THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” SUNDAY JANUARY 22, 2023

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

********************INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD*************************

ADAMS CENTRAL	65	MANCHESTER	59
ANDREAN	70	HIGHLAND	60	OT
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE	58	EDGEWOOD	39
BEN DAVIS	74	GARY WEST	37
BETHANY CHRISTIAN	69	HAMILTON	39
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN	67	WALDRON	44
BLOOMFIELD	53	LOOGOOTEE	39
BLOOMINGTON LIGHTHOUSE	83	CANNELTON	27
BLOOMINGTON NORTH	79	TERRE HAUTE SOUTH	54
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH	64	MARTINSVILLE	62	OT
BLUFFTON	69	NORTH MIAMI	45
CARMEL	53	BROWNSBURG	42
CARROLL (FLORA)	71	FAITH CHRISTIAN	41
CASTLE	73	HERITAGE HILLS	65
CENTER GROVE	50	INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI	49
CENTERVILLE	75	BLACKFORD	59
CENTRAL NOBLE	58	FORT WAYNE NORTHROP	51	OT
CHRISTIAN ACADEMY	58	PAOLI	53
CLARKSVILLE	68	LANESVILLE	56
CLAY CITY	65	CLOVERDALE	32
COLUMBIA CITY	46	DEKALB	37
COLUMBUS NORTH	49	PERRY MERIDIAN	26
CONNERSVILLE	51	BATESVILLE	41
CORYDON CENTRAL	81	CHARLESTOWN	76
CRAWFORDSVILLE	47	SOUTHMONT	39
CROTHERSVILLE	59	MEDORA	43
DANVILLE	73	GREENCASTLE	31
DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN	49	NORTH WHITE	42
EASTERN HANCOCK	68	SHENANDOAH	38
EDINBURGH	77	CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN	64
EMINENCE	70	VICTORY COLLEGE PREP	44
EVANSVILLE BOSSE	68	GIBSON SOUTHERN	46
EVANSVILLE HARRISON	53	JASPER	46
EVANSVILLE REITZ	44	NEW ALBANY	41
FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK	79	LAKEWOOD PARK	59
FORT WAYNE WAYNE	60	BRIDGEPORT (MICH.)	50
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL	56	CLINTON PRAIRIE	30
FRANKFORT	46	CLINTON CENTRAL	40
GREENFIELD-CENTRAL	65	SHELBYVILLE	39
GREENSBURG	49	SOUTH DECATUR	31
GRIFFITH	67	RIVER FOREST	31
HAMMOND NOLL	91	WHITING	39
HARRISON (OHIO)	55	EAST CENTRAL	42
HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE)	65	MERRILLVILLE	56
HAUSER	60	RISING SUN	47
HENRYVILLE	48	BORDEN	45
HERITAGE	51	EASTSIDE	39
HUNTINGTON NORTH	49	BELLMONT	47
INDIAN CREEK	57	WEST VIGO	45
INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN	74	TRITON CENTRAL	61
JAY COUNTY	69	HAGERSTOWN	33
JEFFERSONTOWN (KY.)	64	FLOYD CENTRAL	59
JEFFERSONVILLE	89	COLUMBUS EAST	54
KANKAKEE VALLEY	59	LOWELL	50
KNIGHTSTOWN	45	WINCHESTER	41
KOKOMO	63	TIPTON	50
LAFAYETTE JEFF	47	LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC	44
LAKE STATION	55	HANOVER CENTRAL	51
LAWRENCE NORTH	64	HOMESTEAD	46
LAWRENCEBURG	56	JAC-CEN-DEL	42
LEBANON	55	COVINGTON	39
LEO	65	EAST NOBLE	64
LEWIS CASS	49	TAYLOR	46
LINTON-STOCKTON	81	OWEN VALLEY	48
MACONAQUAH	72	FRANKTON	46
MADISON CHRISTIAN	69	COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN	28
MISHAWAKA	73	NORTHRIDGE	57
MOORESVILLE	44	MCCUTCHEON	30
MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE)	67	HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN	55
MUNCIE BURRIS	46	SOUTH ADAMS	33
NEW PALESTINE	64	FRANKLIN	53
NOBLESVILLE	75	HAMILTON HEIGHTS	47
NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS)	65	MUNCIE CENTRAL	37
NORTH DAVIESS	63	BARR-REEVE	49
NORTH HARRISON	37	SALEM	27
NORTH PUTNAM	72	BROWN COUNTY	44
NORTHEAST DUBOIS	69	SPRINGS VALLEY	62
NORTHEASTERN	50	BLUE RIVER	47
NORWELL	77	NEW HAVEN	65
PARK TUDOR	74	IRVINGTON PREP ACADEMY	20
PARKE HERITAGE	38	CASCADE	33
PENN	88	CARROLL (FORT WAYNE)	64
PERU	60	NORTHWESTERN	52
PROVIDENCE	63	ROCK CREEK ACADEMY	33
RENSSELAER CENTRAL	84	WEST CENTRAL	55
RICHMOND	63	BOWMAN ACADEMY	46
SCOTTSBURG	55	SEYMOUR	44
SETON CATHOLIC	51	COWAN	48
SHOALS	50	WOOD MEMORIAL	47
SILVER CREEK	70	AUSTIN	56
SOUTH BEND CAREER	59	ELKHART CHRISTIAN	48
SOUTH KNOX	66	EASTERN GREENE	33
SOUTH PUTNAM	57	DUGGER UNION	47
SOUTHPORT	57	TERRE HAUTE NORTH	36
SOUTHRIDGE	54	EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN	48
SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER)	85	SOUTH CENTRAL (ELIZABETH)	69
SULLIVAN	72	WHITE RIVER VALLEY	38
SWITZERLAND COUNTY	53	TRINITY LUTHERAN	33
TECUMSEH	60	FOREST PARK	55
TWIN LAKES	64	WEST LAFAYETTE	59
WAPAHANI	61	NEW CASTLE	51
WARSAW	61	VALPARAISO	58
WASHINGTON	55	PIKE CENTRAL	48
WES-DEL	78	ANDERSON PREP ACADEMY	39
WESTERN BOONE	55	SPEEDWAY	32
WESTERN	54	MISSISSINEWA	44
WESTFIELD	74	TRI-WEST	51
WESTVIEW	67	GARRETT	44
WINAMAC	40	DELPHI	31
YORKTOWN	51	MONROE CENTRAL	47
BI-COUNTY TOURNAMENT
LAVILLE	54	JOHN GLENN	52
CARMI (ILL.) CLASSIC
MOUNT VERNON (POSEY)	55	FAIRFIELD (ILL.)	49
CARMI (ILL.)	70	EVANSVILLE DAY	43
CULVER ACADEMY TOURNAMENT
CULVER ACADEMY	42	LIGHTHOUSE CPA	18
FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY	56	LAKE FOREST ACADEMY (ILL.)	44
LAKE FOREST ACADEMY (ILL.)	68	LIGHTHOUSE CPA	51
CULVER ACADEMY	58	FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY	43
INDIANAPOLIS CITY TOURNAMENT
INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL	65	INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD	53
INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS	60	COVENANT CHRISTIAN	45
PORTER COUNTY CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
WESTVILLE	53	HEBRON	44
MORGAN TWP.	57	KOUTS	53
MORGAN TWP.	55	WESTVILLE	38

