Rutgers – 318.5
9. Purdue – 311
10. Nebraska – 299
11. Iowa – 163
12. Illinois – 155
RESULTS
100 BUTTERFLY
12. Elizabeth Broshears – 53.45 (NCAA B Cut)
15. Lily Hann – 53.77 (NCAA B Cut)
400 IM
5. Mariah Denigan – 4:11.25 (NCAA B Cut)
8. Mackenzie Looze – 4:11.78 (NCAA B Cut)
12. Ching Hwee Gan – 4:14.65 (NCAA B Cut)
15. Anna Freed – 4:17.65
200 FREESTYLE
1. Anna Peplowski – 1:43.33 (Big Ten Champion, Program Record, NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
10. Elyse Heiser – 1:46.58 (NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
11. Kristina Paegle – 1:46.69 (NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
21. Ashley Turak – 1:47.92
100 BREASTSTROKE
4. Noelle Peplowski – 59.10 (NCAA B Cut)
9. Brearna Crawford – 1:00.24 (NCAA B Cut)
14. Catherine Graham – 1:01.50 (NCAA B Cut)
100 BACKSTROKE
2. Anna Peplowski – 51.72 (Silver, NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
12. Mya Dewitt – 53.55 (NCAA B Cut)
16. Kacey McKenna – 55.25
3-METER DIVE
1. Anne Fowler – 385.55 (Big Ten Champion, Career Best, NCAA Zone Qualifier)
3. Skyler Liu – 356.10 (Bronze, Career Best, NCAA Zone Qualifier)
12. Megan Carter – 291.15 (Consolation Final, NCAA Zone Qualifier)
200 FREESTYLE RELAY
2. Anna Peplowski, Kristina Paegle, Ashley Turak, Elizabeth Broshears – 1:27.70 (Silver, Program Record, NCAA A Cut)
UP NEXT
Saturday marks the final day of competition at the Big Ten Championships. The 1,650 free, 200 back, 100 free, 200 fly, platform dive and 400 freestyle relay will be contested, with prelims beginning at 10 a.m. ET.
INDIANA FB
GUERRIERI TABBED CO-DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana head football coach Tom Allen announced the hiring of Matt Guerrieri (gurr-AIR-ee) as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach on Friday afternoon.
“Matt fits in perfectly with our culture and aligns with our goals schematically,” Allen said. “He is innovative,energetic, and a tremendous family man. We welcome Matt, his wife, Alex, and their son, James, to IU!”
Guerrieri spent 2012-21 at Duke, including four years as defensive coordinator, and joined the Ohio State staff in 2022.
“I am excited for the opportunity to join Coach Allen and his staff at IU,” Guerrieri said. “Coach Allen is a great coach and I look forward to working with him. My family and I can’t wait to get to Bloomington!”
Guerrieri has been a part of a College Football Playoff semifinalist, seven bowl teams, two 10-plus win teams, and five eight-plus win teams during his coaching career.
He served as a senior advisor and analyst with the Buckeyes before being named defensive coordinator at Tulsa on Jan. 6, 2023.
With the Blue Devils, Guerrieri was co-defensive coordinator from 2018-21 and safeties coach from 2015-21. He worked as a graduate assistant his first three campaigns.
Guerrieri was one of three finalists for the 2020 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Assistant Coach of the Year, a nominee for the 2018 Broyles Award, and one of 247Sports Top 30 Coaches Under 30 in 2018 and 2019.
He mentored All-American Jeremy Cash and five additional all-conference honorees. The 2015 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Cash also was a finalist for both the Nagurski Trophy (best defensive player in the nation) and the Thorpe Award (top defensive back in the nation).
Guerrieri’s 2019 secondary propelled Duke to third in the ACC in pass defense, allowing just 199.0 yards per game, and a top-five finish in pass defense efficiency (123.8).
The 2017 Blue Devils ranked among the conference leaders in opponent pass completion percentage (2nd), scoring defense (3rd), passing defense (3rd), and total defense (4th). They yielded 25-or-fewer points in 11-of-13 contests.
Duke surrendered 20.23 points per game, the program’s lowest total since 1977.
Guerrieri took part in the inaugural AFCA 30 Under 30 Coaches Leadership Institute in 2015.
Before joining the Blue Devils, Guerrieri spent 2011 as a defensive graduate assistant at Lenoir-Rhyne University, where he helped coach the secondary and the outside linebackers.
A three-year letterman at Davidson College, Guerrieri started at safety for the Wildcats. He was a senior captain anda three-time All-Pioneer Football League Honor Roll selection.
Guerrieri graduated from Davidson in 2011 with a degree in sociology. He earned his master’s degree in Christian studies from Duke in 2014.
Matt is married to the former Alex Thompson and the couple has one son, James.
INDIANA WOMEN’S TENNIS
INDIANA WOMEN’S TENNIS FALLS TO UTAH
SALT LAKE CITY – Indiana women’s tennis (5-3) fell to the Utah Utes, 5-2, at the George S. Eccles Tennis Center.
The Utes clinched the doubles point winning all three doubles matches, 6-1. Utah would seal the match after winning No. 5, 3, and six singles matches to take a 4-0 lead.
The teams would play out the rest of the match with Graduate Saby Nihalani winning the No. 2 singles match 6-1, 3-6, 6-1. Sophomore Lara Schneider earned the victory in the No. 1 spot, 6-2, 6-7 (1-7), 7-5.
NOTABLES
• Indiana drops to 5-3 on the season and 0-1 in the series against Utah.
• Freshman Nicole Teodosescu made her first appearance on the court for the Hoosiers. She was in a close first set tied 5-5 in No. 6 singles, but Utah would take it 7-5. Teodosescu would fall 6-4 in the second set.
INDIANA 2, UTAH 5
SINGLES
Lara Schneider (IU) def. Katya Townsend (UU), 6-2, 6-7 (1-7), 7-5
Saby Nihalani (IU) def. Madison Tattini (UU), 6-1, 3-6, 6-1
Kaila Barksdale (UU) def. Alexandra Staiculescu (IU), 6-3, 6-4
Anastasi Goncharova (UU) def. Mila Mejic (IU), 6-2, 6-7 (2-7), 6-2
Marcela Lopez (UU) def. Lauren Lemonds (IU), 6-2, 6-1
Samantha Horwood (UU) def. Nicole Teodosescu (IU), 7-5, 6-4
DOUBLES
1. Tattini/Goncharova (UU) def. Schneider/Nihalani (IU), 6-1
2. Townsend/Horwood (UU) def. Mejic/Lemonds (IU), 6-1
3. Barksdale/Lopez (UU) def. Staiculescu/Hu (IU), 6-1
ORDER OF FINISH
Singles: 5, 3, 6, 4, 2, 1
Doubles: 3, 2, 1
UP NEXT
The Hoosiers will close out the road trip with a match against Colorado on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET at the Meadows Tennis Club.
INDIANA MEN’S TENNIS
INDIANA MEN’S TENNIS FALLS TO NO. 23 LOUISVILLE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. ––––– Indiana Men’s Tennis dropped their first home match of the season on Friday to No. 23 Louisville, 4-0, at the IU Tennis Center.
The match got off to a quick start with some competitive doubles play. Louisville wrapped up No. 3 doubles quickly, but No. 1 and 2 doubles were back-and-forth battles.
Luc Boulier and Sam Landau had the No. 2 doubles match all knotted up at 4-4 before Louisville pulled away to win it, 6-4. Patrick Fletchall and Ilya Tiraspolsky’s match at No. 1 doubles went unfinished but was tied at 5-5 before it was abandoned.
In singles, Louisville won at No. 6, 5 and 1 singles to secure the three points to win the overall match, 4-0.
After tonight’s loss, Indiana is 8-2 on the season. The Hoosiers will be back in action on Sunday against Western Michigan at 11 a.m. for the final match of their eight-match homestand.
FINAL RESULTS
LOUISVILLE 4, INDIANA 0
Singles competition
1. Natan Rodrigues (UL) def. Patrick Fletchall (IU), 7-6 (8-6), 6-1
2. Luka Vukovic (IU) vs. Fabien Salle, 6-4, 3-6, 3-2, unfinished
3. Etienne Donnet (UL) vs. Sam Landau (IU), 6-3, 4-4, unfinished
4. Ilya Tiraspolsky (IU) vs. Matthew Fung (UL), 6-4, 1-6, 1-1
5. Sergio Hernandez (UL) def. Jagger Saylor (IU), 6-3, 6-2
6. David Mizrahi (UL) def. Ekansh Kumar (IU), 6-2, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Fabien Salle/Natan Rodrigues (UL) vs. Patrick Fletchall/Ilya Tiraspolsky (IU), 5-5, unfinished
2. David Mizrahi/Matthew Fung (UL) def. Sam Landau/Luc Boulier (IU), 6-4
3. Etienne Donnet/Sergio Hernandez (UL) def. Luka Vukovic/Ekansh Kumar (IU), 6-1
Order of finish
Singles: 6, 5, 1, unfinished
Doubles: 3, 2, unfinished
INDIANA SOFTBALL
INDIANA SOFTBALL FALLS TO MISSISSIPPI STATE IN FIVE INNINGS
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Indiana Softball (3-3) fell, 12-2, against Mississippi State on Friday afternoon on day two of the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational at Eddie C. Moore Complex.
INDIANA 2, MISSISSIPPI STATE 12
KEY MOMENTS
• Mississippi State would get on the board early with a pair of hits in the bottom of the first inning.
• The Bulldogs hit a home run to center field at the bottom of the second inning to take a 3-0 lead.
• Junior Aaliyah Andrews would score the first run for the Hoosiers after reaching base on a double through the left side. Senior Cora Bassett would single through the left side to send Andrews home.
• MSU added another run after a home run to right center in the bottom of the third.
• In the bottom of the fourth, Mississippi State scored nine runs to take a 12-1 lead.
• Bassett would strike back as she hit a home run to right center in the top of the fifth inning, but the eight-run rule would seal the game.
NOTABLES
• Bassett hit her first home run of the season and the 14th of her career as a Hoosier.
UP NEXT
Indiana will face Arkansas at 12:00 p.m. and Alabama at 6 p.m. tomorrow at Eddie C. Moore Complex on day three of the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational. The first game will be broadcasted on ESPN+ followed by ESPNU.
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
INDIANA BASKETBALL GAME NOTES – GAME 27 VS RV/RV ILLINOIS
Opening Tip
• Indiana University returns to the friendly confides of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall as its 123rd season of competition in men’s basketball continues against Illinois at noon ET on Feb. 18. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
• The Illini, led by sixth-year head coach Brad Underwood, enter the rematch on Saturday afternoon with a 17-8 record and an 8-6 mark in B1G play.
Game Information
Feb. 18, 2023 • Noon ET
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) • Bloomington, Ind.
TV: ESPN (Brian Custer, Robbie Hummel, Myron Medcalf)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
Series History: Indiana leads, 95-91
Last Meeting: IU 80, ILL 65 on Jan. 19, 2023 in Champaign
Series History
• Indiana holds a narrow 95-91 lead over Illinois. A season ago, the Hoosiers pulled off an upset over top-seeded Illinois in the quarterfinal round of the 2022 Big Ten Conference Tournament. Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis compiled 21 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in the tournament victory.
• Jackson-Davis also led the Hoosiers to an 80-65 victory at the State Farm Arena on Jan. 19. The National Player of the Year candidate joined former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons (LSU, 2015) as the only players in the last 25 seasons to record at least 35 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and three blocks on 75.0% shooting from the floor in a single game after he went for 35-9-5-3 on 15-of-19 shooting.
• Junior forward Jordan Geronimo was credited with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and three blocks in his starting role against the Illini.
• Head coach Mike Woodson scored a career-high 48 points in IU’s 72-60 win at Illinois on March 3, 1979. He averaged 24.1 points per game in his six contests against the Illini.
Last Time Out
• Indiana nearly erased a 19-point halftime deficit against RV/RV Northwestern at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Feb. 15. Ultimately, the Hoosiers emerged on the wrong side of a 64-62 result. IU now sits in third place of the Big Ten standings.
• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis continued his campaign for National Player of the Year with 23 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, and two blocked shots. He is the first Big Ten player since Purdue’s Trevion Williams (Dec. 12, 2021) to secured at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and two blocked shots in a game.
• Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino played the full 40 minutes and contributed 13 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Sixth-year senior forward Race Thompson was a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor in his return to the Hoosier lineup. He scored 13 points to go along with three rebounds.
• Indiana tied the game at 62-62 after being down as many as 21 points before Northwestern guard Boo Buie made the game-winning shot with 2.7 seconds remaining.
Jackson-Davis, The All-American
• Since the calendar flipped to 2023, senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis has averaged 23.3 points, 13.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 3.2 blocks per game. His rebounding figure marks the highest tally in the NCAA during the 12-game stretch.
• Over the last 25 years of basketball only Jackson-Davis (Jan. 2023), Tim Duncan, and Shaquille O’Neal have averaged at least 23.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game in a calendar month (min. 5 games) in Division I basketball or the NBA.
• Jackson-Davis made 118-of-218 (54.1%) of his shots from the floor and 67-of-95 (70.5%) of his free throw attempts in the first 13 games of the new year. He has recorded a double-double in 10 of the 13 games.
• TJD posted three 30-pooint games in the month of January, including back-to-back games with 35 points at Illinois (Jan. 19) and 31 points against Michigan State (Jan. 22). He also grabbed at least 20 rebounds three times during the stretch of nine games.
Rise of the Fino
• After hitting double figures in the scoring column just twice in his first six collegiate games, freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino scored 10-plus points in his next nine games.
• Since returning to the Indiana lineup against Kansas on Dec. 17, Hood-Schifino is averaging 14.3 points, 4.1 assists, and 0.9 steals on 43.3% shooting from the floor and 40.7% shooting from the 3-point line. He has 12 double-digit scoring outputs during that stretch, including four games exceeding the 20-point threshold.
• Hood-Schifino scored a career-best 33 points on 12-of-17 shooting from the floor and 5-of-7 shooting from the 3-point line against Northwestern on Jan. 8, the highest point total by a Hoosier freshman since Eric Gordon scored 33 against Chattanooga on Nov. 12, 2007.
• JHS ranks third among all freshmen in the Big Ten in scoring (12.6 points per game), second in assists (4.1), fifth in rebounds (3.9), and fifth in made 3-pointers per game (1.3). He is second in the league averaging a combined 20.7 points, rebounds, and assists per game.
The Trey Gallo-Way
• Junior guard Trey Galloway has averaged 7.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game in 16 starts this season. Indiana is 11-5 in his starts this season.
• Overall this season, Gallo is shooting 53.2% from the floor and 50.0% from the 3-point line. He has made more 3-pointers (21) this season than his first two seasons on campus (12) combined.
• Galloway scored a career-high 20 points on 4-of-6 shooting from deep in IU’s first Big Ten win of the season over Nebraska on Dec. 7. The Culver Academies graduate scored 17 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the 3-point line against MSU on Jan. 22.
TJD, The Big Fundamental, and The Diesel
• In the last 30 seasons of Division I men’s college basketball, only senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis and NBA Hall of Famer Tim Duncan have averaged at least 19.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game.
• Over the last 25 years of basketball only Jackson-Davis, Duncan, and Shaquille O’Neal have averaged at least 23.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game in a calendar month (min. 5 games) in Division I basketball or the NBA.
Chasing History
• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis currently sits sixth all-time at IU in scoring (2,055), third in rebounds (1,056), and holds the school record for blocked shots (246). He joins Alan Henderson as the only Hoosiers to be top-10 all-time in career scoring, rebounding, and blocks.
Up Next: Career Scoring Leaders
1. Calbert Cheaney (2,613)
2. Steve Alford (2,438)
3. Don Schlundt (2,192)
4. A.J. Guyton (2,100)
5. Mike Woodson (2,061)
6. Trayce Jackson-Davis (2,055)
Up Next: Career Rebounding Leaders
1. Alan Henderson (1,091)
2. Walt Bellamy (1,087)
3. Trayce Jackson-Davis (1,056)
Up Next: Career Double-Doubles
1. Walt Bellamy (59)
2. Archie Dees (56)
3. Alan Henderson (49)
4. Trayce Jackson-Davis (46)
• TJD is the fifth player in Big Ten history to record 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, joining Joe Barry Carroll (Purdue), Ethan Happ (Wisconsin), Greg Kelser (Michigan State), and Herb Williams (Ohio State).
• In 15 conference games, TJD is averaging 21.9 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game.
• TJD is the active career Big Ten leader in points (2,055), rebounds (1,056), blocked shots (246), double-doubles (46), made field goals (770), and free throws made (515).
PURDUE SOFTBALL
2 HOME RUNS HIGHLIGHT SOFTBALL’S 12-8 VICTORY VS. SYRACUSE
RALEIGH, N.C. – The bats were hot today as the Boilermakers downed Syracuse, 12-8 in the opening game of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. With the result, Purdue improves to 3-2 on the season, while Syracuse falls to 2-2.
Purdue’s 12 runs mark the third double-digit showing since 2020. The Boilermakers totaled 13 hits, a season-high, while allowing 11 from the Orange. In total, the game saw five home runs between the two teams.
Two Boilermakers recorded home runs: Tyrina Jones (second inning) and Jordyn Ramos (fifth inning). Meanwhile, a trio of RBI doubles were also notched in the victory by Kiersen George, Kyndall Bailey and Becca Edwards.
Jones’s homer was a three-run bomb that marked the second of her career and the team’s first of the season. It was followed by Ramos’ first of her career.
Madi Elish moves to 2-0 on the season after allowing no runs through her first four innings pitched and re-entered in the fifth inning after the Orange posted four runs.
Purdue held a strong 9-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, however Syracuse found its groove, posting six runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead, 9-6. Then in the seventh, after Purdue added three insurance runs, Syracuse posted two more.
The Boilermakers hit .419 in the game, a season-high.
Purdue and Syracuse will meet again tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. ET. Then, Purdue will take on host N.C. State at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
PURDUE WOMEN’S BB
BOILERS BOUND FOR BLOOMINGTON TO FACE #2 INDIANA
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team will head to Bloomington on Sunday afternoon in front of a sold-out Assembly Hall to face No. 2 Indiana. The 30th Barn Burner Trophy Game tips off at noon on BTN with Matt Schumacker and Meghan McKeown on the call.
Tim Newton and Jane Schott will be on the air for the Purdue Radio Network on 95.3 BOB FM.
