THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” SATURDAY JANUARY 7, 2023

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

INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SCORES

BEN DAVIS	71	NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS)	56
BENTON CENTRAL	69	TWIN LAKES	47
BETHANY CHRISTIAN	57	ARGOS	51
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN	59	FAITH CHRISTIAN	43
BLOOMFIELD	59	EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN	56
BLOOMINGTON LIGHTHOUSE	80	COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN	41
BLOOMINGTON NORTH	53	BLOOMINGTON SOUTH	50
BOONVILLE	57	PRINCETON	33
BORDEN	69	NEW WASHINGTON	45
CARROLL (FLORA)	66	DELPHI	36
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE)	51	FORT WAYNE DWENGER	49
CASTLE	62	EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL	51
CASTON	42	CULVER	39
CENTER GROVE	43	CARMEL	41
CENTRAL NOBLE	58	GARRETT	36
CHICAGO SIMEON (ILL.)	74	INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL	61
CHRISTEL HOUSE MANUAL	73	INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON	50
CLAY CITY	80	WASHINGTON CATHOLIC	24
CONCORD	57	GOSHEN	41
CONNERSVILLE	43	GREENSBURG	40
CORYDON CENTRAL	74	FLOYD CENTRAL	60
COVINGTON	78	RIVERTON PARKE	77
COWAN	57	DALEVILLE	51
CRAWFORD COUNTY	57	SPRINGS VALLEY	54
CROWN POINT	64	MICHIGAN CITY	53
DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN	58	TRI-COUNTY	43
DECATUR CENTRAL	66	MARTINSVILLE	54
EAST CENTRAL	45	RUSHVILLE	30
EASTERN (GREENTOWN)	70	CLINTON CENTRAL	51
EDGEWOOD	73	BROWN COUNTY	29
EVANSVILLE BOSSE	76	EVANSVILLE CENTRAL	75	OT
EVANSVILLE HARRISON	70	EVANSVILLE NORTH	55
EVANSVILLE REITZ	48	BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE	44
FAIRFIELD	51	EASTSIDE	32
FOREST PARK	70	MOUNT VERNON (POSEY)	46
FORT WAYNE LUERS	49	FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA	48
FORT WAYNE NORTH	81	FORT WAYNE WAYNE	73
FORT WAYNE NORTHROP	61	FORT WAYNE SNIDER	57
FRANKLIN COUNTY	55	UNION COUNTY	53
FREMONT	76	CHURUBUSCO	59
FRONTIER	46	PIONEER	33
GREENFIELD-CENTRAL	51	MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE)	46
GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN	55	SPEEDWAY	53
GREENWOOD	35	WHITELAND	32
HANOVER CENTRAL	61	HAMMOND NOLL	43
HEBRON	53	SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS)	30
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN	61	COVENANT CHRISTIAN	51
HERITAGE HILLS	62	GIBSON SOUTHERN	46
HOMESTEAD	44	FORT WAYNE SOUTH	41
HORIZON CHRISTIAN	73	IRVINGTON PREP ACADEMY	30
HUNTINGTON NORTH	50	EAST NOBLE	48
INDIANA DEAF	68	MTI KNOWLEDGE	29
INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS	79	PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD	53
INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD	51	GUERIN CATHOLIC	44
INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN	70	TRINITY LUTHERAN	35
INDIANAPOLIS RITTER	77	MONROVIA	41
INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY	98	VICTORY COLLEGE PREP	27
JEFFERSONVILLE	67	NEW ALBANY	63
JENNINGS COUNTY	78	BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL	69
JOHN GLENN	52	TRITON	27
KOKOMO	61	LOGANSPORT	47
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC	64	MCCUTCHEON	54
LAKE CENTRAL	67	LAPORTE	46
LAKELAND CHRISTIAN	58	ELKHART CHRISTIAN	47
LAKEWOOD PARK	70	SMITH ACADEMY	33
LAWRENCE CENTRAL	66	HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN	64	OT
LEBANON	57	FRANKFORT	46
LOOGOOTEE	79	VINCENNES RIVET	22
MADISON-GRANT	77	BLACKFORD	56
MANCHESTER	97	NORTH MIAMI	38
MARQUETTE CATHOLIC	58	TRINITY GREENLAWN	21
MISHAWAKA	63	PLYMOUTH	55
MORGAN TWP.	52	BOONE GROVE	28
MUNCIE CENTRAL	51	LAFAYETTE JEFF	36
MUNSTER	62	KANKAKEE VALLEY	46
NEW PALESTINE	62	DELTA	48
NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG)	47	EMINENCE	30
NORTH DAVIESS	60	EASTERN GREENE	27
NORTH DECATUR	58	HAUSER	45
NORTH HARRISON	52	AUSTIN	40
NORTH JUDSON	70	KOUTS	44
NORTH VERMILLION	65	ATTICA	23
NORTHWOOD	57	WAWASEE	23
NORTHVIEW	67	GREENCASTLE	47
NORTHWESTERN	57	HAMILTON HEIGHTS	43
OAK HILL	53	PERU	48
OLDENBURG ACADEMY	61	SHAWE MEMORIAL	47
ORLEANS	43	SALEM	37
OWEN VALLEY	53	CLOVERDALE	43
PAOLI	68	MITCHELL	37
PARK TUDOR	61	INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN	44
PARKE HERITAGE	50	SOUTH VERMILLION	42
PIKE CENTRAL	57	EVANSVILLE DAY	55
PIKE	71	FISHERS	60
PLEASANT VIEW CHRISTIAN	62	DUGGER UNION	51
PORTAGE	47	VALPARAISO	38
PRAIRIE HEIGHTS	53	ANGOLA	40
PROVIDENCE	58	CLARKSVILLE	34
RICHMOND	60	NEW CASTLE	57	OT
RIVER FOREST	49	SOUTH NEWTON	35
ROCHESTER	48	WHITKO	45
SCOTTSBURG	84	MADISON	42
SEYMOUR	45	CHARLESTOWN	36
SHERIDAN	63	TRI-CENTRAL	48
SILVER CREEK	71	EASTERN (PEKIN)	60
SOUTH CENTRAL (ELIZABETH)	46	LANESVILLE	42
SOUTH KNOX	45	NORTHEAST DUBOIS	37
SOUTH SPENCER	61	WOOD MEMORIAL	37
SOUTHPORT	51	FRANKLIN CENTRAL	49
SOUTHRIDGE	62	TECUMSEH	48
SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER)	68	SOUTH DECATUR	64
SOUTHWOOD	67	WABASH	56
SULLIVAN	65	SOUTH PUTNAM	61
TAYLOR	50	ROSSVILLE	48
TERRE HAUTE NORTH	52	COLUMBUS NORTH	39
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH	47	PERRY MERIDIAN	28
TIPPECANOE VALLEY	70	NORTHFIELD	32
VINCENNES LINCOLN	45	JASPER	43
WAPAHANI	52	EASTERN HANCOCK	51
WARREN CENTRAL	66	LAWRENCE NORTH	51
WARSAW	47	NORTHRIDGE	41
WASHINGTON TWP.	60	TRI-TWP.	42
WASHINGTON	68	NORTH KNOX	25
WEST NOBLE	77	LAKELAND	49
WEST VIGO	67	NORTH PUTNAM	61	OT
WEST WASHINGTON	48	PERRY CENTRAL	41
WESTERN	61	WEST LAFAYETTE	54
WESTFIELD	59	YORKTOWN	47
WESTVIEW	81	LAVILLE	62
WESTVILLE	52	HOBART	45
ZIONSVILLE	48	BREBEUF JESUIT	35
HENDRICKS COUNTY TOURNAMENT
PLAINFIELD	64	TRI-WEST	43
BROWNSBURG	61	AVON	40
MADISON COUNTY TOURNAMENT
ALEXANDRIA	73	ANDERSON PREP ACADEMY	63	2OT
PENDLETON HEIGHTS	65	ELWOOD	23
LIBERTY CHRISTIAN	49	FRANKTON	41
ANDERSON	79	LAPEL	60
SHELBY COUNTY TOURNAMENT
WALDRON	46	SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)	35
TRITON CENTRAL	78	MORRISTOWN	54
SUGAR CREEK TOURNAMENT
SOUTHMONT	48	WESTERN BOONE	40
CRAWFORDSVILLE	48	NORTH MONTGOMERY	34
WAYNE COUNTY TOURNAMENT
NORTHEASTERN	63	CENTERVILLE	38

INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES

ANGOLA	67	PRAIRIE HEIGHTS	19
BROWN COUNTY	55	EDGEWOOD	41
CARROLL (FLORA)	46	DELPHI	36
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE)	60	FORT WAYNE DWENGER	25
CENTRAL NOBLE	36	GARRETT	17
CHESTERTON	46	MERRILLVILLE	36
CLINTON CENTRAL	58	EASTERN (GREENTOWN)	14
COLUMBIA CITY	47	BELLMONT	46
COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN	59	BLOOMINGTON LIGHTHOUSE	40
COWAN	31	DALEVILLE	28
CROWN POINT	74	MICHIGAN CITY	30
DEKALB	71	NEW HAVEN	41
DECATUR CENTRAL	48	MARTINSVILLE	29
ELKHART	70	SOUTH BEND RILEY	11
FAIRFIELD	42	EASTSIDE	25
FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA	57	FORT WAYNE LUERS	42
FORT WAYNE NORTHROP	79	FORT WAYNE SNIDER	70
FORT WAYNE WAYNE	60	FORT WAYNE NORTH	39
FREMONT	48	CHURUBUSCO	46
GREENCASTLE	45	NORTHVIEW	41
HANOVER CENTRAL	55	HAMMOND NOLL	48
HERITAGE	43	ADAMS CENTRAL	31
HIGHLAND	51	HOBART	28
HOMESTEAD	76	FORT WAYNE SOUTH	25
HUNTINGTON NORTH	71	EAST NOBLE	29
INDIANA DEAF	51	INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON	37
INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD	51	GUERIN CATHOLIC	41
INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA	57	INDIANAPOLIS TECH	36
JAY COUNTY	60	BLUFFTON	35
JIMTOWN	50	SOUTH BEND CLAY	29
KNOX	51	WINAMAC	29
LAKE CENTRAL	66	MISHAWAKA MARIAN	45
LAKELAND	57	WEST NOBLE	48
LEBANON	51	FRANKFORT	14
LOGANSPORT	50	KOKOMO	41
MONROVIA	62	INDIANAPOLIS RITTER	25
MUNCIE CENTRAL	52	LAFAYETTE JEFF	47	OT
NEW PRAIRIE	41	JOHN GLENN	27
NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS)	66	BEN DAVIS	58
NORTHWESTERN	39	EASTBROOK	34
NORWELL	87	LEO	31
OWEN VALLEY	51	CLOVERDALE	19
PARK TUDOR	59	INDIANAPOLIS HERRON	17
PERU	58	NORTH MIAMI	53
PROVIDENCE	61	CLARKSVILLE	27
RICHMOND	36	MARION	27
RIVER FOREST	47	CALUMET	26
ROCK CREEK ACADEMY	59	IRVINGTON PREP ACADEMY	25
SHAWE MEMORIAL	53	OLDENBURG ACADEMY	38
SOUTH ADAMS	57	SOUTHERN WELLS	42
SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON	95	BREMEN	20
SOUTHRIDGE	48	MOUNT VERNON (POSEY)	21
SULLIVAN	59	SOUTH PUTNAM	27
UNIVERSITY	60	HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE)	54
VALPARAISO	55	PORTAGE	30
WASHINGTON TWP.	61	TRI-TWP.	47
WEST VIGO	51	NORTH PUTNAM	44
WHITELAND	50	GREENWOOD	45	OT
HENDRICKS COUNTY TOURNAMENT
DANVILLE	63	TRI-WEST	22
BROWNSBURG	64	AVON	42
HENRY COUNTY TOURNAMENT
BLUE RIVER	59	SHENANDOAH	43
TRI	61	KNIGHTSTOWN	15
RANDOLPH COUNTY TOURNAMENT
UNION CITY	38	RANDOLPH SOUTHERN	31
WINCHESTER	51	MONROE CENTRAL	37
RIPLEY COUNTY TOURNAMENT
JAC-CEN-DEL	71	MILAN	27
BATESVILLE	52	SOUTH RIPLEY	35
RIVERTOWN TOURNAMENT
RISING SUN	49	SOUTH DEARBORN	41
LAWRENCEBURG	56	SWITZERLAND COUNTY	38
WAYNE COUNTY TOURNAMENT
HAGERSTOWN	37	CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN	33

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING SCORES: https://indianamat.com/index.php?/dualresults.html/

TOP 25 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

ELSEWHERE:

BALL STATE 70 AKRON 63

TOLEDO 102 WESTERN MICHIGAN 74

WRIGHT STATE 90 DETROIT 85

OAKLAND 64 NORTHERN KENTUCKY 63

CALIFORNIA 92 STANFORD 70

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD:  http://hosted.stats.com/cbk/scoreboard.asp?conf=-1&day=20230106

TOP 25 WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

COLORADO 77 #8 UTAH 67

#15 ARIZONA 72 OREGON STATE 69

#18 OREGON 82 ARIZONA STATE 62

ELSEWHERE:

CLEVELAND STATE 74 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 56

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: http://hosted.stats.com/wcbk/scoreboard.asp?conf=-1&day=20230106

COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL SCHEDULE

SUNDAY, JAN. 8

FCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP (FRISCO, TEXAS) | 2 P.M. | ABC

MONDAY, JAN. 9

CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA) | ESPN

NFL WEEK 17

SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2023

KANSAS CITY AT LAS VEGAS ESPN/ABC 4:30

TENNESSEE AT JACKSONVILLE ESPN/ABC 8:15

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2023

TAMPA BAY AT ATLANTA FOX 1:00

NEW ENGLAND AT BUFFALO CBS 1:00

MINNESOTA AT CHICAGO FOX 1:00

HOUSTON AT INDIANAPOLIS CBS 1:00

NEW YORK JETS AT MIAMI FOX 1:00

CAROLINA AT NEW ORLEANS FOX 1:00

CLEVELAND AT PITTSBURGH CBS 1:00

BALTIMORE AT CINCINNATI CBS 1:00 OR 4:25

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT DENVER CBS 4:25

NEW YORK GIANTS AT PHILADELPHIA CBS 4:25

ARIZONA AT SAN FRANCISCO FOX 4:25

LOS ANGELES RAMS AT SEATTLE FOX 4:25

DALLAS AT WASHINGTON FOX 4:25

DETROIT AT GREEN BAY NBC 8:20

NBA

INDIANA 108 PORTLAND 99

CHICAGO 126 PHILADELPHIA 112

BROOKLYN 108 NEW ORLEANS 102

CHARLOTTE 138 MILWAUKEE 109

SAN ANTONIO 121 DETROIT 109

OKLAHOMA CITY 127 WASHINGTON 110

DENVER 121 CLEVELAND 108

MINNESOTA 128 LA CLIPPERS 115

MIAMI 114 PHOENIX 96

LA LAKERS 130 ATLANTA 114

BOX SCORES: http://hosted.stats.com/nba/scoreboard.asp

NHL

NASHVILLE 3 WASHINGTON 2

FLORIDA 3 DETROIT 2

WINNIPEG 4 TAMPA BAY 2

CHICAGO 2 ARIZONA 0

CALGARY 4 NY ISLANDERS 1

ANAHEIM 5 SAN JOSE 4

BOX SCORES: http://hosted.stats.com/nhl/scoreboard.asp

TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES

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

BILLS’ HAMLIN BREATHING ON HIS OWN, JOINS TEAM VIA VIDEO

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) It was uplifting enough for the Buffalo Bills staff and players to see Damar Hamlin appear on the video screen in the team’s meeting room Friday – “larger than life,” as coach Sean McDermott put it – for the first time since the safety collapsed and had to be resuscitated on the field.

What sent everyone’s emotions over the top was hearing Hamlin, his mouth and throat still raw shortly after having a breathing tube removed, softly say: ” Love you, boys.”

“Amazing. Touching. To see Damar, number one, through my own eyes, I know it’s something I’ve been looking forward to, kind of needing to see,” McDermott said. “And to see the players’ reaction. They stood up right away and clapped for him and yelled some things at him. It was a pretty cool exchange.”

Four days since his heart stopped after making what appeared to be a routine tackle in a game, the 24-year-old Hamlin from his hospital room in Cincinnati and the Bills enjoyed a moment of jubilation in celebrating the next step in what his doctors have termed a remarkable recovery.

“We got our boy, man. It’s all that matters,” left tackle Dion Dawkins said.

“To see the boy’s face, to see him smile and to see him go like this in the camera,” Dawkins said, flexing his muscles to mimic Hamlin, “it was everything. And then to hear him talk, it was literally everything. That’s what we needed.”

Hamlin is now breathing and walking on his own, and traded in the writing pad he had been using to communicate. Though there is no timetable for his release, Hamlin’s doctors said Thursday that both breathing on his own and showing continued signs of improvement are the final steps for him to be discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Hamlin spent his first two days in the hospital under sedation. Upon being awakened on Wednesday evening, Hamlin was able to follow commands and grip people’s hands. The breathing tube was removed, the team said Friday, and Hamlin’s “neurologic function remains intact.”

The team did not say whether Hamlin’s status remains critical or whether he’s been moved from intensive care.

In what was an expected formality, the Bills placed Hamlin on the season-ending injured reserve list and activated rookie cornerback Christian Benford from IR. Benford has been sidelined since sustaining an oblique injury on Thanksgiving Day.

“The hair on the back of my neck stood up when he said, ‘I love you boys,'” said general manager Brandon Beane, who returned to Buffalo on Thursday after spending the three days at Hamlin’s bedside along with the player’s family.

The turning point in Hamlin’s recovery, for Beane, anyway, came Thursday morning when the two exchanged hugs.

“Just to be able to hug him and the grip strength that he had,” Beane said, before recalling what he told Hamlin’s father, Mario. “I told him, I’m not a crier, but man it was emotional and a lot of grown men in there crying yesterday. Something I’ll never forget.”

The reaction from around the NFL on Friday was just as heart-warming.

“Awesome. It’s probably uplifting for the entire league,” said New York Giants coach Brian Daboll, who spent the previous four seasons as the Bills offensive coordinator. “It gives you a boost because you’re praying so hard for the young man.”

The NFL announced plans to show support for Hamlin during all Week 18 games, including a pregame moment of support, painting Hamlin’s No. 3 on the 30-yard line and pregame shirts with “Love for Damar 3.” The Bills will also wear “3” jersey patches.

New York Jets rookie cornerback Sauce Gardner was already planning to wear Hamlin’s No. 3 jersey during warmups before the team’s game at Miami on Sunday.

“What a warrior. He’s so strong, a fighter for sure,” Gardner said. “I was just so happy he was able to come back to the world.”

Interacting with Hamlin gave the Bills (12-3) some encouragement and allowed them to turn their attention to the season-ending home game against the New England Patriots (8-8) on Sunday.

“It’s going to be a celebration of life and an ongoing life,” Beane said, looking ahead.

“It’s not only going to be a celebration of Buffalo, but the whole country, and I’m sure people internationally that have watched this situation,” he added. “It’s going to be a cool deal, and the only thing better is if Damar was out there by then. I don’t know if that would happen, but anyway, we’re excited for Sunday.”

The sight of Hamlin collapsing, which was broadcast to a North American TV audience on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” has led to an outpouring of support from fans and players from across the league. Fans, team owners and players – including Tom Brady and Russell Wilson – have made donations to Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation, which had raised just short of $8 million by Friday afternoon.

HEART SCREENING MAY NOT HAVE PREVENTED HAMLIN’S COLLAPSE

Quick on-the-field emergency care from well-rehearsed medical personnel is widely credited with helping save Damar Hamlin’s life. But whether his cardiac arrest could have been prevented is much less certain.

Doctors say they’re still evaluating what caused Hamlin’s heart to stop after a tackle during Monday night’s game in Cincinnati. One possibility — a fluke type of chest trauma called commotio cordis — is impossible to predict or prevent.

Existing heart conditions are the most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes. Some of them can be detected through tests including EKGs, which measure the heart’s electrical activity, and echocardiograms, ultrasound imaging exams that show how the heart muscle and valves are working.

These tests can’t detect all heart conditions and sometimes overlook ones that can be deadly. They are routine in professional sports and used by about half of NCAA programs, said Dr. Andrew Peterson, a team physician for the University of Iowa.

The American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatrics don’t recommend them for routine use in high school and youth sports because false-positive results would exclude too many athletes, Peterson said.

Routine physical exams should include questions about family history of heart disease and worrisome symptoms including fainting episodes, rapid heart rate and chest pain during activity, said Dr. Mariell Jessup, the heart association’s chief medical officer. Cardiac tests would be warranted to investigate those symptoms, she said.

“It’s possible for somebody to get all the way to adulthood and not have their diagnosis made,” she noted. “That particularly happens in populations that are under-resourced or don’t have the ability to see a physician on a regular basis.”

Hamlin’s health history has not been made public. The 24-year-old Buffalo Bills safety remains hospitalized, but doctors say he’s making remarkable progress, talking and breathing on his own.

Jessup said Hamlin “was extraordinarily lucky that there were people around who knew CPR” and that it was started right away.

He also benefited from the NFL’s routine emergency medical drills held at stadiums before each game.

“The meeting is an essential checkpoint to ensure officials, team medical staff and gameday medical personnel are aware of all in-game player health and safety procedures and resources,” according to online NFL player health and safety information.

Sudden cardiac arrest is among the things for which they try to prepare. It is the leading medical cause of death in young athletes, though it is rare, with an estimated 1 sudden cardiac death in 50,000 to 80,000 young athletes each year.

A rare cause of these deaths is commotio cordis, which occurs when someone receives a sharp blow to the chest in a certain spot during a specific time of the heart’s rhythm cycle. The trauma causes the heart to quiver and stop pumping blood efficiently. It used to be nearly always fatal but awareness has improved survival to about 60%, said Dr. Mark Link of UT Southwestern Medical Center in Texas.

One of the most common heart conditions involved in athlete cardiac arrests can often be detected in echocardiograms. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a genetic condition that can cause part of the heart muscle to thicken, making it harder for the heart to pump blood. Affected people don’t always have symptoms and often go undiagnosed.

Former Baylor basketball player King McClure had no idea he was affected until he had a EKG and echocardiogram at the start of his freshman year in 2015.

The diagnosis was devastating: Doctors said he could die if he continued playing. One physician offered an option — an implanted defibrillator that shocks the heart to restore normal heartbeats.

The implanted device “has never activated, by the grace of God,” said McClure, now 26 and an ESPN analyst.

McClure said he saw Hamlin’s collapse and thought, “that could have been me. When you see things like that that hit so close to home, it kind of scares you,” he said. “I’m just thankful that Hamlin is OK and that he’s still here.”

Julie West, of La Porte, Indiana, became an advocate for routine heart testing in schools, more widespread use of automated external defibrillators and routine cardiac emergency drills after her 17-year-old son, Jake, died of sudden cardiac arrest during football practice in 2013.

“For Jake, no one really knew what to do right away,” she said. “The AED was in the coach’s office. The coaches stepped in and did CPR,” but it was too late.

AED awareness has increased since then, and AED procedures are emphasized at almost all level of sport, even high schools.

“It is part of our CPR renewal course,” said Eric McCauliffe, the girls varsity basketball coach at Indian Lake-Long Lake in upstate New York. “We absolutely run through it and quiz coaches on the locations of AEDs at each school as well.”

An autopsy revealed Jake had a rare hereditary heart condition that didn’t cause symptoms and wasn’t picked up during routine physical exams. His sister later had testing that revealed she has the same condition and she now wears an implanted defibrillator.

West was a teacher when Jake died and says she was trained for active shooters and fires, but not cardiac arrests.

“If they don’t have a cardiac response plan, they’re not prepared,” she said.

She formed a foundation that organizes EKG and echocardiogram screenings at Indiana schools.

West knows the tests aren’t perfect, but for her, saving one life is worth it.

NFL OWNERS APPROVE PLAYOFF PLAN AFTER BILLS-BENGALS CANCELED

(AP) — NFL owners have approved a resolution that could lead to a neutral site for the AFC championship in response to the cancellation of Monday night’s Bills-Bengals game after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field.

The league held a special meeting Friday to consider the recommendation of Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league’s competition committee.

“We believe this is a focused approach that would only affect four teams and directly address the potential for competitive inequity resulting from 30 teams playing 17 games and two playing 16 games,” Goodell said in a video conference call. “It was critical for the owners to vote (Friday) so that clubs going into this weekend what they’re playing for.”

The league chose to cancel the Bills-Bengals game instead of resuming it this week or next week to avoid disrupting the start of the postseason and impacting the remainder of the playoff field.

Hamlin is breathing on his own and able to talk after having his breathing tube removed, his agent said Friday. It’s the latest step in his remarkable recovery in the four days since going into cardiac arrest during the game at Cincinnati. Hamlin even joined the Bills’ team meeting via videoconference.

The Bills-Bengals game had major playoff implications for the AFC. Buffalo (12-3) entered Monday night needing a win to maintain the AFC’s No. 1 seed. The Kansas City Chiefs (13-3) now hold that spot. The Bengals (11-4) had a chance to earn that top seed with two more wins and a loss by the Chiefs.

The AFC championship will be played at a neutral site if the participating teams played an unequal number of games and both could have been the No. 1 seed and hosted the game had all AFC clubs played a full 17-game regular season.

The league is considering several sites, including indoor and outdoor stadiums.

Those circumstances involve Buffalo or Cincinnati qualifying for the game as a road team. If Buffalo and Kansas City both win or tie this weekend, a Bills-Chiefs AFC title game would be at a neutral site.

If Buffalo and Kansas City both lose and Baltimore wins or ties, a Bills-Chiefs AFC title game would be at a neutral site.

If Buffalo and Kansas City both lose and Cincinnati wins, Bills or Bengals against Kansas City in the AFC title game would be at a neutral site.

Also, if Baltimore defeats Cincinnati in Week 18, the Ravens would have two wins over the Bengals, a divisional opponent, but Cincinnati will have a higher winning percentage for a 16-game schedule than Baltimore will for a 17-game schedule.

Therefore, if Baltimore defeats Cincinnati and those two clubs are schedule to play a wild-card game against each another, the site for that game would be determined by a coin toss.

If the Bengals win this weekend or if Baltimore and Cincinnati are not scheduled to play each other in the wild-card round, the game sites would be determined by the regular scheduling procedures.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor made it clear the team isn’t happy with the league changing the rules. The NFL’s 2022 policy manual for game operations states “a team’s standing in its division or in its conference” will be determined by winning percentage if a game is canceled. Due to the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the canceled game, the league proposed new rules.

“We just want the rules to be followed,” Taylor said. “When a game is canceled, you turn to winning percentage to clarify everything, so we don’t have to make up the rules. There’s several instances this season when the club is fined, or people in our building are fined, and we’re told to follow the rules. It’s black and white. It’s in the rule book. So, when you’re told we’re going to change that, I don’t want to hear about fair and equitable in that case.”

Rich McKay, the NFL competition committee chairman, said the teams had some input in the process. Katie Blackburn, the executive vice president for the Bengals, told the committee the team wasn’t in favor of the proposal.

“She made a presentation, pretty eloquent and made her points,” McKay said. “There was plenty (consideration) given to them because they are the affected team so you wanted to hear from them. I think on the neutral-site situation, basically all three teams going in had to kind of agree they were OK with that situation. Didn’t mean they’re going to vote for it, but they were OK with it. And so that always obviously helps with making a proposal like that.”

BROWNS DONE WITH JADEVEON CLOWNEY AFTER CRITICAL COMMENTS

BEREA, Ohio (AP) Jadeveon Clowney’s last move with the Cleveland Browns happened off the field – a public bashing born of frustration and disappointment.

The team countered accordingly.

Clowney was sent home from practice on Friday, one day after he harshly criticized the organization and coaching staff in an explosive interview that effectively ended his second season in Cleveland just ahead of the finale in Pittsburgh.

Coach Kevin Stefanski refused to directly address Clowney’s status – or provide any specifics about his decision to punish the defensive end – as the Browns (7-9), who always seem to be embroiled in drama, prepared to face the Steelers (8-8) on Sunday.

However, Stefanski did indicate Clowney won’t be on the trip.

“Nothing comes above the team,” he said.

Angry that he wasn’t being showcased more in Cleveland’s defense, Clowney said in an interview Thursday with cleveland.com that he didn’t feel appreciated and was “95% sure” he wasn’t coming back for a third season.

Clowney further claimed the Browns have given four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Myles Garrett preferential treatment and were focused only on getting him to the Hall of Fame. He added he needs to be around “somebody that believes in me and my ability.”

Clowney made it clear he has no personal issues with Garrett, who has 15 sacks going into the Week 18 matchup with Pittsburgh.

Garrett said he understood that Clowney wanted to be more productive, but was disappointed in how his teammate ultimately expressed it.

“This is our team,” Garrett said. “He’s my brother. He’s my teammate and I wish we could have talked about this man-to-man and to us as coaches as well. Could have sat us all down and had just a conversation and that would’ve probably been the way I would’ve handled it.

“But hindsight is 20/20. He’s feeling a lot of emotion towards what has been a season of ups and downs and there’s no perfect way to handle things. But I wish he would’ve handled a little bit differently.”

Garrett said his relationship with Clowney remains “cordial” and he didn’t take the comments to heart.

Asked if he would welcome Clowney back at any point, Garrett said: “We want volunteers, not hostages.”

“If you feel like no one believes in you here,” Garrett said, “then go where you feel like you’re wanted and loved and appreciated.”

Clowney revived his career last season in Cleveland, recording nine sacks – his most since 2018 – and pairing with Garrett up front to give the Browns one of the NFL’s most feared pass rushes.

He re-signed as a free agent for $11 million with the Browns in May, but Clowney’s second season didn’t go the way he or the team had hoped. A few games in, he expressed disappointment that the Browns were changing his assignment during in games in order to give Garrett more favorable matchups.

Because Garrett is one of the game’s premiere players, it made sense for the Browns to move him to expose an opponent’s weakness. Clowney didn’t see it that way.

Defensive line coach Chris Kiffin revealed that Clowney refused to play on any down other than third in the Oct. 23 game at Baltimore. He was benched for the first series the following week against Cincinnati for his behavior.

Kiffin said the decision to move Garrett around is natural.

“We’re going to put our best player in the best position to win,” he said.

Kiffin also disagreed with Clowney’s assertion that Garrett was treated differently.

“It was a frustrating season for all of us – everybody in this organization, defensively and for him,” Kiffin said. “Obviously, he didn’t have the production he had last year so he is frustrated. The way he went about it I don’t agree with, but we are here today dealing with it.”

Clowney came to the Browns’ facility and attended a position meeting with his fellow defensive lineman before being told to leave.

Kiffin said he spoke with Clowney before he was dismissed by Stefanski.

“l’ll just say I addressed the room that I thought he handled it the wrong way as a man,” Kiffin said.

The upheaval surrounding Clowney is similar to last season’s messy situation with wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who was suspended by the Browns and eventually traded after weeks of drama.

Stefanski doesn’t think there’s a disconnect between his players and staff.

“Every team, all 32, we all deal with things throughout the season,” he said. “Sometimes they stay in house and you deal with them, and sometimes they don’t. That is very similar to family. That is what we do. We operate as a family. Sometimes you make tough decisions, but that is what we are trying to do.”