*******************INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD***********************

ALEXANDRIA	70	OAK HILL	48
ANDERSON PREP ACADEMY	47	INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON	43
AUSTIN	55	ORLEANS	46
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE	41	EAST CENTRAL	37
BETHANY CHRISTIAN	34	CULVER ACADEMY	29
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN	61	TRADERS POINT CHRISTIAN	17
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH	51	EASTERN GREENE	46
BROWN COUNTY	58	NORTH PUTNAM	35
BROWNSBURG	54	TERRE HAUTE NORTH	21
CANNELTON	46	BLOOMINGTON LIGHTHOUSE	15
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE)	60	PENN	38
CASCADE	64	PLAINFIELD	52
COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN	60	MADISON CHRISTIAN	30
COLUMBUS EAST	78	MADISON	45
CORYDON CENTRAL	50	FLOYD CENTRAL	27
COWAN	39	KNIGHTSTOWN	29
DUGGER UNION	46	MARTINSVILLE (ILL.)	27
EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL	68	GARY 21ST CENTURY	10
EASTBROOK	66	MADISON-GRANT	35
ELKHART CHRISTIAN	36	HAMILTON	23
EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL	66	NORTH HARRISON	49
FISHERS	65	AVON	51
FOREST PARK	60	MOUNT VERNON (POSEY)	23
FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK	47	LAKEWOOD PARK	36
FORT WAYNE SNIDER	68	NORTHRIDGE	46
FRANKLIN COUNTY	65	INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD	52
FRANKLIN	51	WHITELAND	32
FREMONT	43	PRAIRIE HEIGHTS	32
GREENSBURG	61	BATESVILLE	22
GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN	32	INDIANAPOLIS HERRON	28
HAMMOND NOLL	58	WHEELER	23
HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE)	78	MUNCIE CENTRAL	36
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN	71	FORT WAYNE SOUTH	27
HERITAGE	38	BLUFFTON	34
HIGHLAND	53	GARY WEST	9
HUNTINGTON NORTH	37	INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL	22
INDIAN CREEK	69	WEST VIGO	30
INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA	61	INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN	42
JASPER	50	MARTINSVILLE	23
JAY COUNTY	81	SOUTHERN WELLS	19
JENNINGS COUNTY	65	WARREN CENTRAL	62
LAWRENCE NORTH	63	BEN DAVIS	62
LAWRENCEBURG	67	SOUTH DEARBORN	34
LOGANSPORT	62	ANDERSON	49
MCCUTCHEON	48	WESTERN	41
MICHIGAN CITY	59	SOUTH BEND RILEY	26
MISHAWAKA MARIAN	84	FORT WAYNE LUERS	59
MISSISSINEWA	63	ELWOOD	13
NEW ALBANY	55	EVANSVILLE CENTRAL	53	OT
NEW PALESTINE	58	SOUTHPORT	56
NOBLESVILLE	66	FRANKLIN CENTRAL	40
NORTH JUDSON	49	KNOX	31
NORTH KNOX	53	VINCENNES LINCOLN	39
NORTH MIAMI	62	WABASH	53
NORTH POSEY	48	TELL CITY	31
NORTHWOOD	46	GOSHEN	33
NORTHEAST DUBOIS	53	PERRY CENTRAL	42
NORTHEASTERN	55	BLUE RIVER	41
PARK TUDOR	63	HORIZON CHRISTIAN	12
PORTAGE	64	GRIFFITH	21
PROVIDENCE	42	OLDENBURG ACADEMY	35
RENSSELAER CENTRAL	69	FRONTIER	33
RICHMOND	50	LAFAYETTE JEFF	27
RIVER FOREST	49	SOUTH NEWTON	39
RIVERTON PARKE	43	SOUTH VERMILLION	13
ROCHESTER	45	MANCHESTER	25
SALEM	46	MITCHELL	42
SHAWE MEMORIAL	44	CLARKSVILLE	37
SHELBYVILLE	66	DELTA	31
SHOALS	29	WOOD MEMORIAL	27
SOUTH KNOX	46	BLOOMFIELD	27
SOUTHMONT	66	CRAWFORDSVILLE	34
SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER)	62	RISING SUN	46
SWITZERLAND COUNTY	43	SOUTH DECATUR	37
TECUMSEH	63	PRINCETON	60
TIPPECANOE VALLEY	55	SOUTHWOOD	42
TRI	68	SHENANDOAH	26
UNION COUNTY	54	DALEVILLE	17
UNIVERSITY	51	LAPEL	50
VINCENNES RIVET	48	NEWTON (ILL.)	24
WAPAHANI	58	UNION CITY	38
WARSAW	71	CONCORD	16
WASHINGTON	59	BOONVILLE	29
WAWASEE	38	PLYMOUTH	28
WHITE RIVER VALLEY	46	NORTH DAVIESS	44
WHITKO	63	NORTHFIELD	56
WOODLAN	59	SOUTH ADAMS	36
BI-COUNTY TOURNAMENT
LAVILLE	43	BREMEN	40
PORTER COUNTY CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS)	56	KOUTS	40

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

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

#14 TCU 83 #2 KANSAS 60

#4 ALABAMA 85 MISSOURI 64

#11 ARIZONA 58 #5 UCLA 52

#6 GONZAGA 99 PACIFIC 90

#7 TEXAS 69 WEST VIRGINIA 61

#8 XAVIER 95 GEORGETOWN 82

#9 TENNESSEE 77 LSU 56

#10 VIRGINIA 76 WAKE FOREST 67

OKLAHOMA STATE 61 #12 IOWA STATE 59

#13 KANSAS STATE 68 TEXAS TECH 58

#16 AUBURN 81 SOUTH CAROLINA 66

DUKE 68 #17 MIAMI FLORIDA 66

#18 CHARLESTON 87 NORTHEASTERN 61

#19 CLEMSON 51 VIRGINIA TECH 50

#20 MARQUETTE 74 SETON HALL 53

#21 BAYLOR 62 OKLAHOMA 60

#22 PROVIDENCE 75 DEPAUL 64

#24 FLORIDA ATLANTIC 67 UTEP 59

#25 ARKANSAS 69 OLE MISS 57

ELSEWHERE:

WISCONSIN AT NORTHWESTERN POSTPONED

OHIO STATE 93 IOWA 77

PENN STATE 76 NEBRASKA 65

NORTHERN KENTUCKY 74 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 54

DETROIT 89 IUPUI 77

MILWAUKEE 88 YOUNGSTOWN STATE 75

ROBERT MORRIS 72 GREEN BAY 38

CLEVELAND STATE 85 WRIGHT STATE 77

OHIO 96 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 68

AKRON 63 WESTERN MICHIGAN 55

BOWLING GREEN 83 MIAMI OHIO 73

NORTHERN ILLINOIS 88 EASTERN MICHIGAN

DRAKE 97 EVANSVILLE 61

VALPARAISO 71 ILLINOIS STATE 51

MURRAY STATE 82 INDIANA STATE 73

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD:  HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/CBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230121

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

#5 UCONN 79 BUTLER 39

#15 OKLAHOMA 97 OKLAHOMA STATE 93

#16 GONZAGA 82 ST. MARY’S 57

#18 IOWA STATE 64 KANSAS 50

ELSEWHERE:

PURDUE 75 MINNESOTA 56

ST. JOHN’S 81 DEPAUL 72

GEORGETOWN 61 PROVIDENCE 51

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD:  HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/WCBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230121

***********NFL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE************

PHILADELPHIA 38 NY GIANTS 7…. BOX SCORE: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/FB/BOXSCORE.ASP?GAMECODE=20230121021&HOME=21&VIS=19&FINAL=TRUE

KANSAS CITY 27 JACKSONVILLE 20…. BOX SCORE: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/FB/BOXSCORE.ASP?GAMECODE=20230121012&HOME=12&VIS=30&FINAL=TRUE

SUNDAY, JANUARY 22

AFC:    3:00 PM (ET)              CINCINNATI BENGALS AT BUFFALO BILLS (CBS, PARAMOUNT+)…PREVIEW: HTTP://RADIOTROY.COM/NFL-PLAYOFF-PREVIEW-CINCINNATI-BENGALS-13-4-AFC-NORTH-NO-3-SEED-BUFFALO-BILLS-14-3-AFC-EAST-NO-2-SEED/

NFC:    6:30 PM (ET)              DALLAS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (FOX, FOX DEPORTES)…PREVIEW: HTTP://RADIOTROY.COM/NFL-PLAYOFF-PREVIEW-DALLAS-COWBOYS-13-5-NFC-EAST-NO-5-SEED-SAN-FRANCISCO-49ERS-14-4-NFC-WEST-NO-2-SEED/

