“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL
| Adams Central | 60 | Eastside | 28 | |
| Anderson | 59 | Muncie Central | 44 | |
| Andrean | 62 | South Bend Adams | 46 | |
| Batesville | 71 | East Central | 46 | |
| Bellmont | 63 | Angola | 40 | |
| Bloomington Lighthouse | 83 | Vincennes Rivet | 44 | |
| Carmel | 57 | Carroll (Fort Wayne) | 41 | |
| Caston | 60 | Pioneer | 54 | |
| Centerville | 61 | Waldron | 60 | |
| Christian Academy | 50 | West Washington | 35 | |
| Clinton Prairie | 46 | Covington | 29 | |
| Connersville | 58 | New Palestine | 52 | |
| Crothersville | 60 | Dugger Union | 47 | |
| Culver Academy | 60 | Merrillville | 50 | |
| Danville | 90 | South Vermillion | 55 | |
| DeMotte Christian | 68 | Whiting | 63 | |
| Decatur Central | 61 | Terre Haute North | 58 | |
| East Chicago Central | 83 | Kankakee Valley | 72 | |
| Eastern Greene | 47 | White River Valley | 32 | |
| Evansville Reitz | 60 | Bloomington North | 53 | OT |
| Fairfield | 58 | Elkhart Christian | 50 | |
| Faith Christian | 73 | Tri-Central | 64 | |
| Fort Wayne Blackhawk | 69 | Heritage Christian | 64 | |
| Fort Wayne Canterbury | 66 | Smith Academy | 37 | |
| Fountain Central | 62 | Southmont | 44 | |
| Greenfield-Central | 49 | Avon | 43 | |
| Greensburg | 54 | Madison | 31 | |
| Hamilton Southeastern | 63 | Southport | 43 | |
| Hammond Central | 76 | Chesterton | 69 | |
| Hanover Central | 51 | Boone Grove | 29 | |
| Hauser | 61 | Oldenburg Academy | 43 | |
| Henryville | 69 | Switzerland County | 59 | |
| Heritage | 55 | Lakewood Park | 42 | |
| Huntington North | 39 | Fort Wayne South | 31 | |
| Indiana Deaf | 39 | Attica | 28 | |
| Indianapolis Cathedral | 58 | Franklin Central | 39 | |
| Indianapolis Scecina | 61 | Monrovia | 33 | |
| Indianapolis Tech | 64 | Indianapolis Metropolitan | 56 | |
| Iroquois West (Ill.) | 51 | South Newton | 20 | |
| Jeffersonville | 65 | Jennings County | 59 | |
| LaVille | 61 | Whitko | 58 | OT |
| Lafayette Jeff | 71 | Carroll (Flora) | 50 | |
| Lawrence North | 73 | Fort Wayne Snider | 64 | |
| Lawrenceburg | 59 | Rising Sun | 37 | |
| Lawrenceville (Ill.) | 77 | Evansville Day | 60 | |
| Loogootee | 67 | Washington | 52 | |
| Michigan City | 97 | Calumet | 34 | |
| Mitchell | 98 | Brown County | 52 | |
| Mount Vernon (Fortville) | 72 | Pike | 64 | |
| North Decatur | 60 | Knightstown | 38 | |
| North Posey | 69 | Perry Central | 49 | |
| Northview | 49 | Martinsville | 46 | |
| Orleans | 54 | Edgewood | 21 | |
| Parke Heritage | 60 | Crawfordsville | 51 | |
| Pendleton Heights | 57 | Mississinewa | 48 | |
| Peru | 55 | Western | 46 | |
| Providence | 60 | Austin | 25 | |
| Rensselaer Central | 66 | Frontier | 50 | |
| Richmond | 60 | Logansport | 31 | |
| Riverton Parke | 71 | Shakamak | 69 | |
| Shenandoah | 57 | Randolph Southern | 44 | |
| Shoals | 69 | Washington Catholic | 31 | |
| South Bend Career | 92 | Clinton Christian | 23 | |
| South Central (Elizabeth) | 62 | Cannelton | 17 | |
| South Dearborn | 64 | Milan | 55 | |
| Southridge | 64 | Tell City | 28 | |
| Tipton | 52 | Taylor | 39 | |
| Union (Modoc) | 49 | GEO Next Generation | 35 | |
| Warren Central | 66 | Fort Wayne Northrop | 50 | |
| West Lafayette | 61 | Western Boone | 45 | |
| West Noble | 53 | Columbia City | 44 | |
| Westfield | 61 | Lewis Cass | 50 | |
| Wood Memorial | 58 | Vincennes Lincoln | 55 | |
| Yorktown | 51 | Jay County | 44 | |
| Pioneer Conference playoffs | ||||
| Indianapolis International | 54 | Anderson Prep Academy | 53 | 9th |
| Indianapolis Shortridge | 58 | Seton Catholic | 56 | 7th |
| Greenwood Christian | 47 | Muncie Burris | 42 | 5th |
| Bethesda Christian | 53 | Liberty Christian | 47 | 3rd |
| University | 66 | Park Tudor | 57 | 1st |
GIRLS BASKETBALL REGIONALS
| CLASS 4A | ||||
| LaPorte | ||||
| South Bend Washington | 60 | Valparaiso | 41 | |
| Lake Central | 42 | Northridge | 29 | |
| Marion | ||||
| Fishers | 61 | Homestead | 31 | |
| Fort Wayne Snider | 67 | Harrison (West Lafayette) | 55 | |
| Decatur Central | ||||
| Lawrence North | 65 | Brownsburg | 58 | |
| Ben Davis | 53 | Mount Vernon (Fortville) | 28 | |
| Bedford NL | ||||
| Center Grove | 45 | Franklin | 43 | OT |
| Bedford North Lawrence | 67 | Evansville Central | 48 | |
| CLASS 3A | ||||
| Jimtown | ||||
| Tippecanoe Valley | 67 | Mishawaka Marian | 54 | |
| Fairfield | 40 | Highland | 32 | |
| Bellmont | ||||
| Hamilton Heights | 44 | Norwell | 40 | |
| Twin Lakes | 64 | Garrett | 25 | |
| Greencastle | ||||
| Indian Creek | 63 | Purdue Poly Englewood | 31 | |
| Indianapolis Chatard | 52 | Cascade | 48 | |
| Charlestown | ||||
| Corydon Central | 68 | Rushville | 40 | |
| Gibson Southern | 71 | Princeton | 55 | |
| CLASS 2A | ||||
| Winamac | ||||
| Central Noble | 64 | South Central (Union Mills) | 52 | |
| Andrean | 41 | North Miami | 32 | |
| Lapel | ||||
| Lapel | 39 | Eastbrook | 37 | |
| Lafayette Central Catholic | 59 | Fort Wayne Luers | 50 | |
| Southmont | ||||
| Eastern Hancock | 51 | University | 47 | |
| Greencastle | 58 | Union County | 38 | |
| Crawford Co. | ||||
| North Knox | 51 | South Ripley | 32 | |
| Forest Park | 45 | Brownstown Central | 38 | |
| CLASS 1A | ||||
| Caston | ||||
| Bethany Christian | 38 | Tri-County | 30 | |
| Washington Twp. | 55 | Argos | 52 | OT |
| Wes-Del | ||||
| Tri-Central | 36 | Rossville | 19 | |
| Tri | 54 | Southwood | 43 | |
| Southwestern | ||||
| Jac-Cen-Del | 58 | Bethesda Christian | 46 | |
| Bloomfield | 40 | Eminence | 19 | |
| West Washington | ||||
| Trinity Lutheran | 71 | Springs Valley | 43 | |
| Lanesville | 64 | Wood Memorial | 26 |
INDIANA WRESTLING SEMI-STATE
1. East Chicago Central (John C. Baratto Athletic Center) | 8 am CT | Results
Feeder Regionals: Crown Point, Hobart, Logansport, Penn.
2. New Haven (Allen County War Memorial Coliseum) | 8 am ET | Results
Feeder Regionals: Carroll (Fort Wayne), Goshen, Jay County, Peru.
3. New Castle (New Castle Fieldhouse) | 8 am ET | Results
Feeder Regionals: Frankfort, Pendleton Heights, Perry Meridian, Richmond.
4. Evansville F.J. Reitz (Ford Center) | 8 am CT | Results
Feeder Regionals: Bloomington South, Castle, Jeffersonville, Mooresville.
TOP 25 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
| 3 Alabama | 77 | Final |
| Auburn | 69 | |
| 4 Arizona | 79 | Final |
| Stanford | 88 | |
| West Virginia | 60 | Final |
| 5 Texas | 94 | |
| Missouri | 86 | Final |
| 6 Tennessee | 85 | |
| 7 UCLA | 70 | Final |
| Oregon | 63 | |
| Duke | 62 | Final OT |
| 8 Virginia | 69 | |
| 9 Kansas | 78 | Final |
| Oklahoma | 55 | |
| 10 Marquette | 89 | Final |
| Georgetown | 75 | |
| Oklahoma St. | 64 | Final |
| 11 Iowa St. | 56 | |
| 12 Kansas St. | 63 | Final |
| Texas Tech | 71 | |
| 14 Baylor | 72 | Final |
| 17 TCU | 68 | |
| 15 Saint Mary’s | 81 | Final |
| Portland | 64 | |
| BYU | 81 | Final |
| 16 Gonzaga | 88 | |
| 18 Indiana | 62 | Final |
| Michigan | 61 | |
| Louisville | 85 | Final |
| 19 Miami (FL) | 93 | |
| 20 Providence | 68 | Final |
| St. John’s | 73 | |
| 21 UConn | 53 | Final |
| 23 Creighton | 56 | |
| 22 NCSU | 92 | Final |
| Boston College | 62 | |
| 24 Rutgers | 60 | Final |
| Illinois | 69 | |
| UNLV | 71 | Final |
| 25 SDSU | 82 |
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: http://hosted.stats.com/cbk/scoreboard.asp?conf=-1&day=20230211
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
| 4 UConn | 67 | Final |
| Georgetown | 59 | |
| Seton Hall | 65 | Final |
| 15 Villanova | 99 | |
| TCU | 50 | Final |
| 20 Texas | 70 | |
| 21 Iowa State | 60 | Final |
| West Virginia | 73 | |
| Portland | 53 | Final |
| 23 Gonzaga | 63 |
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: http://hosted.stats.com/wcbk/scoreboard.asp?conf=-1&day=20230211
NBA SCOREBOARD
| Philadelphia | 101 | FINAL |
| Brooklyn | 98 | |
| Miami | 107 | Final OT |
| Orlando | 103 | |
| Indiana | 113 | Final |
| Washington | 127 | |
| Denver | 119 | Final |
| Charlotte | 105 | |
| San Antonio | 106 | Final |
| Atlanta | 125 | |
| Utah | 120 | Final |
| New York | 126 | |
| Chicago | 89 | Final |
| Cleveland | 97 | |
| LA Lakers | 109 | Final |
| Golden State | 103 | |
| Dallas | 128 | Final OT |
| Sacramento | 133 |
BOX SCORES: http://hosted.stats.com/nba/scoreboard.asp
NHL SCOREBOARD
BOX SCORES: http://hosted.stats.com/nhl/scoreboard.asp
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES
NFL NEWS
SUPER BOWL PREVIEW
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS VS. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
On Sunday, February 12, the Kansas City Chiefs (16-3) and the Philadelphia Eagles (16-3) will meet in Super Bowl LVII (6:30 PM ET, FOX) at State Farm Stadium in Arizona. It marks the sixth time since 2000 that the two No. 1 seeds will meet in the Super Bowl.
Kansas City and Philadelphia combined for 28 regular-season victories and 32 wins, including the postseason, this year, both tied for the second-most among Super Bowl opponents. The Chiefs became the third team with at least 12 regular-season wins in five consecutive regular seasons, joining NEW ENGLAND (eight straight seasons from 2010-17) and INDIANAPOLIS (seven straight seasons from 2003-09).
The Eagles, who led the NFL with 70 sacks, and Chiefs, who ranked second with 55, combined for 125 regular-season sacks, the most-ever by Super Bowl opponents. Philadelphia is looking to become the sixth team to lead the league in sacks and win the Super Bowl in the same season. The Eagles, who enter Super Bowl LVII with a single-season NFL record 39 rushing touchdowns, can become the fourth team since 1990 to lead the NFL in rushing touchdowns and win the Super Bowl in the same season, joining DALLAS (Super Bowl XXX), DENVER (Super Bowl XXXIII) and WASHINGTON (Super Bowl XXVI).
Kansas City head coach ANDY REID has 21 career postseason victories, trailing only BILL BELICHICK (31) for the most playoff wins by a head coach all-time. Including the postseason, he has the fifth-most total wins (268), by a head coach in NFL history, trailing only Belichick (329) as well as Pro Football Hall of Famers DON SHULA (347), GEORGE HALAS (324) and TOM LANDRY (270).
Reid, at 64 years and 330 days old on Sunday, can become the fourth-oldest head coach to win a Super Bowl. Philadelphia head coach NICK SIRIANNI, who will be 41 years and 242 days old on Sunday, can become the fifth-youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl. He would also become the ninth individual to win a Super Bowl within his first two seasons as a head coach and the first since 2017 (DOUG PEDERSON).
On Sunday, with starts by Chiefs quarterback PATRICK MAHOMES (27 years and 148 days old) and Eagles quarterback JALEN HURTS (24 years and 189 days old), it would mark the youngest combined age (51 years and 337 days) by starting quarterbacks in a Super Bowl.
Mahomes can become the fifth quarterback under the age of 30 to start three Super Bowls in a four-season span, joining TOM BRADY (three starts from 2001-04) and Pro Football Hall of Famers TROY AIKMAN (three from 1992-95), JOHN ELWAY (three from 1986-89) and BOB GRIESE (three from 1971-73). He can also surpass Brady (27 years and 187 days old in Super Bowl XXXIX) as the youngest quarterback ever to start three career Super Bowls.
Mahomes, who led the NFL with 5,250 passing yards, is looking to become the first player to throw for at least 5,000 yards and win the Super Bowl in the same season. He is set to face the league’s top pass defense in Philadelphia, who allowed 179.8 passing yards per game. There have been two previous instances of the passing yards leader and the top passing defense meeting in a Super Bowl, each won by the team with the top-ranked pass defense [Super Bowl XLVIII (Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING vs. SEATTLE) and Super Bowl XXXVII (RICH GANNON vs. TAMPA BAY)].
Hurts can become the fourth starting quarterback under the age of 25 to win a Super Bowl, joining BEN ROETHLISBERGER (23 years and 340 days old in Super Bowl XL), PATRICK MAHOMES (24 years and 138 days old in Super Bowl LIV) and TOM BRADY (24 years and 184 days old in Super Bowl XXXVI). Hurts is 16-1 as a starting quarterback this season, including the playoffs, the sixth-highest winning percentage by a quarterback in a single season in the Super Bowl era (minimum 10 starts).
Both Mahomes and Hurts are finalists for the Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player Award. There have been six previous instances of players winning both the NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP awards in the same season: Pro Football Hall of Famers TERRY BRADSHAW (1978), JOE MONTANA (1989), EMMITT SMITH (1993), BART STARR (1966), KURT WARNER (1999) and STEVE YOUNG (1994).
Kansas City tight end TRAVIS KELCE and Philadelphia center JASON KELCE are set to become the first pair of brothers to face off in a Super Bowl and the fourth set of brothers to appear in the same Super Bowl, joining GLENN and LYLE BLACKWOOD (Super Bowls XVII and XIX), ARCHIE and RAY GRIFFIN (Super Bowl XVI) and DEVIN and JASON MCCOURTY (Super Bowl LIII). The Kelce’s have combined for nine First-Team All-Pro selections, the most of any brother duo in NFL history.
Travis Kelce enters Super Bowl LVII ranked second in receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,467) and tied for second in touchdown receptions (15) in postseason history, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer JERRY RICE in all three categories.
Mahomes has thrown 13 postseason touchdown passes to Kelce, trailing only the pair of TOM BRADY and ROB GRONKOWSKI (15) for the most postseason touchdowns between a quarterback-receiver pairing in NFL history. The Chiefs duo have also connected for 1,129 yards in their postseason careers, the fourth-most yards in postseason history by a quarterback-receiver pairing, trailing only Brady and JULIAN EDELMAN (1,442 yards), Brady and Gronkowski (1,389) and the Pro Football Hall of Famer duo of TROY AIKMAN and MICHAEL IRVIN (1,169).
Hurts, who has 15 rushing touchdowns including the postseason – the most in a single season by a quarterback in NFL history – and running back MILES SANDERS (13 rushing touchdowns, including playoffs) are the first teammate duo each with at least 13 rushing touchdowns in a single season in NFL history, including the postseason. During the regular season, wide receivers A.J. BROWN (88 receptions for 1,496 yards) and DEVONTA SMITH (95 receptions for 1,196 yards) became the first duo in Philadelphia franchise history with at least 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. The Eagles look to join the 2006 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (Pro Football Hall of Famer MARVIN HARRISON and REGGIE WAYNE) as the only teams with two players each with at least 80 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards in the regular season and win the Super Bowl in the same year.
Kansas City defensive end FRANK CLARK recorded 1.5 sacks in the AFC Championship game and has 13.5 career postseason sacks, trailing only WILLIE MCGINEST (16) and Pro Football Hall of Famer BRUCE SMITH (14.5) for the most postseason sacks by a player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. Chiefs defensive tackle CHRIS JONES and Eagles linebacker HAASON REDDICK each recorded two sacks on Championship weekend and have a chance to join VON MILLER (2015) and LAMARR WOODLEY (2008) as the only players since 1982 to have at least two sacks in both a conference championship game and Super Bowl in the same postseason.
Reddick enters Super Bowl LVII with 19.5 sacks, including the postseason, tied for the fourth-most sacks by a player entering the Super Bowl since 1982. With Reddick (16 regular-season sacks), defensive end BRANDON GRAHAM (11), defensive tackle JAVON HARGRAVE (11) and defensive end JOSH SWEAT (11), the Eagles became the first team since 1982 with four players each recording at least 10 sacks in the same season.
DATE/TIME Sunday, February 12, 2023 @ 6:30 PM ET STADIUM State Farm Stadium, Arizona REFEREE Carl Cheffers PLAYOFF SERIES HISTORY LEADER First meeting in postseason KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (16-3 – AFC WEST – NO. 1 SEED) VS. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (16-3 – NFC EAST – NO. 1 SEED) • 6TH SB since 2000 to feature both No. 1 seeds. • 32 COMBINED WINS between KC & Phi., tied-2nd most in SB matchup ever. • 51 YEARS & 337 DAYS, combined age of Patrick Mahomes & Jalen Hurts on SB Sunday, youngest ever combined-age by starting QBs in SB.
REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY
LEADER Chiefs leads all-time series, 5-4
STREAKS Chiefs have won past 3
LAST GAME 10/3/21: Chiefs 42 at Eagles 30
PLAYOFF SERIES HISTORY
LEADER First meeting in postseason
CHIEFS NOTES:
PLAYOFF RECORD 19-21
CHAMPIONSHIPS 3: 1960, 1969 (SB IV), 2019 (SB LIV)
LAST POSTSEASON
GAME W 23-20 vs. Cincinnati (1/29/23 – AFC-C)
VS. COMMON
OPPONENTS
6-1: AZ (1-0), HOU (1-0), JAX (2-0), IND (0-1),
SF (1-0), TEN (1-0)
PTS. FOR 29.2
OFFENSE 413.6
PASSING Patrick Mahomes: 435-648-5,250-41-12-105.1
RUSHING Isiah Pacheco (R): 170-830-4.9-5
RECEIVING Travis Kelce (TE): 110-1,338-12.2-12
PTS. AGAINST 21.7
DEFENSE 328.2
SACKS Chris Jones: 15.5
INTs Juan Thornhill, L’Jarius Sneed: 3
TAKE/GIVE -3 (20/23)
PR Kadarius Toney: 6.1
KR Isiah Pacheco (R): 20.6
PUNTING (NET) Tommy Townsend: 50.4 (45.6)
KICKING Harrison Butker: 92 (38/41 PAT; 18/24 FG)
KANSAS CITY makes 3rd SB appearance in past 4 years & 5th in franchise history. • ANDY REID has 21 career postseason wins, 2nd-most ever by HC. • CHIEFS led NFL in total offense (413.6 yards per game) for 3rdconsecutive season & led in scoring offense (29.2 points per game).
QB PATRICK MAHOMES can join Tom Brady as only QBs to start 3 SBs in 1st 6 career seasons. Passed for 326 yards & 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 105.4 rating in AFC-C. Has 3,902 pass yards (300.2 per game) & 37 TDs (32 pass, 5 rush) vs. 7 INTs for 106.1 rating in 13 career postseason starts. Became 5th QB to lead NFL in pass yards (5,250) & TD passes (41) & advance to SB in same season. Had 5 TD passes vs. INT for 131 rating in last meeting. • RB JERICK MCKINNON led RBs with 9 rec. TDs in 2022, tied-most by RB in single season in SB era. Finished reg. season with TD catch in 6 straight games, longest streak ever by RB. • RB ISIAH PACHECO (rookie) aims for his 3rd in row in playoffs with 85+ scrimmage yards. Ranked 4th among rookie RBs with 830 rush yards & 2nd with 5 rush TDs, both 3rd-most ever by KC rookie. • TE TRAVIS KELCE had 7 catches for 78 yards & rec. TD in AFC-C. Ranks 2nd in postseason history in catches (127) & rec. yards (1,467) & ranks tied-2nd in rec. TDs (15). Aims for 6th in row in playoffs with rec. TD. Led TEs with 110 catches (tied 2nd-most ever by TE in single season) & 1,338 rec. yards (4th-most ever by TE in single season) in 2022. • WR MARQUES VALDES-SCANTLING had 6 catches for 116 yards & rec. TD in AFC-C. Aims for his 3rd in row in playoffs with TD catch.