Clowney was the No. 1 overall pick in 2014 by Houston. He spent five seasons with the Texans before playing one year with Seattle and Tennessee.

NOTES: Starting RT Jack Conklin will miss the finale with an ankle injury. He’ll be replaced by James Hudson, who was beaten by Steelers star T.J. Watt for four sacks in last year’s game at Pittsburgh. … CB Denzel Ward is questionable with a shoulder injury.

EAGLES QB JALEN HURTS ‘TRENDING’ TOWARD STARTING VS GIANTS

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is “trending in the right direction” toward starting Sunday against the Giants after he missed the last two games with a sprained right shoulder.

Coach Nick Sirianni declined to commit to Hurts as the starter as the Eagles (13-3) try and clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a win over New York. Hurts had limited participation in practice this week for the first time since he was injured.

“He’s trending in the right direction and we feel good about it,” Sirianni said Friday. “The major thing is, I don’t have to tell (the media) yet. It’s really going to be if he’s ready to play or not.”

Hurts was injured three weeks ago on a hard tackle in a win against the Chicago Bears. The Eagles lost both games with Gardner Minshew.

Hurts has thrown 22 touchdowns and has 3,472 yards passing, rushing for 747 yards and 13 touchdowns. His 35 total touchdowns this season tied the franchise record set by Randall Cunningham in 1990.

“He’s done a little bit more this week,” Sirianni said. “I thought he threw the ball well last week. But you talk about the healing going on, it’s the things you can’t see. Everything is taken into account. We’re not going to put anybody out there if they’re going to hurt themselves worse than what it already is.”

TAGOVAILOA OUT, ROOKIE THOMPSON TO START FOR MIAMI VS. JETS

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will miss his second straight game with a concussion and rookie Skylar Thompson is expected to start Sunday against the New York Jets, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Friday.

The Dolphins also are hoping that Teddy Bridgewater, who dislocated the pinky finger in his throwing hand when he started in Tagovailoa’s place at New England last week, could back up Thompson on Sunday.

“Teddy has been unbelievable in his rehabilitation,” McDaniel said.

It is a must-win game this week for the Dolphins, the losers of five straight but are still vying for the AFC’s final wild-card spot. Miami could clinch its first playoff berth since 2016 with win at home against the Jets plus a New England loss to Buffalo.

Tagovailoa suffered his second known concussion of the season in a loss on Christmas to Green Bay and remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol. He was concussed on Sept. 29 against Cincinnati on a hit that knocked him unconscious.

Bridgewater completed 12 of 19 passes for 161 yards, a touchdown and an interception returned for a touchdown against the Patriots last weekend before exiting late in the third quarter. Thompson threw for 104 yards on 12-of-21 passing with a touchdown and interception.

Earlier this week, the Dolphins signed veteran quarterback Mike Glennon to their practice squad amid the injuries to their quarterbacks.

McDaniel said this week that he feels Thompson, who will make his second start of the season, performs best with sufficient practice reps to prepare.

“His job is to play a part,” McDaniel said, “and I know his part, if directed in the right way and it’s his best effort, is plenty good enough to get done what needs to get done.”

**********SATURDAY NFL CAPSULES**********

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (13-3) @ LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (6-10)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER Chiefs lead all-time series, 69-53-2

STREAKS Chiefs have won past 4

LAST GAME 10/10/22: Raiders 29 at Chiefs 30

LAST GAME AT SITE 11/14/21: Chiefs 41, Raiders 14

CHIEFS NOTES:

LAST WEEK W 27-24 vs. Denver

COACH VS. OPP. Andy Reid: 17-5

PTS. FOR 29.1

OFFENSE 417.7

PASSING Patrick Mahomes: 417-622-5,048-40-12-105.2

RUSHING Isiah Pacheco (R): 162-766-4.7-4

RECEIVING Travis Kelce (TE): 104-1,300-12.5-12

PTS. AGAINST 22.3

DEFENSE 331.3

SACKS Chris Jones: 13

INTs L’Jarius Sneed: 3

TAKE/GIVE -5 (18/23)

PUNTING (NET) Tommy Townsend: 50.5 (45.5)

KICKING Harrison Butker: 85 (34/37 PAT; 17/23 FG)

KANSAS CITY clinched 7th-consecutive AFC West division title, tied with 1973-79 Los Angeles Rams for 2nd-longest streak of division titles in NFL history. Became 3rd team ever with 12+ wins in 5 straight seasons. • QB PATRICK MAHOMES passed for 328 yards & 3 TDs vs. INT with 106.1 rating, his 10th game with 300+ pass yards this season, most in NFL. Aims for 5th in row with 2+ TD passes & 4th in row with 105+ rating. Has 956 pass yards (318.7 per game) & 11 TDs vs. 0 INTs with 127.3 rating in his past 3 starts vs. LV. Passed for 406 yards & 5 TDs in last road meeting. Leads NFL with 5,048 pass yards & 40 TD passes & joined Drew Brees as only QBs ever with 5,000+ pass yards & 40+ TD passes in 2 seasons. • RB ISIAH PACHECO (rookie) had 4th rush TD of season last week. Has 90+ scrimmage yards in 3 of past 4. Ranks 4th among rookie RBs with 896 scrimmage yards. • RB JERICK MCKINNON had 52 rec. yards & 2 rec. TDs in Week 17 & is 1st RB since 1970 with rec. TD in 5 straight games. Leads RBs with 8 rec. TDs in 2022, tied-4th most by RB in a season in SB era. • TE TRAVIS KELCE leads TEs with 104 catches & 1,300 rec. yards in 2022, his 3rd season with 100+ catches & 1,300+ rec. yards, both most-ever by TE. Had career high 4 rec. TDs in Week 5 meeting. Has 50+ rec. yards in all 8 road games this season. • DT CHRIS JONES had 13th sack of season last week & aims for 3rd in row with sack. Has 6 sacks in 5 games vs. division in 2022. • DE GEORGE KARLAFTIS (rookie) aims for 3rd in row with sack & has sack in 5 of past 6. • LB NICK BOLTON aims for 3rd in row with 10+ tackles. Ranks 2nd in NFL with 165 tackles. • CB TRENT MCDUFFIE (rookie) had 7 tackles & 1st-career sack & FF in Week 17.

RAIDERS NOTES:

LAST WEEK: L 37-34 vs. San Francisco (OT)

COACH VS. OPP. Josh McDaniels: 2-3

PTS. FOR 23.9

OFFENSE 357.1

PASSING Jarrett Stidham: 31-47-437-3-2-99.3

RUSHING Josh Jacobs: 323-1,608-5.0-12

RECEIVING Davante Adams: 95-1,443-15.2-14

PTS. AGAINST 24.2

DEFENSE 366.7

SACKS Maxx Crosby: 11.5

INTs Duron Harmon, Amik Robertson: 2

TAKE/GIVE -6 (13/19)

PUNTING (NET) AJ Cole: 48.5 (43.4)

KICKING Daniel Carlson: 130 (34/35 PAT; 32/35 FG)

QB JARRETT STIDHAM passed for 365 yards & 3 TDs vs. 2 INTs with 108.1 rating in 1st-career start last week & joined Mike White as only QBs since 1950 with 350+ pass yards & 3+ TD passes in 1st-career start. • RB JOSH JACOBS had 95 scrimmage yards (69 rush, 26 rec.) & rush TD last week. Is 1 of 3 in NFL (Nick Chubb & Austin Ekeler) with 50+ scrimmage yards in 16 games this season. Had 193 scrimmage yards (154 rush, 39 rec.) & rush TD in Week 5 meeting. Aims for his 5th in row vs. division with 150+ scrimmage yards. Has 872 scrimmage yards (124.6 per game) & 8 rush TDs in 7 home games this season. Leads NFL with 2,003 scrimmage yards & joined HOFer Marcus Allen (1985) as only players in franchise history with 2,000+ scrimmage yards in single season. • WR DAVANTE ADAMS had 7 catches for 153 yards & 2 TDs last week, his 5th game with 100+ rec. yards & 2+ rec. TDs this season, tied 2nd-most in season in NFL history. Had 124 rec. yards & 2 rec. TDs in Week 5 meeting. Has 100+ rec. yards in each of 5 division games this season. Leads NFL with 14 rec. TDs this season. • TE DARREN WALLER had 72 rec. yards & TD catch in Week 17. Aims for 3rd in row with 55+ rec. yards & has TD catch in 2 of past 3. • DE MAXX CROSBY had 2 sacks & 3 TFL in Week 5 meeting. Has 2 sacks in 3 of his past 4 vs. division. Leads NFL with 20 TFL this season. • DE CLELIN FERRELL aims for 3rd in row with TFL. • CB AMIK ROBERTSON had 2nd INT of season in Week 17. Has PD in 2 of past 3. • S DURON HARMON had season-best 9 tackles last week. Aims for 4th in row with 5+ tackles.

TENNESSEE TITANS (7-9) @ JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (8-8)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER Titans lead all-time series, 33-22

STREAKS Titans have won 5 of past 6

LAST GAME 12/11/22: Jaguars 36 at Titans 22

LAST GAME AT SITE 10/10/21: Titans 37, Jaguars 19

TITANS NOTES:

LAST WEEK L 27-13 vs. Dallas (Thurs.)

COACH VS. OPP. Mike Vrabel: 6-4

PTS. FOR 17.6

OFFENSE 295.8

PASSING Joshua Dobbs: 20-39-232-1-1-67.5

RUSHING Derrick Henry: 319-1,429-4.5-13

RECEIVING Robert Woods: 49-487-9.9-2

PTS. AGAINST 21.2

DEFENSE 359.8

SACKS Denico Autry: 8

INTs Kevin Byard: 4

TAKE/GIVE -2 (19/21)

PUNTING (NET) Ryan Stonehouse (R): 53.0 (44.0)

KICKING Randy Bullock: 69 (27/27 PAT; 14/17 FG)

QB JOSHUA DOBBS passed for 232 yards with TD vs. INT in 1st-career start last week. • RB DERRICK HENRY had 155 scrimmage yards (121 rush, 34 rec.) & rush TD in Week 14 meeting & aims for his 4th in row vs. Jax. with 120+ rush yards & rush TD. Has rush TD in 6 of his past 7 vs. Jax. Has 794 scrimmage yards (158.8 per game) & 5 rush TDs in 5 division games this season. Has rush TD in 7 of 8 road games in 2022. Ranks 3rd in NFL with 1,429 rush yards & tied-2nd with 13 rush TDs & can become 1st player ever with 1,500+ rush yards & 15+ rush TDs in 3 seasons. • WR ROBERT WOODS led team with 5 catches & had 2nd rec. TD of season last week. Has 5+ catches in each of 4 career games vs. Jax. Needs 13 rec. yards for 10thstraight season with 500+ rec. yards. • WR TREYLON BURKS (rookie) led team with 66 rec. yards in Week 17. • WR NICK WESTBROOK-IKHINE & TE CHIGOZIEM OKONKWO each had TD catch in Week 14 meeting. • TE AUSTIN HOOPER has 65+ rec. yards in 2 of 3 career games vs. Jax. • DT JEFFERY SIMMONS had 2 PD in Week 14 meeting & aims for his 4th in row vs. Jax. with PD. Has TFL in 2 of his past 3 vs. Jax. • DL DENICO AUTRY had sack in his last game vs. Jax. (12/12/21) & has 5 sacks in his past 3 games at Jax. Has TFL in 3 of 4 games vs. division this season. • LB MONTY RICE had career-high 13 tackles & TFL last week. • S KEVIN BYARD had 4th-career game with 2+ INTs last week. Aims for 4th in row with 5+ tackles. Has PD in 3 of past 4 overall & aims for his 4th in row vs. Jax. with PD. Since 2017, ranks 2nd in NFL with 27 INTs.

JAGS NOTES:

LAST WEEK: W 31-3 at Houston

COACH VS. OPP. Doug Pederson: 1-1

PTS. FOR 24.0

OFFENSE 365.8

PASSING Trevor Lawrence: 367-552-3,901-24-8-95.4

RUSHING Travis Etienne: 213-1,108-5.2-5

RECEIVING Christian Kirk: 78-1,009-12.9-7

PTS. AGAINST 20.9

DEFENSE 355.9

SACKS Josh Allen: 6

INTs Many tied: 3

TAKE/GIVE +4 (24/21)

PUNTING (NET) Logan Cooke: 49.2 (43.3)

KICKING Riley Patterson: 118 (34/35 PAT; 28/33 FG)

QB TREVOR LAWRENCE completed 17 of 21 atts. (81 pct.) last week. Passed for career-high 368 yards with 3 TDs vs. 0 INTs & 121.9 rating in Week 14 meeting. Has 90+ rating in 2 of 3 career starts vs. Ten. Has 110+ rating in 2 of past 3 vs. division. Has 8 TDs vs. INT with 117 rating in his past 3 home starts. Has rush TD in each of 2 career starts in primetime. Needs 99 pass yards to become 3rd Jax. QB ever (Blake Bortles & Mark Brunell) with 4,000+ pass yards in season. • RB TRAVIS ETIENNE had 140 scrimmage yards (108 rush, 32 rec.) & rush TD last week. Aims for 4th in row with 100+ scrimmage yards & has 100+ scrimmage yards in 5 of his past 6 at home. Is 4th Jax. player ever with 1,100+ rush yards in single season. • WR CHRISTIAN KIRK aims for his 3rd in row vs. Ten. with 5+ catches. Has 75+ rec. yards in 2 of his past 3 at home. Has career-highs in catches (78), rec. yards (1,009) & rec. TDs (7) this season. • WR MARVIN JONES aims for his 3rd in row at home with rec. TD. • TE EVAN ENGRAM had 11 catches for career-high 162 rec. yards & 2 rec. TDs in Week 14 meeting & aims for his 3rd in row vs. Ten. with 75+ rec. yards. Ranks 4th among TEs with career-highs in catches (69) & rec. yards (739) this season. • LB FOYESADE OLUOKUN had 9 tackles & PD last week & has 9+ tackles in 5 of past 6. Aims for 3rd in row with PD. Leads NFL with 171 tackles this season. • LB DEVIN LLOYD ranks tied-2nd among rookies with 112 tackles. • DE/LB JOSH ALLEN had sack & career-high 3rd FF of season last week. Has sack in 3 of past 4. Had sack & FR in Week 14 meeting. • S RAYSHAWN JENKINS aims for 4th in row with 5+ tackles & 3rd in row with TFL.

************COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS*************

MICHIGAN: NCAA LOOKING INTO POTENTIAL FOOTBALL INFRACTIONS

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) Michigan announced Friday that it has received notice from the NCAA that it is looking into potential rules infractions in the Wolverines football program.

Athletic director Warde Manuel said the “draft allegations” were received Thursday.

“We have cooperated and will continue to cooperate with this investigation,” Manuel said. “Out of respect to the NCAA’s enforcement process, we will not offer further comments.”

The investigation is believed to involve impermissible texts and calls – including some by coach Jim Harbaugh – to high school prospects during part of a pandemic-related dead period for contact with potential recruits, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The NCAA was also looking at whether a member of Michigan’s off-field football staff violated rules by doing on-the-field coaching during practice, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because Michigan officials were not making details of the investigation public.

The announcement came a day after Harbaugh said he expects to coach at Michigan next season, posting a statement on the team’s social media accounts following reports of his interest in returning to the NFL.

“I am aware of the rumors and speculation over the past few days,” Harbaugh said. “College and NFL teams have great interest in all our personnel, from players to coaches to staff, and I truly believe that is a testament to the strength of our University of Michigan football program.”

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper had a conversation with Harbaugh about the team’s head coaching position, according to a second person familiar with the situation who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the Panthers do not typically release details of their coaching search.

Harbaugh also has been mentioned as a possible candidate to coach in Denver and Indianapolis, one of four teams he played quarterback for in the league from 1987 to 2000.

“As I stated in December, while no one knows what the future holds, I expect that I will be enthusiastically coaching Michigan in 2023,” Harbaugh said. “I have spoken with president Santa Ono and athletic director Warde Manuel and appreciate their support of me and our program.”

Harbaugh coached the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2014, winning two NFC West titles and reaching the NFC championship game three times in four seasons. He was 44-19-1 during that span and helped the 49ers get to the Super Bowl a decade ago, where they lost 34-31 to the Baltimore Ravens, led by his brother, John.

Jim Harbaugh left the 49ers after going 8-8 in 2014 – the only season the 49ers didn’t make the postseason under his direction – to take the job at Michigan.

The 59-year-old Harbaugh has a 74-25 record in eight seasons with the Wolverines, who were 13-0 this season before getting beat by TCU in a College Football Playoffs semifinal. Harbaugh also spent four seasons as head coach of Stanford and three more at San Diego.

Harbaugh was the AP NFL Coach of the Year in 2011 and AP College Coach of the Year in 2021.

COLUMN: A ROUND OF APPLAUSE, PLEASE, FOR PLAYOFF-CRASHER TCU

Let’s all give a round of applause to TCU, the interloper at this year’s national championship game.

The Horned Frogs might not win the title — reigning champ Georgia is a two-touchdown favorite heading into the game Monday night — but they’ve given the College Football Playoff something it desperately needed.

Variety.

Face it, the last thing we needed was another rematch of teams from the same conference.

“I’ve always believed that the cream rises and the more opportunities that schools outside of the traditional brands get, the more those schools can become traditional brands,” TCU coach Sonny Dykes said.

The four-team CFP has been largely monopolized by a exclusive cabal of powerful programs during its first eight years of existence.

Alabama has played in the title game a whopping six times. Clemson reached the finale four times. Ohio State and Georgia were two-time finalists before this season. The only other schools to make it this far were Oregon in the very first year of the playoff and LSU, which capped its dominating 2019 season with a crown.

Most annoying of all, a pair of national title showdowns were simply do-overs of Southeastern Conference championship games between Alabama and Georgia.

Great for the SEC.

Not so much for the rest of the nation.

Now comes TCU, which is technically part of the Power Five group of conferences that rule the sport but sure feels like an outsider.

“I think it’s great to have a new face,” said ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, who will call the championship game at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles. “Not only just a new face, but their story and what they had to do to get here.”

The TCU journey is much more than what the Horned Frogs accomplished this season, going from unranked at the start of the year to becoming the first Big 12 school to win a playoff game and earn a shot at the title.

The small, private school from Fort Worth, Texas, has been a vagabond in this era of conference realignment.

First, the Horned Frogs were tossed from their longtime home when the Southwest Conference collapsed in the 1990s. Jilted by an expanded Big 12, they bounced from the Western Athletic Conference to Conference USA to the Mountain West Conference in search of a stable home.

After initially accepting an invite to move again, to the Big East, TCU wound up jumping instead to the Big 12 when that league — desperate for new members to ensure its survival — finally came calling in 2012.

“Man, it just doesn’t seem that long ago TCU was in the Mountain West and trying to get respect from people around the country,” Herbstreit recalled.

That quest for respect can be traced to the 2010 season, when the Horned Frogs finished 13-0 and No. 2 in the national rankings.

Who knows what might’ve been if the playoff had come along sooner? But that was the BCS era, when only two teams got an opportunity to play for the championship, and the big boys weren’t about to let a Mountain West school storm their club.

Auburn beat Oregon in the championship game, while TCU had to be content with a Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin.

“I think that really helped their brand that day and then eventually to join the Big 12,” Herbstreit said, though he quickly added: “A lot of people still don’t respect them.”

Indeed, even after the Horned Frogs were selected for the playoff — despite an overtime loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 title game for their only defeat so far — the focus was squarely on No. 1 Georgia’s bid to repeat as champion and the possibility that Big Ten rivals Michigan and Ohio State could meet again in the title game.

That scenario fell apart when the unbeaten Wolverines were knocked off by TCU in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal and Georgia, of course, finished off the Big Ten with its comeback win over the Buckeyes.

Finally, we’ve got a true Cinderella playing for the championship.

“If you’re really taking a poll with Georgia fans, they don’t know a whole lot about TCU,” Herbstreit said. “To me that’s fun. Because they’re not going to back down, I assure you, and they’re incredibly confident, and I think it’s going to be a great game.”

There could be a lot more great games when the CFP expands from four to 12 teams for the 2024 season, not to mention the hope that even more fresh faces will get a shot at winning it all.

It may sound a bit farfetched, but maybe a program such as Tulane — which knocked off mighty Southern Cal in the Cotton Bowl — follows the path laid out by Gonzaga in men’s basketball, a once-obscure school that built its reputation through countless tournament appearances and, eventually, a couple of trips to the championship game.

“There’s a lot of good football teams that deserve to be in the playoff,” Dykes said. “If you exclude them, it’s hard to break in.”

His voice rose with excitement as he looked ahead to a playoff expanded three-fold.

“You can’t help but look at how much fun it’s going to be when we get to that 12,” Dykes said. “The best thing, it’s going to include more people. And I’m a big believer in inclusion.”

Until then, another round of applause for TCU.

The Horned Frogs already made this playoff a winner.

CFP MATCHUPS: RUNNIN’ DUGGAN; UGA’S TES; QUENTIN VS. KELEE

TCU is looking to pull another upset. Georgia is trying to win a second straight national title.

The third-ranked Horned Frogs and top-ranked Bulldogs face off in the College Football Playoff championship game Monday night at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Georgia is a 12 1/2-point favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. That’s down a point from were it opened after Saturday night’s thrilling CFP semifinals.

The Frogs were about a touchdown underdog against No. 2 Michigan in the semifinals, and have embraced being underestimated.

“Definitely gave us a little bit of extra juice,” Frogs offensive lineman Wes Harris said.

How TCU’s offensive line holds up against the big, bad Bulldogs’ defensive front is one of several key matchups likely to determine which team wins the national title.

UP FRONT

Ask Big 12 coaches what someone might overlook about TCU and they point to the guys up front on offense.

“The biggest slight I thought was (to) TCU’s o-line,” West Virginia coach Neal Brown said. “I think they’re very good up front.”

Left guard Steve Avila is an All-American. Tackles Brandon Coleman (6-foot-6, 325 pounds) and Andrew Coker (6-7, 315) are even bigger than Georgia’s tackles.

The line is also loaded with experience. They have all been in college at least four years.

Avila and Co. paved the way for 263 yards rushing against Michigan. The challenge against Georgia will be greater.

More so than maybe any defense in college football, coach Kirby Smart’s ’Dawgs are going to take away the run. They are sound when it comes to filling gaps and they do so with big and athletic linemen and linebackers, led by All-American Jalen Carter.

The 300-pound defensive tackle might be the best player in college football, regardless of position.

RUN GAME

Only two opponents this season gained more than 4.0 yards per carry in a game against Georgia. None reached 5.0. TCU averages 5.32 yards per carry, 15th in the country.

Emari Demercado (150 yards on 17 carries) had a career game against Michigan after leading-rusher Kendre Miller (1,399 and 17 touchdowns this season) went out with a knee injury. TCU coach Sonny Dykes called Miller questionable earlier this week.

Regardless of who is lining at tailback for TCU, Heisman Trophy runner-up Max Duggan will need to get involved in the running game for the Frogs.

“You’ve got to play 11-on-11 when it comes to Georgia,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. “You’re not going to go out there and just traditionally turn around and hand the ball off, throw the ball downfield. The quarterback is going to have to affect the game with his feet.”

MATCH-UP NIGHTMARES

Two of Georgia’s four leading receivers are tight ends and they help the Bulldogs create all kinds of mismatches for quarterback Stetson Bennett to exploit.

Brock Bowers is 6-4, 230 pounds with wide receiver athleticism and the ability to run like a tailback. Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken lines up Bowers all over, including in the backfield. The sophomore leads the team with 56 catches for 790 yards.

“Hybrid players cause problems for the defense because they have to realize and try to figure out what position he’s playing,” former Florida coach and ESPN analyst Dan Mullen said on The AP Top 25 College Football Podcast.

Mullen said a defense might want to roll coverage to Bowers and double-team team him, but that becomes a challenge without having a good idea of where he is lining up from play to play.

Darnell Washington is Georgia’s more traditional tight end, but he is far from typical.

At 6-7, 270 pounds, Washington is powerful enough to block like a tackle and nimble enough to send down the seam of a defense. Washington left the Ohio State game in the first quarter with an left ankle. Smart said this week he was hopeful Washington could play against TCU.

There was much chatter last week about how TCU’s 3-3-5 defense would hold up against Michigan’s power running game. The Frogs gave up a bunch of big plays, but they kept the Wolverines from churning out yards on the ground and staying on schedule offensively.

Playing with three safeties, along with star cornerback Tre Hodges-Tomlinson, might benefit the Frogs against Georgia, which runs much of its offense with one running back and two tight ends on the field.

The Frogs want to avoid having Bowers matched against a linebacker. Then again, having Bowers and Washington rumbling through a bunch of defensive backs isn’t a great option either.

QUENTIN vs. KELEE

Georgia’s Kelee Ringo was one of the stars of last year’s national championship game, with his game-sealing pick-6 against Alabama.

He’s regarded as one of the top cornerbacks in the country, but Ohio State didn’t shy away from throwing at Ringo when he was covering All-America receiver Marvin Harrison, who had a huge Peach Bowl before going out with a possible concussion.

TCU’s Quentin Johnston, like Harrison, is a potential first-round draft pick who had a huge game in the semifinals with six catches for 163 yards and a score in the Fiesta Bowl. Johnston was limited by nagging injuries much of the season, but still was TCU’s leading receiver.

“I think he’s as good as there is in college football, and he seems healthy now,” Kansas State coach Chris Kileman said.

PREDICTION: Georgia 42, TCU 24.

************NBA NEWS*************

LAVINE HITS 11 3S, SCORES 41 POINTS IN BULLS’ WIN OVER 76ERS

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Zach LaVine made 11 of 13 3-pointers and scored 41 points and the Chicago Bulls beat Philadelphia 126-112 on Friday night to end the 76ers’ home winning streak at 11.

LaVine made three 3-pointers in less than a minute and a half of play to give Chicago an 88-74 lead with 3:33 left in the third quarter. He was two short of his career high for 3-pointers.

“He got hot, we couldn’t find him, we started trapping him and everybody else got easy opportunities because he was making shots,” 76ers point guard James Harden said. “Just one of those games.”

Nikola Vucevic had a triple-double for the Bulls with 19 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists. Chicago shot 57.1% from the field and was 20 of 34 from 3-point range.

Vucevic took advantage of Philadelphia’s undersized center tandem of PJ Tucker and Montrezl Harrell with Joel Embiid missing his second straight game because of soreness in his left foot.

“Obviously, with Joel (Embiid) we’re a different team. But we don’t have him, so we have to find a way to win that game tonight,” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. “Give them credit, they shot the heck out of the ball.”

Tyrese Maxey had 26 points and six assists for the 76ers, his best performance since returning to the lineup on Dec. 30. Maxey averaged 12.7 points and shot 37.5% from the field in his previous three games since returning from a fractured foot that sidelined him six weeks.

Tobias Harris added 22 points for the 76ers, and Harrell added 17. James Harden also had 17 points – on 4-of-17 shooting – and 11 assists

Chicago had a 28-11 run to finish the second quarter and erase a 13-point Philadelphia lead.

“I didn’t think we started the game off very well,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “I thought our defensive response, just in terms of rotations and being ready to help, was a lot better as the game went.”

TIP-INS

76ers: Before the game, coach Doc Rivers said Embiid will be reevaluated before the team travels to Detroit for their game Sunday.

Bulls: Alex Caruso (ankle) and Javonte Green (knee) missed the game.

UP NEXT

76ers: At Detroit on Sunday.

Bulls: Host Utah on Saturday night.

DURANT HAS 33 POINTS TO LEAD NETS PAST PELICANS, 108-102

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving combined to miss 32 shots and didn’t let it bother them one bit.

Durant had 33 points and 10 rebounds, Irving scored seven of his 19 points in the final 1:12 and the Brooklyn Nets outlasted the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans 108-102 on Friday night.

“Our growth as a team is just seeing some of the leaders on our team, including myself, be poised,” said Irving, whose 3 from 29 feet away with 44 seconds left gave the Nets a 106-100 lead and doomed New Orleans to just its fifth home loss this season. “That’s probably where I feel like we’re making incredible strides in games like this.”

T.J. Warren scored 15 points for Brooklyn and Royce O’Neale added 14, including a 3-pointer with 2:27 left.

“There’s going to come a time when shots don’t fall – like tonight,” said Durant, who shot 9 of 26, but also made all 11 of his free throws. “I liked how we kept grinding regardless.

“You’ve still got to go out there and lock in on the defensive side of the ball,” Durant continued. “Those are the type of games you want to play to learn your team and figure out your team even more, because you’re a totally different team when your shots aren’t going in. So, it was a good test for us”

CJ McCollum scored 28 points and Naji Marshall had a career-high 23 points for the Pelicans in their second game since losing Zion Williamson for what is expected to be about three weeks with a right hamstring strain.

Jose Alvarado added 17 points, and Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and 10 rebounds for New Orleans, which hasn’t had high-scoring forward Brandon Ingram (left great toe contusion) in the lineup for 20 games.

“Obviously we’re down a few players,” Alvarado said. “We had a chance to win the game and certain things didn’t go our way. … Kyrie hit a big 3 and made it a little bit difficult, but we’ve got to look back and learn.”

The Pelicans led for much of the game but struggled to hit shots in the second half, finishing at 39.8 % shooting (35 of 88).

New Orleans made just two of 12 3s in the second half after making 10 of 17 in the first. Meanwhile, Nets center Nic Claxton protected the paint with five blocks.

Defensively, the Nets were “really aggressive in the second half,” Brooklyn coach Jacque Vaughn, noting his team’s “ability to contest shots at the rim.”

“Nothing was easy,” Vaughn said. “No walk-up transition 3s that we gave up earlier in the game.”

Brooklyn shot 43.5% (37 of 85), including 15 of 33 from deep.

After trailing by as many as 15 in the second quarter and 11 at halftime, the Nets opened the third quarter with a 17-5 run, capped by O’Neale’s second-chance 3, to take a 70-69 lead. The game remained tight from there into the final minutes.

Marshall helped the Pelicans get off to a fast start with 10 first-quarter points, highlighted by three 3-pointers.

Alvarado’s 3 and driving layup sparked an 11-0 run that gave the Pelicans a 43-28 lead in the second quarter, and New Orleans led 64-53 at halftime.

The Nets “came out in the second half, they picked it up, made more shots, got a bit more physical with us and I though it affected our force and our pace,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “We had multiple guys guarding Kyrie, guarding Kevin, trying to get out to their shooters. I thought we did a solid job. We didn’t do enough to win the game, but we can continue to build.”

TIP-INS

Nets: Have won four straight in New Orleans. … Have won six straight against Western Conference teams. … Improved to 24-8 since Vaughn took over as coach on Nov. 1, first on an “acting” basis before that word was removed from his title on Nov. 9.

Pelicans: Trey Murphy III scored 11 points. … Marshall has scored 20 or more in three games this season. … With Three Kings Day marking the start of the Carnival season that runs through Mardi Gras day, the Pelicans debuted their “City Edition” uniforms featuring the purple, green and gold colors that have been associated with Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans since the 1870s.

UP NEXT

Nets: At Miami on Sunday night to finish a three-game road trip.

Pelicans: At Dallas on Saturday night to start a five-game road trip.