THE AFC AND NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES, PRESENTED BY INTUIT TURBOTAX, WILL TAKE PLACE ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 29:

SUNDAY, JANUARY 29

NFC:    3:00 PM (ET)              NFC CHAMPIONSHIP (FOX, FOX DEPORTES)

AFC:    6:30 PM (ET)              AFC CHAMPIONSHIP (CBS, PARAMOUNT+)

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

PHOENIX 112 INDIANA 107

BOSTON 106 TORONTO 104

WASHINGTON 138 ORLANDO 118

CLEVELAND 114 MILWAUKEE 102

MINNESOTA 113 HOUSTON 104

PHILADELPHIA 129 SACRAMENTO 127

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

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

BUFFALO 6 ANAHEIM 3

CALGARY 6 TAMPA BAY 3

FLORIDA 5 MINNESOTA 3

MONTREAL 3 TORONTO 2

WINNIPEG 5 OTTAWA 1

PHILADELPHIA 2 DETROIT 1

COLUMBUS 5 SAN JOSE 3

CAROLINA 5 NY ISLANDERS 2

CHICAGO 5 ST. LOUIS 3

NASHVILLE 5 LOS ANGELES 3

DALLAS 4 ARIZONA 0

EDMONTON 4 VANCOUVER

VEGAS 6 WASHINGTON 2

COLORADO 2 SEATTLE 1

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

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

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

HURTS, EAGLES POUND GIANTS EARLY, COAST TO NFC TITLE GAME

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Jalen Hurts erased lingering doubts about the state of his right shoulder by throwing two touchdown passes and running for a score during a dominant first half, and the Philadelphia Eagles overwhelmed the New York Giants 38-7 on Saturday night in an NFC divisional playoff game.

Hurts is back, and so are the Eagles as a Super Bowl threat. Top-seeded Philadelphia will host the NFC championship game next Sunday against either Dallas or San Francisco.

Hurts missed two late-season losses with a sprained right shoulder and then showed the Giants nothing in the season finale when the Eagles ran a vanilla offense designed to protect the Pro Bowl QB.

Under bright postseason lights at the Linc, the Eagles unleashed an offense designed to clobber the Giants. Hurts dazzled early with his arm and Philadelphia’s offensive line opened big holes for Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell as the Eagles finished with 268 yards on the ground. Hurts finished 16 of 24 for 154 yards.

“I think we were just starving, eager for an opportunity to come out here and play,” Hurts said. “We just wanted to come out and play our best ball. I think we chose the right time to do that. We were very efficient on both sides of the ball, we scored early and often. We just want to keep it going and be consistent.”

Hurts showed he was fine when he aired out a pass on the second play of the game and hit DeVonta Smith in stride for a 40-yard reception. The fun was just starting in Philly.

Hurts was flawless on the drive, completing passes of 9 yards, 5 yards, and then – boom – a 16-yard TD pass on a one-handed grab by tight end Dallas Goedert.

Second drive, more of the same. Hurts had completions of 12 yards and 9 yards en route to a 9-yard TD pass to Smith.

It was 14-0 in the first quarter and the Giants already needed a standing eight count. New York turned the ball over on downs on its first possession, and Daniel Jones was intercepted by James Bradberry on its second.

The Linc was bonkers with full-throated chants of “E-A-G-L-E-S!” filling the air and coach Nick Sirianni went wild chest-bumping assistants on the sideline.

Hurts’ shoulder may not have been 100 percent.

But his passing was: He went 7-of-7 for 89 yards in the first quarter.

“Yeah like they were saying. Anybody would look great at QB for the Eagles.. yeah ooook. HATERS MAN!! Jalen Hurts is SPECIAL,” Lakers star LeBron James tweeted.

Even when the calls were obvious for the Eagles, the Giants were helpless to stop them. Case in point: The Eagles had the ball on the New York 3. Give the ball to Boston Scott? Yes they did. Scott scored his 11th touchdown against the Giants for a 21-0 lead. He has only 19 TDs in his career. Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale riled up Philly fans this week when he insisted Scott wasn’t a “Giant killer.”

Hard to argue against that point now.

Hurts wrapped the half with a 5-yard touchdown run – he bobbled the shotgun snap but still coasted untouched into the end zone – for a 28-0 lead. There have been only four more lopsided first-half playoff shutouts in NFL history.

“I’m so proud of this team, how we came out here. I’m so proud of these fans. It’s a Philly thing, you know? It’s special,” Hurts said.

Gainwell finished with 112 yards on 12 carries, including a late 35-yard touchdown. Sanders had 17 rushes for 90 yards.

Coach Brian Daboll’s Giants were discombobulated from the start and looked nothing like the team that beat the Minnesota Vikings 31-24 last week for their first postseason win since their Super Bowl victory under Tom Coughlin 11 years ago.

Matt Brieda had an 8-yard TD run for the Giants in the third quarter. Daniel Jones was 15 of 27 for 135 yards and a pick.

Hurts ran, threw and directed the offense with the same authority as he did when he led the Eagles to a 14-1 start and won over a city that still wasn’t so sure about him in the preseason. In last year’s playoff loss to Tampa Bay, Hurts threw two interceptions and was just 23 of 43 for 258 yards.

NEVER BREAK THE CHAIN

There was a busted link at the Linc.

The game was briefly stopped in the opening quarter because of a broken first down chain. The NFL still uses chains connected to two signal poles to measure the distance to a first down. With the Giants driving midway through the quarter, the game was delayed because of an “administrative stoppage.” The chain was quickly replaced and the game resumed with the Eagles ahead 7-0.

M-V-P

Two-time NL MVP Bryce Harper, who led the Phillies to the World Series, narrated a hype video. Three-time AL MVP Mike Trout, a New Jersey native and Eagles fan, attended the game and exhorted the crowd to get louder.

UP NEXT

The Eagles moved to 6-0 and Hurts threw two touchdown passes in a 26-17 win over the Cowboys in October. The Cowboys won 40-34 on Dec. 24 against Hurts’ backup, Gardner Minshew.

The Eagles last played San Francisco in 2021 and lost.

CHIEFS, LED BY HOBBLED MAHOMES, BEAT JAGS 27-20 IN PLAYOFFS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Patrick Mahomes pleaded with Chiefs coach Andy Reid to let him stay in the game on Saturday.

He argued with trainers, assistant coaches and anyone else within earshot on the Kansas City sideline to let him play through an injured right ankle.

“I’m not coming out of a playoff game,” Mahomes would say later, “unless they take me out.”

Well, the Chiefs did, forcing him to get X-rays late in the first half of their divisional game against Jacksonville.

But when they came back negative, and Mahomes proved he could protect himself in the halftime locker room, Reid decided to let his All-Pro quarterback back on the field – and he gamely led them to victory.

Mahomes finished with 195 yards passing and two touchdowns, the second capping a 75-yard drive late in the fourth quarter, and lifted Kansas City to a 27-20 victory over the Jaguars and a spot in a fifth straight AFC championship game.

Mahomes also vowed to be ready for next week against the winner of Sunday’s game between Cincinnati and Buffalo. If the Bengals win, they will be back at Arrowhead Stadium; if the Bills win, they’re headed to Atlanta.

Chad Henne led a 98-yard touchdown drive while Mahomes was out. Travis Kelce had a career-high 14 catches for 98 yards and two scores. Marquez Valdes-Scantling hauled in the eventual clinching TD pass with about 7 minutes left in the game.

“It’s a credit to the team I have around me, the coaches around me and the organization in general,” Mahomes said. “We try to do whatever we can to be in this position, to get to the AFC championship game and find a way to the Super Bowl.”

The Jaguars, who rallied from a 27-0 deficit to beat the Chargers in the wild-card round, squandered two chances to mount another late rally. The first ended when Jamal Agnew had the ball pop loose inside the Chiefs 5 with about 5 1/2 minutes to go, and the second when Jaylen Watson made a leaping, one-handed interception near midfield.