DT CHRIS JONES had 1st 2 career playoff sacks & 3 TFL in AFC-C. Ranked tied-4th in NFL with 15.5 sacks in 2022 & is 1 of 5 players with 7+ sacks in each of past 5 seasons. • DE FRANK CLARK had 1.5 sacks in AFC-C & aims for his 3rd playoff game in row with sack. Has 13.5 career playoff sacks, 3rd-most since 1982. • DE GEORGE KARLAFTIS ranked 3rd among rookies with 6 sacks in 2022. Had 1st-career playoff sack in AFC-C. • LB NICK BOLTON ranked 2nd in NFL with career-high 180 tackles in 2022, most by KC player in single season since at least 2000. • CB L’JARIUS SNEED was 1 of 2 players in 2022 with 100+ tackles (108), 3+ sacks (3.5) & 3+ INTs (3). Has 9+ tackles in 3 of his past 4 playoff games. • CB JAYLEN WATSON can become 1st rookie & 6th player ever with INT in each of his 1st 3 career playoff games. • CB TRENT MCDUFFIE (rookie) aims for his 3rd playoff game in row with PD.
EAGLES NOTES:
PLAYOFF RECORD 25-24
CHAMPIONSHIPS 5: 1948, 1949, 1960, 2017 (SB LII)
LAST POSTSEASON
GAME W 31-7 vs. San Francisco (1/29/23 – NFC-C)
VS. COMMON
OPPONENTS
6-0: AZ (1-0), HOU (1-0), JAX (1-0), IND (1-0),
SF (1-0), TEN (1-0)
PTS. FOR 28.1
OFFENSE 389.1
PASSING Jalen Hurts: 306-460-3,701-22-6-101.6
RUSHING Miles Sanders: 259-1,269-4.9-11
RECEIVING A.J. Brown: 88-1,496-17.0-11
PTS. AGAINST 20.2
DEFENSE 310.5
SACKS Haason Reddick: 16
INTs C.J. Gardner-Johnson: 6
TAKE/GIVE +8 (27/19)
PR Britain Covey: 9.3
KR Boston Scott: 27.1
PUNTING (NET) Brett Kern: 40.8 (36.6)
KICKING Jake Elliott: 111 (51/53 PAT; 20/23 FG)
PHILADELPHIA advanced to 4th SB in team history. • NICK SIRIANNI has led Phi. to postseason in each of 1st 2 seasons. • EAGLES have 39 rush TDs in 2022 (incl. postseason), most rush TDs ever in single season, incl. playoffs. • PHILADELPHIA has 78 sacks in 2022 (incl. postseason), 3rd-most ever by team in single season, incl. playoffs.
QB JALEN HURTS can become 1st QB ever with rush TD in 3 straight postgame games within single season. Became 3rd QB ever with 3,500+ pass yards (3,701), 20+ TD passes (22) & 10+ rush TDs (13) in single season, 2nd-most rush TDs by QB in single season in NFL history. Became 1st QB alltime with 10+ rush TDs in consecutive seasons. Had 434 yards (career-high 387 pass, 47 rush) & 2 TD passes vs. 0 INTs for 105.1 rating in last meeting. • RB MILES SANDERS had 1st 2 career playoff rush TDs in NFC-C. Had career highs in rush yards (1,269) & rush TDs (11) in 2022. • RB KENNETH GAINWELL has 195 scrimmage yards (97.5 per game) & rush TD in 2022 postseason. Had rush TD in last meeting. • WR A.J. BROWN had 88 catches for franchise-record 1,496 yards (4thmost in NFL) & 11 rec. TDs in 2022. Had 8 catches for 133 yards & rec. TD in his last game vs. KC (10/24/21 w/ Ten.). • WR DEVONTA SMITH had 7 catches for 122 yards in last meeting. Had career highs in catches (95), rec. yards (1,196) & rec. TDs (7) in 2022. Brown & Smith were only pair of teammates each with 85+ catches & 1,100+ rec. yards this season. • TE DALLAS GOEDERT aims for his 5th in row in playoffs with 5+ catches.
LB HAASON REDDICK had 2 sacks, FF & FR in NFC-C & can join LaMarr Woodley (4) as only players since 1982 with 1.5+ sacks in 3 straight playoff games. Ranked tied-2nd in NFL with career-high 16 sacks & ranked tied-1st with 5 FFs. Became 1st player since 1982 with 10+ sacks in 3 straight seasons with 3 different teams. • DE BRANDON GRAHAM had sack in SB LII vs. NE. Had career-high 11 sacks in 2022. • DT JAVON HARGRAVE had career highs in sacks (11) & TFL (10) this season. Had 3rd-career playoff sack in NFC-C. Had sack in last meeting. • DE JOSH SWEAT had career highs in sacks (11) & TFL (15) in 2022. Has sack in 6 of his past 8 games, incl. playoffs. • DT FLETCHER COX has 7 TFL in 10 career playoff games. • LB T.J. EDWARDS was 1 of 4 with 150+ tackles (159 – tied-6th in NFL) & 10+ TFL (10) in 2022. • CB DARIUS SLAY (14 PD, 3 INTs) & CB JAMES BRADBERY (17 PD, 3 INTs) were only pair of teammates each with 14+ PD & 3+ INTs in 2022. • S C.J. GARDNER-JOHNSON ranked tied-1st in NFL with career-high 6 INTs.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TIME 6:30 PM ET
TV FOX, FOX Deportes: Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews & Tom Rinaldi (field reporters)
NATIONAL RADIO Westwood One: Kevin Harlan, Kurt Warner, Laura Okmin & Mike Golic (field reporters)
Kansas City SiriusXM 82 or 226 and the SXM App
Philadelphia SiriusXM 83 or 225 and the SXM App
National SiriusXM 88 and the SXM App
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
ACC ADMITS BLOWN CALL COST DUKE IN OT LOSS AT NO. 8 VIRGINIA
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) Virginia coach Tony Bennett said he didn’t know what happened on the final play of regulation in the eighth-ranked Cavaliers’ 69-62 overtime victory against Duke.
Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer didn’t, either – and he was left fuming.
“I still would like an explanation exactly,” Scheyer said after the game. “I don’t have clarity on that.”
Duke (17-8, 8-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) appeared poised to win when Kyle Filipowski drove to the basket on the final play of regulation Saturday and two defenders contested his shot. Officials initially whistled a foul, drawing thunderous disapproval from fans, but waved it off after a lengthy review – a decision the ACC later said was incorrect.
On the play, which started with 1.2 seconds left, Filipowski drove from the left side and officials called a foul. Replays showed Reece Beekman appeared to get a clean block on the shot but also made enough body contact to knock Filipowski to the floor.
“He made a big-time play attacking the basket, and there’s no doubt he’s knocking down those free throws in my mind,” Scheyer said.
“They told me after the fact that the call was made after the buzzer and you can see the ball left his hands before point zero,” Scheyer said of the officials. “So I don’t know exactly what the rule is.”
The league issued a statement hours later, saying officials applied rules incorrectly and that Filipowski should have been sent to the line for two free throws.
According to the league, officials had determined after a review that a foul by Virginia’s Ryan Dunn had been committed after time expired. But the NCAA rule book states that the ball being in flight made it a live play with players in those situations being considered “an airborne shooter,” which should have led to free throws, according to the statement.
Instead, it was Armaan Franklin making the big shot, a 3-pointer with 39 seconds left in overtime to finish a 23-point performance. Franklin said he was initially out of position for the play, but adjusted and point guard Kihei Clark found him.
“I saw them kind of like mashed up on the side with Kihei on the wing, and I just ran to the corner. His man didn’t switch off. I just had an open corner look and I shoot a million of those a day,” he said.
Clark added 16 points and five assists and Ben Vander Plas scored 13 for the Cavaliers (19-4, 11-3), who won despite a 9-for-22 performance from the free throw line. Vander Plas also was credited with drawing 11 of the 24 fouls whistled against Duke.
Jeremy Roach led the Blue Devils with 16 points and Tyrese Proctor had 14. Filipowski, who averages 15.5 points, was scoreless.
Trailing 58-53, Duke got a driving basket from Roach with 1:31 left and a 3-pointer by Jacob Grandison from in front of the Blue Devils’ bench to tie it with 50 seconds left. Neither team scored again in regulation.
Vander Plas drew a huge ovation when he made a pair of free throws to open the overtime scoring. At that point, Virginia had missed nine of 12 from the line. Clark’s driving basket and another free throw gave the Cavaliers a 63-58 lead, and two baskets by Proctor were all the Blue Devils managed in the extra period.
Duke, now 2-6 in league road games, became the 39th consecutive ACC opponent to fail to reach 70 points at John Paul Jones Arena.
The Cavaliers used an 8-0 run to lead 54-51 with just under five minutes to play. Ryan Young hit a pair of free throws to pull Duke within a point, but after Virginia failed to score, the Blue Devils committed their third shot clock violation of the game with 3:29 left.
Virginia used a 14-5 run spanning the halves to take a 35-30 lead, but Duke responded with a 19-9 run that featured eight points by Dariq Whitehead, who had missed the past four games with an ankle injury.
BIG PICTURE
Duke: Roach scored 12 consecutive points for the Blue Devils after Dereck Lively opened their scoring with a pair of free throws. His last basket of the run gave him more points that Virginia’s 11 at the time.
Virginia: Despite a distinct size disadvantage, the Cavaliers drove continually in the opening half, getting 20 of their 25 points in the paint. The Blue Devils had four players with two fouls by halftime and Roach was whistled for his third 31 seconds into the second half.
Virginia finished with 42 points in the paint and 20 points off Duke’s 22 turnovers.
UP NEXT
Duke: Returns home to face Notre Dame on Tuesday night.
Virginia: Travels to Louisville on Wednesday night.
JONES SCORES 18 IN 2ND HALF AS STANFORD STUNS NO. 4 ARIZONA
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) Spencer Jones scored all 18 of his points in the second half for Stanford and played a key role in neutralizing Pac-12 leading scorer Azuolas Tubelis, as the Cardinal stunned No. 4 Arizona 88-79 on Saturday night.
Stanford (11-14, 5-9 Pac-12) beat a ranked team for the first time this year and a top-four team for the first time since they topped No. 3 UCLA in 2007. Arizona (22-4, 11-4), hoping to stay a half-game behind UCLA for the conference lead, had a seven-game win snapped.
Courtney Ramey scored a season- and game-high 26 points for Arizona, which could not overcome Tubelis’ worst game of the season. The junior forward, who had 40 points against Oregon on Feb. 2 and had averaged a near double-double this season (20.9 points, 9.7 rebounds) to lead the conference in both categories, was held to four points.
Tubelis did not have a rebound and committed four fouls.
Stanford repeated a game plan that helped them stay close in a four-point loss to Arizona in last year’s conference tournament. They gave Arizona the perimeter and aggressively worked to keep the ball away from the 6-foot-11 Tubelis and 7-foot center Oumar Ballo, who was limited to eight points.
“They have big-time players, and on the inside, if they get paint touches, there’s nobody in the country who’s going to stop them,” Stanford head coach Jerod Haase said. “So you’ve got to try to find a way to limit the touches inside.”
The result was forcing Arizona to attempt 35 3-pointers. They made 14, but as Ramey said, “That’s not going to win us a lot of games. When we’re chucking up a lot of threes, we take it back to the drawing board.”
Stanford’s Michael O’Connell scored a career-high 22 points, helping the Cardinal outshoot the Wildcats 61% to 46% from the field. Brandon Angel added 14 points for Stanford, Maxime Reynaud had 13 points and Harrison Ingram contributed 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
Pelle Larsson and Cedric Henderson Jr. scored 12 points apiece for the Wildcats.
Jones credited Arizona for keeping the ball away from him in a scoreless first half, the way the Cardinal did with Tubelis. But Jones’ teammates found a way after intermission to get their team’s leading scorer the ball.
Jones took command of a back-and-forth game a third of the way through the second half, scoring all 13 of Stanford’s points during a nearly seven-minute stretch that ended with a layup that gave the Cardinal a 67-66 lead with 7:35 remaining.
A 3-point play by Angel extended Stanford’s lead to 70-66 before a Ramey 3-pointer cut the lead to one.
But the Cardinal scored the next nine points, punctuating the run with a wide-open 3-pointer by O’Connell that extended their lead to 79-69 with 3:28 left.
“You could feel the energy in the gym,” O’Connell said. “Everyone’s mood kind of changes and gets more confidence on the offensive side and the defensive side.”
Stanford limited Arizona to 3 for 9 shooting over the final 5:42 of the game.
BIG PICTURE
Arizona: The Wildcats have to find a way to make halftime adjustments when their interior scorers spend the first 20 minutes being denied the ball. Future opponents are going to watch a lot of tape from Saturday’s game to see how Stanford did it.
Stanford: The Cardinal passed a huge test in their win over the No. 4 team in the country by not folding after Arizona used a 9-0 run late in the first half to take a 44-35 lead.
UP NEXT
Stanford: Visits No. 7 UCLA on Thursday.
Arizona: Hosts Utah on Thursday.
FLAGLER SCORES 28, NO. 14 BAYLOR RALLIES TO BEAT NO. 17 TCU
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) TCU fans serenaded Adam Flagler with chants of “air ball!, air ball!” every time he touched the basketball after an early miss. Baylor’s veteran guard put an end to that after halftime.
Flagler finished with a season-high 28 points, including 16 in a row for the 14th-ranked Bears during the stretch when they overcame a 10-point deficit in the second half to beat No. 17 TCU 72-68 on Saturday.
“We felt at the end of the day it was time to buckle down and as a team we wanted to be connected,” Flagler said. “A lot wasn’t going our way.”
Even without leading scorer Mike Miles Jr. for the fourth game in a row, and also without injured big man Eddie Lampkin Jr., TCU had a chance to tie or take the lead in the final seconds.
Flagler had a turnover with 8.1 seconds left, when smothered by Damion Baugh and Shahada Wells in front of the Horned Frogs bench. Officials initially gave the ball to Baylor, but reversed that call after an extended replay review and discussion.
Baugh, who finished with 16 points and 10 assists, then missed a jumper with three seconds left. Flagler hit two free throws after being fouled while rebounding the missed shot.
LJ Cryer had 23 points for the Bears (19-6, 8-4 Big 12), who on Jan. 4 at home against TCU blew a 17-point lead in an 88-87 loss. They have won nine of their last 10 games.
“That’s Big 12 basketball,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “We all know the importance of good guard play and LJ and Adam really came through.”
Jakobe Coles had 15 points and Emanuel Miller 10 for the Frogs (17-8, 6-6) Frogs, who have lost four of five.
“We should have gotten it done tonight without two starters, but we didn’t,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said.
Flagler’s three free throws with 2:42 left, after being fouled trying another 3-pointer, put Baylor ahead to stay at 64-62. He then had a layup that ended his personal scoring streak.
Cryer made two free throws with 19 seconds left after being fouled under the TCU basket when Chuck O’Bannon reached around him.
The Bears used a 9-0 run to get within 56-55 with 5:14 left, on a Flagler 3-pointer. TCU pushed the ball quickly up court for a layup by Coles before back-to-back 3s by Flagler.
TCU regained the lead at 62-61 on a slam by Coles with 2:58 left, before Flagler’s three free throws.
ON THE BOARDS, IN THE PAINT
TCU dominated with a 50-26 scoring average in the paint, and finished with a 32-26 rebounding edge that was bigger until the final minutes.
“Rebounding, that was our goal, that was our emphasis,” Dixon said. “The other emphasis was guarding the three, which we didn’t get done early and then obviously late.”
BIG PICTURE
Baylor: Another tough road win for the Bears, who are 26-9 against Top 25 teams the past four seasons – 16 of those wins coming on the road. They are 25-7 in Big 12 road games over the same span.
“I feel like Coach Drew coaches for moments like this, to go on the road when everybody’s against but we know who we’re playing for at the end of the day,” Flagler said. “It just prepares us for the long haul, what we want to do when March Madness comes.”
TCU: Miles, who averages 18.1 points a game, could be close to returning for the first time since a hyperextension of his right knee in the opening minutes at Mississippi State two weeks ago. Lampkin has missed four of the last six games while dealing with a left high ankle sprain.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Baylor could move up a spot or two and closer to being back in the top 10. The Frogs will certainly slide down in the new AP poll Monday, and could fall all of the way out of the Top 25 after a school-record streak of 10 consecutive polls ranked.
UP NEXT
Baylor goes for a regular-season sweep of West Virginia at home Monday night.
TCU plays Wednesday night at No. 11 Iowa State, which won 69-67 in Fort Worth on Jan. 7.
GHOLSTON’S 3-POINTER AT BUZZER LIFTS MISSOURI OVER TENNESSEE
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) D’Andre Gholston hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Missouri a stunning 86-85 victory over No. 6 Tennessee on Saturday night.
With 4.2 seconds left in the game and the Volunteers (19-6, 8-4 Southeastern Conference) leading 85-83, Santiago Vescovi missed a free throw. His second attempt was waived off when Tobe Awaka committed a lane violation, setting up a final chance for the Tigers (19-6, 7-5).
Gholston took the inbounds and dribbled up the court before taking an off-balance contested 3-pointer from about 30 feet that swished through the net at the buzzer for the win. He was mobbed by his teammates after hitting the shot.
“I knew Dre wasn’t going to pass,” said Missouri coach Dennis Gates. Gholston hit a game-winning shot earlier in the season against Central Florida.
The end was similar to Tennessee’s Wednesday night loss to Vanderbilt. Vescovi missed a free throw then and a 3-pointer at the buzzer ended the game. The Vols have now lost three of the last four.
“This had a different feel than the other night,” said Tennessee coach Rick Barnes. “We all hurt for (Vescovi). He’s hurting. He’s won a lot of games for us.”
Tennessee came back from a 17-point deficit early in the second half and led the last 7:11 of the game. Tyreke Key came off the bench to score 21 of his 23 points after intermission.
Key connected on five 3-pointers to help the Volunteers recover from the huge hole that happened early in the second half. Vescovi, who scored 16 points, hit back-to-back 3-pointers that finally pulled Tennessee ahead with 7:15 to go in the game.
Zakai Zeigler had 11 points and 10 assists for the Vols.
“We almost panicked,” said Gates. “Our guys stayed with the game plan. We were able to move the ball and challenged ourselves on the 3-point line (the Tigers shot 54%, 14 of 26). That’s our identity.”
Kobe Brown scored 21 to lead the Tigers. Gholston finished with 18 points, Sean East had 17 points, and D’Moi Hodge added 14.
“I’m proud we were able to execute under adverse situations,” Gates said.
Barnes is normally liberal with his substitutions. He kept one lineup in for nearly eight minutes while the Vols recovered from the deficit. Two starters – Julian Phillips (hip flexor) and Josiah-Jordan James – were missing. Phillips tried to play, but couldn’t do much. James didn’t dress.
Missouri, which shoots 34% from 3-point on the season, hit 50% (8 of 16) of its long range shots in the first half en route to a 44-32 lead. It was the fifth time Tennessee has trailed at halftime.
“(Missouri) shot the ball extremely well (in the first half),” said Barnes. “We gave a good effort. We needed to change the game.”
POLL IMPLICATIONS
After losing to Vanderbilt Wednesday and now Missouri, Tennessee is destined to fall from No. 6, likely out of the Top 10. Missouri is receiving votes.
BIG PICTURE
Missouri: Last season, the Tigers were 13th out of 14 in steals in the SEC. This year, they lead the nation with 255, heading into Saturday’s game. . Transfers D’Moi Hodge and Tre Gomillion, both former Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year, are the primary reasons for the turnaround along with Nick Honor. . Gomillion (groin) and Ronnie Gray III (knee) have been hobbled by injuries.
Tennessee: Saturday’s sellout crowd of over 20,000 gives the Vols an average attendance of 18,212, good enough for No. 4 in the country. . Josiah-Jordan James went down with an ankle injury against Vanderbilt. He didn’t dress Saturday and his availability for the Alabama game is in doubt. Jonas Aidoo started in his place. With about 6 minutes left in the first half, freshman guard B.J. Edwards reported in for his first playing time other than mop-up duty.
UP NEXT
Missouri: The Tigers will be on the road again Tuesday when they play at Auburn. This is the first meeting between the teams.
Tennessee: The Vols will have an opportunity at home to take a swing at SEC leader Alabama Wednesday night.
NEW MEXICO STATE PLAYERS INTERVIEWED ABOUT ALLEGED HAZING
(AP) — The chancellor at New Mexico State says players on the basketball team were interviewed by school personnel Saturday about an alleged hazing incident that led to the program’s suspension.
In a letter to the school community, chancellor Dan Arvizu said he was “heartbroken and sickened to hear about these hazing allegations.”
“Hazing is a despicable act,” he wrote. “It humiliates and degrades someone and has the potential to cause physical and emotional harm, or even death. Sadly, hazing can become part of an organization’s culture, if left unchecked.”
He said the team, which arrived back in Las Cruces after its game at California Baptist was canceled, would remain under suspension until further notice.
The letter came out a few hours after the school announced it would hold a closed meeting Tuesday night to “discuss limited personnel matters concerning individual employees.” It did not name the employees who were to be discussed.
In announcing the virtually unheard-of midseason suspension of a Division I basketball program, the university put coach Greg Heiar and his staff on administrative leave pending an investigation into an alleged violation of university policy.
“NMSU policy strictly prohibits hazing, in all forms, and it’s something we simply will not tolerate,” Arvizu wrote in the letter.
A few hours before the letter came out, two Aggies, Shahar Lazar and Kent Olewiler, announced on social media that they were leaving the team.
Neither player had played this season. This was shaping up as a redshirt year for Lazar, a freshman who came to Las Cruces from Israel. Olewiler also took a roundabout path to Las Cruces; he was a preferred walk-on who was not listed on the Aggies official roster
Lazar said he was leaving because, “I don’t think the program that I originally committed to aligns with my beliefs and core values.”
Olewiler said, simply, “my recruitment is 100% open.”
The hazing allegations come nearly three months after the Nov. 19 fatal shooting in Albuquerque of Brandon Travis, a 19-year-old student from rival school, University of New Mexico. Aggies forward Mike Peake was suspended early in December while an outside investigator looked into his involvement in Travis’ killing. In the moments before the shooting, Peake suffered a leg injury and was later taken to the hospital by three of his teammates.
Peake has not been charged in the case, which is also under investigation by the district attorney in Albuquerque.