KNICKS GET 1ST WIN IN CANADA SINCE ’15, BEAT RAPTORS 112-108

TORONTO (AP) Julius Randle had 32 points and 11 rebounds, Mitchell Robinson had 10 points and 18 rebounds before fouling out and the New York Knicks won their fourth straight game, beating the Toronto Raptors 112-108 on Friday night.

“We had the confidence to get this win on the road,” Randle said. “It’s big for us.”

Jalen Brunson scored 10 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, Quentin Grimes had 16 and Immanuel Quickley 13 as the Knicks won north of the border for the first time in more than seven years, snapping an 11-game road losing streak against the Raptors.

New York’s previous win in Toronto was a 111-109 victory on Nov. 10, 2015. After that game, the referees acknowledged missing Knicks star Carmelo Anthony step out of bounds on a pivotal play late in the fourth quarter.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau reached 100 victories with the team.

“I’m glad I’m a part of all 100,” Randle said. “Thibs has come in here and created a great culture for all of us. He’s been amazing.”

Randle got the Knicks rolling by scoring 19 points in the first quarter.

“It got us off to a good start,” he said. “Those are important on the road.”

New York is 12-8 on the road. Only Brooklyn (13-8) has won more often away from home this season.

Fred VanVleet scored 28 points and Gary Trent Jr. had 27 for the struggling Raptors. Toronto has lost seven of its past eight at home and 11 of 14 overall.

“They outplayed us,” VanVleet said. “They deserved to win.”

Toronto’s Pascal Siakam scored a career-high 52 points in a Dec. 21 win at New York. He shot 4 for 14 Friday and finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

“I just don’t think he felt he had a good rhythm,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.

Toronto trailed by three points through three quarters but gave up an 8-0 run to begin the fourth before battling back. Siakam’s 3-pointer with 49 seconds left made it 107-104. Randle split a pair at the line before Trent connected from 3-point range, cutting it to 108-106, but Brunson answered with a three-point play, putting the Knicks up 111-106 with 22 seconds left.

Trent scored on a driving basket but the Raptors couldn’t get any closer.

“It’s about time we won one of those types of games where we make free throws at the end and execute down the stretch,” Randle said.

Randle missed from 3 on his first shot of the game and then made six straight, five from long range, as New York led 30-26 after one.

“He got going and it got us going,” Thibodeau said of Randle’s hot start.

The Knicks led by as many as 17 in the second and were up 57-47 at halftime. New York took an 81-78 lead to the fourth.

TIP-INS

Knicks: Brunson had eight assists. . F RJ Barrett missed his fifth straight game because of a lacerated right finger, telling reporters Friday that the injury happened when one hand slammed into the other, causing a cut that required multiple stitches that have yet to be removed.

Raptors: Had 11 bench points in the first half. That was four more points than the bench scored in either of Toronto’s previous two games, both losses. The Raptors finished with 15 bench points. . Scottie Barnes shot 2 for 10 and finished with seven points. . Trent has scored 20 or more in a career-high six straight. … O.G. Anunoby scored 13 points.

OUT OF TUNE

The anthem singer mistakenly performed “O Canada” ahead of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

UP NEXT

Knicks: Host Milwaukee on Monday night.

Raptors: Host Portland on Sunday.

ROZIER, RECORD 1ST QUARTER LEAD HORNETS PAST BUCKS 138-109

MILWAUKEE (AP) Terry Rozier scored a season-high 39 points and the Charlotte Hornets matched an NBA record with 51 in the first quarter of a 138-109 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.

Charlotte’s 51-point outburst tied the NBA mark for a first quarter set by Golden State against Denver in 2019. It also was a franchise record for most points in any period.

“We made a bunch of shots early. We played really four good quarters,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. “The starters were terrific, they set a tone. The guys that came off the bench played well, too. It was the most sustained good solid play we’ve had so far this year.”

Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who entered third in the league in scoring at 32.7 points per game, had a season-low nine in 22 minutes. He shot 2 of 7 from the field and 5 for 11 at the foul line. Antetokounmpo’s previous low this season was 16 points on two occasions.

Bobby Portis had 19 points and 12 rebounds in his sixth consecutive double-double for the Bucks, who have lost six of nine.

“We haven’t matched what it takes to be competitive in an NBA game on multiple occasions now,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “And, it’s concerning.”

LaMelo Ball added 24 points and P.J. Washington had 23 for the Hornets, whose 10-29 record entering the game was tied for worst in the NBA.

“Those guys are a great team, one of the better teams in the league,” Washington said. “We knew we had to keep the pressure up and we knew we had to keep doing what we were doing and attacking. Credit to everybody. Everybody came ready to play, everybody was locked in.”

Charlotte had a 35-1 advantage in points off turnovers, forcing 17 while committing just five. The Hornets also had a 24-11 edge in second-chance points.

“They found ways to score the basketball off of the extra possessions that we gave them that we can’t afford to give,” Milwaukee’s Pat Connaughton said.

Charlotte led 51-28 after the first quarter and pushed the lead to 84-60 at halftime, hitting 14 of 30 3-pointers. The 84 points were the second-most in any half in franchise history, trailing only 87 by the Hornets in the second half last season during a 156-128 win at Indiana.

Rozier had 25 points in the first half on 10-of-17 shooting, including 5 of 11 from deep. Ball was 6 of 9 on 3-pointers en route to 19 points before the break.

Charlotte led 112-87 entering the fourth quarter.

The Hornets, whose biggest lead of the first quarter was 45-17, hit 20 of 29 shots in the opening period for 69%, including 7 of 14 beyond the arc.

“We didn’t play great defense. They got a lot of offensive rebounds, they shot very well, they played well in transition,” said Bucks center Brook Lopez. “It was a number of things, it wasn’t just any one thing.”

TIP-INS

Hornets: F Gordon Hayward (left hamstring soreness) missed his second consecutive game. … Charlotte opened a four-game trip and plays eight of its next 10 on the road.

Bucks: G George Hill, listed at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, said he has gained back six of the 10 pounds he lost in five days with a recent non-COVID-19 illness that forced him to miss the last four games. “We’ve had a few jokes about how could George lose 10 pounds?” Budenholzer said. Hill entered the game in the fourth quarter. . F Khris Middleton, out since Dec. 15 with right knee soreness, was again inactive but has been on the court the last couple of days, Budenholzer said. Middleton is expected to make the upcoming four-game road trip, but Budenholzer would not say if he’s expected to play.

UP NEXT

Hornets: At Indiana on Sunday.

JONES HELPS SPURS OVERCOME INJURIES, PISTONS TO END SKID

SAN ANTONIO (AP) Tre Jones had 25 points and the San Antonio Spurs overcame injuries to their two leading scorers to beat the Detroit Pistons 121-109 on Friday night, snapping a three-game skid.

Spurs forward Keldon Johnson did not return after injuring his left hamstring with four minutes left in the first half. Guard Devin Vassell was inactive with a knee injury.

“I feel like we had to grind that one out a little bit more,” Jones said. “It was hectic there for a little bit, but we had to come together with the next man up mentality to pull off a big for us to start off the new year.”

Despite those absences, the Spurs still managed to extend their lead to double figures in the third quarter thanks to a collective effort.

Romeo Langford added 15 points, Malaki Brannan had 14 and Jakob Poeltl had 11 points and 16 rebounds as San Antonio won for the first time since Dec. 29.

Brannan had seven points in the final 5:19, including a 3-pointer with 2:24 remaining after Detroit closed to 112-104.

“When Malaki made the big one down the stretch, that sealed the game,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. “He stepped right up. Short clock, and he knocked it down. I thought that was pretty good on his part.”

Coming off a 122-119 victory at defending NBA champion Golden State on Wednesday night, Detroit trailed throughout in a battle between two of league’s worst records.

Bojan Bogdanovic had 21 points and Jaden Ivey added 20 points for the Pistons.

“We didn’t dictate the ball at the start of the first half,” Ivey said. “Feel like it comes early, early in the game, you’ve got to get in a rhythm defensively. Just the first half we had some lapses that made them more comfortable late game. That’s on us to figure out how to put us in better position defensively. That hurt us the whole game.”

Jones scored 12 points in the first half, all in the paint while shooting 6 for 9 from the field in setting an early tone. He was 11 for 18 from the field in finishing a point shy of matching his career high.

Jones added three assists for San Antonio, who had 27 as a team.

TIP-INS

Pistons: Saddiq Bey remained on the court holding his jersey over his face as the Spurs ran a play with nine minutes left in the game after taking a hard screen. Bey rose to run up the court after San Antonio failed to score. He remained in the game, scoring 10 points in 25 minutes. . Detroit is 6-18 on the road this season. The Pistons were 10-31 away from home last season. . Bogdanovic was 2 for 7 on 3-pointers, surpassing Baron Davis in career 3s. Bogdanovic is 57th in league history with 1,333 3-pointers and Davis is 58th with 1,332.

Spurs: Johnson entered the game averaging a team-high 21.6 points, followed by Vassell at 19.4. Tre Jones is third in scoring at 12.8. Johnson finished with eight points in 12 minutes. . F Isaiah Roby started the second half in place of Johnson. Roby averaged 8 minutes while playing in 11 of the Spurs’ 14 games in December. . Jones reached 500 career assists in his third season and first as a starter. Tony Parker, Alvin Robertson, Johnny Moore, Johnny Dawkins, Willie Anderson are the only players in franchise history to reach 500 assists quicker.

WHO IS YELLING?

Johnson may have injured his hamstring, but his vocal cords are sound.

Johnson was screaming in celebration from the locker room as the game ended and only got louder as his teammates entered.

“Trigger Tre! Trigger Tre!” Johnson screamed.

The origin of the nickname is unknown to Jones.

“I don’t know, you have got to ask Keldon about that one,” Jones said, chuckling. “He yells a lot of crazy things.”

UP NEXT

Pistons: Host Philadelphia on Sunday.

Spurs: Host Boston on Saturday.

THUNDER COMPLETE SERIES SWEEP OF BEAL-LESS WIZARDS, 127-110

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder completed a regular-season sweep of the Washington Wizards with a 127-110 win on Friday night.

Josh Giddey added 20 points, nine assists and five rebounds for Oklahoma City, which shot 51% from the field, including 45.9% (17 of 37) from 3-point range. The Thunder seized control with a dominant first quarter – outscoring the Wizards 35-17 – and nine Oklahoma City players made at least one 3-pointer.

“We were good tonight . from start to finish,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They’re a good basketball team. They’d won four of their last six (games). We were good on both ends of the floor for a long period of time tonight.”

Kyle Kuzma scored 23 points, Daniel Gafford had 15 points and nine rebounds and Kristaps Porzingis added 14 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Wizards, who were playing without their top scorer, Bradley Beal. Beal was diagnosed Thursday with a low-grade left hamstring strain and won’t be re-evaluated for at least a week.

Oklahoma City needed a last-second basket from Gilgeous-Alexander to win 121-120 at Washington on Nov. 16, but the Thunder mostly cruised in the rematch, leading by as many as 27 points. Oklahoma City committed only six turnovers while the Wizards had 20.

“In general, that first quarter, moreso first half, I don’t think we had the right mindset,” Washington coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. “We looked a little sluggish. You could argue (it was) a long trip, this, that and the other, but no excuse. We’ve got to do better to start with energy and our approach. They kind of outplayed us in a lot of areas in the first half.”

A 14-2 run early in the first quarter put Oklahoma City ahead 21-9 and the Thunder’s lead never fell below double digits the rest of the game. Oklahoma City scored the final eight points of the first half to take a 68-42 lead. That was the Thunder’s largest halftime lead of the season.

“I think we defended really well,” Giddey said. “It was a collective effort. We got out in transition. We ran and we made them call a bunch of timeouts. We built a lot of momentum through the first and we carried it through, for the most part, for 48 minutes.”

Despite a 38-point third quarter for the Wizards, they came no closer than 18 points. That’s in good part because they also allowed the Thunder 35 points in the period.

Washington pulled within 14 points at 117-103 with 4:55 left on a basket by Gafford, but rookie Jalen Williams hit a pair of free throws and Gilgeous-Alexander followed with a basket with 3:49 left, ending the threat. Washington made 7 of 24 3-point attempts (29.2%).

QUOTABLE:

Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault, on his team’s fast start: “We were in a nice groove offensively to start, that’s for sure. I thought we came out with great intention from a physicality standpoint. We had our chests on them early. … We didn’t ease into it at all. . We’re a little bit smaller right now and it’s really forcing us to be super physical.”

TIP-INS:

Wizards: Beal has missed 16 of Washington’s 40 games this season due to various ailments. . Washington posted its lowest first-half-point total of the season with 42. . Forward Taj Gibson was available to play despite left groin soreness, but didn’t see action. . The Wizards had won four of the last five and six of the last eight games against the Thunder before Friday.

Thunder: Williams just missed a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds. . Luguentz Dort overcame foul trouble and scored 18 points. . Washington’s 17 points were the fewest first-quarter points allowed by the Thunder this season. . Dating to last season, Gilgeous-Alexander has recorded 32 30-point performances over his last 47 games played.

UP NEXT:

Wizards: Host the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.

Thunder: Host the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.

JOKIC, MURRAY HELP NUGGETS TOP MITCHELL-LESS CAVS 121-108

DENVER (AP) Nikola Jokic had 28 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, Jamal Murray scored 18 points in his first back-to-back games since knee surgery, and the Denver Nuggets took advantage of Donovan Mitchell’s absence to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-108 on Friday night.

Jokic hit 10 of 17 shots, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range in his NBA-leading 10th triple-double of the season.

“He sees things before they happen,” said Bruce Brown, who added 13 points.

Added Cleveland’s Kevin Love: “Jokic looks like he’s on the way to potentially a third (straight) MVP.”

Michael Porter Jr. scored 16 points for Denver, which shot 51.5% from the floor and hit 17 of 33 3-pointers in its 12th win in 15 games.

Caris LeVert scored 22 points and Darius Garland returned from a three-game absence to score 21 points for the Cavaliers, who had their three-game win streak snapped.

Mitchell sat out to rest four days after scoring 71 points in an overtime win over Chicago. Garland, who had a right thumb sprain, hit 8 of 20 shots while adding eight assists despite getting chopped on his thumb again.

But the Cavs were undone by Denver’s hot shooting and their own 18-for-32 performance from the foul line in the opener of a five-game trip.

“I don’t think we gave them our best shot,” Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “You don’t miss that many free throws if you’re locked in. … I don’t think we had the right approach to beat a team like that.”

The Nuggets overcame a second delay for a crooked rim at Ball Arena this week. The stoppage occurred with 11:22 left when Cavs players noticed the same rim that caused a 35-minute delay Sunday against Boston on Sunday was off again.

“Not again,” Jokic said when asked what he was thinking.

A crew returned with the same two orange ladders from Sunday and leveled the rim in just shy of 10 minutes.

“At least they fixed it fast this time,” Brown said.

Murray missed all of last season with a torn left ACL, and Nuggets coach Michael Malone called Murray playing on consecutive days “uncharted territory.” Murray only played 21 minutes Thursday as the starters rested much of the second half in a home rout of the Los Angeles Clippers.

“I’m just so proud of him,” Malone said. “It’s got to be close to 600 days since he’s played a back-to-back. This is a big, big step.”

Murray was key in a 13-4 run to start the third quarter that put Denver ahead to stay. After Jokic hit 3-pointers on the first two possessions, Murray had an acrobatic, one-handed rebound and put-back and his own 3.

MITCHELL SITS

Mitchell acknowledged “I didn’t have my legs” after shooting 6 of 20 from the field Wednesday. He played 50 minutes and took 34 shots in his 71-point game two days earlier.

“We’ve put a heavy toll on him. With Darius being out, he’s had to have the ball in his hands. His usage has been crazy. His minutes have been crazy,” Bickerstaff said on the reason to rest him. “Our goals is always to do what’s best for our guys and running him into the ground is not what’s best for him.”

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: Bickerstaff said F Dean Wade, out since Dec. 2 with a left shoulder sprain, is close to returning. … G Ricky Rubio, recovering from a torn left ACL, has progressed to 5-on-5 play. … The Cavs had a season-high 11 offensive rebounds in the first half.

Nuggets: They’ve won 10 straight home games and are 16-3 at Ball Arena.

UP NEXT

Cavaliers: At Phoenix on Sunday night.

Nuggets: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.

GOBERT, TIMBERWOLVES BEAT SHORT-HANDED CLIPPERS 128-115

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Rudy Gobert had 25 points and 21 rebounds, D’Angelo Russell also scored 25 and the Minnesota Timberwolves cruised to a 128-115 win against the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.

Jaden McDaniels had 18 points for Minnesota, which has won three in a row. While the Timberwolves put together one of their most complete performances of the season, leading scorer Anthony Edwards left the game in the third quarter with left hip soreness and didn’t return.

“I think overall in this stretch we’ve been decent with the rebounding,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. “I liked our perimeter defense – it’s been a lot better. Shot contests have been a lot better, our pursuit mentality, all that stuff.”

Los Angeles played without stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard on the second night of a back-to-back. The Clippers arrived in Minnesota early Friday morning after a 122-91 loss at Denver and decided to sit George and Leonard as a precaution after the quick turnaround.

Reserve forward Norman Powell had a team-high 21 points for Los Angeles, which lost its fifth game in a row. John Wall, held out of Thursday’s game for left knee injury management, had 14 points and eight assists off the bench.

“It’s tough when you’re shorthanded the way we were tonight,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “I thought our guys competed and scrapped, and we were just overmatched at times.”

Without George and Leonard, the Clippers’ usually stout defense struggled against the Timberwolves.

Minnesota shot 56.8% from the field and scored 62 points in the paint. The Timberwolves led by as many as 25 despite 20 turnovers.

Los Angeles was allowing 109.8 points per game coming in, the fourth-lowest total in the league. Meanwhile, opponents were hitting just 45.8% of their shots against the Clippers.

“I just thought it was their ability to get into the paint (that) really hurt us,” Lue said. “We were closing out all night on guys driving by us, allowed Rudy to get offensive rebounds and dunks because we couldn’t control the ball and keep the ball in front of us.”

Russell, on the bench as Minnesota closed out Portland on Wednesday, scored 10 points in the first quarter. With Gobert also contributing, the Timberwolves got 22 of their first 37 points in the paint.

“I don’t think we’ve seen the best Rudy yet,” Gobert said. “I’ve been putting in a lot of work. My teammates are sticking with me. The coaching staff is sticking with me. And I know that it’s going to pay off.”

THIRD TIME A CHARM

Minnesota closed the first half on a 19-7 run to lead 68-54 and then stretched the lead to 19 early in the third quarter. The Timberwolves, who had been outscored by a league-high 125 points in the third period this season entering the day, saw their lead shrink as Los Angeles went on a 10-0 run.

But Minnesota followed with its own 8-0 run to close the third and outscored the Clippers by eight in the quarter.

“We don’t really do that well in third quarters most of the time,” McDaniels said. “But today was like, we said like the first five minutes are important, so just kind of putting them away in there and keeping the lead like 20, 25.”

TIP-INS

Clippers: Nicolas Batum was held out for the third time in four games as he deals with an ankle sprain. . George is dealing with right hamstring soreness and Leonard was listed out due to right knee injury management. … For the second straight game, Los Angeles never led. … Moses Brown had 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Timberwolves: Edwards has been dealing with soreness since he landed on his hip against Milwaukee on Dec. 30. Finch didn’t have an update after the game. . Naz Reid returned after missing two games with back spasms, but left in the third with the same injury. . Minnesota shot 65% from the field in the first half. … The 20 turnovers led to 18 points for the Clippers.

UP NEXT

Clippers: Host Atlanta on Sunday.

Timberwolves: At Houston on Sunday.

VICTOR OLADIPO SCORES 26 POINTS, HEAT BEAT SUNS 104-96

PHOENIX (AP) It wasn’t that long ago that Victor Oladipo was an All-Star guard.

On Friday night, the veteran Miami Heat guard showed he can still be that guy.

Oladipo scored a season-high 26 points off the bench, Bam Adebayo added 21 points and 11 rebounds and Miami beat the Phoenix Suns 104-96. The Heat finished 3-2 on an eight-day trip.

“He’s been getting more comfortable, more confident and getting his legs under him,” Spolestra said about Oladipo. “He’s a big-time X-factor for us on both sides of the floor.”

Later Spolestra added: “We haven’t forgotten who he was. We just enjoy being on this journey with him.”

The Heat and Suns entered the game with the same record, but are heading in opposite directions. Miami has won nine of its last 13. Phoenix dropped to .500 and has lost five in a row, eight of nine and 13 of 17.

The Heat led for the majority of the game and never trailed in the second half, though it stayed fairly tight. Oladipo – who shot 7 of 10 from the field and 4 of 6 on 3-pointers – made a 3 with 1:36 left to put the Heat up 102-92.

Oladipo was a two-time All-Star with the Indiana Pacers in 2018 and 2019 before a string of serious injuries derailed his career. He has played just 74 games over the past four seasons.

“Vic’s been great every night,” Heat guard Max Strus said. “Not just his penetration, but his defense has been phenomenal. Providing us a spark.”

Jimmy Butler added 20 points for the Heat, and Strus had 19. Adebayo shot 10 of 15 from the field.

“There are some good things happening,” Spolestra said. “And that’s with a lot of moving parts, guys in and out of the lineup. More than anything, I respect that our guys are not making excuses for the moving parts.”

The banged-up Suns were already without several key players because of injuries, including three-time All-Star Devin Booker (groin strain), Cam Johnson (knee) and Cam Payne (foot). They got more bad news Friday when veteran point guard Chris Paul left in the second quarter with right hip soreness.

Deandre Ayton led the Suns with 23 points and 14 rebounds. Torrey Craig added 17 points.

The Heat also were missing a few pieces, including high-scoring guard Tyler Herro, who was out because of back spasms. But Oladipo’s offense made up for Herro’s absence and Miami’s defense forced Phoenix into just 41.5% shooting from the field, including 26.1% from 3-point range.

Oladipo banked home a half-court shot at the end of the first quarter to give the Heat a 30-23 advantage. Miami kept its advantage through most of the second quarter and led 51-46 at halftime.

Oladipo had another buzzer beater at the end of the third quarter, making a driving layup to push the Heat ahead 78-73.

TIP-INS

Heat: Herro, Caleb Martin (quad strain) and Duncan Robinson (finger) were among six players who were out.

Suns: Paul had five points on 2-of-3 shooting in 12 minutes. … Duane Washington Jr. had 13 points and seven assists off the bench but shot just 5 of 18 from the field.

UP NEXT

Heat: Host Brooklyn on Sunday night.

Suns: Host Cleveland on Sunday night.

LEBRON LEADS LAKERS PAST HAWKS 130-114 FOR 4TH STRAIGHT WIN

LOS ANGELES (AP) LeBron James had 25 points and 10 assists in his return from an illness, Russell Westbrook added 18 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Atlanta Hawks 130-114 Friday night for their first four-game winning streak in just under a year.

Kendrick Nunn had 23 points in the highest-scoring performance of his tenure with the injury-depleted Lakers, who never trailed while beating the Hawks for the second time in eight days. Los Angeles won in Atlanta on Dec. 30 with James scoring 47 points on his 38th birthday.

The Lakers jumped to a 26-point lead in the first half of the rematch and hung on comfortably for their fifth win in six games overall. They hadn’t won four straight since Jan. 7, 2022, when they also beat Atlanta in Los Angeles.

Thomas Bryant had 19 points and 13 rebounds for LA, while Dennis Schroder scored 21.

“There are going to be times where guys go down, unfortunately, and we have a group of guys that have just been preparing themselves for when it’s their moment to play and play well,” Westbrook said. “Seems like we’ve been hitting a good stride of figuring that out.”

Trae Young scored 21 of his 32 points in the second half for the Hawks, who have lost five of six. Unable to overcome a dismal first half, Atlanta has lost two of three on its four-game California road trip.

“We didn’t do a good job stopping the ball (or) protecting the paint,” Atlanta coach Nate McMillan said. “We had some fight in the second half, but just too deep of a hole.”

James returned to the Lakers’ lineup after sitting out Wednesday’s impressive victory over Miami with a bad cold, but Los Angeles played without Anthony Davis, Lonnie Walker, Troy Brown, Damian Jones and Austin Reaves, the newest addition to Los Angeles’ long injury list with a strained left hamstring.

Coach Darvin Ham sees a bright side in Davis’ latest lengthy injury absence for the healthy Lakers.

“It’s motivating them to step their games up,” Ham said. “They know I’ll put anybody out there, and if they’re playing the right way, they’ll play a significant amount of minutes.”

Reaves and Walker, who has left knee tendinitis, are both out for at least two more weeks, depriving the Lakers (18-21) of two key rotational players as they attempt to keep up their overall solid play since a 2-10 start. Los Angeles used its 21st starting lineup of the 39-game season against Atlanta.

“The Rubik’s Cube was one of my favorite toys growing up,” Ham said before the game. “Coming in real handy right now.”

After putting up 37 points in their highest-scoring first quarter of the year, the Lakers opened a 26-point lead in the second. Their 21-point halftime lead was also their largest of the season.

Young scored 17 points in the third quarter.

TIP-INS

Hawks: McMillan got a technical foul while Atlanta trailed by 13 with 4:10 to play for arguing a foul called on John Collins. … Clint Capela missed his sixth straight game with a right calf strain.

Lakers: Sterling Brown played three minutes for LA about nine hours after signing a 10-day contract with the Lakers. He played under Ham while both were with the Bucks from 2018-20. Brown is the younger brother of Shannon Brown, who won NBA titles with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010. … Gail Goodrich was the honorary captain. The 79-year-old Los Angeles native and Hall of Famer played nine of his 14 NBA seasons with the Lakers.

UP NEXT

Hawks: At the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

Lakers: At the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.

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

PREDATORS BEAT CAPITALS 3-2 FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WIN

WASHINGTON (AP) Ryan McDonagh built an NHL career on blocking shots and keeping the puck out of his team’s net.

Every once in a while, he can score when it matters, too.

McDonagh had a highlight-reel goal late in the third period to help the Nashville Predators beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 Friday night. The defensive defenseman with the two Stanley Cup rings got in all alone on goal and finished for his first of the season with 3:16 left to give his team a third consecutive victory.

“Everybody was a little surprised,” McDonagh said. “I was surprised myself there. You obviously don’t get too many breakaways as a defenseman. Just happy to contribute here and help the guys find a way.”

Kevin Lankinen made 30 saves, facing a far smaller workload than teammate Juuse Saros, who stopped a franchise-record 64 shots Thursday at Carolina.

“I was happy that I didn’t have to face 67 shots, but Juuse did an amazing job last night,” Lankinen said. “He’s a great guy, great goalie and he played a win for us last night, so it was my turn tonight and I really wanted to win and come here and get another `W’ and that’s what we did.”

Saros got some much-deserved rest. The rest of the players did not get that break, with the Predators and Capitals each on the second half of a back-to-back, which contributed to some sloppy play all around.

“You want to play hard, but you have to play smart,” said coach John Hynes, who trumpeted his team’s depth.

He’s right: Fourth-liners Thomas Novak and Yakov Trenin also scored for Nashville, which is 4-0-1 in its last five games to inch closer to a playoff position in the Western Conference.

Sonny Milano and Nicolas Aube-Kubel scored for the Capitals, making the case they deserve to stay in the lineup when top forwards Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson make their season debuts. Anthony Mantha, another candidate to get scratched when Backstrom and Wilson are back from long-term injuries, played just 9:48.

“It was a tight game,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “It was going to come down to who scored a goal in the third period or overtime or the shootout. I felt like it was fairly tight both ways. You had to fight for your ice out there.”

Charlie Lindgren made a few big saves among his 19 in net for Washington and was hardly to blame for Nashville’s goals. The Capitals have lost three of their past five games and had their nine-game point streak snapped.

“It’s obviously a really good hockey team,” Lindgren said. “They’ve got some really good players, but I thought we did our job tonight, too, and we definitely played well enough to win. Give them credit because they came out and they played hard.”

NOTES: Center Nic Dowd returned for the Capitals after missing their game Thursday for the birth of his second child. Aliaksei Protas was a healthy scratch to make room for Dowd, the first time he has missed a game this season. … Dante Fabbro replaced Roland McKeown on defense for Nashville.

UP NEXT

Predators: At Ottawa on Monday in the first stop of a three-game Canadian swing.

Capitals: Host the Blue Jackets on Sunday after beating them 6-2 Thursday in Columbus.

EKBLAD’S POWER PLAY GOALS POWER PANTHERS PAST RED WINGS 3-2

DETROIT (AP) Aaron Ekblad scored twice on the power play and Florida Panthers recorded their eighth straight win over Detroit, beating the Red Wings 3-2 on Friday night.

Ekblad had his first multi-goal game since Dec. 2, 2021, against Buffalo. The Panthers scored only two power-play goals in their first seven games, but they’ve shown vast improvement.

“Our power play is running over 25% since game seven. It’s a good power play and he’s been an important part of that,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said. “He needs to score goals because he gets into the slot so fast, it happens for him. He needs those pucks to go in and he was great.”

Gustav Forsling also scored for the Panthers and Eric Staal recorded his 600th career assist on Forsling’s goal. Alexsander Barkov had two assists, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 29 saves.

“Sometimes a goaltender can just settle your entire team down,” Maurice said.

Florida, which defeated Arizona in its previous outing, has a .500 record at 18-18-4.

“There’s a lot of urgency, especially in a game like tonight, a divisional game,” Staal said. “The old cliche, four points, so important. We’re chasing these guys, chasing a lot of different teams, so we have ourselves in a good position to have meaningful games down the stretch. This is just a good first step toward that.”

Robby Fabbri scored in his second game this season after recovering from ACL surgery. Jonatan Berggren added a goal Detroit, which has lost three of its last four games. Ville Husso made 17 saves.

Both teams scored during the first three minutes. Detroit’s Ben Chiarot took a shot from near the blue line that Berggren tipped in for his sixth goal. Forsling answered with his sixth goal, scoring on a slap shot from the point off Staal’s pass from behind the goal line.

The game remained tie until Ekblad’s first power play-goal at 6:27 of the second period. He scored in the slot off a pass from Barkov.

In the opening minute of the third, the Red Wings’ Jake Walman sent a shot off the post and Bobrovsky made a nifty glove save against Dylan Larkin.

“He stole the game.” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said of Bobrovsky. “He was the first star, second star and third star. He just made some unbelievable saves.”

With Detroit’s David Perron in the penalty box for the second time, the Panthers increased their lead at 8:11 of the third period. Husso made a pad save against Barkov, but Ekblad converted the rebound for his sixth goal.

The Red Wings also gave up two power play goals in a 5-1 loss to New Jersey on Wednesday.

“We’re playing pretty good hockey at 5-on-5, but we’re trailing every time we take a penalty,” Chiarot said. “It’s got to get better from everyone. It isn’t a matter of structure or anything like that. It’s just a matter of guys being where they are supposed to be and committed to getting the job done. We’re not doing that right now.”

Fabbri’s goal with 3:43 left made it 3-2. The Red Wings had a power play in the final minute, but couldn’t get the tying goal.

“They had good intensity, a good push but I thought we protected the goal very well, we protected the rebounds and the seams,” Bobrovsky said. “It was a good overall 60-minute effort by our team and a big two points for us.”

