*******************THE SCOREBOARD*******************
INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL FRIDAY
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL FRIDAY
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SECTIONAL BRACKETS
INDIANA WRESTLING SECTIONAL BRACKETS: HTTPS://WWW.TRACKWRESTLING.COM/LOGIN.JSP?TIM=1672955797754&TWSESSIONID=WAENAMISOK&TOURNAMENTINDEX=0&TNAME=IHSAA%20SECTIONAL
*******************TOP 25 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL************************
#25 NEW MEXICO 81 AIR FORCE 73
ELSEWHERE:
CLEVELAND STATE 79 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 74
ROBERT MORRIS 85 DETROIT 77
KENT STATE 74 BUFFALO 68
YOUNGSTOWN STATE 77 OAKLAND 73
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/CBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230127
*******************TOP 25 WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL*******************
#3 STANFORD 63 OREGON STATE 60
#25 COLORADO 73 #8 UCLA 70 OT
#9 UTAH 83 USC 73
#19 ARIZONA 61 WASHINGTON 54
ELSEWHERE:
BELLMONT 65 INDIANA STATE 51
EVANSVILLE 75 MURRAY STATE 67
ILLINOIS STATE 78 VALPARAISO 46
ILLINOIS CHICAGO 52 BRADLEY 38
WASHINGTON STATE 61 ARIZONA STATE 57
OREGON 78 CALIFORNIA 73
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/WCBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230127
*********************NFL PLAYOFFS*******************
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29
NFC: 3:00 PM (ET) NFC CHAMPIONSHIP (FOX, FOX DEPORTES)
AFC: 6:30 PM (ET) AFC CHAMPIONSHIP (CBS, PARAMOUNT+)
***************************NBA*******************************
MILWAUKEE 141 INDIANA 131
MINNESOTA 111 MEMPHIS 100
MIAMI 110 ORLANDO 105
OKLAHOMA CITY 112 CLEVELAND 100
GOLDEN STATE 129 TORONTO 117
BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/NBA/SCOREBOARD.ASP
**************************NHL*******************************
OTTAWA 6 TORONTO 2
LOS ANGELES 4 FLORIDA 3
NY ISLANDERS 2 DETROIT 0
NY RANGERS 4 VEGAS 1
CAROLINA 5 SAN JOSE 4
NEW JERSEY 3 DALLAS 2
VANCOUVER 5 COLUMBUS 2
CALGARY 5 SEATTLE 2
BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/NHL/SCOREBOARD.ASP
***********************TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES************************
CHIEFS’ MAHOMES READY FOR AFC TITLE GAME AGAINST BENGALS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Patrick Mahomes finished a full week of practice on his ailing right ankle Friday, and Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid pronounced his All-Pro quarterback ready to go for the AFC championship game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Mahomes sustained a high ankle sprain in the first quarter of last week’s divisional-round win over Jacksonville, returning after halftime to polish off the victory. That sent the Chiefs to their fifth consecutive AFC championship game, where they will face the AFC North champions on Sunday night in a rematch of last year’s overtime loss to the Bengals.
“He looks good,” Reid said. “I mean, he’s moving around good. He’s going to go out and play.”
Mahomes has had perhaps his best season, throwing for a career-high 5,250 yards with a league-leading 41 touchdown passes, and garnered 49 of 50 first-place votes in All-Pro voting. He is also among five finalists for league MVP.
“I feel like I can still do a lot of things,” he said this week. “We’ll see as we get closer and closer, and we’ll see during the game. You can’t fully do exactly what you’re going to be doing in those moments in the game (in practice), but all I can do is prepare myself the best way possible and then when we get in the game, you hope adrenaline kind of takes over.”
Mahomes vowed to play from the moment the Chiefs beat the Jaguars last Saturday night, striding to the podium just outside the Kansas City locker room and proclaiming his ankle felt better than expected. Mahomes began treatment that night, and a precautionary MRI exam taken the following day showed no structural damage.
His right ankle wasn’t taped any more than the left when Mahomes headed onto the indoor practice field Wednesday and Thursday. He was bouncing around as if nothing was amiss Friday for a final outdoor workout.
“We’re preparing for Patrick Mahomes like he’s 100 percent,” Bengals pass rusher Sam Hubbard said, “because I’m sure he’s going to be playing 100 percent. That’s all you can do.”
The Chiefs have been coy about their game plan for Cincinnati, which has beaten them three times in the last 13 months, including that fateful AFC title game last January. But there’s a good chance Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy tweaked it to protect Mahomes, who is uncanny when it comes to extending plays with his scrambling ability.
Mahomes has dealt with plenty of injuries in recent years, and this isn’t the first to happen on the playoff stage.
Two years ago, Mahomes was placed in the concussion protocol during a divisional win over the Browns, though he came back the following week to lead Kansas City to an AFC title win over Buffalo. Mahomes also was dealing with turf toe, which he said this week was the most painful injury that he’s played through during his time in the NFL.
Mahomes wound up having surgery for it after the Chiefs lost to Tampa Bay in the Super Bowl.
I have a lot of good people around me everywhere,” said Mahomes, who praised the Chiefs training staff along with his personal trainer, Bobby Stroupe. “We’ve done a lot of ankle and knee and foot stuff, especially after the last few injuries I’ve had. I think that’s prepared me to bounce back quickly here and be able to be in a good spot.”
Mahomes also has gotten support from players around the league, including Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.
“I have a good relationship with him now and he gives me a lot of advice,” Mahomes said. “Why would you not want to learn from the GOAT? So anytime anybody like that wants to give me advice, I’ll take it in, and it’s cool to see the guys that you’ve watched growing up your whole life be able to talk to you in that type of platform.”
MCVAY, LA RAMS HIRE FORMER JETS OC MIKE LAFLEUR
LOS ANGELES (AP) The Los Angeles Rams hired former New York Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur on Friday to join Sean McVay’s quest to fix one of the least productive offenses in the league.
LaFleur spent the past two years with the Jets in his first stint as an NFL offensive coordinator, but New York struggled statistically in both years while missing the playoffs twice. He parted ways with the Jets (7-10) three days after the regular season ended.
LaFleur will follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Matt, by becoming Los Angeles’ offensive coordinator under coach Sean McVay, who has called the Rams’ plays and been in near-complete control of the offense throughout his six-year tenure.
McVay has publicly battled burnout exacerbated by a self-described inability to delegate during his Rams tenure, but he hasn’t said whether he plans to give more responsibility to LaFleur or his other assistants as he enters his seventh season in charge.
The Rams (5-12) wrapped up the worst season in NFL history by a defending Super Bowl champion this month. McVay’s offense has been one of the NFL’s best and most influential during his tenure, but Los Angeles finished last in the league in total yards and 27th in scoring after losing several significant players to injury, including Matthew Stafford, Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp, No. 2 receiver Allen Robinson and most of the offensive line.
Offensive coordinator Liam Coen then left the Rams after one season to return to Kentucky, where he spent a successful 2021 season as the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator.
The Rams’ previous offensive coordinator was Kevin O’Connell, who became the Minnesota Vikings’ head coach shortly after the Rams’ Super Bowl victory a year ago.
Before Mike LaFleur, O’Connell was the only offensive coordinator hired by McVay who wasn’t a first-time coordinator, serving as Washington’s offensive coordinator in 2019. Matt LaFleur held the job during McVay’s first season in 2017, and the Rams went without a formal offensive coordinator in 2018 and 2019.
The Jets had one of the NFL’s worst offenses in both seasons with LaFleur in charge under head coach Robert Saleh. He led an offense last season that ranked 29th in scoring – two spots lower than the Rams – and 25th in total yards while struggling for consistent quarterback play.
LaFleur and the Jets mutually parted ways after several teams reportedly expressed interest in him despite New York’s lack of offensive success and a significant lack of progress by quarterback Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in 2021.
LaFleur was on the San Francisco 49ers’ staff from 2017 to 2020 under Kyle Shanahan, who has beaten McVay’s teams in eight consecutive regular-season meetings. LaFleur also worked alongside Shanahan in the previous three seasons in Cleveland and Atlanta.
Matt LaFleur, McVay and Shanahan all worked on the same staff with Washington a decade ago. Matt LaFleur left McVay’s Rams after one season to call the plays as the Tennessee Titans’ offensive coordinator before becoming the Green Bay Packers’ head coach in January 2019.
FALCONS HIRE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR RYAN NIELSEN FROM SAINTS
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) The Atlanta Falcons found their new defensive coordinator from an NFC South rival’s coaching staff on Friday by hiring Ryan Nielsen, the former New Orleans Saints co-defensive coordinator.
Nielsen replaces Dean Pees, 73, who retired on Jan. 9 following two seasons in charge of the defense on coach Arthur Smith’s staff.
The Falcons also announced three defensive assistants will not return next season: defensive line coach Gary Emanuel, outside linebackers coach Ted Monachino and secondary coach Jon Hoke.
Nielsen will be reunited with Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot, who worked 18 years with the Saints before he was hired by Atlanta in 2021.
Nielsen, 43, interviewed with the Falcons on Tuesday. He had worked on the Saints’ staff since 2017 and was the defensive line coach this season.
Nielsen’s success with the Saints’ pass rush may have impressed Fontenot. The Falcons ranked 31st with only 21 sacks this season after having the league’s fewest sacks in 2021. Atlanta ranked 27th in total defense, allowing 362.1 yards per game while finishing 7-10.
The Saints have recorded 282 sacks since Nielsen joined the staff in 2017, the second-most in the league during that span. New Orleans finished in the top 10 in sacks in five of the six seasons. The Saints finished in the top four in rushing defense in four of the last five years.
In Nielsen’s six seasons working with the Saints’ defensive line, Cameron Jordan became the first New Orleans defensive lineman to be named a first-team All-Pro. Jordan also earned two second-team All-Pro honors and was named to five Pro Bowls.
Nielson was a defensive assistant and recruiting coordinator at North Carolina State from 2013-16. He also coached at Northern Illinois, Tennessee-Martin, Central Connecticut State, Mississippi, Idaho and Southern California.
AP SOURCE: TAGOVAILOA TO MISS PRO BOWL, STILL IN PROTOCOL
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol and will not participate in the 2023 Pro Bowl, a person with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the decision has not been announced officially.
Tagovailoa was diagnosed with his second concussion of the 2022 season more than a month ago, after a Dec. 25 loss to Green Bay. He missed Miami’s final three games, including a playoff loss to Buffalo.
Tagovailoa had been selected as a Pro Bowl first alternate and would have replaced either Joe Burrow or Patrick Mahomes, one of whom will play in Super Bowl LVII after Sunday’s AFC Championship game.
The Pro Bowl will be held on Sunday Feb. 5, one week before the Super Bowl.
The Dolphins have repeated that they remain committed to Tagovailoa as their starter for the 2023 season.
“That’s something that’s driven by the doctors,” Miami coach Mike McDaniel said after the season ended. “They’re the experts in those fields, and when they tell us that he’s ready to play and as we expect, when they tell us that he’s ready to play coming in the spring or whatever, then we’ll press forward in that direction.”
Miami’s general manager Chris Grier said that after conversations with doctors provided through the NFL’s players union, they do not believe that Tagovailoa is more susceptible to concussions than any other player.
Tagovailoa was concussed Sept. 29 at Cincinnati after a scary hit that briefly knocked him unconscious. He was stretchered off the field and returned in Week 7.
Tagovailoa took another hard hit four days before the Cincinnati game in a win over Buffalo. He appeared to show concussion symptoms but stayed in the game, and the team immediately after the game said that he had a back injury.
The NFL later changed its concussion protocol to mandate that any player who shows possible concussion symptoms – including a lack of balance or stability – sit out the remainder of a game.
Tagovailoa threw for a career-high 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns in his third season. He led the NFL in passer rating.
NFL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (15-4 – NFC WEST – NO. 2 SEED) @ PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (15-3 – NFC EAST – NO. 1 SEED)
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP DATE/TIME Sunday, January 29, 2023 @ 3:00 PM ET STADIUM Lincoln Financial Field REFEREE John Hussey
REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY
LEADER 49ers lead all-time series, 19-14-1
STREAKS Eagles have won 2 of past 3
LAST GAME 9/19/21: 49ers 17 at Eagles 11
LAST GAME AT SITE 9/19/21
PLAYOFF SERIES HISTORY
LEADER 49ers lead all-time series, 1-0
STREAKS 49ers won only meeting
LAST GAME 12/29/96: Eagles 0 at 49ers 14
LAST GAME AT SITE First meeting in Philadelphia
49ERS TEAM NOTES
PLAYOFF RECORD 36-22
CHAMPIONSHIPS 5: 1981 (SB XVI), 1984 (SB XIX), 1988 (SB XXIII),
1989 (SB XXIV), 1994 (SB XXIX)
LAST POSTSEASON
GAME W 19-12 vs. Dallas (1/22/23 – NFC-D)
VS. COMMON
OPPONENTS
5-1: AZ (2-0), CHI (0-1), DAL (1-0), NO (1-0),
WAS (1-0)
PTS. FOR 26.5
OFFENSE 365.6
PASSING Brock Purdy (R): 114-170-1,374-13-4-107.3
RUSHING Christian McCaffrey (2022): 244-1,139-4.7-8
RECEIVING Brandon Aiyuk: 78-1,015-13.0-8
PTS. AGAINST 16.3
DEFENSE 300.6
SACKS Nick Bosa: 18.5
INTs Tashaun Gipson: 5
TAKE/GIVE +13 (30/17)
PR Ray-Ray McCloud: 10.8
KR Ray-Ray McCloud: 23.0
PUNTING (NET) Mitch Wishnowsky: 43.9 (39.7)
KICKING Robbie Gould: 131 (50/51 PAT; 27/32 FG)
49ERS OFFENSIVE NOTES
QB BROCK PURDY became 3rd rookie since 1970 (Joe Flacco & Mark Sanchez) to win 2 playoff games. Can became 5th rookie QB ever (Flacco, Shaun King, Ben Roethlisberger & Sanchez) to start Champ. game. • RB CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY aims for his 4th postseasn game in row with TD & 9th in row overall in 2022 with TD, incl. playoffs. Ranked 3rd in NFL with 1,880 scrimmage yards (1,139 rush, 741 rec. – most among RBs), ranked 2nd among RBs with 85 catches & was 1 of 2 (Austin Ekeler) with 5+ rush TDs (8) & 5+ rec. TDs (5) in 2022. • RB ELIJAH MITCHELL has 50+ scrimmage yards in 4 of his 5 playoff games. • TE GEORGE KITTLE had 5 catches for 95 yards in NFC-D vs. Dal. Had 60 catches for 765 yards (5th-most among TEs) & career-high 11 rec. TDs (2nd-most among TEs) in 2022. Had 4 games with 2 rec. TDs in 2022, most by TE in season since 2015. • WR BRANDON AIYUK has 65+ rec. yards in 2 of his past 3 playoff games. Set career highs with 78 receptions, 1,015 rec. yards & 8 rec. TDs in 2022. • WR DEEBO SAMUEL has 741 scrimmage yards (459 rec., 282 rush – 92.6 per game) & 3 TDs (2 rec., 1 rush) in 8 career playoff games. Had 101 scrimmage yards (93 rec., 8 rush) in last reg. season meeting.
49ERS DEFENSIVE NOTES
DL NICK BOSA Aims for his 4th playoff game in row with TFL. Had 2 sacks & FF in last reg. season meeting. Became 1st SF player since 1982 to lead NFL in sacks (career-high 18.5) & ranked tied-2nd with 19 TFL in 2022. Became 4th player since 1982 with sack in 13+ games (13) within single season. • DL SAMSON EBUKAM had sack in NFC-D vs. Dal. & has 0.5+ sacks in 4 of his past 5 playoff games. • DL ARIK ARMSTEAD has 6 sacks in 8 career playoff games. • LB FRED WARNER had 9 tackles & 2nd-career playoff INT in NFC-D vs. Dal. & has 5+ tackles in each of 1st 8 career playoff games. Led team with 130 tackles, his 5th-straight 100+ tackle season & had career-high 10 PD in 2022. • LB DRE GREENLAW had career highs in tackles (127) & PD (6) in 2022. Aims for his 3rd in row in playoffs with 6+ tackles. • DB JIMMIE WARD had 2 PD & TFL in NFC-D vs. Dal. • CB CHARVARIUS WARD had career-high 87 tackles & 11 PD in 2022. • S TALANOA HUFANGA set career highs in tackles (95), PD (9), TFL (5) & INTs (4) in 2022.
EAGLES TEAM NOTES
PLAYOFF RECORD 24-24
CHAMPIONSHIPS 5: 1948, 1949, 1960, 2017 (SB LII)
LAST POSTSEASON
GAME W 38-7 vs. N.Y. Giants (1/21/23 – NFC-D)
VS. COMMON
OPPONENTS
4-3: AZ (1-0), CHI (1-0), DAL (1-1), NO (0-1),
WAS (1-1)
PTS. FOR 28.1
OFFENSE 389.1
PASSING Jalen Hurts: 306-460-3,701-22-6-101.6
RUSHING Miles Sanders: 259-1,269-4.9-11
RECEIVING A.J. Brown: 88-1,496-17.0-11
PTS. AGAINST 20.2
DEFENSE 310.5
SACKS Haason Reddick: 16
INTs C.J. Gardner-Johnson: 6
TAKE/GIVE +8 (27/19)
PR Britain Covey: 9.3
KR Boston Scott: 27.1
PUNTING (NET) Brett Kern: 40.8 (36.6)
KICKING Jake Elliott: 111 (51/53 PAT; 20/23 FG)
PHILADELPHIA advanced to NFC-C for 1st time since 2017. • NICK SIRIANNI has led Phi. to postseason in each of 1st 2 seasons. • EAGLES have 35 rush TDs in 2022 (incl. postseason) & can tie 1962 Packers (37) for most rush TDs ever in single season, incl. playoffs. • PHILADELPHIA has 75 sacks in 2022 (incl. postseason), 3rd-most ever by team in single season, incl. playoffs.
EAGLES OFFENSIVE NOTES
QB JALEN HURTS had 3 TDs (2 pass, 1 rush) vs. 0 INTs for 112.2 rating in NFC-D vs. NYG. Became 3rd QB ever with 3,500+ pass yards (3,701), 20+ TD passes (22) & 10+ rush TDs (13) in single season, 2nd-most rush TDs by QB in single season in NFL history. Became 1st QB all-time with 10+ rush TDs in consecutive seasons. Ranked 4th among QBs with 760 rush yards. Had 272 yards (190 pass, 82 rush) & rush TD in last reg. season meeting. • RB MILES SANDERS rushed for 90 yards in NFC-D vs. NYG. Had career highs in rush yards (1,269) & rush TDs (11) in 2022. • WR A.J. BROWN had 88 catches for franchise-record 1,496 yards (4thmost in NFL) & 11 rec. TDs in 2022. Has 5+ catches, 80+ rec. yards & TD catch in 2 of his past 3 postseason games. Had 11 catches for 145 yards & rec. TD in his only career game vs. SF (12/23/21 w/ Ten.). • WR DEVONTA SMITH led team with 6 catches for 61 yards & had rec. TD in NFC-D vs. NYG. Had career highs in catches (95), rec. yards (1,196) & rec. TDs (7) in 2022. Brown & Smith were only pair of teammates each with 85+ catches & 1,100+ rec. yards this season. • TE DALLAS GOEDERT had 5 catches for 58 yards & rec. TD in NFC-D vs. NYG. Aims for his 4th in row in playoffs with 5+ catches & 50+ rec. yards.
EAGLES DEFENSIVE NOTES
LB HAASON REDDICK had 1.5 sacks in NFC-D vs. NYG. Ranked tied-2nd in NFL with career-high 16 sacks & ranked tied-1st with 5 FFs. Became 1st player since 1982 with 10+ sacks in 3 straight seasons with 3 different teams. • DE BRANDON GRAHAM had sack last week. Had career-high 11 sacks in 2022. Has sack in 3 of his 5 career games vs. SF. • DT JAVON HARGRAVE had career highs in sacks (11) & TFL (10) this season. Had 2 TFL in last reg. season meeting. • DE JOSH SWEAT had career highs in sacks (11) & TFL (15) in 2022. Has sack in 6 of his past 7 games, incl. playoffs. • DT FLETCHER COX had sack last week. Has 7 TFL in 9 career playoff games. • LB T.J. EDWARDS was 1 of 4 with 150+ tackles (159 – tied-6th in NFL) & 10+ TFL (10) in 2022. • CB DARIUS SLAY (14 PD, 3 INTs) & CB JAMES BRADBERY (17 PD, 3 INTs) were only pair of teammates each with 14+ PD & 3+ INTs in 2022. Bradberry had INT in NFC-D vs. NYG. • S C.J. GARDNER-JOHNSON ranked tied-1st in NFL with career-high 6 INTs.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TIME 3:00 PM ET
TV FOX, FOX Deportes: Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews & Tom Rinaldi (field reporters)
NATIONAL RADIO Westwood One: Kevin Harlan, Kurt Warner, Ross Tucker (field reporter)
San Francisco SiriusXM 82 or 225 and the SXM App
Philadelphia SiriusXM 83 or 226 and the SXM App
National SiriusXM 88 and the SXM App
- This is the second all-time playoff matchup between the 49ers and Eagles. San Francisco won the first, 14-0, in the 1996 Wild Card Game. The Niners are 11-5-1 (.688) on the road against the Eagles all-time, which is third best among active franchises (including the postseason) behind the Seahawks (7-2) and Chiefs (3-1).
- The 49ers are in the conference championship game for the 18th time in the Super Bowl era, the most by any NFL team (7-10 record, 2-5 on the road). The Niners own a 12-game winning streak, the longest entering a conference championship game since the 2007 Patriots.
- At 22 years old, Brock Purdy will be the youngest quarterback to start a conference championship game since Ben Roethlisberger in the 2004 postseason. Purdy is the fourth QB in the Super Bowl era to start a conference championship game after making five or fewer career regular-season starts: Jeff Hostetler in 1990 (four), Vince Ferragamo in 1979 (five) and Shaun King in 1999 (five).
- The Eagles’ 38-7 victory over the Giants in the divisional round matched Philly’s largest win in the playoffs all-time. The Eagles followed up their other 31-point playoff win with a win in Super Bowl LII against the Patriots.
- Jalen Hurts is 15-1 (.938) as a starter this season. Among QBs to start at least 15 games between the regular season and postseason, only three have had that high of a winning percentage: Bob Griese in 1973 (15-1), Joe Montana in 1984 (17-1) and Tom Brady in 2007 (18-1).
- Jalen Hurts and Oklahoma matched up with Brock Purdy and Iowa State on November 9, 2019. It remains the only matchup in the past 10 seasons of Power 5 QBs in which both threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 50 yards and a touchdown.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) The late-game meltdowns stick in San Francisco.
Take the Super Bowl against Kansas City following the 2019 season. The 49ers became the third team in Super Bowl history to cough up a 10-point lead in the second half and lost to the Chiefs. Or last season’s NFC title game, when a 17-7 lead unraveled because of a dropped interception, a conservative fourth-down call and an interception on the final drive. Winner, Rams.
Another blown opportunity at a championship that’s hard to forget.
“As you go back to last year, we were a couple of plays away from making it to the Super Bowl again,” wide receiver Deebo Samuel said. “What’s it really going to take for us to get there? We just have to minimize the mistakes and everybody has to be on their assignments.”
Near perfection.
That’s a pretty heady task for any team, much less one headed into Philadelphia, where the cold, an MVP finalist and the top-seeded team in the NFC await. It’s going to get crazy loud – or is it crazy and loud? – at Lincoln Financial Field.
The 49ers say they’re ready. They have won 12 straight games, including seven in a row since rookie Brock Purdy, a seventh-round draft pick, took over at quarterback after Jimmy Garoppolo was injured.
The second-seeded 49ers have been on the brink of adding a sixth Super Bowl for years, and their appearance Sunday in the NFC championship game is their third in four seasons. The Eagles may not have been a preseason favorite to get here, but a series of bold moves – notably the acquisitions of wide receiver A.J. Brown, linebacker Haason Reddick, cornerback James Bradberry and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson – have turned them into a team with a Super Bowl-or-bust outlook.
Want near perfection? The Eagles know something about that in Pro Bowl QB Jalen Hurts’ starts, with a 14-1 record in the regular season and last week’s playoff victory against the New York Giants. Hurts is playing through the lingering effects of a sprained right shoulder that cost him two games. He is putting in overtime ahead of his biggest test of the season against the 49ers’ No. 1-ranked defense.
“It’s in his DNA to be here at all times working on his craft,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “Whether that’s in the weight room, whether that’s in the training room, whether that’s in the film room, this guy is obsessed with getting better.”
Hurts had some doubters that he was the real-deal franchise QB headed into training camp. He wiped out any concerns pretty much after the opening-week win against Detroit and kept piling up big numbers and wins to the point where he was an NFL MVP finalist.
All that’s keeping Hurts from a Super Bowl, the Eagles’ second in six seasons, is the last pick of the draft.
Maybe it’s more than just Purdy’s play – he’s had a meteoric rise this season from ” Mr. Irrelevant ” to undefeated rookie QB in the NFC title game – that helps the 49ers. He has no memory of the Super Bowl collapse. He played no role in the debacle against the Rams.
Purdy just knows how to win.
“He has a natural ability to play the position and that’s why he’s fun to coach because when he does make mistakes and do things, he can see it, he can know why, we can see it and we can all understand it,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said.
He gives them a chance, one reason the oddsmakers list the 49ers as just 2 1/2-point underdogs, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
SILENT COUNT
Purdy hasn’t had much experience playing in a hostile environment during his brief NFL career with only two road starts. The first one at notoriously loud Seattle should have provided a good test for what Purdy will face Sunday in Philadelphia. Purdy got experience that week using the silent count, which Shanahan told him at the time would be beneficial in the future.