GAME INFORMATION
Purdue (17-7, 8-6) vs. No. 2 Indiana (25-1, 15-1)
Sunday, Feb. 19
Time: 12 PM
TV: BTN
Radio: 95.3 BOB FM
Live Stats: Purduestats.com
LAST TIME OUT
The Boilermakers rolled to a 76-61 win over Northwestern last weekend at Mackey Arena. Purdue’s senior class accounted for 62 points, topped by Caitlyn Harper’s game-high 18 points. Cassidy Hardin went for 16 points thanks to a quartet of 3-pointers. The Boilermakers scored 25 points off 18 turnovers and went 26-of-30 at the line in the win.
NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series 55-39 against Indiana.
• Both matchups between Purdue and IU will be sellouts for the first time in series history.
• Purdue did not play during the week as its game against Michigan State was postponed due to the tragic events on campus.
• The Boilermakers enter Sunday on a four-game road winning streak, including victories over No. 22 Illinois and No. 2 Ohio State. Purdue last won five straight road games across the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.
• Averaging 7.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game this season, Jeanae Terry is the only player in the Big Ten to rank in the top 10 in the conference in rebounds, assists and steals per game, doing so in all games as well as league-only rankings.
• Abbey Ellis has found her rhythm as Purdue has won six of its last eight games, averaging 14.8 points during the stretch.
• Defensively, Purdue has held 16 opponents to 69 points or fewer this season for a 15-1 record, including five of the last six games.
• Sunday renews the Barn Burner Trophy Game for the 30th time. Purdue has won 18 of the 29 previous trophy games, but the Barn Burner Trophy has not returned to West Lafayette since 2016 when the Boilermakers downed Indiana 63-53 win in 2016.
•Purdue leads the Big Ten in opponent field goal percentage in league games with a 38.1% clip.
• Cassidy Hardin sits ninth in program history with 136 games played, four short of Danielle Campbell’s (2006-09) record of 140.
• Lasha Petree needs 12 points to join the 2,000-point club for her career. She sits 17th among Division I active scorers.
PURDUE MBB
HALL OF FAME: HOOPS STAR WALTER JORDAN SHINES STILL TODAY
It was an easy path for Walter Jordan to achieve stardom on the hardwood at Purdue. Because success followed him everywhere he went.
Raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Walter Jordan came to Purdue with all the high school accolades you can imagine. He led Northrop to the 1974 Indiana State High School Championship against Jeffersonville and future classmate Wayne Walls. He was a starter for the Indiana All-Stars against Kentucky and the Soviet Dream Teams. He averaged almost 20 points and eight rebounds a game as a skinny 6-foot, 7-inch forward, and was named Northrop’s Outstanding Athlete and received Fort Wayne’s Sertoma Club Award.
So, when he arrived at Purdue, all he did was carry on that success during an era that he considers one of the best times of Big Ten basketball.
“Playing at Purdue was a very special time obviously, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Jordan said. “I firmly believe we played in one of the most-talented and toughest eras in Big Ten history. The coaches and players in the league were Hall of Fame worthy, and only 32 teams made the NCAA Tournament. We loved playing in the big games and the love affair between the team and fans will never be forgotten. It was really a special time for Boilermaker Basketball.”
Jordan made an immediate impact at Purdue. At the time, he set the school record for most points scored in a season by a Purdue freshman with 394 points, a number that still ranks third behind Russell Cross (540, 1981) and E’Twaun Moore (437, 2008) today. His 14.1 points per game scoring average as a freshman is second behind Cross (16.9) and his 205 rebounds are third behind another Fort Wayne legend, Caleb Swanigan (282, 2016) and future No. 1 NBA Draft pick, Joe Barry Carroll (206, 1977).
It truly was one of the best freshman seasons in school history and was a prelude of what was to come.
Jordan still ranks ninth on the Purdue career scoring chart (1,813 points), 11th on the career scoring average list (16.6 ppg) and fifth on the career rebounds list (882). He heard his named called in the starting lineup for 102 straight games, the third-longest streak in school history.
During Jordan’s four years at Purdue, the Boilermakers advanced to just their second NCAA Tournament in school history, finished in the top four of the Big Ten standings all four years and owned a memorable win over Michigan State and the Magic Johnson-led Spartans. But mostly, the opportunity to play with his teammates made it special. He was also nicknamed “Cheerleader” for his towel-waving antics during the introduction of the starting lineups – a tactic that set Mackey Arena into a frenzy.
“There were just a lot of great moments that I was extremely thankful to be a part of,” Jordan said. “We played a lot of memorable games against some great teams. We played Indiana when they were ranked No. 1, and beat them in Assembly Hall for the first time in school history in 1977. We played and beat Magic Johnson when they were a top-10 team. Playing in the NCAA Tournament against eventual runner-up North Carolina in Raleigh was an amazing experience. But just being a part of these teams and watching your friends excel and succeed was probably the most memorable experience for me.”
Jordan was also able to compete with Fort Wayne native and friend, the late Eugene Parker. Jordan and Parker formed a bond while in Fort Wayne at rival high schools – Jordan at Northrop and Parker at Concordia. The two would frequent outdoor courts in Fort Wayne for “friendly” one-on-one competitions and it was must-see action when the two rival schools collided during the winter months.
The respect was immense between both of them and they were quite a pair on the basketball court, both being named All-Big Ten selections at least twice during their careers. They were as formidable a duo that Purdue Basketball has ever had.
“There has never been anyone among my peers that I respected more than Eugene “Dream” Parker,” Jordan added. “He was always a star from the first day I met him and was someone everyone looked up to, wanted to be like and respected. His work ethic and character drew me to him. He committed to Purdue before me and the fact he wanted me to join him at Purdue was the final push I needed. Of course we became brothers. He was a great, great man and is truly missed.”
But now looking back at his career, Jordan feels beyond blessed. He played one year in the NBA, overseas in Spain, in the CBA for four seasons and in the WBA for one year, earning first-team All-WBA accolades that season. He looks back at his time at Purdue fondly and this hall of fame induction means a lot to him.
“It is truly an honor to be inducted into the Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame,” Jordan said. “To be mentioned with these incredible individuals is truly humbling and I want to congratulate my inducted classmates on this honor. It’s something to be very proud of. I’ve learned that it’s impossible to out-dream God’s plan or purpose for your life.”
And now? Jordan is enjoying what this year’s Boilermakers are doing. Because, after all, he is still family.
“I love the culture, standards and environment that Coach Painter and his staff have created,” Jordan said. “When your players buy in, are willing to get dirty and accept their roles, playing for each other when class and character and trust each other, great things can happen. This team has been really fun to watch.”
Honorees or their representatives will be publicly honored at Mackey Arena during the Purdue Men’s Basketball game against Ohio State on Sunday, Feb. 19. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
BUTLER BASEBALL
BUTLER TAKES 9-8 LOSS TO FDU ON OPENING DAY
LEXINGTON, S.C. — Fairleigh Dickinson handed Butler a 9-8 loss on the opening day of the college baseball season. The Bulldogs led 4-0 after one, but trailed 5-4 after three. The Knights added four more runs in the fifth to find the win column.
Cory Bosecker got the start for the Bulldogs in the opener. The southpaw went 4.2 innings and struck out four batters. Cooper Robinson would get the ball next and give BU three innings of relief. The final Bulldog to grace the mound for Butler was Spencer Seigworth.
Ethan Rembish got the start for FDU, but the win went to Brendan Medoro. Butler got nine hits off Medoro, but only generated two runs. The final Knight to touch the rubber was Shane Sax who gave up a late homer to Joey Urban, but still managed to earn the save.
Urban went 2-for-5 from the nine-hole and scored a run for the ‘Dawgs. Xavier Carter went 3-for-4 in his Bulldog debut with an RBI and a run scored. Jake DeFries also played well by scoring three runs for BU at the top of the order.
Joan Sosa made the biggest impact in the outcome with a three-run home run in the third. A Knight extra base hit in the fifth would also be crucial in the outcome as FDU added four runs to pad their lead.
These two teams will meet again tomorrow for a doubleheader. First pitch is slated for Noon.
BUTLER SB
BUTLERSOFTBALL FALLS TO NO. 23 MISSOURI AND TO FIU
MIAMI – The Butler softball team dropped its fourth and fifth-straight games, losing to No. 23 Missouri and then, after a rain delay, giving up a lead to fall to Florida International. The Bulldogs are 1-7 on the season and are scheduled for three more games this weekend before returning from South Florida.
Game 1: No. 23 Missouri- 15, Butler- 0 (5 innings)
No. 23 Missouri’s offense was dominant from the start as the Tigers put 11 runs on the board in the first two innings.
Neither team put a batter on base in the third, but Missouri added four more in the top of the fourth. In the bottom of the fourth, Kaylee Gross notched Butler’s first hit, an infield single. Two batters later, Teagan O’Rilley added a second single, but the Bulldogs were unable to put one across the plate.
Neither team scored in the fifth.
Sydney Cammon (0-1) started for the Bulldogs and took the loss. She allowed eight runs – all earned – on six hits and two walks, while striking out two. Rylyn Dyer (2.2 IP, 7 R, 7 ER, 5 H, 4 BB, K) entered in the middle of the second inning, and Kayla Noerr (1 IP, H, BB) took care of the fifth.
Game 2: Florida International- 7, Butler- 3 (7 innings)
After three full innings that included two rain delays, FIU held a 1-0 lead after scoring on an infield ground-out in the bottom of the third.
In the fourth, Sydney Carter (2-3, 2 RBI, 2B) doubled with the bases loaded and gave Butler a 2-1 lead. That score held until the top of the sixth, when Monique Hoosen (2-2, HR, 2 R) hit a solo home run to give the Bulldogs a two-run cushion.
In the bottom of the sixth, FIU scored three to take a 4-3 lead on a bases-loaded single followed by a throwing error. The Panthers added three more before the inning was over on a single, a double, and another error.
Butler put two on base with two singles in the seventh but was unable to rally to extend the game.
Mackenzie Griman (0-4) lasted 5.1 innings for the Bulldogs and took the loss. She allowed six runs (five earned) on nine hits and three walks. Sydney Cammon (0.2 IP, 1 R, 1 H) provided relief in the middle of the sixth inning.
Bulldog Bits
Monique Hoosen’s home run vs. FIU was her second of the season and the 145h of her career. She is now tied for eighth on Butler’s all-time list for career home runs.
Hoosen now has multiple hits in three games this season.
Sydney Carter’s double vs. FIU was her first of the season and the third of her career.
Against FIU, Carter notched two hits in a single game for the first time in her career.
Up Next
Butler plays Pitt and a team to be determined on day two of FIU’s Panther Invitational in Miami. First pitch on Saturday, Feb. 18, vs. the Panthers will be at 10 a.m. The Bulldogs will then play at either 3 p.m. or 5:30 p.m.
BUTLER WLAX
BUTLERWLACROSSE HOSTS KENT STATE IN SEASON HOME OPENER
Gameday Information – Butler vs Kent State
DATE: Saturday, Feb. 18
LOCATION: Indianapolis, Ind. / Varsity Field
LIVE STATS: butlersports.com
LIVE VIDEO: FloSports / Butler +
Link: Full Notes
The Butler women’s lacrosse team will host Kent State on Feb. 18 in its season home opener. The first draw will be at 3 p.m. at Varsity Field.
Bulldog Bits
- Maggie Zentgraf is in her first season as head coach at Butler. Zentgraf takes over for Cecil Pilson, who was the team’s head coach since the program started in 2017. She previously coached at Division III Lake Forest, going 11-4 in the program’s first-ever season.
- The Bulldogs went 6-9 in the 2022 season, setting a program-record in wins.
- The Bulldogs lacrosse team returns 28 players from the 2022 roster and welcomes 10 new players to the roster.
- The team averaged 13.2 goals per game in 2022, up from 7.58 goals per game in 2021 and 6.88 in 2020.
- Last season’s defense gave up an average of 13.73 goals per game.
- Aleigh Monroe appeared in 13 games in 2022, logging the most minutes of any Bulldog in goal. As a sophomore, she posted a record of 5-4, conceding 110 goals (13.08 per game) while making 61 saves.
- With 61 career goals, Campbell Connors is now five goals away from becoming the program’s all-time leader.
Last Time Out
Butler’s first game of the season ended in an 18-19 loss on the road to Youngstown State on Feb. 12. The Bulldogs were down by four goals at one point in the fourth quarter and clawed back, but their comeback fell just short. Luci Selander scored five goals in her first career game against Youngstown State. Leah Rubino scored a career-high four goals and KK Callaghan scored a career-high three goals against Youngstown State. Butler’s six free-position goals against Youngstown State were the second-most in a game in program history.
Scouting Kent State
The Golden Flashes ended last season with an overall record of 6-12 and a conference record of 3-7. This year, they return three of their top five goal scorers from last season: Jackie Wolford (41g), Kenzie Sklar (29g) and Morgan Kubicki (20g). Madison Flannigan spent the most time of any player in goal last season. Flannigan had a record of 4-8, conceded 148 goals (13.86 per game) and made 114 saves.
This season, Kent State began with a 7-14 loss to Cincinnati on Feb. 10. Sklar led the team with three goals.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will head to Mount Pleasant, Michigan, to face off against Central Michigan on Friday, Feb. 24. Butler has yet to win against the Chippewas in their five previous meetings. First draw is set for 3 p.m.
BUTLER MBB
BUTLER HOSTS GEORGETOWN SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT HINKLE FIELDHOUSE
The Bulldogs return to Hinkle Fieldhouse for their penultimate home game of the 2022-23 season, hosting Georgetown Sunday afternoon. The match-up will include a celebration of Black History Month through the BIG EAST’s partnership with the Black Fives Foundation.
For 22 games throughout the month of February, the BIG EAST Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams will be wearing the name and logo of a Black Fives Team to honor these pioneers. Coaches will wear a “Make History Now” pin to draw awareness to the Foundation’s mission, and fans will be educated through videos and other game time promotions on the relevance and importance of the Black Fives. Additional information can be found at https://bit.ly/3YUjmJn.
Butler (13-14, 5-11 BIG EAST) vs. Georgetown (6-21, 1-15)
Sunday, Feb. 19; 3PM
Hinkle Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, Ind.
PDF notes can be found here: https://bit.ly/3NGADRf
TV: FS1 – Jason Ross, Jr. & Dickey Simpkins
Radio: 1430AM – @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
Varsity Network Radio App, SiriusXM 390, SXM App 970
Bulldogs vs. Georgetown
• This is the second meeting between Butler and Georgetown this season; the Bulldogs won, 80-51, New Year’s Day in the nation’s capital.
• Jayden Taylor came off the bench to score a career-high 24 points on a career-best six three-pointers in that Jan. 1 win over Georgetown.
• The New Year’s Day 80-51 win over Georgetown was the third-most lopsided win by Butler over a BIG EAST opponent since joining the conference in 2013-14 (89-56, at St. John’s, 2/6/16; and 79-46, at DePaul, 3/6/14). Butler held Georgetown to 28.8-percent shooting in the win; it’s the third time since joining the BIG EAST that Butler has held a conference opponent under 30-percent shooting (vs. St. John’s, 1/27/18 and at Seton Hall, 1/25/17). It was the Bulldogs’ best defensive performance against any opponent since limiting Louisiana-Monroe to 23.3-percent shooting Dec. 28, 2019.
• The teams first met in the 2009 Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.
• The remaining match-ups have all come since Butler joined the BIG EAST prior to the 2013-14 season. That includes a meeting at the 2014 Battle 4 Atlantis as both programs were already signed on for the event prior to Butler joining the BIG EAST.
• Butler is 7-3 against Georgetown in Washington, D.C. (including a win this season on New Year’s Day), while the Hoyas are 6-3 at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Series: Butler Leads, 11-10
Streak: Butler, W3
At Hinkle: Georgetown Leads, 6-3
First Meeting: GU, 72-65; 12/8/09
Last Meeting: BU, 80-51; 1/1/23
• According to KenPom, Butler has played the nation’s 15th-toughest schedule so far this season.
• Butler is 10-4 at Hinkle Fieldhouse this season.
• Taylor has scored at least 19 points in each of his last four games; he is the current BIG EAST Player of the Week (announced Monday) for his play last week that resulted in wins over St. John’s and Xavier (averaged 19.5 points and 4.5 rebounds).
• Chuck Harris returned to action Tuesday at Villanova after missing three games due to a concussion (sustained vs. Seton Hall Jan. 28); however, Ali Ali missed the Villanova game (illness). All seven of Butler’s top scorers have only been available together in nine of the team’s 27 games this season.
• Over the last four games, Butler has limited its opponents to a combined 52 points below that team’s BIG EAST scoring average, highlighted by holding Xavier to 67 points Feb. 10 while the Musketeers are averaging 82.1 points per BIG EAST game.
• Tuesday’s loss at Villanova was Butler’s first defeat this season when shooting a better field goal percentage than its opponent (now 12-1).
• Butler is committing only 13.1 fouls per game, which is third nationally.
• Butler is 11-0 this season when scoring 70 or more points.
• Butler is 12-0 this season when leading at halftime.
• Butler has 11 games so far this season shooting 50 percent or better from the field; eight of those have come at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler has won all 11 of those games.
• Butler has shot 40 percent or better from behind the arc 11 times this season; Butler is 9-2 in those contests.
• Simas Lukosius is 34-for-70 (49 percent) from three-point range in Butler’s 14 home games.
• Lukosius pulled down eight rebounds Tuesday at Villanova, one shy of his career-high.
• Lukosius is seventh in the BIG EAST in three-point shooting at 41.0 percent on the season.
• Manny Bates is averaging 15.3 points and 6.3 rebounds over the last three games; he scored only a total of 14 points combined in the three games prior to this stretch.
• Bates has 47 blocks this season, which already places him in seventh on Butler’s single-season list.
• Bates had 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting in the Feb. 10 win vs. Xavier. It marked his highest scoring output in a BIG EAST game this season.
• Bates tied a season-high with five blocks against Xavier. Jalen Thomas added three swats. Butler had nine blocks as a team, tying their second-most in a game this season.
• Butler is 38th nationally, averaging 4.5 blocks per game.
• Lukosius, Harris, Bates and Taylor have each led the Bulldogs in scoring in at least five games this season (includes ties).
• Thad Matta is 23-5 at Hinkle Fieldhouse as the head coach at Butler (2000-01 and the current 2022-23 seasons).
• In Butler’s 13 wins this season, the Bulldogs have shot 41 percent from three-point range and have a +1.2 rebounding advantage per game; in the team’s 14 losses, their opponents have averaged a rebounding advantage of +10.9 per game while the Bulldogs have hit only 27 percent of their three-point attempts.
IUPUI SWIMMING
IUPUI COMPLETES DAY THREE WITH TEN PODIUMS
INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI Jaguars collect ten podium placings with three gold medals on day three of the 2023 Horizon League Swim and Dive Championships. Emmaleigh Zietlow and Sebastian Otero each earned their second golds of the week while Spencer Jyawook collected his first gold of the week.