GAME NOTES

Barkov has 41 points in 37 career games against Detroit. … Staal has five points in the last three games. … The Panthers began a stretch in which they play nine of 11 games on the road.

UP NEXT

Panthers: At Dallas on Sunday.

Red Wings: At Toronto on Saturday.

CONNOR’S RECORD 41ST WINNER LEADS JETS PAST LIGHTNING 4-2

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) Kyle Connor set a franchise record with his 41st game-winning goal, scoring on a power play at 5:38 of the third lead as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 on Friday night.

Connor’s record-setting goal moved him past Ilya Kovalchuk for the most winners in Jets-Atlanta Thrashers history.

“Our power play came up with some big goals, but our penalty kill, it’s been right up there at the top all season, and it really showed its strength tonight,” Connor said. “You can win a lot of games with a good penalty kill.”

The Jets went 2 for 6 on the power play – scoring twice during 5-on-3 advantages – and killed off all four of Tampa Bay’s chances with the man advantage in the win.

“The special teams were obviously outstanding,” coach Rick Bowness said. “(Associate coach) Scotty Arniel has done a fantastic job with the penalty kill. They won the game for us tonight because that’s a great power play.

“We’re working very hard on the power play and get those two 5-on-3s and also got a 4-on-4 goal. . Our special teams tonight won the game.”

Bowness was a winner in a milestone game. The 67-year-old was behind the bench for his NHL-record 2,600th game, including stints as a head coach, associate coach or assistant coach.

Pierre-Luc Dubois scored twice and Morgan Barron helped seal Winnipeg’s fourth straight win, scoring short-handed into an empty net with 1:26 remaining.

Connor also had an assist. Josh Morrissey added three assists and Mark Scheifele two. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 26 shots.

Anthony Cirelli had a goal and an assist, and Nikita Kucherov also scored for the Lightning, who finished a three-game trip with a 1-2-0 record. Tampa Bay is 9-9 on the road.

After missing two straight games with an illness, Andrei Vasilevsky stopped 16 of the 19 shots for Tampa Bay.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper didn’t mince words about his team’s penchant for penalties.

“It’s a complete lack of discipline,” he said. “It was embarrassing what we did.

“How many 5-on-3s you’re up against in one season, you count on maybe one hand, and we give them two minute-and-a-half 5-on-3s in one game. Unacceptable. That shouldn’t happen. And good on Winnipeg.

“Honestly, it was really a nothing game going on. That game could have been 0-0 and a shootout. They (Jets) stayed disciplined, just said, `Sit back and wait for Tampa to screw it up’ and they did. And that’s what happened.”

The Lightning outshot the Jets 12-4 in the first period, but the game was tied 1-all.

Cirelli scored at 11:48, converting a rebound off a Steven Stamkos shot to beat Hellebuyck.

With nine seconds remaining in the period, Dubois tipped in a wrist shot by Connor for his 18th goal of the season.

Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead at 1:35 of the second when Kucherov’s shot went through Hellebuyck’s pads.

Winnipeg went on an 87-second, two-man advantage at 6:05. The Jets capitalized, this time with Dubois getting a piece of Morrissey’s point shot at 7:05.

The Jets broke the tie with another two-man advantage after Stamkos was sent off for cross-checking at 4:34. Vladislav Namestnikov followed him six seconds later for delay of game.

Connor’s one-timer beat Vasilevsky on the glove side for his 17th of the season.

Stamkos had a great chance to tie it up with about six minutes remaining, but his shot ended up being swiped away from the goal line by Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo.

Connor was called for tripping with 1:52 left and Tampa Bay pulled Vasilevsky for the six-on-four, but Barron spoiled the attack.

NOTES: The Jets returned four players from the injury list. Nikolaj Ehlers was back after missing 36 games. The forward was hurt in the second game of the season and had sports hernia surgery. Blake Wheeler returned after sitting out nine games following groin surgery. Veteran defenseman Nate Schmidt also missed nine games with an upper-body injury, while rookie forward Cole Perfetti was out five games with a shoulder injury.

UP NEXT

Jets: Host the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.

Lightning: Host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.

STALOCK HAS 22 SAVES, BLACKHAWKS BEAT COYOTES 2-0

CHICAGO (AP) Alex Stalock stopped 22 shots for his 10th career shutout – first in nearly three years – and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Arizona Coyotes 2-0 on Friday night.

Jake McCabe and Tyler Johnson scored to help the Blackhawks snap a five-game losing streak with just their second win in 15 games (2-13-0).

“It gives a lot of life to this group,” Stalock said of winning. “Our D got out of the zone fast, our forwards did a great job of backchecking. (Arizona) didn’t have many chances. Tonight’s a team win.”

Connor Ingram had 30 saves for Arizona, which has lost four straight.

McCabe took a cross-ice pass from Seth Jones and blistered a slap shot past Ingram’s glove with 8:05 left in the second period. It was only his second goal of the season.

McCabe’s goal was among the few good chances Chicago had.

“I thought me and Seth as of late have been pretty solid,” McCabe said of his pairing with Jones. “We moved the pucks quick and didn’t spend much time in our zone.”

Johnson added an empty-netter with 44 seconds left to seal the Blackhawks’ win.

One of the Coyotes’ few good chances came with 12 minutes remaining, when defenseman Jusso Valimaki fired a loose puck from 15 feet and Stalock deflected it to the corner.

“We could not make a play,” Arizona coach Andre Tourigny said. “I don’t know how many times we made two or three passes in a row. We could not do it. It’s hard to win a hockey game in that league when you don’t execute. But it was not a lack of effort.”

McCabe also made a key defensive play with 2:59 left, hounding Christian Fischer enough in the slot as he came in on Stalock to prevent a hard shot.

“A complete game,” Chicago coach Luke Richardson said, smiling. “They had no glorious chances. We made one adjustment to stop (Clayton) Keller (Arizona’s leading point scorer) from crossing over the blue line, and it worked. Only once did he get loose and have a chance.”

Arizona’s biggest early threat came only 16 seconds after the opening faceoff, when defenseman Jakob Chychrun rang a shot off the right post.

“It’s obviously a lot better than last night in Philadelphia (a 6-2 loss),” Ingram said. “Sometimes it doesn’t go your way. You’re going to have nights like that.”

Stalock’s last shutout came when he was with Minnesota, at Columbus on Feb. 28, 2020.

Despite the win, Chicago remains at the bottom of the NHL standings, and first in the running for the best chance for the first selection in the draft.

KANE SIDELINED

Star Chicago forward Patrick Kane missed his first game due to injury since 2015, with a nagging lower-body injury that kept him out of the third period against Tampa Bay on Tuesday night. Already hurt, he was checked against the boards by Evgeny Svechnikov late in the second period and moved gingerly after that.

“I could probably play but it’s just certain situations it’s kind of lingering pain,” Kane said after a morning skate he didn’t participate in. “I should be through it quick enough.”

UP NEXT

Coyotes: Host Pittsburgh on Sunday night to open a three-game home stand.

Blackhawks: Host Calgary on Sunday night.

LUCIC, COLEMAN SCORE EARLY AS FLAMES BEAT ISLANDERS 4-1

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) Milan Lucic and Blake Coleman scored 89 seconds apart early in the first period and the Calgary Flames beat the New York Islanders 4-1 on Friday night.

Nikita Zadorov and Nazem Kadri also scored to help Calgary win for the third time in four games. Jacob Markstrom stopped 24 shots as the Flames inched ahead of Edmonton by a point into the West’s first wild-card spot.

“Points are huge for us especially because of where we are in the standings,” Lucic said. “Two months ago we were just hoping to win the game instead of going out there in the third and playing to win. That’s what good teams do when they have leads going into the third period. They press and play to win and that’s something we need to keep getting better at.”

Zach Parise scored for the Islanders, who were without star center Mathew Barzal (lower body injury). Semyon Varlamov, making his first start since a groin injury at Vegas on Dec. 17, finished with 17 saves as New York lost for the third time in four games on its western trip.

“I don’t think we played that bad of a game,” Parise said. “I thought we played hard, we competed. We need the result but we didn’t get it.”

Calgary got on the scoreboard 4:36 into the game after the Islanders turned the puck over in their zone. Jonathan Huberdeau passed to Lucic for a one-timer from the faceoff circle on Varlamov’s right.

Coleman made it 2-0 at 6:05 as he got the rebound of his own shot after Varlamov made a stop on the initial backhand attempt on a rush and the forward shoveled the puck in for his seventh.

Zadorov lofted a shot from the point over Varlamov’s left shoulder with 4:39 remaining in the first to make it 3-0. It was his sixth.

Parise got the Islanders on the scoreboard with a minute remaining in the opening period. He beat Zadorov to open up a scoring lane and fired a wrist shot from the faceoff circle top corner for his 12th.

Markstrom kicked out his right pad to stop Casey Czikas on a breakaway coming out of the penalty box midway through a scoreless second period, and then denied Jean-Gabriel Pageau on a breakaway.

“It was huge,” Lucic said. “I don’t think we were having a very good period at that time and he kept it a two-goal lead and a two-goal lead going into the third. It’s good to see him finding confidence in his game as well, and we need him to be good every night to give us a chance to win.”

Kadri restored the Flames’ three-goal lead at 6:59 of the third with a sharp-angled shot that sneaked in under the crossbar and past Varlamov’s head. It was Kadri’s 15th. Tyler Toffoli assisted on the play to extend his point streak to four straight games (one goal, three assists).

“It was just one of those ones where, he was trying to do it, so it’s nice to see it go in, especially in a 3-1 game to extend the lead,” Lucic said.

BETTER OUTCOME

The Flames also led 3-1 after two periods against the Islanders in New York on Nov. 7. However, they gave up two goals in the third and then lost 4-3 in overtime in that one.

“I think we’ve grown,” Coleman said. “We’re learning the importance of managing games.”

MISSING BARZAL

Barzal, who has 11 goals and a team-leading 30 assists, didn’t play Friday after scoring his fifth goal in five games in a 4-2 loss at Edmonton on Thursday night. The Islanders tweeted just before puck drop that Barzal was day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

“There was a little tweak last night,” Islanders coach Lane Lambert said. “He tried it in warmup. Couldn’t go.”

UP NEXT

Islanders: Host Dallas on Tuesday night to open a five-game homestand.

Flames: At Chicago on Sunday night to open a five-game trip.

CROSBY, OVECHKIN AMONG 1ST ROUND OF NHL ALL-STAR SELECTIONS

NEW YORK (AP) Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin were among the first round of All-Star selections revealed by the NHL on Thursday night.

Crosby, the longtime captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, was selected for his ninth All-Star Game and Ovechkin his 13th, a Washington Capitals record.

The league’s hockey operations department picked the first 32 All-Stars, one from each team. Fans will choose the final 12 players who make it – three skaters and a goalie from each division – with a Twitter component involved for the first time.

Reigning Norris Trophy winner and playoff MVP Cale Makar from the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche was also among those chosen. Vegas’ Logan Thompson was the first rookie goaltender to make an All-Star team since Anaheim’s John Gibson in 2016.

All-Star Weekend is set for Feb. 3-4 in South Florida.

METROPOLITAN DIVISION

Ovechkin, Crosby, G Igor Shesterkin (N.Y. Rangers), F Brock Nelson (N.Y. Islanders), F Jack Hughes (New Jersey), F Andrei Svechnikov (Carolina), F Johnny Gaudreau (Columbus), F Kevin Hayes (Philadelphia)

ATLANTIC DIVISION

F Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay), F Tage Thompson (Buffalo), G Linus Ullmark (Boston), F Dylan Larkin (Detroit), F Matthew Tkachuk (Florida), F Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa), F Mitch Marner (Toronto), F Nick Suzuki (Montreal)

CENTRAL DIVISION

Makar, F Jason Robertson (Dallas), F Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota), F Vladimir Tarasenko (St. Louis), F Clayton Keller (Arizona), D Seth Jones (Chicago), D Josh Morrissey (Winnipeg), G Juuse Saros (Nashville)

PACIFIC DIVISION

Thompson, F Connor McDavid (Edmonton), F Matty Beniers (Seattle), F Troy Terry (Anaheim), F Kevin Fiala (Los Angeles), F Nazem Kadri (Calgary), F Elias Pettersson (Vancouver), D Erik Karlsson (San Jose)

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

DODGERS CUT PITCHER TREVOR BAUER AFTER SUSPENSION REDUCED

LOS ANGELES (AP) The Los Angeles Dodgers are cutting ties with pitcher Trevor Bauer, whose unprecedented 324-game suspension over sexual misconduct allegations was reduced two weeks ago, allowing him to resume his career with the start of the new season.

A person familiar with the situation said Friday the 31-year-old right-hander was designated for assignment, which means the Dodgers have seven days to pull off an unlikely trade or just release him. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the roster move.

If the 2020 NL Cy Young Award winner is released, Los Angeles would remain responsible for the more than $22.5 million remaining on Bauer’s contract.

“After careful consideration, we have decided that he will no longer be a part of our organization,” the Dodgers said in a statement posted on Twitter.

Bauer said in a statement, “Following two weeks of conversations around my return to the organization, I sat down with Dodgers leadership in Arizona yesterday who told me that they wanted me to return and pitch for the team this year.

“While I am disappointed by the organization’s decision today, I appreciate the wealth of support I’ve received from the Dodgers clubhouse. I wish the players all the best and look forward to competing elsewhere.”

The Dodgers had until Friday to restore Bauer to the roster under baseball’s rules and they didn’t announce their decision until late afternoon. The team has rarely commented on the divisive case since Bauer was put on paid administrative leave in July 2021.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred suspended Bauer for 324 games for violating the league’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy after a San Diego woman said he beat and sexually abused her in 2021. Bauer has maintained he did nothing wrong, saying that everything that happened between him and the woman was consensual.

Bauer was never charged with a crime.

The players’ association filed a grievance on Bauer’s behalf, and a three-person panel headed by independent arbitrator Martin Scheinman started hearing the case last May.

In a ruling on Dec. 22, Scheinman upheld a 194-game suspension rather than Manfred’s intended 324-game penalty and reinstated Bauer immediately. Scheinman affirmed that Bauer violated MLB’s policy and docked his pay for the first 50 games of 2023, covering part of the period the pitcher was on paid leave in 2021 and `22.

“The Dodgers organization believes that allegations of sexual assault or domestic violence should be thoroughly investigated, with due process given to the accused,” the team’s statement said.

The team said it fully cooperated with MLB’s investigation and strictly followed the rules under the league’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy.

“Two extensive reviews of all the available evidence in this case – one by Commissioner Manfred and another by a neutral arbitrator – concluded that Mr. Bauer’s actions warranted the longest ever active player suspension in our sport for violations of this policy,” the Dodgers said.

Bauer joined his hometown Dodgers before the 2021 season on a $102 million, three-year contract. He had a record of 8-5 and a 2.59 ERA in 17 games before being placed on leave.

In the likelihood Bauer is released, the MLB players’ association could challenge his release as not complying with the Uniform Player’s Contract.

The contract allows the team to terminate if the player shall “fail, refuse or neglect to conform his personal conduct to the standards of good citizenship and good sportsmanship or to keep himself in first-class physical condition or to obey the club’s training rules” or “fail, in the opinion of the club’s management, to exhibit sufficient skill or competitive ability to qualify or continue as a member of the club’s team.”

In February 2022, Los Angeles prosecutors decided not to charge Bauer for allegedly beating and sexually abusing the San Diego woman because they said they were unable to prove her accusations beyond a reasonable doubt.

The woman, who was 27 at the time, said Bauer choked her into unconsciousness, punched her repeatedly and sexually assaulted her during two sexual encounters.

The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they have been victims of sexual assault.

Bauer said in a video posted on YouTube after the prosecutor’s decision that he and the woman engaged in rough sex at her suggestion and followed guidelines they agreed to in advance. Each encounter ended with her spending the night at his Pasadena home, he said.

“The disturbing acts and conduct that she described simply did not occur,” he said at the time.

The woman had sought a restraining order, but a judge denied it. The judge found that Bauer honored the woman’s boundaries when the woman set them, and could not have known about those he violated because she didn’t express them clearly.

Bauer will lose about $37.6 million in salary for the final 144 games of last season and for the first 50 games of this season, through May 23.

If Bauer is released, another team could sign him for the major league minimum of $720,000, with the Dodgers responsible for the remainder of the $22,537,635 he is owed.

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

MORIKAWA BUILDS 2-SHOT LEAD GOING TO WEEKEND AT KAPALUA

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Winless last year for the first time in his young career, Collin Morikawa is playing as though he wants to put that behind him quickly.

Morikawa was dialed in with his irons early and took advantage of some of the scoring holes late in his second round Friday for a 7-under 66 that gave him a two-shot lead in the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

He was at 16-under 130 and without a bogey over two rounds on the Plantation Course at Kapalua.

“With conditions where it’s windy and pins are kind of in sports where you’ve got to be really precise with your distance control and trajectory, it’s tailor-made for him,” said J.J. Spaun, who played with Morikawa and posted a 68 to fall two behind.

Masters champion Scottie Scheffler had a good laugh on the first tee with U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick and then ran off nine birdies in his round of 66, leaving him two shots behind along with Spaun, a newcomer to Kapalua.

Scheffler can return to No. 1 in the world this week with a two-way tie for third at better, with Rory McIlroy choosing to sit out this week.

Jordan Spieth had two eagles — one a 7-iron that came inches away from an albatross on the par-5 fifth hole — and had a 66. He was three shots behind.

Morikawa ordinarily wouldn’t be at Kapalua for the winners-only start to the year. But in this new year of trying to bring together the top plays more often, the PGA Tour expanded the field from exclusively winners in 2022 to include those who reached the FedEx Cup finale at East Lake.

Morikawa shared the 18-hole lead by running off six straight birdies to start the back nine. On a gorgeous Friday afternoon on Maui with a little more wind, he did most of his damage early. It started with a 20-foot birdie putt on the opening hole, followed by short irons to 3 feet and 8 feet.

From there, everyone else did well to keep pace.

Scheffler was introduced on the first tee with a mention of all four of his wins last year, from the WM Phoenix Open to the Masters. Next up was Fitzpatrick, who beat Scheffler by one shot at Brookline. He was introduced as the U.S. Open champion.

“There’s one you didn’t win,” Fitzpatrick said as they laughed.

Scoring remained low enough that only two players were over par — Billy Horschel (71) and Chad Ramey (76) were 2 over.

Morikawa had a chance to tie the 36-hole scoring record that Cameron Smith set last year at 17-under 129. He was just off the front of the 18th green when he muffed his chip and saw it run out to only 30 feet, and his long birdie putt banged off the lip.

Those are mistakes that happen and he can live with that. He’s more interested in a bigger picture of moving forward from what felt like the first real struggle he’s had in golf since longer than he can remember.

Morikawa graduated from Cal and had a PGA Tour victory within two months. After his first two full years on the tour, he already had two majors. A year ago, he had a chance to reach No. 1 in the world.

He had only one top 10 in his final eight tournaments last year. More than anything wrong with his swing, or his putting, Morikawa attributed it to a poor attitude forged from the frustration of knowing he wasn’t playing to his abilities.

“It was tough, but it’s golf and I’ve kind of learned from it,” Morikawa said. “You just realize look, it’s going to happen. You just dig yourself out of it and learn and get better from it. And if I didn’t get better from it and I didn’t push myself to work a little harder and motivate myself in certain ways to know where I want to be and set my goals, then there’s no reason to be frustrated.

“But it was frustrating because I know where I want to be.”

For now, he is in the lead by two shots, his first time with at least a share of the 36-hole lead since the U.S. Open last summer. He wound up in a tie for fifth at Brookline.

Missing from Kapalua is Xander Schauffele, the No. 6 player in the world who withdraw after eight holes because of an ailing back. Schauffele said he was headed home to Las Vegas to figure out what’s going on.

************MEN’S TENNIS NEWS**********

NO. 1 CARLOS ALCARAZ OUT OF AUSTRALIAN OPEN WITH LEG INJURY

Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz pulled out of the Australian Open on Friday because of an injured right leg.

The 19-year-old from Spain wrote on social media that he got hurt “through a chance, unnatural movement in training.”

The year’s first Grand Slam tournament begins Jan. 16 at Melbourne Park. The draw is next Thursday.

Alcaraz won the U.S. Open last September and moved atop the ATP rankings. That allowed him to become the youngest man to finish a season at No. 1 since the computerized men’s tennis rankings began a half-century ago.

His rise from No. 32 at the end of 2021 also marked the largest single-season jump to No. 1.

This is his second significant setback in recent months, though. Alcaraz cut short last season in November after tearing an abdominal muscle while competing at the Paris Masters. That forced him to withdraw from the ATP Finals and Davis Cup Finals.

Still, he closed out 2022 with a record of 57-13 and five singles titles.

“I’d worked so hard to get to my best level for Australia but unfortunately I won’t be able to play” at a tuneup event in Kooyong or the year’s first Grand Slam tournament, Alcaraz wrote on Twitter.

“It’s tough, but I have to be optimistic, recover and look forward,” he said.

With Alcaraz out, No. 2 Rafael Nadal – the defending champion in Australia and owner of a men’s-record 22 Grand Slam titles – will move up to No. 1 in the seedings for the hard-court tournament.

The Spaniards became the first players from the same country to claim the top two spots in the ATP at the close of a season since Americans Pete Sampras and Michael Chang in 1996.

Alcaraz’s departure also removes a potential hurdle for Novak Djokovic as he returns to Australia and tries to win it for a 10th time to claim what would be his 22nd major championship overall. Djokovic missed the 2022 Australian Open after being deported from the country because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19. He is still not vaccinated, but restrictions have eased.

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

PACERS BASKETBALL

After struggling last month to finish games, the young Pacers are learning how to play in winning time.

Indiana (22-18) outscrapped and outscored the Portland Trail Blazers (19-19) over the final minutes on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, closing the game with a 15-2 run in a 108-99 win. It was the Pacers’ fifth straight win on their home court, all of which have been decided in the final frame.

Friday’s contest was back-and-forth all night, with a team building and then losing a double-digit lead in each of the first three quarters.

The game was tied at 99 with three minutes remaining. Aaron Nesmith drove past Anfernee Simons and converted a layup on Jusuf Nurkic to give Indiana a two-point lead with 2:06 to play. Simons then threw an errant pass on the other end right into the arms of Buddy Hield, who streaked down the court and converted a layup.

After Simons missed a jumper, Tyrese Haliburton used a screen from Myles Turner to create space and drilled a three from in front of Indiana’s bench to give the Blue & Gold a seven-point lead with 1:09 to play.

Two Nesmith free throws with 44.3 seconds remaining sealed the victory, as the Pacers outscored the Blazers 15-2 over the final six minutes.

“To hold them under 30 (points) for (all) four quarters is a real feat,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “…And then the 17-point fourth quarter was just all about the grit and the energy in the building and our guys finding a way.”

Six Pacers scored in double figures, with rookie Bennedict Mathurin tallying a team-high 19 points while going 6-for-10 from the field and 7-for-7 from the free throw line. Turner added 17 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks, while Haliburton recorded his 21st double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 assists.

The Pacers missed their first five shots — four of them from 3-point range. The Trail Blazers started 4-of-5 on the other end and jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead.

Turner scored the Pacers’ first points of the night on a layup at the 9:17 mark in the first quarter. Consecutive breakaway layups by Andrew Nembhard, a runner from Turner and Haliburton jumper followed as Indiana answered Portland with a 10-point surge of its own to even the score.

Second-year big man Isaiah Jackson — recalled from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants earlier on Friday, where he had played in G League games on Wednesday and Thursday — checked in early after Turner picked up his second foul a little over five minutes into Friday’s contest. Jackson provided an immediate spark, scoring nine of Indiana’s next 14 points while throwing down four dunks.

“I feel like they were just finding the open man,” Jackson said of his early dunk show. “I love this team. Everybody moves the ball real well. We don’t know whose night it’s going to be. They could see me tonight, so I took advantage of the opportunities and did my thing.”

Still, Portland took a 29-26 lead into the second quarter, behind eight points from Nurkic and seven from rookie Jabari Walker.

Chris Duarte and Mathurin sparked a run by Indiana’s second unit to open the ensuing frame. Mathurin scored seven points — including a sequence where he scored then stole the following inbound pass and drew a foul — and Duarte added six as Indiana opened the frame with a 19-6 run.

The Blue & Gold led by as many as 11 in the quarter, but the Blazers closed the half with a 17-5 run over the final 3:25, taking a 55-54 lead on Josh Hart’s 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds left in the half.

The third quarter featured three ties and seven lead changes over the first seven minutes. Indiana finally built a lead thanks to an 11-0 run that started with Hield drawing a foul on a 3-point attempt and hitting all three free throws. Nembhard and Hield then knocked down back-to-back threes and Nesmith added a two-hand slam to cap the sequence and put Indiana in front, 78-70.

Once again, however, Portland closed a quarter strongly, this time using a 12-3 run to move back in front, with Hart’s right-hand slam out of a press break with 2.2 seconds left in the half giving the visitors a one-point lead entering the fourth.

The Blazers led by as many as five early in the fourth. The Pacers tied the game three times over a three-minute stretch, finally retaking the lead when Haliburton connected on a runner that made it 99-97 with 4:34 to play.

No one scored for the next minute and a half, before Lillard drew a foul and connected on both free throws to tie the game with 3:05 remaining.

Jackson scored 12 points off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting. Hield added 11 points and six rebounds, while Nesmith finished with 10 points and seven boards.

Simons led the Blazers with 20 points. Lillard added 18 and eight assists, but struggled from the field, going just 7-for-24 and 1-for-8 from 3-point range.

Nurkic (14 points and 19 rebounds) and Hart (12 points, 10 boards, and eight assists) recorded double-doubles, while Grant added 15 points for the visitors.

The Pacers will look to make it six in a row at home when they host Charlotte on Sunday.

Inside the Numbers

Haliburton has recorded a double-double in three of his last four contests. His 21 double-doubles rank first among all guards in the NBA.

Hield went 2-for-5 from 3-point range, snapping a seven-game streak in which he had made at least four 3-pointers. Only four players have ever had a longer streak in league history.

The Pacers won despite going 7-for-25 from 3-point range. Those seven threes were a season low for Indiana, two below their previous low. Indiana went 1-for-10 from beyond the arc in the first half and 6-for-15 over the final two quarters.

Jackson had not played in the Pacers’ past four games and six of their last eight contests, but came up big on Friday. He reached double figures for the eighth time this season and did so in just 14 minutes.

With Mathurin and Jackson leading the way, the Pacers’ bench outscored Portland’s reserves, 46-19.

You Can Quote Me On That

“We were flying around. We were having to double-team Lillard, we came and trapped him in the backcourt a few times. But the one constant is Myles Turner around the basket…if you watch tonight what he did down the stretch, there are very few guys around the league that can have that presence and can change the game defensively…Myles is always there. He was tremendous defensively.” -Carlisle on Indiana’s defense down the stretch

“I think we brought a lot of energy, tried to make it tough on them on the ball and I think our group concepts and team defense is what led to (our success).” -Nembhard on the Pacers locking down defensively

“It’s January in the NBA. This is a time when sometimes fatigue sets in on teams and sometimes you get some wanky scores. Not every game is going to be a Picasso offensively even for the best offensive teams. Defensively, sometimes you’ve got to do things outside the box to create some offense and to keep the other team off balance.” -Carlisle

“My body and my mind was telling me just to stop, but I looked deep down inside. I wanted to push myself. I want to be great…I feel like I showed that, just that grit, that toughness I have in me.” -Jackson on playing his third game in three nights

“It was great. He had a lot of energy coming into the game. He went down to the G League just to get his mojo going and I feel like he was pretty (amped) coming into the game and he had a big impact.” -Mathurin on Jackson’s contributions

Stat of the Night

The Pacers held the Trail Blazers to just two points over the final 6:40 on Friday. Portland’s last field goal of the game was a jumper by Lillard with 7:32 remaining. They missed their final 13 shots and committed three turnovers over the closing stretch.

Noteworthy

Backup center Jalen Smith missed his second game of the season on Friday, as he was a late scratch with a sore right hand.

The Pacers are 12-4 on the season when six or more players reach double figures and 11-1 when exactly six score in double digits.

Fans at Friday’s game included Colts players Shaquille Leonard and E.J. Speed, Fever guard Danielle Robinson, and Chicago Cubs catcher and Indianapolis native Tucker Barnhart.

Up Next

The Pacers welcome LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday, Jan. 8 at 5:00 PM ET.

COLTS FOOTBALL

There’s not one singular storyline to follow on Sunday, so we’re going to break these two usual game preview sections up into looking at a few veterans to watch and then rookies to keep an eye on during the Colts’ season finale. We’ll start with the veterans here.

Sam Ehlinger gets the start. With Nick Foles out with a ribs injury, Ehlinger will make his third start of the season and first since the Colts’ 26-3 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 9. The Colts value Ehlinger’s poise, mobility and schematic knowledge, and Sunday will be his final opportunity of his second year in the NFL to take valuable snaps – ones that’ll help him grow heading into the offseason.

“As a young player, reps are invaluable,” Ehlinger said. “So the more reps that you can get, the more comfortable you’re going to get. I think being able to get a chance to get out there last week will prepare me well for this week.”

Zaire Franklin’s shot at a franchise record. Franklin needs five tackles to break Shaquille Leonard’s franchise record for most tackles in a season (163); his 159 tackles entering Week 18 are fourth in the NFL. It’s been a remarkable season for Franklin, who’s gone from being a core special teamer and rotational linebacker to earning a nod as a 2023 Pro Bowl alternate.

“Just thinking about the journey that I’ve been through here with the Colts,” Franklin said. “All the highs and lows, just for my first real opportunity to set a new record, set a new standard, it means a ton. But at the same time, it makes me question how good I really can be. I got a lot of work to do and it’s so many things I want to improve on, but sometimes you gotta sit back and be thankful for the journey.”

Last looks before free agency for a few players. Among the Colts players who are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents in March: Wide receiver Parris Campbell, linebacker Bobby Okereke and kicker Chase McLaughlin. All three have had solid seasons – Campbell has 57 catches for 581 yards with three touchdowns, Okereke has 146 tackles, five pass break-ups and two forced fumbles, and McLaughlin has made 29 of 35 field goals, including eight of 11 from 50 or more yards.

5 Things To Watch

Alec Pierce. Wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne said on Thursday he told Pierce he saw the second-round pick hit the rookie wall, and challenged him to get over it in Week 18. But Pierce has had plenty of encouraging moments during his rookie season, including a handful of catches on deep shots. He enters Week 18 with 38 catches for 551 yards and two touchdowns; for what it’s worth, Wayne had 27 catches for 345 yards and no touchdowns as a rookie in 2001.

“You just have to find a way to keep pushing,” Wayne said. “But I enjoy being around him. The guy is a hard worker. He wants to be good.”

Jelani Woods. Woods enters the final game of his rookie season with 24 catches on 36 targets for 303 yards with three touchdowns – but turn on the tape, and you see a fluid athlete who’s both capable of boxing out defenders for jump balls and rumbling for acres of YAC with the ball in his hands.

“Rookie year is not easy – it’s a long season and he continues to bring it every single day,” quarterback Nick Foles said last week. “He’s going to be a great player in this league.”