The Jaguars’ last-gasp chance ended when Kansas City recovered an onside kick with 24 seconds to go.

Trevor Lawrence finished with 217 yards passing with a touchdown toss to Christian Kirk, who was briefly hurt midway through the fourth quarter but returned to finish the game. Travis Etienne added 62 yards rushing and a touchdown.

“When you get this far you don’t want to only go this far,” the Jaguars’ Foyesade Oluokun said. “You want to keep going.”

“I don’t really have the words right now,” Lawrence added. “The Chiefs did more today than we did.”

Long before Mahomes hobbled to the sideline in pain, he was at his creative best, driving the Chiefs downfield on their opening possession.

There was a shortstop-style sidearm sling to JuJu Smith-Schuster, a key third down pass to Kelce as he was being dragged to the turf, and the flip pass to his tight end that gave Kansas City a 7-0 lead.

The Jaguars came right back, taking advantage of a big kickoff return and a short field.

Lawrence, whose four touchdown throws helped to stun the Chargers last week, proceeded to hit Kirk for the matching touchdown.

Then, the complexion of the game changed.

Mahomes was moving up in the pocket when Arden Key brought the full weight of his body down on the quarterback’s ankle. Mahomes hobbled to the huddle and managed to get through three more plays to end the first quarter, then was on the field two more plays before Harrison Butker kicked a 50-yard field goal.

During the Jaguars’ ensuing possession, Mahomes got into a heated argument with Reid and the training staff. He then threw down his coat and headed to the locker room, forcing Henne to take over midway through the second quarter, just as the 37-year-old journeyman did two years ago in a playoff win over Cleveland.

“Yeah, I did not want to go, and they kind of gave me the ultimatum that I wasn’t going back in unless I went in there,” said Mahomes, who cheered on Henne’s 98-yard drive from the sideline, wearing a puffy winter coat on a cold, sleeting night.

As the second half began, though, that familiar red No. 15 jersey was trotting back onto the field.

“It was a short leash,” Reid acknowledged. “If I felt like he wasn’t able to handle it, he would have been out.”

His right ankle heavily taped, Mahomes struggled to move around, but simply his presence seemed to calm the Chiefs – and their angst-filled fan base. Butker added a second 50-yard field goal late in the third quarter to extend the lead to 20-10, and when the AFC South champs answered with a touchdown of their own, so did the Chiefs.

Mahomes drove them downfield for one last score that proved to be the margin of victory.

“We know that if it’s up to Pat, he’s going to be in there. I’m sure he had some words with everyone on the sideline that he wanted to be in there as fast as possible,” Kelce said afterward.

“It’s just a different feeling when one-five is in there. He can make anything happen, even on one ankle.”

STATS AND STREAKS

Mahomes improved to 5-0 in the divisional round of the playoffs. He’s thrown 28 TD passes and three interceptions in 10 home playoff games. … Henne was 5 of 7 for 23 yards and a score. … Jacksonville had eight wins as an underdog this season, tied for the most in the Super Bowl era.

UP NEXT

The Chiefs wait to hear whether they play the Bengals at Arrowhead Stadium or the Bills in Atlanta for a spot in their third Super Bowl in four years. The Jaguars turn their attention to the free agency and the NFL draft.

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

NO. 14 TCU HANDS NO. 2 KANSAS WORST HOME LOSS IN 2 YEARS

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) Shahada Wells scored 17 points as No. 14 TCU beat No. 2 Kansas 83-60 on Saturday in one of the worst losses in Bill Self’s 20-year coaching career with the Jayhawks.

It was Kansas’ second-largest loss at home under Self. The Jayhawks fell 84-59 to Texas on Jan. 2, 2021.

“Obviously it was a great win for our program,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. “What I’m most proud of (was) how we responded. We didn’t play very well the other day (in a 74-65 loss at West Virginia). But we responded.

“I’m really proud of our bench. I don’t think I’ve done a great job of getting them ready. I knew they were good, and we had to get them in their groove.”

The loss snapped a 16-game winning streak at home for Kansas. The Jayhawks (15-3, 5-2 Big 12), who lost 83-82 in overtime at Kansas State on Tuesday, had not lost consecutive games in the state since 1989, when it had home losses on Jan. 28 to K-State and on Feb. 1 to Missouri.

“Everything they did was perfect today,” Self said of TCU’s effort. “They played great. They’re so fast and so athletic off the bench. We actually got a ton of good looks in the first half. We missed a lot of layups. We have to be able to defend somebody, and we never defended them today.”

Kansas trailed by 10 at halftime and never closed the gap within single digits. TCU extended the lead to as many as 24 points. The Jayhawks shot only 32.1% in the second half.

“We couldn’t score,” Self said. “We didn’t guard very well and the good looks we had we missed.”

TCU (15-4, 4-3 Big 12), which shot 54.4% (31 of 57) from the field, got 15 points from Mike Miles Jr. and 11 from Damion Baugh.

“We came off a tough loss at West Virginia where we didn’t play hard enough,” Miles said. “We knew coming in that to beat a team like KU we had to play harder than them. We did that. We kept our lead and played harder than them.”

Jalen Wilson led Kansas with 30 points. He was coming off a career-high 38 on Tuesday against K-State. Kevin McCullar with 10 points was the only other Jayhawk in double figures.

TCU’s Eddie Lampkin was hobbled with a left ankle injury suffered late in the first half. A tweet at halftime said he had a ruptured Achilles but a school spokesman later said it was a high ankle sprain. He returned and finished with 8 points and 4 rebounds.

“I don’t know all the details, but he obviously played afterwards,” Dixon said. “I think he’s all right. He’ll be sore tomorrow, but he kept telling us he wanted to go back in.”

TCU used a 19-0 run early in the first half to open a 33-13 lead, forcing Self to use three of his four timeouts in the first 9:10 of the half. The Horned Frogs hit 13 of their first 15 shots. They finished the half shooting 58.6% (17 of 29).

Kansas trailed by as many as 22 points (37-15) before going on an 11-0 run. The Frogs led 48-38 at halftime, the closest Kansas had been since early in the big TCU run.

Kansas stayed in the game thanks to 21 first-half points by Wilson. He picked up his second foul with 2:13 left in the half. He returned for the final possession and hit a baseline jumper with 5 seconds left.

THE TAKEAWAY

TCU: The Horned Frogs are legitimate contenders in the Big 12. Their athleticism and defensive intensity will keep them in games, but they’ll need Lampkin to reach that goal.

Kansas: The Jayhawks will have their hands full if they want to win another Big 12 title. There are no easy victories in this conference, even at Allen Fieldhouse.

UP NEXT

TCU: The Horned Frogs will host Oklahoma on Tuesday night before traveling to Starkville to play Mississippi State in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge next Saturday.

Kansas: The Jayhawks have a matchup with Baylor in Waco, Texas, on Monday before heading to Lexington to face Kentucky in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge next Saturday.

NO. 11 ARIZONA ENDS NO. 5 UCLA’S 14-GAME WIN STREAK

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) Arizona spent the first half banging bodies with UCLA and the closing seconds desperately trying to hang on against the Bruins’ press.

Even through that, the Wildcats kept their composure and came out with what may be their most impressive win of the season.

Oumar Ballo scored 16 points, Azuolas Tubelis had a double-double and No. 11 Arizona withstood a late rally to end No. 5 UCLA’s 14-game winning streak with a 58-52 victory on Saturday.

“You’ve got to you got to be able to win multiple ways,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “Other than that last minute while we were trying to ride out that lead, I think we were comfortable the whole time, which is a good sign.”

The Wildcats (17-3, 5-3 Pac-12) appeared to be cruising to victory, taking a 56-44 lead on Ballo’s alley-oop dunk with 2:07 left.

The Bruins (17-3, 8-1) fought back, creating four straight turnovers to pull within 56-52. UCLA then blocked consecutive shots – one after a review waved off goaltending – but couldn’t convert on two shots of its own.