NBA NEWS
SCAN ON LEBRON JAMES’ SORE LEFT FOOT SHOWS NO SERIOUS DAMAGE
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A scan done on LeBron James’ troublesome left ankle and foot showed no serious issue, but the newly crowned NBA career scoring leader sat out a second straight game Saturday night since breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s mark earlier in the week.
Still, coach Darvin Ham expects to see James back on the floor before the All-Star break. When asked whether James might need to be sidelined through the break, Ham offered, “No, I don’t think he’ll allow us to do that.”
General manager Rob Pelinka said earlier Saturday that nothing was seriously wrong for James, who topped former Lakers star Abdul-Jabbar during Tuesday’s 133-130 home loss to Oklahoma City.
“LeBron did have some imaging on his foot injury, and we’re grateful that things came back clean and good.” Pelinka said.
The game with Golden State – missing reigning NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry because of a left leg injury – marked James’ seventh sidelined by soreness in the left ankle. He also missed one game with left foot soreness and another because of a non-COVID illness. He also sat out five games with a strained left inner thigh muscle.
“Just for him to continue to get treatment, stay off of it,” Ham said of the plan. “Obviously we made moves and one of the biggest moves is making sure we’re not putting him in a position where we’re putting him at risk of a bigger issue.”
James has what Ham called “normal wear and tear, little irritated in one area.”
The 38-year-old James has made his 19th straight All-Star team and has 38,390 career points.
“We’re just taking this time that we have to get him treated and hopefully get him back so we can make a good run and he can be in the midst of it down the stretch,” Ham said.
MITCHELL NETS 29 AS CAVS RALLY PAST BULLS, WIN STREAK HITS 6
CLEVELAND (AP) All-Star Donovan Mitchell scored 19 of his 29 points in the second half and Jarrett Allen had 23 points and 10 rebounds, rallying the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 97-89 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.
Mitchell added 10 rebounds and Darius Garland scored 19 for Cleveland, which trailed 61-48 in the third quarter before unleashing a 43-17 run to go up by 13. The Cavaliers won their sixth straight and are 24-6 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
“This was a big-time win for us,” Mitchell said. “We were getting good looks early and making the right plays, but the shots weren’t falling. Once we started hitting them, we know it’s tough to play here because of our fight and our fans.”
Zach LaVine scored 23 points, Nikola Vucevic had 14 points and 14 rebounds, and All-Star DeMar DeRozan had 16 points and six assists for the Bulls. Chicago was outscored 20-4 to start the fourth and dropped its third in a row.
The Cavaliers were playing the second half of a challenging back-to-back set, arriving in Cleveland at 4 a.m. following their 118-107 win in New Orleans. That nationally-televised game tipped after 10 p.m. Eastern.
“To find the fortitude to grind this one out, that’s special,” Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “The mental toughness the guys showed when things weren’t going our way, you talk about growth, that’s what this was.”
Evan Mobley had 14 points and Garland dished out seven assists, helping Cleveland extend its lead over Brooklyn for fourth place in the Eastern Conference to 2 1/2 games. The Cavaliers swept their four-game season series with Chicago.
The Bulls committed 23 turnovers, were 5 of 21 on 3-pointers and only managed 60 points over the final three quarters.
“We just shot ourselves in the foot an enormous amount tonight,” Chicago coach Billy Donovan said. “A lot of it is the team learning how to stop the bleeding. Everyone is trying their best, but we’re not getting the results we want.”
Cleveland’s reserves missed 18 of their 19 field goal attempts, including all 13 3-pointers, with Ricky Rubio coming up empty on six tries and Dean Wade missing his five shots.
Mitchell scored a franchise-record 71 points in the teams’ previous meeting Jan. 2, a 145-134 overtime win at home by the Cavaliers. It tied for the eighth-most points in a game in NBA history and was the highest total in the league in 17 years.
EYES WIDE OPEN
The Bulls are in the thick of the battle for a play-in tournament spot in the East. Chicago hasn’t made a roster move since mid-December, but that could change soon as vice president Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley are actively looking at contract-buyout possibilities around the NBA.
“There have definitely been discussions and we have talked some names, but obviously, I can’t say who they are,” Donovan said. “You would take a good player who we would all feel confident could help us.”
TIP-INS
Bulls: G Lonzo Ball (left knee surgery), who has not played in a game since Jan. 14, 2022, will have his status updated by Karnisovas following the All-Star break. Ball has been able to dunk in recent weeks and could be nearing a return. . C Andre Drummond averaged a franchise-high 12.9 rebounds over two seasons with Cleveland, leading the NBA in 2019-2020. . Chicago wrapped up a three-game trip.
Cavaliers: G Dylan Windler (right ankle sprain) was in uniform for the second time, but did not get into the game. The 2019 first-round selection has missed the entire season after experiencing multiple setbacks. “It’s been tough because there have been random bumps in the road that you can’t account for,” Bickerstaff said. Windler has only appeared in 81 games as a pro. . Cleveland has sold out all 30 home games.
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host Orlando on Monday night.
Cavaliers: Host San Antonio on Monday night.
HARDEN NOT SURPRISED DURANT, IRVING FLED NETS’ ‘DYSFUNCTION’
NEW YORK (AP) James Harden isn’t surprised Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving wanted out of Brooklyn, having tired quickly of the “dysfunction” he saw in his brief time with the Nets and asking out.
“I didn’t just ask to leave for no reason,” Harden said.
Harden was traded to Philadelphia at the 2022 trade deadline. By the time he came back Saturday just a year later for the first time in the regular season, Durant and Irving were also gone.
He wouldn’t specify his reasons for souring so quickly, but made clear he felt there were problems within the Nets organization.
“There was just a lot of dysfunction – clearly. There was a lot of internal things that I’m not going to ever just say or put in the media or anything, and that was one of the reasons why I chose to make my decision,” Harden said after scoring 29 points in the 76ers’ 101-98 victory.
“But now, fast forward to today, I don’t look like the crazy one,” he added. “I don’t look like the guy, or the quitter or whatever the media want to call me. Like, I knew what was going on and I just decided to, like, I’m not built for this. I don’t want to deal with that. I want to play basketball and have fun and enjoy doing it.”
Harden was acquired from Houston in January 2021 and the Nets quickly became a championship favorite with their potent lineup. But they lost in the second round of those playoffs after both Irving and Harden were injured against Milwaukee, then struggled to get off the ground in 2021-22 after Irving refused to be vaccinated against the coronavirus so he could be eligible to play in all their games.
After Durant sprained his knee in January 2022, the Big Three was often down to just one and Harden’s effort and interest seemed to wane while forced to carry a team that had to play unproven players around him. He told the organization he wanted to leave and the Nets sent him to the 76ers in a package for Ben Simmons.
Harden wouldn’t say if the Nets’ problems – or his frustrations – started with the difficulty in being able to count on Irving.
“I mean, that’s not something that I’m going to answer,” Harden said. “But the reason I made that decision to get out of my comfort zone, which was leave Houston and do everything that I did to get out of there, was to come in and play with KD and Kyrie. And with that being said, that didn’t happen as much as I would like to or probably the organization wanted to.”
It turned out to only be 16 games.
Durant originally asked for a trade last summer and finally got it Thursday when the Nets dealt him to the Phoenix Suns. A few days earlier, the Nets had moved quickly to grant Irving’s request to leave by dealing him to the Dallas Mavericks.
“There’s a lot of possibilities of what could’ve happened, but it’s part of life,” Harden said. “Move on, and I’m sure everybody’s in a better place, a good place.”
NHL NEWS
KEMPE HAS 4 GOALS, COPLEY POSTS SHUTOUT AS KINGS BLANK PENS
LOS ANGELES (AP) Adrian Kempe had his first four-goal game and completed Los Angeles’ first natural hat trick in nearly 10 years, Pheonix Copley got his second career shutout and the Kings rolled to a 6-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night.
On a night the Kings retired the No. 23 jersey and unveiled a statue of Dustin Brown, Kempe did two things that were last accomplished by their former long time captain, who led the team to two Stanley Cup titles.
Before Kempe, Brown was the last Kings’ skater to have four goals in a game and three goals in a single period.
Anze Kopitar had three assists for the Kings, who were playing their first game since Jan. 31. Los Angeles also got goals from Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Alex Iafallo while Rasmus Kupari, Kevin Fiala and Drew Doughty each added two assists.
Copley, who signed a $1.5-million, one-year extension on Friday, stopped 25 shots for his first shutout with the Kings. Copley’s last shutout was with Washington in 2018.
Casey DeSmith allowed three goals in 18 shots before being pulled early in the second. Dustin Tokarski gave up three goals in 16 shots for the Penguins, who had 59 shots on goal in Friday night’s 6-3 victory over Anaheim.
Kempe had all three goals during the second period, making him the first Los Angeles skater since Jeff Carter on March 4, 2013, against Nashville to have a natural hat trick. Ironically, Carter was on the ice Saturday with the Penguins.
Kempe, who leads the Kings with 26 goals, had his hat trick during a 13-minute span. He gave Los Angeles a 3-0 lead 1:58 into the second period when he beat DeSmith on his glove side with a shot from the left faceoff circle.
At 5:18, Kempe took a cross-ice pass from Kopitar and put in a snap shot that went under Tolarski’s blocker. Kempe then completed his third career hat trick at 14:27 on the power play when he put in a loose puck in front of the net.
Kempe got his second power-play goal on a one-timer at 15:09 of the third.
FRUSTRATED CROSBY
Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby not only saw his nine-game points streak snapped, but he picked up a game misconduct midway through the third period following an altercation with Mikey Anderson near the Kings’ net.
DOUBLE NATURALS
According to the NHL, Saturday marked the fourth time in the last decade there has been two natural hat tricks the same day. Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers did it as part of his four-goal outing in a 6-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.
The others were on Nov. 4, 2021 (Seattle’s Jordan Eberle and Boston’s Patrice Bergeron), Feb. 27, 2016 (Nashville’s Filip Forsberg and Ottawa’s Mika Zibanejad) and Jan. 18, 2014 (Tampa Bay’s Martin St. Louis and San Jose’s Joe Pavelski).
UP NEXT
Penguins: At San Jose Sharks Tuesday night.
Kings: Host Buffalo Sabres Monday night.
BLUE JACKETS DOWN MAPLE LEAFS 4-3, SPOIL WOLL’S HOME DEBUT
TORONTO (AP) Joseph Woll waited a long time for his first home start with the Maple Leafs.
The Blue Jackets spoiled the moment Saturday after Toronto inexplicably took its foot off the gas against the NHL’s worst team.
Kent Johnson scored the winner in the third period as the last-place Columbus Blue Jackets downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 on Saturday night to split a back-to-back.
“Outworked, outplayed,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said of his team’s second period that saw the Blue Jackets grab a 21-10 shot advantage and score three times.
Boone Jenner and Kirill Marchenko had a goal and an assist each, and Sean Kuraly also scored for Columbus. Elvis Merzlikins had 26 saves.
The importance of a surprising victory for an injury-ravaged roster on national TV wasn’t lost on Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen.
“I grew up (watching) `Hockey Night in Canada,'” said Larsen. “We had the old antenna. I think we had three channels.
“It sticks with you. It means a lot to you as a Canadian-born guy.”
William Nylander, Michael Bunting and Morgan Rielly each scored for Toronto. Mitchell Marner added two assists.
Woll made 36 stops for the Leafs in his first start of the season – and first home appearance of his NHL career.
“Pretty awesome atmosphere to play in,” said the 24-year-old. “Special playing in front of our home crowd.”
Johnson put the Blue Jackets up for good six minutes into the third when he redirected Cole Sillinger’s shot past Woll for his 11th goal of the season. The goal was reviewed for a possible high stick, but the call on the ice was confirmed.
Toronto pulled Woll with less than three minutes remaining, but Columbus held on for just its second regulation victory in 11 games.
The Leafs led 2-0 through 20 minutes and appeared to be cruising to an easy victory before putting in perhaps their worst period of the season in a sleepy second.
Jenner got the visitors on the board at 4:21 when he snapped his 15th home from the slot off a broken play.
Marchenko tied it 2-2 with 4:59 left in the period off a Jenner rebound. Kuraly’s go-ahead goal came 57 seconds later.
The door opened for Woll to play second fiddle to Ilya Samsonov after Matt Murray went down with an ankle injury before the NHL All-Star break.
Woll might have been called up earlier in the season when both Murray and Samsonov were sidelined, but didn’t make his debut in the American Hockey League until late November as he worked his way back from shoulder surgery before also suffering an ankle injury while rehabbing.
The 62nd pick at the 2016 NHL draft has been near-perfect in the minors since getting back to full health.
Woll, who grew up in the St. Louis suburb of Dardenne Prairie, Missouri, is 13-1-0 with a .930 save percentage and a 2.36 goals-against average with the Toronto Marlies. He was the top goalie in the recent AHL skill competition.
“Unfortunately we didn’t get the win for them,” Woll said of Saturday’s Scotiabank Arena crowd. “But definitely an experience I’ll remember.”
WILLY STYLES
Nylander hit the 60-point mark for the fourth time in his career. The 26-year-old is on pace to crack 90 points for the first time since entering the league in 2015-16.
JOHNNY’S BEEN GOOD
Columbus winger Johnny Gaudreau picked up an assist in the second period to give him 50 points in 53 games – the quickest a player has reached the half-century mark in franchise history. The previous benchmark was held by Ray Whitney, who accomplished the feat in 56 contests.
UP NEXT
Blue Jackets: Host the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night.
Maple Leafs: Host the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.
MEN’S GOLF
SCHEFFLER HOLDS WM PHOENIX OPEN LEAD IN BID TO REPEAT
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) Scottie Scheffler held onto the lead Saturday at the WM Phoenix Open in a bid to successfully defend his title and regain the No. 1 spot in the world.
The second-ranked Scheffler shot a 3-under 68 in front of some 200,000 fans – including WNBA star Brittney Griner – at TPC Scottsdale to get to 13 under, two strokes ahead of third-ranked Jon Rahm and Nick Taylor.
“Something I talked about at the beginning of the week was I felt like I’ve been on the outside looking in on Sundays,” Scheffler said. “To be in the final group with a two-shot lead, I believe, is definitely a position I want to be in. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Rahm also had a 68, holing a curling 40-footer for birdie on the stadium 16th for his third birdie in four holes.
“A couple of swings that weren’t that bad put me in some bad situations,” Rahm said. “I was able to scramble really well.”
Griner watched the action on rowdy 16th. The Phoenix Mercury center is spending time at home to recover from her time in a Russian jail. She was traded in a dramatic prisoner swap in December.
Taylor shot 67.
“It’s fun being in this environment,” Taylor said. “I think if you’re not having fun, you probably shouldn’t be doing what we’re doing. It’s a lot of fun.”
Scheffler would take the No. 1 spot from Rory McIlroy – tied for 28th at 3 under after a 70 – with a victory, as long as McIlroy finishes worse than solo third. Scheffler also could get to No. 1 by finishing solo second if McIlroy is 36th or worse and Rahm doesn’t win.
Rahm, the former Arizona State star from Spain, would go to No. 1 with a victory if McIlroy finishes worse than a three-way tie for second, or by finishing solo second if McIlroy finishes worse than solo 47th and Scheffler doesn’t win.
Jordan Spieth and Adam Hadwin were 10 under.
Speith had the best score in the delayed second round, finishing off a 63 in the morning. He added a 69 in the third round, highlighted by a 77-yard bunker shot to 3 feet to set up a birdie on the par-4 17th.
“I could drop a bucket of balls and not hit another one inside of 10 feet,” Spieth said. “I feel like a strength of my game is those kind of in-between bunker shots that are normally some of the most challenging shots in golf. For whatever reason I just feel comfortable in the uncomfortable in those kind of situations.”
Hadwin had a 71, playing in the final group with Scheffler and Rahm. He hit to 1 1/2 feet for birdie on the 16th, the closest of the round on the par-3 hole on the final tee shot of the day.
In the morning, Hadwin – on the 11th green Friday when second-round play was suspended because of darkness – finished off his second straight 66 for a share of the lead with Scheffler at 10 under.
Last year, Scheffler beat Patrick Cantlay in a playoff for his first PGA Tour title. Scheffler added victories in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, WGC-Match Play and Masters and was the PGA Tour’s player of the year.
The 26-year-old Texan followed a bogey on the par-5 13th – his first bogey since his fourth hole Thursday – with a birdie on the par-4 14th, hitting a 5-iron shot 210 yards to 4 feet. He also birdied the 17h.
“Feel good,” Scheffler said. “I didn’t hit it as well today as I hoped to. But still got around in 3 under. Kept the ball in play for the most part. Just kept plugging along. Only one bogey was good today.”
He went to the driving range after the round.
“I just wanted to hit a couple drivers, a couple irons,” Scheffler said. “Nothing specific. I hit about five balls and five putts and came back here.”
Rahm opened the year with consecutive victories in the Sentry Tournament of Champions and The American Express.
“Hopefully, tomorrow I can get off a better start, play a good front nine and go into that back nine with a solid chance of getting it done,” Rahm said.
Rickie Fowler, the 2019 winner, had a 67 to join Tyrrell Hatton (67), Sungjae Im (67), Jason Day (68) and Xander Schauffele (70) at 9 under. Schauffele bogeyed Nos. 15 and 16.
“Just managing our way around,” Fowler said. “Obviously, I know I can play well at this place. Love the atmosphere. Love the fans. So, trying to draw from them as much as I can.”
LEADERBOARD: http://hosted.stats.com/golf/final.asp?tour=
TOP INDIANA RELEASES
HS SWIMMING AND DIVING (IHSAA RELEASE)
CARMEL GIRLS SET TWO NATIONAL RECORDS, THREE MORE STATE RECORDS
by Lewis Bagley, Special to IHSAA.org
INDIANAPOLIS – When Carmel girls swimming coach Chris Plumb is asked to pick his best, most-dominant team it’s a major-league understatement to say he has a lot to choose from.
After all, the Greyhounds easily kept the greatest dynasty in high school sports rolling at the 49th Annual IHSAA State Finals by claiming a national-record-extending 37th consecutive state championship.
This time, however, Plumb’s team did it in perhaps the most dominating fashion ever.
Consider:
• Carmel took first-place in a state-record 10 (of 12) events, breaking the mark of nine event titles that Carmel teams in 2015 and 2016 claimed;
• The Greyhounds ran up a state-finals record 498 points, beating their previous mark of 479 set in 2021. The margin of victory of 265 points (Fishers finished second with 233 points) is the third-widest ever – just one point behind the 2015 Carmel squad and 14 off the 2021 team’s margin of victory;
• Carmel set five state records in the preliminaries, then broke four of those again in the finals along with setting the new mark in the 200 freestyle relay. Two of those new records – the 200 medley relay and the 200 free relay — were also National records.
So, coach Plumb, is this Carmel’s most dominating team ever?
“I’ve been asked what team this one is comparable to,” Plumb said as he was about to accept the state’s Coach of the Year award. “The 2015 team would be the one, but we were breaking their records today. That team was fast, but this one is deep. I’d have to say these two teams are 1-A and 1-B
“And don’t ask me which one is which.”
Carmel left no doubt where this meet was headed right from the start.
The 200 medley relay of Berit Berglund, Molly Sweeney, Alexandra Shackell and Meghan Christman swam to a 1:36.98 clocking, breaking the mark Carmel set in Friday’s prelims and shattering the national record of 1:38.13 by a Fort Collins, Colo., school in 2018.
Next came sophomore Lynsey Bowen’s win in the 200 IM (1:45.49) before Sweeney captured the 200 IM in 1:56.82.
Carmel then accomplished a feat it hadn’t achieved since 2011 when Shackell, a sophomore, made it four wins in the first four events by setting a state record in the 50 free at :21.93. She set the old mark of :22.05 in the prelims. The race was probably the best of the day as Shackell just edged Penn junior Lily Christianson’s :22.09. Christianson had won the event her freshman and sophomore seasons.
After Center Grove’s Mia Prusiecki won the diving for the second straight year (478.30), Shackell set her third meet record with :50.89 clocking in the 100 butterfly.
Christianson came back from her loss in the 50 free to win the 100 free in :48.59. Bowen then claimed her second individual title with a new meet record in the 500 free (4:42.81), before Sweeney, Grace Dougherty, Shackell and Christman combined to set a meet and national record in the 200 free relay (1:30.23).
For Shackell, it was her fourth win with four meet records and two national records. It is believed no other swimmer in state history has accomplished such a feat as a sophomore.
“It definitely comes from the hard work we put in,” Shackell said, “but it’s definitely more than myself. You want to succeed for your team, your coaches and your parents.”
Berglund carried on the Carmel train by winning the 100 backstroke for the fourth straight year, this time in :51.8 before Molly Sweeney (:59.78), Vivian Wilson and Lucy Enoch claimed a 1-2-3 sweep in the 100 breaststroke. Sweeney and Enoch, incidentally, are freshmen. The Greyhounds’ senior group of Berglund, Christman, Wilson and Erin Cummins capped the day and their careers with a win in the 400 free relay (3:21.84).
“It’s been great to have the leadership of those older girls to show the younger ones the way,” Plumb said. “The show them how it’s done, what you have to do to keep the tradition going and that the culture of the program is passed on.”
Penn finished third in the team standings (156 points), just ahead of Hamilton Southeastern (148) and Zionsville (141).
The meet was held at the Indiana University Natatorium for the 41st straight year.
Carroll’s Kirsten Lee named Mental Attitude Award recipient
Kirsten Lee of Carroll High School in Fort Wayne was named the recipient of the Mental Attitude Award by the IHSAA Executive Committee after today’s state meet.
She qualified for the State Finals in 100 and 200 freestyle and was a part of two Charger relay teams. She is the first Carroll girls swimmer to earn the mental attitude award.
Academically, she ranks fourth in her senior class of 573. Kirsten was a 2022 AP Scholar with Honor, as well as a National Merit Semifinalist for the Class of 2023. She also is apart of the National and Spanish Honor Societies and the Freshman Mentoring Program.
Kirsten is the daughter of Sonya & Brad Lee of Fort Wayne. She will be attending the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs where she will pursue her studies in Aeronautical Engineering. She will also swim for the Falcons.
Each year the IHSAA Executive Committee selects a senior who was nominated by her principal and coach and was determined to have best demonstrated mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA’s proud corporate partners, presented $1,000 of the Carroll High School’s general scholarship fund in the name of Kirsten Lee.
