THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” SATURDAY JANUARY 21, 2023

*******************THE SCOREBOARD*******************

********************INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD*************************

ADAMS CENTRAL	87	BLUFFTON	55
ANDERSON	77	HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE)	53
ANGOLA	73	CHURUBUSCO	36
BARR-REEVE	60	WOOD MEMORIAL	37
BATESVILLE	49	FRANKLIN COUNTY	28
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE	54	SEYMOUR	37
BLOOMFIELD	44	EASTERN GREENE	30
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH	74	CASTLE	64	OT
BREBEUF JESUIT	38	GUERIN CATHOLIC	35
BROWNSBURG	62	WESTFIELD	51
CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN	66	UNION CITY	39
CARMEL	52	PIKE	49
CARROLL (FLORA)	87	TRI-CENTRAL	48
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE)	71	FORT WAYNE SOUTH	50
CENTRAL NOBLE	52	EASTSIDE	41
CHARLESTOWN	57	EASTERN (PEKIN)	56
CHESTERTON	41	CROWN POINT	29
CORYDON CENTRAL	78	SALEM	66
CROTHERSVILLE	78	MARTINSVILLE TABERNACLE	56
DANVILLE	69	WESTERN BOONE	43
DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN	55	SOUTH NEWTON	36
DECATUR CENTRAL	44	GREENWOOD	42	OT
DELPHI	61	SHERIDAN	55
DELTA	60	PENDLETON HEIGHTS	56
EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL	81	GARY 21ST CENTURY	74
EASTERN (GREENTOWN)	63	CLINTON PRAIRIE	62
EASTERN HANCOCK	59	MONROE CENTRAL	31
EDINBURGH	64	SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)	39
ELKHART	64	SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH	58
EVANSVILLE MATER DEI	56	BOONVILLE	50
EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL	73	EVANSVILLE HARRISON	53
EVANSVILLE NORTH	71	TERRE HAUTE SOUTH	69
FISHERS	55	AVON	48
FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA	60	FORT WAYNE SNIDER	48
FORT WAYNE DWENGER	67	FORT WAYNE LUERS	55
FORT WAYNE WAYNE	64	FORT WAYNE NORTHROP	56
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL	42	CRAWFORDSVILLE	34
FRANKFORT	62	BENTON CENTRAL	51
FRANKLIN	55	WHITELAND	53	OT
FRANKTON	62	BLACKFORD	45
GIBSON SOUTHERN	67	TELL CITY	21
GREENSBURG	48	BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL	45
HAGERSTOWN	60	BLUE RIVER	56
HENDERSON COUNTY (KY.)	80	EVANSVILLE CENTRAL	59
HERITAGE HILLS	51	SOUTHRIDGE	49	OT
HERITAGE	57	WOODLAN	54	OT
HOMESTEAD	53	FORT WAYNE NORTH	46
INDIAN CREEK	66	NORTHVIEW	42
INDIANAPOLIS RIVERSIDE	79	INDIANAPOLIS INTERNATIONAL	56
JASPER	53	FOREST PARK	42
JAY COUNTY	49	SOUTH ADAMS	34
JENNINGS COUNTY	73	FLOYD CENTRAL	55
KOKOMO	62	MUNCIE CENTRAL	38
LAPORTE	76	MICHIGAN CITY	73
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC	51	TRADERS POINT CHRISTIAN	50
LAFAYETTE JEFF	76	MARION	65
LAKE STATION	61	HIGHLAND	47
LAPEL	70	DALEVILLE	48
LAWRENCE CENTRAL	59	WARREN CENTRAL	56
LAWRENCE NORTH	67	NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS)	66
LEBANON	57	NORTH MONTGOMERY	32
LEWIS CASS	47	NORTHWESTERN	40
LIBERTY CHRISTIAN	71	WINCHESTER	65
LINTON-STOCKTON	47	NORTH DAVIESS	45
LOGANSPORT	57	TWIN LAKES	54
MACONAQUAH	66	WESTERN	41
MADISON-GRANT	62	EASTBROOK	23
MANCHESTER	71	ROCHESTER	49
MARQUETTE CATHOLIC	70	SOUTH BEND ADAMS	53
MILAN	52	SOUTH RIPLEY	46
MISSISSINEWA	48	ELWOOD	34
MONROVIA	72	BROWN COUNTY	57
MUNCIE BURRIS	61	COWAN	48
MUNSTER	63	HOBART	41
NEW PALESTINE	58	INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI	41
NEW WASHINGTON	59	AUSTIN	56
NOBLESVILLE	51	FRANKLIN CENTRAL	31
NORTH DECATUR	73	MORRISTOWN	41
NORTH HARRISON	51	LANESVILLE	26
NORTH NEWTON	45	NORTH WHITE	30
NORTHWOOD	45	GOSHEN	29
NORTHEAST DUBOIS	70	VINCENNES RIVET	33
NORTHEASTERN	48	RUSHVILLE	40
NORTHFIELD	59	WHITKO	37
OAK HILL	64	ALEXANDRIA	23
ORLEANS	63	PERRY CENTRAL	21
OWENSBORO (KY.)	94	EVANSVILLE BOSSE	92
PAOLI	74	SPRINGS VALLEY	56
PARK TUDOR	56	BETHESDA CHRISTIAN	55
PARKE HERITAGE	70	NORTH VERMILLION	34
PENN	66	MISHAWAKA MARIAN	52
PIKE CENTRAL	58	NORTH KNOX	27
PLAINFIELD	50	MOORESVILLE	48
PORTAGE	67	MERRILLVILLE	57
PROVIDENCE	48	HENRYVILLE	33
RENSSELAER CENTRAL	49	NORTH JUDSON	36
RIVERTON PARKE	59	NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG)	44
ROSSVILLE	55	CLINTON CENTRAL	49
SCOTTSBURG	49	SOUTH DECATUR	30
SEEGER	54	ATTICA	10
SHAKAMAK	43	WHITE RIVER VALLEY	38
SHENANDOAH	81	WES-DEL	56
SILVER CREEK	65	NEW ALBANY	57
SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON	66	JIMTOWN	29
SOUTH KNOX	49	VINCENNES LINCOLN	23
SOUTH PUTNAM	63	EMINENCE	44
SOUTH SPENCER	80	NORTH POSEY	57
SOUTH VERMILLION	47	GREENCASTLE	45
SOUTHMONT	59	COVINGTON	48
SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER)	77	ROCK CREEK ACADEMY	69
SWITZERLAND COUNTY	65	RISING SUN	45
TERRE HAUTE NORTH	70	CLAY CITY	41
TIPPECANOE VALLEY	62	SOUTHWOOD	47
TRI-COUNTY	41	FRONTIER	39
TRI-WEST	61	SPEEDWAY	47
TRI	57	UNION COUNTY	37
TRINITY LUTHERAN	61	MEDORA	59
VALPARAISO	68	LAKE CENTRAL	63	OT
WABASH	75	NORTH MIAMI	33
WALDRON	47	HAUSER	38
WAPAHANI	93	RANDOLPH SOUTHERN	54
WARSAW	52	CONCORD	35
WASHINGTON	62	PRINCETON	38
WAWASEE	55	PLYMOUTH	40
WEST CENTRAL	77	PIONEER	44
WEST NOBLE	82	FREMONT	57
WEST WASHINGTON	58	MITCHELL	57
WESTVIEW	50	FAIRFIELD	47
WINAMAC	59	CASTON	54
YORKTOWN	51	NEW CASTLE	28
ZIONSVILLE	52	HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN	38
BI-COUNTY TOURNAMENT
JOHN GLENN	56	TRITON	22	SF
LAVILLE	59	ARGOS	52	SF
NEW PRAIRIE	52	BREMEN	43	CON
CULVER		OREGON-DAVIS		8:00 PM
CARMI (ILL.) CLASSIC
MOUNT VERNON (POSEY)	63	HARRISBURG (ILL.)	49

*******************INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD***********************

ANDREAN	53	KANKAKEE VALLEY	45
ANGOLA	54	CHURUBUSCO	31
BELLMONT	40	HUNTINGTON NORTH	37
BLACKFORD	65	FRANKTON	50
BROWNSBURG	41	WESTFIELD	38
CANNELTON	47	WASHINGTON CATHOLIC	37
CARMEL	54	PIKE	52
CARROLL (FLORA)	45	TRI-CENTRAL	31
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE)	71	FORT WAYNE SOUTH	31
CENTRAL NOBLE	44	EASTSIDE	37
CLINTON PRAIRIE	52	EASTERN (GREENTOWN)	5
COLUMBIA CITY	55	DEKALB	36
COLUMBUS NORTH	46	BLOOMINGTON NORTH	36
DANVILLE	59	WESTERN BOONE	38
ELKHART	72	SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH	31
EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN	63	BLOOMINGTON LIGHTHOUSE	22
FAIRFIELD	59	WESTVIEW	14
FORT WAYNE LUERS	54	FORT WAYNE DWENGER	30
FORT WAYNE NORTHROP	62	FORT WAYNE WAYNE	27
FORT WAYNE SNIDER	58	FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA	42
GARRETT	55	WEST NOBLE	37
GREENCASTLE	87	DUGGER UNION	33
GREENWOOD	41	DECATUR CENTRAL	38
GUERIN CATHOLIC	41	BREBEUF JESUIT	39
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN	69	ZIONSVILLE	56
HAMMOND CENTRAL	78	HAMMOND MORTON	37
HOMESTEAD	59	FORT WAYNE NORTH	14
INDIAN CREEK	46	NORTHVIEW	29
INDIANA MATH & SCIENCE	53	PHALEN ACADEMY	24
INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS	47	INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY	32
KOKOMO	53	RICHMOND	38
LAFAYETTE JEFF	56	MARION	21
LAKE CENTRAL	57	VALPARAISO	53
LAKE STATION	65	HANOVER CENTRAL	44
LEBANON	48	NORTH MONTGOMERY	21
LEO	46	EAST NOBLE	18
MARTINSVILLE TABERNACLE	65	CROTHERSVILLE	35
MCCUTCHEON	67	ANDERSON	52
MICHIGAN CITY	52	LAPORTE	20
MOORESVILLE	54	PLAINFIELD	41
MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE)	55	GREENFIELD-CENTRAL	19
NORTH PUTNAM	42	OWEN VALLEY	39
NORTH WHITE	42	NORTH NEWTON	18
NORTHRIDGE	61	MISHAWAKA	53
NORWELL	90	NEW HAVEN	22
PARK TUDOR	69	CHRISTEL HOUSE MANUAL	8
PENDLETON HEIGHTS	69	CONNERSVILLE	26
PERRY MERIDIAN	54	MARTINSVILLE	41
PIONEER	70	WEST CENTRAL	33
PORTAGE	45	MERRILLVILLE	21
PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD	59	CENTRAL CHRISTIAN	29
SHERIDAN	72	DELPHI	52
SOUTH BEND CLAY	36	SOUTH BEND RILEY	22
SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON	63	JIMTOWN	33
SOUTH PUTNAM	43	EMINENCE	40
SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)	44	EDINBURGH	40
SULLIVAN	59	CLOVERDALE	19
TRITON CENTRAL	53	TRI-WEST	32
WARREN CENTRAL	45	LAWRENCE CENTRAL	38
YORKTOWN	69	NEW CASTLE	56
HOOSIER CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS
RENSSELAER CENTRAL	49	LEWIS CASS	25	9TH
WEST LAFAYETTE	55	TIPTON	48	7TH
BENTON CENTRAL	64	WESTERN	58	5TH
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC	48	HAMILTON HEIGHTS	35	3RD
TWIN LAKES	65	NORTHWESTERN	48	1ST
PORTER COUNTY CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS)	47	WASHINGTON TWP.	35	SF
KOUTS	35	TRI-TWP.	23	SF

*******************TOP 25 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL************************

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

ELSEWHERE:

KENT STATE 86 BALL STATE 65

VCU 74 RICHMOND 62

VILLANOVA 57 ST. JOHN’S 49

TOLEDO SIX BUFFALO 77

NEW MEXICO 81 BOISE STATE 79 OT

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD:  HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/CBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230120

*******************TOP 25 WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL*******************

#4 STANFORD 74 #8 UTAH 62

#9 UCLA 51 WASHINGTON 47

#22 VILLANOVA 73 CREIGHTON 57

OREGON STATE 68 #23 OREGON 65

#24 COLORADO 73 CALIFORNIA 66

ELSEWHERE:

IUPUI 74 DETROIT 64

EVANSVILLE 73 BRADLEY 56

NORTHERN KENTUCKY 75 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 69

CLEVELAND STATE 103 WRIGHT STATE 72

YOUNGSTOWN STATE 63 GREEN BAY 60

USC 51 WASHINGTON STATE 44

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD:  HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/WCBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230120

***********NFL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE************

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21

AFC:    4:30 PM (ET)              JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (NBC, PEACOCK, UNIVERSO)….PREVIEW:  http://radiotroy.com/nfl-playoff-preview-jacksonville-jaguars-10-8-afc-south-no-4-seed-kansas-city-chiefs-14-3-afc-west-no-1-seed/

NFC:    8:15 PM (ET)              NEW YORK GIANTS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (FOX, FOX DEPORTES) …..PREVIEW: http://radiotroy.com/nfl-playoff-preview-new-york-giants-10-7-1-nfc-east-no-6-seed-philadelphia-eagles-14-3-nfc-east-no-1-seed/

SUNDAY, JANUARY 22

AFC:    3:00 PM (ET)              CINCINNATI BENGALS AT BUFFALO BILLS (CBS, PARAMOUNT+)…PREVIEW: http://radiotroy.com/nfl-playoff-preview-cincinnati-bengals-13-4-afc-north-no-3-seed-buffalo-bills-14-3-afc-east-no-2-seed/

NFC:    6:30 PM (ET)              DALLAS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (FOX, FOX DEPORTES)…PREVIEW: http://radiotroy.com/nfl-playoff-preview-dallas-cowboys-13-5-nfc-east-no-5-seed-san-francisco-49ers-14-4-nfc-west-no-2-seed/

THE AFC AND NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES, PRESENTED BY INTUIT TURBOTAX, WILL TAKE PLACE ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 29:

SUNDAY, JANUARY 29

NFC:    3:00 PM (ET)              NFC CHAMPIONSHIP (FOX, FOX DEPORTES)

AFC:    6:30 PM (ET)              AFC CHAMPIONSHIP (CBS, PARAMOUNT+)

***************************NBA*******************************

DENVER 134 INDIANA 111

ORLANDO 123 NEW ORLEANS 110

ATLANTA 139 NEW YORK 124

GOLDEN STATE 120 CLEVELAND 114

DALLAS 115 MIAMI 90

LA CLIPPERS 131 SAN ANTONIO 126

BROOKLYN 117 UTAH 106

LA LAKERS 122 MEMPHIS 121

SACRAMENTO 118 OKLAHOMA CITY 113

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

**************************NHL*******************************

PITTSBURGH 4 OTTAWA 1

COLORADO 4 VANCOUVER 1

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

***********************TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES************************

*************************NFL NEWS************************************

BENGALS WANT BALL IN BURROW’S HANDS WITH GROUND GAME STALLED

CINCINNATI (AP) — Joe knows best. That’s a mantra the Bengals have fully embraced.

Cincinnati’s success has turned on Joe Burrow’s ability to process and act, complete passes in tight windows, work around the team’s deficiencies and turn broken plays into first downs.

Meanwhile, the Bengals’ run game has become something of a side dish to the main course.

The Bengals were 29th out of 32 NFL teams in rushing during the regular season, averaging 92.9 yards per game — fewer than all but two playoff teams and the fewest of any team advancing to the divisional round. Cincinnati finished with 100 or more rushing yards in just three games. The last time was in a win over the Browns in Week 14.

In the last two games against Baltimore –- wins in the regular-season finale and wild-card playoff round — Cincinnati combined for just 106 yards on the ground. The Bengals have averaged just 58 yards in the last four games.

Offensive coordinator Brian Callahan acknowledged that “we’re not a volume carry team,” but he said de-emphasizing the run game wasn’t a deliberate trend but the way the games have worked out in the last month or so.

“First thing, we played really good defenses. We played … some teams that are pretty hell bent on stopping the run, and they are good at it,” Callahan said. “The other part is I think we have leaned into throwing the ball a little bit more the last couple weeks as well, partly because of that.”

The Bengals overhauled an underperforming offensive line before the season. That’s helped slow down pass rushers who made Burrow the NFL’s most-sacked quarterback in 2021 and left him battered after the Super Bowl loss to the Rams.

His 68.3% completion rate in the 2022 regular season was second in the NFL only to Seattle’s Geno Smith. His 297.7 passing yards per game was second to Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes. Burrow threw a career-high 35 touchdown passes, tying him for second with Buffalo’s Josh Allen.

A rash of injuries in recent weeks will force the Bengals to start three backups on the offensive line when they play at Buffalo on Sunday in the divisional round. Working around that is bound to put even more pressure on Burrow.

Fortunately for the Bengals, not much bothers the 26-year-old star.

“I think you have to have that mindset as a quarterback in this league if you want to be really successful — you can’t go out there scared in the moment,” he said. “You have to be a little arrogant to go out there in that moment and make plays you need to make, and so that’s really something I’ve thought a lot about and something that I try to do.”

Callahan said the Bengals will still hand the ball off against the Bills, the fourth-best team in the league against the run this season.

“We still need to be able to run the ball better,” he said. “It’s always going to help that (offensive line) group, especially with new players, if we can run the ball with some efficiency and feel good about it. I will say at this time of year, when it comes down to it, we’ll probably try to put the ball in Burrow’s hands as much as possible, because that’s just what is going to win us games.”

After rushing for a career-high 1,205 yards in 2021, featured back Joe Mixon hasn’t found much room this year. He logged just one 100-yard game, picking up 153 yards and scoring four touchdowns in a Week 9 win over Carolina. He suffered a concussion in the first half of a Week 12 win over Pittsburgh and missed the next two games.

With his carries reduced, Mixon has remained a consistent cog in the passing game, making 60 catches for 441 yards — both career highs for the six-year pro.

“Everybody in this locker room is going to matter,” Mixon said this week. “We have physical, hungry teammates willing to do whatever to get the job done.”

BILLS’ HAMLIN FACES LONG RECOVERY, FAMILY SPOKESMAN TELLS AP

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Remarkable as Damar Hamlin’s recovery has been, the Buffalo Bills safety still faces a lengthy rehabilitation some three weeks after going into cardiac arrest and needing to be resuscitated on the field during a game in Cincinnati, his marketing representative told The Associated Press on Thursday night.

“Damar still requires oxygen and is having his heart monitored regularly to ensure there are no setbacks or after effects,” Jordon Rooney said. “Though he is able to visit the team’s facility, Damar is not in position to travel often, and requires additional rest to help his body heal.”

Rooney provided the update to emphasize Hamlin still faces hurdles since being discharged from Buffalo General Medical Center on Jan. 11. Hamlin’s release came five days after his doctors said the player was breathing on his own, walking, talking and showing no signs of neurological damage.

Rooney’s update also gave perspective to comments made by Bills coach Sean McDermott, who on Wednesday said Hamlin has begun making regular visits to the team’s facility. McDermott, however, stressed the 24-year-old was taking “a baby step at a time,” while adding, Hamlin is “dipping his toe back in here and getting on the road to just getting back to himself.”

Hamlin has not yet made a public appearance except for a photograph linebacker Matt Milano posted on his Instagram account of his teammate at the Bills facility on Saturday. And he’s not yet spoken publicly except for posting messages on his social media accounts.

Rooney said Hamlin is being watched over by his parents and “remains very upbeat and grateful for the support he’s received from his teammates and coaches, Bills Mafia and people from around the world.” That outpouring of support has led to Hamlin’s charitable foundation, Chasing M’s, raising nearly $9 million in donations.

Without saying from where, he added, Hamlin will be cheering for the Bills on Sunday, when Buffalo hosts Cincinnati in an AFC divisional playoff.

Hamlin live-tweeted while watching Buffalo’s 35-23 season-ending win over New England from his hospital bed at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center on Jan. 8. Last weekend, he live-tweeted while watching from home the Bills’ 34-31 win over Miami in a wild-card playoff.

The game against Cincinnati carries additional significance. It marks the first meeting between the two teams since their game was canceled on Jan. 2, when Hamlin collapsed after being struck squarely in the chest while making what appeared to be a routine tackle of Bengals receiver Tee Higgins.

Hamlin’s family and Bills quarterback Josh Allen have defended Higgins in saying he shouldn’t be blamed for what happened.

On Thursday, Higgins said he couldn’t be more appreciative of the family’s support, while expressing hope Hamlin could attend the game so the two could meet.

“Just be happy to see him,” Higgins said. “I haven’t really spoken to him. Just letting his family do what he needs to do with all his loved ones.”

Also on Thursday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul extended her support to Hamlin during a phone call with the player. In a message posted on her Twitter account, Hochul referred to Hamlin as “an inspiration,” and let him know “the hopes and prayers of 20 million New Yorkers have been with him throughout his recovery.”

Hamlin, who is from the Pittsburgh area, replied by writing it was good meeting Hochul and he was “excited to see how our collaborations in the future will help and affect so many.”

NFL ASSISTANTS BALANCE PLAYOFF PREP WITH JOB INTERVIEWS

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — DeMeco Ryans’ day as San Francisco defensive coordinator started with meetings and then went to the practice field as he focused on implementing a defense to slow down Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys.

Then instead of relaxing or diving into more film at night ahead of a key playoff showdown Sunday, Ryans shifted gears and went into job interview mode with an in-person meeting with the Denver Broncos about their head coaching job.

“With everything you do as a coach, you’re trying to crunch a lot of things in,” he said at his weekly news conference Thursday in between practice and his interview.

“You’re trying to dissect a lot of information in a certain amount of time. So time management is a very crucial thing to have. I know I keep the main thing, the main thing, and the main thing this week is the Cowboys.”

Ryans is one of several assistants still alive in the playoffs dealing with the delicate balance of preparing for the most important games of their careers with the most important job interviews.

Among the other assistants, who have interviewed or been requested for interviews for head coaching jobs are Cowboys coordinators Dan Quinn and Kellen Moore; Giants coordinators Mike Kafka and Wink Martindale; Eagles coordinators Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon; Buffalo offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey; and Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

The NFL tweaked the rules this year, allowing for assistants who were in the wild-card round to do interviews the week of the divisional round in hopes that qualified candidates on teams that make long postseason runs don’t miss out on getting coveted head coaching jobs.

Many of the head coaches still alive dealt with similar challenges before getting their jobs. Giants coach Brian Daboll said it wasn’t difficult to block out other job opportunities while coaching a team trying to reach the Super Bowl after going through it last year as Bills offensive coordinator.

“You work extremely hard to get to this spot,” Daboll said. “All the work you put in in the offseason, the training camps, regular season games, and now the first playoff game, as a professional, that’s where all of your attention is.”

After interviewing with the Broncos on Thursday night, Ryans was set to meet with the Texans on Friday. He also is expected to interview with the Carolina and Arizona during this process as he seeks his first head coaching job.

His Dallas counterpart, Quinn, is scheduled to interview Friday with Denver. Quinn interviewed with the Broncos last year before they hired Nathaniel Hackett, who was fired before the end of his first season.

Quinn said offseason preparation for interviews is important in helping keep the focus on his team’s upcoming game.

“I interviewed during the playoffs years ago during my time in Seattle,” said Quinn, who was hired by Atlanta in 2015 and led the Falcons to the Super Bowl in his second season. “That experience helped me make sure, ‘Hey, your process had better be straight and organized as you’re going.’

“Back in the spring and summer, I had planned for us to be in the playoffs, so I planned for these conversations if I was fortunate enough to have them. I didn’t want to have to do anything differently.”

Ryans’ boss Kyle Shanahan went through a similar process six years ago when he interviewed with San Francisco while going on a Super Bowl run as offensive coordinator in Atlanta. Shanahan’s former offensive coordinator, Mike McDaniel, went through the job search last postseason and got hired by Miami, while former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh interviewed for head coaching jobs during the 2019 playoffs but didn’t get hired until a year later.

Shanahan is confident Ryans can balance the two tasks.

“When you just set the time aside for that, it’s a lot for DeMeco to kind of prepare for it, but I think he is prepared for it,” Shanahan said. “When you’re done with those, you go right back to the most important thing at hand then and that’s us finding a way to win this Sunday.”

The process is a bit easier for coaches on teams that had the bye last week like the Eagles and Chiefs. Those their assistants were able to get interviews done before this week, with Steichen, Gannon and Bieniemy able to take advantage of that opportunity.

“Just focused on the Giants right now,” Steichen said this week. “That’s it.”

Some assistants preferred to wait before starting the interview process with Kafka and Martindale of the Giants choosing to wait until after Saturday’s game against Philadelphia to begin meeting with teams for potential head coaching jobs.

Martindale handled it the same way three years ago when he was defensive coordinator in Baltimore and ended up interviewing with Giants owner John Mara for the job that ultimately went to Joe Judge.

“It’s an honor when they put a slip in because I think it’s harder to get a head coaching job in this league than being in the Senate,” Martindale said. “It’s an honor, but we’re not interviewing this week. When I came here as a Giant, it wasn’t a stepping stone for me. It was a destination. … Honestly, I’ve been locked in on Philly. We’re not interviewing this week. I think that when the time comes, if there’s still time when we can do it, I’d love to sit down and talk with them.”

VIKINGS FIRE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR DONATELL AFTER ROUGH YEAR

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings fired defensive coordinator Ed Donatell on Thursday, an unsurprising decision on the veteran coach after a dismal finish by his defense.

The Vikings ranked second worst in yards allowed in the NFL and fourth worst in points allowed during the regular season. They gave up 431 yards and 31 points to the New York Giants in their wild-card round loss last week.

Coach Kevin O’Connell was hired a year ago by the Vikings and made Donatell his first defensive coordinator, the fourth different NFL team for which he has filled that role. The 65-year-old Donatell has coached 32 seasons in the league — and 43 years in all.

“While this was a difficult decision because of the tremendous respect I have for Ed as a person and a coach, I believe it is the right move for the future of our football team,” O’Connell said in a statement distributed by the team. “I want to thank Ed for his commitment to the Vikings this past season, for the positive impact he had on our players and coaches and for his role in helping me as a first-year head coach lay this foundation.”

O’Connell said his search for a replacement would begin immediately.

Donatell was previously defensive coordinator for Denver (2019-21), Atlanta (2004-06) and Green Bay (2000-03). He was also a longtime defensive backs coach for Denver, Chicago, San Francisco and the New York Jets, with whom he broke into the NFL in 1990. Donatell started his coaching career in college at Kent State in 1981.

The Broncos ranked eighth in yards allowed and third in points allowed in 2021 under Donatell, but depth and talent makes a difference.

The Vikings returned several healthy and established veterans at the core of their group this season in safety Harrison Smith, cornerback Patrick Peterson, linebacker Eric Kendricks and edge rusher Danielle Hunter, but the transition in schemes didn’t go smoothly for all of them. The Vikings signed Za’Darius Smith to play the outside linebacker spot opposite Hunter, but their pressure rate during the second half of the season dropped off significantly.

O’Connell tactfully but clearly stated his disappointment with the results after a 34-23 loss at Detroit on Dec. 11 when Lions quarterback Jared Goff had his way against Minnesota’s rush and coverage. Donatell worked tirelessly to make adjustments after that, but the spaces in the zones of the coverage were simply too easy to pass against and the rush was not enough of a factor.

The lack of contribution to the defense from recent drafts has become a big problem for the salary cap-strapped Vikings. From 2017 through 2021, they drafted a total of five defensive players in any of the first three rounds. Two are still with the team: cornerback Cameron Dantzler, a third-round pick in 2020 who finished the season as a backup, and outside linebacker Patrick Jones, a third-round pick in 2021 who is also a reserve.

SAINTS’ JORDAN WINS APPEAL, CRITICAL OF NFL’S PROCESS

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan says he’s won his appeal of the NFL’s decision to fine him $50,000 for allegedly faking an injury during a game.

Meanwhile, a person familiar with the situation said the NFL also has rescinded separate fines against the team, head coach Dennis Allen and co-defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen. The person spoke to the Associated Press about the team fines on condition of anonymity because the NFL has not announced the results of those appeals.

Jordan, who is New Orleans’ career sack leader, also questioned the NFL’s process for handing down punishment before requesting medical records needed to make an informed ruling.

Jordan said in a text message to The Associated Press on Thursday that the NFL sought and reviewed records from physicians leading up to his recent appeal, but stressed, “shouldn’t that have happened before the fine?”

Jordan and his agent, Doug Hendrickson, made public last month that the NFL had fined the 12-year Saints veteran for taking a knee on the field, forcing a timeout, after signaling to the sideline that he’d hurt his foot during the fourth quarter of New Orleans’ 17-16 loss at Tampa Bay on Dec. 5.

The Saints had a 16-3 lead with more than seven minutes remaining, and Tampa Bay was facing a fourth-and-10 on its 25, at the time Jordan’s injury stalled the game. When play resumed, the Buccaneers punted.

In a memo sent to teams on Dec. 2 and obtained by The Associated Press, the NFL said the league “continues to emphasize the importance of upholding the integrity of the game and competitive fairness as our highest priority. We have observed multiple instances of clubs making a deliberate attempt to stop play unnecessarily this season.”

The NFL has not publicly discussed its rationale for sanctioning the Saints.

Jordan said he questions why “whomever had a hand in creating this oddity of a rule about fining defensive players for being hurt” didn’t formulate a process for investigating allegations before making initial rulings and issuing fines.

The Saints, who as a club also denied wrongdoing, were fined $350,000 by the league office. Allen was fined $100,000 and Nielsen was fined $50,000.

“There should be due process before they announce a fine,” Jordan said. “They announced they’d fine me $50,000 and my team $500,000 in total before the appeal process or even investigating the situation.”

The Saints said that Jordan returned to the Tampa Bay game only after being examined by physicians and having his left foot taped up. They also said a subsequent MRI revealed an acute mid-foot sprain and that Jordan visited Saints headquarters daily during the club’s Week 14 bye to receive treatment.

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MICHIGAN FIRES CO-OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR MATT WEISS

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan fired co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss on Friday amid an investigation by campus police into possible computer-access crimes at the football building.

Athletic Director Warde Manuel said Weiss, who also served as quarterbacks coach, was dismissed “after a review of university policies.” The two-sentence statement didn’t elaborate.

Weiss released his own statement Friday, saying he was proud of his two seasons at Michigan.

“I have nothing but respect for the University of Michigan and the people who make it such a great place,” he said. “I look forward to putting this matter behind me and returning my focus to the game that I love.”

