THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” SUNDAY DECEMBER 11, 2022

INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL

Adams Central	63	Fort Wayne Canterbury	60
Ansonia (Ohio)	73	Union City	49
Argos	53	Jimtown	51
Avon	77	Terre Haute South	54
Ben Davis	62	Indianapolis Cathedral	50
Benton Central	56	Delphi	47
Bethesda Christian	73	Indiana Deaf	7
Bloomfield	62	Edgewood	52
Bloomington Lighthouse	80	Madison Christian	46
Blue River	64	Southern Wells	45
Borden	75	Crothersville	50
Brebeuf Jesuit	55	Christel House Manual	48
Brownsburg	56	Chesterton	47
Brownstown Central	83	Madison	47
Castle	70	Floyd Central	48
Center Grove	75	Martinsville	38
Clinton Central	53	Attica	31
Clinton Prairie	59	Western Boone	50
Columbia City	62	Carroll (Fort Wayne)	60	OT
Columbus North	62	Greenwood	30
Connersville	56	Pendleton Heights	45
Cooper (Ky.)	73	Linton-Stockton	61
Corydon Central	76	Evansville Memorial	63
Covenant Christian	44	Traders Point Christian	40
Crown Point	65	Southport	59
Culver	52	Knox	29
Danville	48	Cascade	28
Delta	51	Hamilton Heights	42
Dugger Union	44	North Vermillion	37
Eastern (Greentown)	39	Southwood	34
Eastern (Pekin)	56	Clarksville	46
Eastern Greene	45	North Knox	27
Eastern Hancock	62	Daleville	27
Edon (Ohio)	41	Lakewood Park	39	OT
Elwood	39	Providence Cristo Rey	36
Evansville Bosse	88	Muhlenberg County (Ky.)	58
Evansville Central	72	Mount Vernon (Posey)	62
Fishers	79	Bloomington North	60
Fort Wayne Blackhawk	75	Lafayette Central Catholic	50
Fort Wayne North	60	Warsaw	53
Franklin County	58	South Ripley	41
Fremont	59	DeKalb	53
Frontier	52	Caston	46
Greenfield-Central	72	Speedway	27
Hammond Central	76	Michigan City	49
Henryville	52	Hauser	40
Heritage Hills	75	Owensboro (Ky.)	73	2OT
Heritage	53	Bellmont	45
Homestead	60	New Haven	43
Indianapolis Scecina	75	Indianapolis Riverside	49
Jac-Cen-Del	57	South Decatur	52
Jasper	49	Gibson Southern	34
Kokomo	63	Lebanon	39
Lafayette Jeff	63	East Chicago Central	60
Lakeland	76	Bethany Christian	45
Lapel	58	Muncie Burris	51
Lawrence North	80	Fort Wayne Luers	49
Lawrenceburg	40	Switzerland County	36
Lewis Cass	67	Marquette Catholic	55
Logansport	60	Rochester	51	OT
Manchester	50	Huntington North	36
Marion	72	Wabash	66
McCutcheon	62	Covington	41
Merrillville	80	Andrean	62
Milan	58	Monrovia	52
Mishawaka Marian	65	Warren Central	59
Mooresville	60	Fort Wayne Snider	58
New Castle	57	Jay County	36
Noblesville	42	Anderson	38
North Central (Indianapolis)	61	Franklin	60
North Daviess	40	Beech Grove	38
North Judson	74	South Central (Union Mills)	50
North Newton	44	DeMotte Christian	40
North White	52	Tri-Twp.	38
NorthWood	64	Fairfield	24
Northeast Dubois	73	Tell City	28
Northridge	56	Angola	44
Norwell	78	Franklin Central	43
Oak Hill	79	Maconaquah	67
Parke Heritage	56	North Putnam	40
Penn	58	Zionsville	51
Peru	49	Northfield	34
Pike Central	56	Southridge	50
Pioneer	57	North Miami	55	2OT
Portage	56	Westville	32
Prairie Heights	49	Eastside	28
Purdue Poly Englewood	89	Eminence	44
Rensselaer Central	62	Twin Lakes	38
Richmond	74	Talawanda (Ohio)	43
Rossville	45	Western	35
Salem	52	Mitchell	48
Scottsburg	45	Providence	42
Seeger	68	Tri-County	56
Seton Catholic	62	Anderson Prep Academy	42
Shakamak	74	Washington Catholic	41
Shenandoah	52	Frankton	51	OT
Smith Academy	62	Clinton Christian	41
South Bend St. Joseph	73	Goshen	64	OT
South Bend Washington	62	LaPorte	54
South Central (Elizabeth)	51	Perry Central	43
South Dearborn	53	Harrison (Ohio)	28
South Spencer	64	Crawford County	41
South Vermillion	68	Marshall (Ill.)	38
Southmont	64	Greencastle	55
Southwestern (Hanover)	78	Batesville	63
Springs Valley	71	Lanesville	54
Terre Haute North	51	Vincennes Lincoln	37
Tippecanoe Valley	55	John Glenn	43
Tri-Central	63	Morristown	48
Tri-West	58	West Lafayette	51
University	58	Liberty Christian	44
Valparaiso	68	Kankakee Valley	46
Wapahani	71	Hagerstown	27
Watseka (Ill.)	42	South Newton	29
Wawasee	61	Whitko	37
Wes-Del	65	Monroe Central	40
West Noble	67	Churubusco	27
West Washington	69	Trinity Lutheran	35
Westfield	59	Guerin Catholic	43
Westview	51	Central Noble	50
Whiteland	72	Shelbyville	65
Wood Memorial	47	White River Valley	32
Woodlan	68	Leo	63	2OT
Yorktown	56	Mississinewa	32

INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL

Ansonia (Ohio)	34	Union City	30
Barr-Reeve	58	Bloomfield	48
Bedford North Lawrence	59	Brownsburg	43
Bethany Christian	44	Lakeland	34
Bethesda Christian	48	Indianapolis Shortridge	39
Bloomington North	66	Indianapolis HomeSchool	55
Boonville	49	Mount Vernon (Posey)	22
Borden	52	Providence	37
Brownstown Central	64	Austin	41
Carroll (Flora)	71	Manchester	48
Cascade	65	Indianapolis Lutheran	26
Caston	48	Triton	15
Chicago Phillips (Ill.)	61	Hammond Noll	46
Clarksville	63	Cannelton	19
Clinton Central	44	Attica	27
Cowan	37	Anderson Prep Academy	36
Culver Academy	63	South Bend Riley	22
Culver	54	Knox	37
Edinburgh	45	Milan	42
Evansville Central	56	Terre Haute South	19
Evansville Reitz	57	Owensboro (Ky.)	53
Faith Christian	53	North Newton	21
Fort Wayne Northrop	62	Mishawaka Marian	49
Fort Wayne Snider	57	Carmel	51
Goshen	43	South Bend Adams	40
Greensburg	48	Rushville	47
Hamilton Heights	64	Fort Wayne Concordia	43
Hanover Central	64	River Forest	28
Harrison (West Lafayette)	59	Lafayette Jeff	21
Hauser	65	South Dearborn	58
Homestead	47	Notre Dame Academy (Ohio)	41
Huntington North	72	Marion	21
Illiana Christian	49	Calumet	24
Indianapolis Scecina	72	Indianapolis Ritter	41
Indianapolis Tindley	42	Traders Point Christian	32
Jeffersonville	67	Columbus East	60
Jennings County	69	New Albany	53
Kouts	48	Morgan Twp.	39
LaVille	46	Logansport	44
Lafayette Central Catholic	62	Indianapolis Cathedral	56	OT
Lake Station	86	Wheeler	32
Lakeland Christian	42	Trinity Greenlawn	27
Lapel	56	Tipton	38
Lawrenceburg	46	Connersville	41
Madison-Grant	49	Elwood	22
Marquette Catholic	48	East Chicago Central	33
Mississinewa	56	Oak Hill	51
Mount Vernon (Fortville)	53	Yorktown	46
Munster	75	Gary West	14
New Washington	65	Jac-Cen-Del	62	OT
North Judson	36	South Central (Union Mills)	32
North Knox	47	Terre Haute North	31
North Vermillion	67	Dugger Union	41
Northeastern	51	South Adams	40
Northridge	76	Concord	17
Norwell	66	Garrett	23
Parke Heritage	62	North Putnam	36
Penn	61	Merrillville	22
Pike Central	42	Evansville Bosse	20
Pioneer	63	LaPorte	14
Purdue Poly Englewood	84	Indianapolis Riverside	8
Rochester	36	Wabash	32
Rock Creek Academy	64	Crothersville	14
Rossville	40	Tri-County	35
Seymour	45	Madison	37
Shawe Memorial	52	Switzerland County	38
Shenandoah	49	Muncie Burris	5
South Bend Washington	86	West Bloomfield (Mich.)	74
Southwestern (Hanover)	45	South Central (Elizabeth)	42
Sullivan	68	Brown County	60
Tri-Twp.	47	North White	19
Trinity Lutheran	62	Orleans	40
Triton Central	50	Southwestern (Shelbyville)	26
Twin Lakes	69	Western	46
Union County	39	South Decatur	27
Valparaiso	74	Whiting	28
Vincennes Lincoln	75	Evansville Harrison	41
Waldron	38	Knightstown	33
Warsaw	60	Plymouth	32
Washington	67	Tell City	38
West Central	44	South Newton	30
White River Valley	57	Shoals	48	OT
Whiteland	61	Martinsville	35
Winchester	79	Cambridge City Lincoln	15
Marion County Tournament
Lawrence Central	52	Lawrence North	51	SF
Ben Davis	65	North Central (Indianapolis)	60	OT \| SF
Ben Davis	67	Lawrence Central	65	1st

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

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

#8 Alabama 71 #1 Houston 65

#2 Texas 88 Arkansas Pine Bluff 43

#4 Purdue 65 Nebraska 62 OT

#5 UConn 114 Long Island 61

#6 Kansas 95 Missouri 67

#9 Arkansas 88 Oklahoma 78

#10 Arizona 89 #14 Indiana 75

Memphis 82 #11 Auburn 73

#15 Duke 82 Maryland Eastern shore 55

#16 Kentucky 69 Yale 59

Penn State 74 #17 Illinois 59

#19 UCLA 87 Denver 64

BYU 83 #21 Creighton 80

St. Mary’s 68 #22 San Diego State 61

#24 TCU 83 SMU 75

Ball State 88 Evansville 69

Ole Miss 98 Valparaiso 61

Purdue Fort Wayne 65 Missouri State 61

Michigan State 68 Brown 50

Florida State 75 Louisville 53

Dayton 79 UNC Asheville 56

Charlotte 82 Detroit 80 OT

Xavier 80 Cincinnati 77

Western Kentucky 64 Wright State 60

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: http://hosted.stats.com/cbk/scoreboard.asp?conf=-1&day=20221210

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

#5 Notre Dame 108 Merrimack 44

#13 UCLA 64 Cal State Fullerton 41

#15 Utah 76 BYU 59

#16 Iowa 87 Minnesota 64

#18 Creighton 75 Drake 71

South Dakota State 82 #24 Kansas State 78

#25 Villanova 82 St. Joseph’s 59

Western Michigan 77 Indiana State 67

Nebraska 71 Samford 46

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: http://hosted.stats.com/wcbk/scoreboard.asp?conf=-1&day=20221210

NBA

Brooklyn 136 Indiana 133

San Antonio 115 Miami 111

LA Clippers 114 Washington 107

Cleveland 110 Oklahoma City 102

Chicago 144 Dallas 115

Golden State 123 Boston 107

Denver 115 Utah 110

Portland 124 Minnesota 118

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

NHL

Ottawa 3 Nashville 2

Dallas 3 Detroit 2

Tampa Bay 4 Florida 1

Toronto 5 Calgary 4

Los Angeles 4 Montréal 2

Pittsburgh 3 Buffalo 1

Carolina 3 NY Islanders 0

Minnesota 3 Vancouver 0

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

TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES

No. 8 Alabama mounts comeback, beats No. 1 Houston 71-65

HOUSTON (AP) No. 8 Alabama could have called it a day when it was trailing by double-figures early in the second half.

The Crimson Tide didn’t, and earned another marquee win this season.

Alabama rallied from a 15-point second half deficit to stun No. 1 Houston 71-65 on Saturday, becoming just the second men’s team to beat two top-ranked teams in the same season.

Noah Clowney had 16 points and 11 rebounds, Jaden Bradley added 12 points and Mark Sears scored 11 points, including nine in the second half for the Crimson Tide (8-1). Alabama shot 50% from the field in the second half and 41% for the game. The Tide went 20 of 32 on free throws, including 15 of 21 in the second half.

“This is one of those character wins that shows that our guys are going to keep fighting no matter what the score is,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said. “We could have easily given up down 15. The start of the second half wasn’t great. We made some changes with the bench guys. Hung in there, kept clawing away at the lead, finally able to take the lead and then we pulled away from them.”

The Crimson Tide beat North Carolina 103-101 in four overtimes on Nov. 27 and joins the 1990 Oklahoma team to take down two No. 1s in a season.

“Huge program win,” Oats said. “Not sure how many teams get the chance to play two No. 1 teams in nonconference, let alone beat them, but I think that shows where we’ve gotten this program to that we can play with anyone in the country at this point.”

Jamal Shead had 19 points and six rebounds, and Tramon Mark scored 10 points before fouling out with 8:10 remaining for Houston (9-1).

“That’s the No. 8 team in the nation,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “No shame losing to a really, really good Alabama team. Disappointing obviously. We haven’t lost a lot in this building.”

The Cougars shot 39% from the field, including going 1-of-8 to end the game. Houston was 3 of 13 on 3-pointers and 12 of 22 from the free-throw line.

“We just couldn’t guard,” Shead said. “We didn’t stand in front of the ball for like four or five straight possessions and that’s how they got back into it. And we just weren’t tough enough to finish it out.”

The game was tied at 63 following a Marcus Sasser free throw with two minutes left. Then Clowney put the Tide up by two with a layup with 1:12 remaining, Shead missed a jumper with 48 seconds left and Brandon Miller made two free throws five seconds later to push the lead to four.

After Reggie Chaney missed two free throws, Miller made two more free throws to give Alabama a 69-63 lead with 27 seconds remaining.

Trailing 57-49 with 8 1/2 remaining, the Tide went on an 11-3 run to cut the lead to 61-60 on a layup by Clowney with five minutes to go.

Houston used an 18-2 run to end the first half and start the second half to take a 44-29 lead with 17:13 remaining on a steal and layup by Jarace Walker, but Alabama responded with a 15-5 spurt to cut the led to five on a 3-pointer by Sears with 11 minutes left.

BIG PICTURE

Alabama: Alabama outrebounded Houston 44-39 and got 27 points from its bench. The Tide improved to 3-1 this season against teams ranked in the AP Top 25.

Houston: The Cougars missed a chance for a resume-building win and fell to 1-1 this season against Quad 1 teams. Houston forced Alabama into 15 turnovers but turned it into only 18 points.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Houston, which has been No. 1 for two weeks, will likely fall in the AP Top 25 poll, while Alabama should rise.

UP NEXT

Alabama: Hosts Memphis on Tuesday.

Houston: Hosts North Carolina A&T on Tuesday.

France advances to semifinals at World Cup, tops England 2-1

AL KHOR, Qatar (AP) Kylian Mbappe and France made it back to the semifinals of the World Cup on Saturday by beating England 2-1.

Olivier Giroud scored in the 78th minute at Al Bayt Stadium to keep France on course to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups.

Giroud raced away in delight when his header deflected off England defender Harry Maguire and sailed past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

England striker Harry Kane had a chance to even the score late in the match but he sent a penalty attempt over the bar.

It was his second spot kick of the match. He earlier scored to make it 1-1 after Aurelien Tchouameni had given France the lead in the 17th minute with a powerful drive from 20 meters (yards).

France will next face Morocco in the semifinals on Wednesday. The Moroccans became the first African team to reach the semifinals at the World Cup by beating Portugal 1-0.

England had been looking like the team more likely to score when the match was at 1-1. But instead it was Giroud who connected with Antoine Griezmann’s cross to extend his record as France’s all-time leading scorer to 53 goals.

The celebrations didn’t last long, however, as referee Wilton Sampaio reviewed a challenge from Theo Hernandez on substitute Mason Mount in the box. The Brazilian official awarded the penalty.

Kane sent Tottenham teammate Hugo Lloris the wrong way with his earlier penalty kick after Tchoumani brought down Bukayo Saka, but he lifted his next effort high over the bar.

England, which lost to Italy on penalties in the final of last year’s European Championship, reached the semifinals at the 2018 World Cup.

After scoring 12 goals on the way to the quarterfinals in Qatar, England trailed in the match for the first time at the World Cup. It was also the first time the English team had conceded a goal since the opening 6-2 rout of Iran.

Kane’s goal was his 53rd for England, moving him into a tie with Wayne Rooney for the most goals scored for the national team.

MBAPPE DELIGHT

Mbappe didn’t have have a goal of his own to celebrate, but cheered passionately after Kane’s penalty miss. Mbappe is the leading scorer at the World Cup with five goals, one more that Giroud and Lionel Messi.

BOLD APPROACH

England coach Gareth Southgate has often been criticized for being too cautious in the biggest games, but he opted for a back four against France and loaded his team with attacking threats.

FLAT START

Maguire kicked the ball out of play at the very beginning of the match even though there was no pressure from a France opponent. Air was leaking out of the ball and Maguire informed the referee that a new one was needed.

Morocco reaches World Cup semifinals, tops Portugal, Ronaldo

DOHA, Qatar (AP) Africa finally has a team in the World Cup semifinals, and so does the Arab world.

Morocco delivered a seminal moment in the nearly 100-year history of soccer’s biggest tournament, beating Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal team 1-0 Saturday in another shocking result in the first World Cup staged in the Middle East.

While a tearful Ronaldo headed right down the tunnel – and maybe into international retirement – after the final whistle, Morocco’s players tossed their coach in the air and waved their country’s flag as they linked arms in front of celebrating fans.

“Pinch me, I’m dreaming,” Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou said. “Morocco is ready to face anyone in the world. We have changed the mentality of the generation coming after us. They’ll know Moroccan players can create miracles.”

Youssef En-Nesyri scored the winning goal in the 42nd minute to continue an improbable run that has generated an outpouring of pride in the Arab world, inspiring displays in Arab identity from fans in different countries.

Africa is also rejoicing at finally having a nation advancing to the levels typically only reached by European or South American teams. Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010) all reached the quarterfinals but got no further.

Morocco has broken through, setting up a semifinal match against defending champion France.

The 37-year-old Ronaldo, one of soccer’s greatest players but now a fading force, didn’t start for the second straight game and came on as a substitute in the 51st minute. He missed his only chance to equalize in stoppage time.

The five-time world player of the year is set to finish his career without capturing the World Cup or ever getting to the final. He walked right off the field after the final whistle, only briefly stopped by two Morocco players wishing to shake his hand and a spectator who confronted him near the entrance to the tunnel, and was crying as he headed to the locker room.

If this is the end for Ronaldo at international level, he’ll finish with 118 goals – a record in men’s soccer – and a European Championship title but not soccer’s biggest prize. He only got as far as the semifinals at the World Cup, in 2006.

“Our players are distressed,” said Portugal coach Fernando Santos, who shrugged off questions about his own future and added that he didn’t regret not starting Ronaldo. “Cristiano is a great player and he came on when we thought it was necessary. But no, no regrets.”

There’s no reason why this Morocco squad – coached by French-born Walid Regragui and containing 14 players born abroad – cannot go all the way to the title. They topped a group that included second-ranked Belgium and fellow semifinalist Croatia and have now taken down two of Europe’s heavyweights in Spain – after a penalty shootout in the round of 16 – and Portugal in the quarterfinals.

“Why shouldn’t we dream of winning the World Cup?” Regragui said. “If you don’t dream, you don’t get anywhere. It doesn’t cost you to dream.”

Morocco’s defense has yet to concede a goal by an opposition player at this year’s World Cup – the only one it has allowed was an own-goal – and it stifled a Portugal team which beat Switzerland 6-1 in the last 16 to thrust itself among the favorites.

In a game played to the backdrop of non-stop whistles and jeers by Morocco’s passionate fans, the team relied almost exclusively on counterattacks and scored from one of them.

A cross was swung in from the left and En-Nesyri leapt between Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa and defender Ruben Dias to head into the empty net.

Ronaldo, who will be 41 by the time of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, barely got a touch of the ball until stoppage time when he got in behind Morocco’s defense off a long ball forward. His low shot was saved by Bounou.

“I was afraid he might play,” Regragui said of Ronaldo, “because I know he can score out of nothing.”

Substitute Walid Cheddira was shown a red card for Morocco early in stoppage time for collecting a second yellow card in as many minutes.

After Portugal center back Pepe headed wide from inside the six-yard box in the sixth minute of added time, Ronaldo fell to his knees in dejection.

While Lionel Messi will be in the semifinals with Argentina, the other soccer great of this generation won’t be.

INJURIES

Morocco might have to cope without its two starting center backs in the semifinals. Nayef Aguerd missed the game against Portugal with a thigh injury and Romain Saiss, Morocco’s captain, was carried off on a stretcher with a suspected left hamstring injury. Another key member of the defense, left back Noussair Mazraoui, was absent because of an illness while Regragui said right back Achraf Hakimi has been playing with an injury.

RONALDO

Cristiano Ronaldo has failed to score in the knockout stage in any of the five World Cups he has played. He has scored eight goals in the group stage.

Ronaldo fails again in likely last chance to win World Cup

DOHA, Qatar (AP) Cristiano Ronaldo choked up with emotion as the tears ran down his cheeks. He momentarily covered his face with his hand, but couldn’t hide his disappointment.

This moment was too big.

It was likely the last World Cup match for the 37-year-old Ronaldo, and probably his last chance to win soccer’s biggest prize.

When it mattered most, he couldn’t conjure up the kind of soccer magic that has made him one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen.

Ronaldo was dropped from the starting lineup for the second straight match on Saturday. The five-time player of the year came on as a substitute in the second half with his team already trailing, but his one real chance was saved easily by the opposing goalkeeper. In the end, Morocco beat the Portuguese 1-0 to become the first African team to reach the tournament’s semifinals.

It was a sad ending for Ronaldo on the day he made his 196th international appearance, tied for the most in the men’s game with Kuwait forward Badr Al-Mutawa. He leaves Qatar as the only player to have scored in five World Cups but remains with eight goals at the tournament, one shy of Eusebio’s record with Portugal.

Ronaldo, the all-time leading scorer in men’s international soccer with 118 goals, did not say anything about his future after the match, going straight to the team bus from the locker room. He had said before the World Cup he did not plan to retire from the national team, and that he planned to play at least through the 2024 European Championship in Germany – eight years after he helped Portugal win its only major title at Euro 2016.

Ronaldo was first dropped to the bench in the round of 16 against Switzerland, making an appearance as a substitute. His replacement in that match, Goncalo Ramos, scored a hat trick in the 6-1 victory.

Ramos was again selected ahead of Ronaldo on Saturday.

“No regrets,” Portugal coach Fernando Santos said of not starting Ronaldo. “Cristiano is a great player, he came in when we thought it was necessary. We have no regret.”

After receiving the captain’s armband from Portugal defender Pepe in the 51st minute, Ronaldo rushed onto the field and started encouraging his teammates. As time ran down, he raised his arms toward the Portugal fans – heavily outnumbered by the Moroccans – and asked for their support.

Ronaldo helped increase the intensity of a Portugal attack that struggled to get past the well-organized Moroccan defense. He immediately created an opportunity with a cross into the area, but then lost possession shortly afterward. He also set up a shot by Joao Felix in the 82nd, but his teammate’s attempt was saved. Then Ronaldo had that last-gasp shot in stoppage time that never was a real threat.

Ronaldo, who has never scored in the knockout stage at the World Cup, quickly made his way off the field after the final whistle and was crying by the time he entered the tunnel heading into the locker rooms.

Some Moroccan players went to console him, but there were no Portugal teammates nearby as he walked off. Most of them stayed on the field at Al Thumama Stadium and thanked the Portugal fans for their support.

As Ronaldo got near the sideline, what appeared to be a fan tried to get near him but was quickly taken away.

Santos then patted Ronaldo’s back as he passed by, possibly for the last time.

Ronaldo was left out of the starting lineup against the Swiss after Santos expressed frustration about his team captain’s attitude in the previous game against South Korea. Santos later said Ronaldo was “not happy” to be told he was being benched, but never threatened to leave the World Cup because of the decision.

Ronaldo was coming off lackluster performances in the group stage, though he scored in the 3-2 win over Ghana to become the first player to score in five World Cups. He has played in every edition of the tournament since 2006.

The World Cup elimination caps a turbulent few weeks for Ronaldo, starting with an explosive interview with Piers Morgan and the fallout that ended with the termination of his contract at Manchester United and rumors of a move to play for Saudi club Al Nassr.

Portugal was trying to make it to the World Cup semifinals for the third time, having finished third in 1966 and fourth in 2006. The team hadn’t gotten past the round of 16 since that tournament in Germany 16 years ago.

The next chance to win the golden trophy will come in four years at the 2026 World Cup in North America, but it will likely be without Ronaldo on the team.

USC’s Williams wins Heisman after leading Trojan turnaround

NEW YORK (AP) Caleb Williams brought sizzle, excitement and star power back to Southern California football.

And now the Heisman Trophy, too.

Williams, the dynamic quarterback who was the catalyst for the Trojans’ turnaround season, won the Heisman on Saturday night to make USC the first school to take home college football’s most prestigious player of the year award eight times.

Williams received 544 first-place votes and 2,031 points to easily outpoint TCU quarterback Max Duggan (1,420).

Williams, who played last season at Oklahoma, is the fourth transfer to win the Heisman in the last six years, joining Baker Mayfield (2017) and Kyler Murray (2018) of Oklahoma and Joe Burrow (2019) of LSU.

Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud was third in the voting after coming in fourth last season. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett, the first Bulldogs’ player to attend the award’s presentations in 30 years, finished fourth. The top-ranked Bulldogs will face Stroud and the fourth-ranked Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff on Dec. 31.

Duggan and the third-ranked Horned Frogs will play No. 2 Michigan in the other CFP semifinal on New Year’s Eve.

“I may be standing up here today, but y’all get to the College Football Playoffs. Guess you can’t win ’em all,” Williams said as he started his acceptance speech by thanking the other finalists.

Before taking hold of his big bronze trophy, Williams hugged Mike Garrett, USC’s first Heisman winner in 1965, Garrett was one of 23 previous winners – and three former Trojans along with Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer – to attend the ceremony near Lincoln Center.

Williams was as meticulous and thorough with his 10-minute speech as he is preparing for a game. And almost as poised as when he plays.

Williams got a little choked up talking about coach Lincoln Riley, who he followed from Norman to Los Angeles, and really had to hold it together when thanking his parents.

He called his mother, Dayna, who paints his nails with a motivational message before each game, the most important woman in his life.

He thanked his father, Carl, for instilling a relentless worth ethic.

“You’re always there for me making sacrifices in your life so I can achieve my dreams, which eventually became our dreams,” Caleb Williams said.

He finished with USC’s battle cry: “Dreams really do come true. Thank you, and fight on.”

Williams and No. 8 USC fell short of the Pac-12 championship and a spot in the playoff, but it was still a rebirth for a college football blue blood that has had only short spurts of success over the last decade.

The last time USC had a Heisman winner was 2005, when running back Reggie Bush was the second of consecutive Trojans players to win the award. Leinart won the Heisman in 2004 on the way to a national championship.

Bush’s Heisman win, the Trojans’ seventh, was later vacated for NCAA violations that began the descent of USC.

Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oklahoma each have seven Heisman victories.

The Trojans hope a revival is underway, led by Riley and Williams. With the two of them orchestrating one of the nation’s most prolific offenses, USC went from 4-8 last season to 11-2 and a Cotton Bowl bid this year.

“These individual awards aren’t why we do it, they are not why Caleb does it, but they’re evidence that there’s a lot of great things going on,” Riley said. “Because, let’s be honest, Heisman winners don’t show up on average teams.”

Williams is the epitome of the modern college football star. As a five-star recruit from Washington, he has been a celebrity since high school.

At the age of 10, Williams and his father began plotting a path to greatness. The to-do list included winning a Heisman.

As a freshman at Oklahoma last year, Williams came off the bench to rally the Sooners past rival Texas and immediately became one of the college football’s most exciting players.

Williams jumped into the transfer portal in the offseason and where he would play next became one of the biggest stories in sports. He amassed an extensive and lucrative endorsement portfolio before ever playing a game for the Trojans.

Thanks to one of his NIL deals, Williams was able to bring eight of USC offensive lineman with him to the Heisman ceremony in New York.

When the games did start, Williams delivered on the promise and potential.

He passed for 4.075 yards, 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions, setting a USC record for total offense with 4.447 yards. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound sophomore also ran for 10 touchdowns, drawing comparisons to Chiefs’ star Patrick Mahomes for his ability to improvise and deliver perfect passes from a variety of arm angles.

Williams finished with a kick, accounting for seven touchdowns in Top-25 victories against UCLA and Notre Dame that put USC in playoff position.

The Trojans could not close the deal, losing the Pac-12 title game to Utah with Williams hobbling through much of the game with a strained hamstring. Still, he threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns to give USC a chance, and solidified his status as Heisman frontrunner.

Williams is the 19th quarterback to win the Heisman since 2000, the third from USC and the third to do it after transferring to play for Riley. Mayfield and Murray took similar paths.

Riley said Williams’ combination of elite physical tools and confidence beyond his years separates him from even the other great players he has coached.

“He’s so hungry to get better. But he’s also so fearless in the moment.” Riley said.

Williams is the sixth sophomore, and second straight, to win the Heisman. Alabama’s Bryce Young won the Heisman in his second season last year, and finished sixth in the voting this year, behind Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker.

Williams will become the latest player with a chance to join Ohio State’s Archie Griffin (1974-75) as a two-time Heisman winner.

But first, it’s time to find some space for another trophy at USC’s Heritage Hall. Williams has made Southern California Heisman U. again.

Stanford hires Sac State’s Troy Taylor to replace David Shaw

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) Stanford hired Sacramento State coach Troy Taylor on Saturday to replace David Shaw and lead a Pac-12 program that has fallen off dramatically recently, with three losing seasons in the last four years.

Taylor, 54, has spent the last four seasons as head coach at Sacramento State, leading the Hornets to the FCS playoffs three times. Sacramento State did not field a team during 2020 because of the pandemic.

Sacramento State went 30-8 with a 23-1 record in a tough Big Sky Conference under Taylor. The Hornets lost a wild quarterfinal playoff game Friday night, 66-63 against Incarnate Word.

“The opportunity to lead the finest student-athletes in the country is truly a dream come true, and I would like to thank President (Marc) Tessier-Lavigne, Provost (Persis) Drell and (athletic director) Bernard Muir,” Taylor said in a statement. “I believe that Stanford football is perfectly positioned to become champions on the football field while maintaining our world-class reputation for academic excellence.”

Shaw stepped down last month after 12 seasons following the final game of a 3-9 season. The winningest coach in school history was struggling to change the trajectory of a program that was the predominant team in the Pac-12 during the first half of his tenure.

Stanford’s downfall coincides the loosening of transfer rules across major college football. The elite academic school is not able to add to its roster through transfers as easily as most of its competition in the Pac-12 and nationally.

Taylor, a native Californian, played quarterback for Stanford’s rival, Cal, and had a short NFL career in the early 1990s before getting into coaching at the high school and college levels.

“Troy is a proven winner who has experienced success at many levels of football,” Muir said in a statement. “Throughout our visits together he demonstrated an understanding of what makes Stanford special, and a deep desire to capitalize on our unique strengths. He possesses an incredible football mind and has a long history of caring deeply for the student-athletes he leads.”

Taylor was offensive coordinator at Utah in 2017-18 before landing his first head coaching job at Sacramento State in 2019.

NFL PREVIEW: NEW YORK JETS (7-5) @ BUFFALO BILLS (9-3)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER Bills lead all-time series, 66-57

STREAKS Bills have won 4 of last 5

LAST GAME 11/6/22: Bills 17 at Jets 20

LAST GAME AT SITE 1/9/22: Bills 27, Jets 10

JETS NOTES:

LAST WEEK L 27-22 at Minnesota

COACH VS. OPP. Robert Saleh: 1-2

PTS. FOR 21.0

OFFENSE 339.2

PASSING Mike White: 53-85-684-3-2-89.5

RUSHING James Robinson (2022): 110-425-3.9-3

RECEIVING Garrett Wilson (R): 57-790-13.9-4

PTS. AGAINST 18.6

DEFENSE 307.0

SACKS Quinnen Williams: 9

INTs Lamarcus Joyner: 3

TAKE/GIVE 0 (15/15)

PUNTING (NET) Braden Mann: 47.5 (41.5)

KICKING Greg Zuerlein: 94 (25/26 PAT; 23/27 FG)

QB MIKE WHITE passed for season-high 369 yards & had 1st-career rush TD last week. Is 5th QB in NFL history with 350+ pass yards in multiple games within 1st 5 career starts. Has 315+ pass yards in each of 2 career starts this season. Passed for 251 yards in only career start vs. Buf. (11/14/21). • RB ZONOVAN KNIGHT (rookie) had career-high 118 scrimmage yards (90 rush, 28 rec.) & 5 catches last week. Is 2nd undrafted player (Phillip Lindsay) in commondraft era with 100+ scrimmage yards in each of 1st 2 career games. • RB MICHAEL CARTER rushed for 76 yards & TD in Week 9 meeting. Has 80+ scrimmage yards & rush TD in 2 of 3 career games vs. Buf. • RB TY JOHNSON tied career high with 6 catches last week. • RB JAMES ROBINSON had 48 rush yards & TD catch in Week 9 meeting. • WR GARRETT WILSON had 8 catches for 162 yards last week, 3rd-most rec. yards by rookie in singe game in NYJ history. Aims for 3rd in row with 5+ catches & 95+ rec. yards. Has 90+ rec. yards in 4 of past 5. Had 8 catches for 92 yards in last meeting. Ranks 2nd among rookies in receptions (57) & rec. yards (790). • WR COREY DAVIS had season-high 85 rec. yards in Week 13. Has 50+ rec. yards in 4 of 5 road games this season. Had 93 rec. yards in his last game vs. Buf. (11/14/21). • DL QUINNEN WILLIAMS had sack & PD last week & has sack in 4 of past 5. Had sack in Week 9 meeting. Has 0.5+ sacks in each of 4 games vs. division this season. • LB C.J. MOSLEY aims for 4th in row with 9+ tackles. Had sack & PD in Week 9 meeting. • CB SAUCE GARDNER (rookie) had PD last week & leads NFL with 15 PD this season. • S JORDAN WHITEHEAD led team with career-high 11 tackles & had PD in Week 13.