State Champions
200 Medley Relay: Carmel (Berit Berglund 12, Molly Sweeney 9, Alex Shackell 10, Meghan Christman 12) 1:36.98 National HS Record
200 Freestyle: Lynsey Bowen (10) Carmel 1:45.49
200 Individual Medley: Molly Sweeney (9) Carmel 1:56.82
50 Freestyle: Alex Shackell (10) Carmel 21.93 State Record
One Meter Diving: Mia Prusiecki (11) Center Grove 478.30 points
100 Butterfly: Alex Shackell (10) Carmel 50.89 State Record
100 Freestyle: Lilian Christianson (11) Penn 48.59
500 Freestyle: Lynsey Bowen (10) Carmel 4:42.81 State Record
200 Freestyle Relay: Carmel (Molly Sweeney 9, Grace Dougherty 11, Meghan Christman 12, Alex Shackell 10) 1:30.23 National HS Record
100 Backstroke: Berit Berglund (12) Carmel 51.80 Fourth consecutive state title in this event
100 Breaststroke: Molly Sweeney (9) Carmel 59.78
400 Freestyle Relay: Carmel (Meghan Christman 12, Erin Cummins 2, Berit Berglund 12, Vivian Wilson 12) 3:21.84
State Records During Saturday’s Championship Finals (5)
200 Medley Relay: Carmel (Berit Berglund 12, Molly Sweeney 9, Alex Shackell 10, Meghan Christman 12) 1:36.98
50 Freestyle: Alex Shackell (10) Carmel 21.93
100 Butterfly: Alex Shackell (10) Carmel 50.89
500 Freestyle: Lynsey Bowen (10) Carmel 4:42.81
200 Freestyle Relay: Carmel (Molly Sweeney 9, Grace Dougherty 11, Meghan Christman 12, Alex Shackell 10) 1:30.23
State Records During Friday’s Preliminaries (5)
200 Medley Relay: Carmel (Berit Berglund 12, Molly Sweeney 9, Alex Shackell 10, Lucy Enoch 9) 1:38.51
200 Individual Medley: Molly Sweeney (9) Carmel 1:55.88
50 Freestyle: Alex Shackell (10) Carmel 22.05
100 Butterfly: Alex Shackell (10) Carmel 51.16
500 Freestyle: Lynsey Bowen (10) Carmel 4:43.42
PACERS BASKETBALL
GAME REWIND: PACERS 113, WIZARDS 127
In the end, the early white-hot shooting by the Washington Wizards proved insurmountable for the Indiana Pacers.
The Wizards (26-29) shot an outstanding 73 percent in the first half to lead by 23 points at intermission, and finished shooting 64 percent overall, in a 127-113 win over the Pacers (25-33) at Capital One Arena Saturday.
Indiana has now lost four straight games, 11 consecutive on the road and 15 of its last 17 overall. The Pacers and Wizards finish their season series tied 2-2.
Seven players scored in double figures for the Wizards, led by 32 points from Bradley Beal. After Beal, Kristapas Porzingis and Monte Morris each tallied 17 points and Deni Avdija had 16 points. Porzingis also had 10 rebounds to secure the only double-double in the game.
Point guard Tyrese Haliburton led the Blue & Gold with 21 points, seven assists and six rebounds and center Myles Turner added 20 points for the Pacers. Buddy Hield and rookie Bennedict Mathurin also each supplied 16 points.
“They played a lot harder during the first half and we played a lot harder in the second half … and we won the second half,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “But you know, it’s a 48-minute game. It’s the same old message. We’ve just got to be better at the start and we’ve got to sustain.”
Washington made 30 of 41 shots (9-for-17 3-point) while holding the Pacers to 46.2 percent in the first half to build a 80-57 lead by the break.
The first quarter saw eight lead changes and four ties, but the Wizards shot an incredible 75 percent from the field – including 12-for-13 from two-point territory – to go up 37-29 by the end of the opening frame.
The Wizards came out on fire by making eight of their first 10 shots to go up 18-13 with 6:41 left in the first quarter.
A 10-2 run, on five points by Hield and Haliburton each, then put the Pacers ahead at 23-22.
The teams then traded the lead six times before the Wizards closed the final 2:35 of the first quarter on a 7-0 run — capped by a 3-pointer by Delon Wright — to go up by eight points.
Both Hield and Beal shot 4-for-5 from the field to lead their teams with 10 points each in the first quarter.
The Pacers narrowed the lead to four points before a 12-2 run by Washington put the Wizards up 60-46 with 4:42 left in the half.
A 10-0 run by the Wizards extended their lead to 76-53 before they took a 23-point lead into the locker room. The largest lead in the first half by the Wizards was 25 points.
Out of the break, the Pacers went on a 10-0 scoring spree, on five points by rookie Andrew Nembhard, a basket by Turner and a 3-pointer from Haliburton, to cut it to 80-67 with 9:23 left in the third quarter.
The Pacers were able to get the deficit down to 11 points thanks to a 7-0 run, but in the final 5:02 of the third quarter the Wizards used a pair of small scoring streaks to build their advantage up to 104-88 going into the final frame.
In the last 12 minutes of play, the closest the Pacers got to the lead was 14 points.
Indiana will host the Utah Jazz at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday and the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday before the All-Star break.
“You’ve got to go into the all-star (break) with positive momentum,” Turner said. “You don’t want to have that bad taste in your mouth for a week. Especially at home, we’ve got to find a way to take care of business.”
Inside the Numbers
The 64 percent shooting is the highest for the Wizards in a game this season and the highest by a Pacers opponent in a game for 2022-2023.
Indiana gave up a season-high 43 second-quarter points. The most points the Blue & Gold have given up in any quarter is 46 (first quarter at Orlando on Jan. 25).
Mathurin scored 16 points in the game and is now two points shy of cracking 1,000 for his career. Assuming he hits the scoring milestone, he will be the fifth player in Pacers history to reach the mark as a rookie.
Turner didn’t have a block in the game despite having the third-highest rejection average in the league. He is two blocks away from hitting 1,100 for his career.
Making four 3-pointers, Hield now has an NBA-high 222 on the season. He is eight made 3-pointers away from breaking Reggie Miller’s record of 229 from the 1996-1997 season.
Indiana had just seven total turnovers in the game to the Wizards’ 16 giveaways.
Washington outrebounded Indiana 40-33 and outscored the Pacers in the paint 54-48.
The Wizards assisted on 32 of their 48 made field goals.
Beal has scored at least 30 points in six games now this season.
You Can Quote Me On That
“Every game is important. The stretch we’ve been through … every opportunity to compete and compete better is something we’ve got to relish. It’s been a tough period and we’ve just got to stay together as a group and keep working to do better.” – Carlisle on looking ahead
“We just didn’t get enough stops. Credit to them, they had a heck of a game and shot the ball really well. But it comes to a point where you’ve got to make them miss instead of just hoping. They made us pay for a lot of our mistakes – missing steals, missing rebounds … it seemed like they made us pay every time.” – Haliburton on the loss
“We’ve got to be better defensively. We’re just not connecting defensively right now and that will trickle down to our offense. I think it’s a lot of effort – an effort thing, we just need to be better as a team. That’s something I think that’s easily fixable.” – Turner on the keys to the loss
Stat of the Night
Washington shot an impressive 73 percent from the field in the first half and 64 percent overall to beat the Pacers. It was the highest clip by a Pacers opponent in a game and the best percentage the Wizards have shot in a game this season.
Noteworthy
The Pacers are now 7-5 on the second leg of back-to-back games with the loss.
Indiana and Washington tied their season series for a second straight season.
Newly acquired Pacers George Hill and Jordan Nworda did not play on Saturday. They are expected to be active next week.
Up Next
The Pacers host Lauri Markkanen and the Utah Jazz at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday, Feb. 13 at 7:00 PM ET.
FUEL HOCKEY
FUEL TAKE FLIGHT, SHUT OUT WINGS 5-0
KALAMAZOO – The Fuel traveled to Kalamazoo Friday night for their eighth of 15 games versus the Wings in the 2022-23 season. Outshooting the Wings 37-23, the Fuel came earned a 5-0 victory and a shutout for goaltender Mitchell Weeks, his second of the season.
1ST PERIOD
The Fuel outshot the Wings 16-8. Alex Wideman opened things up with an equal-strength goal assisted by Spencer Watson. Just over three minutes later, Indy newcomer Austin Albrecht made it 2-0 with the help of Carson Rose and Koletrane Wilson.
At 16:42, Wideman and Jeremy Masella took roughing penalties after a mild tussle on the ice. At 19:54, Keoni Texeira took a delay of game penalty. With no time left on the clock, Kalamazoo thought they had scored but after review it was ruled no goal and Indy ended the period with a 2-0 lead.
2ND PERIOD
The Fuel killed off the remaining time in Texeira’s penalty to start the second.
At 3:19, Cam Hillis scored an equal-strength goal. He was assisted by Wideman and Wilson who both picked up their second point of the game with assists. Just 56 seconds later, Chris Cameron dangled the puck past multiple Wings to score an unassisted goal, making it 4-0. Kalamazoo then replaced starting goaltender Evan Cormier with Hunter Vorva.
18 seconds after Cameron’s goal, Indy got a power play after a slashing call on Brandon Saigeon, but they were unable to capitalize on the opportunity.
Fuel goaltender Mitchell Weeks had his work cut out for him in the middle frame with Kalamazoo only having four shots compared to Indy’s 15.
THIRD PERIOD
Kirill Chaika took an interference call 6:39 into third, but Kalamazoo came up empty-handed on the opportunity. At 13:55, Chad Yetman made it 5-0 with assistance from Luc Brown and Cam Hillis, who tallied his second point of the game. With exactly two minutes remaining, the Wings’ Carson Focht was given two minutes for an illegal check to the head. Despite not scoring on the final power play, the Fuel came away with the 5-0 win.
INDIANA MBB
NO. 18/18 INDIANA EARNS ROAD WIN AT MICHIGAN
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – With the game on the line and everything at stake, Miller Kopp conceded nothing.
The Indiana Hoosiers were right behind him.
IU led by one point Saturday night at Michigan’s Crisler Arena. The clock ticked down to six seconds, four seconds, two seconds, and the senior swingman held his ground against Michigan’s Jett Howard, pressuring with upraised arms without fouling.
Howard forced an airball. The clock hit zero.
The No. 18 Hoosiers had found a way, 62-61, for their first victory at Crisler Arena since 2016, and their eighth win in nine games. They improved to 18-7 overall, and 9-5 in the Big Ten, good for second place in the conference standings behind top-ranked Purdue (12-2).
“It was our defense,” coach Mike Woodson told Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer during the post-game radio show. “We held them scoreless for the last 5:12, and we needed every minute of that.”
No offensive flow? No points in the final three minutes? No problem. Not when IU reduced Michigan’s offense to rubble. The Wolverines (14-11, 8-6) missed nine of their last 10 shots and scored just 24 second-half points.
On that final Michigan possession, the Hoosiers stopped guard Kobe Bufkin’s drive, forcing a pass to Howard that led to nothing.
“From an offensive standpoint, we were kind of trucking along,” Woodson said. “We needed a break. We got the defensive stop at the end. They really didn’t get a shot. That says a lot about the guys who were out there.”
IU’s offense centered on Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jalen Hood-Schifino. They combined for 49 points — 28 for Jackson-Davis, 21 for Hood-Schifino.
With only four other Hoosiers scoring, no one for more than four points, that was a game-saver.
“I thought Trayce was magnificent,” Woodson told Fischer. “Jalen came through in a major way.
“We were trying to find plays where we could isolate those two and let them play. They were the two who had it going for us. They made great plays coming down the stretch.”
Hood-Schifino bounced back from early foul trouble to make 8-of-15 shots. He had five assists and four rebounds. He also had six of IU’s 13 turnovers.
“We started running a bunch of pick-and-roll plays for him,” Woodson told Fischer. “They were leaving him as he was coming over the screen and he was pulling up with his jump shot. He made some big plays.”
Jackson-Davis played all 40 minutes. He added 11 rebounds, three blocks and two assists.
Was Woodson worried about not resting Jackson-Davis?
No. Not with a trip to Northwestern coming on Wednesday.
“You don’t get tired when you go for 28 and 11,” Woodson told Fischer “He’s not tired. He has to get ready for Northwestern. That’s why we have him here, to do that.
“We had to play him all those minutes. I didn’t feel good about resting him. He can rest tomorrow.”
With senior forward Race Thompson out for precautionary reasons, Woodson only used seven players.
“I shortened the rotation,” he told Fischer. “I didn’t feel comfortable extended it beyond seven. The guys who played stepped up and did what they needed to do.”
With Thompson out, Jordan Geronimo earned the start with Malik Reneau backing him up.
Calf issues limited Geronimo. Foul problems limited Reneau. That left the Hoosiers thin and small against the tall, deep Wolverines.
No problem. IU has learned how to finish.
“We’ve been in enough of (close games),” Woodson told Fischer. “A year ago, we were in a lot of games, but I wasn’t getting them over the hump.
“I feel comfortable with what we’re doing as a staff, and guys are making plays. They’re stepping up doing the things they’re supposed to do to help us win.”
Michigan capitalized on early struggling Indiana defense to build first half leads as large as 11. IU stayed within range behind Jackson-Davis’ 16 points and Hood-Schifino’s 10 points. Hood-Schifino picked up two fouls in the first eight minutes. Tamar Bates briefly replaced him, before he returned to hit five of eight shots.
The defense picked up as the half went on. Michigan scored just five points off IU’s seven turnovers. The Hoosiers held the Wolverines scoreless in the last 2:25, closed on a 12-5 run (despite missing two layups) and reached halftime trailing 37-33.
“We continued to scrape,” Woodson told Fischer.
Seconds into the second half, Hood-Schifino hit a three-pointer. A Jackson-Davis basket off a Hood-Schifino pass put IU ahead 40-39.
Michigan responded with a 10-2 run for a 49-42 lead. Trey Galloway attacked for a basket to stop a 19-point stretch of Jackson-Davis and Hood-Schifino scoring.
IU surged back to take a 54-53 lead on a Jackson-Davis layup via a Bates pass. Michigan pushed ahead 59-56 and 61-58.
Then Indiana ratcheted up its defense. Hood-Schifino made a pair of free throws for a 62-61 Hoosier lead as the clock ticked under two minutes.
A Michigan turnover gave Indiana a chance to extend the lead. Hood-Schifino missed a driving layup. Jackson-Davis missed the front end of a bonus.
Finally, Michigan had 8.3 seconds to score and win. IU had 8.3 seconds to get a stop and win.
Victory Hoosiers.
“We got the big stop at the end,” Woodson told Fischer. “That’s what counts. We’ll take it. We’ve got to ready for Northwestern.”
MIKE WOODSON PPOST GAME: HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=NLUF3OLFQPY
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
#1 PURDUE TRAVELS TO NORTHWESTERN FOR KEY BIG TEN CONFERENCE SHOWDOWN
GAMEDAY INFO
Sunday, February 12, 2023 | 2 p.m. ET
[1] Purdue (23-2, 12-2) vs. [RV] Northwestern (17-7, 8-5)
Evanston, Illinois | Welsh-Ryan Arena (7,139)
TELEVISION: BTN | RADIO: Purdue Sports Network
ANNOUNCERS: Dave Revsine, Stephen Bardo, Andy Katz
THE NOTES TO KNOW
• Beginning its last road swing of the season, the No. 1-ranked Purdue men’s basketball team will hop in a bus for the final time this regular-season and head to the Windy City for a Sunday afternoon battle with a strong Northwestern squad. Purdue is looking to maintain a cushion in the Big Ten race against one of the four teams currently tied for second in the Big Ten standings.
• Purdue is coming off a strong 87-73 victory over Iowa on Thursday night in which it led by at least six points over the final 38 minutes of the contest. The Boilermakers jumped out to a 17-4 lead six minutes into the game and were never seriously threatened in recording their 23rd win of the year.
• Thursday’s win gave Matt Painter his 250th win at Mackey Arena, now with a 250-43 (.853) record in the facility.
• The win also gave Purdue 12 league wins for the eighth time in the last nine seasons. Entering this year, Kansas and Purdue were the only schools in America to have won at least 12 league games in at least seven of the last eight seasons (Kansas has done it all eight).
• A win over Northwestern would give Purdue its 10th quad-1 victory of the season and improve Purdue to 8-1 on the road (7-1 in Big Ten play). Purdue has won seven Big Ten road games just seven times in school history (2018, 2010, 1996, 1995, 1988, 1987 and 1984).
• Purdue has shot at least 50.0 percent in five straight games, the first time since Jan. 1990, that Purdue has shot at least 50.0 percent in five straight Big Ten games. Over the last five games, Purdue is shooting 52.1 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from long range. Four players are averaging in double-figures in that span (Edey – 24.4; Loyer – 12.0; Smith – 10.0; Gillis – 10.0).
• Purdue (+12.0) is dominating the glass this season, leading the country in rebound margin by 2.8 rebounds per game over UMass Lowell (+9.2). Over the last three games, Purdue has outrebounded opponents 119 to 64 (18.3 rebounds per game). The Boilermakers have grabbed 40 offensive rebounds in that span, while foes have just 46 defensive rebounds.
• Purdue ranks fourth nationally in fewest fouls per game (13.2) and is first nationally in opponent free throw rate via KenPom (16.8). Creighton is second nationally in free throw rate. Those teams are 1 and 2 nationally in forcing opponents to take long 2-point jumpers.
• Purdue has MADE 371 free throws this season, while opponents have SHOT just 246. Purdue has made 191 more free throws (371 to 180) than its foes this season, the highest discrepancy in the nation (Purdue +191, Iowa +155, North Carolina +153, Portland +151).
• In Purdue’s two losses this season, the Boilermakers shot just 29-of-45 (.644) from the free throw line with 29 turnovers (14.5 per game). In its 22 wins, Purdue is shooting 76.1 percent from the free throw line and averaging just 10.6 turnovers per game.
• Purdue can claim America’s best resume, boasting a 9-2 quad-1 record with five of the wins against teams ranked in the NCAA Net’s top 30 (Gonzaga, Marquette, West Virginia, Maryland, Duke). Purdue is the only team to have played at least nine quad-1 games with two or fewer losses.
• After being one of the final two teams in the country with zero losses (New Mexico was last), Purdue is now one of three teams nationally with two or fewer losses (Purdue, Houston, Florida Atlantic). Just three power-conference teams have three or fewer losses (Purdue, Alabama, Arizona) and only two more have four or fewer losses (UCLA, Virginia). Purdue is tied for the nation’s lead with 23 victories.
• Purdue is in search of its fourth No. 1 seed in school history, previously earning the No. 1 seed in 1988, 1994 and 1996. In addition, Zach Edey is the leader to earn consensus National Player of the Year accolades. The last time Purdue earned a No. 1 seed, it was led by its last consensus National Player of the Year recipient, Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson. Since 2000, eight players have earned consensus National Player of the Year accolades and led their team to a No. 1 seed, including four times in the last eight years (Williamson, Brunson, Mason, Kaminsky).
• Zach Edey was named the Big Ten Player of the Week (shared with Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis) for the sixth time this season. It marks the second most for a player in Big Ten history (Evan Turner – 7). With four more weeks to go, the record is in sight.
PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PURDUE FACES NORTHWESTERN AT MACKEY ON SUNDAY
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Winning four of its last five games, the Purdue women’s basketball team returns to Mackey Arena to start a two-game homestand with a Sunday tip against Northwestern. The game is slated for a 2 p.m. start on B1G+.
Tim Newton and Jane Schott will have the action for the Purdue Radio Network on 95.3 BOB FM.
GAME INFORMATION
Purdue (16-7, 7-6) vs. Northwestern (8-16, 1-12)
Sunday, Feb. 12
Time: 2 PM
TV: B1G+
Radio: 95.3 BOB FM
Live Stats: Purduestats.com
LAST TIME OUT
The Boilermakers bounced back with a 68-54 win on the road at Rutgers on Thursday night. Purdue opened the game on an 18-3 run to set the tone and never look back. Lasha Petree led the way offensively with 17 points, while Rickie Woltman joined with 10 points off the bench in 13 minutes. Cassidy Hardin connected on four of Purdue’s 10 3-pointers to finish with 12 points.
NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series with Northwestern 51-26.
• The Boilermakers extended their road winning streak to four games with a 68-54 win at Rutgers, the longest streak since 2012-13.
• Jeanae Terry notched her 15th game of the year with five rebounds and five assists, second in the nation to Caitlin Clark’s 19 outings.
• Cassidy Hardin’s four 3-pointers on Thursday night gave her 201 for her career, as she joined head coach Katie Gearlds, Brittany Rayburn, Courtney Moses and Karissa McLaughlin as the only Boilermakers to hit 200 triples in a career.
• Purdue’s 3-point defense has stepped up in the last six games, holding opponents to just 25.7% from distance during that span. The Boilermakers are 9-2 this season when holding an opponent to six or fewer makes from behind the arc. Purdue has dropped its opponent’s field goal percentage down to 38.1%, good for second in the Big Ten. Eleven opponents have shot 40% or less.
• With 181 rebounds, 152 assists and 50 steals, Terry is the only player in the Big Ten to rank in the top 10 of each category in the league.
• The Boilermakers have made 10 or more 3-pointers in five games this year with a record of 4-1.
• Lasha Petree needs 24 points to join the 2,000-point club for her career, following a 17-point outing against Rutgers.
• Cassidy Hardin sits ninth in program history with 135 games played, five short of Danielle Campbell’s (2006-09) record of 140.
• The Boilermakers hold a 11-2 record when scoring 70 or more points this season, while also posting a 12-1 mark when holding opponents below that mark.
BUTLER WOMEN’S BB
BUTLERUWBB PICKS UP ROAD WIN AT PROVIDENCE 63-62
PROVIDENCE – The Butler women’s basketball team earned their eighth victory of the season on Saturday afternoon by recording a 63-62 road win at Providence. The Bulldogs dug in defensively and got a stop on the final possession to find the win column.
How It Happened
Providence had a ball in the air with no time left on the game clock, but the 3-point attempt from the right wing rimmed out allowing Butler to hang on for a 63-62 road win. Anna Mortag was outstanding against the Friars with a game-high 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Mortag was also credited with four rebounds, two assists, one steal and a block.
