THE INDIANA SRN SPORTSPAGE SUNDAY JANUARY 15, 2023

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

INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SCORES

ANDERSON	71	HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN	66
ANDREAN	56	LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC	34
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN	63	CRAWFORDSVILLE	48
BLOOMFIELD	36	SOUTH KNOX	32	OT
BLOOMINGTON NORTH	64	EVANSVILLE NORTH	51
BORDEN	61	CHARLESTOWN	59
CARMEL	74	FORT WAYNE SNIDER	33
CARROLL (FLORA)	75	PIONEER	29
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE)	58	NEW HAVEN	52
CASTON	60	WEST CENTRAL	53
CENTERVILLE	71	RANDOLPH SOUTHERN	65
CHRISTIAN COUNTY (KY.)	66	CASTLE	59
CLAY CITY	67	OWEN VALLEY	54
CLERMONT NORTHEASTERN (OHIO)	63	CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN	62
CONNERSVILLE	57	NOBLESVILLE	46
CORYDON CENTRAL	65	CRAWFORD COUNTY	45
CROWN POINT	57	GRIFFITH	33
DELPHI	34	NORTH NEWTON	31
EAST CENTRAL	46	FRANKLIN COUNTY	34
EASTERN (PEKIN)	53	PAOLI	47
EDGEWOOD	41	GREENCASTLE	39
ELKHART	65	PLYMOUTH	43
EVANSVILLE BOSSE	70	ROCK CREEK ACADEMY	68
EVANSVILLE CENTRAL	51	ROBINSON (ILL.)	45
EVANSVILLE HARRISON	71	SPRINGFIELD SOUTHEAST (ILL.)	54
EVANSVILLE REITZ	61	MADISONVILLE (KY.)	37
FAITH CHRISTIAN	56	ATTICA	20
FLOYD CENTRAL	56	NORTH HARRISON	47
FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK	73	FORT WAYNE LUERS	50
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL	65	SEEGER	56	OT
FRANKFORT	61	ROSSVILLE	52
GARY 21ST CENTURY	76	MARQUETTE CATHOLIC	65
GIBSON SOUTHERN	57	BOONVILLE	45
GREENFIELD-CENTRAL	57	EASTERN HANCOCK	46
GREENSBURG	66	SOUTH DEARBORN	60
GUERIN CATHOLIC	66	INDIANAPOLIS HERRON	12
HAMILTON HEIGHTS	79	WESTERN BOONE	73	3OT
HAMMOND CENTRAL	84	MORGAN PARK (ILL.)	50
HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE)	73	WEST LAFAYETTE	36
HAUSER	72	MORRISTOWN	36
HENRYVILLE	49	CLARKSVILLE	45
HERITAGE HILLS	71	TECUMSEH	62
HOPKINSVILLE (KY.)	99	EVANSVILLE BOSSE	59
ILLIANA CHRISTIAN	50	HOBART	35
INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD	65	PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY	27
INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA	88	BROWN COUNTY	31
JAC-CEN-DEL	52	WALDRON	46
JASPER	60	WASHINGTON	23
JENNINGS COUNTY	51	BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE	40
KOUTS	55	RENSSELAER CENTRAL	49
LAVILLE	65	ELKHART CHRISTIAN	63
LAKE STATION	73	HEBRON	59
LAKELAND CHRISTIAN	31	TRINITY GREENLAWN	28
LAWRENCEBURG	53	NORTH DECATUR	47
LIBERTY CHRISTIAN	63	MUNCIE BURRIS	52
LOGANSPORT	45	LEWIS CASS	44
MACONAQUAH	92	EASTERN (GREENTOWN)	55
MARION	67	HOMESTEAD	59
MISHAWAKA MARIAN	68	SOUTH BEND ADAMS	57
MUNSTER	59	MERRILLVILLE	47
NEW CASTLE	63	RUSHVILLE	29
NEW WASHINGTON	69	TRINITY LUTHERAN	63
NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG)	56	VINCENNES RIVET	25
NORTH POSEY	58	FOREST PARK	38
NORTH PUTNAM	69	MONROVIA	62
NORTH VERMILLION	58	SCHLARMAN (ILL.)	35
NORTHEASTERN	56	KNIGHTSTOWN	33
NORTHWESTERN	76	CLINTON CENTRAL	36
ORLEANS	64	LANESVILLE	26
PIKE CENTRAL	49	WOOD MEMORIAL	34
PLAINFIELD	70	NORTHVIEW	48
PROVIDENCE	58	JEFFERSONVILLE	49
SCOTTSBURG	65	NEW ALBANY	57
SEYMOUR	44	COLUMBUS EAST	32
SHAWE MEMORIAL	55	CORNERSTONE CHRISTIAN (KY.)	48
SHELBYVILLE	58	PENDLETON HEIGHTS	55
SHERIDAN	50	ELWOOD	40
SHOALS	61	SPRINGS VALLEY	56
SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON	49	VALPARAISO	40
SOUTH DECATUR	64	SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)	60	OT
SOUTH RIPLEY	50	SWITZERLAND COUNTY	30
SOUTH SPENCER	67	TELL CITY	17
SOUTHMONT	59	RIVERTON PARKE	51
SOUTHRIDGE	60	PRINCETON	42
SPRINGFIELD SOUTHEAST (ILL.)	59	EVANSVILLE REITZ	54
SULLIVAN	60	VINCENNES LINCOLN	57
TRI-CENTRAL	82	ANDERSON PREP ACADEMY	54
TRI-COUNTY	45	TRI-TWP.	33
TRITON CENTRAL	84	MILAN	55
UNITY (ILL.)	52	EVANSVILLE DAY	40
UNIVERSITY	61	INDIANAPOLIS RITTER	53
WARSAW	62	PERU	52
WESTERN	44	TAYLOR	38
WHEELER	51	DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN	49
WHITING	56	SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS)	50
WINAMAC	63	OREGON-DAVIS	44
ALLEN COUNTY CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
ADAMS CENTRAL	59	WOODLAN	48	OT | 1ST
CLERC TOURNAMENT
INDIANA DEAF	59	ALABAMA DEAF	32	5TH
DELAWARE COUNTY TOURNAMENT
WAPAHANI	62	YORKTOWN	45	1ST
JOHNSON COUNTY TOURNAMENT
CENTER GROVE	65	FRANKLIN	56	1ST
MARION COUNTY TOURNAMENT
BEN DAVIS	62	LAWRENCE NORTH	40	1ST
NORTHEAST CORNER CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
WEST NOBLE	62	CENTRAL NOBLE	58	1ST
SOUTHERN ROADS CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN	67	CANNELTON	51	R1
PLEASANT VIEW CHRISTIAN		MEDORA		10:30 AM
BLOOMINGTON LIGHTHOUSE	94	COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN	30	SF
SEVEN OAKS CLASSICAL	46	CANNELTON	44	CON
COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN	55	MADISON CHRISTIAN	52	CON
BLOOMINGTON LIGHTHOUSE	58	PLEASANT VIEW CHRISTIAN	54	1ST

INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES

ANDERSON	72	LAFAYETTE JEFF	35
ANDREAN	55	NORTH JUDSON	28
BATESVILLE	52	HAUSER	48
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE	63	FLOYD CENTRAL	16
BEN DAVIS	61	PIKE	33
BETHANY CHRISTIAN	49	TRINITY GREENLAWN	14
BOONVILLE	44	EVANSVILLE HARRISON	33
BREBEUF JESUIT	55	INDIANAPOLIS HERRON	13
CASCADE	90	INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA	31
CASTON	50	TRI-COUNTY	37
CENTER GROVE	37	SEYMOUR	35
CLAY CITY	50	SOUTH VERMILLION	18
CLERMONT NORTHEASTERN (OHIO)	57	CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN	17
COLUMBIA CITY	41	HUNTINGTON NORTH	39
COLUMBUS EAST	80	NEW ALBANY	55
COLUMBUS NORTH	66	LAWRENCEBURG	32
CORYDON CENTRAL	46	MADISON	30
CROWN POINT	56	MERRILLVILLE	34
DEKALB	50	EAST NOBLE	36
DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN	64	FRONTIER	40
DUGGER UNION	49	CROTHERSVILLE	32
EASTBROOK	45	OAK HILL	23
EASTERN GREENE	48	GREENWOOD	44
EASTERN HANCOCK	84	WALDRON	28
EMINENCE	55	INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN	35
EVANSVILLE CENTRAL	46	BLOOMINGTON SOUTH	32
EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL	51	LINTON-STOCKTON	44
EVANSVILLE NORTH	54	JASPER	42
FAITH CHRISTIAN	49	CLINTON CENTRAL	48
FORT WAYNE LUERS	74	FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY	12
FRANKLIN CENTRAL	60	GREENFIELD-CENTRAL	44
FRANKLIN COUNTY	49	HAGERSTOWN	10
FRANKTON	55	MADISON-GRANT	33
GUERIN CATHOLIC	46	LEBANON	45	OT
HAMILTON HEIGHTS	52	TIPTON	37
HAMMOND NOLL	55	CHICAGO SIMEON (ILL.)	51
HANOVER CENTRAL	61	GRIFFITH	22
HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE)	57	RICHMOND	24
HERITAGE HILLS	45	MOUNT VERNON (POSEY)	27
INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI	51	MARTINSVILLE	20
JEFFERSONVILLE	71	EVANSVILLE REITZ	49
JENNINGS COUNTY	47	BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL	38
KANKAKEE VALLEY	64	MUNSTER	55
KOKOMO	70	INDIANAPOLIS TECH	30
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC	60	BENTON CENTRAL	43
LAKE CENTRAL	41	PORTAGE	33
LAKE STATION	80	CALUMET	28
LANESVILLE	50	EASTERN (PEKIN)	20
LAWRENCE CENTRAL	31	KETTERING ALTER (OHIO)	29
LEO	38	NEW HAVEN	35
LOGANSPORT	60	MARION	27
MACONAQUAH	49	TAYLOR	10
MARQUETTE CATHOLIC	48	GARY 21ST CENTURY	6
MISHAWAKA MARIAN	56	CARMEL	43
MONROVIA	64	CRAWFORDSVILLE	39
MORGAN PARK (ILL.)	40	HAMMOND CENTRAL	19
MORRISTOWN	37	EDINBURGH	16
MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE)	56	SHELBYVILLE	33
NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG)	62	WHITE RIVER VALLEY	50
NORTH POSEY	66	PIKE CENTRAL	31
NORTHEAST DUBOIS	49	WEST WASHINGTON	43
NORTHRIDGE	54	NORTHWOOD	38
NORWELL	46	BELLMONT	43
OLDENBURG ACADEMY	35	SOUTH RIPLEY	31
OREGON-DAVIS	57	RIVER FOREST	52
OWEN VALLEY	54	SOUTH PUTNAM	35
PENDLETON HEIGHTS	65	RUSHVILLE	34
PIONEER	56	ARGOS	45
PLYMOUTH	52	CONCORD	38
PROVIDENCE	57	HENRYVILLE	26
RANDOLPH SOUTHERN	42	SHENANDOAH	37
SHAKAMAK	67	BLOOMINGTON LIGHTHOUSE	25
SHAWE MEMORIAL	54	SOUTH CENTRAL (ELIZABETH)	32
SILVER CREEK	69	AUSTIN	15
SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS)	56	WESTVILLE	21
SOUTH KNOX	43	VINCENNES LINCOLN	36	OT
SOUTHRIDGE	47	LOOGOOTEE	21
SPEEDWAY	52	BEECH GROVE	28
SWITZERLAND COUNTY	47	NEW WASHINGTON	38
TALAWANDA (OHIO)	67	EAST CENTRAL	48
THORNTON FRACTIONAL SOUTH (ILL.)	69	BOWMAN ACADEMY	22
TIPPECANOE VALLEY	26	ROCHESTER	15
UNION COUNTY	48	UNION CITY	34
VALPARAISO	71	GARY WEST	14
VINCENNES RIVET	45	EVANSVILLE MATER DEI	39
WABASH	57	MANCHESTER	46
WARSAW	63	GOSHEN	27
WASHINGTON	52	GIBSON SOUTHERN	51
WATSEKA (ILL.)	56	SOUTH NEWTON	20
WAWASEE	40	MISHAWAKA	36
WEST CENTRAL	59	LAKELAND CHRISTIAN	49
WESTFIELD	46	INDIAN CREEK	43
WHEELER	41	WHITING	37
WINAMAC	41	JOHN GLENN	34
ALLEN COUNTY CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
JAY COUNTY	58	WOODLAN	27	1ST
CLERC TOURNAMENT
INDIANA DEAF		MODEL DEAF (D.C.)		9:00 PM
CULVER ACADEMY CLASSIC
CULVER ACADEMY	38	LOWELL	36
LOWELL	54	SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH	30
CULVER ACADEMY	33	SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH	27
DELAWARE COUNTY TOURNAMENT
WAPAHANI	57	COWAN	15	1ST
NORTHEAST CORNER CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
FAIRFIELD	56	CENTRAL NOBLE	42	1ST
PIONEER CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS
INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE	47	MUNCIE BURRIS	15	5TH
PARK TUDOR	58	ANDERSON PREP ACADEMY	45	3RD
UNIVERSITY	55	BETHESDA CHRISTIAN	28	1ST

INDIANA WRESTLING SCORES: HTTPS://INDIANAMAT.COM/INDEX.PHP?/DUALRESULTS.HTML/

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

#2 KANSAS 62 #14 IOWA STATE 60

#4 ALABAMA 106 LSU 66

KENTUCKY 63 #5 TENNESSEE 56

#7 UCLA 68 COLORADO 54

#8 GONZAGA 115 PORTLAND 75

OREGON 87 #9 ARIZONA 68

#10 TEXAS 72 TEXAS TECH 70

#17 TCU 82 #11 KANSAS STATE 68

#13 VIRGINIA 67 FLORIDA STATE 58

VANDERBILT 97 #15 ARKANSAS 84

NORTH CAROLINA STATE 83 #16 MIAMI FLORIDA 81 OT

INDIANA 63 #18 WISCONSIN 45

CREIGHTON 73 #19 PROVIDENCE 67

FLORIDA 73 #20 MISSOURI 64

#21 AUBURN 69 MISSISSIPPI STATE 63

#22 CHARLESTON 78 ELON 60

NEW MEXICO 76 #23 SAN DIEGO STATE 67

CLEMSON 72 #24 DUKE 64

ELSEWHERE:

CLEVELAND STATE 89 IUPUI 54

SYRACUSE 78 NOTRE DAME 73

BALL STATE 75 MIAMI OHIO 61

VALPARAISO 76 EVANSVILLE 69

SETON HALL 71 DEPAUL 67

OKLAHOMA 77 WEST VIRGINIA 76

GEORGIA 62 OLE MISS 58

WESTERN MICHIGAN 108 BOWLING GREEN 92

NORTH CAROLINA 80 LOUISVILLE 59

CINCINNATI 54 SMU 52

ARIZONA STATE 74 OREGON STATE 69

CENTRAL MICHIGAN 87 BUFFALO 78 OT

TOLEDO 84 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 67

BAYLOR 74 OKLAHOMA STATE 58

WASHINGTON 81 CALIFORNIA 78 OT

AIR FORCE 51 FRESNO STATE 48

COLORADO STATE 82 UNLV 81 OT

WRIGHT STATE 78 MILWAUKEE 74 OT

NORTHERN KENTUCKY 74 GREEN BAY 53

WAKE FOREST 85 BOSTON COLLEGE 63

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 69 ILLINOIS STATE 57

WASHINGTON STATE 60 STANFORD 59

BYU 91 PEPPERDINE 81

USC 71 UTAH 56

BOISE STATE 85 WYOMING 68

HAWAII 79 LONG BEACH STATE 70

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD:  HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/CBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230114

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

#3 OHIO STATE 76 NEBRASKA 67

#12 IOWA 108 PENN STATE 67

#17 MICHIGAN 70 MICHIGAN STATE 55

#19 OKLAHOMA 80 #23 KANSAS 74

#20 GONZAGA 73 PORTLAND 66

#25 VILLANOVA 64 ST. JOHN’S 61

ELSEWHERE:

PURDUE 65 NORTHWESTERN 54

CREIGHTON 75 BUTLER 56

ROBERT MORRIS 69 IUPUI 63

BALL STATE 92 MIAMI OHIO 61

DRAKE 86 INDIANA STATE 65

VALPARAISO 77 MISSOURI STATE 68

PURDUE FORT WAYNE 72 MILWAUKEE 62

WESTERN MICHIGAN 71 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 60

BOWLING GREEN 71 AKRON 66

BUFFALO 78 EASTERN MICHIGAN 59

MEMPHIS 78 CINCINNATI 58

GREEN BAY 82 CLEVELAND STATE 65

TOLEDO 77 KENT STATE 68

NORTHERN ILLINOIS 78 OHIO 66

DEPAUL 91 XAVIER 56

OKLAHOMA STATE 80 TCU 70

SAN DIEGO STATE 55 BOISE STATE 42

NEVADA 78 UTAH STATE 58

TEXAS TECH 85 KANSAS STATE 65

BYU 63 PEPPERDINE 52

WYOMING 64 SAN JOSE STATE 48

LONG BEACH 62 HAWAII 48

UNLV 79 NEW MEXICO 63

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD:  HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/WCBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230114

***********SUPER WILD CARD WEEKEND SCHEDULE************

SATURDAY

SAN FRANCISCO 41 SEATTLE 23… BOX SCORE: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/FB/BOXSCORE.ASP?GAMECODE=20230114025&HOME=25&VIS=26&FINAL=TRUE

JACKSONVILLE 31 LA CHARGERS 30…. BOX SCORE: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/FB/BOXSCORE.ASP?GAMECODE=20230114030&HOME=30&VIS=24&FINAL=TRUE

SUNDAY, JANUARY 15

AFC:    1:00 PM (ET)                 7 MIAMI AT 2 BUFFALO (CBS, PARAMOUNT+)

NFC:    4:30 PM (ET)                 6 NEW YORK GIANTS AT 3 MINNESOTA (FOX, FOX DEPORTES)

AFC:    8:15 PM (ET)                 6 BALTIMORE AT 3 CINCINNATI (NBC, PEACOCK, UNIVERSO)

MONDAY, JANUARY 16

NFC:    8:15 PM (ET)                 5 DALLAS AT 4 TAMPA BAY (ESPN/ABC, ESPN2-MANNINGCAST, ESPN+, ESPN DEPORTES)

THE DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE WILL BE ANNOUNCED NEXT WEEKEND.

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

MEMPHIS 130 INDIANA 112

MIAMI 111 MILWAUKEE 95

BOSTON 122 CHARLOTTE 106

ATLANTA 114 TORONTO 103

MINNESOTA 110 CLEVELAND 102

PHILADELPHIA 118 UTAH 117

PORTLAND 136 DALLAS 119

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

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

CALGARY 6 DALLAS 5

BOSTON 4 TORONTO 3

COLUMBUS 4 DETROIT 3

FLORIDA 4 VANCOUVER 3

NY ISLANDERS 2 MONTRÉAL 1

PHILADELPHIA 3 WASHINGTON 1

CAROLINA 2 PITTSBURGH 1

COLORADO 7 OTTAWA 0

SEATTLE 8 CHICAGO 5

TAMPA BAY 4 ST. LOUIS 2

BUFFALO 5 NASHVILLE 3

MINNESOTA 2 ARIZONA 1

EDMONTON 4 VEGAS 3

NEW JERSEY 5 LOS ANGELES 2

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

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

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

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) Trevor Lawrence’s confidence somehow never wavered. Not after the first interception. Or the second. Or the third. Or even the fourth.

The generational quarterback simply delivered a generational comeback.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft followed four interceptions with four touchdown passes – one of the most improbable turnarounds in NFL postseason history – and rallied the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 31-30 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday night.

Lawrence engineered the winning drive, highlighted by Travis Etienne’s 25-yard run on a fourth-and-1 play, and put the Jaguars in position for Riley Patterson’s 36-yard field goal on the final play. It capped a 27-point comeback, the largest in franchise history and the third largest in playoff history.

“You couldn’t write a crazier script,” Lawrence said. “We said in the locker room that’s kind of how our season’s going. We’re never out of the fight. … I’m kind of speechless, honestly, just to see what belief can do and to see when a team believes in each other what you can accomplish.”

Patterson’s kick barely stayed inside the right upright and set off a raucous celebration for a franchise that had won a combined four games over the previous two years. The Jaguars (10-8) won their sixth consecutive game and fifth straight at home – all five in come-from-behind fashion.

Nonetheless, no one could have seen this one coming. Maybe not even Lawrence. But he was the steady hand in charge after a debacle of a first half. He finished 28-of-47 passing for 288 yards, a shocker considering the way he started.

Lawrence was downright dreadful to begin Jacksonville’s first playoff game since losing in the 2017 AFC title game. He became the third quarterback in the Super Bowl era to throw four interceptions in the first half of a playoff game, joining Detroit’s Gary Danielson and Denver’s Craig Morton.

But he bounced back as well as anyone in NFL history. Jacksonville’s comeback goes down in postseason lore behind only Buffalo’s rally on Jan. 3, 1993 (32 points against Houston) and Indianapolis’ on Jan. 4, 2014 (28 points against Kansas City).

“I didn’t have a choice,” Lawrence said. “These guys have sacrificed way too much for me to be the reason we lose an opportunity.”

The Jaguars, who also turned the ball over when a punt hit Chris Claybrook’s helmet, became the first team to win a playoff game with a turnover differential of minus-five or worse. Teams with that turnover deficit had been 0-19 in the Super Bowl era.

“Let me tell you something, man. I think from playing football, watching football, I know a lot of quarterbacks would’ve folded in that situation that he went through,” Jaguars receiver Zay Jones said. “For him just to be as poised and composed as he was, it showed another side of who we have on this team. I mean, that guy right there, standing right there, that’s a special man.”

He wasn’t early. Lawrence misfired on 12 of his first 16 throws and started getting booed long before halftime. His confidence seemed shot. His swagger appeared gone. All the progress he made in his first season with coach Doug Pederson looked like it would be flushed in the team’s finale.

But Lawrence never gave up. He connected with Evan Engram, Marvin Jones, Zay Jones and Christian Kirk for touchdowns that increasingly raised the team’s belief in its quarterback and its comeback.

Lawrence added one of the biggest plays when he jumped for a 2-point conversion with 5:25 to play that made it 30-28 – and put the Jaguars in position to win instead of tie.

Jacksonville’s defense responded by sacking Justin Herbert and then forcing a punt. Lawrence took over from there, with a significant assist from Etienne – and Peterson’s bold play call.

“I feel like the running back, when it gets to that point of the game, you’re supposed to be the closer,” Etienne said. “Coach believed in me on that fourth-and-1, to give me the ball. I had to make something happen for my teammates.”

CHARGERS COLLAPSE

Herbert threw for 273 yards and a touchdown without an interception, but the Chargers’ offense was largely ineffective after a 62-yard TD drive that made it 24-0 midway through the second quarter. Los Angeles (10-8) finished with 320 yards of offense and 18 first downs, and it produced only three points on four second-half possessions.

“Anytime you’re up 27-7 at halftime and you’ve got four takeaways, and you end up winning the takeaway margin (5-0), you know, it’s it’s gonna be a killer,” Chargers coach Brandon Staley said. “I’m hurting for everybody in that locker room. … We just didn’t finish the game.”

Staley surely will be questioned for being too conservative, both on defense and offense – he opted for a field goal on fourth-and-3 midway through the fourth quarter that Cameron Dicker missed – and for not trying to run the ball more. LA had 23 rushing attempts for 69 yards, a 2.9-yard average, while Herbert threw 43 times.

“I needed to perform better,” Herbert said. “I’ve got to give them more than three points in the second half and so I feel horrible for the defense for the incredible effort they put up there today, but gotta be better as a team.”

KEY INJURIES

Chargers receiver DeAndre Carter and left tackle Jamaree Salyer left the game with ankle injuries. Chargers cornerback Michael Davis left with a pectoral muscle injury. Lawrence cut the tip of his left thumb in the fourth but wrapped it up and played on.

UP NEXT

Chargers: Will have a tough offseason dealing with this loss. Staley could face questions about his job security.

Jaguars: Await their road divisional opponent, which likely will be top-seeded Kansas City next weekend. The Chiefs won their regular-season meeting.

——–

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) Brock Purdy got flushed out of the pocket, spun back the other direction and found a wide-open Elijah Mitchell for the score that put San Francisco in control for good.

Purdy answered another test and delivered another sterling performance in a remarkable rookie season that began as the final pick in the NFL draft.

Purdy threw three touchdown passes and ran for a fourth score in his playoff debut, leading the 49ers to a 41-23 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in a wild-card game on Saturday.

“Once the game started, it was just 11 on 11, I have to do my job, get it to the guys in space and go from there,” Purdy said. “We didn’t make it more than what it was. … It wasn’t, `Oh my gosh it’s the playoffs and we got to get all tense.’ We just have to play our game.”

Purdy picked up where he left off in the regular season for the 49ers (14-4) and showed few signs of playoff jitters by winning his sixth straight start since replacing an injured Jimmy Garoppolo early in a Week 13 win over Miami.

The Niners advanced to the divisional round where they will host either Minnesota, Tampa Bay or Dallas next weekend.

Purdy connected on a 3-yard pass to Christian McCaffrey in the first quarter, converted a 1-yard sneak in the third quarter and a 7-yard TD pass to Mitchell early in the fourth to make it 31-17.

The Niners broke it open when Deebo Samuel took a short pass from Purdy and raced in for a 74-yard score with help from a downfield block by Brandon Aiyuk.

Purdy threw for 332 yards – the second most ever for a rookie in the playoffs to Russell Wilson’s 385 in a loss to Atlanta 10 years ago – and he became the first rookie QB ever to account for four TDs in a playoff game.

Purdy has lived up to the confidence his coaches and teammates have shown in him ever since he took over.

“I felt that way from the beginning once he got in that game against Miami,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We didn’t have the luxury to sit there and worry about stuff the way the game was going. We just had to win the game and he’s done a hell of a job. He’s done it every time since. I have a lot of confidence in him.”

The Seahawks (9-9) kept it close for most of three quarters before a strip sack by Charles Omenihu late in the third quarter spoiled a red zone drive.

Purdy then hit Jauan Jennings on a 33-yard pass to set up the TD pass to Mitchell that broke the game open. Purdy tied an NFL record for rookies set by Justin Herbert with his seventh straight game with multiple TD passes.

“He has showed us over and over again who he is and the type of player he is,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “So I’m not surprised.”

San Francisco piled on from there.

The loss brought a disappointing end to a surprising season for the Seahawks, who got into the playoffs on the final weekend in their first season after trading away Wilson.

Geno Smith stepped in admirably, throwing 30 TD passes in the regular season and keeping it close for a while in the playoff game thanks to a 50-yard TD pass to DK Metcalf in the first half.

Smith finished 25 for 35 for 253 yards, two TDs and one interception.

“I’m not at all satisfied,” Smith said. “I don’t feel good about what happened today. I feel like we we could have kept going. So for me, man, I just got to be better and I take this one personally.”

The Niners raced out to a 10-0 lead after two possessions getting a field goal on the opening drive and then a 3-yard pass from Purdy to McCaffrey following McCaffrey’s 68-yard run on the second possession.

But Seattle battled back with a 14-play drive capped by Kenneth Walker’s 7-yard run and the deep pass to Metcalf.

MOTIVATION

The Niners responded after Seattle safety Johnathan Abram grabbed and twisted Samuel’s previously injured left ankle on a tackle early in the second half. Samuel stayed down to get his temper under control as his teammates rallied to his side.

The play angered the Niners, who responded by scoring the next 25 points to take control.

“At the end of the day, that turned our team up a notch and as you can see we went out there and made plays,” Samuel said.