The Detroit News reported that Weiss’ Ann Arbor home was searched by police on Jan. 10. Weiss earlier this week said he was cooperating with investigators. He has not been charged.

Coach Jim Harbaugh hired Weiss nearly two years ago as quarterbacks coach and promoted him to co-offensive coordinator last season, giving him a share of play-calling duties with Sherrone Moore.

Weiss was on John Harbaugh’s staff with the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens before moving to Michigan.

FLORIDA RELEASES QB RASHADA FROM SCHOLARSHIP TO END BREAKUP

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Highly touted high school quarterback Jaden Rashada is moving on from Florida, a breakup that was weeks in the making and cost the Gators one of their most prized recruits.

Florida officially granted Rashada a release from his National Letter of Intent on Friday, three days after he requested to be let go.

Rashada’s decision came after the Gator Collective — an independent fundraising group that’s loosely tied to the university and pays student-athletes for use of their name, image and likeness — failed to honor a four-year deal worth more than $13 million, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither side acknowledged the split publicly.

The high-profile case will, at the very least, prompt changes at Florida. It also could lead to a lawsuit and potentially an NCAA investigation.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Rashada switched his verbal commitment from Miami to Florida on Nov. 10. Rashada, his representatives and the Gator Collective had presumably agreed to terms on a lucrative NIL deal at the time of his flip.

One of Florida’s top boosters, millionaire businessman Hugh Hathcock, tweeted “Tomorrow will be a Great Day Gator Fans!!!” the night before Rashada’s announcement. The following day, less than five hours before Rashada publicly announced his flip, Hathcock tweeted “All Good!!! Just a little longer!!!”

The deal fell apart less than a month later. The Athletic reported that Gator Collective CEO Eddie Rojas sent a termination letter to Rashada and his reps on Dec. 7. It’s unclear why the deal crumbled, but a source with knowledge of the negotiations told the AP that not all of the financial backers were aware that the signed deal had increased from roughly $5 million over four years to more than $13 million.

Rashada failed to enroll with other signees days after playing in a Jan. 3 all-star game in nearby Orlando. The 19-year-old eventually returned to the West Coast.

WHO IS RASHADA?

Rashada is a five-star QB prospect from Pittsburg, California, who is ranked 29th overall by 247Sports in the 2023 recruiting class. His father, Harlen Rashada, played defensive back at Arizona State (1992-94).

The 6-foot-4, 185-pound Jaden Rashada threw for 5,275 yards at Pittsburg last season, with 59 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

His initial decision to come to Florida was considered a boon for first-year Gators coach Billy Napier, and Rashada was expected to compete with Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz for the starting job at Florida, which has now lost five scholarship quarterbacks in the past 10 months. Starter Anthony Richardson left early to enter the NFL draft, backup Jalen Kitna was dismissed following his arrest on child pornography charges, and Emory Jones and Carlos Del Rio-Wilson transferred last spring.

Florida also had its eye on Tulane’s Michael Pratt and Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman, but Pratt ended up back at Tulane and Hartman landed at Notre Dame. The Gators also missed out on former LSU quarterback Walker Howard, who is transferring to Mississippi despite a lengthy relationship with Napier.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Rashada is free to enroll elsewhere without having to enter the transfer portal. He already has been linked to Arizona State and Washington.

What remains to be seen is whether Rashada sues the Gator Collective, along with possibly the athletic department and the university, in hopes of getting at least part of the $13 million he was promised. He could conceivably ask for more if he believes his reputation was damaged.

The Gators still could use help at the all-important QB position with just three scholarship quarterbacks: Mertz, Miller and redshirt freshman Max Brown. The bigger question: How will Rashada’s failed recruitment affect future prospects?

WHAT’S THE POTENTIAL FALLOUT?

Florida already plans to encourage its collectives to make changes, with one potential one being a merger between the Gator Collective and the more exclusive Gator Guard. Personnel moves within the collective also are expected.

The NCAA might investigate, too. The sanctioning body has rules regarding NIL deals. Boosters and NIL entities are not allowed to engage in recruiting conversations or activities regarding prospective student-athletes, and no promises can be made between family members and boosters or NIL entities that are contingent on the prospective student-athlete’s enrollment at an institution.

Collectives have circumvented those rules with zip code clauses, according to Florida-based attorney Darren Heitner, who works with the Gator Collective. The clauses use contract language to stipulate that student-athletes must reside in a certain jurisdiction for agreements to be payable.

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DEFENSE LAWYERS SEEKS BOND FOR BASKETBALL PLAYER

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Defense lawyers are asking for a University of Alabama basketball player charged with capital murder to be released on bond, arguing he is not a threat to the community and there is scant evidence against him.

Darius Miles’ attorney on Thursday asked a judge to set a bond hearing. The 21-year-old former junior reserve forward for the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide is accused of providing the gun in a fatal shooting that killed a young woman near the University of Alabama campus. Miles has been dismissed from the team.

University spokesman Shane Dorrill said he also “has been suspended and removed from campus pending the outcome of a student conduct case related to this serious matter.” Miles is currently being held without bond at the Tuscaloosa County Jail.

Defense lawyer Mary Turner wrote in the request that Miles is not a flight risk and has no prior criminal history. She also asserted that the prosecution would be unable to produce enough evidence at the bail hearing for a jury to sustain a capital conviction against Miles. She argued one standard regarding bail is to deny bail if prosecutors show evidence that could sustain a conviction and “to allow bail if the evidence is not so efficacious.”

Prosecutors have not responded to the request for a bond hearing.

Alabama coach Nate Oats said Friday there were no character red-flags during the recruitment process of Miles or while he was on the team.

“There was zero off-the-floor character issues when we recruited him,” Oats said. “And to be honest with you, even when he was here, we had no real issues with him off the floor. He’s a likable kid that everybody liked.

“The only issues we ever had was just trying to get motivated and play a little harder in practice, be more consistent. Just basketball stuff. Nobody saw this coming. He comes from a really good family.”

Oats said Miles’ father is retired military and his mother is a police officer in the Washington, D.C., area.

“We recruited Darius during COVID when you couldn’t go visit him, so it was all done via Zooms and phone calls,” the Tide coach said. “I love the kid. He was super easy to talk to. He still is. He’s one of my favorite kids I’ve coached.”

Miles and Michael Lynn Davis, 20, are charged with capital murder in the shooting death of 23-year-old Jamea Harris. The shooting occurred early Sunday morning on the Strip, a student-oriented business district of bars and restaurants near the Tuscaloosa campus. Harris was sitting in the passenger seat of a car when she was struck by a bullet, police said.

Investigators wrote in a court document that Miles admitted to providing the gun used in the fatal shooting, but Davis fired the weapon.

Miles will appear before a judge for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 7 at the Tuscaloosa County Jail, according to a court document.

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WAGNER, ANTHONY LEAD MAGIC OVER PELICANS 123-110

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Franz Wagner had 30 points and nine assists, Cole Anthony scored 22 off the bench and the Orlando Magic beat the New Orleans Pelicans 123-110 on Friday night.

CJ McCollum led New Orleans with 23 points. Jonas Valanciunas had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Trey Murphy III added 18 points for the injury-riddled Pelicans, who lost for the eighth time in 11 games.

Orlando pulled away in the fourth quarter behind Wagner and its backups. Magic starters Paulo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr. and Markelle Fultz did not play in the final period.

“In that fourth quarter, as a unit I thought we really locked in,” said Anthony, who played 26 minutes. “I thought we were pretty good with our rotations, and we did a good job of making them take tough shots.”

The Magic shot 52% overall and made 15 of 30 attempts from 3-point range. They were 30 of 34 at the free throw line.

“We just didn’t defend at a high level and we fouled too much. That’s what it boils down to,” Murphy said.

A three-point play by Jalen Suggs with 9:17 remaining broke a 95-all tie and launched a 12-2 run that put Orlando ahead for good.

“They were the aggressors and that’s why they shot extremely well from the field,” New Orleans coach Willie Green said. “They were going to force the issue, get to the paint. And if they didn’t have it, they kicked out to guys and they made shots.”

Wagner, who was 5 of 7 from 3-point territory, had 21 points and six assists in the first half.

“I got into good rhythm early on, got a couple of open ones,” he said, “and then I think our ball movement all night got really good shots for everybody.”

After falling behind by 14 early, the Magic made their first six shots of the second quarter, including 3-pointers by Wagner, Mo Bamba and Anthony, to get back in it.

Herbert Jones, who started for New Orleans after missing the previous four games with a lower back bruise, scored the Pelicans’ final five points of the half, leaving them with a 60-56 lead.

But the Pelicans were outscored 30-19 in the fourth quarter, with the 6-foot-10 Wagner holding McCollum to one field goal.

“Obviously we scored at a high clip, but I think it was our defense that allowed that to happen,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said.

TIP-INS

Pelicans: Jones fouled out with 4:28 left. He scored 10 points in 19 minutes. … F Naji Marshall sat out with a sore right big toe after playing at least 31 minutes in eight straight games. … F Zion Williamson missed his ninth consecutive game with a strained right hamstring.

Magic: Wagner finished with a plus/minus of plus-21, and Anthony was plus-19. … It was the first of six games in nine days for Orlando – one reason three starters got the fourth quarter off. … The Magic are 12-8 since a 5-20 start.

INJURY UPDATE

Jonathan Isaac was recalled from the G League after playing three games with the Lakeland Magic, but was not activated.

Isaac has not played in an NBA game since tearing his left ACL in August 2020. There are no specific plans for activating him.

“We’re just taking it day by day, just seeing how his body responds,” Mosley said.

ELITE STUFF

The 7-foot-2 Bol Bol, who had 12 points and five rebounds, got the crowd into the game with an eye-opening play during the Magic’s fourth-quarter run, weaving his way through the lane and finishing with a dunk over Murphy.

“Ninety-five percent of the stuff Bol does surprises me,” Anthony said. “It’s on one of those things that you see and it’s like, `Wow, that’s elite!’ It’s one of those things that doesn’t get old.”

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Play at Miami on Sunday.

Magic: Play at Washington on Saturday night.

MURRAY’S 29 HELP HAWKS FINISH STRONG, BEAT KNICKS 139-124

ATLANTA (AP) The Atlanta Hawks are gaining momentum in the Eastern Conference and their high-scoring guards are leading the way.

Dejounte Murray had 29 points and 12 assists, Trae Young added 27 points and the streaking Hawks pulled away at the start of the fourth quarter to beat the New York Knicks 139-124 on Friday night.

The Hawks (24-22), eighth in the Eastern Conference, extended their season-best winning streak to five games.

Julius Randle had 32 points and nine rebounds for the Knicks but was held scoreless in the final period.

Murray has scored 27 or more points in four consecutive games. Young had six assists and has averaged more than nine assists in the winning streak.

“We want to be the best for each other and the best for our teammates,” Murray said. “We’ve got to be consistent. We’ve got to continue to want the best for each other and continue to make our teammates better.”

Hawks coach Nate McMillan said Young “has done a nice job of really initiating the offense” and added that Murray has “been on fire” during the winning streak.

“We’ve been playing really good, just taking what the defense is giving us,” Young said. “… Guys are knocking down shots, just playing free basketball.”

Atlanta acquired Murray from San Antonio before the season, and the pairing of the two All-Star guards required an adjustment.

“They’re playing at a very high level right now,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. “They’re sharing the ball and playing well together.”

De’Andre Hunter had 20 points and Okongwu scored 14 off the bench.

Atlanta led only 102-101 before opening the fourth quarter with a 20-4 run that was capped by back-to-back inside baskets by Onyeka Okongwu. The Hawks outscored the Knicks 37-23 in the period.

RJ Barrett scored 23 points for the seventh-place Knicks (25-22), who have a three-game losing streak.

Jericho Sims started at center in New York’s first game since losing Mitchell Robinson for at least three weeks. Robinson had surgery Thursday to repair his fractured right thumb suffered in Wednesday’s 116-105 loss to Washington.

Thibodeau was not happy with the Knicks’ defense.

“You give up 139, credit to them, they’re playing great basketball right now,” said Thibodeau of the Hawks. “But we’re not going to win a game like that. … We’re not playing great defense and we’ve got to get back to that.”

The Hawks had center Clint Capela return this week after missing 10 consecutive games with a calf injury. McMillan said the return to the starting lineup of Capela, whose playing time has been restricted in his three games back in uniform, was important to Atlanta’s defense.

Even with Capela on the court, the Knicks still drove to the basket with consistency while making 30 of 42 shots from the field (71.4%) in the first half.

The Knicks led 71-68 at halftime, with 38 points in the paint. Atlanta opened the second half with a 13-0 run, including nine points by Young.

A 3-pointer by Young gave the Hawks a big lead of 13 points at 87-74 before the Knicks cut the deficit to 102-101 entering the final period.

MISSING ROBINSON’S REBOUNDS

The 7-foot Robinson is averaging 7.2 points and 8.9 rebounds. Thibodeau said Robinson’s rebounds were missed as the Hawks took a 39-34 advantage on the boards.

“The rebounding was a problem right from the start and that was a concern,” Thibodeau said.

Sims had 12 points and eight rebounds while sharing time with Isaiah Hartenstein, who had two points and six rebounds.

Thibodeau said he “went back and forth” in deciding whether to start Sims or Hartenstein, who had been Robinson’s top backup. “Part of it was to keep some unity to the second unit,” Thibodeau said.

TIP-INS

Knicks: Randle had three 3-pointers in the strong finish to the third period. Overall, New York made 13 of 30 3s, including 3 of 10 by Randle. …

Hawks: G Bogdan Bogdanovic (right knee soreness) had 14 points off the bench with his knee wrapped after he was listed as questionable in the first of back-to-back games. “We knew that coming into the season that would be something we would have to monitor,” McMillan said. “We have to look at back-to-back situations.” …

UP NEXT

Knicks: At Toronto on Sunday.

Hawks: Host Charlotte on Saturday.

WITHOUT CURRY, WARRIORS MAKE 23 3-POINTERS AND BEAT CAVS

CLEVELAND (AP) The shots splashed through the net like they almost always do for the Golden State Warriors.

However, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson didn’t launch any.

Jordan Poole scored 32 points, Ty Jerome added 22 and the Warriors dropped 23 3-pointers while Curry and three other starters sat on the bench in a 120-114 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.

Poole (5) and Jerome (3) combined for eight 3-pointers as the defending NBA champs ended a five-game trip with an improbable win.

“We kind of hung on for dear life down the stretch, but got it done,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “It was just one of those nights. You play 82 games, so you know you’re going to have a few of these.”

Following Golden State’s stinging three-point overtime loss Thursday night in Boston, Kerr rested Curry along with fellow first-teamers Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins.

It didn’t matter. Even with their top players on the bench in street clothes, the short-handed Warriors came out firing and barely slowed down.

“The biggest thing is, even without our guys, we expect to win,” said Jerome, who is on a two-way contract with Golden State and Santa Cruz. “Everyone that played was good tonight and that’s awesome for us.”

Darius Garland scored 31 points to lead the Cavs, who were without star Donovan Mitchell because of a strained groin and suffered their most embarrassing loss this season. Caris LeVert added 22 points and Evan Mobley 17 for Cleveland.

Afterward, Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff didn’t mince words in describing his team’s dismal performance.

“We didn’t respect the game. It’s that simple,” he said. “They’ve got champions over there, and we thought some of those guys were out so we were going to take it lightly and we got what we deserved.”

Golden State made a season-high 14 3-pointers in the first half – tying the most ever by a Cavs opponent for a half – to take a 64-59 halftime lead.

Although Bickerstaff stressed limiting Golden State’s outside attack at halftime, his team didn’t get the message as the Warriors made five 3s in the first five minutes to open a 20-point lead.

The Cavs, who have 11 comeback wins when trailing by double digits, fought back and pulled within 114-110. But Jerome dropped the Warriors’ final 3-pointer with 1:39 left.

“They’re good basketball players, and if you’re going to disrespect them, they’re going to make you pay,” Bickerstaff said. “We came out of the gate soft and disrespectful and they were out there shooting warmup shots with no contest, no challenges, nobody in their space and they gave us what we deserved.”

MEMORY LANE

Kerr has an emotional attachment to Cleveland.

He played in the city from 1989-92 and his oldest son was born here. It’s also where he won NBA titles as a coach in 2015 and 2018 as the Warriors and Cavs met four straight times in the finals.

“This building will always be special for us,” he said. “Just coming in here, feeling the vibe, feeling the juice from those days. They were incredible games. Just an amazing rivalry, two great teams. The level of play was just so high. I will always think of those Finals when I come in here.”

TIP-INS

Warriors: Donte DiVincenzo added 17 points and Kevin Looney had 17 rebounds. … Golden State opened 7 of 8 on 3-pointers. … The 23-year-old Poole reached 500 career 3-pointers, surpassing Thompson as the youngest player in team history to reach the plateau. … F Jonathan Kuminga (right foot sprain) returned after missing eight games and scored 10. F JaMychal Green (right lower leg infection) saw his first action in 15 games and had 13 points.

Cavaliers: G Ricky Rubio got the night off as part of the maintenance plan for him after returning from knee surgery. He’s averaging 5.3 points and 13.1 minutes in four games back. … Mobley is one of three players averaging 14.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocked shots while shooting better than 50.0% from the field. 76ers C Joel Embiid and Lakers C Anthony Davis are the others. . Cavs assistant coach Luke Walton went 39-4 as Golden State’s acting head coach in 2015-2016 while Kerr recovered from back surgery.

UP NEXT:

Warriors: Host Brooklyn on Sunday.

Cavaliers: Host Milwaukee on Saturday night.

DONCIC SCORES 34, MAVS GET DEFENSIVE IN 115-90 WIN OVER HEAT

DALLAS (AP) Luka Doncic had 34 points and 12 rebounds, and the Dallas Mavericks turned up the defensive intensity in a 115-90 victory over the Miami Heat on Friday night.

The Mavericks were without No. 2 scorer Christian Wood, who missed the first of what will be multiple games with a broken left thumb.

They responded two nights after blistering criticism of their defense from coach Jason Kidd by holding the Heat to 33% shooting in the first and third quarters combined while outscoring Miami 63-35.

Dallas gave up 40 points in the first quarter of a 130-122 loss to Atlanta, a third consecutive defeat in which the Mavs allowed at least 130 points. Miami’s total was a season low for a Mavericks opponent.

“It wasn’t me calling them out or saying we had a walkthrough, shootaround during the game against Atlanta,” Kidd said. “I just think you could see they were flying around. So now we’ve got to hold them to that standard.”

Victor Oladipo scored 20 points and Bam Adebayo had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, who came to Dallas on a 4-1 roll that had them a season-high four games over .500.

Spencer Dinwiddie scored 19 for the Mavericks, and Reggie Bullock added 15 on 5-of-6 shooting from 3-point range. Doncic was 5 of 8 from deep as the Mavericks finished at 47% (18 of 38).

Miami cut a 17-point first-half deficit to six early in the third quarter but ended up getting outscored 32-16 in the period while shooting just 32%. Dallas led 92-67 after three.

“I don’t think we brought a great motor and level of detail to our offense,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And I know that was a big point of emphasis for them to really get after us. They’d been giving up a lot of points, so you knew you were going to get their best defensive effort.”

Doncic capped the solid defensive first quarter for Dallas with a 3-pointer at the buzzer for a 31-19 lead. The NBA scoring leader had matching 11-point totals in the first and third.

TIP-INS

Heat: It was the last road game of the season against a Western Conference team. The Heat dropped to 15-9 against the West, including 7-7 on the road with a victory over San Antonio in Mexico City. … Tyler Herro had 16 points but a game-high four turnovers. … Jimmy Butler was limited to seven shots and scored 12 points.

Mavericks: Dorian Finney-Smith scored 10 points before getting into foul trouble in his second game after missing 14 with a right adductor strain. He picked up his fifth foul late in the third quarter. … It was also the second game back for Josh Green after missing 20 with a right elbow sprain. He scored 12, including an alley-oop dunk on Doncic’s seventh and final assist in the fourth quarter.

3-POINT SURGE

Bullock is 19 of 29 from 3-point territory (66%) over his past four games to bring his season percentage up from 31%, the lowest since his rookie season in 2013-14, to 36%. The current percentage is almost exactly where he was in 2021-22 in helping Dallas reach the Western Conference finals.

“Just continue to just keep believing in my shot,” Bullock said. “I believe in the work that I continue to keep putting in. It was a very slow start for me, but the organization, the team, every day they’re telling me, `Shoot the ball, shoot the ball.'”

UP NEXT

Heat: At home against New Orleans on Sunday for the second meeting in five days. Miami ended the Pelicans’ 32-game streak of scoring at least 100 points in a 124-98 victory Wednesday.

Mavericks: The Clippers visit Sunday two weeks after Los Angeles won 113-101 at home in the first meeting of the season.

LEONARD HAS SEASON-HIGH 36 TO SEND CLIPPERS PAST SPURS

SAN ANTONIO (AP) Kawhi Leonard scored a season-high 36 points against his former team, and the Los Angeles Clippers snapped a two-game skid by beating the San Antonio Spurs 131-126 on Friday night.

The Clippers had lost nine of 11, but coach Tyronn Lue believed this game could mark the start of a turnaround for his team.

“I felt it this morning,” Lue said. “I think having our guys back and everyone going back to their natural roles helps us out a lot. With Kawhi and PG (Paul George) on the floor, we play at a high level.”

The Clippers had seven players score in double figures, including Norman Powell with 26 points and George had 16 points and 12 assists.

Los Angeles shot 63% from the field, 54% on 3-pointers and had 31 assists.

Keldon Johnson had 23 points for San Antonio, which has lost nine of 11. Josh Richardson added 17 points, Zach Collins had a season-high 17 and Jeremy Sochan had 16.

Leonard and George played together for just the third time in January. Leonard put on a show on the court where he won NBA Finals MVP in 2014 with the Spurs.

After losing 15 pounds, Leonard looked spry and had three thunderous dunks.

“I’m feeling a lot lighter, moving a lot bit better out there,” Leonard said. “I’m feeling pretty good. Played a few games in a row.”

The 6-foot-7 forward was 13 for 18 from the field and 4 for 5 on 3-pointers while adding seven assists, four rebounds and two steals.

“He was great,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. “He’s one of the finest players in the league. We are talking about the very top of the list – he’s with those guys.”

Leonard scored 13 points in just under 3 1/2 minutes starting midway through the third quarter to give the Clippers a 93-90 lead. Leonard had three 3-pointers and a vicious left-handed dunk in the run.

San Antonio did not have an individual answer for Leonard but responded by shooting 57% from the field and 54% on 3-pointers to go along with 34 assists.

“We won this game tonight because we made shots,” Leonard said. “They shot 57% and we shot 63. We definitely have to get better. We’re not going to shoot 63% every night. We’ve got to make sure their percentages are a lot lower than that. We still need to improve. We’ve got a lot to improve on if we want to be a great team.”

The Clippers set an opponent high with 41 points in the opening quarter, besting the mark they shared with 40 points against the Spurs in the opening quarter on Nov. 19. San Antonio responded by holding Los Angeles to 24 points in the second quarter.

“The team, I thought, was spectacular,” Popovich said. “They never give in. They are playing more physically than they have all year. They are assisting, playing the right way. Those guys made shots down the stretch, and oftentimes, that’s the difference. But I was really proud of our guys. They did a great job.”

TIP-INS

Clippers: PG John Wall sat out with an abdominal strain and G Luke Kennard missed the game with a sore right calf. . F Marcus Morris received a technical foul with 47 seconds remaining in the first half after continually talking to Sochan as the two stood across from each other at the free throw line. Morris’ twin brother, Markieff, got into a skirmish with Sochan on Tuesday. Sochan tumbled to the court and took Morris with him after the Nets forward set a hard screen shortly after Sochan put three fingers in his face following a 3-pointer.

Spurs: San Antonio assistant coach Brett Brown missed the game due to “personal business,” according to the team. . The Spurs finished a four-game homestand at 1-3. . San Antonio signed veteran center Gorgui Dieng to a second 10-day contract.

WELCOME BACK

Leonard was cheered by the Spurs fans for the first time since demanding a trade and leaving San Antonio in 2018.

Leonard was honored before the game with a video highlighting his seven seasons in San Antonio. There was a smattering of boos, but nothing to the level of jeers he received in previous appearances in San Antonio.

“It’s been a long journey,” Leonard said. “The fans are very competitive here. When I’m at the games you might hear boos, but if I’m walking on the street or going to restaurants, people come up to me and still tell me how much they love my game and like me as a person. So, I know it’s just a competition once I’m here. I understand.”

UP NEXT

Clippers: At Dallas on Sunday.

Spurs: At Portland on Monday.

IRVING SCORES 48, NETS BEAT JAZZ FOR 1ST WIN WITHOUT DURANT

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Kyrie Irving scored 48 points, including 21 in the fourth quarter for a second straight night, to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 117-106 victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday.

Brooklyn won for the first time since Kevin Durant’s knee injury behind Irving’s memorable finish. He shot 70% from the field in the fourth quarter and made four 3-pointers. Irving fell two points shy of matching Utah’s fourth-quarter point total.

He accounted for 18 of the Nets’ 43 baskets by himself – including a season-high eight 3-pointers.

“He’s just in a different world,” Nets center Nic Claxton said. “He’s locked in. He’s in a different type of zone and he makes those big shots time and time again.”

Irving also had a season-high 11 rebounds and six assists, leading Brooklyn in both categories. And he also took a couple of early charges.

“I put my body on the line and lead by example,” Irving said. “When I can get it going on the defensive end and do the little things, it really makes a difference for me and I’m dialed in.”

Claxton added 20 points and four blocks. Royce O’Neale chipped in 13 points and six assists in his first game back in Utah since being traded to Brooklyn before the season.

Jordan Clarkson scored 29 points for Utah and Lauri Markkanen added 22 points and 11 rebounds. Collin Sexton had 17 points and Malik Beasley chipped in 12.

The Jazz struggled with transition defense down the stretch, giving up 19 fast-break points after halftime.

“In the second half, we just weren’t very focused on getting back and protecting the basket,” Utah coach Will Hardy said. “We got a little bit wrapped up in trying to focus on the ball, and we let guys get behind us.”

After Clarkson capped a 10-3 run with a driving layup to tie it at 102, Irving and Seth Curry each knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to help the Nets take a 114-105 lead with 50 seconds left.

A night after losing in Phoenix to fall to 0-4 without Durant, Brooklyn carved out a 24-11 lead after holding the Jazz scoreless for four minutes. The Nets ran off 14 unanswered points during that stretch, highlighted by three baskets from Irving. They started 11 of 16 from the field before their offense cooled off.

“I thought you saw from him throughout the course of the night different segments of the game where he really put his imprint on what we were trying to do offensively,” Brooklyn coach Jacque Vaughn said. “It paid dividends, especially in the fourth quarter.”

Utah erased the double-digit deficit in the second quarter behind its own 14-0 run and took a 38-36 lead on a reverse layup from Sexton. The Jazz scored on seven straight possessions late in the quarter. Clarkson fueled the spurt with a pair of baskets and three free throws.

Even though Utah hung with Brooklyn until late in the fourth quarter, the Jazz never really felt comfortable on offense against the Nets’ physical defense.

“They were aggressive, switching 1 through 5,” Clarkson said. “I don’t think anybody has played us quite like that.”

HAPPY HOMECOMING

O’Neale made the most of his return to Utah.

The Nets forward knocked three 3-pointers in the first quarter to give his team an early spark. He came out strong again in the third quarter, tallying four points, three rebounds, and five assists while going the full 12 minutes.

His contributions reflected a collective aggressiveness from the Nets on both ends.

“Us locking in from the beginning, it set the tone early,” O’Neale said.

TIP INS

Nets: Ben Simmons had six of his nine rebounds in the fourth quarter. . Brooklyn did not attempt a free throw until 4:02 remained in the second quarter.

Jazz: Mike Conley dished out a game-high nine assists. . Utah outscored Brooklyn 32-21 in bench points.

UP NEXT

Nets: Visit Golden State on Sunday.

Jazz: Host Charlotte on Monday.

LAKERS RALLY TO SNAP GRIZZLIES’ WINNING STREAK AT 11 GAMES

LOS ANGELES (AP) Dennis Schroeder completed a three-point play with 7.6 seconds after a steal and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied to beat Memphis 122-121 on Friday night, snapping the Grizzlies’ winning streak at 11.

The Lakers trailed 114-107 before outscoring the Grizzlies 15-7 the rest of the way.

Schroeder, who scored 19 points, stole the ball from Desmond Bane near halfcourt and made a layup while being fouled by Bane to tie it at 120. Schoeder then made a free throw for the lead.

After a timeout, Memphis’ Brandon Clarke was fouled with 1.9 seconds remaining. He made the first, but missed the second. Bane got the offensive rebound, but lost control of it to give the Lakers possession with 0.4 seconds left.

Russell Westbrook led the Lakers with 29 points and LeBron James added 23.

Ja Morant led Memphis with 22 points. Clarke and Tyus Jones added 20 apiece, and Steven Adams had 16 points and 17 rebounds.

Morant missed his first five shots and was 2 of 10 with six points in the first half before he had a heated courtside conversation with Shannon Sharpe – the Pro Football Hall of Famer and Fox Sports personality – before halftime.

Morant had 14 points in the third quarter and the Grizzlies had a 13-point lead late in the period.

TIP-INS

Grizzlies: Adams had seven rebounds in the first quarter, the fifth time this season he has had seven or more in the first.

Lakers: Blocked five shots in the first quarter.

UP NEXT

Grizzlies: At Phoenix on Sunday night.

Lakers: At Portland on Sunday night.

MURRAY SCORES 29, SABONIS HAS TRIPLE-DOUBLE, KINGS BEAT OKC

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Rookie Keegan Murray had season highs of 29 points and 14 rebounds, Domantas Sabonis added his fifth triple-double of the season and the Sacramento Kings beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-113 on Friday night for their sixth consecutive win.

“Overall, I feel like our team has kind of rallied around me, and I’m grateful for that,” Murray said.

Sabonis finished with 18 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds. Murray, the No. 4 pick in the draft from Iowa, became the first Kings rookie to record consecutive double-doubles since the 2018-19 season.

“Keegan surprised me tonight,” Kings coach Mike Brown said. “He had a couple of moves that I’m really impressed with. I can’t wait to go back and watch. He had a couple of moves that I am in love with. I’m glad that he’s starting to show what he is capable of.”

De’Aaron Fox scored 23 points and Kevin Huerter chipped in 14.

The Kings (26-18) have two six-game winning streaks in the same season for the first time since 2002-03 and are third in the Western Conference.

Isaiah Joe knocked down a 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left to cut the Kings’ lead to three before Fox made a layup off an inbound pass.