“Another magical evening,” said head coach Damion Dennis. “Our athletes work exceptionally hard all year and we continue to break records. I’m really proud of these athletes for just stepping up. Thomas Reedy and Spencer Koerhn both stepped out of their comfort zones and gave us great swims in the 100 breast. Nick Cavanah has been bringing the energy up for everyone then hits an IUPUI top ten time in the 100 back. Zoe Hendrickx and Jenna Taylor both showed their versatility today. The relays were electric tonight too.”
“Every race was a nailbiter and this is what you want a championship to be! You want it to be exciting and close and really challenge everyone to give their best. When you start a season, this is the moments you envision. This is what you want.”
The Jags started the night off with the 100 fly. Freshman Gabby Puryear-Lynch took the podium in the third-place spot with a time of 55.16. Lilly Brandt just missed the podium with a fourth place spot (55.36). On the men’s side, Jyawook took the gold with a B cut time of 46.27.
After the 100 fly, Emma Theobald and Zoe Hendrickx competed in the A final of the women’s 400 IM. Theobald crushed her personal best time to earn second-place with a time of 4:16.59. For the men, Nick Dibley came up huge for the Jags with a time of 3:52.52 to earn the silver while his brother Luke took fourth (3:54.52).
“Highlighted for me tonight was the 400 IM,” said Dennis. “The men’s and women’s 400 IM stole the show.”
In the 200 free, Zietlow earned her second gold of the week with a time of 1:47.54. Jackie Bontrager also swam in the A final finishing in seventh (1:52.72). Ben Kimmel swam in the A final for the men finishing in eighth (1:39.48) while Nico Gallego finished first in the B final (1:39.44).
Avery Brooks just missed the podium with a fourth-place finish in the women’s 100 breast with a time of 1:03.77. Ali Sippel also scored in the A final with a time of 1:04.46 to earn sixth. Logan Kelly took the silver for the men’s team with a time of 51.94, just barely getting out touched by .03 for an IUPUI record. Maxwell Blume took fifth (54.22).
In the 100 back, Malayna Mancinelli took fourth with a time of (57.22). On the men’s side, the Jaguars had two score in the top eight with Grayson Tidwell taking fifth and Dane Charleston taking sixth.
The Jags recorded several points on the boards with four IUPUI divers in the top eight. Otero swept the men’s events with a win in the 1-meter with 367.75 points. Alex Scott took second with a total score of 319.10, Adam Schmehl just missed the podium in the fourth spot (307.70) and Blake Vanderjeudgt took sixth (296.50).
IUPUI finished out the night with the 400 medley relays. The women’s team made up of Theobald, Zietlow, Puryear-Lynch and Brandt took silver while the men’s team made up of Kevin Burke, Kelly, Jyawook and Wes Wickens also took silver.
“I’m proud of everyone who participated tonight, on the board and in the pool,” said Dennis. “It’s a dog fight and it’s going to be crazy tomorrow. It’ll come down to the wire and we’re going to be scrapping for everything we’ve got. I’m looking forward to it and it’s time to go fast!”
After three days of competition, the men’s team holds the top spot with a total of 616 points while the women sit in the second spot behind Oakland with 425.5 points. The final day of competition begins tomorrow with prelims at 10:00 AM.
JAGUARS WRAP DAY TWO OF THE #HLSD CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH TWO MEET RECORDS
INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI swimming and diving team closed out day two of the Horizon League Swim and Dive Championships with two first-place finishes and two new meet records. The night was highlighted by Emmaleigh Zietlow’s gold performance in the 500 free and the men’s 200 free relay team earning the gold with a new meet record time.
“I’m excited, speechless and overwhelmed,” said head coach Damion Dennis. “We had a great morning! The best morning we’ve ever had as a complete program. Zietlow continues to establish herself as the most dominate swimmer, not only in school history but in the Horizon League with a conference record in the 500 free during prelims. Gabby followed suit and set one of the fastest times as a freshman in program history. The men’s 500 free, everyone made it to finals with some of the fastest times in school history. “
The Jags kicked off the meet with the women’s 500 free. Zietlow set a new meet record in the prelims earlier in the day with a time of 4:47.09. She didn’t quite beat her record from prelims, but she swam a time of 4:47.33 to earn the gold in the 500 free. Gabby Puryear-Lynch earned bronze with a time of 4:55.33.
“Tonight, we had Zietlow once again show her dominance beating the second place swimmer by several seconds,” said Dennis.
Emma Theobald earned bronze in the 200 IM with a time of 2:01.93 while Ben Kimmel set a new IUPUI record time of 1:47.57 in the men’s 200 IM, barely missing the podium in fourth place.
“All the guys going out and sneaking points in the 500 free and 200 IM. Emma Theobald had one of the best 200 IM swims of her career,” said Dennis.
After the 200 IM, the race sped up a little with the women’s and men’s 50 free. Lilly Brandt earned the silver in the 50 free with a new IUPUI record time of 23.16 while Avery Brooks just missed the podium in fourth with a time of 23.57. On the men’s side, Spencer Jyawook earned the silver with a new IUPUI record time of 19.80 while Kevin Burke took bronze with a time of 19.85.
Sadie Smith then took silver on the boards for the Jaguars in the 1-meter dive with a score of 275.15 besting her prelims score (246.45).
“We can’t forget about Sadie, she finished prelims in fifth then came out tonight and took second,” said Dennis.
The Jags closed out night two with the 200 free relay. The women’s team made up of Lilly Brandt, Avery Brooks, Emma Theobald and Emmaleigh Zietlow took silver with an overall time of 1:33.16. The men’s relay team made up of Spencer Jyawook, Kevin Burke, Logan Kelly and Wes Wickens set a new IUPUI and meet record with a time of 1:19.16 to earn the gold.
“The women’s 200 free relay was electric, with the times they set. The men came out with a new meet record. I mean what did we just do?! It’s unreal, the position we are in right now. I don’t even know how to put it into words,” said Dennis.
The men’s team is currently in first with 321 points, leading Oakland who has 294 points. The women’s team is in second with 234 points behind Oakland with 361. The Jags will continue competition tomorrow with prelims at 10:00 AM.
IUPUI WTENNIS
TENNIS EARNS PAIR OF HOME VICTORIES ON FRIDAY
INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI women’s tennis team collected a pair of home wins on Friday (Feb. 17), defeating a pair of in-state foes in Marian University at Holy Cross at the West Indy Racquet Club. The Jaguars defeated Marian 6-1 in the morning and followed up with a 7-0 sweep of Holy Cross in the afternoon.
In match one, the Jaguars took a tough doubles point and ultimately rode that to the 6-1 win. Meghan Bernard and Samantha Hayward teamed up on a 7-6 win at No. 1 doubles and Marta Krakowski and Sarah Lounsbury won at No. 3, 6-4.
Singles wins came much easier as four of IUPUI’s five victories came in straight sets. Bernard breezed to a 6-0, 6-3 win at the No. 1 spot and freshman Emma Dell won 6-1, 6-2 at No. 3 singles. Fellow freshman Grace Lampman won at No. 4 singles 6-3, 6-2 and Lounsbury collected a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 5 singles. Hayward earned her win at No. 2 singles in come-from-behind fashion, winning 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.
The Jaguars coasted in the afternoon win over Holy Cross, beginning with doubles wins from Bernard and Hayward at No. 1 and Marta Krakowski and Lounsbury at No. 3 to take the initial point.
Head coach Pawel Gajdzik’s team put up a strong effort in singles to complete the win, winning five of the six matches in straight sets.
Hayward won 6-0, 6-3 at No. 2 and Dell won 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3. Lampman cruised 6-1, 6-2 at No. 4 and Lounsbury won her match at No. 5, 6-0, 6-2. Krakowski was victorious at the No. 6 spot, 6-0, 6-4.
Bernard had the toughest contest of the day, but won 6-1, 4-6, 1-0 (10-7).
The Jaguars will close out a busy weekend when they host Western Kentucky at West Indy Racquet Club at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday (Feb. 19).
IUPUI SB
JAGS DROP TWO ON DAY ONE OF PINNACLE PC INVITATIONAL
CLINTON, S.C. – The IUPUI softball team dropped a pair of contests on Friday (Feb. 17) at the Pinnacle PC Invitational, falling to Seton Hall and host Presbyterian on day one of the tournament. Rachel Gregory led the IUPUI offense on day one, going 4-for-6 at the dish.
Game #1 – Seton Hall 6, IUPUI 0
In game one, the IUPUI offense mustered just two hits against a pair of Seton Hall pitchers in falling, 6-0.
Seton Hall got all the offense it would need in the second inning when it pushed across a pair of runs against Madison Bryant (0-2). The Pirates set the table with back-to-back walks before Colonnetta singled through the left side for the game’s first run. Carr later drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.
Hill led the Seton Hall (1-2) offense, going 2-for-3 with a pair of homers and three runs batted in.
IUPUI mounted a threat in the top of the seventh as Abbey Haas led off by being hit by a pitch. Rachel Gregory followed with a single and after a strikeout, Maicey Bedrick reached on an error to load the bases. However, SHU got a strikeout and lineout to end the game and complete the shutout.
Gregory went 2-for-3 at the dish, accounting for both of IUPUI’s knocks.
Game #2 – Presbyterian 6, IUPUI 3
In the nightcap, IUPUI had four players with two hits apiece, but left six runners on base in the loss.
IUPUI (1-4) struck first with a run in the top of the third as Jaida Speth doubled home Kelli Riordan on a drive to left. Presbyterian (5-0) tied the score in the bottom half of the inning and then plated four more runs in the fourth to make it 5-1. The big blow came when Layna Johnson laced a bases loaded single to center and came all the way around to score on a fielding error on the play.
IUPUI pushed a run across in the fifth when Jordan Jenkins scored on Morgan Gilbert’s infield single on the heels of Speth’s second double of the day.
In the sixth, Jenkins plated Kasie Keyes with a solid single to center to make it 6-3, but was left stranded.
Gilbert, Gregory, Jenkins and Speth all had two hits and Jenkins reached all three times at-bat.
Carly Metcalf suffered the loss, yielding six runs (three earned) in six innings of work.
IUPUI will return to action on Saturday (Feb. 18) when they face Appalachian State and Presbyterian on day two of the three-day event.
BALL STATE BASEBALL
PELTIER’S HOME RUN LIFTS CARDINALS OVER 49ERS
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State baseball team opened the 2023 campaign on the road against Charlotte on Friday. Ryan Peltier led the Cardinals with his first home run of the season as BSU defeated CLT 2-1.
The Cardinals went down in order in the top of the first. After the 49ers had runners on first and second in the bottom of the inning, Trennor O’Donnell was able to get out of the jam unscathed.
In the top of the second, Andrew Wilhite produced a one-out hit. Zach Lane executed a perfect hit-and-run that advanced Wilhite to third. Decker Scheffler grounded into a fielder’s choice and scored Wilhite from third.
The 49ers threatened again in the bottom of the third as they had two runners on base. Once again, O’Donnell was able to get out of the inning without surrendering a run.
Peltier led off the top of the top of the fourth with a solo home run to left center to extend the BSU lead to 2-0.
The 49ers got on the board in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single from Austin Knight. Ryan Brown came into pitch in the middle of the inning and kept Charlotte from adding any more runs.
In the bottom of the sixth, the 49ers were able to load the bases with one out, but Brown settled down and got out of the inning unscathed. Charlotte was able to load the bases in the bottom of the eighth, but once again, Brown was able to get out of the jam without surrendering a run.
Adam Tellier, Peltier, Wilhite, and Lane all notched a hit for the Cardinals. Peltier and Scheffler collected one RBI each.
O’Donnell picked up a no decision in 4 1/3 innings in the start. He struck out four batters. He surrendered two hits and one earned run with six walks. Brown earned the win in 4 2/3 innings of relief. He struck out a career-high 10 batters and gave up just one hit.
Wyatt Hudepohl got the loss in five innings of work with three strikeouts, two earned runs, one walk, and gave up four hits. Knight led Charlotte at the plate with a 2-for-5 performance.
“Our boys were gritty,” said Head Coach Rich Maloney. “Ryan Brown pitched through tough situations but made pitches when he had to. He was marvelous when he had to be.”
The Cardinals and 49ers will play again on Saturday in a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for noon.
BALL STATE SB
SOFTBALL SPLITS FRIDAY TWINBILL AT SAMFORD
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – – Senior second baseman Haley Wynn made sure her birthday was a special one, blasting a solo home run for Ball State softball’s first hit of the season to help pick of a doubleheader split with Samford Friday evening at the Samford Softball Stadium.
The birthday blast was part of a 3-for-4 effort from Wynn in the opener, who fell a double shy of the cycle after singling in the fifth and tripling to lead off the seventh. Overall, Wynn would account for three runs in the Cardinals’ (1-1) 5-3 opening-game victory over the Bulldogs (2-3).
In the nightcap, Ball State jumped out to a 4-0 lead early, thanks in part to a two-run blast from redshirt sophomore McKayla Timmons in the top of the third. However, Samford answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning, and after BSU took the lead again in the fourth, forced extra innings with a two-out solo home run in the seventh.
After a 19-minute delay in the bottom of the eighth after the stadium lights, the Cardinals took advantage of the tiebreaker rule in the top of the ninth with a pair of runs. Unfortunately, Samford countered with three in the bottom of the frame to earn an 8-7 (9) victory and salvage a split on the day.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Wynn finished the day going 6-for-8 from the plate with a walk, scoring four runs and driving in a pair of RBI.
Sophomore Angelina Russo picked up the win in her 2023 debut, limiting Samford to four hits and no runs over 4.0 innings in Friday’s opener … She also struck out two batters.
Junior transfer Francys King was credited with her first save, allowing five hits and three runs over the final 3.0 innings … She also struck out two batters.
Freshman Bridie Murphy turned in a solid start in her collegiate debut, limiting Samford to six hits and four runs over 4.0 innings of work … She also struck out three batters.
Ball State’s defense, which ranked sixth nationally last season turning 0.55 double plays per game, picked up three over Friday’s doubleheader.
Junior Remington Ross picked up right where she left off last season, stealing three total bases on the day … Ross ranked third in the Mid-American Conference and 72nd nationally with 22 stolen bases last season.
Overall, the Cardinals stole eight bases over the course of the doubleheader, including two from freshman Ashlee Lovett in the nightcap.
SCORING SUMMARY – GAME 1
T3 | Ball State’s first hit of the 2023 season was a big one, as Wynn homered to center field (1-0)
T4 | After redshirt senior Jazmyne Armendariz doubled to open the inning, pinch runner Lovett came around to score her first collegiate run on a Samford error. (2-0)
T5 | A sac fly from fifth-year senior shortstop Amaia Daniel drove in Ross who reached on an error, stole second, and advanced to third on Wynn’s single (3-0)
T5 | After Wynn advanced to third on a wild pitch, Armendariz drove her home with a single to center (4-0)
B6 | Samford scored its first run of the game courtesy of a leadoff home run from Logan Champion (4-1)
T7 | Ball State was able to get the run back after Wynn opened the inning with a triple and scored on an RBI double from Daniel (5-1)
B7 | A leadoff single and a home run from Grier Bruce drove in the game’s final two runs (5-3)
SCORING SUMMARY – GAME 2
T2 | Junior oufielder Kaitlyn Mathews sparked a mini two-out rally with a single up the middle, before advancing to second on a passed ball, stealing third, and scoring on an error (1-0)
T3 | A two-out, two-run home run from Timmons opened the scoring in the inning (3-0)
T3 | Sophomore third baseman Emma Richards reached and advanced to second on an error, before scoring on a double to left field by Mathews (4-0)
B3 | A leadoff double and a one-out single by Bruce gave Samford its first run (4-1)
B3 | Two batters later a three-run home run from Champion tied the score (4-4)
T4 | Ross showed some more speed, leading off with a single, stealing second, and scoring on a Wynn single up the middle (5-4)
B7 | A two-out, solo home run by Bruce sent the game into extra innings (5-5)
T9 | After being placed at second to open the inning, and moving to third on a single from Wynn, Ross scored on a wild pitch (6-5)
T9 | Wynn scores on an RBI single from Daniel (7-5)
B9 | Samford loaded the bases with one out, setting up a game-winning three-run double from Merritt Cahoon
UP NEXT
The Ball State softball team continues play in the Blazer Bash Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader at UAB. First pitch for game one is set for 1 p.m. ET / Noon CT, with game two following approximately 30 minutes later.
BALL STATE MBB
BALL STATE TRAVELS TO WESTERN MICHIGAN FOR SATURDAY MATCHUP
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State men’s basketball team returns to the road for a contest against Western Michigan on Saturday. The Cardinals (19-7, 10-3) and the Broncos (6-20, 2-11 MAC) are scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. tip inside University Arena.
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 19-7 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 an 87-77 victory against NIU. Jarron Coleman has scored double digits in 16 of the 18 games this season after his 22-point effort. He added a game-high seven assists, a game-high four steals, tied for a team-high eight rebounds, and did not have any turnovers. Payton Sparks dropped 14 points with eight rebounds and one block. Demarius Jacobs recorded 10 points, three assists, one block, and one steal. Basheer Jihad also tied for a team-high eight rebounds.
Boogie on Down
Jarron Coleman is averaging a team-high 14.9 points per game. He leads the team with 64 made 3-pointers and is shooting 37.9 percent from behind the arc. He leads the team with 95 assists and leads the squad in steals with 39. 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
Jaylin Sellers is second on the team with 13.2 points per game. He is shooting 48.9 percent from 3-point range, which leads the team. He is averaging 3.7 rebounds per game. He has produced a field-goal percentage of 50.2 on the season. Sellers has collected 22 assists, 17 steals, and 15 blocks. He has notched four games with 20 or more points for the season.
Spark Plug
Sparks leads the team with 8.5 rebounds per game, which is tied for 53rd in the country and fourth in the conference. His 3.23 offensive rebounds per contest have him tied for 32nd in the nation and third in the MAC. He is third on the team averaging 12.9 points per game. He is shooting 61.0 percent from the field, which leads the team. He has eight double-doubles on the season, which is tied for 53rd in the country and is third in the MAC. He is third on the team with 52 assists, second on the team with 24 blocks, and has added 12 steals.
Spreading the Love
The Cardinals have four players averaging double-digit points. Demarius Jacobs rounds out the double-digit scorers with 12.0 points a contest. He has a team-high 35 blocks, which is tied for 85th in the NCAA and most in the MAC. His 1.35 blocks per contest is tied for 91st in the nation and first in the conference. He second on the team in assists with 87 and is second on the team in steals with 34. He is averaging 3.7 boards per contest. Pearson is second on the squad with 5.6 rebounds per contest and is averaging 7.7 points a game. Pearson is shooting 51.1 percent from the field.