BONEHEAD PLAY

The Seahawks took a 17-16 lead into the half thanks to a bonehead play by Niners safety Jimmie Ward. Smith scrambled 9 yards to his own 47 with 1 second left in the half, but Ward hit him late after he started sliding.

The 15-yard penalty moved the ball to the San Francisco 38 and Jason Myers made a 56-yard field goal to make it 17-16 at the half.

Seattle became the third team since the start of the 2000 postseason to lead at the half in a playoff game after trailing by at least 10 at the end of the first quarter.

INJURIES

Seahawks: LB Darrell Taylor (neck stinger) left the game in the first half.

49ers: DE Samson Ebukam (ankle) left in the second half, but probably could have returned if the game had been closer.

UP NEXT

Seahawks: The offseason.

49ers: The divisional round against Minnesota, Tampa Bay or Dallas.

———

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) Damar Hamlin visited with teammates at the Bills’ facility on Saturday for the first time since being discharged from a Buffalo hospital, 12 days after the safety went into cardiac arrest and needed to be resuscitated on the field during a game in Cincinnati.

Bills linebacker Matt Milano posted a photo on his Instagram account of a smiling Hamlin shaking hands with a teammate.

A person with direct knowledge of Hamlin’s schedule confirmed to The Associated Press the player’s visit. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because Hamlin has kept his schedule and recovery private.

Hamlin was cleared to go home Wednesday after undergoing final tests at Buffalo General Medical Center. His trip to meet with teammates comes a day before the Bills (13-3) host the division rival Miami Dolphins (9-8) in a wild-card playoff game, heightening the possibility he might be healthy enough to attend the game.

The 24-year-old Hamlin continues what doctors have referred to as “a remarkable recovery” since his heart stopped after being hit squarely in the chest by Bengals receiver Tee Higgins in the first quarter of a since-canceled game at Cincinnati on Jan. 2.

Hamlin spent his first two days at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center under sedation and breathing through a ventilator. Upon being awakened, Hamlin showed no signs of neurological damage and within four days of his arrival was breathing on his own as well as walking and talking.

He first interacted with his teammates on Jan. 6, when Hamlin appeared by videoconference from his hospital room. He flexed his muscles and spoke to them, saying, “Love you boys.”

Hamlin live-tweeted during the Bills’ 35-23 season-closing win over New England on Sunday, and a day later was released from the Cincinnati hospital and transferred to Buffalo. He is now continuing his rehabilitation with the Bills.

As Hamlin’s recovery progressed, the Bills and the NFL’s messaging switched from “Prayers for Damar 3” to “Love for Damar 3” by last weekend, when the entire league honored Hamlin, who wears No. 3.

Hamlin’s recovery has uplifted the Bills, who were stunned and teary-eyed upon watching medical personnel revive their teammate.

The Bills on Wednesday were cautious about when they’d get a chance to meet with Hamlin in person, saying it was dependent on the player regaining his strength.

“Just making sure he’s taking it slow, and obviously trying to get back to being himself,” quarterback Josh Allen said. “So we’ll take all the time that we need. But I hope he knows the guys are ready to see him.”

In the days that followed his collapse, $8.6 million in GoFundMe donations poured into Hamlin’s toy drive fundraiser, which will be used to support young people through education and sports.

Hamlin, who is from the Pittsburgh exurb of McKees Rocks, also will use proceeds from the sale of new T-shirts, emblazoned with “Did We Win?” along with his hands in the shape of a heart, to raise money for the trauma center in Cincinnati that initially treated him.

———-

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) The Baltimore Ravens left quarterback Brett Hundley on the practice squad Saturday, a sign that Tyler Huntley will be able to play in Sunday night’s playoff game at Cincinnati.

With Lamar Jackson out with a knee injury, Huntley would be next in line at quarterback, followed by Anthony Brown. But Huntley has dealt with shoulder problems recently.

The fact that Hundley was not activated means Huntley and Brown are the only options left.

The Ravens put wide receiver Tylan Wallace on injured reserve because of a hamstring issue and promoted receivers Andy Isabella and Binjimen Victor from the practice squad. Baltimore also signed defensive back Ar’Darius Washington from the practice squad to the 53-man roster and ruled out backup center Trystan Colon because of an illness.

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

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) Alabama defensive coordinator Pete Golding is leaving for the same job at rival Mississippi.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin announced the hiring on Saturday of Golding, who had been the Crimson Tide’s defensive coordinator since 2018. The 38-year-old joins Kiffin, himself a former offensive coordinator under Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa, and remains in the Southeastern Conference Western Division.

“We are excited to add a championship caliber coach like Pete Golding to our staff,” Kiffin said. “At multiple stops in his career, coach Golding has directed some of college football’s top defenses. He is also an outstanding recruiter and understands the level of talent necessary to compete at the highest level.

“I think this continues to show our commitment to taking Ole Miss football to the next level.”

Golding helped guide the Tide to a national championship after the 2020 season and to an appearance in the title game a year later. Alabama failed to make the College Football Playoff this season after losing two games on the final play.

Golding had just over a year left on a three-year deal signed in March 2021 worth an average of $1.6 million per year, including $100,000 annual raises and a $125,000 longevity bonus each year. Defensive backs coach Charles Kelly had already left to become Deion Sanders’ defensive coordinator at Colorado.

Alabama ranked in the top 20 nationally in scoring defense in each of his five seasons with the program and in the top 10 four times.

The Tide ranked ninth in scoring defense and 13th in total defense last season. Linebacker Will Anderson Jr. repeated as the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner and as a unanimous All-American.

********************MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS********************

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Negativity has dogged the Kentucky basketball program since its disappointing loss to South Carolina on Tuesday.

Heading into Saturday’s 63-56 win over No. 5 Tennessee, Wildcats coach John Calipari did his best to insulate his players while absorbing as many bullets as possible himself.

“I haven’t lost faith in any of these guys,” he said. “I’ve got a good team. (Friday night), I collected all the (players’ cell) phones and iPads and everything else.”

Antonio Reeves scored 18 points and Oscar Tshiebwe had 15 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Wildcats (11-6, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) over the Volunteers. The victory ended a 25-game home win streak for Tennessee (14-3, 4-1) that dated back to the end of the 2020-21 season.

Kentucky led 58-50 with 3:28 left in the game. Two free throws by Santiago Vescovi and two buckets by Uros Plavsic closed the gap to two with less than a minute to play.

A Wildcat turnover gave Tennessee a shot to tie or take the lead, but Zakai Zeigler and Plavsic missed down low.

“Both coaches made it a slugfest,” said Calipari. “Nobody backed down.”

The Wildcats showed a physical presence and dominated the Volunteers on the boards, 43-23. Tennessee came into the game leading the SEC in rebounding margin (+9.94).

“Our frontline’s gotta do a better job rebounding,” said Tennessee coach Rick Barnes. “On the defensive end, we have to get everyone involved.”

The Tennessee big man Plavsic, who scored 19 points, was the only Vol to match Kentucky’s physicality.

Calipari said the strategy was to focus on the Vols’ perimeter play, while letting Plavsic have his way.

“They can beat us with 3s,” said Calipari. “They won’t beat us with 2s.”

CJ Fredrick scored eight in a row and had 10 of his 13 points in the first half as Kentucky led at the break, 33-26.

Vescovi, who tweaked his shooting (left) shoulder in a collision early in the game, had seven in the first half for Tennessee. He finished with 13 points.

“We had some uncontested looks at the rim,” Barnes said. “Point-blank layups – you’ve gotta make them.”

POLL IMPLICATIONS

During his 36 seasons as a head coach in college basketball, Rick Barnes has led his teams into the AP Top 25 a total of 299 weeks. That includes 131 weeks in the Top 10.

BIG PICTURE

Kentucky: Besides the frustration that comes with six losses this early in the season, the Wildcats have had to deal with injury problems. G Cason Wallace (back) and F Jacob Toppin (shoulder) have been sidelined. Both started against the Vols. . Big man Oscar Tshiebwe leads the SEC with 10 double-doubles this season. . Sahvir Wheeler leads the SEC with 6.3 assists a game. This is his third straight year on top. . John Calipari coached his 36th game against Tennessee. No other coach has led his team against the Vols in as many games.

Tennessee: Senior G Santiago Vescovi has been hot lately. He came into the Kentucky game averaging 16.5 points over his last five games while shooting 60% from the field and 57% from 3-point. . Zakai Ziegler, who has gotten used to his role as a point guard coming off the bench, had 27 assists in his last three games heading into Saturday. . Chris Lofton (2004-08), the SEC’s all-time leader in 3-point baskets made (431), had his No. 5 hoisted into the rafters of Thompson-Boling Arena.

UP NEXT

Kentucky: Hosts Georgia on Tuesday.

Tennessee: Visits Mississippi State on Tuesday.

———

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) KJ Adams scored in the paint, breaking a tie with under 12 seconds left and No. 2 Kansas held off No. 14 Iowa State 62-60 Saturday.

Iowa State had a last shot to win, but Caleb Grill’s 3-point attempt caromed off the rim at the buzzer.

“I don’t know that this many close games helps you in the postseason,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “Close games help you because you put yourself under duress, but I would welcome anything that’s a win. We don’t go into any game thinking it’s going to be easy.”

“Today was Iowa State, then we’re at K-State, ranked 11th, TCU, Baylor, Kentucky then K-State and Iowa State right after that. That’s a joke. There’s not going to be any (easy) games,” he said.

The Jayhawks commemorated 125 years of Kansas basketball, with more than 160 former players, coaches and staff at Allen Fieldhouse. They saw it go down to the last second.

“Caleb pulled up for a tough shot and it didn’t fall,” Iowa State coach TJ Otzelberger said

“Credit to them. They were able to make one more play in a really good game to come out for the victory,” he said.

Kansas (16-1, 5-0 Big 12) was led by Gradey Dick with 21 points. Jalen Wilson had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Adams had 15 points.

Gabe Kalscheur scored 23 points for the Cyclones (13-3, 4-1). Osun Osunniyi chipped in 14.

The second half was a back-and-forth affair with neither team able to build more than a four-point lead in the second half. There were 12 lead changes in the second half alone.

Kansas took a 59-57 lead with just under two minutes remaining on a put-back by Wilson.

After an Iowa State miss, Kansas ran 25 seconds off the shot clock before putting up a contested 3-pointer. Several offensive rebounds resulted in Adams shooting two free throws with 1:03 left, and he made one for a three-point lead.

Kalscheur tied it with a 3-pointer with 35 seconds left. Adams then powered inside to put Kansas ahead.

“It just kind of played out. Thankfully I made the shot,” Adams said.

Self was happy with the result.

“That was a high-level game,” Self said. “You saw two teams that enjoyed playing in a tight game like that in an atmosphere like that. No easy baskets. I wish we would have shot it better. But they’re good.”

“The building was great. To win with so many guys back for the reunion will definitely make tonight a lot more pleasant,” he said.

Kansas went on a 12-0 run to seize control early, but Iowa State rallied and closed to 29-28 at halftime. The Jayhawks took just 22 shots before the break and failed to get an offensive rebound in the first half.

THE TAKEAWAY

Iowa State: The Cyclones should be a factor in the Big 12 race to the end. They can win on the road and Hilton Coliseum is one of the toughest venues in the conference.

Kansas: The Jayhawks always get their opponents’ best shot, but it often doesn’t matter. Head coach Bill Self still has as many conference titles as home losses in his 20 seasons at Kansas.

UP NEXT

Iowa State: The Cyclones return home to face No. 10 Texas on Tuesday night.

Kansas: The Jayhawks will have their first matchup of the season with in-state rival Kansas State on Tuesday night in Manhattan, Kansas.

——-

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) Malachi Smith had a season-high 27 points, hitting seven 3-pointers, and No. 8 Gonzaga used a dominant first half to rout Portland 115-75 on Saturday night.

Gonzaga (16-3, 5-0 West Coast Conference) never trailed, racing to a 40-14 lead with seven minutes left in the first half en route to its NCAA-best 75th straight home victory and 15th straight win over Portland.

Gonzaga unleashed a flurry of 3s early on, hitting six through the first 10 minutes while Portland (9-11, 1-4) shot 0 for 9 from behind the arc during that time.

“We knew their game plan was to pack the paint and so coach was telling us just to be ready to shoot,” Smith said. “And we were ready. Once you hit that first shot you know, it just gets easier. The rim just starts to look like an ocean.”

Following a 75-74 victory at BYU on Thursday night, coach Mark Few wanted to be sure the effort was the same tonight.

“By and large it was a really good effort, especially coming off of an emotional win and then dealing with a quick turnaround,” Few said. “Malachi and Julian (Strawther) just shoot it really deep effortlessly, so I think that helps us spread things out.”

Portland cut the deficit to 17 with 5:16 left in the half, but the Bulldogs responded with a 19-3 run, and Gonzaga led 61-28 at half.

Drew Timme scored 18 points for Gonzaga. Strawther added 14 points and seven rebounds, Nolan Hickman had 13 points and Anton Watson and Ben Gregg each added 12. Ten players scored for the Bulldogs, who have now won 11 straight.

Moses Wood led the Pilots with 19 points, shooting 6 of 13. Kristian Sjolund added 17 points and 12 rebounds.

“We turned the ball over a bunch, and all those turnovers led to baskets on the other end. Lots of 3s, and a lot of easy shots,” Portland coach Shantay Legans said. “They just kept their foot on the gas the whole time, and we didn’t put forth our best tonight.”

BIG PICTURE

The Zags have won 11 straight following their loss to Baylor on Dec. 2 and remain atop the WCC standings.

Portland, following a 7-4 start, has dropped seven of nine.

UP NEXT

Portland: Hosts San Diego on Thursday night.

Gonzaga: Host Loyola-Marymount on Thursday night.

——-

LOS ANGELES (AP) Defense has long been a trademark of Mick Cronin-coached teams. It is also a significant reason why seventh-ranked UCLA is on its longest-winning streak in six seasons.

On a night when the Bruins shot under 40% for the third time in five games, it was the defense that was able to keep Colorado at bay before UCLA discovered its shooting touch over the final 10 minutes of Saturday’s 68-54 victory.

It is the 13th straight win by the Bruins, which is their longest winning streak since they won their first 13 games in the 2016-17 season.

“We stopped worrying about them and started worrying about getting stops and rebounds,” Cronin said. “Like I told them at halftime, I’d rather the ball goes in during the second half. It’s a great win anytime the game’s not going your way and you got every reason to get beat and you find a way to win by 14.”

UCLA (16-2, 7-0 Pac-12) forced Colorado to commit a season-high 23 turnovers and held the Buffaloes without a field goal for over nine minutes in the second half.

The Bruins also pulled down a season-high 18 offensive rebounds. Even though UCLA had a 38.1% shooting rate from the field, Colorado was 15 of 49 (30.6%).

“When you play defense, you give yourself a chance. We’re giving ourselves a lot of chances and we’re going to try to keep doing that,” said Jaime Jaquez Jr., who had 23 points and tied a career high with 13 rebounds.

Jaylen Clark scored 18 and Tyger Campbell added 11 for the Bruins.

KJ Simpson led Colorado (11-8, 3-5) with 17 points and Javon Ruffin scored 11.

“They’re a great second-half team. Once they get on a roll like that, and the fans start cheering, you know, it’s hard to beat the team like that,” Simpson said. “We’ve got to come out and be tougher in the second half.”

Simpson gave Colorado a 44-35 lead midway through the second half on a three-point play before the Bruins took control, scoring 17 straight points to go up 52-44.

After a steal by Jaquez off a bad pass by Ruffin, the Bruins took the lead for good with 8:12 remaining when David Singleton made a pair of free throws for a 45-44 advantage.

The Bruins started the second half 1 of 17 from the field, and missed 14 straight at one point, before regaining their shooting touch.

The Buffaloes, who had a 31-28 lead at halftime, were 6 of 21 from the field and committed 13 turnovers in the final 20 minutes.

“When you get ready to play UCLA, you know you’re in for a fistfight,” Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. “They just absolutely abused us on the boards. They were the tougher team tonight.”

THE TAKEWAY

Colorado: It is only the second time the Buffaloes have been swept on their Los Angeles road trip since joining the conference. The other time was the 2015-16 season.

UCLA: It is the second time in Mick Cronin’s four seasons in Westwood that the Bruins have started 7-0 in Pac-12 play. They won their first eight in 2020-21.

UP NEXT

Colorado: Host Washington on Thursday.

UCLA: Travel to Arizona State on Thursday.

———

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) Eddie Lampkin Jr. slammed both of his hands on the court after a layup during TCU’s early go-ahead run, doing his best to work the home fans into more of a frenzy. All of his inside baskets helped, too.

Lampkin scored a season-high 17 points, including back-to-back layups on passes from Mike Miles Jr. in another big burst, and the 17th-ranked Horned Frogs beat No. 11 Kansas State 82-68 on Saturday to end the Wildcats’ nine-game winning streak.

“I’ve been telling them I’ve been open. Now they’re trusting me,” the 6-foot-11, 263-pound Lampkin said of his teammates. “They’re trusting me better, and my confidence is getting better every game.”

Emanuel Miller scored 23 points and Miles had 13 points with 11 assists for the Frogs (14-3, 3-2 Big 12), who were coming off back-to-back losses after an 11-game winning streak of their own. Damion Baugh added 11 points.

“I wasn’t making shots early, so you’ve got to do something else to affect the game,” said Miles, who entered as the Big 12’s second-leading scorer at 19.5 points a game.

Kansas State (15-2, 4-1) had gone from unranked to the verge of the top 10 after winning three consecutive games against Top 25 teams. The Wildcats beat Oklahoma State in their first home game as a ranked team in four years on Tuesday, then jumped out to a 11-6 lead in their first road game before Lampkin and TCU took over.

Keyontae Johnson had 18 for the Wildcats, who trailed by as many as 25 points midway through the second half before a late surge when Markquis Nowell scored 14 of his 16 points in the final 5 1/2 minutes. Nowell was coming four consecutive 20-point games.

“Panic about what?” first-year Wildcats coach Jerome Tang said, responding to a question postgame. “I don’t know our record, but I know we have two losses. There’s nothing to panic about. I’ve got a veteran group. I’ve got a bunch of winners in a locker room, both on the staff and on the team. And this is the Big 12.”

13-2 TIMES 2

Lampkin had back-to-back layups on passes from Miles during TCU’s second 13-2 run before halftime. He took an inbound pass from Miles, who then stole the ball from Nowell and was in the lane when he made a leaping no-look pass to Lampkin for another layup to make 32-21.

It was during their earlier 13-2 run, which took the Frogs from a five-point deficit to leading for good, when Lampkin followed his layup with his hand-banging on the floor. He finished 6-of-7 shooting with a dunk and five layups.

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State: The Wildcats shot 43.1% (28 of 65), but had 20 turnovers, including seven by Johnson and six by Nowell – both season highs. K-State was down 22 and Nowell had only two points before a 3-pointer with 5 1/2 minutes left that he followed with two quick layups.

TCU: The Frogs played their fourth consecutive Top 25 opponent, and split those games. The two losses were by a combined six points, 69-67 at home to Iowa State before they blew an 18-point lead in a 79-75 loss at No. 10 Texas.

FASTBREAK FROGS

TCU outscored the Wildcats 32-13 on fast-break points, some of that while turning K-State’s turnovers into 26 points.

“We really got to the aggressiveness and the team defense going and that’s where we got the turnovers and the transition once again,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. “It’s kind of fun when you spend all summer working on something you want to get better and it comes to fruition.”

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Kansas State won’t move into the top 10 for the first time since March 2013, but the Wildcats will still be solidly ranked in the new poll Monday. The Frogs were unchanged after a loss last week, and may be that way again when they will be ranked for the seventh consecutive poll.

UP NEXT

Kansas State hosts second-ranked defending national champion Kansas on Tuesday night.

TCU is on road twice next week, at West Virginia on Wednesday before playing at Kansas on Saturday.

——–

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) Brandon Miller buried his first 3-pointer 13 seconds into the game.

It was just the beginning of another head-turning performance for both No. 4 Alabama and the Crimson Tide’s star freshman.

Miller finished with 31 points and had six of his team’s 20 3-pointers by halftime to lead Alabama to a 106-66 victory over LSU on Saturday in the most lopsided meeting in series history.

“He kind of got us started with that first 3 and had a barrage after that,” said Tide coach Nate Oats, calling it “one of the more efficient nights I’ve ever seen as a player.”

Miller, the nation’s top scoring freshman and a potential NBA lottery pick, matched LSU’s 22 first-half points by himself for the streaking Tide (15-2, 5-0 Southeastern Conference).

Alabama’s sixth straight win was all but locked up well before that first trip back to the locker room against the slumping Tigers (12-5, 1-4) in what turned into the biggest mismatch of the series’ 189-game history.

It was 59-22 by halftime, only one point shy of the previous biggest Alabama-LSU margin. The Tide won 113-75 during the 1975-76 season.

“They’ve got an elite team both ends of the floor. They’ve got explosive personnel at every position,” first-year LSU coach Matt McMahon said. “But at the end of the day, that was as thorough a tail-kicking as I’ve ever seen or been a part of.”

Mark Sears, Rylan Griffen and Jahvon Quinerly each scored 12 points for Alabama. Quinerly made 4 of 8 3s. Nick Pringle added 10 points.

Miller also had nine rebounds in his 24 minutes.

LSU’s KJ Williams, whose 18.5-point average trailed only Miller in the SEC, scored 10. He picked up his fourth foul with 17 minutes to play and was 4-of-12 shooting.

Miller increased his scoring lead by making 11 of 16 shots and 7 of 11 3s, matching a team season-high he had already shared with Sears. He headed to the bench with 8 minutes left and the reserves kept the gap in series-record territory.

At one point, Miller was outscoring LSU 22-14 after producing 10 straight Alabama points. That first shot from the top of the key was a good way to get it going.

“I feel like you’re locked in when you wake up, really,” Miller said. “Every shot’s not going to fall, so you’ve got to play it out and keep playing with your teammates and pull out a good win.”

The victory left Alabama in sole possession of first place in the SEC after Kentucky beat No. 5 Tennessee 63-56.

“I’m not necessarily going to call this a statement win,” Oats said. “I mean, we made a lot of 3s.”

BIG PICTURE

LSU: Got off to a horrible start in its first four-game regular season stretch against ranked SEC teams since Pete Maravich’s sophomore season (1967-68). Made just 18 of 61 shots (30%) in the Tigers’ fourth consecutive loss.

Alabama: Maybe the hottest team in the land. The Tide are 5-0 in the SEC for the second time since 1987, also managing it in 2020-21. Every win during the current streak has come by double digits, including Wednesday night’s 84-69 win over No. 15 Arkansas.

LAUNCHING 3s

Alabama made 20 of 54 3s (37%), one shy of the season-high set in November against Jacksonville State. The Tide set an SEC record two years ago in a 105-75 win over the Tigers.

“We shot 54. A lot of teams don’t shoot 54 in a three- or four-game span,” Oats said. “So we’re going to keep taking them. If you’re open, you shoot it here.”

UP NEXT

LSU hosts No. 21 Auburn on Wednesday night.

Alabama visits Vanderbilt on Tuesday night.

———

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) Jermaine Couisnard scored 27 points in his first start of the season as Oregon beat No. 9 Arizona 87-68 on Saturday night.

Couisnard, a transfer from South Carolina who missed the first 14 games of the season due to injury, made six 3-pointers, including one that was intended to be an assist on an alley-oop.

Senior center N’Faly Dante added 22 points, including a highlight dunk early in the game, and 10 rebounds as the Ducks (10-8, 4-3 Pac-12) shot 53.1 percent from the field. Will Richardson added 14 points and Nate Bittle scored 10.

“It was a great effort,” Oregon coach Dana Altman said. “The guys really responded, and they showed their competitiveness, played with tremendous energy and the crowd was great.”

Kylan Boswell scored 15 points to pace the Wildcats (15-3, 4-3) while Azuolas Tubelis had 14 points and six rebounds. Courtney Ramey made four 3-pointers for 12 points, and Oumar Ballo added 10 points and seven rebounds.

“When you play a team like that that is fighting for their season, trying to get a statement win, you have to match their energy,” Ramey said. “In the first seven or eight minutes we did, but they kept swinging and we didn’t match it. They are a good team with a lot of good players and they came in desperate. We have to try and make every game like that for us.”

Oregon was coming off a 90-73 loss to Arizona State on Thursday before registering its best win of the year.

“We came together as a team,” Couisnard said. “We knew we were better than we showed on Thursday. It was a team effort for everybody.”

Ramey opened the second half with consecutive 3-pointers to tie the game at 43 before Oregon followed with the next 10 points.

“Obviously it was nice to hit those 3’s and you hope to get a little momentum, but then you give up a 10-0 run and we kind of lost our mind after that,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said.

Rivaldo Soares pushed the lead to 61-48 on a 3-point play with 12:21 left in the game. Dante scored and added a free throw to extend the margin to 66-52 and Arizona never threatened again.

The two teams traded the lead six times in the first half before Oregon took a 43-37 lead to the locker room thanks to 50% shooting from the field.

Oregon led 7-5 before Bello had back-to-back dunks and Ramey added a 3-pointer. Tubelis followed with back-to-back buckets as Arizona took its largest lead at 16-9.

Oregon followed with a 14-3 run highlighted by back-to-back 3-pointers from Couisnard to pull ahead 23-19. Boswell made back-to-back 3-pointers for Arizona and Kerr Kriisa added three free throws to put Arizona back ahead 28-26.

After Tubelis tied the game 33-33, Oregon scored seven straight points culminating with a 3-pointer from Keeshawn Barthelemy to pull ahead with 3:13 left in the first half.

BIG PICTURE

Arizona: The Wildcats will likely fall out of the top 10 after a third conference loss to an unranked foe. Arizona may not be able to afford another loss and still contend for the Pac-12 title, but two remaining games against UCLA gives the Wildcats a path to the championship.

Oregon: The Ducks resuscitated their NCAA Tournament hopes with a win over the Wildcats, their first win over a team in the top 15 of the NET rankings since last year. Oregon faces a key road trip next week at California and Stanford to try to build momentum toward a postseason run.

UP NEXT

Arizona: The Wildcats host USC on Thursday night.

Oregon: The Ducks visit California on Wednesday night.

——–

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) When Clemson coach Brad Brownell was piecing together his roster last offseason, he felt he needed one more experienced player who could shine with a game on the line.

Enter Brevin Galloway, the Boston College transfer who delivered in big way Saturday to keep the Tigers perfect in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Galloway scored 17 points, including the 3-pointer that put Clemson up for good, in a 72-64 win over No. 24 Duke.

“He played great,” Brownell said, “and played great on a very big stage.”

It’s why Galloway, a 6-foot-3 guard, came to Clemson.

“I was so emotional out there, just realizing what was going on,” said Galloway, from nearby Anderson. “To go out there and perform the way I did tonight on that stage was great for me.”

PJ Hall scored 26 points to lead the Tigers (15-3), who are off to their best start in the Atlantic Coast Conference at 7-0.

The Tigers beat the Blue Devils (13-5, 4-3) for just the second time in nine games.

Duke got within 58-57 on Kyle Filipowski’s foul shot with less than four minutes left. The Blue Devils managed only free throws the rest of the way.

Fans flooded the court after the final buzzer, celebrating Clemson’s unexpected success.

“That was a crazy moment, a surreal moment for me,” Galloway said.

Filipowski, a 7-foot freshman, led Duke with 18 points and 14 rebounds before fouling out in the final minute. Fellow freshman Tyrese Proctor had 17 points for the Blue Devils.

First-year coach Jon Scheyer was disappointed with the loss, but said with a week between games, he’ll work on teaching his young team how to finish tight games like this.

“It’s a new experience,” he said. “But that’s not good enough for us.”