Bernhard Raimann. Raimann has held his own since being re-inserted into the Colts’ starting lineup in early November. Since Week 9, Raimann has the NFL’s second-highest Pro Football Focus pass block grade (75.2) among rookie offensive linemen; in that span, his 76.5 overall PFF grade ranks 18th out of 85 tackles. The Colts will have time for a full evaluation of Raimann’s rookie year in the offseason, but his progress in the second half of 2022 has been encouraging.

“He’s battled,” interim head coach Jeff Saturday said. “I’ve been really happy with his progress.”

Rodney Thomas II. Thomas will be playing for his good friend Damar Hamlin when he takes the field on Sunday for the final game of a remarkable rookie season. Thomas, the No. 239 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, leads the Colts with three interceptions, and quarterbacks have just a 57.4 passer rating when targeting him in coverage.

“My only two focuses, my only two goals,” Thomas said on Wednesday, after he visited Hamlin at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, “are Damar and the Texans this weekend.”

Nick Cross, JoJo Domann, Dallis Flowers. The last guys to watch are a trio of players who’ve made impacts on special teams. Cross, after his role on defense diminished, has stepped in for Bubba Ventrone and leads the Colts with 10 special teams tackles – and his 90.3 PFF special teams grade is seventh among players with at least 200 special teams snaps. Domann is second on the Colts with nine special teams tackles and scored a touchdown on a blocked punt in Week 15. And Flowers, who’s averaging 33 yards per kickoff return on 19 returns, could become the first player since 1970 to average 33 or more yards per return on 20 or more kickoff returns in a single season.

INDIANAPOLIS TURNS DOWN NFL’S REQUEST TO HOST AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

INDIANAPOLIS — The City of Indianapolis has reportedly turned down a request from the National Football League to host the AFC Championship game later in January.

As first reported by the Indianapolis Business Journal, the City has declined to host the NFL’s penultimate game due to scheduling conflicts. City officials added that the Indy convention center already has a packed calendar.

Indianapolis Colts executives were asked by league officials earlier this week about hosting the game on either Jan. 28 or 29. The request came after a Week 17 game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals was canceled.

The city already has an event on its calendar at Lucas Oil Stadium, the proposed host site. This, officials said, would make it nearly impossible for the NFL to host a game there.

The already-scheduled event, a national volleyball tournament hosted by Capitol Sports Center called The Central Zone Invitational, is expected to draw as many as 30,000 people downtown.

Additionally, the City is expecting a peak hotel room occupancy exceeding 7,000 rooms, which accounts for nearly every room in downtown Indianapolis.

Visit Indy employees as well as Indianapolis officials made efforts to accommodate both events but were unsuccessful.

“After the NFL reached out to the Colts to explore the possibility of Indy hosting the AFC Championship as a neutral site, the Capital Improvement Board and Visit Indy quickly touched base with … Capitol Sports Volleyball, which has grown each and every year it has been in the city,” Chris Gahl, executive vice president of Visit Indy, said to the IBJ. “With 30,000 volleyball players, families and fans coming in to spend the same weekend for the event [as the championship game], based on timing, that event had to stay in place as it was.”

The volleyball tournament is a yearly event that has expanded over the past years. This year, Central Zone Invitational is expected to have an economic impact of about $10.7 million.

FUEL HOCKEY

INDIANAPOLIS- The Iowa Heartlanders hosted the Indy Fuel for the second game in a row, this time with goaltender Cam Gray making his Fuel debut as a starter and ultimately getting his first ECHL win as the team took the game 5-2 over Iowa.

Iowa began the scoring just 44 seconds into the first period with a shot by Clayton Phillips that made it past Gray’s glove. Five minutes later, Cam Hillis evened the score with the help of Shane Kuzmeski and Carson Rose who recorded his first ECHL point with a primary assist.

A big scuffle ensued resulting in a handful of penalties including a five minute major handed to Chase Lang in the final second of the period. The Fuel outshot the Heartlanders 15-12.

Luc Brown tallied his first goal with the Fuel while on the power play just 55 seconds into the second period to put the Fuel ahead 2-1. Twenty-seven seconds later, Kale Howarth made it 3-1 for Indy with another power play goal.

At 18:01, the Heartlanders were able to get one goal back courtesy of Yuki Miura assisted by former Fuel forward Griff Jeszka and Justin Wells. Time ticked down on the period and the Fuel headed to the third ahead 3-2.

History was made at 6:46 in the third period when Spencer Watson scored the fourth Fuel goal of the game and his 81st as a member of the Fuel, officially breaking the all-time Fuel franchise goals record that was previously held by Joshua Shalla.

Iowa pulled their goaltender with three minutes left in regulation and at 17:10, Lang was able to score an empty net goal to seal the game at 5-2 despite shots being equal between both teams at 33.

The Fuel take on the Heartlanders in the final of the three-game series tomorrow at 8:05 p.m. ET.

INDY ELEVEN SOCCER

INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, January 6, 2023) – Indy Eleven made a big impression with today’s first new signing of the 2023 calendar year in veteran midfielder Jack Blake. Per club policy, details of the contract that cements the Englishman in the Circle City for 2023 will not be released and remains pending league and federation approval.

The 28-year-old native of Nottingham, England, joins Indiana’s Team after contributing 22 goals and 17 assists across 117 combined regular season and playoff appearances in five seasons of USL Championship action since 2018. Blake spent the past two seasons with San Diego Loyal SC, scoring eight goals and adding 10 assists – including a career-high six helpers in 2022 – in 52 appearances for then-Head Coach Landon Donovan’s side.

“I am very excited for a new adventure and chapter in my career,” stated Blake. “I am looking forward to meeting the team and the fans and to working with [Eleven Head Coach] Mark [Lowry] once again.”

After joining the ranks of the Championship with the Tampa Bay Rowdies leading up to the 2018 season, that June Blake went on loan to Real Monarchs SLC in a move that jumpstarted his status as a full-time starter in the league. His two-and-a-half year stay with Real included a standout 11-goal campaign in 2019 that also featured three tallies in postseason play and an equalizing assist in the Monarchs’ 3-1 victory at Louisville City FC in the USL Championship Final.

Prior to his time in the Championship, Blake spent two seasons acclimating to soccer stateside – including getting a glimpse of Indy Eleven – in the North American Soccer League, starting  with an 11-game stint with Minnesota United in 2016. Blake headed south for the 2017 season with Jacksonville Armada FC, where he bagged nine goals and added three assists in 27 games under the guidance of Lowry on the sideline.

“Jack is obviously a player I have known for a long time and have coached in the past in the NASL, where he won Young Player of the Year for the league [in 2017]. He has continued his trajectory and, over the past few years, has become one of the best all-around midfielders in the USL,” said Lowry. “Not many players can match him for his consistent quality and the intensity and desire he brings to each game. At only 28 he has his best years ahead of him and can reach even bigger heights as a player. Jack is a first-class addition and continues the great work we have done this off season to build this roster to the level we want it to be.”

Blake was reared in the youth development systems of Notts County and Nottingham Forest before joining the Academy set-up of the latter. He made his professional debut whilst on loan to League Two side Mansfield Town in late 2013, which fell in between stints with Forest’s reserve side from 2013-15. Through his grandfather’s lineage Blake was eligible to represent Scotland in international play, and he earned five “caps” with the country’s Under-19 side from 2011-12.

Today’s news continues announcements in the coming weeks that will build the foundation of the 2023 roster for Indiana’s Team heading into February’s official preseason camp. The roster as it currently stands is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Yannik Oettl, Tim Trilk

Defenders: Younes Boudadi, A.J. Cochran, Robby Dambrot, Mechack Jerome, Gustavo Rissi, Ecris Revolorio, Jesus Vazquez

Midfielders: Jack Blake, Cam Lindley, Bryam Rebellon, Diego Sanchez, Alann Torres

Forwards: Solomon Asante, Jonas Fjeldberg, Sebastian Guenzatti, Juan Tejada

INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL

Opening Tip

• Indiana University continues its 123rd season of competition in men’s basketball for a home tilt against Northwestern at noon ET on Jan. 8 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The game will be broadcast on FS1.

• The Wildcats, led by 10th-year head coach Chris Collins, enter the game with an 11-3 record and a 2-1 mark in B1G play. Northwestern has earned victories in six of the team’s last seven games.

Game Information

Jan. 8, 2023 • Noon ET

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

TV: FS1 (Matt Schumacher, Stephen Bardo)

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

Series History: Indiana leads, 120-53

Last Meeting: NW 59, IU 51 on Feb. 8, 2022 in Evanston

Series History

• Indiana leads the all-time series against Northwestern, 120-53, but are just 6-4 against the Wildcats in the last 10 meetings. IU’s longest win streak in the series came in the form of 26-straight triumphs from Feb. 11, 1988 to Jan. 15, 2003.

• The Hoosiers fell to the Wildcats in the lone meeting between the two programs a season ago. Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (13 points, 11 rebounds), sixth-year senior Race Thompson (14 points, 6 rebounds), and junior Trey Galloway (13 points, 5 rebounds) led the way for the short-handed Indiana squad in the loss.

Last Time Out

• Indiana returned to Big Ten Conference play with a hard-fought 91-89 loss at Iowa on Jan. 5 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis churned out his second 30-point game of the season (at Xavier, Nov. 18) on 11-of-20 shooting from the floor. He added nine rebounds, three assists, and three blocks.

• Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino extended his streak of 15-point games to three with a season-best 21 points and nine assists. He knocked down a career-high five 3-pointers in the loss.

• Indiana held a 21-point lead in the first half of the contest.

Scoop, There it is

• Sophomore guard Tamar Bates, nicknamed “Scoop”, has taken a second-year leap for the Hoosiers. He has upped his minutes per game from 14.3 to 22.9, points per game from 3.9 to 9.1, and 3-point percentage from 29.8% to 42.3% from his debut collegiate season.

• Bates recorded career bests in points (22), made field goals (8), and assists (4) in the win over Jackson State on Nov. 25.

• The IMG Academy product scored 32 points off the bench on 6-of-11 (54.5%) shooting from the 3-point line against Nebraska (Dec. 7) and Arizona (Dec. 10).

• Bates started his first career game at Iowa on Jan. 5 and tallied eight points and four assists.

• Bates became a father to his daughter, Leilani, on March 20, 2022, two days after his freshman season concluded.

Fino on the Rise

• After hitting double figures in the scoring column just twice in his first six collegiate games, freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino has scored 10-plus points in five-straight games.

• The Pittsburgh, Pa., native has set a new scoring career-high in each of the last three contests after scoring 17 against Elon (Dec. 20), 18 points versus Kennesaw State (Dec. 23), and 21 points at Iowa (Jan. 5).

• Hood-Schifino has reached at least four assists in seven of his 11 starts to open his career.

• JHS ranks fourth among all freshmen in the Big Ten in scoring (1.6 points per game), first in assists (4.7), fifth in rebounds (4.4), and seventh in made 3-pointers per game (1.5).

Sharing the Rock

• Indiana ranks as the top Big Ten Conference team in assists, averaging 17.6 helpers per game. IU has been over 15 assists as a team in 10 games this season. Five times the Hoosiers have topped 20 assists.

• Fifth-year senior guard Xavier Johnson (fourth) and freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino (fifth) both rank inside the top-10 in the B1G in assists per game.

Other Notables

• Senior Trayce Jackson-Davis blocked a career-high nine shots at Kansas on Dec. 17. The game marked his sixth with at least five blocks.

• His nine blocks were the second most by a Hoosier in a single game in program history, trailing only Steve Downing (10) against Michigan on Feb. 23, 1971.

• Jackson-Davis is one of 16 Big Ten players to have at least nine blocks in a game in the last 25 seasons. Nate Reuvers (Nov. 8, 2019) of Wisconsin was the last B1G player to have at least nine blocks in a game.

• Sixth-year senior forward Race Thompson had 18 points on 9-of-13 shooting with 11 rebounds and tied a career-high four blocks against Elon on Dec. 20.

• Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino had 17 points along with seven assists, two rebounds, and two steals against Elon.

• Freshman guard CJ Gunn scored a career-high 11 points, on 5-of-10 shooting as well as three rebounds, three assists, and two steals versus Elon.

• Sophomore center Logan Duncomb tallied 10 points, five rebounds, and two assists. His 10 points were a career-high against the Phoenix.

• Sophomore guard Tamar Bates led Indiana in scoring against Kennesaw State on Dec. 23 with 19 points.

• Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino had a career-high 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting against the Owls on Dec. 23.

• Hood-Schifino has scored in double figures in his last four games and has reached that mark in six of his last seven.

• Sixth-year senior forward Race Thompson ripped down 14 rebounds to tie his career-high (Feb. 12, 2022 at Michigan State) in the win over KSU on Dec. 23.

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis secured his eighth-career 30-point game in Indiana’s 91-89 loss at Iowa on Jan. 5. He added a team-best nine rebounds and three blocked shots.

• Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino became the third Hoosier to score at least 20 points in their Big Ten debut in the last 25 years with a career-high 21 points at Iowa on Jan. 5.  He canned 5-of-8 shots from behind the 3-point line.

• Hood-Schifino joined NBA Lottery Draft picks Eric Gordon (25 points at Iowa in 2008) and Romeo Langford (20 points against Northwestern in 2018) on the exclusive list.

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis has swatted at least two shots in 29 of his last 46 games played.

• The Hoosiers have been ranked in each of the first 10 (including preseason) Associated Press Top-25 Polls, the longest streak to open a season for IU since the 2016-17 season.

INDIANA WRESTLING

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. ––––– Indiana Wrestling lost in an up-and-down battle against No. 7 Ohio State, 26-13, on Friday night at Wilkinson Hall.

The conference-opening loss puts Indiana at 4-1 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten.

KEY MOMENTS

• Indiana junior No. 17 Derek Gilcher (157) continued his hot stretch of wrestling, defeating No. 18 Paddy Gallagher in a thrilling 5-4 match. Gallagher led early, owning a 3-0 lead early in the second period before Gilcher scored five straight points to take it.

• Indiana’s Jacob Bullock (285) picked up another statement win. The No. 31-ranked senior defeated No. 15 Tate Orndorff in a dominant, 7-2 decision.

• Jacob Moran (125) got the team off to a good start, winning the first match of the night, in a 4-3 decision victory over Brendan McCrone.

• Nick Willham (197) was in control from start to finish, finalizing a 10-2 win by major decision.

NOTABLES

• Gilcher’s overall record improves to 19-6 with tonight’s win. He has won eight of the last nine matches he has competed in.

• Bullock has won 13 bouts in a row and owns a 13-1 record on the season.

• With Moran’s victory, he is now 19-6 overall and 5-0 in dual matches.

• Willham’s win improves his season record to 13-6 and bumps his season point differential up to +49.

UP NEXT

• Indiana will have a few days off before facing their first Big Ten road test of the season as the Hoosiers take on No. 22 Maryland in College Park on Monday, Jan. 9 at 6:30 p.m.

FULL RESULTS

125: Jacob Moran (IU) def. Brendan McCrone (OSU):  Dec. 4-3   

133: No. 15 Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. No. 32 Henry Porter (IU): MD, 20-6

141: No. 17 Dylan D’Emilio (OSU) def. No. 33 Cayden Rooks (IU) MD, 10-2

149: No. 4 Sammy Sasso (OSU) def. No. 33 Graham Rooks (IU): Fall (0:53)

157: No. 17 Derek Gilcher (IU) def. No. 18 Paddy Gallagher (OSU): Dec. 5-4

165: Isaac Wilcox (OSU) def. Nick South (IU): Dec. 10-7

174: No. 8 Ethan Smith (OSU) def. No. 18 DJ Washington (IU): Dec. 10-4

184: No. 5 Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. Drayton Harris (IU): Fall (4:00)

197: Nick Willham (IU) def. Seth Shumate (OSU): MD, 10-2

285: No. 15 Tate Orndoff (OSU) def. No. 31 Jacob Bullock (IU): Dec. 7-2

PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Fresh off a New Year’s Day win over Wisconsin, the Purdue women’s basketball will hit the road for the first time in 2023 when it visits Penn State on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. on B1G+.

Fans can also tune in on the Purdue Radio Network with Tim Newton on the call for 95.3 BOB FM.

GAME INFORMATION 

Purdue (11-3, 2-2) at Penn State (10-5, 1-3)

Saturday, Jan. 7

Time: 2 PM 

TV: B1G+ 

Radio: 95.3 BOB FM 

Live Stats: Purduestats.com 

LAST TIME OUT 

The Boilermakers pulled away to a 73-61 win over Wisconsin on New Year’s Day. Lasha Petree led the way in scoring with 18 with Caitlyn Harper joining her in double figures with 13. Ava Learn matched her season high with 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting. Purdue notched 40 points in the paint and flipped 26 Badgers turnovers into 30 points.  

NOTES 

• Purdue leads the all-time series with Penn State 34-22.

• Caitlyn Harper notched her third straight game in double figures with 13 points against Wisconsin. Over her last five games, Harper is shooting 60% from the field with 10.8 points per game.

• Jeanae Terry’s stat stuffing season continues to roll on as she ranks in the top 10 of the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.18), assists (105), rebounds (112), rebounds per game (8.0), steals (31) and steals per game (2.2).

• Lasha Petree has scored in double figures in all but one game this season. The fifth-year senior is averaging 18.1 points per game, which sits sixth in the Big Ten.

• With 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting and 2-of-2 at the line, Ava Learn became the seventh Boilermaker since 2009 to score in double digits and post perfect field goal and free throw percentages in a game.

• Purdue forced a season-high 26 turnovers against Wisconsin to move to 5-2 this year when opponents cough it up 15 or more times.

• Terry and Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles are the only two players in the nation averaging more than seven points, rebounds and assists per game.

• Cassidy Hardin moved into a tie for seventh in career triples with legend and Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White with 183.

• Purdue has worked the ball inside to score 36.4 points per game in the paint, while holding opponents to 25.9 points.

BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL

The Bulldogs head east for a two-game road swing, starting with Seton Hall Saturday night and followed by a Tuesday tip at St. John’s. Butler enters the trip off two consecutive wins, highlighted by career-best performances by Eric Hunter Jr. and Jayden Taylor in those respective contests.

Butler (10-6, 2-3 BIG EAST) at Seton Hall (8-8, 1-4 BIG EAST)

Saturday, Jan. 7;  8:30PM

Prudential Center; Newark, N.J.

TV: FS1 – John Fanta & Tarik Turner

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

Varsity Network Radio App

SiriusXM 385, SXM App 975

PDF notes can be found here:  https://bit.ly/3NGADRf

THE SERIES: Tied, 10-10

Streak: Seton Hall, W2

At SHU: Seton Hall Leads, 5-4

First Meeting: BU, 64-57; 1/29/14

Last Meeting: SHU, 66-60; 2/23/22

Bulldogs vs. Pirates

• All of the match-ups in the series have come since Butler joined the BIG EAST prior to the 2013-14 season.

• Seton Hall has won two straight in the series and five of the last six contests between the programs.

• Butler won the first four games played in New Jersey, but Seton Hall has responded to win on their home court the last five times.

OF NOTE:

• Eric Hunter Jr. led the Bulldogs with a career-high 23 points in Wednesday’s win over DePaul. It marked the first time that Hunter led Butler in scoring this season.

• Hunter also scored his 1,000th career point in the win over DePaul; the first 842 points of his career came during his playing days at Purdue.

• Butler went 23-for-30 from the free throw line against DePaul, setting season-highs in both makes and attempts. Butler is 9-2 this season when attempting more free throws than their opponents.

• Including a 7-for-15 performance against DePaul, the Bulldogs have hit 19 of their 41 combined three-point attempts over the last two games.

• Butler was +6 in rebounding margin against DePaul, and is now 7-0 this season when out-rebounding its opponent.

• Jayden Taylor is averaging 20.0 points per game over his last two games; he has made eight of his 11 attempts from three-point range over those two games. His 40 total points have come in less than 48 total minutes of play.

• Sunday’s 80-51 win over Georgetown was the third-most lopsided win by Butler over a BIG EAST opponent since joining the conference in 2013-14 (89-56, at St. John’s, 2/6/16; and 79-46, at DePaul, 3/6/14).

• Butler held Georgetown to 28.8-percent shooting in Sunday’s win; it’s the third time since joining the BIG EAST that Butler has held a conference opponent under 30-percent shooting (vs. St. John’s, 1/27/18 and at Seton Hall, 1/25/17).

• It was the Bulldogs’ best defensive performance against any opponent since limiting Louisiana-Monroe to 23.3-percent shooting Dec. 28, 2019.

• Taylor led the Bulldogs with a career-high 24 points at Georgetown, featuring a career-best six three-pointers.

• Taylor has averaged 17 points per game this season in Butler’s seven games away from Hinkle Fieldhouse.

• Butler’s 12 three-pointers at Georgetown were the second-best output of the season for the Bulldogs.

• Among active coaches with at least 10 seasons of NCAA Division I experience, Thad Matta’s .737 winning percentage ranks fourth (Few, Self, Calipari).

• Butler is 10-0 this season when leading at halftime.

• Butler is 10-0 this season when scoring 70 or more points.

• Butler has shot 50 percent or better from the field nine times already this season; the Bulldogs hit the 50-percent mark six times all of last season (31 games). In a similar fashion, Butler already has eight games this season shooting 40 percent or better from three-point range, which was only done four times during the 2021-22 season.

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

• Through five conference games, Butler has committed only 8.8 turnovers per game, which is the best mark in the BIG EAST.

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

• Bates is 15th nationally with a 63.7 field goal percentage and is 23rd nationally in blocks per game at 2.2 per game.

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

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

• After missing the first 11 games of the season, the duo of Jalen Thomas (pulmonary embolism) and Ali Ali (nasal surgery/concussion symptoms) is contributing a combined 12.6 points per game over the five games they have played.

• Harris is now 21st in Butler history in career three-pointers (119).

• Harris posted career-highs of 32 points and six three-pointers in the Dec. 3 win over Tennessee Tech.

• Bates led the Bulldogs with 22 points and 10 rebounds against Kansas State Nov. 30, his third double-double of the season.

• Bates is shooting 65 percent in BIG EAST play, good for fourth in the conference.

• Hunter Jr. posted the first double-double of his collegiate career in the Dec. 10 win at Cal; he scored 13 points to go along with a career-high 11 rebounds.

BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler women’s basketball team will travel to Villanova this weekend for a Sunday matinee at Finneran Pavilion. The 2PM contest will stream live on FloSports.com.

GameDay

Date: Sunday, Jan. 8

Time: 2:00 PM

Location: Villanova, Pa. – Finneran Pavilion

Live Stats: Villanova.com – Statbroadcast

Watch: FloSports.com – BEDN

Bulldog Bits

– Sunday is the 20th overall meeting between Butler and Villanova.

– Rachel McLimore led Butler in scoring against UConn with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

– McLimore hit a team-high four 3-pointers vs. the Huskies to tie her season-high.

– McLimore has hit multiple 3-pointers in a single-game seven times this year and has led BU in scoring seven times.

– Butler hit nine 3-pointers vs. UConn, tying their third-highest total of the season.

– Butler has attempted 20+ 3-pointers in five of their last six games.

– Shay Frederick has made eight 3-pointers over her last three starts (11 over her first 12 games).

– Frederick needs five rebounds to reach 400 in her collegiate career.

– Tenley Dowell has hit at least one 3-pointer in seven-straight games.

– Butler went on an 8-0 scoring run vs. UConn in the second quarter to get within five points of the Huskies at 28-23.

– McLimore and Sydney Jaynes are the only two Bulldogs to start in all six BIG EAST games.

– Jaynes tied her career-high with three steals vs. UConn.

– Kelsy Taylor tied her career-high assist total with three against the Huskies.

– Taylor led Butler with five rebounds on Tuesday night. It was fourth time she has led BU in the rebound column.

– Trinity White logged a season-high 21 minutes of playing time vs. UConn and tied her season-high point total with four points vs. the Huskies.

– Maddy Siegrist leads the nation in scoring (28.0).

– The last player to score 30+ points against Butler was Siegrist. She had 31 points on Feb. 25, 2022.

– Villanova is receiving votes in each poll.

BIG EAST Standings

UConn 6-0, 13-2

Seton Hall 5-1, 12-4

St. John’s 4-1, 13-1

Villanova 4-1, 13-3

DePaul 3-2, 10-6

Marquette 3-3, 10-5

Creighton 3-3, 9-5

Providence 1-4, 10-6

Georgetown 1-5, 8-7

Butler 1-5, 6-9

Xavier 0-6, 7-8

Scouting Villanova                                                                                

The Wildcats have won four in a row and are now 13-3 overall with a 4-1 record against conference opponents. Maddy Siegrist not only leads the BIG EAST in scoring, she ranks second in rebounding (9.5). The Preseason Player of the Year had 29 and 10 in the victory over Georgetown on Wednesday. Lucy Olsen and Maddie Burke joined her in double figures. Olsen is one of the best 3-point shooters in the conference and she ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in assists (4.2). Christina Dalce is another force on the Nova roster. The 6-2 forward averages 2.0 blocks per game to lead the BIG EAST Conference.

All-Time Series vs. Villanova                                                              

Butler trails Villanova in the all-time series 13-6. The Wildcats have won four-straight over Butler, but the Bulldogs swept the regular season meetings in 2019-20. Back in 2018, Butler went to #21 Villanova to knock off the nationally-ranked Wildcats 76-53. Nova had won six-straight against BU heading into that upset.

Butler’s Last Game vs. Villanova                                                                       

Butler was limited to just 36 points the last time they played Villanova. The Wildcats were led to victory by Maddy Siegrist. She led all players with 31 points while adding seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. Siegrist shot 13-for-18 from the field and had five made 3-pointers. Sydney Jaynes posted six points for the Bulldogs and Kendall Wingler came off the bench to add five.

Villanova’s Last Game                                                                         

The Wildcats won their fourth in a row, holding off an upset-minded Georgetown squad, which narrowed a 14-point deficit down to three with under two minutes to play. Maddy Siegrist, the nation’s leading scorer, tallied game highs of 29 points and 10 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season. Following her 29-point night, Siegrist passed UConn legend Rebecca Lobo on the BIG EAST’s all-time scoring list, landing at No. 7 with 1,243 points over 54 conference games. Rookie Kennedy Fauntleroy led Georgetown (8-7, 1-5 BIG EAST) with 24 points off 9-of-15 shooting. GU used a 13-0 run to get within one, 61-60, with 4:56 left, but neither team scored for the next three minutes as the Wildcats clung to the advantage. Villanova (13-3, 4-1) scored the next six points to pull away late.

Knock Down Shooters                                                                         

Butler ranks 16th in the NCAA and second in the BIG EAST in 3-point field goal percentage (37.0). The Bulldogs buried nine 3-pointers in their last game against UConn. Rachel McLimore led the team with four and Shay Frederick added three. McLimore is the top 3-point shooter on the roster with 23 makes on 59 attempts (39.0%). Frederick is second on the team with 19 made 3-pointers and Tenley Dowell is third with 16. BU has five players on the roster with at least 10 made 3-pointers. 11 of the 14 Bulldogs to see playing time this season have hit at least one shot from distance.

3-Pointers                                                                                                             

Butler made 14 3-pointers at Xavier while shooting 48.3 percent from distance. Their season-high total doubles as the most made in a BIG EAST game this season. Before the game at Xavier, BU was in a three-way tie with UConn and Villanova with 13 makes from 3-point range. Butler made 13 earlier this season vs. Binghamton while hitting at a 56.5 clip. The Bulldogs average 7.5 made 3-point field goals per game (3rd in the BIG EAST) and the Wildcats rank last in 3-point field goal percentage defense (36.7).

New Wave                                                                                                             

Eight Butler newcomers account for 69.8 percent of the team’s scoring this season.

Valuable Experience                                                                            

HC Austin Parkinson added three graduate transfers to the roster in McLimore, Frederick and Taylor. Those three-student-athletes have logged over 9,000 minutes of playing time throughout their collegiate careers! The rest of the roster combines for 6,800.

Keys to Success                                                                                      

Holding a halftime lead and shooting more free throws than the opposition have been instrumental to Butler’s success this season. The ‘Dawgs are 6-2 this year when in front after 20 minutes and are 6-3 when attempting more free throws than their opponent. They have averaged 20.6 free throw attempts in victories this year and just 9.8 in losses. Currently the ‘Dawgs have shot seven free throws or less in four of their last five games.

January 8                                                                                                              

The Bulldogs are 2-1 when playing on Jan. 8 since they joined the BIG EAST in 2013-14. Wins came at Xavier and Providence and the lone setback was to Villanova (1/8/14).

UConn Recap                                                                                                       

No. 5 UConn (12-2, 5-0 BIG EAST) scored an 80-47 win at Butler (6-9, 1-5) in the lone BIG EAST game on Tuesday night. Aaliyah Edwards tallied game highs of 20 points and nine rebounds, making 10-of-12 shots from the field while registering three steals and three assists. The Huskies shot .586 on the night while limiting the Bulldogs to 22 second-half points. Butler narrowed a 15-point first-quarter deficit down to five in the second quarter but UConn responded with a 16-2 run to pull away. Rachel McLimore led Butler with 18 points, draining a game-high four triples.

Up Next                                                                                                                  

Butler will play at Georgetown on Wednesday, Jan. 11. The 7 PM tip will stream live on FloSports.com.

IUPUI MEN’S BASKETBALL

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The IUPUI basketball team will embark on a two-game road trip this weekend, beginning at Youngstown State (11-5, 3-2 HL) on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 7) at 2:00 p.m.. YSU comes in having won four of its past five games, including a 78-56 rout of Robert Morris on Thursday night.

IUPUI (3-12, 0-4 HL) is still seeking a first Horizon League victory after dropping a pair of hard fought contests at home this week. An undermanned IUPUI squad fell to Northern Kentucky on Saturday by a 55-42 score and then was dumped by Wright State, 82-68, on Monday. Graduate transfer Chris Osten led the Jags with 15 points on 7-of-7 shooting against Wright State and sophomore Jlynn Counter came off the bench with 13 points. Both Vincent Brady II (11 pts, 5 reb) and Daylan Hamilton (10 pts, 3 stl) also finished in double-digits and freshman Amhad Jarrard hit all four of his shots in an eight-point effort.

YSU swept the regular season series between the two schools a season ago.

QUOTABLE

“I thought we did a good job offensively today. I thought we moved the ball and made some things happen offensively. Defensively, we didn’t get enough stops. Credit to Wright State, they took care of the basketball and made plays offensively. We missed some open shots in some critical situations where I thought we could get some momentum and get a run going. Those hurt when you get a key stop and then don’t capitalize at the other end,” head coach Matt Crenshaw said after the 82-68 loss to Wright State on Monday.

SCOUTING YOUNGSTOWN STATE

YSU is 11-5 on the season and 6-2 at home and leads the Horizon League in scoring (83.7 ppg) by a wide margin. The Penguins also lead the league in three-point shooting (38.1%) and free throw shooting (78.4%) and are third in rebound margin at +4.31 boards per game. Dwayne Cohill is third in the league in scoring at 18.4 points per game and Malek Green is eighth at 14.3 points per contest. Adrian Nelson checks in at 11.6 points and 9.5 boards per game. In league play, Cohill is averaging 24.4 points per game and shooting 61.4 percent from the floor while YSU is scoring a league-high 79 points per game.