Arizona’s Pelle Larsson hit two free throws with 0.9 seconds to close it out. Tubelis triggered an 11-3 run to give Arizona a 10-point early in the second half, and finished with with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

“I think we proved today that we can win low-scoring,” said Arizona point guard Kerr Kriisa, who had seven points. “Everyone keeps talking about our offense, our offense, our offense, but nobody realizes how good our defense is.”

The Bruins do.

UCLA matched its longest winning streak since 2007-08 on Thursday by pulling away late to beat Arizona State 74-62. The Bruins had a lot more trouble with Arizona, particularly at the offensive end.

UCLA shot 31% and went 4 of 20 from 3-point range to lose as a top-5 team at McKale Center for the second straight season. Tyger Campbell led the Bruins with 13 points and Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 12 with 11 rebounds.

“When you struggle offensively, something with the other team’s defense caused it,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “Even if it’s open shots, they got you sped up just enough, rattled just enough, so you have to give the other team credit.”

Arizona beat then-No. 3 UCLA last season in a charged atmosphere that included an assault citation for UCLA forward Mac Etienne after he appeared to spit in the direction of Arizona fans while leaving the court.

On Saturday, the Bruins and Wildcats went toe to toe in the paint and perimeter, bodies bouncing off the floor in a physical, defensive afternoon. The Bruins banged on Ballo and Tubelis in the post on every touch, creating numerous close-range misses – and plenty of fouls.

UCLA backup big man Kenneth Nwuba had four fouls in the first half and Ballo made 8 of 10 free throws to score 12 first-half points.

Arizona hit 7 of 23 shots and was the better-shooting team, taking a 26-23 halftime lead.

The Wildcats quickly pushed the lead to 10 in the second half and kept their offensive flow going, the lead at least nine until the final two minutes.

The Bruins made a final push, flustering the Wildcats with their press while scoring eight straight points. Down 56-52, UCLA got the ball back after a review overturned a goaltending call, but Campbell and Jaquez both missed contested shots at the rim before Larsson’s closing free throws.

“At UCLA, we play with heart and intestinal fortitude, and I don’t think we played to win,” Cronin said. “I didn’t think we played hard until the game was over.”

BIG PICTURE

UCLA: Pushed the Wildcats around early and created havoc with their defensive pressure late. In between, the Bruins didn’t hit enough shots to leave the desert with a win.

Arizona: Weathered UCLA’s bumping and banging in the first half, then withstood a furious rally to earn the type of win that should move it back into the top 10.

BRUINS’ BOARDS

UCLA repeatedly beat Arizona on the offensive glass, earning several shots on multiple possessions.

The Bruins had trouble converting those chances into points.

UCLA had an 18-8 advantage in offensive rebounds, but was limited to nine second-chance points.

“We knew their bigs are really good players, but maybe not proficient finishers, so you’ve just got to stay in the play,” Lloyd said.

UP NEXT

UCLA: At rival USC on Thursday.

Arizona: Plays at Washington State on Thursday.

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

GRANT WILLIAMS HAS CAREER-HIGH 25, CELTICS’ STREAK REACHES 9

TORONTO (AP) Grant Williams scored a career-high 25 points, Jaylen Brown had 27 and the Boston Celtics overcame the absence of leading scorer Jayson Tatum to extend their winning streak to nine games by beating the Toronto Raptors 106-104 on Saturday.

Already without Tatum, Boston’s injury woes worsened when guard Marcus Smart hurt his right ankle in the final minute of the first half and had to be helped to the locker room. He did not return.

Center Robert Williams stayed in the game after Brown collided with his left knee in the opening quarter. At halftime, Williams was ruled out for the second half because of a hyperextended knee.

“It says a lot about our team,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said of the short-handed victory. “In the beginning of the game, you could obviously feel that we just didn’t have the juice. We just kept playing. We never wavered, we made great plays. Guys did a great job managing the game.”

Williams had left knee surgery last March but returned in the playoffs.

Mazzulla said Williams’ latest injury was “nothing serious,” adding that X-rays on Smart’s ankle revealed no structural damage.

Malcolm Brogdon scored 23 points and Payton Pritchard scored all of his 12 in the fourth quarter. The Celtics are unbeaten since a Jan. 3 defeat at Oklahoma City.

“To win in the NBA is hard enough, to win on the road down a bunch of guys is hard to do,” Brown said. “You don’t want to take it for granted, but we definitely have enough on this team, enough in this locker room, to win games whoever is on the floor.”

Al Horford scored five points and shot 2 for 10 but had a rebound, a blocked shot and a steal in the final 20 seconds of the fourth quarter.

“The box score doesn’t tell the story about what he does for us,” Mazzulla said. “When he takes it to another level defensively, we’re a different team.”

Grant Williams shot 7 for 13 and made four of six from 3-point range. He went 7 for 8 at the line.

“He was great tonight, man,” Mazzulla said. “He was the trigger for us.”

Pascal Siakam had 29 points and 10 assists, Gary Trent Jr. scored 22 points and Precious Achiuwa had 17 points and 11 rebounds in his first start of the season, but Toronto lost its third straight.

A potential NBA MVP candidate, Tatum sat because of a sore left wrist. He’s averaging 31.2 points, the third-highest total in the league, and a career-high 8.5 rebounds.

Tatum scored 51 points in Monday’s win over Charlotte, then had 34 points and a career-high 19 rebounds in Thursday’s overtime victory against Golden State, playing 48 of 53 minutes.

The Raptors were without guard Fred VanVleet, who was scratched shortly before tip-off because of soreness in his right ribs. Coach Nick Nurse said VanVleet is questionable for Sunday’s home game against the Knicks.

Toronto’s O.G. Anunoby left in the third quarter because of a sore right ankle. Anunoby was initially expected to return but did not play again. Anunoby scored 12 points before departing.

The Raptors attempted a season-low seven free throws against the Celtics, making five.

“We just didn’t get anything at the free throw line tonight,” Nurse said.

Trailing 85-81 through three quarters, the Celtics reclaimed the lead with a 9-0 run to begin the final quarter as Brown, Williams and Pritchard all made 3-pointers.

Trent missed a layup with 21 seconds left that would have tied it at 106. Toronto had one final chance after Boston was called for an offensive foul, but Horford forced a steal and Siakam turned it over at midcourt.

TIP-INS

Celtics: Derrick White started in Tatum’s place. . Brogdon and Luke Kornet started the second half. . Boston has won 13 of 15.

Raptors: Siakam finished with nine rebounds. . Barnes had 10 points but didn’t score in the second half.

SEE YOU LATER!

The first-place and last-place teams in the Atlantic Division, the Celtics and Raptors don’t meet again until a two-game set in Boston, April 5 and 7. The regular season concludes April 9.

UP NEXT

Celtics: Host Orlando on Monday.

Raptors: Host New York on Sunday.

MOBLEY SCORES CAREER-HIGH 38, POWERS CAVS OVER BUCKS 114-102

CLEVELAND (AP) There have been flashes of brilliance from Evan Mobley, tantalizing moments that convinced the Cavaliers he’ll dominate.

On Saturday night, he put it all together.

Mobley scored a career-high 38 points, Darius Garland added 21 and Cleveland bounced back from an embarrassing loss with a 114-102 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, who were again without injured star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Mobley made sure the Cavs shook off their awful performance in a 120-114 loss a night earlier to the Golden State Warriors, who beat Cleveland despite resting Stephen Curry and three other starters.

The 21-year-old Mobley finished 19 of 27 from the field and had his top scoring performance as a pro without making a free throw or 3-pointer. He added nine rebounds.

“That’s exactly what we want to see from (number) 4,” Garland said, referring to Mobley’s jersey. “Him being aggressive. Him just finding his pocket and doing what he does best. I would love to see that every night.”

Mobley is only the fourth player since 1979, when the 3-point line was adopted, to score at least 38 points without making a free throw or 3-pointer. Hakeem Olajuwon, Alex English (twice) and George Gervin are the others.

“He was aggressive,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He was assertive. He was attack-minded. He was creating for himself and his teammates felt him rolling. I don think this is what he’s capable of.”