BILLS NOTES:

LAST WEEK W 24-10 at New England (Thu.)

COACH VS. OPP. Sean McDermott: 7-4

PTS. FOR 27.8

OFFENSE 410.8

PASSING Josh Allen: 284-443-3,406-25-11-96.0

RUSHING Devin Singletary: 137-603-4.4-4

RECEIVING Stefon Diggs: 91-1,202-13.2-10

PTS. AGAINST 17.4

DEFENSE 320.2

SACKS Greg Rousseau: 5

INTs Jordan Poyer: 4

TAKE/GIVE 0 (20/20)

PUNTING (NET) Sam Martin: 48.1 (42.0)

KICKING Tyler Bass: 107 (35/36 PAT; 24/27 FG)

QB JOSH ALLEN completed 22 of 33 atts. (66.7 pct.) for 223 yards & 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs with 106 rating last week, his 8th game this season with 2+ TD passes, tied 4thmost in NFL. Aims for 3rd in row with 2+ TD passes. Totaled 291 yards (205 pass, 86 rush) & season-high 2 rush TDs in Week 9 meeting. Has 5 TDs (4 pass, 1 rush) vs. 0 INTs in past 2 home meetings. Has 2+ TD passes in 4 of his past 5 vs. division. • RB DEVIN SINGLETARY rushed for 51 yards & TD last week. Has rush TD in 3 of past 4 & aims for his 3rd in row at home with rush TD. Had 112 scrimmage yards (88 rush, 24 rec.) & 2 TDs (1 rush, 1 rec.) in last home meeting. Has rush TD in 2 of past 3 vs. NYJ. • RB JAMES COOK (rookie) had career-high 105 scrimmage yards (64 rush, 41 rec.) with 6 catches in Week 13. Has 85+ scrimmage yards in 2 of past 3. • WR STEFON DIGGS led team with 7 catches for 92 yards & 10th TD of season last week. Is 1st Buf. player ever with 10+ rec. TDs in multiple seasons. Aims for 4th in row with TD catch & 3rd in row with 75+ rec. yards. Has 534 rec. yards (106.8 per game) & 6 rec. TDs in 5 home games this season. Had 93 rec. yards in Week 9 meeting & has TD catch in 2 of his past 3 vs. NYJ. Ranks 3rd in NFL with 1,202 rec. yards. • WR GABE DAVIS had 6th rec. TD of season in Week 13, 3rd straight season with 6+ TDs. • S JORDAN POYER aims for 5th in row with 5+ tackles. Has TFL & PD in 2 of past 3. Had career-high 2 sacks in last home meeting. Has sack in 2 of his past 3 vs. NYJ. • CB TARON JOHNSON had season-high 2 PD last week. Has TFL in 3 of past 4 at home. • LB TREMAINE EDMUNDS led team with 6 tackles in Week 13. Has PD in each of his 3 home games this season. Had 10 tackles & TFL in Week 9 meeting. • DT TIM SETTLE had 1st-career FF last week. Has TFL in 2 of past 3.

New York snapped a four-game losing streak to the Bills when these teams met in the Meadowlands in Week 9, a 20-17 Jets win. Buffalo is 7-3 in its last 10 home games against the Jets, winning each of the last two by double-digit margins.
The Jets fell to the Vikings, 27-22, on the road last week. It was their first loss this season when scoring at least 20 points (had been 6-0). They were 2-for-5 on fourth down last week, just their sixth game all-time with at least five fourth down attempts (1-5 in those games).
Mike White had 369 passing yards and zero touchdowns against Minnesota, becoming the first Jets quarterback ever to throw for at least 350 yards without throwing a touchdown pass. The last NFL player to do so was Kyler Murray in Week 14 last season.
The Bills, who are coming off a 24-10 road win against New England last week, have averaged 33.4 points per game at home this season and have outscored opponents by an average of 16.8 in their five home games. Their only home loss was a three-point overtime loss to Minnesota in Week 10.
Stefon Diggs had seven receptions for 92 yards last week, and caught a touchdown pass for the third straight game. That touchdown catch was his 10th of the season, tying his career high he set last year. He needs one more to tie the Bills franchise record of 11, set by Bill Brooks in 1995.
The Bills have a +48 point differential (132 scored, 84 allowed) in the second half this season, third best in the NFL behind the Cowboys (+98) and Chiefs (+51). The Jets rank fourth with a +44 differential (138 scored, 94 allowed).

NFL PREVIEW: CLEVELAND BROWNS (5-7) @ CINCINNATI BENGALS (8-4)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER Bengals lead all-time series, 51-47

STREAKS Browns have won past 5

LAST GAME 10/31/22: Bengals 13 at Browns 32

LAST GAME AT SITE 11/7/21: Browns 41, Bengals 16

BROWNS NOTES:

LAST WEEK W 27-14 at Houston

COACH VS. OPP. Kevin Stefanski: 5-0

PTS. FOR 24.2

OFFENSE 370.8

PASSING Deshaun Watson: 12-22-131-0-1-53.4

RUSHING Nick Chubb: 217-1,119-5.2-12

RECEIVING Amari Cooper: 61-832-13.6-7

PTS. AGAINST 25.0

DEFENSE 342.3

SACKS Myles Garrett: 10

INTs Five tied: 1

TAKE/GIVE -5 (12/17)

PUNTING (NET) Corey Bojorquez: 48.5 (39.7)

KICKING Cade York (R): 84 (27/29 PAT; 19/25 FG)

QB DESHAUN WATSON completed 12 of 22 atts. (54.5 pct.) for 131 yards in season debut last week. Passed for 324 yards & 3 TDs vs. 0 INTs with 133.9 rating in his last start vs. Cin. (12/27/20 w/ Hou.). • RB NICK CHUBB aims for 3rd in row with 80+ rush yards & has 80+ scrimmage yards in 5 of 6 road games this season. Rushed for 101 yards & 2 TDs in Week 8 meeting. Has 100+ rush yards & 2 rush TDs in 3 of his past 4 vs. Cin. Has 100+ scrimmage yards & rush TD in all 3 division games this season. Ranks 2nd in NFL with 1,119 rush yards & 12 rush TDs this season. • RB KAREEM HUNT tied season high with 74 scrimmage yards (56 rush, 18 rec.) in Week 13. Aims for 3rd in row on road with 50+ scrimmage yards. Has 100+ scrimmage yards & TD in 2 of his past 3 vs. Cin. • WR AMARI COOPER has 90+ rec. yards in 2 of past 3. Had season-high 131 rec. yards with TD catch in Week 8 meeting & aims for his 3rd in row vs. Cin. with rec. TD. Has 306 rec. yards (102 per game) & 2 rec. TDs in 3 games vs. division this season. • WR DONOVAN PEOPLES-JONES had 76-yard PR-TD last week, 1st-career return-TD. Has 60+ rec. yards in 5 of 6 road games this season. Had 81 rec. yards in Week 8 meeting. • DE MYLES GARRETT aims for 4th in row with TFL. Has sack in 2 of past 3. Had 1.5 sacks & PD in Week 8 meeting & aims for his 6th in row vs. Cin. with sack. • LB TONY FIELDS had 16-yard INT-TD, FF & FR last week. Is 3rd player in 2022 with INT, FF & FR in single game. • CB DENZEL WARD had 6 tackles, PD & 4-yard FR-TD last week, 4th-career TD. Aims for his 6th in row vs. Cin. with 2+ PD & 4th in row vs. Cin. with 3+ PD.

BENGALS NOTES:

LAST WEEK W 27-24 vs. Kansas City

COACH VS. OPP. Zac Taylor: 1-6

PTS. FOR 26.0

OFFENSE 372.4

PASSING Joe Burrow: 304-440-3,446-25-8-103.7

RUSHING Joe Mixon: 158-605-3.8-6

RECEIVING Tee Higgins: 60-861-14.4-5

PTS. AGAINST 21.3

DEFENSE 330.0

SACKS Trey Hendrickson: 6

INTs Vonn Bell: 4

TAKE/GIVE +2 (14/12)

PUNTING (NET) Drue Chrisman: 51.2 (44.8)

KICKING Evan McPherson: 86 (32/34 PAT; 18/22 FG)

QB JOE BURROW completed 25 of 31 atts. (80.6 pct.) for 286 yards & 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs with 126.6 rating & rushed for 46 yards & career-high 5th TD last week. Has 90+ rating in 7 straight games, tied-longest active streak in NFL. Aims for 3rd in row with 0 INTs. Has 11 TDs (8 pass, 3 rush) vs. 0 INTs with 125.8 rating in his past 4 at home. Has 2+ TD passes & 90+ rating in 3 of 4 career starts vs. Cle. Ranks 2nd in NFL with 3,446 pass yards & ranks tied-2nd with 25 TD passes this season. • RB JOE MIXON had 110 scrimmage yards (64 rush, 46 rec.) & 2 rush TDs in last home meeting. Has 75+ scrimmage yards in 7 of his past 8 vs. Cle. Has 521 scrimmage yards (130.3 per game) in 4 home games this season. • RB SAMAJE PERINE led team with career-high 155 scrimmage yards (106 rush, 49 rec.) & had career-high 6 catches last week. Aims for 4th in row with 80+ scrimmage yards. • WR JA’MARR CHASE had 7 catches for 97 yards last week. Aims for his 5th in row with 7+ catches & 4th in row with 95+ rec. yards. Has 130+ rec. yards & 2 rec. TDs in 2 of past 3. Has 437 rec. yards (109.3 per game) & 3 rec. TDs in 4 home games this season. • WR TEE HIGGINS aims for 3rd in row with TD catch. Has 100+ rec. yards in 2 of past 3. Had rec. TD in Week 8 meeting & has TD catch in 2 of his past 3 vs. Cle. • WR TYLER BOYD had rec. TD in Week 8 meeting & has TD catch in 3 of his past 4 vs. Cle. • DE TREY HENDRICKSON aims for his 3rd in row vs. Cle. with 0.5+ sacks. • DE SAM HUBBARD aims for 3rd in row with sack & 4th in row with TFL. Had sack & FF in Week 8 meeting & aims for his 3rd in row vs. Cle. with sack. • LB GERMAINE PRATT had 1st FF & FR of 2022 last week. Had 9 tackles in Week 8 meeting. • S JESSIE BATES led team with 8 tackles last week. Had 10 tackles in Week 8 meeting.

Including a 32-13 home win on Halloween, the Browns have won five straight games against the Bengals. That is Cleveland’s longest winning streak against any single opponent since rejoining the NFL in 1999.
In its 27-14 win over Houston, Cleveland’s touchdowns came on a punt return, a fumble return and an interception return. It was the first time the Browns had ever scored at least three touchdowns in a game while not having any offensive touchdowns.
With his start against the Texans, DeShaun Watson became the 34th different starting quarterback for the Browns since the franchise’s rebirth in 1999. The team with the next most starting QBs in that time is the Bears at 27.
Cincinnati overcame a 24-17 deficit entering the fourth quarter to beat Kansas City, 27-24, on Sunday. Including the postseason, the Bengals had lost 26 consecutive games when trailing by at least seven points at the end of the third quarter.
Joe Burrow has thrown nine touchdowns in the fourth quarter this season, tied with Tom Brady for most in the NFL. Burrow’s fourth-quarter passer rating of 119.4 this season would be the fifth highest of any QB in a single season this century (min. 100 atts).
The Bengals have converted 61.5 percent of their third-down attempts in the red zone this season, almost 10.0 percent more than the next closest team (Detroit — 52.0 percent).

NFL PREVIEW: HOUSTON TEXANS (1-10-1) @ DALLAS COWBOYS (9-3)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER Cowboys lead all-time series, 3-2

STREAKS Cowboys have won 3 of last 4

LAST GAME 10/7/18: Cowboys 16 at Texans 19 (OT)

LAST GAME AT SITE 10/5/14: Cowboys 20, Texans 17 (OT)

TEXANS NOTES:

LAST WEEK: L 27-14 vs. Cleveland

COACH VS. OPP. Lovie Smith: 3-2

PTS. FOR 15.7

OFFENSE 279.3

PASSING Kyle Allen: 46-78-416-2-4-60.6

RUSHING Dameon Pierce (R): 198-861-4.4-3

RECEIVING Brandin Cooks: 44-520-11.8-1

PTS. AGAINST 23.9

DEFENSE 378.3

SACKS Jerry Hughes: 8

INTs Jalen Pitre (R): 3

TAKE/GIVE -6 (14/20)

PUNTING (NET) Cameron Johnston: 49.0 (42.7)

KICKING Ka’imi Fairbairn: 78 (15/15 PAT; 21/23 FG)

QB KYLE ALLEN passed for 201 yards & TD last week. Aims for 3rd in row with 200+ pass yards & TD pass. Completed 15 of 22 atts. (60 pct.) for 194 yards & 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs with 111.1 rating in only career start vs. Dal. (10/25/20 w/ Was.). Has 4 TDs vs. INT with 102.1 rating in his past 3 starts vs. NFC East. • RB DAMEON PIERCE had 95 scrimmage yards (73 rush, 22 rec.) last week, his 7th game with 90+ scrimmage yards this season, most among rookies. Has 100+ scrimmage yards in 4 of his past 5 on road. Leads rookies with 1,026 scrimmage yards & 861 rush yards & is 4th Hou. rookie ever with 1,000+ scrimmage yards. • WR BRANDIN COOKS aims for his 3rd in row with 55+ rec. yards. Has 4+ catches in 5 of 6 road games this season. Is 1 of 4 in NFL (Mike Evans, DeAndre Hopkins & Travis Kelce) with 500+ rec. yards in each of past 9 seasons. • WR NICO COLLINS had TD catch last week. Aims for 3rd in row on road with 5+ catches. • TE JORDAN AKINS aims for his 4th in row on road with 60+ rec. yards. • TE BREVIN JORDAN tied for team lead with season-high 46 rec. yards last week. • S JALEN PITRE led team with career-high 16 tackles & had 3rd-career INT in Week 13, most tackles by rookie in single game this season. Is 3rd rookie since 2000 & is 1 of 2 in NFL in 2022 (Roquan Smith) with 15+ tackles & INT in single game. Aims for 7th in row with 5+ tackles & 3rd in row with PD. Ranks 2nd among rookies with 92 tackles. • CB DESMOND KING had 1st FR of season last week. Aims for 4th in row with 5+ tackles. Had 90-yard INT-TD in only career game vs. Dal. (11/23/17 w/ LAC). • LB CHRISTIAN KIRKSEY aims for 6th in row with 7+ tackles & 4th in row.

COWBOYS NOTES:

LAST WEEK W 54-19 vs. Indianapolis

COACH VS. OPP. Mike McCarthy: 2-1

PTS. FOR 27.8

OFFENSE 355.9

PASSING Dak Prescott: 144-212-1,563-13-7-96.1

RUSHING Tony Pollard: 148-852-5.8-8

RECEIVING CeeDee Lamb: 69-928-13.4-6

PTS. AGAINST 17.2

DEFENSE 309.6

SACKS Micah Parsons: 12

INTs DaRon Bland (R), Trevon Diggs: 3

TAKE/GIVE +9 (21/12)

PUNTING (NET) Bryan Anger: 48.8 (43.0)

KICKING Brett Maher: 93 (36/38 PAT; 19/22 FG)

QB DAK PRESCOTT had 3 TD passes vs. INT for 100.7 rating last week. Has 250+ pass yards in 4 of his past 5 starts. Aims for his 4th in row at home & 6th in row overall with 2+ TD passes. • RB EZEKIEL ELLIOTT had 8th rush TD of season in Week 13. Is only player with 8+ TDs in each of past 7 seasons & is 5th player ever with 8+ TDs in each of his 1st 7 career seasons. Aims for his 3rd in row with 90+ scrimmage yards & 6th in row with rush TD. • RB TONY POLLARD had 106 scrimmage yards (91 rush, 15 rec.) & 2 rush TDs in Week 13 & has career highs in scrimmage yards (1,1111) & scrimmage TDs (10) in 2022. Leads all RBs with 5.76 yards per rush att. in 2022 (min. 125 atts.). • WR CEEDEE LAMB had 6th rec. TD of season last week. Is 1 of 4 (Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill & Justin Jefferson) with 10+ games (10) of 5+ receptions in 2022. Needs 26 scrimmage yards for his 3rd-straight 1,000-yard season. • WR MICHAEL GALLUP had 2 rec. TDs in Week 13, his 3rd-career game with 2+ rec. TDs. • LB MICAH PARSONS has 10 career games with 2+ sacks, most by player in 1st 2 seasons since 1982. Needs 1 sack to become 3rd player since 1982 (Aldon Smith & HOFer Reggie White) with 13+ sacks in each of 1st 2 seasons. • DE DORANCE ARMSTRONG has sack in 2 of his past 3. • CB TREVON DIGGS ranks 3rd in NFL with 13 PD. • CB DARON BLAND (rookie) had 1st-career game with 2 INTs in Week 13. • S DONOVAN WILSON had 8 tackles & career-high 4th sack of season last week, tied most among DBs in 2022. • S MALIK HOOKER had 2nd INT of season & 1st-career FR-TD in Week 13.

These teams have played five times all-time, with Dallas winning the first matchup in 2002 and the most recent matchup in 2018. Each of the last two games has gone to overtime — there have been three instances in NFL history of teams playing three consecutive overtime games against each other, most recently the Steelers and Falcons from 2002-2010.
The Texans lost to the Browns, 27-14, at home last week. They’ve scored 17 or fewer points in six straight games, tied for the longest streak in franchise history. They also scored 17 or fewer in their final six games of the 2017 season.
Dameon Pierce had rushed for exactly eight yards in Weeks 11 and 12 but had 18 carries for 73 yards last week. He needs 139 yards to become just the third Texans rookie to rush for 1000 yards and would join Steve Slaton (1282 yards in 2008) and Domanick Williams (1031 yards in 2003).
The Cowboys beat the Colts, 54-19, at home last week, their fifth-most points all-time and second-most in the last 40 years (56-14 win against Washington last season). Dallas has now had back-to-back seasons with multiple 49+ point games — the Cowboys had three such seasons prior to this year (1966, 1971, 1980).
For the second time in their careers, Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard each had at least 75 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown (also Week 15, 2019). The only other Cowboys duos with multiple such games are Calvin Hill and Walt Garrison (3 times) and Tony Dorsett and Robert Newhouse (2 times).
The Cowboys have seven touchdown runs of at least 10 yards this season, including two last week. Only Seattle (9) has more this season. Houston has just one such touchdown run — Denver and Tampa Bay are the only teams with zero.

NFL PREVIEW: MINNESOTA VIKINGS (10-2) @ DETROIT LIONS (5-7)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER Vikings lead all-time series, 80-40-2

STREAKS Vikings have won 9 of last 10

LAST GAME 9/25/22: Lions 24 at Vikings 28

LAST GAME AT SITE 12/5/21: Lions 29, Vikings 27

VIKINGS NOTES:

LAST WEEK W 27-22 vs. N.Y. Jets

COACH VS. OPP. Kevin O’Connell: 1-0

PTS. FOR 24.1

OFFENSE 335.8

PASSING Kirk Cousins: 290-449-2,933-18-9-88.1

RUSHING Dalvin Cook: 198-927-4.7-7

RECEIVING Justin Jefferson: 88-1,277-14.5-6

PTS. AGAINST 23.3

DEFENSE 398.7

SACKS Za’Darius Smith: 9.5

INTs Harrison Smith: 5

TAKE/GIVE +8 (20/12)

PUNTING (NET) Ryan Wright (R): 47.3 (43.5)

KICKING Greg Joseph: 81 (27/32 PAT; 18/23 FG)

QB KIRK COUSINS passed for 260 yards & 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs in Week 3 meeting. Has 15 TDs (13 pass, 2 rush) vs. 0 INTs for 124.9 rating in 5 career starts at Det. Aims for his 4th in row at Det. with 325+ pass yards & 6th in row at Det. with 100+ rating. • RB DALVIN COOK had rush TD in Week 13, his 50th-career scrimmage TD. Has 863 scrimmage yards (123.3 per game) & 7 rush TDs in 7 career games vs. Det. Aims for his 4th in row on road in 2022 with TD & his 5th in row vs. Det. with rush TD. • WR JUSTIN JEFFERSON had 7 catches & 6th rec. TD of season last week. Has 7+ receptions & rec. TD in 4 of his past 5. Aims for his 3rd in row on road with TD catch, 5th in row on road with 100+ rec. yards & 7th in row on road with 6+ receptions. Had 11 receptions for 182 yards & rec. TD in last road meeting. • WR ADAM THIELEN had 6 catches for 61 yards & rec. TD in Week 3 meeting. • TE T.J. HOCKENSON had 186 catches for 2,068 yards & 15 TDs in 47 games (2019-22) w/ Det. • LB DANIELLE HUNTER aims for his 4th in row on road with sack. Has 12 sacks & 13 TFL in 11 career games vs. Det. & aims for his 9th in row vs. Det. with TFL. • LB ZA’DARIUS SMITH had 2 TFL in Week 3 meeting. Has 5 sacks, 5 TFL & 3 PD in his past 5 on road & aims for his 3rd in row on road with PD. • LB JORDAN HICKS has PD in 4 of his 5 road games in 2022. Led team with 14 tackles in Week 3 meeting. Needs 2 tackles for his 4th-straight 100-tackle season. • LB ERIC KENDRICKS had team-high 14 tackles last week. Has INT in 2 of his past 3 vs. Det. Aims for his 4th in row vs. Det. with PD & 7th in row vs. Det. with 6+ tackles. • S HARRISON SMITH had 5th INT of season in Week 13. Has 3 INTs & 5 PD in his past 5 vs. Det. Leads active players with 34 INTs & ranks 2nd among active DBs in sacks (16.5).

LIONS NOTES:

LAST WEEK W 40-14 vs. Jacksonville

COACH VS. OPP. Dan Campbell: 1-2

PTS. FOR 26.3

OFFENSE 369.1

PASSING Jared Goff: 263-405-3,022-19-7-95.7

RUSHING Jamaal Williams: 188-769-4.1-14

RECEIVING Amon-Ra St. Brown: 76-830-10.9-6

PTS. AGAINST 27.0

DEFENSE 402.2

SACKS Aidan Hutchinson (R): 6

INTs Kerby Joseph (R): 3

TAKE/GIVE +1 (15/14)

PUNTING (NET) Jack Fox: 48.8 (40.8)

KICKING Michael Badgley: 51 (18/18 PAT; 11/12 FG)

QB JARED GOFF completed season-high 31 of 41 atts. (75.6 pct.) for 340 yards & 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 115.9 rating in Week 13, his 3rd 300-yard game of 2022. Has 275+ pass yards in 3 of his past 4 vs. Min. Passed for 296 yards & 3 TDs vs. INT for 97.2 rating in last home meeting. • RB JAMAAL WILLIAMS had NFL-high & career-best 14th rush TD of season in Week 13. Aims for his 5th in row with rush TD. Had 107 scrimmage yards (87 rush, 20 rec.) & 2 rush TDs in Week 3 meeting. Aims for his 5th in row vs. Min. with 50+ rush yards. • RB D’ANDRE SWIFT had 111 scrimmage yards (62 rush, 49 rec.) & 4th rush TD of season in Week 13 & has rush TD in 3 of his past 4. Has rush TD in 2 of his past 3 vs. Min. • WR AMON-RA ST. BROWN had career-high 11 receptions for 114 yards & 2 rec. TDs in Week 13, his 3rd-career game with 2+ scrimmage TDs. Aims for his 3rd in row with 100+ rec. yards & TD catch. Has 23 receptions (7.7 per game) for 224 yards & 1 rec. TD in 3 career games vs. Min. & aims for his 4th in row vs. Min. with 6+ receptions. • WR D.J. CHARK had season highs in catches (5) & rec. yards (98) in Week 13. • DE AIDAN HUTCHINSON leads all rookies with 6 sacks. • LB MALCOLM RODRIGUEZ ranks 2nd among rookies with 6 TFL. • LB JAMES HOUSTON (rookie) aims for his 3rd in row with sack. • LB ALEX ANZALONE had 1st-career FR in Week 13. Led team with 11 tackles & had sack & PD in Week 3 meeting. Has 5+ tackles in each of his 12 games in 2022. • S KERBY JOSEPH (rookie) led team with 8 tackles in Week 13. • S DESHON ELLIOTT had 1st FF of season in Week 13. Had FR in Week 3 meeting. Has 5+ tackles in 10 of his 11 games in 2022.

The last four games between the Lions and Vikings have all been decided by four points or fewer, tied for the longest such streak in series history (also four straight from 1963-65). It’s also the longest active streak between any two divisional opponents in the NFL.
The Vikings are 10-2 this season despite being outgained by an average of 62.8 yards per game. No team in NFL history has finished a season with double-digit wins while being outgained by 50.0+ yards per game (closest was the 2016 Dolphins: 10-6 record, -49.9 YPG diff).
Kirk Cousins has 13 TD passes and no interceptions in his career at Ford Field. That’s the most TD passes by a player before his first interception at a single stadium in NFL history.
The Lions have scored at least 25 points while throwing no interceptions in each of their last four games, the first time in franchise history they have done that four games in a row.
Jamaal Williams has rushed for 14 TDs this season after rushing for just 13 scores over his first five seasons combined. He is the second NFL player ever to have more rushing TDs in one season than he did over his previous five seasons put together (minimum 500 rushes in those five seasons), along with Priest Holmes in 2002 (21 after having 18 from 1997-2001).
Minnesota is 9-0 in games decided by eight points or fewer this season. They are the first team in NFL history to win nine consecutive one-score games at any point during a single regular season.

NFL PREVIEW: PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (11-1) @ NEW YORK GIANTS (7-4-1)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER Eagles lead all-time series, 87-85-2

STREAKS Giants have won 2 of last 3

LAST GAME 12/26/21: Giants 10 at Eagles 34

LAST GAME AT SITE 11/28/21: Giants 13, Eagles 7

EAGLES NOTES:

LAST WEEK: W 35-10 vs. Tennessee

COACH VS. OPP. Nick Sirianni: 1-1

PTS. FOR 28.2

OFFENSE 388.3

PASSING Jalen Hurts: 243-357-2,940-20-3-108.3

RUSHING Miles Sanders: 187-924-4.9-9

RECEIVING A.J. Brown: 61-950-15.6-9

PTS. AGAINST 18.8

DEFENSE 296.4

SACKS Haason Reddick: 9

INTs C.J. Gardner-Johnson: 6

TAKE/GIVE +13 (23/10)

PUNTING (NET) Arryn Siposs: 45.6 (40.5)

KICKING Jake Elliott: 64 (37/39 PAT; 9/11 FG)

QB JALEN HURTS completed season-high 29 of 39 atts. (74.4 pct.) for season-high 380 yards & had 4 TDs (3 pass, 1 rush) vs. 0 INTs for 130.3 rating in Week 13. Is 1 of 2 (Joe Burrow) with 375+ pass yards, 3+ TD passes & rush TD in single game in 2022. Has 2+ TD passes in 6 of his past 7 & rush TD in 3 of his past 4. Needs rush TD to become 1st QB ever with 10+ rush TDs in consecutive seasons. Had 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 102.5 rating in last meeting. • RB MILES SANDERS had career-high 9th rush TD of season last week. Is only NFC RB with 900+ rush yards (924) & 9+ rush TDs in 2022. Has 50+ scrimmage yards in 4 of his 5 career games vs. NYG. • WR A.J. BROWN had 8 catches for 119 yards & 2 rec. TDs in Week 13. Has 13 games with 100+ rec. yards & TD catch since 2019, 3rd-most in NFL. Aims for his 3rd in row with rec. TD. Needs 50 rec. yards for his 3rd career 1,000-yard season. • WR DEVONTA SMITH had 5 catches for 102 yards & 4th rec. TD of season last week, his 4th-career game with 100+ rec. yards. Had 80 rec. yards & TD catch in last meeting. • LB HAASON REDDICK had 9th sack of season last week & aims for his 5th in row with 0.5+ sacks. Had career-high 5 sacks & 3 FFs at NYG (12/23/20 w/ Az.). • DE BRANDON GRAHAM had sack in Week 13 & aims for his 4th in row with 0.5 sacks. • DT FLETCHER COX had 5th sack of season in Week 13 & aims for his 3rd in row with sack. • DE JOSH SWEAT had 3rd-career 2-sack game in Week 13 & aims for his 3rd in row with sack. Has sack in 4 of his past 5 vs. NFC East. Had sack & FF in last meeting. • DT JAVON HARGRAVE had career-high 8th sack of season in Week 13. • CB JAMES BRADBERRY had 35 PD & 7 INTs in 32 games (2020-21) w/ NYG.

GIANTS NOTES:

LAST WEEK T 20-20 vs. Washington (OT)

COACH VS. OPP. Brian Daboll: 0-0

PTS. FOR 20.4

OFFENSE 330.1

PASSING Daniel Jones: 229-347-2,365-11-4-91.2

RUSHING Saquon Barkley: 242-1,055-4.4-8

RECEIVING Darius Slayton: 33-566-17.2-2

PTS. AGAINST 21.0

DEFENSE 359.8

SACKS Dexter Lawrence: 6

INTs Julian Love: 2

TAKE/GIVE +3 (15/12)

PUNTING (NET) Jamie Gillan: 47.6 (40.8)

KICKING Graham Gano: 87 (21/23 PAT; 22/25 FG)

QB DANIEL JONES completed 25 of 31 atts. (80.6 pct.) for 200 yards & TD vs. 0 INTs for 104.3 rating & had 71 rush yards in Week 13. Is 1 of 2 NFC QBs (Geno Smith) with 2 games of 80+ comp. pct. (min. 20 atts.) in 2022. Ranks 5th among QBs with career high 522 rush yards in 2022. Has 100+ rating in 3 of his past 4 at home. Aims for his 4th in row vs. Phi. with 90+ rating. • RB SAQUON BARKLEY had 8th rush TD of season last week. Ranks 4th in NFL in rush yards (1,055) & 5th in scrimmage yards (1,296) in 2022, his 3rd-career season with 1,000+ rush yards (2018-19). Has 636 scrimmage yards (106 per game) & 4 TDs (3 rush, 1 rec.) in 6 career games vs. Phi. • WR DARIUS SLAYTON led team with 6 receptions for 90 yards last week. Has 85+ rec. yards in 3 of his past 4. • WR ISAIAH HODGINS had 1st career TD catch in Week 13. • DL DEXTER LAWRENCE had career-high 9 tackles & 6th sack of season in Week 13. Leads all DL with 8 games of 5+ tackles in 2022 & aims for his 5th in row with 5+ tackles. Had FF in last home meeting. • LB KAYVON THIBODEAUX (rookie) had 2nd-career sack in Week 13. • LB MICAH MCFADDEN (rookie) had 1st-career FF last week. • LB AZEEZ OJULARI had 10th-career sack, 3rd-career FF & 1st-career FR last week. Aims for his 3rd in row with sack & FF. • LB JIHAD WARD had 3rd sack of season & 2nd-career FF in Week 13. • S JULIAN LOVE had 12 tackles & career-high 6th TFL of season last week. Aims for his 3rd in row with 11+ tackles & 4th in row with TFL.

The Giants have won consecutive home games against the Eagles with the most recent meeting in New Jersey being a 13-7 win in Week 12 last season. Despite the mini win streak, New York is just 6-13 at home against the Eagles since 2003.
The Eagles are 5-0 on the road this season and are looking to tie a team record for most consecutive road wins to start a season at six (2001). Eight of the last 10 teams to go unbeaten on the road for an entire season went on to reach the Super Bowl.
Jalen Hurts has thrown for 20 touchdowns this season while rushing for nine more and throwing just three interceptions. No QB in NFL history has ever had a season with 20+ passing TDs, 8+ rushing TDs and five or fewer interceptions.
The Giants played to a 20-20 tie with Washington for the 34th tie in team history. Since the Giants’ first game in 1925, only the Cardinals (36) have played in more tied games than New York.
Against Washington, Daniel Jones became the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to complete 80.0 percent of his passes on 30+ attempts while also rushing for 70+ yards in a game.
The Giants are the only NFL team to not allow a single offensive touchdown of at least 35 yards this season. Since 1940, the only other year in which the Giants didn’t give up a single offensive TD of 35+ yards was 1994.

NFL PREVIEW: BALTIMORE RAVENS (8-4) @ PITTSBURGH STEELERS (5-7)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER Steelers lead all-time series, 29-23

STREAKS Steelers have won past 4

LAST GAME 1/9/22: Steelers 16 at Ravens 13 (OT)

LAST GAME AT SITE 12/5/21: Steelers 20, Ravens 19

RAVENS NOTES:

LAST WEEK W 10-9 vs. Denver

COACH VS. OPP. John Harbaugh: 14-17

PTS. FOR 23.8

OFFENSE 350.2

PASSING Lamar Jackson: 203-326-2,242-17-7-91.1

RUSHING Lamar Jackson (QB): 112-764-6.8-3

RECEIVING Mark Andrews (TE): 56-654-11.7-5

PTS. AGAINST 19.7

DEFENSE 330.5

SACKS Justin Houston: 9

INTs Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Williams: 3

TAKE/GIVE +6 (20/14)

PUNTING (NET) Jordan Stout (R): 47.0 (41.0)

KICKING Justin Tucker: 103 (28/29 PAT; 25/28 FG)

QB LAMAR JACKSON aims for his 4th in row on road with 0 INTs & 3rd in row on road with 80+ rush yards. Has 55+ rush yards in each of his past 3 vs. Pit. Ranks 2nd among QBs with 764 rush yards in 2022, his 4th-straight season with 750+ rush yards. • QB TYLER HUNTLEY completed 27 of 32 atts. (84.4 pct.) for 187 yards & rushed for 41 yards & GW TD with 28 seconds remaining last week. Totaled 213 yards (141 pass, 72 rush) in only career start vs. Pit. (1/9/22), most recent career start. Has 50+ rush yards in 3 of 4 career starts. • RB GUS EDWARDS has 50+ rush yards in 3 of 4 games this season. Aims for his 3rd in row vs. Pit. with rush TD. Has rush TD in 4 of his past 5 vs. division. • RB KENYAN DRAKE has TD in 3 of his past 4 on road. Aims for his 3rd in row vs. Pit with 55+ scrimmage yards. • TE MARK ANDREWS aims for 4th in row with 50+ rec. yards. Had 8 catches for 85 yards in last meeting. Has 85+ rec. yards in 4 of his past 5 vs. division. Ranks 2nd among TEs in 2022 with 654 rec. yards & tied-2nd with 56 catches & 5 rec. TDs. • WR DEVIN DUVERNAY had career-high 6 catches last week. • WR DEMARCUS ROBINSON led team with 7 catches in Week 13 & has 7+ catches in 2 of past 3. Had rec. TD in his last game at Pit. (9/16/18 w/ KC). • LB ROQUAN SMITH led team with 11 tackles & 2 TFL last week. Aims for 4th in row with 7+ tackles. Has TFL in 2 of past 3. Had 12 tackles, 2 TFL & sack in only career game vs. Pit. (11/8/21 w/ Chi.). • LB ODAFE OWEH had 2nd sack of season in Week 13. Had PD in last road meeting. • CB MARLON HUMPHREY aims for 3rd in row with 6+ tackles & sack.