Mortag hit three 3-pointers at Alumni Hall to help BU reach 10 as a team. Rachel McLimore was the team leader with four made shots from behind the arc. The graduate transfer ended the game with 12 total points and a team-best six rebounds.
Jordan Meulemans matched Mortag with three made 3’s vs. the Friars. The true freshman came off the bench to notch 13 points, two rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block.
Butler started the game 3-for-6 from 3-point range with early makes from McLimore, Mortag and McLimore. The hot shooting helped Butler jump in front at the start, but the Friars would use a 7-0 scoring run to win the first quarter 16-13.
The Bulldogs trailed the Friars by one at the half 33-32. Each team made 11 field goals over the opening 20 minutes. BU had the 3-point advantage, but the Friars were on top thanks to going 7-for-7 from the free throw line.
The Friars made a move in the third quarter and a 9-0 scoring run would give the home team a 44-36 lead. PC outscored BU 11-4 to start the third frame, but the Bulldogs battled back to get within three heading to the fourth.
Crunch time belonged to Butler with the Bulldogs limiting the Friars to just 11 points over the final 10 minutes. BU shot 50 percent from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range (3-7) to earn the win.
Stat of the Game
Butler limited Providence to just four made field goals in the fourth quarter. They outscored the Friars 15-11 over the final 10 minutes to win.
Inside the Box Score
– There six ties and 10 lead changes during Saturday’s game
– Butler shot 10-for-27 from 3-point range (37%)
– Rachel McLimore hit back-to-back 3-pointers to make the game 44-42 in the third
– Jordan Meulemans tied the game at 51-51 in the fourth
– Anna Mortag gave Butler a 56-53 lead with 5:39 to play in the game
– Meulemans extended the Bulldog lead to six with a 3-pointer with 3:40 to go
– Butler opened the fourth quarter on an 8-2 scoring run
– The Bulldogs outrebounded the Friars 31-28
– Butler’s bench doubled up Providence 19-8
– Caroline Strande scored nine points, pulled down four rebounds and had two assists
– Kelsy Taylor came up with six points, five rebounds and three assists in 21 minutes
Up Next
The Bulldogs will start a three-game home stand on Wednesday, Feb. 15 when they host the Georgetown Hoyas at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The annual Pink Out game will follow on Feb. 21 and Senior Day is set for Friday, Feb. 24.
BUTLER SB
@BUTLERSOFTBALL WINS FIRST GAME OF SEASON; DROPS A PAIR AT SPRING GAMES
LEESBURG, Fla. – The Butler softball team lost a game continued from the previous day, won its first game of the season in dramatic fashion, and then dropped a third game in extra innings. The Bulldogs are now 1-3 on the young season with two games remaining at the Spring Games in Florida.
Game 2 (completion): Western Kentucky- 10, Butler- 0 (5 innings)
Heavy rains halted the game on Friday, in the top of the fourth inning, with Western Kentucky leading, 5-0. When play was resumed on Saturday, the Hilltoppers put five more runs on the board in the fourth and held Butler scoreless. Cate Lehner notched two singles for Butler.
Rylyn Dyer (0-1) started in the pitching circle for the Bulldogs and took the loss. In three innings, she yielded ten runs on 12 hits and three walks while striking out two. Dyer was relieved by Kayla Noerr (2 IP, 2 H) in the fourth inning.
Game 3: Butler- 7, Marshall- 6 (7 innings)
Butler took an early lead in the second inning when Monique Hoosen (2-3, 2B, HR, 3 RBI) doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and was knocked in by a Kaylee Gross single. Then, one inning later, a Cate Lehner (2-4) bunt, an Ella White double, and singles by Teagan O’Rilley and Paige Dorsett, plated two. After a Marshall pitching change, Hoosen launched a three-run dinger that put Butler up, 6-0.
The Herd got one back in the fourth inning off a solo home run. Then, in the sixth, Marshall strung together three singles and a three-run long ball to pull within one, 5-6. Rylyn Dyer entered for Butler and retired the side.
In the top of the seventh, Marshall put the tying run on second with no outs, and a bunt moved the runner to third. A single tied the score at six.
The Bulldogs drew three walks to start their half of the seventh frame. Mackenzie Griman was at the plate when the Herd threw a wild pitch. Pinch runner Ellie Boyer stole home as Butler earned the walk-off victory.
Sydney Cammon (10 H, 5 R, 5 ER) started for Butler and threw for 5.1 innings. Rylyn Dyer (1-1) picked up the win for the Bulldogs. She faced eight batters in 1.2 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run.
Game 4: Portland State- 6, Butler- 4 (8 innings)
Portland State jumped on the board early with two runs in the top of the first. In the bottom half, Butler cut the lead to one when Teagan O’Rilley singled in Kaylee Gross (2-4, 3 SB). The Vikings added another in the second, but in the bottom of the third, the Bulldogs tied it up, 3-3, with singles from Cate Lehner and Ella White (2-4), walks drawn by O’Rilley and Paige Dorsett, and a sacrifice fly from Monique Hoosen.
Neither team scored in the fourth, and each put up one in the fifth. Butler’s run came when Gross singled, stole two bases, and crossed the plate on an error. The score remained 4-4 through seven innings.
In the eighth, Portland State put two across and then held Butler scoreless to win, 6-4.
Mackenzie Griman (0-2) pitched a complete eight inning game for Butler. She allowed six runs (four earned) on 11 hits and five walks, notching three strikeouts.
Bulldog Bits
Cate Lehner’s two hits against Western Kentucky were the first and second of her career. She had five hits on the day.
Rylyn Dyer saw her first action in the pitching circle as a Bulldog against Western Kentucky and, later, picked up her first win against Marshall.
Kieli Ryan made her first career appearance behind the plate against Western Kentucky.
Monique Hoosen’s home run against Marshall was her first of the season and the 14th of her career. She is now ninth on Butler’s all-time list for career home runs.
Up Next
Butler remains in Leesburg, Fla., for its next two games at the Spring Games on Saturday, Feb. 11. The Bulldogs will play Marshall at 11 a.m. and Portland State at 1:30 p.m.
IUPUI MBB
JAGUARS TO FACE NORTHERN KENTUCKY ON SUNDAY
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The IUPUI basketball team will continue a stretch of four straight road games on Sunday (Feb. 12) when the Jaguars take on Northern Kentucky (15-11, 10-5 HL) inside Truist Arena at 1:00 p.m. Sunday’s game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
The Jaguars (4-22, 1-14 HL) ran into a Wright State buzzsaw on Wednesday, falling on the road to the Raiders, 103-71. The Raiders shot a robust 58.1 percent from the floor and outscored the Jaguars 54-30 in the paint in an emphatic win. Sophomore Jlynn Counter had 22 points and eight rebounds in the loss and freshman Vincent Brady II added 15 points in the loss. Both DJ Jackson and Armon Jarrard contributed eight points apiece and Amhad Jarrard had six on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting.
Wright State ended the suspense early with a 19-3 run in the opening stages to build a quick 21-7 advantage. The Jaguars did themselves no favors, leaving 11 points on the free throw line and committing 13 turnovers, which led to 23 WSU points.
IUPUI enters Sunday’s game seeking to avenge an earlier 55-42 loss to the Norse back on New Year’s Eve.
QUOTABLE
“(Wright State) is a really good offensive team. We knew that coming in and they showed it tonight. They can beat you down low with their bigs, they shoot the three really well and they have guys who can create. They’re really efficient and we didn’t do a good enough job of getting stops. They’re a veteran basketball team and Coach Nagy has them playing really well,” head coach Matt Crenshaw said following Wednesday’s road loss.
SCOUTING NORTHERN KENTUCKY
NKU is 15-11 overall and 10-5 in Horizon League play. The Norse are 12-3 at home this season, which includes a win over Cincinnati. NKU’s two home losses in league play have come by a combined two points as the Norse suffered one-point defeats to Milwaukee and Oakland. Marques Warrick leads NKU in scoring (18.7 ppg) and threes made (60) while sophomore Sam Vinson checks in at 11.3 points per game. Chris Brandon is tops on the team in rebounding with 9.5 caroms per contest.
UP NEXT
IUPUI will face Oakland University on Wednesday night (Feb. 15) at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN+.
Tidbits heading into Sunday’s game (click here for full game notes)
SEVEN AWARDS; THREE FRESH AWARDEES
IUPUI freshmen have collected seven #HLMBB Freshman of the Week Awards this season as Vincent Brady II has collected four honors, Armon Jarrard has been honored twice and DJ Jackson is the league’s most recent recipient.
Brady is second on the team in scoring (10.5 ppg) and third in rebounding (4.0 rpg) and leads the team in minutes played (31.4 mpg, 15th in the HL) and threes made (43). Brady comes in having made at least one three in 21 straight games and in 24 of the team’s 26 games this season.
A VERY BRADY DUNK
Speaking of Brady, you may have seen him on your timeline recently as his dunk in the closing minutes of IUPUI’s win over Green Bay went viral on social media. Brady threw down a vicious one-handed hammer with 2:40 to play over GB’s Cade Meyer, later earning ESPN’s #SCTop10’s No. 1 play and ‘Dunk of the Day’ honors, along with additional mentions from Fox Sports, NCAA March Madness, House of Highlights and other social accounts. It received just under 1-million views on ESPN’s SportsCenter account alone.
FRESH DUBS
It would appear that Brady will be hovering around double-digits in scoring all season long as he sits at 10.5 points per game entering today’s game.
Earlier this season, he had a stretch of four straight games with 15-or-more earlier this season, becoming the first IUPUI freshman to do so since Alex Young in 2008.
Freshmen scoring in double-digits has been a rarity for the IUPUI program as just two have done so in the program’s Division I-era. The aforementioned Young went on to score 2,286 points in his four-year IUPUI career and George Hill scored 1,619 points in three-plus seasons before being drafted in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft.
Here’s the full list of IUPUI true freshmen to score in double digits for a season in the Division I era (1998-present).
Alex Young – 10.8 ppg (2008-09)
George Hill – 10.7 ppg (2004-05)
COUNTER POINTS
It’s safe to say that sophomore guard Jlynn Counter has emerged as the program’s most important player this season. Here are a few nuggets about the Oklahoma City-native, including a recent five-game surge that has him among the top players in the Horizon League.
-he’s scored 20-or-more in five of IUPUI’s last seven games
-during that seven-game stretch, he’s averaging 19.6 points and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 54.7 percent (52-95) from the floor, 40.9 percent (9-22) from three and 82.8 percent (24-29) from the foul line
-he started the year 0-of-14 from three in the season’s first 12 games, but has gone 11-of-30 (36.7 percent) since and made at least one three in six of IUPUI’s last seven games
ALL 12
Following IUPUI’s game at Cleveland State on Jan. 29, all 12 of the Jaguars’ scholarship players have now started at least one game this season. Graduate student Jonah Carrasco started in place of an injured Chris Osten, becoming the 12th different IUPUI player to start a game and IUPUI’s 12th different starting unit of the year.
TOPS IN THE COUNTRY
IUPUI is tops in the nation, having had 14 different players miss at least one game due to injury or illness, 12 of whom are scholarship student-athletes. Highest on the list are Zach Gunn (out for the season), Bryce Monroe (22 games missed) and DJ Jackson (11 games). Other scholarship student-athletes who have missed multiple games this season include Amhad Jarrard (9 games), Daylan Hamilton (8 games), Armon Jarrard (7 games), John Egbuta (5 games) and Cooper Dewitt (3 games).
Behind IUPUI, Wyoming and Iona have all had nine student-athletes miss time.
IUPUI has not had a game this season in which the entire roster was available.
THE ONLY ONE IS NO. 1
True freshman Vincent Brady II is the only IUPUI player to have appeared in all 26 games this season and is tied with Chris Osten with a team-high 25 starting nods.
TEN HIT TEN
Freshman DJ Jackson became the tenth different IUPUI player to have a double-digit scoring game for the Jaguars this season, doing so against Detroit Mercy on Jan. 21. Amazingly, of all 10 players who have scored in double-digits this season, none were on the IUPUI roster last season.
CHRIS DON’T MISS
Graduate transfer Chris Osten is currently shooting 67.4 percent for the season, chasing the school record for single-season shooting percentage (Jon Avery – 67.9 percent in 2008-09). The 6-foot-9 forward is shooting an absurd 77.1 percent from the field (54-of-70) at home this year.
Coming into this season, he had scored in double-digits just one time in his Division I career
in stops at both Arizona State and Northern Illinois, and never had a double-double. However,
in 21 games this season, Osten has hit double-figures 12 times and registered four double-doubles.
BUTA EMERGES
The past eight games have seen a new star emerge off the IUPUI bench as John Egbuta has provided a huge lift. The New York-native has contributed 10.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while making 30-of-51 (58.8 percent) shots, including 6-of-11 from three.
SEEING 20-20
IUPUI had a pair of 20-point scorers against Oakland last Thursday as freshman Vincent Brady II had a career-high 23 points (8-16 FG, 4-9 3’s, 3-3 FT) and Jlynn Counter tallied 22 (8-16 FG, 1-2 3’s, 5-6 FT). It marked the first time under head coach Matt Crenshaw that two players have gone for 20-or-more in the same game.
IUPUI WBB
IUPUI FALLS AT HOME AGAINST VIKINGS, 83-59
INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI women’s basketball team fell to Cleveland State on Saturday afternoon, 83-59. Natalie Andersen led the Jaguar offense with 12 points while freshman Abby Wolterman followed with a career-high 11 points.
IUPUI was held to just 59 points with their top three scorers all held in single digits with Rachel Kent scoring nine, Destiny Perkins with five and Jazmyn Turner held at just four points.
Cleveland State took the early lead, but the Jags kept it close, finishing out the first quarter just five points behind, 19-14. The Vikings extended that lead out to ten with a 36-26 score at the half. The Jags came out slow to start the second half only scoring 15 compared to Cleveland State’s 28 giving them a 64-41 lead. The Vikings sealed the win in the fourth and final quarter with a score of 83-59.
Fouls proved costly again with Jazmyn Turner fouling out early in the fourth quarter. The season leading scorer sat for most of the game due to foul trouble holding her to just four points and three rebounds.
Cleveland State defense held the Jags to just 23.8 percent from behind the arc and 35.1 percent from the floor. IUPUI was outrebounded 36-30. Andersen led with 12 points and six rebounds while Wolterman added 11 points and two rebounds. Kent and Logan Lewis each added nine points and Kent collected four rebounds.
IUPUI will go on the road for two games at Detroit Mercy and Oakland before returning to the Jungle on February 21 for a 7:00 PM tip against Youngstown State.
BALL STATE MBB
CARDINALS WIN FIFTH STRAIGHT, AS FIVE BSU PLAYERS SCORE DOUBLE FIGURES
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State men’s basketball team returned to the friendly confines of Worthen Arena for a Mid-American Conference contest with Bowling Green on Saturday. Payton Sparks led the Cardinals with 18 points as BSU defeated BGSU 93-72.
For the third-straight game, Ball State finished with five players in double digits. The Cardinals extended their winning streak to five games and are now 18-7 overall and 9-3 in MAC play. The Falcons fell to 10-15 overall and 4-8 in league play.
“I’m really proud of our approach and how we came out,” said Head Coach Michael Lewis. “Our attack in the first half, I thought was really efficient, especially when you can shoot 63 percent. They were bringing doubles Payton’s way. He did a good job of recognizing the doubles, where they were coming from, and finding the open man. I think we had 12 assists on 17 field goals. We really did a great job of sharing it and defending. That gave us an opportunity to win the game. We’re consistently trying to prepare to play the best team on your schedule. I think these guys have been outstanding all year learning how to win. Now they’re handling success well. Overall, very pleased to get our fifth-straight win.”
Sparks produced a team-high 18 points for his 18th game in double figures on the year. He finished 8-of-11 from the field. He led the team with eight rebounds and added three assists. Jaylin Sellers was a perfect 5-for-5 from 3-point range and tallied 17 points, his 17th contest with double figures. Sellers led the team with two blocks to go along with two assists and two rebounds. Jarron Coleman posted a 13-point effort, his 21st game of the season in double figures. He brought down seven rebounds with four assists and a steal.
Kaiyem Cleary recorded his second game in double figures with 12. He chipped in with six rebounds and one block. Mickey Pearson Jr. collected 11 points, six rebounds, and one assist. Luke Bumbalough led the team with eight assists to go along with eight points.
Ball State came out of the gates firing on all cylinders and took a 9-2 lead with 16:54 left in the first stanza. The Falcons pulled within two points, 11-9, with a 7-2 run.
The Cardinals went on a 14-4 run, led by 12 points from Sellers (4-of-4 from 3), and extended their lead to 25-13 with 9:05 left in the half.
.@PaytonSparks6 finds an open @JaylinSellers for 3?????? Sellers is 4-for-4 from 3!!#ChirpChirp x #WeFly pic.twitter.com/XMBQ3VFZax
— Ball State Men’s Basketball (@BallStateMBB) February 11, 2023
The Falcons scored the game’s next five points, but the Cardinals answered with a 9-0 run to extend their lead to 34-18 with just under six minutes remaining in the half. The remainder of the first half was a back-and-forth battle as each team scored 15 points. Ball State took a 49-33 lead into the break.
Over the first 4:38 of the second half, BSU outscored BGSU 11-5 and extended its lead to 60-38. After Bowling Green free throw, Ball State scored eight unanswered to take a 68-39 lead with 13:52 left on the clock.
The Cardinals produced their largest lead of the night of 29 points, 74-45, with 11:36 left in regulation. Bowling Green responded with a 13-4 run to cut the deficit to 78-58. BSU outscored BGSU 15-14 and went on to win 93-72.
Samari Curtis led BGSU with a game-high 20 points to go along with three rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Brenton Mills notched 14 points, two rebounds, and a steal. Chandler Turner closed out the double-digit scorers with 11 points. He added a team-high seven rebounds to go along with one assist and one steal.
Ball State remains home for a matchup on Tuesday, Feb. 14, as Northern Illinois comes to town. Jump is slated for 7 p.m.
NOTRE DAME HOCKEY
SENIOR NIGHT SHOOTOUT
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey program picked up the extra point in a nine-round shootout Saturday night to cap off senior weekend with a 2-2 tie against No. 7/7 Ohio State.
The officials called the first penalty of the night just 41 seconds into the contest, sending the Buckeyes to the box for a hook. Despite three shots on goal during the Irish powerplay, the home team was unable to find twine and OSU returned to full strength with the score knotted 0-0.
A slew of penalties ensued, with both teams racking up a combined 14 minutes of penalties halfway through the opening period. On the seventh penalty called, an Irish tripping infraction, the stalemate was broken as OSU took the 1-0 lead with 6:11 to play in the first.
With 14 seconds left in the opening frame, a scuffle at the Irish net led to three more penalties for an Irish powerplay to close out the period.
Notre Dame returned from the intermission trailing by one but with 1:46 left on the man-advantage. The team registered a handful of shots on net but could not capitalize and the Buckeyes were able to get back to full strength.
OSU would extend their lead just over three minutes into the second period with a shot from the far circle beat Ryan Bischel glove side.
The Irish cut the Buckeye lead in half with a goal from Jack Adams at 6:53 of the second stanza.
The two teams continued to battle it out midway through the contest inside a sold out Compton Family Ice Arena. OSU was called for a hooking penalty to spur the second period media break as the Irish headed back to the powerplay.
It took the team in green just 39 seconds to capitalize on the man-advantage following the break when Nick Leivermann fired a shot into the open net to make it 2-2 at 9:13 of the second period.
The Irish carried their two goals into the second intermission as they erased the 2-0 deficit halfway through the period to knot things up.
Notre Dame and Ohio State both fought hard in the final period of regulation but the netminders on either end stood their ground to force extra hockey. In the Irish end, Bischel recorded 20 saves in the third period for a total of 47 saves through 60 minutes of action.
The Buckeyes continued to hold the edge in the overtime session but Bischel kept his ground in the Irish end, picking up an additional five saves in the five-minute period to send it to a shootout.
Leivermann went first in the shootout, lighting the lamp to take the early 1-0 lead while Bischel made the save on the Buckeyes’ counter. Both skaters missed the second shot before OSU evened it out with a goal to force round four with their do-or-die attempt with the third shot.
Both teams scored in the fourth round to extend the contest with Hunter Strand scoring first. The next four rounds all ended with saves on either end of the ice before Chase Blackmun gave the Irish the 3-2 advantage in round nine.
Following the go-ahead shootout goal, Bischel made a pad save to earn the extra point and finish the night with an unofficial 57 saves, including the six in the shootout.
GOALS
Jake Boltmann fired a shot on net from the point which got deflected at the front of the crease by Jack Adams for the opening Irish goal to make it a 2-1 game partway through the second. Hunter Strand also tallied an assist on the play, setting up the initial shot from Boltmann at 6:53 of the second period.
Chayse Primeau won the draw following the media break and set up a pass to Landon Slaggert at the far circle. Slaggert found an open Nick Leivermann who ripped a wrister into the back of the net for the 2-2 score.
KEY STATS
The Irish topped the Buckeyes in the ninth round of a shootout after Chase Blackmun lit the lamp and Ryan Bischel made a pad save at the opposite end of the ice.
Halfway through the third period, Ryan Bischel became the first netminder to record 1,000 saves on the season. He now boasts 1,015 in 32 games played.
On senior night, both tallies came from graduate students as Jack Adams and Nick Leivermann both lit the lamp in their final regular season home game.
The Irish fired 23 shots on goal in the shootout victory while Bischel made 50 saves in the Irish net to secure the extra point.
OSU fired 20 shots on the ND net in the final period but Bischel cast all aside to force extra hockey.
The Irish blocked an additional 22 shots, led by Justin Janicke and Jesse Lansdell with four each.
UP NEXT
The Irish will conclude the regular season Feb. 24-25 at Michigan looking to secure home ice in the Big Ten Tournament.
NOTRE DAME MBB
LASZEWSKI & RYAN COMBINE FOR 50 BUT IRISH FALL 93-87 TO HOKIES
SOUTH BEND – Notre Dame’s Nate Laszewski and Cormac Ryan combined for 50 points inside Purcell Pavilion on Saturday afternoon, but the Fighting Irish (10-15, 2-12) still fell to the Virginia Tech Hokies (15-10, 5-9), 93-87. The 87 points were the second most points the Irish have scored all season, second to their 88 points against Youngstown State.