“He did say it was good preparation for what we might have to play in terms of the playoffs, going on the road for road games and obviously Philadelphia,” Purdy said. “In these kind of games, it’s all about communication. How can you operate smoothly, get in and out of the huddle, get the play off the right way, make sure everyone is on the same page. So that’s definitely a big emphasis this week.”
SLOWING HURTS
The 49ers’ aggressive defense hasn’t had many chances against mobile quarterbacks this season, with only six teams facing fewer run attempts by QBs than the 50 against San Francisco. That figures to change against Hurts and the Eagles, who use designed quarterback runs and scrambles as a big part of their offense. Hurts rushed for 760 yards and 13 TDs this season.
“Any time you’re facing a quarterback that has that type of ability, you just got to be on your assignments for a full 60 minutes, which is way easier said than done,” All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner said. “There’s times in a game where you might be part of a long drive, guys get tired and all of a sudden the first thing that goes is your mind and you forget where you might need to fit in a certain play. It’s all about being detailed and everybody swarming to the ball if and when he does (run).”
CLOSING TIME
The Niners have had great success ending the first half on a high note since Purdy took over. In the eight games since he stepped in, San Francisco has scored four TDs and two field goals for a league-best 34 points in the final 2 minutes of the first half. The Eagles have allowed only three points in the final 2 minutes of the first half in their last eight games.
NFL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: CINCINNATI BENGALS (14-4 – AFC NORTH – NO. 3 SEED) @ KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (15-3 – AFC WEST – NO. 1 SEED)
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
DATE/TIME Sunday, January 29, 2023 @ 6:30 PM ET
STADIUM GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
REFEREE Ron Torbert
REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY
LEADER Bengals lead all-time series, 17-14
STREAKS Bengals have won past 2
LAST GAME 12/4/22: Chiefs 24 at Bengals 27
LAST GAME AT SITE 10/21/18: Chiefs 45, Bengals 10
PLAYOFF SERIES HISTORY
LEADER Bengals lead all-time series, 1-0
STREAKS Bengals won only meeting
LAST GAME 1/30/22: Bengals 27 at Chiefs 24 (OT)
LAST GAME AT SITE 1/30/22
BENGALS TEAM NOTES
PLAYOFF
RECORD 10-15
CHAMPIONSHIPS 0
LAST POSTSEASON
GAME W 27-10 at Buffalo (1/22/23 – AFC-D)
VS. COMMON
OPPONENTS 3-0: Buf (1-0), TB (1-0), Ten (1-0)
PTS. FOR 26.1
OFFENSE 378.0
PASSING Joe Burrow: 414-606-4,475-35-12-100.8
RUSHING Joe Mixon: 210-814-3.9-7
RECEIVING Ja’Marr Chase: 87-1,046-12.0-9
PTS. AGAINST 20.1
DEFENSE 335.7
SACKS Trey Hendrickson: 8
INTs Jessie Bates, Vonn Bell: 4
TAKE/GIVE +6 (24/18)
PR Trent Taylor: 10.3
KR Trayveon Williams: 22.3
PUNTING (NET) Drue Chrisman: 47.8 (42.6)
KICKING Evan McPherson: 112 (40/44 PAT; 24/29 FG)
CINCINNATI advanced to AFC Champ. Game in consecutive seasons for 1st time in franchise history & 4th time overall. Aims for 4th SB appearance. • ZAC TAYLOR can become 1st Cin. HC ever to win 2 AFC Championships & 3rd HC in NFL history to appear in 2 SBs within 1st 4 seasons. • BENGALS had 3 players selected to 2023 Pro Bowl Games: QB JOE BURROW, WR JA’MARR CHASE & DE TREY HENDRICKSON. • CINCINNATI ranked 4th in NFL in total offense (378 yards per game).
BENGALS OFFENSIVE NOTES
QB JOE BURROW has 3 TDs vs. 0 INTs with 100.8 rating in 2022 postseason & aims for his 4th in row overall in playoffs with 0 INTs. Is 3-0 with 9 TDs (8 pass, 1 rush) vs. INT & 121 rating in 3 career starts vs. KC, incl. 2021 AFC-C. Can tie Russell Wilson (6 wins) for most playoff wins by QB in 1st 3 seasons in SB era. Ranked 5th in NFL with 4,475 pass yards & tied-2nd with career-high 35 TD passes in 2022. • RB JOE MIXON had playoff career-high 123 scrimmage yards (105 rush, 18 rec.) & rush TD last week. Has 50+ scrimmage yards in each of 6 career playoff games, incl. 115 scrimmage yards (88 rush, 27 rec.) in 2021 AFC-C vs. KC. Had 1,255 scrimmage yards (814 rush, career-high 441 rec.) in 2022, his 4th-career season with 1,250+ scrimmage yards. • WR JA’MARR CHASE had 5 catches for 61 yards & TD last week & has rec. TD in 3 of his past 4 in playoffs. Has 513 career postseason rec. yards, 2nd-most ever by player in 1st 2 seasons. Has 4 rec. TDs in 3 career games vs. KC, incl. playoffs. • WR TEE HIGGINS had 103 rec. yards in 2021 AFC-C vs. KC. • WR TYLER BOYD had 5th-straight season with 750+ rec. yards (762). • TE HAYDEN HURST had TD catch last week & has rec. TD in 2 of his past 3 in playoffs. Had rec. TD in his last game at KC (12/27/20 w/ Atl.).
BENGALS DEFENSIVE NOTES
DE TREY HENDRICKSON led team with 8 sacks in 2022 & is 1 of 6 in NFL with 8+ sacks in each of past 3 seasons. Had 1.5 sacks in 2021 AFC-C vs. KC. • LB LOGAN WILSON led team with career-high 123 tackles this season. Has 7+ tackles in each of 6 career postseason games. • DE SAM HUBBARD had 2 sacks & FF in 2021 AFC-C vs. KC & aims for his 3rd in row vs. KC with sack, incl. playoffs. • LB GERMAINE PRATT set career highs in tackles (99) & PD (10) this season. Has 3 PD in 2022 postseason. Had FF & FR in Week 13 meeting. • S JESSIE BATES had career-best 4 INTs in 2022. Has 6 PD in 6 career playoff games & has PD in 2 of his past 3 vs. KC, including postseason. • S VONN BELL had sack last week. Aims for 4th in row vs. KC with PD, incl. playoffs.
CHIEFS TEAM NOTES
PLAYOFF
RECORD 18-21
CHAMPIONSHIPS 3: 1960, 1969 (SB IV), 2019 (SB LIV)
LAST POSTSEASON
GAME W 27-20 vs. Jacksonville (1/21/23 – AFC-D)
VS. COMMON
OPPONENTS 2-1: Buf (0-1), TB (1-0), Ten (1-0)
PTS. FOR 29.2
OFFENSE 413.6
PASSING Patrick Mahomes: 435-648-5,250-41-12-105.1
RUSHING Isiah Pacheco (R): 170-830-4.9-5
RECEIVING Travis Kelce (TE): 110-1,338-12.2-12
PTS. AGAINST 21.7
DEFENSE 328.2
SACKS Chris Jones: 15.5
INTs Juan Thornhill, L’Jarius Sneed: 3
TAKE/GIVE -3 (20/23)
PR Kadarius Toney: 6.1
KR Isiah Pacheco (R): 20.6
PUNTING (NET) Tommy Townsend: 50.4 (45.6)
KICKING Harrison Butker: 92 (38/41 PAT; 18/24 FG)
KANSAS CITY became 3rd team ever to appear in 5 consecutive Champ. games. Aims for 3rd SB appearance in 4 years & 5th in franchise history. • ANDY REID makes 10th Champ. game appearance, tied-2nd most ever by HC, & has 20 career postseason wins, tied 2nd-most ever by HC. • CHIEFS led NFL in total offense (413.6 yards per game) for 3rd consecutive season & led in scoring offense (29.2 points per game). • KANSAS CITY had 7 players selected to 2023 Pro Bowl Games.
CHIEFS OFFENSIVE NOTES
QB PATRICK MAHOMES has 32 TDs (28 pass, 4 rush) vs. 3 INTs with 116.7 rating in 10 career home playoff starts, with 2+ TD passes in each of past 5. Has 90+ rating in each of 4 career starts vs. Cin., incl. playoffs. Led NFL with 5,250 pass yards & 41 TD passes in 2022, joining Drew Brees as only players ever with 2 career seasons of 5,000+ pass yards & 40+ TD passes. Aims for 6th in row overall with 105+ rating. • RB JERICK MCKINNON led RBs with 9 rec. TDs in 2022, tied-most by RB in single season in SB era. Finished reg. season with TD catch in 6 straight games, incl. Week 13 vs. Cin., longest streak ever by RB. • RB ISIAH PACHECO (rookie) rushed for 95 yards in playoff debut last week. Ranked 4th among rookie RBs with 830 rush yards & 2nd with 5 rush TDs, both 3rd-most ever by KC rookie. Had rush TD in Week 13 meeting. • TE TRAVIS KELCE had 14 catches for 98 yards & 2 TDs last week, his 7th straight playoff game with 95+ rec. yards, longest streak in NFL history. Has 1,389 career postseason rec. yards, tied 3rd-most ever. Aims for 5th in row in playoffs with rec. TD. Had 10 catches for 95 yards & TD in 2021 AFC-C vs. Cin. Led TEs with 110 catches (tied 2nd-most ever by TE in single season) & 1,338 rec. yards (4th-most ever by TE in single season) in 2022. • WR MARQUES VALDES-SCANTLING had rec. TD last week & aims for his 3rd in row in playoffs with TD catch. Had 71 rec. yards in Week 13 meeting.
CHIEFS DEFENSIVE NOTES
DT CHRIS JONES ranked tied-4th in NFL with 15.5 sacks in 2022 & is 1 of 5 players with 7+ sacks in each of past 5 seasons. • DE FRANK CLARK had 12th-career postseason sack last week, tied 4thmost since 1982. Had 6th-career season with 5+ sacks (5). • DE GEORGE KARLAFTIS ranked 3rd among rookies with 6 sacks in 2022. Had sack in Week 13 meeting. • LB NICK BOLTON led team with 10 tackles & had FR last week. Had 16 tackles in Week 13 meeting. Ranked 2nd in NFL with career-high 180 tackles in 2022, most by KC player in single season since at least 2000. • CB L’JARIUS SNEED was 1 of 2 players in 2022 with 100+ tackles (108), 3+ sacks (3.5) & 3+ INTs (3). Aims for his 4th in row in playoffs with 9+ tackles.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TIME 6:30 PM ET
TV CBS, Paramount+: Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson (field reporter)
NATIONAL RADIO Westwood One: Ian Eagle, Tony Boselli, Laura Okmin (field reporter)
Cincinnati SiriusXM 82 or 225 and the SXM App
Kansas City SiriusXM 81 or 227 and the SXM App
National SiriusXM 88 and the SXM App
- This will be the first rematch of a conference championship game since the Patriots and Ravens split the 2011 and 2012 AFC Championship Games, both in Foxborough. The only team to win consecutive conference championship games in the same stadium against the same opponent is the Steelers, who beat the Oilers in Pittsburgh in 1978 and 1979.
- Since 2008, the Bengals are 7-1 against the Chiefs (including postseason), their second-best record against any opponent in that span (4-0 vs. Detroit). They’ve won three straight, all since January 2, 2022, all by three points. No team has ever won four consecutive games against an opponent by exactly three points.
- With a Bengals win, Joe Burrow would join Tom Brady (7-0), Russell Wilson (6-1) and Patrick Mahomes (6-1) as the only quarterbacks since 1995 to win six of their first seven playoff starts. He would be the 10th to do so all-time. He would also join Jake Delhomme as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to win their first four road playoff starts.
- Kansas City lost eight of its first 11 home playoff games but has won seven of eight since then, with the only loss coming against Cincinnati in last season’s AFC Championship. The Chiefs are 7-0 in all playoff games since 2018 when recording at least 400 yards of offense, and 2-3 when they do not (only wins: SB LIV vs. SF — 397, last week vs. Jacksonville — 362).
- Patrick Mahomes was 22-for-30 (73.3%) passing the ball last week against Jacksonville and had two touchdown passes. It was his fourth career playoff game with a 70.0+ completion percentage and multiple touchdown passes. The only quarterbacks with more are Tom Brady (6), Drew Brees (6), Troy Aikman (5) and Joe Montana (5).
- The Bengals are one of two NFL teams with a perfect record in conference championship games in the Super Bowl era, having won in 1981, 1988 and 2021 (Giants — 5-0). The Chiefs are the first team to host five consecutive conference championships — no other team has hosted more than three in a row.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) The Kansas City Chiefs have lost three straight games to the Cincinnati Bengals, including last year’s AFC title game, when they blew an early 21-3 lead in an overtime defeat before a sea of stunned fans inside Arrowhead Stadium.
Patrick Mahomes, who expects to lead the Chiefs against the Bengals on a sprained right ankle in Sunday night’s rematch, is likewise winless against Bengals counterpart Joe Burrow, the only quarterback to have beaten him three straight times.
In other words, there’s a reason the AFC North champions are imbued with a certain degree of confidence as they return to Kansas City, where the burgeoning rivals will once again determine who represents the AFC in the Super Bowl.
“Your preparation leads to confidence. That’s just what you see from Joe and all of our players,” explained the even-keeled Bengals coach Zac Taylor, who has somehow out-schemed, out-coached and gotten his team to out-execute Andy Reid and his Chiefs over the past 13 months. “So when they walk on the field on Sunday, they’re relaxed.”
In fact, the Bengals are so confident that some have taken to calling the Chiefs’ home “Burrowhead Stadium.”
Which, as you can imagine, doesn’t sit well with the AFC West champs.
“I’m sure a lot of guys are aware of the comments they’re making,” Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster admitted. “The Bengals have always been the rah-rah team, and they back it up. And they’re doing so again in the postseason.”
Yet it’s not as if the Bengals, who roared past the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round, have dominated the Chiefs, who took care of the Jacksonville Jaguars despite losing Mahomes for most of a quarter following his injury.
All three of their meetings have been decided by just three points each.
“We know what team we’re playing, a team that has been to this game the last five seasons, and they’ve all been in that stadium,” Burrow said. “So to me, they’re still the team to beat and we’re coming for them, but we know it’s going to be tough. We know it’s going to be hard-fought, and we know the kind of players they have on that side.”
Their matchup in last year’s title game was a classic. Mahomes threw three first-half touchdown passes, then Burrow led a dramatic comeback for Cincinnati. And when the Chiefs’ Harrison Butker kicked a 41-yard field goal with no time left to send the game to overtime, the Bengals quickly picked off Mahomes to set up Evan McPherson’s winning kick.
“Listen, they probably should be confident. They’ve won three games,” said Reid, who is trying to guide Kansas City back to the Super Bowl for the third time in four seasons. “That’s OK. We’re still going to play the game.”
Besides, the Chiefs have a quiet confidence about them, too.
“I would say they know us. We know them. And we’re all searching for that little extra that you can throw at them,” Reid said. “We’ve played each other enough that I’m sure both sides feel the same way.”
MAHOMES ON THE MEND
The Chiefs’ All-Pro quarterback practiced as usual this week, and Mahomes’ ailing right ankle did not appear more heavily taped than the left. His ability to scramble is a big part of his game, though, particularly when it comes to finding time to make off-schedule throws, and any hesitation could be costly for Kansas City’s offense.
“It’s about being a competitor,” Mahomes said this week. “You want to be out there, especially in these games.”
RECHARGED RUN GAME
The Bengals often struggled to run the ball this season, but Joe Mixon dominated the Bills last week, despite an offensive line forced to use a trio of backups because of injuries. He finished with 105 yards rushing and a touchdown.
“That’s nothing I’m surprised about,” Mixon said. “At the same time it’s a great thing to be able to contribute in a major way with my teammates in a crucial moment. So as the moments get bigger, I’ve just got to keep elevating my game.”
SPEAKING OF RUNNING
Whatever the limitations on Mahomes because of his ankle, the Chiefs will almost certainly try to help him out by getting their run game going. Isiah Pacheco had 95 yards on just 12 carries last week, and the bulk of that came during a 12-play, 98-yard drive when Mahomes was getting examined and backup Chad Henne was in the game.
QUICK RELEASE
A big part of Burrow’s success is getting the ball out quickly, before pass rushers can find a lane and defenders can process what’s happening. His release time averaged about 2 1/2 seconds last week and the Bills sacked him just once.
“We can’t let him sit back in the pocket and get into rhythm throws because that’s when he’s most dangerous,” Chiefs safety Justin Reid said. “You’re not going to win games if you don’t get sacks and turnovers, especially against a team like this.”
INTRIGUING MATCHUPS
The Bengals have one of the league’s best groups of wide receivers, headlined by Ja’Marr Chase, who set the franchise’s single-game record with 266 yards receiving in a regular-season win over Kansas City last season.
They’ll be facing one of the youngest defensive backfields, which often has three rookie corners and a rookie safety on the field at once.
“Hopefully we’ve grown enough that we can match what they put out there,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “This is an elite group we’re going against. We have to have an elite game. We have to play our best game of the year.”
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
MIAMI FIRES OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR JOSH GATTIS AFTER 1 SEASON
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) Miami fired offensive coordinator Josh Gattis on Friday, ending the former Broyles Award winner’s time with the Hurricanes after only one season.
The school announced the move in a one-sentence press release, with no other detail: “Josh Gattis has been relieved of his duties as offensive coordinator, Miami head football coach Mario Cristobal announced Friday,” read the release, sent from a university spokesman.
The Hurricanes went 5-7 in Gattis’ lone season. He was brought in by Miami only a few weeks after winning the 2021 Broyles Award – given to the nation’s top assistant coach – while serving as Michigan’s offensive coordinator and helping the Wolverines reach the College Football Playoff.
But Miami’s offense, for a number of reasons, failed to meet expectations in 2022. Part of that was injuries; starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke battled a shoulder injury, and the Hurricanes turned to Jake Garcia – who has since transferred – and Jacurri Brown for much of the season.
Miami scored 100 points in its first two games last fall, overpowering Bethune-Cookman and Southern Miss. The Hurricanes averaged only 18.3 points the rest of the way, and finished the year 5-0 in games where the defense allowed no more than 14 points – but 0-7 when opponents scored more than 14.
Miami was 86th nationally in total offense last season, averaging 367.1 yards per game, and 97th in scoring offense.
Gattis played at Wake Forest and worked at North Carolina, Western Michigan, Vanderbilt, Penn State, Alabama and Michigan before coming to Miami.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
KEYONTAE JOHNSON AT NO. 5 K-STATE TO FACE EX-GATOR TEAMMATES
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) There are still a handful of players left at Florida who remember the exact moment, during a timeout against rival Florida State more than two years ago, that Keyontae Johnson collapsed to the floor and time seemed to stand still.
Johnson was loaded onto a stretcher, taken to the hospital and remained there for more than a week.
It was the last time he stepped on the floor for the Gators, other than a senior-day sendoff when he went out for an opening tip. Considering doctors at Florida and numerous other schools would not clear him to play given the heart condition that led to his collapse, it could have been the last time he stepped on the floor, period.
Kansas State was willing to let him play, though. Its medical staff examined his history, put him through a battery of tests and ultimately decided, with close observation, the senior could resume his basketball career.
He’s set to the lead the No. 5 Wildcats against – you guessed it – Florida on Saturday night.
“It’s going to be amazing just playing against the team (where) I started college basketball,” Johnson said, “and just seeing my brothers back on the court, and just having to have that feeling of a family around me again.”
The exact nature of Johnson’s heart condition has never been disclosed, though he told The Associated Press prior to the season that he was on medication to help control it. But he said he hasn’t harbored animosity toward Florida or its medical staff, understanding full well the ramifications if something happened again.
“It was very tough,” Johnson acknowledged this week, “but they just had to do what was best for them medically and what they felt was safe for me. There is no ill will or hate for them. I’m still a Gator for life.”
Except on Saturday, when he’ll most decidedly be a Wildcat.
Johnson was voted SEC preseason player of the year in 2020, and the 6-foot-7 forward with the NBA-ready inside-outside game was staring at the possibility of becoming a first-round pick.
He never imagined becoming a glorified coach, which is what happened when he was released from the hospital and rejoined the Gators – a role he took on with a passion. Johnson even had a $5 million insurance policy that he could have collected had he never played another minute of college or professional basketball.
He loved the game too much for that.
Once cleared by K-State, Johnson became perhaps the most important piece in the program’s major transformation. First-year coach Jerome Tang, who had helped build Baylor’s dynasty over the past two decades, brought together a collection of talented but largely underappreciated Division I and junior college transfers, along with a couple of prep prospects, to join a couple of holdovers from the end of Bruce Weber’s tenure.
In all, 14 players from last season were gone and a dozen newcomers arrived.
The Wildcats have been one of the incredible stories of the college basketball season, climbing into the top 5 in the AP poll for the first time in more than a decade. They scored 116 points in beating No. 6 Texas, edged No. 19 Baylor in overtime and produced a court-storming 83-82 overtime win over No. 2 Kansas – thanks to Johnson’s alley-oop dunk out of a timeout.
“We all watch (his) games when we’re on the road in hotels, and we just cheer him on, `cause we know how much he cared about basketball,” Florida’s Colin Castleton said. “Everything he’s been through just shows you how strong a human he is, and just how much fight he has. He just pushed through it all, came with a great attitude every day.
“He’s really superhuman, to be honest, in everybody’s eyes,” Castleton added. “It’s going to be awesome to see him play. I know everybody in the locker room and everybody who knows him is really happy for him.”
That includes Mike White, his old coach at Florida, who is now in charge of SEC-rival Georgia.
“Wish he was wearing red and black,” White said. “He’s unbelievable. He is so good.”
Johnson is third in the Big 12 in scoring at 18.3 points per game, and third in rebounding at 7.5 per game. He’s shooting nearly 40% from the 3-point arc, nearly 75% from the foul line and is in the league’s top 10 in field-goal percentage.
Just as importantly, Johnson is providing leadership for a team assembled in a span of months.
“The silver lining, if there is any silver lining, is he had a long time where he just worked on his skill level,” White said. “He got in the gym and shot. He’s gotten even better and better. His confidence level is at an all-time high. Those guys are doing a terrific job with him. We root for him like crazy. My kids love watching them on TV.”
You can bet a lot of people will be watching this weekend.
“This guy’s overcome stuff that none of us can even understand,” Castleton said. “When he had chances to feel sorry for himself or pout or have a bad day, he didn’t let it happen. It wasn’t going to happen. He’s the epitome of character.”
NBA NEWS
TIMBERWOLVES TOP MEMPHIS AFTER MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR NICHOLS
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Anthony Edwards scored 13 of his 25 points in the third quarter as Minnesota extended its lead, D’Angelo Russell added 19 points and the Timberwolves topped the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies 111-100 on Friday night.
The Grizzlies took the court minutes after v ideo footage was released of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols being beaten by Memphis police officers.
There was a moment of silence prior to the game but no demonstration by the Grizzlies or Timberwolves. Both teams offered thoughts to Nichols’ family and friends in messages tweeted before the video was released.
“There’s way harder things going on in the city versus what’s going on with our basketball right now,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. “I’m proud of our guys going out there. As I said before the game, we’re playing with heavy hearts, but we’re also playing for our city that’s going through a lot right now.”
“So, it’s hard, but our guys went out there and competed. I told them the last two games, as we’ve been talking about everything that’s been going on in Memphis with the tragedy to Tyre Nichols, we’ve been staying together.”
Jenkins said he had not watched the video footage of the incident when speaking after the game and didn’t think the team had a chance to watch before the game. The Memphis locker room was closed to media after the game and no players were made available.
Kyle Anderson had 23 points for Minnesota, which has won four of five. Nathan Knight added 10 points off the bench. The Timberwolves scored 58 points in the paint
“I thought we were pretty decisive, drawing a crowd and then making the right play,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. “They were pretty heavy in the gaps and do a good job of having multiple bodies at the rim. So, I thought we generated a lot of really, really good looks.”
Ja Morant had 27 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for Memphis. Dillon Brooks scored 17 for the Grizzlies.
Minnesota established a double-digit lead in the first quarter and made it stand. Memphis’ only lead was 7-6.
Edwards had eight points during a 12-4 run in the third to give the Timberwolves a game-high 17-point lead.
“I’m not worried, I know it’s going to come,” Edwards said. “I’m going to keep making the right play until they loosen up, and then when they loosen up, that’s when I’m going to go. And that’s what I did tonight.”
PRAISE FOR ANT
Edwards came in averaging 27.8 points, 5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game over his previous 10 games. He’s scored at least 20 points in 10 of his last 11 games.
Anderson told the Target Center crowd after the game that Edwards could be in the MVP conversation every season.
“He’s playing as an All-Star starter, like and All-Star starter right now, like one of the best 10 players in the league these last few games,” Anderson said later in the locker room. “He’s shown it. And he has a higher ceiling, a lot more room to grow, it’s scary.”
ROUGH TRIP
Memphis finished its season-long road trip 0-5 during which it lost Steven Adams, Desmond Bane and John Konchar to injuries. Three of the losses were by a combined five points, but there was also a 33-point loss at Sacramento and Friday’s showing at Minnesota.
“I called it the road trip of revelations,” Jenkins said. “We’re just learning a lot about ourselves, meat of the season. Told the guys at the end of the game, we’ve put ourselves in a still really good spot. We’ve got 30-plus games left and this happens during a season where you have ups and downs.”
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Bane, who’s second on the team with 21.6 points per game, was held out with right knee soreness. Adams (right knee PCL sprain) missed his third straight game. Konchar (concussion protocol) was out for the second straight game. . Ziaire Williams started for Bane and had seven points.