STEELERS NOTES:

LAST WEEK: W 19-16 at Atlanta

COACH VS. OPP. Mike Tomlin: 18-15

PTS. FOR 17.8

OFFENSE 316.3

PASSING Kenny Pickett (R): 191-293-1,797-4-8-75.1

RUSHING Najee Harris: 175-671-3.8-4

RECEIVING Pat Freiermuth (TE): 50-597-11.9-1

PTS. AGAINST 23.1

DEFENSE 362.6

SACKS Alex Highsmith: 10

INTs Minkah Fitzpatrick: 4

TAKE/GIVE +3 (17/14)

PUNTING (NET) Pressley Harvin: 44.4 (41.3)

KICKING Matthew Wright: 43 (7/7 PAT; 12/14 FG)

QB KENNY PICKETT (rookie) passed for 197 yards & TD vs. 0 INTs with career-high 90.9 rating last week. Aims for 5th in row with 0 INTs & has 0 INTs in 3 of 4 home starts this season. Needs 203 pass yards to join Ben Roethlisberger (2,621 in 2004) as only Pit. rookies ever with 2,000+ pass yards. • RB NAJEE HARRIS rushed for 86 yards last week. Has 90+ scrimmage yards in 3 of past 4 & rush TD in 2 of past 3. Has 215 scrimmage yards (107.5 per game) & 2 rush TDs in his past 2 at home. Had 107 scrimmage yards (71 rush, 36 rec.) & 5 catches in last home meeting. Has TD in all 3 games vs. division this season. • WR DIONTAE JOHNSON aims for 3rd in row with 5+ catches. Had 8 catches for 105 yards & 2 TDs in last home meeting & aims for his 3rd in row at home vs. Bal. with 8+ catches. Has 7+ catches in 6 of his past 7 vs. division. • WR GEORGE PICKENS (rookie) has 50+ rec. yards in 2 of past 3. Ranks 4th among rookies with 512 rec. yards & 4th with 37 catches. • TE PAT FREIERMUTH led team with 76 rec. yards last week & has 75+ rec. yards in 2 of past 3. Had 6 catches for 53 yards in last meeting. • TE/FB CONNOR HEYWARD (rookie) had 1st-career TD catch in Week 13. • LB T.J. WATT has 2 PD, INT & 0.5+ sacks in each of his 2 games vs. division in 2022 Aims for his 7th in row vs. Bal. with 0.5+ sacks, 5th in row with full sack & 3rd in row with FF. • DT CAMERON HEYWARD had sack & PD last week & has sack in 2 of past 3. Aims for his 4th in row vs. Bal. with sack. • S MINKAH FITZPATRICK had 7 tackles & 4th INT of season last week. Aims for 3rd in row with 7+ tackles. Has PD in 4 of past 5. Has INT in 2 of his 3 home games this season.

Meeting for the first time this season, the Steelers are on a four-game win streak against the Ravens with all four wins coming by five or fewer points. Only two matchups in NFL history have seen a team beat another five straight times all by fewer than six points (Philadelphia vs. Washington — six, 1992-95 and Raiders vs. Denver — five, 1989-1991).
No team has spent less time trailing in games this season than the Ravens, who have been behind 125:27 of their total 720 minutes of action this season.
Justin Tucker has made 25 field goals this season and has made at least that many in each of his 11 NFL seasons. Tucker’s 11 straight seasons with 25 or more made field goals are three more than the next longest such streak in NFL history (Stephen Gostkowski — eight).
Pittsburgh went turnover-free in its 19-16 win over the Falcons, its fourth straight game without committing a turnover. It is the Steelers’ longest such streak since turnovers have been tracked in 1950.
Najee Harris and George Pickens are tied for the Steelers lead with two receiving touchdowns this season. The last full season in which Pittsburgh did not have a single player with three TD catches was 1946 (four players had one).
Since drafting Lamar Jackson in 2018, the Ravens are 45-16 (.738) in games started by Jackson and 6-10 (.375) when anyone else starts at QB.

NFL PREVIEW: JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (4-8) @ TENNESSEE TITANS (7-5)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER Titans lead all-time series, 33-21

STREAKS Titans have won past 5

LAST GAME 12/12/21: Jaguars 0 at Titans 20

LAST GAME AT SITE 12/12/21

JAGS NOTES:

LAST WEEK L 40-14 at Detroit

COACH VS. OPP. Doug Pederson: 0-1

PTS. FOR 21.5

OFFENSE 351.7

PASSING Trevor Lawrence: 273-416-2,834-17-6-92.7

RUSHING Travis Etienne: 146-782-5.4-4

RECEIVING Christian Kirk: 62-829-13.4-7

PTS. AGAINST 22.7

DEFENSE 369.1

SACKS Dawuane Smoot: 5

INTs Andre Cisco: 3

TAKE/GIVE +1 (16/15)

PUNTING (NET) Logan Cooke: 50.8 (43.9)

KICKING Riley Patterson: 76 (22/23 PAT; 18/22 FG)

QB TREVOR LAWRENCE passed for 179 yards & TD vs. 0 INTs & rushed for 32 yards last week. Aims for 5th in row with 0 INTs. Has 105+ rating in 3 of past 4. Has 250+ pass yards & 2+ TD passes in 2 of past 3. Has 12 TDs (10 pass, 2 rush) vs. 2 INTs with 97.1 rating in 6 road starts this season. Needs 166 pass yards to become 1st QB in Jax. history with 3,000+ pass yards in each of 1st 2 seasons. • RB TRAVIS ETIENNE had 66 scrimmage yards (54 rush, 12 rec.) last week & has 65+ scrimmage yards in 7 of his past 8. Aims for his 3rd in row vs. division with 100+ scrimmage yards. Needs 4 scrimmage yards for 1st-career 1,000-yard season. • WR CHRISTIAN KIRK led team with 6 catches for 104 yards last week, his 3rd game with 100+ rec. yards this season. Aims for his 3rd in row on road with 100+ rec. yards & has 60+ rec. yards in 5 of 6 road games this season. Has TD catch in 2 of his past 3 on road . Had 70 rec. yards & 2 rec. TDs in only career game vs. Ten. (9/12/21 w/ Az.). • WR ZAY JONES has 8+ catches & 65+ rec. yards in 2 of past 3. Has 5+ catches in 4 of 5 road games this season. Needs 22 rec. yards for 2nd-career 600+ rec. yard season. • WR MARVIN JONES has 70+ rec. yards in 3 of 4 career games vs. Ten. • TE EVAN ENGRAM had TD catch in Week 13. Aims for 4th in row vs. division with 5+ catches. Had 8 catches for 75 yards in only career game vs. Ten. (12/16/18 w/ NYG). • LB FOYESADE OLUOKUN led team with 15 tackles last week & can become 3rd player since 2000 with 15+ tackles in 3 straight games. Has 68 tackles (11.3 per game) in 6 road games this season. Ranks 4th in NFL with 128 tackles this season. • LB CHAD MUMA (rookie) set career highs in tackles (11), TFL (2) & sacks (1.5) last week. • DE/LB JOSH ALLEN had PD in Week 13. Has TFL in 3 of his past 4 vs. division.

TITANS NOTES:

LAST WEEK L 35-10 at Philadelphia

COACH VS. OPP. Mike Vrabel: 6-3

PTS. FOR 18.3

OFFENSE 391.3

PASSING Ryan Tannehill: 172-265-2,117-11-4-97.0

RUSHING Derrick Henry: 258-1,078-4.2-10

RECEIVING Treylon Burks (R): 25-359-14.4-1

PTS. AGAINST 20.0

DEFENSE 359.8

SACKS Denico Autry: 7

INTs David Long: 2

TAKE/GIVE +2 (13/11)

PUNTING (NET) Ryan Stonehouse (R): 53.5 (44.4)

KICKING Randy Bullock: 56 (20/20 PAT; 12/14 FG)

QB RYAN TANNEHILL completed 14 of 22 atts. (63.6 pct.) for 141 yards & TD vs. 0 INTs with 97 rating & rushed for season-high 34 yards last week. Aims for 5th in row with 90+ rating. Has 0 INTs in 6 of his past 7. Has 12 TDs (9 pass, 3 rush) vs. 0 INTs with 125.3 rating in his past 5 vs. Jax. • RB DERRICK HENRY has 115+ scrimmage yards in 2 of past 3 overall & 3 of past 4 at home. Rushed for 130 yards & 3 TDs in his last game vs. Jax. (10/10/21) & aims for his 3rd in row vs. Jax. with 130+ rush yards & 2+ rush TDs. Has rush TD in 5 of his past 6 vs. Jax. Has 1,730 rush yards (157.3 per game) & 15 rush TDs in his past 11 vs. division. Ranks 3rd in NFL with 1,364 scrimmage yards & 1,078 rush yards & tied-3rd with 10 rush TDs. Needs 136 scrimmage yards for 3rd-career season with 1,500+ scrimmage yards. • WR ROBERT WOODS has 80+ rec. yards & rec. TD in 2 of 3 career games vs. Jax. • WR NICK WESTBROOK-IKHINE aims for 3rd in row at home with 50+ rec. yards. • TE CHIGOZIEM OKONKWO (rookie) led team with career-high 68 rec. yards last week. • DT JEFFERY SIMMONS had 5th PD of season in Week 13. Aims for 3rd in row at home with 6+ tackles & TFL. Aims for his 3rd in row vs. Jax. with TFL & PD. Aims for his 3rd in row vs. division with 2+ TFL & sack. • DE MARIO EDWARDS had 3rd sack of season last week. • LB BUD DUPREE had sack & 1st FF of season last week. Has sack in 2 of 3 home games this season. Had sack & PD in his last game vs. Jax. (11/22/20 w/ Pit.). • S KEVIN BYARD aims for 3rd in row with 7+ tackles. Aims for 3rd in row vs. Jax. with PD. • CB TRE AVERY (rookie) tied for team lead with season-high 7 tackles last week. Aims for 4th in row with 2+ PD.

Tennessee is 9-1 (.900) against Jacksonville going back to 2017. That is the fifth-best record by any team against a division opponent in that span.
The Titans gained 209 yards in their loss to the Eagles on Sunday, bringing the season total to 3496 net yards, tied for the third fewest in the NFL. That is the franchise’s lowest total through 12 games since gaining 3477 yards in 1994 as the Houston Oilers.
Ryan Tannehill was sacked six times against the Eagles, his third game with that many since the start of 2021. That ties him with Joe Burrow and Zach Wilson for the most in the NFL.
Jacksonville lost in Detroit last week, 40-14, for the Jags’ largest loss of the season. The Jags and Lions are the only teams this season with a win by 25 or more points and a loss by 25 or more points.
Christian Kirk led Jaguar receivers with 104 yards on Sunday, elevating his per game average to 69.1 receiving yards. The last Jaguar with a higher per game average was Allen Robinson II in 2015, when he averaged 87.5 receiving yards per game (min. 12 games).
The Titans (3.59) and Jaguars (3.69) are third and fourth in the NFL in fewest rushing yards per carry allowed on first down this season. On offense, the Jags (5.25) are sixth in rushing yards per carry on first down while the Titans are 20th (4.42).

NFL PREVIEW: KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (9-3) @ DENVER BRONCOS (3-9)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER Chiefs lead all-time series, 69-54

STREAKS Chiefs have won past 13

LAST GAME 1/8/22: Chiefs 28 at Broncos 24

LAST GAME AT SITE 1/8/22

CHIEFS NOTES:

LAST WEEK L 27-24 at Cincinnati

COACH VS. OPP. Andy Reid: 14-6

PTS. FOR 29.2

OFFENSE 423.3

PASSING Patrick Mahomes: 308-469-3,808-30-8-104.9

RUSHING Isiah Pacheco (R): 111-521-4.7-3

RECEIVING Travis Kelce (TE): 77-968-12.6-12

PTS. AGAINST 22.5

DEFENSE 343.4

SACKS Chris Jones: 10

INTs Nick Bolton: 2

TAKE/GIVE -4 (12/16)

PUNTING (NET) Tommy Townsend: 50.8 (46.5)

KICKING Harrison Butker: 62 (23/25 PAT; 13/17 FG)

QB PATRICK MAHOMES passed for 223 yards & TD vs. 0 INTs with 98.2 rating & had rush TD last week. Aims for 5th in row on road with 95+ rating & has 3 TD passes in 3 of past 4 on road. Passed for 270 yards & 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs in last meeting & has 12 TDs (11 pass, 1 rush) vs. 3 INTs with 101.5 rating in his past 7 vs. Den. Is 9-0 in 9 career starts vs. Den. Has 9 TDs vs. 0 INTs with 115 rating in 3 games vs. division this season. Leads NFL wth 3,808 pass yards & 30 TD passes in 2022 & can join HOFer Peyton Manning as only players ever with 4,000+ pass yards in 5 of 1st 6 seasons. • RB ISIAH PACHECO (rookie) had 82 scrimmage yards (66 rush, 16 rec.) & rush TD last week. Aims for 5th in row with 80+ scrimmage yards & 3rd in row with rush TD. • RB JERICK MCKINNON had 51 rush yards & 2nd TD catch of season in Week 13. Had 50 scrimmage yards (26 rec., 24 rush) & rec. TD in last meeting. • TE TRAVIS KELCE aims for 8th in row with 55+ rec. yards. Has TD catch in 3 of past 4. Has 90+ rec. yards in 3 of past 4 on road. Had TD catch in last meeting & has rec. TD in 2 of past 3 vs. Den. Has 7 rec. TDs in his past 2 vs. division. Leads TEs with 77 catches, 968 rec. & 12 rec. TD & can become 1st TE ever with 1,000+ rec. yards in 7 seasons. • WR MARQUEZ VALDES-SCANTLING aims for 3rd in row with 50+ rec. yards. Had 6 catches for 99 yards & TD in only career game vs. Den. (9/22/19 w/ GB). • DT CHRIS JONES had 5 tackles last week. Has sack in 3 of past 4 & 0.5+ sacks in 6 of past 7. Has 2 sacks in 2 of past 3 on road. Has PD in 2 of his past 3 vs. Den. • DE GEORGE KARLAFTIS (rookie) aims for 3rd in row with sack. • LB NICK BOLTON led team with career-high 16 tackles last week & aims for 4th in row with 10+ tackles. Has INT in 2 of past 3. Had FR in last meeting.

BRONCOS NOTES:

LAST WEEK L 10-9 at Baltimore

COACH VS. OPP. Nathaniel Hackett: 0-0

PTS. FOR 13.8

OFFENSE 315.2

PASSING Russell Wilson: 215-358-2,558-8-5-83.5

RUSHING Latavius Murray: 93-348-3.7-3

RECEIVING Courtland Sutton: 52-688-13.2-1

PTS. AGAINST 17.0

DEFENSE 304.6

SACKS Dre’Mont Jones: 5.5

INTs Justin Simmons: 3

TAKE/GIVE +1 (13/12)

PUNTING (NET) Corliss Waitman: 46.1 (41.3)

KICKING Brandon McManus: 80 (11/13 PAT; 23/30 FG)

The Chiefs have beaten the Broncos in 13 consecutive games, dating back to the 2015 season. With one more loss, the Broncos will match their longest all-time losing streak against any opponent (14 straight against Raiders from 1965 to 1971).
After going 2-for-2 in last week’s loss to the Bengals, the Chiefs have converted on their last six fourth down attempts. It is the longest active streak in the NFL, with only the Steelers (eight) and Texans (seven) having longer streaks at any point this season.
Patrick Mahomes has thrown a touchdown in 17 consecutive games, his last touchdown-less game coming in Week 13 of last season against Denver. The Broncos are the only team to hold Mahomes to zero passing touchdowns in multiple games in his career, having done so twice.
The Broncos took a 10-9 loss last week despite allowing just one touchdown from scrimmage. It was the fourth time this season that the Broncos lost despite allowing just one touchdown, tied for the most such losses in any season in team history (2006).
After tossing a fourth-quarter touchdown in Denver’s season opener, Russell Wilson has now gone 109 consecutive passing attempts at home without a passing touchdown. Among QBs to play in 2022, it is the third-longest active streak in the NFL, behind Colt McCoy (126 attempts) and Tyler Huntley (115).
With Jerick McKinnon joining the list last week, the Chiefs now have 10 different players with multiple touchdowns from scrimmage this season, tied with the Dolphins for most in the NFL. It is also tied for the most such players in any season in Chiefs history.

NFL PREVIEW: CAROLINA PANTHERS (4-8) @ SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (7-5)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER Seahawks lead all-time series, 8-3

STREAKS Seahawks have won past 3

LAST GAME 12/15/19: Seahawks 30 at Panthers 24

LAST GAME AT SITE 12/4/16: Seahawks 40, Panthers 7

PANTHERS NOTES:

LAST WEEK Bye (W 23-10 vs. Denver in Week 12)

COACH VS. OPP. Steve Wilks: 0-2

PTS. FOR 19.2

OFFENSE 291.3

PASSING Sam Darnold: 11-19-164-1-0-103.8

RUSHING D’Onta Foreman: 126-563-4.5-4

RECEIVING DJ Moore: 46-605-13.2-4

PTS. AGAINST 22.2

DEFENSE 348.2

SACKS Brian Burns: 10

INTs Jaycee Horn, Donte Jackson: 2

TAKE/GIVE -4 (12/16)

PUNTING (NET) Johnny Hekker: 48.8 (44.1)

KICKING Eddy Pineiro: 84 (18/20 PAT; 22/24 FG)

QB SAM DARNOLD passed for 164 yards & had 2 TDs (1 pass, 1 rush) vs. 0 INTs for 103.8 rating in his 1st start of season in Week 12. Had 8 TDs (4 pass, 4 rush) in 6 road starts last season. • RB D’ONTA FOREMAN rushed for 113 yards in Week 12. Has 100+ rush yards in 4 of his past 6, most 100+ yard rush games in the NFC since Week 7. • RB CHUBA HUBBARD had season-high 65 rush yards in Week 12. • WR DJ MOORE led team with 4 catches for 103 yards & had 4th rec. TD of season in Week 12, his 14th-career game with 100+ rec. yards. Needs 4 catches for 5thstraight 50+ catch season. Has 16 catches (8 per game) & 204 rec. yards (102 per game) in 2 career games vs. Sea. & aims for his 3rd in row vs. Sea. with 8+ catches & 90+ rec. yards. • WR TERRACE MARSHALL aims for his 4th in row on road with 50+ rec. yards. • DE BRIAN BURNS had 2 sacks & FF in Week 12, his 4th-career 2-sack game & 7thcareer FF. Has career high 10 sacks in 2022 & aims for his 5th in row with sack. • DE MARQUIS HAYNES had sack & career-high 2 PD in Week 12. • LB FRANKIE LUVU led team with 8 tackles in Week 12 & aims for his 4th in row with 8+ tackles. Has career highs in tackles (74), TFL (10) & sacks (4) in 2022. • LB SHAQ THOMPSON has 5+ tackles in 11 of his 12 games in 2022. Needs 11 tackles for his 4th-straight 100+ tackle season. Has TFL in 3 of his past 4 on road. Aims for his 3rd in row vs. Sea. with TFL. • S JEREMY CHINN has 5+ tackles in 4 of his past 5 on road. • S XAVIER WOODS aims for his 6th in row with 5+ tackles.

SEAHAWKS NOTES:

LAST WEEK: W 27-23 at L.A. Rams

COACH VS. OPP. Pete Carroll: 7-1

PTS. FOR 26.5

OFFENSE 360.9

PASSING Geno Smith: 285-392-3,169-22-6-108.7

RUSHING Kenneth Walker (R): 138-649-4.7-9

RECEIVING Tyler Lockett: 66-836-12.7-7

PTS. AGAINST 25.3

DEFENSE 382.9

SACKS Uchenna Nwosu: 9

INTs Tariq Woolen (R): 6

TAKE/GIVE +4 (21/17)

PUNTING (NET) Michael Dickson: 49.6 (45.5)

KICKING Jason Myers: 102 (33/34 PAT; 23/24 FG)

QB GENO SMITH completed 28 of 39 atts. (71.8 pct.) for career-high 367 yards & 3 TDs vs. INT for 116.1 rating in Week 13. Aims for his 3rd in row with 300+ pass yards & 7th in row with 2+ TD passes & 100+ rating. Leads NFL in games with 70+ comp. pct. (8), games with 100+ rating (9) & games with 2+ TD passes (10) in 2022. • RB KENNETH WALKER leads all rookies in rush TDs (9) & ranks 2nd in rush yards (649). Aims for his 4th in row at home with rush TD. • WR DK METCALF had 8 receptions for 127 yards & his 5th rec. TD of season last week, his 9th-career 100-yard game. Aims for his 4th in row with 70+ rec. yards & 6th in row with 5+ catches. Needs 102 rec. yards to become 5th player since 1970 with 900+ rec. yards & 5+ rec. TDs in each of 1st 4 seasons. • WR TYLER LOCKETT had 9 receptions for 128 yards & 7th TD catch of season in Week 13. Has rec. TD in each of his past 5, longest active streak in NFL. Is only player with 7+ rec. TDs in each of past 5 seasons. Aims for his 4th in row vs. Car. with 100+ scrimmage yards & TD. • LB JORDYN BROOKS had his 1st sack of season last week. Ranks 2nd in NFL with 131 tackles in 2022 & aims for his 5th in row with 9+ tackles. • LB CODY BARTON had 2nd INT of season in Week 13. Aims for his 4th in row with 7+ tackles & PD. • LB UCHENNA NWOSU had 2 sacks & career-high 3rd FF of season last week. Is 1 of 3 in NFC (Nick Bosa & Micah Parsons) with 3+ games (3) of 2+ sacks in 2022. • CB TARIQ WOOLEN (rookie) had career-high 3 PD & 6th INT of season last week, tied most in NFL. Has PD in 10 of his 1st 12 career games.

The Panthers are 3-8 all-time against the Seahawks, including losses in their last three meetings. The team that wins the time of possession battle holds a 9-2 (.818) record in the all-time series.
The Panthers are coming off a 23-10 win over the Broncos in Week 12 despite going just 2-of-12 (16.7 percent) on third downs. It was the fourth time in team history that the Panthers won by double-digits despite converting so few of their third downs, and the first time since the 2011 season.
Sam Darnold posted a passer rating of 103.8 in the win over Denver, his highest passer rating in any of his last 30 games. In Darnold’s career, his teams are 7-1 (.833) when he has a passer rating higher than 100.0 in a game.
The Seahawks are the only team in the NFL this season to turn the ball over in every game they’ve played. It is also the longest such streak to begin a season for Seattle since the 2007 season (also 12 games).
Geno Smith has tossed multiple touchdowns while completing at least two-thirds of his passes in six straight games. It is now the longest such streak by any quarterback in team history, beating out a five-game streak by Russell Wilson in 2015.
DK Metcalf is 32 receiving yards away from 4000 in his career. By hitting the mark this week in his 62nd game, he will be the second-fastest Seahawks player ever to reach 4000 yards, just behind Joey Galloway (61 games).

NFL PREVIEW: TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (6-6) @ SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (8-4)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER 49ers lead all-time series, 18-6

STREAKS Buccaneers have won 2 of last 3

LAST GAME 9/8/19: 49ers 31 at Buccaneers 17

LAST GAME AT SITE 10/23/16: Buccaneers 34, 49ers 17

BUCS NOTES:

LAST WEEK W 17-16 vs. New Orleans (Mon.)

COACH VS. OPP. Todd Bowles: 1-0

PTS. FOR 18.1

OFFENSE 340.0

PASSING Tom Brady: 347-524-3,332-16-3-91.6

RUSHING Leonard Fournette: 145-511-3.5-3

RECEIVING Chris Godwin: 68-648-9.5-2

PTS. AGAINST 18.3

DEFENSE 313.8

SACKS Vita Vea: 6.5

INTs Jamel Dean, Mike Edwards: 2

TAKE/GIVE 0 (11/11)

PUNTING (NET) Jake Camarda (R): 48.8 (41.5)

KICKING Ryan Succop: 89 (17/17 PAT; 24/27 FG)

QB TOM BRADY passed for 281 yards & 2 TDs vs. INT in Week 13. Aims for his 4th in row with 2+ TD passes. Leads NFC with 3,332 pass yards in 2022. Has 949 pass yards (316.3 per game) & 8 TDs (7 pass, 1 rush) in 3 career starts vs. SF, incl. 4 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 114.6 rating in his last start at SF (11/20/16 w/ NE). • RB LEONARD FOURNETTE had 6 catches & 81 scrimmage yards (49 rush, 32 rec.) last week. Ranks 5th among RBs in receptions (49) & rec. yards (347) in 2022. Has 70+ scrimmage yards in 6 of his past 7 on road. • RB RACHAAD WHITE (rookie) had 6 catches & 1st-career rec. TD in Week 13. Aims for his 3rd in row with 6+ catches & 4th in row with 65+ scrimmage yards. • WR MIKE EVANS had 59 rec. yards last week. Had 8 catches for 96 yards & 2 rec. TDs in last road meeting. Has 95+ rec. yards in 2 of his 3 career games vs. SF. • WR CHRIS GODWIN led team with 8 catches for 63 yards last week. Had rec. TD in last meeting. Aims for his 4th in row on road & 10th in row overall with 6+ receptions. • WR JULIO JONES had 13 catches for 134 yards & 2 rec. TDs in his last game at SF (12/15/19 w/ Atl.) & aims for his 3rd in row at SF with 10+ catches & 130+ rec. yards. • LB LAVONTE DAVID had 12 tackles, 2 TFL & sack in Week 13, his 28th-career sack. Has FF in 2 of his 3 career games vs. SF. Aims for his 3rd in row vs. SF with TFL & 4th in row vs. SF with 7+ tackles. Has 5+ tackles in 17 straight road games. • LB DEVIN WHITE has PD in 4 of 5 road games this season. Is 1 of 2 (Bobby Wagner) with 90+ tackles (94) & 5+ sacks (5.5) in 2022. • DT VITA VEA aims for his 3rd in row on road with TFL. • CB CARLTON DAVIS aims for his 6th in row on road with PD.

49ERS NOTES:

LAST WEEK W 33-17 vs. Miami

COACH VS. OPP. Kyle Shanahan: 1-1

PTS. FOR 23.5

OFFENSE 357.9

PASSING Brock Purdy (R): 29-46-276-2-2-76.0

RUSHING Christian McCaffrey (2022): 160-700-4.4-4

RECEIVING Brandon Aiyuk: 56-698-12.5-6

PTS. AGAINST 15.8

DEFENSE 283.9

SACKS Nick Bosa: 14.5

INTs Talanoa Hufanga: 4

TAKE/GIVE +4 (18/14)

PUNTING (NET) Mitch Wishnowsky: 44.1 (39.7)

KICKING Robbie Gould: 89 (29/30 PAT; 20/23 FG)

QB BROCK PURDY (rookie) completed 25 of 37 atts. (67.6 pct.) for 210 yards & 2 TDs vs. INT for 88.8 rating last. Can make 1st career start in Week 14. • RB CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY had 8 catches, 146 scrimmage yards (80 rec, 66 rush) & TD catch last week & became 6th player ever with 20+ rush TDs (34) & 20+ rec. TDs (20) in 1st 6 seasons. Has 7 TDs (5 rush, 2 rec.) in his past 5 vs. TB & aims for his 3rd in row vs. TB with 2+ TDs. Has 50+ scrimmage yards in each of his 7 career games vs. TB. Leads active players with 112.3 scrimmage yards per game. • TE GEORGE KITTLE had 8 catches for 54 yards in last meeting & aims for his 3rd in row vs. TB with 6+ receptions. • WR DEEBO SAMUEL has 3rd-career 50-catch season (50) & is 1 of 3 (Austin Ekeler & Christian McCaffrey) with 500+ rec. yards (569) & 200+ rush yards (207) in 2022. • WR BRANDON AIYUK has 5+ catches in 6 of his past 7 games & aims for his 5th in row at home with 5+ receptions. • DL NICK BOSA tied his career high with 3 sacks & had 1st FF of season last week. Leads NFL with 14.5 sacks. Can become 5th player since 2000 with 15+ sacks in consecutive seasons & 5th player since 1982 with 15+ sacks in 2 of 1st 4 seasons. • LB FRED WARNER had 1st INT of season last week. Has career-high 10 PD in 2022, most among LBs. Had 9 tackles, FF & PD in last meeting & aims for his 3rd in row vs. TB with 7+ tackles & PD. • LB DRE GREENLAW had 1st-career FR-TD last week. Aims for his 3rd in row with FR, 4th in row with PD & 5th in row with 5+ tackles. • DB JIMMIE WARD had 2nd INT of season last week & aims for his 4th in row with PD.

The Buccaneers have a 3-12 (.250) all-time record on the road against the 49ers. Among teams with at least five all-time road games versus the Niners, no team has a worse record there than Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay earned a 17-16 win over New Orleans last week despite trailing, 16-3, in the fourth quarter. Prior to the win, the Buccaneers had lost their previous 62 games when trailing by 13+ points at any point in the fourth quarter, dating back to the 2010 season.
Tom Brady has thrown nine of his 16 touchdowns (56.3 percent) in the fourth quarter this season. Among 27 quarterbacks with at least 10 passing touchdowns this season, Brady is the only one with at least half of his touchdowns coming in the final frame.
San Francisco has won five straight games while holding its opponents to 17 or fewer points in each contest. It is the fourth such streak in team history, and the first since a six-game streak in the 1992 season.
Since his first start for the 49ers in Week 8, Christian McCaffrey has 67 rushes for 269 yards and 31 catches for 258 yards. He is one of two NFL players over that span with 60+ rushes and 30+ receptions (Rhamondre Stevenson).
Leonard Fournette is one of three players leading his team in both rushing and receiving touchdowns this season (Najee Harris, Austin Ekeler), including ties. No Buccaneers player has ever finished a season leading the team in both categories.

NFL PREVIEW: MIAMI DOLPHINS (8-4) @ LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (6-6)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER Dolphins lead all-time series, 17-14

STREAKS Dolphins have won 3 of last 4

LAST GAME 11/15/20: Chargers 21 at Dolphins 29

LAST GAME AT SITE 9/17/17: Dolphins 19, Chargers 17 (StubHub Center)

DOLPHINS NOTES:

LAST WEEK L 33-17 at San Francisco

COACH VS. OPP. Mike McDaniel: 0-0

PTS. FOR 24.9

OFFENSE 380.2

PASSING Tua Tagovailoa: 216-317-2,859-21-5-112.0

RUSHING Jeff Wilson (2022): 132-680-5.2-4

RECEIVING Tyreek Hill: 96-1,379-14.4-5

PTS. AGAINST 24.1

DEFENSE 344.0

SACKS Bradley Chubb (2022): 8

INTs Jevon Holland: 2

TAKE/GIVE -3 (12/15)

PUNTING (NET) Thomas Morstead: 46.8 (39.8)

KICKING Jason Sanders: 83 (32/35 PAT; 17/21 FG)

QB TUA TAGOVAILOA passed for 295 yards & 2 TDs vs. 2 INTs last week. Aims for 6th in row with 285+ pass yards. Has 0 INTs & 90+ rating in 5 of past 6. Has 2+ TD passes in 4 of 5 road games this season. Passed for 160 yards & 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs with 106.9 rating in last meeting. Is 3-1 as starter in primetime. Leads NFL with 112 passer rating this season & ranks 4th with 68.1 comp. pct. • RB JEFF WILSON has 50+ scrimmage yards & TD in 3 of past 4. Has rush TD in 2 of his past 3 in primetime. Has 95+ scrimmage yards in 2 of 3 career games vs. AFC West. • RB RAHEEM MOSTERT has rush TD in 2 of past 3. Aims for his 4th in row on SNF with 70+ scrimmage yards & has TD in 3 of his past 4 on SNF. • WR TYREEK HILL led team with 9 catches for 146 yards & TD last week, his 6th game with 125+ rec. yards in 2022 & is 4th player since 1970 with 6 such games within team’s 1st 12 games of season. Aims for 10th in row with 5+ catches. Has 874 rec. yards (145.7 per game) in 6 road games this season & has 140+ rec. yards in 5 of 6 games. Had 12 catches for 148 yards & TD in his last game vs. LAC (12/16/21 w/ KC). Aims for his 3rd in row at LAC with 95+ rec. yards & TD catch. Leads NFL with 1,379 rec. yards, third-most ever by player in team’s 1st 12 games of season. • WR JAYLEN WADDLE has 65+ rec. yards in 6 of past 7. • WR TRENT SHERFIELD had career-long 75=yard TD catch in Week 13. • CB XAVIEN HOWARD had 2 PD & 1st INT of season last week. Has FR in 2 of past 3. Had 2 PD & INT in last meeting. Aims for 3rd in row on SNF with 2+ PD. • LB BRADLEY CHUBB aims for 3rd in row with sack. Has 5.5 sacks in past 4 in primetime. • LB MELVIN INGRAM aims for 5th in row with sack. Has 5 sacks in his past 3 on SNF.