This was a win that’s not come often enough for some Clemson supporters. Brownell, however, said his team’s tight bond has kept them working through the ups and downs earlier this season.

Hall is happy for this run and even happier for Brownell. “He’s taken punches year after year,” Clemson’s 6-10 junior said.

Lines were long waiting to get in for Clemson’s biggest home game in several seasons. University President Jim Barker was in the mix with fans, posing for pictures in his orange “Grit Lives Here” T-shirt that was on seats at Littlejohn Coliseum.

The biggest pregame cheer came when football coach Dabo Swinney walked in alongside Tigers new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley. And Riley got another ovation in the second half when he came out on the court and was introduced to the crowd.

Hall was certainly ready for the moment, scoring 13 of his team’s first 20 points as the Tigers led 20-15.

But the Blue Devils came back with a boost from Proctor, who fueled a 15-2 run that put them ahead.

Proctor had three-point play and a 3-pointer to give Duke its first lead with less than five minutes left in the half. Proctor kept things going with a second three and a nifty pass to fellow freshman Dereck Lively II for an uncontested jam.

While Hall was on target as he made seven of 12 shots the first 20 minutes, the rest of the Tigers’ roster was cold with just five field goals.

Clemson, which came in leading the ACC in 3-point shooting, hit just two of its 11 attempts from behind the arc in the opening half. The Tigers hit only one from long distance in the second half, but that was Galloway’s critical shot.

BIG PICTURE

Duke: The Blue Devils certainly have the talent with freshman like Filipowski, Proctor and Lively. There’s still plenty of time for first-year coach Jon Scheyer to round them into a formidable postseason team.

Clemson: Count on the Tigers to crack the Top 25 for the first time this season. Clemson showed having veterans can be an advantage against a team with young players like Duke not accustomed to the game-by-game rigors of the ACC.

BROWNELL MILESTONE

Clemson coach Brad Brownell won the 400th game in his career at UNC Wilmington, Wright State and with the Tigers. He was already Clemson’s winningest coach and sits with 233 victories in 13 seasons with the Tigers.

UP NEXT

Duke: Returns home to face No. 16 Miami on Jan. 21.

Clemson: Heads to Wake Forest on Tuesday night.

*********************WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL**************************

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) Rebecca Mikulasikova had 25 points and No. 3 Ohio State opened up an early double-digit lead and beat Nebraska 76-67 Saturday.

It took the Buckeyes (18-0, 7-0 Big Ten) less than five minutes to take control of the game, going up 13-2 on Taylor Thierry’s layup midway through the first quarter.

Nebraska (11-7, 3-4) didn’t get closer than six in the first half. But Sam Haiby scored five of Nebraska’s points in a 7-0 run that cut the Ohio State lead to three with 7:44 left in the third quarter.

Mikulasikova then responded, scoring nine straight as the Buckeyes built the lead back to 12 at the end of the quarter. She then hit a fourth-quarter opening 3-pointer to put Ohio State up 65-52. Nebraska got no closer than 9 on a final minute 3-pointer by Jaz Shelley.

Taylor Mikesell had 14 for Ohio State and Thierry had 13 and eight rebounds.

Haiby led Nebraska with 16 points. Alexis Markowski had 15 points and eight rebounds and Isabelle Bourne had 13 points and eight rebounds.

BIG PICTURE

Ohio State, which leads the nation in turnover margin at 10.4 per game and is fourth in the country in steals at 13.8 per game, didn’t match those season marks Saturday. The Buckeyes forced 12 Nebraska turnovers, but committed 18 themselves and had only six steals.

UP NEXT

Ohio State: The Buckeyes return home to face Northwestern Thursday.

Nebraska: The Huskers play at Purdue on Wednesday.

———–

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) Madi Williams scored 13 of her 20 points in the fourth quarter, Liz Scott had a double-double and No. 19 Oklahoma rallied to defeat No. 23 Kansas 80-74 on Saturday.

After Williams scored the opening basket of the game, the Sooners never led again until Scott’s layup to open the fourth quarter made it 55-53.

Williams and Aubrey Joens hit 3-pointers and Williams made a layup to cap a 10-0 run for a 74-62 lead with two minutes to go. A rushed shot and turnover helped Kansas score seven straight before Oklahoma made six free throws in the final minute to wrap it up.

Ana Lianusa scored 12 points for the Sooners (14-3, 4-1 Big 12 Conference). Scott and Taylor Robertson had 10 each with Scott snaring a career-high 15 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. Williams had nine boards and Nevaeh Tot had eight points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Robertson is seven 3s shy of tying Kelsey Mitchell’s NCAA record of 497.

Wyvette Mayberry scored 20 points for the Jayhawks (12-4, 2-3), who have lost three straight. Zakiyah Franklin added 15 points, Ioanna Chatzileonti added 10 and Taiyanna Jackson had 13 rebounds and four blocks to go with eight points but had to deal with foul trouble.

The Sooners had a 57-44 rebounding advantage, a plus-12 on the offensive glass, which helped overcome 33% shooting.

Oklahoma goes to TCU on Wednesday when Kansas is home against West Virginia.

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

MIAMI (AP) Gabe Vincent scored 27 points, Bam Adebayo had 20 points and 13 rebounds and the Miami Heat beat the Milwaukee Bucks 111-95 Saturday.

Victor Oladipo added 20 points and Jimmy Butler had 16 for the Heat. Miami won its second straight against the Bucks after a 108-102 home victory on Thursday.

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the two games against Miami because of left knee soreness.

The Heat also was short-handed as guards Tyler Herro (Achilles soreness) Kyle Lowry (knee discomfort) sat out.

“What I do commend and what you want out of a team is growing from your experiences, particularly if you have some tough times, adversity,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “The grit that we’re developing is that even when there are some uneven times during the course of a game, we understand that it’s a long game. You have to work the game. You try to wear on teams, particularly defensively.”

Vincent did the bulk of his scoring in the first half, when he had 21 points. Stepping in for Lowry, Vincent missed equaling his career high by one which he set in Thursday’s win over the Bucks.

“I think I was just in a rhythm and my guys did a really good job of getting me open,” said Vincent, who shot 11 for 14 from the field. “And I made some shots, which is helpful. I’m trying to stay aggressive. Just trying to impact any way I can.”

Oladipo did his damage in the second half with 14 points.

After the two-game sweep over the Bucks, the Heat has won six of eight.

“I feel like in this stretch, we’ve been enjoying basketball,” Adebayo said. “You see it on the court. We’re way more connected than we’ve been since the beginning of the season.”

Down eight at halftime, the Bucks cut it to 63-62 on Bobby Portis’ two free throws midway through the third quarter. The Heat responded with six straight points.

Adebayo’s two free throws with 7:13 in the fourth quarter capped a 13-0 run and pushed the Heat’s lead to 97-79.

All Bucks starters finished in double figures. Portis scored 15 points, Pat Connaughton had 14 points and Brook Lopez finished with 13, while Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen had 12 points each.

“With Giannis out, he does so much for us,” Holiday said. “It is a little bit more of us being aggressive and getting to the paint and trying to finish. They did a great job of boxing out.”

Milwaukee finished 2-2 on its road trip.

“They worked the hot hand, whether it was Vincent in the first half or Oladipo in the second half,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “But really I think our offense is one that we have to score better.”

Vincent’s 3-pointer midway through the second quarter put Miami ahead 42-27. The Bucks closed the period on a 13-5 spurt and trailed 53-45 at halftime.

TIP-INS

Bucks: Lopez made three 3-pointers, extending his streak of multiple 3s to four games. … G Khris Middleton (right knee soreness) responded well to 5-of-5 drills with the G League Wisconsin Herd. Middleton has been limited to seven games this season and last played Dec. 15.

Heat: C Dwayne Dedmon returned from a one-game suspension but did not play. The club imposed the suspension for conduct detrimental to the team following his actions in Miami’s game against Oklahoma City Tuesday. … The Heat outscored the Bucks 54-26 in the paint.

DOUBLE DUTY

The Bucks completed their third and final set of consecutive games against the same opponent. Meanwhile, the Heat’s schedule features eight of the two-game series with remaining consecutive contests against Philadelphia, Atlanta and Cleveland.

GROWING FAMILY

Herro and girlfriend Katya Elise Henry welcomed their second child on Thursday. Henry gave birth to a boy, whom the couple named Harlem. Herro and Henry also are the parents of daughter Zya born in 2021.

UP NEXT

Bucks: Host Indiana on Monday.

Heat: Visit Atlanta on Monday.

———

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Jayson Tatum scored 17 of his 33 points in a pivotal third quarter, Malcolm Brogdon added 30 points and the Boston Celtics beat the Charlotte Hornets 122-106 on Saturday night to push their winning streak to six.

Al Horford had 16 points and Marcus Smart added 13 points and 12 assists for the Celtics, who made 19 3-pointers and erased a 16-point, first-half deficit.

LaMelo Ball finished with 31 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for Charlotte. Terry Rozier had 21 points for the Hornets, who’ve lost seven of eight games.

Brogdon’s 30 points were six shy of his career high. He was pressed into more playing time coming off the bench when Derrick White left with a neck injury in the first five minutes of the game.

“I think it’s just this team’s depth,” Brogdon said. “We have a lot of really good players on this team and it is just a next man up mentality.”

Tatum, who had 35 points in a 140-105 rout of the Hornets on Nov. 28, shook off a slow start and an early technical foul and finished 12 of 27 from the field. The crowd at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center periodically erupted into chants of “MVP! MVP!” after Tatum wowed with a variety of special plays, including deep 3-pointers, driving dunks and fall-away jumpers.

The Hornets shot 57.8% in the first half and led by 16 before the Celtics came storming back late in the second quarter to cut the lead to 66-62 behind 12 3-pointers.

“I think we lose that game a month ago,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. “… One of these things we talk about is closing out quarters and starting quarters, so the end of the second quarter was huge for us. I thought we did a great job staying the course.”

Boston began to pull away in the third quarter, outscoring the Hornets 33-19 behind Tatum, who was 7 of 12 from the field, including four 3-pointers.

Mazzulla said Tatum is learning how teams are guarding him, something that changes from night to night.

“He’s done a really good of developing an awareness, because it changes night to night and quarter to quarter” Mazzulla said. “So he’s done a nice job of building an awareness to what the coverage is and having a solution for that.”

The Celtics led by double digits most of the fourth quarter and were never challenged again.

The Celtics took advantage of 14 offensive rebounds and 15 second-chance points.

“Yeah, they shoot a lot of 3s, so there’s definitely going to be long rebounds, so we’ve got to just get those,” Ball said. “I feel like they were getting a lot of second chance, third chance, all that type of stuff, so it’s going to be hard to win.”

The loss was the fourth straight for the Hornets (11-33), who have the second-worst record in the league, a half-game better the Houston Rockets.

“They’re terrific,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said of the Celtics. “They’re good enough to win it. They can score in bunches. But there’s a reason they’re top eight in both offense and defense. You can’t have a bad 3 1/2, four minutes. That makes it hard.”

WHITE INJURY

White started fast with eight points in the first four minutes, before leaving the game with a neck sprain after colliding with Smart. He did not return.

Mazzulla said he spoke with White after the game and he was “doing OK,” but said he didn’t have a update on if he might miss any time.

TIP-INS

Celtics: Tatum picked up a technical foul in the first quarter for arguing a call.

Hornets: Mason Plumlee had 16 rebounds.

UP NEXT

The teams will play again Monday at the Spectrum Center in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee game.

——–

TORONTO (AP) Trae Young scored 29 points, Dejounte Murray had 27 and the Atlanta Hawks never trailed in a 114-103 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night.

“We just want to continue to grow and get better, game by game,” Young said. “It’s not going to be great every night, but we’ll definitely have nights like tonight where we can control the game and take over when we need to.”

Onyeka Okongwu had 10 points and 13 rebounds, and AJ Griffin came off the bench to score 13 as the Hawks won for the third time in four games after losing five of their previous six. Atlanta won at Indiana on Friday on a last-second basket by John Collins.

“This is probably our best road trip,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. “I know it’s only two games, but to go into Indiana and win there, and Toronto is always a tough place to play on a back-to-back.”

Ninth-place Atlanta came in one game ahead of 10th-place Toronto in the Eastern Conference standings. The Hawks snapped a three-game road losing streak north of the border to win the third and final regular-season meeting between the teams and take the series 2-1.

“It’s important,” Young said. “I think they had that in their minds, too. Both teams, we obviously understand where we’re at right now and how close the race is. Starting the second half, you want to win these tiebreakers.”

Scottie Barnes led Toronto with 27 points and 12 rebounds, and Pascal Siakam scored 15 points before fouling out as the Raptors finished a season-long six-game homestand at 3-3.

“We’ve got a long way to go with some consistency,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.

O.G. Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa each scored 14 points, and Chris Boucher had 13, but Toronto couldn’t extend its season-high three-game winning streak.

Raptors guard Fred VanVleet shot 1 for 9 and finished with three points, while fellow starting guard Gary Trent Jr. shot 2 for 7 and scored seven points. The pair went 1 for 8 from 3-point range. Trent did not play in the fourth quarter, while VanVleet came on after Siakam departed.

Boucher made a 3-pointer with 3:14 left in the fourth quarter, cutting it to 107-100, but Siakam fouled out trying to stop a driving Young on the next possession. Young made both free throws, putting Atlanta up nine with 2:48 remaining.

Atlanta jumped out to a 20-3 lead as Toronto missed 12 of its first 13 field goal attempts, but the Raptors responded by making eight of their next 10. The Hawks led 34-25 after one.

“We were ready to play,” Murray said. “We wanted to play and we wanted to win.”

Young and Murray combined for 16 points and six assists in the second and Atlanta led 69-57 at the half. The Hawks took a 96-79 lead to the fourth.

TIP-INS

Hawks: Young had nine assists. . Murray had eight rebounds and six assists. . Collins and De’Andre Hunter each scored 11 points. . G Bogdan Bogdanovic (left quad) was out. .C Clint Capela (right calf) missed his 10th consecutive game.

Raptors: Play 10 of the next 12 on the road, where they are 5-13. . VanVleet shot 0 for 6 and was scoreless in the first half. . Shot 7 for 29 from 3-point range.

FAMILY MATTERS

For the second time in three meetings, Hawks rookie AJ Griffin got the best of his father, Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin.

“I wanted him to get that household tiebreaker for sure,” Young joked.

UP NEXT

Hawks: Host Miami on Monday night.

Raptors: Visit New York on Monday night.

——–

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Anthony Edwards scored 26 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves got a huge boost from their bench in a 110-102 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.

Naz Reid scored 17 of Minnesota’s 56 bench points, while Jalen Nowell had 16. Luka Garza added nine for the short-handed Wolves.

Minnesota was without Rudy Gobert for the second half due to right groin soreness, and Jaden McDaniels picked up his fifth foul just 2:37 into the second half.

That presented opportunities for Minnesota’s other big men to play a bigger role.

“I thought Naz really came alive in that second half,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “I thought he played well all game, but he really stepped up in Rudy’s absence, gave us some emotional play as well with the big dunks.”

Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen both scored 19 points for Cleveland, and Darius Garland added 15. Donovan Mitchell, who was questionable for Saturday’s game with an illness, finished with 14 points on 5-of-16 shooting.

Cleveland led 80-77 after three, but the Wolves controlled the fourth quarter and led by as much as 13. Minnesota fed off the energy of Reid, who had three big dunks to bring Target Center fans to their feet.

Garza joked postgame that Reid dunked on Cleveland’s entire roster Saturday.

“Put the ball in the rim. If I’ve got to put them in the rim, they’ve got to go in the rim, too,” Reid said. “The mentality is to win, so if that’s what I’ve got to do to win, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Garza provided a lift down low for Minnesota, playing tough defense against Mobley. Garza also hit a 3-pointer early in the third to tie the game at 80, eliciting chants from the home crowd.

“The crowd feeds into it, and I try to pick up off that momentum and help us continue what they started on that run,” Garza said.

The Wolves have won six of their last seven games, including two straight on back-to-back nights.

Cleveland finished 2-3 on its five-game road trip.

“I just think tonight, we had too many mental lapses,” said Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff. “We didn’t play well enough to win. The Timberwolves outplayed us. I think it’s that simple.”

After the Wolves got within three early in the third, Cleveland went on an 11-2 run to take a 65-53 lead. Minnesota later used a 10-0 run of its own to cut Cleveland’s lead to 69-65. Austin Rivers and Edwards both hit from 3-point range during that stretch.

“I think this is one of our more mature wins,” Finch said.

Minnesota outscored Cleveland in the paint, 60-52. The Cavs entered Saturday’s game with the best defensive rating in the league (109.2) but struggled against the Wolves’ offense down the stretch.

“Those were just breakdowns,” Bickerstaff said. “Giving up 33 points in the fourth quarter, our defense wasn’t at its usual.”

STANDING O FOR LOVE AND RUBIO

Former Timberwolves Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love checked into Saturday’s game together and received a nice ovation from the crowd in Minneapolis. Love spent his first six seasons in Minnesota, while Rubio – playing in his second game of the season after returning from a torn ACL – played seven total seasons with the Wolves. That included a one-year return during the 2020-21 season, Finch’s first as coach.

“He was great to coach, a true professional,” Finch said. “I know he made a lasting impression on Anthony (Edwards). He still talks about some of the things that Ricky had said to him. Loved coaching him.”

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: Mobley was slow to get up in the second quarter after drawing a charge from Edwards and was helped to the bench, but he later returned.

Timberwolves: Edwards was charged with a technical foul late in the third quarter. . Saturday was the 11th game this season for Edwards with at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.

UP NEXT

Cavaliers: Host New Orleans on Monday.

Timberwolves: Host Utah on Monday.

——

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Joel Embiid made a jumper with 5.7 seconds left to lift the Philadelphia 76ers to a 118-117 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.

“I made a tough shot but it shouldn’t have come to that after we were up by so much,” said Embiid, who finished 30 points and seven rebounds.

James Harden had 31 points and 11 assists to lead Philadelphia. Tyrese Maxey scored 21 points and Shake Milton added 17.

The fourth quarter belonged to Harden, who had 18 points and made six baskets during that stretch. He accounted for 16 straight points for the 76ers over 3 1/2 minutes to keep the Jazz from going ahead until late in the fourth quarter.

“I saw opportunities,” Harden said. “Fourth quarter, they made some shots. There was an opportunity to take advantage of it and I did.”

Jordan Clarkson had 38 points and nine rebounds for Utah. Talen Horton-Tucker chipped in a season-high 20 points off the bench. Mike Conley added 14 points and eight assists, while Walker Kessler finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Clarkson scored 17 in the fourth, helping fuel a late rally.

“We ain’t scared of the moment, I can tell you that,” Clarkson said. “We have been in close games the whole year. We fight, we scrap.”

After trailing by double digits for much of the game, Utah took its first lead at 115-114 on Kessler’s tip-in basket with 33 seconds left.

Harden and Clarkson subsequently traded go-ahead buckets before Embiid’s jumper put Philadelphia ahead for good. Clarkson missed a 3-pointer on Utah’s final possession.

“I think our team showed a lot of fight again, as we always do, executed some things really, really well as the game went on,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said.

Lauri Markkanen was sidelined with a left hip contusion and the Jazz struggled early to fill the void left without their leading scorer.

Philadelphia shot 65% from the field over the first 12 minutes after making 14 of its first 19 shots and scored a season-high 41 points in the first quarter.

Clarkson cut the deficit to two on a jumper before the 76ers answered with a 13-2 run to break open the game. Maxey scored three straight baskets, including back-to-back 3-pointers, to punctuate the spurt that gave Philadelphia a 22-9 lead midway through the first quarter.

“I swear the first six minutes, everything we did (worked),” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. “Guys were in the right spot. The cuts were right. The passes were right.”

Utah shot just 37.5% from the field and trailed by as many as 20 points during the first quarter.

The Jazz rallied in the third and cut Philadelphia’s lead to 81-80, after Clarkson and Conley made back-to-back baskets to spark a 14-3 run.

BLAST FROM THE PAST

The Delta Center is returning.

Delta Air Lines re-purchased naming rights for the Utah Jazz home arena and it will be renamed the Delta Center starting on July 1, 2023. Vivint previously held naming rights as part of a 10-year deal signed in October 2015 until opting out of the contract, opening the door for Delta to become the rare company to resume its naming rights role.

Putting the Delta name back on the arena comes as part of a new multi-year partnership that includes numerous other sponsorship and branding rights with the team.

“We’re already getting a lot of attention from the league, and around sports, for how the growth of Utah is catching up with the brands that are coming in,” Jazz owner Ryan Smith said. “It’s not a small market in terms of that. . We’ve outgrown the narrative.”

The arena previously carried the Delta Center moniker for 15 years from when it opened in October 1991 until Delta decided to not renew its naming rights deal after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2005.

TIP INS

76ers: Tobias Harris (left knee soreness) was inactive. . De’Anthony Melton tied his season high with two blocks.

Jazz: Horton-Tucker beat the first quarter buzzer with a 3-pointer from halfcourt. . Utah outscored Philadelphia 19-6 in second chance points and 20-10 in fast-break points.

UP NEXT

76ers: Visit the Lakers on Sunday.

Jazz: Visit the Timberwolves on Monday.

——-

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Damian Lillard had 36 points and 10 assists, and the Portland Trail Blazers snapped a five-game losing streak with a 136-119 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night.

Jusuf Nurkic added 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Blazers, who face the Mavericks again on Sunday night.

Spencer Dinwiddie led Dallas with 25 points. Luka Doncic was held to a season-low 15 points before Mavericks coach Jason Kidd pulled him with seven minutes to go.

“It feels great. When you’re trying to fight for a win and you get in that type of funk, it seems like it’s never going to end. But you’ve just got to keep pushing,” Lillard said about the end of the losing streak. “I’ve been saying, when your mind is right and you’re pushing, everybody’s pulling the rope in the same direction, you find your way to where you need to get to. And a lot of times all it takes is one.”

Portland led by as many as 20 points early in the second half and went into the fourth quarter up 106-90. Nurkic dunked to give the Blazers a 116-94 lead with 9:59 left.

Doncic and Lillard had a heated exchange before Lillard scored to give the Blazers a 122-102 lead. Tim Hardaway Jr. left the court a short time earlier and limped to the locker room with what appeared to be a left ankle injury.

The Mavs have already been beset by injuries, with Josh Green, Maxi Kleber and Dorian Finney-Smith all out.

“Hopefully we do get healthy soon, but until then we have to play with the guys who are in uniform,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said.

Lillard started, but had been listed as questionable going into the game after he rolled his ankle early in Portland’s 119-113 loss to the Cavaliers on Thursday. Lillard came out and scored 11 points in the first quarter against the Mavs.

Dallas was coming off a 119-115 double-overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. The win snapped a two-game losing skid.

Christian Wood was ruled out before the game with a sore right ankle. Wood played 48 minutes against the Lakers, with 24 points and 14 rebounds.

Portland had a 31-30 edge after the first period. The Mavericks kept it close by making eight of 13 3-point attempts.

Taking advantage while Doncic rested in the second quarter, Shaedon Sharpe’s 3-pointer and Nurkic’s layup and free throw put Portland up 47-36.

Lillard’s 3-pointer put the Blazers ahead 65-49 and they went on to lead 71-56 at halftime. Lillard finished the half with 24 points, while Doncic had five.

“We broke through,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “We played so much better. We were really, really aggressive defensively and it just kind of fueled us.”

TIP-INS

Mavericks: Kidd was asked about whether he would have skipped playing college ball given the G League, like Mavs guard Jaden Hardy. He joked: “I would’ve left in the 8th grade.” … Dwight Powell got in foul trouble early, collecting his fourth with 2:48 left in the first half.

Trail Blazers: Portland lost the first two games of the series against the Mavericks this season, both in Dallas. Doncic averaged 37.5 points against the Blazers. … With his fifth assist of the night, Lillard moved to second on the Blazers’ career list ahead of Clyde Drexler. Lillard is already the team’s most prolific scorer.

UP NEXT:

The Trail Blazers and the Mavericks meet again on Sunday night, completing the four-game series between the teams this season. “One-stop shop here in Portland,” Kidd said. “We’re here for two games and then we don’t see them again. We’re done with them after tomorrow.”

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

CHICAGO (AP) Jared McCann had his first career hat trick and the Seattle Kraken beat the Chicago Blackhawks 8-5 on Saturday night for their franchise-record eighth straight victory.

McCann scored twice in a five-goal flurry in a 3:41 span of the first period.

All-star rookie Matty Beniers and Oliver Bjorkstrand each had a goal and an assist and the Kraken won their seventh straight on the road to become the first NHL team to sweep a trip of seven or more games.

“Being able to score in a game like this is just huge,” McCann said. “And obviously we made some history tonight, so was nice.”

Daniel Sprong, Andre Burakovsky and Eeli Tolvanen also scored for Seattle.

Seattle improved to 26-12-4, a win short of its total last season when it joined the NHL as an expansion franchise. Ryan Donato, Alex Wennberg and Yanni Gourde each had two assists.

Coach Dave Hakstol stopped short of saying his team is ahead of schedule. But he likes what sees so far in Seattle’s second season.

“It’s a great accomplishment for the players to be able to do that,” Hakstol said. “It shows the consistency and work they’ve put in from the start of this road trip.”

The sharp-shooting McCann, who leads the Kraken with 22 goals, has been a big part of Seattle’s surge.

“He just continues to find the back of the net and provide real good two-way play,” Hakstol said. “He has a natural scoring ability, an elite ability there. We saw that tonight.”

The Kraken’s 16-4-2 road record has helped, too.

“We didn’t have the best year last year, especially on the road,” McCann said “We’ve added some new faces and made our team a lot deeper.”

The game was tied 1-all midway in the first when the Kraken surged ahead with five goals on six shots against last-place Chicago.

Beniers started the onslaught with his 17th goal, through a screen at 9:30. McCann and Burakovksy connected on prime chances 1:22 part to make it 4-1 and prompt Chicago coach Luke Richardson replace goalie Petr Mrazek with Alex Stalock.

In alone, Tolvanen beat Stalock just 37 seconds later. McCann completed the spree at 13:11, firing a shot from the right circle between Stalock’s pads.

The Kraken started their eight-game run with a home win over the New York Islanders on New Year’s Day, then topped Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Buffalo and Boston before capping the trip with the drubbing of Chicago.

Seattle and goalie Martin Jones blanked Boston 3-0 on Thursday, handing the Bruins their first home regulation loss this season. In this one, Jones made 22 saves for his seventh straight victory.

The Kraken had a seven-game winning streak earlier this season, from Nov. 17 to Dec. 1.

Taylor Raddysh had a goal and two assists for Chicago, whose three-game winning streak ended. Jonathan Toews, Maxi Domi, Isaak Phillips and Patrick Kane also scored for the Blackhawks.

“Now you just have to put your work ethic back on and get right back at it,” Richardson said. “I assume that this is unacceptable for them (Chicago players) as well and they’ll be ready to work on Monday.”

Kane returned after missing three games with a lower-body injury.

Mrazek stopped just one of five shots. Stalock blocked 21 of 25 shots and heard derisive cheers from the crowd on routine saves once he settled in.

TOP PROSPECT RETURNED

With Kane back, the Blackhawks returned top prospect Lukas Reichel to Rockford of the AHL. During his three-game recall, the 20-year-old German forward scored his first NHL goal and had two assists.

Reichel, drafted 17th overall in 2020, made a bigger impact that in four previous short stints with Chicago over the past two seasons. Still the Blackhawks want him to hone his skills and consistency by playing a lot of minutes in the minors.

“There’s a few things that he still needs to improve on,” coach Luke Richardson said, while pointing to Reichel’s defensive zone play.

WORTH NOTING

McCann scored a career-high 27 goals last season. . Seattle F Jaden Schwartz sat out with an undisclosed injury. . Kraken F Jordan Eberle played in his 900th NHL game. … Stalock returned after sitting out a game with an illness. G Jaxson Stauber was returned to Rockford.