Timberwolves: Taurean Prince missed his third straight game with a left ankle sprain. . Minnesota had 20 turnovers leading to 21 points for the Grizzlies. The Timberwolves scored 12 points on Memphis’ 21 turnovers.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: Return home to host Indiana on Sunday.
Timberwolves: Play two in a row against Sacramento at home, beginning Saturday night.
HEAT RALLY AGAIN, TOP MAGIC 110-105 TO CLOSE 3-0 HOMESTAND
MIAMI (AP) Bam Adebayo has a theory. All these close games that the Miami Heat are playing now, in his mind, are providing valuable lessons to draw upon later this season.
And the fact that they’re winning a lot of those games right now is an added bonus.
Jimmy Butler had 29 points, Adebayo added 20 and the Heat rallied again in the fourth quarter to beat the Orlando Magic 110-105 on Friday night. It capped a 3-0 homestand for the Heat, with those wins coming by three, four and five points.
“I don’t know if we just like dogfights,” Adebayo said. “I don’t know if we just like to make it interesting.”
Max Strus scored 17 points, 15 of them on 3-pointers, for Miami – which moved a season-high six games over .500 at 28-22. Caleb Martin scored 13 points, Gabe Vincent had 11 and Tyler Herro had 10 for the Heat.
Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Cole Anthony all had 19 points for the Magic, while Wendell Carter Jr. had 16 and Markelle Fultz added 10. Orlando is 14-10 in its last 24 games, after starting the season 5-20.
Turnovers simply doomed the Magic. They had 20, compared to 11 by Miami – and the Heat turned Orlando’s giveaways into 32 points. Orlando scored 13 off Miami’s turnovers.
“We turned it over,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “When it comes down to it, you’ve got to take care of the basketball. I loved our fight. I loved the fact that we were in it, in a great environment, on the road, against a tough team. But you’ve got to take care of the basketball.”
Strus’ 3-pointer with 3:01 left in the third put Miami up 73-69. The rest of the quarter was all Orlando. The Magic closed the third on a 10-0 run, then scored the first basket of the fourth to go up 81-73 on a dunk by Moritz Wagner.
And then the momentum swung right back to Miami. The Heat scored 19 of the next 25 points to go up 92-87, setting up yet another down-to-the-wire finish – the theme of this now-completed three-game Miami homestand.
The Heat beat New Orleans by four on Sunday, then Boston by three on Tuesday.
“Anytime we win, it’s a good thing,” Butler said.
TIP-INS
Magic: Jonathan Isaac, who returned to the Magic lineup for the first time in 2-1/2 years earlier this week after knee and hamstring injuries, was inactive on the first night of a back-to-back. He played in Orlando’s games on Monday and Wednesday. … Anthony had 17 points by halftime, matching his best first half of the season. He also had 17 by intermission against Atlanta on Oct. 21.
Heat: Rapper and record executive – and the star of one of Miami’s pregame intro videos this season – Rick Ross was at the game celebrating his birthday. He turns 47 on Saturday. … It was Miami’s 50th game of the season and 37th decided by single digits; the Heat are 21-16 in those games. … The Heat outscored the Magic 54-32 in the paint.
FIRST OF 4
It was the first of four meetings between the Florida rivals this season. They’ll meet again Feb. 11, March 11 and on the season’s final day – April 9.
The Magic have now played all other teams in the league at least once this season. Miami has yet to face New York or Philadelphia.
UP NEXT
Magic: Host Chicago on Saturday night.
Heat: At Charlotte on Sunday.
GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER HAS 35, LEADS THUNDER PAST CAVS 112-100
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points, his fourth consecutive game with at least 30, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-100 on Friday night.
Gilgeous-Alexander made 12 of 21 shots and added eight assists and five rebounds. Jalen Williams added 17 points and made all three of his 3-point attempts.
“Much better than the first time we played them,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said of a 110-102 loss in December.
“I thought the guys played with great force. The physicality tonight, you’re not beating a team like that the way that we did unless you’re physical. And I thought we were physical on both ends.”
Darius Garland had 31 points and 13 assists for Cleveland, which played again without All-Star Donovan Mitchell because of a groin injury.
The Thunder won for the sixth time in eight games as they contend for a Western Conference play-in berth, while the Cavaliers finished their three-game road swing at 30-21.
“They just made more plays than we did,” said Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff. “I give them credit, that’s who they are. They’re a team that plays the entire 48, no matter what’s happening. As a basketball fan, it’s fun to watch.”
Oklahoma City jumped out to an early lead before Cleveland’s imposing frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen slowed Oklahoma City’s attack.
Cleveland led 54-47 at halftime, despite shooting an abysmal 3 of 16 from 3-point range.
The Thunder erased the deficit to enter the fourth quarter tied at 78 and outscored Cleveland 34-22 in the final 12 minutes to run away with the win.
Josh Giddey had 15 points for the Thunder, which included a crafty reverse layup to put the Thunder ahead 83-81 with nine minutes remaining. Oklahoma City never lost its lead.
“Defensively, we were locked in and executed what we wanted to,” Giddey said. “We spoke prior to the game, we knew they were the best defense in the league. They’ve got a lot of length in the frontcourt. We knew getting stuff at the rim wasn’t going to be easy, so guys made the right plays. . We did a lot of really good things down the stretch there and that’s a really good team. So, I think the way we closed that game out shows we’re trending in the right direction.”
The Thunder shot 52.6% from the floor, while Cleveland finished at 44.3% and made just 8 of 29 attempts from 3. Oklahoma City outrebounded Cleveland 46-37.
TIP-INS
Thunder: Aaron Wiggins scored 10 points and grabbed seven boards. The Thunder are now 8-0 when Wiggins starts. . Starting guard Lu Dort, who’s averaging 14.1 points and 4.2 rebounds this season, missed Friday’s game with a hamstring injury. . Daigneault drew his third technical foul of the season following Cleveland’s early 10-0 run, which erased the Thunder’s early 12-4 advantage.
Cavaliers: The Cavaliers were also without Kevin Love (back). … Ricky Rubio took Friday night off after playing 17 minutes in a 113-95 win over the Rockets on Thursday. . Mobley surpassed 1,000 career rebounds in just his second NBA season.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Host Clippers on Sunday night.
Thunder: Host Warriors on Monday night.
CURRY’S 35 POINTS SEND WARRIORS PAST RAPTORS, 129-117
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Stephen Curry had 35 points and 11 assists, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Toronto Raptors 129-117 on Friday night.
The high-scoring affair was close until the Warriors pulled away with a 31-point fourth quarter, securing a sweep in the season series.
“It feels like we took better care of the ball tonight,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. “When Steph plays like that, the whole game opens up. The whole floor opens up.”
Klay Thompson added 29 points, knocking down six 3-pointers despite beginning the night 0 for 5 from beyond the arc. Though Thompson played in the Warriors’ 126-110 victory in Toronto on Dec. 18, the game Friday was his first time facing the Raptors at home since he tore his ACL in his left knee in the deciding Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals won by Toronto in Oakland.
Kevon Looney returned to the starting lineup and had 12 points and eight boards as six Warriors players scored in double figures.
The Warriors have won consecutive home games after dropping four straight at the Chase Center.
“We’ve been teetering on either side of .500 for a very long time. I’m kind of sick of it at this point,” Curry said. “(We’ve) got to figure out how to keep moving in the right direction and stack wins no matter how we can get ’em.”
Golden State’s bench outscored Toronto’s 39-26, highlighted by 15 points from Jonathan Kuminga. The 20-year-old missed his first three shots from deep before making four straight 3s in the final three minutes of the third quarter, giving the Warriors a 98-94 lead they did not relinquish.
“He just showed another element to his game that some might have doubted,” Thompson said. “To get on the hot streak he did was very impressive, and for that man, the sky’s the limit for his talent.”
Donte DiVincenzo had a career-high 11 assists and the Warriors outscored the Raptors by 24 points in his 33 minutes off the bench.
“We knew what we were coming up against, and we’ve had fairly good success guarding and executing, and tonight we just didn’t do it,” Toronto coach Nick Nurse said. “We missed a lot of communication, we just got beat physically.”
Fred VanVleet had 28 points and 10 assists for the Raptors, who began their season-high, seven-game road trip 1-1. Scottie Barnes had 24 points and Pascal Siakam had 21, while Gary Trent Jr. added 17.
Precious Achiuwa contributed 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
CURRY FINED
Curry was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Friday for throwing his mouthpiece into the stands in a moment of frustration during the Warriors’ 122-120 win over the Grizzlies on Wednesday. Curry was whistled for his fifth technical foul of the season and subsequently ejected from the game.
TIP-INS
Raptors: Achiuwa’s double-double was his third in his last four games. … Entering Friday, Toronto ranked second in the league in opponent turnovers – forcing 16.8 per game – but only induced 12 Golden State turnovers. … The Raptors have gone 2-7 in the first game of back-to-backs and 3-5 in the second game this season after posting winning records in both categories in 2021-22.
Warriors: F Andrew Wiggins missed his second straight game with a non-COVID illness. … Golden State logged a season-high 40 assists. … G Jordan Poole scored a career-high 43 points on Dec. 18 vs. Toronto but was held to just nine on 4-of-8 shooting Friday. … Curry received his ninth All-Star nod Thursday and is the only player in franchise history with nine starts in the league showcase.
UP NEXT
Raptors: At Portland on Saturday.
Warriors: At Oklahoma City on Monday.
NHL NEWS
SOROKIN MAKES 23 SAVES AS ISLANDERS BEAT RED WINGS 2-0
NEW YORK (AP) Ilya Sorokin made 23 saves and Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist, leading the New York Islanders to a 2-0 victory against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night.
Anders Lee also scored and Kyle Palmieri had two assists, helping New York stop a six-game slide. It was Sorokin’s fourth shutout of the season and No. 14 for his career.
“We did a good job breaking pucks out, getting up ice and getting on the forecheck,” Palmieri said. “That’s kind of our bread and butter as a team, creating offense off that forecheck is how we are going to be successful and we were able to do that tonight.”
Detroit had won two in a row. Magnus Hellberg made 26 stops for the Red Wings in their final game before their bye week ahead of the NHL All-Star break.
Lee opened the scoring 4:44 into the second period, redirecting the puck past Hellberg for his 18th goal of the season. He also became the 16th player in franchise history to reach 400 points.
“There were some moments in the stretch that we were playing good hockey,” Lee said in reference to the team’s recent struggles. “We just weren’t putting it together and shooting ourselves in the foot too many times. It was putting us behind in games or costing us late.”
New York improved to 16-7-2 when scoring the first goal.
Nelson got his 19th goal 4:31 into the third period. He tossed a soft wrist shot from near the blue line and Lee screened Hellberg.
It was the first third-period goal for the Islanders in 12 games, dating to Jan. 3.
“I know they’re not in a playoff spot right now, but you put those guys in the playoffs right now against any team they are a tough out,” Red Wings forward David Perron said of the Islanders. “They’re always tough to play against and we got to find a way to be comfortable in those games. If we want to be part of those 16 teams, that’s the type of hockey that you end up playing more often than not.”
Sorokin improved his impressive record on home ice to 32-14-6 since joining the Islanders ahead of the 2020-21 season. His .929 save percentage is the best on home ice in NHL history (minimum 40 home games), per the Islanders.
“The way we played without the puck, you can probably count on one hand how many scoring chances we gave them,” Islanders forward Zach Parise said. “The lack of opportunities we gave them, it’s something we need to continue to do.”
HE IS BACK
Palmieri has four assists in three games since returning to the lineup after missing 27 of 28 games between Nov. 23 and Jan. 23.
POWER-PLAY DROUGHT
The Islanders have scored three times with the man advantage in their last 62 opportunities over the past 23 games, including an 0-3 performance against the Red Wings. New York entered Friday ranked 30th in the NHL on the power play with a conversion rate of 16.1%.
UP NEXT
Red Wings: Host the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 7.
Islanders: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.
PETTERSSON SCORES TWICE, CANUCKS BEAT BLUE JACKETS 5-2
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) Elias Pettersson scored twice, Bo Horvat had a career-high four assists and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2 on Friday night for their second victory in three games under Rick Tocchet.
Tocchet took over as coach after Bruce Boudreau was fired Sunday.
Quinn Hughes had a goal and an assist to help the Canucks improve to 20-26-3. Ilya Mikheyev and Dakota Joshua also scored and Collin Delia made 23 saves.
Kirill Marchenko had two power-play goals for the Blue Jackets (15-30-3). Joonas Korpisalo stopped 29 shots for Columbus.
Hughes gave Vancouver a 2-1 lead midway through the firsy period on a long shot through traffic on a power play. Mikheyev scored with 45 seconds left in the first, unleashing a blast from above the faceoff circle that ricocheted off the end glass, hit Korpisalo’s skate and skittered into the net.
Joshua scored at 8:20 of the third on an errant pass. The forward looked to send a puck across the slot to Brock Boeser, but the puck hit Columbus defenseman Adam Boqvist in the leg and caromed into the net to make it 4-1.
Pettersson made it 5-1 with a power-play goal with 7:08 left.
UP NEXT
Blue Jackets: At Seattle on Saturday night.
Canucks: At New Jersey on Monday, Feb. 6.
MAPLE LEAFS’ MATTHEWS OUT AT LEAST 3 WEEKS WITH KNEE INJURY
(AP) — Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews will miss at least three weeks with a sprained knee.
The team announced the reigning MVP’s anticipated absence Friday, two days after Matthews was injured in Toronto’s victory against the New York Rangers.
Matthews is expected to miss at least six games and could be out for a few more. The timing of the injury coinciding with the NHL All-Star break and the Maple Leafs bye week prevents this from costing Matthews more time out of the lineup.
After being voted an All-Star by fans, Matthews is now out of the event scheduled for Feb. 3-4 in Sunrise, Florida. The league announced Aleskander Barkov from the host Florida Panthers will take Matthews’ place on the Atlantic Division All-Star roster.
Matthews, who won the Hart Trophy last season after leading the NHL with 60 goals, has 53 points in 47 games this season.
MEN’S GOLF
MCILROY AND REED BOTH 6-UNDER AFTER 1ST ROUND IN DUBAI
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed produced big first-round finishes at the Dubai Desert Classic on Friday in what could lead to an intriguing showdown as the competition heads to a Monday conclusion.
LIV Golf series players Richard Bland and Ian Poulter were tied atop the leaderboard at 8-under overall when second-round play was suspended Friday because of fading light. It was the second straight day of disrupted play at Emirates Golf Club.
McIlroy and Reed, another LIV golfer, were in the news after some pre-tournament friction between two of golf’s most high-profile players, and both completed their rounds at 6-under 66 in brief appearances on opposite ends of the course Friday.
Angel Hidalgo was one shot behind the leaders and Louis de Jager was at 6 under with McIlroy and Reed, who will start their second rounds Saturday.
Bland started his second round with three straight birdies and Poulter covered his first three holes in 1 under before play was suspended.
The competition will conclude on Monday, organizers said. Play had been suspended Thursday because of fading light following earlier delays from overnight rain that left the course unplayable.
Poulter and Ludvig Aberg, a Swede who is the world’s No. 1 amateur, shot 65s to share the lead after one round.
The top-ranked McIlroy, who had started on the 10th on Thursday, went birdie-eagle-birdie to complete his 66 after only seven shots on Friday. Reed eagled the par-5 18th.
McIlroy holed out from a fairway bunker on the par-4 8th for an unlikely eagle. The Northern Irishman described his play Thursday – when he was 2 under after playing 15 holes – as “very sloppy.”
“I would have been happy with anything around 70 the way I played, and then to come in and shoot 66 is quite the bonus,” the two-time winner said after the first round.
Reed, a former Masters champion, had completed 16 holes Thursday at 4 under and resumed with a par before a closing eagle, holing from 15 feet.
“To come out this week and feel like I was able to put everything together and to have my mind right on game planning and course management was definitely a plus,” the American said.
The pre-tournament buildup focused on discord between McIlroy and Reed, who is one of the high-profile players to have joined the exodus to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf breakaway league. McIlroy, a vocal critic of LIV, ignored Reed on Tuesday at the practice range.
MLB NEWS
BRAVES SIGN MANAGER SNITKER TO EXTENSION THROUGH 2025 SEASON
ATLANTA (AP) Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker, coming off the team’s fifth consecutive NL East title, signed a contract extension on Friday that runs through the 2025 season.
Snitker, 67, guided the Braves to the 2021 World Series championship before the team won 101 games last season.
Snitker said Saturday he is excited about the future of the Braves, who have locked up many core players to long-term deals despite losing shortstop Dansby Swanson and first baseman Freddie Freeman as free agents in back-to-back offseasons.
Snitker applauded the work of general manager Alex Anthopoulos in signing newly acquired catcher Sean Murphy and others to long-term deals.
“We’ve done a good job,” Snitker said at the Braves Fest for fans at Truist Park. “I think now you’re going to see the core group of these guys here every year for this thing. I think that’s what Alex does, keeping those young, quality guys around.”
Murphy signed a $73 million, six-year contract after he was acquired from Oakland. He is going to share playing time with Travis d’Arnaud.
The Braves also reached long-term deals with sluggers Austin Riley and Matt Olson, as well as rookie stars Michael Harris II and Spencer Strider, in the past year.
The Braves have signed outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. and second baseman Ozzie Albies to similar deals. The team has seven core players under contract for at least three more seasons, and club options could extend the deals even more.
The Braves plan on a 2022 rookie, Vaughn Grissom, competing with Orlando Arcia at shortstop in spring training.
Now Snitker is on board for at least three more seasons. He will be entering his 47th year with the organization and his seventh full season as Braves manager. He took over as interim manager on May 17, 2016, before landing the full-time position later that year.
He has a 542-451 record with Atlanta following more than 1,300 wins in the minor leagues.
After waiting so long for his opportunity to manage in the majors, Snitker has shown no sign he’s thinking of retiring. He said he’s making one change in his offseason routine – repeat visits to Hawaii for longer vacations after taking his wife, Ronnie, on their first one-week visit after last season.
“That’s the first time I’ve taken a non-baseball-related trip with my wife,” Snitker said.
“I said if I’m going to keep working, we’ve got to start doing this every year. … I’m going for longer next time.”
Snitker finished third in the manager of the year voting last season after winning the award in 2018. He also was a finalist for the honor in 2019 and finished fourth in 2020 and 2021.
Snitker is the first manager in franchise history to take the team to the postseason five times in his first six full seasons.
MEN’S TENNIS
DJOKOVIC, TSITSIPAS TO MEET IN AUSTRALIAN OPEN MEN’S FINAL
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Winning matches at the Australian Open does not give Novak Djokovic all that much trouble.
He has a 27-match unbeaten run, the longest at the place in the 55-year Open era. And now Djokovic needs just one more victory, against Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday’s final, to collect what would be a record-extending 10th championship there and record-tying 22nd Grand Slam trophy overall.
It’s all of the other stuff – some of his own doing, some not – that is a lot to handle.
His streak at Melbourne Park was put on pause a year ago when he got deported from Australia because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19, and he has waffled between acknowledging that offers extra motivation this time around and also saying, “I’m over it.”
His parents and brother are back at the tournament for the first time in 15 years, but Dad did not attend Friday night’s 7-5, 6-1 6-2 victory over Tommy Paul in the semifinals after drawing attention by being seen two days earlier outside Rod Laver Arena with people showing support for Russia, whose invasion of Ukraine is now nearly a year old. Djokovic isn’t sure whether his father will be present for the final.
Djokovic requested more than once while competing last week that persistent hecklers should be removed by security while he was playing.
His left hamstring was sore enough at the beginning of the tournament that he said he was worried about it, but took “a lot” of pain-killing pills and underwent other treatments he didn’t describe in detail.
So how does the 35-year-old from Serbia compartmentalize all of that?
How does he put it aside and play the way he has been?
Since dropping the second set of his second-round match, Djokovic has won 14 sets in a row and given up a total of only 35 games in that span.
“I mean, sounds like a cliche, but you really have to accept it. It’s much easier said than done. In my case, I feel like things are just kind of piling on, adding on, somehow, for one reason or another,” he said. “I mean, it’s not an ideal situation or circumstance to be in when you have to kind of deal with all these other outside factors that are not really necessary during such an important event. But it’s been part of my life, unfortunately the last few years, more so. I just try to evolve from it. I try to become more resilient, more stronger.”
There is plenty at stake Sunday, for him and for Tsitsipas, a 24-year-old from Greece who will be appearing in his second Grand Slam final – 31 fewer than Djokovic.
In addition to the championship, the winner will move up to No. 1 in the ATP rankings, a place Djokovic has occupied more than anyone else and somewhere Tsitsipas has never been.
“Couldn’t be more ready for this moment,” Tsitsipas said after beating Karen Khachanov 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-3 in the semifinals.
“I genuinely believe in what I’m able to produce,” he said. “That is more than enough.”
We’ll see if that is the case against Djokovic, who leads their head-to-head series 10-2, including nine consecutive victories. One of those came in the 2021 French Open final, which Tsitsipas led two sets to love before Djokovic came all the way back to win in five.
While Tsitsipas is still seeking his first major title, Djokovic is hoping to tie Rafael Nadal for the highest total by a man in Grand Slam history.
Djokovic also has this going for him: He is 19-0 combined in semifinals and finals at Melbourne Park.
“The experience of being in this particular situation and circumstances before helps. Also the fact that I never lost the Australian Open final definitely serves as a great confidence booster prior to Sunday,” Djokovic said. “But, of course, still, the job needs to be done on the court.”
Which is where things do tend to come rather easily for him.
**********************TOP INDIANA RELEASES***********************
PACERS BASKETBALL
If there’s one thing to know about the 2022-23 Indiana Pacers, it’s that they never quit.
The Pacers could have packed it in after a dismal first half against the Bucks, a team that had beaten Indiana in nine straight meetings entering Friday and dominated the first two quarters, leading by as many as 33 and taking an 85-56 advantage into halftime.
Instead, the Blue & Gold scratched and clawed up until the final buzzer, trimming Milwaukee’s deficit all the way down to seven before ultimately falling, 141-131.
In the end, it was another loss for Indiana (24-27) to the Bucks (32-17), but the Pacers’ resilience was on full display after running into an absolute buzzsaw in the first half.
Six Pacers scored in double figures in the loss and three topped 20 points. Myles Turner had a team-high 24 points to go along with five rebounds and four blocks. Buddy Hield added 22 points and three steals, going 5-for-9 from 3-point range, while Bennedict Mathurin chipped in 21 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
But it wasn’t enough to overcome two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. The Greek Freak scored 41 points on 16-of-29 shooting and also tallied 12 rebounds and six assists to lead the Bucks to victory.
“We circled the wagons and decided to make a stand competitively and turn the game around,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of Indiana’s comeback effort after a frustrating first half.
Two threes by Pat Connaughton and seven quick points from Antetokounmpo propelled the Bucks to an early lead on Friday. The Pacers hung tight for much of the frame thanks to strong starts from Turner (nine points on 4-of-6 shooting) and Chris Duarte (eight points and two assists).
But the Bucks went 9-for-16 from 3-point range in the first quarter and closed the period with a 15-3 run — capped by a buzzer-beating three by former Pacer Wesley Matthews — and took a 45-30 lead into the second quarter.
Milwaukee stayed hot in the ensuing frame, as Jevon Carter drilled two more treys and another jumper to push the visitors’ lead to 21 points two minutes into the quarter.
Mathurin impressed for Indiana offensively in the quarter, scoring 11 of the Blue & Gold’s first 17 points.
Unfortunately for the Pacers, they couldn’t find a way to slow down the Bucks. Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton combined for 14 straight points for the visitors before Brook Lopez hit a three from the top of the key that extended Milwaukee’s lead to 76-48 with 3:57 remaining in the first half.
After a timeout, Jalen Smith scored four points for Indiana on a free throw and a 3-pointer, but the Bucks responded with nine unanswered points to push the lead to 33. The Pacers scored the last four points of the half, but still entered halftime facing a staggering 85-56 deficit.
“The starts we’ve been getting off to are just atrocious,” point guard T.J. McConnell said of the opening 24 minutes. “We’re not going to be a team that is a moral victory team of we played great in the second half. It’s already too late. We fought hard, but we lost and it’s because of the way we started. We just can’t keep getting off to slow starts.”
To their credit, the Blue & Gold came out of the intermission firing. Turner and Hield hit early threes as Indiana opened the second half with an 8-2 spurt. The Pacers scored consistently in the third quarter, but still trailed 109-86 following Grayson Allen’s corner three with 3:58 remaining in the frame.
Indiana finally put together a real charge to close the quarter. Hield got it started with a three-point play. After a Jrue Holiday layup on the other end, McConnell set up Turner for a layup, then stole Lopez’s inbound and scored an easy two of his own.
Hield drilled another trey with 1:57 remaining in the quarter and then Smith scored on a breakaway slam in the final minute after another McConnell slam. That 12-2 run trimmed the deficit to 111-98 and forced a timeout from Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer with 37.5 seconds left in the quarter.
Budenholzer subbed Antetokounmpo back in and the Bucks immediately got an open look for Connaughton in the right corner to push the margin back to 16. Smith drew a foul and hit one of two free throws in the closing seconds to make it 114-99 entering the fourth quarter.
The Pacers managed to trim the margin to 11 following Andrew Nembhard’s jumper with 9:03 remaining in the game, but Antetokounmpo took it upon himself the next two possessions. First, the two-time MVP spun past Turner for a layup in the halfcourt. Then, after a Nembhard turnover, Antetokounmpo trailed the break, took a drop-off pass from Allen, launched from near the top of the lane, and threw down a hard right-hand slam through contact.
Those two buckets pushed Milwaukee’s lead back to 120-105 with 8:35 remaining. The Pacers again got within 11 following Nembhard’s alley-oop to Turner with 7:05 remaining. Once again, Antetokounmpo answered, scoring five straight points to prevent the Pacers from climbing within single digits.