CHARGERS NOTES:

LAST WEEK: L 27-20 at Las Vegas

COACH VS. OPP. Brandon Staley: 0-1

PTS. FOR 22.7

OFFENSE 351.2

PASSING Justin Herbert: 340-510-3,339-20-7-92.3

RUSHING Austin Ekeler: 138-589-4.3-7

RECEIVING Austin Ekeler (RB): 85-564-6.6-5

PTS. AGAINST 25.8

DEFENSE 371.7

SACKS Khalil Mack: 7

INTs Bryce Callahan: 3

TAKE/GIVE +4 (17/13)

PUNTING (NET) JK Scott: 43.4 (41.8)

KICKING Cameron Dicker (R) (2022): 48 (12/12 PAT; 12/13 FG)

QB JUSTIN HERBERT passed for 335 yards & TD vs. 0 INTs last week, his 20th-career game with 300+ pass yards, surpassing Andrew Luck (19 games) for most-ever by player in 1st 3 seasons & 2nd-most in NFL since 2020. Aims for 3rd in row with 0 INTs. Aims for 3rd in row at home with 280+ pass yards & 2+ TD passes. Had 3 TDs (2 pass, 1 rush) vs. INT in last meeting. Has 1,241 pass yards (310.3 per game) in 4 career starts on SNF with 2+ TD passes in 3 of 4 games. • RB AUSTIN EKELER had 102 scrimmage yards (67 rec., 35 rush) last week. Aims for 4th in row with 80+ scrimmage yards. Has rush TD in each of his past 3 home games & 100+ scrimmage yards in each of past 2. Had 122 scrimmage yards (62 rec., 60 rush) & 2 TDs (1 rush, 1 rec.) in last meeting. Has 7 TDs (4 rush, 3 rec.) in his past 4 on SNF. Is only player in NFL with 5+ rush TDs (7) & 5+ rec. TDs (5) this season. • WR KEENAN ALLEN had 6 catches for team-high 88 rec. yards with rec. TD in Week 13. Aims for 4th in row with 5+ catches & 3rd in row with rec. TD. Had TD catch in last meeting. Has 75+ rec. yards in 3 of his past 4 in primetime. • WR JOSHUA PALMER aims for 4th in row with 5+ catches & 50+ rec. yards. Has rec. TD in 2 of his past 3 on SNF. • TE GERALD EVERETT had 5 catches & season-high 80 rec. yards in Week 13. • LB KHALIL MACK has sack in 3 of his past 4 in primetime. • S DERWIN JAMES is only DB with 6+ tackles in 12 games in 2022 & leads all DBs with 106 tackles this season. Has sack in 2 of past 3 at home. • CB BRYCE CALLAHAN had 26-yard INT-TD last week, 1st-career TD. • CB MICHAEL DAVIS had season-high 3 PD last week & aims for 3rd in row with 2+ PD.

The Dolphins are 12-4 (.750) against the Chargers since 1995, their second-best record against any AFC in that span (13-4 vs. Raiders). That is also the Chargers’ second-worst record against any AFC team in that span (3-10 vs. Patriots).
Miami snapped its five-game winning streak with a 33-17 loss on the road against the 49ers in Week 13. The Dolphins rushed for a season low 33 yards on eight carries in the game. The eight rushing attempts were the fewest in a game in Dolphins history.
Tyreek Hill has six 100-yard receiving games this season after tallying 146 yards in Week 13. That is tied for the second most in a single season in Dolphins history trailing Mark Duper (eight, 1986).
The Chargers lost to the Raiders in Week 13, 27-20, despite leading, 13-10, at halftime. Los Angeles has four losses this season in games when it led at half, which is second most in the NFL behind the Broncos.
Joshua Palmer leads the Chargers with 612 receiving yards on the season. Born in Ontario, Palmer has the most receiving yards by a Canadian-born player since Nate Burleson in 2011 with the Lions (757).
The Chargers and Dolphins are second and fifth, respectively, in the NFL in terms of highest percentage of plays from passing attempts. The Dolphins are first in the NFL in pass yards per attempt (8.51), but the Chargers are 28th in the NFL (6.52).

NFL PREVIEW: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (6-6) @ ARIZONA CARDINALS (4-8)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER Patriots lead all-time series, 8-7

STREAKS Patriots have won past 2

LAST GAME 11/29/20: Cardinals 17 at Patriots 20

LAST GAME AT SITE 9/11/16: Patriots 23, Cardinals 21

PATS NOTES:

LAST WEEK: L 24-10 vs. Buffalo (Thu.)

COACH VS. OPP. Bill Belichick: 5-1

PTS. FOR 20.8

OFFENSE 318.9

PASSING Mac Jones: 184-270-1,963-7-7-87.0

RUSHING Rhamondre Stevenson: 161-734-4.6-4

RECEIVING Jakobi Meyers: 50-593-11.9-3

PTS. AGAINST 18.8

DEFENSE 311.8

SACKS Matthew Judon: 13

INTs Jonathan Jones: 3

TAKE/GIVE +2 (19/17)

PUNTING (NET) Michael Palardy: 43.2 (40.4)

KICKING Nick Folk: 99 (24/24 PAT; 25/30 FG)

QB MAC JONES completed 22 of 36 atts. (61.1 pct.) for 195 yards & TD vs. 0 INTs last week. Aims for 5th in row with 0 INTs. Has 100+ rating in 2 of past 3. Has 90.3 rating in 7 career starts vs. NFC. Aims for his 3rd in row on road in primetime with 2+ TD passes. • RB RHAMONDRE STEVENSON led team with 78 scrimmage yards (54 rush, 24 rec.) last week. Aims for 4th in row with 75+ scrimmage yards & 6+ catches. Has 346 scrimmage yards (115.3 per game) in his past 3 on road. Ranks 3rd among RBs this season with career-high 56 catches. • RB DAMIEN HARRIS has 100+ scrimmage yards in 2 of his past 3 on road on MNF. • WR JAKOBI MEYERS has 55+ rec. yards in each of 5 road games this season. Had 5 catches for 52 yards in last meeting. • WR DEVANTE PARKER has 60+ rec. yards in 2 of past 3 on road. Had 6 catches for 64 yards in his last game vs. Az. (11/8/20 w/ Mia.). • WR NELSON AGHOLOR had 93 rec. yards & TD catch in his last game vs. Az. (10/8/17 w/ Phi.). • TE HUNTER HENRY has 60+ rec. yards & TD catch in 2 of past 3 on road. • LB MATTHEW JUDON had 1st FR of season last week. Had sack in only career game vs. Az. (9/15/19 w/ Bal.). Has 3.5 sacks in his past 2 on MNF. Ranks 2nd in NFL with 13 sacks. • LB JOSH UCHE had career-high 7 tackles, 2 sacks & 1st-career FF in in Week 13. Aims for 3rd in row with sack. • DT DAVON GODCHAUX tied career high with team-high 10 tackles last week. • DB KYLE DUGGER had 5 tackles & 2 PD last week. Has PD in 2 of past 3. • DB MARCUS JONES (rookie) had 48-yard TD catch in Week 13 & has TD in 2 of past 3.

CARDS NOTES:

LAST WEEK Bye (L 25-24 vs. L.A. Chargers in Week 12)

COACH VS. OPP. Kliff Kingsbury: 0-1

PTS. FOR 22.0

OFFENSE 334.8

PASSING Kyler Murray: 258-389-2,359-14-7-87.1

RUSHING James Conner: 121-476-3.9-4

RECEIVING DeAndre Hopkins: 49-574-11.7-3

PTS. AGAINST 26.8

DEFENSE 356.2

SACKS J.J. Watt: 6.5

INTs Seven tied: 1

TAKE/GIVE +1 (14/13)

PUNTING (NET) Andy Lee: 46.9 (39.6)

KICKING Matt Prater: 43 (13/13 PAT; 10/11 FG)

QB KYLER MURRAY had 3 TDs (2 pass, 1 rush) vs. INT for 89.9 rating in Week 12. Has 11 career games with 2+ TD passes & 1+ rush TD, tied 2nd-most by player in 1st 4 seasons all-time. Has 95+ rating in 3 of his past 4 starts. Aims for his 4th start in row with 2+ TD passes. • RB JAMES CONNER had season-high 140 scrimmage yards (120 rush, 20 rec.) & 1st rec. TD of season in Week 12. Has 50+ scrimmage yards in each of his 9 games in 2022. Aims for his 3rd in row on MNF & 4th in row overall with TD. • WR DEANDRE HOPKINS had 87 rec. yards & 3rd rec. TD of season in Week 12. Has 85+ rec. yards in 5 of his 6 games in 2022. Needs 1 catch for his 9th-career 50-catch season. Since 2013, leads NFL in receptions (838) & ranks 2nd in rec. yards (11,155). Aims for his 5th in row vs. NE with 5+ catches. Has 50+ rec. yards in 11 of his 12 career MNF games. • WR MARQUISE BROWN aims for his 7th in row with 5+ catches. Has 5 rec. TDs in 5 career Monday games & aims for his 4th in row on MNF with TD catch. • DE J.J. WATT had sack & PD in Week 12. Ranks 5th among active players with 108.5 career sacks. Had 3 PD in his last game vs. NE (11/22/20 w/ Hou.). • DE ZACH ALLEN had sack & PD in Week 12. Has career highs in sacks (4.5) & TFL (9) in 2022 & leads all DL with career-high 7 PD this season. • LB ISAIAH SIMMONS had 3rd sack of season in Week 12. Aims for his 5th in row with TFL. Has 5+ tackles in 5 of his past 6. • S BUDDA BAKER has 5+ tackles in 11 of his 12 games this season & needs 10 tackles for his 4th-career 100-tackle season.

New England has won its last four road trips to Arizona, a streak that started in 1993. The last time the Patriots went on the road against the Cardinals, Jimmy Garoppolo led a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter for a 23-21 Pats win in Week 1 of 2016.
The Patriots have dropped back-to-back games after a home loss to the Bills in Week 13, 24-10. New England has not lost three straight games since 2020. They are one of just seven NFL teams without a three-game losing streak since the start of 2021.
Rhamondre Stevenson led the Patriots in carries and receptions last week and leads the team in both categories on the season. The last Pats player to do that for an entire season was Tony Collins in 1987.
The Cardinals are 1-6 at home this season, including a 25-24 loss to the Chargers in Week 12. Arizona is 11-27-1 (.295) at home since 2018, worst in the NFL.
James Conner ran for 120 yards in the Cardinals’ loss to the Chargers. It was the first time Conner’s team lost when he had 100 yards (8-1-1). It was also Conner’s first 100-yard game with Cardinals (in 24 games) after nine 100-yard games with the Steelers (in 50 games).
The Cardinals lead the NFL with 32 fourth-down attempts this season and have converted 50 percent of them. The Patriots have held opponents to just five fourth-down conversions this season on 17 attempts (29.4 percent), the second-lowest mark in the NFL (Car, 27.3).

Titans activate 2, put starting LB David Long Jr. on IR

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The Tennessee Titans activated wide receiver Racey McMath and defensive back Josh Thompson off injured reserve for their game against Jacksonville, but put starting inside linebacker David Long Jr. on that list with an injured hamstring.

Long was sidelined by the injury last week. Tennessee has 15 players on injured reserve – starting inside linebacker Zach Cunningham went on the list Nov. 12 with an injured elbow.

The Titans (7-5) host the Jaguars on Sunday.

McMath went on injured reserve on Aug. 31 with a broken hip, and both he and Thompson resumed practicing with the team Wednesday.

McMath, a sixth-round pick out of LSU in 2021, has two career catches and has mostly been a special teams player for Tennessee.

With wide receiver Treylon Burks among six Titans out against Jacksonville (4-8), Tennessee signed wide receiver Chris Conley along with linebacker Jack Gibbens and cornerback Greg Mabin from the practice squad.

The Titans waived defensive lineman Larrell Murchison and offensive lineman Jordan Roos. They are elevating running back Julius Chestnut, who became the 76th person to play for the Titan last week, along with defensive back Davontae Harris.

AP source: Saints fined for violating rule on faking injury

NEW YORK (AP) The NFL has fined the New Orleans Saints $350,000 and gave additional fines to two coaches and a player for faking an injury during a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a person familiar with the penalty told The Associated Press on Saturday.

Coach Dennis Allen received a $100,000 fine, co-defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen was fined $50,000 and defensive end Cameron Jordan was fined $50,000 for the delay in the fourth quarter of the Buccaneers’ 17-16 comeback win Monday night, according to the person, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the league does not announce fines.

Pro Football Talk was first to report the fines.

The Saints denied purposefully delaying the game in Tampa, describing medical attention Jordan sought before and afterward, and said they planned to appeal the fines.

Jordan expressed his displeasure with the fine on Twitter: “Most expensive fine to date from the (at)NFL came in yesterday. added stressor for no reason.”

In another tweet, he said: “Are fines made by nfl open to public? I just feel like this should be public knowledge. ‘Cause some of the fines are silly but this 1. ridiculous. Anyways & for what a `deliberate action to delay game’ before a tm punts? …”

Jordan’s agent, Doug Hendrickson, posted on Twitter that he plans to appeal.

“We are appealing the idiotic fine by (at)NFL what a joke – (at)camjordan94 more details to follow. ,” Hendrickson wrote.

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

In their statement denying the NFL’s assertion, the Saints detailed Jordan’s injury:

“Defensive end Cameron Jordan felt foot pain following a third down play and sought medical attention,” the team said. “He entered the blue medical tent and was examined by the medical staff and following the examination he was taped and able to finish the game. He had an MRI performed the following day in New Orleans and was confirmed that he suffered an acute mid-foot sprain in his left foot. He has been at the facility each day receiving treatment for his injury he suffered on the play.”

A Week 14 bye gives the Saints (4-9) a brief reprieve before they try to avoid their first 10-loss season since 2005. New Orleans remains mathematically alive in the NFC South but traila Tampa Bay by 2 1/2 games with four to play.

Thompson scores 34, Warriors beat Celtics in Finals rematch

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Six months later, the Splash Brothers were still feeling it from all over the court against the Celtics and delivered one of their team’s signature wins of the season so far.

Klay Thompson scored 34 points, Stephen Curry added 32 with six 3-pointers and Golden State beat Boston 123-107 on Saturday night in a rematch of this year’s NBA Finals won by the Warriors in six games.

“We gutted it out,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Steph and Klay obviously had it rolling so we were making shots.”

Jordan Poole had 20 points starting in place of injured Andrew Wiggins despite shooting 1 for 9 from long range.

Thompson scored 12 of his points in the opening quarter shooting 5 of 9 and had 24 by halftime. Curry shot 12 for 21 and had seven assists and six rebounds playing 37 minutes.

The Warriors were coming off a 124-123 loss at Utah on Wednesday night that Thompson called a “collapse.”

“It’s always nice to respond with a great performance and we did that tonight,” Thompson said.

Jaylen Brown had 31 points and nine rebounds, Jayson Tatum scored 18 points and Malcolm Brogdon added 16 off the bench for Boston, which had won eight of nine and three straight and faced Golden State’s stingy defense.

“They tested us,” Celtics interim coach Joe Mazzulla said. “They forced us to work to make the right play.”

Brown scored five straight midway through the fourth with his 3-pointer at the 6:37 mark pulling the Celtics to 105-97. Grant Williams was ejected with 1:52 left.

Poole found Draymond Green for a transition dunk the next time down for the Warriors.

Kevon Looney grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds as Golden State held a 53-39 advantage on the boards.

Tatum missed two free throws with 5:02 remaining then was called for goal-tending moments later on the other end and Curry connected from the top of the arc the next time down to make it 114-99.

“The crowd was excited. We were excited, just the feeling of going against the team the team that you just played in the finals, especially the way they’ve played this year, they’ve just been so good, so dominant,” Kerr said. “I thought we needed a game like that. We’ve been a little bit stuck in the mud.”

RUSSELL’S JERSEY RETIRED

The Warriors retired the No. 6 jersey of late Hall of Famer Bill Russell during a pregame ceremony before facing his former Celtics team. Russell wore the number in all 13 of his seasons with Boston from 1956-69.

Russell, who starred at the University of San Francisco, died July 31 at age 88.

“Just very proud of the legacy that Bill Russell left here in the Bay and across the NBA,” Kerr said.

TIP-INS

Celtics: The Celtics were limited to 17 assists. … F-C Al Horford is in the NBA’s health and safety protocols and Mazzulla had no updates on Horford or C Robert Williams III (left knee surgery) other than to note Williams has had “no setbacks.” … Boston fell to 10-4 on the road after a 125-98 whipping of the Suns on Wednesday for the third time Phoenix has been held below 100 points. … The Celtics lost for the first time vs. the Western Conference after a 7-0 start – and are 3-1 on the road against the West. Boston had won eight of the previous 12 on the Warriors’ home floor.

Warriors: Poole reached 3,000 career points. … Wiggins missed his third straight game with tightness in his right thigh muscle. … The Warriors were just 8 of 23 from 3-point range in the first half and 13 for 39 overall. … Golden State committed three turnovers late in the second that helped Boston to a 7-0 spurt over the final 1:22 of the half that got the Celtics within 68-63 at the break.

UP NEXT

Celtics: Visit the Clippers on Monday night to continue their second-longest road trip of the season that ends the next night against the Lakers.

Warriors: At Milwaukee on Tuesday night to begin a six-game road trip having lost the last two on the Bucks’ home court.

“It’s a huge challenge,” Kerr said.

DeRozan, Bulls rout Luka-less Mavericks, 144-115

CHICAGO (AP) DeMar DeRozan had 28 points and nine rebounds and the Chicago Bulls took advantage of NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic’s absence to rout the Dallas Mavericks 144-115 on Saturday night.

Doncic sat out with a strained right quadriceps. Swingman Josh Green also was out with a right elbow sprain and forward/center Maxi Kleber missed the game because of a sore right foot. Doncic had 33 points and 11 assists in the Mavericks’ 106-105 home loss to Milwaukee on Friday night.

Nikola Vucevic added 20 points and eight rebounds and Ayo Dosunmu had 17 points to help Chicago win its second straight game. Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams and Derrick Jones Jr. scored 16 points and the Bulls shot a season-high 63.5% from the floor in their biggest-offensive output of the season.

“You’re not going to always shoot the ball like that, but the nights you do you appreciate them,” LaVine said. (The Mavericks) did come up with a crazy back-to-back where they got here late, but you’ve got to take advantage it it. I think we did that.”

Just about all the Bulls players pitched in.

“We scored 144 points at it was spread around,” Bulls coach Billy Donavan said. “Zach and Vuce and DeMar are unselfish players that when they don’t have it, they’ll move it and it certainly gets other guys involved.”

Spencer Dinwiddie had 27 points for Dallas and Christian Wood added 21. The Mavs dropped their second game in two nights after winning three straight, allowing the most points in a game this season.

The Mavericks were pressed into a quick turnaround against the Bulls and their fatigue showed on both sides of the ball. Their flight to Chicago arrived at about 3 a.m.

Chicago came out flying early to force turnovers and fast breaks to set the tone.

“We got off to a real good start,” Donovan said. “I thought we played really well on both ends.

The Bulls lead 82-53 at the halftime, setting a team record for points in a first half. Chicago fell just short of its record of 86 points in either half, set in 1990 in a second frame against Phoenix.

“We had three of the top eight (players) out tonight, but that means others get the opportunity,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “But if you give up 82 points in the first half, it’s going to be hard to beat anybody.”

LOVE CELEBRATES 80TH BIRTHDAY

Bob Love, a star of the Bulls’ early teams for nine seasons starting in 1968, was in a United Center suite to celebrate his 80th birthday. The three-time All-Star was the second Bulls player to have his number retired.

TIP-INS

Mavericks: Coach Jason Kidd said before the game he expects updates Doncic, Green and Kleber on Monday. . G Kemba Walker played for the first time since signing with the Mavs on Nov. 29.

Bulls: LaVine said he plans to play in Atlanta on Sunday. The star guard has been held out of the the second of Chicago’s four back-to-back games three times this season as he continues to manage left knee injury. . G Alex Caruso left the game with bruised tailbone and is day-to-day. … G Javonte Green missed his third game with a knee contusion.

UP NEXT:

Mavericks: Host Oklahoma City on Monday night.

Bulls: At Atlanta on Sunday night.

LeVert scores 22 points, Cavaliers beat Thunder 110-102

CLEVELAND (AP) Caris LeVert scored 22 points, Evan Mobley had 21 points and 12 rebounds and the Cleveland Cavaliers never trailed in a 110-102 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night.

Jarrett Allen had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Darius Garland added 13 points and eight assists for Cleveland, which is an NBA-best 12-2 at home. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell missed his second straight game with a sore right lower leg.

“I’m just trying to come through when my teammates need me,” said LeVert, who made 4 of 9 3-pointers. “It was great when we got things going as a group. And defensively, we were great all night. I know I would not want to play against Evan and J.A.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the third-leading scorer in the NBA at 31.1 points per game, led Oklahoma City with 23. Aleksej Pokusevski added 16 points and a season-high tying 14 rebounds, and Josh Giddey had 17 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.

Mobley gave Cleveland its largest lead at 72-55 with two free throws midway through the third quarter, but the Thunder rallied to tie it at 89 on a layup by Jalen Williams.

The Cavaliers immediately went back in front on Mobley’s 3-pointer, beginning a 15-4 run that was punctuated by Allen’s three-point play on a dunk.

“Mobley and Allen are really active and bouncy in the paint,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. “I thought (Pokusevski) hung in there physically with them, which was good because they’re so strong down low.”

Lamar Stevens added 10 points and seven rebounds, and Cedi Osman and Isaac Okoro had eight points apiece off the bench for the Cavaliers. Cleveland is 11-0 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse with Mitchell in the lineup and 1-2 when he doesn’t play.

“We could have folded and let their run keep going, but we got back into the defensive mindset and held our own,” Allen said. “We know if we play our game, we’re able to beat anybody.”

Oklahoma City, which is 2-2 on a five-game road trip, received 12 points from Isaiah Joe and 11 points from Williams. Gilgeous-Alexander fouled out for the first time in 267 career games.

DIET CUP OF JOE

Joe has attempted 61 3-pointers and just 11 field goals within the arc on the season. Daigneault is pleased to see the third-year guard embracing his role on the perimeter.

“I think 90% of his shots are threes and that’s a very good diet for Isaiah Joe,” Daigneault said. “We’re trying to educate the guys on what a healthy diet would be, so to speak, shooting the ball.”

Two-way G Lindy Waters III has even more dramatic splits with 22 of his 23 field goal attempts being 3-pointers. He is 7 of 22 from deep and 1 of 1 on two-point tries.

TIP-INS

Thunder: G Kenrich Williams (right knee sprain) did not travel to Cleveland and will miss the remainder of its trip. Daigneault said the injury is not a day-to-day situation, but doesn’t appear to be a long-term issue. . Oklahoma City has lost four straight to the Cavaliers.

Cavaliers: F Kevin Love (low back soreness) sat out his second game in a row and F Dean Wade (left shoulder sprain) has been sidelined for four straight. . G Ricky Rubio (left knee) and G Dylan Windler (right ankle sprain) were inactive. . Cleveland has sold out all 14 home games.

UP NEXT

Thunder: At Dallas on Monday night.

Cavaliers: At San Antonio on Monday night.

Mitch Marner scores in OT as Maple Leafs edge Flames 5-4

TORONTO (AP) Mitch Marner scored 43 seconds into overtime to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-4 victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday night.

The winner came on the power play after Calgary’s Jonathan Huberdeau took a high-sticking penalty on the opening faceoff of the extra period.

Marner also picked up an assist in the first period to extend his franchise-record point streak to 22 games. He has 11 goals and 19 assists within that stretch.

The Maple Leafs (18-5-6) improved to 11-0-3 in their last 14 contests, while the Flames (13-11-4) lost their second in a row.

William Nylander had two goals and three assists for Toronto, and Auston Matthews had a goal and two assists. Michael Bunting also scored in front of a crowd of 18,857 at Scotiabank Arena.

Only 29 games into the season, the 26-year-old Nylander has scored 17 times, halfway to his career-high 34 goals from just a season ago.

“Obviously, tonight he carries our team and is basically the reason we get two points,” said Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray, who made 22 saves.

“He’s just a stud. He’s incredibly gifted. He works hard. I’ve said this a bunch of times, but he just seems to win a ton of 50/50 battles. That goes to his strength and his dedication to win those battles.”

Nylander pinned his solid play on his skating.

“That’s the most important thing for me and helping me create space and get chances out there,” he said.

Noah Hanifin scored twice for Calgary, and Andrew Mangiapane had two assists.

Murray made a shoulder save on a Blake Coleman short-handed breakaway for one of his stops. Toronto went the other way for the game’s opening goal from Matthews on an early power play for his sixth in seven games.

However, a Matthews turnover inside the Flames’ blue line led to a tying goal from Hanifin 9:13 into the first.

It was the first goal allowed by the Maple Leafs in 129:13 after Murray and backup Ilya Samsonov posted back-to-back shutouts this week.

Marner failed to close in time on a trailing Nazem Kadri, and the former Maple Leafs center put Calgary in front 2-1 at 12:52 of the first.

Toronto drew even with another power-play goal. This time, a Nylander wrist shot beat Dan Vladar, who finished with 29 saves. Marner made a short pass to Rasmus Sandin, who found his fellow Swede for his second assist in the first period.

?(Nylander) still has a long way to go in terms of fulfilling his potential,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “I think he can and will be in that top tier of players.”

The Flames grabbed the lead for the second time 11:11 into the second. Mikael Backlund hit the post, but fourth-liner Trevor Lewis knocked in the rebound.

Calgary was the better team in the second, but Matthews bailed out his team late in the middle frame. He forced a turnover behind the Flames goal, and the puck squirted out to a wide-open Nylander for his 17th goal of the season.

A harmless shot from Hanifin was bobbled by Murray and snuck through his pads for a power-play goal and a 4-3 Calgary lead at 3:31 of the third period.

But Bunting knocked in a rebound off the end boards to tie the game for a fourth time less than three minutes later.

ROBERTSON OUT

The Maple Leafs announced forward Nick Robertson would miss the next six to eight weeks with a shoulder injury suffered against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. To take his place, Joey Anderson was recalled from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies for his season debut with the Maple Leafs.

UP NEXT

Flames: At Montreal on Monday night in the finale of a three-game trip.

Maple Leafs: Host Anaheim on Tuesday night in the finale of a three-game homestand.

Stars win in OT again, 3-2 over Detroit on Lundkvist winner

DALLAS (AP) The Dallas Stars got another late overtime goal, this one from rookie defenseman Nils Lundkvist to beat the Detroit Red Wings.

After losing their first five games this season that went past regulation, the Stars have won in the final half-minute of overtime in back-to-back games that were played in less than 48 hours. Lundkvist scored with 30.6 seconds left Saturday for a 3-2 win.

“We lost the opening draw and didn’t touch the puck for the first three minutes again. But I just think it’s a confidence thing,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “I don’t have an answer. We haven’t practiced it more. We haven’t spent time on video on it. … We needed to win one and feel good about it, and that carried over.”

Their afternoon game before a five-game trip came after the Stars beat Ottawa 4-3 on Thursday night, when Tyler Seguin scored with 29 seconds left in OT.

David Perron scored for the Red Wings in his 1,000th career NHL game.

The game-winner by Lundkvist, his third goal of the the season, came after Mason Marchment forced a turnover and delivered a spot-on pass to the defenseman skating to the left of goaltender Ville Husso.

“A turnover in 3-3 … it happened to be 2-on-1, and (Marchment) put it in a great spot,” said Lundkvist, the third NHL rookie with an OT goal this season, and only the 10th in Stars franchise history with one.

Husso had 30 saves. Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger stopped 24 shots.

Both captains had go-ahead goals in the game. Dylan Larkin skated off the Red Wings bench to score for a 1-0 lead in the first period, and Jamie Benn had a power-play goal in the second that put Dallas up 2-1.

Perron’s ninth goal this season, and 278th of his career, tied the game at 2 with a minute left in the second period. He tipped in Ben Chiarot’s 56-foot shot after a faceoff, even while engaged with a defender at the edge of the net.

“That’s a David Perron-type goal. Simple play when he got hard to the net, got a stick on it,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said.

“Just a lucky bounce,” Perron said. “I’m going to the net, I’m not trying to do anything. And I feel that go off my stick and then in the net somehow.”

Larkin scored on a slap shot from the top of the left circle. He was coming off the bench when he took a pass from Austin Czarnik, who started the Detroit rush after picking off the puck at the other end to stop an odd-man chance for the Stars.

Denis Gurianov scored on a nifty pass from Marchment late in the first to even the score.

Marchment went down in the corner with about five minutes left in the second after taking a stick to the face from Jake Walman, who got a double-minor penalty. The Stars capitalized on Benn’s 11th goal from between the circles.

PERRON’s 1K

Perron is he fourth player this season and 374th overall to reach 1,000 career games. The 34-year-old Perron is in his 16th NHL season, his first with Detroit. The Quebec-born forward won a Stanley Cup title with St. Louis in 2019 and has 686 career points (278 goals, 408 assists).

NOTES: Detroit earned points in three of its games during a four-game trip (2-1-1), with the OT loss coming two days after a 5-1 loss to Florida. … Jason Robertson’s 19th assist, on Benn’s goal, came after he went without a point the previous two games to end his Dallas-record point streak of 18 games. … Benn has 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) while playing all 28 games this season.

UP NEXT

Detroit is home against Carolina on Tuesday night.

Dallas is at Pittsburgh on Monday night, the first of five road games in eight days.

TOP INDIANA RELEASES

PACERS BASKETBALL: Game Rewind: Pacers 133, Nets 136

All the focus heading into Saturday’s Pacers game was on who the Nets did not have on the second night of a back-to-back.

But with their stars sidelined, Brooklyn’s reserves showed their mettle, going toe-to-toe with Indiana and closing strong to come away with a surprise 136-133 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Nets (16-12) held eight players out of Saturday’s contest, including their seven leading scorers and all five of their usual starters. But young players like Cam Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe, and former Pacer Edmond Sumner stepped up and Brooklyn outscrapped the Pacers (14-13).

Thomas scored 21 of his team-high 33 points in the fourth quarter and the Nets scored 37 second-chance points off of 29 offensive rebounds to pull out the win.

The loss spoiled a brilliant performance by Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who scored a season-high 35 points, going 12-for-15 from the field and 7-for-8 from 3-point range, while also dishing out nine assists.

Veteran Patty Mills scored 24 points and dished out six assists for Brooklyn, second-year forward Sharpe recorded a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds and Sumner tallied 21 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in his first game back at Gainbridge Fieldhouse against his former team.

Indiana led 117-108 with under seven minutes remaining on Saturday before Brooklyn mounted a 12-3 charge, tying the game at 120 on Mills’ floater with 3:42 to play.

Myles Turner’s basket at the other end put the Pacers back in front, only for Thomas to answer with a runner on the other end.

After a Buddy Hield miss, Nets forward Yuta Watanabe was fouled. He hit the first free throw, but missed the second, but got his own miss and kicked to Mills on the right corner for a three that pushed the Nets’ lead to four.

A Watanabe putback the next trip down the floor made it 128-124. Turner hit a pair of free throws with 1:41 remaining, but Thomas got to the lane and drilled a runner to pad the visitors’ cushion. Turner missed a trey on the other end and Thomas seemingly closed out the game with eighth field goal of the frame.

The Pacers managed to scrap and claw in the final minute, cutting the deficit to two on Hield’s three with 15.2 seconds to play. The Blue & Gold then fouled Sumner with 6.4 seconds left and the former Pacer hit just one of two foul shots, leaving the door open for Indiana.

Haliburton raced down the floor and dished to Andrew Nembhard on the right wing, but the rookie couldn’t get a contested three to fall as Brooklyn held on.

It was a hard-earned win for a Nets squad missing most of its top players.

Royce O’Neale missed the game for personal reasons and Nic Claxton (hamstring) did not play in Friday’s game against Atlanta, but all the other players who sat out — including All-Stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving — were active the previous night. Five of those players, including Durant, were said to be sitting for “injury management,” while Irving was sidelined with left adductor tightness.

“I was very impressed with the guys that played for them,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game. “These guys played hard, they were aggressive, they were fearless, they attacked, and they earned the win.”

The Pacers connected on their first three shots — all 3-pointers — to take an early 9-7 lead, but Brooklyn responded with a 17-6 run to surge ahead. Sumner scored 11 of the Nets’ first 24 points — including seven unanswered to cap the visitors’ run.

The Nets led 31-22 following Sumner’s 3-pointer with 5:28 remaining in the opening frame. Indiana finally was able to string together some stops at that point, holding Brooklyn without a field goal for the next 3:14 of game time.

Haliburton scored five of his 16 first quarter points during that stretch to help Indiana briefly tie the game. The Pacers moved in front a couple minutes later on Aaron Nesmith’s three in the final minute, but Thomas answered with a bucket on the other end, then added a free throw on the next possession to give the Nets a 40-38 advantage after one.

That lead didn’t last long into the second quarter, however. Nembhard hit a jumper to tie the game on the Pacers’ first possession of the frame, then T.J. McConnell jump a passing lane on the ensuing inbound and put the ball up and in to give Indiana the lead.

That was the start of a 15-3 run by the Blue & Gold to open the quarter. The Blue & Gold led 53-43 at the 7:57 mark, only for the Nets to reel off 12 unanswered points and re-take the lead on Sumner’s layup at 6:01.

The Pacers quickly resumed control with a 3-point barrage, as Hield, Oshae Brissett, and Haliburton each converted a trey during a 9-2 spurt.

The Blue & Gold closed the quarter with a flurry, as Haliburton drained his fifth three of the half in the final minute and then McConnell stole another inbound and found Bennedict Mathurin for a three-point play. That helped Indiana set a new season high for points in the first half and take a 76-69 lead into the break.

The Pacers gradually extended their lead out of halftime. Haliburton’s sixth triple of the night pushed the lead to 94-80 with 6:26 remaining in the frame.

The undermanned Nets continued to fight, however. Brooklyn mounted an 11-2 run to climb back within five. That’s where the margin remained entering the fourth quarter, as the Blue & Gold took a 100-95 lead into the final frame.

The visitors’ rally carried over into the fourth and Brooklyn tied the game at 105 following back-to-back dunks by Sharpe and David Duke Jr. That forced a timeout from Carlisle, who subbed starters Haliburton, Hield, and Turner back in.

The move immediately paid off, as Haliburton drilled yet another three out of the timeout to put the Pacers back in front. Turner then added a dunk and a three of his own during a 12-3 Indiana run that seemingly put Indiana in control.

But Thomas and the Nets ultimately charged back to steal the win.

“It felt like things were in a good place, but these guys kept coming,” Carlisle said. “Give them a lot of credit for the game that they put out there. It’s a great win for them and it’s a very tough loss for us.”

Seven Pacers finished in double figures on the night. Hield had 17 points on 4-of-8 3-point shooting, Turner scored 12 of his 16 in the second half, and Brissett tallied 14 off the bench.

Mathurin and Jalen Smith added 13 points apiece and Nesmith had 12, but it wasn’t enough, as the Pacers fell for the first time this season when playing on the second night of a back-to-back.

Markieff Morris had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Nets, while Watanabe added 10 points and seven boards.

The Pacers will hope to bounce back on Monday when they host Miami before closing out their homestand against defending champion Golden State on Wednesday.

Inside the Numbers

Haliburton’s 35 points were eight more than his season high and three shy of his career high of 38, set while playing for Sacramento in Philadelphia on Jan. 29 of last season. His seven 3-pointers were a new career high. He had made six treys in five previous games.

Hield has made at least four 3-pointers in each of his last five games.

Brissett reached double figures for the second straight game and the fourth time in his last six contests.