Mobley scored 12 of Cleveland’s first 15 points in the fourth and the Cavs, who were without star Donovan Mitchell due to a groin strain for the third straight game, put together a 12-2 run to separate from the Bucks.

Garland added 10 assists for Cleveland.

Drue Holiday scored 28 and Bobby Portis Jr. added 23 for Milwaukee, which played its fifth straight game without Antetokounmpo. The two-time MVP is nursing a sore left knee.

The Cavs have been urging Mobley to look to score more often, and he didn’t back down from the Bucks, who chose to stay tighter on Garland. The 7-foot Mobley powered his way to the basket and dropped several mid-range jumpers in the lane.

“He scored a lot of different ways,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “He made everything. He did a little of everything. He did some things, really, everywhere. Mobley made the plays.”

BUCKS STOP HERE

The injuries to Antetokounmpo and three-time All-Star forward Khris Middleton, who hasn’t played since Dec. 15 due to a sore right knee, have prevented the Bucks from developing continuity.

Still, they’ve stayed among the East’s top teams.

Budenholzer said Antetokounmpo hasn’t sustained a setback. The 28-year-old has been able to participate in 5-on-5 workouts the past few days and his availability is literally on a daily basis.

Budenholzer stressed the decision for him to sit is a collaborative effort, but that ultimately it comes down to Antetokounmpo whether he’s ready to play.

DANDY ANDY

The Cavs honored former center and fan favorite Anderson Varejao during a halftime ceremony, celebrating both his 13-year playing career in Cleveland and new role with the team in player development and as a global ambassador.

The Brazilian native was known for his hustle, frizzy hairdo and warm personality.

“A guy that worked hard,” Varejao said when asked how he wanted to be remembered. “A guy who came from nothing and made it to the best basketball in the world. Someone who gave everything.”

TIP-INS

Bucks: Portis Jr. recorded his 28th double-double. … C Serge Ibaka (personal reasons) and Milwaukee’s front office mutually agreed to seek a trade earlier in the week. . Middleton missed his 18th straight game. The former All-Star has only appeared in seven contests this season.

Cavaliers: Mitchell’s injury isn’t believed to be serious, but Bickerstaff said the team “will take our time” so it doesn’t turn into a lingering issue. … Bickerstaff notched his 100th win with the Cavs. … Cleveland committed just two fouls in the first 23:43. … F Dean Wade returned from a 24-game absence and played 10 minutes.

UP NEXT:

Bucks: Visit Detroit on Monday night.

Cavaliers: Visit New York on Tuesday night.

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

STAUBER WINS DEBUT IN GOAL, HELPS BLACKHAWKS BEAT BLUES 5-3

ST. LOUIS (AP) Rookie Jaxson Stauber recorded 29 saves in his NHL debut and Jason Dickinson scored a goal and two assists, leading the Chicago Blackhawks to a 5-3 victory Saturday night over the St. Louis Blues.

“I’ve dreamed about this for so long that I didn’t know how it was going to feel,” said Stauber, whose parents attended the game. “But it felt really good. I can’t put it into words. It was so awesome and exciting.”

Stauber, 23, joined Chicago on an emergency recall Thursday. Stauber signed last year after a standout career at Providence College. He’s played in 12 games this season with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League, going 6-4 with a 3.06 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage. He is the son of former NHL goaltender Robb Stauber, who played five seasons in the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings and Buffalo Sabres.

“It thought it was great. An excellent start,” Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said. “He was calm and comfortable. He played the puck extremely well all night right down the the end. A real heads up game by him. He deserved the win.”

The Blackhawks have won six of their last seven games. The loss snapped the Blues’ four-game winning streak against Chicago. St. Louis had beaten the Blackhawks six straight times at home dating back to Nov. 14, 2018.

Sam Lafferty, Reese Johnson, Andreas Athanasiou and Max Domi also scored for Chicago, who had just 18 shots on goal.

“Winning is fun. It’s what we play for,” Domi said. “It wasn’t pretty tonight but we’ll take it.”

Jordan Kyrou, Ivan Barbashev and Nick Leddy scored for St. Louis.

Chicago scored on its first two shots on goal. Dickinson scored at 10:27 of the first period on a quick-developing 2-on-1 for a 1-0 lead. The Blackhawks made it 2-0 at 13:20 with a short-handed goal by Lafferty after being fed by Dickinson for a breakaway, beating Jordan Binnington through the five-hole. Lafferty used his speed to assist on Dickinson’s goal.

“It’s obviously disappointing,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “Made two mistakes that shouldn’t happen and they’re both in the net and it’s 2-0. I don’t have an answer for that. I’m sorry. So we’re fighting uphill the rest of the game, and it wasn’t good enough obviously.”

Each team scored twice in the second period. Chicago went up 3-0 at 2 minutes in the second period when Johnson got behind Calle Rosen and tapped in the puck after getting a pass from Colin Blackwell. St. Louis came back less than a minute later with a power play goal when Kyrou scored on a wrist shot at 2:54. Athanasiou scored at 3:59 for a 4-1 Chicago lead.

That was it for Binnington, who allowed four goals on seven shots. Backup Thomas Greiss came in to play.

“Really tough start for us, you know,” Barbashev said. “To give up four goals. I don’t think it was on Binnington, to be honest. We gave them real easy goals.”

St. Louis cut the lead to 4-2 when Barbashev scored on a backhander at 13:12.

Each team scored a goal in the final period. Stauber stayed calm after St. Louis closed the gap.

“I just took a few deep breaths and got some water and I got ready for the next one,” said Stauber, who kept the puck from the game as a souvenir.

ICE CHIPS

Blues LW Logan Brown has been activated off injured reserve but he was a healthy scratch for Saturday’s game. … Sent C Nikita Alexandrov to AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, ending a stint in the NHL in which he played seven games with two goals and one assist. … RW Vladimir Tarasenko (hand), D Torey Krug (lower body), D Robert Bortuzzo (lower body), D Marco Scandella (hip) all participated in the Saturday morning optional skate for the Blues. None played in the game.

UP NEXT

Blackhawks: Host Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night.

Blues: Host Buffalo on Tuesday night.

NYQUIST HELPS BLUE JACKETS RALLY PAST SHARKS 5-3

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Gustav Nyquist scored in the third period, and the Columbus Blue Jackets rallied from two goals down to beat the San Jose Sharks 5-3 Saturday night, snapping a two-game losing streak.

Nyquist joined Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine with a goal and an assist, Boone Jenner and Sean Kuraly also scored, and Kent Johnson and Nick Blankenburg each had two assists for Columbus. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 22 shots.

The Blue Jackets remained in last place in the Metropolitan Division.

“We still weren’t perfect by any chance tonight, but I thought we managed the puck a little bit better,” Nyquist said. “We got some timely kills and the power play came through for us and got us going there in the second. Our battle level was pretty good today–, we won a lot of 50-50 battles that we need to do.

“We still can do better, but it’s a step in the right direction.”

Timo Meier, Nick Bonino and Nico Strum scored for San Jose, which has lost four of its last five. Kaapo Kahkonen had 24 saves.

Meier scored his 27th goal midway through the first period in which San Jose outshot Columbus 15-2.

Bonino made it 2-0 at 5:39 of the second, but the Blue Jackets controlled the rest of the period.

Columbus finished the second with 12-5 advantage on shots. Gaudreau got them within one, scoring the Blue Jackets’ first power-play goal in eight games with 8:41 left. Jenner pulled them even with his 12th just over a minute later.

“It wasn’t pretty in the first at all,” Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. “We seemed to find ourselves a bit in second. We just went to work and started to execute better. That it’s one thing we didn’t do well in the first. We found our rhythm a little bit there for the last two, so it’s a good win for these guys.”

Sturm gave San Jose a 3-2 lead at 1:53 of the third, but Laine responded with a laser shot from the front of the net 1:11 later.

Nyquist put Columbus ahead with 7:22 remaining and Kuraly added an empty-netter with 1:04 to go.