The Bucks subbed out Antetokounmpo for a breather shortly thereafter, and Indiana promptly reeled off five straight points. After he returned, Hield stole the ball from Holiday, then drained a three to finally make it a single-digit game at 129-121 with 4:06 remaining.
The Blue & Gold twice got within seven, the second time following a Mathurin free throw with 2:06 remaining. But Holiday drew a foul on the other end and made both foul shots and then — after Mathurin missed a jumper — drained Milwaukee’s 18th 3-pointer of the night to seal the victory.
McConnell stuffed the stat sheet for Indiana in the loss, registering 19 points, six rebounds, nine assists, and three steals. Duarte tallied 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting and six assists, while Aaron Nesmith scored 10 for Indiana.
Holiday narrowly missed out on a triple-double with 23 points, nine boards, and nine assists for the Bucks. Middleton scored 17 points in 15 minutes while only playing in the first half as he works his way back from a knee injury. Lopez added 15 and Connaughton 14 as the duo combined for seven 3-pointers.
Indiana will play on Sunday night in Memphis, then have three days off before opening a three-game homestand on Thursday against LeBron James and the Lakers.
Inside the Numbers
Milwaukee’s 45 points in the first quarter were the second-most the Pacers have allowed in the opening frame this season, but an improvement over their last game, as they allowed 46 in the first quarter in Wednesday’s loss in Orlando.
The Bucks followed that up with 40 points in the second quarter, matching the most points by a Pacers opponent in that period this season. The Pacers answered with a season-high 43 points in the third quarter.
Turner led Indiana in scoring for the 10th time this season and blocked four shots for the sixth time in 11 games this month.
Hield added five 3-pointers to his league-leading total and now is just four away from becoming the third player in franchise history to make 200 3-pointers in a single season. Reggie Miller holds the franchise record with 229 in 1996-97 and Paul George made 210 in 2015-16.
Mathurin topped 20 points for the 21st time and his fourth straight game, the longest streak of his young career.
Antetokounmpo recorded his ninth 40-point game of the season. His only struggles on Friday came from the free throw line, where he started 1-of-9 and finished the night 7-of-18.
Milwaukee’s 141 points were the most by a Pacers opponent this season. They finished the night 18-for-43 from 3-point range.
You Can Quote Me On That
“A difficult and ugly start to the game. I just think we’ve got to make a stand as a team and just decide that we’re going to compete together at the start of games.” -Carlisle
“It’s on the starters, man. It really is. We can try to point fingers here and there. Our second unit I think has done a great job (this season) of keeping us in games and getting us back, but the starters have got to come out with a better sense of urgency. This time of year, you’re supposed to have that.” -Turner on Indiana’s slow starts
“When we get out and run and play with pace, we’re pretty good. When we can’t get a stop and play in the half court, you see what happened in the first half.” -McConnell on what changed in the second half
“They’re a very disciplined team full of structure from top to bottom…They know exactly what they want to do offensively. Defensively, they’re going to get down and guard you. And they have guys on their roster that abide by those principles. You have to give credit where credit’s due — those guys are champions. They’ve been there before (and) won there before.” -Turner on why the Pacers have struggled against Milwaukee
“I think the extended minutes obviously help, but I’ve just got to give my teammates credit. They’re the ones that are telling me to be aggressive and look for my shot. When I do that, it opens up the pass and gets the ball moving. Just credit to the other guys that are out there with me.” -McConnell on taking on more of a scoring role with starting point guard Tyrese Haliburton sidelined
“I feel like every game it’s just coming along. Every game, I’m feeling better, physically and mentally. My ankle is doing much better, my shot is coming. Overall, I just feel better…You guys can see the different Chris Duarte from three weeks ago to now.” -Duarte on feeling more comfortable after returning from an ankle injury in December
Stat of the Night
The Bucks scored 85 points in the first half, surpassing their own record for most points by a Pacers opponent over the first two quarters (they previously scored 83 against Indiana in Milwaukee on March 22, 2021). Milwaukee shot 63.5 percent from the field and went 13-for-24 (54.2 percent) from beyond the arc over the first two quarters.
Noteworthy
The Pacers have now dropped 10 consecutive games against Milwaukee, the franchise’s second-longest losing streak against an opponent since 2000-01. Indiana last beat the Bucks on Feb. 12, 2020 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Nembhard returned to action after missing two games with a non-COVID illness. The rookie guard tallied nine points and four assists in 20 minutes off the bench.
Carter fouled out with 9:36 remaining in Friday’s contest.
The Pacers have trailed by double digits in all 14 of their games in January. They are 4-10 in those games.
Up Next
Indiana travels to Memphis to take on Ja Morant and the Grizzlies on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 6:00 PM ET.
Tickets
The Pacers welcome LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 7:00 PM ET.
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
WOODSON EXPECTS TO RETURN AS HOOSIERS TAKE ON BUCKEYES
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) Indiana Hoosiers coach Mike Woodson is expected to return to the sideline Saturday night for a crucial Big Ten contest against Ohio State.
Woodson missed Wednesday night’s game at Minnesota because he was recovering from COVID-19.
The athletic department said Friday in a news release that Woodson was “doing great” and the medical team believes he will be able to coach Saturday night.
Associate head coach Yasir Rosemond replaced Woodson earlier this week for the game in which the Hoosiers rallied for a 61-57 victory over the short-handed Golden Gophers.
Woodson returned to his alma mater last season after spending a quarter-century coaching in the NBA. Under Woodson’s guidance, the Hoosiers (14-6, 5-4 Big Ten) ended a five-year NCAA Tournament drought.
Indiana opened this season as the Big Ten favorite, but three straight January losses sent them tumbling out of The Associated Press Top 25 for the first time this season. The Hoosiers have rebounded by winning four straight, and a victory over the Buckeyes (11-9, 3-6) could put them back in the rankings.
Indiana is currently three games behind 3 1/2 games behind No. 1 Purdue but is tied for fifth in the Big Ten, just one game behind second-place Rutgers.
INDIANA SWIMMING
NO. 7/9 HOOSIERS DOWN NO. 17/6 LOUISVILLE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Indiana swimming and diving ended its 2022-23 dual meet slate with a pair of wins on the road at No. 17/6 Louisville on Friday (Jan. 27) inside Ralph Wright Natatorium. IU set three pool records in the win.
The Hoosier women picked up their first win over Louisville since they beat the No. 13-ranked Cardinals in Bloomington on November 18, 2019. Both squads ended the regular season with 7-1 records in dual meet competition, with their lone losses coming against No. 2/3 Texas in October.
“Every time we come to Louisville, it is a really challenging atmosphere,” IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “A credit to them, they packed the stands, and they were ready. They have two good teams, and I feel incredibly fortunate that we came out with a couple wins. I give a lot of credit to our women. It’s rare to win a dual meet when you lose both relays, and our women fought hard. I think that shows a lot about our depth as a swimming and diving team. It wasn’t perfect, but we’ll take a win on the road in just a very challenging environment any day.”
The meet was IU’s final competition before championships season.
“This is exactly what championship swimming feels like, so I think this was really good for us,” Looze said. “We really needed to be pushed to remember what it takes. We have to do better than this performance-wise, but we were tough, which is important.”
Brendan Burns performance in the 200-yard butterfly highlighted the men’s win, as the senior set a pool record at Ralph Wright Natatorium, going 1:43.28. His time beat the previous mark set by former Cardinal All-American Nicolas Albiero against Kentucky on January 25, 2020, in 1:44.00.
Burns completed a triple with victories in the 200-yard backstroke (1:44.95) and 100-yard butterfly (46.19).
Three IU divers combined to go four-for-four in the diving events. On the women’s side, junior Anne Fowler won both the 1-meter (328.88) and 3-meter (349.88) competitions, while Andrew Capobianco secured the 1-meter (418.65) and Carson Tyler the 3-meter (431.40) wins for the men. Both scores set pool records at Ralph Wright Natatorium.
I’m happy for our seniors, Andrew (Capobianco), Zain (Smith) and Margaret (Rogers),” IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. “Margaret (got) a zone cut here on the platform event. We also had a couple zone cuts from our freshmen, Will Jansen, as well as Alaina Heyde, redshirt freshman. The whole team chemistry and atmosphere, coming down here for a tough meet against Louisville, was great, especially for the women. And we’re trending in the right direction for Big Tens.”
Senior Noelle Peplowski also won 3-of-3 events, sweeping the breaststroke races and adding the 200 IM. Peplowski tallied NCAA B cut times in all three events. Her sister, sophomore Anna Peplowski, won the 200 freestyle (1:47.35) and 200 backstroke (1:56.47).
Indiana swept the distance freestyle events, with sophomore Mariah Denigan winning the 1,000 free (9:48.97) and 500 free (4:48.14) on the women’s side and senior Mikey Calvillo on the repeating the feat on the men’s side with times of 9:04.23 and 4:23.60, respectively.
TEAM SCORES
Men
No. 7 Indiana 193, No. 17 Louisville 107
Women
No. 9 Indiana 155, No. 6 Louisville 145
HOOSIER WINNERS
Men
Luke Barr – 200 medley relay (1:25.95)
Brendan Burns – 200 butterfly (1:43.28), 200 backstroke (1:44.95), 100 butterfly (46.19)
Mikey Calvillo – 1,000 freestyle (9:04.23), 500 freestyle (4:23.60)
Andrew Capobianco – 1-meter diving (418.65)
Tomer Frankel – 200 medley relay (1:25.95), 200 freestyle relay (1:17.96)
Van Mathias – 200 medley relay (1:25.95), 100 freestyle (43.60), 200 freestyle relay (1:17.96)
Rafael Miroslaw – 200 freestyle (1:35.28), 200 freestyle relay (1:17.96)
Carson Tyler – 3-meter diving (431.40)
Gavin Wight – 200 medley relay (1:25.95), 200 freestyle relay (1:17.96)
Women
Mariah Denigan – 1,000 freestyle (9:48.97), 500 freestyle (4:48.14)
Anne Fowler – 1-meter diving (328.88), 3-meter diving (349.88)
Kacey McKenna – 100 backstroke (54.91)
Anna Peplowski – 200 freestyle (1:47.35), 200 backstroke (1:56.47)
Noelle Peplowski – 100 breaststroke (1:01.06), 200 breaststroke (2:09.05), 200 IM (1:58.30)
NCAA CUTS
A: None.
B: Brendan Burns – 200 fly (1:43.28), 100 fly (46.19); Mackenzie Looze – 200 breast (2:13.23); Rafael Miroslaw – 200 free (1:35.28); Anna Peplowski – 200 back (1:56.47); Noelle Peplowski – 100 breast (1:01.06), 200 breast (2:09.05), 200 IM (1:58.30)
NCAA ZONE QUALIFYING SCORES
1-meter: Andrew Capobianco (418.65), Megan Carter (283.88), Anne Fowler (328.88), Quinn Henninger (348.38), Alaina Heyde (276.15), Carson Tyler (358.35), Maxwell Weinrich (333.83)
3-meter: Andrew Capobianco (371.25), Megan Carter (307.58), Anne Fowler (349.88), Quinn Henninger (400.35), William Jansen (322.05), Carson Tyler (431.40), Maxwell Weinrich (353.70)
UP NEXT
Championship season! The women’s Big Ten Championships kick off on Wednesday, February 15 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
INDIANA TRACK
THREE ATHLETES MOVE UP PROGRAM RECORD BOOKS ON FRIDAY NIGHT AT IU RELAYS, TEXAS TECH OPEN
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A trio of IU athletes turned in big personal bests to move up the program-record charts of their respective events on Friday evening,
Paola Fernandez-Sola (Long Jump) in Lubbock and Antonio Laidler (200m) and Alyssa Robinson (200m) in Bloomington threw down fast times and big jumps to spark a strong start to the weekend for IU.
Action this weekend will continue tomorrow at 12:30 PM EST in Lubbock and 11:00 AM EST in Bloomington.
IU Relays:
John Colquitt and Shaton Vaughn ran personal bests of 8.10 and 8.27 respectively to advance to Saturday morning’s finals in the 60-meter hurdles. Nile Brown also advanced on the women’s side.
Showing off her versatility, Serena Bolden ran 7.71 to advance to Saturday’s finals in the 60 meters. She will also compete in the Triple Jump tomorrow afternoon.
Emily Herndon threw a massive personal best of 17.31m/56-9.5 in the Weight Throw, finishing 11th on the afternoon.
The Hoosiers ran their first Distance Medley Relay of the season on the men’s side with Jaylen Castillo, Jaylen Grimes, Andrew Anderson and Nick Couyoumjian carrying the baton in 10:06.46.
Mikaela Ramirez (17:05.27) and Tori Schmidt (17:33.52) each ran personal bests in the 5000 meters to finish seventh and ninth on Friday night.
Nathan Stone cleared 5.15m/16-10.75 to win his fourth-straight competition. He passed at 5.25m/177-2.75 to advance the bar to 5.35m/17-6.5 but missed on all three tries.
Alyssa Robinson made her season debut over 200 meters, running to a personal best of 23.84 and vaulting all the way into No. 3 in school history.
To follow that up, Antonio Laidler stormed out to a personal best of 21.14 in the 200 meters, moving all the way up to a tie for No. 3 in program history in the event.
Sean Mockler closed out the evening, throwing a season’s best 20.89m/68-6.5 to finish third in the Weight Throw.
Texas Tech Open:
Hope Purcell won Section B of the Women’s Long Jump in Lubbock with a best mark and personal best of 6.09m/19-11.75. She was consistent across the entire series with jumps of 6.04m, 6.08m, 6.09m, 5.85m, 6.08m and 6.06m on the afternoon.
Paola Fernandez-Sola moved into No. 2 in school history indoors with a personal best at 6.39m/20-11.75 in the Long Jump. She jumps to second from eighth on the all-time list and now possesses what would be the seventh-best mark in the nation entering the day.
Indiana Relays: January 27
Time Event: Athletes
Weight Throw (W) 11. Emily Herndon: 17.31m/56-9.5 | Personal Best
Pole Vault (M) 1. Nathan Stone: 5.15m/16-10.75
2. Tyler Carrel: 5.05m/16-6.75
3. Riley Johnston: 4.95m/16-2.75
4. Tyler Sierks: 4.65m/15-3
High Jump (W) 1. Taylor Schoonveld: 1.68m/5-6
Weight Throw (M) 3. Sean Mockler: 20.89m/68-6.5
11. Noah Koch: 17.85m/58-6.75
15. Hunter Smith: 17.29m/56-8.75
16. Adam Strouf: 17.22m/56-6
20. Tyler Reyna: 16.08m/52-9.25
Long Jump (M) 5. Kynton Grays: 6.85m/22-5.75
6. Crase Bergman: 6.77m22-2.5 | Personal Best
60mH (Prelims) (W) 7. Nile Brown: 8.98 | Advances to Finals
11. Olivia Gee: 9.21 | Personal Best
60mH (Prelims) (M) 2. John Colquitt: 8.10 | Personal Best, Advances to Finals
4. Shaton Vaughn: 8.27 | Personal Best, Advances to Finals
14. Jake Herbert: 8.85 (P) | Personal Best
60 Meters (Prelims) (W) 6. Serena Bolden: 7.71 | Advances to Finals
24. Tripti Tiwari (una.): 8.18 | Personal Best
60 Meters (Prelims) (M) 1. Antonio Laidler: 6.77 | Advances to Finals
7. Trelee Banks: 6.92 | Ties Personal Best, Advances to Finals
8. Ray Brodie: 6.94 | Personal Best, Advances to Finals
23. Aiden Hamilton (una.): 7.32
Mile (W) 4. Audrey Mendrys: 5:02.03
DMR (M) 5. Indiana: 10:06.46
– Jaylen Castillo, Jaylen Grimes, Andrew Anderson, Nick Couyoumjian
5000m (W) 7. Mikaela Ramirez: 17:05.27 | Personal Best
9. Tori Schmidt: 17:33.52 | Personal Best
600m (W) 1. Maddie Russin: 1:31.85 | Personal Best
600m (M) 2. Parker Raymond: 1:19.48
4. Keefer Soehngen: 1:20.09
9. Nico Colchico: 1:22.35
13. Shaton Vaughn: 1:22.91
17. David Olowookere: 1:26.86 | Personal Best
200m (W) 2. Alyssa Robinson: 23.84 | Personal Best, No. 3 School History
15. Olivia Gee: 25.96
23. Tripti Tiwari (una.): 26.26 | Personal Best
200m (M) 1. Antonio Laidler: 21.14 | Personal Best, T-No. 3 School History
7. Trelee Banks: 22.04
13. Ray Brodie: 22.41 | Personal Best
Texas Tech Open: January 27
Time Event: Athletes
60mH (W) Qualifying: 5. Hope Purcell: 8.64
Prelims: 9. Hope Purcell: 8.59
Long Jump: Section B (W) 1. Hope Purcell: 6.09m/19-11.75 | Personal Best
Long Jump: Section B (M) 5. Alex Smith: 7.25m/23-9.5
Long Jump: Section A (W) 3. Paola Fernandez-Sola: 6.39m/20-11.75 | Personal Best, No. 2 School History
Long Jump: Section A (M) 9. Robert Blue: 7.06m/23-2
PURDUE TRACK
VANOS, EVANS MOVE UP, CRAIG ENTERS TOP-10
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Another four top-10 marks in school history for the Purdue track & field team, including a trio in the top six, highlighted the opening day of the Lenny Lyles Invitational in Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday.
Fifth-year Johnny Vanos moved up to No. 2 in the record books in the weight throw, as he continued his dominant start to the season with another win, while freshman Bryanna Craig made her collegiate pentathlon debut and entered the top-10 list at No. 5. Freshman Zachary Evans ran a pair of top-10 times in the 60-meter, with the eighth-fastest time in the prelims before topping it in the final with a mark that is tied for No. 6.
Senior Safin Wills joined Vanos with a win on Friday afternoon in the long jump, and fifth-year Jessica Bray notched a runner-up finish in the pole vault, both with season-best marks. Craig and Evans each were third as Purdue competed against 21 other teams at its first multi-day meet of 2022-23.
Vanos earned his third weight throw win in four meets this season, thanks to a mark of 22.10 meters on his sixth and final attempt. Already fourth in program history after a season-opening throw of 21.95m, Vanos jumped up two spots to No. 2 on Friday. His 22.10m is No. 6 in the NCAA and second in the Big Ten this year. Vanos notched Purdue’s best throw since 2015 and became just the fourth Boilermaker to ever earn a mark of 22.00 or better. As he broke the facility record at Louisville’s home track, his win came by a margin of 2.32 meters.
Meanwhile, Craig was competing in the pentathlon for the first time collegiately and finished with 3,968 points to come in at No. 5 in team history. It’s the best pentathlon mark by a Boilermaker since 2020 and the second-best since 1997. The No. 9-ranked mark in the NCAA, and the best in the Big Ten, gave Craig a third-place finish.
Her day was highlighted by an 800m win in 2:16.02 and a personal-best long jump mark of 5.53m. Additionally, Craig was the high jump runner-up with a clearance of 1.71m and she began the day in fourth in the 60m hurdles in 8.76 seconds. Additionally, she had a shot put mark of 10.36m in her Boilermaker debut in the event.
On the track, Evans ran a pair of top-10 times in the 60m, the third and fourth time he has done that through just three meets in 2023. He entered the day tied for No. 9, with a 6.73, but moved up one spot into a tie for eighth with a prelim time of 6.71. Less than two hours later in the final, Evans finished in 6.69 seconds, tied for sixth-fastest in the Purdue record books. Evans was third overall in the event thanks to a time that is tied for second-fastest in the Big Ten this year.
Wills picked up his first win of the indoor campaign with a long jump mark of 7.44m. The jump came on his fifth attempt and is a season-best that sits at seventh in the conference.
Bray also earned a season-best mark, thanks to a clearance of 4.03m in the pole vault. She was second overall in the event and moved up to No. 7 in the Big Ten. Bray was one of 12 athletes to break the meet record in the open pole vault competition.
One week after a top-10 time in the 60m, fifth-year Camille Christopher backed it up with another strong performance on Friday, with identical times of 7.48 in the prelim and final. She placed fifth overall in the final. Senior Kerris Roberts added a season-best-tying 7.51 in the prelims.
Additionally on Friday, junior Logan Sandlin made his debut in the heptathlon and notched a personal-best long jump mark of 6.45m on the opening day of the two-day event. Personal-record performances also were earned by sophomores Cale Ayers (weight throw, 17.75m) and Paul Goins (60m hurdles, 8.18) and freshmen Seth Allen (weight throw, 16.15m) and Rebecca Caliendo (weight throw, 15.06m).
The weekend concludes on Saturday with the second day of the Lenny Lyles Invitational in addition to the distance runners racing at the Indiana University Relays in Bloomington, Indiana.
Action in Louisville at the Norton Healthcare Sport and Learning Center commences at 11 a.m. ET, with the conclusion of the heptathlon, the women’s shot put and the men’s pole vault. The final race is the 4×400 relay at 4:30 p.m. At IU’s Gladstein Fieldhouse, the Boilermakers will run in the women’s 800m at 12:50 p.m. and the women’s and men’s 3,000m at 1:40 p.m. and 2:25 p.m., respectively.
PURDUE SWIMMING
FRIDAY RESULTS: https://purduesports.com/documents/2023/1/27/Fri_Results.pdf
PURDUE BASEBALL
BASEBALL OPENS PRESEASON PRACTICE WITH FEB. 17 OPENER ON HORIZON
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – January’s final Friday once again lined up with the three-week mark before the national opening day of the college baseball season, allowing Purdue baseball to begin full preseason practice.
The Boilermakers have three team scrimmages in the Mollenkopf Athletic Center planned for the first weekend of practice. Purdue continues to utilize Mollenkopf, the Madia Hitting Facility at Alexander Field, Lafayette’s Loeb Stadium and Purdue football’s Bimel Practice Complex for team activities in the winter months.
Friday, Feb. 17 is college baseball’s national opening day this year. After starting the season 15-0 and 18-1 last season as the final unbeaten team nationally, the Boilermakers’ first three weekends of the 2023 set up in similar fashion. Purdue is slated to open again with a four-game series at Constellation Field, the triple-A stadium near Houston. Weekends No. 2 and 3 will be back at Ting Park in Holly Springs, N.C. Traditional three-game series at defending national champion Ole Miss (42-23 in 2022) and Evansville (32-24) will provide barometers leading into Big Ten play, which begins the weekend of March 24 to 26 with a trip to Michigan State.
The first home weekend this year is not until March 31 to April 2 when Northwestern makes its first visit to Alexander Field since May 2018. That means the Boilermakers will play their first six weekends away from West Lafayette for the first time since 2019.
Purdue (29-21 in 2022) set team records for stolen bases (116, leading the Big Ten) and pitching strikeouts (479) last season while returning to the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since reaching the championship game in 2018. The Boilermakers have welcomed back seven starters in the lineup, headlined by leading run producer Cam Thompson and first-team All-Big Ten DH CJ Valdez. Evan Albrecht and Steve Ramirez are also back as fifth-year student-athletes after they provided sparks in 2022.
The pitching staff has many new additions but has been bolstered by the return of Calvin Schapira and Avery Cook, two key arms from the 2021 campaign that were sidelined last year due to Tommy John Surgery. CJ Backer, Khal Stephen, newcomer Jonathan Blackwell and Schapira could potentially give the rotation a pair of righthanders and a pair of lefties.
Blackwell is among the six newcomers with previous NCAA Division I experience.
Next Friday (Feb. 3) is the fifth annual First Pitch Dinner, which officially became a sold-out event this week (student-athlete meal sponsorships remain available). The Boilermakers will welcome fans of all ages to Mollenkopf on Saturday, Feb. 11 for their Preseason Fan Fest.
The home opener at Alexander Field is set for Wednesday, March 15. Purdue has five home weekends on the schedule this season.
BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BUTLER TO HOST MARQUETTE SUNDAY AT 2 PM
INDIANAPOLIS – Butler will host Marquette on Sunday, Jan. 29 for a 2 PM tip at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Joey Lindstrom and Amber Stocks will call the action live on FloSports.com.
GameDay
Date: Sunday, Jan. 29
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Indianapolis, Ind. – Hinkle Fieldhouse
Live Stats: ButlerSports.com – Statbroadcast
Watch: FloSports.com – BEDN
Bulldog Bits
– Sunday will be the 29th overall meeting between Butler and Marquette.
– There were 18 lead changes and seven ties between Butler and St. John’s on Wednesday night.
– Butler shot 50% from 3-point range, connecting on 10 of their 20 attempts from distance.
– Anna Mortag led Butler with three made 3-pointers; she scored 15 points vs. the Red Storm.
– Mortag scored in double figures for the first time since Dec. 4 (vs. DePaul).
– Rachel McLimore added 15 points, five assists, a season-high three steals and two rebounds.
– Sydney Jaynes filled up the box score with 12 points, five assists, four rebounds, a steal and a block.
– Jaynes has recorded a block in five-straight games. She leads the team with 18 on the year.
– Jaynes has scored in double figures in four of her last five games.
– Tenley Dowell led Butler in rebounding for the third time this season at St. John’s (5).
– Butler made nine of their 12 shot attempts in the third quarter at St. John’s to take a lead in Queens.
– A 10-0 scoring run in the third gave BU an eight-point advantage over STJ at the 3:12 mark.
– Jessica Carrothers ranks seventh in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (51.4) and Sydney Jaynes ranks 10th (49.7).
– Carrothers also ranks 10th in the BIG EAST in steals (1.4).
– Shay Frederick recorded two rebounds at St. John’s to move her career total to 400!
– Kendall Wingler needs five more 3-pointers to reach 100 in her collegiate career.
– Marquette didn’t attempt a free throw in the first meeting vs. Butler.
– Marquette had 10 offensive rebounds vs. Butler on Dec. 18. They won the rebound battle 39-25.