Indiana went 21-for-44 (47.7 percent) from 3-point range in the loss, two shy of their season high (and franchise record) for threes made in a game, a mark they set against the Nets in Brooklyn on Oct. 29. It was the Pacers’ third game this season with at least 20 3-pointers.

Thomas scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, going 8-for-11 from the field, 2-for-2 from 3-point range, and 2-for-3 from the free throw line in the frame. He is the sixth player in the NBA this season to score that many points in the final frame, joining a list that includes Darius Garland (27 points), Joel Embiid (26), Norman Powell (22), Anthony Davis (21), and Irving (21).

You Can Quote Me On That

“Giving up 29 offensive rebounds, it’s an effort statistic. We just really had a poor effort. The ball goes in there, it’s up for grabs. They had almost as many offensive rebounds as we had total rebounds (30), which is hard to fathom.” -Carlisle

“That’s really what it was. I felt like we weren’t connected and they wanted it more than us and they did all they could to get the win.” -Brissett

“They’re NBA players. They’ve got a lot of young guys that want to prove themselves in this league. We did the same thing (when undermanned) in Golden State.” -Haliburton

“We disrespected them. That’s on our part. We’ve just got to continue to treat it like if KD and Kyrie (were) out there and make sure we’re just locking in.” -Smith

“It’s one of the few times this year we weren’t together for the full 48 minutes. That’s been the hallmark of this team.” -Carlisle

“Just trying to be aggressive. I thought we needed a little bit of a boost in that first quarter and felt like I had it going. Just trying to stay aggressive all night, but I’ve got to be better defensively.” -Haliburton on his big offensive night

Stat of the Night

The Nets, who didn’t have a player over 6-9 on Saturday, outrebounded the Pacers 59-30 overall and 29-7 on the offensive glass, outscoring Indiana 37-12 on second chance points.

Brooklyn’s 29 offensive rebounds are the most by any NBA team in a game since March 20, 2015, when Milwaukee had 38 offensive boards in a triple-overtime game against Denver. The last time a team had at least 29 offensive rebounds in a regulation game was on Jan. 18, 2012, when the Pacers allowed 30 offensive boards to Sacramento.

Noteworthy

The Pacers are now 5-1 on the season when playing on the second night of a back-to-back. They entered the night tied with Boston for the most wins in the league without a loss when playing on no rest.

Brooklyn scored 41 points in the fourth quarter, the most points by a Pacers opponent in the final frame this season.

Each team was assessed a flagrant-1 foul for a dangerous close-out in the game, with Nembhard getting whistled for one in the second quarter and Sumner receiving the same determination in the fourth.

Seven Pacers scored in double figures for the second time this season. Indiana has dropped both of those contests, but is 10-0 when exactly six players score 10 or more points.

Up Next

The Pacers continue their homestand on Monday, Dec. 12 at 7:00 PM ET against Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat.

INDY FUEL: Indy Falls To Toledo 4-1

TOLEDO– The Fuel made the trip to Toledo for a Saturday night matchup against the fifth place Walleye, where they ultimately fell 4-1 in regulation with one goal by Cam Hillis for the Fuel and all four goals for the Walleye scored on the power play.

The first half of the first period went by quickly with no goals or penalties for either team. After twelve minutes, Toledo’s Brett Boeing was called for tripping but Indy was unable to capitalize on the advantage. The Fuel took two penalties and ultimately gave up a power play goal to Kirill Tyutyayev with three minutes to go in the period.

The second period saw two power play goals from Toledo, one by John Albert and the other by Tyutyayev, his second of the game. The Fuel caught up in shots on goal towards the end of the period but were still outshot 27-23 through the first two frames.

The third period began with a five minute major penalty for the Fuel’s Kale Howarth and as a result, the Walleye scored their fourth of the game courtesy of Joseph Nardi.

After a handful of fights and penalties handed out, Cam Hillis scored the Fuel’s first goal of the game, breaking the shutout. This was the Fuel’s eighth shorthanded goal of the season.

The Fuel had a few more chances but ran out of time in regulation and ultimately fell to Toledo 5-4.

Indy hosts the Wheeling Nailers on Wednesday, December 14 where they hope to bounce back and remain in first place in the Central Division.

INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL: No. 14/11 Indiana Falls to No. 10/9 Arizona in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS — Indiana refused to concede.

That’s the good Las Vegas Clash news.

It learned plenty about what it needs to improve.

That’s more good news from Saturday night’s 89-75 loss to No. 10 Arizona.

It couldn’t get crucial crunch-time defensive stops.

That was the deal breaker.

“I don’t think we played well,” coach Mike Woodson told Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer during the post-game radio show, “and Arizona had a lot to do with it.”

Forteenth-ranked IU (8-2) withstood a series of Arizona runs that might have broken most teams. It fought back again and again, but never overcame an early 17-0 Wildcat surge that produced a 19-point deficit.

“We fought,” Woodson told Fischer. “I told them, I can’t fault the effort.

“When you’re down early like that, you have to keep fighting to get back in it. They’d build another lead and we’d come back. It was too much.”

Forward Race Thompson led the Hoosiers with 16 points (making 4-of-7 three-pointers) and nine rebounds.

Guard Xavier Johnson’s maturity and poise helped spark IU’s second-half comeback. He finished with 11 points and 11 assists.

Foul trouble and aggressive Arizona defense limited forward Trayce Jackson-Davis to 11 points and five rebounds before fouling out.

Forward Miller Kopp (14 points) and guard Tamar Bates (13 points) also reached double figures.

Back spasms again sidelined freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino.

IU had spent the season dominating inside. Not against a big, fast Arizona team. The Wildcats (8-1) finished with a 42-22 points-in-the-paint advantage, plus had an 18-6 edge in points off turnovers.

“I look at the stat sheet and we give up 89 points,” Woodson told Fischer. “This is a great offensive team. I get it. They’re big; they have great guard play. We knew their starting five would get the bulk of the minutes. We had no answer for it.”

Arizona, which ranks third nationally in scoring at 91.5 points, set a furious pace that the Hoosiers, who are built for full-throttle play, couldn’t match.

“They out-ran our bigs,” Woodson told Fischer. “They led in rebounding 44-34. We’re not going to beat good teams doing that. I have to get our guys better in that area. I’ve got to get better to help them.”

Free throws were another big factor. Arizona was 17-for-25 from the line. IU was 7-for-9.

“They shot 16 more free throws,” Woodson told Fischer. “Either they were the aggressors, or we didn’t get any calls. I’ll watch the tape. It shouldn’t be lopsided like that.”

A high-intensity start saw early baskets from Trey Galloway, Jackson-Davis and Thompson. Still, Arizona led 7-6 after four minutes. Seconds later, Johnson picked up his second foul and had to come out. With Hood-Schifino sidelined, Bates got an early playing chance.

Arizona went on the attack, pushed the pace and surged ahead 27-8 after nine minutes. The Hoosiers were just 4-for-15 from the field with five turnovers. Woodson called a timeout to settle things down. Johnson came back in, and hit a couple of free throws to end a 17-0 Wildcat run.

Then Indiana made a move. Thompson hit three three-pointers. Johnson was 4-for-4 from the line to offset 0-for-5 from the field. IU began getting back on defense to slow the Wildcats as it hadn’t before.

A 19-point deficit was cut to five, at 36-31, with 3:37 left.

Arizona pushed back for a 13-point lead before IU got it to 46-36 at halftime. The Hoosiers’ eight turnovers resulted in a 16-2 Wildcat edge in points off turnovers. Add a 22-10 Arizona edge in points in the paint, and Woodson had plenty to discuss.

The Hoosiers paid attention.

IU opened the second half by forcing an Arizona turnover then getting inside baskets from Thompson and Johnson to cut the lead to six. The Hoosiers closed to 47-42. The Wildcats responded with an 8-0 run for a 13-point lead. The Hoosiers countered with their own 8-0 run, then got three-pointers from Johnson and Bates. IU trailed 59-56 with 12 minutes left and had plenty of momentum.

Arizona took it back with three-point sharp-shooting to build its lead to 74-60. Kopp hit a three-pointer. Bates added a jumper. Thompson hit his fourth three-pointer. Kopp hit his fourth 3-pointer. The Hoosiers were within six, then five.

They needed a couple of stops to have a chance.

They never got them.

IU has a week break for finals before playing at No. 6 Kansas (9-1) next Saturday.

“We have a week to prepare for Kansas,” Woodson told Fischer. “We have to retool some things.”

PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL: #4 Purdue Holds Off Nebraska in Overtime 65-62

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Purdue star Zach Edey was getting double- and triple-teamed whenever he touched the ball in the post, his teammates weren’t shooting particularly well, and Nebraska reserve Keisei Tominaga was hot.

The fourth-ranked Boilermakers still passed this test, beating the Cornhuskers 65-62 in overtime Saturday in their Big Ten road opener.

“Can you can you find a way to win a game when you don’t shoot the ball well? We were able to do that,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “But Nebraska deserved to win the game just as much as we did. I thought they were really good.”

Fletcher Loyer scored a season-high 22 points and fellow freshman Braden Smith made four free throws in the last 28 seconds of overtime to give Purdue (10-0, 2-0 Big Ten) two straight wins to open conference play for the first time since 2017-18.

Edey had 11 points and 17 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season, but his quiet afternoon offensively allowed the Cornhuskers (6-5, 0-2) to keep things close throughout.

“There are no moral victories, and there was a lot of dejection in that locker room,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said. “The way they went out and battled, if we do that every night, we’re going to have a chance.”

Purdue shot 30% after halftime and 39.7% for the game. The Huskers shot just 31.9%.

Tominaga was the exception. He had 12 of his 19 points after halftime and finished with four 3s, two coming as he led the Huskers back from a 14-point deficit in the second half and his biggest tying it 56-all with 9.1 seconds left.

The game went to overtime when Loyer was off the mark with a 3 just before the buzzer. Loyer was just 9 of 21 from the field, including 2 of 10 on 3s.

“It was there all night and a few didn’t fall,” he said, “but they kept giving it to me, my teammates kept encouraging me to keep shooting. When they’re handing it to you like that, you’ve got to keep attacking it.”

Tominaga’s lay-up with 14 seconds left in overtime pulled the Huskers to 63-62, but C.J. Wilcher was called for a foul at midcourt and Smith made two free throws to make it a three-point game.

“We knew coming off the bench he was electric,” Loyer said of Tominaga, “and we kind of let him get going. He made a few very tough shots. When they’re on runs like that, you’ve got to contain a shooter like that.”

Nebraska’s Derrick Walker rebounded Sam Griesel’s missed 3 but lost the ball to Smith, securing Purdue’s win.

Walker and Emmanuel Bandoumel added 14 points apiece for the Huskers, and Walker had 10 rebounds.

Walker was the primary defender on the 7-foot-4 Edey, and two or three teammates would converge whenever the big man received an entry pass.

“Our effort allowed us to stay in that game and our guys kept swinging and fighting and battling,” Hoiberg said. “They’re doing it together. That’s what I’m most proud of. Unfortunately, we didn’t shoot the ball very well tonight.”

BIG PICTURE

Purdue: The Boilermakers had to gut this one out as Edey was held to his lowest point total of the season. Edey also was held to his fewest shots, going 5 for 7, in 43 minutes. He blocked a career-high seven shots.

Nebraska: The Huskers finished a stretch of three games against ranked opponents, nearly beating their highest-ranked opponent since 2011.

(Postgame Notes)

For just the eighth time in school history, Purdue has started its season with a 10-0 record after defeating Nebraska in overtime, 65-62, at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

The Boilermakers have finished 10-0 or better four times in the last 85 years (1993-94 – 14-0; 2009-10 – 14-0; 2015-16 – 11-0). The other years came in 1910-11 (11-0), 1911-12 (12-0), 1927-28 (10-0) and 1936-37 (11-0).

Matt Painter has been the head coach of three of the eight 10-0 (or better) starts in school history.

With the win, Purdue is 2-0 in Big Ten play for the first time since the 2017-18 season. That team started 12-0 in Big Ten play.

The Boilermakers have now won three straight overtime games after going 2-0 (North Carolina State, at Illinois) a year ago.

Purdue is the first team in America to have five KenPom top-100 wins (Marquette, West Virginia, Gonzaga, Duke, Nebraska).

Despite going to overtime, Nebraska led for just 39 seconds during the contest, including no leads in regulation. Purdue has trailed for just 29 minutes, 5 seconds, in its last seven games (West Virginia, Gonzaga, Duke, Florida State, Minnesota, Hofstra, Nebraska).

Purdue has made 164 free throws this season, while opponents have shot just 105. Purdue has outscored its opponents 164 to 74 (9.0 points per game).

Purdue has started 2-0 in road games for the first time since the 2017-18 season. That team started 7-0 in road games.

The victory was No. 394 for Matt Painter at Purdue, now needing six wins to become the fifth coach in Big Ten history with 400 wins at a Big Ten school.

The win was also No. 196 in Big Ten play, needing four wins to become seventh coach in Big Ten history with 200 victories.

Purdue was just 7-of-14 from the free throw line in regulation, but went 5-of-6 in overtime.

Fletcher Loyer scored a career-high 22 points, making 9-of-21 field goal attempts. Over the last six games, Loyer is averaging 15.8 points and 3.7 assists per game.

Zach Edey saw his streak of eight straight games of 20 or more points end, but he finished with 11 points, 17 rebounds and a career-high 7 blocks. He played 43 minutes, the most he’s played in his career by 10 minutes.

For the season, Edey has 23 blocked shots against 19 fouls in 317 minutes.

Edey was named the KenPom Game MVP for the 10th straight game to start the season, the longest stretch to start a season in KenPom history and the second-longest streak all-time.

Over the last three games, Edey is averaging 22.3 points, 19.0 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots.

Braden Smith had 8 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists and went 4-of-4 from the free throw line in the final 30 seconds of overtime to secure the victory.

PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Purdue Plays Illinois State in Final Home Non-Conference Bout

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team will look to bounce back Sunday afternoon as it closes out the home non-conference slate with a 2 p.m. tip against Illinois State on B1G+.

Sunday marks Purdue’s annual Holiday Bash at Mackey Arena. Mr. and Mrs. Claus will be available for photos along with a fan zone for children of all ages. Fans are encouraged to bring teddy bears and other plush toys for the Teddy Bear Toss at halftime. All toys will be donated to Lafayette urban Ministries.

GAME INFORMATION

Purdue (8-2) vs. Illinois State (6-2)

Sunday, Dec. 11

Time: 2 PM

TV: B1G+

Radio: 95.3 BOB FM

Live Stats: Purduestats.com

LAST TIME OUT

The Boilermakers dropped a heartbreaker to No. 20/21 Maryland on Thursday night, falling 77-74 on a last-second 3-pointer. Abbey Ellis paced Purdue with 18 points off the bench, while Lasha Petree tallied her 10th straight game in double figures with 14 points. The Boilermakers shot 55.3% from the field and led by as many as eight, but Maryland closed the game on a 8-1 run.

NOTES

• Illinois State leads the all-time series 4-5. The two clubs have met three times since 1991, and Purdue knocked off the Redbirds 76-64 last season on the road.

• Abbey Ellis continues to provide a spark off the bench this season with six double-figure games. The Australian international ranks 10th in the nation in scoring among players without a start this year with 12.4 points per game.

• The Boilermakers have dropped a pair of games this season by a combined total of four points.

• Cassidy Hardin knocked down a trio of 3-pointers against Maryland to move up to 176 for her career. She passed Ukari Figgs (174) for ninth in school history.

• In just her second season in West Lafayette, Jeanae Terry has already checked into the top 25 for most assists in a career by a Boilermaker. The Detroit native has 261 dimes in 42 games with Purdue, averaging 6.2 helpers per contest.

• Purdue sits atop the Big Ten and 40th nationally with 15 made free throws per night.

• After the game on Sunday, Purdue will play twice the rest of the calendar year, on the road at Texas A&M (Dec. 21) and Iowa (Dec. 29).

• The Boilermakers rank seventh in the nation and third in the Big Ten with a 50.6% field goal percentage this year.

• Lasha Petree has scored in double figures in every game this season. She ranks sixth in the Big Ten at 19.1 points per game.

BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL: Butler Takes 82-58 Win Over Cal to Close Non-Conference Schedule

Butler cruised to an 82-58 win over Cal Saturday afternoon, putting all five starters in double figures and shooting 55 percent from the field at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif.

Butler closes the non-conference portion of the season with an 8-3 mark; Cal is now 0-11.

KEY STAT: Eric Hunter Jr. picked up the first double-double of his career with 13 points and a career-best 11 rebounds. He added five assists for good measure.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

Simas Lukosius and Jayden Taylor led the Bulldogs with 16 points apiece.

Manny Bates had 12 points and four blocks, which was one shy of his season-high in terms of swats.

Chuck Harris scored 14 points.

Lukosius and Hunter each had five assists, while Harris added four.

Butler shot 55.2 percent from the field, the eighth time in 11 games that the Bulldogs have shot 50 percent or better.

The Bulldogs limited Cal to 3-for-21 shooting (14.3 percent) from behind the arc.

Devin Askew and Grant Newell each had 17 for the Golden Bears, but needed a combined 33 shots to get there.

HOW IT TRANSPIRED:

After Cal climbed within four at 24-20 with 8:11 to play, Butler went on a prolonged 17-4 run over the next seven minutes to take a 41-24 lead and ultimately a 41-26 halftime advantage. Butler shot 57 percent from the field in the first half in taking control of the game.

In the second half, Butler’s lead quickly grew to 20 (51-31) at the 15:16 mark before climbing to 30 for the first time with 7:33 to play (73-43).

OF NOTE:

Butler put all five starters in double figures for the third time this season.

DJ Hughes saw his first action since sustaining a concussion Nov. 24 in the Battle 4 Atlantis win over BYU; Myles Wilmoth got his first minutes of the season after working back from an arm procedure in the preseason.

This was the first meeting between the two programs and the front half of a home-and-home series that will bring Cal to Hinkle Fieldhouse Dec. 9, 2023.

Butler is now 16-11 all-time against current members of the Pac-12 Conference; the Bulldogs have won 11 straight (all since the 2009-10 season). Butler’s last loss to a Pac-12 Conference opponent came against Arizona in the 2001 Tournament, which was part of Thad Matta’s first season as the head coach at Butler.

Through 11 games, Butler has shot 50 percent or better from the field eight times; the Bulldogs hit the 50-percent mark six times all of last season (31 games).

Butler is now 8-0 this season when leading at halftime.

Over the past eight games, Butler has limited its opponents to 25-percent shooting from three-point range (39-155); six of those eight opponents have hit five or less three-pointers.

Myles Tate (illness) missed his second consecutive game. Butler has been without Ali Ali, John-Michael Mulloy, and Jalen Thomas due to injury for the entirety of the regular season thus far.

UP NEXT: Following Finals Week on the Butler campus, the Bulldogs will open BIG EAST play Saturday (Dec. 17), hosting Top 5 UConn at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Welcomes Illinois to Hinkle Fieldhouse on Sunday

INDIANAPOLIS – Butler and Illinois will go head-to-head on Sunday afternoon at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The game is Butler’s last home non-conference matchup of the season. Jon Cupo and Andrew Mild will have the call on FloSports.com. Opening tip will go up at 2 PM.

GameDay

Date: Sunday, Dec. 11

Time: 2:00 PM

Location: Hinkle Fieldhouse

Live Stats: ButlerSports.com – Statbroadcast.com

Watch: FloSports.com – Butler+

Bulldog Bits

– Sunday is Butler’s last home game of 2022 as the ‘Dawgs prep for four-straight road games.

– Sunday is the fifth overall meeting between Butler and Illinois. It’s the first time for Illinois to visit Hinkle Fieldhouse.

– Butler ranks second in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (46.2%) and third in 3-point FG% (39.0).

– Rachel McLimore ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in 3-point field goal percentage (45.2%) and Anna Mortag is tied for sixth (12-28 / 42.9%).

– Shay Frederick has hit a 3-pointer in seven-straight games. She is 10-24 from deep this season (41%).

– Trinity White made her first 3-pointer of the season on Wednesday night while adding a season-high two steals.

– BU averages 7.1 made 3-pointers per game, the fourth-best average in the BIG EAST.

– Jessica Carrothers ranks sixth in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (56.0%) and Sydney Jaynes ranks seventh (55.9%).

– Carrothers is the seventh-best free throw shooter in the BIG EAST, hitting 81.8% from the line.

– The Bulldogs have made 10 or more free throws in five-straight games.

– Carrothers has made three field goals in four-straight games and came up with a career-high five steals vs. the Screaming Eagles.

– BU tied their season-high with 10 steals vs. USI.

– McLimore has a steal in seven-straight games.

– BU has pulled down 10+ offensive rebounds in back-to-back games.

– Butler ranks third in the BIG EAST in defensive rebounds (28.8) and fourth in rebound margin (+7.6).

– Caroline Strande pulled down a career-high eight rebounds in her first-ever BU start. She added a season-high three assists vs. Southern Indiana.

– Tenley Dowell played a season-high 20 minutes vs. Southern Indiana and tied her season-high point total with nine.

Scouting Illinois

First-year head coach Shauna Green has the Fighting Illini off to an 8-2 start to the season. Illinois recently played two conference games taking a 65-61 loss at #5/4 Indiana, but responding with an 80-62 win over Rutgers in their Big Ten home opener. Illinois leads the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense (33.8), 3-point percentage defense (24.5), 3-point percentage (41.8), rebounds per game (44.4), and rebound margin (+12.2). Indiana native Kendall Bostic leads the Big Ten in rebounds and rebounds per game. The Michigan State transfer has 95 on the season to average 9.5 per contest. The top two scoring threats on the roster are guards Makira Cook and Adalia McKenzie. Cook leads the team with her 17.5 scoring average and is near the team lead in three-point shooting (52.6%). McKenzie was a four-star recruit that is already averaging 16.2 points per game as a sophomore.

All-Time Series vs. Illinois

Illinois leads the all-time series against Butler 3-1. The first meeting came during the 1996-97 campaign with the Illini winning on their home court 94-62. Butler’s lone win over the Illini came in the 1998 San Diego Masry and Vititoe Classic. The ‘Dawgs won 81-65 to even the series. Illinois took control of the series with a 65-47 win over BU in the 2006 season opener and they most recently took down the ‘Dawgs in 2021 by the final score of 78-66.

Last Meeting vs. Illinois

Trinity White scored a career-high 21 points in the setback at Illinois last year. BU opened the game with a pair of 3-pointers, but would trail the Illini 17-12 after the first quarter. Illinois went on a 7-0 scoring run in the first quarter and added a 10-0 run in the second to lead BU 31-24 at the half. The Bulldogs continued to fight and would tie the game at 37-37 in the second half. The turning point in the game came midway through the third when De’Myla Brown scored 10-straight points for Illinois. Her scoring spree gave the home team a 49-41 lead and Butler would eventually fall 78-66. McKenzie, Peebles and Bostic all started for Illinois last year. That trio combined for 42 points. Bostic added a game-high 13 rebounds.

Save the Best for Last

Butler has scored 20 points in a quarter 14 times this season. Two times in the first, three times in the second, three times in the third and six times in the fourth quarter.

NCAA Ranking

Butler ranks 16th in the NCAA in 3-point field goal percentage (39.0). The ‘Dawgs made eight 3-pointers in their last game with six coming in the second half. Rachel McLimore, Shay Frederick and Tenley Dowell each had two triples against Southern Indiana. McLimore leads Butler from behind the arc with 14 makes. She shoots it at 45.2%.

Southern Indiana Recap

Butler collected their fifth win of the season with a 58-48 victory over visiting Southern Indiana on Wednesday night. The Bulldogs limited the Screaming Eagles to just 24 second half points to come out on top. BU shot 50-percent from the field in the second half, including 54.5% from three, to pull away.

Sydney Shines vs. Southern Indiana

Sydney Jaynes recorded a team-high 12 points in the win over Southern Indiana. It was the third time in her young career that she led BU in scoring. Jaynes filled up the box score with eight rebounds, four assists and a career-high four blocked shots. The sophomore forward also set career-high totals from the foul line by going 6-for-8 from the charity stripe.

Winning Recipe

In every win this season, the Bulldogs have led at halftime, held their opponent under 40 percent from the field, outrebounded their opponent, have had more bench points, have shot more free throws, and have held the opponent under 60 points.

New Look

Four of the eight Butler student-athletes that played in the Illinois game one year ago are no longer with the program. Trinity White and Kendall Wingler each started in the contest and logged over 30 minutes of playing time. The duo combined for six 3-pointers helping result in 30 points. Tenley Dowell impacted the action with six rebounds and Sydney Jaynes added four boards, two blocks and two steals in 15 minutes.

Butler vs. the Big Ten

The Bulldogs have not defeated a team from the Big Ten Conference since 2018! Butler defeated Ohio State on Dec. 20 that season in the first game of the West Palm Invitational. BU ended the 2018-19 campaign with 23 total wins and a trip to the WNIT Sweet 16.

A look Ahead

Six of Butler’s next eight opponents are either nationally ranked or receiving votes in the most recent Top-25 AP Poll. Marquette and Seton Hall are each receiving votes, Indiana is ranked #4, UConn is #6, Villanova is #25 and Creighton is #18.

Milestone Markers

Rachel McLimore hit two 3-pointers vs. Southern Indiana to move her career total to 100! She only needs four more steals to get to 100.

Floor General

Shay Frederick has 508 assists in her collegiate career, the 12th-highest total of any Division I player. Two other BIG EAST players appear in the top-ten. Lauren Park-Lane of Seton Hall ranks fifth with 544 assists and Mimi Reid of St. John’s ranks 10th with 518 assists.

Up Next

The first BIG EAST road trip of the season is up next for the Butler women’s basketball program. The Bulldogs will head to Milwaukee to play the Golden Eagles on Sunday, Dec. 18. Tip is set for 3 PM.

BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL: Sellers Drops 20 as Ball State Bounces Evansville

MUNCIE, Ind. – Jaylin Sellers produced his third game of the season with 20 points or more, as he posted a game-high 20 points for Ball State on Saturday. The Cardinals defeated the Evansville Aces 88-69, as four BSU players finished in double figures. Ball State moved to 6-4 overall, while Evansville fell to 3-9.

“This was a good win for us,” said Head Coach Michael Lewis. “To be back at home for the first time in three weeks after five-consecutive road games, to come back against an in-state opponent, always means something. I’m really pleased with the way we settled into the game with our defense in the first half, we held them to 28 points. I thought it was really good in the second half. It got a little bit away from us in some areas, but it’s human nature when you’re up 28, you get a little laxed. If we’re going to become the program we want and we’re working towards being, we’ve got to continue to play to the standard of Ball State basketball and not the scoreboard. I’ve been doing this for a long time as an assistant, and you don’t ever not celebrate wins. We’re really happy with this. We’ve continued to improve each time we’ve gone out. Today was a really good home win. The crowd was excellent. I think their energy was good. The students were fantastic and hopefully we can bring them back and continue what we’re doing here after finals.”

Sellers led the way with 20 points and added four rebounds and an assist. Payton Sparks finished with his fourth double-double in five games. Sparks went for 18 points and brought down a game-high 12 rebounds. He also added an assist and a block. Jarron Coleman tallied 15 points for his ninth-straight contest in double digits. He added four rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Basheer Jihad collected 12 points, his first double-digit effort of the season, to go along with a career-high seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Coleman and Mickey Pearson Jr. tied for a game-high two blocks. Coleman along with Demarius Jacobs tied for a game-high three steals.

Evansville opened the game by scoring the game’s first three points. The Cardinals answered with the next eight points, including a 3-pointer by Sparks.

The Aces went on a 13-9 run and cut their deficit to 17-16 with 11:25 left in the first half. The Cardinal started to pick up the intensity on the defensive end of the court and the game started to tilt in favor of Ball State. BSU produced an 11-0 run that spanned 5:47 of game time and extended its lead to 28-16. Things did not get any easier for Evansville the remainder of the half as Ball State took a 42-28 lead into the half.

The Cardinals started the second half on a 14-6 run, capped off by an outstanding hustle play by Coleman to save a missed BSU shot from going out of bounds. He jumped in the air over the baseline and threw the ball back to Sellers. Once Coleman reestablished himself inbounds, Sellers kicked it to Coleman for the corner 3-pointer. BSU held a 56-34 lead with 14:30 left in regulation.

Evansville went on an 11-2 run that ended with 12:17 left to play and cut the Ball State lead to 58-45. The Cardinals ramped up the energy and went on a 25-10 run to take their biggest lead of the game, 83-55, with 4:43 left on the clock.

The Aces ended the game on a 14-5 run, but the early Cardinal lead gave BSU the 88-69 victory.

As a team, Ball State shot 31-of-40, 77.5 percent, from the free-throw line. For the season, the Cardinals have made more free throws (180) than BSU opponents have attempted (164). Ball State came into today’s contest 19th in the NCAA with an average of 24.0 free throws per game.

The Cardinals’ physicality led to 28 points in the paint and 18 second-chance points. Ball State committed fewer turnovers than Evansville, which led to a 21-7 advantage in points off turnovers for BSU.

Marvin Coleman led Evansville with 17 points along with three rebounds, three assists, and two rebounds. Kenny Strawbridge finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Antoine Smith Jr. chipped in with a 14-point game and added seven rebounds. Preston Phillips led the Aces with nine rebounds.

The Cardinals make the short trip to Indianapolis for the Indy Classic inside the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday, Dec. 17. Ball State takes on Illinois State with tip at 3:30 p.m.

NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Notre Dame Overwhelms Merrimack, Miles Posts Triple-Double

Eleven players. Seven double-figures. One triple-double.

That’s a rather simple — perhaps even unfair — way to describe No. 5 Notre Dame’s 108-44 domination of Merrimack on Saturday, one during which every player available to play found the bucket at least once.

Balance isn’t a new concept for the fifth-ranked Irish this year, who entered Saturday with seven players averaging at least 8 points per game.

But this was different. At the end of the third quarter, Notre Dame had 81 points. Just one player was in double-figures (Lauren Ebo – 10). It was the type of box score that made you check twice. And then maybe a third time.

When the clock hit zero, seven members of the team had at least 10 points. Nat Marshall had a career-high 13 after playing nearly 24 minutes, nine minutes more than her previous season-high of 15. In the postgame press conference, Marshall said this is the most confident she has felt on the court since high school.

Super star guard and most recent ACC Player of the Week Olivia Miles’ point total (13) didn’t jump off the page. But a closer glance shows 13 rebounds and 14 assists, making it her third triple-double of her short career. In the storied history of Notre Dame women’s basketball, no other play has hit that 10-10-10 mark three times.

As a team, it was Notre Dame’s highest offensive output since a 108-64 thrashing of Oklahoma in the second round of last year’s NCAA Tournament. The Irish lead the ACC with 88.2 points per game, and 108 points is the third-most by an ACC team in a single game this season.

On the defensive end of the floor, Notre Dame put together its most dominant performance to date and posted the 10th-largest margin of victory in school history (64 points). Maddy Westbeld had three blocks in her second-straight game, and Sonia Citron added three more. The Irish also recorded seven steals and did not surrender more than 12 points in any quarter.

If Karen & Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey wants to take her team back to the Final Four, defensive performances similar to what her team posted on Saturday will be necessary. Prior to Merrimack, Notre Dame was surrendering 63.6 points per game, which ranked 163rd nationally. The competition will undoubtedly be stiffer — the ACC currently has four AP top-10 teams — but a dominant victory over Merrimack is not a bad way to head into conference play.

The Irish open their ACC slate with one of those aforementioned top-10 teams, as they head to Blacksburg on Sunday to play No. 7 Virginia Tech (9-0). The Hokies boast Preseason ACC Player of the Year, center Elizabeth Kitley.

Notre Dame-Virginia Tech tips off Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on the ACC Network.

NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Notre Dame Overwhelms Merrimack, Miles Posts Triple-Double

Eleven players. Seven double-figures. One triple-double.

Balance isn’t a new concept for the fifth-ranked Irish this year, who entered Saturday with seven players averaging at least 8 points per game.

Notre Dame-Virginia Tech tips off Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on the ACC Network.

INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Strong start not enough for Sycamores at Western Michigan

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Del’Janae Williams had a season-high 23 points Saturday effort, but a second-half rally sent Western Michigan past Indiana State, 77-67, inside University Arena.

Chelsea Cain added nine points, while Adrian Folks had eight off the bench. Williams also had a team-leading five rebounds, while Anna McKendree finished with a season-high seven assists.

Indiana State shot lights-out in the first half, making 63 percent of its attempts from the field to take a double-digit lead. The Sycamores led for large stretches of the game, but WMU controlled the tempo in the second half and outscored the Trees 39-25 in the final 20 minutes to come from behind and win.

First Half

Indiana State opened the game on a 5-0 run following a pair of free throws by Anna McKendree following a technical foul and a Del’Janae Williams 3-pointer from the Bronco logo. The Sycamores got all the friendly rolls early with Williams and Chelsea Cain both hitting jumpers to tack on to the lead. Indiana State went on an 11-0 run midway through the opening quarter to push its lead to double-digits at 25-13, with Williams responsible for seven points during the run. The Trees led 27-18 after the first quarter.

ISU continued its strong start into the second, with Alona Blackwell hitting a 3-pointer from the corner and Adrian Folks converting a fastbreak layup to push the Sycamore lead to 34-21. WMU countered with a 13-2 run to get back in the game, with a layup by Folks accounting for the only Indiana State points during the run. Folks closed the quarter strong with a pair of layups, and Cain added a basket on the fastbreak to give Indiana State a 42-38 lead at the break.

Second Half

Williams got the scoring started for the Sycamores in the second half with a 3-pointer that she banked in from the corner. She added another triple shortly after to make it 48-45 in favor of the Sycamores, but WMU answered and took its first lead of the game midway through the quarter. Hattie Westerfeld put the Trees back in front with a layup, but the home side closed the third on a 12-2 run and put the Sycamores in a 62-54 hole entering the fourth.

Back-to-back baskets by Westerfeld kept the Sycamores within reach early in the fourth, but a WMU 3-pointer midway through the final quarter proved big and pushed the Broncos’ lead to double-digits. McKendree hit a 3-pointer late and Mya Glanton added a layup bit it was too little, too late as Western Michigan held serve at home with a 77-67 win.

Inside the Numbers

Del’Janae Williams became the second Sycamore this season to score 20-plus points in a game after Anna McKendree had 23 against Central Michigan (Nov. 16, 2022).

Free throws played a difference Saturday, as Western Michigan was 24-for-34 compared to Indiana State’s 10-for-15.

Adrian Folks (eight) and Hattie Westerfeld (seven) both finished with season highs in scoring.

Nearly half of Western Michigan’s points came from Lauren Ross, who finished with a game-high 30.