UP NEXT

IUPUI will cap the two-game trip at Robert Morris on Monday (Jan. 9) at 7:00 p.m.. That game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Tidbits heading into today’s game (click here for full game notes (.pdf))

    THREE TIMES

    IUPUI freshman Vincent Brady II has now won the #HLMBB Freshman of the Week Award three times this season, including this past week. Brady, a 6-foot-4 guard, is second on the team in scoring (10.0 ppg) and leads the squad in minutes played (29.7 mpg) and threes made (25). 

    FRESH DUBS

    It would appear that Brady will be hovering around double-digits in scoring all season long as he’s hit for double-digits in eight of IUPUI’s last nine games after failing to do so in the season’s first seven games.

    The Dec. 5 Green Bay game was his 4th straight game of 15 points or more, becoming the first IUPUI freshman to have at least four straight games of 15 points or more since Alex Young in ’08.

    Freshmen scoring in double-digits has been a rarity for the IUPUI program – below is a list of all the rookies who averaged 10-or-more a game in their rookie campaigns. Only Young and Hill do so at the NCAA Division I level.

    Alex Young – 10.8 ppg (2008-09)

    George Hill – 10.7 ppg (2004-05)

    Chad Pate – 14.0 ppg (1991-92)

    Aldray Gibson – 14.7 ppg (1983-84)

    Eric McKay – 12.8 ppg (1981-82)

    Ron Angevine – 10.6 ppg (1979-80)

    INJURY BUG

    IUPUI has yet to have its full roster available this season as Bryce Monroe has been limited to just four games on the year and freshman DJ Jackson missed nearly eight weeks to an injury. Monroe is out indefinitely, hoping to potentially return in February.  

    In addition, Jonah Carrasco, Jlynn Counter, Cooper Dewitt, Amhad Jarrard, Armon Jarrard and Marlon Taylor have each missed at least one game due to injury or illness.

    Only three players – Chris Osten, Vincent Brady II and Daylan Hamilton – have appeared in all 15 games this season and only Osten has started all 15 times.

    SOLID AS A ROC

    Prior to a recent injury, sophomore Jlynn Counter, known as Roc, had a fantastic two-game Indiana Classic just before Christmas, averaging 25.0 points in the two contests. He had a career-high 27 points (10-19 FG, 7-7 FT) and five rebounds against Southern Indiana on Dec. 19 and followed up with 23 points (9-13 FG, 1-1 3’s, 4-4 FT) in the Dec. 20 win over Texas A&M Commerce.

    Given the recent output, he’s climbed to No. 13 in the Horizon League in scoring (13.3 ppg) and sixth in field goal percentage (48.7%) among qualified players. His three against TAMU Commerce was his first of the season, coming in his 15th attempt.

    MAGIC MARLON

    Last Saturday (Dec. 31) against Northern Kentucky, Marlon Taylor took full advantage of a rare opportunity for extended action. Coming into the game, Taylor had exactly seven points and eight rebounds in his collegiate career, which began as a walk-on at Indiana State in 2018. He had made 16 prior appearances for the Jaguars and actually took two years away from basketball from 2020-2022. Suffice it to say, he likely wasn’t on the scouting report.

    With virtually have the active roster sidelined with injuries, Taylor was awarded 26 minutes of action and responded with a career-high eight points (4-8 FG), nine rebounds and two assists. For the season, the South Bend-native now has 13 points and 13 boards in his 65 minutes of work.

    FRESHIES   

    Of the seven Horizon League Freshman of the Week Awards this season, three have gone to IUPUI players as Vincent Brady II is a two-time recipient and Armon Jarrard is the reigning honoree.

    Jarrard came off the bench to average 10.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in the two-game Indiana Classic, including a career-high 16 points (4-7 FG, 2-3 3’s, 6-7 FT) against Southern Indiana.

    IUPUI has relied on freshmen since the start of the season with Brady and the Jarrard twins being fixtures in the rotation. A fourth rookie, DJ Jackson, also came in with high expectations, but suffered an injury at the start of the season, and returned to game action on Dec. 31.

    Here’s a look at how the four have performed so far this season.    

Vincent Brady: 29.7 mpg (leads team), 10.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 25 3’s made (leads team)

Amhad Jarrard: 21.6 mpg (5th on the team), 6.0 ppg, 1.4 apg, 7 steals

Armon Jarrard: 17.5 mpg (7th on the team), 4.3 ppg, 7 3’s made (2nd on the team), 15 steals

DJ Jackson (4 games): 15.8 mpg, 3.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg

    FRESH STARTERS

    IUPUI had three freshmen in the starting lineup in the opener as Vincent Brady II, Amhad Jarrard and Armon Jarrard all got the starting nod. The trio, all of whom are Indianapolis natives, combined on four points, five boards and an assist in the opener at Iowa State.

    A fourth freshman, DJ Jackson, made his first collegiate start on Dec. 31 against NKU.

    TIGHTEN UP

    Against Texas A&M Commerce, IUPUI tightened up to an eight-man rotation by both necessity and success. Daylan Hamilton earned his second straight start and chipped in a career-high 14 points (5-10 FG, 4-7 FT) and four assists. Boston Stanton III, also making a second straight start, had four points and a career-high seven rebounds.

    The only three that saw time off the bench were Armon Jarrard (5 pts), Jonah Carrasco (3 pts, 3 reb) and Cooper Dewitt (season-high 17 min).

    4K

    IUPUI hosted its annual NCAA Readers Become Leaders game on Dec. 12 against Spalding University and had a program best 4,114 fans in attendance. The game attracted roughly 3,500 3rd graders from Central Indiana and stressed the importance of creating reading habits at a young age. The 4,114 fans easily surpassed the previous record for an IUPUI home game – 3,327 against Indiana State inside Conseco Fieldhouse on Dec. 23, 2008.

    The previous record for an IUPUI game inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum was 3,159 in the inaugural game against Indiana State on Nov. 14, 2014.

    THE MONROE EFFECT

    After missing the first three games of the season to injury, junior transfer Bryce Monroe came in and made a major impact in the Jaguars’ lineup. In his four appearances, Monroe led the team in scoring (12.0 ppg) and assists (3.8 apg), despite suffering an injury in his third game back. More importantly, the team as a whole has improved its output. Without Monroe in the lineup, the Jags averaged just 53.4 points per game and scored 65.0 points per game with him available.

    The San Diego-transfer had a monster game at New Orleans on Nov. 24, pumping in 29 points (13-20 FG, 3-6 3’s) and seven assists – both of which are the most by an IUPUI player this season. However, Monroe was injured during the New Orleans trip and is currently sidelined indefinitely. 

    OSTEN POWERS

    Graduate transfer Chris Osten is shooting an absurd 63 percent from the floor this season with 14 of his 55 field goals being dunks.

    Coming into this season, he had scored in double-digits just one time in his Division I career

in stops at both Arizona State and Northern Illinois, and never had a double-double. However,

in just 10 games this season, Osten has hit double-figures five times and registered three

double-doubles. He had season-highs of 15 points (6-9 FG, 3-4 FT) and 12 boards at Chicago

State on Nov. 14 and later had back-to-back 14-point, 10-rebound double-doubles against

Denver (Nov. 23) and New Orleans (Nov. 24).

    BOOK WORMS

    The Jaguars put together a 3.03 team grade point average during the fall semester with 12 members of the team earning a 3.0 or better. Junior John Egbuta was most impressive with a perfect 4.0 mark during the fall. 

BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL

MUNCIE, Ind. – Jarron Coleman and Payton Sparks tied for a team-high 15 points as Ball State (11-4, 2-0 MAC) defeated Akron (9-6, 1-1 MAC), 70-63, Friday inside Worthen Arena. The Cardinals extended the winning streak to seven games. 

Ball State improved to 11-4 and 2-0 in Mid-American Conference play. The Cardinals’ seven-game winning streak is the longest since the 2017-18 team won nine in a row. The win also snapped a five-game losing streak to the Zips. In its first two MAC contests, Ball State defeated the tournament champions in Toledo and the regular season champions in Akron.

“First off, what a crowd,” said Head Coach Michael Lewis. “It’s great to see the community come out. We want to build a program that the community and the state is proud of. Big thank you to the fans. They made an impact, got loud there late. That was a really good college basketball game. Really proud of how our guys fought in the second half. We outscored them 14-4 in the final seven minutes. You had two really good basketball teams competing against each other. Our guys made plays. I thought stops down the stretch were huge. We made some really good defensive plays. We had guys step up on the offensive end.”

Sparks tied for a team-best 15 points and brought down a team-high eight rebounds. He made seven free throws and added two assists, a steal, and a block. Coleman dropped 15 points and has scored in double-figures in 14-straight contests. He collected six rebounds and produced one steal. Jaylin Sellers led the team with three blocks and tallied 13 points along with two rebounds. Basheer Jihad finished in double figures with 11 points with four rebounds and one assist. Demarius Jacobs dished out a team-high four assists and tied for a team-high two steals. He added eight points, three rebounds, and two blocks. Darian Owens-White tied for a team-best two steals.

The Cardinals came out of the gates fast and opened on a 7-0 run. The Zips answered with a 4-0 run as the game was 7-4 at the first media timeout with 15:59 left in the opening stanza. Akron added a 5-1 run and took its first lead, 9-8, with 13:38 left in the half.

With 11:40 on the clock, Ball State outscored Akron, 12-7, over the next 4:34 of play and claimed a 20-16 lead with 7:06 until the half. The game continued to be a back-and-forth battle as Akron held a 31-30 lead at the half.

The Zips opened the second half on a 5-2 run and extended their lead to 36-32. Ball State was resilient and battled back with a 5-0 run. Coleman knocked down a 3-pointer with 17:24 in the second half as the Cardinals regained the lead, 37-36.

The next 3:51 of play was a back-and-forth affair as both teams produced 10 points, which gave the Cardinals a 47-46 lead with 13:10 left in the game. The Zips rattled off an 8-0 run and took a 54-47 lead. Ball State was unfazed and responded with a 16-7 run, capped off by a Sellers’ 3-pointer as the Cardinals took a 63-61 lead with 4:07 left on the clock. BSU ended the game on a 7-2 run and claimed a 70-63 victory. During the final 10:25 of play, the Ball State defense was stout and held Akron to 0-of-7 from the field. All 11 of the Zips final points came from the free-throw line.

The Cardinals were strong on the glass again as they outrebounded the Zips 37-33, with 17 of them on the offensive side of the court. The offensive rebounds led to 16 second-chance points. Ball State capitalized on turnovers and scored 26 points off turnovers to Akron’s 11.

Enrique Freeman posted a double-double for the Zips with 23 points and 14 rebounds, both a game high. He also led the team with two blocks, two steals, and one assist.  Greg Trimble was the only other Akron player in double figures with 14.

Ball State takes to the road on Tuesday, Jan. 10, for a MAC matchup with Ohio. First tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.

NOTRE DAME HOCKEY

MADISON, Wis. – The University of Notre Dame returned to Big Ten Conference play Friday night with a 2-0 loss to Wisconsin in Madison. Their first road trip of 2023 saw the Irish boast 27 shots on goal but were unable to light the lamp as they move to 9-10-2 on the season.

Notre Dame came out firing in the opening minutes of the first, sending four shots on net early but the ice seemed to tilt into the Badger end as the period progressed. Ryan Bischel turned aside all 16 shots faced while the Irish posted just three more shots on net through the remainder of the first.

After 20 minutes of play both teams headed to their respective locker rooms looking for the opening goal.

The two teams continued to battle through the second period, with the Irish getting their best look of the night when Grant Silianoff beat his man to the puck in the neutral zone for a shorthanded breakaway. Despite hitting the blocker of Wisconsin’s netminder on the play, the Irish held the pressure, registering five more shots on net but were unable to capitalize.

The penalty kill unit went to work for the Irish once more midway through the period and the Badgers took advantage, firing a shot from the top of the slot past Bischel’s glove side.

Wisconsin would find one more in the second period, beating Bischel through the five-hole, as the Irish faced a two-goal deficit heading into the third frame.

Despite 12 shots on goal in the final stanza, the Irish were unable to break the Badgers’ goaltending and dropped the 2-0 decision.

KEY STATS

The Irish fired 27 shots on net in the contest, including two near goals while shorthanded. Looking to add to his team-leading 14 points, Ryder Rolston fired a team-best five shots on goal in the loss.

On the defensive side of the puck, Notre Dame blocked 18 shots, led by Nick Leivermann with four.

Ryan Bischel made 25 saves between the pipes in Friday’s contest, 16 of which came in the opening frame as he held the Badgers scoreless through the first 20 minutes.

UP NEXT

The Irish conclude the weekend series Saturday night in game two with the Badgers. Puck drop for the Jan. 7 game is set for 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.

NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — They’ve been road warriors already, and they’re going to have to do it again.

On Sunday, No. 4 Notre Dame women’s basketball (12-1, 3-0) heads to No. 22 North Carolina (9-5, 0-3) for a showdown between ranked conference foes. The Irish have played two of three ACC games on the road this year already, and the date with the Tar Heels begins a stretch with three of the next four ACC games on the road as well.

Carolina started the year hot with a 9-1 record and climbed as high as No. 6 in the AP Poll on two occasions. The Tar Heels have been in a bit of a rough patch since then, however. After falling to Michigan in the Jumpman Invitational on Dec. 20, the Heels have started ACC play 0-3. Florida State won at Carmichael Arena, and UNC subsequently fell at Virginia Tech and Miami. The Hurricanes held them to 58 points, their lowest mark on the year.

Despite the slow start, head coach Courtney Banghart has no shortage of talent on her roster. Guard Deja Kelly, who was a member of the 2021-22 All-ACC First Team, is the heartbeat of the group. She’s averaging 16.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Kelly has been the Tar Heels’ leading scorer in the last five games, and she was named the ACC Player of the Week on Nov. 28.

Alyssa Ustby, who was a USA Basketball 3×3 U23 Nations League teammate of Notre Dame’s Maddy Westbeld this summer, leads UNC with 9.1 rebounds per game. That mark ranks fourth in the ACC.

While Olivia Miles continues to lead the Irish in most major statistical categories, several women are heating up for Notre Dame as they navigate ACC play. Westbeld is averaging 14.7 points per game over the last three contests, and she has already recorded 23 blocks over 13 games this season. She had a total of 29 blocks in 33 games as a sophomore in 2021-22.

Guard Sonia Citron has been in double-figures over for 12 consecutive games, which is the longest active streak on the Irish roster. Citron led the ACC in last week’s games with a .706 field goal percentage, and she’s shooting 44.1 percent from behind the arc this year.

Sunday’s game will be UNC’s fourth of the year against a top-10 team and third against a top-five team. Notre Dame is 10-3 all-time against North Carolina, including a 2-2 mark in Chapel Hill. The Irish won last year’s meeting in South Bend, 70-65. Sunday’s game tips off at 4:00 p.m. ET on the ACC Network.

NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Notre Dame men’s basketball team is looking to right the ship and there’s no better way to do it than earning a statement win at North Carolina on ESPN2. The Irish will also be searching for just their second-ever win inside the Dean E. Smith Center, just 1-8 there all-time. It’ll be an early one for those tuning in, as tip-0ff is set for 11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 7.

ND vs UNC

Notre Dame has some catching up to do in the overall series against North Carolina, currently trailing 9-27. With that said, the Irish are coming off a victory over the Tar Heels a season ago, downing UNC 78-73 in South Bend.

Laszewski shot 7-for-11 in the game and 6-for-7 from behind the three-point arc to lead the Irish with 20 points. His back-to-back clutch three-pointers with under three minutes proved to be the key shots in the victory.

Dane Goodwin scored 11 of his 17 points in the second half while Blake Wesley ended the contest with 18 points and four steals. North Carolina was led by Armando Bacot’s 21 points and 17 rebounds, but the Irish defense did hold the Tar Heel big man to five points in the second half.

A DIFFERENCE OF A FEW POSSESSIONS

A difference in a few possessions – one in each of the following games in fact (Syracuse, Florida State, Boston College) and the Irish could easily be sitting at 3-1 in ACC play.

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

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

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

“The older guys have been through it all on this team. I gave an example of the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, plus previous teams of mine, teams who have been dead in the water and came back.” – Coach Brey

THREAT FROM THREE

Over the last 9 games, Notre Dame has knocked down 87 three-pointers (9.7 per game) which leads all Power-Five schools since Nov. 30. When looking at all D-I schools, it ranks 12th. The Irish have recorded double-digit threes in five of the past nine games.

Overall on the season, they are averaging 8.9 threes per game, which would crack the program’s all-time top-10. The program record is 9.7 set by the 19-20 squad.

Now, the big reason for that is the squad’s big three:

Goodwin – .460 – career best

Ryan – .390

Laszewski – .371 

*Hammond – coming along at .417

“So much rides on us making three-point shots. We are making 10 a game and it’s still not enough. We’re probably going to have to make 13-14 threes to win league games. That’s just how we are built offensively right now.” – Coach Brey at media availability ahead of UNC.

DANE TRENDING

After five straight games (Dec. 3 vs Syracuse) in single digits, Goodwin has found his offensive rhythm with 3 straight games in double figures. He’s amassed 42 points in the last 3 games, averaging 14.0 ppg. He is 18-of-35 from the field over the last 3 games and 5-of-11 from three.

And how about this – despite battling a bad sinus infection, Goodwin still managed to deliver a team high 16 points against Boston College on Jan. 3.

JJ FINDING HIMSELF AS OF LATE

Starling has recorded double-digit points in six of the last seven games and has produced the most overall double-digit scoring performances on the team this season with 11.

One of the main reasons for the recent surge — in what was an achilles heel at the beginning of the season is now a strong point as of late – that’s JJ’s three-point shooting. He’s 11-of-23 from beyond the arc over the last 7 games aka 47.8 percent.

JJ co-led the team in scoring at BC with 16 points. Prior, vs Jacksonville on Dec. 27, JJ scored all 11 of his points in the 2nd half. More impressively, he impacted the game elsewhere, grabbing a season high 8 rebounds.

“JJ is getting better,” Brey said. “And more comfortable, in a good rhythm. He’s improved defensively. He’s moving the ball and playing. I’m excited about where he’s at. He has just been really good. To shake off a tough 1st half and say, ‘I’m going to keep playing.’ When he can square his shoulders and we get some cutters and we move and he can turn a corner, we don’t have anybody like that. He’s the guy.”

JJ almost singlehandedly won the Irish the game at Florida State on Dec. 21 – recording his 2nd 20-point performance of the season. Starling went on a 6-0 run to end the game to pull the Irish within one, giving them an opportunity to win with 6 seconds left.

“THAT WAS MARCUS HAMMOND”

The Hammond breakout game was Dec. 27 vs Jacksonville when he poured in a team best 15 points in the win. He shot 6-of-11 from the field and 3-of-7 from deep, taking control of the Irish offense and pushing the tempo. 

“That was Marcus Hammond,” said Coach Brey. “He’s a scorer. He’s really gifted. Coach Slo spent some time with him; I think he was thinking too much. He’s really gifted. Man, he’s played a lot of basketball and I’m thrilled for him. He deserved that.”

A few days later, Hammond scored 10 of his 12 points in the 2nd half vs. Miami, which included a four-point play which made it a one-possession game with 12 min remaining.

Now, he has 32 points over the last 3 games, averaging 10.7 ppg. He is 12-of-24 from the floor, with a 6-of-14 mark from three.

NOTRE NOTABLES

The Irish currently rank in the top-10 in three different statistical categories. Their highest ranking – 1st in fouls per game – only committing 11.9. That has been a Coach Brey staple. In the last 12 years, Notre Dame has only failed to finish among the top 10 in least amount of personal fouls committed just once. They have also led the country in least amount of personal fouls five times.

Next, they rank 5th in the country in turnovers per game, only surrendering 9.6.

Furthermore, if the Irish can get to the free-throw line in late-game situations, look out. They rank 6th in free-throw percentage, converting 79.9 percent from the stripe – leads the ACC as well.  Goodwin, Ryan and Laszewski are all shooting above .850 from the stripe.

LET CORMAC COOK

He’s averaging a career best 12.1 ppg and shooting 39.0 percent from beyond the arc – latter ranks 12th in the ACC. He’s also shooting a career best 86.5 percent from the free-throw line.

He has really come into his own since his breakout performance vs No. 20 Michigan State back on Nov. 30. Since that date, Ryan is 25-of-54 from three. His 25 made threes rank 3rd in the ACC since Nov. 30 — also tied for 5th most of any Power-Five player. Furthermore, his .463 three-point percentage since that date ranks 3rd amongst ACC players.

And even when his shots weren’t falling against Miami on Dec. 30, he still got it done in other areas with season highs in rebounds (9) and assists (5).

NATE LA CHEF’S KISS SKI

Nate Laszewski is averaging a career best 13.4 ppg and a career high 7.7 rpg.

With four years under his belt, he entered the year with nine career double-doubles to his name and six 20-point performances. Already this season he has three double-doubles and four 20+ point efforts.

Laszewski has been an all-around player for the Irish – 7th in rebounds (7.7), 3rd in FT% (.880) and 3rd in defensive rebounds (6.9). In fact, his D-Reb average ranks 20th in the country. And if charges taken was a recorded statistic, he would lead the Irish in that.

INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State continues its three-game road swing Saturday afternoon when it takes on in-state foe Valparaiso at 2 p.m. The game will be carried on ESPN3 and GoSycamores.com.

Last Time Out

Chelsea Cain led all scorers with a season-high 21 points Thursday night, leading Indiana State to a gritty 59-48 win over UIC inside Credit Union 1 Arena.

The win was Indiana State’s first MVC win of the season and was also the first road win of the year for the Sycamores. Nine different players scored in the game for the Trees, with Del’Janae Williams and Mya Glanton chipping in seven points apiece and Anna McKendree adding six. Indiana State forced 20 turnovers and limited UIC to a 28.3 percent clip from the field.

Indiana State closed the opening quarter on a 5-0 run and led for the remainder of the game. The Sycamores limited the Flames to a shooting percentage below 30 percent in three of the four quarters and hit timely shots on the offensive end when it mattered. Cain scored 17 of her game-high 21 in the second half, as Indiana State scored 32 points in the paint over the final 30 minutes in imposing its will inside. ISU’s ability to keep UIC out of any offensive rhythm allowed the Trees to walk out of Credit Union 1 Arena with its first road and conference win of the season.

Milestone Watch

Two members of the Indiana State women’s basketball programs are nearing career milestones, with one having a chance of occurring Saturday.

Chelsea Cain sits 10 points away from reaching 1,000 for her collegiate career. Cain scored 857 points in three seasons at Nicholls State and has 133 points this season.

Head coach Chad Killinger is also nearing a career milestone, as the Sycamore leader needs just four wins to reach 300 for his head coaching career.

No Fly Zone

Indiana State has been among the best in the conference when it comes to 3-point defense. The Sycamores are second in the MVC in 3-point defense at 27.7 percent and lead the conference in 3-point defense in MVC games at 19.6 percent.

Of Indiana State’s last six opponents, only Southern Illinois shot 30 percent or better from distance, as the Salukis hit exactly 30 percent of their 3-point attempts (3-for-10). Three of the Sycamores’ last six foes have shot below 20 percent from long range (Purdue Fort Wayne – 4-for-31, 12.9; Detroit Mercy – 1-for-14, 7.1; UIC – 2-for-16, 12.5).

Thieves Avenue

Indiana State has continued its trend from last season of being among the best in the Missouri Valley Conference when it comes to generating turnovers. The Trees rank second in the conference in turnovers forced per game (18.5), turnover margin (plus-2.0) and steals per game (8.5), trailing only Southern Illinois in all three categories.

Indiana State often capitalizes on opposition turnovers, as the Sycamores average 18.2 points per game off turnovers. The Sycamores have scored 20-plus points off turnovers on five occasions this season.

Opportunistic

Despite allowing 18 offensive rebounds in Thursday’s win, Indiana State limited UIC to just seven second chance points. The Sycamores actually had mores second chance points than the Flames despite pulling down only nine offensive rebounds.

Indiana State took full advantage of UIC’s 20 turnovers, as the Sycamores turned those into 19 points on the other end. The Trees also took care of the basketball, finishing the game with a season-low eight turnovers.

Road Trippin’

Indiana State picked up its first road win of the season Thursday with a 59-48 victory over UIC in Chicago. The Sycamores limited the Flames to a 28.3 percent mark from the field, the lowest for an Indiana State opponent this season. The win was Indiana State’s first MVC road win since an 83-63 victory over Bradley on Feb. 4, 2022 and snapped a six-game road losing streak (all scenarios).

The Sycamores fell to Purdue (77-54) and Western Michigan (77-67) in their only non-conference road games of the season. This weekend’s road swing is also the first time that the Sycamores will play back-to-back road games this season.

Last season, Indiana State won six games on the road. That total was the most for the Sycamores since the 2018-19 season.

Valparaiso at a Glance

Valparaiso enters Saturday’s game at 2-9 overall and 0-3 in MVC play. The Beacons lost to Evansville (57-45) in their last game. Valpo fell on the road to MVC newcomers Belmont and Murray State in the opening weekend of conference play.

Olivia Brown leads the Beacons in scoring at 11.9 points per game, with Leah Earnest (11.7) and Ali Saunders (11.5) also averaging double-figures for Valpo. No other player on the team averages more than 5.5 points per game. Earnest leads the team with 8.5 rebounds per game, while Saunders and Ilysse Pitts average 2.6 assists per game each.

Now in her fifth season at the helm, Mary Evans is 55-70 overall and has provided consistency for Valparaiso in recent years. The Beacons have been among the MVC’s leaders in 3-pointers made and steals since Evans took over the program.

Series History Against Valparaiso

Indiana State has a 13-3 lead in the all-time series and has won each of the last three meetings. The Sycamores are 6-1 in their last seven games against UIC.

Last Game Against Valparaiso (Feb. 20, 2022)

Mya Glanton had a career-high 25 points along with 14 rebounds, but Valparaiso used a 48-point second half to squeak past Indiana State, 74-69, inside Hulman Center.

Natalia Lalic added 16 points off the bench for the Sycamores, while Arianna Smith and Del’Janae Williams had eight points apiece. Lalic and Caitlin Anderson also had four assists each.

Indiana State led 19-8 after the first quarter, but Valpo responded with a strong second quarter to make it a one-possession game at the halftime break. The Beacons shot 63 percent from the field in the second half while making 20 free throws in the last 20 minutes to eke out a narrow win, despite Glanton scoring 20 in the second half for the Sycamores.

Up Next

Indiana State’s three-game road trip concludes Wednesday night at Evansville, with tipoff set for 7 p.m.

INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Sycamores return home for the first time in 2023 Saturday afternoon when they host first-year Valley member UIC at Hulman Center. Saturday will be just the third all-time meeting between the two teams, and tip-off is set for 2 p.m.

The Sycamores are 5-0 to start Valley play for the first time since 2014-15 and have a chance to improve to 6-0 Saturday. The last time Indiana State started out 6-0 in valley play was the 1978-79 season when the Sycamores made it to the NCAA Championship game.

At 12-4 this season, the Sycamores have already surpassed last season’s total wins overall and in Valley play.

Indiana State is coming off a 76-67 road win at Illinois State this past Wednesday, and it’s the first time the Sycamores have won back-to-back road Valley games since Jan. 16 and Jan. 17, 2022 when the Sycamores defeated the Redbirds on back-to-back nights in Normal.

The Sycamores were without leading scorer Courvoisier McCauley Wednesday night due to illness, but Julian Larry and Cameron Henry each stepped up with 18 points apiece to lead Indiana State.

McCauley, along with Xavier Bledson and Rob Martin who were both out on concussion protocol, will be available for Saturday’s game.

Since returning to Valley play, Julian Larry is shooting 20-of-23 from the field in those three games. He has shot a perfect 100 percent twice and has missed just two shots, both 3-pointer attempts in that span. He is averaging 16.7 points with 15 assists and just two turnovers in the last three games.

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday will be just the third-ever meeting between Indiana State and UIC, and the first meeting since 2002 as the 2022-23 season marks UIC’s first season in the Missouri Valley Conference. The series is tied 1-1 with each team taking the win on its home court.

LAST GAME AGAINST THE FLAMES

The last time the Sycamores met was Dec. 23, 2002 in Terre Haute. Indiana State snapped a four-game UIC win streak with a 73-53 win at home.

UIC shot a season-low 35% from the field while the Sycamores netted 51% of their attempts, the highest shooting percentage the Flames had allowed up to that point in the season.

Indiana State also became just the second team to beat UIC on the boards in a game that season, outrebounding the Flames, 39-37.

Indiana State was able to control UIC’s leading scorer, Cedrick Banks, who tabbed just seven points on 3-for-18 shooting.

The Sycamores were paced by the hot hand of Marcus Arnold who scored 23 points, converting 8-of-11 field goals and 5-of-7 three-point shots. Lamar Grimes also reached double figures with 10 points.

UIC trailed by just five at intermission, but Indiana State would go on a 16-7 run in the first seven minutes of the second half to push its lead to 16 points, 53-37, with 12:38 left.

UIC AT A GLANCE

It was announced on Jan. 26 that UIC would be officially joining the Missouri Valley Conference for the start of the 2022-23 academic year. The Flames were picked to finish ninth in the Valley preseason poll and are currently 1-4 in league play with their lone win coming against Illinois State Dec. 28.

The Flames are 2-4 on the road this season, including 0-2 against Valley teams on the road. UIC is coming off back-to-back losses, most recently falling to Belmont 77-71 at home Jan. 4.

Jace Carter paces all UIC scorers with 16.1 points per game alongside 5.9 rebounds per game. Toby Okani leads the Flames on the boards with 7.7 rebounds per game, and he’s averaging 12.5 points per game. Tre Anderson dishes out a team-high 3.7 assists per game alongside 11.1 points per game.

LAST TIME OUT

Indiana State was without its leading scorer Wednesday night, but that did not matter as the Sycamores defeated Illinois State, 76-67, for their fifth straight Valley win and second straight Valley win on the road. The Sycamores remain perfect in Valley play so far this season at 5-0.

After finding out Courvoisier McCauley was unavailable due to illness right before tip-off, several Sycamores stepped up in his absence as Julian Larry and Cameron Henry were part of four Sycamores in double figures with 18 points each.

The Sycamores (12-4, 5-0 MVC) did not trail the Redbirds (6-10, 1-4 MVC) at any point in the game, though it got close at the end. Indiana State led by as many as 21 points in the first half, but Illinois State cut its deficit to just five points with 35 seconds to go in the second half. Indiana State got a couple crucial stops and took advantage of a pair of late trips to the line, hitting four free throws in the last half minute of the game to help secure the win.

Julian Larry shot a perfect 100 percent for the second time in three games, going 7-of-7 from the field for 18 points in his third straight double-figure scoring game. It’s the first time the junior guard has posted double figures three games in a row.

Cameron Henry’s 18 points mark the first time he has scored in doubles since the Duquesne game. He shot 9-of-11 and had three steals and two blocks. Robbie Avila posted 14 points and six rebounds for his first double-digit scoring game since Southern Illinois. Jayson Kent rounded out the Sycamores in double figures with 12 points in his second double-figure scoring outing in three games.

Cooper Neese pulled down a career-high nine rebounds, and he had already surpassed his season-high with six boards in the first half alone. He was 4-of-4 at the charity stripe to remain perfect at the line in Valley play.

INDIANA STATE BASEBALL

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State head baseball coach Mitch Hannahs announced the Sycamores’ 2023 baseball schedule on Friday morning.