UP NEXT

Kraken: Host Tampa Bay on Monday night.

Blackhawks: Host Buffalo on Tuesday night.

———

ST. LOUIS (AP) Brayden Point had two goals and an assist, leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.

Nick Perbix and Alex Killorn also scored for the Lightning, who have won seven of their last nine and improved to 26-2-1 when scoring at least three goals. Andrei Vasilevskiy, who had allowed three or more goals in four straight games, had 23 saves.

“I liked how we skated,” Point said. “I thought the effort was there. I liked how we played tonight. We need to build on that.”

Tyler Pitlick and Pavel Buchnevich scored for the Blues. Jordan Binnington, who trails Grant Fuhr by two wins for fourth-most in franchise history, had 26 saves.

Pitlick scored on a breakaway at for a 1-0 St. Louis lead at 2:39 of the first period. Pitlick took a pass from Alexey Toropchenko in stride and beat Vasilevskiy with a wrist shot through the five-hole.

“Came out pretty good and got the quick goal, obviously, and thought it was going pretty good,” Pitlick said. “But that’s a good team over there, too, and we just need to keep going and keep building off that. I don’t know what happened.”

Point scored the next two goals to take a 2-1 lead. Point one-timed the puck from in the slot after being fed by Perbix with 7:38 left in the first, and added a power-play goal on a backdoor tap-in with 3:17 remaining. It gave him 25 goals on the season.

The Lightning scored twice in the second period while St. Louis had one.

A slap shot by Perbix from the right point gave Tampa Bay a 3-1 lead with 7:16 remaining.

St. Louis pulled within one again when Buchnevich scored with 6:05 left, but Killorn restored the two-goal lead on a backdoor tap-in with 1:38 to go.

Perbix exited late in the second period after he was on the receiving end of a heavy hit.

“Too bad he couldn’t finish the game,” Victor Hedman said. “It’s not an easy league.”

Cooper believes Perbix won’t miss any more time.

“I don’t forsee this being a long-term thing,” Tampa Bay coach John Cooper said. “We kept him off for precaution.”

St. Louis had just seven shots in the third period. The Lightning wanted to shut down the Blues, especially with Perbix out.

“That was a definite point of emphasis going into that period,” Cooper said. “I thought we did an exceptional job. We didn’t give them too much. We didn’t have to raise the heart rate too much as opposed to the last two games.”

Blues coach Craig Berube said his team must improve.

“We’ve got to a better job of moving the puck,” Berube said. “Better puck play in general and get more shots. We didn’t do that. you’re not going to get any easy games right now for sure. Teams are going to check and they’re going to check hard.”

BLUES HALL OF FAME CLASS

The inaugural class of the St. Louis Blues Hall of Fame was honored with a ceremonial puck drop before the game. They were also honored with a dinner Friday night. Members of the inaugural Blues Hall of Fame class are Red Berenson, Scotty Bowman, Bernie Federko, Bob Gassoff, Glenn Hall, Brett Hull, Dan Kelly, Al MacInnis, Bob Plager, Barclay Plager, Chris Pronger, Sid Salomon, Jr. and Sid Salomon III, Brian Sutter and Garry Unger.

ICE CHIPS

Blues D Nick Leddy returned to the lineup Saturday. Leddy last played on Jan. 5 against New Jersey and had missed four games with an upper-body injury. Leddy has played in 39 games this season with no goals and 11 assists. … With the return of Leddy, the Blues assigned D Dmitri Samorukov to Springfield of the AHL. Samorukov, 23, was acquired by the Blues in an Oct. 9 trade from Edmonton.

UP NEXT

Lightning: At Seattle on Monday.

Blues: Host Ottawa on Monday.

———-

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Mats Zuccarello and Freddy Gaudreau scored 51 seconds apart in the second period, and the Minnesota Wild held off the reeling Arizona Coyotes 2-1 on Saturday night.

Kirill Kaprizov nearly had a milestone goal and Marc-Andre Fleury made 27 saves for Minnesota, playing its lone home game in a seven-game stretch.

The Wild are 14-2-0 in their last 16 against the Coyotes.

“It’s good to get home in front of our fans. Obviously get two points. Even though they’re low in the standings, they’re still a good team,” said Fleury, 5-1-2 in his past eight starts.

Lawson Crouse scored and Connor Ingram stopped 25 shots for Arizona, which has lost eight straight games – all in regulation – while getting outscored 33-15. It is the most consecutive losses by the Coyotes since dropping nine in a row from Oct. 18 to Nov. 5, 2021.

“It’s hard to have A-plus games every night when you play every other night, traveling and so. I think what we can take from this game is that when you don’t play up to your standards and you get two points, that’s a good day,” Zuccarello said.

Kaprizov thought he gave Minnesota a 3-1 lead midway through the third period with a wrister from the left circle. However, video review showed Sam Steel was barely offside. The goal would have been the 100th of his career and come two years to the day after Kaprizov scored in overtime during his first NHL game to beat Los Angeles.

Instead, he’ll just have to celebrate a win.

“We’re all bummed when we lose a goal like that. I’m sure it’s going to come. You just have to be patient,” Zuccarello said.

“At that point in time if that’s a goal that’s a killer,” Ingram said. “I think that’s the reason the rule is there, if it’s close you play it out, you go back and make sure you get it right. It was a great challenge. It was close and it kept us in it and gave us another chance.”

Minnesota had a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:17 midway through the second period, but Ingram made big saves on Matt Boldy, Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek before the Wild final beat the Arizona goaltender.

One-touch passes from Calen Addison and Kaprizov fed Zuccarello at the doorstep for an easy redirect at 9:39. It was Zuccarello’s seventh power-play goal of the season, tying a career high.

Addison’s 16 power-play points – all assists – are tops among NHL rookies.

“We’re fortunate to catch a break with 5-on-3. I haven’t even looked at the penalty, but yeah power play needed to come through here tonight because it was tight,” said Wild coach Dean Evason.

Less than a minute later, Ryan Hartman gathered a loose puck in the right circle and moved around a sliding defenseman and Ingram before sliding a pass across the blue paint to Gaudreau. The goal came two seconds after a power play expired.

Crouse pounced on a rebound 5:44 into the third period and beat Fleury with a slap shot from the left dot to get the Coyotes within one.

“We played a really good game against a really good team. They’re top-five in the league for shots against them in the slot and we had a lot tonight. We got rebounds, we got penetration, we defended well as well,” said coach Andre Tourigny.

PLAYING CLEANER

The teams combined for just six penalty minutes. Arizona entered 28th in penalty minutes per game at 11.3; Minnesota was 31st at 12.6.

UP NEXT

Coyotes: Play at Winnipeg on Sunday.

Wild: Begin a four-game trip Tuesday at Washington.

——

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Frederik Andersen made sure one mistake didn’t lead to any other problems for the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night.

Andersen stopped 34 shots and overcame a mishap in the third period as the Hurricanes beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1.

“Obviously, the worst-case scenario,” Andersen said. “It doesn’t matter how you get scored on, you’ve got to be able to reset.”

Brady Skjei and Jalen Chatfield scored for the Hurricanes, who’ve won two in a row since a four-game skid.

Rickard Rakell scored on a third-period power play for the Penguins, who were trying to win for the third time in four games. Casey DeSmith had 34 saves.

Rakell’s 15th goal came at 7:48 of the third. Anderson, after gloving the puck, knocked the puck off Rakell’s stick in a blunder that gave the Penguins life.

“He gave it to them,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “But that’s all he gave all night.”

Carolina killed off another Pittsburgh power play to hold on. The Penguins finished 1 for 6 on power plays.

“I love how we killed the penalties,” Brind’Amour said.

The Penguins have struggled on power plays since scoring 13 times in a 10-game span with the man advantage prior to Christmas.

“Some of it is execution,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. “Some of it is decision-making. We were one of the best power plays in the league for that stretch.”

From Carolina’s perspective, penalty-killing made the difference.

“You’ve got to be dialed in on that and I think we were,” Chatfield said.

Andersen played in his second game in a row after missing more than two months with a lower-body injury. He stopped 21 of 23 shots Thursday night at Columbus.

“Having to keep building on just feeling good and comfortable,” Andersen said.

Skjei’s ninth goal of the season came in the first period and matched his single-season career high from a season ago when he played in all 82 regular-season games.

“I find myself in some pretty good spots on the ice,” Skjei said. “Just been lucky to find those corners recently.”

Chatfield’s fourth came as he took Sebastian Aho’s pass in rhythm and unleashed a shot coming toward the slot at 9:14 of the second period.

Pittsburgh held a 16-7 edge in third-period shots.

“I thought there was momentum swings on both sides,” Sullivan said.

THESE ARE DEFENSEMEN?

Carolina’s two goals were scored by defensemen. This followed the team’s previous game at Columbus when five of the Hurricanes’ six goals were scored by defensemen. Chatfield had one in that game, too.

“I’ve just got a shooting mentality and I just throw it on net and good things happen,” he said.

Chatfield had never posted points in back-to-back games and now he has scored in consecutive games.

BEAT THAT TEAM

Carolina won all four meetings with the Penguins this season. Each of those was decided by one-goal margins.

It’s the first four-game sweep of the Penguins in franchise history. Before relocating to North Carolina, the franchise, then playing as the Hartford Whalers, had a 3-0-0 mark against Pittsburgh in 1986-87.

ICE MATTERS

The Penguins have been limited to one goal in eight games this season. Rakell has prevented shutouts in three of those, with two of those coming on power plays. … Rakell also scored in Pittsburgh’s Dec. 18 visit to Raleigh. . Hurricanes left winger Max Pacioretty missed the game with a lower-body injury. Brind’Amour said it’s doubtful he’ll play Sunday against Vancouver.

UP NEXT

Penguins: Host Anaheim on Monday.

Hurricanes: Host Vancouver on Sunday.

——

DETROIT (AP) Patrik Laine had his 10th NHL hat trick and the Columbus Blue Jackets snapped a 10-game road losing streak, holding off the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 on Saturday night.

Laine, whose previous hat trick came Feb. 17 last season against Chicago, had gone scoreless in his last nine games. Vladislav Gavrikov also scored for the Blue Jackets, and Johnny Gaudreau and Jack Roslovic had two assists apiece.

“I feel like it’s been a frustrating season overall,” Laine said. “It’s not only because I haven’t been scoring lately but losing’s not fun. If we’re winning and I’m struggling, I’m not going to be (upset). Winning’s all that matters.”

Elvis Merzlikins made 25 saves for his first victory since Dec. 11.

“Amazing, especially how guys played,” Merzlikins said. “We’re dead last but we’re not quitting playing hockey. We played hard, we were blocking the shots and doing simple things.”

Olli Maatta, Jake Walman and Lucas Raymond scored third-period goals for the Red Wings, and Ville Husso made 21 saves. Detroit beat Winnipeg and Toronto to open its three-game homestand.

“There was no jump and no life on the bench,” Detroit captain Dylan Larkin said about falling behind by four goals. “We were just kind of looking around and waiting for something good to happen. That’s disappointing after playing a good game (against Toronto).”

The Blue Jackets scored three goals in a 2:43 span during the first period.

Laine scored his first goal of the game just after the Blue Jackets killed off Gavrikov’s penalty. Johnny Gaudreau set up Laine’s one-time from the left circle.

Gavrikov scored his third goal this season on a backhander during a scramble around the net.

Laine’s second goal came on a fortunate break. Roslovic’s shot went wide of the net, bounced off the back boards and onto Laine’s stick.

“It was fun to get those two early and kind of go from there,” Laine said. “We had a pretty good first two (periods) as a line and as a team. Kind of sat back a little bit in the third but just more happy about the two points right now.”

Laine completed his hat trick with a slap shot from the left side just 1:32 into the second period. He has 12 goals this season.

The Red Wings broke through when Mathieu Olivier inadvertently tipped the puck into his own net at 5:50 of the third. Maatta was credited with his fourth goal.

Walman made it 4-2 at 7:08 with his fifth goal.

Raymond’s backhander with just over four minutes remaining pulled Detroit within a goal.

“We haven’t been in this situation, to be open and honest,” Columbus coach Brad Larsen said of playing with a lead. “We haven’t been in this situation all year but we got through it. This is a big step for this group. I thought we handled it very well. You know they’re going to push. They got some juice. They came at us and we made a couple of mistakes. Again, we haven’t been in this situation but we found a way.”

Larkin was disappointed that the Wings couldn’t sweep their three-game homestand.

“That’s kind of been the story this season, we win two or three, but we can’t get the fourth and fifth and get on a nice run,” he said.

GAME NOTES

Gaudreau has 22 points in 16 career games against the Red Wings. … Roslovic notched his 100th point with the Blue Jackets when he assisted on Laine’s first goal. … The Red Wings won the first two games of the three-game series. … Columbus is 7-0-0 when leading after two periods.

UP NEXT

Blue Jackets: Host New York Rangers on Monday night.

Red Wings: At Colorado on Monday night.

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

HONOLULU (AP) Two swings were all it took for Hayden Buckley to become another face in a large crowd of contenders to a two-shot lead Saturday in the Sony Open.

On a day when there was an eight-way tie for the lead at one point, Buckley made a pair of eagles on the back nine at Waialae that carried him to a second straight 6-under 64 and allowed him at least a little separation.

One of them was a wedge from 133 yards that he thought he tugged to a left pin at No. 10, the third-easiest hole on the course. Instead, it turned out perfectly.

“It was nice to see that,” Buckley said. “I did pull it a little bit and wasn’t sure where it was going to land.”

The other was among his best swings of the day, a 5-iron from 221 yards that rolled up to 2 feet to the front left pin on the par-5 18th hole.

Otherwise, it was a steady diet of pars and the occasional birdie on a course where the fairways are running fast.

“We did exactly what we were trying to do and got away with two shots, had two big eagles,” Buckley said. “Our game plan stays the same. If we play well enough, that’s great. If not, we just deal with it.”

He was at 15-under 195 as Buckley goes for his first PGA Tour title in his second full year, and he’s not alone in that regard.

He will be in the final group with David Lipsky (66) and Ben Taylor (65), neither of whom have won on the PGA Tour. Lipsky has won on the Asian Tour, the Sunshine Tour, the European tour and the Korn Ferry Tour.

Nine of the leading 15 players at Waialae are going for their first PGA Tour win.

Chris Kirk also was two shots behind. He began the third round with a one-shot lead and good vibes because of his runner-up finish two years ago that enabled him to keep full status on tour. His first shot sailed toward the houses down the right side of the first fairways, out-of-bounds and leading to a double bogey.

He was otherwise solid from there, though he missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the 18th that would have put him in the final group.

Kirk has four PGA Tour wins, but the last one was at Colonial in 2015. It felt like a win two years ago at Waialae. He had stepped away from golf to treat alcoholism and depression, and his 65 on the final day at the Sony Open to tie for second was enough for him to retain full status.

So he wasn’t sure he had an advantage because of winning experience.

“If I had won three weeks ago maybe,” Kirk said. “But it’s been a little while. I definitely know what it takes, but also know it’s not easy to do. But I definitely like where I’m at. I like the way my golf game feels. Obviously, I’m very comfortable and love this place, so I’m excited for the opportunity against these guys that haven’t won. Most of them are probably 15 years I younger than me.”

Kirk wasn’t the only player with a slow start. Lipsky’s opening drive went left, and bounced along the cement path right of the driving range until it settled outside the white stakes. He managed to limit the damage to a bogey when he made a 25-foot putt. He followed that by taking two chips to get onto the second green for another bogey, and then he had seven birdies the rest of the way.

“It’s never ideal when your ball goes 50 yards down the path OB,” Lipsky said. “I’m pretty happy with how I played and how I handled those first two holes.”

While the third round wasn’t a bizarre as Friday – Jordan Spieth went from a share of the lead to missing the cut, Rory Sabbatini was one off the lead until three straight double bogeys – there was enough to realize 18 more holes might feel like a marathon to those trying to win for the first time.

S.H. Kim, the rookie from South Korea, ran off four straight birdies to take the lead at the turn. And then on the 10th hole, the third easiest at Waialae, he had 124 yards from the middle of the fairway and made double bogey – an approach that bounded over the green, a chip to 30 feet and three putts.

Byeong Hun An had a 66 and was tied for 16th, six shots behind. That includes his quadruple-bogey 8 on the 10th hole after his drive was in the middle of the fairway, 87 yards from the hole. An went long going after a back pin, muffed a chip, twice had a wedge slide under the ball sitting in thick grass. It was a mess.

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

(AP) — Trey Mancini and the Chicago Cubs have agreed to a two-year contract, according to a person familiar with the deal.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity late Saturday night because the agreement is pending a successful physical.

Mancini, a cancer survivor, helped the Houston Astros win the World Series last season after arriving Aug. 1 from Baltimore in a three-team trade that included Tampa Bay.

He struggled at the plate with Houston and finished the season batting .239 with 18 home runs, 63 RBIs and a .710 OPS overall for the Orioles and Astros.

Mancini, who turns 31 in March, brings a right-handed bat with power and could be a primary option at designated hitter for the Cubs. He plays first base and the corner outfield spots, also giving Chicago a potential platoon partner for new first baseman Eric Hosmer, a left-handed hitter.

Mancini would become the latest free-agent addition for the active Cubs this winter after they went 74-88 last year for their second consecutive losing season. They also added Gold Glove shortstop Dansby Swanson, right-hander Jameson Taillon, outfielder Cody Bellinger, reliever Brad Boxberger and catcher Tucker Barnhart.

In five-plus major league seasons, Mancini is a .265 career hitter with 125 home runs and a .787 OPS.

He finished third in 2017 AL Rookie of the Year balloting with Baltimore, then batted .291 with 35 homers, 97 RBIs and an .899 OPS in 2019. But he was diagnosed with colon cancer the following year and missed the 2020 season while undergoing treatment.

Mancini returned in 2021 and won the AL Comeback Player of the Year award after hitting .255 with 21 homers, 71 RBIs and a .758 OPS in 147 games for the Orioles.

After the Astros acquired him last year, Mancini batted just .176 with eight homers, 22 RBIs and a .622 OPS, becoming a part-time player for Houston in October. He was in and out of the lineup and finished 1 for 21 with one RBI and eight strikeouts in his first postseason, managing a single in the World Series clincher against Philadelphia.

But he was pressed into service late in Game 5 when Gold Glove first baseman Yuli Gurriel sprained his right knee, and Mancini – playing in the field for the first time in a month – turned in a terrific defensive play that helped the Astros hold on for a 3-2 victory.

After the season, Houston declined a $10 million option on Mancini’s contract in favor of a $250,000 buyout, making him a free agent.

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

COLTS FOOTBALL

The Colts on Saturday completed an interview for the team’s head coaching position with Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen.

Steichen, in his second year as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator, guided Philadelphia to the NFC No. 1 seed in 2022. The Eagles finished the regular season averaging 28.1 points per game, second-most in the NFL.

Prior to joining the Eagles, Steichen held several roles for the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers: Offensive quality control/wide receivers (2014-2015), quarterbacks coach (2016-2019), interim offensive coordinator (2019) and offensive coordinator (2020). Steichen broke into the NFL with the Chargers in 2011 as a defensive assistant, a role he held for two years before spending 2013 as an offensive quality control/quarterbacks coach with the Cleveland Browns.

Steichen played quarterback collegiately for UNLV from 2003-2006.

The Colts on Saturday completed an interview for the team’s head coaching position with Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

Glenn, a first-round pick of the New York Jets in 1994 and a three-time Pro Bowl cornerback who spent a decade and a half as a player in the NFL, has been the Lions’ defensive coordinator for the last two seasons.

Glenn began coaching in 2014 as the Cleveland Browns’ assistant defensive backs coach, a role he held for two seasons. He spent 2016-2020 as the New Orleans Saints’ secondary coach before following current Lions head coach Dan Campbell, who was on the Saints’ staff, to Detroit.

From 2012-2013, Glenn was a personnel scout for the Jets.

Glenn played for the Jets (1994-2001), Houston Texans (2002-2004), Dallas Cowboys (2005-2006), Jacksonville Jaguars (2007) and Saints (2008) during his career, and was selected to three Pro Bowls (1997, 1998, 2002). He finished his career with 41 interceptions in 205 games.

PACERS BASKETBALL

The Memphis Grizzlies entered Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday night as the hottest team in the NBA. They continued their scorching stretch of play on Saturday, rolling the Pacers, 130-112.

It was the ninth straight win for Memphis (29-13), the longest active win streak in the league. The shorthanded Pacers (23-21), playing on the second half of a back-to-back and without stars Tyrese Haliburton (elbow/knee) and Myles Turner (back), simply didn’t have enough firepower to keep up with Ja Morant and the Grizzlies’ explosive offensive attack.

Memphis outscored Indiana 38-13 in fastbreak points and 70-46 in points in the paint, throwing down 11 dunks — including five in a row in one stretch in the third quarter — en route to a comfortable victory.

“That may very well be the best team on the planet right now,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “They’re very hard to play…I don’t think we had a whole lot in the tank tonight. It’s tough catching them on two days rest when we’re coming off a game last night, but that’s the world we’re living in.”

Richmond, Ind. native Desmond Bane had a team-high 25 points for Memphis, going 10-for-19 from the field and 5-for-11 from 3-point range. Morant, the Grizzlies’ All-NBA point guard, added 23 points and 10 assists in just 25 minutes of action, as he sat out the entire fourth quarter with the game in hand.

Second-year guard Chris Duarte scored a team-high 25 points for Indiana, going 4-for-9 from 3-point range and 7-for-7 from the free throw line.

Duarte’s performance was the most positive storyline for the Pacers on Saturday. The 13th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft had struggled to find a rhythm since returning from an ankle injury last month and had gone just 9-for-54 over his past 10 games entering Saturday.

“I knew it was close,” Duarte said. “I kept saying to myself, ‘It’s coming, it’s close, I’m going to have a breakout.'”

The Pacers travel to Milwaukee for their first meeting this season with their Central Division rivals. The two teams will face off on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 16 at 2:30 PM ET.

Tickets

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

FUEL HOCKEY

INDIANAPOLIS– The Fuel hosted the Kalamazoo Wings on Saturday night in front of a sold out crowd of 6,559 people for Star Wars night, beating their franchise attendance record of 6,551 set just two weeks ago. In their attempt to bounce back after a loss to Cincinnati on Friday, the Fuel won 3-2 after a scoreless third period.

Kalamazoo kicked off the scoring just 36 seconds into the game with a goal by Max Humitz assisted by Logan Lambdin and Brandon Saigeon. At exactly the seven minute mark of the first period, Spencer Watson tied the game at one with the help of Cam Hillis and Alex Wideman who created a great passing sequence before the goal was scored.

At the end of the first period, Indy was outshooting Kalamazoo 13-10 but the score remained 1-1 despite two penalties being handed out to each team.

Leif Mattson was able to give the K-Wings the lead again just four and a half minutes into the second period with a shot right in front of Driscoll after Kalamazoo played the puck behind the net. 

Ten minutes later, Spencer Watson got his second goal of the game, once again to tie up the game. Wideman got his second assist of the game on this goal along with Kirill Chaika. 

With just over a minute to go, Andrew Bellant was given a penalty shot after his breakaway opportunity was interfered with. He did not score on the penalty shot but got a breakaway opportunity almost identical to the first with just six seconds left in the period to give the Fuel their first lead of the game and their tenth shorthanded goal of the season as a team.

With no goals in the third period and just a few penalties handed out for some spicy behavior, the Fuel won 3-2. 

The Fuel return to Indiana Farmers Coliseum on Friday, January 20 for Do317 Night against the Cincinnati Cyclones! Tickets are available HERE. 

INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana found its defense Saturday afternoon.

Victory followed.

Junior forward Jordan Geronimo played to his potential.

Victory followed.

It wasn’t a coincidence.

That the 63-45 win came against No. 18 Wisconsin, a program that had dominated the series throughout the 21st Century, that the Hoosiers (11-6 overall, 2-4 in the Big Ten) snapped a three-game losing streak and restored momentum they desperately needed, made it all the sweeter.

“Our backs were to the wall,” senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis said. “We had dropped three straight. We had a demoralizing loss to Penn State. Wisconsin is a team I hadn’t beaten since I’ve been here.

“We knew it would be a dogfight and that it would happen on the defensive end.”

Indiana held Wisconsin, which had won 10 of the previous 11 meetings, to 32 percent shooting, just 5-for-24 from three-point range. It also forced nine Badger turnovers.

“We played Indiana defense the way it should be played,” coach Mike Woodson said.

As a result, the Hoosiers led for 32 minutes. Wisconsin led for 46 seconds.

“It was a lot of film,” Woodson said of the work that sparked the turnaround. “It was a lot of practice. A lot of yelling and screaming and trying to get things accomplished in practice. Our backs were against the wall. Our guys answered the bell.

“Losing three in a row is not fun for anybody. The guys had good spirits in practice. We had a nice carryover.”

No Hoosier had a bigger carryover than Geronimo, who had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

With senior forward Race Thompson out indefinitely with a leg injury (illness kept him away from Saturday’s game), Geronimo started the last three games. This was the first time he’d made the most of it, flashing the form that saw him excel in last year’s postseason

“He played within himself,” Woodson said. “He did a lot of good things on defense and rebounding. He finished around the rim.

“He looked comfortable. When I challenge players, sometimes it makes them uneasy. They need to know I’m in their corner. I need them to perform at a high level. It ain’t personal. It’s coaching.

“I hope he can grow and continue to play that well.”

Geronimo set season highs in points, rebounds and minutes (28).

“Struggling the last couple of games made me realize I had to put more into the preparation,” he said. “Watch more film. Be more focused on what’s happening on the court. Play free and not worry about the intangibles. Play like myself.

“If I miss a shot or make a mistake, have a short memory. Play hard and make the simple play. Go to the next possession.”

Mission accomplished.

“I told him it will take time because he hasn’t been in this position (a starter) before,” Jackson-Davis said.

“He’s very capable of doing big things. Props to him for keeping his head down and keep grinding. I’m proud of him.”

Jackson-Davis also had a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Guard Jalen Hood-Schifino added 16 points.

A 12-0 run to open the second half broke the game open as IU unleashed a dormant offense. It shot 65.5 percent in the second half, 47 percent for the game.

Wisconsin (11-5, 3-3), which has lost three in a row, had no answer.

“Defense wins games,” Woodson said. “I’ve been in enough games where neither team could score and it’s a dog fight. You’re scraping and scrapping to get a bucket.

“I don’t mind games like that.”

A sluggish five-minute start had both teams combine for 3-for-10 shooting with two turnovers. IU led 4-2. Three minutes later, it had a 9-7 edge.

Woodson went to his bench early with guard CJ Gunn and forward Logan Duncomb. The Hoosiers inched ahead 13-9, holding Wisconsin to 25 percent shooting even though they weren’t shooting much better at 33 percent.

At halftime, IU led 21-20 despite 30 percent shooting. Geronimo led with six points.

The big question — could the Hoosiers kick-start their offense and sustain their defense?

The answers — yes.

“I told the guys at halftime, our defense was solid,” Woodson said. “If we find some offense to get a cushion, we’ll be fine. We started second half on a bang.”

IU opened with baskets from Jackson-Davis, Hood-Schifino (two) and Trey Galloway to surge ahead 29-20 three minutes into the second half.

Geronimo followed with consecutive layups. After seven minutes, the Hoosiers were 9-for-11 from the field for 18 points in the half, 39 overall. Wisconsin was 1-for-11 for two points in the half, 22 overall.

The Badgers’ 7-0 run for a 39-29 score gave them a chance with 10 minutes remaining.

Baskets by IU freshmen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau reduced those chances. A few minutes later, with Hood-Schifino, Miller Kopp and Jackson-Davis delivering knock-out points, Wisconsin chances hit zero.