“The team always runs through the finish line,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “Great competitive level. We played exceptionally hard. .certainly a relevant game we can learn from.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points for the Thunder (22-24), who had won three of four.

Joe finished with 21 points off the bench. Lu Dort and Josh Giddey each scored 15 points.

“The guys fought hard,” Joe said. “We all fought hard. …we were focused and we fell short to a team that’s been rolling.”

TIP-INS

Thunder: F Jeremiah Robinson-Earl remained out with an ankle sprain and illness.

Kings: Sabonis returned from a one-game absence from a non-COVID illness. .Fox received a technical foul with 7:41 left in the second quarter

UP NEXT

Kings: Host Philadelphia on Saturday.

Thunder: At Denver on Sunday.

********************************NHL NEWS*********************************

JARRY MAKES 46 SAVES IN RETURN, PENGUINS TOP SENATORS 4-1

PITTSBURGH (AP) The Pittsburgh Penguins have spent much of the last month fending off injuries and erratic and occasionally uninspired play.

The return of goaltender Tristan Jarry and defenseman Jeff Petry provided a welcome reminder of what the Penguins can be when they’re closer to full strength.

Jarry made 46 saves in his return from a lower-body injury and Petry picked up an assist and skated a team-high 25:25 following a 16-game absence due to an upper-body issue as the Penguins raced past Ottawa 4-1 on Friday night.

“I’ve had a little bit of time off,” said Jarry, who hadn’t played since getting hurt in the first period of the Winter Classic against Boston on Jan. 2. “So obviously it’s never easy having to watch games and it’s never easy having to watch guys go out every night and give it their all and you can’t be out there with them.”

Jarry wasted little time getting up to speed. The Senators peppered him at times, yet the two-time All-Star hardly looked rusty as Pittsburgh took the back half of a home-and-home series with Ottawa.

“He’s got such a calm demeanor in there,’ Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said of Jarry. “He makes some difficult saves sometimes look routine and that’s when he’s at his best.”

Jake Guentzel scored twice for the Penguins to reach 20 goals for the sixth straight season. Rickard Rakell added his 17th and Jason Zucker his 13th as Pittsburgh beat the Senators for the 11th straight time at PPG Paints Arena.

‘”‘It feels good,” Guentzel said. “Guys that played big minutes (are coming back) and our No. 1 goaltender (too). It’s special to have them back.”

Brady Tkachuk had his 16th goal for the Senators and Cam Talbott stopped 40 shots but couldn’t quite match Jarry while losing for the fifth time in his last six starts.

“Obviously, we’d like to score more goals,” Ottawa forward Derick Brassard said. “The goalie was hot tonight. It was his first game back. I think he fed off of a lot of that energy.”

Pittsburgh went just 3-3-1 during Jarry’s absence, though Zucker said the issue wasn’t the goaltending play of backups Casey DeSmith or Dustin Tokarski as much as sloppy play in front of them.

There were no such issues with Jarry aggressively cutting off angles or using his stick to break up power-play chances.

Rakell and Zucker scored 43 seconds apart in the first to give the Penguins an early 2-0 lead. Guentzel’s 19th goal with 2:48 made it 3-0. Tkachuk’s goal late in the second briefly gave Ottawa life but couldn’t fully blunt Pittsburgh’s momentum.

“It’s just frustrating when you’re shooting so much and have chances,” Brassard said.

OH BROTHER

Penguins defenseman P.O. Joseph and older brother Mathieu, a forward for the Senators, lived out a childhood dream when they played each other for the first time in the NHL.

Neither player recorded a point, but they did enter the box score together when they drew coincidental high-stick penalties while their parents, Frantzi Joseph and France Taillon, watched from the stands.

P.O. Joseph sheepishly admitted his brother probably didn’t deserve a penalty, admitting he may have accidentally high-sticked himself.

“I don’t know if they thought this is going to be funny or something that we’re both going to get a penalty at the same time,” Mathieu Joseph said. “But stuff happens. I’m sure my parents had a good laugh about it, but I didn’t think it was funny.”

NOTES: Letang wore a non-contact jersey while participating in Pittsburgh’s morning skate and could be nearing a return. The 17-year veteran has been out since late-December with a lower-body injury.

UP NEXT

Senators: Begin a two-game homestand on Saturday against Winnipeg.

Penguins: Travel to New Jersey on Sunday.

RANTANEN LEADS AVALANCHE TO 4-1 WIN OVER CANUCKS

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-1 Friday night for their fourth straight victory.

Andrew Cogliano, Valeri Nichushkin and Brad Hunt also scored for Colorado, and Nathan MacKinnon had two assists. Alexandar Georgiev stopped 28 shots.

Elias Pettersson scored for Vancouver, which lost for the eighth time in 10 games. Collin Delia finished with 26 saves.

Despite Vancouver’s performance, the crowd showed its appreciation for Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau midway through the second period and again late in the game with chants of “Bruce, there it is!” to the tune of Tag Team’s “Whoomp! (There it is).” Multiple reports said the veteran coach could be fired imminently and replaced with Rick Tocchet.

Cogliano opened the scoring with 8 1/2 minutes left in the first, ripping a shot past Delia glove side from the hash marks for his seventh of the season.

Just 34 seconds into the second, J.T. Compher sent Nichushkin a pass from the goal line and the Russian forward sent a wrist shot sailing toward the net. The puck bounced in off Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers as he slid in front of the net and Colorado took a 2-0 lead. MacKinnon contributed an assist on the goal, extending his point streak to seven games with four goals and 11 assists across the stretch.

A two-man advantage saw the Avs go up 3-0 midway through the second after Vancouver’s Conor Garland was sent to the box for holding and his team was called for too many men. MacKinnon sent a blistering shot wide of the net and the puck sprang off the end boards to Rantanen at the goal line. The forward fired off a quick sharp-angle shot over Delia stick side for his 32nd goal of the year at the 10:32 mark.

Vancouver got on the board with 7 1/2 minutes left in the period after Brock Boeser dove in the slot, poking the puck to Pettersson at the top of the crease. The Swedish center used some deft stickhandling, moving the puck from his forehand to his backhand, then, while falling to his knees, wrapped a shot around Georgiev for his 19th.

Hunt gave the Avalanche a three-goal cushion as the veteran defenseman launched a rocket from the blue line that sailed past Delia with 33 seconds left in the middle period.

Colorado went 2 for 4 with the man advantage Friday while Vancouver was 0 for 4.

INS AND OUTS

Canucks D Travis Dermott returned to the lineup after missing three games with an undisclosed injury. … Colorado’s Cale Makar missed a second straight game with an upper-body injury.

STREAK SNAPPED

Vancouver F Horvat saw his nine-game point streak end. The Canucks center registered four goals and six assists going back to Dec. 29.

UP NEXT

Avalanche: At Seattle on Saturday night to finish a three-game trip.

Canucks: Host Edmonton on Saturday night in the third of four-game homestand.

********************************MLB NEWS***********************************

TWINS TRADE BATTING CHAMP ARRAEZ TO MARLINS FOR PABLO LÓPEZ

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Luis Arraez was taking a nap Friday after a workout when he got a call and was told the Minnesota Twins had traded him to the Miami Marlins.

“I was surprised,” he said, “but this is baseball. This is a business. I’m ready to go now. I’m a Marlin and I’m excited to be here.”

The Twins traded the reigning AL batting champion to the Marlins for a three-player package featuring starting pitcher Pablo Lopez.

Lopez should bolster an already deep Twins rotation, albeit one that’s absent a true ace. He’ll slot in with Sonny Gray, Tyler Mahle, Kenta Maeda, Joe Ryan and perhaps Bailey Ober. This has been an eventful month for the Twins, having re-signed shortstop Carlos Correa.

“I’m really excited about coming to this team, the leaders they have in the clubhouse and the players they have to support each other,” Lopez said on a video interview with reporters. “It’s a mentality that really motivates me too. I ask and expect more of myself when it comes to my performance and the ways I can help out the team.”

The 25-year-old Arraez had a breakout season for Minnesota last year, making his first All-Star team while batting a league-best .316 and denying Aaron Judge a Triple Crown. The Yankees star led the AL in home runs and RBIs and finished five points behind Arraez in batting average.

Arraez is a multi-positional player who spent most of his time at first base for the Twins last year, starting 61 games there, 34 at designated hitter and 31 at second base. He has also played extensively at third base and left field.

Marlins general manager Kim Ng said Arraez is expected to play second base for Miami, and Jazz Chisolm Jr, who has mainly played second base during his major league career with the Marlins, will move to center field.

The Twins also received two prospects from the Marlins: infielder Jose Salas and outfielder Byron Chourio. The 19-year-old Salas, who finished last season with Miami’s high Class A affiliate, was picked as the organization’s fifth-best prospect in the most recent MLB Pipeline rankings. The 17-year-old Chourio, also a native of Venezuela, played in the Dominican Summer League last season after signing with the Marlins organization in June.

Arraez will give the Marlins three years of contract control. This is his first year of salary arbitration eligibility. He was the only Twins player who didn’t settle at the deadline last week, asking for $6.1 million in 2023 while the team offered $5 million.

The native of Venezuela became a fan favorite for his persistence and patience at the plate, as tough of an out as there has been in baseball in recent years with only 131 strikeouts in 1,569 career plate appearances. He has only 14 home runs over four seasons, but his career on-base percentage is .374.

Twins fans who are old enough might also have winced when the club traded reigning AL batting champion Rod Carew after the 1978 season, albeit with far different circumstances.

“Anytime you have a player that’s well liked in the environment, who you know is going to go work and do it every day which we got to see with Luis, it makes it harder,” Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. “We’d love to have Luis and Pablo on our team, but to get something as impactful as what Pablo brings to our team, you have to give something impactful.”

The 26-year-old Lopez had a 3.75 ERA in 32 starts last season. He threw a career-high 180 innings. Over the last two seasons, he had 289 strikeouts in 282 2/3 innings.

“When you trade anyone it’s always difficult, particularly when you’re talking about someone like Pablo,” Ng said. “Just a first-class guy, tremendous human being. He’s done a lot for the Marlins organization.”

Maeda, Gray, Mahle and Ryan were all acquired in recent trades, too, and whether minor-leaguers or major-leaguers the Twins have had to part with several valuable players to get them.

“I don’t care where they come from. We need really good starters and we need really good pitchers,” Falvey said. “The goal here is to continue to deepen your starting rotation and pitching staff however we can do it.”

Falvey listed Ober sixth when he mentioned the group in a video interview. He said the Twins have discussed a six-man rotation but weren’t “ready to stamp that yet.” Injuries ravaged the rotation last year, so chances are the Twins will need more than six starters over the course of 2023.

The deal makes sense for Miami, which has a strong pitching rotation highlighted by NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara, and newly acquired right-hander Johnny Cueto. The Marlins struggled at the plate last season, though, batting .230 in 2022, and had been looking to add another hitter to their lineup after signing former Philadelphia infielder Jean Segura. Miami also recently traded shortstop Miguel Rojas to the Dodgers.

“We’ve talked about it quite often, wanting to add offense this offseason,” Ng said. “We’re willing to trade some of our pitching to do it. What we get in Luis Arraez is a left-handed, very good hitter.”

*******************************MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS************************

KORDA OF US STOPS 2-TIME AUSTRALIAN OPEN RUNNER-UP MEDVEDEV

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Sebastian Korda comes by his athleticism and competitive instincts honestly. From Dad, the 1998 Australian Open champion. From Mom, also a former professional tennis player. And from two big sisters, both current golf pros.

Add in some mentorship from eight-time major champ Andre Agassi and a couple of coaches, including former player Radek Stepanek, and maybe it shouldn’t be all that surprising that Korda, a 22-year-old American never past the fourth round at a Grand Slam tournament, would manage to eliminate two-time runner-up Daniil Medvedev at Melbourne Park.

Korda’s attacking brand of tennis carried him past No. 7-seeded Medvedev 7-6 (7), 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the Australian Open’s third round Friday night, the latest in a string of victories by young men from the U.S. against top players this week.

“I always was told how good of a tennis player I can be. Now (I’m) just getting the right people around me, building a really solid team, just trusting the process,” said the 29th-seeded Korda, who was the 2018 junior champion in Australia. “I’m growing as a person, as a player. Just trying to do the right things. Just have fun, enjoy it – good things will happen.”

This result comes on the heels of two other attention-grabbing victories by players from the U.S., whose men last won a Grand Slam title 20 years ago. On Wednesday, Mackenzie McDonald beat No. 1 seed Rafael Nadal. On Thursday, Jenson Brooksby beat No. 2 seed Casper Ruud.

Now it was Korda’s turn to add his name to the list with a game Medvedev described as “kind of different from everybody.”

Medvedev won the U.S. Open two years ago and made it to the final in Australia in 2021, when he lost to Novak Djokovic, and 2022, when he lost to Nadal after holding a two-set lead. The Russian also was briefly ranked No. 1 last season.

On this night in Rod Laver Arena, it was Korda who dictated most of the points, who put his shots right where he wanted them, who charged forward with verve and slick volleys. He even threw in the occasional drop shot, for good measure.

He compiled nearly twice as many winners as Medvedev, 50-28, and won the point on 75% of his trips to the net, 36 of 48.

“I kind of knew what I had to do. I stuck with it, even when I was going up and down with the emotions,” Korda said.

How would he describe that game plan?

“Just go for it,” he said with a laugh.

Korda broke Medvedev – who said afterward his right wrist and forearm were bothering him – the first time he served in each set. With the match a fraction longer than 2 1/2 hours old, Korda was serving while ahead 4-3, 40-15 in the third set. So close to advancing. Five points away.

Right there, right then, is when Korda slipped up.

After Medvedev made it 40-30 with a forehand winner, Korda got a chance to hit a seemingly simple volley to take the game. But he missed, sending the ball too long. On the next point, he netted a forehand from the baseline, his sixth unforced error off that wing in the set – six more than Medvedev at that moment. A netted backhand then completed the gift-wrapped break, and one love hold later, Medvedev had accumulated eight consecutive points to go up 5-4.

What appeared to be a turning point, though, turned out just to be a blip.

Korda raced to a 6-1 lead in the closing tiebreaker and, while he again needed to settled down after some missed chances, this time he ended things with a forehand winner.

He said he relied on a philosophy he picked up from his mother, Regina Rajchrtova: “Throughout this whole year, I haven’t had one negative thought, whether it’s waiting for transportation to go to the courts, whether it’s eating lunch, whether it’s doing anything. … Kind of just having a new motto of: Positive energy is more positive than negative energy.”

To reach his first Slam quarterfinal, Korda will need to defeat No. 10 Hubert Hurkacz on Sunday. That day’s other men’s matches: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Jannik Sinner, Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Jiri Lehecka, and Karen Khachanov vs. Yoshihito Nishioka.

Nishioka was a 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-2 winner over McDonald, while another one of the eight U.S. men to reach the third round was sent home when Khachanov topped No. 16 Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9).

The women’s upcoming fourth-round matches: Iga Swiatek vs. Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula vs. Barbora Krejcikova, Coco Gauff vs. Jelena Ostapenko, and Victoria Azarenka vs. Zhu Lin.

As well as Pegula is playing, dropping zero sets and just 11 games total along the way to Week 2, you might think she’d be completely pleased with how things are going.

Ah, but Pegula is a self-described perfectionist. And so she gave herself a bit of a hard time about what happened late in the second set of her 6-0, 6-2 victory over Marta Kostyuk.

“I was annoyed,” Pegula said after the 65-minute contest.

By what, exactly?

Well, the 28-year-old from New York was cruising along, having won 10 of the first 11 games and serving with a 30-love lead, when she stumbled ever so slightly, ever so briefly. She missed three first serves in a row. She put a backhand into the net. She got lobbed. She double-faulted. She started muttering under her breath. She sent a backhand long to end an 11-stroke exchange. Add it up, and Pegula got broken there, her lead in the second set shrinking to 4-2. For three minutes, her play was less than ideal.

Oh, the horror.

“When I was younger, it came off as kind of a bad attitude. I’d get really negative or down on myself,” Pegula said, adding that she has worked on “not being so hard on myself during the matches.”

****************************MEN’S GOLF NEWS***************************

THOMPSON CARDS 3 MORE EAGLES, HAS 2-SHOT AMEX LEAD OVER RAHM

LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) Rookie Davis Thompson made three more eagles Friday for a total of five through 36 holes to tie the PGA Tour record for the most in a 72-hole tournament since 1983, and he still didn’t put any more distance between himself and Jon Rahm at The American Express.

Thompson also carded his first bogeys of the tournament, which were hardly enough to slow him down. One day after making consecutive eagles in shooting 10-under 62 at La Quinta to take the first-round lead, Thompson carded an 8-under 64 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West. He had three eagles, four birdies and two bogeys.

The 23-year-old who played college golf at Georgia was at 18-under 126, two strokes ahead of Rahm, who also shot 64 on the Nicklaus course.

“I just had some good numbers into par-5s and was able to execute my shots,” Thompson said. “I had some putts drop. So it was nice to make some eagles.”

Actually, it’s his entire game that’s going well in the Southern California desert.

“I think putting the ball in the fairway, hitting a lot of greens and really seeing lines well on my putts,” Thompson said. “Just everything is kind of clicking these last two days and I’m just looking forward to trying to keep it rolling tomorrow.”

Thompson will play the Stadium Course on Saturday, which will host the final round on Sunday after the 54-hole cut in this pro-am event, which uses three courses.

Thompson is the second player to have five eagles through two rounds at The American Express. He matched the record set in 1995 by Scott McCarron, who missed the 72-hole cut when it was a five-round tournament.

Thompson, who began his round wearing a hoodie in the early-morning chill, eagled his second hole, the par-5 11th, when he hit a 5-iron to about 15 feet. He then had two bogeys in four holes spanning the turn to briefly lose his lead, but then ran off a string of three birdies and two eagles in a span of five holes to go from 1-under to 8-under for his round. He eagled the par-5 fourth and the par-5 seventh – hitting the green with a mid-iron and draining a putt from roughly 20 feet each time – before finishing his round with consecutive pars.

The other players to make five eagles in a four-round tournament since 1983 were Justin Rose in the 2022 Canadian Open, Dustin Johnson in the 2020 FedEx St. Jude Championship, Austin Cook in the 2019 Barbasol Championship, Keegan Bradley and Brandt Snedeker in the 2018 Canadian Open, and Davis Love III in the 1994 Sony Open. Only Johnson won.

Rahm, the world’s fourth-ranked player who won two weeks ago at Kapalua, matched his score from a day earlier at La Quinta.

“Feeling great. Lot of confidence,” Rahm said. “Having essentially the hardest course two days in a row, but I’m in a really good position. So hopefully I can keep the good game going.”

Five players were five shots back of Thompson, including 20-year-old Tom Kim, who had the low round of the day, a 10-under 62 on the Nicklaus Course, and Jason Day, who shot 64 on the Stadium Course. The others were J.T. Poston, Sungjae Im and Tyler Duncan.

The field includes five of the top seven players in the world and 10 of the top 20.

Second-ranked Scottie Scheffler and sixth-ranked Xander Schauffele were in a group of five at 11 under that also included Rose. No. 5 Patrick Cantlay was in a group of seven at 10 under while No. 7 Will Zalatoris was at 6 under.

****************************WOMEN’S GOLF NEWS**************************

HENDERSON’S TORRID START SPARKS 4-SHOT LEAD AT LPGA OPENER

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) One of Brooke Henderson’s goals heading into the newly minted LPGA season was to get herself into contention more often. The Canadian is off to a strong start, building a four-shot lead Friday in the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.

Playing alongside Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam, who is competing in the celebrity division, Henderson ran off four birdies beginning at the second hole, was 9-under par by the time she stepped onto the sixth tee and played mistake-free for a 6-under 66 at Lake Nona.

The other 28 LPGA pros in the winners-only field swiftly entered into scramble mode just to keep from losing sight of her. Henderson’s closest pursuers going into the third round are Nelly Korda – at No. 2 the top-ranked player in the field – England’s Charley Hull and Wei-Ling Hsu of Taiwan. They each shot 69.

Henderson was sensational at the start, hitting a couple of wedges close to tight hole locations to set up two of her early birdies, and nearly holing a 6-iron for ace at the 171-yard fourth hole. Making the start extra special was playing with Sorenstam for the first time.

“I feel like I’ll remember it forever,” said Henderson, who has made only one bogey in 36 holes. “Just one of those opportunities of a lifetime. We all look up to her out here on tour. She’s kind and obviously a great player, and I think we can all learn a lot from her.”

Korda headed off after the round to work on her putting after missing several good looks on the front nine – though she did have four birdies after the 10th hole.

Hull, meanwhile, who fled the cold weather of England for three days of practice in Morocco to prepare, said her swing was out of sorts, and worked hard to produce a score below 70. A three-putt bogey on the final hole left her with a round of 69, alongside Hsu, five shots behind Henderson.

“Obviously, I’ve been playing in the frost, so it bounces miles. Our greens are thick. These greens are so fast compared to what I’m used to playing on,” Hull said. “Yeah, I was thinking today the Americans definitely have a massive advantage – but I love England too much to move anywhere else.”

Hsu, who got here by winning the 2021 Pure Silk Championship, made six birdies but none after the 13th hole, completing her 69 with five pars.

Tennis player and Davis Cup captain Mardy Fish took control among the celebrities and athletes, posting the equivalent of a 67 in the Modified Stableford scoring system.

He has 78 points, nine points better than Sorenstam, a Lake Nona resident, and military veteran Chad Pfeifer. Fish and Korda began their day in the wee dark hours, both rising early to watch Sebastian Korda – Nelly’s brother – win his match at the Australian Open.

***************************RACING NEWS*****************************

2-TIME DAYTONA 500 WINNER KENSETH SET TO ENTER HALL OF FAME

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Two-time Daytona 500 champion Matt Kenseth and three others will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Friday night.

The 50-year-old Kenseth, who drove 18 full seasons on the NASCAR circuit before retiring in 2020 with 39 Cup victories and 20 poles, highlights a class that also includes longtime driver Hershel McGriff and crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine. Mike Helton will be inducted as the Landmark Award winner for outstanding contributions to the sport.

Kenseth ranks 21st on NASCAR’s career wins list. He won all of the sport’s biggest races including the Daytona 500 in 2009 and 2012, the Coca-Cola 600, the Southern 500 and the All-Star race.

Kenseth captured the 2003 Cup Series championship behind a dominating season in which he led the points standings for the final 32 weeks of the season. He made the NASCAR playoffs in 13 of 14 seasons and finished runner-up twice. He also won 29 Xfinity Series races.

Shelmerdine was the crew chief and front tire change for four of Dale Earnhardt’s seven championships. Only two crew chiefs have more premier series titles than Shelmerdine: class of 2012 inductee Dale Inman with eight and Chad Knaus, who will be eligible for Hall of Fame consideration in 2024, who has seven.

McGriff, 94, competed on race tracks for 68 years. From 1954 until 2018, he participated in 271 races in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West (now ARCA Menards West Series), winning 34 races and posting 100 top-five finishes. He captured the series championship in 1986 at 58 years old and finished second in points in 1985 and 1987.

The four were selected to the Hall of Fame last May.

Kenseth was a driver who earned the respect of his contemporaries, including Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick.

Johnson, a seven-time Cup champion, said some of his fiercest battles on the racetrack have been with Kenseth.

“There was always just a deep level of trust that we’re going to give 100%, not step over the line, not clean each other out,” Johnson said. “… As a competitor, he was one of the few that I knew we’d race hard but we wouldn’t cross the line.”

Johnson said the two forged a friendship away from the track riding bicycles.

“I absolutely call him a friend,” Johnson said. “His family, his kids are close my kids, our wives are close, like we’ve really become friends and I am so thankful for it.”

Harvick also described Kenseth as a fair driver, but added that he is “that sneaky guy that would dump you.”

“If you did him wrong, he was going to give back exactly what he got,” Harvick said. “As you look back at Matt, he was one of the rare few that would always just figure it out and find his way to the front by the time that the race was over. He’s a great hardcore good racer and I always respected him.”

******************************MEN’S SOCCER****************************

AP SOURCE: MCBRIDE OUT AS US MEN’S SOCCER GENERAL MANAGER

NEW YORK (AP) Brian McBride is out as general manager of the U.S. men’s national team, U.S. Soccer Federation sporting director Earnie Stewart told the governing body’s board of directors.

Stewart informed the board during his presentation near the end of the board’s executive session on Thursday, a person familiar with the discussion told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because the decision, first reported by ESPN, was not announced.

McBride had held the job for three years. Stewart did not tell the board whether the former U.S. team star will be replaced in the role, the person said.

USSF president Cindy Parlow Cone and spokesman Neil Buethe did not respond to requests for comment.

McBride reported to and supervised former teammates in his role as GM and was involved in controversy with another former teammate.

Stewart, 53, played for the U.S. at the 1994, 1998 and 2002 World Cups and was hired as the first GM of the team in June 2018 as part of a management reorganization that followed the Americans’ failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. He recommended to the board in December 2018 that Gregg Berhalter be hired as coach.

Stewart was elevated to sporting director of the men’s and women’s programs in August 2019, when Kate Markgraf was hired as the first general manager of the U.S. women’s team. McBride, a 50-year-old with 30 goals in 95 international appearances, was hired as men’s team general manager in January 2020 and both he and Markgraf reported to Stewart.

McBride’s departure comes amid a dispute involving Berhalter and the family of U.S. player Gio Reyna that has left Berhalter’s future with the team in question.

Berhalter led the U.S. to the round of 16 at last year’s World Cup, where the Americans were eliminated with a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands.

Berhalter’s contract expired at the end of December and he said he hopes to stay on as coach through the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. will co-host with Canada and Mexico.

The USSF announced Jan. 3 it had hired the law firm of Alston & Bird to investigate Berhalter after Danielle Egan Reyna contacted Stewart on Dec. 11 and told him of a 1991 incident in which Berhalter kicked Rosalind Santana, the woman who later became his wife. Berhalter issued a statement that he had “zero excuses for my actions that night.”

Danielle Reyna, a former U.S. women’s player, is married to former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna and is the mother of current midfielder Gio Reyna and the college roommate of Rosalind Santana Berhalter.

Berhalter revealed at a business conference on Dec. 6 that he almost sent a player home from the World Cup for lack of hustle in training, remarks clearly about the 20-year-old Gio Reyna. Claudio Reyna said he told Stewart and McBride he was frustrated with Gio’s World Cup experience.

“We’ve had to deal with a sad and unfortunate situation, but I believe we’re handling it in the right way,” Cone said during the public session of the board on Thursday. She said the investigation “should be completed in the coming weeks.”

Anthony Hudson, a Berhalter assistant, will be the interim coach when the U.S. starts training Saturday for exhibitions next week against Serbia and Colombia.

****************TOP INDIANA RELEASES*******************

COLTS FOOTBALL: COLTS INTERVIEW CINCINNATI BENGALS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR BRIAN CALLAHAN FOR HEAD COACH POSITION

The Colts on Friday completed an interview for the team’s head coaching position with Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan.

Callahan is in his fourth season as the Bengals’ offensive coordinator, and has helped Cincinnati win back-to-back AFC North titles behind scoring offenses that ranked seventh in points per game in both 2021 and 2022.

Callahan began his coaching career in 2010 as a coaching assistant with the Denver Broncos. He was an offensive quality control coach from 2011-2012 before serving as an offensive assistant from 2013-2015. After Denver, Callahan was the Detroit Lions’ quarterbacks coach from 2016-2017 and the Oakland Raiders’ quarterbacks coach in 2018 before joining head coach Zac Taylor in Cincinnati.

Callahan’s father, Bill, has coached for over 40 years at the college and pro level, and is currently the Cleveland Browns’ offensive line coach.

ALSO: COLTS INTERVIEW GREEN BAY PACKERS SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR RICH BISACCIA FOR HEAD COACH POSITION

The Colts on Friday completed an interview for the team’s head coaching position with Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia.

Bisaccia joined the Packers in 2022 after leading the Las Vegas Raiders to the playoffs in 2021 as interim head coach.

In Bisaccia’s first year in Green Bay, kickoff returner Keisean Nixon was named a first-team AP All-Pro and the Packers ranked fourth in the NFL in yards per kick return (25.6).

Bisaccia has 20 years of experience as an NFL special teams coordinator, serving in that role with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002-2010), San Diego Chargers (2011-2012), Dallas Cowboys (2013-2017) and Raiders (2018-2021) before Packers head coach Matt LaFleur brought him to Green Bay last year. Prior to the NFL, Bisaccia held various coaching roles at the college level, spending time at Wayne State (1983-1987), South Carolina (1988-1993), Clemson (1994-1998) and Ole Miss (1999-2001).

PACERS BASKETBALL GAME REWIND: PACERS 111, NUGGETS 134

Visiting The Mile High City, the Indiana Pacers knew they were facing a tall task in taking on the No. 1 team in the Western Conference.

Unfortunately for the Blue & Gold, the final result was far from an upset.

Both the Pacers (23-24) and Denver Nuggets (33-13) continued streaking in opposite directions on Friday, as the Nuggets handed the Pacers a 134-111 loss at Ball Arena.

Denver has now won their last nine games while Indiana has lost six in a row.

The Nuggets haven’t squandered many opportunities at home this season, as they are now 22-3 on their own floor and have won 16 straight in Denver.

Both teams were without key starters in the matchup, as Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton missed a fifth straight game due to left elbow and knee sprains and Nuggets two-time reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic was a late scratch due left hamstring tightness.

Despite missing Jokic, Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray recorded the first triple-double of his career with 17 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds. Aaron Gordon also had a big night for the Nuggets, totaling 28 points, six assists and five rebounds while Michael Porter Jr. collected 19 points and six boards.

The Nuggets shot 61.4 percent from the field to the Pacers’ 44.6 percent.

The Pacers won the rebounding margin 50-44 but were outscored in the paint 68-50 and on fastbreak points 23-14. Indiana had 21 turnovers in the game.

“This is a talented team, even without Jokic,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said postgame. “And, you know, small breakdowns turn into big problems. We’ve got to defend better, we’ve got to take care of the ball better.”

Pacers standout rookie Bennedict Mathurin topped his squad with 19 points, Chris Duarte scored 18 points off the bench and Myles Turner finished with 15 points and seven rebounds for the visitors.

Three minutes following the tip, both teams made four of their first seven shots to tie it at 10.

Denver then went on a 17-2 run, behind seven points from Murray, before T.J. McConnell stopped the Pacers’ bleeding with two free throws as the visitors trailed 27-14 with 3:11 left in the first quarter.

Duarte then caught fire for the Pacers, scoring nine quick points, before Buddy Hield was fouled from beyond the arc and hit all his free throws to cut it to 35-28 with six seconds on the clock. After one, the Nuggets led 37-28.