“It was sloppy,” Sharks coach David Quinn said. “We had the 2-0 lead. I don’t know if we thought it was going to be easy because maybe we’re playing a team at the bottom of the standings, but so are we, so I’m not really sure where that attitude would come from.”

ON POINT

With his assist on Jenner’s goal, Kent Johnson became the 17th Blue Jackets rookie to notch at least 20 points in a season.

ROAD WARRIOR

Meier scored his 15th road goal, putting him behind only Connor McDavid (17), David Pastrnak (17), Jack Hughes (16) and Tage Thompson (16).

MORE GOALS ARE BETTER

The winning team has scored three or more goals in each of the last 13 games of the series, dating back to the 2015-’16 season.

STREAKING

Meier and Bonino both extended their goal streaks to three games. Tomas Hertl’s assist streak also reached three games with his secondary helper on Meier’s goal. Jack Roslovic’s assist on Laine’s goal was his sixth point in a current five-game point streak.

HE SAID IT

“We wanted it to be easy,” Sturm said. “We thought it would be easy. We were wrong. We didn’t pay the price to win the hockey game.”

UP NEXT

Sharks: At Boston on Sunday night.

Blue Jackets: At Calgary on Monday night.

*********************************AUSTRAILIAN OPEN NEWS****************************

NO. 1 SWIATEK, NO. 7 GAUFF BOTH LOSE AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) It all came so seemingly easy for Iga Swiatek last season – two Grand Slam trophies, eight titles overall, a 37-match winning streak, a lengthy stay at No. 1 in the rankings.

Those accomplishments made everyone else expect constant greatness from Swiatek, which she can’t do anything about. They also changed the way she approached big moments, and a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open’s fourth round Sunday made Swiatek wonder whether she needs to reassess her outlook.

“I felt like I took a step back in terms of how I approach these tournaments, and I maybe wanted it a little bit too hard. So I’m going to try to chill out a little bit more,” Swiatek said. “I felt the pressure, and I felt that `I don’t want to lose’ instead of `I want to win.'”

So there will not be a showdown between Swiatek and No. 7 seed Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park. Instead, it will be Rybakina taking on 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, a 7-5, 6-3 winner against Gauff, with a semifinal berth at stake.

“I kept her under so much pressure,” Ostapenko said.

Add Swiatek’s loss to Week 1 exits by Ons Jabeur, Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud, and this Australian Open marks the first Grand Slam tournament in the Open era – which began in 1968 – with the top two women’s seeds and top two men’s seeds all gone before the quarterfinals.

Both the 22nd-seeded Rybakina, a 23-year-old who represents Kazakhstan, and the 17th-seeded Ostapenko, a 25-year-old from Latvia, made it this far in Melbourne for the first time.

“There was moments in the match where I was getting frustrated, because I normally can problem-solve, but today I feel like I didn’t have much answers to what she was doing,” said Gauff, an 18-year-old from Florida who was the runner-up to Swiatek at the French Open last June.

“There was balls I was hitting deep, and she was hitting them on the line and hitting them back deep, over and over again,” said Gauff, who wiped away tears during her news conference. “It’s just one of those days that just didn’t go my way and went her way.”

One key: Ostapenko went 3-for-3 converting her break chances, and Gauff was just 1-for-8 in such situations.

Rybakina, meanwhile, used her big serve to produce a half-dozen aces, part of an overall 24-15 edge in total winners against Swiatek.

The women’s fourth-rounders scheduled for later Sunday were: No. 3 Jessica Pegula vs. 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova, and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka vs. unseeded Zhu Lin.

In men’s action, 13th-seeded Karen Khachanov reached the quarterfinals by beating No. 31 Yoshihito Nishioka 6-0, 6-0, 7-6 (4), setting up a meeting against No. 10 Hubert Hurkacz or No. 29 Sebastian Korda, who were playing in the afternoon.

Other men’s matches Sunday: No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. No. 15 Jannik Sinner, and No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. unseeded Jiri Lehecka.

Until Sunday, both Swiatek and Gauff looked fairly dominant for a week, winning every set they contested. Swiatek dropped a total of just 15 games, Gauff just 19, through three matches.

“For sure, when you play against No. 1, I think you have really nothing to lose. I knew that I had to be aggressive from the first ball because she’s a great mover, and she defends really well,” Rybakina said. “So I was trying to just attack her from the first ball, and it really worked well.

Her ranking of No. 25 does not properly reflect her ability or results because her championship at the All England Club in July did not come with any ranking points. The WTA and ATP tours withheld all points at Wimbledon in 2022 after the All England Club barred players from Russia and Belarus from participating because of the invasion of Ukraine.

Rybakina – who was born in Moscow but has played for Kazakhstan since 2018, when that country offered her funding to support her tennis career – said her current standing “doesn’t bother me, because it’s been already six months,” yet also acknowledged it does provide some motivation.

Despite her status as a major champion, Rybakina has been out of the spotlight: Her first-round match at Melbourne Park was placed on tiny Court 13 last Monday; her match against two-time Slam champ Garbine Muguruza at least year’s U.S. Open was on Court 4.

But her game is worthy of much more attention, as she displayed in knocking out Swiatek, one match after defeating 2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins.

Swiatek was not at her best, and Rybakina had a lot to do with that. In the opening game, Swiatek led 40-love but got broken. In the next, Swiatek held two break points at 15-40 but failed to convert either. So early on, while it ended up being 2-2, it very well could have been 4-0 in Swiatek’s favor, and she termed that sequence “a little bit disturbing.”

Rybakina wound up serving out that set at love, capping it with a 113 mph (183 kph) ace, and her dangerous backhand was quite a help, too: She produced six winners off that wing in the first set, compared with zero for Swiatek.

In the second set, Swiatek appeared to have gotten herself back on track, going up 3-0. But that surge didn’t last long, and Rybakina took six of the match’s last seven games.

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

RAHM TIES ROOKIE THOMPSON FOR AMEX LEAD AT 23 UNDER

LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) Jon Rahm got off to a hot start and shot a 7-under 65 on Saturday on PGA West’s Stadium Course for a share of the lead with tour rookie Davis Thompson in The American Express.

Thompson’s run of eagles in the Southern California desert finally ended as the 23-year-old carded a 67, also on the Stadium Course, to settle into a tie with Rahm at 23-under 193. Thompson, who had five eagles in leading through the first two rounds, just missed a 35-foot birdie putt on No. 18 that would have given him a one-stroke lead.

Rahm, the world’s fourth-ranked player who won at Kapalua two weeks ago, and Thompson will make up the final group Sunday on the Stadium Course, which was one of three courses that hosted the first three rounds.

J.T. Poston and Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who shot a 10-under 62 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course, were four strokes behind the leaders. Tom Kim, Harry Higgs, Sam Burns and Taylor Montgomery were another stroke back at 18 under.

“Nothing but positive,” said Rahm, who will be playing for his ninth tour victory. “Ball-striking felt amazing. Hit a lot of great shots out there off the tee. Giving myself a lot of opportunities with the irons. Took advantage of quite a few of them. So very confident going into tomorrow and knowing that I’m going to have to shoot another low score if I want to have a chance to win.”

Rahm came into Saturday trailing Thompson by two strokes. He teed off seven groups ahead of Thompson and took the lead with a blistering front nine that included four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 fifth. The Spanish star cooled off on the back nine with just two birdies and a three-putt bogey on par-3 17th that cut his lead to one, before ending his round with a par.

Thompson birdied No. 12 to tie Rahm but then missed a short putt to bogey 14. He birdied the par-5 16th to tie Rahm.

“It’s great. I feel like I don’t have anything to lose in my rookie year,” Thompson said. “Just kind of freewheel it. But I’m excited to play with Jon. He’s obviously a top 5 player in the world. He’s very good. But I’m excited about the challenge and just looking forward to tomorrow.”

Thompson had four birdies on the front nine. “I felt like I stayed patient all day and made some putts,” he said. “Got off to a great start, which always helps. Up-and-downs on 5 and 6 were huge for me just keeping the momentum going.