IU’s losing streak was over, and momentum was restored, just in time for a grueling stretch that includes Illinois, Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue in the next two and a half weeks.

It plays at Illinois on Thursday and hosts Michigan State next Sunday.

“We did a lot of good things that had been missing,” Woodson said. “We’ve got to build on this game and continue to grow.”

Added Jackson-Davis: “In this league, you lose three in a row, you can also win three in a row. The Big Ten is the Big Ten. Every night is going to be a grind.”

INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – No. 6/6 Indiana is set to host Wisconsin in an afternoon matinee in Big Ten action on Sunday. Tipoff at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall is set for 2 p.m. ET.

ABOUT THE BADGERS

Wisconsin comes in after an overtime win over Michigan State on Wednesday night in East Lansing. Senior guard Julia Pospisilova leads four players in double figures with 13.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Redshirt freshman guard adds 12.8 points while freshman forward Serah Williams helps lead the team on the glass with 5.3 per game along with 12.3 points per outing. The Badgers are scoring 70.0 points per game while shooting 43.1 percent from the floor.

SERIES HISTORY

Indiana leads 52-24

LAST MEETING

1/5/22 – W, 76-53 (Madison, Wis.)

NOTES

The Hoosiers are coming off their third ranked win this season as it defeated No. 9/11 Maryland, 68-61, on Thursday night. Senior forward Mackenzie Holmes posted her fourth-straight double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds while junior guard Sydney Parrish led the way with 18 points.

The win over a ranked Terps squad made its second top-10 win of the season, the first time in the Teri Moren era and the first time since 2001-02 that the program has won two games in the same campaign against top-10 opposition.

Holmes posted her 17th-consecutive ballgame with double-digit points ns and pulled down 10 rebounds, recording her fourth-straight double-double and the seventh of the season. She now owns 17 career double-doubles.

Indiana has owned the series against Wisconsin as of late, winning its last eight dating back to 2016. It has won seven-straight home games between the two teams dating back to 2012 as well. Additionally, the Hoosiers have won 10 of the last 11 in the series which dates back to 2014.

With its 15-1 record, IU has its best record in 16 games since the 1974-75 season, where it also went 15-1 in 16 games played.

Ninth year head coach Teri Moren picked up her 187th victory at the helm of the Hoosiers on Thursday against Maryland, pulling closer to the all-time coaching win record in school history. She needs one more victory to tie Jim Izard’s 188 wins that he amassed over 12 seasons.

UP NEXT

The Hoosiers hit the road for the next two when it first travels to Illinois on Wednesday, January 18. Tipoff at State Farm Center is set for 8 p.m. ET.

INDIANA SWIMMING

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – It was a senior day of celebration on Saturday (Jan. 14) for No. 7/12-ranked Indiana swimming and diving as the men’s and women’s programs opened their spring with wins over No. 15/13 Michigan inside the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.

The Hoosiers left no doubt in the victory, with the men winning 212-88 while the women posted a 208.5-91.5 score, as Indiana won 28 of the 32 events contested. For the women, it was their first dual meet win over the Wolverines since 2012 while the men extended a streak of six straight victories over Michigan.

“The team wanted to make a statement today,” IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “We’ve worked really hard. Our women haven’t beaten them since 2012, and it was great to see them get that monkey off their back, and our men did a similarly great job. I thought that was a wonderful team effort across the disciplines. I’m just proud of them, and we told them that we have a lot more to do. All our goals for the season remain in front of us, so it’s nice little feather in the cap.”

“It’s a step along the way. It certainly builds confidence. We have to keep doing positive things that put our swimmers and divers in a position to succeed.”

Indiana honored its senior class on Saturday with a pregame ceremony that featured fifth-year seniors Mikey Calvillo, Andrew Capobianco, Jack Franzman, Mackenzie Looze, Van Mathias, Noelle Peplowski, Margaret Rogers and Maggie Wallace, true seniors Jacob Destrampe, Carmen Hernandez, Samantha Muma, Grace Pangburn, Zain Smith, Ashley Turak and manager Ainsley Brown.

“It was a great day,” IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. “Between Andrew as our only male senior and one of our future hall of famers, finishing his career collegiately here, it was great, and he did it in classic Andrew style, with an almost 100-point dive to win the event at the end. And our three senior girls, Margaret, Zain and Carmen, they led the team in setting the culture that we have for this women’s team now. It was an important day for IU diving for them to move on and then hand it off to the next generation.”

Capobianco returned to collegiate competition for the first time since the 2022 NCAA Championships. The redshirt senior won both men’s diving events, scoring 412.95 points on the 1-meter springboard and 427.65 points on the 3-meter. Capobianco had an emphatic finish, earning a 96.90 score on his final dive of the day, a forward 4 ½ somersault tuck.

“He probably had as much if not more, or different, powerful emotions going through him today than he did when he was standing on the stage at the Olympics or NCAA Championships,” Johansen said. “And true to form, he performed great.

“We also see that there’s more in the tank, that he can put another 100 points on that list pretty easily. We’re doing the hardest list of dives in the world. No man is doing dives any harder than what Andrew is doing, and when they all come together, which, hopefully, with these next three dual meets, and then championship season after that, we should see him going to a new place. It’s hard to say that he can get better, but he can.”

Diving filled out the top spots in the standings. Junior Anne Fowler won both women’s events, scoring 304.13 on the 1-meter and 343.05 on the 3-meter. Sophomore Megan Carter placed third in each. On the men’s side, Hoosiers earned each of the top-five spots on the 3-meter board. Sophomores Quinn Henninger (402.60) and Carson Tyler (351.60) placed second and fourth, respectively, on 1-meter.

The sister duo of sophomore Anna Peplowski and senior Noelle Peplowski impressed again, winning four events each. The younger swept the backstroke events while her senior captured victories in each of the breaststroke events, highlighting their performances.

Senior Brendan Burns had another strong day, sweeping the men’s backstroke events to go along with a victory in the 200-yard butterfly, which he won by over six seconds after touching in 1:42.11. Despite wearing a training suit, Burns’ time is the sixth-fastest in the country this season.

Hoosier swimmers posted 10 NCAA B cuts while competing in training suits. Eight divers combined for 14 NCAA zone qualifying marks.

TEAM SCORES

Men

No. 7 Indiana 212, No. 15 Michigan 88

Women

No. 12 Indiana 208.5, No. 13 Michigan 91.5

HOOSIER WINNERS

Men

Luke Barr – 200 medley relay (1:25.74)

Brendan Burns – 100 backstroke (46.29), 200 butterfly (1:42.11), 200 backstroke (1:42.56)

Mikey Calvillo – 500 freestyle (4:27.52)

Andrew Capobianco – 1-meter diving (412.95), 3-meter diving (427.65)

Tomer Frankel – 200 medley relay (1:25.74), 100 butterfly (46.58), 400 freestyle relay (2:54.29)

Jack Franzman – 200 medley relay (1:25.74)

Josh Matheny – 200 breaststroke (1:59.54)

Van Mathias – 200 medley relay (1:25.74), 50 freestyle (19.59), 400 freestyle relay (2:54.29)

Rafael Miroslaw – 200 freestyle (1:35.28), 100 freestyle (43.63), 400 freestyle relay (2:54.29)

Gavin Wight – 400 freestyle relay (2:54.29)

Jassen Yep – 100 breaststroke (54.50)

Women

Elizabeth Broshears – 200 medley relay (1:38.80)

Anne Fowler – 3-meter diving (343.05), 1-meter diving (304.13)

Mariah Denigan – 1,000 freestyle (9:48.93), 500 freestyle (4:49.77)

Mackenzie Looze – 400 freestyle relay (3:20.82)

Kacey McKenna – 200 medley relay (1:38.80)

Kristina Paegle – 200 medley relay (1:38.80), 50 freestyle (22.40), 100 freestyle (49.60), 400 freestyle relay (3:20.82)

Anna Peplowski – 200 freestyle (1:47.21), 100 backstroke (53.84), 200 backstroke (1:56.93), 400 freestyle relay (3:20.82)

Noelle Peplowski – 200 medley relay (1:38.80), 100 breaststroke (59.93), 200 breaststroke (2:09.40), 200 IM (1:59.69)

Ashley Turak – 400 freestyle relay (3:20.82)

NCAA CUTS

A: None.

B: Brendan Burns – 100 back (46.29), 200 fly (1:42.11); Tomer Frankel – 100 fly (46.58); Van Mathias (19.59); Rafael Miroslaw – 200 free (1:35.28); Kristina Paegle (22.40); Anna Peplowski – 100 back (53.84), 200 back (1:42.56); Noelle Peplowski – 100 breast (59.93), 200 breast (2:09.40)

NCAA ZONE QUALIFYING SCORES

1-meter: Andrew Capobianco (412.95), Megan Carter (288.83), Anne Fowler (304.13), Quinn Henninger (402.60), William Jansen (263.85), Carson Tyler (351.60), Maxwell Weinrich (341.78)

3-meter: Andrew Capobianco (427.65), Megan Carter (321.45), Morgan Casey (285.15), Anne Fowler (343.05), Quinn Henninger (396.98), Carson Tyler (396.00), Maxwell Weinrich (346.88)

UP NEXT

Indiana continues its stretch of three dual meets in three weeks leading up to championship season. Next Saturday (Jan. 21), the Hoosiers will travel to face in-state rival Purdue before another road trip to No. 18/8 Louisville the following weekend.

PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

EVANSTON, Ill. – Scoring 20 points on 25 turnovers, the Purdue women’s basketball team pulled away to a 65-54 win on the road at Northwestern on Saturday afternoon at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Abbey Ellis led the way offensively with 24 points on the afternoon. The senior topped 20 points for the second time this season on 7-of-15 shooting with a trio 3-pointers and a perfect 7-of-7 mark at the line. The senior was joined in double figures by Jayla Smith, who finished with 11 points.

Jeanae Terry finished one rebound shy of her third non-point double-double of the year. The Detroit native went for six points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in 27 minutes of action.

Despite shooting 39.3% from the field, the Boilermakers (12-5, 3-4) connected seven times from the outside. Purdue forced Northwestern (6-11, 0-7) to commit 25 turnovers and scored 20 points off the giveaways, while holding the Wildcats to just eight points on 19 miscues.

The Boilermakers won the rebounding battle 40-30 and flipped 14 offensive boards into nine points and held the Wildcats scores on four second chance opportunities. In addition to Terry’s team-high nine rebounds, Rickie Woltman snagged eight off the bench and Madison Layden added seven.

The Boilermakers held a 12-9 lead after the opening quarter. Abbey Ellis and Madison Layden connected on early triples as Purdue scored nine points on nine Northwestern turnovers.

Jayla Smith sparked the Boilermakers to start the second with a personal 6-0 run. Cassidy Hardin added a triple before buckets from Rickie Woltman and Lasha Petree put Purdue ahead by 14 with 4:40 to play. Purdue connected on seven of its first nine field goals in the second during the run, but Northwestern climbed back into the game with an 11-0 run to end the half. The Boilermakers carried a 30-27 lead into the break.

Northwestern opened the third on a 9-5 run that put the hosts ahead 36-34 with 6:51 left in the period. From there, Ellis took over. The Australian international vaulted the Boilermakers back into the lead with 12 of Purdue’s 19 points in the frame. Terry dished out four helpers as Purdue took a 49-43 lead to the fourth.

Purdue’s lead grew to double figures on an 18-9 run that carried to the midway point of the fourth. The Boilermakers sealed the game when Ellis picked off a Northwestern pass and dished a no-look dime to Jayla Smith that put the Boilermakers up 12 with 3:05 to play. Northwestern chipped the gap down to nine tow minutes later, but the Boilermakers closed the game going 4-for-4 at the line. The Wildcats made just two of their final 12 field goal attempts.

NOTES

• Purdue leads the all-time series 51-26. The win snapped a four-game skid against the Wildcats

• Smith finished in double figures for the third straight game.

• Cassidy Hardin notched her 186th career triple, pulling her within two of Jodi Howell for sixth in Purdue history.

• The Boilermakers dished out 19 assists on 24 made field goals. Purdue is 5-2 when providing an assist on 70% or more of its field goals.

• Ellis has made her last 13 free throws.

• Purdue recorded 13 steals on the afternoon with five different players finishing with two.

UP NEXT

The Boilermakers will return to Mackey Arena on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. tip against Nebraska. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a mini–Purdue Basketball door hoop.

BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

INDIANAPOLIS – The Creighton Bluejays recorded a 75-56 win at Butler on Saturday afternoon to improve their overall record to 12-5. Sydney Jaynes led Butler with 16 points, five assists and three rebounds. The ‘Dawgs are now 7-11 overall with a 2-7 mark in the BIG EAST

How It Happened

Creighton shot the ball very well to claim their sixth BIG EAST win of the season. The Bluejays went 29-for-60 from the field (48.3%) and knocked down 14 3-pointers to come out on top.

A 7-0 scoring run would give CU a 9-4 advantage early in the game and the Bluejays would never trail the rest of the way. Lauren Jensen and Emma Ronsiek provided Creighton with 10 of their first 12 points and that theme would continue throughout the contest. Ronsiek led all players with 20 points and Jensen hit three 3-pointers to help net 15 points.

Butler trailed Creighton 14-9 after the first quarter, but would get the game back to one possession in the second after back-to-back 3-pointers from Trinity White. BU hit their first three 3-point attempts with Kendall Wingler adding a shot from long range. Creighton countered with a 7-0 scoring run and that would push the lead back to 10 at the half 34-24.

Yet another 7-0 scoring run in the third quarter would help Creighton outscore Butler 25-14 during that 10-minute stretch. The Bluejays shot 10-for-15 after the half including 5-for-8 from 3-point land. They added three more 3-pointers in the fourth to take us to the final score of 75-56.

Postgame Parkinson Quotes

“Creighton cuts hard and can expose your flaws on defense,” Parkinson stated. “It was a tough game, but I thought Sydney competed very well for us. It’s a learning experience and I think we will improve by the next time we play them. We have to get back to fighting and competing the way I know we are capable of.”

Stat of the Game

Sydney Jaynes was responsible for five of Butler’s seven assists in the game.

Inside the Box Score

– Sydney Jaynes scored 16 points on 8-of-15 shooting

– Trinity White hit two 3-pointers to score six points in nine minutes

– Jessica Carrothers started vs. Creighton and ended the contest with nine points and two rebounds

– Kendall Wingler provided BU with eight points and season-high five rebounds

– Anna Mortag returned to action for Butler and scored three points

– Butler shot 45.1% from the field and 37.5% from 3-point range (6-16)

– Creighton scored 18 points off 14 Bulldog turnovers

Up Next

The Bulldogs are back in action this Wednesday night at 7 PM. BU will host Providence on FloSports.com.

IUPUI WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The IUPUI women’s basketball team fell to Robert Morris on the road on Saturday afternoon, 69-63. Senior transfer Jazmyn Turner led the offense with a career-high 25 points followed by Destiny Perkins with 17.

IUPUI and Robert Morris were tied after the first quarter 18-18 but the Colonials outscored the Jags 13-7 in the second quarter to take the lead heading into halftime, 31-25. RMU came out after the half still shooting with the threeball, giving IUPUI trouble and helping Robert Morris to the win with the Colonials shooting 66.7 percent from the arc in just the fourth quarter.

The Jags made a run for it in the final minutes sending Robert Morris to the free throw line, but the Colonials held on for a 69-63 win.

Turner led the Jaguars with 25 points, besting her previous career-high of 22 points. She also added four rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal. Perkins followed with 17 points and a team-high eight assists and six rebounds. Ali Berg scored seven points with five rebounds while Rachel Kent chipped in five points, four rebounds and four assists. Freshman Brianna Wooldridge added a career-high six rebounds while Natalie Andersen also added five boards.

IUPUI shot only 19.2 percent from three while shooting 39.7 percent from the floor. Robert Morris outrebounding the Jags 40-36.

The Jags are now 8-8 overall and 4-2 in the Horizon League and will continue the road trip when they face Youngstown State on Monday, January 16 at 7:00 PM at Youngstown.

IUPUI MEN’S BASKETBALL

INDIANAPOLIS – Junior John Egbuta scored a season-high 15 points off the IUPUI bench on Saturday (Jan. 14) but the Jaguars were outslugged by visiting Cleveland State, 89-54. Graduate transfer Chris Osten added 11 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting to join him in double-figures.

“(Cleveland State) hit us in the mouth and we never fully responded,” head coach Matt Crenshaw said. “It’s tough because we played Thursday night and this was their first game of the weekend, so they came out more aggressive and fresher.

“They came out quick, made plays and got us on the ropes. I liked our response in the first half, but that stretch at the end of the first half really hurt us.”

Tristan Enaruna led Cleveland State (10-8, 5-2 HL) with 18 points and Tae Williams hit 8-of-9 shots to close with 16 points. CSU shot nearly 56 percent from the field and 10-of-20 (50 percent) from three-point range and bullied the Jaguars on the glass to a 35-29 advantage.

However, it was IUPUI’s (3-16, 0-8 HL) 19 turnovers that led to long dry spells and allowed the Vikings to run away. CSU scored the game’s opening 10 points before Osten finally got the Jaguars on the board at the 17:32 mark. The lead ballooned to 16-2 before IUPUI began chipping away, ultimately closing the gap to 27-23 on a Jlynn Counter layup with 2:46 left in the first half.

CSU closed the opening half with a 9-0 run to build a 36-23 halftime advantage as the Jags missed their final four shots of the opening stanza. Things went from bleak to dire at the start of the second half as the Vikings scored the first 14 points of the second half to blow things open.

Armon Jarrard stopped the run with a wing three to end a nearly seven minute scoring drought.

Freshman DJ Jackson matched his season-high with nine points and Jarrard finished with seven. Counter contributed six points and six assists in the loss.

IUPUI will continue its four-game homestand on Thursday night (Jan. 19) when they host Oakland University at 7:00 p.m. inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum. That will be Favorite Professor Night as the department honors selected faculty and staff from across campus, as chosen by IUPUI student-athletes.

BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL

MUNCIE, Ind.  – The Ball State men’s basketball team returned to Worthen Arena for a Mid-American Conference matchup with Miami on Saturday. Jaylin Sellers and Demarius Jacobs tied for team-high honors with 15 points each as the Cardinals defeated the RedHawks 75-61.

Ball State improved to 12-5 overall and 3-1 in MAC play, while Miami fell to 7-10 overall and 1-3 in the conference. The Cardinal defense was stout and limited the RedHawks to a 3-point percentage of 7.7 for the entire game.

“Great crowd,” said Head Coach Michael Lewis. “That’s an exciting thing to see, a community get behind a team, and hopefully they like what they see. These guys are competing at a level that they deserve a backing like that. The students were fantastic. I hope they took advantage of the free concessions tonight. I was really pleased with the first half and how we started the game. There were a couple minutes in the first half where things dipped. The second half was obviously less than to be desired. We have to continue to learn. Our execution really dropped and those are things we have to clean up. We have to be more consistent in our effort and put a game away like that early in the second half.”

Sellers finished with 15 points, two rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block. Jacobs dropped 15 points with four assists, two rebounds, one block, and one steal.

Payton Sparks recorded his fifth double-double of the season behind 14 rebounds and 12 points. Sparks added three assists and a game-high two blocks. Basheer Jihad collected a career-high three steals to go along with his 12 points and six rebounds. Jarron Coleman collected a game-high five assists with nine points and eight rebounds.

Ball State opened the game strong, scoring the first basket and going on a 10-3 run over the opening 3:48. After Miami scored to make it a 10-5 game, Ball State answered with another run. This time a 9-0 surge to extend the lead to 19-5.

The RedHawks responded with a 13-6 run and cut its deficit to 25-18 with just over nine minutes left to play in the half. Over the next 1:03 of action, the Cardinals utilized a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line and a driving layup by Sellers to produce a 6-0 run. 

The two sides traded baskets for the next eight points, which saw a score 39-26 in favor of BSU. Ball State finished the opening stanza on an 8-4 run and took a 47-30 lead into halftime.

The RedHawks began the second half on an 8-4 run and cut the Cardinals lead to 51-38. Ball State settled down and matched Miami’s intensity. With the score 60-46, Sellers came up with a steal and took the ball the length of the court for the fastbreak dunk.

Miami came back with a 9-1 run and pulled within eight, 63-55, with 5:06 left on the clock. The Cardinals countered with a 12-2 run and put them up 75-57 with 48 seconds left. The RedHawks scored the game’s final four points, but the Cardinals claimed the 75-61 victory.

As a team, Ball State forced nine turnovers and were limited to seven of their own, while holding a slim 32-29 advantage in rebounding. The BSU defense also limited Miami to just 1-of-13 (7.7 percent) from 3-point range, shutting down a RedHawks offence which leads the league with 8.6 threes made per game.

Mekhi Lairy led the RedHawks with 17 points. He collected four rebounds and one steal. Anderson Mirambeaux paced the team with nine rebounds to go along with his 14 points and three assists. Kamari Williams added 10 points and five rebounds.

The Cardinals return to Worthen Arena on Tuesday, Jan. 17, as the Western Michigan Broncos come to Muncie. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.

BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MUNCIE, Ind. – Redshirt senior Anna Clephane scored her 1,000th career point to help the Cardinals (13-4, 3-1 MAC) earn a 92-61 victory over the RedHawks (6-11, 1-3 MAC) in Mid-American Conference action Saturday afternoon in Worthen Arena.

Clephane’s 1,000th point moment was bittersweet after missing two seasons over her five-year career due to not one but two ACL injuries.

Not only did Clephane have a successful day on the court, her teammate and roommate graduate senior Thelma Dis Agustsdottir knocked down six from behind the arc to move into third all-time in program history with 271 career three-pointers.

Both Clephane and Agustsdottir led the Cardinals in scoring today. Clephane tallied a season best 25 points while Agustsdottir finished the day with 20. Sophomore Madelyn Bischoff registered 14 points and sophomore Ally Becki added 10. Defensively, Richard came off the bench and led the Cardinals with 10 defensive rebounds.

Miami dominated the first quarter of play with a 22-10 scoring spree to start today’s game.

The Cardinals continued to struggle throughout the second quarter and found themselves down by 10 (30-20) at the 4:27 mark.

After that, a driving layup from Bischoff along with key baskets from Clephane, sophomore Alex Richard and Agustsdottir allowed Ball State to close the first half with a 17-3 run which gave the Cardinals the 37-33 lead over the RedHawks at intermission.

Ball State continued to play scrappy, and its defense intensified, causing Miami miscues that allowed the Cardinals to further increase their lead in the third and fourth frames.

The Cardinals outscored the RedHawks 55-28 in the second half and shot 61 percent (11-18) from the floor in the final quarter.

For the game, Ball State turned 25 points out of Miami’s 17 turnovers and had one of its season lows in turnovers with seven.

The Ball State women’s basketball team continues Mid-American Conference action when it travels to Buffalo Wednesday for a 7 pm ET tip-off in Alumni Arena.

BALL STATE SWIMMING

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Ball State men’s swimming & diving team opened the second half of the season by winning five events against Southern Illinois Saturday afternoon at Indiana State’s Vigo County Aquatic Center.

Despite the five event wins, the Cardinals (1-2) suffered a 196-102 setback to the Salukis (3-1).

Junior Joey Garberick set the pace for Ball State in the matchup by earning victories in the 100 (55.62) and 200 (2:04.57) breaststroke events. Garberick also led off the 200 freestyle relay that finished in first place for the Cardinals with a time of 1:22.28. Garberick was joined on the relay by senior Owen Chaye, freshman Jacob Siewers, and senior Jack Wolfred.

Chaye also finished with a solid day, adding to the Cardinals’ victory column with a first-place finish in the 50 freestyle (20.90) and followed with a second-place performance in the 100 freestyle (45.58).

Porter Brovont also added a first-place effort, scoring 301.30 on the 1-meter diving board. His 1M score was the 10th-best individual mark in program history and a NCAA Zone Diving qualifying mark. Porter finished his day with a second-place finish on the 3M board (306.50).

The Ball State men’s swimming & diving program will be back in action next Saturday, Jan. 21, at noon when they host Miami University at the Lewellen Aquatic Center.

Ball State Event-By-Event Results at Indiana State

200 Medley Relay

2. Ethan Pheifer, Joey Garberick, Bryce Handshoe, Owen Chaye – 1:32.12

4. Ben Clarkston, Michael Burns, Mason Young, Jack Wolfred – 1:35.27

5. Logan Ayres, Max Kruglov, Michael Mitsynskyy, Kenny Reed – 1:38.38

6. Erkan Ozgen, Noah Berryman, Bryan Lower, Patrick White – 1:38.53

1000 Freestyle

3. Zach Zishka – 10:03.83

4. Alexander Eddy 10:10.97

5. Zachary Moody 10:20.70

200 Freestyle

4. Jacob Siewers – 1:43.97

6. Landyn Riester – 1:45.82

7. Aiden Maurer – 1:47.66

8. Patrick White – 1:53.35

100 Backstroke

3. Ben Clarkston – 52.70

4. Ethan Pheifer – 53.02

6. Max Kruglov – 53.48

7. Logan Ayres – 53.77

100 Breaststroke

1. Joey Garberick – 55.62

5. Michael Burns – 59.81

6. Jack Wolfred – 1:00.46

7. Noah Berryman – 1:01.11

200 Butterfly

2. Bryce Handshoe – 1:55.24

5. Michael Mitsynskyy – 1:56.98

8. Kenny Reed – 2:01.42

9. Bryan Lower – 2:05.29

50 Freestyle

1. Owen Chaye – 20.90

7. Mason Young – 21.71

8. Jacob Siewers – 21.80

9. Erkan Ozgen – 22.08

3M Diving

2. Porter Brovont – 306.50

3. Wyatt Blake – 299.90

100 Freestyle

2. Owen Chaye – 45.58

5. Jack Wolfred – 47.07

T7. Jacob Siewers – 47.95

T7. Mason Young – 47.95

200 Backstroke

3. Ben Clarkston – 1:56.14

4. Max Kruglov – 1:56.25

6. Ethan Pheifer – 1:57.81

7. Logan Ayres – 1:58.13

200 Breaststroke

1. Joey Garberick – 2:04.57

5. Michael Burns – 2:14.18

6. Noah Berryman – 2:15.60

500 Freestyle

4. Zach Zishka – 4:49.66

5. Alexander Eddy – 4:51.18

7. Zachary Moody – 4:56.19

8. Michael Mitsynskyy – 5:01.47

100 Butterfly

4. Bryce Handshoe – 51.75

5. Kenny Reed – 52.23

6. Landyn Riester – 52.47

7. Bryan Lower – 54.80

200 IM

4. Max Kruglov – 1:59.08

7. Michael Burns – 2:02.67

8. Noah Berryman – 2:07.00

200 Freestyle Relay

1. Joey Garberick, Owen Chaye, Jacob Siewers, Jack Wolfred – 1:22.28

4. Ethan Pheifer, Ben Clarkston, Erkan Ozgen, Mason Young – 1:24.94

5. Kenny Reed, Patrick White, Bryce Handshoe, Landyn Riester – 1:26.48

1M Diving

1. Porter Brovont – 301.30 – 10th in program history

3. Wyatt Blake – 269.95

NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The road woes continued for Notre Dame men’s basketball (9-9, 1-6) on Saturday night in a 78-73 loss to Syracuse (12-6, 5-2) inside the JMA Dome. It was another game in which the Irish led for a majority, 26:19 in fact, leading as much as 12 points with 12:54 to play. However, the Orange ultimately closed the game on a 24-10 scoring run, stealing the victory from the Irish in the closing minutes.

Notre Dame converted a season high 15 three-pointers in the game as Dane Goodwin, Trey Wertz, Nate Laszewski and Marcus Hammond all made at least three. As much as the three-ball gives, it also taketh, as ND missed eight of its last nine attempts from beyond the arc.