Taking Advantage at the Free-Throw Line
As a team, the Cardinals are averaging 24.7 free throws per game, which is third in the NCAA and leads the MAC. Ball State is averaging 16.5 free-throws made per contest, which is tied for 16th in the nation and leads the conference. Sparks is eighth in the nation with 191 free-throw attempts, which leads the MAC.
Effective Shooting
The Cardinals are currently shooting 47.7 percent from the field, which is tied for 32nd in the NCAA and is second in the MAC. Ball State has been effective from behind the arc with a combined 38.0 percent from 3-point range, which is tied for 17th in the country and tied for the best in the MAC.
Series History with Western Michigan
The Cardinals and Broncos will battle for the 139th time on Saturday. Ball State holds the series lead 71-67. BSU has won seven of the last eight meetings against WMU, including a 71-70 victory earlier this season inside Worthen Arena. The Cardinals are 23-44 against the Broncos in Kalamazoo but have won the last two meetings at WMU.
Scouting The Broncos
In the matchup earlier this season, WMU was able to shoot a perfect 17-of-17 from the free-throw line. Lamar Norman Jr. produced a game-high 31 points and added six rebounds with four assists. Markeese Hastings finished with 12 points and nine rebounds. Titus Wright had a game-high 11 rebounds. The Broncos are tied for 29th in the NCAA with 12.27 offensive rebounds per game. Norman leads the team with 17.6 points per game and has a team-best 75 assists. He has added 22 steals and two blocks, while averaging 2.6 rebounds per game. Troy Maddox Jr. is second on the team with 11.0 points per game. He is averaging 3.8 rebounds a contest to go along with 45 assists, 17 steals, and eight blocks. Hastings paces the team with 9.5 boards a game, which is tied for 20th in the nation and tied for second in the MAC. He leads the team with 25 steals. Hastings is averaging 8.2 points per game with 48 assists and a team-best 15 blocks.
BALL STATE WBB
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL LOOKS TO REMAIN AT THE TOP OF THE MAC AT NIU SATURDAY
Game 27 | Ball State (22-4, 12-1 MAC) vs. Ohio (13-11, 5-8 MAC)
Feb. 18 | Dekalb, Ill. | Convocation Center | 2 pm ET
Opening Tip:
– The Ball State women’s basketball team looks to improve to a 13-1start in Mid-American Conference play for the first time in program history.
– Ball State is looking to extend its win streak to 11 when it travels to Northern Illinois Saturday for a 2 pm ET tip-off in the Convocation Center. The longest MAC regular season win streak was eight which happened in 2000-01, 2001-02, 2008-09 and 2022-23.
– Ball State women’s basketball team will play in a nationally televised regular season game for the first time ever on ESPNU Wednesday, March 1, at 5 p.m. ET when it takes on Bowling Green at the Stroh Center.
– The Cardinals currently have 22 wins with five games left and the Mid-American Conference Tournament on the horizon, Ball State has the potential to have the best record in program history. The Cardinals are four wins away from tying the program record which is 26-9 in 2008-09.
– Graduate senior Thelma Dis Agustsdottir scored a career-high 34 points and tied the program’s single-game 3-point record with nine to help lift Ball State past Ohio Wednesday night in Worthen Arena with a 78-53 win over the Bobcats.
– This will mark the 66th meeting in a series that began in 1982-83 when the Cardinals defeated the Huskies 86-83 on Jan. 26 in DeKalb, Ill. The Cardinals lead the all-time series record 42-23. The Cardinals defeated the Huskie in their first meeting this season 76-68 in Worthen Arena, Feb. 1.
– The Huskies recently took down Bowling Green Wednesday night by a score of 85-81. Chelby Koker led NIU with 18 points while Janae Poisson had 17 and A’Jah Davis finished with 16.
Fast Facts:
– Redshirt senior Anna Clephane has 1,168 points for her career and became the 10th player under Brady Sallee to reach the 1,000 point milestone against Miami (1/14/23). Clephane is first on the team in scoring averaging 15.0 points per game.
– Sophomore Marie Kiefer has proven to be a great defender for the Cardinals. She currently sits in 12th place all-time in blocked shots with 86 and so far has 38 total this season. Kiefer averages 1.4 blocks per contest.
– Graduate senior Thelma Dis Agustsdottir has found her rhythm behind the arc again as she currently leads the team with 83 three’s so far this season along with being ranked second in the nation. Agustsdottir has 301 total 3-pointers for her career and sits in second place all-time. She needs 23 more take the top spot which is currently being held by former Cardinal and current associate head coach Audrey Spencer (2006-10) with 323 3-pointers.
Sallee Successful in February:
Under Sallee, the Cardinals have a 49-30 (.611) 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.
MAC Tourney Time:
This marks the 33rd appearance for the Cardinals in the Mid-American Conference Tournament in program history. Ball State has advanced to Cleveland 21 out of the past 23 seasons. The Cardinals are 22-31 all-time in MAC Tournament play and have advanced to the MAC Tournament finals on six occasions.
Scouting Northern Illinois:
– NIU won it’s third game out of four on Wednesday night, snapping Bowling Green’s 11-game winning streak with an 85-81 win at the Stroh Center. It was the Falcons’ first loss on their home court this season. NIU shot 53.8 percent from the field and made 13 three-pointers.
– A’Jah Davis (DeKalb, Ill./Montverde Academy [Fla.]) has excelled over the last four games, averaging 18.8 points and 17.5 rebounds per game while shooting over 65 percent from the field. Davis is fourth in the nation in rebounding with 12.5 per game, with double-digit rebounds in 19 consecutive games. She is also fifth in the country with 17 double-doubles. Davis is 10th among active NCAA Division I players with 47 career double-doubles.
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
IRISH FALL TO LIPSCOMB IN GAME ONE
NASHVILLE, TN – The Fighting Irish fell to the Lipscomb Bison 5-4 in game one of the three-game series on Friday afternoon at Dugan Field. While the Irish brought it within one in the top of the ninth, their late efforts weren’t enough to overcome the three run deficit to start the inning.
The Bison offense struck first, taking the early 1-0 lead to end the first inning. While the second inning remained scoreless, Lipscomb was able to send home two more after a homer to left field in the bottom of the third. Sophomore left-handed pitcher Jack Findlay took the mound at the bottom of the fourth and went to work, delivering three straight strikeouts to take the Irish into the fifth inning.
Notre Dame struggled to connect at the plate, but in the top of the fifth, the offense was sparked by a homer to left field from junior TJ Williams as he brought home Casey Kmet from first who reached via a walk. The two-run play and scoreless bottom of the fifth brought the Irish within one at 3-2.
The Bison scored another pair in the sixth and extended their lead to 5-2 heading into the top of the seventh. Both the seventh and eighth remained scoreless for the Irish and the Bison until the top of the ninth. With Jack Penney on second and Nick DeMarco on first as a pinch runner for Nick Juaire, Penney would run home on a passed ball, followed by DeMarco scoring on a wild pitch. The Irish were able to close the gap to one with no outs, but were unable to capitalize as the Bison closed out the inning to take home the game one win.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame is back in action tomorrow for game two of the three-game series against Lipscomb at 3:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. CT). Game three will take place on Sunday at Dugan Field at 2:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. CT).
NOTRE DAME SB
TIDD THROWS COMPLETE GAME AND HOMERS IN WIN OVER OHIO STATE
CLEMSON, S.C. – The University of Notre Dame softball team flexed its muscles in route to a 7-2 victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes to start the ACC/B1G Challenge at Clemson. The Fighting Irish used a pair of three-run home runs to take the lead and put the game out of reach to earn their fifth win of the season. Ohio State falls to 2-3 on the year.
Payton Tidd started in the circle, throwing the 31st complete game of her career. The graduate student worked the full 7.0 innings, allowing just four hits, two earned runs and struck out six in the victory.
Lexi Orozco and Tidd did the offensive damage. Each finished 1-for-3 with a three-run home run. Jane Kronenberger, Joley Mitchell, Rachel Allen and Brooke Marquez each added a hit in the contest. Mitchell scored a pair of runs to go with her double and an RBI.
This is the fourth game in Tidd’s career that she’s thrown a complete game and hit a home run in the same contest. The Irish are 4-0 when she’s accomplished that feat.
How It Happened
After a scoreless first three innings, Ohio State got on the board to start the fourth. Back-to-back singles started the frame before Tidd struck out the next two hitters. The Irish couldn’t stave off the Buckeye rally as Destinee Noury drove a single to right to score two and put Ohio State up 2-0.
The Irish answered in the home half of the fourth. Karina Gaskins drew a one-out walk to start the rally as Kronenberger singled to center. Mitchell drove a double to left center to bring in one, but Kronenberger was thrown out trying to take third. After a walk to Allen, Orozco hit her first Irish home run, putting Notre Dame up 4-2 after four innings of play.
Tidd broke the game open herself in the sixth. A walk and a single from Allen put two on as Tidd hit her first home run of the season to extend the lead to 7-2.
Tidd was back out in the bottom of the frame. She allowed a hit in the seventh, but Ohio State never added another runner as she earned the victory.
Up Next
Notre Dame is back in action tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. as it’ll take on the #13/11 Northwestern Wildcats at McWhorter Stadium and follow that with a rematch with the Buckeyes at 12:30 p.m. on day two of the ACC/B1G challenge.
INDIANA STATE WSWIMMING
SYCAMORES SET FIVE SCHOOL RECORDS ON THIRD DAY OF 2023 MVC CHAMPIONSHIPS
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Five more school records fell and the Sycamores ended up on the podium in two separate events as Indiana State closed out the third day of the 2023 MVC Swimming & Diving Championships held at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center.
Marni Gray shattered her previous mark in the 100 Fly, while Kaimi Matsumoto topped her own record in the 100 Breaststroke in their respective event finals on Friday night. Matsumoto also set new marks in the 50-yard Fly and Breaststroke on Friday night to highlight her day. The Sycamores quartet of Madie Rutan, Matsumoto, Gray, and Chloe Farro also set a new Indiana State mark in the 400 Medley Relay to wrap up Friday night’s action.
Gray (second) and Matsumoto (third) both finished on the podium in the 100 Fly event finals, while the Sycamores’ 400 Medley Relay team finished second overall in the event to keep Indiana State in the hunt heading into the tomorrow’s final day of the championships.
Overall, the Sycamores sent nine athletes into the A-Finals on Friday night, while ISU had 19 swimmers score points toward the team totals over the five individual events.
Indiana State currently remains second overall in the team standings with 757.50 points. Missouri State is the overall leader at 870, while Illinois State (640), Northern Iowa (593), and Southern Illinois (543) round out the top five.
“This was a historic day for our program,” ISU head swimming and diving coach Josh Christensen said. “We loaded up a couple of championship finals in the 100 Fly and the 400 IM, broke three school records, and had the second NCAA B cut in program history. I’m so proud of this team and the fight they are showing this weekend. We know we have a big day set up tomorrow and we’re ready to make the most of it.”
Friday Evening Finals
Marni Gray and Kaimi Matsumoto finished on the podium to open up the Friday night events as the Sycamores sent three athletes into the 100-yard Fly A-Finals. Gray posted a school-record 53.91 to finish second in the field and was on the mark for the NCAA B cut. Matsumoto finished third overall in 54.75 for her first podium finish of the weekend. Sarah Moreau finished eighth in the 100 Fly in her first A-Final of the night after touching in 55.64. Raine Boles added to ISU’s point totals finishing 10th in 55.77.
The Sycamores sent four athletes into the 400-yard IM A-Finals with Alexandria Cotter, Alexa Szadorski, Katie Dougherty, and Molly Fogarty all advancing following the morning session. Cotter finished fifth overall in the field in 4:23.21, while Szadorski was sixth in 4:24.31. Dougherty added a seventh-place result in 4:26.24 and Fogarty touched eighth in 4:28.31. Dorotea Bukvic was third in the B-Finals to finish in 4:27.32 to finish 11th overall in the field, while Esther Rydbeck Norden was second in the C-Finals to finish 18th in 4:32.21.
Moreau led the Sycamores in the 200-yard Freestyle A-Finals as the senior touched the wall seventh in 1:51.64. Rhiannon Wozny represented ISU in the B-Finals finishing in 1:51.16 to finish 11th overall, while Peyton Heagy (1:52.33, 22nd) and Chloe Farro (1:53.48, 23rd) both competed in the C-Finals.
Kaimi Matsumoto’s school-record paced Indiana State in the 100-yard Breaststroke as the senior touched the wall in 1:02.54. Her time broke her previous mark of 1:02.82 set last year at the MVC Championships.
Madie Rutan won the B-Final in the 100-yard Backstroke to pace the Sycamores in the event. The junior touched the wall in 55.60 to finish ninth overall, while Olivia DiRuzza touched in 56.53 to place 14th in the field. Carmen Alard Vegas was second in the C-Final after finishing in 56.38 to place 18th overall.
The Sycamores set another school mark in the 400 Medley Relay as Indiana State finished second overall in the event. The team of Madie Rutan, Kaimi Matsumoto, Marni Gray, and Chloe Farro touched the wall in 3:41.61 to finish on the podium.
Friday Morning Prelims
Nine Sycamores advanced to the A-Finals including four set to compete in the 400-yard IM championship to highlight Indiana State’s morning competition at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center. Overall, 18 Sycamores advanced to the scoring rounds on Friday night following the conclusion of the morning swim competition.
Marni Gray posted the second-fastest time in the pool in the 100-Fly to open the day’s events for Indiana State as the senior touched the wall in 54.80. Kaimi Matsumoto (55.05, 3rd), and Sarah Moreau (55.47, 8th) both posted personal-bests in the event to also advance to the top-eight overall in the field. Raine Boles also advanced to Friday night’s competition as the freshman hit a P.R. in the event touching in 56.01 to finish 11th.
The Sycamores put four in the top eight in the 400-yard IM event as Indiana State will have half of the field in the A-Finals. Alexandria Cotter (4:23.50, 3rd), Katie Dougherty (4:24.67, 6th), Molly Fogarty (4:25.72, 7th), and Alexa Szadorski (4:26.19, 8th) all finished in the top-eight in the field to set up a nearly all-Sycamore finale. Dorotea Bukvic just missed out on joining her teammates in the A-Finals finishing ninth in 4:27.10, while Esther Rydbeck Norden (4:33.48, 18th) moved on to Friday’s C-Finals.
Sarah Moreau set a new season-best in the 200-yard Freestyle as the senior will represent the Sycamores in the A-Final following her 1:51.52. Rhiannon Wozny (1:51.67, 10th) advanced to the B-Finals, while Peyton Heagy (1:52.96, 17th) and Chloe Farro (1:53.44, 24th) will also be in action on Friday night.
Kaimi Matsumoto was the lone Sycamore to advance in the 100-yard Breaststroke event as the senior advanced to the A-Finals. Her 1:03.01 put her sixth in the field overall.
Three Sycamores advanced to the finals of the 100-yard Backstroke as Madie Rutan (55.88, 10th) and Olivia DiRuzza (56.36, 16th) both moved on to the B-Finals, while Carmen Alard Vegas (56.57, 18th) will compete in the C-Finals.
One day after Bailey Betzer became the first Indiana State diver to advance to the MVC Championships A-Finals, Zoe Smith became the second as the junior finished third overall in the 3-Meter Diving prelims. Smith scored 262.20 to finish third overall in the field to lead ISU. Daniela Orta Castaneda finished 19th overall in 207.06, while Betzer was 24th with 199.14.
Advanced to A-Finals
100-yard Fly: Marni Gray (54.80, 2nd), Kaimi Matsumoto (55.05, 3rd), Sarah Moreau (55.47, 8th)
400-yard IM: Alexandria Cotter (4:23.50, 3rd), Katie Dougherty (4:24.67, 6th), Molly Fogarty (4:25.72, 7th), Alexa Szadorski (4:26.19, 8th)
200-yard Free: Sarah Moreau (1:51.52, 8th)
100-yard Breast: Kaimi Matsumoto (1:03.01, 6th)
3M Diving: Zoe Smith (
Advanced to B-Finals
100-yard Fly: Raine Boles (56.01, 11th)
400-yard IM: Dorotea Bukvic (4:27.10, 9th)
200-yard Free: Rhiannon Wozny (1:51.67, 10th)
100-yard Back: Madie Rutan (55.88, 10th), Olivia DiRuzza (56.36, 16th)
Advanced to C-Finals
400-yard IM: Esther Rydbeck Norden (4:33.48, 18th)
200-yard Free: Peyton Heagy (1:52.96, 17th), Chloe Farro (1:53.44, 24th)
100-yard Back: Carmen Alard Vegas (56.57, 18th)
3M Diving: Daniela Orta Castaneda (207.06, 19th), Bailey Betzer (199.14, 24th)
Up Next
Indiana State is back in action on the final day of the MVC Championship starting at 11:30 a.m. ET at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center. Saturday morning’s events include the 200 Backstroke, 100 Freestyle, 200 Breaststroke, 200 Butterfly Prelims, and the first heats of the 1650 Freestyle.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM ENDS SEASON OPENER AS SYCAMORES FALL TO IOWA TO OPEN 2023
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – A two-out walk-off grand slam guided the Iowa Hawkeyes past Indiana State on Friday afternoon as the Sycamores fell in the 2023 season opener in the first game of the Snowbird Baseball Classic, 6-2.
The Sycamores (0-1) were buoyed by a pair of two-double games by both Luis Hernandez and Josue Urdaneta, while Adam Pottinger connected on a triple in his first game as a Sycamore. However, ISU stranded 11 men on base in the contest and was unable to come up with the needed hits down the stretch in falling.
The Hawkeyes (1-0) broke the game open in the bottom of the 11th as Raider Tello reached on a one-out single. Keaton Anthony was hit by a pitch and Brennen Dorighi connected on an infield single to load the bases for Kyle Huckstorf. Huckstorf connected on the game-winning grand slam on the first pitch from ISU reliever Connor Fenlong (0-1) to secure the Iowa win.
Matt Jachec went 5.0 innings in his first start of the 2023 season. The preseason All-Conference pitcher was sharp scattering five hits and two runs while striking out five. Fenlong (0-1) went the remaining 5.2 innings in an extended relief appearance. The right-handed reliever retired seven in a row at one point allowing just a one-out walk in the ninth inning before running into trouble in the 11th.
Will Christophersen (1-0) picked up the win in relief for the Hawkeyes allowing just two walks while striking out three over the final two innings. Jared Simpson was sharp in a 4.0-inning relief stint for Iowa with the left-hander surrendering just one hit while striking out seven after entering the game in the sixth inning. Ty Langenberg went 5.0 innings allowing five hits (all extra-bases), while striking out six.