The Nuggets made 15 of 21 shot attempts in the first quarter while the Pacers went 8-for-22, including 1-for-10 from 3-point range.

A 9-2 scoring stretch by Denver boosted their lead to 52-36 midway through the second quarter, but the Pacers responded with a 17-9 run to make it 58-53 with 1:29 left in the half. During the scoring flurry, the Pacers had a streak of nine unanswered points, with five coming from Aaron Nesmith.

At the break, the Pacers trailed 61-53.

Nesmith got the Pacers’ offense rolling to start the second half, scoring the team’s first eight points, to narrow it to 68-61 four minutes into the third quarter.

However, the Nuggets responded with a 12-2 run to build their lead to 81-63. After the Pacers were able to cut it to a 10-point deficit, the Nuggets scored on three straight dunks – two off Pacers turnovers – to push the score to 92-76.

Going into the final frame, the Pacers trailed 99-82.

Denver built its lead to as many as 30 in the fourth quarter as they squashed any hopes of a Pacers comeback and the visitors emptied the bench midway through the period.

“I think we’ve got to hammer out a lot of details and get back to being us,” Turner said after the game. “Concerned is not the word for it. We have way too much basketball left to be concerned.”

The Pacers will play the second leg of a back-to-back tomorrow at the Phoenix Suns (22-24).

Inside the Numbers

– Indiana finished with eight made 3-pointers, just the fifth time this season the team has made fewer than 10 from deep in a game.

– The Nuggets finished with 16 steals, which is the most by a Pacers opponent in a game this season.

–  Denver had 38 total assists as a team while Indiana totaled 23.

– Mathurin has led the team in scoring 11 times now this season.

– Duarte had 18 points in just under 17 minutes of play.

– The Pacers made 29 of 37 free throw attempts while the Nuggets went 18-for-26.

– Six players scored in double figures for the Nuggets.

– All 14 players that dressed for the Pacers played in the game.

You Can Quote Me On That

“Benn’s the best sixth man in the league. I believe in putting guys in a position to succeed and help our team succeed. If you’ve looked at the numbers, you know that it’s not close how well he’s playing in the sixth man role versus starting. That’s a no-brainer.”  – Carlisle on moving Mathurin back to a bench after recently starting in games

“Our point guards are damn good players. This is an uncharacteristic night for them, having five and four turnovers, respectively. That’s not going to happen tomorrow.” – Carlisle on the 21 turnovers in the game

“It’s coming step-by-step. I’m just going with the flow. I was off for a little while and now I’m finding my rhythm back.” – Duarte on his strong offensive night

“You can’t just say it was one thing. I think, just as a whole, we didn’t show up tonight and it’s unfortunate. We’ve got a game tomorrow and that’s where we have to put our minds at.” – Turner on the loss

“Nine turnovers between the point guards is not going to get it done. We’ll be better and watch film and see what we can do better in that area and we’ll fix it.” – McConnell on the turnovers

“I think we’re connected as a group. There’s breakdowns that happen — that’s the game of basketball and it’s going to happen. It’s about minimizing those and we will certainly watch the film and try to fix it.” – McConnell on the team’s connectivity

Stat of the Night

Denver shot 61.4 percent against Indiana, making 51 of 83 total shots, which is the highest field goal percentage by a Pacers opponent in a game this season.

Noteworthy

– Denver has won six straight games against the Blue & Gold.

– The Pacers are now below .500 for the first time since Dec. 20 (15-16).

– Pacers forward Oshae Brissett made his first start of the season on Friday.

– Unless the teams meet in the NBA Finals and he achieves the feat, Jokic has gone another season without registering a triple-double against Indiana. Jokic has 96 career triple-doubles (90 regular season), but hasn’t managed one against the Pacers or Washington Wizards yet.

After a four-game road trip, the Pacers will be back at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7:00 PM ET.

FUEL HOCKEY: CYCLONES BLOWN AWAY BY FUEL

INDIANAPOLIS- The Indy Fuel hosted the Cincinnati Cyclones to kick off the second half of their season. The Fuel had just one win against Cincy coming into tonight, but dominated play in a huge 6-0 win over their division rivals.

1ST PERIOD

Kale Howarth started the scoring for the Fuel with his eighth goal of the season at 7:12. With an assist on that goal, Chad Yetman extended his point streak to 13 games.

With just one penalty handed out to each team in the first and not many whistles, the period ended quickly with shots equal at 8-8 but the Fuel up 1-0.

2ND PERIOD

The first half of the second period started much like the first ended, with no goals and few whistles. However nine minutes in, the Coliseum erupted as Spencer Watson took a hit that was immediately retaliated against by Chris Cameron, earning him and Cincinnati’s Zach Berzolla offsetting fighting majors. Berzolla was issued an additional minor penalty for the initial hit.

At 15:21 Seamus Malone made it 2-0, Indy. He was assisted by Nate Pionk who returned to the lineup tonight after an injury and Patrick Gazich, who made his ECHL debut tonight.

Following that goal, there was another scuffle and a handful of penalties were handed out, including a 10-minute misconduct given to Cincinnati’s Berzolla. Indy’s Chris Van Os-Shaw scored on the power play to put the Fuel up 3-0 with his second goal of the season.

At 19:06 of the second period, six penalties were handed out across both teams including Cameron’s second fighting major in ten minutes. The second frame ended with the Fuel up 3-0.

3RD PERIOD

Amid a handful of more penalties, Spencer Watson scored at even-strength to make it 4-0 at 7:43 of the third. Van Os-Shaw scored his second power play goal of the game at 13:16.

Time ticked down. No one dared to speak the ‘S’ word that happens when the opposing team scores zero goals. A few more penalties were assessed between the two teams, but with just one minute left in regulation, Van Os-Shaw completed the hat trick, the first of his career, to make it 6-0.

The game ended with the Fuel taking just their second win over Cincy this season in massive fashion.

INDIANA FEVER BASKETBALL: INDIANA FEVER EXTEND LIN DUNN’S CONTRACT AS GENERAL MANAGER

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Fever announced today the team has removed the “interim” tag from General Manager Lin Dunn and extended her contract. Dunn officially returned to the Fever in February of last year, guiding the team through the historic 2022 WNBA draft when the team added four of the top ten picks to the roster.

“The Fever have been one of the most successful franchises in the history of the WNBA, and Lin Dunn has been at the center of every milestone, said Rick Fuson, Chief Executive Officer of Pacers Sports & Entertainment. “She has been a steadying hand and an important asset for our exciting, talented roster of up-and-coming stars, and we are thrilled she will be with us into the future.”

The Fever also announced that Hillary Spears, who currently serves as Director of Operations, will be elevated to Assistant General Manager.

The Fever have the top draft pick in the upcoming 2023 WNBA Draft and continue to acquire the talent they need to return to the top of the League. The team returns this season to a full slate of home games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and last month the WNBA announced an expanded 40-game schedule.

INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL: GAME NOTES – GAME 19 VS. NO. RV/RV MICHIGAN STATE

Opening Tip

• Indiana University continues its 123rd season of competition in men’s basketball with a rivalry matchup against Michigan State at noon ET on Jan. 22 Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The game will be broadcast on CBS.

• The Spartans led by Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame head coach Tom Izzo, enter Sunday’s matinee affair with a 13-6 record and a 5-3 mark in B1G play.

Game Information

Jan. 22, 2023 • Noon ET

Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) • Bloomington, Ind.

TV: CBS (Spero Dedes and Jim Spanarkel)

Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)

Series History: Indiana leads, 71-58

Last Meeting: MSU 76, IU 61 on Feb. 12, 2022 in East Lansing

Series History

• Indiana controls the series (71-58) against Michigan State, however the Spartans claimed a 76-61 win over the Hoosiers last season in the only meeting between the two programs. Sixth-year senior forward Race Thompson secured a game-best 14 rebounds to go along with 13 points in the loss.

• Head coach Mike Woodson averaged 21.4 points in his eight career contests against the Spartans.

• Indiana is looking to snap a three-game skid against Michigan State. The Hoosiers last victory over the Spartans came in a 67-63 result on Jan. 23, 2020.

Last Time Out

• Indiana toppled a ranked Big Ten Conference foe for the second time in as many contests with an 80-65 victory over No. RV/23 Illinois on Jan. 19.

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis tallied a Big Ten career-high 35 points on 15-of-19 shooting from the floor. He also added nine rebounds, five assists, and three blocks in the Indiana win.

• Junior forward Jordan Geronimo finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks, while junior guard Trey Galloway and freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino 21 points and six assists.

Notable Statistical Performances

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis joined 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 the Center Grove product went for 35-9-5-3 on 15-of-19 shooting from the floor at Illinois on Jan. 19.

• Jackson-Davis pulled down a career-best 24 rebounds against Northwestern on Jan. 8. The tally marked the most by a Hoosier in a single game since Steve Downing had 25 against Kentucky on December 11, 1971 and the most rebounds by a Big Ten player since Aaron Johnson had 24 for Penn State on Nov. 15, 2004.

• TJD posted a triple-double with is the first player to compile a triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and a career-high 10 assists against Nebraska on Dec. 7. He added three blocks and three steals in the win to become the first player with a triple-double and at least three blocks and three steals since Luke Walton (Arizona, 2002).

• The Center Grove product blocked a career-high nine shots at No. 8/6 Kansas on Dec. 17, the second most by an IU player. Steve Downing blocked a school-record 10 shots against Michigan on Feb. 23, 1971.

• Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino netted a career-high 33 points for Indiana on Jan. 8 against Northwestern, the highest point total by a Hoosier freshman since Eric Gordon scored 33 against Chattanooga on Nov. 12, 2007.

• Junior forward Jordan Geronimo blocked a combined 10 shots against Miami (Ohio) on Nov. 20 and Little Rock on Nov. 23. The tally marked the most by a Hoosier off the bench since 1996-97.

TJD Named to Big O Watch List

• Indiana senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis was one of 50 players selected to the USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List.

• Jackson-Davis is one of six Big Ten players on the list, joining Hunter Dickinson (Michigan), Zach Edey (Purdue), Kris Murray (Iowa), Jalen Pickett (Penn State), and Terrence Shannon (Illinois).

Chasing History

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis currently sits eighth all-time at IU in scoring (1,867), fourth in rebounds (944), and second in blocked shots (222). 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. Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell (1,986)

7. Alan Henderson (1,979)

8. Trayce Jackson-Davis (1,867)

Up Next: Career Rebounding Leaders

1. Alan Henderson (1,091)

2. Walt Bellamy (1,087)

3. Kent Benson (1,031)

4. Trayce Jackson-Davis (944)

Up Next: Career Blocks Leaders

1. Jeff Newton (227)

2. Trayce Jackson-Davis (222)

Up Next: Career Double-Doubles

1. Walt Bellamy (59)

2. Archie Dees (56)

3. Alan Henderson (49)

4. Steve Downing (43)

5. Kent Benson (42)

6. Trayce Jackson-Davis (39)

• The Center Grove product is the one of only two active players (Jake Stephens, Chattanooga) in the country to tally at least 1,800 career points, 900 career rebounds, and 200 career blocks. In the last 25 seasons, only 23 players have achieved those numbers in college basketball. Two (Kyle Hines; UNCG and Shawn Long; ULL) have produced those numbers on a higher career scoring average.

• Jackson-Davis is one of two Power 5 players (Zach Edey; Purdue) to average at least 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game this season.

Twenty Piece (CAREER)

Trayce Jackson-Davis: 37; last at Illinois, 1/19/23

Xavier Johnson: 15; last vs. North Carolina, 11/30/22

Miller Kopp: 10; last at Rutgers, 12/3/22

Jalen Hood-Schifino: 2; last vs. Northwestern, 1/8/23

Race Thompson: 2; last vs. Little Rock, 11/23/22

Tamar Bates: 1; vs. Jackson State, 11/25/22

Trey Galloway: 1; vs. Nebraska, 12/7/22

Other Notables

• Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino had a career-high 33 points on 12-of-17 from the field and 5-of-7 from the 3-point line against Northwestern on Jan. 8.

• The 33-point outburst were the highest output by an IU freshman since Eric Gordon also scored 33 on Nov. 12, 2007 against Chattanooga.

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis had 18 points, a career-high 24 rebounds, eight assists, and four blocks against the Wildcats.

• His 24 rebounds were the most by a Hoosier in a single game since Steve Downing had 25 against Kentucky on December 11, 1971 and the most rebounds by a Big Ten player since Aaron Johnson had 24 for Penn State on Nov. 15, 2004.

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis had 14 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks at Penn State on Jan. 11. The game marked his 38th career double-double.

• Indiana’s 63-45 win over Wisconsin (Jan. 14) was the largest margin of victory against the Badgers since since an 85-55 triumph on Feb. 24, 2001.

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis had 18 points, 12 rebounds, and five blocks against Wisconsin on Jan. 14.

• Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino had 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists against the Badgers on Jan. 14.

• Junior forward Jordan Geronimo recorded his second career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds against Wisconsin on Jan. 14.

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis scored a Big Ten career-high 35 points on 15-of-19 shooting from the field with nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks at Illinois on Jan. 19. The game marked the ninth 30-point outing of his career.

• Junior forward Jordan Geronimo tallied 13 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks against the Illini on Jan. 19. The game marked the second time in his career with double-digit scoring outputs in consecutive games.

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis has swatted at least two shots in 66 of his 109 career games played.

• Indiana’s debut starting lineup of fifth-year senior guard Xavier Johnson, freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, fifth-year senior forward Miller Kopp, sixth-year senior forward Race Thompson, and senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis is 6-0 in games in which all five start and finish the game this season.

• Four of Indiana’s five starters from the start of the season have missed a total of 17 games due to injury.

INDIANA SWIMMING: NO. 7/9 IU TRAVELS TO PURDUE

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – No. 7/9 Indiana swimming and diving is set to face in-state rival Purdue Purdue in dual meet action on Saturday (Jan. 20) inside Morgan J. Burk Aquatic Center in West Lafayette, Ind. The meet is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. ET and can be streamed on the Big Ten Plus digital platform.

IU men’s swimming and diving has won 12 consecutive meets against Purdue going back to the 2010-11 season, while the women’s team is 11-0 since 2011-12.

MEET INFO

Saturday, January 21 • 10 a.m. ET

Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center • West Lafayette, Ind.

SCHEDULED EVENTS

Diving: 1-meter, 3-meter

Swimming: 200 Medley Relay, 1,000 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle, 100 Backstroke, 100 Breaststroke, 200 Butterfly, 50 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle, 200 Backstroke, 200 Breaststroke, 500 Freestyle, 100 Butterfly, 200 IM, 400 Freestyle Relay

OF NOTE…

IU WOMEN, DIVERS DOMINATE BIG TEN AWARD CYCLE

Indiana swimming and diving swept the women’s and diving Big Ten weekly awards as four Hoosiers were rewarded in the Jan. 18 cycle for their performances in IU’s wins over No. 15/13 Michigan last weekend. Redshirt senior Andrew Capobianco earned his sixth-career Big Ten Diver of the Week award and junior Anne Fowler captured her second. Senior Noelle Peplowski tallied her second-career Big Ten Swimmer of the Week honor, while Kristina Paegle was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for a third time this season.

More information on the performances can be found here.

HOOSIERS NAMED TO USA SWIMMING NATIONAL TEAM

Six athletes with ties to the Indiana swimming and diving program were named to USA Swimming’s 2022-23 national team rosters in September. Of the six Hoosiers, five are breaststroke specialists, and, on the women’s side, IU makes up three of the nine breaststroke selections. The selections include current Hoosiers Mariah Denigan, Mackenzie Looze and Josh Matheny as well as Indiana Swim Club athlete Tommy Cope, Lilly King and Annie Lazor.

INDIANA MEN’S TENNIS: INDIANA MEN’S TENNIS FALLS TO MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE

Murfreesboro, Tenn. ––––– Indiana Men’s Tennis lost at Middle Tennessee State on Friday night, 4-1.

The Hoosiers got off to a good start in Murfreesboro by winning the doubles point.

Ekansh Kumar and Luka Vukovic won at No. 3 Doubles, 6-1. To follow, Middle Tennessee State won at No. 2 Doubles to even it.

The doubles point was closed out when Patrick Fletchall and Ilya Tiraspolsky pulled through in the clutch to win in the tiebreaker, 7-5.

Middle Tennessee won at No. 5, 2, 6 and 1 singles to take the match, though.

The loss drops IU’s record to 2-1. The Hoosiers will be back in action on Sunday, Jan. 29 with a double-header against Butler and Ball State.

Final Results

Middle Tennessee State 4, Indiana 1

Singles competition

1. Stijin Slump (MTSU) def. Patrick Fletchall (IU), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

2. Francisco Rocha (MTSU) def. Luka Vukovic (IU), 6-2, 6-2

3. O. Brostrom Poulsen (MTSU) def. Sam Landau (IU), 6-0, 6-7 (4-7), 0-3, unfinished

4. Ondrej Horak (MTSU) vs. Ilya Tiraspolsky (IU), 6-2, 3-6, 3-2, unfinished

5. Marcel Kamrowski (MTSU) def. Luc Boulier (IU), 6-2, 6-3

6. Pavel Motl (MTSU) def. Ekansh Kumar (IU) 6-4, 6-4

Doubles competition

1. Fletchall/Tiraspolsky (IU) def. Brostrom Poulsen/Rocha (MTSU), 7-5

2. Motl/Slump (MTSU) def. Boulier/Landau (IU), 6-2

3. Kumar/Vukovic (IU) def. Horak/Kamrowski (MTSU), 6-1

Order of Finish: 

Singles: 5, 2, 6, 1, unfinished

Doubles: 3, 2, 1

INDIANA WRESTLING: NO. 18 INDIANA WRESTLING FALLS TO NO. 11 MINNESOTA, 28-6

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– No. 18-ranked Indiana Wrestling lost to No. 11 Minnesota, 28-6, on Friday night at Wilkinson Hall.

The loss snaps Indiana’s two-match winning streak and drops the season record to 6-2 and 2-2 in the Big Ten.

KEY MOMENTS

• Indiana freshman and No. 31-ranked Henry Porter (133) picked up a win in the match’s second bout in a 3-1 decision over Jake Gilva.

• Porter and Gliva were tied at 1-1 through the third period on a pair of escapes. Porter picked up a late takedown in the final seconds of the third period to secure the win.

• Minnesota won four of the first five bouts to take a 14-3 lead into intermission.

• The Golden Gophers won the next four after the break, including tight decisions at 174 and 197 lbs. where they won by a combined two points among the two bouts.

• Indiana senior and No. 22-ranked Jacob Bullock (285) picked up a 5-3 decision victory over No. 27 Garrett Joles.

NOTABLES

• Porter’s win improves his season record to 16-5 on the year.

• Porter is now 2-2 against Big Ten opponents on the season.

• Bullock’s season record bumps to 15-2 after tonight’s win.

• Bullock has won three of his last four dual bouts.

• This was Bullock’s second ranked victory of the season.

UP NEXT

• Indiana Wrestling will be on the road for its next match as it will face rival Purdue on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 4 p.m. in West Lafayette.

FULL RESULTS

125: No. 1 Patrick McKee (UM) def. No. 33 Jacob Moran (IU)                  | MD, 10-2 |    Score: UM up 4-0

133: No. 31 Henry Porter (IU) def. Jake Gliva (UM)                                 | Dec. 3-1 |      Score: UM up 4-3

141: No. 9 Jake Bergeland (UM) def. Cayden Rooks (IU)            | MD, 12-0 |                Score: UM up 8-3

149: No. 15 Michael Blockhus (UM) def. No. 24 Graham Rooks (IU)       | Dec. 6-2 |       Score: UM up 11-3

157: No. 14 Brayton Lee (UM) def. No. 15 Derek Gilcher (IU)      | Dec. 3-2 |                 Score: UM up 14-3

165: Cael Carlson (UM) def. Nick South (IU)                               | Dec. 5-1 |                 Score: UM up 17-3

174: No. 12 Bailee O’Reilly (UM) def. No. 14 DJ Washington (IU)            | Dec. 9-8 |      Score: UM up 20-3

184: No. 9 Isaiah Salazar (UM) def. Clayton Fielden (IU)             | TF, 16-0 (6:22) |     Score: UM up 25-3

197: No. 24 Michial Foy (UM) def. No. 33 Nick Willham (IU)   | Dec. 3-2 (extra time)|    Score: UM up 28-3

285: No. 22 Jacob Bullock (IU) def. No. 27 Garrett Joles (UM)     | Dec. 5-3 |      Score: UM up 28-6

PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL: EDEY TABBED MIDSEASON ALL-AMERICAN BY THE SPORTING NEWS

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue junior center Zach Edey was named to The Sporting News’ midseason All-America first team, the organization announced Thursday afternoon. The Sporting News is one of the four organizations used to determine consensus All-America status.

Edey, a 7-foot, 4-inch center from Toronto, is considered the front-runner for the National Player of the Year awards. He currently averages 21.3 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.3 assists per game while shooting over 60.0 percent from the field and almost 75.0 percent from the free throw line – ranking 10th nationally in scoring and second in rebounds. He is also second nationally with 15 double-doubles.

Ending last night against Minnesota, Edey recorded double-doubles in 10 straight games, the third-longest streak in Purdue history behind a pair of legends in the 1960s, Terry Dischinger and Dave Schellhase. Edey also owns a nation’s-best 35 consecutive games scoring in double-figures and owns four 30-10 games this season, ranking behind all-time greats Schellhase, Dischinger and Glenn Robinson in that category.

Based on a 35-game season, Edey will be the only collegiate player in the last 30 years to have recorded at least 750 points, 450 rebounds and 50 blocks in a season.

For his career, he is averaging 27.8 points and 15.4 rebounds per 40 minutes, numbers that are comparable to Shaquille O’Neal (28.3 PPG, 17.8 RPG) and David Robinson (28.5 PPG, 14.0 RPG).

Edey and the No. 3-ranked Boilermakers host Maryland on Sunday in Mackey Arena, beginning at 1 p.m. ET, on FS1.

PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: BOILERMAKERS HOST MINNESOTA FOR ALUMNAE DAY

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team will close out its two-game homestand on Saturday when it hosts Minnesota for a 2 p.m. tip of B1G+.

Saturday marks the return of Alumnae Day, as well as Camper Reunion Day.

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

GAME INFORMATION 

Purdue (12-6, 3-5) vs. Minnesota (9-10, 2-6)

Saturday, Jan. 21

Time: 2 PM 

TV: B1G+ 

Radio: 95.3 BOB FM 

Live Stats: Purduestats.com 

LAST TIME OUT 

Purdue fell at home to Nebraska 71-64. Abbey Ellis paced Purdue with her second straight 20-point game. Caitlyn Harper dropped 15 points to hit double figures for the sixth time in the last seven games. Purdue held a nine-point lead in the third quarter, but Nebraska stormed back to outscore the Boilermakers by 14 in the final period.

NOTES 

• Purdue leads the all-time series with Minnesota, 47-23.

• Jeanae Terry continues to rank among the nation’s top passers, sitting sixth (2nd B1G) in total assists at 125, eighth (2nd) with 6.9 helpers per game and 32nd (4th) in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.36. She also ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 38 steals on the year.

• The Boilermakers rank 22nd nationally and sixth in the Big Ten with a 46.4% field goal clip. Purdue is 10-4 when shooting 40% or better.

• Cassidy Hardin moved up to sixth in Purdue 3-point history with her 188th career triple on Wednesday night. She joins Jodi Howell (2006-2010). She is 12 shy of becoming the fifth player in program history with 200 triples and 50 away from Katie Gearlds in third.

• Jayla Smith has found her shooting touch as of late with four straight games in double figures.

• Last week, four of Purdue’s five signees for the class of 2023 were tabbed McDonald’s All-America Game nominees as Mary Ashley Groot, Rashunda Jones, Emily Monson and McKenna Layden all received the national honor.

• Abbey Ellis is averaging 22 points per game over her last two outings. She sits third on the team with 11.2 points per game.

• With a pair of assists against Nebraska, Jeanae Terry hit 500 for her career. She is 143 shy of the Big Ten top 10.

• Caitlyn Harper is one of six players from the Big Ten to average 10 points or more a game and shoot 55% or better from the field.

PURDUE WRESTLING: PURDUE TAKES LOSS ON THE ROAD AGAINST #16 WISCONSIN

MADISON, Wisc. – Purdue wrestling suffered another tough Big Ten Conference loss on Friday night, falling by a score of 28-9 to No. 16 Wisconsin in the UW Field House.

The dual started well as an upset win from Matt Ramos followed by a hard-fought decision from Dustin Norris put the Boilermakers (4-6, 0-3 B1G) out in front 6-0 early. However, Purdue only claimed one more matchup on the night, Brody Baumann’s 10-6 victory at 174, and head coach Tony Ersland’s squad were forced to leave empty handed.

The redshirt-sophomore No. 10 Ramos squared off with No. 6 Eric Barnett and the pair covered the price of admission right from the get-go. Ramos opened the scoring by counter-attacking off a Barnett single-leg shot to get a takedown in the first. The Badger wrestler escaped quickly in the second to tie it up and the two found themselves in a wild scramble that last nearly a minute and got the crowd on its feet, but resulted in no points scored by either side. Ramos chose neutral in the third and made the most of it, powering through on a double-leg to win the match 4-3.

It is the highest ranked opponent Ramos has conquered in his career. His previous high being his pin of No. 7 Lucas Byrd in the first round of last year’s NCAA tournament.

At 133 pounds, redshirt-freshman Dustin Norris carried on Ramos’ momentum by picking up a 7-3 decision over Nicolar Rivera. Norris trailed after the first period, but battled back with takedowns in the second and third to claim his first career conference dual win.

The third win of the dual was a big one for true freshman Brody Baumann. The Evansville, Ind., native made only his second appearance in the lineup count by taking a 10-6 decision over Josh Otto. Baumann wasted no time getting on the board, latching on to an ankle in the first five seconds of the bout to get a quick two. He would also finish the match with a takedown in the closing moments to seal the victory. It was his first collegiate dual win and his sixth win in the last six days after going 5-0 to earn the 174-poujnd title at the Purple Raider Open last weekend.

Purdue will have a quick bounce-back opportunity as they drive a little further north to Minneapolis to face No. 13 Minnesota Sunday at 2:00 p.m. ET. The Golden Gophers come into the dual off a 28-6 victory over Indiana on Friday night in Bloomington.

Purdue 9 – Wisconsin 28

125: #10 Matt Ramos (PUR) over #6 Eric Barnett (WIS) (Dec 4-3)

133: Dustin Norris (PUR) over Nicolar Rivera (WIS) (Dec 7-3)

141: #26 Joseph Zargo (WIS) over #15 Parker Filius (PUR) (Dec 7-4)

149: #2 Austin Gomez (WIS) over Jaden Reynolds (PUR) (TF 24-6 5:48)

157: #15 Garrett Model (WIS) over #3 Kendall Coleman (PUR) (Dec 4-3)

165: #6 Dean Hamiti (WIS) over Cooper Noehre (PUR) (Fall 5:48)

174: Brody Baumann (PUR) over Josh Otto (WIS) (Dec 10-6)

184: Tyler Dow (WIS) over Ben Vanadia (PUR) (Dec 6-0)

197: #13 Braxton Amos (WIS) over Hayden Filipovich (PUR) (TF 16-1 4:53)

285: #11 Trent Hillger (WIS) over Hayden Copass (PUR) (Dec 2-0)

PURDUE MEN’S TENNIS: BOILERS EDGED OUT BY CLEVELAND STATE

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.- Purdue was defeated by the Cleveland State Vikings after a fiercely competitive match. The 2-5 result gives the Boilermakers their second loss of the spring.

The Boilers took the doubles point for an early 1-0 lead. Michal Wozniak/Julen Morgan set the tone by bulldozing their opponents 6-0, followed by a strong 6-4 finish from Mujtaba Ali-Khan/Milledge Cossu.

In singles, Cossu kept his winning streak rolling with a victory in straight sets, giving him his first career win at No. 3. The Vikings stayed close behind and gained the lead after wins at No. 1, 2, and 5.

Purdue’s two freshmen showed their drive by taking their matches the distance. In his first match as a Boilermaker, Hassan Baroudi was bested in three by Cole Chappell 6(4)-7, 6-3, 6-3. Ali-Khan took his first set 6-3, and was able to rally an tie the third 5-5 but ran out of steam against Raul Teichmann falling 7-5 in the final effort.

Up Next

The Boilermakers remain in West Lafayette to take on the Western Michigan Broncos next Friday, January 27th at 1 p.m. inside Schwartz.

Purdue (0-2)- 2, Cleveland State (1-1)- 5

SINGLES

1. Maxime Mareschal-Hay (CSU) def. Daniel Labrador (PU)- 7-5, 7-5

2. Kade Mindry (CSU) def. Michal Wozniak (PU)- 6-4, 6-3

3. Milledge Cossu (PU) def. Carl Gedlitschka (CSU)- 7-5, 6-3

4. Raul Teichmann (CSU) def. Mujtaba Ali-Khan (PU)- 3-6, 6-3, 7-5

5. Cole Chappell (CSU) def. Tomasz Dudek (PU)- 6-4, 6-2

6. JuandeDios Abboud (CSU) def. Hassan Baroudi (PU)- 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3

DOUBLES

1. Kade Mindry/Raul Teichmann (CSU) def. Daniel Labrador/Tomasz Dudek (PU)- 6-4

2. Michal Wozniak/Julen Morgan (PU) def. Maxime Mareschal-Hay/Andrew Zimcosky (CSU)- 6-0

3. Milledge Cossu/Mujtaba Ali-Khan (PU) def. JuandeDios Abboud/Carl Gedlitschka (CSU)- 6-4

ORDER OF FINISH

Singles- 5, 3, 1, 2, 4, 6

Doubles- 2, 1, 3

BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL: BUTLER AND UCONN TIP SUNDAY AFTERNOON ON FOX

Butler (11-9, 3-6 BIG EAST) at #15/14 UConn (15-5, 4-5)

Sunday, Jan. 22;  12PM

XL Center; Hartford, Conn.

TV: FOX – Tim Brando & Donny Marshall

Radio: 1430AM – @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)

Varsity Network Radio App

SiriusXM 380, SXM App 970

SERIES: UConn Leads, 6-0

Streak: UConn, W6

In Conn.: UConn Leads, 2-0

First Meeting: CON, 53-41; 4/4/11

Last Meeting: CON, 68-46; 12/17/22 

Bulldogs vs. UConn

• The teams first met in the 2011 NCAA National Championship game in Houston, which was the second of Butler’s back-to-back appearances in the title game.

• The remaining five meetings in the all-time series between the two programs have come since UConn rejoined the BIG EAST prior to the 2020-21 season.