The full schedule features a 19-game home slate at Bob Warn Field highlighted by a three-game series against Michigan State on March 17-19. The road schedule features weekend series at Kentucky and Memphis, as well as midweek contests at Vanderbilt, Miami (Fla.), Purdue, Florida Gulf Coast, Indiana, and Illinois.

The Sycamores will also play a full 27-game Missouri Valley schedule this season as newcomers UIC, Belmont, and Murray State join the conference for 2023 play.

“We’ve put together another competitive schedule that will challenge our team,” Hannahs said. “This team is ready to get back on the field. This schedule will provide us the opportunity to play quality competition with the goal of returning to the postseason.”

The Sycamores open up the 2023 season at the Snowbird Baseball Classic in Port Charlotte, Fla. ISU will take on Iowa in the season-opener on February 17, before playing Quinnipiac on February 18 to close out the opening weekend.

From there, ISU will tour the Sunshine State with midweek games at Florida Gulf Coast (Feb. 21) and at Miami (Feb. 22), before returning to Port Charlotte for a weekend three-game series against Northeastern on February 25-26.

The season-opening road trip continues through March 3-14 as Indiana State travels to Lexington, Ky. for a three-game series against Kentucky (Mar. 3-5) at Kroger Field. ISU continues the road swing at SEMO on March 7-8, before traveling to Memphis for a weekend series on March 10-12. The Sycamores wrap up the trek on March 14 at Illinois.

ISU’s home opener is set for March 17-19 as the Sycamores welcome Michigan State to Bob Warn Field. The series was originally scheduled for 2020 but was rescheduled after the season was canceled due to COVID.

An in-state road trip to Indiana (Mar. 21) leads into the start of Missouri Valley play as the Sycamores open the conference schedule at home against Valparaiso (Mar. 24-26). ISU continues at home with a Tuesday night game against Purdue on March 28.

The Sycamores make their first conference road trip to Valley newcomer UIC on March 31-April 2, before returning to Bob Warn Field for a midweek return trip by Indiana (Mar. 4). ISU remains at home on April 7-9 with a three-game conference weekend against Illinois State.

A five-game road trip starts on April 11 as Indiana State makes the trip to West Lafayette, Ind. and Purdue University for a Tuesday night game against the Boilermakers. The road trip continues in Nashville, Tenn. as ISU travels for a weekend series at Belmont (Apr. 14-16), before staying to take on Vanderbilt on April 18.

The Sycamores return home to host Southern Illinois in a three-game series on April 21-23, before closing out the month on the road with a series at Evansville on April 28-30.

A home game against Illinois opens the final month of the regular season as the Fighting Illini come to Bob Warn Field on May 2. The Sycamores travel to Bradley on May 5-7 to continue conference play, before returning to host Ball State on May 9 in a midweek game.

Senior Weekend is set for May 12-14 as the Sycamores welcome Murray State to Bob Warn Field.

ISU wraps up the regular season on the road with a midweek game at Missouri (May 16), before traveling to Missouri State on May 18-20.

The 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Championships will be held at Bob Warn Field on the campus of Indiana State University on May 23-27.

Indiana State Baseball season tickets and the full spring broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE VOLLEYBALL

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball started off the 2023 season with a 3-0 win (25-22, 25-17, 25-14) over King on Friday night (Jan. 6).

Jon Diedrich started his senior year with 10 kills. Sophomore Mark Frazier had the best game of his career thus far, recording seven kills on 13 swings for a .308 clip. He added six blocks, five digs and three aces. In his grudge match against his former team, Noah Melendez had seven digs.

The Mastodons jumped out to a 9-4 lead, capping off with a triple block from Frazier, Diedrich and Emmanuel Jurineack. The Tornado tied the set at 19 before the ‘Dons rattled off four straight to go up 23-19. Diedrich aced King to give the ‘Dons the four-point cushion. The ‘Dons hit .478 (13-2-23 in the second set.

The Tornado and Mastodons traded the first 31 points of the second set until the Mastodons led 16-15. Then the ‘Dons went on a 9-2 run to take the frame, spurred by three kills from Frazier, three kills from Diedrich, and three blocks from Sergio Carrillo and Bryce Walker.

The third set was all Purdue Fort Wayne, as the Mastodons went on an 8-0 run behind Carrillo’s service to go up 12-5. Diedrich scored the last two points of the night for the ‘Dons: a solo block and a kill.

Purdue Fort Wayne out-hit King .250 to .085. The Mastodons held the Tornado to -0.143 in the third set. The ‘Dons were a force at the net, as they finished with 13.5 blocks. This included 5.5 in the first set and 5.0 in the third. Frazier and Jurineack had six blocks each and Walker had five.

The Mastodons go to 1-0 while the Tornado fall to 0-1. Purdue Fort Wayne is set to play (RV) NJIT tomorrow night (Saturday, Jan. 7) at 7 p.m. on the Arnie Ball Court.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

CLEVELAND – Three Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball student-athletes scored in double-figures in Friday night’s (Jan. 6) 74-56 loss at Horizon League-leading Cleveland State.

Sylare Starks (12), Abbigail Stephens (11) and Ryin Ott (10) all reached double-figures for Purdue Fort Wayne. Starks was 4-of-9 from the 3-point line.

The difference in the contest came in the 14 minutes, in which Cleveland State went up 31-5. The lead ballooned to as large as 30 before the Mastodons started to build back up. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Alaina Diaz and Starks before halftime cut the lead to 22. Diaz played her first game as a Mastodon after returning from injury, logging three points in four minutes.

Aubrey Stupp completed an old-fashioned 3-point play midway through the third quarter to bring it within 13, which was as close as the ‘Dons got the rest of the way.

The Mastodons shot 43.75 percent from the floor for the final 20 minutes, including a 4-for-9 effort from the 3-point line in the third quarter. They held Horizon Preseason Player of the Year Destiny Leo to 16 points and 6-of-16 from the floor.

Stephens finished with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Over the last three games, she is scoring 10.3 points per game and shooting 58.3 percent from the floor.

Cleveland State moves to 14-1 after its 14th-straight, including a 5-0 start to Horizon League play. Purdue Fort Wayne falls to 5-11, 2-4. The Mastodons are back at home on Thursday (Jan. 12) when they host Green Bay.

EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

CHICAGO, Ill. – Coming off a 57-45 win over Valparaiso on Thursday night, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team closes its weekend trip up north with a Saturday afternoon matchup with UIC at 2 PM (CT) in Chicago, Ill.

Saturday’s matchup will be the 15th all-time meeting between Evansville and UIC, but the first as conference foes, as UE owns a 9-5 advantage in the series. The two sides last met inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse on Dec. 5, 2018 with the Flames capturing a 62-54 win.

UIC enters the weekend with an 8-6 overall mark, while still searching for their first MVC win with an 0-3 record in Valley play. The Flames are coming off a 59-48 loss to Indiana State on Thursday evening. The home side UIC is led by three double-figure scorers in Josie FIler, Jaide McCloud, and Ky Dempsey-Toney, who all average 10-or-more points and over five rebounds per game.

Evansville comes into the weekend finale following a 57-45 win over Valparaiso on Thursday, Evansville’s first road win in MVC play since defeating Valpo on the road during the 2020-21 campaign. On Thursday evening, Evansville got a classic performance from senior guard/forward Abby Feit, who tallied 18 points and nine boards in the victory.

EVANSVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Another weekend home game for the University of Evansville men’s basketball team features a match-up against Illinois State on Saturday afternoon inside the Ford Center.  Tip is set for 1 p.m. CT with the Purple Aces Radio Network and ESPN+ having the coverage.

Sleeves are Back

– Most basketball fans associate sleeved uniforms with the Purple Aces and for the first time since December 15, 2018, UE will display its trademark look

Last Time Out

– A midweek trip to Missouri State saw the Bears defeat the Purple Aces by a final score of 85-62 on Wednesday

– Marvin Coleman II reset his career scoring high with 22 points while hitting 9 of his 15 attempts from the field

– Finishing with 18 points was Kenny Strawbridge Jr.

– MSU turned 16 offensive rebounds into 19 second-chance points while forcing 16 UE turnovers on the other end of the floor

He Did It Again

– Connecting on a career-best 9 field goal attempts, Marvin Coleman II scored his top collegiate total of 22 points on January 4 at Missouri State

– An unbelievable streak has seen the fifth-year player reach double figures in five of the last six games after reaching the mark just once in the opening 10 games; the recent streak has seen his average jump from 5.4 PPG to its current mark of 9.0

– It bested his old record of 18 points, which came earlier this season against Campbell

– Over the last six games, Coleman is 15.0 points while seeing at least 35 minutes of action in each of those contests

The Mark of Consistency

– Kenny Strawbridge Jr. scored 18 points while hitting 7 of his 9 free throw tries at Missouri State

– He continues to lead the Aces while sitting 8th in the MVC with his season average of 16.2 points per game

– Finishing with a game-high 22 points at Indiana State, he reached the 20-point mark for the 7th time this season

Scouting the Opponent

– Led by first-year head coach Ryan Pedon, Illinois state enters Saturday’s game with a 6-10 mark along with a 1-4 MVC record

– On Wednesday, the Redbirds dropped a 76-67 home game against the conference-leading Sycamores

– Kendall Lewis has established himself as the top force for ISU

– Lewis paces the Redbirds with 11.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 45.8% from the field

– Darius Burford is the second Illinois State player to average double figures, posting 11.0 PPG

SOUTHERN INDIANA SWIMMING

CLEVELAND, Ohio. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Swimming & Diving fell to Cleveland State University on Friday afternoon, 188.5-91.5. This was the Screaming Eagles first meet of the new year and their first since early November.

While USI was not able to claim a victory in an event, they did record eight second place finishes. Freshman Hannah Gardner (Bowling Green, Kentucky) led the was the only swimmer to have two second place finishes. Gardner and freshman Mattilynn Smith (Morgantown, Kentucky) led the Eagles, securing 10 points each. Sophomore Adele Schnautz (Evansville, Indiana) was close behind the two with nine points. Freshmen Kate Hilgarth (Indianapolis, Indiana), Sarah-Catherine Dawson (Prospect, Kentucky), and Emily McIntosh (Huntertown, Indiana) all finished with above five points as well.

Freshman Autumn Turley (Hobart, Indiana) brought in eight points for the Eagles in diving. Turley recorded a 144.68 in the 1-meter and a 142.88 in the 3-meter.

Other Top Women’s Results:

200-Yard Medley Relay: 1:54.12 (2nd) – Hilgarth, Gardner, Dawson, McIntosh

1000-Yard Freestyle: 11:03.79 (3rd) – Smith

200-Yard Freestyle: 2:06.68 (3rd) – Schnautz

100-Yard Backstroke: 1:02.12 (3rd) – Hilgarth

100-Yard Breaststroke: 1:09.07 (2nd) – Gardner

200-Yard Butterfly: 2:13.95 (2nd) – Dawson

50-Yard Freestyle: 26.51 (2nd) – McIntosh

1-Meter Diving: 144.68 (2nd) – Turley

100-Yard Freestyle: 57.03 (2nd) – Hendren

200-Yard Backstroke: 2:16.79 (2nd) – Hilgarth

200-Yard Breaststroke: 2:29.63 (2nd) – Gardner

500-Yard Freestyle: 5:19.01 (2nd) – Smith

3-Meter Diving: 142.88 (2nd) – Turley

400-Yard IM: 4:52.19 (2nd) – Schnautz

200-Yard Freestyle Relay: 1:45.89 (3rd) – Hilgarth, McIntosh, Freshman Emma Ettensohn (Tell City, Indiana), Freshman Joey Testa (North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania)

UP NEXT FOR USI:

The Eagles will travel to Charleston, Illinois on January 14 to take on Eastern Illinois Univeristy. This will be USI’s final road meet of the season before returning home January 21 to finish the regular season against Southern Illinois University at the USI Aquatics Center.

The Panthers currently sit with a 2-3 record in dual meets this season. They were victorious over Bellarmine University and Valparaiso University while losses came from Ball State University, the University of Evansville, and Illinois State University. EIU opened their season at the Butler Invite, falling to all five opponents. Most recently they competed at the A3 Performance Invitational, where they finished third, USI took fifth. The Panthers will take on Lewis University on Saturday before hosting the Eagles a week later.

U OF I WRESTLING

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The No. 12-ranked UIndy Wrestling team, two weeks removed from hosting the 43rd Midwest Classic, went right back into the tournament world with the NWCA Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships, better known as NWCA Nationals. This year’s competition was a straight shot south on I-65 in Louisville, Ky. at the Kentucky Exposition Center. The team side of the competition featured 16 teams from NCAA Division II, with 14 teams being ranked.

DAY 1

For their first match of the tournament, the Hounds were lined up with No. 14 ranked Gannon out of Erie, Pa. Starting off the match was Aidan Sprague at 125, getting the Greyhounds on the board with a 8-7 victory. No. 8-ranked Breyden Bailey was next up at 133 and it was a late second period pin from Bailey that put the Hounds up by nine to start to the match. Gannon battled back with wins at 141 and 149 before the other Bailey brother in Logan stopped the bleeding. Bailey, coming into the day ranked No. 3 at 157, faced off with No. 8 Dom Means with Bailey prevailing 6-0 to put the score at 12-6 UIndy.

A trio of losses at 165, 174, 184, the last coming via pin, drained the Hounds lead moving the match in favor of Gannon 19-12. Derek Blubaugh at 197 kept the Hounds hopes alive with a 3-0 win to make it 19-15. Heavyweight Cale Gray needed more than a decision to win the match for the Hounds. Gray was up to the task as it only took him 24 seconds to have Gannon’s Gehrig Hutchison shoulders meet the mat, walking off the Golden Knights.

No. 12 UIndy 21 – No. 14 Gannon 19

125         Aidan Sprague (Indianapolis) over Jose Diaz (Gannon) Dec 8-7

133         No. 8 Breyden Bailey (Indianapolis) over Chase McLaughlin (Gannon) Fall 4:47

141         James Ryan (Gannon) over Ray Rioux (Indianapolis) Dec 5-2

149         No. 2 Nick Young (Gannon) over Nathan Conley (Indianapolis) Dec 4-2  

157         No. 3 Logan Bailey (Indianapolis) over No. 8 Dominic Means (Gannon) Dec 6-0

165         Alex Farenchak (Gannon) over No. 8 Jack Eiteljorge (Indianapolis) Dec 4-1

174         Joseph Petrella (Gannon) over Owen Butler (Indianapolis) Maj 9-1

184         Cole Hivnor (Gannon) over Aidan Petersen (Indianapolis) Fall 4:41

197         No. 11 Derek Blubaugh (Indianapolis) over Joel Leise (Gannon) Dec 5-3

285         Cale Gray (Indianapolis) over Gehrig Hutchison (Gannon) Fall 0:24

After a win over Gannon, the Hounds were matched up with No. 1 Central Oklahoma who sports ten-ranked wrestlers, one of which being No. 1 at 197 in Dalton Abney, who has battled with No. 11 Blubaugh on multiple occasions, with Abney coming out on top every time. However, today was different as Blubaugh broke Abney’s streak of 39-straight victories. Through three periods of action the pair were tied up at one-apiece. Overtime is where it happened for Blubaugh as he scored a near-fall with nine seconds left to grab his revenge and upset.

The Hounds grabbed two more upset victories in the match against UCO with No. 8 Breyden Bailey at 133 taking down No. 2 Dylan Lucas 6-2. No. 8 Jack Eiteljorge beat No. 4 Ty Lucas at 165 6-4. The Broncos went onto win the dual 25-9, sending the Greyhounds to the consolation bracket to face Newberry.

No. 1 Central Oklahoma 25 – No. 12 UIndy 9

125         No. 10 Studd Morris (Central Oklahoma) over Noah Cantu (Indianapolis) Dec 5-0

133         No. 8 Breyden Bailey (Indianapolis) over No. 2 Dylan Lucas (Central Oklahoma) Dec 6-2

141         No. 9 Nate Keim (Central Oklahoma) over Brayden Lowery (Indianapolis) Maj 9-0

149         No. 6 Brik Filippo (Central Oklahoma) over Jackson Hoover (Indianapolis) Maj 13-3

157         No. 2 Gabe Johnson (Central Oklahoma) over No. 3 Logan Bailey (Indianapolis) Dec 7-3

165         No. 8 Jack Eiteljorge (Indianapolis) over No. 4 Ty Lucas (Central Oklahoma) Dec 6-4

174         Anthony Des Vigne (Central Oklahoma) over Owen Butler (Indianapolis) Maj 14-1

184         Alex Kauffman (Central Oklahoma) over Robert Gurley (Indianapolis) Dec 7-1

197         No. 11 Derek Blubaugh (Indianapolis) over No. 1 Dalton Abney (Central Oklahoma) SV-1 7-1

285         No. 2 Shawn Streck (Central Oklahoma) over Jay Thompson (Indianapolis) Maj 20-6

For their final match of the day, the Hounds faced un-ranked Newberry. The Hounds started slow dropping the 125 match but a 1:27 pin for Breyden Bailey put the Hounds on top. UIndy and Newberry traded point at 141 and 149 with Ray Rioux (141) picking up a 7-6 win. Logan Bailey’s tech fall triumph at 157 was the turning point in the match as Eiteljorge followed that up with a major victory at 165 to make it 18-6. Newberry fought back taking two more matches before a second-period pin by No. 11 Blubaugh iced the match.

No. 12 UIndy 23 – Newberry 15

125         Zach Shupp (Newberry) over Aidan Sprague (Indianapolis) Dec 11-7

133         No. 8 Breyden Bailey (Indianapolis) over Marcus Johnson (Newberry) Fall 1:27

141         Ray Rioux (Indianapolis) over Josh Blatt (Newberry) Dec 7-6

149         Devan Moore (Newberry) over Nathan Conley (Indianapolis) Dec 4-2

157         No. 3 Logan Bailey (Indianapolis) over Nolan Wheeler (Newberry) TF 19-0

165         No. 8 Jack Eiteljorge (Indianapolis) over Asa Walton (Newberry) Maj 16-3

174         Dayton Fields (Newberry) over Owen Butler (Indianapolis) Dec 7-2

184         John Parker-Wilson (Newberry) over Robert Gurley (Indianapolis) SV-1 7-5

197         No. 11 Derek Blubaugh (Indianapolis) over Khris Walton (Newberry) Fall 3:32

285         Devon Rice (Newberry) over Jay Thompson (Indianapolis) Dec 1-0Indianapolis’s team score was adjusted by -1.0 for Misconduct (1:57)

HOUND BYTES

Head Coach Jason Warthan on the final matches against Gannon…

“The pin that they got at 184 with short time left, I thought it was going to be the duel I thought it was going to be really hard for us to get bonus points at either 197 or heavyweight with with the guys they had. Then their heavyweight came out and tried to throw Cale in the first, 30 seconds or something, and went right to his back and got pinned so it was it was crazy, absolutely crazy.”

Derek Blubaugh on him beating No. 1 Abney…

“It means a ton to me obviously, he beat me, I think four times last year, I wasn’t able to get really anywhere close to anything with him. So I think today just felt good as a marker that I have been doing the right things and shows me where I needed to go to continue to get better.”

Blubaugh on boucing back after Midwest Classic…

“We dropped down in the rankings as a team after Midwest. Midwest was rough, I don’t think just for me, but for some other members of the team. I think today was a big bounce back and showing and proving that we aren’t here to play. We’re here to compete. And we’re able to hang with with any teams out there. So I was really happy to be part of all that today, and I’m really happy with the team.”

Warthan on the match against un-ranked Newberry…

“You can’t expect easy wins here at this tournament. But when you wrestle Newberry they’re going to come to like scrap and fight and claw at every point and that’s what it was. We were lucky that we got what bonus at 133, 157, 165 and 197. So that that kind of put the duel out of out of reach. And we were able to rest some guys and throw some other guys in there to get like really, really good quality matches. And so I predicted that that’s who we would see on the backside because I knew how tough they were.”

UP NEXT

The Greyhounds will kick off Saturday mornining against No. 5-ranked Lander who is fresh off of a victory against GLVC compatriot McKendree. Wrestling will begin at 9 a.m.

SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:

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

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

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

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

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

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

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

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

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

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/

OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx

ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index

IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/

IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/

IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/

PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/

INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx

GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/

GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/

HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php

TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/

VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index

SPORTS EXTRA

*******NFL STANDINGS*******

American Football Conference
	W	L	T	Pct	GB	PF	PA	Home	Road	vs. Conf	vs. Div	Streak
xy-Kansas City Chiefs	13	3	0	.813	0.0	465	356	7 – 1 – 0	6 – 2 – 0	8 – 3 – 0	5 – 0 – 0	4 W
xy-Buffalo Bills	12	3	0	.800	0.0	420	263	6 – 1 – 0	6 – 2 – 0	8 – 2 – 0	3 – 2 – 0	6 W
x-Cincinnati Bengals	11	4	0	.733	0.0	391	306	5 – 1 – 0	6 – 3 – 0	7 – 3 – 0	2 – 3 – 0	7 W
Jacksonville Jaguars	8	8	0	.500	0.0	384	334	4 – 3 – 0	4 – 5 – 0	7 – 4 – 0	3 – 2 – 0	4 W
x-Los Angeles Chargers	10	6	0	.625	0.0	363	353	5 – 3 – 0	5 – 3 – 0	7 – 4 – 0	2 – 3 – 0	4 W
x-Baltimore Ravens	10	6	0	.625	0.0	334	288	5 – 3 – 0	5 – 3 – 0	6 – 5 – 0	3 – 2 – 0	1 L
New England Patriots	8	8	0	.500	0.0	341	312	4 – 4 – 0	4 – 4 – 0	6 – 5 – 0	3 – 2 – 0	1 W
Miami Dolphins	8	8	0	.500	2.0	386	393	5 – 2 – 0	3 – 6 – 0	6 – 5 – 0	2 – 3 – 0	5 L
Pittsburgh Steelers	8	8	0	.500	2.0	280	332	3 – 4 – 0	5 – 4 – 0	4 – 7 – 0	2 – 3 – 0	3 W
New York Jets	7	9	0	.438	3.0	290	305	3 – 5 – 0	4 – 4 – 0	5 – 6 – 0	2 – 3 – 0	5 L
Tennessee Titans	7	9	0	.438	3.0	282	339	3 – 5 – 0	4 – 4 – 0	5 – 6 – 0	3 – 2 – 0	6 L
Cleveland Browns	7	9	0	.438	3.0	347	353	4 – 4 – 0	3 – 5 – 0	4 – 7 – 0	3 – 2 – 0	1 W
Las Vegas Raiders	6	10	0	.375	4.0	382	387	4 – 3 – 0	2 – 7 – 0	5 – 6 – 0	3 – 2 – 0	2 L
Indianapolis Colts	4	11	1	.281	5.5	258	395	2 – 5 – 0	2 – 6 – 1	4 – 6 – 1	1 – 3 – 1	6 L
Denver Broncos	4	12	0	.250	6.0	256	331	3 – 4 – 0	1 – 8 – 0	2 – 9 – 0	0 – 5 – 0	2 L
Houston Texans	2	13	1	.156	7.5	257	389	0 – 7 – 1	2 – 6 – 0	2 – 8 – 1	2 – 2 – 1	1 L
National Football Conference
	W	L	T	Pct	GB	PF	PA	Home	Road	vs. Conf	vs. Div	Streak
x-Philadelphia Eagles	13	3	0	.813	0.0	455	328	6 – 2 – 0	7 – 1 – 0	8 – 3 – 0	3 – 2 – 0	2 L
xy-San Francisco 49ers	12	4	0	.750	0.0	412	264	7 – 1 – 0	5 – 3 – 0	9 – 2 – 0	5 – 0 – 0	9 W
xy-Minnesota Vikings	12	4	0	.750	0.0	395	414	8 – 1 – 0	4 – 3 – 0	7 – 4 – 0	3 – 2 – 0	1 L
xy-Tampa Bay Buccaneers	8	8	0	.500	0.0	296	328	5 – 4 – 0	3 – 4 – 0	8 – 3 – 0	4 – 1 – 0	2 W
x-Dallas Cowboys	12	4	0	.750	0.0	461	316	8 – 1 – 0	4 – 3 – 0	8 – 3 – 0	4 – 1 – 0	2 W
x-New York Giants	9	6	1	.594	0.0	349	349	5 – 3 – 1	4 – 3 – 0	4 – 6 – 1	1 – 3 – 1	1 W
Seattle Seahawks	8	8	0	.500	0.0	388	385	4 – 4 – 0	4 – 4 – 0	5 – 6 – 0	3 – 2 – 0	1 W
Detroit Lions	8	8	0	.500	1.5	433	411	5 – 4 – 0	3 – 4 – 0	6 – 5 – 0	4 – 1 – 0	1 W
Green Bay Packers	8	8	0	.500	1.5	354	351	5 – 3 – 0	3 – 5 – 0	6 – 5 – 0	3 – 2 – 0	4 W
Washington Commanders	7	8	1	.469	2.0	295	337	3 – 5 – 0	4 – 3 – 1	4 – 6 – 1	1 – 3 – 1	3 L
New Orleans Saints	7	9	0	.438	2.5	323	335	4 – 4 – 0	3 – 5 – 0	5 – 6 – 0	2 – 3 – 0	3 W
Carolina Panthers	6	10	0	.375	3.5	337	367	5 – 4 – 0	1 – 6 – 0	5 – 6 – 0	3 – 2 – 0	1 L
Atlanta Falcons	6	10	0	.375	3.5	335	369	5 – 3 – 0	1 – 7 – 0	5 – 6 – 0	1 – 4 – 0	1 W
Los Angeles Rams	5	11	0	.313	4.5	291	365	4 – 5 – 0	1 – 6 – 0	3 – 8 – 0	1 – 4 – 0	1 L
Arizona Cardinals	4	12	0	.250	5.5	327	411	1 – 8 – 0	3 – 4 – 0	3 – 8 – 0	1 – 4 – 0	6 L
Chicago Bears	3	13	0	.188	6.5	313	434	2 – 6 – 0	1 – 7 – 0	1 – 10 – 0	0 – 5 – 0	9 L

*******NBA STANDINGS*******

Eastern Conference
	W	L	Pct	Conf GB	Home	Road	Div	Conf	Last 10	Streak
1 Boston	27	12	.692	—	15-5	12-7	4-0	15-8	5-5	1 W
2 Brooklyn	26	13	.667	1.0	13-5	13-8	5-2	19-7	9-1	1 W
3 Milwaukee	25	14	.641	2.0	16-5	9-9	4-3	13-10	4-6	1 L
4 Cleveland	25	15	.625	2.5	18-4	7-11	7-3	17-8	6-4	1 L
5 Philadelphia	23	15	.605	3.5	16-6	7-9	4-3	15-10	7-3	1 L
6 New York	22	18	.550	5.5	10-10	12-8	2-4	13-9	5-5	4 W
7 Indiana	22	18	.550	5.5	14-7	8-11	2-2	15-9	7-3	1 W
8 Miami	21	19	.525	6.5	11-8	9-11	5-1	8-11	6-4	1 W
9 Chicago	18	21	.462	9.0	10-9	8-12	4-3	16-11	7-3	2 W
10 Atlanta	18	21	.462	9.0	11-8	7-13	4-3	13-14	4-6	1 L
11 Washington	17	23	.425	10.5	10-7	7-16	4-3	10-14	6-4	2 L
12 Toronto	16	23	.410	11.0	11-10	5-13	2-8	11-16	3-7	3 L
13 Orlando	14	25	.359	13.0	10-12	4-13	2-5	7-18	5-5	1 L
14 Charlotte	11	29	.275	16.5	5-14	6-15	3-6	5-18	4-6	1 W
15 Detroit	11	31	.262	17.5	5-13	6-18	0-6	4-18	3-7	1 L
Western Conference
	W	L	Pct	Conf GB	Home	Road	Div	Conf	Last 10	Streak
1 Denver	26	13	.667	—	16-3	10-10	7-3	19-9	8-2	2 W
2 Memphis	25	13	.658	0.5	15-3	10-10	4-2	11-10	6-4	5 W
3 New Orleans	24	15	.615	2.0	17-5	7-10	7-2	16-9	6-4	1 L
4 Dallas	22	17	.564	4.0	15-6	7-11	5-2	16-6	7-3	1 L
5 Sacramento	20	17	.541	5.0	11-8	9-9	4-4	9-8	5-5	1 L
6 Golden State	20	19	.513	6.0	17-3	3-16	4-3	12-8	6-4	1 L
7 LA Clippers	21	20	.512	6.0	11-8	10-12	3-4	11-13	4-6	5 L
8 Portland	19	19	.500	6.5	9-6	10-13	4-6	13-13	3-7	2 L
9 Phoenix	20	20	.500	6.5	14-6	6-14	7-0	17-10	2-8	5 L
10 Utah	20	21	.488	7.0	12-7	8-14	3-4	16-13	3-7	1 W
11 Minnesota	19	21	.475	7.5	12-9	7-12	6-4	12-13	4-6	3 W
12 LA Lakers	18	21	.462	8.0	10-8	8-13	0-7	7-13	5-5	4 W
13 Oklahoma City	17	22	.436	9.0	12-9	5-13	3-6	9-12	6-4	1 W
14 San Antonio	13	26	.333	13.0	8-12	5-13	2-5	5-20	4-6	1 W
15 Houston	10	29	.256	16.0	6-13	4-16	1-8	5-21	1-9	6 L

******NHL STANDINGS******

Eastern Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Boston Bruins	38	30	4	4	64	28	145	85	19-0-3	11-4-1	7-0-3
2 Carolina Hurricanes	39	25	8	6	56	22	124	104	12-4-1	13-4-5	8-2-0
3 Toronto Maple Leafs	39	23	9	7	53	23	131	105	13-3-4	10-6-3	5-4-1
4 New Jersey Devils	39	24	12	3	51	24	132	103	10-10-2	14-2-1	3-6-1
5 New York Rangers	40	22	12	6	50	21	131	109	9-7-4	13-5-2	7-2-1
6 Tampa Bay Lightning	38	24	13	1	49	23	133	112	15-4-1	9-9-0	6-4-0
7 Washington Capitals	42	22	14	6	50	22	139	118	12-6-3	10-8-3	7-1-2
8 New York Islanders	41	22	17	2	46	22	129	114	12-6-0	10-11-2	5-4-1
9 Pittsburgh Penguins	38	19	13	6	44	18	124	116	10-4-4	9-9-2	3-5-2
10 Buffalo Sabres	36	19	15	2	40	18	143	122	8-8-2	11-7-0	7-2-1
11 Florida Panthers	40	18	18	4	40	17	132	136	10-6-3	8-12-1	4-6-0
12 Detroit Red Wings	37	16	14	7	39	15	113	125	9-8-3	7-6-4	3-6-1
13 Ottawa Senators	38	18	17	3	39	17	116	116	11-8-1	7-9-2	6-3-1
14 Philadelphia Flyers	39	15	17	7	37	15	108	127	8-9-1	7-8-6	6-4-0
15 Montreal Canadiens	39	15	21	3	33	11	104	148	7-10-0	8-11-3	1-8-1
16 Columbus Blue Jackets	37	11	24	2	24	11	96	148	9-12-1	2-12-1	1-9-0
Western Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Vegas Golden Knights	41	27	12	2	56	24	139	115	12-9-0	15-3-2	6-3-1
2 Dallas Stars	40	23	11	6	52	23	139	109	11-4-3	12-7-3	6-3-1
3 Winnipeg Jets	39	25	13	1	51	25	125	99	15-6-0	10-7-1	6-4-0
4 Los Angeles Kings	42	22	14	6	50	18	137	145	12-7-2	10-7-4	7-2-1
5 Seattle Kraken	37	21	12	4	46	21	131	118	10-8-2	11-4-2	5-4-1
6 Minnesota Wild	37	22	13	2	46	19	121	103	12-7-1	10-6-1	8-2-0
7 Calgary Flames	40	19	14	7	45	18	123	119	12-7-2	7-7-5	6-3-1
8 Edmonton Oilers	40	21	17	2	44	21	142	134	10-11-1	11-6-1	4-4-2
9 Nashville Predators	38	18	14	6	42	16	108	115	9-6-3	9-8-3	6-2-2
10 Colorado Avalanche	37	19	15	3	41	16	109	108	9-7-3	10-8-0	4-5-1
11 St. Louis Blues	39	19	17	3	41	16	125	143	7-8-2	12-9-1	6-2-2
12 Vancouver Canucks	38	17	18	3	37	15	130	146	8-10-1	9-8-2	5-5-0
13 San Jose Sharks	40	12	20	8	32	11	124	151	4-10-6	8-10-2	3-4-3
14 Arizona Coyotes	38	13	20	5	31	12	107	141	7-3-2	6-17-3	3-6-1
15 Anaheim Ducks	40	12	24	4	28	9	95	162	8-10-1	4-14-3	5-4-1
16 Chicago Blackhawks	38	9	25	4	22	9	82	141	6-14-2	3-11-2	2-8-0

*******FOOTBALL HISTORY*******

January 7, 1899 – Walter Camp published his 1st All-American football team in Collier’s. Ten of the eleven players named had played for Ivy League schools. The sole exception was Isaac Seneca, a Native American who played at the fullback position for the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Others on the 1898 All American Team include from the Penn Quakers: Truxton Hare, Josiah McCracken, and Peter Overfield made the list. Yale members included Gordon Brown, George Stillman, and Malcolm McBride. For Harvard Charles Daly and David Campbell were joined by Princeton Tigers R T Hillebrand and Arthur Pie. Camp along with Caspar Whitney started publishing the honor in 1889 in a magazine called “The Week’s Sport” and then in Harper’s Weekly per Britannica.com. 1899 was the first year that Collier’s received the honor of publication and Camp and them would carry on the tradition every year until Camp’s untimely death in 1925. The Magazine then asked Grantland Rice the era’s most prominent sportswriter, to continue the annual selection.