Hernandez and Urdaneta both had a pair of two-hit days for the Sycamores in the loss. Randal Diaz picked up three walks at the plate, while Urdaneta added a pair of walks in the loss.
Michael Seegers and Kyle Huckstorf both had multi-hit games for the Hawkeyes, while Sam Peterson and Huckstorf both homered in the Iowa win.
How They Scored
Indiana State opened the scoring in the top of the first as Luis Hernandez connected on a two-out double down the right field line scoring Randal Diaz to put the Sycamores ahead 1-0.
Iowa took their first lead of the game as the Hawkeyes scored twice in the bottom of the second. Sam Peterson connected on a one-out solo home run to left field, while Sam Hojnar doubled in Kyle Huckstorf to put Iowa ahead 2-1.
Luis Hernandez and Josue Urdaneta connected on back-to-back doubles to lead off the top of the fourth inning to tie the game up at 2-2. Hernandez led off the frame with a double to left field, while Urdaneta followed with two-bagger to right scoring Hernandez to knot the contest back up.
Huckstorf connected on a two-out, walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 11th inning scoring Brennen Dorighi, Keaton Anthony, and Raider Tello to secure the 6-2 win for the Hawkeyes.
News & Notes
Josue Urdaneta’s two-hit game marked the 36th multi-hit game of his collegiate career, while Luis Hernandez’s two hits marked his 10th multi-hit contest.
Urdaneta has now hit safely in each of his last eight games in Florida dating back to the start of the 2022 season.
Randal Diaz extended his on-base streak to 11 consecutive games dating back to the end of the 2022 season.
Matt Jachec has gone 14 consecutive innings without issuing a walk dating back to the Dallas Baptist series at the end of the 2022 regular season.
Connor Fenlong’s 5.2-inning relief stint was the longest of his collegiate career.
The Sycamores fall to 1-1 all-time against Iowa with the loss.
Up Next
Indiana State is back in action tomorrow afternoon as the Sycamores take on Quinnipiac at the Snowbird Baseball Classic. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m. Live Stats will be available at GoSycamores.com, while video will be available on FloSports Baseball ($).
INDIANA STATE MBB
SYCAMORES HOST ILLINOIS STATE SATURDAY IN SEARCH OF SEVENTH STRAIGHT WIN
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Riding a six-game win streak, Indiana State looks to keep its streak alive and pick up its fifth season series sweep Saturday when the Sycamores host Illinois State at the Hulman Center for a 2 p.m. tip on ESPN3.
Saturday is the second Black Out Cancer game of the season. The Sycamores will be wearing special black uniforms, and a percentage of ticket proceeds will go to the Rich and Robin Porter Cancer Research Center.
Saturday has also been dubbed “Be Like Robbie” day, and the first 2,500 fans in attendance will receive a free pair of goggles courtesy of Labor Link. The first 3,500 fans will receive a free rally towel courtesy of Wright’s Pool Service.
Cameron Henry hit the 100 assists mark with his second assist of the night at UIC. He becomes the first Sycamore since Jordan Barnes in 2019-20 to record 100 assists in a single season.
Robbie Avila posted 12 points at UIC to move into ninth place on ISU’s all-time list of points as a freshman with 261 points so far this season.
Courvoisier McCauley posted his second-straight 20+-point performance and third in his last four games at UIC. He nailed five triples in the game for the seventh time this season and is now just five triples away from ranking second on ISU’s all-time list of 3-pointers in a single season.
With eight triples at UIC, the Sycamores are just three 3-pointers away from tying the program record of 270 3-pointers in a single season for the second year in a row.
With 19 wins this season compared to 11 last season, Josh Schertz has led ISU to its best-ever turn around for a head coach from year one to year two.
The Sycamores remain one game out of first place in the Valley with three regular season games to go. Drake and Bradley are tied for first place at 13-4 while ISU joins Southern Illinois and Belmont in a three-way tie for third at 12-5.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday will be the 132nd meeting between Indiana State and Illinois State, and the Sycamores trail 62-69 in the overall series dating back to 1914. Indiana State holds a 41-20 mark against the Redbirds in Terre Haute and won the first meeting of the season against Illinois State, 76-67, Jan. 4 on the road.
A WIN WOULD…
» Give ISU its first 20-win season since 2013-14 and its eighth total 20-win season in the Valley era dating back to 1976.
» Give the Sycamores 13 Valley wins for the first time since 1999- 2000 when they won the Valley with a 14-4 league record.
» Give ISU 11 home wins for the first time since 2019-20.
LAST GAME AGAINST THE REDBIRDS
Indiana State was without its leading scorer, but that did not matter as the Sycamores defeated Illinois State, 76-67, for their fifth straight Valley win and second straight Valley win on the road. The Sycamores remained perfect in Valley at 5-0 with the Jan. 4 win over Illinois State.
After finding out Courvoisier McCauley was unavailable due to illness right before tip-off, several Sycamores stepped up in his absence as Julian Larry and Cameron Henry were part of four Sycamores in double figures with 18 points each.
The Sycamores did not trail the at any point in the game, though it got close at the end. Indiana State led by as many as 21 points in the first half, but Illinois State cut its deficit to just five points with 35 seconds to go in the second half. Indiana State got a couple crucial stops and took advantage of a pair of late trips to the line, hitting four free throws in the last half minute of the game to help secure the win.
LAST TIME OUT
The Sycamores went on the road Wednesday searching for their sixth straight win and fourth season series sweep, and they found that in a 79-60 win against UIC inside Credit Union 1 Arena for their first-ever win against the Flames in Chicago. Indiana State’s last five wins have all come by double digits.
Courvoisier McCauley led all scorers in the game with 26 points and five triples, with 21 of those points and four of those 3-pointers coming in the first half to help the Sycamores hold a 22-point lead over the Flames at the break. Cameron Henry dished out six assists in the game, and with his second assist of the night, became the first Sycamore since 2019-20 to record 100 assists in a single season.
The two teams opened up in back-and-forth fashion, and with ISU trailing 8-7 with 14 minutes left in the first frame, Henry dished his 100th assist to McCauley who played through contact and complet- ed the and-one to put the Sycamores up 10-8 and give the lead to ISU for the rest of the game.
The Sycamores went on a 13-0 run with the first 11 points coming from McCauley including three straight triples followed by a Robbie Avila layup to cap the run and give ISU a 41-19 lead with 1:32 remaining in the opening frame. Avila sent ISU into halftime with a 43-21 lead.
UIC went on an early 8-0 run in the second half to chip away at its deficit, but Henry swiped a pass and laid it in before later swiping another ball and connecting on a triple to make it 65-49 at 6:25. The Flames continued to claw their way back into the game, cutting their deficit to 10 points at 65-55 and force an ISU timeout with 4:43 to go.
Gibson came out of that timeout with a layup to get into double figures, and then Jayson Kent slammed home a pass from Henry to make it 69-55 with 3:53 to go. McCauley sparked a 10-0 run for the Sycamores with his fifth 3-pointer of the night, and the run was capped by a Masen Miller three to push the ISU lead back past 20 points at 79-58 with less than a minute to play. The Flames got a bucket back with 18 seconds left.
CHARITY SUCCESS
Indiana State shot 95.8% (23-of-24) from the free throw line in Saturday’s 18-point win at UNI, marking the third-best percentage in program history (minimum 10 FT made) and the best percentage since 1993. The program record is 100% (31-of-31) against Wichita State Feb. 18, 1991.
Nine different Sycamores made two or more free throws in the game, led by Cade McKnight and Julian Larry who each made 4-of-4.
MCCAULEY EARNS B2B NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Courvoisier McCauley was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week for the second and third time this season on Feb. 6 and Feb. 13.
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.
Feb. 13: He led the Sycamores to two double-digit victories this week to extend their win streak to five games. He averaged 18 points with a team-high 15 points against Valparaiso alongside six rebounds, three triples, a block, and a steal in the game. Saturday at Northern Iowa, McCauley paced all scorers in the game with 21 points and a game-high five triples for his eighth 20+-point outing this season.
This marks the second time ever and first time since Manny Arop in 2012 that a Sycamore has earned back-to-back MVC Newcomer of the Week honors, and McCauley joins Brenton Scott and Jake Odum as the only three Sycamores to earn the award three times in one season.
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, assists per game and assist-to- turnover ratio while Julian Larry and Cameron Henry rank top-10 in the Valley in all three of those categories.
The Sycamores are 14-0 this season when they dish out 15 or more assists.
Cameron Henry notched his 100th assist this season at UIC and becomes 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, and the 36 triples between those two games are the most in a two-game stretch in Valley history.
Eight different Sycamores connected on a three in those 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 3 triples away from tying the season program record of 270 for the second straight season.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
BASEBALL FALLS IN SEASON OPENER AT ALABAMA STATE
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Purdue Fort Wayne baseball team opened the 2023 season on Friday (Feb. 17) with a 13-0 loss at Alabama State.
The ‘Dons drew five walks on the night. Dylan Stewart, Jarrett Bickel and Braedon Blackford each recorded a hit. Caileb Johnson worked two walks in his first game as a Mastodon.
Alabama State opened the game up with a 10-run second inning. Jack Hay had a home run for Alabama State in the frame.
JD Deany (0-1) took the loss for the ‘Dons. Bryce Martens gave up one run in three innings in relief. Omar Melendez, Ricardo Rivera and Austin King combined for the shutout for Alabama State.
The two teams will continue their series on Saturday with a doubleheader.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MBB
PURDUE FORT WAYNE DROPS HARD FOUGHT CONTEST AGAINST NORTHERN KENTUCKY
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – A late push by Northern Kentucky saw the visiting Norse grab a 63-50 victory over the Purdue Fort Wayne men’s basketball team on Friday (Feb. 17) night at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
Purdue Fort Wayne chipped away at Northern Kentucky’s stingy defense in the opening stanza. After NKU built a double-digit lead, Deonte Billups gave the Mastodons a spark on the offensive end of the floor. Billups drilled back-to-back 3-pointers that cut the Norse’s lead to 21-15 with five minutes left to play in the first half. Purdue Fort Wayne’s defense also found some footing late in the first half, holding Northern Kentucky scoreless for the final two minutes of the period. Jarred Godfrey capped the strong end to the half with a 3-pointer just before the buzzer. Despite trailing by as many as 13 points, Purdue Fort Wayne trailed by just four at the intermission, 28-24.
Purdue Fort Wayne was able to grab its first lead of Friday’s contest at the 12:36 mark of the second half following a corner 3-pointer by Quinton Morton-Robertson. Morton-Robertson’s 3-pointer highlighted an 8-0 run that saw the ‘Dons build their largest lead of the game at 43-39.
Northern Kentucky seized control of Friday’s game late behind the play of Marques Warrick. Warrick paced NKU with 22 points – 15 of which came in the second half. Sam Vinson also hit a pair of critical 3-pointers in the game’s final minutes that helped seal the win for NKU.
Godfrey led Purdue Fort Wayne with 14 points and five rebounds. Godfrey also added a pair of steals. Billups added 12 points.
Northern Kentucky shot 23-of-50 (46 percent) from the field in Friday’s game, including 11-of-23 (47.8 percent) from downtown. The Mastodons were limited to 18-of-51 (35.3 percent) from the field and 5-of-23 (21.7 percent) shooting from 3-point territory.
The Mastodons dropped to 15-13, 7-10 Horizon following Friday’s setback. The Norse improved to 17-11, 12-5 Horizon on the season.
Purdue Fort Wayne will host Wright State in the team’s regular season home finale on Sunday (February 19). It will be Senior Day for the Mastodons. Ra Kpedi, Godfrey, Damian Chong Qui and Bobby Planutis will each be honored prior to the game. Game time against the Raiders is scheduled for 2 p.m. in the Gates Center.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE SB
MASTODON SOFTBALL COLLECTS FIRST WIN OF THE YEAR AT BOB HECK CLASSIC
ATLANTA – The Purdue Fort Wayne softball team picked up its first win of the season on Friday (Feb. 17), topping Rhode Island 6-1 in the early game before dropping a game at Georgia State in the nightcap 6-5 in the Bob Heck Classic.
GAME 1 – Purdue Fort Wayne 6, Rhode Island 1
The Mastodons had their freshmen play their best game of the young season in the opening game on Friday. Five of the six runs were scored by freshmen and all the pitching was done by a freshman.
Alanah Jones was impressive from the circle for the ‘Dons, going all 7.0 innings and recording seven strikeouts. None were more important than in the final inning, which saw Rhode Island load the bases with no outs. Jones showed the poise of a senior, striking out two in a row with just six pitches. She then forced the final batter of the day to fly out to center field to clinch her first win as a collegiate player. She is now 1-2.
On the offensive side, the Mastodons jumped out to an early lead on the back of Grace Hollopeter. The freshman hit a two-run home run to center field in her first at bat of the day, bringing home fellow freshman Bailey Manos. This 2-0 lead held for Purdue Fort Wayne until the third, when Hollopeter hammered another 2-run jack to center. This time she brought home Taylor Warne, who reached on a single.
Rhode Island scored its only run of the contest on a solo home run from Rachel Zingerman. After giving up her first run of the tournament, Jones had a home run of her own two innings later to erase the Rams’ run.
Rhode Island fell to 0-2 with the loss. Katie Zaun took her first loss of the year despite recording eight strikeouts.
GAME 2 – Purdue Fort Wayne 5, Georgia State 6
Purdue Fort Wayne went down to the wire with Georgia State, but the Panthers won the game in walk-off fashion.
Trailing 3-1 in the fifth, Jones hit her second home run of the day on the second pitch she saw. This got the bats going for the ‘Dons, as Hollopeter did the same an inning later.
The Mastodons went up 5-3 in the seventh inning with a pair of runs. Hollopeter singled up the middle to score Brooke Lickey then Taryn Jenkins singled to right field to bring Warne home.
The home team managed three runs in the bottom of the seventh behind a double, two singles and a walk.
The Mastodons had 10 hits in the game, a season-high.
Alyson Quinlan tossed all 6.2 innings from the circle, turning away four Panthers with strikeouts. She fell to 0-2. Emily Hodentt improved to 2-3 with the win in 0.2 innings of work.
Purdue Fort Wayne moves to 1-7 after splitting the opening day of the Bob Heck Classic. The Mastodons are back in action tomorrow morning (Saturday, Feb. 18) at 10 a.m. against Eastern Kentucky and at 12:30 against Rhode Island.
EVANSVILLE WBB
TRIO OF ACES LEADS EVANSVILLE TO WIN OVER UIC IN OVERTIME THRILLER
EVANSVILLE – Powered by the trio of Feit, Griffin, and Newman, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team battled back in the fourth quarter to force overtime and eventually capture a 68-65 win over UIC on Friday evening inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
The Aces were led by three upperclassmen in senior guard/forward Abby Feit, fifth-year guard A’Niah Griffin, and graduate guard Anna Newman. The trio combined for 62 of Evansville’s 68 points on the night with Feit leading the way with 26 points and eight boards, scoring 23 points in the second half and overtime. Griffin also reached the 20-point mark, adding a season-best seven rebounds, while Newman finished just one off tying a career-high with 16 points in her first game back after missing the previous three games due to an injury. While not scoring, redshirt junior Celine Dupont contributed to the win, grabbing eight boards and swatting three shots in her 27 minutes on the floor. The Flames were led by Sara Zabrecky, who finished with 17 points, knocking down five three-pointers.
Getting off to an efficient start, Evansville grabbed a 10-7 lead, fueled by five points from Griffin, before hitting the midway point of the opening quarter. UIC would lock-in defensively down the stretch of the first quarter, edging in front to take a 14-12 lead.
A defensively dominated second quarter saw an evenly played contest continue with each side scoring just 11 points in the second frame. Evansville was hampered much of the first half by foul trouble with Abby Feit, who picked-up two fouls in the opening half and played just nine minutes in the first two periods as the Aces went to the half trailing by just two at 25-23.
After a Feit layup tied the game at 25 just 11 seconds into the second half, UIC went on a run that would give the Flames a double-figure advantage. A 15-2 spree for UIC that concluded with 6:25 left in the third with the Flames owning a 40-27 lead and resulted in an Evansville timeout. The break seemed to make a difference for the Aces, who responded with a run of its own to chip back within six at 45-39 going into the fourth.
Evansville’s furious battle back into the contest continued in the fourth quarter with three-straight triples pushing the Aces in front for the first time since the opening period at 53-51 with less than two minutes left in regulation. The Aces lead would grow as large as five with 1:46 left in the period, but UIC made a late run in return. Back-to-back banked-in threes from Zabrecky lifted UIC back in front at 58-57 with just 18 seconds remaining, but Newman was able to drive to the basket and get to the line, splitting a pair and tying the game at 58, sending the contest into overtime.
In overtime, Evansville quickly took control with triples from Griffiin and Feit that pushed UE back up by five in the first extra period. UIC was not within a final push, cutting to within three inside the final minute and forcing a held ball that gave the Flames back possession in the final seconds. Looking to repeat her performance from the end of regulation, Zabrecky had two looks from deep before the buzzer, but could not get either to fall as Evansville grabbed the 68-65 win.
Evansville closes the weekend with a matchup with Valparaiso in its Play4Kay game at 1 PM on Sunday afternoon inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
TROY TAKES OPENER DESPITE TWO HOME-RUN DAY BY FOUGEROUSSE
TROY, Ala. – The home-standing Troy University Trojans used a little two-out magic and the strength of four home runs to outlast the visiting University of Evansville baseball team, 12-7, at Riddle-Pace Field in Troy, Alabama in the season-opener for both squads.
“It was a tough start to the weekend, but you have to credit the Troy hitters,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “They scored a lot of runs with two outs, as we could not get out of innings.
“I thought that our offense showed some good signs, especially getting their starting pitcher’s pitch count up early to get him out of the contest. I am definitely looking forward to tomorrow, as we look to get back into the series.”
Troy was able to plate nine of its 12 runs with two outs in an inning, on the strength of going 6-for-12 with runners in scoring position with six two-out RBI. The Trojans also got home runs from outfielders Kole Myers and Shane Lewis, as well as third-baseman Caleb Bartolero and catcher Clay Stearns to overcome a two home run debut by UE junior second baseman Kip Fougerousse (Linton, Ind./Indiana University).
Fougerousse took the first pitch he saw as a Purple Ace, and the first pitch of the season, deep to right field for his first home run of the day to give UE a 1-0 lead. He then capped the night’s scoring in the eighth inning with a solo shot to center field, as he finished his first game as a Purple Ace going 2-for-5 with a pair of home runs.
After UE took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Trojans grabbed the lead for good in the second inning with a two-out, three-run home run by Lewis to left field off of UE Nick Smith (0-1). Bartolero would deliver a two-out RBI single in the third inning to push the lead to 4-1, before UE would bounce back with an RBI single by junior catcher Brendan Hord (Lexington, Ky./Univ. of Kentucky) in the top of the fourth inning.