Laszewski went off for a career high 33 points on 12-of-17 shooting, including a 6-for-9 mark from three-point range. He also grabbed a team best eight rebounds. It marked the first Irish 30-point performance since Matt Farrell dropped 37 points at Boston College on Feb. 17, 2018. The 33 points also lands him in a tie for 15th place in Brey-Era single-game point totals.
Ryan connected on 5-of-9 from deep to total 17 points, extending his career best double-digit scoring streak to six games. He’s amassed 85 points during that stretch.
For freshman Ven-Allen Lubin, make it two straight starts and two consecutive games in double figures, this time with 11 points. He also grabbed five boards.
How It Happened
The Irish produced an early 9-0 run to garner an 11-5 advantage at 15:22 as four different starters had registered buckets. Both Cormac Ryan (started 3-for-3) and Nate Laszewski (4-for-5) started hot from the field, keeping the Irish ahead at 24-17.
In fact, Laszewski connected on three treys in a row, capped at the 6:53 mark, pushing the ND lead to 29-24.
Virginia Tech would rally with a 13-2 scoring run to garner its first lead since 5-2, this time at 37-31.
JJ Starling ended the Irish scoring drought and kicked off what would be four straight made field goals to end the half, cutting the deficit to 40-43.
At the midway point, Laszewski had half of the team’s points with 20 on 7-of-10 shooting, including a 4-for-5 mark from three. The next highest point total was Ryan with eight. Both teams shot just over 50 percent from the field in the half with both sides making seven threes.
Laszewski started the second half right where he left off, scoring the team’s first eight points. By 13:29 on the clock, Laszewski had earned a new high, hitting the 30-point mark and keeping it a one-possession game, down 54-57.
Now let’s backtrack to 15:56 because that’s where the game took a turn. From that time to 3:49, Virginia Tech made 14 of their next 16 shots. Basile scored 23 of his 33 points in this stretch, as Tech pounded the ball down low. Due to the effectiveness in the paint, the Hokies built an 85-75 lead.
Now the Irish kept it close by converting 13-of-20 over a similar stretch of time but the damage had already been done. A late flurry cut the Tech lead to four with 15 seconds but then the Irish ran out of time.
Laszewski, who had such a hot hand the whole game, only had two shot attempts over the final 12 minutes of the game and one of them was with five seconds left.
As a team, the Irish shot 54.8 percent from the field and made 13 three-pointers. The Hokies won the rebound battle, 29-26, and scored 42 points in the paint.
Up Next
The Irish will venture away from Purcell Pavilion all of next week for two road games starting with a Valentine’s Day matchup at Duke. Following the matchup with the Blue Devils, the Irish will travel to Charlottesville to take on Virginia on Saturday, Feb. 18.
NOTRE DAME SB
IRISH SWEEP TWINBILL WITH CSUN AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS
SAN DIEGO – The University of Notre Dame softball team swept its two opponents Saturday at the SDSU Season Kickoff. The Fighting Irish needed some late inning dramatics on the front end of the doubleheader, walking off the CSUN Matadors in eight innings, before cruising to an 8-2 win over the Northern Illinois Huskies in the nightcap. The Irish improve to 3-1 with the victories.
Payton Tidd started in the circle against CSUN. The graduate student worked 6.1 innings, allowing seven hits, four runs, three earned and struck out seven in a no decision. Shannon Becker earned the win in relief, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings.
At the plate, Rachel Allen and Carlli Kloss had multi-hit games, each finishing 2-for-4. Kloss added a two RBI double, while Allen’s RBI won the game in the bottom of the eighth. Karina Gaskins, Tidd, Macie Eck, Lexi Orozco and Mickey Winchell each added one hit. Tidd’s was a two-RBI double.
Micaela Kastor got her first collegiate start in the circle against Northern Illinois. The freshman threw 5.0 innings, allowing four hits, two earned runs and struck out five as she earned the win. Becker worked in relief, throwing the final 2.0 innings, allowing a pair of hits and picking up a strikeout.
The Irish offense racked up 11 hits in the contest, with Gaskins, Allen and Winchell each finishing with two. Kloss, Kroenenberger, Mitchell, Johnson and Eck each added a hit. Kloss and Gaskins hit their first home runs of the season in the victory.
How It Happened – CSUN
CSUN got on the board in the top of the second inning. A walk put a runner on, a weak line drive to shortstop appeared to be caught, but was ruled to have hit the ground to put runners on first and second a walk loaded the bases before a strikeout. With two outs, Tidd got the ground ball she needed, but it was misplayed, allowing a run to score. A ground ball on the next hitter ended the threat with the Matadors taking a 1-0 lead.
The Irish rallied in the bottom of the fifth. Allen led off with a single up the middle, and a single from Winchell, accompanied by a throwing error put runners on second and third with one out. Kloss doubled down the left field line to score two as the Irish took the lead. A walk to Kronenberger put two on as Tidd looped a double down the right field line to score two more and extend the lead to 4-1.
The Matadors used a three-run homer in the top of the seventh to send the game into extra innings. With the international tiebreaker rule, CSUN started with a runner on second, a ground ball to Mitchell at third led her to second base to keep the runner there. A wild pitch moved the runner to third with one out. The next hitter chopped a ground ball to Mitchell at third, who fielded it and tagged out the runner between third and home. A fly out ended the CSUN threat.
Allen and the Irish wasted no time in their half of the extra frame. On a 1-1 count, Allen led off the inning with a single through the right side, scoring Mitchell who started at second to win the game 5-4.
How It Happened – NIU
After a scoreless first inning, the Irish put up a crooked number in the second, scoring five times. A couple walks put two on, and a ground out to the right side moved the runners into scoring position. Winchell singled to drive in a pair and took second on the throw home. Kloss and Gaskins hit back-to-back home runs to extend the lead to 5-0.
The Huskies scratched a couple home in the bottom of the fourth to cut into the Notre Dame lead to 5-2.
The Irish answered with three more in the top of the fifth. Kronenberger led off with a double to right center and scored on an Allen single. A fielder’s choice and a walk put two on for Johnson who singled to bring in the second run of the inning. Eck lifted a fly ball to right field to bring in a run with the sacrifice fly, but the runner attempting to take third on the play was thrown out to end the rally. Notre Dame led 8-2 after five innings.
Up Next
The Irish close out the SDSU Season Kickoff Sunday at noon as they take on the Memphis Tigers.
INDIANA STATE WBB
THREE-GAME SYCAMORE ROAD SWING CLOSES IN MUSIC CITY
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State’s three game road trip concludes Sunday afternoon when the Sycamores face Belmont at 3 p.m. The game will be carried on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Last Time Out
Bella Finnegan scored a career-high 26 points Friday night and Del’Janae Williams added 17, propelling Indiana State past Murray State, 82-71, inside CFSB Center.
Chelsea Cain also finished in double-figures for the Sycamores with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Indiana State shot a season-best 63.5 percent from the floor and 61.5 percent from distance. Finnegan had seven rebounds and three assists in addition to her 26 points.
Indiana State got out to a strong start from the field, and the offensive attack carried throughout the game for the Sycamores. The Blue and White never trailed by more than four, with a Finnegan basket inside the final minute of the opening half putting the Sycamores ahead for good. Indiana State shot 70 percent from the field in the last 20 minutes, building up a double-digit lead behind eight third-quarter points from Cain and 12 in the fourth from Finnegan. The Sycamores scored 20-plus points in three of the four quarters to complete their season sweep of Murray State.
Bucket Getter
Indiana State guard Bella Finnegan put together the best game of her young career in the Sycamores’ win over Murray State. Finnegan notched career-highs of 26 points and seven rebounds against the Racers, knocking down 11 of her 16 shots from the field and all three of her 3-point attempts.
Finnegan’s 26 points were the most by an Indiana State player in a game this season, and the most for a Sycamore freshman since Caitlin Anderson had 27 against Evansville on Feb. 28, 2020.
Sharp Shooting
Indiana State shot a season-best 63.5 percent from the field against Murray State, knocking down 33 of their 52 shots in the game. The Sycamores also connected on eight of their 13 3-point attempts. Indiana State shot better than 60 percent from the field in three of the four quarters, shooting better than 70 percent in both the first and fourth.
The 63.5 percent clip from the field was Indiana State’s best in a game since Nov. 18, 2006 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and it was the Sycamores’ first game over 60 percent from the field since Nov. 28, 2016 at Eastern Illinois.
Six of Indiana State’s seven players who took a shot finished better than 50 percent from the field, helping the Sycamores post the best shooting game by an MVC team this season.
Milestone Watch
One member of the Indiana State women’s basketball program is nearing a career milestone, with two also occurring earlier this season.
Del’Janae Williams is closing in on 1,000 career points, as she is currently six points away from reaching the milestone entering Sunday’s game.
Chelsea Cain hit 1,000 points for her collegiate career with a layup in the first quarter at Evansville. Cain scored 857 points in three seasons at Nicholls State and has 241 points for the Sycamores this year, giving her 1,098 career points.
Head coach Chad Killinger picked up his 300th win as a collegiate head coach with Indiana State’s 82-71 win over Murray State.
One and Done
Indiana State continued its trend of being a strong team on the glass, as the Sycamores outrebounded Murray State by a 32-18 margin. The plus-14 rebound margin was Indiana State’s best since the opening weekend of conference play.
The 18 rebounds for Murray State were the fewest for a Sycamore opponent this season, with a big reason for the low rebound total being Indiana State’s ability to hit shots throughout the game.
Belmont at a Glance
Winners of each of their last seven games, Belmont enters Sunday’s contest at 14-10 overall and 10-3 in MVC play. The Bruins downed Evansville 93-53 in their last game.
Destinee Wells and Madison Bartley have led the way for the Bruins, who were preseason favorites in the MVC, this season. Wells leads the team with 16.3 points per game while also dishing out 115 assists this season. Bartley averages 14.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. The duo combined for 39 of Belmont’s 65 points in the earlier meeting between the schools this season.
Head coach Bart Brooks has continued to shape the Bruins into one of the elite mid-major programs in the nation. Now in his sixth season at the helm, Belmont has reached the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons.
Series History Against Belmont
Belmont owns a 4-2 advantage in the all-time series and is 2-0 in games played in Nashville. The Bruins won the earlier meeting between the schools this season in Terre Haute, 65-51.
Last Game Against Belmont (Jan. 27, 2023)
Indiana State’s three-game homestand got off on the wrong foot, as the Sycamores dropped a 65-51 contest to preseason MVC favorite Belmont inside Hulman Center.
Anna McKendree and Del’Janae Williams led the Sycamores with 13 points apiece, while McKendree also had a game-high eight rebounds. The backcourt duo combined for more than half of Indiana State’s 51 points while also producing the team’s leader in rebounds, assists and steals.
Indiana State took an early lead following 3-pointers by Bella Finnegan and Williams, but the Sycamores played from behind for most of the game. The Trees were within two possessions for most of the first half and kept within distance for most of the game, but a 14-2 Belmont run spanning the end of the third and start of the fourth quarters put the game out of reach for the Sycamores.
Up Next
Indiana State is back home for the next two games, starting with a Friday evening contest against Valparaiso at 6 p.m.
INDIANA STATE MBB
SYCAMORES EARN STATEMENT ROAD WIN AT NORTHERN IOWA
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The Indiana State Sycamores extended their win streak to five games Saturday afternoon with a statement win on the road at Northern Iowa, defeating the Panthers 80-62 for their fourth straight double-digit win.
Courvoisier McCauley paced all scorers in the game with 21 points including a game-high five 3-pointers. Julian Larry posted his third double-figure scoring outing in four games with 17 points alongside four rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
Iowa native Cade McKnight rounded out the Sycamores in double figures with 11 points and a tied team-high seven rebounds. He shot a perfect 3-of-3 from the field with a triple and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe.
The Sycamores (18-9, 11-5 MVC). gave up the first basket of the day but held control of the game from start to finish. The first 10 minutes saw four ties and three lead changes, but UNI (12-14, 8-8 MVC) never led by more than two points and after 12:57 in the first half, never led again in the game.
It took nearly two minutes for either team to get on the board, and things were even at 4-4 with 15:55 to go in the opening frame until a pair of free throws and a layup from Cameron Henry put the Sycamores up 8-4 at 15:26. Back-to-back Sycamore threes pushed ISU’s lead to 20-14 with 9:47 left in the half, and Jayson Kent put ISU up by 10 with a three before Larry scooped up a loose ball and took it all the way in for a slam dunk to make it 26-16 at 6:29.
The Panthers responded with an 8-0 run to cut their deficit to four points and force a Sycamore timeout with 3:39 left in the half, but ISU came out of that timeout with two straight threes to go back up by 10 at 35-25 with 2:49 to go. Xavier Bledson notched his team-high fourth assist in the game when he fed McCauley for a three to close out the first half and put ISU up by 15 at 44-29 going into the break.
Indiana State went off on a 13-0 run with three triples early in the second half to reach its largest lead of the game, 28 points at 59-31 with 16:20 to go. Henry added a slam dunk of his own to make it 67-43 at 7:26. UNI would come within 16 points in the final minute, but that’s as close as the Panthers would get as Kailex Stephens closed out the scoring in the game with a pair of triples.
Inside the Numbers
The Sycamores were 23-of-24 from the charity stripe in the game, and they hit a perfect 21 out of their first 21 before missing one in the final minute of play. Those 23 free throws are the most by the Sycamores in a single game since hitting 24 against Loyola Chicago Jan. 10, 2021. The Panthers were just 10-of-11 from the line.
Indiana State outshot UNI from the field 46.2 percent to 40.4 percent with nine triples compared to UNI’s six.
The Sycamores pulled down 35 boards compared to UNI’s 29 and improved to 14-1 when outrebounding their opponent.
News & Notes
Courvoisier McCauley’s 21 points marks his eighth 20+-point outing of the season. He is one of just seven Valley players with eight or more 20+-point games this year.
Cameron Henry and Julian Larry are inching closer to 100 assists on the year. With Henry’s two assists in today’s game, he is just two away from 100 while Larry is 10 away after his three assists in today’s game.
Today’s 18-point win marks Indiana State’s largest margin of victory at the McLeod Center and just ISU’s seventh win ever inside this building. ISU’s previous largest margin of victory inside the McLeod Center was 11 on Feb. 3, 2018.
Today’s win also marks ISU’s third season series sweep of the year.
With four games remaining in the regular season, the Sycamores have 18 overall wins for the second time in nine seasons and six road wins for the first time since 2013-14.
With their nine 3-pointers in the game, the Sycamores are 11 triples away from tying the program record of 270 treys in a season for the second year in a row.
The Sycamores remain one game out of first place in the Valley standings.
Up Next
Indiana State continues on the road next week with a trip to the Windy City. The Sycamores will face UIC Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+ in the first of their last two road games of the season.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE VB
MASTODON MVB OFFENSE ROLLS TO MIVA WIN OVER QUINCY
QUINCY, Ill. – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball team bounced back with a 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-18) win over Quincy in MIVA action on Saturday night (Feb. 11).
The Mastodons used a 7-0 run to jump out to an early 9-2 lead over the Hawks in set one. The ‘Dons got two kills from Axel Melendez Watts and one from each of Jon Diedrich and Mark Fraizer. There was also an ace from Diedrich in the run. The ‘Dons held around this seven-point lead until the 5-1 finishing run that saw Bryce Walker get three kills and a block. The ‘Dons were rocking offensively, as they hit .458 for the frame.
Quincy led early in set two, but a quick 4-0 run for the ‘Dons put them back in front 12-9 with a pair of aces from Frazier. The sophomore pin hitter had another ace in his next service rotation. Walker had a kill then Diedrich had a solo block to end the second set. Diedrich had six kills on 14 errorless attempts. The ‘Dons held Quincy to .050 in set two.
The Mastodons led 8-7 before going on a 7-1 run that saw Sergio Carrillo go for three kills and Walker ace the Hawks. Melendez Watts had his best set of the night, registering four kills on seven swings. The ‘Dons hit .312 in the third set and never trailed.
Carrillo tallied 33 assists to lead the ‘Dons to a .341 hitting percentage. Diedrich finished with a match-high 12 kills on a .379 hitting percentage. Melendez led the match with seven digs.
The ‘Dons shut down Quincy’s best player Raje Alleyne, holding him to seven kills and a .045 hitting clip.
Purdue Fort Wayne improves to 1-1 in MIVA play while Quincy falls to 0-2. The ‘Dons are 10-2 overall and Quincy is 4-6. The Mastodons will return home for a pair of MIVA matches next week with Ohio State and Ball State coming to the Summit City on Thursday (Feb. 16) and Saturday (Feb. 18).
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MBB
SUNDAY COULD BE SUPER FOR GODFREY
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Jarred Godfrey could set the program record for career points on Sunday (Feb. 12) when Robert Morris comes to campus for a 1 p.m. tip. He needs 21 points for the record.
Game Day Information
Who: Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons (15-11, 7-8 Horizon League) vs. Robert Morris Colonials (11-15, 6-9 Horizon League).
When: Sunday, February 12 | 1 p.m. ET
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center
Live Stats: Link
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: Listen
Tickets: Link
Game Notes (PDF): Purdue Fort Wayne | Robert Morris
Series Record: Mastodons lead 3-2
About Robert Morris:
// The Colonials lost on a tip-in in the final seconds at Cleveland State on Friday 57-55.
// Robert Morris comes to Fort Wayne on a three-game losing streak.
‘Dons and Ends:
// Jarred Godfrey enters Sunday’s game with 2,045 career points. He needs 21 points to become the program leader in points. John Konchar sits in first place with 2,065.
// With his six 3-pointers on Friday against Youngstown State, Jarred Godfrey moved into second place in program history in 3-pointers with 248. He passed Nick Wise (246 from 1999-02). Only Mo Evans (266 from 2013-17) had made more 3-pointers than Godfrey in program history.
// Jarred Godfrey finished with a season-high 33 points on Friday vs. Youngstown State. It was his fourth 30-point game of his career and 35th career 20-point game. He also had 32 points two games earlier at Oakland (Feb. 2). He has 10 games of 20 or more points this season.
// The last time the ‘Dons played on Super Bowl Sunday was Feb. 6, 2005 when the ‘Dons fell 74-54 at Eastern Michigan and the New England Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 in Jacksonville, Florida in Super Bowl XXXIX.
// Jarred Godfrey is the all-time leader in games played in program history with 147. He set the record on Jan. 25th at Northern Kentucky, when he passed former teammate Cameron Benford (2017-22) who played in 141 games for the previous record mark.
// Ra Kpedi on the season has six double-digit rebound games, including double-doubles at Northwestern (Nov. 18), vs. Oakland (Dec. 3) and vs. Cleveland State (Jan. 16).
// Jarred Godfrey has made 106 free throws this season. He’ll need to make 121 to tie for 10th all-time in program history for single season free throws. Godfrey’s total is already a career best for a single season.
// Ra Kpedi has already passed his rebound total from last season. He owns 211 rebounds this season, and had 208 last year. He’ll need to reach 262 to crack the top 10 in program history in single-season rebounds.
// Ra Kpedi broke into the top 10 in rebounds against Youngstown State on Friday, Feb. 10. He now owns 491 career rebounds as Mastodon, tied for 9th in program history.
// Ra Kpedi is averaging 8.6 rebounds per game in league play. The last Mastodon to average that many rebounds per game in league play was John Konchar in 9.3 in the Summit League in 2016-17.
// Jarred Godfrey is the only active player in NCAA Division I men’s basketball with 2,000 points, 600 rebounds, 400 assists, 200 3-pointers and 200 steals. Since 1992-93 only four other student-athletes have finished with such a career stat line. D.J Cooper (Ohio, 2010-13), Kerry Kittles (Villanova, 1993-96), Ricky Minard (Morehead State, 2001-04) and Marreon Jackson (2017-12, Toledo/Arizona State) are the others. (per sports-reference.com)
// The ‘Dons are 13-2 this season when scoring 71 or more points in a game.
// Per sports-reference.com, Ra Kpedi leads the Horizon League in offensive rebounding percentage at 15.5 percent. He is second in the league with 96 total offensive boards.
// Jarred Godfrey owns 620 rebounds, fourth in program history. He is also in the top five in points, assists, steals, field goals, free throws and 3-pointers in program history.
// Jarred Godfrey is shooting 89.8 percent (106-of-118) from the free throw line this season, 11th in the nation. Only once in program history has a player made 50 or more free throws in a season and finished at 90 percent or better. That was Ben Botts in 2009-09, making 65-of-71 (91.5 percent). The best free throw percentage in program history with 100 attempts in a season is Steve Bard in 1987-88 who made 88-of-102 (86.3 percent). The Division I era program record for best single-season free throw percentage in school history is Bryson Scott’s 81.8 percent in 2017-18 on 202-of-247 shooting.
// Ra Kpedi has won the opening tip in 23-of-26 games this season. He also won the tip in overtime against Oakland (Dec. 3).
// The ‘Dons are 13th in the nation in 3-pointers per game (9.8).
// The ‘Dons are 9th in the nation in 3-point defense with teams shooting just 28.4 percent against them from three.
// Jarred Godfrey (2,045), Damian Chong Qui (1,532), Anthony Roberts (1,501), Bobby Planutis (1,145) and Deonte Billups (1,016) have each scored 1,000 career NCAA points.
// With a pair of student-athletes with 1,500 career points at the Division I level (Jarred Godfrey and Damian Chong Qui) ‘Dons are one of 13 teams in the nation with two or three players who have reached that mark in Division I contests.
// The ‘Dons have 15 games of double-digit offensive rebounds this season.
// Jon Coffman owns a 154-125 career record. The Mastodons’ victory over Bluffton (Nov. 27) set a new program record for coaching wins for Coffman. He passed Andy Piazza who went 142-108 with the ‘Dons from 1987 to 1996.
EVANSVILLE SB
UE SOFTBALL PICKS UP FOURTH WIN IN SATURDAY SPLIT
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Pitching was the story of the day for the University of Evansville softball team, who earned a 4-0 shutout win over Detroit Mercy before dropping a 2-1 game to DePaul to complete the season-opening DePaul Dome Classic on Saturday.