• In UConn’s 68-46 win over Butler Dec. 17 at Hinkle Fieldhouse, the Huskies’ defense limited Butler to 29.6-percent shooting and UConn held a 54-30 rebounding advantage.

• Sunday’s noon start will be just the third afternoon tip of the season for the Bulldogs.

• Over the last three games, Simas Lukosius is averaging 20.3 points per game, while shooting 67 percent from three-point range (10-15) and making all nine of his free throw attempts.

• Lukosius is fourth in the BIG EAST in three-point percentage, making 42.5 percent of his attempts from behind the arc. He is second in the league in three-point percentage in BIG EAST games (.438).

• Lukosius led Butler with a career-high 28 points and five three-pointers in the Jan. 13 win over Villanova.

• According to KenPom, Butler has played the nation’s 16th-toughest schedule so far this season.

• Butler is committing only 12.6 fouls per game, which leads the nation.

• Over the past six games, Butler is shooting 40 percent (47-117) from three-point range.

• Butler has shot 40 percent or better from three-point range 10 times this season, including four of the last six games.

• In BIG EAST games, Butler is committing only 10.8 turnovers per game, which is second among league schools.

• Manny Bates has missed the last two games (knee), his first missed outings of the season. Against Creighton Tuesday night, Butler was able to dress only eight players due to various injuries.

• Lukosius, Chuck Harris, Bates and Jayden Taylor have each led the Bulldogs in scoring in at least four games this season (includes ties).

• Jalen Thomas has led the Bulldogs in rebounding in five of his nine games played this season since returning from a pulmonary embolism; that includes pacing the team in boards in four straight games.

• Seven different Bulldogs have scored in double figures during a game this season.

• Butler is 11-0 this season when leading at halftime; Villanova opened the second half with a 16-1 run Jan. 13 to erase a 10-point Butler halftime lead before the Bulldogs responded for the win.

• Butler is 11-0 this season when scoring 70 or more points.

• The Bulldogs are 7-0 this season when out-rebounding its opponent.

• Butler went 18-for-21 at the free throw line against Villanova, the second-most makes in a game this season and matching the second-best percentage.

• Butler shot 56.6 percent from the field against Villanova, which is the second-best output of the season. It’s the tenth game this season for the Bulldogs shooting 50 percent or better.

• Among active coaches with at least 10 seasons of NCAA Division I experience, Matta’s .735 winning percentage ranks fourth (Few, Self, Calipari). The Jan. 13 win over Villanova was Win No. 450 for Matta.

• Butler has placed all five starters in double figures three times this season, with the most recent coming at Cal Dec. 10.

• Taylor is averaging 14.8 points per game in Butler’s nine games away from Hinkle Fieldhouse this season; Taylor scored a game-high 19 points in last season’s game at UConn.

• Harris is now 21st in Butler history in career three-pointers (125).

• Bates has 35 blocks already this season, moving him just two away from tenth on Butler’s single-season list.

• Bates is 15th nationally with a 62.8 field goal percentage and is 36th nationally in blocks per game at 1.9 per game.

• Hunter Jr. led the Bulldogs with a season-high seven assists Jan. 13 vs. Villanova, which was one shy of his career-best.

BUTLER MEN’S TENNIS: BUTLERUMTENNIS TOPS YOUNGSTOWN STATE 5-2

The Butler men’s tennis team moves to 3-1 on the season after notching a 5-2 victory over Youngstown State. Friday’s win was the home opener for the Bulldogs.

The No. 1 and No. 2 teams of Thomas Brennan and Alvaro Huete Vadillo and Borja Miralles and Nicolas Arts shined for Butler winning their respective matches 6-2 and 6-3. Youngstown State led the No. 3 match before it went unfinished as the Bulldogs claimed the doubles point.

In all three of Butler’s wins this season Brennan and Huete Vadillo have won as a duo and then gone on to earn points in their singles matches. Both defeated their opponents in straight sets in Friday’s contest. Arts fell behind in his match, losing 4-6 in the first set before taking control in the last two sets with commanding 6-0 and 6-1 wins. Michael Karr also impressed taking the No. 5 spot in straight sets.

Next, the Bulldog’s head to Champaign where they will take on Illinois and Illinois State on Saturday, Jan. 28.

Match Results

Singles:

Thomas Brennan (BU) def. Laurentiu Mandocescu (YSU) 6-2, 6-4

Alvaro Huete Vadillo (BU) def. Clement Mainguy (YSU) 7-5, 6-3

Nathan Favier (YSU) def. Borja Miralles (BU) 6-2, 6-3

Nicolas Arts (BU) def. Harry Fouzas (YSU) 4-6, 6-0, 6-1

Michael Karr (BU) def. David Alvarez Moreno (YSU) 6-3, 6-1

Will Everett (YSU) def. Rahulniket Konakanchi (BU) 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (6)

Doubles:

Thomas Brennan/Alvaro Huete Vadillo (BU) def. Laurentiu Mandocescu/Nathan Favier (YSU) 6-2

Borja Miralles/Nicolas Arts (BU) def. Will Everett /Javi Pla (YSU) 6-3

Rahulniket Konakanchi/Zach Trimpe (BU) vs. Harry Fouzas /Clement Mainguy (YSU) 3-5, unfinished

IUPUI WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: JAGUARS TAKE DOWN TITANS IN ‘JAM THE JUNGLE’ VICTORY, 74-64

INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI women’s basketball team defeated the Detroit Mercy Titans on Friday night, 74-64. Four Jaguars finished in double figures with Jazmyn Turner leading with 18 points.

“It was nice for our team to get to play at home after being on the road for a couple weeks,” said head coach Kate Bruce. “I thought we did a much better job in the second half of executing defensively. Our team continues to work hard and we just need to be more consistent on both ends of the floor.”

Detroit Mercy took the lead in the first quarter, but it didn’t last long as the Jaguars bounced back to take a 41-38 lead heading into the half. In the third quarter the Jags extended their lead to 58-49 with Destiny Perkins sinking the layup with two seconds to spare. IUPUI finished out the fourth and final quarter taking a ten-point lead, 74-64.

Natalie Andersen started out hot for the Jaguars shooting 3-for-3 from the arc in the first quarter and ended with 17 points shooting 5-for-6 from three. Turner led the Jags in scoring with 18 points shooting 6-for-12 from the floor. Perkins finished with 11 points, five assists and four steals while Rachel Kent totaled ten points and seven rebounds.

IUPUI shot 42.9 percent (27-for-63) from the floor as a team and 39.1 percent (9-for-23) from the three-point line. The Jags outrebounded the Titians 35 to 33 and forced the Titans to make 15 turnovers.

The Jaguars improved to 10-8 and 6-3 in the Horizon League and will continue their two-game home stretch when they host Oakland on Sunday, January 22nd with tipoff at 2:00 PM.

IUPUI TRACK: TWO SCHOOL RECORDS FALL AT FRIDAY’S BELLARMINE OPEN

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The IUPUI women’s track and field team set two new school records on Friday (Jan. 20) as the Jaguars participated in the Bellarmine Open in Louisville. Freshman Modupe Awosanya reset her own long jump mark at the start of the day and classmate Jada-Marie Davis set a new school record in the high jump later in the day.

All total, IUPUI performers accounted for 14 personal bests in the first meet of the calendar year.

The distance crew notched five personal bests as Ellie Cates placed second overall with a time of 10:13.18 with an 11-second personal best. Laci Provenzano crossed at 10:35.98 and Claire Mehling (10:54.60), Julynne Spidell (11:20.95) and Megan Brandon (11:35.64) also set new personal bests.

Awosanya placed third in the 60m dash with a time of 7.82 and Karis Davis was just off her time at 7.91 seconds. In the 200, Katie Moore posted a time of 28.16 and Reese McCuan was IUPUI’s lone entry in the 400m event with a time of 1:01.40.

In the 800, Sophia Taylor continued her ascent with a time of 2:19.05, placing third overall in the event. Freshman Wini Barnett also ran a personal best, finishing at 2:23.72. In the mile, freshmen Julie Smith (5:15.45) and Brooke Hansen (5:29.21) made their debuts in the event with the former placing ninth overall.

Jada-Marie Davis was the team’s top performer in the 60m hurdles with a time of 9.68, placing eighth overall. The all freshman team of Karis Davis, Awosanya, Jada-Marie Davis and Lillian Sebastian notched a time of 4:04.48 in the 4×400 relay to cap the action on the track.

Davis set a new school record in the high jump, clearing 1.60m (5′ 3”) in her first attempt at that mark after needing three attempts to clear 1.55m. Earlier in the day, Awosanya won the long jump with a best jump of 6.03m (19′ 9.5”) in her first jump of the finals round. McCuan competed in the triple jump, placing fourth with a jump of 10.66m (34′ 11.75”).

“Getting back into competing, I had no confidence I would perform well during this meet. Especially during the long jump, I got off to a rocky start but eventually found some stability,” Awosanya said. “Usually, doing well in the long jump sets the pace up for the rest of my events, but with the support from those around me, I was able to conquer those pesky obstacles and perform far beyond my expectations. I didn’t want to let my team and coaches down, so I gave it my all.”

IUPUI will be back in action next weekend when they participate in the Tom Hathaway Challenge, hosted by the University of Indianapolis.

NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL: NOTRE DAME’S BREY SAYS ‘WE LOST MOMENTUM,’ TIME IS RIGHT

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Mike Brey said he began thinking it was time to step down as Notre Dame coach on the plane ride home in March following the Irish’s NCAA Tournament run.

By Christmas, those thoughts turned serious, and come last week he was certain.

“From 2000 to 2017, we went to 12 NCAA Tournaments,” Brey said at a news conference Friday. “Since 2018 we’ve been to one. That’s how you’re measured, man. I felt we lost momentum. It was awesome to get us back last year, and that was an amazing experience to go and win two games in the NCAA Tournament, so as I looked at the big picture moving forward, I just think a new voice is needed.”

Notre Dame announced Thursday the 63-year-old would step down at the end of the season after winning a school-record 481 games and leading the program for a school-record 23 years.

The team is 9-10 overall and 1-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference — one of the worst seasons in the program’s history ahead of a home game Saturday against Boston College. That’s why Brey thought it was necessary to announce now that this is his last season.

“I think it can be a distraction — speculation, and what’s going on, is he coming back, do they want him to?” Brey said. “I want our guys to focus and play, and my thought was, Why don’t we give some clarification to this thing right now and see if it helps our group and, quite frankly, help Notre Dame, that they can get into the process of getting advance notice on a search.”

Brey didn’t rule out coaching again but said he plans to take at least one year off. He said he also would help athletic director Jack Swarbrick in the search, calling it a “a big responsibility for me to help hire the next right coach here.”

Brey was a finalist for the Notre Dame job in 1999 but the Irish hired Matt Doherty instead. Doherty left for his alma mater, North Carolina, after one season, and Brey was hired away from Delaware after taking the Blue Hens to two NCAA Tournaments in three seasons.

Notre Dame snapped a 10-year NCAA drought in 2001 and made 13 total tournament appearances under Brey. He won 15 tourney games, tying the school record, and Notre Dame reached back-to-back Elite Eights in 2015 and 2016.

Brey was Big East coach of the year three times and won 146 conference games, which still ranks fifth all-time in the league. Notre Dame moved to the ACC in 2013 and two years later Brey won the conference tourney title by defeating Miami, Duke and North Carolina during a 32-6 campaign. The Irish returned to the ACC tourney semifinals in 2016 and the ACC championship game in 2017.

Brey said it might have made sense to leave after last season, when the Irish went 24-11 and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after being a First Four entry. But he said he wanted to see through the six graduate students on his roster.

He also noted the new challenges that come along with name, image and likeness and the transfer portal, saying that a coach has to be “really energized to manage that and attack that.”

ALSO: GAME 20 PREVIEW: IRISH VS EAGLES

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – A new chapter and turning point is upon the Notre Dame men’s basketball team, as they look to put emotions aside for a matchup against Boston College on Saturday inside Purcell Pavilion. With Glenn & Murphy Stacey Head Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Brey announcing he will be stepping down at the conclusion of the season, the Fighting Irish will look to send the 23-year coach out on a high note and it starts with BC.

The Irish square off against the Eagles on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET on RSN (regional sports networks). For those in the Michiana area – the game will be on Marquee Network. For a full listing nationwide, click here.

ND vs BC

Notre Dame leads the overall series 25-14 and owns a commanding 16-5 record at home against the Eagles.

The two sides have already met this season, back on Jan. 3. Notre Dame led for the first 37:19 of the game but couldn’t rid its ACC road demons, as Boston College closed on a 17-4 run to take it 70-63.

Dane Goodwin has achieved great success against the Eagles over the past few years. He has scored 83 points in his last five games against BC, averaging 16.6 points in that span. Goodwin scored 15 of his 16 points in the first half and finished 6-of-12 overall and 3-of-5 from three.

JJ Starling registered a co-team-high 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting and a 3-for-6 clip from three.

GAMES GETTING AWAY

The Irish have now had three ACC games in which they’ve garnered double-digit leads, only to succumb to the opponent’s rally. Coach Brey has emphasized that this group has to learn, and quickly, how to close out games, especially on the road.

Largest Lead Given Out in Loss

12 at Syracuse (12:54 in 2H), 1/14/23

11 at Florida State (10:41 in 1H), 12/21/22

10 at Boston College (17:53 in 2H), 1/3/23

And what’s tough specifically about the Syracuse and Boston College losses was that Notre Dame led for almost the entire game in both. Take this stat – in those two games, Notre Dame led for a combined 63:38 out of the 80 minutes. More on that below

A DIFFERENCE OF A FEW POSSESSIONS

A difference in a few possessions – one in each of the following games – Syracuse x2, Florida State, Boston College.

1st game vs. Syracuse – Down five, with under 1:20 to play, Cormac Ryan and Marcus Hammond recorded back-to-back three-point plays to go up 61-60, but the Orange answered with 14 seconds on the clock. Notre Dame couldn’t connect on the buzzer-beater, falling 62-61.

Florida State – With six seconds remaining on the clock down one, Notre Dame ran a great in-bounds play to Wertz but his next pass to an open and sprinting Cormac Ryan was thrown just a tad too high/long as the Seminoles tracked it down and escaped with a 73-72 win. The Irish were on a 6-0 run with two big defensive stands in the final minute before the final play of the game.

Boston College – The Irish led for the first 37:19 of the game but Boston College closed on a 17-4 run to take it 70-63. Notre Dame led 59-53 with 4 minutes remaining. When BC took its first lead at 1:43, 62-61, Notre Dame went 0-3 on its next three possessions.

2nd game at Syracuse – Irish led for a majority, 26:19 in fact, leading as much as 12 points with 12:54 to play. However, the Orange ultimately closed the game on a 24-10 scoring run, stealing the victory from the Irish in the closing minutes. The Irish, who made a season high 15 three-pointers in the contest, suddenly went cold, missing 8 of their last 9 three-pointer attempts.

THE POSITIVES OUT OF SYRACUSE

Offensively, that was one of ND’s best games of the season. They converted a season best 15 three-pointers. In fact, they recorded a stretch in which they made 11 of 16 three attempts. But as much as three-ball giveth, the three-ball taketh, as one has to wonder if they could have gotten a few more – for the Irish missed on 8 of their last 9 three attempts of the game.

Next, the Irish dished out a season high 21 assists on 27 made baskets. Plus, they didn’t turn the ball over, only committing five in the game.

Four different Irish had at least three treys – Laszewski, Wertz, Hammond and Goodwin.

23 IN ‘23

Goodwin has found his offensive rhythm and is Notre Dame’s best player right now with 7 straight games in double figures. He’s amassed 97 points in the last 7 games, averaging 13.9 ppg. He is 40-of-80 from the field and 10-of-27 from three.

In 2023 (5 games), Goodwin is averaging 14.2 ppg. He’s also been more active on the glass grabbing 35 boards over the last 5 games aka 7.0 rpg.

He had a season high 6 assists to go with his 15 points at Syracuse on Jan. 14. A game prior vs Georgia Tech, he produced a team high 19 points and a career best 12 rebounds. Goodwin connected on a big three in the overtime period to help seal the win. 

“THAT WAS MARCUS HAMMOND”

Marcus Hammond is starting to get in a groove as of late and be that guy that Coach Brey thought he could be for the Irish.

How about back-to-back games leading the team in scoring, amassing 37 total points. How about back-to-back games with a season high in made threes –> 4+5.

He also has compiled 83 points over the last 7 games, averaging 11.9 ppg in that span.

And here’s an odd stat for you –> he is shooting better from three (.442) than overall from the field (.432).

Now more on that three-ball. He’s connected on multiple threes in 6 of the last 7 games. He’s 19-for-42 during that stretch (.452).

Hammond tied his career high in made three-pointers with five, leading the team with 19 points vs FSU on Jan. 17. Prior, Hammond knocked down 4 threes to register 18 points at Syracuse on Jan. 14.

VOCAL LEADER – RYAN

A three-time captain, Ryan used his voice and his leadership ability to rally the Irish in a huddle down seven with 2:30 to go against Georgia Tech on Jan. 10.

“C-Mac’s huddle,” said Brey. “Coach didn’t need to say anything. The guys react to him. He was unbelievable. Cormac wants it so bad. He’s invested so much.”

Notre Dame then closed regulation on a 9-2 run to tie the game at 65-all to force overtime, where they ultimately won it 73-72.

“Cormac kind of lit a fire under us and I think that certainly helped,” Goodwin said. “He just kind of got into us. It happens. That’s what a veteran leader should do. I think we responded well and I think we responded how we should have.”

MILESTONE APPROACHING

Cormac Ryan sits at 990 career points, which spans his four year career (including freshman year at Stanford). However, he still needs 219 points to reach 1,000 at Notre Dame.

THREAT FROM THREE

Over the last 13 games, Notre Dame has knocked down 127 three-pointers (9.8 per game) which leads all Power-Five schools since Nov. 30. Amongst ACC schools it’s not even close, with the 2nd highest number being 105 by Wake Forest.

Overall on the season, they are averaging 9.1 threes per game, which would crack the program’s all-time top-10. The program record is 9.7 set by the 19-20 squad.

Furthermore, let’s dive in to the recent three-point shooting trends of the team:

– Hammond – back-to-back games with a season high in made threes –> 4+5. He has connected on multiple threes in 6 of the last 7 games. He’s 19-for-42 during that stretch (.452). In fact, he tied his career high in made three-pointers with five vs FSU on Jan. 17.

– Wertz – 13-of-30 from three in the last 6 games aka 43.3 percent. He tied his season high in made threes with four and grabbed a season best 7 rebounds at Syracuse on Jan. 14, totaling 12 points. Only made 2 buckets against Georgia Tech on Jan. 10 but they were the 2 most clutch of the game. Wertz hit a three in the corner which tied the game at 65-all with 53 seconds left and sent the game to overtime. Then in OT, he hit a go-ahead three with 55 seconds left.  Lastly, 10 of Trey’s last 15 made buckets have been threes.

NOTRE DAME HOCKEY: STATEMENT WIN AT #6 PENN STATE

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The University of Notre Dame hockey program topped sixth-ranked Penn State, 2-1, to open their weekend series with the Nittany Lions on rival ice Friday.

The Irish fired the first shot on goal of the contest, with Ryder Rolston sending a puck at the PSU goal from the point. The Nittany Lions fired the next eight shots off to take the 8-1 edge but the score remained scoreless at the media timeout of the first.

Notre Dame was whistled for the lone penalty in the opening period, successfully killing off the slashing call at 16:24 to keep the score knotted at 0-0.

After registering 18 saves in the first period, the Nittany Lions snuck a rebound past an outstretch Ryan Bischel in the Irish net to break the stalemate with 60 seconds left in the frame. The Irish tried to answer with a late rush up ice but could not find the equalizer in the first period and skated to the locker room down a goal.

The Irish snapped their scoring drought at 5:42 of the second period when Justin Janicke and Chayse Primeau combined for a back door goal to even the score. Landon Slaggert also recorded an assist on the play as the top line got ND on the board.

J. Janicke blocked a shot in the defensive zone and broke through a pair of Nittany Lions for the breakaway chance halfway through the period but his chance ricocheted off the pads of Liam Souliere in the PSU crease to keep it a 1-1 game.

Some extracurriculars outside the Irish net paused play and sent the Irish to their first powerplay opportunity of the night but they were unable to capitalize on the man-advantage and both sides continued to look for the go ahead goal.

Notre Dame thought they had the elusive second goal with 2.1 seconds remaining in the middle frame but the officials wave it off as the puck never fully crossed the line and the score remained 1-1 after 40 minutes of action.

The Nittany Lions killed off the remainder of their penalty from the second period before taking another infraction at 1:31 of the final period. The Irish wasted no time capitalizing on the man-advantage as Ryder Rolston fired a shot off his backhand into the top left corner for the 2-1 score.

Both teams were whistled for penalties partway through the period but neither side could light the lamp and the Irish held the 2-1 lead to the next whistle.

At 9:38 of the third, the Irish were whistled for yet another penalty and were sent back to the kill for two minutes. The Irish successfully killed off the disadvantage, registering two shorthanded chances on the kill as well as they clung to the one-goal lead halfway through the period.

The Nittany Lions fired a plethora of shots at Bischel in the waning minutes of regulation but the senior netminder stood tall between the pipes to improve to 11-11-2 on the season.

GOALS

Chayse Primeau knotted it up at 5:42 of the second period with a tap in tally. Landon Slaggert fed the puck up to Justin Janicke along the near boards who circled the net to draw the Nittany Lion netminder off and open up the backdoor shot for Primeau.

Ryder Rolston gathered J. Janicke’s rebound inside the near circle and lifted the puck behind him, top shelf, for the powerplay tally at 2:12 of the third period. Chase Blackmun also recorded an assist on the play.

KEY STATS

Ryan Bischel stopped a career-best 52 shots in the 2-1 victory, including turning aside 33 shots over the final 40 minutes of regulation to keep the Irish on top.

In addition to the 53 shots allowed, the Irish skaters jumped in front of a season-high 23 shots to keep pucks off net and away from their netminder. Drew Bavaro’s four blocked shots was a team-best.

Ryder Rolston, who net the eventual game-winner early in the third, led the team with five shots on goal at the other end of the ice.

Notre Dame posted a perfect penalty kill Friday night, stifling all Nittany Lions’ chances on their three powerplay opportunities.

On the man-advantage, the Irish went one-for-four, while firing seven pucks on net up a man.

UP NEXT

The Irish and Nittany Lions close out the regular season series Saturday night, looking for the weekend sweep. Notre Dame then returns home to host conference foe Wisconsin Jan. 27-28 inside Compton Family Ice Arena.

The two teams previously split the series in Wisconsin, with the Irish taking game two, 6-4. Fans are encouraged to stick around following Saturday’s contest for a post-game autograph session with the Irish.

NOTRE DAME MEN’S TENNIS: IRISH WIN FRIDAY NIGHT THRILLER OVER WESTERN MICHIGAN, 4-3

The Notre Dame men’s tennis team only had one match on the schedule for this weekend but made the most of it with a tight 4-3 victory over Western Michigan.

The doubles point would start with the top team Sebastian Dominko and Connor Fu jumping out to a break in the opening game and they would hold on for a 6-4 win at #1. The #2 team Matt Che and Yu Zhang would drop serve for the only break of the set in the 9th game and the Broncos would hold to tie it up 1-1. Coming down to #3, Matt Halpin and Evan Lee would play an extended set and force a tiebreaker after saving two match points at 5-6. Unfortunately, they would be on the wrong end of the breaker and the doubles point would go to Western Michigan.

In singles, Connor Fu would quickly even things up with a routine 6-3, 6-4 win at #4 singles. His classmate, Matt Che, would give the Irish the first lead of the day with a 7-6(5), 6-3 over his 5th year opponent. The last match on that side of the building would go the way of Western Michigan as Noah Becker would fall 6-3, 7-5.

With the match tied 2-2, attention would turn to the odd numbered singles courts where Notre Dame would win two of the three first sets. Vashistha would drop his match at the #3 spot meaning the Irish would need to win both courts they were ahead in to come from behind and win the match. Sebastian Dominko would continue his good run of form at the top position and win 6-3, 7-6 on a screaming inside out forehand return winner.

All knotted up at 3-3, eyes were on Sophomore Yu Zhang and court #5 where the team match would be decided. After a first set tiebreak that Zhang would win, he would get behind early in the second. But after fighting to break back and then nose ahead at 5-4, Zhang would hold serve to win his match and give the Irish a 4-3 last match on victory.

Up Next:

Notre Dame will head south to Lexington, Kentucky to play ITA Kickoff Weekend. They will play Friday, January 27th against Washington in the opening round at 5pm. Host Kentucky will take on Liberty in the other opening match. A second match will be played on Saturday regardless of Friday’s outcome. The team that wins both matches will advance to the ITA National Indoors hosted by the University of Illinois later in February. The Irish have qualified for National Indoors 3 times since Ryan Sachire became the head coach, most recently in 2019.

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Notre Dame 4 – Western Michigan 3

Doubles

Dominko/Fu(ND) def. Kuszynski/Schluter(WMU) 6-4

Arzhankin/Honnappa(WMU) def. Che/Zhang(ND) 6-4

George/Boone(WMU) def. Halpin/Lee(ND) 7-6(5)

Order of Finish (2,1, 3)

Singles

Dominko(ND) def. Arzhankin(WMU) 6-3, 7-6(2)

Che(ND) def. Kuszynski(WMU) 7-6(4), 6-3

George(WMU) def. Vashistha(ND) 6-4, 6-3

Fu(ND) def. Pierce(WMU) 6-3, 6-4

Zhang(ND) def. Honnappa(WMU) 7-6(1), 6-4

Boone(WMU) def. Becker(ND) 6-3, 7-5

Order of Finish (4, 2, 6, 3, 1, 5)

NOTRE DAME TRACK AND FIELD: TRACK SET TO HOST NOTRE DAME INVITATIONAL

SOUTH BEND, Ind. –  The Notre Dame track and field team is set to host the 2023 Notre Dame Invitational on Saturday, January 21.

Live Results will be hosted at http://enduranceracetiming.com/live/2023/ndi/. There will be no live video of the meet.

The Irish are coming off an impressive performance at the Michigan Invitational. They look to build on their season after collecting two event titles and sixteen top-five finishes.

The meet is free to the public and spectators are welcome to park in the Bulla Lot, Compton Lot, or Joyce Center Lot.

BALL STATE GYMNASTICS: GYMNASTICS SMASHES RECORDS AT TENNESSEE COLLEGIATE CLASSIC

LEBANON, Tenn. – – WHAT A NIGHT for the Ball State gymnastics program, which set event records on vault (49.250) and beam (49.350) on its way to a PROGRAM RECORD team score of 196.550 Friday night at the Tennessee Collegiate Classic.

“Tonight’s results continue to build the confidence our team has,” head coach Joanna Saleem said. “They have been doing well in the gym, and as long as they can come in, be focused, and stick together, they can do amazing things as a team.”

In front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Farm Bureau Expo Center, the Cardinals (6-4) also picked up head-to-head wins over Fisk (190.025), Kent State (195.925), Lindenwood (196.175), and Southeast Missouri (195.350).

“The best thing about tonight is they are not done yet,” Saleem added. “Our team is hungry, and ready to go after it Sunday. Tonight’s effort was awesome, but its more about the performance. They just need to keep coming out and doing the gymnastics they showed they can do this evening.”

The team records were not the only things broken during the meet which saw the Cardinals tally seven individual scores of 9.900-or-higher. Those scores included a PROGRAM RECORD 9.950 on bars from Megan Teter and a PROGRAM RECORD TYING 9.950 on floor from Suki Pfister. Both career-best efforts.

In addition, Taylor Waldo and Grace Evans tied the PROGRAM RECORD on beam by adding scores of 9.925.

“We are looking really sharp,” Saleem said about all the high marks. “They are hungry and focusing on the details. We have been talking about the little things they’ve missed here and there. They keep coming in, working on it and chipping away at it. That effort paid off tonight, as they came out and turned in a beautiful and amazing performance.”

Teter would go on to punctuate the night with a 9.900 as BSU’s last competitor on floor, while Pfister added her second 9.900 of the season on vault in the opening rotation.

Victoria Henry also finished the night tying the second-best all-around score in program history at 39.350. Along with her career-best floor score of 9.925, the effort included a 9.875 on vault along with 9.775s on bars and beam.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS:

Rotation 1 – Vault (49.250 – PROGRAM RECORD):

– Megan Teter turned in the first big performance of the night for the Cardinals, landing a season-best 9.825 as BSU’s second vaulter in the lineup.

– Freshman Zoe Middleton followed with the best vault of her young career at 9.800.

– Suki Pfister added her sixth career vault of 9.900-or-better, leading the Cardinals in the event with a 9.900.

– Hannah Ruthberg counted a career-best 9.850, while Victory Henry closed out BSU’s competition vaulters with a season-best 9.875.

Rotation 2 – Bars (49.125)

– While it was not a program record, Ball State’s 49.125 on bars tied as the fifth-best meet performance on the team’s all-time list.

– Leading the way was a career-best and program record score of 9.950 from Megan Teter.

– Grace Evans added a season-best 9.850, while BSU counted 9.775s from Grace Sumner, Zoe Middleton, and Victoria Henry

Rotation 3 – Beam (49.350 – PROGRAM RECORD)

– Ball State’s second program record event score of the day started with Victoria Henry landing a career-best 9.775.

– It only got better form there, with a career-best 9.925 from Grace Evans.

– BSU also counted season-bests from Grace Sumner (9.875), Hannah Ruthberg (9.825), and Lauren Volpe (9.800).

– Taylor Waldo closed the event with the highest score, landing a career-best 9.925 which ties as the best beam routine in program history.

Rotation 4 – Floor (48.825)

– Suki Pfister continued to shine in the floor exercise, with a career best 9.950 to lead the Cardinals in the event. The effort ties as the best floor score in program history.

– One gymnast later, Megan Teter capped Ball State’s record day with a 9.900.

– Other highlights from the floor included a season-best 9.875 from Hannah Ruthberg, along with a 9.925 from Victoria Henry which tied as the eight-best in program history.

 All-Around:

– Victoria Henry finished the night tying the second-best all-around score in program history at 39.350

– Along with her career-best floor score of 9.925, the effort included a 9.875 on vault along with 9.775s on bars and beam.

Next Time Out:

It will be a quick turnaround for the Ball State gymnastics program which opens league play Sunday at Eastern Michigan. The first rotation is set to kick off at 1 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

BALL STATE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL: NO. 6 MEN’S VOLLEYBALL SWEEPS HARVARD IN THE CARDINALS’ 2023 HOME OPENER

MUNCIE, Ind. – The reigning Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association regular season and tournament champions put on quite the show tonight in Worthen Arena as Ball State earned a 3-0 sweep over Harvard Friday night in Worthen Arena.