News & Notes

Indiana State’s 27 points in the first quarter were the most in an opening frame for the Sycamores this season.

Anna McKendree’s seven assists were her most in a Sycamore uniform, surpassing her previous high of six against Bradley last season (Jan. 9, 2022).

Del’Janae Williams hit a career-high five 3-pointers Saturday. Her previous best was four, which she accomplished on four occasions.

Western Michigan was the first team that the Sycamores played last season to defeat the Sycamores. Indiana State defeated Saint Louis and Chicago State earlier this season and still has return games against Western Kentucky and Purdue Fort Wayne upcoming.

Up Next

Indiana State begins a five-game homestand Thursday morning against Western Kentucky, with tipoff set for 11 a.m. The Sycamores will welcome middle school students from across Vigo County to Hulman Center for the contest.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL: ‘Dons Takedown MVC Foe in 65-61 Victory at Missouri State

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Jarred Godfrey finished with a line of 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists in Purdue Fort Wayne’s 65-61 victory at Missouri Valley Conference member Missouri State on Saturday (Dec. 10).

Godfrey’s 17 points gives him 1,766 for his career, moving into third all-time in points in program history. He passed Sean Gibson’s 1,765 points from 1989-93.

The win for the Mastodons is their first over a Missouri Valley Conference member in exactly nine years. The last win came on a 65-61 decision at Bradley on Dec. 10, 2013.

The ‘Dons used a 20-4 run at the end of the first half and the start of the second half to go up 43-33 with 14:02 left in the game. It started with a 7-0 run at the end of the first half to put the ‘Dons up 30-29 at the break. Deonte Billups capped the second-half portion of the run with a 3-pointer. It came just before Godfrey made a trey and Johnathan DeJurnett scored four straight points off the bench.

The Bears rallied back and took a pair of leads in the game, but their final lead came at 55-52 with 4:55 left. Godfrey was fouled on a 3-pointer and made all free throws to tie the game. The final tie of the game came at 57-57 with 1:55 remaining. Godfrey then cruised to the paint for an easy layup to put the ‘Dons up. Then the next offensive possession saw Godfrey drive to the basket once again, but this time when the double-team came he dished to Ra Kpedi who threw it down with authority on a two-handed slam.

Godfrey was one of 10 Mastodons to record a basket in the game. Billups was the only other Mastodon in double-digits with 12. Kpedi finished with eight points and a career-high 14 rebounds.

The ‘Dons shot 47.2 percent (25-of-53). They limited the Bears to 7-of-41 from three. Chance Moore had a game-high 23 points for Missouri State.

Missouri State entered the game at 141 in the KenPom rankings. The Mastodons’ last win against a top 150 KenPom opponent was in the 2020 Summit League Tournament Quarterfinals against South Dakota State. The last non-league win over a KenPom top 150 win was over Akron on Dec. 5, 2018. The last road win over a top 150 team was at Indiana on Dec. 18, 2017.

The Bears are now 4-6. The ‘Dons improve to 7-4. Purdue Fort Wayne will take a week off for finals before returning to the court on Monday, Dec. 19 for the Indiana Classic presented by Holiday Inn. The event at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum will feature four games over two days. The ‘Dons will play Texas A&M Commerce at 7 p.m. on Monday and Southern Indiana at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. IUPUI will play Southern Indiana at 4 p.m. on Monday and Texas A&M Commerce on Tuesday at 4 p.m.

EVANSVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL: Big second half lifts Ball State to win over UE basketball

MUNCIE, Ind. – Three days after setting his career scoring mark against Campbell, Marvin Coleman II had another strong effort, scoring 17 points as the University of Evansville men’s basketball team fell by an 88-69 final to Ball State on Saturday inside Worthen Arena.

Coleman went 3-for-4 from outside while tying for the team lead with three assists and posting a team-best two steals. Kenny Strawbridge Jr. totaled 15 points and 8 rebounds while Antoine Smith Jr. drained four triples on his way to 14 points and 7 caroms. Preston Phillips tied his career scoring mark with 9 points while hauling in 9 boards.

“We knew we had to defend without fouling and it really set the tone. To give up 21 free throws in the first half, you tend to give up your aggression and we need to be more disciplined without fouling,” UE head coach David Ragland explained. “We told our guys to do a better job of playing hands free. Over the last week, we have been able to be more diligent with our time and get extra shots up. It has helped to get extra rest and treatment.”

Jaylin Sellers paced the Cardinals with 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting while Payton Sparks picked up a double-double. He registered 18 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. As a team, BSU was 31-of-40 from the line.

Strawbridge hit a jumper that gave Evansville a 3-0 lead to open the game. Ball State responded with eight in a row as a pair of triples found the bottom of the net to give them an 8-3 lead. Yacine Toumi ended the run when he drove to the basket for a field goal before the Cardinals added to the advantage.

Two free throws put BSU up 17-10 at the 12-minute mark before Evansville used the long ball to get right back in it. Preston Phillips and Antoine Smith Jr. drained back-to-back triples to make it a 1-point game. Over the next six minutes, Ball State slowly took control. Their defense held UE to 0-of-9 shooting with two turnovers. On the offensive end, BSU scored 11 in a row to go up 28-16 with five minutes to go in the half.

Marvin Coleman II hit his second triple of the day to cut into the deficit before the Cardinals pushed the lead to 42-28 at the break as they shot 50% including a 4-of-7 showing from outside.

Things continued to go Ball State’s way in the second half as they scored eight of the first nine points before extending the lead to 22 when a triple made it 56-34 with just under 15 minutes remaining. Gabe Spinelli connected on the first 3-pointer of his career in the early moments of the period.

Evansville never gave up and shot its way back into contention. An 11-2 rally included a pair of 3-pointers from Smith along with five points from Coleman. His third triple of the afternoon made it a 58-45 game at the 11:45 mark. Ball State came back with five in a row and would see their lead grow even more.

Coleman knocked down two free throws following a BSU technical to temporarily stop the run, but the Cardinals continued to cruise. With under five minutes remaining, they went up by an 83-55 score. UE continued to battle back in the final minutes, getting as close as 16 (85-69) before the game finished with an 88-69 BSU victory.

Ball State shot 44.4% in the game while going 9-for-19 (47.4%) from outside. Evansville completed the day shooting 39.0% while going 9-of-18 from 3-point range.

With final exams set for this week, the Aces will have some time off before returning to the floor on December 21 with a home game against Bellarmine.

SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Raley’s big double-double leads USI to strong road win

YPSILANTI, Mich. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball earned a strong 66-60 victory against Eastern Michigan University on Saturday, recording the first road win of the season for the Screaming Eagles. USI’s solid road win comes behind the stout performance of junior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana), who posted her second career double-double with 17 points and 16 rebounds Saturday afternoon.

Raley’s 16 rebounds on Saturday marks the first time a Screaming Eagle has pulled down 15 or more rebounds in a game since Kacy Eschweiler grabbed 22 rebounds against Ferris State University on November 16, 2018. For Raley, her previous season-high was eight rebounds against Bethel University (Ind.) on November 23. Her other career double-double and previous career-high in rebounds came last season against Missouri University of Science and Technology on February 19 when Raley tallied 18 points and 10 rebounds. Raley also extended her streak on Saturday of scoring 10 or more in every game this season for USI.

The Screaming Eagles also had senior forward Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio) register 17 points and six rebounds Saturday, while sophomore guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) collected 16 points and seven boards on the afternoon.

Southern Indiana’s win against Eastern Michigan was also USI’s first in three tries this season against an opponent from the Mid-American Conference. Heading into Saturday’s matchup, Eastern Michigan was fourth in the overall MAC standings with Northern Illinois University and Bowling Green State University, whom USI fell to earlier this season, sitting first and second in the overall MAC standings, respectively.

Both teams started the game trying to settle in and find their rhythm in half-court sets, as the defenses were active early. The contest showed signs of being a game of runs and a tight game in the opening minutes. At the 5:38 mark of the first quarter, USI trailed Eastern Michigan 9-4, but the Screaming Eagles went on a 9-0 run to surge ahead. Haithcock had four points and Raley scored the other five points of the 9-0 run. The first period concluded with an 11-2 run for the Screaming Eagles, as USI took a 15-11 lead into the second quarter.

USI increased its lead to six, 19-13, after a pair of free throws by Shafford with 8:10 left until halftime. Eastern Michigan battled back to cut USI’s lead down to two, 19-17, with 6:32 on the clock in the second. Shafford put USI back up five after a three-pointer seconds later, but then Eastern Michigan answered with five points within the next minute to even the game at 22 halfway in the second period. Southern Indiana was not fazed, as the Screaming Eagles went on another 9-0 run, including a basket by Raley and a triple from Shafford. USI went into halftime with a 31-24 lead after a late, second-quarter basket by Eastern Michigan.

The third quarter started with a layup by Raley to push USI’s advantage back to nine. Then Eastern Michigan found a spark and made a charge, scoring eight straight points to climb within a point of USI, 33-22, and 6:57 remaining in the third. A jumper by Shafford quickly snapped EMU’s scoring run, but the battle was just starting. Eastern Michigan went ahead 36-35 at the 5:45 mark in the third, snagging its first lead since early in the first quarter. Just as it seemed the momentum was swinging in Eastern Michigan’s favor, USI’s senior forward Tara Robbe (Wildwood, Missouri) made a strong drive toward the basket to give the lead back to USI, 37-36. Both teams exchanged points over the next couple of minutes until Eastern Michigan tied the game again 43-43 with just over two minutes left in the third. The EMU Eagles made the last rally of the third quarter to carry a 47-45 lead into the fourth quarter. Eastern Michigan outscored USI 23-14 in the third period.

A three-pointer by Eastern Michigan in the first minute of the fourth period increased EMU’s lead to five, 50-45. Once again, USI was not rattled, as Shafford converted an and-one play less than a minute later. After a few back-and-forth possessions, Southern Indiana capitalized on another three-point play. A basket and a foul by Haithcock put USI back in front 53-52 with 6:10 left in the fourth. Raley scored her 17th point of the game a minute later off a jump shot to give USI a 55-52 advantage. Southern Indiana’s lead improved to eight, 61-53, with under two minutes remaining. Eastern Michigan continued to fight, making the game a five-point contest with less than a minute left. Late free throws by Shafford and Robbe gave USI added insurance on the scoreboard to secure the road win. The Screaming Eagles responded to Eastern Michigan’s third quarter by outscoring EMU 21-13 in the final frame.

Southern Indiana had a big day on the glass Saturday, outrebounding Eastern Michigan 50-39 and pulling down 13 offensive boards. USI was also aggressive inside with 36 points in the paint. On the day, USI was 24-for-63 and 38 percent from the floor, including three triples made from beyond the arc. The Screaming Eagles were very effective at the charity stripe, going 15-for-16 and 93 percent from the line Saturday.

Individually, Raley’s 17 points came behind 7-for-17 shooting overall. Haithcock was 6-for-15 overall and 5-for-5 at the line toward her 17 points. Shafford scored her 16 points on 5-for-11 shooting from the floor and four makes at the free-throw line. Robbe scored six points with six rebounds.

Eastern Michigan went 18-for-62 and 29 percent from the field, 5-for-19 and 26 percent from three, and 19-for-27 and 70 percent at the line. EMU also tallied 22 fast-break points in the game. Eastern Michigan was led by its leading scorer Saturday, as sophomore guard Lachelle Austin scored 19 points with 11 of the 19 coming at the free-throw line. Sophomore center Tayra Eke posted a double-double of 14 points and 14 caroms.

USI held an opponent to only 18 makes from the floor and 10 or more points below their season scoring average for the second consecutive game on Saturday, as Southern Indiana’s defense previously did so on Wednesday at Butler.

Saturday’s win moves USI to 4-4 on the season, while Eastern Michigan is now 5-2 after a second consecutive loss.

USI will step away from game action next week for finals and conclude the fall semester. The Screaming Eagles will then resume their road swing next weekend on back-to-back days against Wright State University next Saturday and at the University of Cincinnati on Sunday.

VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL: Falls at Ole Miss

The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team played its final game prior to a week-long break of action for final exams, falling 98-61 to Ole Miss on Saturday at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion in Oxford, Miss. Valpo was led in scoring by Kobe King (La Crosse, Wis. / La Crosse Central [Wisconsin]), who poured in 20 points, while the rebounding of Ibra Bayu (Flevoland, The Netherlands / Perkiomen) served as another bright spot as he collected 13 boards.

How It Happened

Ole Miss jumped out to an early 8-2 lead, but Valpo created several second chances to cut the lead to 8-6 with 17:15 left in the opening half.

The Rebels scored the next eight to open up their first double-figure lead at 16-6.

After a jumper by King with 12:49 on the first-half timer the lead was trimmed to four, and later King hit a 3 to claw the Beacons within five at 23-18.

It was 28-19 with 10:40 on the clock, but Ole Miss went on an 11-0 run to break it open.

By halftime, Ole Miss had built the lead to 23 at 53-30. The Rebels outscored Valpo 21-0 in points off turnovers in the opening half by forcing 13 giveaways. Ole Miss shot 56 percent in the opening half as well. King poured in 14 first-half points.

The Rebels outscored Valpo 45-31 in the second half despite Bayu gobbling up nine boards after the break. Ben Krikke (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada / Jasper Place) scored 10 points over the game’s final 20 minutes.

Inside the Game

Valpo was led in scoring by King, who delivered a 20-point effort to go along with five rebounds. King has scored in double figures in all 11 games this season including nine with 15+ points and four with 20 points or more.

Bayu skied for a career-high 13 rebounds. In fact, he nearly doubled his season rebound total as he had 15 total over his first six games. His previous personal best was six in his collegiate debut on Nov. 23 at Samford.

Krikke tallied 16 points, 10 of which came after halftime. He has scored in double figures in 10 of his 11 games this season. This was Krikke’s fifth straight game with 15+ points. He went 6-of-7 at the foul line on Saturday.

Krikke upped his career point total to 1,195, one point away from cracking the top 20 in program history. Lance Barker (1991-1995) is currently 20th at 1,196.

Nick Edwards (Atlanta, Ga. / Grayson [Glenville State]) enjoyed his second straight double-figure scoring effort after reaching double figures just once over his first nine games. He totaled 14 points, finishing as one of Valpo’s three double-figure scorers.

Sophomore Darius DeAveiro (Kanata, Ottawa, Canada / Orangeville Prep) handed out seven assists in 22 minutes of action. It was his second game this season with seven or more helpers and his highest assist output since 10 on Nov. 13 vs. Western Michigan. DeAveiro got his most playing time in the last six games.

Valpo was outscored 36-0 in points off turnovers, committing 21 turnovers to Ole Miss’ five.

This marked the first matchup between Valpo and Ole Miss since the historic buzzer-beater by Bryce Drew in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament.

Up Next

The Beacons (4-7) will have a week off for finals before hosting Elon on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 1 p.m. at the Athletics-Recreation Center. For ticket information, visit valpoathletics.com/tickets.

MARIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Marian Outlasts Huntington On The Road 71-63

HUNTINGTON, Ind. – The Marian women’s basketball team picked up another Crossroads League win Saturday afternoon after defeating Huntington 71-63 inside Platt arena. With the win, the Knights move to 5-0 in league play and 11-1 overall on the season.

It was Huntington coming out with the hot start as they knocked down a three to get things started, propelling them to the 5-2 advantage. Abbey McNally hit two shots to cut deficit to 5-4, but the Foresters hit back-to-back threes to get their lead back up 10-4. Ella Collier and McNally answered back as the duo combined for six points to tie things up at 10-10. Huntington continued to put the offensive threat on the Marian defense as they ended the quarter ahead 17-12 after a 7-3 run to close out quarter one.

The second quarter was a different story with Marian outscoring Huntington 23-10. McNally got things rolling with jumper 15 seconds into the quarter, sparking a 12-0 run for the Knights to take the four-point lead at 24-17 before the hosts canned a three-pointer to end the run. The two teams traded points for the remainder of the quarter, but it was Collier knocking down the shot and Jayla Wehner hitting two from the free throw line to take the 35-27 lead into the break.

After halftime, Collier and McNally scored the first five points for Marian to advance the lead to 13. However, the Foresters continued to fight as Gabi Melby hit the jumper to fuel a 6-2 run before Marian found two points from Collier canning the freebies. Kenna Kirby gave the Knights a spark as she came in and scored five points in the third quarter, but it was Huntington closing out the quarter with the last six points to cut the deficit to six at 49-43.

Marian’s defense was put to the test in the fourth quarter as Huntington continued to claw their way back starting with a Celeste Ryman three-pointer to make it only a three-point Marian lead. Two free throws by Collier put the lead back up to 51-46 in favor of Marian. A basket by the hosts cut lead back down to three but once again it was Collier answering with a three-pointer before McNally came back with two baskets of her own to give Marian the 58-48 lead with 5:26 left to play.

Huntington would not back down though as they got within four after hitting three three-pointers and layup with 14 seconds left to play. Collier hit her four free throws at the end to help the Knights hold of a pesky Forester squad, winning 71-63.

Collier led the way for Marian with 23 points to go along with four rebounds and two steals. McNally added 18 points and pulled down seven rebounds, while Kirby scored 13 points off the bench and had three steals. Aliyah Evans added eight points and Wehner had four points and three assists.

Marian will have the week off before taking on IU East on the road on December 17 at 1 PM.

MARIAN MEN’S BASKETBALL: Huntington Pours It On Late For 81-74 Win Over Marian

HUNTINGTON, Ind. – The Marian men’s basketball team suffered their second Crossroads League loss on the season, falling in a tough battle to RV Huntington on the road 81-74 on Saturday afternoon. The Knights fall to 11-2 overall and 3-2 in league play.

The two teams traded points back and forth the entire first half as neither team saw a lead greater than six and there being eight ties throughout the half.

Hayden Langkabel got things started for both sides, hitting the first jumper of the game 35 seconds in the game before Huntington responded right back with one of their own. The hosts found themselves ahead three after a layup by Landen Jordan, but it was Luke Gohmann answering for Marian with three-pointer to tie things up at 7-7. Huntington got another bucket in the paint before Brody Whitaker shifted the momentum to Marian as he finished an old fashion three-point play and knocked down a jumper to help his team take the 12-9 lead.

Once again, the two teams traded points the remainder of the half until the Knights saw their largest lead at 26-20 after an 8-0 run fueled by a Josh Bryan three-pointer. Lane Sparks had an answer for the Foresters, scoring the next 11 points for his team before Zach Goodline added a long ball to give Huntington the 34-29 advantage. Both teams battled it out in the last three minutes that saw Taeshon Cherry hit the jumper to put Marian ahead 36-34, but it was Goodline having the last word as he hit a three at the buzzer to send Huntington ahead 37-36 at halftime.

Christian Harvey and Langkabel got Marian’s scoring started in the second half as the duo combined for eight of the first ten points, but baskets from four different Foresters gave the hosts the 48-46 lead. With 11:10 left to play, Whitaker took over for the next couple minutes as he canned a triple before completing two and-one plays to put Marian in front by two at 57-55. However, Goodline came back down the floor, knocking down the jumper and a three-pointer moments later to put his squad ahead three. The Knights answered with a jumper from Cherry to take the one-point lead, but it was the Huntington offense responding with a huge 10-0 run to take the largest lead of the game at 70-59 with 3:08 left to go.

After the strong run from the Foresters, Marian struggled to fight their way back in the closing minutes as the closest they were able to get was within five. Even with the strong push towards the end, Huntington was able to hold off Marian and pick up the 81-74 win.

Whitaker poured in a career-high 23 points while also corralling seven rebounds. Bryan added 12 points and four rebounds, while Cherry had 11 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks. Langkabel tied a team-high eight rebounds and scored nine points.

Marian will be back in action on December 28 to host East-West at 6 PM.

INDIANA WESLEYAN MEN’S BASKETBALL: Sinks Bethel By 34

MARION, Ind. – It was a massive defensive effort Saturday as No. 21 Indiana Wesleyan men’s basketball sunk Bethel University 86-52 for the fewest points scored by a Pilot team since 2005-06. Bethel University struggled from the tip with IWU’s defense, shooting 33% from the field for the game, their lowest of the season.

The Wildcats now sit alone in first place in the Crossroads League with a record of 5-0.

The Wildcats opened the game on a 15-2 run, forcing a Bethel timeout with 15:39 left in the first half. IWU was 7-of-8 from the floor, while Bethel was 1-for-7.

Bethel didn’t hit double-digit scoring until the 7:30 mark in the first half, spotting IWU a 22-point lead. Indiana Wesleyan’s defense held Bethel to 19% shooting in the first 13 minutes.

Stauffer put IWU up 30 with 2:45 left in the first half, hitting his second three of the first half.

Maxwell was two rebounds shy of a first-half double-double. He led all scorers with 12 at the break.

Indiana Wesleyan returns to the hardwood next Saturday, hosting Roosevelt at 3 p.m.

INDIANA WESLEYAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Defensive Clinic Lifts No. 7 Women’s Basketball Over Bethel, 64-40

MARION, Ind. – No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan women’s basketball hosted Crossroads League foe Bethel (Ind.) on Saturday afternoon in Luckey Arena. The IWU defense showed once again why they are one of the best in country after forcing the Pilots into 39 turnovers. Jordan Reid led the way with 9 steals, the most in a game by a Wildcat in nearly 16 years. The Wildcats wrap up conference play in 2022 with a 64-40 win, giving them a 4-1 league record and a 9-3 overall record.

The Wildcats forced 12 Bethel turnovers in the first quarter and jumped out to a 21-12 lead.

Bethel responded with an 6-0 run, but IWU countered with a 16-0 run of their own to take a 37-18 lead into the halftime locker room.

A sluggish opening five minutes of the 3rd resulted in an even 17-17 third frame.

A layup by Haley Rose near the end of play put the red and grey up 24, their largest lead of the game.

IWU will travel south to Florida for a game against Ava Maria on Dec. 19th and St. Thomas at Dec. 20th.

WABASH MEN’S BASKETBALL: Jones’ 33 Points Lead Wabash Past Denison 74-66

CRAWFORDSVILLE, IN – Junior forward Ahmoni Jones nailed a dagger 3-pointer with 1:52 left in the game as part of a 33-point effort to put Wabash ahead 65-58. The Little Giants eventually secured a 74-66 victory over the Denison University Big Red at home Saturday in North Coast Athletic Conference action.

Wabash (7-2, 2-0 NCAC) had two players score in double figures, led by Jones, who recorded a double-double with 33 points and 12 rebounds. Edreece Redmond scored 12 points, and Sam Comer added nine points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks.

Comer, who played all 40 minutes for the Little Giant, pulled down seven offensive rebounds to pace the Wabash offense, which grabbed 13 boards and turned them into 13 second-chance points.

How It Happened

Wabash took an early 9-4 lead before going cold from the field. The Little Giants made just three shots in their subsequent 21 attempts to trail Denison 18-13. Denison (4-5, 1-2 NCAC) extended the lead to its largest of the game at nine points, 23-14, with a basket from Nick Heath on a steal and dunk.

Wabash cut the lead to 25-18 at the 4:13 mark of the first period before going on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 25-25. Avery Beaver tied the score again at 29-29 with a jumper in the lane after the Big Red regained a two-point lead. The Little Giants grabbed a 31-29 lead heading into halftime on a basket from Redmond after a turnover on an inbound pass by Denison. Wabash capitalized on five Denison turnovers in the period, turning them into eight points on the other end of the floor.

Following intermission, Wabash kept widening that lead, expanding it to 55-52 before going on a 5-0 run, finished off by Redmond’s three, to grow the lead to 60-52 with 4:51 to go in the contest. The Big Red drew as close as four points at 62-58 with 2:18 left on the clock before Jones nailed his biggest three-pointer of the game to put Wabash up 65-58 with 1:52 remaining. The Little Giants maintained the advantage by making nine of their final ten free throws in the closing two minutes.

Wabash made the most of eight offensive rebounds to tack on nine second-chance points out of 43 total in the period.

Game Notes

» Jones notched an impressive double-double for the Little Giants with 33 points and 12 rebounds. His 33 points matched a career-best 33 points earlier this season in an overtime loss to Marietta.

» Wabash never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.

» Jones and Redmond carried the load for the Little Giants, accounting for 61 percent of their points.

» Wabash owned a 42-26 edge on the boards in the win.

» Wabash shot 21-of-54 from the field (38.9 percent) and connected on only 7-of-27 three-point attempts. The Little Giants shot 25-of-30 from the free-throw line.

» Denison finished 27-of-56 from the field (48.2 percent) but went 4-of-15 from three-point range (26.7 percent). The Big Red finished 8-of-16 from the free-throw line. Darren Rubin led Denison with 17 points. Ricky Radtke added 16 points, and Nick Heath scored 11 points.

FRANKLIN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: RECAP | Cooney Goes for Career High, Grizzlies Slam Door on Spartans for Third Straight Win

FRANKLIN – The Franklin women’s basketball team returned to Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) play on Saturday (Dec. 10) afternoon, hosting the Manchester Spartans for the team’s first league home game of the campaign.

Sophomore Taylor Cooney netted a career-high 18 points and Franklin (4-3, 2-1 HCAC) used a suffocating defensive performance to record their third straight win and hand Manchester (5-3, 2-1 HCAC) their first league loss of the year, 57-45.

How it Happened

-The Grizzlies grabbed the lead in the opening minute and never let it go, starting the game off with a 10-2 run. The lead would grow to 10 before a late first period run from Manchester cut the Franklin lead to 16-12 after one period. Franklin ripped off an 11-2 run to open the second period but a late first half lull on the offensive end allowed the Spartans to get back in the game by the half, with Franklin taking a 28-23 lead into the intermission.

Four straight Spartan points opened the second half and got the Franklin lead down to a point, but the Grizzlies held off their rival’s push to take the lead and headed into the final quarter leading 46-37. Franklin relied on their defense to put the game away in the fourth, limiting the Spartans to just three field goals over the final 10 minutes as they closed out the win.

Inside the Box Score

-Cooney was an efficient 6-for-8 from the floor, knocking down all four of her threes and both free throws she attempted. Cooney added eight rebounds and a team-high four assists.

-Georgia Hanauer added 10 points and led the team with nine rebounds.

-Franklin shot 40.4% (23-for-57) from the floor, going 5-for-15 from three. At the other end, the Grizzlies held the Spartans to just 27.6% (16-for-58) from the field and 3-for-18 from deep.

-Rebounds were 42-41 in Franklin’s favor.

-Sarah O’Day had a team-high three steals and was a team-best +18 in 38 minutes of action.

Up Next

Franklin heads to Louisville, Ky. on Monday (Dec. 12) night for an exhibition contest against Division I Bellarmine University. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m.

ROSE-HULMAN MEN’S BASKETBALL: Falls to Mount St. Joseph 66-63 in Overtime Thriller

CINCINNATI, Ohio — Rose-Hulman men’s basketball lost the lead late and fell to Mount St. Joseph 66-63 in overtime. The Figtin’ Engineers fall to 2-1 in the HCAC with their 66-63 loss.

Mount St. Joseph took a 29-28 halftime lead into the locker room thanks to their outstanding three-point shooting in the first half of action. The Lions hit 6 three-pointers in the first half to take the early lead.

In the second half, the Fightin’ Engineers came out strong and extended their lead up to 8 points early in the half. However, in the final two minutes action, the Lions clawed their way back into the game. Willard Cluxton knocked down a triple before Jack Kolar knocked down back to back triples to trim the Rose-Hulman lead to 2 with just under one minute to play.

After a miss by Rose-Hulman, Mount St. Joseph had a chance to tie or win the game on the final possession of action. Kolar missed a wing three, but Dayne Gardner fought for the offensive rebound and got the game-tying putback with just 3.8 seconds on the clock. Terry Hicks missed a baseline jumper at the buzzer and the game was sent into overtime.

A couple of Miles McGowen layups and a big triple by Bradley Harden helped extend the Rose-Hulman lead to 4, but another three by Cluxton cut the Fightin’ Engineers lead to 1 with one minute remaining. After a Rose-Hulman miss, Luke Collinsworth went to the line and knocked down two big free throws to give the Lions the lead with 30 seconds to go in overtime. Rose-Hulman then turned the ball over twice in the final 15 seconds to give the Lions an overtime win.

Miles McGowen led the team with 18 points and added 6 rebounds. Terry Hicks added 10 points, Josiah McGee added 9 points, and Bradley Harden added 9 points and 8 rebounds.

The difference in the game was three-point shooting and rebounding. Mount St. Joseph made 12 triples, and Rose-Hulman shot just 5-24 from three. The Lions also outrebounded Rose-Hulman 44-36 and 14-7 on the offensive glass.

Rose-Hulman fell to 4-4 on the season and 2-1 in the HCAC, while Mount St.Joseph improved to 2-5 and 1-1 in the HCAC. The Fightin’ Engineers hit the road once again on Wednesday night as they travel to Hanover College in a battle between two of the top teams in the HCAC.

DEPAUW MEN’S BASKETBALL: Tigers Hold Off Owls in 69-67 Victory

Gambier, Ohio- Ending its two-game skid, the DePauw men’s basketball team beat the Kenyon College Owls 69-67. The Tigers improved to 2-2 in the conference and 8-3 overall, while the Owls dropped to 0-3 in NCAC play and 5-4 overall.

Elijah Hales sank the game’s first basket, giving the Tigers a quick three-point lead following a miss by the Owls at the other end. DePauw would go on a 10-7 run over Kenyon in the first five minutes, expanding their lead to as much as eight points following a transition layup by Camden Brown at 10:47.

Unfortunately for DePauw, two early fouls by Hales resulted in the Tigers’ leading scorer sitting out for the remainder of the half, forcing DePauw to adjust to scoring primarily in the paint. Kenyon crashed the key and clawed its way back into the game, capitalizing on turnovers and finding late success from behind the arc. At 6:50, Kenyon’s Nick Lewis tied the game at 21 apiece; four lead changes later, the Owls found themselves with the lead after going on a 13-6 run over the Tigers.

Down 33-27 with time winding down in the first half, Ronald Johnson put in a three to cut the Owls’ lead in half. Kenyon’s Gefon Barr answered quickly with a layup on the other end to put the Owls back up by five, but a late foul from behind the arc led to Johnson going 2-3 from the strike to close the Owls gap to 35-33, heading into the half.

The Tigers finished the first half shooting 56.6 percent from the field while holding the Owls to 46.7 from the floor. However, Kenyon’s defense played a crucial role in its comeback and eventual lead, recording nine forced turnovers, three blocks, and nine points off turnovers.

Despite DePauw opening the second half with a quick basket to knot the game up 35-35, the two teams spent most of the half trading baskets, with neither team able to pull away. Seven minutes into the second half, DePauw had only outscored Kenyon 8-4, holding a two-point lead over the Owls after three ties.

Throughout the second half, the Tigers put pressure on the Owls, forcing nine turnovers, resulting in 16 points on the other end. DePauw would finally start pulling away with eight minutes left in the game, following a layup by Johnson. Johnson helped spur a four-minute, 12-2 run over the Owls for the Tigers’ 67-59 lead biggest lead of the afternoon.

Leading Kenyon 67-59 with just over a minute left in regulation, the Owls went on an 8-1 tear led by Anthony Testa, David Mazon, and Nick Nelson to tie the game 67-67. Keeping their composure, DePauw worked the clock with 27 seconds left in the game and gave the ball to Hales, who slipped past the Keyon defense for an easy layup for a 69-67 lead.

With two seconds left in regulation, the Owls ran out of steam and could not secure its first conference win of the season.

Hales paced DePauw with 21 points, followed by Johnson, who finished with a career-high 15 points, and Nolan Niego, who put in 11. Brown grabbed five rebounds and led the Tigers with four assists.

Kenyon’s Mazon led the Owls with 15 points, with Testa adding 12. Gefen Bar was a force defensively, tallying five blocks, five defensive rebounds, and one steal.

The two teams finished the afternoon with ten ties and 12 lead changes. DePauw shot 49.1 percent from the field and, in the second half, was 3-7 from the three-point line. Kenyon connected on 46.4 percent from the floor and held an edge from behind the arc, shooting 50 percent in the second half. The Tigers outscored the Owls 36-22 in the paint and held an 18-17 advantage in rebounds.

The Tigers travel to Olivet, Michigan, on Wednesday, December 21, to face the Comets of Olivet College for an 8 p.m.

HANOVER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Hanover lands three in double figures as they top Defiance

HANOVER, Ind. – Hanover (6-2 overall, 3-0 HCAC) finished with three athletes in double-digits as they knocked off Defiance in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action on Saturday afternoon, 68-54.

Junior Reese Sexton (Louisville, Ky.) paced the Panthers with a team-high 12 points, while teammates senior Callie Wilder (North Vernon, Ind.) netted 11 points and junior Taylor Heath (Fairland, Ind.) 10 points.

The opening frame saw Hanover use a 5-0 run led by junior Maddi Sears (Carmel, Ind.) to surge ahead 13-5. They carried the momentum into the second stanza as senior Anna Bauer (Indianapolis, Ind.) hit a runner in the lane before a pair of Sexton free throws extended the difference to 21-11.

The Blue and Red strung together their best scoring run with just over three minutes to play in the second quarter entering the intermission leading 29-19 after a Wilder free throw.

The second half would see Defiance make a push cutting the deficit to as little as 36-31 when junior Skylar Sahatjian (Prospect, Ky.) halted the charge. Wilder pushed the lead back to double figures sending Hanover into the fourth quarter with the 48-34 advantage.

The final period saw an even contest, both team’s netting 20 points, but the deficit was too great for the Yellow Jackets as Hanover secured the HCAC home victory.

Hanover returns to action on Monday, Dec. 19 when they travel to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. taking on Loras College. Tip-off is set for 2:00 PM.

HANOVER MEN’S BASKETBALL: Sater nets career-high as Panthers sting Defiance

HANOVER, Ind. – The Hanover Panthers (5-2 overall, 2-0 HCAC) dominated Defiance on Saturday afternoon, swatting the Yellow Jackets in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference contest 73-46.

The Blue and Red were paced in the contest by senior Ty Houston (Union, Ky.) with a team-high 20 points while sophomore Coleman Sater (Ellettsville, Ind.) netted a career-high 17 points. Senior Jack Wininger (Elnora, Ind.) went to work on the boards pulling down a game-high 14 rebounds.

The Panthers came roaring out the gate as junior Brice Gilman (Clinton, Ind.) paced an 11-0 run over a four minute span to propelled HC in front 13-2. The offensive eruption continued with Sater this time leading a significant Panther run that saw them push the difference to 28-13. Hanover entered the intermission leading 42-23 after a pair of back-to-back blows by Houston.