Scouting Marquette
The Golden Eagles are 13-7 overall with a 6-5 mark in the BIG EAST after defeating Xavier on Wednesday night. Jordan King and Chloe Marotta are the top two players on the Marquette roster. King leads the team with a 16.0 scoring average and Marotta joins her in double figures by averaging 13.7 per game. The Golden Eagles rank second in the BIG EAST in scoring defense (58.0), free throw percentage (76.8) and rebound margin (+5.1). Marotta is the best free throw shooter in the conference, having only missed four attempts all year (92.5). King has scored in double figures 16 times this season. She has topped 20 points eight times and poured in a season-high 31 points in 34 minutes vs. Providence.
All-Time Series vs. Marquette
Marquette leads the all-time series against Butler 19-9. The Golden Eagles have won six-straight over the Bulldogs with every win during that stretch being by 14 points or more. Butler’s last win came during the 2019-20 season at Hinkle (61-55).
Butler’s Last Game vs. Marquette
Marquette used an evenly spread offensive attack and a dominant performance in the post to help secure the win over visiting Butler. Four different Golden Eagles finished in double-figures, led by Rose Nkumu’s game-high 15 points, while MU outscored the Bulldogs 46-20 in the paint. After an even start to the contest, the Golden Eagles closed out the first quarter on a 10-2 run to gain some separation, then carried that momentum into the second quarter. After the first two quarters, MU held a 34-24 advantage. Jessica Carrothers led Butler with 14 points, while Sydney Jaynes joined her double figures with 11.
Marquette’s Last Game
The Golden Eagles used suffocating defense and a strong second half to secure the victory, paced by the duo of Mackenzie Hare and Jordan King, who finished the night with 18 and 17 points, respectively. This was Hare’s second-straight game leading MU in the scoring column after going for 23 on Sunday against Seton Hall. Marquette (13-7, 6-5) led by 10 at the half, 28-18, before tallying a 21-point third quarter while holding Xavier (7-13, 0-11) to just 10 points in the period. Fernanda Ovalle led the Musketeers with nine points and seven rebounds on the night.
Behind The Arc
Butler ranks 7th in the NCAA and second in the BIG EAST in 3-point field goal percentage (38.4). The Bulldogs average 7.6 made 3-point field goals per game (T-2nd in the BIG EAST) and hit 10 in a close loss at St. John’s in their last game. Butler shot 50 percent from behind the arc for the third time this season. They went 13-for-23 in a win over Binghamton (56.5) and 13-for-24 in a road win at Georgetown (54.2). Jessica Carrothers (50.0), Caroline Strande (47.2), Anna Mortag (43.9), and Trinity White (40.0) all shoot better than 40 percent from 3-point range.
So Close
The Bulldogs have lost four games this season where they held at least a one-point lead over the opposition in the fourth quarter. BU led St. John’s (60-59) with 3:26 left; they led Illinois (51-50) with 7:40 left; they led DePaul (52-51) with 9:48 left, and they led IUPUI (55-54) with 2:51 left.
Trim the Turnovers
Butler had 20 turnovers at Marquette on Dec. 18, which led to 23 Golden Eagle points. In recent weeks, Butler has taken care of the ball to limit their turnovers. They committed just 11 turnovers at St. John’s on Wednesday and had a season-low five turnovers in their last home game vs. Providence.
Block Out
Marquette won the rebound battle against Butler in the first meeting 39-25. Offensive rebounds were lopsided at 10-2. The Golden Eagles were able to score 12 second chance points off those 10 offensive boards and they outscored BU in the paint 46-20.
Balanced Scoring
Butler has had a different leading scorer in four of their last five games. Kendall Wingler led BU with 23 points at Georgetown, Sydney Jaynes had 16 vs. Creighton and Caroline Strande posted 18 vs. Providence. Both Wingler and Strande set new career-highs during that stretch. Jaynes and Carrothers shared the team lead with seven points each at UConn and most recently, McLimore and Mortag shared the team lead with 15 points at St. John’s. McLimore has led BU in scoring the most this year (8x).
Searching for a Sunday Win
The Bulldogs are 0-5 this year when playing on Sunday, but three of their five Sunday opponents appear in the top 40 of the NET Rankings. The first meeting between BU and Marquette (39) was played on Sunday. The ‘Dawgs also faced Villanova (16), Illinois (34), DePaul (76) and IUPUI.
Home Games at Hinkle
Butler will play five of their final eight games of the regular season at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Two home games are next up on the schedule and the ‘Dawgs will play three-straight in Indianapolis from Feb. 15-24. Butler is 3-7 at home this year and Marquette is just 2-4 playing on the road. BU’s last home win came Dec. 7 vs. Southern Indiana.
St. John’s Recap
The Red Storm overcame an eight-point third-quarter deficit to score its 13th consecutive win inside Carnesecca Arena, snapping the previous record of 12 straight set in 1977-78 and 2009-10. Unique Drake led all scorers with 16 points off 7-of-10 shooting as St. John’s (17-3, 8-3 BIG EAST) finished with a season-best .529 clip while Butler (7-14, 2-10) posted a .481 shooting mark. The Red Storm led by two at the half, 32-30, which proved to be the difference after both squads scored 35 points over the final 20 minutes. Anna Mortag and Rachel McLimore tied for the Butler lead with 15 points apiece.
Up Next
Butler will open up the month of February with a home game against Villanova. The Wildcats will visit Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday, Feb. 4 for a 2 PM tip.
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
BUTLER RETURNS TO HINKLE FIELDHOUSE, HOSTS SETON HALL SATURDAY AFTERNOON
Butler (11-11, 3-8 BIG EAST) vs. Seton Hall (12-9, 5-5)
Saturday, Jan. 28; 4PM
Hinkle Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, Ind.
TV: FS1 – Matt Schumacker & Kim Adams
Radio: 1430AM – @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
Varsity Network Radio App, SiriusXM 134 or 201, SXM App 964
Bulldogs vs. Seton Hall
Series: Seton Hall Leads, 11-10
Streak: Seton Hall, W3
At Hinkle: Butler Leads, 5-4
First Meeting: BU, 64-57; 1/29/14
Last Meeting: SHU, 76-51; 1/7/23
• This is the second meeting of the season between the two teams; Seton Hall won, 76-51, Jan. 7 in Newark. In that game, 40 of the Pirates’ points came in the paint.
• Seton Hall has won six of the last seven meetings between the two programs, including the Jan. 7 contest in Newark.
• Butler is 5-4 against Seton Hall in games played at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
• All 21 match-ups between the two teams have come since Butler joined the BIG EAST for the 2013-14 season.
• According to KenPom, Butler has played the nation’s ninth-toughest schedule so far this season.
• Following Saturday’s game with Seton Hall, Butler will have a week off before their Feb. 4 game at Marquette; the Seton Hall game ends a stretch of the schedule that has seen Butler play 10 games over a 31-day period.
• Butler is 8-3 at Hinkle Fieldhouse this season, averaging 73.4 points per game while hitting 40 percent of their three-point attempts.
• Simas Lukosius is 27-for-54 (50 percent) from three-point range in Butler’s 11 home games.
• Butler shot 8-for-19 from three-point range in Wednesday’s loss at No. 23 Providence; it marked the 11th time this season that Butler has shot 40 percent or better from behind the arc.
• Freshman Connor Turnbull is a combined 6-for-6 from three-point range over Butler’s last three games.
• Butler is committing only 12.9 fouls per game, which leads the nation.
• Butler went 16-for-16 from the free throw line in Sunday’s loss at UConn; it’s the fourth time in program history that the Bulldogs have made at least 15 free throws in a game without a miss.
• 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 their opponent.
• In BIG EAST games, Butler is committing only 10.7 turnovers per game, which is second among league schools.
• Manny Bates returned to action and the starting line-up for Butler Wednesday at Providence after missing the last three games (knee).
• Bates has 36 blocks already this season, moving him just one away from tenth on Butler’s single-season list.
• Bates is 16th nationally with a 62.5 field goal percentage and is 39th nationally in blocks per game at 1.9 per game.
• In BIG EAST games, Lukosius ranks third in the conference in both three-point percentage (.421) and free throw percentage (.897).
• In Butler’s 11 wins this season, the Bulldogs have shot 43 percent from three-point range and have a +2.5 rebounding advantage per game; in the team’s 11 losses, their opponents have averaged a rebounding advantage of +13.4 per game while the Bulldogs have hit only 28 percent of their three-point attempts.
• In the Jan. 7 loss at Seton Hall, Butler was held to a season-worst 26.8-percent shooting performance.
• Butler shot 56.6 percent from the field against Villanova Jan. 13, which was the second-best output of the season. Butler has 10 games so far this season shooting 50 percent or better.
• Lukosius led Butler with a career-high 28 points and five three-pointers in the Jan. 13 win over Villanova.
• Chuck Harris is now 21st in Butler history in career three-pointers (128).
• Thad Matta is 21-4 at Hinkle Fieldhouse as the head coach at Butler (2000-01 and the current 2021-22 seasons).
• Among active coaches with at least 10 seasons of NCAA Division I experience, Matta’s .732 winning percentage ranks fourth (Few, Self, Calipari). The Jan. 13 win over Villanova was Win No. 450 for Matta.
IUPUI TRACK
WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD TEAM COLLECTS FIVE WINS ON DAY ONE AT UINDY
INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI women’s track and field team won five different events on Friday (Jan. 27) at the Tom Hathaway Distance Carnival, hosted by UIndy, including a pair of victories from freshman Modupe Awosanya. Awosanya collected victories in both the 60m dash and long jump while classmate Kyla Kante was victorious in the 60m hurdles. Junior Ellie Cates won the mile and classmate Madison Fry earned an emphatic win in the 5,000m event.
In addition, the Jaguars also collected three second-place and three third-place finishes, including taking the top three spots in the 5K event.
Awosanya continued her assault on the record book, roaring to a win in the 60 with a time of 7.65 seconds, taking nearly one-tenth of a second off her previous mark. She was joined in the finals by Karis Davis, who ran 7.86 in both the prelims and finals, and Madelynn Denny, who finished at 8.14 in the finals. Kante, also a freshman, earned a win by the slimmest of margins in the 60m hurdles, posting a time of 9.12 in the finals. IUPUI runners accounted for half of the finals as both Jada-Marie Davis (9.47 in the finals) and Skyler Sichting (9.37 in prelims) ran personal best times and Katie Moore ran a season-best 9.40 in the prelims to earn a spot in the finals.
In the 400, freshman Lillian Sebastian made her debut with a time of 1:01.84 to win her heat and ultimately place third overall.
The Jaguars dominated the mile as Cates shed seven seconds off her prior best with a winning time of 5:07.88 and freshman Julie Smith ran 5:12.66, taking three seconds off her previous best.
“I’m super happy with today and how our race plan played out,” Cates said. “I’m excited to see what’s to come for the mile and for the rest of indoor and for this team and for me.”
IUPUI was largely uncontested in the 5K as Fry ran a season-best time of 18:22.73 and Laci Provenzano crossed at 18:44.73. Claire Mehling had a breakout personal best time of 18:47.39, taking half a minute off her prior best.
Earlier in the day, sophomore Katie Moore and freshman Morgan Hoard placed second and third in the pentathlon as each set new personal best scores.
Moore finished second overall with 2,782 points, buoyed by a strong effort in the 800m (2:33.44) to cap the event. She also set a new personal best in the high jump (1.37m) to increase her prior best score by 78 points. Hoard also increased her high jump (1.43m) and shed time in the 800 (2:47.67) to up her pentathlon score by 111 points to 2,650.
Awosanya collected an easy win in the long jump with a best jump of 5.83m (19′ 1.5”) coming on her second attempt of the day. Reese McCuan just missed a personal best effort with a mark of 4.84m (15′ 10.5”) on her first jump of the day. Denny did set a new personal best at 4.52m (14′ 10”).
The Jaguars will return to action on Saturday (Jan. 28) at UIndy to complete the two-day meet.
IUPUI MEN’S TRACK
MITSCH, COOPER LEAD JAGUARS ON DAY ONE OF HATHAWAY DISTANCE CARNIVAL
INDIANAPOLIS – Matt Mitsch paced a deep group of IUPUI distance runners in the mile and both Jaylon Cooper and Awaal Adedokun had standout performances on the track as the Jaguars competed at UIndy’s Tom Hathaway Distance Carnival on Friday night (Jan. 27).
Mitsch crossed eighth overall in a time of 4:31.02 to lead an eager pack of Jaguars. Behind him, freshman Alex Parkhurst finished at 4:31.77 and Deion Guise closed at 4:32.33. Keith Bye finished at 4:33.47 and Solomon Barket notched a time of 4:33.77.
Earlier in the day, Cooper won his heat of the 200m dash in a time of 52.60, ultimately finishing sixth overall.
Adedokun, a sophomore, ran 8.99 in the prelims of the 60m dash, earning a spot in the final. He followed up with a time of 8.88 in the finals, placing seventh overall.
The Jaguars will continue the two-day meet on Saturday (Jan. 28) with a short list of entrants in the 200m and 800m events.
IUPUI WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
JAGUARS BEGIN FOUR-GAME ROAD STRETCH THIS WEEKEND
MILWAUKEE, Wisc. – The IUPUI women’s basketball team completed the weekend sweep with wins over Detroit Mercy and Oakland. Rachel Kent averaged 20 points per game in the Jaguars’ wins as she was just shy of a double-double in the win over Oakland with a career-high 30 points and eight rebounds. IUPUI now begins a four-game road stretch with the game at Milwaukee on Saturday, January 28 (2:00 PM) and the next at Green Bay on Monday, January 30 (8:00 PM).
Senior Jazmyn Turner was named #HLWBB Player of the Week in the first week of 2023 after averaging 19.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in the two IUPUI wins. The forward ranks fourth in the Horizon League in scoring and has consistently led the Jaguar offense, averaging 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game this season.
IUPUI has found success beyond the arc setting a Horizon League and IUPUI record with 17 three-point field goals in its 85-72 win over Northern Illinois. The Jags hold the league’s best 35.5 percent from long range, averaging 8.4 threes per game. Rachel Kent and Destiny Perkins pace the way with 39 and 37 made threes. Kent holds a 42.4 percent (39-for-92) from behind the arc while Perkins follows with a 34.3 percent (37-for-108).
Three Jags rank in the top ten in scoring in the Horizon League with Turner coming in at fourth (15.0), Perkins at sixth (13.7) and Kent holding the ninth spot (12.3).
IUPUI will first take on the Panthers from Milwaukee on Saturday with tipoff at 2:00 PM. IUPUI faced Milwaukee earlier in the season when the Jags defeated the Panthers, 64-55. Milwaukee is 7-12 overall and 5-6 in the Horizon League.
On Monday, January 30 at 8:00 PM, IUPUI will tip off with Green Bay. The Phoenix are 16-4 overall and 9-2 in the Horizon League and came to the Jungle earlier this season where they defeated the Jags 81-76.
Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
NOTRE DAME HOCKEY
IRISH BEAT BADGERS FRIDAY NIGHT
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey team competed in front of their sixth-straight sellout crowd at Compton Family Ice Arena, downing the Wisconsin Badgers 5-3, Friday night.
Both teams traded shots early in the opening frame but it was the Irish who struck first with a powerplay goal at 6:10 of the first. It took the home team just 51 seconds to extend their lead as Hunter Strand hammered home the puck for the 2-0 lead at 7:01 of the period.
Moments after the second tally, the Irish found themselves down a man as they were called for a hook but the penalty kill unit buckled down and kept the Badgers scoreless on the man-advantage.
Wisconsin got one back when a shot snuck through the glove side of Ryan Bischel in net to make it 2-1 halfway through the first frame.
In a high scoring first period, Wisconsin knotted things up with 7:52 left to make it a 2-2 game.
Notre Dame got one back late in the first frame to carry the 3-2 lead to the locker room for the intermission after Jesse Lansdell sent a loose puck into the net on the powerplay for the team’s second of the night.
The Irish were called for a pair of penalties partway through the second period but the PK unit successfully killed off both as they clung to the 3-2 lead.
Jack Adams gave the Irish the two-goal lead heading into the final period of play when he lit the lamp at 18:16 of the second.
Notre Dame came out strong in the third, looking to close the game out. Justin Janicke extended the Irish lead just over two minutes into the final period to make it 5-2 but Wisconsin would get one back later on the powerplay as the Irish hung onto their two-goal lead late.
The Irish held off despite the extra Badger attacker to take game one of the series, 5-3.
GOALS
Chayse Primeau kept his goal streak alive with the first goal of the night, lifting the pass from Landon Slaggert over the shoulder of Jared Moe in the Badger crease for the 1-0 tally. Ryder Rolston also tallied an assist on the play.
Hunter Strand batted a loose puck home less than a minute after Primeau’s tally to give ND the 2-0 lead. Jake Boltmann’s initial shot ricocheted off the pads of Moe and back into the slot. Rolston stalled his man allowing Grant Silianoff to get to the loose puck, passing it back to Strand out front for his third of the year.
Jesse Lansdell put the Irish back out in front with his fifth of the season late in the opening period. The senior picked up the loose puck on the doorstep and beat an outstretched Moe in net for the 3-2 tally. Drew Bavaro sent the first shot on net before Trevor Janicke’s stick attempted to take the lead. Moe made the first two saves but was unable to cover the puck as Lansdell lit the lamp with 2:28 left in the first.
Jack Adams extended the Irish lead late in the second period, finding the open net off a pass from Nick Leivermann. The Irish offensive defensemen worked to keep the puck in the Irish zone as Chase Blackmun chased the puck down along the blue line to keep play onside. After racing down the puck, the Irish captain Leivermann called for his linemate to feed him a pass, drawing the Badger netminder off and giving Adams the open net to shoot at.
Rolston picked up his second assist of the night on the final Irish goal of the contest. Racing up ice at the end of his shift, the junior dumped the puck in for the change where it bounced off the boards and out to Primeau whose shot was saved by Moe before Justin Janicke tapped the loose puck over the line for his sixth goal of the season.
KEY STATS
The Irish outshot the Badgers 35-30 Friday night, with Ryan Bischel recording 30 saves between the pipes for a .900 save percentage.
On top of 30 shots faced, the Irish defense blocked 13 shots in the contest, led by Drew Bavaro with three.
Chayse Primeau and Ryder Rolston boasted two points each in the contest for a team-best.
The Irish scored two powerplay goals in the victory while holding the Badgers to one goal on four powerplay opportunities.
UP NEXT
The Irish and Badgers return to Compton Family Ice Arena Saturday night to conclude the regular season series. This season the Irish hold the series advantage, 2-1-0.
BALL STATE TRACK
T&F SHOWS STRONG START AT IU RELAYS
BLOOMINGTON, IN – The Ball State track and field team finished day one of the IU Relays with seven athletes earning a top-5 finish in a competitive field. The Cardinals faced competition from Michigan State, Wisconsin, Loyola and more.
Starting the Cardinals off strong were junior Jenelle Rogers and senior Charity Griffith in the long jump. Griffith tallied an event win with a 5.91m jump while Rogers completed the sweep with her personal best (5.88m). Sophomore Moriah Johnson also notched a personal best in the long jump (5.41m). Senior Lea-Marie Diedicke scored a season best in the long jump (5.35m).
The Cardinals picked up two heat wins in the 200m from sophomore Alana Springer (24.68), her personal best, and Moriah Johnson (25.57), also her indoor personal best. Lea-Marie Diedicke registered a career best in the 200m (27.07).
In the 60m, freshman Lindley Steele earned a huge personal best and placed second in her heat (7.67), qualifying her for the finals.
Jenelle Rogers earned a personal best in the 60m hurdles running an 8.83. Senior Charity Griffith ran an 8.84 in the 60m hurdles, a season best for her. Freshman Mary Porter ran a personal best in the 60m hurdles (9.37). Both Rogers and Griffith qualified for tomorrow’s finals.
In the distance medleys, several student-athletes scored season bests. Senior Sarah Greer ran a season best mile on her leg (5:12), sophomore Jenna Oriani ran a season best 400 on her leg (56), and Grace Dean ran a season best 800 on her leg (2:18). Emma Potter ran a debut collegiate leg 800 in 2:20.
Sophomore Carly Spletzer (3:44, 1200), freshman Leila Williams-Molitor (59.3, 400), freshman Evie Noel (3:43, 1200), and sophomore Sarah Mahnensmith (4:58, mile) ran career best marks in their respective legs of the distance medley.
60m Hurdles / Program Record: 8.19 by Amber Williams in 2007
2. Charity Griffith (8.84) (Q)
4. Jenelle Rogers (8.83) (q)
13. Makensie Kramer (9.30)
15. Mary Porter (9.37)
60m Dash / Program Record: 7.33 (c) by LaTasha Jenkins in 1998
5. Lindley Steele (7.67)
Long Jump / Program Record: 6.43m / 21-1.5 by Patricia Soman in 2003
1. Charity Griffith (5.91m / 19-4.75)
2. Jenelle Rogers (5.88m / 19-3.50)
4. Moriah Johnson (5.41m / 17-9.0)
7. Lea-Marie Diedicke (5.35m / 17-6.75)
9. McKenna Cinotte (5.27m / 17-3.50)
Mile Run / Program Record: 4:50.10 by MaryKate Mellen in 2013
11. Juliana Stogsdill (5:22.48)
Distance Medley
Carly Spletzer, Jenna Oriani, Emma Potter, Sarah Mahnensmith (12:00.21)
Evie Noel, Leila Williams-Molitor, Grace Dean, Sarah Greer (12:13.93)
200m Dash / Program Record: 23.25 by LaTasha Jenkins in 1999
4. Alana Springer (24.68)
9. Moriah Johnson (25.57)
27. Taylor Hickman (26.47)
30. Lea-Marie Diedicke (27.07)
The Cardinals are back bright and early tomorrow with day two of the IU Relays. Here are the Ball State entries competing in tomorrow’s events:
SATURDAY JAN. 28
60m Final (11:00 a.m.): Lindley Steele (7.67)
60m Hurdles Final (11:15 a.m.): Jenelle Rogers (8.83), Charity Griffith (8.84)
Triple Jump (11:15 a.m.): McKenna Cinotte (12.22m)
Shot put (11:50 a.m.): Lea-Marie Diedicke (10.75m), Charity Griffith (12.01m), Jenelle Rogers (12.59m), Malena Higgins (13.06m)
400m Dash (11:30 a.m.): Mary Porter (59.72), Allison Valladay (58.80), Jenna Oriani (57.60), Emma Potter (55.92)
Mile Run (12:10 p.m.): Grace Dean (5:02.85), Carly Spletzer (5:19.42)
800m Run (12:50 p.m.): Kayla Jones (2:06.54)
3000m Run (1:40 p.m.): Vivian Van Eck (10:57.73), Sarah Greer (10:15.00)
4x400m (3:15 p.m.): Section 1: Allison Valladay, Leila Williams-Molitor, Lindley Steele, Mary Porter (3:54.00), Section 3: Emma Potter, Jenelle Rogers, Charity Griffith, Kayla Jones (3:46.00)
BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYS AT OHIO SATURDAY IN MACTION
Game 21 | Ball State (16-4, 6-1 MAC) vs. Ohio (3-15, 1-6 MAC)
Jan. 28 | Athens, Ohio | Convocation Center | 1 pm ET
Opening Tip:
– The Ball State women’s basketball team looks to improve to a 7-1start in Mid-American Conference play for the first time since the 2016-17 season when it hosts Akron Wednesday in Worthen Arena. Currently, the Caridnals are in first place in the Mid-American Conference standings.
– The Cardinals remained undefeated at home (10-0) in Worthen Arena after an impressive 89-66 victory over Akron in midweek MACtion Wednesday night. Five Cardinals reached double figure scoring ith sophomore Madelyn Bischoff leading the way with a career best 20 points after shooting 8-10 from the field and 4-5 from the 3-point line.
– Saturday’s game against Ohio will mark the 69th time in program history the two schools have met with the Bobcats leading the all-time series record, 39-29.
– Ohio is looking to get back on the winning track Saturday against Ball State. The Bobcats recently fell at Central Michigan Wednesday by a score of 66-69. Ohio’s lone conference win this season was at Miami Jan. 21 after defeating the RedHawks, 84-73.
– From 1998-2006 the Cardinals had held a nine-game win streak over Ohio. In 11 seasons under head coach Brady Sallee Ball State has won four games against the Bobcats .
– 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 58-29 (.658) in the month of January dating back to his first season in 2012-13.
– Ball State head coach Brady Sallee is one game shy of his 200th career win as the Cardinals’ head coach. Making him the first head coach in program history to accomplish that feat in both men’s and women’s basketball.
Fast Facts:
– Redshirt senior Anna Clephane has 1,057 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 14.0 points per game.
– Sophomore Marie Kiefer has proven to be a great defender for the Cardinals. She currently sits in 12th place all-time in blocked shots with 77 and so far has 29 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 58 three’s so far this season. Agustsdottir has 276 total 3-pointers for her career and sits in third place all-time. She needs 16 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), Buffalo (81-59) and Akron (89-66).
Where the Cards Rank:
Nationally the Cardinals rank 21st in scoring offense (78.8), 21st in 3-pointers per game (8.4), 38th in 3-point field goal attempts (24.7), 24th in field goal percentage (46.2), 28th in assists per game (16.6), 77th in free throw attempts (19.2), 85th in free throws made per game (13.4) and 38th in winning percentage (78.9). The Cardinals currently sit at No. 10 in the latest College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll, the highest of any MAC team.
Scouting Ohio:
– Throughout the season, Ohio has been led by sophomore guard, Yaya Felder in scoring. Felder currently holds 366 total points for the Bobcats, averaging 20.3 a game. Caitlyn Kroll follows with 174 points, and behind her is Abby Garnett creeping up with 127 points. Caitlyn Kroll leads Ohio in rebounds, totaling 105; 86 defensive rebounds and 10 offensive. In terms of steals Yaya holds 42 for the season and Kroll is behind with 34.