January 7, 1961 – Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida – The 1st NFL Playoff Bowl was played between the Detroit Lions and the Cleveland Browns. According to the AmericanFootball.Fandom.com website this game was officially named the Bert Bell Benefit Bowl and was created to determine a third place finisher in the NFL as it pitted the two losing teams from the Divisional Playoff games. The game was played ten different times from 1960 through the 1969 season. The name was in honor of the late Bert Bell who was the former NFL commissioner and co-founder of the Philadelphia Eagles and a former co-owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game was developed to give the NFL more television air time to compete with the AFL. The American Football League had a contract with ABC to air most of its regular season games as well as the postseason. The more established NFL was lagging behind their rival league as very few regular season games were on national television broadcasts at that time and the NFL Championship was the only post season contest shown across the country. This new Playoff Bowl was played the week after the NFL Championship game. In the game itself in 1961 Detroit beat Cleveland in an exciting one 17-16 to claim the third place in the pecking order for the 1960 NFL season.

January 7, 1962 – Balboa Stadium, San Diego – The inaugural AFL All Star Game was played. The contest pitted the best from the AFL’s Western Division against the greats from the AFL’s Eastern Division. The story of the game is nicely told by RemebertheAFL.com. Players such as Jim Otto, Jack Kemp and Coach Sid Gillman were on the West’s sidelines while the East boasted George Blanda, Billy Cannon and Gino Cappelletti. The outcome was that the Western Division out-shined the Eastern Division 47-27, The MVP of the game was the Dallas Texans Quarterback Cotton Davidson.

January 7, 1979 – Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh – The AFC Championship game once again came to the home of the Steelers per the Pro-Football-Reference.com website. It was the Houston Oilers, the Steelers AFC Central rivals who came to challenge the team of the 1970’s on this occasion. It was a very sloppy game for being the two best teams in the AFC as 14 turnovers were committed between the two offenses, 9 of them were against the Oilers. The Steel Curtain Defense came to play as they held the Oilers powerful running back Earl Campbell to 62 yards rushing and flustered Houston’s passing attack to less than 100 yards for a grand total of 142 yards of offensive production on the day for the Oilers. Meanwhile Terry Bradshaw and company churned out 379 yards as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Houston Oilers, 34-5.

January 7, 1979 – LA Memorial Coliseum – The NFC Championship game was extremely one sided as the Dallas Cowboys demolished the Los Angeles Rams, 28-0.

January 7, 2008 – Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans – The game was the Allstate Sugar Bowl to be played for the 2008 BCS National Championship. The Top team in the country, the Ohio State Buckeyes were challenged with the number 2 team in the nation the LSU Tigers per the allstatesugarbowl.com internet page. The game started off strong for Ohio State as they led 10-3 at the end of the first quarter. The Tigers had something else in mind as they rattled off 21 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a lead that they would not once again relinquish. Louisiana State became the national champs as they stunned the Buckeyes 38-24.

January 7, 2010 – Rose Bowl, Pasadena – 12th BCS National Championship took place as the Rose Bowl played its turn to host the big game. The #2 Texas longhorns were out for the title against the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide. The Bama defense got after it early and knocked Texas star QB Colt McCoy out of the game early and then wore the Texas defense down with a strong running game from the tandem of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson who each went over 100 yards on the game. The Crimson Tide took home the Title as they outlasted Texas 37-21 per ESPN.com.

January 7, 2013 – Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens – 15th BCS National Championship was not much of a game at all as the powerful #2 Alabama outmatched the #1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 42-14. Sports-Reference.com shows that Tide runners T J Yeldon and Eddie Lacy each went over 100 yards in the romp.

January 7, 2019 – Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California – The National Championship pitted the top two teams in the country once again as #2 Clemson took on #1 Alabama. CBSSports.com reports that with strong defense and on the arm of the Tigers sensational freshman Quarterback Trevor Lawrence who tossed for 347 yards and three touchdowns led Clemson to a dominating claim to the title in a 44-16 victory.

HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAY FOR JANUARY 7

January 7, 1884 – Bartlesville, Oklahoma – Carlisle’s fantastic End, Albert Exendine was born. Albert played on the all Native American teams of Carlisle Institute just after the turn of the twentieth century. The National Football Foundation describes how good of an end Exendine truly was, in fact they quote his coach, the legendary Pop Warner as calling Albert “Sheer brilliance” on the football field. Albert may have had his best game of his young career when against the University of Chicago, he repeatedly stuffed legendary halfback Wally Steffen. Walter Camp in 1907 named Exendine to his All-America team and as we just learned a little bit earlier in this edition it was with Collier’s magazine. The NFF voters selected Albert Exendine to enter into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1970.

January 7, 1930 – San Rafeal, California – Quarterback Eddie LeBaron from the College of the Pacific celebrated his day of birth. Eddie’s first year on the gridiron was the last one for the legendary Coach Amos Alonzo Stagg. Le Baron played for three more seasons after that great experience when Stagg retired and used what he learned well. In 1949 according to the NFF’s bio on him, Pacific’s offense with Eddie under center was averaging 52 points per game while allowing opponents to average a measly six points per game. LeBaron wasn’t just good with his Pacific teammates as shown when he was Most Valuable Player in the East-West Shrine game as well as in 1950 when Eddie quarterbacked the College All-Stars to a 17-7 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Eddie LeBaron was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

******BASEBALL HISTORY******

1920       Babe Ruth, reacting to harsh comments made about him after his trade to the Yankees, tells the Boston Evening Standard, “Frazee is not good enough to own any ball club, especially one in Boston.” Recently, the Red Sox owner called his former player “one of the most selfish and inconsiderate men ever to put on a baseball uniform.”

1924       The Indians trade catcher Steve O’Neill, second baseman Bill Wambsganss, and pitcher Danny Boone to the Red Sox for first baseman George Burns, second baseman Chick Fewster, and catcher Al Walters. In 1926, Burns, who also played for the Tribe 1920 and 1921, will lead the American League in hits and wins the circuit’s MVP award while playing for the much-improved team.

1933       Kenesaw Mountain Landis, in a move seen as a precursor to the reduction of all salaries during the depression years, voluntarily cuts his pay by forty percent. In 1920, the Millville (OH) native accepted the offer to become the game’s first commissioner for seven years at an annual salary of $42,500, on condition he could remain a federal judge.

1945       During an argument over a disputed call, Roberto Ortiz viciously punches Bernardino Rodriguez, knocking the home plate umpire unconscious. The Almendares’ first baseman, who apologizes in local newspapers, will be suspended from the Cuban League for the rest of the season due to his violent behavior that sent the arbitrator to the hospital.

1971       In Frankfort (KY), Bobby Tolan ruptures his Achilles tendon while playing basketball with a team put together by his Reds teammates, who perform in the Tri-State area at charity events. The Cincinnati outfielder will miss the entire season but returns to the Reds in 1972, winning the Comeback Player of the Year and Hutch awards, hitting .283, and knocking in 82 runs for the National League champs.

1985       The BBWAA elects St. Louis outfielder Lou Brock and Hoyt Wilhelm, who played with nine different teams, to the Hall of Fame. The Cardinals speedster broke Ty Cobb’s record for stolen bases in 1977 with 893 career steals, and the veteran knuckleballer, best remembered for his seasons with the Orioles and the White Sox, appeared in more games than any other pitcher in major league history.

1991       After serving five months for tax evasion, authorities release Pete Rose from the US Penitentiary in Marion (IL). The former Reds legend pays $366,041 in back taxes and interest, a $50,000 fine, and is required to perform 1,000 hours of community service, which he will fulfill working with kids in the inner-city schools in Cincinnati.

1992       The baseball writers elect Rollie Fingers, the first closer in major league history to record 300 career saves, and Tom Seaver into the Hall of Fame. ‘Tom Terrific,’ the author of 311 victories, receives the highest percentage (98.84%) in the voting history of the BBWAA, being named by 425 out of 430 writers with three of the five ballots not choosing Seaver left blank in protest of Pete Rose’s ineligibility.

2005       John Henry, the Red Sox owner, calls reserve first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz to discuss the ownership of the ball thrown to get the last out of the World Series, now in possession of the infielder. Club president Larry Lucchino has made it clear he wants the team to own that historic ball, which currently resides in the player’s safe deposit box along with an Olympic ring.

2005       Baseball commissioner Bud Selig announces Major League Baseball and the Players Association will donate $1 million to help the victims of last month’s Indian Ocean tsunami. According to the United Nations, 229,866 people were lost, including 186,983 known dead and another 42,883 missing.

2006       The first black general manager to win a World Series championship, Bob Watson receives the Jackie Robinson Lifetime Achievement Award from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. The former Astro and Yankee GM, the second African American, following the Braves’ Bill Lucas, to serve in the position, is honored during the organization’s Legacy Awards ceremonies in Kansas City.

2007       Randy Johnson agrees to a $26 million, two-year Diamondback deal, leaving only a physical and MLB approval to finalize his trade from the Yankees back to the desert. In exchange for the ‘Big Unit,’ the Bronx Bombers receive reliever Luis Vizcaino, minor league right-handed prospects Ross Ohlendorf and Steven Jackson, along with Alberto Gonzalez (INF).

2008       Mets reliever Duaner Sanchez signs an $850,000, one-year deal to stay with the team. The 27-year-old right-hander, who has not pitched after being injured in a 2006 Atlanta cab accident, was used primarily as the eighth-inning setup man for closer Billy Wagner before separating his throwing shoulder in the motor vehicle mishap.

2009       Jason Giambi agrees to a one-year $5.25 million deal to return to the A’s, the franchise where his major league career started. The 37-year-old free-agent first baseman/DH, celebrating a birthday tomorrow, joins the growing list of aging superstars – Frank Thomas, Mike Piazza, and Mike Sweeney – who played the same role with Oakland in recent years.

2009       Kevin McClatchy ends his 13-year relationship with the team when he sells his remaining shares in the Pirates. After local ownership failed to materialize in 1996, the former managing general partner ensured the struggling club would stay in Pittsburgh by finding shareholders and securing the cash needed to buy the franchise.

2009       The Reds retain the services of Jerry Hairston, Jr., signing their leadoff hitter to a $2 million, one-year deal. The 32-year-old versatile veteran, who is the brother of Scott Hairston, grandson of Sam Hairston, and grandson of Jerry Hairston, played six positions last season and hit .326 while appearing in 80 games for Cincinnati.

2009       Right-hander Koji Uehara agrees in principle to a two-year deal to join the Orioles rotation. The 33-year-old World Baseball Classic standout, formerly with the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants, has won the Sawamura Award twice as the top pitcher in Japan.

2010       The Royals sign 19-year-old southpaw Noel Arguelles to a $7 million, five-year contract. The 6-foot-4 Cuban fireballer, who defected from his country at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Edmonton, won the Gold Medal Game at the Pan American Junior Championships two seasons ago.

2010       The Mariners and Red Sox finalized their trade, bringing Casey Kotchman to Seattle in exchange for outfielder Bill Hall, a player to be named, and cash. The M’s acquisition of the 26-year-old slick-fielding first baseman signals the departure of free-agent slugger Russell Branyan, who suffered from a disc issue in his back late last season.

2011       In an eight-player trade, the Cubs send outfielder Sam Fuld and minor leaguers Christopher Archer, Hak-Ju Lee, Brandon Guyer, and Robinson Chirinos to the Rays to acquire starter Matt Garza. In addition to receiving the 27-year-old right-hander, who compiled a 15-10 record last season that included a no-hitter, Chicago obtains outfielder Fernando Perez and minor league southpaw prospect Zachary Rosscup.

******SPORTS IN NUMBERS*******

19 – 20 – 31 – 41 – 34 – 10 – 20

January 7, 1899 – Walter Camp published his 1st All-American football team in Collier’s Magazine. On this list of eleven players all were from Penn, Yale, Harvard, or Princeton save one. Carlisle’s Issac Seneca. From the Penn Quakers: Truxton Hare, Josiah McCracken, and Peter Overfield made the list. Yale members included Gordon Brown, George Stillman, and Malcolm McBride. For Harvard Charles Daly and David Campbell were joined by Princeton Tigers R T Hillebrand and Arthur Pie.

January 7, 1927 – Harlem Globetrotters played their 1st game in Hinckley, Illinois. The iconoc red, white, and blue uniforms of this talented bunch still entertain millions across the world. The uniform has changed over the past almost century of their existence but thier colors, and unique jersey style still ring true. Check out this great post on Globe Trotters uniform history on UniWatch.

Our sweater Number 19 belongs to Bryan Trottier who on January 7, 1982 completed his 10th career hat trick while playing for the New York Islanders. With the Islanders he won four Stanley Cups as one if its core players that carried the dynasty on the ice.

Number 20 stands for Lou Brock. This legend was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on January 7, 1985. The 6-time All Star win two World Series during his career which was most notably played with the St Louis Cardinals. That same day legend Number 31, Hoyt Wilhelm was also inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Wilhelm played Major League baseball for over 20 seasons from 1952 through 1972. He wore multiple numbers but perhaps the Number 31 with the Chicago White Sox was his longest stint. The right handed pitcher might be most well known for being on the roster of the 1954 World Series Champions New York Giants.

Speaking of legendary pitchers, Tom Seaver is our Number 41 that is remembered today. On January 7, 1992 the 3-time Cy Young winner and 12-time All-Star had his name registered in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Joining Seaver at the induction ceremonies that day was another great hurler, Rollie Fingers, most famously who wore the Number 34 with the Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers was also elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame that same January day.

January 7, 1998 – Los Angeles Lakers center Number 34, Shaquille ONeal blocks 3 shots in a 114-102 win over Milwaukee to bring his career total to 1,002

January 7, 2013 – FIFA Ballon d’Or: Barcelona forward Number 10, Lionel Messi wins award for a record 4th consecutive year; US forward Number 20, Abby Wambach wins women’s award

TV SATURDAY

NCAA BASKETBALL GAMES	TIME ET	TV
NOTRE DAME AT NORTH CAROLINA	11:30 AM	ESPN2
CREIGHTON AT UCONN	12:00 PM	FOX
VANDERBILT AT MISSOURI	12:00 PM	CBS
DAVIDSON AT VCU	12:00 PM	USA
ST. JOHN’S AT PROVIDENCE	12:00 PM	FS1
NEBRASKA AT MINNESOTA	12:00 PM	BTN
TEXAS AT OKLAHOMA STATE	12:00 PM	ESPNU
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AT BUFFALO	12:00 PM	ESPN+
KENTUCKY AT ALABAMA	1:00 PM	ESPN
GEORGIA AT FLORIDA	1:00 PM	SECN
DUKE AT BOSTON COLLEGE	1:00 PM	ACCN
GEORGIA TECH AT FLORIDA STATE	1:00 PM	ACCN
LIU AT FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON	1:00 PM	NEC
MILWAUKEE AT PURDUE FORT WAYNE	1:00 PM	ESPN+
WISCONSIN AT ILLINOIS	1:30 PM	ESPN2
OLE MISS AT MISSISSIPPI STATE	2:00 PM	CBS
UMASS AT GEORGE WASHINGTON	2:00 PM	USA
GEORGETOWN AT MARQUETTE	2:00 PM	FS1
IOWA STATE AT TCU	2:00 PM	ESPNU
UIC AT INDIANA STATE	2:00 PM	–
SAINT JOSEPH’S AT FORDHAM	2:00 PM	SNY
LOYOLA CHICAGO AT GEORGE MASON	2:00 PM	MASN2
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE AT NORTH DAKOTA	2:00 PM	–
SOUTH DAKOTA AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE	2:00 PM	–
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AT UNI	2:00 PM	ESPN3
CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT EASTERN MICHIGAN	2:00 PM	ESPN3
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT AT STONEHILL	2:00 PM	NEC
HARTFORD AT SACRED HEART	2:00 PM	NEC
VMI AT CHATTANOOGA	2:00 PM	ESPN+
ILLINOIS STATE AT EVANSVILLE	2:00 PM	ESPN+
IUPUI AT YOUNGSTOWN STATE	2:00 PM	ESPN+
RHODE ISLAND AT LA SALLE	2:00 PM	ESPN+
EAST CAROLINA AT MEMPHIS	2:00 PM	ESPN+
TULANE AT TEMPLE	2:00 PM	ESPN+
CAMPBELL AT UNC ASHEVILLE	2:00 PM	ESPN+
CHARLESTON SOUTHERN AT PRESBYTERIAN	2:00 PM	ESPN+
RADFORD AT GARDNER-WEBB	2:00 PM	ESPN+
MONMOUTH AT DREXEL	2:00 PM	FLOSPORTS
HOFSTRA AT WILLIAM & MARY	2:00 PM	FLOSPORTS
UNCW AT NORTH CAROLINA A&T	2:00 PM	FLOSPORTS
CHARLOTTE AT FLORIDA ATLANTIC	2:00 PM	CUSATV
MICHIGAN AT MICHIGAN STATE	2:30 PM	FOX
WAKE FOREST AT LOUISVILLE	3:00 PM	ACCN
VALPARAISO AT BRADLEY	3:00 PM	CBSSN
ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN AT MERRIMACK	3:00 PM	NEC
GREEN BAY AT CLEVELAND STATE	3:00 PM	ESPN+
HIGH POINT AT USC UPSTATE	3:00 PM	ESPN+
GRAND CANYON AT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN	3:00 PM	ESPN+
SEATTLE U AT UTA	3:00 PM	ESPN+
TEXAS STATE AT SOUTH ALABAMA	3:00 PM	ESPN+
SOUTHERN MISS AT ULM	3:00 PM	ESPN+
OLD DOMINION AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN	3:00 PM	ESPN+
UTEP AT LOUISIANA TECH	3:00 PM	CUSATV
TENNESSEE AT SOUTH CAROLINA	3:30 PM	SECN
KENT STATE AT MIAMI (OH)	3:30 PM	ESPN3
COASTAL CAROLINA AT MARSHALL	3:30 PM	ESPN+
SAN DIEGO STATE AT WYOMING	4:00 PM	CBS
NEVADA AT SAN JOSE STATE	4:00 PM	STADIUM
CLEMSON AT PITT	4:00 PM	ESPNU
ST. BONAVENTURE AT SAINT LOUIS	4:00 PM	–
UC SANTA BARBARA AT CAL POLY	4:00 PM	SPECTRUM
WKU AT UTSA	4:00 PM	STADIUM
SAMFORD AT UNCG	4:00 PM	–
FURMAN AT ETSU	4:00 PM	WCYB-DT2
SAINT FRANCIS U AT WAGNER	4:00 PM	NEC
EASTERN ILLINOIS AT MOREHEAD STATE	4:00 PM	ESPN+
MERCER AT WESTERN CAROLINA	4:00 PM	ESPN+
MONTANA STATE AT NORTHERN ARIZONA	4:00 PM	ESPN+
WINTHROP AT LONGWOOD	4:00 PM	ESPN+
NORTHEASTERN AT HAMPTON	4:00 PM	FLOSPORTS
DELAWARE STATE AT HOWARD	4:00 PM	–
MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE AT NORFOLK STATE	4:00 PM	–
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL AT MORGAN STATE	4:00 PM	–
XAVIER AT VILLANOVA	4:30 PM	FS1
TEXAS SOUTHERN AT UAPB	4:30 PM	–
FRESNO STATE AT COLORADO STATE	4:30 PM	–
LAMAR AT SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA	4:30 PM	ESPN+
A&M-COMMERCE AT MCNEESE	4:30 PM	ESPN+
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AT LITTLE ROCK	4:30 PM	ESPN+
TENNESSEE STATE AT LINDENWOOD	4:30 PM	ESPN+
TENNESSEE TECH AT UT MARTIN	4:30 PM	ESPN+
NICHOLLS AT NORTHWESTERN STATE	4:30 PM	ESPN+
SYRACUSE AT VIRGINIA	5:00 PM	ACCN
DELAWARE AT CHARLESTON	5:00 PM	CBSSN
WASHINGTON STATE AT ARIZONA	5:00 PM	PAC12
OHIO AT BOWLING GREEN	5:00 PM	ESPN3
MISSOURI STATE AT BELMONT	5:00 PM	ESPN+
A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI AT UIW	5:00 PM	ESPN+
HOUSTON CHRISTIAN AT NEW ORLEANS	5:00 PM	ESPN+
PORTLAND STATE AT IDAHO	5:00 PM	ESPN+
SACRAMENTO STATE AT EASTERN WASHINGTON	5:00 PM	ESPN+
ARKANSAS STATE AT TROY	5:00 PM	ESPN+
TARLETON AT SAM HOUSTON	5:30 PM	ESPN+
CENTRAL ARKANSAS AT AUSTIN PEAY	5:30 PM	ESPN+
MURRAY STATE AT DRAKE	6:00 PM	ESPNU
LSU AT TEXAS A&M	6:00 PM	SECN
DUQUESNE AT RICHMOND	6:00 PM	–
KANSAS AT WEST VIRGINIA	6:00 PM	ESPN+
KANSAS STATE AT BAYLOR	6:00 PM	ESPN+
LIPSCOMB AT JACKSONVILLE	6:00 PM	ESPN+
NORTH TEXAS AT MIDDLE TENNESSEE	6:00 PM	ESPN+
DARTMOUTH AT BROWN	6:00 PM	ESPN+
PRINCETON AT CORNELL	6:00 PM	ESPN+
UTAH STATE AT BOISE STATE	6:30 PM	FS1
TOWSON AT STONY BROOK	6:30 PM	SNY
BETHUNE-COOKMAN AT GRAMBLING STATE	6:30 PM	–
OREGON AT UTAH	7:00 PM	PAC12
THE CITADEL AT WOFFORD	7:00 PM	–
HARVARD AT YALE	7:00 PM	ESPN+
PENN AT COLUMBIA	7:00 PM	ESPN+
UAB AT FIU	7:00 PM	ESPN+
OKLAHOMA AT TEXAS TECH	7:00 PM	ESPN+
NORTH FLORIDA AT FGCU	7:00 PM	ESPN+
SOUTHERN UTAH AT ABILENE CHRISTIAN	7:00 PM	ESPN+
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M AT MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE	7:00 PM	YOUTUBE
NC STATE AT VIRGINIA TECH	7:30 PM	ACCN
UTAH VALLEY AT UTRGV	7:30 PM	ESPN+
APP STATE AT JAMES MADISON	8:00 PM	ESPNU
BYU AT SAN DIEGO	8:00 PM	–
PACIFIC AT PEPPERDINE	8:00 PM	WCC
GEORGIA STATE AT LOUISIANA	8:00 PM	ESPN+
KENNESAW STATE AT QUEENS	8:00 PM	ESPN+
MONTANA AT NORTHERN COLORADO	8:00 PM	ESPN+
CSU BAKERSFIELD AT UC DAVIS	8:00 PM	ESPN+
CSUN AT UC RIVERSIDE	8:00 PM	ESPN+
KANSAS CITY AT ORAL ROBERTS	8:00 PM	–
OMAHA AT ST. THOMAS	8:00 PM	–
STETSON AT NORTH ALABAMA	8:15 PM	ESPN+
BUTLER AT SETON HALL	8:30 PM	FS1
ARKANSAS AT AUBURN	8:30 PM	SECN
SIUE AT SOUTHERN INDIANA	8:30 PM	ESPN+
PORTLAND AT SAINT MARY’S	9:00 PM	STADIUM
CALIFORNIA BAPTIST AT NM STATE	9:00 PM	–
IDAHO STATE AT WEBER STATE	9:00 PM	ESPN+
HAWAI’I AT CAL STATE FULLERTON	9:00 PM	ESPN+
LONG BEACH STATE AT UC IRVINE	9:00 PM	ESPN+
BELLARMINE AT JACKSONVILLE STATE	9:00 PM	ESPN+
UNLV AT NEW MEXICO	9:30 PM	CBSSN
OREGON STATE AT COLORADO	9:30 PM	PAC12
GONZAGA AT SANTA CLARA	10:00 PM	–
SAN FRANCISCO AT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT	10:00 PM	STADIUM
GOLF	TIME ET	TV
PGA TOUR: SENTRY TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS	4:00PM	GOLF
MOTORSPORTS	TIME ET	TV
AMA SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP	10:00PM	USA
NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
BOSTON AT SAN ANTONIO	6:00PM	NESN BALLY SPORTS
UTAH AT CHICAGO	8:00PM	ATTSN-RM NBCS-CHI
NEW ORLEANS AT DALLAS	8:00PM	BALLY SPORTS
ORLANDO AT GOLDEN STATE	8:30PM	BALLY SPORTS NBCS-BAY
LA LAKERS AT SACRAMENTO	10:00PM	NBCS-CA SPECTRUM
NFL REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
KANSAS CITY AT LAS VEGAS	4:30PM	ESPN ABC
TENNESSEE AT JACKSONVILLE	8:15PM	ESPN ABC
NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
NY RANGERS AT NEW JERSEY	1:00PM	NHLN MSG MSGSN
CAROLINA AT COLUMBUS	4:00PM	BALLY SPORTS
DETROIT AT TORONTO	7:00PM	NHLN BALLY SPORTS SPORTSNET
MINNESOTA AT BUFFALO	7:00PM	BALLY SPORTS MSG-BUF
SEATTLE AT OTTAWA	7:00PM	ROOT SPORTS SPORTSNET
ST. LOUIS AT MONTRÉAL	7:00PM	BALLY SPORTS SPORTSNET
LOS ANGELES AT VEGAS	10:00PM	BALLY SPORTS ATTSN-RM
COLORADO AT EDMONTON	10:00PM	ALT SPORTSNET
BOSTON AT SAN JOSE	10:30PM	NESN NBCS-CA
SOCCER MATCHES	TIME ET	TV
ENGLAND FA CUP: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR VS PORTSMOUTH	7:30AM	ESPN+
ENGLAND FA CUP: FOREST GREEN ROVERS VS BIRMINGHAM CITY	7:30AM	ESPN+
ENGLAND FA CUP: PRESTON NORTH END VS HUDDERSFIELD TOWN	7:30AM	ESPN+
ENGLAND FA CUP: CRYSTAL PALACE VS SOUTHAMPTON	7:30AM	ESPN+
ENGLAND FA CUP: GILLINGHAM VS LEICESTER CITY	7:30AM	ESPN+
ENGLAND FA CUP: READING VS WATFORD	7:30AM	ESPN+
SERIE A: JUVENTUS VS UDINESE	9:00AM	PARAMOUNT+
COUPE DE FRANCE: OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE VS HYÈRES	9:30AM	FS2
COUPE DE FRANCE: LINAS-MONTLHERY VS LENS	9:30AM	BEIN SPORTS
ENGLAND FA CUP: SHREWSBURY TOWN VS SUNDERLAND	10:00AM	ESPN+
ENGLAND FA CUP: MILLWALL VS SHEFFIELD UNITED	10:00AM	ESPN+
ENGLAND FA CUP: HULL CITY VS FULHAM	10:00AM	ESPN+
ENGLAND FA CUP: BLACKPOOL VS NOTTINGHAM FOREST	10:00AM	ESPN+
ENGLAND FA CUP: FLEETWOOD TOWN VS QUEENS PARK RANGERS	10:00AM	ESPN+
ENGLAND FA CUP: AFC BOURNEMOUTH VS BURNLEY	10:00AM	ESPN+
ENGLAND FA CUP: BOREHAM WOOD VS ACCRINGTON STANLEY	10:00AM	ESPN+
ENGLAND FA CUP: IPSWICH TOWN VS ROTHERHAM UNITED	10:00AM	ESPN+
LA LIGA: VILLARREAL VS REAL MADRID	10:15AM	ESPN+
SERIE A: JUVENTUS VS UDINESE	12:00PM	CBSSN
LA LIGA: MALLORCA VS REAL VALLADOLID	12:30PM	ESPN+
ENGLAND FA CUP: COVENTRY CITY VS WREXHAM	12:30PM	ESPN+
ENGLAND FA CUP: LUTON TOWN VS WIGAN ATHLETIC	12:30PM	ESPN+
ENGLAND FA CUP: BRENTFORD VS WEST HAM UNITED	12:30PM	ESPN+
ENGLAND FA CUP: GRIMSBY TOWN VS BURTON ALBION	12:30PM	ESPN+
ENGLAND FA CUP: SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY VS NEWCASTLE UNITED	1:00PM	ESPN+
SERIE A: MONZA VS INTERNAZIONALE	2:45PM	PARAMOUNT+
ENGLAND FA CUP: LIVERPOOL VS WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS	3:00PM	ESPN+
LA LIGA: ESPANYOL VS GIRONA	3:00PM	ESPN+
ENGLAND FA CUP: MANCHESTER UNITED VS EVERTON	3:00PM	ESPN+
LIGA MX: AMÉRICA VS QUERÉTARO	6:00PM	UNIVISION
LIGA MX: ATLAS VS TOLUCA	8:10PM	UNIVISION
LIGA MX: MONTERREY VS GUADALAJARA	10:10PM	FS2