Houston carried the momentum into the second stanza netting eight straight points to push Hanover to their largest lead of the contest, 58-28. The Panthers never looked back stinging the Yellow Jackets en route to the HCAC victory.

Hanover returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 14 welcoming Rose-Hulman. Game time is set for 7:30 PM.

OAKLAND CITY MEN’S BASKETBALL: Late Struggles Give Mighty Oaks Loss Against Pomeroys

Oakland City, IN – The Oakland City University men’s basketball team (5-4, 1-3) hosted the Pomeroys of St. Mary-of-the-Woods College (3-7, 0-3) in the Johnson Center on the back side of a double header on Saturday. After pulling ahead by as many as 19 points in the first half, OCU led 44-33 at the halftime break. However, the Oaks found themselves in a battle down the stretch as SMWC mounted a sustained comeback which resulted in OCU falling by the final score of 89-84.

Allen Sims led the way for the Oaks in scoring, pouring in 19 points on 7-10 shooting, going 5-8 from the foul line. Drake Moore added 17 counters on 6-12 shooting, followed by Abdul Wurie who came off the bench to made 3-7 field goal attempts and all eight of his foul shots to post 14 counters. DJ Redding added 12 counters on 6-7 shooting while joining Sims with a game high four assists each. Wurie, Sims and Redding each nabbed four rebounds, the most any of the OCU players could manage.

Keith Germain came off the bench to pace the Pomeroys, going 11-14 from the field and 5-6 from the foul line on his way to game highs in scoring, with 27, and rebounding, with nine. J.R. Lumsden followed closely with 18 counters, thanks to a 14-15 shooting night from the foul line, while Elkin Ramirez added a dozen points, and Robert DeSilvia chipped in with 10.

The Oaks made 28-52 (53.8%) of the field goal tries, going 6-12 (50.0%) from three point range, while the Pomeroys connected on 28-50 (56.0%) of their shot attempts, making 7-16 (43.8%) from beyond the arc. OCU made 22-31 (71.0%) from the foul line compared to 26-33 (85.7%) for SMWC.

OCU led in assists 16-9, with both teams turning the ball over 14 times. As a team, Oakland City grabbed 26 rebounds, four fewer than the visitors, with each team snatching nine on the offensive end.

Next up for the Oaks is a road game at Goshen College on December 13. Tip off is scheduled for 5:00 pm.

OAKLAND CITY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Dowell Leads Women’s Basketball Over St Mary-of-the-Woods College

Oakland City, IN – In their final game before Christmas, the Oakland City University women’s basketball team, holding a record of 9-2 including a perfect 4-0 mark in River States Conference play, hosted the Pomeroys of St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, owners of a 6-2 mark, 1-2 against RSC opponents. Despite trailing 20-19 at the conclusion of the opening quarter, OCU pulled away before halftime, taking a 33-25 edge into the locker room at the break. OCU was able to hold off each run mounted by SMWC, winning by the final score of 70-50.

Jalaya Dowell led all scorers for the Oaks, posting 22 points on 8-14 shooting, going 6-6 from the line. Emilee Hope added 18 counters, going 6-14 from the field, including 3-7 from three point range. Taylor Dillard added 11 counters, on 5-9 shooting, while handing out a game high six assists. Dowell and Davinique Campbell each hauled in a game best eight rebounds, while Hope nabbed five steals.

The Pomeroys were led by Avalee Jeffers who made 4-7 of her shot attempts, including a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc, on her way to 14 points. Brooklynn Jones also reached double figures in the scoring column, notching 12 points on 5-13 shooting, while also leading the SMWC side with eight rebounds.

As a team, the Oaks made 27-65 (41.5%) from the field, going 5-16 (31.3%) from three point range. St. Mary-of-the-Woods connected on 16-53 (30.2%) of their shot attempts, going 6-21 (28.6%) from long range. OCU struggled from the foul line, going 11-21 (52.4%) from the charity stripe, compared to 12-16 (75.0%) for the visiting Pomeroys.

OCU hauled in 43 rebounds, including 19 on the offensive boards, while SMWC nabbed 39 missed shots, 15 on the offensive glass. The Oaks handed out 18 assists, 10 more than the visitors, while also winning the turnover battle 19-28.

Next up for the Oaks is a road game at Cumberland University on December 29, tipping off at 5:00 pm.

ST. FRANCIS MEN’S BASKETBALL: Stellar Defense Propels Cougars Past Spring Arbor

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – On Saturday afternoon the University of Saint Francis Cougars (8-5; 2-3 Crossroads) played host to the Spring Arbor University Cougars (4-6; 1-4 Crossroads) at Hutzell Athletic Center and rebounded with a stellar performance winning 80-53.

After suffering a tough loss last Saturday to the Grace College Lancers, and with their All-American guard Antwaan Cushingberry sidelined with a hand injury, the Cougars didn’t get discouraged, they were determined to get a win.

Opening the game, both teams went through a back-and-forth battle with both sides exchanging leads in the early minutes. But then ahead by just three, Saint Francis went on to score seven unanswered points to extend their lead to 10 points over halfway through the first half.

The Cougars were also playing clutch defense as they held Spring Arbor to just two points through a six-minute span in the frame. Little scoring was done by either team in the final five minutes of the first half as the Cougars took a 33-20 lead going into halftime.

Throughout the first half the Cougars had a three-point shooting percentage of 43, while the defense got four steals during the game’s first 20 minutes.

Heading into the second half, the Cougars continued their dominance on defense over Spring Arbor, meanwhile adding to their lead to go up by as much as 15 points, but Spring Arbor didn’t go quietly. They jumped back to close the deficit to seven points before Saint Francis called a timeout.

Then after the timeout, the Cougars regained their composure and went back to work to build back upon their lead eventually going ahead by 21 points before Spring Arbor had to call a timeout themselves.

With 10 minutes to play, Saint Francis had a 20-point lead, and kept applying the pressure.

The Cougars led by as many as 30 points late in the game and paved the way to a 27-point victory to get back in the win column.

Throughout the game, the Cougars shot 49 percent from the floor, 50 percent from beyond the three-point line, and 71 percent from the free throw line. Sophomore guard Zane Burke led the way in scoring with 20 points, and also had five assists and six rebounds.

The Cougars resume play next Saturday afternoon when they travel to Oakland City, Indiana to compete in the 2022 Oakland City Classic with their first game against the Indiana University East Red Wolves (5-5) beginning at 3:00 pm.

ST. FRANCIS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Cassidy Crawford’s Double-Double Ignites Lady Cougars Over Spring Arbor

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – On Saturday afternoon the University of Saint Francis Lady Cougars (8-4; 4-1 Crossroads) played host to the Spring Arbor University Cougars (6-4; 1-4 Crossroads) at Hutzell Athletic Center and prevailed 67-57.

Opening the game, the Lady Cougars set the tone early on, building a five-point lead just five minutes into the game. Although Spring Arbor stayed resilient and started closing in on the deficit, Saint Francis was able to respond each time with a clutch defensive stop or a make.

At the end of the first quarter, Saint Francis held the lead at 13-7.

Heading into the second quarter, the Lady Cougars picked up where they left off by building upon their lead and riding the momentum through the frame.

Saint Francis built a lead as big as 15 points during the second quarter, and several clutch layups made by freshman center Ally Madden gave the Lady Cougars all the momentum as they took the game to halftime leading 33-20.

Throughout the first half, Madden had a team-leading 12 points for the Lady Cougars after outscoring Spring Arbor 20-13 in the second quarter.

Going into the second half, the Lady Cougars continued their dominance over Spring Arbor as they got their lead back out to 15 points in the early minutes of the third quarter. The lead grew to as big as 20 points for Saint Francis as they were firing on all cylinders.

The Lady Cougars led by as many as 22 points late in the frame, but then Spring Arbor began to fight back. The third quarter ended with Saint Francis still ahead 50-36, but Spring Arbor had scored six unanswered points to close the deficit to 14 points.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Lady Cougars maintained their comfortable lead, but then Spring Arbor continued to chip away at the lead at one point closing to within six points late in the game. But Saint Francis managed to hold off any such comeback as they get themselves back in the win column.

Throughout the game, the Lady Cougars shot 44 percent from the floor, 25 percent from beyond the three-point line, and 61 percent from the free throw line. Ally Madden led the team in scoring with 17 points and had 12 rebounds, while senior forward Cassidy Crawford had herself another double-double with 15 points, and a team-leading 12 rebounds.

The Lady Cougars resume play next Saturday, December 17 when they travel to West Palm Beach, Florida to compete in the 2022 West Palm Beach Invitational with their first game against the (RV) St. Thomas University Bobcats (11-0) beginning at 3:00 pm.

IU KOKOMO MEN’S BASKETBALL: Surges Past Brescia in Second Half for 85-70 Win

OWENSBORO, Ky. – The IU Kokomo men’s basketball team used a strong second-half performance to surge past Brescia for an 85-70 win Saturday afternoon. The Cougars are now 9-3 overall and 5-0 in RSC play after their fourth-consecutive win.

Brescia outscored IU Kokomo by nine in the first half but the Cougars asnwered the bell in the second half, outscoring the Bearcats by 24 to earn the road victory.

Julien Hunter continued his strong play, this time scoring 29 points to lead all scorers. Hunter was 12-16 from the field on the afternoon. Ty Wills had 15 points and Hunter Jackson added 11.

Senior guard Hunter White stuffed the stat-sheet Saturday, scoring 13 points and grabbing nine rebounds while dishing eight assists. Zach Rinehart had a game-high 12 rebounds.

The Cougars got out to an early 4-0 lead thanks to buckets from Dell DeMyers and Julien Hunter. Brescia battled back to take a 7-5 lead in what was a back-and-forth first half.

IU Kokomo extended the lead to nine at 18-9, but Brescia scored six straight to cut the lead to three. The Bearcats regained the lead at 23-22 and led for the remainder of the half. Brescia tacked on to their lead late in the first half and led 39-30 at halftime.

The Cougars responded well out of halftime, tying the game at 43 five minutes into the second half. With the game tied at 43, the Cougars scored 15 of the next 17 points for a 58-45 lead with 9:45 remaining in the game.

IU Kokomo led by as many as 19 in the second-half and went on to beat Brescia 85-70.

The Cougars will return to play Tuesday, December 20th, as they travel to northern Indiana to take on IU Northwest.

IU KOKOMO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Beats Brescia 72-61 On the Road for First Win

OWENSBORO, Ky. – The Indiana University Kokomo women’s basketball team took down Brescia University 72-61 Saturday afternoon for their first win of the season. The Cougars are now 1-10 overall and 1-4 in River States Conference play.

Alaya Chapman had an impressive outing Saturday, scoring a game-high 21 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Olivia Dowden contributed ten points and four rebounds, while Mia Catey had seven points and a game-high 11 boards. Anna Kiser and Anya Friend each added seven points.

Chapman and IU Kokomo made it a point early to feed the ball inside, and Chapman scored on the Cougars first two possessions of the game for an early 4-0 lead. A Mia Catey layup extended the IUK lead to seven at 12-5, but the Bearcats managed to trim the lead. Karly Kirkpatrick hit a runner late in the quarter to give the Cougars a 15-12 lead after one.

The Cougars maintained a lead for the entirety of the second quarter, but late in the quarter Brescia got within a point. The Bearcats trimmed the lead to one with 1:32 remaining in the half, but Anya Friend drilled a three for IUK and Chapman scored at the rim to give the Cougars a 40-34 halftime lead.

IU Kokomo came out of halftime strong, scoring the first four points to take a double-digit lead. Brescia cut their deficit to four, but that was as close as they got for the remainder of the period. The Cougars built their lead back up to nine and led 56-47 after three quarters.

IUK quickly pushed their lead back to double-digits early in the fourth, and completely controlled fourth quarter action. Leading 62-55, the Cougars went on a 9-0 run to take their largest lead of the game at 71-55. IUK closed out a 72-61 win over Brescia for their first win of the year.

The Cougars will return to play next Friday, December 16th, as they travel to Illinois to take on Olivet Nazarene.

INDIANA TECH MEN’S BASKETBALL: Fall to Rochester on the Road

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – The No. 14 ranked Indiana Tech men’s basketball team traveled to Rochester Hills, Michigan, to take on Rochester University in a Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference matchup Saturday. Tech fell short on the road losing with a 64-71 final score, moving their record to 10-2 and 6-1 in the conference.

Grant Smith led all scorers with 20 points while adding 5 rebounds and 3 assists to his total. Josh Kline was one rebound short of a double-double scoring 16 points and grabbing a team-high 9 rebounds. Max Perez contributed 10 points off the bench for Tech knocking down 2 threes on three 3 attempts. Tech shot 44.8% as a team and went 8-14 from the free-throw line.

The Warriors head to Florida for a two-game trip against Florida Memorial University on Saturday, December 17, and Keiser University on December 18. This will be Tech’s first matchup with both teams.

INDIANA TECH WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Warriors push their Winning Streak to Seven on the road

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – The No. 15-Ranked Indiana Tech Warriors continue to thrive on the road, taking down WHAC opponent Rochester University with a final score of 86-66. The Warriors are undefeated on the road this season and have pushed their winning streak to seven.

The Warriors trailed early in the first quarter and went back and forth until the final 3-minutes. Tech was able to pull ahead with a 21-14 lead going into the second quarter. The Warriors only built on this lead moving forward into the half and third quarter. Tech’s largest lead came in the fourth quarter, leading by as much as 20 points.

The Warriors shot 56% from the field and 63% from the free-throw line to contribute to the win. Key components to Tech’s continued success on the road included Erika Foy’s double-double consisting of 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists. Covington also led all scoring for both sides, sitting at 22 points. Decker (12 points) and Whitaker (12 points) were both in double-digit scoring for the Warriors and had a combined 13 assists. The Warriors dominated the paint outscoring Rochester with a 44-38 advantage, and took care of business rebounding for second-chance points.

The Warriors continue their road stretch Monday, December 19, taking on Indiana University Northwest for a 3 PM tip-off in Gary, Indiana. The Warrior’s last match-up with IU-Northwest was on December 19, 2020, where they defeated the RedHawks by 19 points.

GRACE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Grace outlasts Taylor for record breaking win

UPLAND, Ind. – Grace’s women’s basketball team picked up a grueling 71-66 victory over the Taylor Trojans on Saturday afternoon.

The victory set a pair of records for Grace. The Lady Lancers set a new record consecutive wins (7) and most wins in the first 10 contests of the season (9).

Maddie Ryman and Karlee Feldman paced Grace offensively in the record breaking win with 23 points apiece.

Grace (9-1 ,5-0 Crossroads League) remains unbeaten in conference play and is tied atop the standing with No. 8 Marian.

The game was a defensive grind to start the first quarter. Grace and Taylor (7-5, 2-3 CL) combined to go empty through their first eight possessions of the game.

Grace was the first to draw blood as Maddie Ryman converted a fastbreak opportunity with a 3-point bucket. The offensive struggle continued for both teams though, with Taylor holding a 6-5 lead with three minutes to go in the quarter.

Kiersten Findley scored on a tough drive and converted from the charity stripe to complete the 3-point play to push the Lady Lancers ahead 8-6.

Kate Rulli converted off of an inbound pass, but the Trojans had a late bucket to send the contest to the quarter break with the Trojans ahead 11-10.

The Trojans hit their first two shots of the second quarter to increase the margin to 16-10.

Karlee Feldman erased the deficit by herself going on a solo 6-0 run, before Ryman recaptured the lead for Grace on the next possession.

A pair of transition buckets from Kaylee Patton and Ryman had the Lady Lancers ahead 26-21, but timely shooting from beyond the arc kept the Trojans within striking distance.

Feldman made a bucket aa the buzzer to send Grace into the intermission with a 35-30 lead.

Feldman had already secured a double-double at halftime with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Grace shot 36 percent from the floor compared to Taylor’s 40 percent.

Grace started the third quarter cold offensively, and saw their lead quickly evaporate. The Trojans went on a 14-2 as they established a 44-37 lead.

Grace used a scoring run from a quartet of Lady Lancers to draw back even at 44 apiece.

Taylor answered with another timely 3-point bucket that seemed to sway momentum back in favor of the Trojans, but Feldman answered with a 3-point play of her own as the two teams continued to trade blows.

Grace would end the quarter ahead 53-51 after Ryman hit a pull-up jumper to end the frame.

The exchange of trifectas continued into the early portions of the final stanza as the Trojans clung to a 61-60 lead with 6:36 remaining.

The Lady Lancers would vault back into the lead for the final time when Peyton Murphy lofted a pass to Feldman who calmly turned and sank the bucket to push Grace ahead. A pair of Ryman Free throws gave the Lady Lancers a three-point cushion.

Taylor drew back within one but an acrobatic and-1 score from Ryman seemed to be the dagger in the Trojans’ heart as Grace held on for the 71-66 victory.

“This was a heavyweight fight between two tough programs,” said Grace head Coach Dan Davis. “I thought both teams made plays throughout the game, but I have to give credit to our girls for wearing Taylor down and executing in the fourth quarter. Another good Crossroads League win before the break.”

Feldman was an unstoppable force on the boards with 18 rebounds to go along with her 23 points. She also added three steals and a block.

Murphy added 11 points and Findley had a well rounded game with 7 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

The Lady Lancers won the rebounding battle 43-36 and converted 22 of their 31 free throw attempts.

Grace will return home on Tuesday for a 2 p.m. tipoff against Iowa Wesleyan.

IU EAST MEN’S BASKETBALL: Midway Tops Red Wolves In Offensive Struggle

MIDWAY, Ky. – Cold shooting was the story in the RSC matchup against Midway and the Red Wolves.

Both teams shot in the thirties but the Eagles were able to hold on to defeat IU East 59-55. The Red Wolves were 23-of-70 from the field and only 4-of-19 from beyond the arc. Midway was slightly better at 37 percent.

After a quick bucket from Midway, Sekou Maiga took a pass from Tobey Billups and slammed it home. A jumper from Colt Meyer and Jake Johnson gave IUE a 6-2 lead after three minutes of play. The Eagles would come back and regain the lead as both teams went back and forth until Meyer’s 3-pointer with 6:13 remaining in the half. The Red Wolves would keep the lead and head into the locker room up a point at 24-23.

In the second, the Eagles would take the lead just 20 seconds into the half which also started a 9-0 run. Midway would lead the rest of the way. IUE would make it a game late. Trailing 57-50, Meyer was fouled attempting a 3-pointer. He hit all three free throws to cut the deficit to four with 2:02 left. Both offenses went cold down the stretch. In the last two minutes, each team was able to score two points. Billups was the last field goal for the Red Wolves with a second left in the game.

Meyer scored a team-high 10 points. Maiga scored four points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Johnson added nine points and five boards.

The Red Wolves will be back home on Tuesday, hosting IU Southeast at 7:30 p.m. on Lingle Court.

IU EAST WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Midway Tops Red Wolves In RSC Battle

MIDWAY, Ky. – Davina Smith scored 14 points and Kennedy Griffin added 12 points and 11 rebounds as the Red Wolves fell to Midway on Saturday, 76-63.

Addie Brown was also in double figures with 10 points.

The Eagles led from start to finish thanks to an early 8-0 run. Caitlin McEldowney scored the first points for the Red Wolves with a layup. Tia Tolbert hit a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to four. Midway answered on a 5-0 run for their largest lead in the first. Brown and Christina Himelick scored the last points in the quarter as IUE trailed by seven after 10.

The Red Wolves shot well in the second quarter going 8-of-13. But were limited in chances with six turnovers. Taylor Browning’s layup broke an almost 3-minute offensive slump to start the quarter. Midway pushed their lead to double digits for the first time of the game and went into halftime up 12.

To start the second half, Smith and Griffin both scored to bring the deficit back down to single digits. IU East trailed 47-39 with 8:07 remaining in the third. Griffin hit a 3-pointer at the end of the third but the Eagles still held a sizable 63-47 lead.

The Red Wolves outscored the Eagles in the fourth, 16-13. But the Eagles scored their 13 points in a 13-0 run to take their lead to its highest of the game at 25 points. IUE scored the last 11 points of the quarter. Brown’s free throw started the 11-0 run. She later hit a 3-pointer with 3:25 remaining in the game. The Red Wolves scored eight points in the last minute of the game but it wasn’t enough.

IUE will be back on Lingle Court in their next game as they host Olivet Nazarene. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

TAYLOR ATHLETICS | Offense Sputters Late as Trojans Fall to RV Grace

UPLAND, Ind. – Just hours after the pandemonium of the 25th-annual Silent Night game, the Taylor women’s basketball team took the court inside Odle Arena for a matchup with RV Grace.

Though leading for much of the game, the Trojan offense stalled throughout the final seven minutes of action, which paved the way for Grace (9-1, 5-0 CL) to remain undefeated in Crossroads League play with a 71-66 win over Taylor.

With just under seven minutes to play in the fourth, an Ariel Dale two-point basket gave Taylor a 61-58 lead. Grace answered with an 11-2 run, however, which established a 69-63 lead with one minute left on the clock.

At that point, a clutch three-pointer made by Claycee West nurtured a one-possession game, though a pair of Lancer free throws and a scoreless Trojan final minute left Taylor trailing by five points at the final buzzer.

Grace feasted at the charity stripe throughout the day, totaling 22 made free throws in comparison to just five from the Trojans. That 17-point difference largely cancelled an 18-point edge that Taylor worked in the three-point column, while nine second-chance points on 12 Lancer offensive rebounds then helped seal the win for Grace.

Taylor’s strongest stretch of play unfolded throughout the opening minutes of the third quarter, when the Trojans scored 11 points in the paint before Dale sunk a three to work a 14-2 Taylor advantage after just four minutes of play in the second half.

Dale’s three forced the third Lancer timeout of the game with the Trojans enjoying their largest lead of the day, 44-37. Outside of the timeout, Grace punched back with a 7-0 run to even the score at 44 apiece. From there, scoring went back and forth between Grace and Taylor. That is, until the Trojans grew cold with seven minutes to play in the fourth.

Taylor Westgate played a significant role in Taylor’s 14-2 third-quarter burst, which offered just a glimpse into a strong overall performance that finished with a game-high 26 points and seven boards.

West, meanwhile, finished with 16 points on 6-9 shooting from the floor and a 75-percent mark from three-point land. Dale pocketed 12 points of her own, alongside eight rebounds, though no other Trojan surpassed five points in the stat sheet.

Taylor (7-5, 2-3 CL) will now enter a break in competition throughout the holiday season, until the Trojans travel to Florida where they will play Warner (5-4) on December 28 at 4:00 pm.

ANDERSON MEN’S BASKETBALL: Ravens Outlast Quakers in Overtime

The Anderson University men’s basketball team (4-5, 2-0) outlasted Earlham College (1-7, 0-3) with a 77-73 victory in overtime during Saturday’s Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) matchup in Richmond.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Ravens opened the game with a 7-0 run. Earlham responded with a 7-0 run of its own.

After a layup from Jaden Terry gave the Quakers an 11-9 lead with 12 minutes, 23 seconds remaining, Earlham would lead for the remainder of the half.

Leading the Ravens 23-20, the Quakers sparked a 9-0 run. Anderson cut the deficit to 36-31 at halftime.

Alex Hunt knocked down a 3-pointer with 16:42 left in the second half to cut the lead to 42-40. A layup from Bryson Huckeby would even the score at 42-42 with 15:56 remaining in the half.

During the next 3:40, there were four lead changes and two ties.

With the game tied at 53-53, Anderson used an 8-0 run during the next 2:14 to propel to a 61-53 advantage.

Earlham once again matched Anderson’s run to tie the game at 61-61 with 7:51 left in the second half. Casey Keesee knocked down consecutive 3-pointers to close the run.

The Ravens broke a 64-64 tie with a layup from Huckeby and a 3-pointer from Fred Shropshire. Earlham received 5 points from Keesee to even the score at 69-all with 3:10 to go.

Tate Ivanyo provided a bucket to give Anderson a 71-69 lead. James Holder produced a bucket-and-1 to put the Quakers ahead 72-71 with 2:34 left in the second half.

Earlham came up with consecutive defensive stops and Chase Younts made a layup to put the Quakers up 74-71 with 1:13 to go in the half.

With 47 seconds remaining in the second half, Hunt was fouled in the act of shooting a 2-pointer. Hunt made his first free throw to make the score 74-72. His second attempt was a miss, but Jordan Gadis fought to get offensive rebound. Gadis quickly fed the ball out to Shropshire, Shropshire dished the ball to Ivanyo and Ivanyo drained the three to put the Ravens ahead 75-74.

Earlham would go ahead 77-75 with 27 seconds left in the half when Terry completed the bucket-and-1.

Ivanyo got the layup to fall to tie the game at 77-77 with six seconds remaining. Tommy Makabu’s attempt to win the game for Earlham came up empty, sending the game into overtime.

Gadis quickly put the Ravens in the driver’s seat by knocked down a three with 4:49 remaining in the overtime period. Anderson would carry its lead into the final minute.

Terry hit two free throws to cut Earlham’s deficit to 84-83 with 27 seconds remaining. Needing to foul, the Quakers sent Camden Smith to the line and he knocked down both free throws.

Trailing by three with seven seconds remaining, the Quakers found Terry for a 3-point attempt, but his shot was blocked by Hunt.

Anderson was sent the line for two free throws to ice the game. The Ravens missed both free throws, but Gadis came up with another critical offensive rebound. He made his second free throw to seal an 87-83 win.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Anderson finished with a 42-26 rebounding advantage.

The Ravens drained 33-of-55 (60 percent) shots from the floor. Earlham converted 32-of-71 (45.1 percent) attempts from the field.

The Ravens committed 22 turnovers while the Quakers only turned the ball over nine times. Earlham outscored Anderson 33-10 off turnovers.

The Quakers hit 10-of-25 (40 percent) shots from 3-point range while Anderson made 7-of-18 (38.9 percent) attempts from behind the arc.

Anderson closed the contest with six double-digit scorers

ANDERSON STAT LEADERS

Tate Ivanyo – 16 Points, 5 Assists, 7 Rebounds

Gavin Dowling – 14 Points, 2 Blocks, 7 Rebounds, 6/6 FG

Alex Hunt – 14 Points, 7 Rebounds

Fred Shropshire – 14 Points

Bryson Huckeby – 11 Points, 5/7 FG (71.4%)

Camden Smith – 11 Points

Jordan Gadis – 7 Points

EARLHAM STAT LEADERS

Jaden Terry – 25 Points, 7 Assists, 8 Rebounds, 3 Steals

Casey Keesee – 17 Points, Hit 4-of-6 (66.7 percent) shots from perimeter in second half

James Holder – 13 Points, 2 Blocks

Tommy Makabu – 12 Points, 4 Assists, 3 Steals

Anthony Phillips – 7 Assists

COACH CARTER COLLINS’S COMMENTS

I’m really proud of the way our team battled. There were large portions of the game where I didn’t think we really executed very well at all, but I thought there were very few moments, if any, where we didn’t play our hardest. A sign of a good team is being able to win games even when you don’t play your best, so I’m happy with [Saturday’s] outcome, while still realizing that we have a number of areas that we can improve on.

UP NEXT

Anderson faces off with Hanover College (5-2, 2-0) in HCAC action on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. in O.C. Lewis Gymnasium.

ANDERSON Women’s Basketball: Anderson Fights Past Earlham

The Anderson University women’s basketball team (4-5, 3-2) fought past Earlham College (1-7, 2-2) by a score of 79-70 during Saturday’s Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) contest in Richmond.

Lexi Dellinger led the Ravens with 20 points. The graduate senior guard from Berne knocked down each of her 12 free-throw attempts, tying the school record for most free throws made in a single game with a perfect percentage.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Earlham led the Ravens 17-16 after the first quarter. The Quakers pulled ahead 26-19 in the second quarter.

Anderson responded with a 14-0 run to take a 33-26 lead. The Ravens never relinquished the lead.

The Ravens converted 10-of-33 (30.3 percent) attempts from 3-point range and held the Quakers to 13.0-percent (3-of-23) shooting from the perimeter.

Anderson hit 21-of-30 (70 percent) shots from the free-throw line while Earlham made 13-of-21 (61.9 percent) attempts from the charity stripe.

The Quakers committed 25 turnovers while the Ravens turned the ball over 17 times. Anderson outscored Earlham 25-14 off turnovers.

The Quakers outrebounds the Ravens 52-38.

Earlham converted 27-of-70 (38.6 percent) shots from the floor while Anderson hit 24-of-63 (38.1 percent) attempts from the floor.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Lexi Dellinger – 20 Points, 4 Assists, 12/12 FT (Tied school record for most free throws made with perfect percentage)

Jade Shipley – 12 Points

Izzy Davis – 11 Points

Makynlee Taylor – 10 Rebounds, 9 Points, 3 Steals

Lauren Smith – 9 Points, 3/6 3FG (50%)

Mackinzie Toliver – 7 Points

Grace Marshall – 4 Points

Bella Larrison – 3 Points

Jada Stansberry – 2 Points

Brynn Beard – 2 Points

COACH JON GIN’S COMMENTS

It was a great team win. We started off slow, but came out of halftime with better defensive pressure that really helped us create some easy offense. We’ve struggled closing out tight games, but I liked how we finished [on Saturday]. We stayed aggressive and got key stops when we needed them.

UP NEXT

The Ravens face off with Bluffton University (5-2, 3-2) in HCAC action on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 1 p.m. in Bluffton, Ohio.

VINCENNES MEN’S BASKETBALL: No. 6 Trailblazers pull away late in win over Harry S. Truman

CHICAGO, Ill. – The No. 6-ranked Vincennes University Trailblazers overcame some early struggles Saturday afternoon against Harry S. Truman College before pulling away late in the second half to pick up the 94-60 victory at Richard J. Daley College.

Vincennes looked to set the tone early, jumping out to an early 14-8 lead, before extending to their largest lead of the half at 28-17.

Harry S. Truman battled back to cut the deficit to five before VU closed out the first half on a 4-0 run to take a nine-point lead into the locker room, 34-25.

The short-handed Falcons, who only had five active players, looked to make a run to start the second half, but a 17-4 scoring run by the Trailblazers ballooned the VU lead to 70-44.

The Trailblazers found a group on the floor that worked as VU used a late 8-0 run to seal the game as VU pulled away to a 94-60 win, their 14th straight victory to begin the season.

“I thought we were pretty sloppy for 25 minutes,” VU Hall of Fame Head Coach Todd Franklin said. “Plus you combine sloppy with not being able to hit shots, so at some point we have to find somebody that can hit shots. In the last 15 minutes we hit some shots. We got a little sharper and quit subbing. We found a group, stayed with that group and that group responded better. We still have a lot of room to go, but it was better.”

“Hats off to Truman,” Franklin added. “They played hard. Coach Cooksey had them ready to play. They did what they could. They stretched us. They had some guys that can do some things with the ball and hurt you and the other guys can hit a shot if you come off of them and they played to that all night.”

“We just didn’t put the ball in the basket or move the ball clean and sharp for the first 25 minutes,” Franklin said. “There’s a lot of room to improve on the last 15 minutes, but the last 15 I thought we were better. I stopped subbing. I found a group that I thought gave me a positive vibe and I stayed with that group. Sometimes it wasn’t perfect. Sometimes it wasn’t great. But it was positive and it’s amazing what happens.”

Vincennes was led offensively by sophomore Caleb Johnson (N. Preston, Nova Scotia) who came through with a big second half, scoring 23 of his game-high 27 points in the final period of play.

Johnson also recorded his first double-double of his Trailblazer career with 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Sophomore Tasos Cook (Columbus, Ohio) finished with 21 points, while also dishing out a team-high six assists, three rebounds and two steals.

Freshman Kale Gaither (Madisonville, Ky.) came off the bench to reach double-figures, ending with 11 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals.

Freshmen Kris King (Washington, D.C.) and Michael Osei-Bonsu (Bolingbrook, Ill.) each just missed a double-double, with Osei-Bonsu ending with nine points and 10 rebounds and King ending with nine points and nine rebounds off the bench.

“I thought Caleb was good the last 15 minutes,” Franklin said. “Not perfect. He had a couple of breakdowns defensively. But he was good. He responded. He was not very good in the first half and I just didn’t like some of the responses so he didn’t get to start the second half. I thought he would respond to that because he usually has and he did. We had a really good second half, which I thought we were capable of doing throughout.”

“Kris King gave us some good minutes,” Franklin added. “Again, it was not perfect, but he gave us some things. Kale shot the ball in the basket a few times. He’s really capable of putting the ball in the basket and really scoring, he’s just really struggled to do that. That will be a big jump for our ball club when the day comes that that clicks in for him. Once he gets through that freshman wall and maybe hitting some shots in the second half will lead into that going into Wednesday because we are going to need that. He’s got that in him. He was a big-time scorer, he hit those shots all preseason. So, there’s something that I think is hanging out there that I think we can expect at some point in time is going to come. But we are just getting to the point where we are going to need that pretty soon with the games we have coming up.”

“Michael did some good things, but we stayed with him,” Franklin said. “Shilo struggled and when he sat down, we got to playing better, so he didn’t go back in. I think that all of these guys need to start understanding that’s what is going to happen. I’ve told them that. The only reason we keep going on this merry-go-round is because we haven’t found those guys that are going to say, ‘I don’t need to come out’. So, you don’t want to be on the bad end of that merry-go-round. We need to find groups that want to be out there and stay out there. That’s what we are looking for and we got more of that in the last 15 minutes.”

The Trailblazers will remain on the road to begin next week as VU jumps back into their Region 24 schedule Wednesday, Dec. 14 in an NJCAA Division I Top-10 showdown with No. 9-ranked John A. Logan College. Tip-off at Carterville is set for 8 p.m. eastern.

“I think it will be a good game if we play well,” Franklin said. “We’ve got to play better than we have been playing the last couple of weeks. We will decide if we want to bad enough and if we can. To do that, we are going to have to have guys that focus in and step up and say, ‘I want to do this job’. If I can find five at a time that want to be out there, then we will have every chance to make it a heck of a game. But we’ll see.”

VINCENNES WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Lady Blazers comeback attempt falls short at Jefferson College

HILLSBORO, Mo. – The Vincennes University Lady Trailblazers were on the road Saturday afternoon in a rematch of an early season meeting with the Lady Vikings of Jefferson College.

The Lady Blazers trailed by as many as 28 before rallying back in the fourth quarter but ultimately ran out of time as the Lady Vikings got their revenge on their home floor winning over VU 60-56.

Vincennes got off to a quick start at Jefferson, jumping out to an early five-point lead before the host Vikings quickly rallied back to take the lead.

VU would battle until Jefferson ended the first quarter on a 10-0 scoring run, giving the Lady Vikings a 24-14 advantage after the first 10 minutes of play.

Vincennes looked to try to eat away at the deficit but were unable to put together a scoring run in the second quarter as Jefferson College closed out the first half on an 8-0 scoring run to take a 41-24 lead into the locker room.