Notre Dame was also uncharacteristically in foul trouble, as the Orange scored all seven of its final points from the stripe when the game was tied at 71-all.

The Irish dished out a season high 21 assists to their 27 made field goals. They were ledy by a season high 18 points from Hammond, as the graduate point guard made 4-of-7 from deep.

In addition, Goodwin extended his double-digit scoring streak to six with 15 points tonight. He also dished out a career high six assists.

Laszewski recorded his fourth double-double on the year and first since Southern Indiana on Nov. 16. The graduate forward earned 14 points and 10 rebounds. Next, Wert added 12 points and a season best seven boards. Lastly, JJ Starling added six points and two assists in his return home, for the freshman guard grew up right outside of Syracuse in Baldwinsville. 

How It Happened

The first half witnessed an Irish offense that was red-hot from beyond the arc as they connected on 9-for-18 from three. Wertz, Ryan, Hammond, Lawzewski and Goodwin all connected from deep as Wertz led with three treys.

Now let’s backtrack, after a 1-for-6 start from the field, the Irish finished the rest of the half 13-for-20. Goodwin ignited the offense early, reaching double-digit points by 10:35 on the clock, which gave ND a 23-19 lead.

It was also nice to see Ven-Allen Lubin healthy and back in the lineup as his slam dunk at 7:39 capped a 9-for-12 stretch from the field, tying the game at 26–all.

For as efficient as Notre Dame was from the field (54 percent), the Orange were able to trade blow-for-blow, as the half featured seven ties and eight lead changes. Three treys in the final 3:50, including two from Wertz, led to an Irish 40-36 halftime lead.

The Irish air raid from deep continued in the second half. In fact, five of Notre Dame’s first seven made field goals were three-pointers, opening up a 59-47 lead at the 12:18 media timeout.

Despite a pair of nice fast-break layups from Hammond, Syracuse responded in a major way with a 13-4 run to cut the deficit to one possession at 63-60 at the 7:58 media timeout.

The Irish had missed five in a row until Laszewski successfully recorded and and-one to make it 66-61 with seven mintues remaining.

Fast forward to three minutes remaining and a Syracuse three gave the Orange a lead at 69-68, but on the next possession, Hammond buries a three for the response – 71-69 Irish.

However, that would mark the last field goal for Notre Dame until a Laszewski layup with seven seconds left. as the Orange steal it 78-73.

Up Next

Notre Dame will host two games inside Purcell this coming week starting with a special “Irish Wear Green” game against Florida State on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m – and yes the Irish will be donning green jerseys. There will also be a special green shirt giveaway for students as well. Notre Dame then caps off the week with Boston College on Jan. 21 at 2 p.m.

NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Notre Dame (13-2, 4-1) has a winning record against every ACC team, and the Irish have not faced anyone more than Syracuse (13-4, 4-2). The latest episode in this storied rivalry is on the books for Sunday afternoon at the JMA Wireless Dome.

No. 7 Notre Dame is coming off of an 86-47 Thursday night rout of Wake Forest. Forward Maddy Westbeld tied her career high with 25 points and added 8 rebounds and 4 assists. After posting 9 points per game in the first 10 games, Westbeld is averaging 14.6 points per game over her last five appearances.

Olivia Miles continues to be the centerpiece of the Notre Dame squad and is one of two players in the nation averaging at least 15 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists per game (Iowa’s Caitlin Clark).

The star guard always seems to be in the right place to grab the rebound, but as a whole, Notre Dame’s rebounding improvement since last season is notable. The Irish’s rebounding margin is currently 14.7, up 10 boards from last year’s mark of 4.7. In total, Notre Dame is averaging an ACC-leading 45.6 rebounds per game and allowing an ACC-leading 30.9.

“Olivia is one of the best rebounding point guards in the country,” Karen & Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey said earlier this week. “Having size [across the whole team] has really helped this season. It’s a mentality, and it’s something that we do well every game.”

Syracuse has one of the ACC’s best offenses but has struggled with limiting opponents’ baskets; the Orange are surrendering 65.5 points per game but posting 77.9. The former number ranks 13th in the conference, while the latter is third.

Dyaisha Fair is leading the charge for Felisha Legette-Jack in her first season as head coach. Fair is posting 19.9 points per game, which ranks third in the ACC. She is currently second in total points scored amongst active Division I players (2,373).

Fair is definitely a shooter; on 16 occasions this year, an ACC women’s player has posted 21+ shot attempts. Fair is responsible for five of those. The 5-5 Buffalo transfer also averages 4.2 assists each contest with a 2.0 assist/turnover ratio. For reference, Miles’ is 2.1 this year.

Notre Dame is 37-4 all-time against Syracuse and won both games last year. The Orange are 10-1 at home this season. Sunday’s contest tips off at 2 p.m. ET on the ACC Network.

NOTRE DAME HOCKEY

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey team fell to No. 2/2 Minnesota on night two of the series, 3-0, inside a sold out Compton Family Ice Arena.

It didn’t take long Saturday for the Irish to go up a man as the Gophers were whistled for a five-minute major just 2:27 into the opening frame.

Notre Dame fired multiple shots on net during the powerplay opportunity but were unable to break the scoreless drought and the Gophers returned to full strength.

Not even two minutes later, the Irish found themselves on the flip side of the call as Hunter Strand was whistled for a hit from behind major and the ND penalty kill unit was sent onto the ice. Successfully killing of the major, the Irish registered four blocked shots while down a man to keep the Gophers off the board.

The visitors got on the board first with a goal at 17:45 of the first period to carry them into the second period with the Irish down by one.

A series of extracurriculars late in the period saw two skaters for the Blue and Gold sit in the box, ending the first frame with the two-man disadvantage.

Minnesota would score on the five-on-three opportunity early in the second period before extending their lead to 3-0 at 4:04 of the middle stanza with a shorthanded tally.

The Irish took another penalty late in the second, but generated some much needed offense on the kill to keep the Gopher lead still.

Although unable to break the Gopher goaltender in the second period, the Irish peppered Justen Close with shots, registering 19 shots on net in the middle frame while holding Minnesota to just six.

The Irish continued to press the Gopher zone through the third period, firing an additional 12 pucks on net for a game total of 38, but were unable to break the Gopher netminding as they fell 3-0.

KEY STATS

The Irish outshot the Gophers 38-24 on the evening while Ryan Bischel made 21 saves between the pipes for ND.

Landon Slaggert led the team with a season-high nine shots on goal Saturday night.

The Notre Dame icers jumped in front of 21 pucks in the loss, led by five individuals with three blocks a piece.

UP NEXT

The Irish get back on the road next weekend, heading East to faceoff against Big Ten rivals Penn State, Jan. 20-21. The two teams previously met to round out the first half of the year, ultimately splitting the weekend series while Ryan Bischel notched a career-best 47 saves for the night two victory.

INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Anna McKendree notched Indiana State’s first points-assists double-double since 2006 Saturday afternoon, but visiting Drake’s high-powered offense led the Bulldogs past the Sycamores, 86-65, inside Hulman Center.

McKendree finished with 14 points and 10 assists, becoming the first Sycamore since ISU Hall of Famer Melanie Boeglin to notch a double-double with points and assists. She also led the Trees with six rebounds and four steals. Del’Janae Williams led the Sycamores in scoring with 17, her third straight game in double-figures, while Chelsea Cain added 15.

Drake jumped out to a big lead in the first quarter and never looked back. The Bulldogs shot 70 percent in the opening quarter and took a commanding 32-10 lead after 10 minutes. Indiana State never quit, though, outscoring the visitors by one over the final 30 minutes. The Sycamores cut the deficit to 16 early in the fourth, but a 9-2 Drake run ended the hopes of a Sycamore comeback.

First Half

Drake scored within seconds of the opening tip, setting the tone for its explosive offense in the first quarter. Williams hit a 3-pointer to open Indiana State’s scoring, but the Trees were already down double-digits by the time their next basket, a jumper by Cain midway through the period. Cain hit another basket late in the quarter, but Drake closed on a 10-0 run to take a 32-10 lead after the opener.

Cain opened the second quarter with a layup and Caitlin Anderson added a pair of free throws to cut the Sycamore deficit down to 32-14. The Bulldogs responded with a 6-0 run before McKendree ended that with a 3-pointer. Cain and Williams both connected on jumpers midway through the quarter, while Alona Blackwell hit a 3-pointer from the wing in the late stages of the half, but the Sycamores struggled on the other end. Indiana State found itself down 52-29 at the break.

Second Half

Drake pushed its lead up to 27 early in the third quarter, but the Sycamores fought back. Williams scored seven points, including a pair of 3-pointers, as part of a 9-2 Indiana State run to cut Drake’s lead to 62-43 midway through the frame. Bella Finnegan scored five points inside the final minute, including a pull-up jumper from the baseline, to cut the Bulldog lead to 68-51 entering the fourth quarter.

Indiana State cut its deficit to 16, its lowest since the first quarter, following a Williams 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter. A missed layup for the Trees was followed by a 9-2 Drake run, though, dashing the hopes of a comeback. Cain scored four points late in the quarter, the last two coming off McKendree’s 10th assist of the game, while McKendree added a 3-pointer inside the final minute. Despite the fight shown by Indiana State throughout, Drake’s early advantage proved too much as the Bulldogs won 86-65.

Inside the Numbers

After being outscored 32-10 in the opening quarter, Indiana State outscored Drake 55-54 over the final 30 minutes.

Indiana State hit 10 3-pointers Saturday, tied for its most in a game this season. The Sycamores also hit 10 treys against Central Michigan.

The Sycamores finished with 15 offensive rebounds, turning those into 14 second chance points.

Del’Janae Williams, Chelsea Cain and Anna McKendree combined for 46 of Indiana State’s 65 points.

News & Notes

Anna McKendree became the first Sycamore to record a double-double with points and assists since Melanie Boeglin had 18 points and 11 assists against Evansville on March 4, 2006.

Del’Janae Williams has scored in double-figures in three straight games, averaging 19 points per game during that span.

Saturday’s game was Indiana State’s first home game since the calendar turned to 2023. The Sycamores just wrapped up a three-game road trip and will also play their next two games on the road.

Hattie Westerfeld drew her first appearance in the starting lineup this season.

Indiana State was shorthanded Saturday, as Adrian Folks (back) and Ella Sawyer (shin) were both out. The duo have both averaged 15-plus minutes off the bench for the Blue and White this season.

Up Next

Indiana State heads back on the road for the next two games, starting with a Friday night tilt at Illinois State at 7:30 p.m.

INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The league-leading Indiana State Sycamores will be looking to bounce back Sunday afternoon when they travel to Springfield, Mo. to face Missouri State for the first time this season at 3 p.m. ET. The Sycamores will look to make it four straight Valley road wins when they face off against the Bears.

Springfield has not been historically nice to the Sycamores, as Indiana State is just 6-34 against Missouri State on the road all-time. Indiana State’s winning percentage on the road against the Bears (17.6 percent) is the lowest out of any other Valley opponent that Indiana State has faced two or more times on the road (this only excludes UIC as the Sycamores are 0-1 against the Flames in Chicago all-time).

The Sycamores are coming off their first Valley loss of the season, a 69-61 loss to Southern Illinois at home Wednesday night which also snapped a four-game win streak. With the loss, ISU splits its season series with the Salukis. Indiana State led by 15 points in the first half before losing by eight, which is ISU’s largest overall deficit in Valley play this season. The Sycamores have trailed by just 22:01 in Valley play this year.

Indiana State scored just 28 points in the paint Wednesday night against Southern Illinois. It was just the fifth time this season the Sycamores have scored 28 or less points in the paint. Three of those five games were losses and one was an 88-61 win at Miami (Ohio) in which ISU hit 16 3-pointers. The other game was a two-point win against Drake with 11 made 3-pointers. ISU attempted 23 3-pointers Wednesday and made just eight of them.

SERIES HISTORY

Indiana State trails the all-time series against Missouri State 52-57 dating back to 1952, but the Sycamores overwhelmingly trail the Bears on the road, 6-34. The two teams split their season series last year with each team taking the win on its respective home court. The Sycamores are just 2-8 against the Bears in their last eight meetings with Missouri State, and will be looking for their first win in Springfield since Feb. 23, 2019.

LAST GAME AGAINST THE BEARS

Indiana State was not able to contain Missouri State’s Gaige Prim as the forward scored a game high 32 points during the Bears’ 79-70 victory Tuesday night at JQH Arena.

Indiana State (11-15, 4-10 MVC) held the Bears to 31.4 percent (11-of-35) in the first half of play while shooting 37.9 percent (11-of-29). Six Sycamores found the scoring column led by Cooper Neese’s nine points to go with four rebounds. Cameron Henry dropped in seven points while Kailex Stephens and Simon Wilbar added five points each.

ISU scored the first seven points before the Bears were able to get into the scoring column. Terre Haute native Jaylen Minnett had a team high 14 points for Missouri State (20-8, 11-4 MVC) in the first half of play while Preseason MVC First Team selections Isiaih Mosley and Gaige Prim combined for 13 points. It was a back-and-forth first half with four ties and lead changes, but ISU scored the final six points to take a 33-31 lead into the locker room.

Neese pushed ISU’s lead to 38-33 a minute into the second half with his first 3-pointer of the game before the Bears began to chip away and tie the game at 42. The Sycamores then reeled off an 9-2 run to lead 51-44 with 12:29 to play. Missouri State scored five-straight to pull back within a single possession.

LAST TIME OUT

It was a tale of two halves Wednesday night as the Valley leader Indiana State welcomed the Valley’s second-ranked team Southern Illinois to Hulman Center for Blackout Cancer Night in front of the largest home crowd of the season. The Sycamores led by double digits at halftime but were outscored by 18 in the second half as they suffered their first Valley loss of the season, 69-61.

Indiana State (13-5, 6-1 MVC) led Southern Illinois (13-5, 5-2 MVC) by 15 points midway through the first half and still held a double-digit lead after the first 20 minutes, going into halftime up by 10. The Salukis used an 11-3 run early in the second half to cut their deficit to three before taking the lead in the middle of a 10-0 run later in the half. The Sycamores would tie things up on three occasions in the last 6:45 but could never quite recover the lead.

Four Sycamores scored in double figures, led by Courvoisier McCauley with 13 points. McCauley, Julian Larry, and Robbie Avila each extended their double-digit scoring streaks while Trenton Gibson put up double figures for the first time since Nov. 27.

LARRY NAMED MVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Julian Larry was named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week Jan. 10 after posting back-to-back 18-point outings, helping the Sycamores go 2-0 on the week and remain unbeaten in Valley play. Larry shot 12-of-14 on the week including 3-of-3 from distance. He also connected on 9-of-10 from the charity stripe and dished out 10 assists with four steals across the two games. In Wednesday’s win at Illinois State, Larry shot a perfect 7-of-7 from the field with five assists and not a single turnover.

LARRY LEGEND 2.0?

Julian Larry is the lone Sycamores to play in all 18 games this season but has just recently emerged as he has played his way into the starting lineup. He has started each of the last five games, and in that span, he is leading the Sycamores in scoring with 15.6 points per game. He has posted 18 or more points in three of those games and twice has shot 100 percent from the field (8-of-8 against Evansville, 7-of-7 at Illinois State), and he is shooting 78.4 percent from the field.

Larry is dishing out 4.6 assists per game across the last five games and has committed just one or no turnovers in three of those games. He holds a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio while averaging two steals per game.

NEW FACE SETS THE PACE

Grad transfer Courvoisier McCauley is leading the way for the Sycamores in his first year at Indiana State. He leads the team in total points (283, 105 more points than ISU’s second leading scoring Cameron Henry with 178 points) while averaging a team-high 16.6 points. He also leads the Sycamores on the glass with 5.5 rebounds per game. His 16.6 points per game rank sixth in the Valley, and he’s top-20 in the league in boards per game.

McCauley has two double-doubles this season and is one of just 15 players in the Valley to record two or more on the year. He is also the lone Valley player with multiple 30-point outings this season. With five 20+-point games, McCauley joins just eight other Valley players with five or more this year.

A TALE OF TWO HALVES

The Sycamores have struggled to put together 40 consistent minutes of basketball this season, as shown by their scoring margin in the first half compared to the second half through 18 games so far. The Sycamores are outscoring their opponents by 10.3 points in the first half compared to just 0.3 points in the second half.

Indiana State has given up a double-digit lead on five different occasions this season. The Sycamores recovered and won two of those games but have lost the last three games in which they blew a double-digit lead, two in regulation and one in overtime. In four of those five games, Indiana State led by 14 or more points in the first half.

The Sycamores let go of the lead against Drake and Southern Illinois in their first two Valley games but still won each of those games. Since then, Indiana State has blown a double-digit lead and lost to Southern Indiana (in overtime), Duquesne, and most recently Southern Illinois.

BIG WINS, NARROW LOSSES

When the Sycamores win, they seem to win big. When they lose, they mostly lose by a small margin. In games decided by 11 or more points this season, Indiana State is 8-0. However, in games decided by 10 or less points, the Sycamores are 5-5. Three of those five wins were against Valley opponents while the other two were against opponents at the Gulf Showcase. Two of those five losses were by three or less points, one by six points, one by eight points, and one by 10 points.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball out-scored Milwaukee 25-6 in the fourth quarter on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 14), leading to a 72-62 victory over the Panthers in the Gates Sports Center.

The Mastodons’ fourth quarter included a 19-0 run over a 7:32 stretch, which saw Milwaukee miss 13 shots in a row. Purdue Fort Wayne was 4-of-7 from the floor and 8-of-9 from the free throw line in this stretch. Jazzlyn Linbo and Shayla Sellers had five points each in the run.

The ‘Dons trailed 60-49 with 8:26 left in the game. Amellia Bromenschenkel hit a pair of free throws then scored a bucket to get the run started. Linbo did the same, but had an and-one tacked on the end of her personal 5-0 run. This brought the ‘Dons within one. Then Sellers, who had exited the game earlier for an injury, buried a triple to give the Mastodons their first lead since the 5:47 mark of the first quarter. From there, the ‘Dons got a pair of jumpers from Sylare Starks, a free throw from Audra Emmerson and two from Sellers. The ‘Dons shot 66.7 percent from the floor in the final period. The Panthers on the other hand were 0-for-7 from beyond the arc in the fourth.

Purdue Fort Wayne finished with just nine turnovers, the fewest against a Division I foe since 2019. This included no turnovers in the fourth quarter.

The 11-point comeback to win was the largest for the program since the 14-point comeback to beat Evansville on December 13, 2019.

Five Mastodons scored in double-figures and all of them were in the starting lineup: Sellers (17), Starks (14), Bromenschenkel (13), Linbo (12) and Emmerson (10). It was the first time that all five starters scored double-digits since November 12, 2017. Emmerson had four assists and no turnovers. Linbo added nine boards, three assists and three blocks. Bromenschenkel and Emmerson added seven and five rebounds, respectively.

After Milwaukee shot 54.8 percent in the first half, the Mastodons held the Panthers to 22.2 percent in the second half, including a 15.0 percent clip in the fourth. The Panthers were led by 21 points from Megan Walstad and 12 from Emma Wittmershaus.

It is the first win for Purdue Fort Wayne over Milwaukee since 2014 and first in the last eight meetings. It is also the first time the ‘Dons have ever beaten Milwaukee as Horizon League foes.

Purdue Fort Wayne improves to 6-12 and 3-5 in the Horizon League after snapping a four-game losing streak. Milwaukee falls to 6-10, 4-4. The Mastodons will be back in action on Friday (Jan. 20) when they take on Northern Kentucky at 11 a.m. in Highland Heights.

EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

EVANSVILLE – Coming off an important win on Wednesday night, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team ends a two-game homestand on Sunday when it plays host to Northern Iowa at 1 PM inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.

Sunday’s matchup between the Aces and Panthers marks the 62nd all-time meeting in the series with UNI owning a 42-19 advantage. The Panthers took both meetings in 2021-22, including the most recent contest between the two sides, 78-58, inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse on Feb. 8, 2022.

UNI enters the Sunday showdown in second in the MVC standings with a 4-1 conference mark and a 9-5 overall record. Most recently, the Panthers captured a 70-69 win over Drake in Des Moines on Wednesday evening. Grace Boffeli and Maya McDermott power the Panthers, combining to average over 30 points per game. Boffeli sits in a tie for The Valley lead in rebounds per game, cleaning up the glass with 8.6 boards per contest.

Evansville is fresh off a 65-54 win over Indiana State on Wednesday evening in front of what was the second-largest women’s basketball crowd in Meeks Family Fieldhouse history. The Aces look to add another impressive crowd to the record books on Sunday as one student in attendance at Sunday’s contest will win a new TV courtesy of UE Athletics.

SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball capped off a successful homestand with an 80-66 win over the University of Tennessee at Martin Saturday evening at Screaming Eagles Arena. The Screaming Eagles, who were 2-1 on the homestand, go to 10-9 overall and 3-3 in the OVC, while Skyhawks are 11-8, 3-3 OVC. 

USI took command in the first six minutes with a trio of eight-point leads, including an 8-0 explosion to open the game. UT Martin would put together a string of buckets to close the gap to one point at 14-13 and 17-16.

The Eagles took back the momentum with a 14-2 run after the 10 minute mark, hitting five-of-seven from the field to lead 31-18 with 6:56 left in the half. USI’s defense also played a big part of the run, holding UT Martin without a field goal for five minutes.

USI, whose largest lead of the half was 14 points (35-21), had to settle for a 39-29 margin at the break. Senior forward Jacob Polakovich (Grand Rapids, Michigan) paced the Eagles in the opening 20 minutes with 16 points on eight-of-10 from the field.

While the first half belonged to Polakovich, USI sophomore guard Isaiah Swope (Newburgh, Indiana) dominated the second. Swope dropped in 14 points second half points on four-of-five from the field, two-of-three from long range, and was near perfect at the line, going four-of-five.

Swope’s second half production would help USI maintain the double-digit lead throughout the final 20 minutes, increasing it to as many as 18 points, 80-62, with 1:13 to play. UT Martin would get the final four points of the game before USI closed out the 80-66 final.

As a team, USI dominated the boards for the second-straight game, outrebounding UT Martin, 43-33 overall and 31-10 on the defensive glass.

The Eagles had three players in double-digits on the scoreboard, led by the 21-point effort by Swope. Swope was seven-of-11 for the game from the field, three-of-six from beyond the arc, and four-of-five from the line. He also tied for the team-high with four assists.

Polakovich added three second half points and finished with 19 points in addition to completing his seventh double-double of the year with a game-high 12 rebounds. Senior guard Jelani Simmons (Columbus, Ohio) rounded out the double-digit scorers with 14 points, scoring nine in the second half.

Next Up For USI:

USI hits the road next week when it travels to Lindenwood University January 19 and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville January 21 for OVC action. Game time Thursday at Lindenwood in St. Charles, Missouri, is set for 8 p.m., while tipoff Saturday at SIUE in Edwardsville, Illinois is set for 3:30 p.m. 

The game will be streamed on ESPN+ in addition to being heard on ESPN 97.7FM and 95.7FM The Spin.

Lindenwood saw its record go to 7-12 overall and 2-4 in the OVC after falling at SIUE today, 68-58. SIUE, who will entertain Morehead State University Thursday before hosting USI next Saturday, saw its record go to 14-5 overall and an OVC leading 5-1. 

Lindenwood was led in Saturday’s contest by senior guard Brandon Trimble and junior forward Keenan Cole, who had 12 points each, while SIUE was paced by sophomore guard Ray’Sean Taylor with 18 points. 

USI leads the all-time series and conference matchups with Lindenwood, 4-0, since the Lions joined the Eagles in the GLVC in 2020. The Eagles took both GLVC games last season from the Lions, 70-56, on the road and 77-70 in overtime at home. 

The Eagles have an all-time series lead over the SIUE Cougars, 44-21, and starting in 1971-72.  SIUE, however, has won the last two matchups, including the January 7 meeting in OVC action at Screaming Eagles Arena, 69-62. USI also holds a 15-12 series lead in games played at SIUE.

SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball was edged out at home Saturday night by a final score of 63-60 after a fourth-quarter rally by the University of Tennessee at Martin.

The Screaming Eagles found themselves in another contest on Saturday that came down to the final possession. Both teams were seeking to get back to .500 in Ohio Valley Conference play after entering Saturday with a 2-3 conference record.

The Skyhawks jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, but the Screaming Eagles quickly answered to tie the game. Sophomore guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) provided the first lead of the game for Southern Indiana when she splashed in a three-pointer just under the six-minute mark of the first period.

Defenses took over in the back half of the first quarter, as both squads had trouble getting off clean shots from the floor. One Screaming Eagle who found an early rhythm was junior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana), who gave USI a 14-7 lead inside the last minute of the first. Raley had six points after the first quarter, while USI led 15-9 after one period of play.

Raley began the second quarter with a jump shot to put USI up 17-9. USI continued the momentum in the following minutes, working aggressively inside and getting to the foul line. At the 7:29 mark of the second period, senior forward Tara Robbe (Wildwood, Missouri) drove toward the hoop for a layup after a spin move in the lane. The bucket put USI ahead by 13, 22-9, over the Skyhawks.

After shooting under 30 percent through the midway point of the second quarter, UT Martin found some late momentum before going into halftime. With USI ahead 27-14, the Skyhawks cut the margin down with a 7-0 run in the final two and a half minutes to make the score 27-21 USI heading into the intermission.

Out of the break, Southern Indiana pushed its lead back to double-digits, 31-21, on a pair of jumpers from Shafford and senior guard Tori Handley (Jeffersonville, Indiana). UT Martin cut the advantage back down to five for USI in the middle of the third quarter, but the Screaming Eagles were not fazed. USI went back up 10, 36-26, with 4:55 left in the third after a corner three from junior guard Lexie Green (Indianapolis, Indiana) and a layup by Raley.

USI’s defense continued to contest and force UT Martin into tough shots, especially from outside. In the third quarter, the Screaming Eagles held the Skyhawks to 3-14 shooting and 0-8 from three. Southern Indiana took a 43-33 lead into the fourth period.

UT Martin made a big run in the first portion of the fourth quarter. After USI led by 12 shortly into the start of the fourth quarter, the Skyhawks made their rally to tie the game at 49 with just under five minutes to play. The hot-shooting Skyhawks then took a 52-49 lead shortly later after a made triple.

UT Martin increased its lead to seven, 59-52, with two minutes left in the fourth. Following a timeout, Southern Indiana trimmed the deficit. The Screaming Eagles got the score down to four, 62-58, with 28 seconds remaining after Handley nailed a three-pointer. After USI got a steal on the defensive end, Shafford made a layup to make it 62-60 UT Martin. The Skyhawks made a free throw to go back up by three. USI had a little over five seconds to tie the game, but the last-second triple attempt did not go in for the Screaming Eagles and the game ended.

USI had four players in double figures Saturday night. Shafford led the way with 14 points on 4-6 shooting with five rebounds. Raley had 12 points and seven rebounds after a 5-6 night from the field. Handley and senior forward Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio) each had 10 points. As a team, the Screaming Eagles were 20-42 from the floor for 47.6 percent with four made threes and 16 made free throws in the contest.

UT Martin had two players score at least 20 points. Sophomore guard Shae Littleford scored 21 points and freshman guard Josie Storey tallied 20. The Skyhawks finished 18-44 for 40.9 percent from the floor with seven triples and 20 made free throws. UT Martin won the rebounding battle 29-27.

Saturday’s result put USI at 8-9 on the season and 2-4 in conference play. UT Martin’s record moved to 7-10 overall and 3-3 in the OVC.

The Screaming Eagles will head back on the road next week to continue Ohio Valley Conference play. USI will face fellow OVC newcomer and former Great Lakes Valley Conference foe Lindenwood University from St. Charles, Missouri next Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Southern Indiana will then travel to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville next Saturday at 1 p.m. to face the Cougars for the second time during the OVC season.

VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL

The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team picked up a road Missouri Valley Conference win on Saturday afternoon, building up an 18-point lead before holding on to beat host Evansville 76-69 at the Ford Center. A big second half from Kobe King (La Crosse, Wis. / La Crosse Central [Wisconsin]) played a key role as he led the way with 20 points, while Ben Krikke (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada / Jasper Place) poured in 18 points on an efficient 8-of-11 shooting.

How It Happened

Valpo faced an early 8-4 deficit before Nick Edwards (Atlanta, Ga. / Grayson [Glenville State]) hit a big 3 at the 15:01 mark to make it 8-7. A moment later Krikke made a go-ahead layup to put the Beacons in front 9-8, and then Quinton Green (Columbus, Ohio / Homeschool [Cedarville]) connected from long range to stretch the edge to four.

Green drilled another open trey at the 11:48 mark to up the lead to seven. But Evansville roared back, eventually tying the game at 19 on a 3 by Antoine Smith Jr.

Green continued a big first half with two more baskets in succession including a dunk, but it remained a seesaw battle in the first half.

Krikke and Green both subbed out of the game with 2:58 left in the opening half as both players were tagged with two fouls. After struggling in a prior stretch when Krikke had a breather, Valpo’s lineup configuration not only survived the stretch, but boosted the lead from one to six over the last three minutes of the half with an offensive-minded Edwards leading the way.

A well-rested Krikke had six points in the first two minutes of the second half, giving the Beacons their first double-figure lead of the game at 40-29. Valpo continued to grow the lead as Green hit another 3 and King made a layup to make it a 17-point disparity. 

The cushion reached 18 after a 3 by Connor Barrett (Chicago, Ill. / Loyola Academy) with 11:40 on the clock. Evansville scored the next five points, but Valpo got it back to 18 on a King bucket and Emil Freese-Vilien (Copenhagen, Denmark / Falkonergardens Gymnasium]) assist with 6:29 to go. Evansville ran off a seven-point run to fight to within 11.

The Purple Aces cut the lead to seven at the 2:38 mark, but Krikke hit a pair of big free throws to up it back to nine. The hosts trimmed the lead to six with 45 seconds to play and had the gap down to five with 38 seconds on the clock, but King went 5-of-6 down the stretch at the foul line and Barrett drilled a pair to help Valpo fend off Evansville.

Evansville’s late surge featured frequent trips to the foul line. Krikke fouled out and Edwards and Green had four apiece as the Beacons battled foul trouble in a game where Evansville was awarded 36 free throws but made just 18 (50 percent).

Inside the Game

King scored 15 of his game-high 20 points after halftime and finished a rebound shy of a double-double. He made eight of his nine free throw attempts with the only misfire coming on the last heave with six seconds remaining.

King tallied double figures for the 19th straight game, the only MVC player in double figures in every game this season. This was his sixth 20-point output of the year.

King’s nine rebounds outdid his previous season watermark of seven that occurred on Dec. 21 vs. Stonehill. His career high of 11 came last season vs. Indiana State.

Krikke’s 18 points marked his 17th time in 19 games reaching double figures. He has scored 15+ points in 15 contests including each of his last six games.

Green posted 15 points, while Edwards was the fourth Beacon in double figures with 13.

Edwards stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, six rebounds and four assists. This marked his highest point total in Valley play.

Krikke dished out five assists, his fourth straight game with three or more. It was his second-highest assist total of the year behind six vs. UNI.

Redshirt freshman Cam Palesse (Waukesha, Wis. / Waukesha West) played 17 minutes and had a +13 in the plus-minus column. Krikke was a team-best +15 in that area.

The 36 free throw attempts were the most by a Valpo opponent since James Madison had 42. Valpo is 2-0 in games where opponents shoot 35+ free throws this season.

Up Next

Valpo (7-12, 1-7 MVC) will look to make it back-to-back victories on Tuesday night as UIC comes to town for a 6 p.m. tipoff.

VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The Valpo women’s basketball team earned its first Missouri Valley Conference win of the year in emphatic fashion Saturday afternoon at the ARC, taking down a Missouri State team which is one of the Valley’s perennial powers and entered the weekend tied atop the MVC standings by a 77-68 final. The victory — Valpo’s first in program history over the Lady Bears — was highlighted by a star performance from fifth-year point guard Ilysse Pitts (Aurora, Ill./Montini Catholic), who more than doubled her previous career best with a game-high 24 points.

How It Happened

The first quarter was tightly contested, as both teams vied for control. The Lady Bears took a six-point lead at the end of the period, 23-17, on Taylor Woodhouse’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer.

Missouri State scored the first basket of the second quarter to push its lead to eight, and still led by eight halfway through the period before Valpo put together a 7-0 spurt. Senior Olivia Brown (East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids [St. Bonaventure]) had five points, including an and-1, during the run, while sophomore Olivia Sims (Toledo, Ohio/Notre Dame Academy [Oakland]) capped the stretch with a jumper with 3:25 to play in the first half to cut the deficit to 34-33.

Missouri State pushed its lead back out to six, but a driving layup from Brown in the final minute of the half proved to be the final points of the half as Valpo went into the locker room trailing 39-35.

Pitts scored five early points in the third quarter to help give the Beacons a 42-41 lead, the team’s first lead since the game’s opening minutes.

Four times after Valpo took the lead in the third period, Missouri State was able to tie the score, but each time, the Beacons responded to stay in front. On the flip side, however, Valpo was unable to push its lead past five points, and the edge was just 58-56 with 10 minutes to play.

Brown converted at the rim on Valpo’s first possession of the fourth quarter to make it a four-point lead, but the Lady Bears scored six straight points to jump back in front, 62-60 with 8:24 to play.

The Beacons answered with the key 10-2 run over a four-minute stretch to give them control. A 3-pointer by Pitts with 7:19 remaining gave Valpo the lead for good.

The run was capped in a highlight-reel end-to-end sequence. Pitts blocked a 3-point attempt by MSU’s Paige Rocca with the shot clock running down, secured the loose ball and broke out towards the rim. Her layup attempt was off the mark, but junior Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) trailed the break perfectly, leapt and put the rebound back in one motion, all while being fouled. When Earnest completed the 3-point play at the foul line, Valpo led 70-64 with 4:02 to play.

A free throw for the Beacons extended the lead to seven points at 71-64 with under three minutes to play before the Lady Bears converted a pair at the stripe with 2:31 to go to make it 71-66. Valpo had empty offensive possessions on its next two trips, but forced MSU misses on the defensive end to keep the Lady Bears at bay.

Pitts took care of business at the foul line down the stretch, hitting 6-of-8 at the stripe in the final minute, and Missouri State turned the ball over to the Beacons on each of its final three possessions.

Inside the Game

It was a strong team effort across the board to secure the program’s first win over Missouri State in 11 efforts on Saturday, but the highlight has to start with Valpo’s fifth-year point guard. Pitts, who entered Saturday with a career best of 11 points, more than doubled that to lead all players with 24 points — 18 of which came in the second half. Playing in her 95th career game at Valpo, Pitts paced the squad in scoring for the first time.

Pitts did so in efficient fashion, needing just 10 field goal attempts as she went 7-of-10 from the floor, knocked down both of her 3-point tries and was successful on 8-of-10 from the foul line.

Not surprisingly, Pitts also set career bests for field goals made (7) and free throws made (8). In addition, she tied for game-high honors with seven rebounds to set a season high and tied her season best with three steals.

Valpo also got an efficient offensive performance from Earnest, who went 6-of-9 from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe for 18 points to go with six rebounds. Earnest, who scored in double figures for the 11th time this year, set a career high with her six free throws made and also posted a career best with three steals.

Rounding out a trio of Beacons who set a high water mark for output from the free throw line was Brown, who went 6-of-7 from the foul line as part of a 15-point effort — her eighth game in double figures this year. The senior also paced Valpo with four assists.

Junior Ava Interrante (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) tied her career high with five rebounds and narrowly missed making it four Beacons in double figures as she scored nine points.

Fifth-year Maya Dunson (Dayton, Ohio/Wayne [Loyola]) tallied a pair of steals and two blocked shots — both tying career highs — while doing yeoman’s work in 30 minutes of playing time battling the bigger MSU post players.

Valpo set a season high in regulation by scoring 77 points despite hitting just five triples as a team. The Beacons were 19-of-33 from inside the 3-point line and got the job done at the foul line, setting a season high for free throws made as they went 24-of-29 at the stripe for an 82.8% clip — their third-highest FT percentage of the year.

Meanwhile, while MSU hit 51% from the field and 86.7% from the foul line, Valpo forced 19 MSU turnovers — a season high by a Beacon opponent — and came up with a season-best 11 steals. The Beacons committed just 13 turnovers of their own and enjoyed a 17-11 advantage in points off turnovers.

But the story from a team perspective has to be the rebounding, as this year’s team — which has been the best in head coach Mary Evans’ tenure on the boards — reached a zenith with its effort against the Lady Bears on Saturday.

Valpo enjoyed a 28-23 advantage on the glass, a +5 mark which seems even more impressive when you dive into the numbers. That +5 edge came against a Missouri State team which outrebounded the Beacons by a combined 36 boards in last season’s two matchups, and which had enjoyed a double-figure rebounding margin in its advantage each of its last four games.

The Lady Bears’ 23 rebounds were their lowest total since Feb. 11, 2018.

Valpo surrendered just five offensive rebounds to MSU, which totaled 40 offensive rebounds in last year’s two meetings. In fact, the Beacons ended up with seven offensive boards of their own and outscored MSU in second-chance points, 13-8.

The fourth quarter epitomized the game well. Valpo outscored MSU 19-12 over the final 10 minutes and enjoyed a 12-5 advantage on the glass. The Beacons did not give up an offensive rebound to the Lady Bears in the fourth quarter and grabbed three offensive boards of their own, which they converted into six points.

U OF I WRESTLING

MANCHESTER, Ind. –  A group of nine Greyhounds from the No. 12-ranked University of Indianapolis wrestling team stayed in Indiana for the Spartan Mat Classic at Manchester University.

INS & OUTS

Of the Hounds, Noah Cantu at 125 was the most successful, fighting through the bracket to the championship before falling, landing himself in second place. Aidan Petersen was the only other placer for the Greyhounds, with his day ending in a sixth-place finish. Despite losing in his first match of the day, Petersen didn’t let that slow him down, collecting five falls before forfeiting in the fifth-place match. 

Outside of Cantu and Petersen, Hunter Cottingham, Griffin Stine and Jay Thompson all picked up falls in the tournament.

UP NEXT

The Hounds will get back to team action, battling both Ouachita Baptist and William Jewell on Sunday, on the campus of William Jewell. Action kicks off between Ouachita and UIndy at 1pm.

U OF I MEN’S BASKETBALL

INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 24 UIndy men’s basketball team (14-2, 6-2 GLVC) knocked off No. 11 Missouri-St. Louis (14-2, 6-2 GLVC) on Saturday afternoon by a score of 77-70, marking the Hounds’ first ranked win inside Nicoson Hall since Jan. 9, 2020.

The victory was also head coach Paul Corsaro’s first against the Tritons and the team’s first win against UMSL since Feb. 2019.

Jesse Bingham got back on track, recording 23 points, while Kendrick Tchoua finished with 19 points and nine boards.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Clinging to a 36-33 halftime advantage, Kendrick Tchoua immediately stretched the host’s lead to seven just after the break following an assist from Josiah Tynes. However, a 3-pointer from UMSL’s Donovan Vickers capped a 16-5 run after the under-12 media timeout to keep the visitors in the game.

The second half was a battle; the game itself featured eight ties and six lead changes. Bingham dropped 12 of his 23 points in the final 20 minutes, including a 3-ball with 10:47 left to give the Hounds the lead for good.

UIndy outscored UMSL by 10 down the stretch before the eventual 77-70 final. Tchoua was instrumental, playing 16+ minutes in the second half and recording 15 points and seven rebounds. The Silver Spring, Md., native put an exclamation point on the win, committing theft and dunking the Hounds’ biggest lead to nine at the 3:32 mark.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– The Greyhounds held the Tritons to 41.5 percent shooting (22-for-53) on Saturday, compared to their 52.0 percent clip in their first 15 contests.

– Jakobie Robinson and Bruno Williams also finished in double figures, with the former recording seven of his 12 points in the second half.

– UIndy turned the ball over a miniscule seven times against the UMSL defense, marking a tie for the second-fewest in a game this season (at Christian Brothers on Dec. 6 and versus Missouri S&T on Jan. 12).

– Ten of the Tritons’ 13 turnovers were recorded as steals, as three Hounds tallied a pair of swipes. Aaron Etherington finished with two steals himself in 10+ minutes, joining Robinson and Tchoua.

– Bingham shot 8-for-17 (47.1 percent) from the floor, including a 4-of-5 mark from 3-point range.

MORE NOTES

The Greyhounds upped their winning streak to eight … the Tritons were perfect from the charity stripe, sinking all 17 attempts … UIndy led for nearly 34 minutes on Saturday … the Hounds have attempted 88 free throws over their last three games, drilling 75.0 percent of them … Tchoua has now increased his nation’s best field-goal percentage to 75.0 percent (84-for-112) … Bingham is now just 13 points from joining the 1,000 club.

UP NEXT

UIndy hosts Maryville on Monday, Jan. 16 for a MLK Day celebration. Tip with the Saints is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. from Nicoson Hall.

The Hounds earned a 75-58 win over the Saints back on Dec. 11 in St. Louis.

U OF I WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

INDIANAPOLIS- Despite a late push in the fourth quarter by Missouri-St. Louis, the UIndy women’s basketball team collected a 58-53 victory over the Tritions on Saturday afternoon at Nicoson Hall. With the win, the Hounds improve to 8-8 (4-4 GLVC) while UMSL falls to 5-9 (3-5 GLVC).

Elana Wells scored a team-high 15 points while Jada Patton added 13 points to also score in double figures. In total, nine different players for UIndy scored two or more points.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Despite UMSL hitting a pull-up jumper as time expired in the first half, the Hounds found themselves carrying an advantage of nine points into the intermission. Neither team found much luck shooting the ball in the opening 20 minutes as each squad was sitting under 34 percent from the field with less than 10 shots made. Even though the Greyhounds forced 16 turnovers and earned 12 points off those takeaways, the Tritions stayed strong by dominating the boards and out-rebounding UIndy by 12 in the first half which kept the game within reach.

A game-changing 11-2 scoring run by UMSL spanning from the end of the third quarter and into the fourth kept the Tritions within a single possession of the hometown Hounds with just under seven minutes remaining in the game. Then, a made free throw with 3:17 remaining locked the game into a tie. However, clutch play down the stretch with made buckets and free throws ended up winning the game for UIndy.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

-It was another strong game from the free throw line for the Hounds who went 19-of-24.

-UMSL out-rebounded UIndy by 18.

-Along with leading the team in scoring, the Hounds were plus 14 when Wells was on the floor.

-The Tritons were 0-of-10 from behind the arc. The Hounds were 5-of-12.

-Freshman Patricia Chikamba earned her first start of the season and scored four points in the process.

UP NEXT

UIndy will return to Nicoson Hall on Monday for a conference clash with Maryville beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET. The two teams met earlier in the season on Dec. 11 and the Saints won 88-83 in St. Louis.

MARIAN MEN’S WRESTLING

North Manchester, Ind. – The Marian wrestling team traveled with their reserve lineup on Saturday to Manchester University, placing third in a competitive field at the Spartan Mat Classic. Marian had two champions in the field with Asa Garcia winning at 141 and Jeff Dunasky Jr. winning at 174, as the pair highlighted a successful day of wrestling.

125

Jacob Simone was Marian’s lone wrestler entered at 125, and after taking a bye to open the day was defeated by Aleander Crane. Crane pinned Simone in the second period after leading 8-0, and in the consolation bracket the junior earned a 9-4 decision. Simone would finish 1-2 on the day, ending his afternoon in a 4-3 loss by decision.

141

The Knights had a strong afternoon at 141, with Braden Haines and Asa Garcia each reaching the semifinals. Haines started his day with a first period win by fall, followed by a 6-0 decision and a secperiod win by fall in the quarterfinals. Garcia’s day opened with a double-bye, as he won his round of 16 matchup against Gabe Bulugaris by fall in the first period. Garcia followed with a 10-7 win by decision, and in the semifinals he defeated his teammate Haines 10-4.

Garcia would go on to win the 141 championship as he defeated Dylan Stroud of West Liberty by a 9-6 score, while Haines finished fourth after losing by a 16-0 tech fall in the third place match. Garcia was a perfect 4-0 on the day, while Haines finished 3-2 overall. Dylan McKelvey and Drew Willis each went 0-2 on the day at 141.

149

Ian Heath scored 16.5 points for the team score as he finished fourth in the 149 bracket, winning by tech fall and major decision in his first two matches. Heath followed with an injury default win in his third match to advance to the semifinals, but fell to the third place match after losing 11-4. Heath was then defeated 10-7, settling for fourth place with his 3-2 record.

Blaze Garcia finished sixth as he won each of his first two matches by fall, but was unable to win in the quarterfinals as he was pinned in 42 seconds. Garcia responded with a win by decision over teammate Jeffery Nixon in the consolation bracket, and won 11-10 in the consolation semifinals. Garcia placed sixth after falling 7-1 in the fifth place match, ending his day with a 4-2 record. Nixon would finish 3-2 on the day, earning two wins by fall and one by decision.

157

Bryan Richardson and Zach Wilson each scored three team points on the day at 157, as Richardson went 1-2 on the day while Wilson was 2-2. Wilson earned both wins in the consolation bracket with one coming by fall, while Richardson’s lone win came by fall in the first period.

165

Jordan Fulks had a strong run at 165 for Marian, winning each of his first three matches on the day by fall. Fulks start allowed him to reach the semifinals, but the Knight was unable to reach the championship round as he lost by a 12-1 major decision. The loss dropped Fulks to the third place round, where he take the bronze with a first period win by fall. Fulks ended his day with a 4-1 record.

174

Jeff Dunasky Jr. was a champion at 174, going a perfect 5-0 to score 23 points to the team score. Dunasky’s run started with a narrow 3-2 win by decision, and followed with a win by fall and major decision. In the semifinals Dunasky was victorious 5-2 to advance to the championship, and in the final match he defeated Carter Lloyd of Baldwin Wallace by a 6-3 score to capture the bracket victory.

184

Will Stewart got off to a strong start by winning his first match of the day at 184, winning by fall in the final five seconds of his match. Stewart scored a late takedown to take a 6-4 lead, holding on for the win by fall. Unable to keep the momentum going in his second match, a 3-0 decision knocked the Knight to the consolation round. Stewart would finish seventh after earning two medical forfeits and a win by fall, finishing the day with a 4-2 record.

197

Justice Cash earned a win by fall in his first action of the day at 197, but lost a high-scoring bout in his second match going down to a 14-10 decision. In the consolation bracket, Cash found new life earning three consecutive wins by fall. Cash lost to Damien Rodriguez of Indiana Tech to end his day with eighth place and a 4-2 record.

285

Excell Brooks had the top day of the 285 wrestlers for Marian, finishing sixth overall. Brooks earned two wins by decision to start his day, but was unable to keep his streak alive as he lost 3-1 in the quarterfinals. Falling to the consolation bracket, Brooks rebounds with a win by fall at the 2:22 mark, and in the consolation semfinals dominated Victor Lee of Manchester with a 20-1 tech fall win. Wreslting for fifth place, Brooks was unable to earn a fifth win, ending his day with a 4-2 record as Sterling McLaughlin of Cornerstone took a 3-2 decision.

Liam Begley scored five points earning two wins by fall in the consolation bracket, going 2-2 overall on the day. Jaylin Harris earned a 9-7 win by decision in his first match of the day, but lost back to back matches to finish with a 1-2 record.

Marian will host their first home dual since 2021 on Sunday afternoon, as the Knights welcome WHAC foe Lourdes University. The dual will begin at 1 p.m.

MARIAN MEN’S BASKETBALL

Mount Vernon, Ohio – After staving off multiple Mount Vernon threats in the second half, the Marian men’s basketball team won a tightly-contested 87-77 contest Saturday afternoon to close the first half of Crossroads League play. Marian’s win gives them a 15-4 overall record on the season, as they improve to 5-4 in league play.

The Knights came out firing on all cylinders in the opening three minutes, with a Luke Gohmann three point make and a quick seven points from Taeshon Cherry helping build a 10-5 lead. After Cherry’s three that provided the five point edge, the senior was hit with a technical foul. The technical allowed Mount Vernon to gain momentum, as they embarked on a 6-0 run while holding Marian scoreless for nearly three minutes.

Brody Whitaker halted the run with two quick three-pointers, as the sophomore drained back to back shots off Christian Harvey assists. Harvey got in the scorebook with a layup and a Hayden Langkabel dunk quickly shot the lead to nine, but the Cougars stayed in the hip-pocket answering with a three. The Knights were able to keep the Cougars at arm’s length holding a two or three possession lead for four minutes after the TC Molk trifecta, however Mount Vernon was able to find a rhythm after two Kade Ruegsegger makes. The lead changed hands as Eric McLaughlin and Langkabel exchanged deep shots, with the Marian make sparking a run. Cherry scored four straight points at the foul line to take a 37-31 lead, with another five points on the next two trips pushing the advantage to nine. Mount Vernon would cut the lead to two points before the end of the half, but a Gavin Foe tip in at the buzzer allowed the Knights to hold a 46-42 lead at halftime.

Marian came out of the break just like they did at the start of the game, scoring on each of their first two possessions with a three from Gohmann and layup from Whitaker. The run to start the half would extend to seven points as the lead pushed to 11 points, but a foul on a three-point shot allowed the Cougars to capture momentum. A 7-0 run started by the three Ruegsegger free throws made it a 54-49 game after five minutes of play in the half, forcing a timeout from the Marian bench.

Cherry and Harvey responded after the timeout and allowed Marian to keep their grip on the lead, helping keep a two possession advantage. Gohmann’s third three of the game gave the Knights a 63-56 lead with 10:06 to play, and sparked a 8-0 run to surge the lead to double figures for the second time in the half. A free throw for Cherry to complete a three-point play gave Marian a 68-56 lead, and the Knights were able to keep the Cougars at bay as they answered each make with one of their own.

With 3:41 to play MVNU was given fresh life as Cherry was ejected from the game after picking up his second technical, and the Cougars used the momentum to get within eight points as the clock rolled under two minutes. Marian used a timeout to compose the lineup, and after getting a pair of stops were able to extend the lead at the foul line with Langkabel and Harvey knocking down the freebies. A dunk from Foe put the finishing touches on the game with the flush pushing the lead to 14 in the final minute, helping cap the 10th straight win over Mount Vernon with an 87-77 victory.

The Knights overcame 11 turnovers which included a stretch of four straight in the first half, and shot 51.8 percent from the floor in the win. Marian was a perfect 19-19 at the free throw line in the game, and were led on offense by Cherry who scored a career-high 30 points. Cherry also had a game-high nine rebounds in his 31 minutes of work. Langkabel scored 15, Whitaker finished with 13, and Gohmann had 11 in the win for Marian. Harvey scored seven off the bench and had a game-high six assists, with Foe scoring six off the bench.

Marian will start the second half of the Crossroads League season on the road, traveling to St. Francis (Ind.) on Wednesday night where they look to avenge their loss from earlier this week. Tip in Fort Wayne is scheduled for 7 p.m.

MARIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Mount Vernon, Ohio – The Marian women’s basketball team fell to Mount Vernon Nazarene on the road Saturday afternoon 68-58, snapping a 12-game win streak. The loss hands the Knights their first Crossroads League loss of the season, as they fall to 17-2 overall and 8-1 in CL play.

Marian battled hard, but found struggles offensivley, shooting 34.3% from the field and 31.3% from three-point range.

Both teams struggled to get anything flowing in the opening minutes of the game, with the first basket not coming until 7:21 was left to go in the quarter. Mount Vernon struck first with a layup before Abbey McNally came back down the floor and hit one on the feed from Ella Collier. The scoring struggles continued in the quarter until MVNU got another jumper to fall with 6:53 to go. Sara Majorosova answered with a three-pointer to take the 5-4 lead.

The remainder of the first quarter went back and forth with the two teams trading points. With 1:04 left in the first quarter, Marian got a layup from Aliyah Evans to hold a 15-14 advantage, but it was the Cougars knocking down a long ball to take the 17-15 lead after quarter one.

Mount Vernon got the first score of the second quarter with a good three-pointer to go up by five. Kinnidy Garrard gave Marian a little bit of momentum with layup, sparking a 6-2 run to cut the deficit to 22-21. The Knights continued their run around a minute later as Kenna Kirby canned the triple to give Marian the two-point advantage. MVNU responded with a 9-0 run to regain the lead at 31-24. Allison Bosse connected with Collier to put a stop to the run, but it was the Cougars having the last say of the quarter as Madelyn Lawson hit one in the paint. Marian would trail 33-26 going into halftime.

Evans got the third quarter started for the Knights with a jumper on the assist from Bosse to cut the MVNU lead to five. The Cougars did not budge as they held the nine-point advantage with 7:33 to play in the third quarter. Marian began to see signs of life in short bursts with a little over six minutes to go in the quarter as McNally got four points for her team to trail 39-34. However, the Mount Vernon offense remained hot as they jumped to a 10-point lead before McNally completed the and-one play to cut the deficit to 44-37 going into the final quarter of play.

The opening two and half minutes were scoreless for both teams until Kirby fired up from deep to put the MVNU lead back down to four. Sage Brannon answered right back with a three-pointer of her own, sparking an 11-0 spurt to give the Cougars the biggest lead of the game at 55-40 with 5:22 to go. Garrard and Kirby found buckets for Marian with a layup and triple, before a Collier layup brought the lead back down to 10. With a little under two minutes to play, Marian began fouling in hopes MVNU would miss free throws down the stretch.

The Knights continued to fight as Kirby hit her fourth three of the game, putting her team within single digits. Collier managed to knock down two more shots, but made free throws my Mount Vernon and not enough time left on the clock, Marian would fall 68-58.

McNally led Marian with a double-double, going for 13 points and 13 rebounds. Collier and Kirby each added 12 points, while Bosse, Evans, and Garrard all had six points. Garrard also pulled down a team-best eight rebounds and Bosse dished out five assists.

Marian will look to bounce back into the win column on Wednesday at home against St. Francis with tip slated for 7 p.m.  

SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:

INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/

ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index

TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/

OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx

ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index

IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/

IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/

IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/

PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/

INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx

GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/

GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/

HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php

TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/

VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index

SPORTS EXTRA

*******NBA STANDINGS*******

Eastern Conference
	W	L	Pct	Conf GB	Home	Road	Div	Conf	Last 10	Streak
1 Boston	32	12	.727	—	17-5	15-7	5-0	18-8	8-2	6 W
2 Brooklyn	27	14	.659	3.5	13-6	14-8	5-3	20-8	8-2	1 L
3 Milwaukee	27	16	.628	4.5	16-5	11-11	4-3	15-12	5-5	2 L
4 Philadelphia	26	16	.619	5.0	17-7	9-9	4-3	17-10	6-4	1 W
5 Cleveland	27	17	.614	5.0	18-4	9-13	7-3	17-8	5-5	1 L
6 New York	24	19	.558	7.5	11-11	13-8	2-4	15-10	6-4	2 W
7 Miami	24	20	.545	8.0	14-9	9-11	5-1	10-12	7-3	3 W
8 Indiana	23	21	.523	9.0	15-9	8-12	2-2	16-11	6-4	3 L
9 Atlanta	21	22	.488	10.5	11-9	10-13	4-3	15-15	4-6	2 W
10 Chicago	19	24	.442	12.5	11-10	8-14	4-3	16-13	5-5	3 L
11 Toronto	19	24	.442	12.5	14-11	5-13	2-8	13-17	4-6	1 L
12 Washington	18	25	.419	13.5	11-9	7-16	4-3	11-15	6-4	1 L
13 Orlando	16	27	.372	15.5	10-12	6-15	2-5	7-18	4-6	1 L
14 Detroit	12	34	.261	21.0	6-15	6-19	0-6	4-20	4-6	1 L
15 Charlotte	11	33	.250	21.0	5-15	6-18	3-6	5-22	2-8	4 L
Western Conference
	W	L	Pct	Conf GB	Home	Road	Div	Conf	Last 10	Streak
1 Denver	29	13	.690	—	18-3	11-10	7-3	22-9	8-2	5 W
2 Memphis	29	13	.690	—	18-3	11-10	6-2	14-10	9-1	9 W
3 New Orleans	26	17	.605	3.5	17-5	9-12	7-3	16-10	5-5	1 W
4 Sacramento	23	18	.561	5.5	14-9	9-9	4-5	11-9	6-4	3 W
5 Dallas	24	20	.545	6.0	16-6	8-14	6-2	18-9	6-4	1 L
6 Golden State	21	21	.500	8.0	17-5	4-16	4-4	13-9	6-4	1 W
7 Minnesota	22	22	.500	8.0	14-9	8-13	6-4	14-13	6-4	2 W
8 LA Clippers	22	22	.500	8.0	12-10	10-12	3-4	12-14	3-7	1 L
9 Utah	22	24	.478	9.0	14-8	8-16	3-4	16-14	3-7	1 L
10 Phoenix	21	23	.477	9.0	14-7	7-16	8-0	18-12	2-8	2 L
11 Portland	20	22	.476	9.0	10-8	10-14	4-6	14-13	3-7	1 W
12 Oklahoma City	20	23	.465	9.5	13-9	7-14	3-6	10-12	6-4	2 W
13 LA Lakers	19	23	.452	10.0	10-9	9-14	1-7	8-15	6-4	2 L
14 San Antonio	13	30	.302	16.5	8-14	5-15	2-7	5-23	2-8	4 L
15 Houston	10	32	.238	19.0	6-14	4-18	1-8	5-24	1-9	9 L

******NHL STANDINGS******

Eastern Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Boston Bruins	42	33	5	4	70	31	160	94	20-1-3	13-4-1	7-1-2
2 Carolina Hurricanes	43	27	9	7	61	24	138	116	13-5-1	14-4-6	6-3-1
3 New Jersey Devils	43	28	12	3	59	28	152	113	11-10-2	17-2-1	6-3-1
4 Toronto Maple Leafs	44	26	11	7	59	26	147	117	15-3-4	11-8-3	5-4-1
5 Tampa Bay Lightning	41	27	13	1	55	26	148	121	17-4-1	10-9-0	7-3-0
6 New York Rangers	43	24	12	7	55	22	140	117	11-7-4	13-5-3	6-2-2
7 Washington Capitals	45	23	16	6	52	23	144	126	13-7-3	10-9-3	5-3-2
8 New York Islanders	44	23	18	3	49	23	133	120	13-7-1	10-11-2	5-4-1
9 Pittsburgh Penguins	42	21	15	6	48	20	135	127	11-5-4	10-10-2	2-6-2
10 Buffalo Sabres	41	21	18	2	44	20	159	142	9-11-2	12-7-0	6-4-0
11 Florida Panthers	44	20	20	4	44	19	144	152	11-6-3	9-14-1	5-5-0
12 Detroit Red Wings	41	18	16	7	43	17	128	139	11-9-3	7-7-4	5-5-0
13 Philadelphia Flyers	43	18	18	7	43	18	122	137	9-10-1	9-8-6	7-3-0
14 Ottawa Senators	42	19	20	3	41	18	125	137	11-10-1	8-10-2	5-4-1
15 Montreal Canadiens	43	17	23	3	37	13	114	161	9-11-0	8-12-3	2-8-0
16 Columbus Blue Jackets	42	13	27	2	28	12	109	167	10-13-1	3-14-1	3-7-0
Western Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Vegas Golden Knights	44	28	14	2	58	25	147	126	13-11-0	15-3-2	6-3-1
2 Winnipeg Jets	43	28	14	1	57	28	145	113	16-6-0	12-8-1	7-3-0
3 Dallas Stars	44	25	12	7	57	24	152	119	12-5-3	13-7-4	6-3-1
4 Seattle Kraken	42	26	12	4	56	26	158	130	10-8-2	16-4-2	8-2-0
5 Los Angeles Kings	46	25	15	6	56	21	154	157	14-8-2	11-7-4	6-3-1
6 Minnesota Wild	42	24	14	4	52	21	134	118	13-8-1	11-6-3	5-3-2
7 Calgary Flames	44	21	14	9	51	20	139	133	12-7-2	9-7-7	6-2-2
8 Edmonton Oilers	45	24	18	3	51	24	164	149	10-11-2	14-7-1	6-3-1
9 Colorado Avalanche	41	21	17	3	45	18	125	118	10-8-3	11-9-0	3-6-1
10 St. Louis Blues	44	21	20	3	45	18	139	159	8-10-2	13-10-1	5-4-1
11 Nashville Predators	42	19	17	6	44	17	118	126	9-7-3	10-10-3	5-4-1
12 Vancouver Canucks	42	17	22	3	37	15	145	167	8-10-1	9-12-2	3-7-0
13 San Jose Sharks	44	13	23	8	34	12	134	168	4-12-6	9-11-2	3-5-2
14 Arizona Coyotes	42	13	24	5	31	12	114	156	7-6-2	6-18-3	2-8-0
15 Anaheim Ducks	43	12	27	4	28	9	100	181	8-13-1	4-14-3	3-6-1
16 Chicago Blackhawks	41	11	26	4	26	11	94	154	8-15-2	3-11-2	4-6-0

*******FOOTBALL HISTORY*******

January 15, 1939 – Wrigley Field, Chicago – A new addition to the NFL lineup of games arrived as the first NFL All Star Game. The NFL Championship game winners would have the honor of facing the best players from all the other League squads.The profootballhof.com website informs us that the 1938 NFL Champions were the New York Giants as back on December 11 they won the title over Green Bay 23-17. In this All-Star game the Giants narrowly defeated the All America All-Stars, 13-10.

January 15, 1956 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – 6th NFL Pro Bowl assembled the League’s top players to battle each other representing their respective Conferences. That season it was the Eastern Conference who edged out their Western Conference rivals by the narrowest of margins, 31-30. The game’s Outstanding Player award was claimed by Ollie Matson the running back of the Chicago Cardinals per the American Football Database. Matson apparently had the play of the game on a 91 yard zig zagging punt return per a Pittsburgh Post Gazette article the morning after the game.

January 15, 1961 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum -11th NFL Pro Bowl results are once again brought to us via an American Football Database post. In the game the Western Conference knocked off the Eastern Conference, 35-31. The coaches selected to guide the Pro Bowlers were Buck Shaw of the Philadelphia Eagles and Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers. It was the final contest for the outstanding Quarterback Norm Van Brocklin who hung up his helmet after the game. The game’s MVPs were Baltimore Colts Johnny Unitas and New York Giants Linebacker Sam Huff.

January 15, 1966 – Rice Stadium, Houston – The AFL All Star Game was played for the fifth time to celebrate the top players in the League. The All-Star squad would face the League Champion Buffalo Bills according to the website RemembertheAFL.com. It was the All-Stars who would get the better of the Champs in this game as they beat Buffalo Bills, 30-19. The Most Valuable Players in the game were the Jets quarterback Joe Namath and Frank Buncom the linebacker from the Los Angeles Chargers.

January 15, 1967 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – The First AFL-NFL World Championship game later referred to as Super Bowl I was played. The AFL put up their Champ the Kansas City Chiefs against the old guard of the NFL the Green Bay Packers. The Packers of Vince Lombardi were the heavy favorites but still a record television audience of over 60 million viewers tuned into watch the game per History.com. To the surprise of most the Chiefs only trailed by four at the halftime break. In the second half Green Bay turned the temperature up a bit and scored a TD set up by a Willie Wood interception and 50 yard return off of KC QB Len Dawson. Elijah Pitts scored two of the Packers touchdowns and end Max McGee added a third as the Green Bay Packers rolled the Chiefs, 35-10, Green Bay signal caller Bart Starr was recognized as the game’s MVP.

January 15, 1978 – Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans – Super Bowl XII was billed as the Denver Broncos and their Orange Crush Defense against the DoomsDay Defense of the Dallas Cowboys. The Golden Rankings website writes that it was the Dallas D that won out, supported by the high flying Cowboys offense that boasted running back Tony Dorsett and had Roger Staubach managing the huddle. The Cowboys displayed the superior team that day as they won by three scores over the Denver Broncos, 27-10. For the first time in Super Bowl history there were two MVPs chosen and they were from the defensive side of the ball as Dallas’ defensive end Harvey Martin shared the spotlight with teammate Randy White.

January 15, 1994 – Lawrence Taylor announces his retirement from the NFL per a report on SportsCasting.com. Taylor, known as LT was a member of the New York Giants for his entire Pro career which spanned 13 seasons from 1981 through 1993. He made the Pro Bowl in 10 of those seasons and was voted as the 1986 NFL Most Valuable Player after dropping quarterbacks an amazing 20.5 times behind the line.

January 15, 1995 – Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh – San Diego traveled to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers in the AFC Championship game. The folks at BoltsfromtheBlue.com have an excellent synopsis of the game. The first half went pretty much how most experts expected it to. The Steelers defense was stout and held the Chargers to a mere 3 points and less than 50 yards of total offense while the Steelers had 10 up on the halftime scoreboard. The powerful Pittsburgh run game was sputtering though as San Diego defense held one the League’s top rushers, Barry Foster to little gain on the ground. The second half had a bit of a surprise as blocking tight end Alfred Pupunu was the target of a quarterback Stan Humphries’ 43 yard touchdown pass play and the Chargers were in the game down by 3. Late in the fourth the Steelers sent an all out blitz on Humphries who found speedster Tony Martin in single coverage with no safety help and the Chargers scored again. San Diego Chargers denied the Pittsburgh Steelers, as they claimed a 17-13 victory that sent them to the Super Bowl.

January 15, 1995 – Candlestick Park, San Francisco – NFC Championship,: San Francisco 49ers beat Dallas Cowboys, 38-28 per OnthisDay.com.

January 15, 1997 – San Francisco head coach George Seifert announces his resignation after 8 highly-successful NFL seasons with the 49ers. An archived report on the LA Times website gives a great read on the situation. Seifert was a San Fran native and he acted as the Niners defensive coordinator under Bill Walsh and was on staff in three Super Bowl wins as an assistant coach. When he took over for Walsh in 1989 he led the team to two more Super Bowl victories in 5 seasons. The reasons were unclear for the resignation but George left as the winningest coach in franchise history at 98-30.

HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAYS

January 15, 1892 – Princeton’s great College Hall of Fame quarterback Hobey Baker was born.

January 15, 1953 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – The University of Maryland and Dallas Cowboys fine linebacker Randy White was born.

January 15, 1957 – Takoma Park, Alabama – Defensive tackle Marty Lyons of Alabama was born. His official college stats as listed on the footballfoundation.org website are 202 tackles and 20 sacks. He was a consensus All-America selection and was on the National Champions Crimson Tide team of 1978.The National Football Foundation selected Marty Lyons to enter into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

January 15, 1959 – Chesapeake, Virginia – The ball hawking UCLA Bruins safety, Kenny Easley celebrates his day of birth. Kenny was a star player for the bruins pretty much from 1977 when he arrived there until 1980. Per the NFF Easley was an All- America three times and in four years he had 19 interceptions and 374 tackles. Kenny Easley found the doors of the College Football Hall of Fame open to him in 1991. The Seattle Seahawks used the fourth overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft to take Kenny and he played with the franchise for 7 seasons and made the Pro Bowl in 5 of those. He earned the AFC Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1983 as he had a League high 7 interceptions.He did one better the next year when he was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Kenny Easley in 2017.

********SUPER BOWL HISTORY*******
Super Bowl I – Green Bay vs. Kansas City

On January 15, 1967, the football world would see a champion crowned as the two best teams from the top leagues of the gridiron would meet face-to-face in a game originally called the AFL–NFL World Championship Game. It was a first-of-its-kind and so unique that a few years later, it would be referred to as Super Bowl I. This contest featured the National Football League champion Green Bay Packers pitted against the American Football League champion Kansas City Chiefs. The first half saw a very competitive game as the Chiefs produced more offense than their NFL rivals by the tune of 181 to 164. However, Kansas City trailed on the scoreboard 10-14. The latter part of the contest belonged to the Packers, though, and future Hall of Fame Coach Vince Lombardi rallied his troops at the intermission. Green Bay safety Willie Wood picked off an errant Len Dawson pass and returned it 50 yards to the KC 5-yard line. This turnover ignited the Packers into a scoring frenzy, as Lombardi’s team produced  21 unanswered points in the second half to guide them to a 35-10 victory. Green Bay Quarterback Bart Starr led the offense and was nominated as the game’s Most Valuable Player. This game sparked a merger of leagues and one of the most significant annual sporting events, which many consider a national holiday.

******BASEBALL HISTORY******

1936       Horace Stoneham becomes president of the New York Giants, succeeding his dad, Charles, who died nine days ago. The 32-year-old will hold the position for the next 40 years before selling the team to Bob Lurie and Bud Herseth in 1976.

1942       “I honestly feel it would be best for the country to keep baseball going.” – U.S. PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, responding to Commissioner Landis’ inquiry about the sport’s future. In his famous ‘Green Light letter,’ President Franklin D. Roosevelt answers Commissioner Landis’s query about playing baseball in the wake of the Second World War. FDR responds that playing the sport would be suitable for Americans and encourages baseball owners to have more games at night to allow war workers to attend games.

1957       The Kratter Corporation grants Walter O’Malley an additional two years on the three-year lease on Ebbets Field agreed to last year. The extension, perhaps prompted by the Dodgers owner’s uncertainty about Los Angeles’ ability to secure the land to build a stadium in the city if the team moved to the West Coast, means the ball club could stay in Brooklyn until 1961.

1958       The Yankees announce an unprecedented 140 games will be televised this season on WPIX in a package reportedly worth significantly more than a million dollars. The decision to telecast a large number of games, including 63 road contests, was prompted by the Dodgers and Giants’ departure to California.

1963       By an overwhelming 20–2 vote, the New York City Council named the new stadium in the Queens for William A. Shea, the attorney who brought the National League back to the Big Apple. The ballpark, known initially as Flushing Meadow Park Municipal Stadium, serves as the Mets’ home for 44 seasons.

1964       Willie Mays, the highest-paid player in baseball, signs the $105,000 contract offered by the Giants. The perennial All-Star center fielder will have another outstanding season, batting .308, hitting 40 home runs, and driving in 123 runs for the Bay City team.

1964       Baseball’s executives select New York City as the site of the game’s inaugural free-agent draft, a controversial measure approved during the winter meetings that gives teams with the worst records the earlier picks to the talented amateur players. With the first pick in the draft’s history, the A’s will select ASU outfielder Rick Monday when the process begins on June 8 at the Hotel Commodore.

1967       Green Bay defensive back Tom Brown becomes the first major leaguer to play in the Super Bowl. The outfielder and first baseman for the Senators in 1963 is best remembered for his last-minute interception of Cowboy quarterback Don Meredith’s Hail Mary pass in the NFL Championship game, making Green Bay a participant in the first-ever Super Bowl.

1981       Cardinal right-hander Bob Gibson, receiving 337 votes of the 401 BBWAA ballots cast (84%) in his first year of eligibility, is the only player elected to the Hall of Fame this year. Well-known Dodgers Don Drysdale and Gil Hodges, as well as Twins’ slugger Harmon Killebrew, fall short of the votes needed for induction.

1990       Free agent Cecil Fielder, returning from a stint in Japan where he hit 38 homers for the Hanshin Tigers, signs a one-year deal worth $1,250,000 with Detroit. ‘Big Daddy,’ father of future major leaguer Prince, will hit 245 home runs while driving in 758 runs during his seven seasons in the Motor City.

1994       During their winter fan festival, the Brewers unveil a new logo and different team colors, with navy, green, and metallic gold replacing royal blue and yellow. The changes, the first since the 1978 season, include Germanic lettering in place of the standard block and the first alternate uniform in the club’s history, a navy jersey with the club’s primary logo below the word Brewers across the chest.

2002       The Braves trade outfielder Brian Jordan (.295, 25, 97), pitcher Odalis Perez (7-8, 4.91), and a minor leaguer to the Dodgers to acquire All-Star outfielder Gary Sheffield (.311, 36, 100). The deal ends Sheffield’s stormy four-year tenure with L.A., who, before spring training, insulted teammates, derided management, and became upset when the club refused to double the value of his contract.

2008       Representatives Henry Waxman and Tom Davis announce they have sent a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey to investigate if Miguel Tejada lied to House committee staff when questioned about Orioles teammate Rafael Palmeiro’s use of steroids. The former American League MVP, traded to the Astros in the offseason, could face jail time if found guilty because making false statements to Congress is a felony.

2009       Derek Lowe signs a four-year deal with the Braves reportedly worth $60 million. The 35-year-old right-hander will be the ace of Atlanta’s new-look rotation, which includes the recently acquired Javier Vazquez, Jair Jurrjens, and Kenshin Kawakami, who pitched in Japan last season for the Chunichi Dragons.

2009       The Brewers, avoiding arbitration, agree to a $4 million, one-year deal with Dave Bush, who finished the season strong, posting a 7-3 record with a 3.23 ERA in his final 18 regular season starts. The 29-year-old right-hander was the only Milwaukee pitcher to win a postseason game when the team beat Philadelphia at Miller Park, 4-1, in Game 3 of the ALDS.

2009       The Padres sign 33-year-old veteran infielder David Eckstein to a one-year contract worth $850,000 with an additional $150,000 available in incentives. The 2006 World Series MVP, who split last season, playing mostly shortstop in 94 games, with the Blue Jays and Diamondbacks, agreed to the discounted deal with San Diego on the condition that he would play primarily second base for the Friars.

2009       The Dodgers, who had restructured Andruw Jones’s contract earlier in the month, placed their expensive center fielder on waivers rather than pursuing a trade for the five-time All-Star. The highest-paid player in the franchise history, who signed a two-year, $36.2 million deal during the 2007 offseason, was a complete bust in his one season with the team, hitting a meager .158 with just three home runs and 14 RBIs in 209 at-bats.

2010       The Mets and John Maine (7-6, 4.43) come to terms on a one-year, $3.3 million deal just after the right-hander filed for arbitration. New York’s projected number three starter was limited to 15 games last season due to the lingering weakness from a 2008 surgery that removed a bony growth from his right shoulder socket.

2010       Avoiding salary arbitration, Matt Kemp (.297, 26, 101) and the Dodgers agree to a rare multi-year offer that will pay the center fielder $10.95 million over the next two seasons. The 25-year-old Oklahoman, considered a core player in the team’s future, won the Gold Glove and the Silver Slugger awards playing for the National League West champs last season.

2013       After watching their bullpen implode in the NLDS last season, the Nationals sign Rafael Soriano to a two-year, $28 million deal to be the club’s closer. The 33-year-old right-handed reliever, who had a league-leading 45 saves for the Rays in 2011, filled in for the injured Mariano Rivera last season and saved 42 games for the Yankees.

******SPORTS IN NUMBERS*******

3 – 1 – 33 – 14 – 19 – 70 – 24 – 12 – 55 – 16 – 79 – 54 – 45 – 56

January 15, 1892 – Basketball rules first published in Triangle Magazine, written by James Naismith

January 15, 1934 – Probably the most famous Number 3 in Baseball History, Babe Ruth, of the New York Yankees took an approximate 33% pay cut at the end of his career for a one-year $35,000.

January 15, 1950 – Terry Sawchuk the legendary Goalie of the Detroit Redwings recorded his first shutout in the NHL against theNew York Rangers 1-0. The rookie goal tender, wearing the Number 1 on the back of his sweater, would go on to register an amazing 115 games without allowing a goal during his tenured career between the pipes.

January 15, 1956 – 6th NFL Pro Bowl, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: Eastern Conference beats Western Conference, 31-30; MVP: Chicago Cardinals, RB, Number 33, Ollie Matson.

January 15, 1957 – At the 7th NBA All-Star game Boston Celtics Point Guard, Bob Cousy, sporting his Number 14 jersey, won the game MVP award in front of a home crowd at the Boston Garden. The East team defeated the West 109-97. According to the Boston Globe the next day, Cousy edged out Maurice Stokes of the West based on his late game play-making and ball handling, that befuddled the opposition.

January 15, 1961 – 11th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: Western Conference beats Eastern Conference, 35-31; MVPs were Baltimore Colts Quarterback, Number 19, Johnny Unitas on offense and New York Giants great Linebacker, Number 70, Sam Huff.

January 15, 1964 – San Francisco Giants make champion outfielder Willie Mays (Number 24) the highest-paid player in baseball when they sign him to a new $105,000 per season contract

January 15, 1966 – 5th AFL All Star Game, Rice Stadium, Houston: All-Stars beat Buffalo Bills, 30-19: MVPs were New York Jets Quarterback, Number 12, Joe Namath. On defense Los Angeles Chargers Linebacker, Number 55, Frank Buncom.

January 15, 1967 – Super Bowl I, LA Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA: Green Bay Packers beat KC Chiefs, 35-10; MVP was Green Bay Quarterback Number 12, Bart Starr.

January 15, 1974 – 24th NBA All-Star Game, Seattle Center Coliseum: West beats East, 134-123; MVP was Detroit Pistons Number 16, Bob Lanier

January 15, 1978 – Super Bowl XII, Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA: Dallas Cowboys beat Denver Broncos, 27-10. In rare fashion the Most Valuable Players were on the defensive side as Dallas Defensive End, Number 79, Harvey Martin and his Cowboys teammate Defensive Tackle, Number 54, Randy White shared the honr.

January 15, 1981 – St Louis Cardinals legendary Pitcher Number 45, Bob Gibson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility; after a stellar 17 year career, polls 337 votes from Baseball Writers Association of America

January 15, 1986 – Montreal’s rookie goaltender Number 33, Patrick Roy recorded his first of 66 career NHL shutouts, in the Canadiens’ 4-0 win against the Winnipeg Jets at the Forum

January 15, 1987 – Boston Celtics legendary forward, Number 33, Larry Bird was named Man of the Year by ‘The Sporting News’ and Athlete of the Year by ‘Associated Press’; first time one athlete gains both distinctions

January 15, 1994 – New York Football Giants legendary Linebacker, Number 56, Lawrence Taylor announced his retirement from playing in the NFL

January 15, 1997 – Seattle SuperSonics Number 14, Sam Perkins tied another NBA Number 14, Jeff Hornacek’s NBA single-game record by connecting on 8 straight 3-point field goals during Sonics’ 122-78 win over visiting Toronto. Hornacek set his then-NBA record with eight consecutive three-pointers in a single game against the Seattle SuperSonics on November 23, 1994. Seattle also sets an NBA steals record with 27, on the 1997 game with the Raptors.

**********TV SUNDAY*********

NCAA BASKETBALL GAMES	TIME ET	TV
MARQUETTE AT XAVIER	12:00PM	FOX
ST. JOHN’S VS. UCONN	12:00PM	FS1
NORTHWESTERN AT MICHIGAN	12:00PM	BTN
MARIST AT NIAGARA	12:00PM	ESPN+
SOUTH FLORIDA AT EAST CAROLINA	1:00PM	ESPN2
RIDER AT IONA	1:00PM	ESPN3
SIENA AT CANISIUS	1:00PM	ESPN3
QUINNIPIAC AT MOUNT ST. MARY’S	2:00PM	ESPN3
FAIRFIELD AT SAINT PETER’S	2:00PM	ESPN+
OHIO STATE AT RUTGERS	2:15PM	BTN
MEMPHIS AT TEMPLE	3:00PM	ESPN2
INDIANA STATE AT MISSOURI STATE	3:00PM	ESPN+
MARYLAND AT IOWA	4:30PM	BTN
GOLF	TIME ET	TV
PGA: SONY OPEN IN HAWAII	6:00PM	GOLF
NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
NEW YORK AT DETROIT	1:00PM	MSG BALLY SPORTS
HOUSTON AT LA CLIPPERS	3:00PM	ATTSN-SW BALLY SPORTS
GOLDEN STATE AT CHICAGO	3:30PM	NBCS-BAY NBCS-CHI
OKLAHOMA CITY AT BROOKLYN	6:00PM	BALLY SPORTS YES
SACRAMENTO AT SAN ANTONIO	7:00PM	NBCS-CA BALLY SPORTS
ORLANDO AT DENVER	8:00PM	BALLY SPORTS ALT
DALLAS AT PORTLAND	9:00PM	BALLY SPORTS ROOT SPORTS
PHILADELPHIA AT LA LAKERS	9:30PM	NBATV NBCS-PHI SPECTRUM
NFL PLAYOFFS	TIME ET	TV
AFC WILD CARD PLAYOFF: MIAMI AT BUFFALO	1:00PM	CBS
NFC WILD CARD PLAYOFF: NY GIANTS AT MINNESOTA	4:30PM	FOX
AFC WILD CARD PLAYOFF: BALTIMORE AT CINCINNATI	8:15PM	NBC
NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
MONTRÉAL AT NY RANGERS	5:00PM	MSG SPORTSNET
VANCOUVER AT CAROLINA	5:00PM	SPORTSNET BALLY SPORTS
ARIZONA AT WINNIPEG	7:00PM	NHLN SPORTSNET BALLY SPORTS
SOCCER MATCHES	TIME ET	TV
SERIE A: SASSUOLO VS LAZIO	6:30AM	PARAMOUNT+
WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE: ARSENAL VS CHELSEA FC	7:00AM	CBSSN
LIGUE 1: LILLE VS TROYES	7:00AM	BEIN SPORTS
LA LIGA: GETAFE VS ESPANYOL	8:00AM	ESPN+
SERIE A: TORINO VS SPEZIA	9:00AM	PARAMOUNT+
SERIE A: UDINESE VS BOLOGNA	9:00AM	PARAMOUNT+
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: CHELSEA VS CRYSTAL PALACE	9:00AM	USA
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: NEWCASTLE UNITED VS FULHAM	9:00AM	PEACOCK
LIGUE 1: MONTPELLIER VS NANTES	9:00AM	BEIN SPORTS
LIGUE 1: TOULOUSE VS BREST	9:00AM	BEIN SPORTS
LIGUE 1: REIMS VS NICE	9:00AM	BEIN SPORTS
SCOTTISH LEAGUE CUP: RANGERS VS ABERDEEN	10:00AM	PARAMOUNT+
LA LIGA: GIRONA VS SEVILLA	10:15AM	ESPN+
LIGUE 1: MONACO VS AJACCIO	11:05AM	BEIN SPORTS
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR VS ARSENAL	11:30AM	PEACOCK
SERIE A: ATALANTA VS SALERNITANA	12:00PM	PARAMOUNT+
SUPERCOPA DE ESPANA FINAL	2:00PM	ABC
LIGUE 1: RENNES VS PSG	2:45PM	BEIN SPORTS
SERIE A: ROMA VS FIORENTINA	2:45PM	PARAMOUNT+
LA LIGA: REAL SOCIEDAD VS ATHLETIC CLUB	3:00PM	ESPN+
LIGUE 1: OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS VS STRASBOURG	3:00PM	BEIN SPORTS
LIGA MX: TIGRES UANL VS PACHUCA	8:00PM	TUDN
TENNIS	TIME ET	TV
2023 AUSTRALIAN OPEN: FIRST ROUND	7:00PM	ESPN