Stearns would answer in the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run to left-center field, before the Trojans would break the game open in the fifth inning with four two-out runs. An error in center field opened the flood gates in the inning to allow three of the four runs to score unearned.
Troy would grow the lead to 12-4 through seven innings, before Hord would launch a two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to cut the deficit to 12-6. Fougerousse would follow two batters later with his second home run of the night, but UE would get no closer.
Hord led UE offensively by going 3-for-4 with a home run and three runs driven in. First baseman William Sullivan and shortstop Tremayne Cobb Jr. both had three-hit days to pace the Trojans.
The two teams will continue the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. as UE senior left-hander Tyler Denu (Mount Horeb, Wis./Mount Horeb) will square off with Troy RHP Zach Fruit.
EVANSVILLE WSWIMMING
TSESIUL SIXTH IN 100 BACK, ROLLETT WINS CONSOLATION FINAL AT MVC CHAMPIONSHIPS
IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Evansville junior Iryna Tsesiul (Minsk, Belarus) placed sixth Friday night in the women’s 100-Yard Backstroke, and junior diver Madison Rollett (Evansville, Ind./Reitz) won the consolation final in the three-meter event, to highlight a strong day of competition for the Purple Aces at the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Championships in Iowa City, Iowa.
Tsesiul advanced to Friday night’s final by placing seventh in the preliminary round in the 100 Back with a time of 55.53. She then dropped 0.34 seconds off of her time Friday night in the final to place sixth overall with a time of 55.19 – the second-fastest women’s 100 Back time ever at UE, behind only her own school record mark of 55.05.
“Iryna has really had a great week here at the championships, and did a tremendous job today in the 100 Back,” said UE head swimming and diving coach Stuart Wilson. “She was really locked in tonight in the final, and it was great to see her earn a sixth-place finish!”
Rollett, meanwhile, placed tenth out of 31 competitors in Friday’s preliminary round of the three-meter diving competition to earn a spot in the eight-person consolation final. Rollett cruised to the consolation final title by posting a score of 256.95, to beat UNI’s Taylor Hogan by over 18 points.
“Madison really stepped up her game this week,” said UE assistant head coach for diving Dustin Bredemeier. “With the addition of Marshall and UIC to the conference, the level of diving in the MVC has really risen this year, and I thought that Madison did a great job of stepping up her level of competition this week. She really showed what she was capable of tonight in the consolation final.”
Senior Maya Cunningham (Yakima, Wash./Eisenhower) finished second in the consolation final and tenth overall in the women’s 400 IM with a time of 4:25.96 – actually the eighth-fastest time in Friday night’s finals. UE also had three swimmers reach the “C Final” in the women’s 100-Yard Breaststroke, as senior Allison McDonald (1:04.85), sophomore Mari Müller (1:06.48) and senior Sage Moore (1:06.53) all earned the “C Final” start.
Team-wise, UE placed eighth in the 400-Yard Medley Relay, as Tsesiul, McDonald, sophomore Sveva Brugnoli (Rome, Italy) and senior Sonsoles Aguayo (Jerez, Spain) posted a time of 3:49.79.
The MVC Championships will conclude on Saturday with action in the 200-Yard Backstroke, 100-Yard Freestyle, the 200-Yard Breaststroke, 200-Yard Butterfly, the 1,650-Yard Freestyle, and the 400-Yard Freestyle Relay. Preliminary round action will begin at 10:30 a.m., with finals set for 6 p.m. Fans can watch the action live at www.youtube.com/@UNIAthleticsPanthers/streams, while also following along on the Meet Mobile App for live results.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
USI USES BIG INNINGS TO WIN DIVISION I DEBUT 11-5
MILLINGTON, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball opened its NCAA Division I 2023 campaign and a four-game series with an 11-5 victory Western Illinois University Friday afternoon at USA Stadium in Millington, Tennessee. The Screaming Eagles start the year 1-0, while Western Illinois begins 0-1.
After spotting the Leathernecks a tally in the first inning, the Eagles exploded for three runs in the third when junior third baseman Lane Crowden (Jackson, Missouri) tripled with the bases loaded to give USI a 3-1 lead after three frames.
Western Illinois responded by loading the bases in the top of the fourth with one out, but USI was able to escape without any damage when junior second baseman Alex Archuleta (Evansville, Indiana), sophomore shortstop Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela), and junior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas) combined for a 4-6-3 double play.
USI’s 3-1 lead would last until the fifth when Western Illinois hit back-to-back home runs to tie the game 3-3. The Eagles got the lead back, 4-3, with a home run of their own when Ebest slammed a shot over the right field wall.
The Leathernecks would regain the lead, 5-4, in the top of the sixth with a pair of tallies with two outs. WIU would hold that lead briefly as USI replied with a four-run bottom half of the frame to regain the advantage, 8-5.
The four-run sixth for USI was highlighted by a two-run blast by senior catcher Lucas McNew (Floyds Knobs, Indiana).
The Eagles would strike again in the bottom of the seventh and seal the victory with three more runs to increase the margin to 11-5. McNew led the way for the second-straight frame, crushing a two-run double down the left field line, while USI scored a third run in the inning on a ground out by Ebest.
For the game, McNew and Crowden led the way for USI by combining to drive in seven of the 11 USI runs. McNew had four of the RBIs on the home run and double, while Crowden was three-for-three with a the three-run triple.
On the mound, junior left-hander Blake Ciuffetelli (Newburgh, Indiana) picked up the first win of the year in relief. Ciuffetelli (1-0) pitched a third of the sixth inning, stopping the WIU two-run rally.
USI sophomore right-hander Gavin Morris (Brazil, Indiana) finished the game for the Eagles to earn the save. Morris threw three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and a walk, while striking out two.
Up Next for the Eagles:
The Eagles and the Leathernecks continue the series Saturday with a noon doubleheader at USA Stadium. The series is set to conclude Sunday with an 11 a.m. single game.
SOUTHERN INDIANA SB
USI SOFTBALL OPENS D-I ERA THIS WEEKEND
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball will open its 2023 season this weekend when it competes in the Evansville Invitational Classic at Cooper Stadium across town at the University of Evansville.
The weekend slate begins the 2023 campaign for the Screaming Eagles and kicks off the NCAA Division I era for the USI Softball program. USI will face the University of Green Bay and the University of Evansville throughout the weekend.
USI will take on Green Bay Saturday at 10 a.m. and again on Sunday at 9 a.m. Southern Indiana will also play the host team, Evansville, on Sunday at 7 p.m.
USI’s original opening weekend slate, Feb. 10-12, at the Elon Softball Classic in North Carolina was canceled due to forecasted rain, pushing back USI’s Division I and 2023 season debut an extra week.
USI is entering its first season as an Ohio Valley Conference member. The Screaming Eagles were selected to finish 5th in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll, as the University of Tennessee at Martin was projected for a first-place finish.
As part of the OVC’s preseason announcement, sophomore pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) represented USI on the 2023 OVC Softball Preseason Players to Watch List. Coming off a standout, freshman season in the circle in 2022, Newman went 17-3 with a 1.74 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 144.2 innings pitched. Newman made 21 starts in 31 appearances, recording 12 complete games and six shutouts with one no-hitter. The right-hander held opposing batters to a .171 batting average.
Newman’s 185 strikeouts were third in the NCAA II Great Lakes Valley Conference and 29th in the nation. Plus, her four saves last season ranked first in the GLVC and 14th nationally. Additionally, Newman was a Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II Freshman of the Year finalist, named second-team All-GLVC, voted second-team All-Region by D2CCA, and earned Academic All-GLVC laurels.
USI is coming off a 49-13 record last season, including a 26-2 mark in conference play, and winning the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles. During the 2022 season, the Screaming Eagles had a stretch of 18 straight wins between March 7 and April 10 last year, tying a program record for consecutive wins.
In the last season before USI made the transition to NCAA Division I, the Screaming Eagles capped off their Division II status with a run to the 2022 NCAA II Softball Championships after winning the Midwest Super Regional. USI was in search of its second D-II National Title after winning the 2018 National Championship.
The 2023 USI squad features 19 players – 12 returning players and seven newcomers, beginning its 22nd season under the leadership of Head Coach Sue Kunkle, who has a 628-420-1 career record. The 2022 GLVC Coach of the Year has her squad primed to make the jump, however, as her squad is coming off a historic 2022 season that saw the Eagles go 49-13 overall and 26-2 in GLVC play. Her staff was named NCAA II Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year for the third time after the Eagles won the GLVC regular-season, GLVC Tournament, and NCAA II Midwest Region titles, marking the first time in program history USI has won all three championships in the same season.
Additionally, Kunkle’s Eagles set numerous records including the most wins in a single season, the most GLVC wins in a single season, and the best start to GLVC play (16-0). USI, which had its best 40-game stretch (37-3) in program history, tied the program record for consecutive wins (18) and set program records for triples (28), runs (353), RBI (327), and doubles (96).
Alongside Newman in the circle, USI also returns sophomore pitcher Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) and senior utility pitcher Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana). Gotshall was 8-1 with 38 strikeouts last season, posting a 2.96 ERA in 68.2 innings pitched. Gotshall made 10 starts in 20 appearances. Goodin tallied a 16-4 record with a 2.03 ERA in 144.2 innings, striking out 96 hitters. Goodin made 26 starts in 30 appearances, going the distance in 11 games. Goodin earned second-team All-Midwest Region honors from both the D2CCA and the NFCA and was a unanimous first-team All-GLVC selection last year.
Goodin was just as good in the box, batting .350 with eight home runs and 37 RBIs. The senior posted a 1.030 OPS in her junior season. Also, back in the Screaming Eagles’ lineup with Goodin is junior infielder Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana). Fair recorded a .389 batting average with a team-best 13 home runs and 56 RBIs. Fair also scored 41 runs, hit 20 doubles and three triples, and posted a 1.230 OPS while starting all 62 games in 2022. The Greenwood, Indiana native collected second-team All-Region by D2CCA, second-team All-GLVC, and Academic All-GLVC last season.
Southern Indiana will start conference play March 11-12 at Morehead State before hosting its home-opening series from USI Softball Field March 18-19 against Lindenwood University.
VALPO WBB
BEACONS EARN ROAD WIN AT INDIANA STATE FRIDAY
A strong defensive effort and a key 10-0 fourth-quarter run propelled the Valpo women’s basketball team to a 54-47 road victory over Indiana State in MVC action in Terre Haute, Ind. on Friday evening.
How It Happened
Indiana State led 9-4 past the halfway mark of the first quarter, but Valpo came back with seven of the period’s final eight points — courtesy of a 3-pointer by redshirt junior Emma Tecca (Tallamadge, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban [Akron]) and two layups from senior Olivia Brown (East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids [St. Bonaventure]) — to claim a slim 11-10 edge at the end of the period.
The Beacons pushed their advantage to four early in the second quarter before the Sycamores scored seven in a row to force a Valpo timeout.
Indiana State earned its largest lead of the period at 24-19 with 3:53 to play in the first half. Much like the end of the first quarter, however, Valpo held the Sycamores down to end the opening half with a 6-1 spurt to go into halftime tied at 25-25.
It was a defensive battle to start the third quarter, with the teams combining for just six points over the first five minutes of the quarter. In fact, Valpo ended up taking the lead for good while sitting on the bench during the third-quarter media timeout — after entering the stoppage tied at 29-29, a review during the timeout overturned an ISU basket from earlier in the period due to a shot clock violation.
Brown got the offense going with six points in a two-possession stretch, hitting a 3-pointer and then converting an old-fashioned 3-point play to push Valpo’s lead to 35-30 with 3:14 to play in the quarter. The Beacons ended up leading 38-34 at the end of the third.
Indiana State cut the edge to two points early in the fourth quarter before 3-pointers on consecutive possessions by Brown and sophomore Olivia Sims (Toledo, Ohio/Notre Dame Academy [Oakland]) gave Valpo its largest lead at 44-36 with 7:20 to play.
Just over two minutes later, fifth-year Maya Dunson (Dayton, Ohio/Wayne [Loyola]) drained a corner triple with the shot clock nearing zero to cap a 10-0 Valpo run and make it 48-36 Beacons with 5:13 to play.
ISU scored on its next two possessions to close to within 50-41 with 3:13 to play, but Valpo kept the Sycamores off the board on their next three trips — including a charge drawn by redshirt freshman Ella Van Weelden (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Marion) — and ISU got no closer than nine points until the final seconds.
Inside the Game
The win was the Beacons’ third consecutive over Indiana State at the Hulman Center.
Valpo limited the Sycamores to 47 points on Friday, the season low for a Valpo opponent, as ISU shot just 35.4% from the floor and was 3-for-14 from 3-point range.
The 47 points allowed was the lowest by a Valpo squad since a 52-47 win at Purdue on Dec. 6, 2020. It was the Beacons’ best defensive effort in conference play since beating Indiana State 61-45 on Feb. 8, 2020.
Brown came off the bench to lead the Beacons in scoring for the 10th time this year. The senior led all players with her 16 points, as she shot 5-of-8 from the floor and knocked down 2-of-4 from the 3-point line.
Sims tied her career best for the fifth time in her career and the third time this season, pouring in 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including 2-of-3 from deep.
Dunson posted yet another strong performance against the Sycamores. This meeting saw her knock down a pair of 3-pointers en route to nine points, while Dunson also led all players with seven rebounds and blocked a pair of shots.
Led by Dunson’s efforts on the glass, Valpo outrebounded Indiana State on the night, 35-29. The Beacons outrebounded the Sycamores, who own a positive rebounding margin on the season, by six in both matchups this season.
Freshman Ali Saunders (Depauw, Ind./North Harrison) posted game highs with four assists and three steals.
Next Up
Valpo (5-19, 3-12 MVC) goes for a sweep of the weekend swing downstate on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. when the Beacons play at Evansville. That game can be seen live on ESPN+.
VALPO SWIMMING
NUMEROUS SWIMMERS CRACK RECORD BOOK AT MVC CHAMPIONSHIPS FRIDAY
The Valpo women’s swimming team had swims which were among the best in program history in four out of six events on Friday as the MVC Championships continued from Iowa City, Iowa.
How It Happened
Freshman Emma Schmidt (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley) qualified for Friday evening’s ‘C’ final in the 400 IM with a prelim time of 4:46.30, at that point ranking her seventh in program history in the event. In the evening final, Schmidt shed over four seconds off her morning time as she touched the wall in 4:41.85, moving into fifth in program history.
The Beacons had a pair of top-10 swims in the 100 breast on Friday. Sophomore Sara Strauss (Spring Lake, Mich./Spring Lake) bested her PR in the event with a time of 1:07.31, improving upon her seventh-best time in program history, while freshman Natalie Eaton (Tulsa, Okla./Jenks) now slots right behind Strauss on the top-10 chart in eighth with her Friday time of 1:07.84.
While she already held a spot among the program’s all-time best in the 100 back, senior Sophie Morelock (Milan, Mich./Milan) moved up into seventh in the event with her time of 59.24.
In the other individual events, sophomore Bridget Pollard (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South) paced the Valpo contingent in the 100 fly (1:00.22) and freshman Caroline Gorski (Melrose Park, Ill./Leyden) was the top Beacon in the 200 free (1:59.87).
Valpo’s 400 medley relay quartet of Morelock, Strauss, Pollard and sophomore Haley Hume (Ballwin, Mo./Marquette) covered the distance in 4:00.25, seventh-fastest all-time at Valpo in the event.
Valpo closed the day in 10th place in the team standings with 153 total points.
Next Up
Valpo will close out the 2022-23 campaign with the final day of conference championship action on Saturday. Prelim swims begin at 10:30 a.m.
VALPO BASEBALL
RENFRO RIPS HOMER IN SEASON-OPENING SETBACK TO KANSAS
After tying for the team lead in home runs last season, Valparaiso University baseball junior Brady Renfro (Antigo, Wis. / Antigo) wasted no time in jumping out to the early team lead in 2023. His opening-day home run served as the highlight of the squad’s 5-1 setback to Kansas in Corpus Christi, Texas on Friday.
How It Happened
Kansas struck first with a run in the opening frame, then posted three runs in the third to leap out to a 4-0 lead.
The big swing of the bat from Renfro got Valpo on the board in the fourth, slicing the deficit to three as his blast sailed over the right-field fence.
The Jayhawks got that run back in the seventh on a sacrifice fly.
Junior Griffin McCluskey (Normal, Ill. / Normal Community) allowed four runs on five hits while striking out six and walking four in his four frames. He recorded two strikeouts as part of a scoreless second and caught a pair of Jayhawks looking in his final inning of work, putting up a goose egg in the fourth.
The lone arm to work in relief was Nathan Chasey (Ames, Iowa / Gilbert [Indiana Hills CC]), as the righty logged the remaining four innings. He kept Kansas to one run on four hits while walking three and fanning four.
Inside the Game
Valpo pitching notched 10 strikeouts on opening day.
Renfro’s dinger was Valpo’s lone extra-base knock, but Nolan Tucker (Cedar Lake, Ind. / Hanover Central), Kaleb Hannahs (West Terre Haute, Ind. / West Vigo) and Ryan Maka (Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest) were also in the hit column.
The home run by Renfro was the 12th of his career.
The last Valpo player to homer on opening day was Jeremy Drudge in 2021 at UAB.
Up Next
The series between Valpo (0-1) and Kansas in Corpus Christi, Texas continues on Saturday at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on FloSports (subscription required) with links to live video, audio and stats available on ValpoAhtletics.com.
U OF I BASEBALL
BASEBALL OPENS SEASON AT HOME SATURDAY
INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Indianapolis baseball squad is opening their season at home in Greyhound Park this Saturday with a double header versus Notre Dame College. The Greyhounds will open with the first two games of the three games series, finishing the third game of the series the following Sunday.
Al Ready enters his fifth season at the helm of the Greyhounds, coming off a 21-31 season in their 2022 campaign. Ready’s squad returns only one All-GLVC honoree in centerfielder Brandon DeWitt who led the team in batting average, hitting a contact heavy .363 leading to 69 hits on the season. Also still on the roster is the Hounds OPS leader in Caleb Vaughn who started 50 games in right field for the Hounds. Vaughn sent 10 balls out of the park last season, sending 40 runners’ home in the process of the season.
The Greyhounds went 11-13 in GLVC action, with a 7-18 record at home and a 10-11 road split.
U OF I MTENNIS
#7 MEN’S TENNIS UPSETS BARRY IN FIRST ROUND OF ITAS
INDIANAPOLIS – Day one of the ITA DII National Men’s Team Indoor Championship couldn’t have started in a more exciting way for the No. 7-ranked University of Indianapolis men’s tennis team. The Greyhounds opened with an upset victory over the No. 1-ranked and No. 1-seed Barry Buccaneers by a score of 4-0.