– The last time the Cardinals and the Bobcats met was last season in Athens. Ball State won that game 84-74 Feb. 2, 2022. Ally Becki led the Cardinals with a career best 27 points that game while Thelma Dis Agustsdottir had 16 points versus the Bobcats. The two squads were supposed to meet again Feb. 9 in Worthen Arena but the game was canceled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
INDIANA STATE SWIMMING
GRAY SETS NEW MARK IN 100 FLY, SYCAMORES WITH STRONG SHOWING ON FIRST DAY OF TIM WELSH CLASSIC
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Marni Gray set the Indiana State school record in the 100-yard Butterfly, while multiple Sycamores posted top-five times in program history to highlight the opening day of the Tim Welsh Classic hosted by the University of Notre Dame.
Gray’s new mark of 54.16 surpassed her previous career-best 54.42 set back at the 2021 MVC Championships to highlight ISU’s day in the pool. The Toronto, Canada native now owns the top nine times in the event in ISU history with all nine going sub-55 seconds.
Additional marks of note on the opening day include ISU’s 400-yard Medley Relay team posting the third-fastest time in school history (3:43.89), the 200-yard Medley Relay team posting the fourth-fastest (1:42.37), Dorotea Bukvic the third-fastest in the 400 IM (4:20.64), and Kaimi Matsumoto the second-fastest in the 100 Breaststroke (1:03.21).
“Overall, really proud of how we competed today in a tough, competitive environment,” head coach Josh Christensen said. “We saw a school record, some other top-10 performances, as well as some season and lifetime bests. We’ve got one more session tomorrow morning, with our last opportunities to race, before we rest and fine-tune for conference.”
The Sycamores opened up the event with the 200-yard Freestyle Relay. ISU’s top team of Matsumoto, Chloe Farro, Peyton Heagy, and Alexa Szadorski finished in 1:33.93 to place sixth in the field. The time was the sixth-fastest in Indiana State history and the third-fastest time of the 2022-23 season. The group of Carmina Armstrong, Kalli Agapios, Raine Boles, and Marissa Kozel touched 10th in the event in 1:35.90.
Esther Rydbeck Norden paced the Sycamores in the 500-yard Freestyle as the junior led four Sycamores in the top-20 in the event. Rydbeck Norden finished in 5:00.59 to take 17th, while Rhiannon Wozny (5:01.23, 18th), Molly Fogarty (5:01.80, 19th), and Haley Halsall (5:01.91, 20th) all posted top finishes for the Sycamores.
Dorotea Bukvic posted a Sycamore top-five all-time mark in the 200-yard IM to lead the Sycamores in the third event of the day. Her mark of 2:03.67 was a new personal-best and ISU’s fastest time of the season on her way to finishing 17th in the field. Alexandria Cotter (2:06.50, 21st) and Carmen Alard Vegas (2:06.52, 22nd) added top-25 times, while Szadorski (2:08.90, 28th) and Colleen O’Connor (2:08.98, 29th) were both in the top-30.
Three Sycamores were in the top-25 in the 50-yard Freestyle event paced by sophomore Chloe Farro. Farro touched the wall in 23.70 to finish 19th in the field, while Matsumoto (23.78, 20th), and Boles (23.87, 21st) were also among the leaders in the field on Friday morning.
ISU’s top 400-yard Medley Relay team posted the third-fastest time in school history on their way to finishing sixth overall in the field. The group of Madie Rutan, Matsumoto, Gray, and Szadorski finished in 3:43.89 to lead the way, while Alard Vegas, Elle Gilkerson, Boles, and Farro finished in 3:49.47 to take 11th.
Friday Morning Results
200-yard Freestyle Relay: Sixth Place – Kaimi Matsumoto, Chloe Farro, Peyton Heagy, Alexa Szadorski (1:33.93)
500-yard Freestyle: 17th Place – Esther Rydbeck Norden (5:00.59)
200-yard IM: 17th Place – Dorotea Bukvic (2:03.67)
50-yard Freestyle: 19th Place – Chlore Farro (23.70)
400-yard Medley Relay: Sixth Place – Madie Rutan, Kaimi Matsumoto, Marni Gray, Alexa Szadorski (3:43.89)
The Sycamores continued to assault the record book in the evening session on the opening day of the Tim Welsh Classic. ISU opened the night posting the fourth-fastest time in school history in the 200-yard Medley Relay as the quartet of Alard Vegas, Matsumoto, Gray, and Szadorski finished in 1:42.37 to finish eighth in the field. The B-Group of Rutan, Gilkerson, Boles, and Farro finished 10th in 1:45.36, while the team of Olivia DiRuzza, Heagy, Armstrong, and Kozel finished 13th in 1:48.02.
Marni Gray set the Indiana State record in the 100-yard Butterfly as the senior surpassed her own previous mark set back on April 15, 2021, at the MVC Championships (54.42). Gray touched the wall in 54.16 to finish ninth in the field in leading four Sycamores in the top-25. Boles finished 19th in 56.04, while Matsumoto (56.45, 23rd) and Sarah Moreau (56.45, 23rd) were also among the leaders.
Bukvic continued her strong day as the sophomore posted the third-fastest time in ISU history in the 400-yard IM. Her time of 4:20.64 knocked nearly six full seconds off her previous career best in the event and put her seventh overall in the field. Cotter (4:27.33, 14th), Szadorski (4:30.32, 15th), Fogarty (4:30.46, 16th), O’Connor (4:33.64, 17th), Rydbeck Norden (4:33.93, 18th), and Makayla Sura (4:36.49, 19th) rounded ou the Sycamores in the event.
Heagy continued to make the 200-yard Freestyle event her own as the freshman posted a top-10 finish in 1:52.31. She led four Sycamores in the top-20 in the field with Wozny (1:53.10, 15th), Gruce (1:53.90, 17th), and Andrea Putrimas (1:55.03, 19th) all joining the freshman among the leaders.
Kaimi Matsumoto posted the second-fastest time in school history in the 100-yard Breaststroke event on her way to finishing sixth in the field. Matsumoto’s time of 1:03.21 was .39 off her ISU record pace set last year at the MVC Championships. Gilkerson added a top-10 finish in the event in 1:05.44 (ninth), while Szadorski (1:06.97, 12th) and Sura (1:08.46, 15th) added top-15 results.
Rutan put together a top-10 finish to lead the Sycamores in the 100-yard Backstroke. The junior touched the wall in 55.86 to lead six Indiana State athletes in the top-20 in the field. Alard Vegas (56.68, 13th) and DiRuzza (57.18, 14th) were also in the top-15, while Agapios (58.89, 17th), Tori Johns (59.37, 18th), and Kozel (59.48, 19th) also finished among the field leaders.
The Sycamores closed out the night finishing seventh and 11th overall in the 800-yard Freestyle Relay on Friday night. The team of Sarah Moreau, Gray, Cotter, and Bukvic finished in 7:30.94 to take seventh in the field, while Rydbeck Norden, Halsall, Fogarty, and Johns touched in 7:48.23.
Friday Night Results
200-yard Medley Relay: Eighth Place – Carmen Alard Vegas, Kaimi Matsumoto, Marni Gray, Alexa Szadorski (1:42.37)
100-yard Butterfly: Ninth Place – Marni Gray (54.16 – ISU School Record)
400-yard IM: Seventh Place – Dorotea Bukvic (4:20.64)
200-yard Freestyle: 10th Place – Peyton Heagy (1:52.31)
100-yard Breaststroke: Sixth Place – Kaimi Matsumoto (1:03.21)
100-yard Backstroke: 10th Place – Madie Rutan (55.86)
800-yard Freestyle Relay: Seventh Place – Sarah Moreau, Marni Gray, Alexandria Cotter, Dorotea Bukvic (7:30.94)
Up Next
Indiana State closes out the Tim Welsh Classic tomorrow morning in South Bend, Ind. at the Rolfs Aquatic Center starting at 11 a.m.
INDIANA STATE TRACK
NORTON EARNS PODIUM FINISH ON OPENING DAY OF PNC LENNY LYLES INVITATIONAL
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Indiana State thrower Brett Norton posted the top result for the Sycamores on the opening day of competition at the Lenny Lyles Invitational Friday, finishing in third place in the weight throw.
Among the additional high marks for the Blue and White were personal-best performances from Chloe Loftus in the 5000m run and Brooklyn Giertz in the pole vault. The Trees also got a top-five finish in the long jump from Frankie Young III.
Top-Five Finishes
Brett Norton – weight throw (third, 19.76m/64-10.00)
Frankie Young III – long jump (fourth, 7.14m/23-05.25)
Sprints/Hurdles
Making his 60m season debut, JaVaughn Moore led the way for the Indiana State sprints group, advancing out of his prelim heat as the top finisher at 6.72. Moore ran a time of 6.73 in the finals to place sixth. Terrance O’Bannon (6.79) and Isiah Thomas (6.82) were both within six-hundredths of a second of advancing to finals. Collette Wolfe clocked the fastest 60m time on the women’s side at 7.69.
Quincy Armstong qualified for the 60m hurdles finals with a prelim time of 8.29, squeaking in as the final qualifier out of prelims. Armstrong went on to run a time of 8.35 in the finals to finish sixth. On the women’s side, Zoe Sullivan ran her second-fastest time of the season at 8.50 but narrowly missed out on the finals.
Distance
Chloe Loftus led the way for the distance crew in the 5000m, setting a new personal best by more than 35 seconds to crack into the top 10 at the meet. Loftus ran a time of 17:54.22, consistently running sub-45 second laps to break the 18-minute mark for the first time in her career. She earned a ninth-place finish in Friday’s race.
In the men’s 5000m, Layton Hall also earned a top-10 finish for the Blue and White, coming in sixth with a time of 15:03.98. For Hall, it was also a PR in the event by nearly 20 seconds and his first time competing in the event on the road.
Jumps/Pole Vault
Frankie Young III had the top finish of any Sycamore jumper, placing fourth in the long jump with a top mark of 7.14m (23-05.25). Young III was joined in the event by Mitch Conard, who had a top mark of 6.62m (21-08.75). On the women’s side, Brittney Walker won her section of the long jump and placed 10th overall with a top mark of5.59m (18-04.25). Kamille Gaskin-Griffith (5.41m/17-09.00) and Faith Frye (5.40m/17-08.75) also placed in the top six of their flight and finished in the top 20 overall.
Indiana State also had a trio of women’s pole vaulters clear 3.88m (12-08.75), as Brooklyn Giertz, Landis Brandon and Selene Weaver all cleared that mark. For Giertz, it was a personal record, and she and Brandon both finished in the top 10 in the event based on tiebreakers. Weaver was right behind the duo in 12th.
Throws
Brett Norton led a quartet of Sycamores in the men’s weight throw, coming in third with a top mark of 19.76m (64-10.00). Norton has consistently been the top Sycamore in the event this season and continued his trend in Friday’s event. Noah Bolt also earned a top-10 finish in sixth with a best mark of 18.92m (62-01.00), while Elias Foor (17.53m/57-06.25) and Ryan Golliher (17.38m/57-00.25) also earned top-15 finishes for the Trees.
In the women’s weight throw, Niesha Anderson continued her strong freshman campaign with a ninth-place finish. Anderson, the third-ranked freshman this season in the event, had a top mark of 19.07m (62-06.75), while Josie Hapack had a top mark of 16.37m (53-08.50) to place 21st.
Up Next
Competition at the PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational picks back up Saturday at 11 a.m.
INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
SYCAMORES RETURN HOME TO HOST NORTHERN IOWA ON ALUMNI WEEKEND
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Sycamores welcome men’s basketball alumni back to the Hulman Center Saturday as they host Northern Iowa at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN3. Alumni will be honored at halftime of the game.
Sycamore coaches will be wearing suits and sneakers Saturday as they have teamed up with the American Cancer Society and National Association of Basketball Coaches to participate in the Annual Coaches versus Cancer Suits and Sneakers Week. Coaches from across the country are wearing sneakers with their suits at their games during this week to raise awareness and funds for the American Cancer Society.
Indiana State SAAC is also hosting a food drive Saturday benefitting the Sycamore Pantry.
The Sycamores are currently riding a five-game losing streak after nearly completing a comeback at Drake Tuesday night before falling 70-68. The five-game skid is the current longest of any Valley team with two or more league wins.
ISU is 0-6 when tied or trailing at halftime. The Sycamores were down by 18 at the half at Drake before storming back to take the lead with under 20 seconds to go, but ultimately fell after a Bulldog triple with two seconds on the clock.
The Sycamores dished out a season-low six assists Tuesday, marking the first time all season they have recorded less than 10 assists in a game. ISU hit nine threes at Drake, the team’s most in a game since Dec. 29 against Evansville.
Indiana State ranks second in the nation in 2-point percentage (59.6%), but ranks 256th in 3-point percentage (32.2%) while ranking 18th in 3-point attempts per game (26.6).
True freshman Robbie Avila is averaging 12.4 points per game in 2023 and posted back-to-back career-highs within the past week on the road with 18 points at Murray State and 22 points at Drake.
SERIES HISTORY
Indiana State and Northern Iowa will meet for the 65th time Saturday afternoon inside Hulman Center. ISU leads the all-time series 33-31 dating back to 1992. The Sycamores hold a 21-9 advantage in Terre Haute. The series is even 5-5 in the last 10 meetings, but the Panthers have won the last three straight matchups.
Indiana State will be looking for its first win against UNI since Feb. 6, 2021 and first win against the Panthers at home since Feb. 20, 2020.
LAST GAME AGAINST THE PANTHERS
Indiana State and Northern Iowa both shot the ball over 57 percent over 40 minutes of action, but the Panthers forced 15 Sycamore turnovers in which they converted into 18 points which proved to be the deciding factor. ISU was able to turn Northern Iowa over just six times for just four points.
The game featured 18 lead changes and six ties as both teams reeled off small runs throughout the first half. Indiana State held the Panthers scoreless for the final two minutes of the first half while scoring using a quick 4-0 run to take a 41-40 lead into the locker room.
Trailing by seven with just over six minutes left to play, Micah Thomas scored six points to help fuel an ISU rally, making it just a three-point game at 76-73 at the 4:56 mark. Julian Larry hit his third 3-pointer of the game to pull ISU to within two points with under two minutes to play. AJ Green answered on the other end with a bucket before Cameron Henry scored quickly in transition with 52 seconds on the clock. Green once again made it a two-possession game with a turnaround jumper before Henry committed his sixth turnover on the other end when forced out of bounds on the baseline. UNI would finish the game at the free throw line where they shot 12-of-14 while ISU was held to 5-for-5.
Kailex Stephens continued to score the ball well, putting up 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting. Henry added seven assists and four rebounds to his game high 23 points while Thomas and Larry each finished with 11 for ISU. Indiana State edged UNI on the boards, 25-24, with four Sycamores grabbing four or more rebounds led by Larry with five.
LAST TIME OUT
The Sycamores were down by 18 at halftime and completely erased that deficit in the final minute of play before falling 70-68 to Drake on a Bulldog triple Tuesday night inside the Knapp Center on CBS Sports Network.
Robbie Avila and Courvoisier McCauley each had just six points in the first half before finishing the night with a tied game-high 22 points apiece. The duo combined for 16 rebounds while McCauley was just one board shy of a double-double.
Indiana State gave up a 15-0 run amidst a six-minute scoring drought in the first half and went into halftime down 44-26, but it ultimately came down to the final three minutes. The Sycamores trailed by double figures with 8:17 on the clock, but later Avila sparked and capped an 8-0 run to cut Indiana State’s deficit to one point at 61-60 with 3:33 to go.
McCauley came up clutch down the stretch as he knocked down a pair of free throws to even things up at 63-all with 3:09 remaining. Drake responded with back-to-back jumpers to go back up 67-63 with just over a minute left, but McCauley drove in for a layup seconds later. Avila pulled down a board on the defensive end and Indiana State called a timeout down 67-65 with 25 seconds on the clock.
McCauley nailed his fourth triple of the night to give the Sycamores the lead, their first of the game, at 68-67 with 17 seconds on the clock. Cade McKnight tried to knock a rebound away, but Drake’s D.J. Wilkins secured the board and the nailed the game-winning 3-pointer with two seconds left, denying the Sycamores a clean last-second shot.
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
SYCAMORES UNABLE TO OVERCOME SECOND-HALF STRUGGLES AGAINST BELMONT
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State’s three-game homestand got off on the wrong foot Friday evening, as the Sycamores dropped a 65-51 contest to preseason MVC favorite Belmont inside Hulman Center.
Anna McKendree and Del’Janae Williams led the Sycamores with 13 points apiece, while McKendree also had a game-high eight rebounds. The backcourt duo combined for more than half of Indiana State’s 51 points while also producing the team’s leader in rebounds, assists and steals.
Indiana State took an early lead following 3-pointers by Bella Finnegan and Williams, but the Sycamores played from behind for most of the game. The Trees were within two possessions for most of the first half and kept within distance for most of the game, but a 14-2 Belmont run spanning the end of the third and start of the fourth quarters put the game out of reach for the Sycamores.
First Half
Chelsea Cain opened the Sycamores’ scoring with a putback layup and 3-pointers from Finnegan and Williams put the Blue and White ahead 8-6 early in the first quarter. Belmont responded with a 6-0 run, though, and led for the remainder of the contest. A floater by Williams late in the quarter cut the deficit down to a point at 17-16, but Belmont hit a 3-pointer with less than 15 seconds remaining to lead 20-16 after the opening frame.
McKendree hit a 3-pointer to start the second quarter for the Sycamores, but the early 20-19 deficit was the closest Indiana State got for the remainder of the game. Baskets down low by Adrian Folks and Lily Niebuhr, the latter being the freshman’s first points inside Hulman Center, cut it to 30-26 with three minutes remaining in the half. Belmont finished the half strong, though, and took a 35-28 lead into the halftime break.
Second Half
Baskets by Williams and McKendree in the first 90 seconds of the third quarter helped Indiana State chip away at its deficit, but Belmont countered with a 6-0 run to push its advantage into double-digits early on. Hattie Westerfeld and Mya Glanton each made layups down low to pull the Sycamores within seven at 46-39, but Belmont closed the quarter on an 8-1 run to take a 54-40 lead to the fourth.
Belmont’s momentum carried into the final period, as the Bruins started the quarter on a 6-0 run to push their lead to 60-41. McKendree scored eight points in the quarter and Finnegan also added a midrange basket, but it wasn’t enough for the Sycamores in a 65-51 defeat.
Inside the Numbers
Indiana State’s 51 points tied a season-low in points scored.
Not only did Anna McKendree and Del’Janae Williams combine for more than half of Indiana State’s points, the duo combined to shoot 50 percent from the field (11-for-22) and accounted for 55 percent (11 out of 20) of the Sycamores’ field goals.
Indiana State’s 23 second half points were its fewest in a second half in conference play and tied for its fewest in any half of MVC play this season.
The 26 combined fouls in Friday’s game were the fewest in a game featuring Indiana State this season.
News & Notes
Del’Janae Williams currently sits 69 points away from reaching 1,000 for her career. Williams would be the 29th player in program history to hit the milestone.
Indiana State remains in search of its first home MVC win, as all three of the Sycamores’ conference wins this season have come on the road.
Up Next
Indiana State’s three-game homestand continues Sunday at 1 p.m. when the Sycamores play host to Murray State for its Alumni Weekend game.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE VOLLEYBALL
PURDUE FORT WAYNE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL ROLLS TO FIFTH WIN
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball picked up its fifth win of the season on Friday night (Jan. 27) with a 25-22, 25-22, 25-12 win over Sacred Heart on the Arnie Ball Court.
The Mastodons’ offense rolled to a .368 clip for the match, their highest this season. That was in large part to Mark Fraizer, who was 13-3-20 for .500. Purdue Fort Wayne was also dominant from the service line, acing the Pioneers nine times while only committing nine errors.
The ‘Dons went to their two best players early and often in set one, as Frazier and Jon Diedrich combined for nine kills in the opening frame. Ryan Steponaitis got the first start of his career. After the first kill of his career, Steponaitis went back to serve and got his first ace as a collegian. Purdue Fort Wayne never led by a huge margin in set one, and was even down 21-20, but the ‘Dons finished the set on a 5-0 run. Davey Singer aced Sacred Heart on set point. The ‘Dons hit .389 in the opening frame.
Purdue Fort Wayne went up 11-7 in set two after a pair of kills from Frazier and Diedrich, but was matched by the Pioneers at 15 after a 3-0 run. The two teams were wrangled at 20 before the ‘Dons ended the second set like they did the first. This time it was a 5-2 run though. Steponaitis got a block and a kill in the final two rotations to give the ‘Dons a 2-0 lead heading into the break. Purdue Fort Wayne had one of its best sets offensively, racking up a .542 hitting percentage.
The third set was unlike the other two, as the two offenses came screeching to a halt. The ‘Dons hit .192, their lowest of the night, but managed to shut Sacred Heart down completely, as the Pioneers hit .000. The Mastodons never trailed, storming out to an 8-3 lead. Bryce Walker and Diedrich served the Mastodons to a 10-point lead at 19-9. After Singer got his second ace of the night, Carlos Mercado came in on the next rotation to serve for the match. In his first match of the season after returning from injury, Mercado had a pair of clean serves that put the Mastodons in position to take the final two points of the match.
Sergio Carrillo dished out 30 assists. Diedrich and Walker led the Mastodons with five digs each. Steponaitis had four kills with a .600 hitting clip. Mark Berry had 13 kills for Sacred Heart with a .579 hitting clip.
Purdue Fort Wayne moves to 5-1 and Sacred Heart falls to 1-3. This is the Mastodons’ best start to a season since 2018.
The Mastodons will be back in action tomorrow when they face future MIVA member Queens at 3 p.m. in the Gates Sports Center.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL
CHONG QUI SCORES CAREER-HIGH 31 IN LOSS AT CLEVELAND STATE
CLEVELAND – Damian Chong Qui scored a career-high 31 points, but it came in a losing effort on Friday (Jan. 27) at Cleveland State 79-74 for the Purdue Fort Wayne men’s basketball team.
A 12-2 run put the ‘Dons down 75-72 with 3:04 left. Chong Qui had six points in the push. Jarred Godfrey and Anthony Roberts each had a three for the other six points. But it would be as close as the ‘Dons would get. Cleveland State scored the next four points to put the game away.
The Vikings shot a blistering 58.2 percent (32-of-55) from the floor in the game. The ‘Dons finished at 45.3 percent (29-of-64).
Purdue Fort Wayne had 16 offensive rebounds. Ra Kpedi finished with nine rebounds including five on the offensive glass. Jarred Godfrey had 12 points while Quinton Morton-Robertson finished in double-digits with 10.
Chong Qui’s 31 points is a career high, passing the 30 he had as a member of The Mount at Central Connecticut State on Jan. 22, 2021.
Godfrey added five rebounds to his night to bring his career total to 604. Godfrey is now fifth all-time in program history in rebounds, passing Joe Reed’s 602 rebounds from 2012-16.
Cleveland State improves to 13-9 (8-3 Horizon League). The ‘Dons fall to 14-9 (6-6 Horizon League). The ‘Dons are back in action on Thursday (Feb. 2) at Oakland in a Horizon League contest. Tip is set for 7 p.m. against the Golden Grizzlies.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
MASTODON WBB LOOKS TO MAKE IT THREE WINS IN A ROW AT DETROIT MERCY
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball has a chance to get its first three-game win streak of the season on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 28) when the Mastodons visit Detroit Mercy.
Game Day Information
Who: Detroit Mercy Titans
When: Saturday, January 28 | 1 PM
Where: Detroit, Mich. | Calihan Hall
Live Stats: Link
Watch: ESPN+
Game Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne | Detroit Mercy | Horizon League
Know Your Foe
Detroit Mercy is 3-17 this season and 1-10 in Horizon League play. The Titans are currently on a five-game losing streak. Their last win came on January 7, which was a 64-58 win over Robert Morris. The Titans’ other two wins this season were Canisius and Miami Hamilton. Detroit Mercy has the league’s best shot-blocker in Emma Trawally Porta with 2.1 per game. Irene Murua is the team’s leading scorer at 11.5 points per game.
The Series
Detroit Mercy leads the all-time series 9-5, but Purdue Fort Wayne has won the last three meetings. Last season in Detroit, former Titan Sylare Starks blitzed the home team for 33 points en route to a 77-62 win.
‘Dons and Ends
The Mastodons…
• Are 5-1 this season when Amellia Bromenschenkel scores 20 points or more. The only loss was to No. 15 Maryland.
• Are 3-1 with the most recent starting lineup of Shayla Sellers, Audra Emmerson, Amellia Bromenschenkel, Sylare Starks and Jazzlyn Linbo.
• Are 6-1 over the last two years when Audra Emmerson scores in double-figures.
• Are 13-1 under Maria Marchesano when they lead with 5:00 to go.
• Have led in steals in 18 games this season.
• Are 6-2 when they score 70+ points this season.
• Are 7-3 this season when Shayla Sellers scores in double-figures.
• Are 5-0 when they shoot 36 percent or better from 3-point range.
• Are 7-2 when they shoot 42 percent or better from the floor.
• Are 4-1 when they have 12 or fewer turnovers.
• Are 4-1 when their opponents shoot worse than 38.6 percent from the floor.
• Are 4-0 when their opponents have six or fewer assists.
• Are 3-0 when their opponents have more than 25 turnovers.
Defense (Clap, Clap) Defense
Purdue Fort Wayne has held its opponents to 64 points or fewer in 11 games this season. They are 8-3 in such games.
She’s Back!
After four games of four points or less, Amellia Bromenschenkel has averaged 16.75 points per game in the last four games.