GAME 1 – UE 4, Detroit Mercy 0
Elle Jarrett and Erin Kleffman combined to throw a 5-hit shutout over Detroit Mercy. The Titans out-hit the Purple Aces by a 5-4 final but it was a 3-run top of the fourth that made the difference in the game.
Efficient baserunning by Taylor Howe got UE on the board. After drawing a leadoff walk, Howe stole second and advanced to third on a groundout by Zoe Frossard. She would break the scoreless tie when Marah Wood reached on an error. Wood picked up a steal of her own and pushed the lead to 2-0 on a single by Jess Willsey. Alexa Davis picked up the third run of the frame when she tripled before coming home on a wild pitch.
An insurance run was added in the 5th when Howe reached on a Titan error to plate Lacy Smith, who picked up a leadoff single. From there, Kleffman held Detroit Mercy to two hits as she clinched the victory,
GAME 2 – DePaul 2, UE 1
Evansville had its first scoring opportunity in the top half of the second when Hannah Hood belted a 1-out ground rule double. A wild pitch advanced her to third, but DePaul picked up the final two outs to keep the Aces scoreless. Sydney Kalonihea and Jess Willsey recorded hits in the 3rd and 4th innings, however, the Blue Demons continued to get the timely outs.
DePaul picked up its first two hits in the 5th and 6th frames with Mikayla Jolly getting out of both unscathed. Things remained scoreless as the game headed into extra innings. International tiebreaker rules saw each team have a runner placed on second base to open the inning. Kalonihea hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Dori Brown to give UE the lead. The Blue Demons limited the Aces to one run and would take advantage in the bottom of the 8th. Back-to-back singles tied the game before DePaul scored the game-winner on a fielder’s choice.
Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at James & Dorothy Cooper Stadium officially opens on Friday when the Aces welcome Green Bay at 12:30 p.m. UE takes on Kansas City in Friday’s second game before playing them on Saturday afternoon. The opening home weekend comes to a close on Sunday against USI.
SOUTHERN INDIANA MBB
USI GETS BIG WIN ON SENIOR NIGHT, 74-64
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball picked up a big victory on Senior Night, defeating Lindenwood University, 74-64, Saturday evening at Screaming Eagles Arena. The Screaming Eagles go to 14-13 overall and 7-7 in the OVC, while the Lions are 9-18, 4-10 OVC.
USI moves up into a tie sixth in the OVC standing, one game out of the four-way tie for second with four games to play in the regular season. The top eight teams in the OVC advance to the league’s postseason tournament scheduled for March 1-4 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.
The Eagles started slow, while the Lions got off to a quick start and had an early 18-8 lead with 13:55 left in the first half following a 10-2 run. USI closed the gap to four points, 22-18, on a three-pointer by sophomore guard Isaiah Swope (Newburgh, Indiana) with 9:41 on the clock.
After Lindenwood pushed its lead back to nine, 25-16, USI shrank the deficit to three points, 27-24, after a pair of free throws by senior forward Jacob Polakovich (Grand Rapids, Michigan), who had a team-best 12 points in the opening half. The three-point deficit would be as close as the Eagles would come in the first 20 minutes as the teams went into the intermission with the Lions leading 35-29.
The second half started very differently for the Eagles as they used an 8-2 run to knot the game at 37-37 before three minutes were gone on a Polakovich layup. USI would take its first lead since the opening bucket, 41-40, when senior guard Jelani Simmons (Columbus, Ohio) threw down a dunk at the 15:30 mark.
After trading buckets and leads, USI went on a 7-0 run to lead 55-48. Freshman center Kiyron Powell (Evansville, Indiana) sparked the run with an old fashion three-point play and a pair free throws that were sandwiched around a pair of charity shots by Swope to give USI its largest lead to that point (seven points).
Lindenwood closed the gap to 62-60 with 3:26 to play when USI spun off 10-straight points to lead by 12, 72-60, with under a minute to play. The Eagles and Lions traded free throws in the final 30 seconds before USI closed out the 74-64 victory.
USI had three players reach double-digits in the scoring column, led by Polakovich’s 23 points. The senior was a red hot nine-of-12 from the field and five-of-eight from the stripe, while grabbing a game-high nine boards.
Simmons and Swope followed with 17 points and 14 points respectively. Swop also had a game-high five assists.
Next Up For USI:
USI hits the road for the next two games next week, beginning with its first-ever trip to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Thursday. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Little Rock saw its record go to 9-18, 5-9 in the OVC, after falling at the University of Tennessee at Martin, 81-64, this afternoon. The Trojans were led by senior guard Isaiah Palermo, who had 19 points.
USI won the first meeting of the series and in OVC play with a 74-67 victory at Screaming Eagles Arena. The Eagles were led by graduate forward Trevor Lakes with 22 points, while Polakovich had a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
The road trip concludes February 18 at Southeast Missouri State University for a 4 p.m. contest in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
The Redhawks saw their record go to 13-14, 8-6 OVC, following a loss to conference front-running Morehead State University, 65-59, at home today. SEMO was led by sophomore guard Phillip Russell, who had 20 points.
USI evened the all-time series with SEMO, 3-3, after winning the Eagles’ OVC-opener, 86-81, at Screaming Eagles Arena. Eagles’ Polakovich led USI to victory with his first 20-20 game of the season, 27 points and 26 rebounds.
SOUTHERN INDIANA WBB
EAGLES SOAR TO BIG WIN IN PLAY4KAY AND SENIOR DAY GAME
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball set an early tone against Lindenwood University on Saturday, soaring to a 66-43 win at Screaming Eagles Arena.
Saturday’s win improved USI’s record to 11-14 overall and 5-9 in the Ohio Valley Conference, placing USI in a tie for seventh in the OVC standings. Lindenwood dropped to 2-20 on the season and 1-13 in the OVC.
Saturday was USI Women’s Basketball’s annual Play4Kay game, as the team wore pink jerseys to raise cancer awareness. The Play4Kay game, which is named after the late Hall of Fame coach Kay Yow (North Carolina State), who passed away in 2009 following a 22-year battle with cancer, is the WBCA’s breast cancer awareness initiative. For more information on the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and to join the fight, go to https://wbca.org/about/kay-yow-cancer-fund.
Saturday was also Senior Day for USI Women’s Basketball, which recognized five seniors after the contest. Guard Soffia Rieckers (Evansville, Indiana), guard/forward Lexi Thompson (Lafayette, Indiana), forward Tara Robbe (Wildwood, Missouri), forward Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio), and graduate forward Ashlynn Brown (Perrysburg, Ohio) were recognized after the game.
The first quarter was a little erratic at the start on the offensive end, as both teams tried to settle into the flow of the contest. However, USI really set a tone on the defensive end, taking Lindenwood out of its comfort zone. With USI trying to get into a consistent groove offensively, one of the Screaming Eagles’ best scoring options early on was junior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana). Raley received a couple of entry passes and went up strong for two baskets within the first three minutes of the game to give USI a 6-2 lead. The Lions made a small run to tie the game in the middle of the first, but Raley scored once again, and sophomore guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) drained a three to push the Screaming Eagles back ahead, 11-6, by the end of the opening quarter.
Southern Indiana had a strong start to the second period, as Haithcock found the basket twice within the first minute to put USI ahead, 15-6. Seconds later, Shafford swished another triple through the bottom of the net. The Screaming Eagles continued to attack the paint, earning three more buckets inside during the middle minutes of the second quarter. With under three minutes left in the first half, Raley was the first USI player to crossover into double figures after getting a nice pass from Rieckers. Raley’s score increased USI’s lead to 13, 26-13. USI maintained a 13-point advantage heading into the halftime locker room, 30-17, as Raley led USI in the first half with 12 points.
Coming out of the break, USI continued to be relentless inside. Haithcock got the second-half scoring started for the Screaming Eagles before Raley capitalized on a three-point play. Three minutes into the third period, Haithcock hit double figures with a basket to give USI a 37-17 lead. A minute later, Shafford reached double digits on a three-pointer. Southern Indiana outscored Lindenwood 13-4 in the first five minutes of the third, taking a 43-21 advantage at the halfway point of the third period. In the latter minutes of the third, Brown joined USI’s offensive fun in the paint, scoring multiple times and even converting a three-point play to get up to eight points by the end of the quarter. USI carried a 54-32 margin into the fourth quarter.
Brown joined her teammates in double figures, as she made a layup a minute and a half into the fourth period. USI kept adding to its lead, reaching a 26-point advantage by the midway point of the fourth. At the two-minute mark of the fourth, Rieckers, Haithcock, Brown, Thompson, and Robbe exited the game together to a standing ovation on Senior Day. USI would cruise the rest of the way.
Haithcock led USI on the night with 19 points and nine rebounds. The senior forward moved into 12th all-time in USI scoring history, passing assistant coach Emma DeHart. Raley was second in scoring on the night for USI, posting 15 points with eight boards. Shafford scored 13 points, including three made triples. Brown tallied 10 points with seven rebounds. Brown played in her 121st career game at USI on Saturday, which is second all-time in USI history behind DeHart’s 126 games played. As a team, USI was 25-61 for 41 percent shooting, 13-17 for 76.5 percent at the line, and made three triples. Southern Indiana outrebounded Lindenwood 43-28, including 15-5 on the offensive glass which led to 26 second-chance points. USI also outscored Lindenwood 19-9 off turnovers and 40-22 in the paint.
Lindenwood was led by graduate guard Devin Fuhring with 12 points and 10 points from sophomore guard Mary McGrath. The Lions went 16-47 for 34 percent overall, 8-14 for 57.1 percent at the stripe, and made three three-pointers.
The Screaming Eagles will head back on the road next week for a pair of Ohio Valley Conference contests at the University of Arkansas Little Rock on Thursday at 5 p.m. and Southeast Missouri State University on Saturday at 2 p.m. Thursday’s matchup can be seen live with a subscription to ESPN+, while Saturday’s game will be shown on ESPN3. Both contests can be heard on 95.7 FM The Spin
VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEN’S BASKETBALL COMPLETES SEASON SWEEP OF ILLINOIS STATE
Contrary to what his last name would indicate, Valparaiso University men’s basketball senior Quinton Green’s (Columbus, Ohio / Homeschool [Cedarville]) new favorite color may be red after what transpired in games against Illinois State this season.
Green poured in a game-high 25 points – one point shy of his season high set against the Redbirds on Jan. 21 – to lift the Beacons to an 81-76 win over the guests from Bloomington-Normal on Saturday night at the Athletics-Recreation Center. His top two scoring outputs in a Valpo uniform have come against the Redbirds.
How It Happened
Illinois State made a 3 to start the scoring, but Valpo scored the next eight points including an early triple by Kobe King (La Crosse, Wis. / La Crosse Central [Wisconsin]). The Beacons held on to that lead until a 3-pointer at the 14:13 mark created a 12-12 deadlock.
Green responded with a pair of 3-point bombs of his own, building the lead back to six.
Valpo led by five with 12:10 on the first-half clock, but Illinois State scored the next nine points to take a 24-20 lead thanks to a run that was capped by a Darius Burford dunk at the 9:53 mark, prompting a Matt Lottich timeout.
The Redbirds led by five with 8:03 left in the first half, but it was Valpo’s turn for a 9-0 run including a go-ahead 3 by Green.
King added a trey at the 2:57 mark, and a dunk by Ibra Bayu (Flevoland, The Netherlands) a moment later helped Valpo maintain a four-point edge at 42-38 as the game reached halftime.
Valpo stretched the cushion to double figures by the 16:34 mark of the second half, and the lead fluctuated between six and 10 for most of the half.
The Beacons led by 10 with 6:37 to go and the lead was eight at 79-71 with just 26 seconds remaining. The Redbirds had a quick burst of five points including a steal and a flurry of offensive rebounds, suddenly trimming the gap to three with four seconds to go at 79-76.
King stepped up and hit two huge free throws with four seconds on the clock to put the game on ice.
Inside the Game
Green has scored 51 points in two games against the Redbirds on 10-of-15 from 3-point territory and 17-of-23 shooting. He is 7-of-8 at the foul line against Illinois State.
Green also got the job done on the glass on Saturday, grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds. This outdid his previous season best of seven and tied his career high, which came on Dec. 18, 2018 while playing for Cedarville in a game against Florida Southern.
Green achieved his first double-double in a Valpo uniform and became the fourth Beacon to record one this season, joining King, Ben Krikke (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada / Jasper Place) and Nick Edwards (Atlanta, Ga. / Grayson [Glenville State]).
Krikke scored 24 points of his own to combine with Green for 49 points. Krikke also had six rebounds and six assists while going 9-of-14 from the field and 6-of-7 at the foul line.
Krikke continued to climb Valpo’s all-time scoring list, finishing the night with 1,483 career points. Of all nights – on the night that David Redmon’s family members were in attendance following the Valpo legend’s funeral on Saturday afternoon in Valpo – Krikke passed Redmon for 11th in program history. Redmon, who was remembered with a video tribute at halftime that featured messages from former teammates Casey Schmidt and Rob Cavanaugh as well as former Valpo head coach Homer Drew, recently passed away at the age of 50.
Krikke surpassed 500 points for the season on Saturday, becoming the second Valpo player during the Missouri Valley Conference Era with a 500-point season, joining Javon Freeman-Liberty.
Krikke also surpassed 200 made field goals for the season, becoming just the eighth different Valpo player to achieve that feat in the last 30 years. He has good company – Javon Freeman-Liberty, Alec Peters (twice), Brandon Wood, Dan Oppland (twice), Bryce Drew, Anthony Allison and Tracy Gipson.
Krikke has scored in double figures in 25 of 27 games this season including 15 straight games and all 16 league contests. This was his 10th game with 20 points or more.
King scored an efficient 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting, his highest single-game field goal percentage of the season. He has scored in double figures in all 27 games this year.
The Beacons shot 54.9 percent from the field, their second-highest rate of the season behind only the 57.4 percent in the first game against Illinois State. The hosts shot at a sizzling 61.5 percent clip in the opening half including 5-of-10 from long range.
This was a big win for Arch Madness seeding, as the victory allowed Valpo to move into a tie with Illinois State for ninth in the league standings. Valpo holds the tiebreaker based on winning both head-to-head matchups.
Valpo has won 10 of the last 11 head-to-head meetings with Illinois State and is 10-2 against the Redbirds since joining The Valley. The Brown & Gold have prevailed in the last five matchups that have occurred within the confines of the Athletics-Recreation Center.
Speaking of success at the ARC, the victory on Saturday allowed Valpo to clinch a winning record at home. This is the 31st consecutive season that the program has boasted a home record of .500 or better.
VALPO SB
SOFTBALL FALLS TWICE ON FINAL DAY AT DEPAUL DOME TOURNAMENT
The first weekend of the 2023 regular season came to a close for the Valpo softball team on Saturday afternoon at the Dome in Rosemont, Ill., as the Beacons fell 7-2 to Bowling Green and 9-2 to Eastern Kentucky.
How It Happened – Bowling Green
Valpo threatened immediately in the top of the first, loading the bases with one away on a hit batter, an error and a walk. But the Falcons got a force out at home for the second out and then induced a grounder to keep the Beacons off the board.
The top three batters in the BGSU order combined to put two runs on the board in its half of the first.
The Falcons loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the second, but junior Caitlin Kowalski (Temperance, Mich./Notre Dame Academy) registered a strikeout to keep Bowling Green from adding to its lead in that frame.
BGSU broke the game open with a five-run fourth inning.
After being held hitless for the first six innings, Valpo broke through to start off the seventh inning. Junior Kayla Skapyak (Macomb, Mich./Dakota) led off the inning with a single into center and junior Regi Hecker (Lee’s Summit, Mo./Blue Springs South) followed by lining a double the other way down the left-field line to put two in scoring position with nobody out.
Junior Alexis Johnson (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) drove in Valpo’s first run of the game with an infield single which plated Skapyak, and fifth year Taylor Herschbach (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) wasted no time at the plate, following with a first-pitch single into right to bring home Hecker. The Beacons were unable to continue their rally, however, as BGSU closed out its win.
How It Happened – Eastern Kentucky
While senior Easton Seib (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs South) was allowing just one EKU baserunner in the first three innings, the Valpo offense had opportunities to take the lead. The Beacons drew two walks in the first inning, took a leadoff walk in the second and had two runners on with two out in the third, but none of the chances resulted in runs.
EKU cracked the scoreboard first in the top of the fourth on a solo homer from Vianna Barron.
Valpo responded immediately in its turn at the plate in the fourth. Freshman Lyna Vasquez (Moreno Valley, Calif./Valley View) led off with a double to left-center, and two batters later, a single from fellow rookie Kim Rodas (San Bernadino, Calif./Cajon) put runners on the corners with one out.
Sophomore Lauren Sena (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) stepped up and laid down a well-placed squeeze bunt, and Vasquez took care of the rest with her slide to tie the game. Rodas advanced all the way to third with the attention on the play at the plate and that extra 60 feet proved critical one batter later, when she was able to scamper home on a groundout by sophomore Kaiah Fenters (Speedway, Ind./Speedway) to give Valpo a 2-1 lead.
The Beacons maintained the lead into the top of the sixth, when five consecutive EKU batters reached with two outs as the Colonels put three runs on the board to jump in front, 4-2. EKU capped the scoring with five runs in the top of the seventh.
Inside the Games
Herschbach led Valpo at the plate on Saturday, reaching base four times over the two games — including one hit and two walks against EKU — while also stealing a base.
Four different players reached base two times apiece against Bowling Green. Senior Lauren Kehlenbrink (Ballwin, Mo./Parkway South) drew two walks, while Fenters tallied a walk and was hit by a pitch as the Beacons received seven total free passes against the Falcons.
Kowalski took the loss in the circle against BGSU. Freshman Cadence Augustine (Beaverton, Mich./Beaverton) had a strong relief outing versus the Falcons, tossing 2.2 innings of one-hit ball, striking out three and allowing just an unearned run.
Johnson and Vasquez reached base multiple times versus EKU in addition to Herschbach’s three times on base.
While the offense was able to consistently put runners on base, the Beacons struggled to bring them around on Saturday, combining to go 3-for-19 at the plate with runners in scoring position and leaving 19 runners on base over the two games.
Seib was charged with the defeat in the circle in game two.