The Vikings continued to add to their lead in the second half, out scoring the Lady Blazers 16-5 to start the third quarter, growing their lead to 57-29.

Vincennes would chip away at this deficit before entering the fourth quarter however, using a 6-1 scoring run to head into the fourth quarter trailing 58-35.

The VU defense really picked up in the fourth quarter as Vincennes worked their way back into the game by opening the final period with 17 unanswered points.

Jefferson College was finally able to get a basket to go down with 41 seconds left to play, their first field goal since the 2:56 mark in the third quarter, meaning the Lady Blazers held the Lady Vikings without a basket for a stretch of 12 minutes and 15 seconds.

Vincennes continued to rally late, cutting the deficit to four points but just ran out of time as VU fell to the host Lady Vikings by the final score of 60-56.

The Lady Trailblazers outscored Jefferson College 21-2 in the fourth quarter Saturday, the fewest points a VU Lady Trailblazer team has allowed in a quarter since December of 2018.

Saturday marks the sixth time the Lady Blazers have held a team to just two points in a quarter since the NJCAA switched to quarters in women’s basketball in 2015.

VU just missed setting a new school record with this quarter, Vincennes allowed Olive-Harvey to score just a single point in the second quarter in their meeting on Nov. 3, 2018.

The Lady Blazers were led offensively off the bench by sophomore Chanice Willis (Champaign, Ill.), who scored 13 of her team-high 15 points in the second half, while also leading the Blazers with six steals and dishing out three assists.

Freshman Maycee Lange (Vincennes, Ind.) was the only other VU scorer in double-figures Saturday, finishing with 11 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and three steals.

Sophomores Cherrelle Newsom (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Daylynn Thornton (Lafayette, Ind.) each finished with seven points, with Newsom leading the Blazers with six assists and Thornton adding three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Freshman Brie Miller (Greencastle, Ind.) came off the bench to add six points and four rebounds for Vincennes.

The Lady Blazers will jump back into Region 24 play as they begin next week on the road at John A. Logan College in Carterville, Ill. Wednesday, Dec. 14. Tip-off time for this Region 24 showdown is set for 6 p.m. eastern.

NFL STANDINGS

American Football Conference

Pct

Home

Road

vs. Conf

vs. Div

Streak

Buffalo Bills

.750

0.0

333

209

4 – 1 – 0

5 – 2 – 0

6 – 2 – 0

1 – 2 – 0

3 W

Kansas City Chiefs

.750

0.0

350

270

5 – 1 – 0

4 – 2 – 0

5 – 3 – 0

3 – 0 – 0

1 L

Baltimore Ravens

.667

0.0

285

236

4 – 2 – 0

5 – 3 – 0

2 – 0 – 0

1 W

Tennessee Titans

.583

0.0

219

240

3 – 2 – 0

4 – 3 – 0

5 – 3 – 0

3 – 0 – 0

2 L

Cincinnati Bengals

.667

0.0

312

255

4 – 1 – 0

4 – 3 – 0

5 – 3 – 0

1 – 3 – 0

4 W

Miami Dolphins

.667

0.0

299

289

5 – 1 – 0

3 – 3 – 0

6 – 2 – 0

2 – 1 – 0

1 L

New York Jets

.583

0.0

252

223

3 – 3 – 0

4 – 2 – 0

5 – 4 – 0

2 – 2 – 0

1 L

New England Patriots

.500

2.0

249

226

3 – 3 – 0

5 – 3 – 0

2 – 2 – 0

2 L

Los Angeles Chargers

.500

2.0

272

309

2 – 3 – 0

4 – 3 – 0

4 – 4 – 0

2 – 3 – 0

1 L

Cleveland Browns

.417

3.0

290

300

3 – 3 – 0

2 – 4 – 0

3 – 6 – 0

2 – 1 – 0

2 W

Pittsburgh Steelers

.417

3.0

213

277

2 – 3 – 0

3 – 4 – 0

2 – 6 – 0

1 – 2 – 0

2 W

Las Vegas Raiders

.385

3.5

308

313

3 – 2 – 0

2 – 6 – 0

4 – 5 – 0

3 – 2 – 0

1 L

Indianapolis Colts

.346

4.0

209

298

2 – 4 – 0

2 – 4 – 1

4 – 5 – 1

1 – 3 – 1

3 L

Jacksonville Jaguars

.333

4.0

258

272

3 – 3 – 0

1 – 5 – 0

4 – 4 – 0

1 – 2 – 0

1 L

Denver Broncos

.250

5.0

166

204

2 – 3 – 0

1 – 6 – 0

2 – 7 – 0

0 – 3 – 0

4 L

Houston Texans

.125

6.5

188

287

0 – 5 – 1

1 – 5 – 0

1 – 6 – 1

1 – 1 – 1

7 L

National Football Conference

Pct

Home

Road

vs. Conf

vs. Div

Streak

Philadelphia Eagles

.917

0.0

338

226

6 – 1 – 0

5 – 0 – 0

6 – 1 – 0

2 – 1 – 0

3 W

Minnesota Vikings

.833

0.0

289

279

6 – 1 – 0

4 – 1 – 0

6 – 2 – 0

3 – 0 – 0

2 W

San Francisco 49ers

.667

0.0

282

190

5 – 1 – 0

3 – 3 – 0

6 – 2 – 0

4 – 0 – 0

5 W

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

.500

0.0

217

219

4 – 3 – 0

2 – 3 – 0

6 – 2 – 0

3 – 1 – 0

1 W

Dallas Cowboys

.750

0.0

333

206

6 – 1 – 0

3 – 2 – 0

7 – 3 – 0

3 – 1 – 0

3 W

New York Giants

.625

0.0

245

252

4 – 2 – 1

3 – 2 – 0

3 – 4 – 1

0 – 2 – 1

1 T

Seattle Seahawks

.583

0.0

318

304

3 – 2 – 0

4 – 3 – 0

5 – 4 – 0

3 – 1 – 0

1 W

Washington Commanders

.577

0.5

253

256

3 – 3 – 0

4 – 2 – 1

4 – 4 – 1

1 – 2 – 1

1 T

Detroit Lions

.417

2.5

315

324

3 – 4 – 0

2 – 3 – 0

4 – 4 – 0

2 – 1 – 0

1 W

Atlanta Falcons

.385

3.0

288

312

4 – 3 – 0

1 – 5 – 0

4 – 5 – 0

1 – 3 – 0

2 L

Green Bay Packers

.385

3.0

263

302

3 – 3 – 0

2 – 5 – 0

4 – 5 – 0

2 – 2 – 0

1 W

Arizona Cardinals

.333

3.5

264

321

1 – 6 – 0

3 – 2 – 0

3 – 6 – 0

1 – 4 – 0

2 L

Carolina Panthers

.333

3.5

230

266

4 – 3 – 0

0 – 5 – 0

3 – 5 – 0

3 – 1 – 0

1 W

New Orleans Saints

.308

4.0

265

297

3 – 4 – 0

1 – 5 – 0

3 – 6 – 0

1 – 3 – 0

2 L

Los Angeles Rams

.308

4.0

218

296

3 – 5 – 0

1 – 4 – 0

3 – 7 – 0

1 – 4 – 0

1 W

Chicago Bears

.231

5.0

270

333

2 – 4 – 0

1 – 6 – 0

1 – 8 – 0

0 – 4 – 0

6 L

NBA STANDINGS

Eastern Conference

Pct

Conf GB

Home

Road

Div

Conf

Last 10

Streak

1 Boston

.778

—

11-2

10-4

4-0

14-5

8-2

1 L

2 Milwaukee

.760

1.0

12-3

7-3

4-1

11-4

8-2

4 W

3 Cleveland

.630

4.0

12-2

5-8

3-2

13-5

6-4

1 W

4 Brooklyn

.571

5.5

10-5

6-7

4-2

12-6

8-2

3 W

5 Philadelphia

.520

7.0

8-5

5-7

2-3

10-8

5-5

1 W

6 Indiana

.519

7.0

8-5

6-8

1-1

10-5

4-6

1 L

7 Atlanta

.500

7.5

8-5

5-8

2-2

9-10

3-7

3 L

8 New York

.500

7.5

6-7

7-6

1-2

9-6

5-5

3 W

9 Toronto

.500

7.5

10-3

3-10

1-5

9-10

4-6

1 L

10 Miami

.444

9.0

9-6

3-9

5-1

7-9

5-5

1 L

11 Chicago

.440

9.0

7-5

4-9

2-1

9-6

5-5

2 W

12 Washington

.407

10.0

8-6

3-10

3-3

7-12

1-9

6 L

13 Charlotte

.269

13.5

4-9

3-10

3-5

4-14

3-7

4 L

14 Orlando

.259

14.0

6-9

1-11

1-3

3-15

2-8

2 W

15 Detroit

.250

14.5

4-8

3-13

0-5

2-14

4-6

2 L

Western Conference

Pct

Conf GB

Home

Road

Div

Conf

Last 10

Streak

1 New Orleans

.680

—

11-3

6-5

5-1

11-5

8-2

6 W

2 Memphis

.654

0.5

11-2

6-7

3-2

8-6

7-3

5 W

3 Denver

.615

1.5

7-3

9-7

6-2

14-6

6-4

2 W

4 Phoenix

.615

1.5

12-3

4-7

5-0

13-6

6-4

3 L

5 Sacramento

.583

2.5

8-4

6-6

3-4

5-6

6-4

1 W

6 Portland

.538

3.5

6-6

8-6

3-2

10-7

4-6

1 W

7 LA Clippers

.536

3.5

7-6

8-7

3-3

10-10

4-6

1 W

8 Golden State

.519

4.0

12-2

2-11

4-3

9-8

6-4

1 W

9 Utah

.517

4.0

9-5

6-9

3-4

13-9

3-7

2 L

10 Dallas

.500

4.5

10-4

3-9

1-2

8-5

4-6

2 L

11 Minnesota

.500

4.5

7-7

6-6

3-3

7-9

5-5

1 L

12 Oklahoma City

.423

6.5

6-5

5-10

1-5

5-9

4-6

2 L

13 LA Lakers

.400

7.0

6-6

4-9

0-5

6-10

5-5

3 L

14 San Antonio

.308

9.5

4-10

4-8

1-3

3-16

2-8

2 W

15 Houston

.280

10.0

4-5

3-13

1-3

4-14

4-6

1 L

NHL STANDINGS

Eastern Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Boston Bruins	26	21	4	1	43	20	103	57	14-0-1	7-4-0	7-2-1
2 New Jersey Devils	27	21	5	1	43	21	100	63	10-4-1	11-1-0	7-2-1
3 Toronto Maple Leafs	29	18	5	6	42	18	93	70	10-2-3	8-3-3	8-0-2
4 Carolina Hurricanes	27	15	6	6	36	13	80	73	5-3-1	10-3-5	5-1-4
5 Pittsburgh Penguins	28	16	8	4	36	15	100	83	8-3-2	8-5-2	8-1-1
6 Tampa Bay Lightning	27	17	9	1	35	17	95	82	10-4-1	7-5-0	7-3-0
7 New York Islanders	29	17	12	0	34	17	92	80	9-6-0	8-6-0	6-4-0
8 New York Rangers	29	14	10	5	33	13	89	82	5-6-4	9-4-1	5-4-1

9 Detroit Red Wings	27	13	8	6	32	12	84	86	7-4-3	6-4-3	5-3-2
10 Florida Panthers	28	13	11	4	30	12	96	93	7-2-3	6-9-1	4-4-2
11 Washington Capitals	29	13	12	4	30	13	82	87	8-4-1	5-8-3	6-3-1
12 Montreal Canadiens	27	13	12	2	28	10	82	96	6-7-0	7-5-2	5-4-1
13 Buffalo Sabres	28	12	14	2	26	11	109	103	6-8-2	6-6-0	5-3-2
14 Ottawa Senators	27	11	14	2	24	11	83	89	6-8-0	5-6-2	5-4-1
15 Philadelphia Flyers	28	9	13	6	24	9	66	91	6-8-1	3-5-5	2-6-2
16 Columbus Blue Jackets	26	9	15	2	20	9	74	106	7-10-1	2-5-1	3-6-1

Western Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Vegas Golden Knights	29	20	8	1	41	18	97	77	8-6-0	12-2-1	6-4-0
2 Winnipeg Jets	26	18	7	1	37	18	87	64	10-3-0	8-4-1	8-2-0
3 Dallas Stars	28	16	7	5	37	16	105	81	9-3-3	7-4-2	5-2-3
4 Los Angeles Kings	30	15	11	4	34	14	101	106	7-5-2	8-6-2	4-3-3
5 Seattle Kraken	26	15	8	3	33	15	91	83	7-6-2	8-2-1	7-3-0
6 Minnesota Wild	27	14	11	2	30	11	86	84	7-6-1	7-5-1	7-3-0
7 Edmonton Oilers	28	16	12	0	32	16	102	97	9-7-0	7-5-0	6-4-0
8 Calgary Flames	28	13	11	4	30	12	86	87	10-5-1	3-6-3	4-4-2

9 Colorado Avalanche	25	13	10	2	28	11	79	72	5-4-2	8-6-0	4-5-1
10 Vancouver Canucks	28	12	13	3	27	12	97	109	5-7-1	7-6-2	6-4-0
11 Nashville Predators	25	12	11	2	26	10	67	78	7-4-2	5-7-0	6-3-1
12 St. Louis Blues	27	12	15	0	24	11	82	105	5-7-0	7-8-0	3-7-0
13 San Jose Sharks	30	9	16	5	23	8	93	110	2-8-5	7-8-0	3-5-2
14 Arizona Coyotes	25	8	13	4	20	8	67	92	2-2-1	6-11-3	2-5-3
15 Chicago Blackhawks	26	7	15	4	18	7	62	94	4-8-2	3-7-2	1-8-1
16 Anaheim Ducks	28	7	18	3	17	5	70	120	5-7-0	2-11-3	2-6-2

FOOTBALL HISTORY

December 11, 1937 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – The CFL Grey Cup took place and at the end of the contest it was the Toronto Argonauts who won their 4th Championship as they edged out the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 4-3 in an era of football where the scoring was much different than it is today. The full game recap is found on the cfl.ca website.

December 11, 1938 – Polo Grounds, New York City – National Football League Championship had 48,120 fans a record attendance for the Title game, watched the New York Giants defeat the Green Bay Packers, 23-17. It was the 1938 NFL Championship game. New York’s quarterback, Ed Danowski threw two touchdown passes while Tuffy Leemans ran in another to account for the Giant’s points. The American Football Database article brings up an interesting fact from this game was that each player on the winning team received a $900 bonus while the team that lost saw each participant get a cool $700 each.

December 11, 1949 – According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Bears quarterback Johnny Lujack passed for 468 yards and 6 touchdowns as the Bears tore apart their cross town rivals the Chicago Cardinals in a one sided 52-29 victory.

December 11, 1949 – The Cleveland Browns beat San Francisco 49ers in the 1949 AAFC Championship game, the last title game for that League, by a final score of 21-7. As we mentioned a couple of days ago, the AAFC suffered some deep financial woes while being in competition with the NFL so had to shut down league operations after this game was played. The NFL agreed to soften the blow by merging the Browns, 49er and the Colts in their fold. Brownswire.usatoday has the coverage of the story.

December 11, 1966 – Franklin Field, Philadelphia – Al Nelson of the Philadelphia Eagles returned a Cleveland Browns missed field goal attempt that fell just short near the goal line an NFL record 100 yards for a score! This TD helped the Eagles cruise to a 33-21 victory. This record return of Nelson’s was trumped on November 4, 2007, probably never to be broken, when Antonio Cromartie of San Diego went 109 yards plus coast to coast on a missed FG of the Vikings at the end of the first half in a tie game.

December 11, 1993 – Florida State’s stellar quarterback, Charlie Ward wins the 59th Heisman Trophy Award. The Senior threw for 3032 yards and 27 touchdowns per his bio on the Heisman.com website. The story goes on to say that Charlie went on to also take home the Davey O’Brien and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards and was named Walter Camp Player of the Year and Toyota Leader of the Year.

December 11, 2000 – The Heisman Trophy was given to Quarterback Chris Weinke of Florida State University. The senior signal caller threw for 4167 yards to lead the nation and also won the Johnny Unitas and the Davey O’Brien Awards for being the top quarterback in the nation per Heisman.com. The Seminoles lost to the Oklahoma Sooners in the National Championship game at the Orange Bowl by the score of 13-2.

December 11, 2004 – The 70th Heisman Trophy was awarded to Matt Leinart, Southern Cal’s quarterback. Leinart led USC to back to back National Championships in 2003 and 2004. Matt in 2004 threw for 2990 yards and 28 touchdowns according to his bio on the Heisman’s website. The article goes on to say that Matt Leinart accumulated more votes than his closest competitors for the Trophy in Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson and Jason White, Utah’s Alex Smith and teammate Reggie Bush to win.

December 11, 2021 – The 87th Heisman Trophy was handed to Bryce Young the University of Alabama stand out Quarterback.

HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 11

December 11, 1910 – Stratton, Nebraska – Nebraska’s standout full back George Sauer was born. George was the Huskers All-America selection that had helped lead Nebraska to a 23-4-1 record in his three seasons there. At the 1934 East-West Shrine game according to the NFF, Sauer scored both of the West’s TDs as they won 12-0. The National Football Foundation selected George Sauer to enter into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954. After school was completed, George played with the Green Bay Packers for 3 seasons in the NFL.

December 11, 1924 – – Mr. Inside, Army’s outstanding fullback Felix “ Doc” Blanchard came into this world. The NFF says that Doc was the player who became the first ever junior to win the Heisman Trophy and the Maxwell Award and was the first ever football player to win the James E. Sullivan Award, all in 1945. The Cadets were undefeated in Blanchard’s 3 seasons with the team sporting an amazing 27-0-1 record and three national championships! Doc was more than just a running back, he was the place kicker and punter in addition to playing linebacker on defense. His pairing with Glenn Davis in the backfield may be the best tandem in collegiate football history. The 1945 season saw Doc run for 722 yards and 16 touchdowns. Doc Blanchard found his way into gridiron immortality in 1964 when he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

December 11, 1949 – Colorado City, Texas – Dartmouth’s outstanding linebacker Murry Bowden celebrated his birth. The National Football Foundation fondly recounts that Dartmouth’s undefeated 1970 team was the last Ivy League school to be rated among the nation’s top 20 teams placing 13th and 14th in the two polls. That season the Dartmouth defense ranked in the nation’s top ten in seven statistical categories including first in scoring defense and second in total defense. Murry was a big part of those stats as he was consistently found in the offensive backfield making plays. The College Football Hall of Fame swung their doors open wide to welcome Murry Bowden in 2003’s induction class.

NUMBERS IN SPORTS

32 – 5 – 26 – 17 – 16 – 19 – 11 – 9

December 11, 1949 – Chicago Bears QB and former Heisman winner, Number 32, Johnny Lujack passes for 6 touchdowns versus the Chicago Cardinals by the score of 52-29.

December 11, 1951 – Joe DiMaggio, long time Number 5 of the New York Yankees, announced his retirement from baseball

December 11, 1966 – Al Nelson, Number 26, a defensive back of the Philadelphia Eagles set an NFL record when he returned missed field goal, 100 yards

December 11, 1993 – 59th Heisman Trophy Award was won by Florida State Quarterback Number 17, Charlie Ward.

December 11, 2000 – 66th Heisman Trophy Award was won by Florida State Quarterback Number 16, Chris Weinke.

December 11, 2002 – Joe Sakic, Number 19 of the Colorado Avalanche, scored his 500th career goal against Vancouver

December 11, 2004 – 70th Heisman Trophy Award was won by USC Quarterback, Number 11, Matt Leinart

December 11, 2021 – 87th Heisman Trophy Award was won by Alabama Quarterback, Number 9, Bryce Young

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

1917 The Phillies trade 30-year-old Grover Cleveland Alexander and catcher Bill Killefer to the Cubs for right-hander Mike Prendergast, who compiles a 13-15 record in his one-plus season with Philadelphia, and reserve backstop William Dillhoefer, who bats .091 in the eight games he plays for the team. From 1918 to 1926, ‘Old Pete’ compiles a 128-83 record in a Cubs uniform en route to a Hall of Fame career, including playing for the Cardinals.

1928 To speed up the game and add more offense, National League president John Heydler proposes a designated batter for the pitcher. The American League opposes the idea, and the NL withdraws the proposal before asking Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis to break the deadlock.

1941 The Giants deal hurler Bill Lohrman, catcher James O’Dea, first baseman Johnny McCarthy, and $50,000 to the Cardinals for Johnny Mize. Despite missing three years due to WWII, the Giants’ new first baseman will spend five productive seasons of his Hall of Fame career with the team, hitting .299 and averaging more than 100 RBIs per season.

1950 A. B. ‘Happy’ Chandler’s contract as commissioner isn’t renewed for a second term when he receives only nine of the twelve owners’ votes needed for re-election. The future Hall of Famer is given credit for integrating the majors, putting six umpires on the field during the World Series, and establishing the players’ pension fund in 1947, with the $475,000 made by selling the rights to broadcast the World Series on the radio.

1951 “I can no longer produce for my ballclub, my manager, my teammates, and my fans the sort of baseball their loyalty to me deserves.” – Joe DiMaggio At the Yankees’ Fifth Avenue suite in the Squibb Tower, a tearful Joe DiMaggio, two weeks after his 37th birthday, announces to the press his decision to retire from baseball. The Bronx Bomber outfielder, claiming he “no longer has it” due to age and injuries, ends his thirteen-year career with a lifetime .325 BA and 361 home runs, rejecting owner Dan Topping’s $100,000 offer to play next season.

1952 The Pirates name Fred Haney as the team’s manager, replacing Billy Meyer, who was selected as The Sporting News Major League Manager of the Year in 1948 following his first season at the helm. The Bucs will finish each season in last place, compiling a dismal 163-299 (.353) record during their new skipper’s three-year tenure in Pittsburgh.

1954 The Phillies purchase Connie Mack Stadium for $1,675,000 from Arnold Johnson, the A’s new owner, who acquired the ballpark as part of his purchase of the American League team. The Phils, who had been paying a minimal rent to share the park with the American League team, become the sole occupants of the aging downtown facility, their home for the next 15 seasons, when their Junior Circuit rivals move to Kansas City.

1956 Bob Feller, a future Hall of Fame hurler with the Indians, becomes the first president of a major league player association. One of many attempts by the players to form a union will prove to be very successful a decade later with the hiring of Marvin Miller to be the MLBPA’s first executive director in 1966.

1959 After the Pirates reject the A’s offer to exchange Dick Groat for Roger Maris, Kansas City, prohibited from trading the outfielder to the Yankees for 18 months, send the right fielder and two other players to the Bronx for Hank Bauer, Don Larsen, Norm Siebern, and Marv Throneberry. The American League put a moratorium on trades by Kansas City, hoping to alleviate the perception that the team was serving as a ‘big league’ farm club for the Bronx Bombers.

1962 The Red Sox trade Tracy Stallard, Pumpsie Green, and a player to be named later (Al Moran) to the Mets in exchange for Felix Mantilla. Stallard, best known for throwing the pitch to Roger Maris for the record-breaking 61st home run, will become a twenty-game loser for New York in 1964.

1968 The Angels trade two catchers, Ed Kirkpatrick and Dennis Paepke, to the Kansas City A’s for Hoyt Wilhelm. Before being traded to Atlanta in September, the right-handed knuckleballer will post a 5-7 record along with ten saves while compiling a respectable ERA of 2.47 during his five months with the Halos.

1973 After being the first player to invoke the new 10 and 5 rule to avoid being dealt to the Angels, Ron Santo agrees to be traded to the south side of Chicago to play for the rival White Sox. In return for the 33-year-old infielder, who will play just one season with the Pale Hose before retiring, the Cubs receive southpaw Jim Kremmel (the player to be named later), Ken Frailing, Steve Stone, and Steve Swisher.

1975 In a busy day of trading, the Yankees acquire pitchers Dock Ellis and Ken Brett and second baseman Willie Randolph from the Pirates for hurler Doc Medich. In a separate deal with the Angels, the Bronx Bombers trade Bobby Bonds for outfielder Mickey Rivers and pitcher Ed Figueroa.

1975 The Chicago White Sox announce Bill Veeck, along with a group of 40+ investors, has purchased the team, saving the cash-strapped franchise from being shifted to another city. John H. Johnson, the publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines, becomes the first black to hold an ownership stake in a major league team.

1981 Despite having mediocre results with the team last season, 37-year-old Joe Morgan is re-signed by the Giants. The veteran second baseman will win the Silver Slugger award next season, compiling a .289 batting average.

1986 The Mets trade Kevin Mitchell, a rookie who played six positions for the eventual world champs, along with prospects Stan Jefferson and Shawn Abner, and two other minor leaguers to the Padres for outfielder Kevin McReynolds, southpaw Gene Walter, and a minor leaguer. After being traded to the Giants during the season, the San Diego native will become the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1989.

1987 The A’s obtain Jesse Orosco from the Mets and then trades the southpaw reliever along with shortstop Alfredo Griffin and right-hander Jay Howell to the Dodgers for pitchers Matt Young, Bob Welch, and Jack Savage. New York gets Savage as well as right-hand hurlers Wally Whitehurst and Kevin Tapani from Oakland to complete the three-team, eight-player deal.

1987 In a rare trade between the cross-town rivals, the Mets trade Rafael Santana to the Yankees, along with minor leaguer Victor Garcia, who pitched for Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, for Steve Frey, Phil Lombardi, and Darren Reed. The starting shortstop for the world champs last season initially signed with the Bronx Bombers as an amateur free agent in 1976.

1991 The Royals deal right-hander Bret Saberhagen and utility player Bill Pecota to the Mets for Gregg Jefferies, Kevin McReynolds, and Keith Miller. The two-time Cy Young Award winner will post only a 3-5 record in his first season with New York, compiling a 29-27 record during his 3+ seasons with the team.

2000 The Astros and Tigers complete a six-player trade with outfielder Roger Cedeno, catcher Mitch Meluskey, and right-hander Chris Holt going to Detroit and catcher Brad Ausmus, relievers Doug Brocail and Nelson Cruz headed for Houston. Ausmus, who attended Dartmouth College, will return to Detroit in 2014, compiling a 314-332 (.486) record during his four-year tenure as the team’s manager.

2001 The Mets trade southpaw Billy Traber and outfielders Matt Lawton and Alex Escobar to the Indians for superstar second baseman Roberto Alomar along with prospect Danny Peoples and left-hander Mike Bacsik. The Gold Glove infielder, the centerpiece of the deal, will be a notable bust in Flushing, hitting just .265 and playing uninspired defense for New York before being shipped to the White Sox in the middle of the 2003 season.

2007 After declining offers from the Yomiuri Giants and his former team, the Chunichi Dragons, Kosuke Fukudome comes to terms with the Cubs on a four-year deal reported to be worth $48 million. The 30-year-old Japanese outfielder, also sought by the Padres, White Sox, Giants, and Rangers, compiled a .305 batting average during his 13-year tenure in Japan’s Central League.

2008 The Red Sox unveil their new but familiar “Hanging Sox” logo. Originally sewn on uniforms in 1931, the pair of red socks will now appear on most of the club’s letterhead and signs, diminishing the use of the circular trademark, which contains the words “Boston Red Sox.”

2009 The Rays obtain Rafael Soriano (27 saves, 2.97) from Atlanta, agreeing to a $7.25 million, one-year deal with the reliever to complete the transaction. The Braves, who get right-hander Jesse Chavez from Tampa Bay in the trade, recently bolstered their bullpen with Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito, making the 29-year-old right-hander expendable.

2009 Clearly stating he wants to be an everyday player on a winning team, Ivan Rodriguez agrees to a $6 million, two-year deal with the Nationals, the worst team in baseball last season. The 38-year-old catcher will share playing time and his experience with Jesus Flores, Washington’s young up-and-coming backstop.

2009 Free-agent Jason Kendall signs a $6 million, two-year deal to become the Royals’ everyday catcher. The 35-year-old savvy backstop, a lifetime .290 hitter, batted only .241 with only two home runs and 43 RBIs with Milwaukee last season.

2010 Rays free-agent Carl Crawford agrees to a seven-year, $142-million deal with the Red Sox. The 29-year-old outfielder’s tenure in Boston will be brief when he plays only two disappointing injury-plagued seasons with the team before being traded to the Dodgers as part of a blockbuster trade.

2010 “He was a guy who was a class act and he meant more to the city than the players. When he walked down the street people knew him. He’s more recognizable than any player that’s been here.” – KEN GRIFFEY, JR., former Mariners superstar speaking of Dave Niehaus in a video message played at a Safeco Field tribute to the late broadcaster. The Mariners honor Dave Niehaus, the team’s long-time broadcaster, who died suddenly last month, with a Safeco Field ceremony attended by his family, team officials, former players, and thousands of fans. The Hall of Fame announcer, a fixture in the Seattle booth since the franchise’s first pitch in 1977, is eulogized by Rick Rizzs, who becomes overwhelmed with emotion reminiscing about his broadcast partner for 25 years.

2014 In a blockbuster trade, the Marlins obtain speedster Dee Gordon, right-hander Dan Haren, infielder Miguel Rojas, and cash considerations from the Dodgers in exchange for Austin Barnes, Chris Hatcher, Enrique Hernandez, and their top southpaw prospect Andrew Heaney, who will be dealt later in the day by his new team to the Angels for Howie Kendrick. The addition of Gordon, who led the National League with 64 stolen bases last season, gives Miami a bona fide leadoff hitter while improving their defense at second base.

TV SUNDAY

COLLEGE BASKETBALL – MEN’S	TIME ET	TV
St. Bonaventure vs. Iona	11:30am	YES
Tarleton at UCF	12:00pm	ESPN+
Maine at Merrimack	1:00pm	NEC
Central Connecticut at Fordham	1:00pm	ESPN+
Eastern Michigan at Niagara	1:00pm	ESPN+
Oklahoma State vs. Virginia Tech	2:00pm	ESPN2
Prairie View A&M at Northwestern	2:00pm	BTN
NJIT at Fairleigh Dickinson	2:00pm	NEC
Jackson State at Akron	2:00pm	ESPN+
Paul Quinn at Stephen F. Austin	2:00pm	ESPN+
Bryant at Manhattan	2:00pm	ESPN+
Ohio at Youngstown State	2:00pm	ESPN+
ETSU at Morehead State	2:00pm	ESPN+
Coppin State at East Carolina	2:00pm	ESPN+
Siena at Delaware	2:00pm	FLOHOOPS
North Greenville at Charleston	2:00pm	FLOHOOPS
Johnson & Wales at Elon	2:00pm	FLOHOOPS
Chicago State at UT Martin	3:00pm	ESPN+
North Park at Milwaukee	3:00pm	ESPN+
UIW at Kansas State	3:00pm	ESPN+
Rust at Nicholls	3:00pm	ESPN+
Lipscomb at Tennessee State	3:30pm	ESPN+
Marquette at Notre Dame	4:00pm	ESPN2
Navy at Towson	4:00pm	FLOHOOPS
Peru State at Colorado State	4:00pm	MWN
Indiana State at Southern Indiana	4:00pm	ESPN+
NM State at Duquesne	4:00pm	ESPN+
Bowling Green at Hampton	4:00pm	FLOHOOPS
North American at Texas Southern	4:00pm	–
Maryland vs. Tennessee	4:30pm	FS1
UC Riverside at Idaho	5:00pm	ESPN+
Oregon State at Texas A&M	6:00pm	ESPN2
Waldorf at North Dakota State	6:00pm	ESPN+
Presbyterian at South Carolina	6:00pm	ESPN+
McNeese at Iowa State	6:00pm	ESPN+
Seton Hall at Rutgers	6:30pm	FS1
Wisconsin at Iowa	6:30pm	BTN
UMass vs. Hofstra	7:00pm	YES
Howard at VCU	7:00pm	ESPN+
Cal State East Bay at Pacific	7:00pm	WCC
Mississippi State at Minnesota	8:30pm	BTN
Saint Francis U at Hawai’i	10:00pm	ESPN+
COLLEGE BASKETBALL – WOMEN’S	TIME ET	TV
Ball State at Pittsburgh	12:00pm	ACCN
Louisville at Kentucky	1:00pm	ESPN
South Florida at N.C. State	2:00pm	ACCN
Alabama St. at Texas	3:00pm	LHN
UConn at Maryland	3:00pm	ABC
Florida at Miami	4:00pm	ACCN
Michigan St. at Ohio State	4:00pm	BTN
GOLF	TIME ET	TV
DP World Tour: Alfred Dunhill Links Championship	5:00am	GOLF
PGA Tour: QBE Shootout	1:00pm	GOLF
PGA Tour: QBE Shootout	2:00pm	NBC
NBA	TIME ET	TV
Phoenix at New Orleans	3:30pm	Bally Sports
LA Lakers at Detroit	6:00pm	Sportsnet Bally Sports
Sacramento at New York	6:00pm	NBCS-CA MSG
Toronto at Orlando	6:00pm	Sportsnet
Charlotte at Philadelphia	6:00pm	Bally Sports NBCS-PHI
Chicago at Atlanta	6:30pm	NBCS-CHI Bally Sports
Milwaukee at Houston	7:00pm	Bally Sports ATTSN-SW
NFL	TIME ET	TV
NY Jets at Buffalo	1:00pm	CBS
Cleveland at Cincinnati	1:00pm	CBS
Houston at Dallas	1:00pm	FOX
Minnesota at Detroit	1:00pm	FOX
Jacksonville at Tennessee	1:00pm	CBS
Philadelphia at NY Giants	1:00pm	FOX
Baltimore at Pittsburgh	1:00pm	CBS
Miami at LA Chargers	4:05pm	CBS
Tampa Bay at San Francisco	4:25pm	FOX
Carolina at Seattle	4:25pm	FOX
Kansas City at Denver	8:20pm	NBC
NHL	TIME ET	TV
Colorado at St. Louis	3:00pm	ESPN
Los Angeles at Columbus	6:00pm	Bally Sports
Seattle at Florida	6:00pm	Root Sports Bally Sports
Philadelphia at Arizona	7:00pm	NBCS-PHI Bally Sports
Washington at Winnipeg	7:00pm	Sportsnet NBCS-WSH
Boston at Vegas	8:00pm	NHLN NESN ATTSN-RM
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
Women’s Super League: Manchester City vs Manchester United	7:30am	Paramount+
England Championship: Manchester City vs Manchester United	8:00am	ESPN+
Women’s Super League: Aston Villa vs Arsenal	11:15am	Paramount+
Women’s Super League: Chelsea FC vs Reading	1:45pm	CBSSN