In The Wins…
In the Mastodons’ wins this year, Amellia Bromenschenkel is recording 18.3 points and 6.6 rebounds with a 56.7 percent shooting clip and a 50.0 percent 3-point shooting percentage. She is also averaging 2.1 steals, 2.0 assists and 0.6 blocks per game in those games.
The Best Choice For Defensive Player of the Year
In Horizon League play, Shayla Sellers leads the league with 2.5 steals per game and is 12th in the league with 0.7 blocks per game. She is the only player in the league that is in the top 15 in both categories.
Checking In On The Standings
Through 11 Horizon League games played, the Mastodons are tied for sixth in the league standings. If the current standings were to hold, the Mastodons would host a Horizon League Championship first round game on February 28.
It’s Not Over Until It’s Over
The Mastodons had three deficits of 10 points or more this season from which they came back to win: Bellarmine (10), Milwaukee (11) and Wright State (13).
Thieves!
Purdue Fort Wayne is second in the Horizon League and 57th in the country with 9.7 steals per game. The ‘Dons also force the 59th-most turnovers in the country at 18.95 per game, a league-best.
Especially Those Two!
In league play, Amellia Bromenschenkel and Shayla Sellers are tied for first in the Horizon League with 2.5 steals per game.
Sellers Swiper
Shayla Sellers ranks in the top-150 in the country with 38 steals this season.
Block Party
Purdue Fort Wayne is second in the Horizon League and just outside the top-100 nationally with 3.5 blocks per game.
Linbo Limbo
Jazzlyn Linbo is second in the Horizon League with 29 blocks this season.
Last Time Out
Purdue Fort Wayne beat Oakland 73-64, snapping an eight-game losing streak to the Golden Grizzlies. Amellia Bromenschenkel finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block.
Coming Up
The Mastodons will return home after their four-game road stretch to play Horizon League preseason favorite Youngstown State on February 2.
EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
ACES TOP MURRAY STATE, 75-67, IN FRONT OF SELLOUT CROWD
EVANSVILLE – In front of the first sellout crowd in program history, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team held off a late Murray State run for a 75-67 win inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse on Friday night in Evansville.
For the third-straight game, senior guard/forward Abby Feit led the Aces offensively, finishing with 26 points and seven boards in the win. Feit hit three triples in the game, giving the Normal, Ill. native an eight-straight contest with multiple three-pointers. Turning-in a career performance, redshirt junior forward Celine Dupont tallied a career-best 15 points, providing key minutes both offensively and defensively off the bench for Evansville. Also finishing in double-figures for the Aces, fifth-year guard A’Niah Griffin scored 10 points, including five-of-six attempts at the charity stripe. The Racers were powered by 22 points from Hannah McKay and an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double from Katelyn Young.
A game that saw a combined 142 points scored, saw little separation between the Aces and Racers with neither side building a lead larger than eight in the contest. The opening quarter played out in a back-and-forth manner with neither team either to break free until late in the quarter. Over the final two minutes, Evansville mounted a run, out-scoring Murray State, 8-3, to close the period and grab a 21-16 lead after the first.
The lead swayed back in the Racers favor midway through the second, fueled by a pair of Murray State triples that handed MSU the four-point lead at 30-26. Evansville would tie the game up just before the break and a string of free-throws for the Aces earned UE a 34-32 halftime advantage.
In a see-saw period, Evansville built a five-point lead behind a layup and an and-one from Dupont and a layup from Feit. The lead swung back to the Racers with just over three minutes left in the third, but Evansville answered with a run of its own to go back in front by four with Dupont and Feit again the culprits. As the quarter came to a close, a tight game throughout, it was only fitting that the two sides entered the fourth quarter tied at 51.
Evansville came right out of the gates in the final 10 minutes, scoring six-straight, capped-off by a three from Griffin that gave UE a six-point lead. Eventually leading by seven at 67-60 with just over five minutes left in the fourth, the Aces had to withstand one last run down the home stretch from the Racers. Out of the media timeout, Murray State scored six-straight points to get within one with three minutes left. Evansville showed maturity in the final minutes, getting a basket from Feit to push it back to a three-point lead, followed by six made free-throws as the game waned in Evansville’s 75-67 win.
The sellout crowd of 893 inside Meeks on Friday night marks the first sellout in program history and the highest women’s basketball attendance in Fieldhouse history, surpassing the 712 who attended the first women’s basketball game in Meeks back in 2017; an 89-81 win over the same Murray State Racers.
The Aces finish the weekend with a matchup with Belmont at 1 PM on Sunday inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse in Evansville.
EVANSVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL
ACES BACK ON THE ROAD TO FACE VALPO
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Back on the road Saturday, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team heads to Valparaiso to complete the season series against the Beacons. Tip is set for 6 p.m. CT with the Purple Aces Radio Network and ESPN+ having the coverage.
Setting the Scene
– Just two weeks ago, the teams met at the Ford Center with Valpo earning a 76-69 victory
– Yacine Toumi recorded 18 points and 7 rebounds in the game while Antoine Smith Jr. scored 16
– Four Beacons registered double figures, led by Kobe King’s 20-point effort
– Evansville has dropped its last two trips to The ARC by an average of just 3.5 points per game
Last Time Out
– Playing some of its best stretches of the conference season, the Purple Aces held a 22-13 lead over Belmont before the Bruins fended off the challenge for a 73-64 win on Wednesday
– Marvin Coleman II and Yacine Toumi recorded 15 points apiece while Antoine Smith Jr. scored 14 while adding his top career total of 9 boards
– In its opening game run that resulted in a 9-point lead, UE recorded 7 assists against just one turnover
On a Roll
– Antoine Smith Jr. has been on a nice streak over the last four games, recording an average of 11.3 points while draining 11 of his 22 tries from outside
– On the boards, he has been equally impressive, averaging 5.5 per game while raising his season average to 3.2
– Smith grabbed a career-high 9 caroms against Belmont, which bested his prior total of 8 against Valparaiso on Jan. 14
– With his recent shooting efforts from long range, Smith has pushed his season percentage to 40.9%
– Smith scored a season-high 16 points against Valparaiso and had 14 last time out against Belmont…he checks in with a season scoring average of 8.1 PPG
Raising the Bar
– Yacine Toumi has hauled in at least five rebounds in nine of the last 10 contests while raising his season average from 5.1 to 5.9 per game
– His top tally of 11 came in the win over Bellarmine while he added 7 against Valpo to solidify his mark of 5.9/game, which is 14th in the Valley
– Toumi scored 18 against the Beacons, which tied his career-high while halting a streak that saw him average 5 points in the prior three games
– That effort helped him put together a nice streak over the last four games that has seen him score 12.3 per game
Scouting the Opponent
– Valparaiso has won three of their last four games to improve to 9-13 on the season and 3-8 in the MVC
– Following a win over the Aces on January 14, the Beacons picked up wins over UIC and Illinois State before falling by a 77-66 score in Wednesday’s road game at UNI
– Ben Krikke continues to be the most consistent performer for VU
– He paces the team with 17.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while blocking a total of 14 shots
– Kobe King checks in with 16.9 points and 4.0 boards while Quinton Green is also averaging double figures with 11 points
SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S TENNIS
EAGLES SPLIT SPRING OPENER AGAINST RACERS, PHOENIX
HARDIN, Ken. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Tennis (2-1) completed its first roadtrip of the 2023 campaign, falling to Murray State University (1-0), 6-1, before defeating Cumberland University (2-1), 5-2, at the Kenlake Tennis Courts Friday afternoon. The Screaming Eagles went into three singles tiebreakers against the Phoenix, winning two to clinch the victory.
USI vs. Murray State
Doubles: USI did not receive a win in the doubles competition.
Singles: Freshman Elle Dewees (Newburgh, Indiana) was able to capture the lone singles win for the Eagles after taking a 6-4, 6-4 victory at number six.
USI vs. Cumberland
Doubles: USI kicked off the match with a pair of doubles wins with junior Rachel McCorkle (Tulsa, Oklahoma)/junior Lauren Rowe (Terre Haute, Indiana) duo taking home a 6-0 victory in the first doubles spot. Sophomore Abby Myers (Evansville, Indiana)/sophomore Madison Windham (Clarksville, Tennessee) combination was the deciding factor in doubles play after securing a 6-4 win to give the Eagles the doubles point.
Singles: Singles competition started with a commanding 6-0, 6-1 win in the four spot for freshman Khandice Thomas (Pickerington, Ohio) before Rowe went into USI’s first singles tiebreaker, clinching a 6-2, 2-6, 1-0 (10-3) victory to give the Eagles a 3-0 advantage. Sealing the Phoenix fate was McCorkle in court one after earning a 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (12-10) tiebreaker win to guarantee USI its second win of the young season. Also defeating her opponent was sophomore Abby Brown (Evansville, Indiana) with a 6-2, 6-1 triumph.
NEXT UP FOR THE EAGLES:
The Eagles head back to Evansville, Indiana for a duel against Western Illinois University Friday, February 3 at the Evansville Tennis Center starting at 1 p.m.
WIU got the upper hand over USI in the fall when the Leathernecks took six of eight in the Redhawk Invitational. This will be the first regular season dual match between the two squads.
VALPO TRACK
INDOOR TRACK & FIELD SLATE CONTINUES AT GRAND VALLEY
The Valparaiso University track & field team made its annual trip to Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich. to compete in the Bill Clinger Classic, which began on Friday. Tori Gerhardt (Westville, Ind. / Chesterton) finished as the runner-up in the weight throw, while Micah Mullings (Minesing, Ontario, Canada / Barrie North) did the same in the triple jump. Both were among the Beacons who established new personal bests.
How It Happened
Gerhardt finished second in a 34-athlete field in the women’s weight throw, uncorking a personal-record heave of 15.66 meters (51-5). She also had Valpo’s top performance in the shot put at 10.81m (35-5.5), finishing 15th of 38 in that event.
It was a big day for Mullings in the triple jump as he too garnered a runner-up performance by outdoing 16 of his 17 competitors in that event. He cleared a height of 13.81m (45-3.75) to establish a new PR. The freshman also placed eighth of 20 in the high jump at 1.90m (6-2.75).
Valpo boasted a pair of top-5 finishers in an 18-runner field in the women’s 5,000. Joely Overstreet (Genoa, Ill. / Genoa-Kingston) and Ellie Roeglin (Delafield, Wis. / Lake County Lutheran) both authored new PRs, with Overstreet placing fourth in 18:33.15 and Roeglin in fifth at 18:39.05.
Several PRs fell in the sprints and hurdles as well, including Lukas Sepulveda (Camano Island, Wash. / Stanwood) in the men’s 200. He placed 19th of 78 thanks to a PR of 22.93 seconds. In the women’s 60 hurdles, Rhena Kiger (Crown Point, Ind. / Crown Point) had a PR of 10.14 to finish 13th out of 22.
In the men’s throws, a collection of four Beacons finished in the top 10 in the weight. Jeremiah Johnson (Zion, Ill. / Benton) was at the forefront of that quartet with a toss of 14.23m (46-8) to finish fifth of 26. Not far behind was Will Rinker (Valparaiso, Ind. / Chesterton), whose throw covered 14.13m (46-4), good for sixth.
The men also boasted a pair of top-10 finishers in the shot put, led by Josh Leathers (Streamwood, Ill. / Streamwood) at 12.48m (40-11.25), which placed eighth. He was followed closely by Rinker at 12.31 (40-4.75), ninth.
The men’s pole vault saw Tristan Malatlian (Pfafftown, N.C. / Reagan) lead the way at 4.65m (15-3) as he finished sixth of 16. In the long jump, it was Gavin Shaefer (Lake Saint Louis, Mo. / Timberland) posting the top mark by a Beacon at 5.84m (19-2), allowing him to place 13th.
Freshman Alina Worzella (Martinsville, Ind. / Martinsville) put together a strong showing in the women’s mile, finishing sixth in a 48-runner field. She stopped the clock in 5:25.11.
In the mid-distance, Isabella Smith (Chesterton, Ind. / Chesterton) was in the top half of the 400 field by finishing in 1:01.93 to place 19th of 44. Anthony Vassolo (Tinley Park, Ill. / Andrew) led the team in that event on the men’s side with a time of 52.57 seconds (32nd of 63).
The women’s 800 saw Maranda Donahue (Delton, Mich. / Delton-Kellogg) finish in 2:21.39 to place 14th of 63.
Up Next
Grand Valley State’s Bill Clinger Classic will conclude on Saturday in Allendale, Mich. Links to live results and video via FloSports are available on ValpoAthletics.com.
VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
FALLS TO MVC LEADER ILLINOIS STATE FRIDAY
The Valpo women’s basketball team fell in its return to the ARC Friday evening, as conference-leading Illinois State came in and earned a 78-46 victory over the Beacons.
How It Happened
It looked like Valpo took an early lead when junior Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) knocked down a 3-pointer on the Beacons’ first possession of the game, but the play was reviewed at the first quarter media timeout and reversed to a shot clock violation.
The removal of the trifecta meant Valpo trailed 12-2 at the media stoppage, a lead Illinois State extended to 23-6 at the end of the first quarter.
The Redbirds continued applying the pressure, pulling out to a 36-8 lead with just under four minutes to play in the half.
Valpo looked to enter the locker room with momentum, putting together an 11-2 run which included two 3-pointers from freshman Ali Saunders (Depauw, Ind./North Harrison) and a triple by junior Ava Interrante (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) to close to within 38-19.
But the Redbirds’ Paige Robinson hit 3-pointers on each of ISU’s final two possessions of the first half to make it a 44-19 game at intermission.
Valpo played Illinois State even in the third quarter, thanks in large part to six strong minutes from junior Jayda Johnston (Roseville, Minn./Roseville Area). Johnston came in and delivered 13 points in the third period alone, hitting all five of her field goal attempts.
Inside the Game
Johnston, who entered halftime scoreless, ended up leading the Beacons with 14 points on Friday — just two points off her career high.
It is the third time this year a Valpo player has scored 14 or more second-half points after going scoreless in the first half.
Saunders delivered strong offense off the bench as well, finishing with 13 points and connecting on three 3-pointers for the first time in her career.
Saunders also paced Valpo with four assists, while Earnest grabbed a team-best five rebounds.
Interrante finished with eight points and a team-high three steals as the Beacons registered 10 steals as a team — the third time in the last five games Valpo has recorded double-digit steals.
Valpo shot just 32.6% from the field and was a season-worst 4-for-26 from the 3-point line.
Sophomore Katie Beyer (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) received her first career start on Friday.
Next Up
Valpo (3-15, 1-8 MVC) closes out the first half of the Valley schedule on Sunday afternoon when Bradley comes to the ARC. Game time is set for 1 p.m., and the game can be seen live on ESPN+.
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 | 35 | 15 | .700 | — | 18-6 | 17-9 | 6-1 | 20-11 | 7-3 | 3 L | ||
| 2 Philadelphia | 31 | 16 | .660 | 2.5 | 18-7 | 13-9 | 5-3 | 18-10 | 8-2 | 6 W | ||
| 3 Milwaukee | 32 | 17 | .653 | 2.5 | 19-5 | 13-12 | 7-4 | 19-13 | 7-3 | 3 W | ||
| 4 Brooklyn | 29 | 19 | .604 | 5.0 | 13-8 | 16-11 | 5-4 | 20-10 | 4-6 | 2 L | ||
| 5 Cleveland | 30 | 21 | .588 | 5.5 | 20-5 | 10-16 | 8-3 | 18-9 | 4-6 | 1 L | ||
| 6 Miami | 28 | 22 | .560 | 7.0 | 17-9 | 11-13 | 6-2 | 12-13 | 7-3 | 3 W | ||
| 7 New York | 27 | 23 | .540 | 8.0 | 12-13 | 15-10 | 3-6 | 18-14 | 5-5 | 2 W | ||
| 8 Atlanta | 25 | 24 | .510 | 9.5 | 13-10 | 12-14 | 5-4 | 17-17 | 7-3 | 1 W | ||
| 9 Indiana | 24 | 27 | .471 | 11.5 | 16-10 | 8-17 | 3-4 | 17-14 | 1-9 | 2 L | ||
| 10 Washington | 22 | 26 | .458 | 12.0 | 12-10 | 10-16 | 5-3 | 13-15 | 5-5 | 4 W | ||
| 11 Chicago | 22 | 26 | .458 | 12.0 | 13-10 | 9-16 | 5-4 | 18-15 | 5-5 | 2 L | ||
| 12 Toronto | 22 | 28 | .440 | 13.0 | 15-12 | 7-16 | 4-9 | 15-19 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| 13 Orlando | 19 | 30 | .388 | 15.5 | 13-12 | 6-18 | 2-7 | 9-20 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| 14 Charlotte | 14 | 36 | .280 | 21.0 | 6-16 | 8-20 | 4-6 | 7-23 | 3-7 | 1 W | ||
| 15 Detroit | 13 | 37 | .260 | 22.0 | 6-18 | 7-19 | 0-8 | 5-23 | 3-7 | 1 W | ||
| Western Conference | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | Conf GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| 1 Denver | 34 | 15 | .694 | — | 22-4 | 12-11 | 9-4 | 25-10 | 8-2 | 1 L | ||
| 2 Memphis | 31 | 18 | .633 | 3.0 | 20-3 | 11-15 | 6-2 | 15-15 | 5-5 | 5 L | ||
| 3 Sacramento | 27 | 20 | .574 | 6.0 | 16-11 | 11-9 | 5-5 | 15-9 | 7-3 | 1 L | ||
| 4 New Orleans | 26 | 23 | .531 | 8.0 | 17-8 | 9-15 | 7-3 | 16-12 | 2-8 | 6 L | ||
| 5 LA Clippers | 27 | 24 | .529 | 8.0 | 14-11 | 13-13 | 4-4 | 17-15 | 6-4 | 4 W | ||
| 6 Dallas | 26 | 24 | .520 | 8.5 | 17-9 | 9-15 | 6-2 | 19-11 | 3-7 | 1 W | ||
| 7 Golden State | 25 | 24 | .510 | 9.0 | 19-6 | 6-18 | 4-4 | 14-9 | 5-5 | 2 W | ||
| 8 Minnesota | 26 | 25 | .510 | 9.0 | 17-10 | 9-15 | 6-6 | 17-16 | 6-4 | 2 W | ||
| 9 Phoenix | 25 | 25 | .500 | 9.5 | 18-8 | 7-17 | 8-0 | 19-14 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| 10 Utah | 25 | 26 | .490 | 10.0 | 16-9 | 9-17 | 4-5 | 18-15 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| 11 Oklahoma City | 24 | 25 | .490 | 10.0 | 15-10 | 9-15 | 4-6 | 11-13 | 7-3 | 1 W | ||
| 12 Portland | 23 | 25 | .479 | 10.5 | 13-10 | 10-15 | 5-7 | 17-15 | 4-6 | 2 W | ||
| 13 LA Lakers | 23 | 26 | .469 | 11.0 | 13-12 | 10-14 | 1-9 | 12-17 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| 14 San Antonio | 14 | 35 | .286 | 20.0 | 9-17 | 5-18 | 2-7 | 5-28 | 1-9 | 4 L | ||
| 15 Houston | 11 | 38 | .224 | 23.0 | 7-17 | 4-21 | 1-8 | 6-27 | 1-9 | 2 L |
NHL STANDINGS
| Eastern Conference | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Home | Road | L10 | ||
| 1 Boston Bruins | 48 | 38 | 6 | 4 | 80 | 36 | 183 | 101 | 22-1-3 | 16-5-1 | 8-2-0 | |
| 2 Carolina Hurricanes | 48 | 31 | 9 | 8 | 70 | 28 | 159 | 130 | 15-5-2 | 16-4-6 | 6-2-2 | |
| 3 New Jersey Devils | 49 | 32 | 13 | 4 | 68 | 31 | 171 | 131 | 13-10-2 | 19-3-2 | 8-1-1 | |
| 4 Toronto Maple Leafs | 50 | 30 | 12 | 8 | 68 | 30 | 168 | 135 | 19-4-4 | 11-8-4 | 6-3-1 | |
| 5 Tampa Bay Lightning | 47 | 31 | 15 | 1 | 63 | 30 | 170 | 139 | 19-4-1 | 12-11-0 | 7-3-0 | |
| 6 New York Rangers | 49 | 27 | 14 | 8 | 62 | 25 | 157 | 129 | 13-9-4 | 14-5-4 | 6-2-2 | |
| 7 Washington Capitals | 51 | 26 | 19 | 6 | 58 | 25 | 161 | 144 | 14-8-3 | 12-11-3 | 4-6-0 | |
| 8 Pittsburgh Penguins | 48 | 24 | 15 | 9 | 57 | 23 | 157 | 147 | 14-5-4 | 10-10-5 | 5-2-3 | |
| 9 Buffalo Sabres | 48 | 26 | 19 | 3 | 55 | 25 | 183 | 162 | 11-12-2 | 15-7-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| 10 New York Islanders | 51 | 24 | 22 | 5 | 53 | 24 | 146 | 143 | 14-9-2 | 10-13-3 | 2-5-3 | |
| 11 Florida Panthers | 51 | 23 | 22 | 6 | 52 | 22 | 174 | 180 | 12-7-3 | 11-15-3 | 5-3-2 | |
| 12 Detroit Red Wings | 48 | 21 | 19 | 8 | 50 | 20 | 145 | 160 | 12-10-3 | 9-9-5 | 5-4-1 | |
| 13 Philadelphia Flyers | 50 | 20 | 21 | 9 | 49 | 20 | 138 | 162 | 10-12-2 | 10-9-7 | 5-3-2 | |
| 14 Ottawa Senators | 48 | 22 | 23 | 3 | 47 | 21 | 141 | 155 | 13-11-1 | 9-12-2 | 4-6-0 | |
| 15 Montreal Canadiens | 49 | 20 | 25 | 4 | 44 | 16 | 130 | 179 | 11-13-1 | 9-12-3 | 5-4-1 | |
| 16 Columbus Blue Jackets | 49 | 15 | 31 | 3 | 33 | 14 | 127 | 191 | 11-15-1 | 4-16-2 | 3-6-1 | |
| Western Conference | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Home | Road | L10 | ||
| 1 Dallas Stars | 51 | 28 | 13 | 10 | 66 | 27 | 173 | 133 | 13-5-6 | 15-8-4 | 4-2-4 | |
| 2 Los Angeles Kings | 51 | 28 | 17 | 6 | 62 | 24 | 167 | 173 | 14-9-2 | 14-8-4 | 6-4-0 | |
| 3 Winnipeg Jets | 50 | 31 | 18 | 1 | 63 | 31 | 162 | 131 | 17-7-0 | 14-11-1 | 5-5-0 | |
| 4 Seattle Kraken | 48 | 28 | 15 | 5 | 61 | 28 | 174 | 150 | 12-10-3 | 16-5-2 | 6-3-1 | |
| 5 Vegas Golden Knights | 50 | 29 | 18 | 3 | 61 | 26 | 159 | 146 | 14-13-0 | 15-5-3 | 3-6-1 | |
| 6 Minnesota Wild | 47 | 26 | 17 | 4 | 56 | 23 | 148 | 136 | 14-8-1 | 12-9-3 | 4-4-2 | |
| 7 Edmonton Oilers | 49 | 27 | 18 | 4 | 58 | 27 | 180 | 159 | 12-11-3 | 15-7-1 | 7-1-2 | |
| 8 Calgary Flames | 50 | 24 | 17 | 9 | 57 | 23 | 157 | 152 | 14-9-2 | 10-8-7 | 5-3-2 | |
| 9 Colorado Avalanche | 47 | 26 | 18 | 3 | 55 | 22 | 147 | 131 | 12-9-3 | 14-9-0 | 7-3-0 | |
| 10 Nashville Predators | 48 | 24 | 18 | 6 | 54 | 22 | 137 | 141 | 14-7-3 | 10-11-3 | 6-4-0 | |
| 11 St. Louis Blues | 49 | 23 | 23 | 3 | 49 | 20 | 152 | 177 | 10-12-2 | 13-11-1 | 4-6-0 | |
| 12 Vancouver Canucks | 49 | 20 | 26 | 3 | 43 | 17 | 165 | 193 | 10-13-1 | 10-13-2 | 3-7-0 | |
| 13 San Jose Sharks | 50 | 14 | 25 | 11 | 39 | 13 | 151 | 192 | 5-12-7 | 9-13-4 | 2-5-3 | |
| 14 Arizona Coyotes | 49 | 16 | 28 | 5 | 37 | 14 | 130 | 175 | 10-8-2 | 6-20-3 | 3-7-0 | |
| 15 Anaheim Ducks | 49 | 15 | 29 | 5 | 35 | 12 | 123 | 204 | 8-13-1 | 7-16-4 | 4-5-1 | |
| 16 Chicago Blackhawks | 47 | 15 | 28 | 4 | 34 | 15 | 115 | 169 | 9-16-2 | 6-12-2 | 7-3-0 |
BASEBALL HISTORY
1949 Monte Irvin becomes the first African-American player, along with hurler Ford Smith, to sign with the Giants. Although the 29-year-old outfielder will play only five full seasons in the major leagues, the former Newark Eagles standout will be elected to the Hall of Fame in 1973, primarily for his outstanding play in the Negro Leagues with the Newark Eagles.
1953 Embattled Cardinal owner Fred Saigh is found guilty of income tax evasion and is sentenced to a fifteen-month jail term but will serve only five months at the federal prison in Terre Haute before being given parole for good behavior. Under the pressure of losing his franchise, he enters a lucrative deal with a consortium that plans to move the team to Houston; Anheuser-Busch president Gussie Busch, however, persuades him to sell the team for less ($3.5 million), citing that civic pride was more important than financial gain.
1958 Detroit trades infielder Jim Finigan and $25,000 to the Giants for first baseman Gail Harris and utility man Ozzie Virgil, who becomes the first non-white to play for the Tigers. The 26-year-old Dominican will make his debut at third base for the Motor City team at Griffith Stadium on June 6, doubling in the top of the eighth in the team’s 11-2 victory over Washington.