Ball State (1-2) controlled the temp of tonight’s match from start to finish against Harvard (2-1) which allowed second-year head coach Donan Cruz to utilize his bench against the Crimson.

Ball State’s offense was unmatched with a .542 hitting percentage that included 45 kills off 72 attacks. Both graduate student Kaleb Jenness and sophomore Tinaishe Ndavazocheva led the Cardinals charge with 17 kills apiece. Newcomer Keau Thompson also reached double digit kills with 11, while also leading the team in blocks with four.

The Cardinals were able to get 85 percent of their serves in play and had three different players with service aces.

Ball State set the tone early after taking the first set from Harvard, 25-16. Although, the second and third frames were competitive, the Cardinals had built significant cushions in the middle of both sets that proved to be too hard for the Crimson to overcome. BSU went on to take both by a score of 25-18 and 25-14.

The Ball State men’s volleyball team will be back in action Saturday in Worthen Arena as the Cardinals are set to host Tusculum University. The match is set for a 7 pm ET first serve.

BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL: CARDINALS FALL ON ROAD AGAINST GOLDEN FLASHES

KENT, Ohio – The Ball State men’s basketball team returned to action on Friday for a Mid-American Conference matchup on CBS Sports Network at Kent State. Basheer Jihad and Jaylin Sellers tied for a team-high 11 points as the Cardinals fell to the Golden Flashes 86-65.

“I’ve been really lucky to be a part of 23 NCAA Tournament games,” Head Coach Michael Lewis said. “Kent State is an NCAA Tournament team without a doubt. On our end, we were out of sync offensively and they got into us. We didn’t handle it well. We didn’t play with great poise. We tried to do too much. We’ve got a lot to improve on in the next two months.”

Sellers finished with 11 points and a steal. Jihad went for 11 points and four rebounds. Demarius Jacobs led the team with eight rebounds, three assists, and one steal. He notched nine points.

Luke Bumbalough tied a season high with eight points with a steal. Jarron Coleman, Mickey Pearson Jr., and Payton Sparks all chipped in with seven points. Coleman recorded his 1,000-career point in the first half.

The Golden Flashes started the game with a 7-0 run. The Cardinals battled back and answered with a 10-4 run and pulled within one, 11-10. Kent State followed with a 14-0 run to take a 25-10 lead with 7:38 left in the first stanza.

The Golden Flashes followed with nine of the next 16 to take their largest lead of the half, 34-17. The teams traded buckets the remainder of the half as Kent State took a 45-28 lead into the break.

The second half started as a back-and-forth battle for the half’s first 3:03. Unfortunately, the Golden Flashes managed a 14-5 run that ended with 9:58 left in regulation and a 65-39 lead, their largest of the night.

Ball State would not quit, however, answering with 12 of the next 18 to pull within 20, at 71-51, with 6:32 remaining. The Cardinals would get as close at 17 after a Ben Hendrix layup with 2:04 remaining, before falling 86-65.

Sincere Carry produced a game-high 18 points for KSU, while adding three assists, two rebounds, and one steal. Chris Payton added 16 points, six rebounds, two blocks, and one steal.

The Cardinals return to Worthen Arena for a Tuesday showdown with the Buffalo Bulls. Jump is scheduled for 7 p.m.

BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WELCOMES CMU TO WORTHEN ARENA SATURDAY FOR MAC MATINEE

Game 19 | Ball State (14-4, 4-1 MAC) vs. Central Michigan (3-13, 1-4 MAC)

Jan. 21 | Muncie, Ind. | Worthen Arena | 1 pm ET

Opening Tip:

– The Ball State women’s basketball team looks to improve to a 5-1start in Mid-American

Conference play for the first time since the 2016-17 season when it hosts Central Michigan Saturday in Worthen Arena.

– The Cardinals are coming off one of their highest scoring performances in a single quarter after dropping 30 points in the fourth period Wednesday at Buffalo to help BSU come home with the 81-59 victory. For the game, Sophomore Ally Becki led all players with 23 points while also adding 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. Clephane was the second highest scorer with 20 points and teammate senior Annie Rauch chipped in 14 points.

– The Chippewas have struggled this year in both non-conference and conference action. Central Michigan is looking for only its second win in MAC play after defeating Northern Illinois, Jan. 4 by a score of 79-62 in Mount Pleasant. Since then, the Chippewas have suffered losses to Buffalo (63-70), Bowling Green (68-101) and Western Michigan (60-71).

– Ball State and Central Michigan first met in 1977-78 on Jan. 14 in Muncie, Ind., resulting in a 70-66 victory for the Cardinals.

– Wednesday’s game against Central Michigan will mark the 86th time the teams have met, with the Chippewas leading the all-time series record, 44-41. The Cardinals have won four of their last five meetings against the Chippewas including winning the two-game series last season.

– It may be cold outside but the Cardinals tend to get hot in the month of January under 11th-year head coach Brady Sallee. Sallee owns an overall record of 56-29 (.658) in the month of January dating back to his first season in 2012-13.

Fast Facts:

– Redshirt senior Anna Clephane has 1,028 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 13.9 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 73 and so far has 25 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 54 three’s so far this season.

Agustsdottir has 272 total 3-pointers for her career and sits in third place all-time. She needs 20 more to move up to second place which is currently being held by former Cardinal and current assistant Moriah Monaco (2014-18) with 292 3-pointers.

When BSU Scores 80+ We Win:

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

Scouting the Chippewas:

– The Chippewas return five letterwinners. All five made at least two starts in 2021- 22. The returnees and their respective number of starts (CMU played 29 games in 2021-22): Jahari Smith, 27; Lisa Tesson, 26; Anika Weekes, 25; Tiana Timpe, 15; Karrington Gordon, 2.

– The Chippewas are 3-1 when they have led at the half this season and are 0-11 when they trail at intermission. Central Michigan is 0-7 on the road thus far this year.

– The Chippewas are led in scoring by freshman forward Sydney Harris who is averaging 15.9 points per game. Behind Harris is freshman guard Bridget Utberg who scores 11.1 points per contest.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: ‘DONS GO DOWN TO THE WIRE WITH NORTHERN KENTUCKY

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – A late comeback for Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball fell just short on Friday morning (Jan. 20), as the Mastodons fell to Northern Kentucky 75-59 in Truist Arena.

The Mastodons scored nine points in a 29-second span in the final minute of the game to cut the NKU lead down to two. This included five points from Amellia Bromenschenkel, who scored a game-high 19 points. She was 6-of-11 from the floor, 2-of-3 from the 3-point line and 5-of-5 from the free throw line.

After Riley Ott knocked in a pair of free throws, Shayla Sellers scored a layup off Ott’s assist to bring the score to 71-69. From there, Northern Kentucky made four free throws to extend the lead to its final line.

Purdue Fort Wayne led at halftime thanks to an 11-2 run over the final 5:10 of the second quarter. In this stretch, the ‘Dons held NKU to 1-for-4 from the floor with three turnovers. Bromenschenkel scored five of the Mastodons’ 11 points.

Bromenschenkel was one of three Mastodons in double-figures. Riley Ott scored 15 points, a season-high, and Ryin Ott scored 11. Aubrey Stupp had eight points, six rebounds and four assists. Sellers finished with five assists, four points, two rebounds, two steals and a block.

The ‘Dons held NKU to just four 3-point attempts and two makes. The Norse had six players in double-figures, led by 19 points from Ivy Turner.

Purdue Fort Wayne falls to 6-13, 3-6 Horizon League while NKU improves to 11-7, 5-4. The Mastodons are back in action on Sunday (Jan. 20) at Wright State at 1 p.m.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE TRACK: KAI AUERNHEIMER SETS HEPTATHLON SCHOOL RECORD

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Kai Auernheimer moved the school record in the heptathlon to 4349 points on Friday (Jan. 20) at the Brant Tolsma Invitational for the Purdue Fort Wayne men’s track and field program.

His best finish was fourth in the 1000 meters (2:43.75). Auernheimer finished 10th overall in the heptathlon. Logan Alexander was 12th (3783) in the heptathlon.

In other action, Braxton Trittipo was 11th in the 200 meter dash (22.43). Troy Golden was 15th (22.78) and Brent Donaldson earned 18th (22.90) in the 200.

The ‘Dons will be in action in two locations on Saturday. The Mastodons are hosting the Mastodon Invite at 11 a.m. and then will have a select group of athletes finishing the final day of the meet hosted by Liberty.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL: ‘DONS HANDLE MISSOURI S&T WITH 3-0 SWEEP

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball team beat the visiting Missouri S&T Miners on Friday night (Jan. 20) 25-20, 25-15, 25-17 in the Gates Sports Center.

The first-year program held tough with the Mastodons for the majority of the opening set, but the ‘Dons quickly used its experience to overwhelm the visitors from Missouri. The two teams were tied at 18, but the ‘Dons went on a 5-0 run behind Emmanuel Jurineack’s service. The Miners took a pair of points from the ‘Dons, but then made two errors to give away the set. Purdue Fort Wayne hit .400 in the opening frame (11-3-20).

The ‘Dons went up 11-10 in set two before taking control again. Bryce Walker served the Mastodons through a 5-0 run, which saw the junior middle blocker ace the Miners twice. S&T scored once before another 3-0 run for the ‘Dons. This put the ‘Dons up nine, giving way for a comfortable finish that ultimately ended in another 3-0 Purdue Fort Wayne run.

Set three was littered with aces and errors early on, as the ‘Dons only had one kill by the time they reached 10 points. The Mastodons found a rhythm midway through the set however, going on a 6-0 push behind Sergio Carrillo’s serve. The Miners pushed back with a 6-1 run, but the ‘Dons closed the match on an identical run of their own. The final four points were a pair of kills from Walker, a block from Walker and Wilmer Hernandez and an ace from Mark Frazier.

Diedrich finished with 10 kills, a match-high. Ryan Steponaitis played in his first collegiate match, registering a block.

The ‘Dons hit .367, their best in the early-going of 2023.

Purdue Fort Wayne improves to 3-1 with a matchup tomorrow against Harvard at 5 p.m. Missouri S&T falls to 1-3.

INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: CAIN NOTCHES FIRST ISU DOUBLE-DOUBLE AS SYCAMORES FALL TO REDBIRDS

NORMAL, Ill. – Chelsea Cain recorded her first double-double in an Indiana State uniform Friday night, but Illinois State’s 3-point barrage was too much to overcome for the Sycamores in a 78-68 defeat inside Redbird Arena.

Cain finished with 16 points and a season-high 11 rebounds, becoming the second Sycamore to record a double-double this season. Del’Janae Williams also had 16 points as she inches closer to the 1,000-point mark for her career, while Caitlin Anderson added a season-high nine off the bench.

Indiana State hit four 3-pointers in the first quarter as the Sycamores jumped out to an early lead. Illinois State responded, though, as the Redbirds got hot from behind the arc to take a nine-point lead at the break. The Sycamores made a second-half charge, cutting their deficit to two on multiple occasions behind 23 second-half points from Cain, Williams and Hattie Westerfeld, but a pair of fourth-quarter 3-pointers for the home side proved to be daggers

First Half

Early baskets by Cain and Williams, the latter’s being a 3-pointer, gave Indiana State a 5-2 lead, and Anna McKendree hit a trey from the top of the key to tack onto the lead. Cain converted a three-point play to give the Trees their largest lead of the contest at 11-6 midway through the first, and Bella Finnegan hit a 3-pointer to keep the Sycamore lead at five. Williams added another triple late in the quarter, but Illinois State closed strong to take a 20-17 lead after the opening 10 minutes.

Williams continued her strong start with a 3-pointer to even the score at 20-all early in the second, but a quick 6-0 Redbird run gave the home side a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. McKendree knocked down her second three-pointer in the game to cut it to 29-26, but that was the last time it was a one-possession game in the first half. Illinois State led by as many as 12 late in the second, but four points from Anderson inside the last two minutes cut the Sycamore deficit to 46-37 at the intermission.

Second Half

Indiana State came out of the locker room strong, quickly cutting its deficit to four following baskets by Anderson and Westerfeld. Baskets by Cain and Williams in the middle stages of the third, along with a pair of Anderson free throws, made it a two-point game at 52-50 just after the media timeout. Westerfeld converted a three-point play inside the final minute to make it 56-53, but a four-point play for the Redbirds gave Illinois State a 60-53 advantage heading to the fourth.

Baskets by Cain, Williams and Westerfeld inside the first 2:30 of the fourth helped the Sycamores trim their deficit down to 63-59. Finnegan and Cain hit field goals midway through the period to make it a 65-63 game, but that was the closest the Sycamores got. Illinois State closed on a 13-5 run and, despite a late 3-pointer by Williams, held on to win 78-68.

Inside the Numbers

Indiana State was plus-10 on the glass (40-30), including 15 offensive rebounds. The Sycamores turned those into 18 second chance points, their most in a game since the season opener against Saint Louis.

Indiana State had a 16-11 advantage in bench points, with Caitlin Anderson (nine) and Hattie Westerfeld (seven) combining to score all of those points.

Indiana State got within two points despite going 1-for-9 from distance in the second half. The Sycamores hit six of their 12 3-pointers in the first half.

Indiana State’s 88.2 percent clip from the free throw line (15-for-17) was its best this season.

Entering Friday’s game, the Sycamores had the top 3-point defense in the MVC during conference play, but Illinois State hit 14 treys against Indiana State. The 14 3-pointers were the most allowed by the Sycamores since Green Bay hit 14 on Dec. 9, 2006.

News & Notes

Del’Janae Williams has scored in double-figures in four straight games, averaging 17.8 points per game during that span. Williams is closing in on the 1,000-point mark for her career, as she is 90 points shy of reaching the milestone.

Chelsea Cain has scored in double-figures in four of the last five games, averaging 15.6 points per game during that span. Cain also averaging 5.4 rebounds per game during that stretch.

After going the first 14 games without a player notching a double-double, Indiana State has had one in each of the last two games. Anna McKendree had 14 points and 10 assists against Drake last weekend, while Chelsea Cain had 16 points and 11 rebounds in Friday’s game.

Indiana State has lost three straight games for the first time this season.

Up Next

Indiana State closes its road trip Sunday afternoon at Bradley with tipoff set for 3 p.m.

INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL: SYCAMORES HEAD TO MURRAY STATE FOR NATIONALLY TELEVISED MATCHUP AGAINST RACERS

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Sycamores are set to face first-year Valley member Murray State for the first time since 2008 on national television Saturday, Jan. 21. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. ET on ESPNU from CFSB Center in Murray, Ky.

Indiana State will be looking to get back on track Saturday after dropping its third straight game this past Wednesday, 78-67 to Bradley at Hulman Center. This is the second three-game skid for the Sycamores this season, and after the previous streak, ISU bounced back to win the next four straight games to open Valley play 6-0 for the first time since Larry Bird’s team in 1978-79.

For the first time all season, Indiana State is a full game back of first place in the Valley standings. Of the 10 Valley teams with two or more league wins, ISU is riding the longest current losing streak.

Wednesday’s 11-point loss to Bradley is ISU’s largest margin of defeat all season. Before Wednesday, ISU was 8-0 in games decided by 11 points or more with all six of its losses coming by a deficit of 10 points or less, including three losses by three points or less.

Indiana State has been outscored in the second half 11 times this season, with nine of those occurrences happening after holding the lead at halftime. The Sycamores have lost three games this season in which they led at halftime and were outscored in the second half.

At 13-7, head coach Josh Schertz has already surpassed last season’s amount of total (11) and Valley (4) wins. Only four ISU coaches have improved win totals from year one to year two.

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday will be the 11th all-time meeting between Indiana State and Murray State, but the first as co-members of the MVC. The series dates back to 1945 and the Sycamores lead the all-time series 7-3. The two teams have not met since 2008, facing each other twice in that calendar year including an ISU road win in the ESPN BracketBuster game Feb. 23, 2008 in which the Sycamores erased a 17-point deficit in the first half to win 79-62. The Racers are 2-1 in the last three meetings and took the most recent matchup, 67-61, Nov. 26, 2008 at Hulman Center.

MURRAY STATE AT A GLANCE

In their first season in the Valley, Murray State was picked to finished eighth, right below Indiana State at seventh, in the Valley preseason poll. The Racers are currently a game back of the Sycamores are 5-4. Murray State is 21-2 at home over the last two seasons, including 6-1 this season. That lone home loss came against Southern Illinois Dec. 29 by a score of 63-57, Murray State’s first Valley loss.

The Racers are coming off an 80-65 loss at Belmont Wednesday night. The first half provided four tied scores in the first five minutes and a big run for each team. The Racers went first with a 12-2 run when they held the Bruins to no field goals for seven minutes to take a 21-11 lead at 8:40. However, the Bruins ended the half outscoring the Racers 16-4 to take a 34-30 lead into the halftime intermission. The Bruins opened the second half on a 15-4 run and put the Racers behind 54-36 at the 13:00 mark, and Murray State never got closer than 14 points the rest of the way.

Rob Perry scored 14 points to lead the Racers at Belmont, while JaCobi Wood scored 12 points and Jamari Smith added 11. Perry leads Murray State in scoring with 14.9 points per game, and he is joined in double-figure average scoring by Wood and Smith with 12.3 points per game each.

LAST GAME AGAINST THE RACERS

Indiana State was looking for its first win of the 2008-09 season in a match-up against Ohio Valley Conference foe Murray State Nov. 26, 2008. The Sycamores (0-3) held an eight-point lead during the first half and went into the locker room with a two-point lead at halftime, but they could not reign in the Racers (3-1) in the second half and dropped a 67-61 decision at the Hulman Center.

Jay Tunnell led the way for the Sycamores with 12 points and seven rebounds in the defeat, while Keenan Barlow recorded a career-high 11 points and five rebounds in the loss for ISU. Aaron Carter also finished in double figures with 10 points to go along with three assists.

Murray State’s Danero Thomas led all scorers with 22 points on 8-for-15 shooting, including a 4-for-6 effort from three-point range.

LAST TIME OUT

The second-half woes continued for the Indiana State Sycamores Wednesday night as they led by five at halftime before being outscored by 16 in the second half en route to dropping their third straight game, falling 78-67 to Bradley at Hulman Center.

Indiana State held Bradley to one field goal through 7:22 in the first half while going on a 16-2 run in that span and led the Braves by 10 points with just under four minutes to go in the opening frame. After the Sycamores led 39-34 at halftime, the Braves used a 12-0 run in the second half to help outscore ISU 44-28 in the period.

Courvoisier McCauley led the Sycamores with 12 points and eight rebounds, and Cameron Henry put up 11 points and seven rebounds while dishing out a new career-high nine assists. Each of them would receive a technical foul in the game, with Henry’s coming at 0:25 in the first half followed by McCauley’s at 14:39 in the second half.

The Sycamores jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first minute of the game, but Bradley responded with back-to-back threes, and ISU trailed 13-8 at 16:21 when both teams went cold from the floor. Cade McKnight broke the field goal drought for the Sycamores with a layup at 13:21, but Bradley’s scoring drought continued as the Sycamores went on an 8-0 run including six points from McKnight in that span. ISU led 16-13 when Bradley finally capped its scoring drought with 10:44 left in the first half.

Indiana State went on another 8-0 run that featured a steal and dunk from Henry, and Henry later took advantage of a Bradley turnover, driving all the way in for a layup while drawing a foul in the process. He completed the and-one to put the Sycamores up by 10 at 36-26 with 3:57 to go. Jayson Kent knocked down a triple at 2:41 to give the Sycamores a 39-30 lead, and Bradley closed the half with four free throws to make it 39-34 going into halftime.

Bradley got a couple quick buckets back in the second half to cut the deficit to one point, and then ISU went on a 9-2 run to go up 48-40 at 15:15. After that, a Sycamore tech triggered a 12-0 Bradley run which the Braves used to take a 52-48 lead at 12:15. A three-point and-one from Kailex Stephens would pull the Sycamores within one point of Bradley at 9:56, but that’s as close as ISU would come to retaking the lead the rest of the way.

LARRY NAMED MVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Julian Larry was named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week Jan. 10 after posting back-to-back 18-point outings, helping the Sycamores go 2-0 on the week and remain unbeaten in Valley play. Larry shot 12-of-14 on the week including 3-of-3 from distance. He also connected on 9-of-10 from the charity stripe and dished out 10 assists with four steals across the two games. In Wednesday’s win at Illinois State, Larry shot a perfect 7-of-7 from the field with five assists and not a single turnover.

LARRY GETS HOT

Julian Larry is the lone Sycamore to play in all 20 games this season but just recently emerged as he has played his way into the starting lineup. He has started each of the last seven games, and through the first five of those games, he led the Sycamores in scoring with 15.6 points per game. He has posted 18 or more points in three of those games and twice has shot 100 percent from the field (8-of-8 against Evansville, 7-of-7 at Illinois State), and he is shooting 78.4 percent from the field.

Larry dished out 4.6 assists per game across those first five starts and committed just one or no turnovers in three of those games. He held a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio while averaging two steals per game in that span.

NEW FACE SETS THE PACE

Going into the Jan. 15 game at Missouri State, grad transfer Courvoisier McCauley is leading the way for the Sycamores in his first year at Indiana State. Through the first 18 games he leads the team in total points (283, 105 more points than ISU’s second leading scoring Cameron Henry with 178 points) while averaging a team-high 16.6 points. He also leads the Sycamores on the glass with 5.5 rebounds per game. His 16.6 points per game rank sixth in the Valley, and he’s top-20 in the league in boards per game.

McCauley has two double-doubles this season and is one of just 15 players in the Valley to record two or more on the year. He is also the lone Valley player with multiple 30-point outings this season. With five 20+-point games, McCauley joins just eight other Valley players with five or more this year.

A TALE OF TWO HALVES

The Sycamores have struggled to put together 40 consistent minutes of basketball this season, as shown by their scoring margin in the first half (+9.4) compared to the second half (-0.4) through 20 games so far.

The Sycamores have now given up a double-digit lead six times this season. They recovered to win two of those games but have dropped the last four games in which they blew a double-digit lead. Jan. 18 against Bradley was the second time that has happened against a Valley opponent, both times occurring at home, after giving up a double-digit lead to lose to Southern Illinois Jan. 11. In four of those five games, Indiana State led by 14 or more points in the first half.

The Sycamores let go of the lead against Drake and Southern Illinois in their first two Valley games but still won each of those games. Since then, ISU has blown a double-digit lead and lost to Southern Indiana (in overtime), Duquesne, Southern Illinois, and Bradley.

BIG WINS, NARROW LOSSES

Before Wednesday’s 11-point loss against Bradley, Indiana State was 8-0 in games decided by 11 or more points this season and 5-6 in games decided by 10 or less points. Three of those five wins were against Valley opponents while the other two were against opponents at the Gulf Showcase. Three of those five losses were by three or less points, one by six points, one by eight points, and one by 10 points.

EVANSVILLE SOFTBALL: UE SOFTBALL RELEASES 2023 SCHEDULE

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Set to kick off the inaugural season at the newly-renovated Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at James & Dorothy Cooper Stadium, the University of Evansville softball team has announced its 2023 schedule.

“I think Aces fans are going to excited with our schedule. One of the things I am most proud to highlight with our schedule is our two home tournaments the 2nd and 3rd weekends of the season,” UE head softball coach Mat Mundell exclaimed.  “This was made possible with the tremendous renovation to Cooper Stadium. We hope to have the stands packed all season long.”

Opening day is set for Thursday, February 9 with the start of the DePaul Dome Classic in Rosemont, Ill.  Set to take place at the Rosemont Dome, the Purple Aces will take on Saint Louis, St. Thomas, Eastern Kentucky, Detroit Mercy and DePaul.

On Friday, Feb. 17, UE takes to its new field for the first time with the first of two home tournaments.  From the 17th through the 19th, UE will combine with USI to host a tournament that also includes Green Mary, UT Martin and Kansas City.  From Feb. 24-26, the second home tournament will include Bowling Green, Purdue Fort Wayne and St. Thomas.

March begins with a trip to the Hilltopper Spring Fling in Bowling Green, Ky.  UE faces Austin Peay, Western Kentucky and Akron between March 3 and 5.  WKU is coming off a 38-13 campaign in 2022.  The final non-conference tournament will see the Aces travel to Nashville for the Lady Bison Classic, which goes from March 10-12.  Evansville takes on Akron and Indiana twice apiece before facing host Lipscomb in the finale.

Missouri Valley Conference play opens at home on Friday, March 17 with a series against Bradley.  In its first road series, UE treks to Springfield, Mo. from March 24-26 to face Missouri State.  In 2022, MSU went 28-20 and finished second in the MVC.  On the 28th, the Aces will play a doubleheader against Lindenwood in St. Louis.  Lindenwood is in its first season at the Division I level and won 35 games while making the NCAA Division II Tournament last year.

UE welcomes Belmont for a series that will begin on March 31.  The first-year members of the MVC won 33 games a season ago.  On Tuesday April 4 and 11, Evansville will play single road games at Indiana State.  In between, the Aces host a home series versus Southern Illinois from April 7-9.

Three of the final four weekend series of the season will be on the road, starting on April 14 at Murray State.  The Racers are the defending Ohio Valley Conference Champions and won 40 games in 2022 on their way to a spot in the Tuscaloosa NCAA Regional.  On April 18, Evansville welcomes SIU Edwardsville for a single game.

Road action continues with a series at UIC between April 21-23 before the Aces return to Cooper Stadium for their final four home contests.  After facing Indiana State on April 25, UE plays host to Illinois State in a series that goes from April 28-30.  The regular season will wrap up at Northern Iowa beginning on May 5.  In 2022, the Panthers went 22-2 in the MVC.

EVANSVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL: MEN’S BASKETBALL HOSTS DRAKE ON SATURDAY

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Opening a 2-game homestand, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team welcomes Drake to the Ford Center on Saturday afternoon.  Tip is set for 3 p.m. CT with the Purple Aces Radio Network and ESPN+ having the coverage.

Last Time Out

– Another late rally came up just short on Tuesday at Southern Illinois

– After trailing by as many as 20 points in the first half, the Purple Aces got within six points in the final minute before falling by a score of 77-70

– Resetting his career scoring high once again was Marvin Coleman II who hit 9 of his 13 attempts to finish with 25 points

– Chris Moncrief enjoyed the top game of his career as he tallied 6 points, 5 assists, 4 steals and 3 rebounds in 25:06 – all career-bests

– For the second time in his UE career, Gage Bobe reached double figures with 11 points

Another Career Best

– Hitting 9 of his 13 shots at Southern Illinois, Marvin Coleman II reset his career scoring high with 25 points

– Over his last 10 games, Coleman is averaging 15.7 points while shooting 50.9%

– Coleman had just one double figure scoring game in his first ten contests this season while averaging 5.4 points…since then, he has reached double digits in 9 of the last 10 games

– Following the first 10 games, Coleman was shooting 22.5% (20/89) from the field and 9.1% (2/22) from outside…he has hit 57 of his last 112 attempts (50.9%) and 20 of his previous 40 outside tries

– Before his 25-point game at SIU, Coleman had his first 20-point game at Missouri State, finishing with 22

Settling In

– In the road game at Southern Illinois, Chris Moncrief recorded career-bests in points (6), assists (5), steals (4), rebounds (3) and minutes (25:06)

– The game continued a recent trend that has seen the freshman become more comfortable with the college game

– Over his first 13 games, he did not play more than 17 minutes but over the last three, he has been on the floor for at least 23 minutes

– Moncrief recorded two blocks in games at Bradley and home versus Valparaiso

Another Double Digit Outing

– For the second time in his UE career, Gage Bobe reached double figures as he totaled 11 points at Southern Illinois

– Bobe hit 3 of his 6 outside attempts and is shooting 48.1% (13/27) from long range since Dec. 21

– His career game came on Dec. 21 against Bellarmine where he posted 12 points and was 4-for-7 from 3-point distance

Scouting the Opponent

– Drake heads to the Ford Center on Saturday with a 14-6 record and a 5-4 mark through their opening nine MVC contests

– The Bulldogs had a 3-game win streak halted on Wednesday when Missouri State picked up a 65-62 overtime win in Des Moines

– Prior to that, Drake defeated Murray State, Bradley and UIC

– Tucker DeVries has established himself as one of the top players in the Valley and comes into the game averaging 18.6 points per game along with 6.0 rebounds

– Roman Penn checks in with a 9.8 PPG mark

– Darnell Brodie is third with 8.8 points and leads the team with 7.4 rebounds

EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: FEIT POURS-IN 28 POINTS AS ACES GLIDE PAST BRADLEY

PEORIA, Ill. – Powered by a well-rounded team performance, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team opened the weekend road trip with a 73-56 win over Bradley on Friday night in Peoria, Ill.

Back home in Central Illinois, senior guard/forward Abby Feit came up just one point shy of tying her career high, pouring-in a season-best 28 points and adding 12 rebounds in the win. From the field, Feit was incredibly efficient, shooting 11-14 (78.6%) and 4-7 (57.1%) from beyond the arc. Graduate guard Anna Newman was in vintage form, recording 10 assists and adding six points, three boards, and three steals. Also finishing in double-figures for Evansville was fifth-year guard A’Niah Griffin, who marked her second-straight game in double-digits with 13 points, knocking-down three triples. The Braves were led by Caroline Waite and Daija Powell who each finished with 12 points for Bradley.

The Aces wasted little time in taking control on Friday night, running out to a 14-2 advantage that was capped-off by a Feit three-pointer and forced a Bradley timeout with 3:30 left in the opening period. Out of the timeout, the Braves would answer with a run of their own to the tune of 11-2, closing within just three at 16-13 after the first.

Energized by its run to close the first quarter, Bradley kept pace with the Aces in the opening three minutes of the second frame, narrowing its deficit to one at 22-21. In response, Evansville again turned up the intensity, beginning with eight-straight points leading to an overall 16-6 spree to close the half as UE took a 38-27 lead into the locker room. Much of the run down the stretch of the second quarter was thanks to fifth-year guard Myia Clark, who tallied all eight of her points on the night in the second period.

What was the Myia Clark Show in the second quarter turned into the Abby Feit and A’Niah Griffin show out of the half. Of Evansville’s 17 third-quarter points, Feit and Griffin combined to score all but two of them, a layup by reshirt junior Barbora Tomancova, as the Aces built onto their advantage. A jumper from Waite got the Braves back within single digits a little over a minute into the second half, but Evansville answered with nine unaswered points, giving UE an 18-point advantage as the third quarter waned.

The lead hovered between 13 and 18 points for much of the early portion of the final quarter before the Aces offense again got hot. With just over five minutes remaining in the game, Feit hit a jumper to give Evansville its largest lead of the night at 67-45 before Coach Scherr-Wells began to rotate starters out of the game down the stretch as UE secured the 73-56 win.