INS AND OUTS
The Greyhounds entered the tournament as the eight seed with an uphill battle ahead of them, but to the Hounds strengths, doubles was on the schedule first. Zeuch Destouet Magic was in the air for the first doubles match, as the No. 1-ranked pair of Tom Zeuch and Edgar Destouet got the Hounds on the board first, winning 6-2. August Ehrnrooth and Louis Picaud finished the doubles point with a 6-2 win of their own to put the Hounds up 1-0.
Singles was a battle that the Hounds dominated, winning every first set of all six matches. Thomas Mathis was the first Hounds to claim victory, winning 6-3, 6-1. With their backs against the wall and an upset brewing, the Bucs fought back, but the dynamic duo of Zeuch and Destouet were there to stop them. It was first Zeuch, who after a dominant 6-4 first set, replicated that with a 6-4 second. And what felt like seconds later, Destouet made the UIndy Tennis Center explode with joy as he upset No. 11 Alejandro Gallego in the No. 1 singles spot to secure the victory for the Hounds.
UP NEXT
The Hounds are moving on to the semis of the ITA Team Indoor Championship, facing the victor of Wayne State and Flagler on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 5:30 PM EST.
MARIAN TRACK
TIPPING’S CHAMPIONSHIP LEADS MARIAN AT OPENING DAY OF CROSSROADS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Marion, Ind. – The Marian men’s track and field team got off to a strong start at the 2023 Indoor Crossroads League Championships, leading the opening day with an individual championship coming from Isaiah Tipping. Marian earned multiple standards on the day, and set themselves up for a strong Saturday with their opening efforts.
Marian opened the day on the track in the 4x800m relay, with Joe Barrett, Blake Hipkiss, Kenneth Hammell, and Thomas Richards placing fifth. The team clocked a time of 8:03.13 to score four points for the team score. Following the relay, Gus Martinez ran an 8.79 second race in the prelims of the 60m hurdles, placing eighth while qualifying to the finals on Saturday. Michael Schnur finished 13th in the prelims with a 9.21 second time.
In the 60m prelims, Marian dominated the track as each of their four runners qualified for the finals. Tyler Thomas led the race with a 6.88 time, winning his heat to take the top time into Saturday, while Manny Manneh hit the NAIA B standard with a 6.89 time. Armani Glass also hit the NAIA B standard with a 6.91 third place time, with each of the top three sprinters winning their respective heats. Will Osafo will join the group in the finals, as he finished sixth in prelims with a 6.99 time.
Maksims Sincukovs led the four Marian runners entered in the 600m, finishing third overall with a time of 1:20.54, while Drew Thornton finished fourth with a 1:21.58 time. Robin Aguilar-Gonzalez finished sixth overall in 1:24, and Owen Pittman was the eighth overall runner, helping Marian score a total of 15 points in the event. The Knights would miss out on scoring in the 5000m, with Clark Chustz earning the top finish with an 11th place effort, while Adam Heitz finished 13th and Robert Lohman finished 15th.
In the long jump, Marian added back to their team score as Glass led the team with a second place finish. Glass’ top jump of 7.08m on his first attempt stood as the second best distance of the day, while Chase Maxey claimed the No. 4 spot with a 6.68m effort. Caden Wildey finished seventh overall in the event with a 6.42m leap. Pole vault concluded as the long jump did, with Marian getting a top effort out of Brenden Endres in the event with a fifth place finish. Keagan La Belle finished eighth overall in the pole vault, totaling five team points.
Marian’s third field event of the day yielded the first championship of the weekend, with Isaiah Tipping winning the conference title in the weight throw. Tipping posted the second-best throw in the meet’s history with a distance of 19.29m, winning the event for the second consecutive year. Christian Rios took the runner-up spot with an 18.48m effort, posting the fifth-best throw in meet history to score eight points. Joining the duo in the total team score was Marco Keys, who finished sixth overall with an NAIA B standard of 16.37m.
Saturday will begin with the heptathlon, with Marian’s AJ Wrenn and Peyton Doty competing in the seven-leg event. Wrenn sits in fourth place through four events competed on Friday, placing fifth in the 60m, sixth in the long jump, fourth in the shot put, and third in the high jump. Doty finished third in the 60m, fifth in the long jump, sixth in the shot put, and did not record a height in the high jump.
The Knights lead the overall team score 65-54 against Indiana Wesleyan, with Taylor sitting in third place. Marian will aim to close the championship and bring home their fourth consecutive league title on Saturday, with action starting at 10:30 a.m. in the heptathlon, while the field and track events begin at 1:00 p.m.
NORWOOD AND BENJAMIN’S INDIVIDUAL TITLES LEAD MARIAN AT CL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Marion, Ind. – The Marian women’s track and field team had a dominant start to the 2023 Crossroads League Championships Friday afternoon, as they closed the day with a pair of records and championships while taking a lead into Saturday. In addition to the wins and all-league honors earned, Marian had four new standards on the track and in the field.
The pentathlon opened the day, as Holli Reuter, Arissa Boyd, and Emma Bock competed in the event for the first time in their careers. The trio of Knights represented well, each scoring with Reuter leading the group in a third place finish (2431 score). Boyd finished sixth overall with a 2066 score, and Bock placed seventh with an 1899 score. Boyd highlighted the hurdles with a fourth place finish, while Reuter finished third in the shot put and Bock took third in the shot put. Reuter led the trio in the long jump with a second place finish, and closed by winning the 800m with a 2:37 time to take the top spot.
The collected 11 points played well as the track opened to the entire meet, and the women’s 4x800m relay collected the first standard of the day as they clocked an A time in the race. The group of Taylor Thomas, Liz Loichinger, Nora Steele, and Katie Woods ran a 9:37.65 time to hit the A mark, finishing fifth and scoring four team points.
In the 60m hurdle prelims, Erin Oleksak dominated coming off of her runner-up finish in the long jump, breaking the CL Meet and Marian records by clocking an 8.73 second time. Oleksak’s A standard time is the top mark going into Saturday’s finals, and she will be joined in the finals by DeJae Hudson, who finished seventh in prelims with a 9.36 second time. Hudson also joined Oleksak in the long jump, taking eighth in the event with a top jump of 5.09m. Oleksak’s 5.75m distance set a new PR for her on the indoor circuit, and sits as third best in the history of the meet. The pair of jumpers finished behind teammate Jai-Lyn Norwood, who became Marian’s first champion of the day by winning the long jump, setting a school and meet record with an A standard distance of 5.90m. Norwood broke the previous meet mark by 0.14m, and the school mark by 0.18m.
The 60m prelims went favorable for the Knights, as they landed two runners into Saturday’s prelims with Giorgia Mameli and MaKayla Melvin pushing through. Mameli clocked a 7.76 second time, while Melvin ran a 7.83 time, with each athlete winning their heats. Following with the 600m, freshman Hanna Reuter made noise winning the final heat and event, clocking a 1:37.44 time to earn her first Crossroads League win. Reuter’s time hit an NAIA B Standard, and helped scored 15 points as Thomas factored in a fourth-place time of 1:39.93. Kylee Lewellen missed a top-10 spot by one second, finishing 11th overall.
The second field event of the weekend to complete was the weight throw, with Marian earning 15 more points as Arriana Benjamin led the team with a championship finish. Benjamin’s first place finish featured a top throw of 16.96m, while Keeley Hughes reached 15.42m to finish fourth and score for the team as well.
Ali Ray ran strong in the 5000m, finishing fifth overall while breaking her own school record. Ray’s time of 18:22.61 earned an NAIA B standard, and added four points to the team total. Also running in the race was Mari Hudson, who finished 17th overall. Closing the day was the women’s DMR, as the Knights finished fifth in the field. The team of Lindsay Huston, Melvin, Steele, and Loichinger clocked a time of 13:02.41, setting a season best time in the CL Championship.
Going into the final day of the meet on Saturday, the Knights lead the meet by 18 points, with Marian holding a 72-54 advantage over Taylor. The meet will come down to the final event, and Saturday’s schedule will begin at with the women’s high jump at 1:00 p.m.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
SPORTS EXTRA
NBA STANDINGS
| Eastern Conference | ||||||||||||
| Atlantic Division | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| Boston | 42 | 17 | .712 | — | 24-7 | 18-10 | 8-1 | 25-12 | 7-3 | 1 W | ||
| Philadelphia | 38 | 19 | .667 | 3.0 | 23-8 | 15-11 | 7-5 | 22-13 | 7-3 | 4 W | ||
| Brooklyn | 34 | 24 | .586 | 7.5 | 18-11 | 16-13 | 6-7 | 24-13 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| New York | 33 | 27 | .550 | 9.5 | 16-15 | 17-12 | 5-8 | 23-16 | 6-4 | 3 W | ||
| Toronto | 28 | 31 | .475 | 14.0 | 18-13 | 10-18 | 4-9 | 17-19 | 6-4 | 2 W | ||
| Central Divison | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| Milwaukee | 41 | 17 | .707 | — | 24-5 | 17-12 | 8-4 | 23-13 | 10-0 | 12 W | ||
| Cleveland | 38 | 23 | .623 | 4.5 | 25-6 | 13-17 | 11-3 | 22-11 | 8-2 | 1 L | ||
| Chicago | 26 | 33 | .441 | 15.5 | 16-13 | 10-20 | 5-7 | 20-20 | 3-7 | 6 L | ||
| Indiana | 26 | 34 | .433 | 16.0 | 18-14 | 8-20 | 4-5 | 18-17 | 2-8 | 1 W | ||
| Detroit | 15 | 44 | .254 | 26.5 | 8-21 | 7-23 | 0-9 | 6-27 | 3-7 | 2 L | ||
| Southeast Division | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| Miami | 32 | 27 | .542 | — | 19-10 | 13-17 | 7-3 | 15-17 | 5-5 | 2 L | ||
| Atlanta | 29 | 30 | .492 | 3.0 | 15-12 | 14-18 | 5-5 | 17-19 | 4-6 | 2 L | ||
| Washington | 28 | 30 | .483 | 3.5 | 14-12 | 14-18 | 6-3 | 15-17 | 6-4 | 2 W | ||
| Orlando | 24 | 35 | .407 | 8.0 | 14-15 | 10-20 | 3-8 | 12-25 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| Charlotte | 17 | 43 | .283 | 15.5 | 9-18 | 8-25 | 6-8 | 9-29 | 3-7 | 2 W | ||
| Western Conference | ||||||||||||
| Northwest Division | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| Denver | 41 | 18 | .695 | — | 27-4 | 14-14 | 10-5 | 29-11 | 7-3 | 3 W | ||
| Minnesota | 31 | 30 | .508 | 11.0 | 20-13 | 11-17 | 8-7 | 22-19 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| Oklahoma City | 28 | 29 | .491 | 12.0 | 17-12 | 11-17 | 5-6 | 15-17 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| Utah | 29 | 31 | .483 | 12.5 | 18-12 | 11-19 | 4-6 | 19-18 | 4-6 | 1 L | ||
| Portland | 28 | 30 | .483 | 12.5 | 16-14 | 12-16 | 5-8 | 20-16 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| Pacific Division | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| Sacramento | 32 | 25 | .561 | — | 17-12 | 15-13 | 5-6 | 20-13 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| LA Clippers | 33 | 28 | .541 | 1.0 | 15-13 | 18-15 | 6-4 | 19-16 | 6-4 | 2 W | ||
| Phoenix | 32 | 28 | .533 | 1.5 | 20-10 | 12-18 | 9-1 | 21-15 | 7-3 | 1 L | ||
| Golden State | 29 | 29 | .500 | 3.5 | 22-7 | 7-22 | 4-6 | 17-14 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| LA Lakers | 27 | 32 | .458 | 6.0 | 14-14 | 13-18 | 2-9 | 14-20 | 4-6 | 1 W | ||
| Southwest Division | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| Memphis | 35 | 22 | .614 | — | 24-5 | 11-17 | 6-2 | 17-16 | 4-6 | 1 W | ||
| Dallas | 31 | 29 | .517 | 5.5 | 19-10 | 12-19 | 7-2 | 23-16 | 5-5 | 3 L | ||
| New Orleans | 30 | 29 | .508 | 6.0 | 20-10 | 10-19 | 7-4 | 19-15 | 4-6 | 1 L | ||
| San Antonio | 14 | 45 | .237 | 22.0 | 9-21 | 5-24 | 2-7 | 5-30 | 0-10 | 14 L | ||
| Houston | 13 | 45 | .224 | 22.5 | 8-20 | 5-25 | 1-8 | 7-31 | 2-8 | 7 L |
NHL STANDINGS
| Eastern Conference | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Home | Road | L10 | ||
| 1 Boston Bruins | 54 | 41 | 8 | 5 | 87 | 39 | 201 | 115 | 22-2-3 | 19-6-2 | 6-3-1 | |
| 2 Carolina Hurricanes | 54 | 36 | 10 | 8 | 80 | 33 | 184 | 146 | 18-6-2 | 18-4-6 | 9-1-0 | |
| 3 New Jersey Devils | 54 | 35 | 14 | 5 | 75 | 34 | 186 | 145 | 15-10-2 | 20-4-3 | 6-2-2 | |
| 4 Toronto Maple Leafs | 55 | 33 | 14 | 8 | 74 | 33 | 186 | 147 | 21-6-4 | 12-8-4 | 6-3-1 | |
| 5 New York Rangers | 55 | 33 | 14 | 8 | 74 | 30 | 189 | 149 | 16-9-4 | 17-5-4 | 8-1-1 | |
| 6 Tampa Bay Lightning | 54 | 35 | 16 | 3 | 73 | 33 | 191 | 157 | 21-4-2 | 14-12-1 | 6-2-2 | |
| 7 Pittsburgh Penguins | 54 | 27 | 18 | 9 | 63 | 26 | 176 | 169 | 15-6-4 | 12-12-5 | 5-3-2 | |
| 8 New York Islanders | 58 | 28 | 23 | 7 | 63 | 28 | 169 | 162 | 17-10-3 | 11-13-4 | 5-3-2 | |
| 9 Washington Capitals | 57 | 28 | 23 | 6 | 62 | 27 | 174 | 166 | 14-11-3 | 14-12-3 | 4-6-0 | |
| 10 Florida Panthers | 58 | 28 | 24 | 6 | 62 | 26 | 202 | 200 | 15-8-3 | 13-16-3 | 5-4-1 | |
| 11 Detroit Red Wings | 54 | 26 | 20 | 8 | 60 | 24 | 170 | 175 | 14-11-3 | 12-9-5 | 7-3-0 | |
| 12 Buffalo Sabres | 53 | 27 | 22 | 4 | 58 | 26 | 197 | 185 | 11-14-2 | 16-8-2 | 6-3-1 | |
| 13 Ottawa Senators | 54 | 26 | 24 | 4 | 56 | 24 | 164 | 174 | 15-12-2 | 11-12-2 | 6-3-1 | |
| 14 Philadelphia Flyers | 56 | 22 | 24 | 10 | 54 | 21 | 151 | 177 | 11-14-3 | 11-10-7 | 3-4-3 | |
| 15 Montreal Canadiens | 55 | 23 | 28 | 4 | 50 | 19 | 150 | 200 | 14-14-1 | 9-14-3 | 4-5-1 | |
| 16 Columbus Blue Jackets | 55 | 17 | 34 | 4 | 38 | 16 | 140 | 208 | 12-17-2 | 5-17-2 | 4-4-2 | |
| Western Conference | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Home | Road | L10 | ||
| 1 Dallas Stars | 56 | 30 | 14 | 12 | 72 | 28 | 184 | 144 | 15-6-7 | 15-8-5 | 4-1-5 | |
| 2 Vegas Golden Knights | 55 | 33 | 18 | 4 | 70 | 30 | 179 | 153 | 16-13-0 | 17-5-4 | 5-3-2 | |
| 3 Winnipeg Jets | 55 | 34 | 20 | 1 | 69 | 33 | 174 | 143 | 20-8-0 | 14-12-1 | 5-5-0 | |
| 4 Los Angeles Kings | 56 | 31 | 18 | 7 | 69 | 27 | 190 | 188 | 16-9-2 | 15-9-5 | 6-3-1 | |
| 5 Seattle Kraken | 55 | 31 | 18 | 6 | 68 | 31 | 193 | 172 | 14-10-3 | 17-8-3 | 4-4-2 | |
| 6 Colorado Avalanche | 53 | 29 | 19 | 5 | 63 | 25 | 163 | 149 | 13-9-4 | 16-10-1 | 6-2-2 | |
| 7 Edmonton Oilers | 56 | 30 | 19 | 7 | 67 | 30 | 209 | 185 | 13-11-5 | 17-8-2 | 5-1-4 | |
| 8 Minnesota Wild | 55 | 29 | 21 | 5 | 63 | 23 | 163 | 158 | 17-10-2 | 12-11-3 | 4-5-1 | |
| 9 Calgary Flames | 55 | 25 | 19 | 11 | 61 | 24 | 174 | 170 | 14-10-2 | 11-9-9 | 4-4-2 | |
| 10 Nashville Predators | 52 | 25 | 21 | 6 | 56 | 23 | 142 | 156 | 14-10-3 | 11-11-3 | 6-4-0 | |
| 11 St. Louis Blues | 54 | 26 | 25 | 3 | 55 | 23 | 172 | 194 | 13-12-2 | 13-13-1 | 5-5-0 | |
| 12 Arizona Coyotes | 55 | 19 | 28 | 8 | 46 | 16 | 147 | 191 | 12-8-2 | 7-20-6 | 5-2-3 | |
| 13 Vancouver Canucks | 55 | 21 | 30 | 4 | 46 | 18 | 185 | 224 | 10-15-1 | 11-15-3 | 3-6-1 | |
| 14 San Jose Sharks | 56 | 17 | 28 | 11 | 45 | 16 | 168 | 209 | 5-13-7 | 12-15-4 | 3-5-2 | |
| 15 Anaheim Ducks | 56 | 17 | 33 | 6 | 40 | 14 | 141 | 236 | 9-16-1 | 8-17-5 | 4-5-1 | |
| 16 Chicago Blackhawks | 54 | 17 | 32 | 5 | 39 | 17 | 131 | 198 | 10-16-3 | 7-16-2 | 3-6-1 |
FOOTBALL HISTORY
February 18, 1994 – According to the OnthisDay.com the Shreveport Pirates joined the Canadian Football League as the fourth US-based team. Unfortunately the team folded one year later in 1995.
HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAYS FOR FEBRUARY 18
February 18, 1893 – Alexandria, Minnesota – The awesome Army Football Center John McEwan claimed his birth date. John McEwan was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in1962 after the National Football Foundation tallied their votes.