Next Up
Valpo (1-4) will take next weekend away from competition before returning to action on Friday, Feb. 24. The Beacons will play five games over three days at The Spring Games in Madeira Beach, Fla.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
SPORTS EXTRA
NBA STANDINGS
| Eastern Conference | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | Conf GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| 1 Boston | 40 | 16 | .714 | — | 22-7 | 18-9 | 8-1 | 24-11 | 6-4 | 3 W | ||
| 2 Milwaukee | 39 | 17 | .696 | 1.0 | 23-5 | 16-12 | 7-4 | 21-13 | 10-0 | 10 W | ||
| 3 Philadelphia | 36 | 19 | .655 | 3.5 | 21-8 | 15-11 | 7-5 | 21-13 | 7-3 | 2 W | ||
| 4 Cleveland | 37 | 22 | .627 | 4.5 | 24-6 | 13-16 | 11-3 | 22-10 | 8-2 | 6 W | ||
| 5 Brooklyn | 33 | 23 | .589 | 7.0 | 17-11 | 16-12 | 6-6 | 23-12 | 4-6 | 1 L | ||
| 6 Miami | 32 | 25 | .561 | 8.5 | 19-9 | 13-16 | 7-3 | 15-16 | 7-3 | 3 W | ||
| 7 New York | 31 | 27 | .534 | 10.0 | 15-15 | 16-12 | 4-8 | 21-16 | 6-4 | 1 W | ||
| 8 Atlanta | 29 | 28 | .509 | 11.5 | 15-11 | 14-17 | 5-4 | 17-17 | 5-5 | 2 W | ||
| 9 Washington | 26 | 29 | .473 | 13.5 | 14-12 | 12-17 | 6-3 | 15-17 | 7-3 | 2 W | ||
| 10 Chicago | 26 | 30 | .464 | 14.0 | 16-11 | 10-19 | 5-5 | 20-17 | 4-6 | 3 L | ||
| 11 Toronto | 26 | 31 | .456 | 14.5 | 16-13 | 10-18 | 4-9 | 15-19 | 6-4 | 1 L | ||
| 12 Indiana | 25 | 33 | .431 | 16.0 | 17-13 | 8-20 | 3-5 | 17-17 | 2-8 | 4 L | ||
| 13 Orlando | 23 | 34 | .404 | 17.5 | 14-15 | 9-19 | 3-8 | 11-24 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| 14 Detroit | 15 | 42 | .263 | 25.5 | 8-21 | 7-21 | 0-9 | 6-25 | 3-7 | 1 W | ||
| 15 Charlotte | 15 | 43 | .259 | 26.0 | 7-18 | 8-25 | 5-8 | 8-29 | 2-8 | 7 L | ||
| Western Conference | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | Conf GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| 1 Denver | 39 | 18 | .684 | — | 26-4 | 13-14 | 10-5 | 28-11 | 6-4 | 1 W | ||
| 2 Memphis | 34 | 21 | .618 | 4.0 | 23-5 | 11-16 | 6-2 | 16-16 | 3-7 | 2 W | ||
| 3 Sacramento | 32 | 24 | .571 | 6.5 | 17-12 | 15-12 | 5-5 | 20-12 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| 4 Dallas | 31 | 27 | .534 | 8.5 | 19-9 | 12-18 | 7-2 | 23-14 | 6-4 | 1 L | ||
| 5 Phoenix | 31 | 27 | .534 | 8.5 | 19-9 | 12-18 | 8-0 | 20-14 | 7-3 | 1 W | ||
| 6 LA Clippers | 31 | 28 | .525 | 9.0 | 14-13 | 17-15 | 4-4 | 17-16 | 6-4 | 2 L | ||
| 7 New Orleans | 29 | 28 | .509 | 10.0 | 20-10 | 9-18 | 7-4 | 18-14 | 3-7 | 1 L | ||
| 8 Minnesota | 30 | 29 | .508 | 10.0 | 20-12 | 10-17 | 8-7 | 21-19 | 6-4 | 1 L | ||
| 9 Golden State | 28 | 28 | .500 | 10.5 | 21-7 | 7-21 | 4-5 | 17-13 | 5-5 | 2 L | ||
| 10 Oklahoma City | 27 | 28 | .491 | 11.0 | 16-11 | 11-17 | 5-6 | 14-16 | 5-5 | 2 W | ||
| 11 Utah | 28 | 30 | .483 | 11.5 | 18-12 | 10-18 | 4-6 | 19-17 | 4-6 | 1 L | ||
| 12 Portland | 27 | 29 | .482 | 11.5 | 15-13 | 12-16 | 5-8 | 19-16 | 6-4 | 1 L | ||
| 13 LA Lakers | 26 | 31 | .456 | 13.0 | 13-14 | 13-17 | 2-9 | 13-19 | 4-6 | 1 W | ||
| 14 San Antonio | 14 | 43 | .246 | 25.0 | 9-21 | 5-22 | 2-7 | 5-30 | 0-10 | 12 L | ||
| 15 Houston | 13 | 43 | .232 | 25.5 | 8-20 | 5-23 | 1-8 | 7-30 | 3-7 | 5 L |
NHL STANDINGS
| Eastern Conference | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Home | Road | L10 | ||
| 1 Boston Bruins | 52 | 39 | 8 | 5 | 83 | 37 | 193 | 113 | 22-2-3 | 17-6-2 | 6-3-1 | |
| 2 Carolina Hurricanes | 52 | 34 | 10 | 8 | 76 | 31 | 175 | 142 | 17-6-2 | 17-4-6 | 8-1-1 | |
| 3 New Jersey Devils | 52 | 34 | 13 | 5 | 73 | 33 | 181 | 139 | 15-10-2 | 19-3-3 | 7-1-2 | |
| 4 Toronto Maple Leafs | 54 | 32 | 14 | 8 | 72 | 32 | 181 | 145 | 20-6-4 | 12-8-4 | 6-3-1 | |
| 5 Tampa Bay Lightning | 52 | 34 | 16 | 2 | 70 | 33 | 187 | 153 | 21-4-2 | 13-12-0 | 6-3-1 | |
| 6 New York Rangers | 53 | 31 | 14 | 8 | 70 | 29 | 178 | 141 | 16-9-4 | 15-5-4 | 7-2-1 | |
| 7 Washington Capitals | 54 | 28 | 20 | 6 | 62 | 27 | 168 | 153 | 14-8-3 | 14-12-3 | 5-5-0 | |
| 8 Pittsburgh Penguins | 52 | 26 | 17 | 9 | 61 | 25 | 169 | 163 | 15-6-4 | 11-11-5 | 5-2-3 | |
| 9 New York Islanders | 56 | 27 | 23 | 6 | 60 | 27 | 162 | 155 | 16-10-2 | 11-13-4 | 4-4-2 | |
| 10 Florida Panthers | 55 | 26 | 23 | 6 | 58 | 25 | 192 | 190 | 15-8-3 | 11-15-3 | 5-3-2 | |
| 11 Buffalo Sabres | 51 | 26 | 21 | 4 | 56 | 25 | 188 | 177 | 11-14-2 | 15-7-2 | 5-3-2 | |
| 12 Detroit Red Wings | 51 | 23 | 20 | 8 | 54 | 22 | 154 | 168 | 14-11-3 | 9-9-5 | 5-4-1 | |
| 13 Philadelphia Flyers | 54 | 22 | 22 | 10 | 54 | 21 | 146 | 167 | 11-13-3 | 11-9-7 | 4-3-3 | |
| 14 Ottawa Senators | 51 | 24 | 24 | 3 | 51 | 23 | 154 | 165 | 14-12-1 | 10-12-2 | 5-5-0 | |
| 15 Montreal Canadiens | 52 | 21 | 27 | 4 | 46 | 17 | 138 | 192 | 12-14-1 | 9-13-3 | 4-5-1 | |
| 16 Columbus Blue Jackets | 53 | 16 | 33 | 4 | 36 | 15 | 135 | 204 | 11-16-2 | 5-17-2 | 3-5-2 | |
| Western Conference | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Home | Road | L10 | ||
| 1 Dallas Stars | 54 | 30 | 14 | 10 | 70 | 28 | 181 | 139 | 15-6-6 | 15-8-4 | 5-2-3 | |
| 2 Vegas Golden Knights | 53 | 31 | 18 | 4 | 66 | 28 | 170 | 150 | 14-13-0 | 17-5-4 | 3-5-2 | |
| 3 Winnipeg Jets | 53 | 33 | 19 | 1 | 67 | 33 | 170 | 138 | 19-8-0 | 14-11-1 | 5-5-0 | |
| 4 Edmonton Oilers | 53 | 30 | 18 | 5 | 65 | 30 | 199 | 169 | 13-11-3 | 17-7-2 | 8-0-2 | |
| 5 Los Angeles Kings | 54 | 29 | 18 | 7 | 65 | 25 | 179 | 183 | 15-9-2 | 14-9-5 | 5-4-1 | |
| 6 Colorado Avalanche | 51 | 28 | 19 | 4 | 60 | 24 | 157 | 143 | 13-9-3 | 15-10-1 | 7-2-1 | |
| 7 Seattle Kraken | 52 | 29 | 18 | 5 | 63 | 29 | 181 | 164 | 13-10-3 | 16-8-2 | 3-6-1 | |
| 8 Minnesota Wild | 52 | 28 | 20 | 4 | 60 | 23 | 158 | 152 | 16-9-1 | 12-11-3 | 4-6-0 | |
| 9 Calgary Flames | 53 | 25 | 18 | 10 | 60 | 24 | 169 | 161 | 14-9-2 | 11-9-8 | 5-4-1 | |
| 10 Nashville Predators | 50 | 25 | 19 | 6 | 56 | 23 | 140 | 147 | 14-8-3 | 11-11-3 | 6-4-0 | |
| 11 St. Louis Blues | 52 | 24 | 25 | 3 | 51 | 21 | 162 | 190 | 11-12-2 | 13-13-1 | 3-7-0 | |
| 12 Vancouver Canucks | 53 | 21 | 28 | 4 | 46 | 18 | 180 | 212 | 10-13-1 | 11-15-3 | 3-6-1 | |
| 13 San Jose Sharks | 53 | 16 | 26 | 11 | 43 | 15 | 162 | 203 | 5-12-7 | 11-14-4 | 3-4-3 | |
| 14 Arizona Coyotes | 53 | 17 | 28 | 8 | 42 | 15 | 142 | 189 | 11-8-2 | 6-20-6 | 4-3-3 | |
| 15 Anaheim Ducks | 53 | 17 | 30 | 6 | 40 | 14 | 133 | 216 | 9-14-1 | 8-16-5 | 5-3-2 | |
| 16 Chicago Blackhawks | 51 | 16 | 30 | 5 | 37 | 16 | 125 | 186 | 10-16-3 | 6-14-2 | 5-4-1 |
FOOTBALL HISTORY
February 12, 1937 – Cleveland/Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams franchise is officially approved to join the NFL. According to an article on the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s website the Rams franchise began its football life in Cleveland in 1937. They had a rough first 6 seasons as they never quite made it to the .500 mark and then they abruptly disbanded for a year in 1943 because of the World War II manpower shortages. In 1946 after businessman Dan Reeves purchased the franchise the Cleveland Rams had 15-14 victory over the Washington Redskins in the NFL championship game and the guidance of a sensational rookie quarterback from UCLA, Bob Waterfield, who was the league’s Player of the Year. Just days after the Big win Reeves announced that he was moving the team to Los Angeles,California. In 1972, the Baltimore Colts’ Carroll Rosenbloom traded franchises with Bob Irsay and took control of the Rams. Then in 1995, the Rams moved to St. Louis where they played in the Edward Jones Dome.Two years later, in 1999, the Rams were transformed into Super Bowl champions. Guided by quarterback Kurt Warner and running back Marshall Faulk, the team beat Tennessee 23-16 in a thrilling Super Bowl XXXIV. In 2016, the Rams moved to Los Angeles where they play in the Los Angeles Coliseum.
February 12, 1998 – Dallas Cowboys signed Chan Gailey as their 4th head coach. In an odd twist of fate Gaily was released by Dallas after only two seasons. Chan’s Cowboys team won the NFC East in 1998, and made the playoffs under his two years at the helm, although they did fail to win even a single playoff game. Chan Gailey is the only Cowboys coach to have never missed the playoffs when with the franchise.
February 12, 2006 – Aloha Stadium, Honolulu – At the NFL Pro Bowl the NFC squad outlasted the AFC, 23-17. The game’s MVP was Tampa Bay Buccaneers Linebacker Derrick Brooks.
February 12, 2013 – At a ceremony in Philadelphia, the NFL pays tribute to the life of the late Steve Sabol and his many contributions to the league. An NFL.com article informs us that Steve Sabol won over 40 Emmy awards and oversaw 107 Emmys for NFL Films. He was the Sporting News’ 2002 “Sports Executive of the Year.” He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.
HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAYS FOR FEBRUARY 12
February 12, 1963 – Santa Clara, California – The tough tight end of the 49ers from Santa Clara University, Brent Jones was born.
February 12, 1964 – San Antonio, Texas – Scott Thomas the great Air Force Academy defensive back arrived into life. The NFF bio of Thomas states that he was a consensus All-America honors his senior year of 1985. In that amazing season of ‘85 Scott returned a punt, kickoff and interception for a touchdown. Scott finished his excellent collegiate career with 221 career tackles with four tackles for loss, 10 passes picked and 22 pass breakups while averaging 28.8 yards per kickoff return. Scott Thomas received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
February 12, 1971 – York, Pennsylvania – The stud tackle of the Washington Huskies, Lincoln Kennedy was born. The footballfoundation.org says that Kennedy led the Washington Huskies to a perfect 12-0 national championship season in 1991 with his outstanding blocking. Lincoln was a unanimous First Team All-American in 1992, and he aided Washington into bowl games all four seasons of his career, including three consecutive Rose Bowls. Amazingly Lincoln allowed only two sacks in his four-year career! The National Football Foundation selected Lincoln Kennedy for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015. After school Kennedy was the ninth overall selection by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1993 NFL Draft, and he spent two seasons in Atlanta and nine seasons with the Oakland Raiders. After he retired he has served as an analyst on the NFL Network and on Fox Sports Radio,
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1878 After designing the device last season to protect his team’s promising but skittish catcher James Tyng, Fredrick Thayer receives a patent for his innovative invention, the catcher’s mask. The Harvard captain, who will never play in a major league game, designed an oblong wireframe modeled after a fencing mask with eye holes that supports a series of strategically-placed pads made from animal skins.
1924 The National League announces it will join the AL in awarding a thousand dollars to the player selected by writers as the league’s Most Valuable Player. Dazzy Vance, who posts a 28-6 record along with an ERA of 2.16 for the Dodgers, easily outpoints Rogers Hornsby to become the Senior Circuit’s first MVP.
1930 After leading his A’s to a world championship, Connie Mack becomes the first Philadelphian sports figure to receive the prestigious Edward W. Bok Prize. The honor, now known as the Philadelphia Award, recognizes distinguished Philadelphians for their achievements in education, industry, law, politics, science, medicine, philosophy, and the creative arts.
1942 The White Sox and Cubs issue a 150-word joint statement that eliminates the Northside team’s possibility of renting Comiskey Park as a venue for National League night games next season. The Chicago rivals agree it is in the city’s best interest to retain the north-south boundary that demarcates the fans’ loyalty to the two Windy City clubs.
1942 Former Texarkana outfielder Gordon Houston is the first professional ballplayer to be killed in WW II. The minor league batting champion, who became a full-time fighter pilot following the Pearl Harbor attack, dies at the age of 25 when his Republic P-43 Lancer crashes at Washington’s McChord Field, after leading a sortie along the West Coast, looking for Japanese submarines.
1944 Bob Coleman, who filled in for Casey Stengel last season when the Boston skipper suffered a broken leg when hit by a taxi cab trying to cross a street, is named to replace the ‘Old Perfessor’ as the manager of the Braves. The 54-year-old, considered one of the best managers in minor league history, can not work his magic, finishing sixth followed by a slow start in 1945, the team fires former big-league catcher.
1980 The American League thwarts Marv Davis’ plan to buy the A’s from Charlie Finley when the circuit offers to buy out the Oakland Coliseum lease. The billionaire businessman, who will also make failed bids for the NFL’s Cowboys and Broncos, had hoped to move the franchise from the City by the Bay to Denver.
1981 Arbitrator Raymond Goetz officially declares Carlton Fisk a free agent, citing the Boston Red Sox had violated the CBA by not mailing the catcher’s contract by the December 20th deadline as specified in the agreement. Next month, the 33-year-old future Hall of Fame backstop will sign a $3.5 million deal to catch for the White Sox this upcoming season.
2002 For the first time in its history, Major League Baseball will own a team after acquiring the Expos from Jeffrey Loria. The former Montreal owner sells the Expos for $120 million, then buys the Florida Marlins for $158.5 million with a loan from major league baseball to cover the shortfall.
2002 Many personnel changes occur with the unanimous approval of the Florida Marlins’ sale to Jeffrey Loria, the former owner of the Montreal Expos, and the MLB’s acquisition of the Montreal franchise. The Expos name Frank Robinson as the manager, Tony Tavares as president, and Omar Minaya as GM, while south of the border, former Expo skipper Jeff Torborg will pilot the Marlins, with Larry Beinfest as the GM, and David Samson taking over the duties of team president.
2003 Federal Judge James Holderman gives the Cubs and the owners of rooftop bleachers, which provide fans a view of Wrigley Field, a year to settle their dispute. The team believes the seating provided above the field via rooftops directly competes with the club for ticket sales revenue, with the surrounding neighbors, in turn, have not been sympathetic to the team’s expansion plans.
2007 The Major League Baseball Players Association asks the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider its 2-1 decision, allowing the names of more than 100 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs be made available to authorities investigating the use of steroids in baseball. MLB collected the 1993 urine samples to gauge the prevalence of steroid use, with players and owners agreeing the results would be confidential.
2007 An agreement is reached after a year of negotiations on the sale of the Braves from Time Warner to Liberty Media. Seventy percent of the owners must approve the deal, which includes the retention of general manager John Schuerholz and manager Bobby Cox.
2008 The Twins, to add experience to a young rotation, sign Livan Hernandez (11-11, 4.93) to a $5 million, one-year deal with an additional $2 million in performance bonuses. The 32-year-old right-hander from Cuba will also add innings to a staff depleted due to the departures of starters Johan Santana and Carlos Silva.
2009 “While Alex deserves credit for publicly confronting the issue, there is no valid excuse for using such substances, and those who use them have shamed the game.” – COMMISSIONER BUD SELIG, commenting Alex Rodriguez’s admission of using PEDs. Three days after Alex Rodriguez apologizes for using steroids, commissioner Bud Selig chastises the Yankee superstar and all the other players, using such substances for bringing shame to the game. The third baseman’s apology followed a SI.com report that he was one of 104 players who tested positive in tests taken in 2003 to determine the extent of steroid use in the national pastime.
2009 Ervin Santana avoids arbitration, agreeing to a deal with the Angels, which could be worth $42 million over the next five years. The 26-year-old right-hander, who posted a 16-7 record with a 3.49 ERA for the AL West Champions last season, is the youngest active hurler with 50 career victories (51-37).
2009 Dan Uggla (.260, 32, 92), eligible for arbitration for the first time, is awarded $5.35 million by the process. The All-Star second baseman, who has averaged 30 home runs and 90 RBIs his first three seasons in the majors, rejected the Marlins’ offer of $4.4 million.
2009 Bluefish catcher John Nathans sues Jose Offerman, a former major league All-Star with the Red Sox and Dodgers, for the infielder’s 2007 bat-wielding attack at a minor league game played at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The backstop is seeking $4.8 million in damages against the Long Island Ducks player, claiming the 2007 incident left him with career-ending injuries, including inner ear damage, vertigo, headaches, and post-concussion syndrome.
2010 Corey Hart (.260, 12, 48) is awarded a raise from $3.25 million to $4.8 million in the Brewers’ first salary arbitration hearing in a dozen years. In the first case to use the process this year, Milwaukee’s offer of $4.15 million to their 27-year-old right-fielder, an All-Star in 2008, was rejected by a panel of arbitrators.
2010 Tim Lincecum, the two-time reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, reaches a preliminary agreement on a $23 million, two-year deal with the Giants before starting a scheduled arbitration hearing. The 25-year-old right-hander has compiled a 40-17 record along with an ERA of 2.90 ERA during his first three big-league seasons, and all played for San Francisco.
2011 “Doris From Rego Park” makes its debut on Jonathan Schwartz’s weekend program on WNYC-FM. The song, written and performed by Don Rosler, is a tribute to Doris Bauer, the Mets fan who became a New York institution as a late-night caller to WFAN sports radio before dying in 2003.
2014 Derek Jeter, who will turn 40 in June, announces the 2014 season will be his final one, informing his fans via a lengthy Facebook post. The 13-time All-Star shortstop acknowledged that his numerous injuries had taken their toll, making the game more of a struggle and less enjoyable.
2016 Jenrry Mejia becomes the first player to receive a lifetime ban for three failed tests for performance-enhancing substances after testing positive for boldenone, a steroid used in horse racing. The 26-year-old Mets former closer claims that he only failed one test, states the second sets of results to be inaccurate, and believes that MLB fabricated the latest violation to remove him from the sport.
SPORTS IN NUMBERS
6 – 99 – 8
February 12, 1958 – Boston Celtic’s big man, Bill Russell who wore Number 6 during his player career, hauled in 41 rebounds to help the Celts to victory over Syracuse 119-101.
February 12, 1961 – Speaking of the future Hall of Famer Russell, he had 40 rebounds in a win over the Philadelphia Warriors on this date.
February 12, 1982 Wayne Gretzky, Number 99 of Edmonton, scored his 153rd point of the season, shattering the NHL record at the time.
February 12, 1989 – The Gret One, Number 99, Wayne Gretzky does it again! He set 2 records, his 45th hat trick & 10th 40+ goal season om this date
February 12, 1996 – Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr, Number 8, takes home a coveted ESPY Award at ESPN’s annual athletic tribute.
TV SUNDAY
| NCAA BASKETBALL GAMES – MEN’S | TIME ET | TV |
| Temple at Memphis | 12:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Michigan State at Ohio State | 1:00pm | CBS |
| Iowa at Minnesota | 1:00pm | FS1 |
| IUPUI at Northern Kentucky | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Quinnipiac at Canisius | 1:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Iona at Niagara | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Robert Morris at Purdue Fort Wayne | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Youngstown State at Cleveland State | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Purdue at Northwestern | 2:00pm | BTN |
| Marist at Siena | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Saint Peter’s at Manhattan | 2:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Mount St. Mary’s at Fairfield | 2:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Missouri State at Evansville | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Wofford at UNCG | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| SMU at Wichita State | 4:00pm | ESPN2 |
| COLLEGE BASKETBALL – WOMEN’S | TIME ET | TV |
| Boston College at North Carolina | 12:00pm | ACCN |
| Florida St. at Virginia Tech | 2:00pm | ACCN |
| Houston at South Florida | 2:00pm | ESPN2 |
| LSU at South Carolina | 2:00pm | ESPN |
| Oklahoma at Kansas St. | 2:00pm | ESPNU |
| Syracuse at Notre Dame | 4:00pm | ACCN |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| PGA: Phoenix Open | 1:00pm | GOLF |
| PGA: Phoenix Open | 3:00pm | CBS |
| MOTORSPORTS | TIME ET | TV |
| AMA Supercross Championship | 4:00pm | NBC |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| Memphis at Boston | 2:00pm | ABC |
| Detroit at Toronto | 3:00pm | Sportsnet Bally Sports |
| NFL PLAYOFFS | TIME ET | TV |
| Super Bowl LVII: Kansas City vs. Philadelphia | 6:30pm | FOX |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| Edmonton at Montréal | 12:30pm | Sportsnet |
| Seattle at Philadelphia | 1:00pm | Root Sports NBCS-PHI |
| San Jose at Washington | 1:30pm | NBCS-CA NBCS-WSH |
| Anaheim at Vegas | 3:00pm | Bally Sports ATTSN-RM |
| SOCCER MATCHES | TIME ET | TV |
| Serie A: Udinese vs Sassuolo | 6:30am | Paramount+ |
| Ligue 1: Toulouse vs Rennes | 7:00am | beIN Sports |
| First Division A: Genk vs Antwerp | 7:30am | ESPN+ |
| La Liga: Getafe vs Rayo Vallecano | 8:00am | ESPN+ |
| Serie A: Bologna vs Monza | 9:00am | Paramount+ |
| English Premier League: Leeds United vs Manchester United | 9:00am | USA |
| Ligue 1: Reims vs Troyes | 9:00am | beIN Sports |
| Ligue 1: Montpellier vs Brest | 9:00am | beIN Sports |
| Ligue 1: Lille vs Strasbourg | 9:00am | beIN Sports |
| Ligue 1: Angers SCO vs Auxerre | 9:00am | beIN Sports |
| Bundesliga: Hertha BSC vs Borussia M’gladbach | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| La Liga: Celta de Vigo vs Atlético Madrid | 10:15am | ESPN+ |
| Scottish FA Cup: Rangers vs Partick Thistle | 11:00am | ESPN+ |
| Ligue 1: Nantes vs Lorient | 11:05am | beIN Sports |
| English Premier League: Manchester City vs Aston Villa | 11:30am | USA |
| Bundesliga: Köln vs Eintracht Frankfurt | 11:30am | ESPN+ |
| Serie A: Juventus vs Fiorentina | 12:00pm | Paramount+ |
| English Premier League: AFC Bournemouth vs Newcastle United | 12:30pm | NBC |
| La Liga: Real Valladolid vs Osasuna | 12:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Serie A: Napoli vs Cremonese | 2:45pm | Paramount+ |
| Ligue 1: Olympique Lyonnais vs Lens | 2:45pm | beIN Sports |
| La Liga: Villarreal vs Barcelona | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Rosario Central vs Arsenal | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Banfield vs Gimnasia La Plata | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Racing Club vs Tigre | 7:30pm | Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Instituto vs Huracán | 7:30pm | Paramount+ |