Evansville’s 17-point margin in the win over Bradley is its largest against an MVC foe since an 81-50 victory at Loyola Chicago on March 2, 2017.

The Aces are back in action against first-place Illinois State at 2 PM on Sunday afternoon in Normal, Ill. to close out the road trip.

EVANSVILLE TRACK: LAMOND BREAKS ANOTHER UE THROWING RECORD AT BELLARMINE OPEN

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Evansville graduate student Antonia Lamond (Nutley, N.J./Paramus Catholic) broke her own school record in the women’s weight throw event on Friday, as she placed fifth overall with a toss of 13.28 meters to help lead the Purple Aces’ track & field teams at the Bellarmine Open.

Lamond’s school-record throw came in the last event of the day for UE, and bettered her own previous record by over half a meter.  It capped a strong day for the UE throwers, as senior Zach Dove (Princeton, Ind./Princeton Community) posted a pair of top five finishes and topped the previous Bellarmine Open record in the men’s weight throw, while senior Jaden Hayes also posted a sixth-place finish in the men’s shot put.

Dove placed third in the weight throw with a toss of 17.01 meters (55′ 9.75″), as he finished just two feet shy of Western Kentucky’s Brett Brannon for the individual title.  Dove’s throw topped the previous Bellarmine Open record by over a meter and a half.  He also placed fourth in the shot put with a team-best throw of 14.25 meters (46′ 9″), while Hayes finished two places back with a toss of 13.18 meters (43′ 3″).

On the track, sophomore Adam Oulgout (St. Paul, Minn./Central) continued his strong start to the indoor season with a tenth-place finish in the men’s 800-meters with a time of 1:58.72.  He also barely missed setting a new personal-best mark in the indoor mile, as he clocked in with a time of 4:25.74.  Fifth-year runner Carson Kline (Terre Haute, Ind./South) was able to cut four seconds off of his personal-best mile time with a time of 4:46.38, while freshman Joey Taylor (Grove City, Ohio/Central Crossing) also cut 14 seconds off of his season-best mile time by clocking in with a time of 4:55.45.

In the sprints, junior Geordan Blades (Avon, Ind./Avon) placed 13th overall in the men’s 60-meter dash with a time of 7.22, while placing 14th in the 200-meters with a time of 23.28.  Freshmen Jude Nguyen (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington) and Jose Ocampo (Monterrey, Mexico) were not far behind with times of 24.01 and 24.05, respectively.

On the women’s side, freshman Kate Walke (Batesville, Ind./Oldenburg Academy) placed 13th in the women’s 60-meter hurdles with a time of 10.21.  Junior Emma Denbo (French Lick, Ind./Springs Valley) also lowered her personal-best mark in the 400-meters with a time of 1:13.22.

Overall, the UE men finished tenth as a team, while the UE women placed 14th.  UE will now take two weeks off before returning to action on Friday, February 3 by returning to Louisville to take part in the PNC Bank Bellarmine Classic.

VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: WOMEN’S BASKETBALL LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK SATURDAY AT DRAKE

Valparaiso (3-12, 1-6 MVC)

Game #16 – Jan. 21, 2023 – 6 p.m.

at Drake (10-5, 5-2 MVC)

Knapp Center (7,152) – Des Moines, Iowa

Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valpo women’s basketball team closes out its annual swing through the state of Iowa on Saturday afternoon at Drake. The Beacons are in search of their third consecutive win over the Bulldogs.

Previously: Valpo entered Thursday night’s game in Cedar Falls, Iowa looking to knock off an MVC co-leader for the second straight game, but host UNI had other thoughts, as the Panthers earned an 89-58 victory over the Beacons. Olivia Brown led Valpo with an efficient 13 points, while Ali Saunders added 12 points off the bench.

Following Valpo Basketball: Streaming Video: ESPN3

Radio: WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso)

Streaming Audio: TuneIn app

Links for live coverage: Available via ValpoAthletics.com

Head Coach Mary Evans: Mary Evans is in her fifth year at the helm of the program in 2022-23 and owns a record of 51-80. Evans has made an impact on the program in her first four years, raising the team’s level of play to be competitive in a strong Missouri Valley Conference. Evans’ preferred style of play has been a big part of the program’s turnaround, as Valpo has led the MVC in 3-pointers made per game in each of the last three seasons and in steals per game in two of the last three years.

Series Notes: Drake had captured each of the first 13 meetings in the all-time series against Valpo, but the Beacons turned the tables on the Bulldogs last season with a season sweep of the series. Valpo earned its first win over Drake at the ARC, 71-61, behind 21 points on seven 3-pointers from Caitlin Morrison and 10 assists by Shay Frederick. The Beacons then turned around later in the season in Des Moines and knocked off Drake at home, highlighted by a 20-point, 11-rebound, 6-steal effort by Grace White and 15 points from Carie Weinman. That continued the trend of closer games recently in the series – the Bulldogs’ average margin of victory was 31.9 points in the first seven matchups since Valpo joined the MVC, but in the last six meetings, Drake has outscored Valpo by just 13 points combined.

@ValpoWBB…

…and @ValleyHoops

– Valpo was picked to finish in 10th place in the MVC preseason poll, totaling 197 points, just 10 points behind Evansville.

– Valpo is in its sixth season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.

– The Valley was ranked 10th in conference NET last year, was ranked seventh nationally in conference NET in 2020-21 and was eighth nationally in conference RPI in 2019-20.

…looking back at last year

– Valpo finished last year with an 11-19 overall record, but was strong in MVC play, going 9-9 in conference and finishing in sixth place – both of which match the program’s best since joining the Valley.

– The Beacons registered the first win at Drake and the first win at Bradley in program history.

– Valpo swept the season series over Drake, the program’s first two wins ever against the Bulldogs.

– The Beacons also tallied four top-100 wins within Valley play.

– Grace White was named MVC Sixth Player of the Year – the program’s first major postseason award since joining the Valley. Shay Frederick was a First Team All-MVC choice, while White was an All-Defensive Team selection and Olivia Brown earned a spot on the All-Newcomer Team.

…at UNI

– UNI opened the game with a 10-2 lead. Valpo closed to within 12-11, but the Panthers closed the first quarter on a 12-0 run to lead 24-11 at the end of the period.

– Valpo was within 30-18 with seven minutes to play in the opening half. That was as close as Valpo would get in the second quarter, however, as UNI led 44-28 at intermission.

– Valpo’s chances of mounting a comeback took a hit to start the third quarter when the Panthers opened the period on a 10-3 run to push their lead to 54-31. The Beacons were unable to get any closer than the halftime margin, as UNI led 68-45 with 10 minutes to play and extended its lead in the final quarter.

– Valpo surrendered 89 points to the Panthers after giving up fewer than 70 points in each of its last five games. The 89 points allowed, 53.6% FG% (30-of-56) and 10 3-pointers made were each the second-most by a Valpo opponent this year, trailing only the Beacons’ loss to Bowling Green.

– The Beacons shot 42.2% (19-of-45) for the game and hit at a 42.1% (8-of-19) clip from the 3-point line, their best shooting percentage of the year from deep.

– Turnovers were the big difference in the ballgame, as Valpo committed 22 miscues, 12 of which were UNI steals, while the Panthers turned the ball over just 12 times. UNI held a massive 31-6 advantage in points off turnovers.

– Olivia Brown led the Valpo offense with 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting, knocking down a pair of triples and handing out three assists.

…versus Missouri State

– The Lady Bears led by as many as eight in the first half and held a 39-35 advantage at intermission.

– Five early points from Ilysse Pitts in the third quarter gave Valpo a 42-41 lead, its first lead since the early minutes. The Beacons would not trail again in the third and led 58-56 with 10 minutes to play.

– Olivia Brown converted at the rim on Valpo’s first possession of the fourth quarter to make it a four-point lead, but the Lady Bears scored six straight points to jump back in front, 62-60 with 8:24 to play.

– The Beacons answered with a key 10-2 run over a four-minute stretch to give them control. A 3-pointer by Pitts with 7:19 remaining gave Valpo the lead for good.

– The run was capped in a highlight-reel end-to-end sequence. Pitts blocked a 3-point attempt by MSU’s Paige Rocca with the shot clock running down, secured the loose ball and broke out towards the rim. Her layup attempt was off the mark, but junior Leah Earnest trailed the break perfectly, leapt and put the rebound back in one motion, all while being fouled. When Earnest completed the 3-point play at the foul line, Valpo led 70-64 with 4:02 to play.

– A free throw for the Beacons extended the lead to seven points at 71-64 with under three minutes to play before the Lady Bears converted a pair at the stripe with 2:31 to go to make it 71-66. Valpo had empty offensive possessions on its next two trips, but forced MSU misses on the defensive end to keep the Lady Bears at bay.

– Pitts took care of business at the foul line down the stretch, hitting 6-of-8 at the stripe in the final minute, and Missouri State turned the ball over to the Beacons on each of its final three possessions.

– Pitts, who entered Saturday with a career best of 11 points, more than doubled that to lead all players with 24 points — 18 of which came in the second half. Playing in her 95th career game at Valpo, Pitts paced the squad in scoring for the first time.

– Valpo also got an efficient offensive performance from Earnest, who went 6-of-9 from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe for 18 points to go with six rebounds. Earnest, who scored in double figures for the 11th time this year, set a career high with her six free throws made and also posted a career best with three steals.

– Rounding out a trio of Beacons who set a high water mark for output from the free throw line was Brown, who went 6-of-7 from the foul line as part of a 15-point effort — her eighth game in double figures this year. The senior also paced Valpo with four assists.

…looking ahead

– The Beacons step out of Valley play briefly next on Wednesday, Jan. 25 to make up their postponed game at Wisconsin.

– Valpo then returns home to the ARC next weekend to host Illinois State (Jan. 27) and Bradley (Jan. 29).

…on the road

– Thursday’s game is the eighth of 14 true road games for Valpo this season and the fifth MVC road game.

– The Beacons are 1-6 so far this season on the road and posted a 5-11 record in true road games last season.

@DrakeWBB

– Drake enters Saturday’s game with a 10-5 overall record and is 5-2 in MVC play, one game out of first place.

– The Bulldogs have won five of their last six games, the only defeat coming on a last-second shot at home to UNI.

– All four Drake players who have started every game this season score in double figures, led by Maggie Bair, who is averaging 16.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

VALPO TRACK: VELOZ BONILLA WINS 800 WITH RECORD-SETTING PERFORMANCE AT BLUE DEMON ALUMNI CLASSIC

The Valparaiso University track & field team competed in its first meet of the spring semester on Friday, getting a sneak peek of the facility that will host the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships by making the short trip to Chicago’s southside for the Blue Demon Alumni Classic hosted by DePaul at Gately Park. Ignacio Veloz Bonilla (San Juan, P.R. / American Military Academy) got the new year off to a favorable start, setting a program record in the indoor 800 en route to winning the event. Click here for results.

How It Happened

Veloz Bonilla stopped the clock in 1:52.67 in the 800, outdoing his previous indoor PR of 1:54.59 that occurred at last year’s MVC Indoor Championships. His previous time ranked second in program history, and this performance allowed him to usurp Alexander Bruno’s 2020 time of 1:52.93 for the fastest in program lore. He won the race in a 15-competitor field.

Valpo’s other champion came in the men’s pole vault, where Tristan Malatlian turned in a mark of 4.51m (14-9.50) to top the field.

Freshman Isabella Smith (Chesterton, Ind. / Chesterton) led the team in the 300 with a time of 44.41 seconds, making her way into the program record book in the process. Her time represented the second-fastest indoor 300 in program history and fastest since Karie Dahlgren’s program record of 42.56 seconds in 1997. Kai Dilosa posted the third-fastest 300 time in program history at 44.58 to place sixth, while Rhena Kiger also cracked the top five in program history at 45.29 seconds.

Freshman Anthony Vassolo (Tinley Park, Ill. / Andrew) placed fourth in the men’s 300 at 36.53, a time that ranks fifth in program history and is the program’s best indoor 300 since 1982.

In the jumps, freshman Micah Mullings (Minesing, Ontario, Canada / Barrie North) had a big day, turning in a pair of top-six finishes. His personal best of 1.92m (6-3.5) helped him place third in the men’s high jump, while his long jump of 6.58m (21-7.25) was sixth in the field.

In the women’s pole vault, freshman Kiger cleared 3.06 meters (10-0.5) to place fifth.

The men’s weight throw saw a trio of Beacons finish in the top 10 with Jeremiah Johnson (Zion, Ill. / Benton) leading the way at 15.56m (51-0.75) to place seventh, followed closely by Will Rinker (Valparaiso, Ind. / Chesterton) at 14.82 (48-7.5, eighth) and Joe Irons at 14.09 (46-2.75, ninth).

On the women’s side, Valpo also had multiple top-10 performances in the weight throw. Tori Gerhardt (Westville, Ind. / Chesterton) was eighth at 14.81m (48-7.25, eighth) and was closely followed by Lena Luebberg (Heyworth, Ill. / Heyworth) at 14.36m (47-1.5, ninth).

Elsewhere in the women’s throws, freshman Amelia Tandy (New Albany, Ind. / New Albany) uncorked a shot put heave of 10.03m (32-11) to finish eighth.

Valpo’s top performer in the men’s shot put was Josh Leathers (Streamwood, Ill. / Streamwood), who finished fifth at 12.63m (41-5.25). He was followed closely by Jeremiah Johnson (Zion, Ill. / Benton) at 12.55m (41-2.25) to finish sixth.

In the sprints and hurdles, Lukas Sepulveda (Camano Island, Wash. / Stanwood) finished 14th in the men’s 60-meter prelims with a time of 7.20, narrowly behind his personal record of 7.19. Nathan Wessel (Hartland, Wis. / Lake County Lutheran) clocked a 7.40 in that same race, shattering his previous PR of 7.42 at the 2021 Blue & Gold Invitational.

The women’s 60 hurdles prelims saw Kiger 16th in the prelims with a time of 10.16. In the women’s 60, it was Marion Isaac (Evergreen Park, Ill. / Evergreen Park) leading the team with a time of 8.37 that ranked 21st in the prelims.

In the distance, Alex Valerio (Rockford, Ill. / Boylan Catholic) paced the team in the men’s mile, placing 28th at 4:39.24.

Marek Potuznik (Hoffman Estates, Ill. / Fremd) finished the 1,000 in 2:45.39 to place fifth.

In the women’s 3000, the first Beacon to cross the finish line was Maranda Donahue (Delton, Mich. / Delton Kellogg) at 10:36.7. That represented her personal best in that event.

SOUTHERN INDIANA TRACK: EAGLES EARN NINE TOP-10 FINISHES TO OPEN 2023 CAMPAIGN

LOUISVILLE, Ken. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Track & Field tallied nine top-10 finishes at the Bellarmine Open Friday evening. As a team, the Screaming Eagles finished eighth out of 14 teams, claiming 25 points.

USI found its best finish from junior Kyle Crone (Maryville, Illinois) who earned third place in the long jump with a leap of twenty-one feet, nine inches before taking home fourth place in the high jump with a height of 5′ 10.75″. Sophomore Rick Pflanz (Huntingburg, Indiana) also nabbed a top-five finish in the 800 meters with a time of one minute, 57.61 seconds. Leading the pack in the 3,000 meters was junior Mitchell Hopf (Santa Claus, Indiana) after crossing the finish line at 8:27.06 to claim fifth place.

The Eagles had more success in the long jump with sophomore James Butler (Evansville, Indiana) and junior Lee Moore Jr. (Matteson, Illinois) earning sixth and seventh, respectively. Butler had a leap of 19′ 11″ while Moore was inches behind, ending with a 19′ 9″ jump. USI also had three top-10 finishes in the mile with senior Noah Hufnagel (Santa Claus, Indiana), sophomore Brady Terry (Philpot, Kentucky), and Hopf going eighth, ninth, and 10th, respectively. Hufnagel ran a time of 4:15.19 with Terry (4:15.98) and Hopf (4:16.04) finishing less than one second behind.

NEXT UP FOR THE EAGLES:

The Eagles continue the 2023 campaign when they travel back to Louisville, Kentucky for the PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational hosted by the University of Louisville from Friday January 27 to Saturday January 28.

SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S TRACK: CAVANAUGH, GREIWE EARN FIRST-PLACE FINISHES AT BELLARMINE OPEN

LOUISVILLE, Ken. – Juniors McKenna Cavanaugh (New Albany, Indiana) and Lauren Greiwe (West Harrison, Indiana) each captured first place in their respective races at the Bellarmine Open Friday evening to pace University of Southern Indiana Women’s Track & Field to a third-place team finish.

Cavanaugh was the first Screaming Eagle to take home a first-place finish in 2023 after running the mile in five minutes, 00.22 seconds. She also finished second in the 800 meters with a time of 2:18.91. Greiwe followed up with a meet-best time of 10:11.97 in the 3,000 meters. She ended her day with a fourth-place finish in the mile with a time of 5:11.29.

There were a total of 14 top-10 finishes for USI, five coming out of the mile. Senior Kara Martin (Herrin, Illinois) tallied third place after running the mile in 5:07.95 while freshman Emily Rempe (Owensboro, Kentucky) and junior Hadley Fisher (Evansville, Indiana) each recorded points for the Eagles after finishing in sixth and seventh place respectively with a time of 5:13.27.

Fisher also completed the 3,000 meters in 10:21.59 to earn fifth with junior Aubrey Swart (Noblesville, Indiana) finishing in 10th place with a time of 10:37.85. In the 800 meters, Martin took home fourth place with a time of 2:20.06 while sophomore Audrey Comastri (Indianapolis, Indiana) ran to sixth place in 2:21.78 before Rempe crossed the finish line in 2:27.49 to claim 10th place.

The Eagles had two throwers record impressive marks with sophomore Gabrielle McGregor (Louisville, Kentucky) nabbing fourth place after a thirty-five foot, 7.25-inch toss in the shot put before junior Emily Papandria (Indianapolis, Indiana) earned seventh in the weight throw with a toss of 41′ 1″.

NEXT UP FOR THE EAGLES:

The Eagles continue the 2023 campaign when they travel back to Louisville, Kentucky for the PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational hosted by the University of Louisville from Friday January 27 to Saturday January 28.

U OF I WRESTLING: BLUBAUGH RANKED 1ST, TEAM 6TH IN LATEST NWCA RANKINGS

MANHEIM, Penn. – The University of Indianapolis wrestling team jumped up in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division II Coaches Rankings from No. 12 to No. 6, led by No. 1 at 197 Derek Blubaugh. His top spot is only the fifth member of the Greyhounds to occupy the No. 1 ranking, the last being Andrew Sams at 174 on Jan 21, 2022.

“I think its well deserved, coming off a second place finish last year and then beating the National Champion this year, he’s earned it,” Head Coach Jason Warthan said. “He’s one of those guys that’s easy to coach, he’s going to put his head down and work.”

The team earned 49 points with four wrestlers ranked. Central Oklahoma maintained the No. 1 spot in the rankings, followed by Lander at No. 2, and Nebraska-Kearney at No. 3. Drury comes in at 23 as the only other GLVC school in the rankings while both McKendree and Maryville are receiving votes.

Alongside Blubaugh, Logan Bailey dropped a spot to No. 4 at 157. Jack Eiteljorge jumped up a trio of spots to No. 5 at 165. The older Bailey, in Breyden Bailey rounds out the Hounds in the rankings at No. 7.

The Hounds will host their first dual of the season which also doubles as senior day, welcoming in the Quincy Hawks a week from today on Wednesday, Jan. 25. The first match is set to take place at 6 p.m.

U OF I TENNIS: GREYHOUND TENNIS TEAMS OPEN SPRING IN TOP 10

TEMPE, Ariz.— The Intercollegiate Tennis Association released its top 25 preseason rankings for the 2023 season, the University of Indianapolis men’s tennis team landed in the No. 7 spot, while the women’s team found itself at No. 8.

The men’s team are led by the No. 1-ranked doubles pairing in the country in Tom Zeuch and Edgar Destouet, fresh off of a ITA DII National Championship in Rome, Ga. On the road to their national title, they captured the ITA Midwest Championship as well. Destouet also returns as the GLVC Freshman of the Year for a 19-5 season in singles, with a 9-3 record in the No. 1 slot for the Hounds.

On the women’s side, they return the ITA Senior Player of the Year and GLVC Player of the Year in Anna Novikova, from a team that made it to the NCAA semifinals.

The ITA Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by the ITA National Ranking Committee. The National Ranking Committee is made up of the 8 ITA Region Chairs, with each chair casting an individual, secret ballot.

U OF I MEN’S BASKETBALL: HOUNDS HOST MCKENDREE ON SATURDAY FOR PACK THE HOUSE

The No. 18 UIndy men’s basketball team hosts McKendree on Saturday afternoon in GLVC action, tipping around 3 p.m. in the first Pack the House since 2020. To purchase tickets for the event, click here.

The Hounds, riding a nine-game winning streak, sit atop the league standings in the latest PRS ratings (PDF) that were released last Saturday following the team’s victory over then-No. 11 Missouri-St. Louis. Kendrick Tchoua capped the weekend with a 19-point, nine-rebound performance – adding to his dominating output of 26 points and seven boards on Thursday – to earn GLVC Player of the Week for the second time in his four-year career.

Jesse Bingham recently became the 44th Greyhound in program history to reach 1,000 career points, slamming a pass from Josiah Tynes home in the 79-53 win over Maryville this past Monday on MLK Day. The Indianapolis native is currently in his third season.

Following the contest, the men’s basketball program will host an autograph session on the floor for all spectators.

U OF I WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: SET TO PACK THE HOUSE ON SATURDAY AGAINST MCKENDREE

INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy women’s basketball team is preparing to cap off its four-game homestand on Saturday afternoon by hosting the “Pack the House” game against McKendree at Nicoson Hall. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. ET.

The Hounds will enter with a record of 9-8 (5-4 GLVC) while the Bearcats sit at 7-8 (4-4 GLVC).

UIndy leads the all-time series over McKendree at 9-5. Despite this, the Bearcats have won the last two meeting between the two programs dating back to the 2020-21 season.

As a team, the Hounds have seven different players who are averaging five or more points scored per game this season, led by Sadie Hill’s 14.6 PPG average. UIndy also sits as the top free throw shooting team in the GLVC, leading the conference in free throw attempts per game (21.4), free throws made per game (16.5), and free throw percentage (77.2).

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: *

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/

GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/

HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php

TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/

VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index

SPORTS EXTRA

*************NBA STANDINGS***********

Eastern Conference
	W	L	Pct	Conf GB	Home	Road	Div	Conf	Last 10	Streak
1 Boston	34	12	.739	—	18-5	16-7	5-0	19-8	8-2	8 W
2 Milwaukee	29	16	.644	4.5	18-5	11-11	5-3	17-12	6-4	2 W
3 Philadelphia	29	16	.644	4.5	17-7	12-9	4-3	17-10	8-2	4 W
4 Brooklyn	28	17	.622	5.5	13-7	15-10	5-3	20-8	5-5	1 W
5 Cleveland	28	19	.596	6.5	19-5	9-14	7-3	17-8	5-5	2 L
6 Miami	25	22	.532	9.5	14-9	10-13	5-2	10-13	6-4	1 L
7 New York	25	22	.532	9.5	11-13	14-9	2-5	16-13	6-4	3 L
8 Atlanta	24	22	.522	10.0	13-9	11-13	5-3	17-15	7-3	5 W
9 Indiana	23	24	.489	11.5	15-9	8-15	2-3	16-12	3-7	6 L
10 Chicago	21	24	.467	12.5	12-10	8-14	5-3	17-13	5-5	2 W
11 Toronto	20	26	.435	14.0	14-11	6-15	3-8	14-18	4-6	2 L
12 Washington	19	26	.422	14.5	11-10	8-16	4-3	12-15	5-5	1 W
13 Orlando	17	28	.378	16.5	11-12	6-16	2-5	7-18	4-6	1 W
14 Charlotte	12	34	.261	22.0	5-16	7-18	3-6	5-23	2-8	1 W
15 Detroit	12	36	.250	23.0	6-16	6-19	0-7	4-22	3-7	3 L
Western Conference
	W	L	Pct	Conf GB	Home	Road	Div	Conf	Last 10	Streak
1 Denver	33	13	.717	—	22-3	11-10	9-3	24-9	9-1	9 W
2 Memphis	31	14	.689	1.5	20-3	11-11	6-2	15-11	9-1	1 L
3 Sacramento	26	18	.591	6.0	15-9	11-9	5-5	14-9	7-3	6 W
4 New Orleans	26	20	.565	7.0	17-6	9-14	7-3	16-10	3-7	3 L
5 Dallas	25	22	.532	8.5	17-7	8-15	6-2	18-10	4-6	1 W
6 Golden State	23	23	.500	10.0	17-5	6-18	4-4	13-9	5-5	1 W
7 LA Clippers	24	24	.500	10.0	13-11	11-13	3-4	14-15	3-7	1 W
8 Utah	24	25	.490	10.5	15-9	9-16	4-4	18-14	5-5	1 L
9 Minnesota	23	24	.489	10.5	15-10	8-14	6-6	14-15	7-3	1 W
10 Phoenix	22	24	.478	11.0	15-7	7-17	8-0	18-13	2-8	1 W
11 Oklahoma City	22	24	.478	11.0	14-9	8-15	3-6	10-13	7-3	1 L
12 Portland	21	24	.467	11.5	11-9	10-15	4-7	15-14	3-7	2 L
13 LA Lakers	21	25	.457	12.0	12-11	9-14	1-8	10-16	6-4	1 W
14 San Antonio	14	32	.304	19.0	9-16	5-15	2-7	5-25	2-8	1 L
15 Houston	10	35	.222	22.5	6-15	4-20	1-8	5-26	0-10	12 L

*************NHL STANDINGS***********

Eastern Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Boston Bruins	45	36	5	4	76	34	173	96	21-1-3	15-4-1	8-1-1
2 Carolina Hurricanes	45	28	9	8	64	25	146	122	14-5-2	14-4-6	5-3-2
3 Toronto Maple Leafs	46	28	11	7	63	28	156	122	17-3-4	11-8-3	6-3-1
4 New Jersey Devils	45	29	12	4	62	28	159	120	11-10-2	18-2-2	7-1-2
5 Tampa Bay Lightning	44	29	14	1	59	28	160	129	17-4-1	12-10-0	7-3-0
6 New York Rangers	46	25	14	7	57	23	145	123	11-9-4	14-5-3	6-2-2
7 Washington Capitals	48	25	17	6	56	25	154	133	13-8-3	12-9-3	5-4-1
8 Pittsburgh Penguins	45	23	15	7	53	22	147	136	13-5-4	10-10-3	4-5-1
9 New York Islanders	47	23	19	5	51	23	139	131	13-8-2	10-11-3	2-5-3
10 Florida Panthers	47	22	20	5	49	21	158	160	11-6-3	11-14-2	6-3-1
11 Buffalo Sabres	44	22	19	3	47	21	166	152	10-12-2	12-7-1	4-5-1
12 Detroit Red Wings	44	19	17	8	46	18	137	151	11-9-3	8-8-5	4-5-1
13 Philadelphia Flyers	46	19	20	7	45	19	128	149	10-11-1	9-9-6	7-3-0
14 Ottawa Senators	45	20	22	3	43	19	132	147	12-10-1	8-12-2	4-6-0
15 Montreal Canadiens	46	19	24	3	41	15	122	169	10-12-0	9-12-3	4-6-0
16 Columbus Blue Jackets	45	13	30	2	28	12	114	177	10-15-1	3-15-1	2-8-0
Western Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Dallas Stars	47	27	13	7	61	26	163	124	12-5-3	15-8-4	5-4-1
2 Seattle Kraken	45	27	14	4	58	27	165	142	11-9-2	16-5-2	8-2-0
3 Winnipeg Jets	46	29	16	1	59	29	149	122	17-6-0	12-10-1	7-3-0
4 Vegas Golden Knights	46	28	16	2	58	25	149	133	13-13-0	15-3-2	4-5-1
5 Los Angeles Kings	47	25	16	6	56	21	154	161	14-9-2	11-7-4	6-4-0
6 Minnesota Wild	44	25	15	4	54	22	140	125	13-8-1	12-7-3	5-3-2
7 Edmonton Oilers	47	26	18	3	55	26	174	154	12-11-2	14-7-1	6-3-1
8 Colorado Avalanche	44	24	17	3	51	21	139	123	11-8-3	13-9-0	5-5-0
9 Calgary Flames	46	21	16	9	51	20	141	139	12-8-2	9-8-7	5-3-2
10 St. Louis Blues	46	23	20	3	49	20	146	162	10-10-2	13-10-1	6-4-0
11 Nashville Predators	45	21	18	6	48	19	124	133	11-7-3	10-11-3	6-4-0
12 Vancouver Canucks	45	18	24	3	39	15	152	179	8-12-1	10-12-2	2-8-0
13 San Jose Sharks	46	14	23	9	37	13	142	175	5-12-7	9-11-2	3-4-3
14 Arizona Coyotes	45	14	26	5	33	12	119	165	8-7-2	6-19-3	1-9-0
15 Anaheim Ducks	46	13	28	5	31	10	110	193	8-13-1	5-15-4	3-6-1
16 Chicago Blackhawks	43	13	26	4	30	13	102	158	9-15-2	4-11-2	5-5-0

*******FOOTBALL HISTORY*******

January 21, 1949 – According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this marks the day that the New York Bulldogs/Yanks franchise began. As we alluded to in our January 19 post, the Yanks really got their League start in 1945 when the Brooklyn team reassembled the Yanks franchise that left the NFL in the mid 1940’s and went into the All-America Football Conference. They played as the AAFC’s Boston Yanks for three seasons from 1946-1948 per the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 1949, the franchise changed homes again and returned to the Big Apple and became the New York Bulldogs and played at the Polo Grounds along with the New York Giants. The 1950 season had the Bulldogs change their name back to the Yanks. Later in 1952, the NFL purchased the Yanks from owner Ted Collins.

January 21, 1967 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – The results of the 6th AFL All Star Game were that the Eastern Division knocked off the Western Division, 30-23. According to the RemembertheAFL.com the game’s MVPs were Babe Parilli the quarterback of the Boston Patriots and the great defensive end of the New York Jets Verlon Biggs.

January 21, 1968 – Gator Bowl, Jacksonville – The Eastern Division of the AFL must have liked playing on January 20. Because at the 7th AFL All Star Game the Eastern Division once again got one over on their Western Division rivals by the score of 25-24 per the RemembertheAFL.com. A couple of New York Jets were voted as the offensive Most Valuable Players as Quarterback Joe Namath and Don Maynard shared that spotlight and the defensive MVP of the game was Speedy Duncan of LA Charger who played defensive back and also returned kicks. Duncan muffed an early punt that the West recovered and later scored on but his 90 yard kickoff return later in the game made up for it.