1958 Roy Campanella, driving home from his liquor store in Harlem, breaks his neck when his rented 1957 Chevrolet sedan hit a telephone pole in an early morning auto accident on Long Island. The 36-year-old Dodger catcher, who has won three MVP awards (1951, ’53, ’55), will remain paralyzed for the rest of his life.
Amazon 1959 Topps Roy Campanella – Symbol of Courage
1961 The International League Board of Directors votes to move the Montreal franchise to Syracuse, New York, where the former Dodger farm club will play as the Chiefs. The Canadian city holds a unique place in baseball history for being the home of the first major-league affiliate to break the so-called ‘color barrier,’ signing Jackie Robinson in 1945 to play with the Royals the following season.
1968 Former Senator and Tiger outfielder Goose Goslin, a career .316 hitter, and Kiki Cuyler, a .321 career hitter who won four stolen base crowns while running the bases for the Pirates and Cubs, are elected into the Hall of Fame by a unanimous vote of the Veterans Committee. Goslin believed his interview shared in Lawrence Ritter’s 1966 book, The Glory of Their Times: The Story Of The Early Days Of Baseball Told By The Men Who Played It, paved the way for his enshrinement into Cooperstown.
1982 The Orioles, to make room for Cal Ripken, Jr., trade third baseman Doug DeCinces and minor league southpaw Jeff Schneider to the Angels for outfielder Dan Ford. The Halos’ new infielder, who had succeeded future Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson in Baltimore, will win the Silver Slugger Award this season.
1986 The Rangers sign 34-year-old free-agent catcher Darrell Porter to a one-year contract valued at $162,500. The bespectacled backup backstop from Missouri will hit .253 during his tenure in Texas, his last two years in the majors.
2005 Traded to the Mets yesterday, first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, who caught and kept the ball used to make the final out, giving the Red Sox their first World championship in 86 years, will lend his souvenir to his former club. The historic horsehide, which Boston claims belongs to the team, will be encased within a plaque and become part of the victory tour, featuring the World Series trophy.
2008 The Rays and James Shields (12-8, 3.85) finalize a four-year, $11.25 million deal, including options that could make the contract worth nearly $38 million over the next seven years. The 26-year-old right-hander was second in the big leagues in the strikeout-to-walk ratio – an impressive 184 to 36, trailing only CC Sabathia (209 to 37).
2009 Avoiding salary arbitration, the Angels and 28-year-old infielder Maicer Izturis come to terms on a one-year deal worth $1.6 million. The Halos’ opening-day shortstop missed 61 games last season after tearing a ligament in his left thumb in August and straining his lower back in May, necessitating the first of his two stints on the disabled list.
2009 Aaron Heilman is traded for the second time this offseason when the Mariners swap the 30-year-old right-hander to the Cubs for utility infielder Ronny Cedeno and southpaw Garrett Olson. Seven weeks ago, the Mets dealt the much-maligned reliever to Seattle as part of a three-team trade that included the Indians.
2009 David Weathers decides to stay with Cincinnati after signing a one-year deal that guarantees the 39-year-old reliever $3.9 million. A member of the Reds pitching staff for the past four seasons, the right-hander compiled a 4-6 record, posting a 3.25 ERA in 72 appearances from the bullpen last season.
2011 The Twins plan to remove the 14 pine trees behind the center-field wall that served as the batter’s eye at Target Field. The evergreens, planted last season, likely to be relocated inside the newly opened ballpark, made it difficult for hitters to pick up the ball from the pitcher’s hand due to their shadows cast during afternoon contests and the conifers’ movement in the wind.
2016 In an Oklahoma City ceremony, Cy Young Award recipient Dallas Keuchel receives the Warren Spahn Award, an honor given baseball’s top left-handed pitcher. The 28-year-old southpaw, who posted a 20-8 record along with an ERA of 2.48 for the Astros this season, is the first Oklahoman to collect the prestigious pitching prize named in honor of the crafty left-hander.
2022 On Twitter, the National Council of Sports in Uganda tweeted that right-hander Ben Serunkuma and catcher Umar Male signed as free agents with the Dodgers. The agreement makes the two players, assigned to the club’s Dominican complex in Campo Las Palmas, the first Ugandans to play professionally for an MLB organization.
SPORTS IN NUMBERS
78 – 5 – 17 – 32 – 16 – 14 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 -10 – 8 – 14 – 24 – 52 – 6 – 82 – 58
January 28, 1904 – 1st college sports letters given to Seniors who played on University of Chicago’s football team are awarded blankets with letter “C” on them
January 28, 1922 – J E Clair takes the Green Bay franchise to joining the NFL
January 28, 1940 – Chicago Blackhawks forward Les Cunningham Number 78, scored 5 points, in one period, 2 goals and 3 assists in the third period for an 8-1 victory over Montreal, becoming the first NHL skater to do so. It is one of the greatest 10:04 in individual hockey history, The record stood all the way until 1978.
January 28, 1943 – Speaking of the Blackhawks, one of their roster members made history exactly 3 years later. Sweater Number 5, Max Bentley slapped home four goals and added three assists for a total of 7 points in a game against the New York Rangers, as Chicago streaked to a 10-1 victory on the ice of Chicago Stadium before a crowd of over 7500. Max played Center while brother Doug Bentley was a Winger on the same line, put a puck between the pipes himself in the win.
January 28, 1954 – QB Bobby Garrett, Number 17 from University of Stanford first pick in the 1954 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns
January 28, 1960 – NFL announced that the Dallas Cowboys (1960) & Minnesota Vikings (1961) franchises would be awarded
January 28, 1969 – USC, Runningback, Number 32, O J Simpson became the first pick of the 1969 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills
January 28, 1971 – Star Quarterback, Jim Plunkett, Number 16, from Stanford University was the first pick in the 1971 NFL Draft by New England Patriots
January 28, 1973 – Number 16, Henry Boucha, of the Detroit Red Wings, scored just 6 seconds into a game against the Montreal Canadiens. The Motor City skaters ended up doubling up the Habs with a 4-2 victory.
January 28, 1973 – Mickey Welch (played before uniform numbers), George Kelly (was a New York Giant for most of his career but did wear Number 14 for the Dodgers in 1932) and former MLB Umpire Billy Evans were all elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
January 28, 1974 – Sam Thompson (played before uniform numbers), Jim Bottomley (who wore all the uniform Numbers 1 thru 5), and former Umpire Jocko Conlan (who did once play and wore Number 8 for the Whote Sox) were all elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
January 28, 1975 – Quarterback, Number 10, Steve Bartkowski from University of California first pick by Atlanta Falcons in the 1975 NFL Draft.
January 28, 1984 – Edmonton Oilers center Number 99,Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record point scoring streak ends at 51 games when Oilers beaten 4-2 by LA Kings; Gretzky totals 61-92-153 during the period
January 28, 1988 – Denver Nuggets point guard Number 14, Michael Adams takes record streak to 79 consecutive games with at least one 3-point field goal in 117-102 loss against Indiana at Market Square Arena; streak ends next game
January 28, 1988 – New York Rangers’ Number 16, Marcel Dionne scores a 2nd period power play goal in 5-2 win in Philadelphia; becomes 1st first player in NHL history to get 20 goals in each of his first 17 seasons
January 28, 1990 – Super Bowl XXIV, Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA: San Francisco 49ers beat Denver Broncos, 55-10; MVP: Number 16, Joe Montana, SF, QB
January 28, 1992 – St. Louis Blues right wing Brett Hull, Number 16 became the 2nd player (after Number 99, Wayne Gretzky) in NHL history to record back-to-back seasons of 50 goals in 50 games; #50 comes in 3-3 Blues’ tie in Los Angeles
January 28, 1996 – Super Bowl XXX, Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ: Dallas Cowboys beat Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-17. The game MVP was Number 24, Larry Brown cornerback of Dallas, whose two timely interceptions derailed Pittsburgh.
January 28, 2001 – The Baltimore Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV as their star of the defense Middle Linebacker Ray Lewis, Number 52, won the game’s MVP award. The Ravens won the game by a lopsided 34-7 score over the New York Giants. The 12 eventual 12-time Pro Bowler had made three solo tackles, two assists, and blocked four passes in the game to help his teammates allow only 152 total yards of offense by the Giants in the game.
January 28, 2018 – 63rd NHL All Star Games, Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL: Pacific Division All Stars win four-team, 3-on-3 tournament; MVP was Number 6, Brock Boeser, Vancouver Canucks, RW
January 28, 2018 – NFL Pro Bowl, Orlando, FL: AFC beats NFC, 24-23; MVPs: Delanie Walker, Number 82, TE of the Tennessee Titans, and Number 58, Von Miller, Denver Broncos, LB
TV SATURDAY
| NCAA BASKETBALL GAMES – MEN’S | TIME ET | TV |
| AUBURN AT WEST VIRGINIA | 12:00PM | ESPN |
| LOUISVILLE AT NOTRE DAME | 12:00PM | ESPN2 |
| MINNESOTA AT NORTHWESTERN | 12:00PM | BTN |
| TEMPLE AT UCF | 12:00PM | ESPNU |
| NORTHEASTERN AT DELAWARE | 12:00PM | CBSSN |
| BOSTON COLLEGE AT VIRGINIA | 12:00PM | ACCN |
| XAVIER AT CREIGHTON | 12:15PM | CBS |
| UMASS LOWELL AT NEW HAMPSHIRE | 1:00PM | ESPN3 |
| NC STATE AT WAKE FOREST | 1:00PM | ACCN |
| UMBC AT VERMONT | 1:00PM | ESPN+ |
| UNI AT INDIANA STATE | 1:00PM | ESPN3 |
| SAINT FRANCIS U AT CENTRAL CONNECTICUT | 1:00PM | NEC |
| LIU AT ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN | 1:00PM | NEC |
| WESTERN CAROLINA AT VMI | 1:00PM | ESPN+ |
| HOLY CROSS AT ARMY WEST POINT | 1:00PM | ESPN+ |
| BUCKNELL AT LOYOLA MARYLAND | 1:00PM | ESPN+ |
| STETSON AT QUEENS | 1:00PM | ESPN+ |
| MERCER AT THE CITADEL | 1:00PM | ESPN+ |
| ALABAMA AT OKLAHOMA | 2:00PM | ESPN |
| IOWA STATE AT MISSOURI | 2:00PM | ESPN2 |
| MARQUETTE AT DEPAUL | 2:00PM | FS1 |
| TEXAS TECH AT LSU | 2:00PM | ESPNU |
| SAMFORD AT WOFFORD | 2:00PM | CBSSN |
| MISSOURI STATE AT MURRAY STATE | 2:00PM | – |
| LA SALLE AT RHODE ISLAND | 2:00PM | – |
| BRYANT AT BINGHAMTON | 2:00PM | ESPN3 |
| WINTHROP AT PRESBYTERIAN | 2:00PM | ESPN3 |
| BOWLING GREEN AT TOLEDO | 2:00PM | ESPN3 |
| OHIO AT AKRON | 2:00PM | ESPN3 |
| SACRED HEART AT STONEHILL | 2:00PM | NEC |
| BROWN AT CORNELL | 2:00PM | ESPN+ |
| COLUMBIA AT DARTMOUTH | 2:00PM | ESPN+ |
| HARVARD AT PENN | 2:00PM | ESPN+ |
| OLD DOMINION AT COASTAL CAROLINA | 2:00PM | ESPN+ |
| LAFAYETTE AT COLGATE | 2:00PM | ESPN+ |
| AMERICAN AT NAVY | 2:00PM | ESPN+ |
| UNC ASHEVILLE AT CAMPBELL | 2:00PM | ESPN+ |
| HIGH POINT AT GARDNER-WEBB | 2:00PM | ESPN+ |
| GEORGE WASHINGTON AT FORDHAM | 2:00PM | ESPN+ |
| MONMOUTH AT NORTH CAROLINA A&T | 2:00PM | FLOSPORTS |
| CINCINNATI AT HOUSTON | 2:15PM | CBS |
| ILLINOIS AT WISCONSIN | 3:00PM | FOX |
| DUKE AT GEORGIA TECH | 3:00PM | ACCN |
| FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON AT MERRIMACK | 3:00PM | ESPN3 |
| TEXAS STATE AT SOUTHERN MISS | 3:00PM | ESPN+ |
| RADFORD AT USC UPSTATE | 3:00PM | ESPN+ |
| CHARLESTON SOUTHERN AT LONGWOOD | 3:00PM | ESPN+ |
| UAB AT RICE | 3:00PM | ESPN+ |
| AURORA AT CHICAGO STATE | 3:00PM | FLOSPORTS |
| EASTERN MICHIGAN AT MIAMI (OH) | 3:30PM | ESPN3 |
| ARKANSAS AT BAYLOR | 4:00PM | ESPN |
| TCU AT MISSISSIPPI STATE | 4:00PM | ESPN2 |
| SETON HALL AT BUTLER | 4:00PM | FS1 |
| MIAMI (FL) AT PITT | 4:00PM | ESPNU |
| RICHMOND AT DAYTON | 4:00PM | CBSSN |
| WKU AT FLORIDA ATLANTIC | 4:00PM | STADIUM |
| UC SAN DIEGO AT UC RIVERSIDE | 4:00PM | SPECTRUM |
| WILLIAM & MARY AT TOWSON | 4:00PM | – |
| DUQUESNE AT UMASS | 4:00PM | NESN+ |
| MILWAUKEE AT NORTHERN KENTUCKY | 4:00PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| CHATTANOOGA AT ETSU | 4:00PM | – |
| LITTLE ROCK AT TENNESSEE TECH | 4:00PM | ESPN+ |
| SIUE AT MOREHEAD STATE | 4:00PM | ESPN+ |
| JACKSONVILLE AT CENTRAL ARKANSAS | 4:00PM | ESPN+ |
| UC DAVIS AT LONG BEACH STATE | 4:00PM | ESPN+ |
| LOUISIANA TECH AT UTSA | 4:00PM | ESPN+ |
| NORTHERN COLORADO AT NORTHERN ARIZONA | 4:00PM | ESPN+ |
| NM STATE AT UTAH VALLEY | 4:00PM | ESPN+ |
| TROY AT SOUTH ALABAMA | 4:00PM | ESPN+ |
| ULM AT JAMES MADISON | 4:00PM | ESPN+ |
| STONY BROOK AT HAMPTON | 4:00PM | FLOSPORTS |
| DREXEL AT ELON | 4:00PM | FLOSPORTS |
| HOFSTRA AT CHARLESTON | 4:00PM | FLOSPORTS |
| ALABAMA A&M AT FLORIDA A&M | 4:00PM | |
| ALABAMA STATE AT BETHUNE-COOKMAN | 4:00PM | YOUTUBE |
| NEBRASKA AT MARYLAND | 4:30PM | BTN |
| JACKSON STATE AT GRAMBLING STATE | 4:30PM | – |
| BALL STATE AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS | 4:30PM | ESPN3 |
| SOUTHERN INDIANA AT UT MARTIN | 4:30PM | ESPN+ |
| SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AT EASTERN ILLINOIS | 4:30PM | ESPN+ |
| ARKANSAS STATE AT APP STATE | 4:30PM | ESPN+ |
| LAMAR AT NORTHWESTERN STATE | 4:30PM | ESPN+ |
| MCNEESE AT A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI | 4:30PM | ESPN+ |
| CLEMSON AT FLORIDA STATE | 5:00PM | ACCN |
| SAINT PETER’S AT MOUNT ST. MARY’S | 5:00PM | ESPN3 |
| PACIFIC AT SANTA CLARA | 5:00PM | WCCN |
| SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA AT NEW ORLEANS | 5:00PM | ESPN+ |
| NICHOLLS AT UIW | 5:00PM | ESPN+ |
| LIPSCOMB AT KENNESAW STATE | 5:00PM | ESPN+ |
| AUSTIN PEAY AT JACKSONVILLE STATE | 5:00PM | ESPN+ |
| WEBER STATE AT EASTERN WASHINGTON | 5:00PM | ESPN+ |
| IDAHO STATE AT IDAHO | 5:00PM | ESPN+ |
| ARIZONA AT WASHINGTON | 5:30PM | FOX |
| HOUSTON CHRISTIAN AT A&M-COMMERCE | 5:30PM | ESPN+ |
| SEATTLE U AT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN | 5:30PM | ESPN+ |
| TEXAS AT TENNESSEE | 6:00PM | ESPN |
| FLORIDA AT KANSAS STATE | 6:00PM | ESPN2 |
| NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL AT HOWARD | 6:00PM | ESPNU |
| SOUTH CAROLINA AT GEORGIA | 6:00PM | SECN |
| ST. BONAVENTURE AT VCU | 6:00PM | CBSSN |
| NORTH FLORIDA AT NORTH ALABAMA | 6:00PM | ESPN+ |
| UTEP AT NORTH TEXAS | 6:00PM | ESPN+ |
| MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT FIU | 6:00PM | CUSATV |
| PRAIRIE VIEW A&M AT TEXAS SOUTHERN | 6:00PM | YOUTUBE |
| MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE AT UAPB | 6:30PM | – |
| ALCORN STATE AT SOUTHERN | 6:30PM | – |
| SYRACUSE AT VIRGINIA TECH | 7:00PM | ACCN |
| UTAH STATE AT FRESNO STATE | 7:00PM | STADIUM |
| GREEN BAY AT WRIGHT STATE | 7:00PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| GONZAGA AT PORTLAND | 7:00PM | – |
| MAINE AT UALBANY | 7:00PM | ESPN3 |
| EVANSVILLE AT VALPARAISO | 7:00PM | ESPN3 |
| WESTERN MICHIGAN AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN | 7:00PM | ESPN3 |
| PRINCETON AT YALE | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| GEORGIA STATE AT MARSHALL | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| BELLARMINE AT EASTERN KENTUCKY | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| FGCU AT LIBERTY | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| UTAH TECH AT ABILENE CHRISTIAN | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| SOUTH CAROLINA STATE AT NORFOLK STATE | 7:00PM | – |
| CALIFORNIA BAPTIST AT UTRGV | 7:30PM | ESPN+ |
| OHIO STATE AT INDIANA | 8:00PM | FOX |
| KANSAS AT KENTUCKY | 8:00PM | ESPN |
| OLE MISS AT OKLAHOMA STATE | 8:00PM | ESPN2 |
| ARIZONA STATE AT WASHINGTON STATE | 8:00PM | ESPNU |
| COLORADO STATE AT BOISE STATE | 8:00PM | CBSSN |
| UTAH AT OREGON | 8:00PM | PAC12N |
| GEORGIA SOUTHERN AT LOUISIANA | 8:00PM | ESPN+ |
| LINDENWOOD AT TENNESSEE STATE | 8:00PM | ESPN+ |
| GRAND CANYON AT TARLETON | 8:00PM | ESPN+ |
| OMAHA AT ORAL ROBERTS | 8:00PM | – |
| SOUTH DAKOTA AT ST. THOMAS | 8:00PM | – |
| DENVER AT KANSAS CITY | 8:00PM | – |
| VANDERBILT AT TEXAS A&M | 8:30PM | SECN |
| SAN JOSE STATE AT SAN DIEGO STATE | 9:00PM | FS1 |
| CSUN AT UC IRVINE | 9:00PM | ESPN+ |
| SAINT MARY’S AT BYU | 10:00PM | ESPN2 |
| CALIFORNIA AT STANFORD | 10:00PM | ESPNU |
| NEVADA AT UNLV | 10:00PM | CBSSN |
| SAN FRANCISCO AT SAN DIEGO | 10:00PM | STADIUM |
| CAL STATE FULLERTON AT CAL POLY | 10:00PM | ESPN+ |
| MONTANA AT PORTLAND STATE | 10:00PM | ESPN+ |
| MONTANA STATE AT SACRAMENTO STATE | 10:00PM | ESPN+ |
| COLORADO AT OREGON STATE | 10:30PM | PAC12N |
| PEPPERDINE AT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT | 11:00PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| CSU BAKERSFIELD AT HAWAI’I | 11:59PM | SPECTRUM |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| PGA: FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN | 3:00PM | GOLF |
| PGA: FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN | 5:00PM | CBS |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| DENVER AT PHILADELPHIA | 3:00PM | ABC |
| NEW YORK AT BROOKLYN | 5:30PM | ABC |
| HOUSTON AT DETROIT | 7:00PM | ATTSN-SW BALLY SPORTS |
| CHICAGO AT ORLANDO | 7:00PM | NBCS-CHI BALLY SPORTS |
| LA CLIPPERS AT ATLANTA | 7:30PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| PHOENIX AT SAN ANTONIO | 8:00PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| SACRAMENTO AT MINNESOTA | 8:00PM | NBCS-CA BALLY SPORTS |
| WASHINGTON AT NEW ORLEANS | 8:00PM | NBCS-WSH BALLY SPORTS |
| LA LAKERS AT BOSTON | 8:30PM | ABC |
| DALLAS AT UTAH | 9:00PM | BALLY SPORTS ATTSN-RM |
| TORONTO AT PORTLAND | 10:00PM | SPORTSNET ROOT SPORTS |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| ST. LOUIS AT COLORADO | 3:00PM | ESPN+ HULU |
| BOSTON AT FLORIDA | 6:00PM | NHLN BALLY SPORTS NESN |
| PHILADELPHIA AT WINNIPEG | 7:00PM | NBCS-PHI SPORTSNET |
| LOS ANGELES AT TAMPA BAY | 7:00PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| MONTRÉAL AT OTTAWA | 7:00PM | SPORTSNET |
| SAN JOSE AT PITTSBURGH | 7:00PM | NBCS-CA ATTSN-PIT |
| VEGAS AT NY ISLANDERS | 7:30PM | ATTSN-RM MSGSN |
| BUFFALO AT MINNESOTA | 9:00PM | MSG-BUF BALLY SPORTS |
| COLUMBUS AT SEATTLE | 10:00PM | BALLY SPORTS ROOT SPORTS |
| CHICAGO AT EDMONTON | 10:00PM | NBCS-CHI SPORTSNET |
| ARIZONA AT ANAHEIM | 10:30PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| SOCCER MATCHES | TIME ET | TV |
| ENGLAND FA CUP: WALSALL VS LEICESTER CITY | 7:30AM | ESPN+ |
| LA LIGA: CÁDIZ VS MALLORCA | 8:00AM | ESPN+ |
| SERIE A: EMPOLI VS TORINO | 9:00AM | PARAMOUNT+ |
| BUNDESLIGA: WERDER BREMEN VS WOLFSBURG | 9:30AM | ESPN+ |
| BUNDESLIGA: HERTHA BSC VS UNION BERLIN | 9:30AM | ESPN+ |
| BUNDESLIGA: HOFFENHEIM VS BORUSSIA M’GLADBACH | 9:30AM | ESPN+ |
| BUNDESLIGA: MAINZ 05 VS BOCHUM | 9:30AM | ESPN+ |
| ENGLAND FA CUP: BRISTOL CITY VS WEST BROMWICH ALBION | 10:00AM | ESPN+ |
| ENGLAND FA CUP: LUTON TOWN VS GRIMSBY TOWN | 10:00AM | ESPN+ |
| ENGLAND FA CUP: FULHAM VS SUNDERLAND | 10:00AM | ESPN+ |
| ENGLAND FA CUP: SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY VS FLEETWOOD TOWN | 10:00AM | ESPN+ |
| ENGLAND FA CUP: IPSWICH TOWN VS BURNLEY | 10:00AM | ESPN+ |
| ENGLAND FA CUP: SOUTHAMPTON VS BLACKPOOL | 10:00AM | ESPN+ |
| LA LIGA: GIRONA VS BARCELONA | 10:15AM | ESPN+ |
| LIGUE 1: TROYES VS LENS | 11:00AM | BEIN SPORTS |
| SERIE A: CREMONESE VS INTERNAZIONALE | 12:00PM | PARAMOUNT+ |
| LA LIGA: SEVILLA VS ELCHE | 12:30PM | ESPN+ |
| BUNDESLIGA: BAYERN MÜNCHEN VS EINTRACHT FRANKFURT | 12:30PM | ESPN+ |
| ENGLAND FA CUP: PRESTON NORTH END VS TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR | 1:00PM | ESPN+ |
| FIRST DIVISION A: SPORTING CHARLEROI VS UNION SAINT-GILLOISE | 2:45PM | ESPN+ |
| SERIE A: ATALANTA VS SAMPDORIA | 2:45PM | CBSSN |
| ENGLAND FA CUP: MANCHESTER UNITED VS READING | 3:00PM | ESPN+ |
| LA LIGA: GETAFE VS REAL BETIS | 3:00PM | ESPN+ |
| LIGUE 1: OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE VS MONACO | 3:00PM | BEIN SPORTS |
| ARGENTINA PRIMERA DIVISIÓN: SAN LORENZO VS ARSENAL | 3:00PM | PARAMOUNT+ |
| ARGENTINA PRIMERA DIVISIÓN: TALLERES CÓRDOBA VS INDEPENDIENTE | 5:15PM | PARAMOUNT+ |
| ARGENTINA PRIMERA DIVISIÓN: ESTUDIANTES VS TIGRE | 5:15PM | PARAMOUNT+ |
| ARGENTINA PRIMERA DIVISIÓN: CENTRAL CÓRDOBA SDE VS RIVER PLATE | 7:30PM | PARAMOUNT+ |
| LIGA MX: TIGRES UANL VS ATLÉTICO SAN LUIS | 8:00PM | UNIVISION |
| LIGA MX: JUÁREZ VS GUADALAJARA | 10:10PM | FS2 |
| LIGA MX: AMÉRICA VS MAZATLÁN | 10:10PM | UNIVISION |
| TENNIS | TIME ET | TV |
| 2023 AUSTRALIAN OPEN: WOMEN’S FINAL | 3:30AM | ESPN |