February 18, 1895 – Laurium, Michigan – The legendary University of Notre Dame fullback George Gipp was born. See more about this legend by clicking on his name.
February 18, 1926 – Washington, D.C. – Len Ford the Defensive End from Michigan University was born. Ford first played professionally with the All American Football Conference’s Los Angeles Dons as a two way end. He was loved by quarterbacks on offense as he routinely hauled in leaping one hand grabs and was a big target at 6’-4” and 245 pounds according to the Pro Football hall of Fame. His specialty was on the defensive side of the ball though. When the AAFC disbanded, a former team of the defunct league, the Cleveland Browns, grabbed Len quickly in a special draft in the NFL. The Browns as a matter of fact changed their whole defensive thought process after acquiring Ford because of his awesome pass rushing skills, in essence creating the 4-3 defensive scheme. Len’s dominance really shined bright in the 1954 NFL Championship game against the Lions, when Ford picked off two passes in the 56-10 route. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Len Ford at the 1976 festivities in Canton.
February 18, 1931 – San Francisco, California – Bob St. Clair was an outstanding tackle from the University of Tulsa. The 6’-9” 273 pound giant of a man found himself as being the third round pick of his hometown 49ers in the 1953 NFL Draft per the ProFootballHOF.com. Bob played 11 seasons in San Francisco named first- or second-team All-NFL nine times and was selected to play in five Pro Bowls. Bob St. Clair happily admired his bronze bust in 1990 when the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined him in their museum.
February 18, 1944 – Pat Bowlen attended Oklahoma and he ended up being one of the most successful NFL franchise owners in League History as his Denver Broncos teams had 21 winning seasons in the 30 years he ran the club per the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Broncos teams that Bowlen owned sold out 400 straight home games! The franchise has won three Super Bowls – XXXII, XXXIII and 50. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Pat Bowlen as a contributor in 2019.
February 18, 1947 – NewPort News, Virginia – The stellar Purdue University halfback Leroy Keyes arrived into this life. The FootballFoundation.org tells us that Keyes got his first big play in college on the defensive side of the ball when as a sophomore against Notre Dame he picked off a fumble in midair and ran 95 yards to score. The 1968 season he was a fulltime offensive running back and he had games where he rushed for 225 yards on 21 carries against Illinois; two touchdowns running and one passing against Notre Dame. But who could forget his three touchdowns in the fourth quarter as Purdue came from 11 points down to beat Indiana 38-35 during that 1968 season! Leroy Keyes was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990 after the National Football Foundation tallied their votes.
February 18, 1962 – Crowley, Texas – Gary Reasons the outstanding linebacker from Northwestern State University celebrated his day of birth. The National Football Foundation shares that Reasons set school records with 172 tackles in a season and 394 tackles in his career. He made 24 tackles in a game against McNeese State. Northwestern State honored Gary by retiring his number 34 jersey at the end of his collegiate career. Gary Reasons received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College FOotball Hall of Fame in 1996.
February 18, 1963 – Norman, Oklahoma – The fine quarterback of the Iowa Hawkeyes, Chuck Long was born. The NFF says that Long was able to play in five bowl games. How is that, you ask? Well in 1982 he got in for two plays in the Rose Bowl but since it was such a small amount of playing time, the NCAA did not count it as an eligible season. In 1984, he set a national record by completing 22 consecutive passes against Indiana. In 1984, he led the nation in pass completion percentage, .661. The National Football Foundation selected Chuck Long for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1943 New York entrepreneur William D. Cox purchases the bankrupt Phillies from the National League. In November, the 33-year-old new owner will be banned from baseball by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis when he admits to making some “sentimental” bets on his team during the season.
1944 After getting permission from his parents and high school principal, 15-year-old Joe Nuxhall, a Hamilton, Ohio native, signs a contract with the Reds a day after playing in a high school basketball game. The not-so-old “Ol’ Left-hander” will become the youngest player ever to appear in a major league game, tossing 2/3 of an inning for Cincinnati in June, 49 days before his sixteenth birthday.
1954 In their first significant trade since moving from St. Louis, the Orioles, formerly known as the Browns, exchange outfielders with the Senators, sending Roy Sievers to Washington for Gil Conan. Sievers will spend five solid seasons in the nation’s capital, making the All-Star squad twice, and Conan, playing less than two seasons in Baltimore, compiles a .266 batting average with three home runs, appearing in 155 games.
1960 Walter O’Malley buys the land just north of downtown Los Angeles as a new ballpark site for his transplanted Brooklyn club. The Dodger owner paid a reported $494,000 for the property at Chavez Ravine, believed to be worth $92,000 at the time.
1967 During a nationally televised celebrity charity softball game at Dodger Stadium, hard-throwing Eddie Feigner strikes out six consecutive big leaguers, a group that includes five future Hall of Famers. The 39-year-old right-hander’s victims include Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Roberto Clemente, and Maury Wills.
1998 Long-time baseball announcer Harry Caray dies at the age of 84 after suffering a heart attack four days earlier while having Valentine’s Day dinner with his wife, Dutchie. The colorful “Mayor of Rush Street” started his career in 1945 with the Cardinals and doing play-by-play for the A’s, White Sox, and the Cubs during his 52 years in the broadcast booth.
1999 The Blue Jays trade Roger Clemens to the Yankees for Graeme Lloyd, Homer Bush, and David Wells, the author of a perfect game in May. In his first tenure with the Bronx Bombers, the’ Rocket’ will post a 77-36 (.681) record, compiling an ERA of 3.99 during five seasons with New York.
2005 The Venezuelan authorities, during a daring eight-hour police raid, free Ugueth Urbina’s mother, Maura Villarreal, who spent five months of captivity surrounded by explosives to keep her from escaping from her imprisonment in a mountain camp. The kidnappers had demanded $6 million ransom from the Tigers’ relief pitcher for his mom’s release.
2009 After considering playing for Atlanta, a location closer to his family, Ken Griffey Jr. agrees to a one-year deal with the Seattle Mariners. The 39-year-old outfielder joins a list of superstars, Babe Ruth (Boston), Willie Mays (New York), and Hank Aaron (Milwaukee), to choose the city where they played with their first team as the place to end their major league career.
2009 The demolishment of the last remaining piece of Shea Stadium, the ramp to section 5, occurs at 11:25 a.m., marking the end of the New York venue where the Mets played for 44 years. The old ballpark’s footprint will become a parking lot for the team’s new home, the $800-million Citi Field, opening in April.
2011 The Orioles officially announce the signing of Vladimir Guerrero after the 36-year-old passed his physical. The team’s new everyday designated hitter, who batted .300 with 29 homers and 115 RBIs with the American League Champion Rangers last season, agrees to a one-year, $8 million deal to play in Baltimore.
2011 Garrett Wittels goes 0-for-4 against Southeastern Louisiana, leaving the Florida International University junior two games short of Robin Ventura’s Division 1 record of hitting in 58 consecutive games, established by the former major leaguer in 1987. The overall NCAA mark is 60 straight games, set by Damian Costantino, playing for Division III Salve Regina from 2001-03.
SPORTS IN NUMBERS
43 – 22 – 99
February 18, 1909 – The Boston Red Sox traded away their legendary pitcher, Cy Young who was 41 at the time mind you, to the Cleveland Naps franchise. Who are the Naps you may ask well they were the city of Cleveland’s American League MLB team from 1903 to 1914. They were briefly renamed the Cleveland Molly Maguires in 1911 before returning to the Naps. In 1915 the franchise again rebranded themselves as the Cleveland Indians until after the 2021 season their name was once again revised to the Cleveland Guardians. The name Naps was derived from their manager Larry Lejoie whose God given first name was Napleon, thus the team adopted the shortened “Nap” portion for the moniker.
February 18, 1919 – Cy Denneny of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators scored a league record 52nd goal of his career in just the midst of his second season. We are not quite sure if he ever wore a number on his sweater or not as records are non-revealing.
February 18, 1944 – The youngest MLB player ever signed to a contract took place. 15-year-old Joe Nuxhall was inked by the Cincinnati Reds to play baseball just one day after playing in a high school basketball game. His debut in the big leagues with the club would not occur until later that year when he wore Number 43 that season.
February 18, 1962 – The Daytona 500’s fourth running the man with a name that even sounds fast, Fireball Roberts dominated the event, leading 144 of the 200 laps and drove his black Number 22 Pontiac
February 18, 1981 – Another Wayne Gretzky record setting moment arises as the star 20 year old forward of the Edmonton Oilers tallied his fifth career NHL hat trick, becoming the first skater to ever do that. In the game against the St Louis Blues Number 99 scored 5 goals and two assists to lead the Oilers to a dominant
TV SATURDAY
| NCAA BASEBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| James Madison at Florida State | 2:00pm | ACCN |
| NCAA BASKETBALL – MEN’S | TIME ET | TV |
| Seton Hall at UConn | 12:00pm | FOX |
| Illinois at Indiana | 12:00pm | ESPN/2 |
| Notre Dame at Virginia | 12:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| Texas Tech at West Virginia | 12:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| Rutgers at Wisconsin | 12:00pm | BTN |
| UNCG at Chattanooga | 12:00pm | CBSSN |
| Boston College at Florida State | 12:00pm | ACCN |
| William & Mary at Northeastern | 12:00pm | NESN+ |
| Queens at Kennesaw State | 12:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Saint Joseph’s at Davidson | 12:30pm | USA |
| Tennessee at Kentucky | 1:00pm | CBS |
| South Carolina at LSU | 1:00pm | SECN |
| Samford at VMI | 1:00pm | – |
| UMBC at New Hampshire | 1:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Binghamton at UMass Lowell | 1:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Stonehill at Central Connecticut | 1:00pm | NEC |
| Saint Francis U at LIU | 1:00pm | NEC |
| Wofford at The Citadel | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Bucknell at Boston University | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Lehigh at American | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Holy Cross at Colgate | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Iowa State at Kansas State | 2:00pm | ESPN |
| Florida at Arkansas | 2:00pm | ESPN2 |
| UMass at Rhode Island | 2:00pm | ESPNU |
| Merrimack at Sacred Heart | 2:00pm | CBSSN |
| Wake Forest at Miami (FL) | 2:00pm | ACCN |
| Elon at Monmouth | 2:00pm | SNY |
| UAlbany at Maine | 2:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Illinois State at Indiana State | 2:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Ohio at Central Michigan | 2:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Florida Tech at Georgia Tech | 2:00pm | ACCN |
| Texas State at Coastal Carolina | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Green Bay at Youngstown State | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Western Carolina at Mercer | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Oklahoma at Texas | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Oklahoma State at TCU | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Presbyterian at Campbell | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Gardner-Webb at UNC Asheville | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Fordham at VCU | 2:30pm | USA |
| Ball State at Western Michigan | 2:30pm | ESPN3 |
| South Dakota at Denver | 3:00pm | – |
| Georgia State at Arkansas State | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Georgia Southern at Southern Miss | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UTA at Stephen F. Austin | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Radford at Longwood | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Charlotte at Louisiana Tech | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Mississippi State at Ole Miss | 3:30pm | SECN |
| Loyola Maryland at Navy | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Baylor at Kansas | 4:00pm | ESPN |
| Southern vs. Grambling State (at Salt Lake City, UT) | 4:00pm | ESPN2 |
| DePaul at Xavier | 4:00pm | CBSSN |
| UAB at UTSA | 4:00pm | Stadium |
| North Carolina A&T at Towson | 4:00pm | NBCS-WSH |
| UC Davis at UC Irvine | 4:00pm | Spectrum |
| La Salle at George Mason | 4:00pm | MASN2 |
| Fairleigh Dickinson at Wagner | 4:00pm | NEC |
| UNI at Missouri State | 4:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Evansville at Murray State | 4:00pm | ESPN3 |
| USC Upstate at High Point | 4:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Central Arkansas at Bellarmine | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| North Florida at Austin Peay | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Lindenwood at Morehead State | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UT Martin at Tennessee Tech | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UIW at Nicholls | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| ULM at South Alabama | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Old Dominion at App State | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UNCW at Delaware | 4:00pm | FloSports |
| Drexel at Hampton | 4:00pm | FloSports |
| Morgan State at Norfolk State | 4:00pm | – |
| Howard at Coppin State | 4:00pm | – |
| Mississippi Valley State at Texas Southern | 4:00pm | YouTube |
| Villanova at Providence | 4:30pm | FOX |
| Alcorn State at Jackson State | 4:30pm | – |
| Miami (OH) at Northern Illinois | 4:30pm | ESPN3 |
| New Orleans at Northwestern State | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| A&M-Corpus Christi at McNeese | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| SIUE at Tennessee State | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Eastern Illinois at Little Rock | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Pitt at Virginia Tech | 5:00pm | ACCN |
| Colorado State at Fresno State | 5:00pm | – |
| Toledo at Bowling Green | 5:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Southern Indiana at Southeast Missouri | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Jacksonville at Lipscomb | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Liberty at Jacksonville State | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Northern Arizona at Idaho | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Northern Colorado at Eastern Washington | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Winthrop at Charleston Southern | 5:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Southeastern Louisiana at A&M-Commerce | 5:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Duke at Syracuse | 6:00pm | ESPN |
| Texas A&M at Missouri | 6:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| Georgia at Alabama | 6:00pm | SECN |
| Lafayette at Army West Point | 6:00pm | CBSSN |
| Utah at Arizona State | 6:00pm | PAC12N |
| Brown at Penn | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Yale at Princeton | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Harvard at Cornell | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| FIU at Middle Tennessee | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Hofstra at Stony Brook | 6:30pm | SNY |
| UAPB at Prairie View A&M | 6:30pm | – |
| Clemson at Louisville | 7:00pm | ACCN |
| Gonzaga at Pepperdine | 7:00pm | – |
| Vermont at NJIT | 7:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Buffalo at Akron | 7:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Dartmouth at Columbia | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Milwaukee at Robert Morris | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| North Alabama at Eastern Kentucky | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Stetson at FGCU | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Cal Poly at Cal State Fullerton | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Hawai’i at Long Beach State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Idaho State at Sacramento State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Troy at Marshall | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Louisiana at James Madison | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Creighton at St. John’s | 7:30pm | FS1 |
| Michigan State at Michigan | 8:00pm | FOX |
| Colorado at Arizona | 8:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Tulane at South Florida | 8:00pm | ESPNU |
| Nevada at Utah State | 8:00pm | CBSSN |
| Oregon State at Washington | 8:00pm | PAC12N |
| Duquesne at Saint Louis | 8:00pm | – |
| UC Santa Barbara at UC Riverside | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| WKU at Rice | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Lamar at Houston Christian | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Sam Houston at Tarleton | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Utah Valley at Seattle U | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| South Dakota State at Omaha | 8:00pm | – |
| Western Illinois at St. Thomas | 8:00pm | – |
| North Dakota at Kansas City | 8:00pm | – |
| North Dakota State at Oral Roberts | 8:00pm | – |
| Bethune-Cookman at Alabama A&M | 8:00pm | YouTube |
| Auburn at Vanderbilt | 8:30pm | SECN |
| Santa Clara at Portland | 8:30pm | Stadium |
| Penn State at Minnesota | 9:00pm | BTN |
| Montana at Montana State | 9:00pm | – |
| North Texas at UTEP | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Stanford at USC | 10:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| BYU at Saint Mary’s | 10:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| Pacific at Loyola Marymount | 10:00pm | Stadium |
| CSUN at UC San Diego | 10:00pm | Spectrum |
| Weber State at Portland State | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| California at UCLA | 10:30pm | PAC12N |
| NCAA BASKETBALL – WOMEN’S | TIME ET | TV |
| Iowa at Nebraska | 2:00pm | BTN |
| NCAA SOFTBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Clearwater Invitational: UCLA vs. Florida State | 10:00am | ESPNU |
| Clearwater Invitational: South Florida vs. Texas A&M | 10:30am | SECN |
| Clearwater Invitational: Virginia Tech vs. UCLA | 4:00pm | ESPNU |
| Omaha at Texas | 4:00pm | LHN |
| Loyola-Chicago at Texas | 6:30pm | LHN |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| PGA: The Genesis Invitational | 1:00pm | GOLF |
| MOTORSPORTS | TIME ET | TV |
| Xfinity: Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 | 5:00pm | FS1 |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Chicago at Ottawa | 7:00pm | NBCS-CHI Sportsnet |
| Pittsburgh at NY Islanders | 7:00pm | ATTSN-PIT MSGSN |
| Dallas at Minnesota | 8:00pm | Bally Sports |
| Los Angeles at Anaheim | 9:00pm | ESPN |
| NY Rangers at Edmonton | 9:00pm | MSG Sportsnet |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| English Premier League: Aston Villa vs Arsenal | 7:30am | USA |
| La Liga: Real Sociedad vs Celta de Vigo | 8:00am | ESPN+ |
| Serie A: Sampdoria vs Bologna | 9:00am | Paramount+ |
| Bundesliga: Borussia M’gladbach vs Bayern München | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Wolfsburg vs RB Leipzig | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Stuttgart vs Köln | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Eintracht Frankfurt vs Werder Bremen | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Bochum vs Freiburg | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| English Premier League: Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City | 10:00am | Peacock |
| English Premier League: Brentford vs Crystal Palace | 10:00am | Peacock |
| English Premier League: Brighton & Hove Albion vs Fulham | 10:00am | Peacock |
| English Premier League: Chelsea vs Southampton | 10:00am | Peacock |
| English Premier League: Everton vs Leeds United | 10:00am | Peacock |
| English Premier League: Wolverhampton Wanderers vs AFC Bournemouth | 10:00am | Peacock |
| La Liga: Real Betis vs Real Valladolid | 10:15am | ESPN+ |
| Ligue 1: Nice vs Reims | 11:00am | beIN Sports |
| Serie A: Monza vs Milan | 12:00pm | Paramount+ |
| English Premier League: Newcastle United vs Liverpool | 12:30pm | NBC |
| La Liga: Mallorca vs Villarreal | 12:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Serie A: Internazionale vs Udinese | 2:45pm | Paramount+ |
| La Liga: Osasuna vs Real Madrid | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Ligue 1: Strasbourg vs Angers SCO | 3:00pm | beIN Sports |
| Argentina Primera División: Lanús vs Rosario Central | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Godoy Cruz vs Estudiantes | 5:15pm | Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Argentinos Juniors vs Belgrano | 5:15pm | Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Newell’s Old Boys vs Banfield | 5:15pm | Paramount+ |
| Liga MX: Atlético San Luis vs Santos Laguna | 6:00pm | TUDN |
| Argentina Primera División: Tigre vs River Plate | 7:30pm | Paramount+ |
| Liga MX: Atlas vs Tigres UANL | 8:05pm | Univision |
| Liga MX: Pumas UNAM vs Guadalajara | 10:05pm | Univision |