January 21, 1968 – LA Memorial Coliseum – 18th NFL Pro Bowl according to the American Football Database was won by the Western Division as they outscored their Eastern counterparts, 38-20. Otto Graham of Washington coached the East while matching wits with the Colts Don Shula. Graham took some heat from his players when he benched QB Fran Tarkenton in the 4th quarter because of who Tarkenton was and the game being a charity exhibition. The Most Valuable Players were Gale Sayers of the Chicago Bears and Green Bay’s Dave Robinson. The MVP honor was the second season in a row that Sayers earned.

January 21, 1973 – Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas – The 23rd NFL Pro Bowl story was covered once again by the American Football Database. In the contest The Steelers Chuck Noll coached the AFC and faced the man in the fedora Tom Landry who was coaching the NFC. The AFC edged out the NFC, 33-28. The game’s MVP was O. J. Simpson the running back of the Buffalo Bills. The winners cashed out $2000 per man while the NFC players got $1500 in the loss.

January 21, 1979 – Miami Orange Bowl, Miami – Super Bowl XIII may be one of the greatest NFL Championships ever played according to a 247Sports.com article. The two top teams of the era squared off with Hall of Fame Coaches, Tom Landry on the Dallas Cowboys sideline while the Pittsburgh Steelers strategist was Chuck Noll. The game was heavily hyped in the build up of the game and it really lived up to everyone’s expectation and probably surpassed it. The game was a rematch of Super Bowl X played 3 years earlier where the Steelers won 21-17. The game had a still standing record of 19 future Pro Football Hall of Famers who were at the game. Nol, Landry, Tex Schramm the Cowboys GM, Pittsburgh owners Art and Dan Rooney and assistant coaches for Dallas Mike Ditka and Ernie Stautner. Part of the pregame hype was Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson mocking Terry Bradshaw’s intelligence and this enraged many of the Steelers players. Henderson even had a big hit on T.B. that caused a fumble resulting in Dallas only lead but the Blonde Bomber overcame 3 turnovers to have a great second half. His throws put receivers Lynn Swann and John Stalworth both over 100 yards receiving on the day, a Super Bowl record for having two on the same team. Dallas had its chance at the end but Tight End Jackie Smith dropped a wide open, sure touchdown pass in the end zone with the Cowboys facing 3rd and three from the Steelers ten yard-line in the third quarter and Dallas had to kick a field goal. The Pittsburgh Steelers were victorious over the Dallas Cowboys, 35-31. The game’s MVP was Terry Bradshaw. One final note is that this was the final Super Bowl ever played at the Orange Bowl. Five of the first thirteen were played there including the first matchup of these two teams in Super Bowl X and the great Jet versus Colts game in Super Bowl III.

January 21, 1992 – Bill Cowher is announced as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, becoming only the second head coach of the team since 1970. He replaced legend Chuck Noll, who has stepped down after 23 seasons at the helm.

January 21, 2007 – RCA Dome, Indianapolis – The Pro-Football Reference.com states that at the AFC Championship game the Indianapolis Colts outlasted the New England Patriots, 38-34. Running back Joseph Addai completed a late Colts go ahead drive at the 1:00 mark of the fourth quarter in this classic Peyton Manning versus Tom Brady contest.

January 21, 2007 – The NFC Championship was played at Soldier Field in Chicago. The Pro-Football Reference.com lists the Chicago Bears beating up on the New Orleans Saints, 39-14 to advance to Super Bowl XLI.

January 21, 2018 – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia -The Philadelphia Eagles crushed the hopes of the Minnesota Vikings, 38-7 in the NFC Championship game.

January 21, 2018 – At theAFC Championship played at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough. Mass. The New England Patriots edges out the Jacksonville Jaguars, 24-20.

HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 21

January 21, 1901 – Bell Buckle, Tennessee – Lynn Bomar the Cllege Hall of Fame end from Vanderbilt was born.

January 21, 1925 – Chicago, Illinois – Holy Cross and Notre Dame lineman George Connor arrived into this life. Irish Coach Frank Leahy claimed Conner as one of the best blockers he had ever seen. The NFF states that during Connor’s two seasons in an Irish uniform, he never played in a losing game. Connor played eight years with the Chicago Bears and was an all-pro and was Al- NFL 5 times. George Connor was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975.

January 21, 1957 – Pasadena, Texas – Jacob Green the fine Texas A&M defensive lineman was born. The National Football Foundation selected Jacob Green to be inducted into their the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019.

January 21, 1975 – Wichita Falls, Texas – Aaron Taylor the former Nebraska offensive lineman was born. The National Football Foundation selected Aaron Taylor to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

\

******BASEBALL HISTORY******

1921       “The legend has been spread that the owners hired the Judge off the federal bench. Don’t you believe it. They got him right out of Dickens.” – LEO DUROCHER, speaking about encounters with the commissioner during his playing days. In a move widely supported by the press, 55-year-old Kenesaw Mountain Landis becomes baseball’s first commissioner, replacing the three-man National Commission, formerly governed by league presidents Ban Johnson, John Heydler, and Reds owner Garry Herrmann. In November, the jurist agreed to take the position for seven years at a salary of $50,000 (minus a $7,500 reduction to reflect his current pay as a judge), on the condition if he can continue to serve on the federal bench, an arrangement that ends in thirteen months, when he resigns from his judicial responsibilities.

1941       The Indians sign Bob Feller (27-11, 2.61) to a deal worth a reported $30,000, making the 22-year-old farm boy from Van Meter, Iowa, the highest-paid hurler in baseball history. Dazzy Vance and Lefty Grove previously held the distinction when they were paid $27,500 for one season of work. Now Pitching, Bob Feller

1947       The BBWAA elects southpaws Carl Hubbell and Lefty Grove, infielder Frank Frisch, and catcher Mickey Cochrane for induction into the Hall of Fame in July, along with 11 additional individuals the Old-Timers Committee selected that lead to revisions in the selection process. The extensive list of new HOFers included Tommy McCarthy, Jesse Burkett, Clark Griffith, Joe McGinnity, Jack Chesbro, Eddie Plank, Rube Waddell, Frank Chance, Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Ed Walsh.

1953       Cardinal legend Dizzy Dean and outfielder Al Simmons, best known for his years with the A’s, are elected to the Hall of Fame, but Joe DiMaggio, in his first year of eligibility, is not. The Yankee Clipper will have to wait until 1955 when 88.8% of the BBWAA scribes put his name on their ballot.

1958       To fill the void of National League baseball in New York City, the Phillies agree to televise 78 games in the metropolitan area, not hosting a Senior Circuit team for the first time since the league’s inception in 1876. The Pirates and Cardinals will also beam games into the Big Apple, but their contests will only feature the departed Dodgers and Giants as opponents.

1960       Stan Musial insists the Cardinals cut his salary from $100,000 to $80,000, believing the team overpaid him in 1958 and 1959, and the reduced wage should reflect his poor performance for the team last season. The Redbird’s 39-year-old All-Star first baseman batted .255 with 14 home runs, and 44 RBIs in the 115 games played last season.

1965       Teams, Inc. meet with National League president Warren Giles to plead their case of keeping the Braves in Milwaukee through the entire upcoming season. The community non-profit organization, headed by future baseball commissioner Bud Selig, successfully prevents the club from marching to Atlanta at the All-Star break when the league rules the team must honor the final year of their stadium lease.

1969       Cardinal legend Stan Musial is elected into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, receiving 93% of the writers’ votes. The BBWAA also selects Roy Campanella, the former Dodger catcher, the winner of three National League MVPs before he was permanently disabled in a car accident, just before spring training in 1958.

1971       No player receives three-fourths of the necessary votes for election into the Hall of Fame, with Yogi Berra (67.2%) and Early Wynn (66.7%) coming the closest, both being inducted into Cooperstown next season. The writers will eventually select the top eight vote-getters for enshrinement except for Gil Hodges, who will get the Veteran’s Committee’s nod in 2022.

1981       The office of the Baseball Commissioner announces lifetime passes to any major or minor league regular-season game to the returning 52 Iranian hostages and the 14 others released earlier during the ordeal. In 1973, MLB made a similar gesture to the hundreds of prisoners of war returning from Vietnam.

1981       The Reds trade Cesar Geronimo to the Royals for minor league infielder German Barranca. After a three-year stint in Kansas City, the four-time Gold Glover will retire, compiling a lifetime average of .258 during his 15 seasons in the major leagues.

1987       “My physical condition is good; so while I am still in good health, I have decided to retire. I am going to miss my fans, the players and all the people associated with baseball…” – VIDA BLUE, announcing his retirement from baseball. Free-agent Vida Blue comes to terms with the A’s, signing an estimated $300,000 deal to pitch for Oakland this season but surprises the team the day before spring training begins by announcing his retirement. The 37-year-old southpaw, who posted a 10-10 mark with San Francisco last season, compiled a 209-161 (.565) record along with an ERA of 3.27 during his 17-year tenure in the major leagues.

2001       The Angels turn off Edison International Field’s Big A and the Little A signs to conserve electricity during California’s energy crisis. The landmark beacons, formerly illuminated 24 hours a day, will be turned on only for stadium events.

2005       After asking for $22 million in salary arbitration, Roger Clemens agrees to a one-year, $18 million deal with the Astros. The pact makes the ‘Rocket’ the most expensive hurler in major league history.

2006       Joe Blanton (2-8, 4.05) and the Phillies, avoiding an arbitration hearing, agree on a $24 million, three-year deal. The 29-year-old right-hander slotted to be the National League champion’s number three starter in a rotation that includes Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and J.A. Happ.

2008       Yadier Molina (.275, 6, 40) agrees to a $15.5 million, four-year deal to remain with the Cardinals. The Redbirds catcher, best known for his defensive prowess, nailed 23 of 46 baserunners trying to steal a base last season.

2008       Brett Tomko and the Royals agree to a $3 million, one-year deal. Kansas City, who had hoped the 34-year-old starter would overcome the problems that plagued him with LA and San Diego (4-12, 5.55) last season, will release the right-hander in June after he compiles a 2-7 record along with an ERA of 6.30.

2009       The Orioles and Nick Markakis finalize a significant $66.1 million six-year deal, covering the span the right fielder would have been eligible for arbitration and the first three after being available to file for free agency. The 25-year-old fly chaser, who had his best offensive season with the team and led the American League in outfield assists last season, was named the team’s most valuable player by the local media last season.

2009       To increase the team’s attendance, Washington reduces individual ticket fees on 14,000 seats without raising the price of any of the 41,888 seats at Nationals Park. The club ranked a disappointing 13th place in attendance in the 16-team National League circuit despite playing in a brand new stadium in the nation’s capital.

2009       “​Nine years ago you welcomed me into your community. You greeted me as a name and embraced me as a person, and I leave you now as a friend.” – ROCCO BALDELLI, thanking Tampa Bay fans in an open letter for their support during his time with the Rays. Rocco Baldelli, traded to the Red Sox in the offseason, takes out an ad in the St. Petersburg Times to show his appreciation of the support given to him by the Rays fans during his five years with the franchise. In an open letter, the outfielder writes, “I will always think of the Tampa Bay area as my second home, and I would like to thank everyone for accepting me and for making my time here as enjoyable as it was.”

2009       Erik Bedard, avoiding salary arbitration, signs a $7.75 million, one-year contract with the Mariners. The deal gives the left-hander, the team’s Opening Day starter, obtained last season from Baltimore, a raise of $750,000 from last season.

2009       Jon Lester becomes the 48th recipient of the Hutch Award and the first to be treated by a doctor from the renowned institution named for Seattle baseball legend Fred Hutchinson. The Red Sox hurler, a survivor of anaplastic large cell lymphoma, is honored with the annual award for best exemplifying the spirit and competitive drive of the former major leaguer and skipper, who died of cancer in 1964 at the age of 45.

2010       Joe Blanton (2-8, 4.05) and the Phillies, avoiding an arbitration hearing, come to terms on a $24 million, three-year deal. The 29-year-old right-hander slotted to be the National League champion’s number three starter in a rotation which includes Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and J.A. Happ.

2010       Octavio Dotel (3-3, 3.32 ERA), hoping to be the Pirates closer, agrees to a $3.5 million, one-year deal with the Bucs, the only team that offered the right-hander the opportunity to save games. The 36-year-old reliever, who hasn’t been a closer since 2007 with Kansas City, struck out 75 batters in 62.1 innings in a setup role for the White Sox last season but didn’t record a save.

2011       The Blue Jays send Vernon Wells to the Angels for catcher Mike Napoli and fly-chaser Juan Rivera in a cost-cutting move. Toronto still owed the 32-year-old three-time All-Star outfielder $86 million through 2014 but will only have to spend $5 million to Los Angeles to complete the trade, giving the team a better opportunity to compete in the AL East.

2012       After picking up his $6 million option in October, the Red Sox trade Marco Scutaro (.299, 7, 54) to the Rockies for right-hander Clayton Mortensen (2-4, 3.86). The unexpected move of the 36-year-old infielder to Colorado may signal that Boston is counting on prospect Jose Iglesias to start Opening Day.

2015       The Nationals introduce Max Scherzer, the newest member of the team’s solid pitching staff. The 29-year-old right-hander, who inked a seven-year, $210 million contract to hurl for Washington, joins Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister, and Gio Gonzalez, a fivesome many consider to be the best starting rotation in baseball history.

2016       At a Camden Yards news conference, the Orioles announce first baseman Chris Davis will be returning the team, having signed the richest deal in franchise history. The reigning major league home run king, who went yard 47 times last season, agreed to a $161 million, seven-year contract that includes $42 million in deferred money to stay with Baltimore.

******SPORTS IN NUMBERS*******

7 – 14 – 9 – 89 – 12 -13 – 45 – 27 – 32 – 26 – 12 – 21 – 5 – 4 – 66

January 21, 1930 – Cooney Weiland who put on the Number 7 sweater for the Boston Bruins, scored the franchises 100th goal of the season in a 5-1 thwarting of the Chicago Blackhawks, to help the Bruins become the first NHL franchise in history to post 100 goals in one season.

January 21, 1954 – Bob Cousy of the Boston Celtics leads his East All-Star team to victory 98-93 over the West by scoring 10 points in Overtime! Cousy wearing Number 14 was handed the MVP award for the game. If you remember back to January 15 post, the great Guard would later win the NBA All-Star game Most Vaulable Player award for the 1957 game as well.

January 21, 1958 – Bob Pettit wearing the Number 9 for the NBA West All-Star squad became the first member of the losing team to be selected as the annual game’s Most Valuable Player. Pettit who normally played with the St Louis Hawks that season hauled in 26 rebounds and scored 28 points to keep the West in the game during the 118-130 loss. The athletic Center would go on to win the All-Star game MVP honor 4 times in his career.

January 21, 1968 – 18th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: West beats East, 38-20; MVPs: Chicago Bears, HB, Number 40, Gale Sayers, and on defense it was Green Bay Packers, DT, Number 89, Dave Robinson

January 21, 1968 – 7th AFL All Star Game, Gator Bowl, Jacksonville: Eastern Division beats Western Division, 25-24; MVPs: the duo of New York Jets, Number 12, Quarterback Joe Namath, his flanker partner, Number 13, Don Maynard, and Los Angles Charger returner/Defensive Back Speedy Duncan, Number 45

January 21, 1969 – 22nd NHL All-Star Game, Montreal Forum: Western Division ties Eastern Division, 3-3; MVP: Frank Mahovlich (Number 27), Detroit, LW

January 21, 1973 – 23rd NFL Pro Bowl, Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas: AFC beats NFC, 33-28; MVP was Buffalo Bills, RB, Number 32, O J Simpson,

January 21, 1975 – 28th NHL All-Star Game, Montreal Forum: Wales Conference beats Campbell Conference, 7-1; MVP: Syl Apps Jr., Number 26, Pittsburgh, C

January 21, 1979 – Super Bowl XIII, Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, FL: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Dallas Cowboys, 35-31; MVP: was Pittsburgh, QB, Number 12, Terry Bradshaw

********************TV SATURDAY*************************

NCAA BASKETBALL GAMES	TIME ET	TV
MIAMI (FL) AT DUKE	12:00PM	ESPN
OLE MISS AT ARKANSAS	12:00PM	ESPN2
GEORGETOWN AT XAVIER	12:00PM	FS1
UCF AT SOUTH FLORIDA	12:00PM	ESPNU
SYRACUSE AT GEORGIA TECH	12:00PM	ACCN
GEORGE MASON AT RHODE ISLAND	12:00PM	–
DETROIT MERCY AT IUPUI	12:00PM	ESPN+
CHARLESTON AT NORTHEASTERN	12:00PM	FLOSPORTS
DAYTON AT GEORGE WASHINGTON	12:30PM	USA
TCU AT KANSAS	1:00PM	CBS
VANDERBILT AT GEORGIA	1:00PM	SECN
THE CITADEL AT VMI	1:00PM	–
UMASS AT SAINT JOSEPH’S	1:00PM	ESPN+
LOYOLA MARYLAND AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY	1:00PM	ESPN+
UNCW AT STONY BROOK	1:00PM	FLOSPORTS
NAVY AT ARMY WEST POINT	1:30PM	CBSSN
UCLA AT ARIZONA	2:00PM	ABC
IOWA AT OHIO STATE	2:00PM	FOX
TEXAS A&M AT KENTUCKY	2:00PM	ESPN
TEXAS TECH AT KANSAS STATE	2:00PM	ESPN2/U
VIRGINIA AT WAKE FOREST	2:00PM	ESPN2/U
DEPAUL AT PROVIDENCE	2:00PM	FS1
BOSTON COLLEGE AT NOTRE DAME	2:00PM	ACCN
DELAWARE AT DREXEL	2:00PM	NBCS-PHI
ORAL ROBERTS AT NORTH DAKOTA	2:00PM	–
KANSAS CITY AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE	2:00PM	–
UNI AT UIC	2:00PM	ESPN3
CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT OHIO	2:00PM	ESPN3
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AT MISSOURI STATE	2:00PM	ESPN3
AMERICAN AT COLGATE	2:00PM	ESPN+
HOLY CROSS AT BUCKNELL	2:00PM	ESPN+
DARTMOUTH AT PRINCETON	2:00PM	ESPN+
CORNELL AT HARVARD	2:00PM	ESPN+
IOWA STATE AT OKLAHOMA STATE	2:00PM	ESPN+
LIBERTY AT NORTH FLORIDA	2:00PM	ESPN+
FORDHAM AT DUQUESNE	2:00PM	ESPN+
JACKSONVILLE STATE AT STETSON	2:00PM	ESPN+
USC UPSTATE AT UNC ASHEVILLE	2:00PM	ESPN+
GARDNER-WEBB AT WINTHROP	2:00PM	ESPN+
HIGH POINT AT RADFORD	2:00PM	ESPN+
LONGWOOD AT PRESBYTERIAN	2:00PM	ESPN+
SOUTH ALABAMA AT COASTAL CAROLINA	2:00PM	ESPN+
NORTH CAROLINA A&T AT WILLIAM & MARY	2:00PM	FLOSPORTS
OMAHA AT SOUTH DAKOTA	2:00PM	–
NEBRASKA AT PENN STATE	2:15PM	BTN
LA SALLE AT SAINT LOUIS	2:30PM	USA
HAMPTON AT MONMOUTH	2:30PM	SNY
AKRON AT WESTERN MICHIGAN	2:30PM	ESPN3
FLORIDA STATE AT PITT	3:00PM	ACCN
DENVER AT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE	3:00PM	–
JAMES MADISON AT SOUTHERN MISS	3:00PM	ESPN+
GEORGIA STATE AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN	3:00PM	ESPN+
MARSHALL AT ARKANSAS STATE	3:00PM	ESPN+
ST. THOMAS AT WESTERN ILLINOIS	3:00PM	–
AUBURN AT SOUTH CAROLINA	3:30PM	SECN
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AT EASTERN MICHIGAN	3:30PM	ESPN3
TENNESSEE AT LSU	4:00PM	ESPN
BAYLOR AT OKLAHOMA	4:00PM	ESPN2
COLORADO STATE AT WYOMING	4:00PM	FS1
MARQUETTE AT SETON HALL	4:00PM	CBSSN
NORTH TEXAS AT UAB	4:00PM	STADIUM
BELMONT AT BRADLEY	4:00PM
COLUMBIA AT BROWN	4:00PM	NESN
HAWAI’I AT UC RIVERSIDE	4:00PM	SPECTRUM
ST. BONAVENTURE AT LOYOLA CHICAGO	4:00PM	NBCS- CHI
EASTERN KENTUCKY AT AUSTIN PEAY	4:00PM	ESPN+
FIU AT UTSA	4:00PM	ESPN+
EASTERN WASHINGTON AT NORTHERN ARIZONA	4:00PM	ESPN+
DRAKE AT EVANSVILLE	4:00PM	ESPN+
WESTERN CAROLINA AT SAMFORD	4:00PM	ESPN+
MERCER AT UNCG	4:00PM	ESPN+
TOWSON AT ELON	4:00PM	FLOSPORTS
DELAWARE STATE AT NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL	4:00PM	–
MORGAN STATE AT HOWARD	4:00PM	–
NORFOLK STATE AT COPPIN STATE	4:00PM	–
BETHUNE-COOKMAN AT JACKSON STATE	4:30PM	–
A&M-COMMERCE AT SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA	4:30PM	ESPN+
NICHOLLS AT MCNEESE	4:30PM	ESPN+
SOUTHERN INDIANA AT SIUE	4:30PM	ESPN+
TENNESSEE STATE AT LITTLE ROCK	4:30PM	ESPN+
EASTERN ILLINOIS AT UT MARTIN	4:30PM	ESPN+
MOREHEAD STATE AT LINDENWOOD	4:30PM	ESPN+
NC STATE AT NORTH CAROLINA	5:00PM	ACCN
BELLARMINE AT LIPSCOMB	5:00PM	ESPN+
MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT LOUISIANA TECH	5:00PM	ESPN+
TENNESSEE TECH AT SOUTHEAST MISSOURI	5:00PM	ESPN+
MIAMI (OH) AT BOWLING GREEN	5:00PM	ESPN3
NORTHWESTERN STATE AT NEW ORLEANS	5:00PM	ESPN+
LOUISIANA AT TEXAS STATE	5:00PM	ESPN+
ULM AT TROY	5:00PM	ESPN+
UTRGV AT SAM HOUSTON	5:30PM	ESPN+
CAMPBELL AT CHARLESTON SOUTHERN	5:30PM	ESPN+
TEXAS AT WEST VIRGINIA	6:00PM	ESPN/2
VIRGINIA TECH AT CLEMSON	6:00PM	ESPN/2
INDIANA STATE AT MURRAY STATE	6:00PM	ESPNU
ALABAMA AT MISSOURI	6:00PM	SECN
UNLV AT FRESNO STATE	6:00PM	CBSSN
SAN JOSE STATE AT UTAH STATE	6:00PM	STADIUM
PENN AT YALE	6:00PM	NESN
LONG BEACH STATE AT UC SAN DIEGO	6:00PM	SPECTRUM
PEPPERDINE AT PORTLAND	6:00PM	ROOT SPORTS
SOUTHERN UTAH AT SEATTLE U	6:00PM	ESPN+
CAL POLY AT UC DAVIS	6:00PM	ESPN+
QUEENS AT JACKSONVILLE	6:00PM	ESPN+
PURDUE FORT WAYNE AT NORTHERN KENTUCKY	6:00PM	ESPN+
SOUTHERN AT UAPB	6:30PM	–
VALPARAISO AT ILLINOIS STATE	7:00PM	ESPN3
LAFAYETTE AT LEHIGH	7:00PM	ESPN+
CLEVELAND STATE AT WRIGHT STATE	7:00PM	ESPN+
YOUNGSTOWN STATE AT MILWAUKEE	7:00PM	ESPN+
ROBERT MORRIS AT GREEN BAY	7:00PM	ESPN+
KENNESAW STATE AT FGCU	7:00PM	ESPN+
CHARLOTTE AT WKU	7:00PM	ESPN+
UTA AT ABILENE CHRISTIAN	7:00PM	ESPN+
ETSU AT CHATTANOOGA	7:00PM	ESPN+
APP STATE AT OLD DOMINION	7:00PM	ESPN+
UIW AT LAMAR	7:00PM	ESPN+
GRAMBLING STATE AT MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE	7:00PM	YOUTUBE
TULANE AT TULSA	8:00PM	ESPNU
BYU AT SAN FRANCISCO	8:00PM	CBSSN
WASHINGTON AT UTAH	8:00PM	PAC12N
SANTA CLARA AT SAINT MARY’S	8:00PM	NBCS-BAY
UTAH VALLEY AT GRAND CANYON	8:00PM	KUTP
A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI AT HOUSTON CHRISTIAN	8:00PM	ESPN+
PORTLAND STATE AT IDAHO STATE	8:00PM	ESPN+
IDAHO AT NORTHERN COLORADO	8:00PM	ESPN+
TEXAS SOUTHERN AT ALABAMA A&M	8:00PM	YOUTUBE
CENTRAL ARKANSAS AT NORTH ALABAMA	8:15PM	ESPN+
FLORIDA AT MISSISSIPPI STATE	8:30PM	SECN
WISCONSIN AT NORTHWESTERN	9:00PM	BTN
MONTANA STATE AT MONTANA	9:00PM	–
SACRAMENTO STATE AT WEBER STATE	9:00PM	ESPN+
FLORIDA ATLANTIC AT UTEP	9:00PM	ESPN+
NM STATE AT UTAH TECH	9:00PM	ESPN+
USC AT ARIZONA STATE	10:00PM	ESPNU
SAN DIEGO STATE AT AIR FORCE	10:00PM	CBSSN
GONZAGA AT PACIFIC	10:00PM	NBCS-BAY
TARLETON AT CALIFORNIA BAPTIST	10:00PM	ESPN+
CSU BAKERSFIELD AT UC SANTA BARBARA	10:00PM	ESPN+
CAL STATE FULLERTON AT CSUN	10:00PM	ESPN+
OREGON AT STANFORD	11:00PM	FS1
NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
BOSTON AT TORONTO	5:00PM	NBCS-BOS SPORTSNET
ORLANDO AT WASHINGTON	7:00PM	BALLY SPORTS NBCS-WSH
CHARLOTTE AT ATLANTA	7:30PM	BALLY SPORTS
MILWAUKEE AT CLEVELAND	7:30PM	BALLY SPORTS
HOUSTON AT MINNESOTA	8:00PM	ATTSN-SW BALLY SPORTS
INDIANA AT PHOENIX	9:00PM	BALLY SPORTS
PHILADELPHIA AT SACRAMENTO	10:00PM	NBCS-PHI NBCS-CA
NFL PLAYOFFS	TIME ET	TV
AFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF: JACKSONVILLE AT KANSAS CITY	4:30PM	NBC PEACOCK
NFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF: NFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF: NY GIANTS AT PHILADELPHIA	8:15PM	FOX
NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
ANAHEIM AT BUFFALO	12:30PM	NHLN MSG-BUF BALLY SPORTS
TAMPA BAY AT CALGARY	3:00PM	BALLY SPORTS SPORTSNET
MINNESOTA AT FLORIDA	6:00PM	BALLY SPORTS
TORONTO AT MONTREAL	7:00PM	NHLN SPORTSNET
PHILADELPHIA AT DETROIT	7:00PM	NBCS-PHI BALLY SPORTS
SAN JOSE AT COLUMBUS	7:00PM	NBCS-CA BALLY SPORTS
WINNPEG AT OTTAWA	7:00PM	SPORTSNET
CAROLINA AT NY ISLANDERS	7:30PM	BALLY SPORTS MSGSN
ARIZONA AT DALLAS	8:00PM	BALLY SPORTS
CHICAGO AT ST. LOUIS	8:00PM	NBCS-CHI BALLY SPORTS
LOS ANGELES AT NASHVILLE	8:00PM	BALLY SPORTS
COLORADO AT SEATTLE	10:00PM	ALTI ROOT SPORTS
EDMONTON AT VANCOUVER	10:00PM	SPORTSNET
WASHINGTON AT VEGAS	10:00PM	NBCS-WSH ATTSN-RM
SOCCER MATCHES	TIME ET	TV
WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE: MANCHESTER CITY VS ASTON VILLA	6:30AM	ESPN+
SCOTTISH FA CUP: CELTIC VS GREENOCK MORTON	7:15AM	CBSSN
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: LIVERPOOL VS CHELSEA	7:30AM	PEACOCK
LA LIGA: RAYO VALLECANO VS REAL SOCIEDAD	8:00AM	ESPN+
SERIE A: HELLAS VERONA VS LECCE	9:00AM	PARAMOUNT+
BUNDESLIGA: EINTRACHT FRANKFURT VS SCHALKE 04	9:30AM	ESPN+
BUNDESLIGA: BOCHUM VS HERTHA BSC	9:30AM	ESPN+
BUNDESLIGA: WOLFSBURG VS FREIBURG	9:30AM	ESPN+
BUNDESLIGA: UNION BERLIN VS HOFFENHEIM	9:30AM	ESPN+
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: LEICESTER CITY VS BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION	10:00AM	USA
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: AFC BOURNEMOUTH VS NOTTINGHAM FOREST	10:00AM	PEACOCK
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: WEST HAM UNITED VS EVERTON	10:00AM	PEACOCK
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: SOUTHAMPTON VS ASTON VILLA	10:00AM	PEACOCK
LA LIGA: ESPANYOL VS REAL BETIS	10:15AM	ESPN+
SERIE A: SALERNITANA VS NAPOLI	12:00PM	PARAMOUNT+
COUPE DE FRANCE: TOULOUSE VS AJACCIO	12:00PM	FS2
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: CRYSTAL PALACE VS NEWCASTLE UNITED	12:30PM	NBC
BUNDESLIGA: KÖLN VS WERDER BREMEN	12:30PM	ESPN+
LA LIGA: ATLÉTICO MADRID VS REAL VALLADOLID	12:30PM	ESPN+
SCOTTISH FA CUP: ST. JOHNSTONE VS RANGERS	12:30PM	ESPN+
SERIE A: FIORENTINA VS TORINO	2:45PM	PARAMOUNT+
LA LIGA: SEVILLA VS CÁDIZ	3:00PM	ESPN+
LIGA MX: MONTERREY VS ATLÉTICO SAN LUIS	6:06PM	ESPN+
LIGA MX: AMÉRICA VS PUEBLA	8:10PM	UNIVISION
LIGA MX: GUADALAJARA VS TOLUCA	10:10PM	TELEMUNDO
LIGA MX: NECAXA VS CRUZ AZUL	10:10PM	UNIVISION