“I was really proud with how I stayed patient. Didn’t really force anything. Made a bad bogey on 14, but came back and birdied 16. So it was a good way to finish.”

The field includes five of the top seven players in the world and 10 of the top 20.

Second-ranked Scottie Scheffler was in a group of six at 17 under that included Dylan Wu, who had six straight birdies on his first nine in his round of 11-under 61 at the Nicklaus Tournament Course.

Sixth-ranked Xander Schauffele was in a group of five at 15 under, that also included Tony Finau and Jason Day. No. 5 Patrick Cantlay and No. 7 Will Zalatoris were 11 under.

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

COLTS FOOTBALL: COLTS INTERVIEW DALLAS COWBOYS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR DAN QUINN FOR HEAD COACH POSITION

The Colts on Friday completed an interview for the team’s head coaching position with Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

Quinn has served as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator for the past two seasons, helping guide Dallas to the playoffs in both 2021 and 2022. The Cowboys in 2022 had the fifth-best scoring defense (20.1 points per game) in the NFL.

Prior to joining the Cowboys, Quinn was the Falcons’ head coach from 2015-2020 and led Atlanta to the Super Bowl in 2016. Quinn took that post after succeeding Gus Bradley as the Seattle Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom” defensive coordinator in 2013 and 2014.

After coaching in the college ranks at William & Mary, VMI and Hofstra, Quinn broke into the NFL as a defensive quality control coach for the San Francisco 49ers from 2001-2002. Quinn then coached defensive line for the 49ers (2003-2004), Miami Dolphins (2005-2006), New York Jets (2007-2008) and Seahawks (2009-2010) before spending two years as the University of Florida’s defensive coordinator/defensive line coach (2011-2012).

PACERS BASKETBALL: GAME REWIND: PACERS 107, SUNS 112

After opening their four-game road trip with three straight double-digit losses, the Pacers were in it until the final second on Saturday night in Phoenix.

In the end, though, the result was the same, as the Pacers (23-25) fell to the Suns (23-24), 112-107.

Bennedict Mathurin had 23 points and went 11-for-11 from the free throw line in the loss and Buddy Hield added 22 points on 5-of-12 3-point shooting and eight rebounds.

T.J. McConnell, inserted into the starting lineup for the first time all season, registered his third career triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists.

But it wasn’t quite enough as Indiana — still without Tyrese Haliburton — dropped its seventh consecutive contest against a Phoenix team missing five of its six top scorers.

The Pacers trailed by as many as nine in the fourth quarter, but whittled the deficit down to 98-94 following Mathurin’s reverse layup in transition with five minutes to play. But Josh Okogie hit one of two free throws at 4:42 and then swished a three from the right wing at 3:47 to push the margin back to eight.

The Blue & Gold made another charge when Saben Lee elbowed Hield in the face with 2:49 remaining, a foul that was upgraded to a flagrant 1 upon video review. Hield made both foul shots, then Mathurin scored 10 seconds later to make it 102-98.

Bismack Biyombo missed a pair of free throws on the other end. McConnell had a look at a reverse layup to bring Indiana within two, but couldn’t get it to fall. On the other end, Aaron Nesmith picked up his sixth foul contesting Lee at the rim and his former Vanderbilt teammate made both free throws with 2:01 remaining.

Mathurin pushed the ball right down the floor and converted a basket through contact with Lee. It was initially called a charge, but Pacers coach Rick Carlisle successfully challenged the call. Mathurin then hit the free throw to complete the three-point play and make it a one-possession game with 1:55 left.

Lee was whistled for traveling and Hield had a look at a 3-pointer to tie the game with 1:28 remaining, but couldn’t get it to fall. On the other end, Ish Wainwright’s triple pushed the Suns’ lead back to six with 1:10 remaining.

The Pacers weren’t done, as McConnell got the lane and converted a three-point play with 46.2 seconds remaining. But the Suns had an answer, as Wainwright connected with a cutting Jock Landale for a backdoor basket with the shot clock winding down to make it a two-possession game once again.

Hield drilled a deep three with 6.2 seconds remaining to keep the Pacers’ hopes alive and McConnell fouled Lee. He hit the first but missed the second, leaving the door open for Indiana.

After a timeout, Carlisle drew up a play to get a look for Hield, but he rushed his look from the left wing and missed. Okogie hit two free throws with 0.9 seconds left and the Pacers fell for the seventh straight game.

“We fought all night,” Carlisle said. “It’s been a rough run here. I really liked the way we competed and hung in and all that, but getting the next win is going to be challenging. That’s how it is in this league. It’s never easy.”

Okogie finished with a game-high 24 points and 10 rebounds and Mikal Bridges added 22 for Phoenix, which was already without All-Star guards Devin Booker (groin) and Chris Paul (hip) and also did not have starting center and former number-one pick Deandre Ayton on Saturday as the seven-footer was sidelined with a non-COVID illness.

The Suns went deep into their bench to pull out the victory. Damion Lee scored 16, Biyombo (12 points and 16 rebounds) and Landale (10 points and 10 rebounds) recorded double-doubles, and Saben Lee — playing on a 10-day contract — tallied 12 points and four assists off the bench.

It was a close contest from the start on Saturday. After Damion Lee hit a 3-pointer to open the scoring, the Pacers reeled off 10 straight points on four baskets by four different players. The Suns answered with an 8-2 spurt and back and forth they went, as the opening frame featured six lead changes and two ties.

McConnell did his job running the offense, playing the entire first quarter and tallying six points, four rebounds, five assists, and two steals. But it was Phoenix — behind seven points from Bridges — that took a 29-27 lead into the second quarter.

The Suns opened the second quarter with an 8-0 run. Back-to-back threes by Wainwright and former Pacer Duane Washington Jr. and a hook shot by Biyombo pushed the hosts’ lead to 10.

The Blue & Gold answered, however. Oshae Brissett, Myles Turner, and Nesmith all knocked down threes before McConnell got in on the act, draining a triple from the top of the arc to cap a 17-5 Indiana run and take a 44-42 lead midway through the second quarter.

Inside the Numbers

Mathurin topped 20 points for the 18th time this season and set a new career best by making all 11 of his free throws.

Hield, who leads the NBA in 3-pointers made this season, had gone just 6-for-19 from beyond the arc over his past four contests — including two games in which he failed to make a single 3-pointer. He bounced back Saturday with five treys — his 18th game this season making five or more 3-pointers.

Turner swatted four more shots on Saturday and now has 11 games this season with at least four rejections, including four of his last five and six of his last 10 contests.

Both teams struggled from the field in the second half. Phoenix went just 14-for-47 (29.8 percent), but still managed to eke out the victory because the Pacers were barely any better at 16-for-47 (34 percent).

You Can Quote Me On That

“McConnell was brilliant in this game. He had a triple-double and he was just tremendous…He’s one of our best competitors. We needed our best competitors out there to start the game. Pretty simple really.” -Carlisle on McConnell’s performance and why he inserted him into the starting lineup

“The group I was with spaces the floor, gave me a lot of chances to drive. That’s a credit to the players I’m playing with. They gave me the space and I just tried to get them the ball and shoot when I was open.” -McConnell on his triple-double

“I think it’s great for his confidence. He’s hitting threes, he’s making plays for us, and he’s just being himself. When T.J. plays with confidence, he’s a hell of a player.” -Turner on McConnell’s performance

“He’s an aggressive player. That’s who he is. He knew we needed him tonight. There were times where he got maybe a little overzealous just trying to create a little bit too much, but his heart’s always in the right place. He wants to win, he’s a hell of a teammate, and he’s great at what he does. He made some amazing shots and got unlucky on a couple other plays.” -Carlisle on Hield getting more shot attempts

“I think we were a bit more connected tonight. There will still a few miscues here and there, but it’s just one game at a time right now.” -Turner on defensive improvements

“It meant a lot. Obviously Phoenix was the first team to allow me to play in the NBA, my first home in the NBA. Just being back and around all the guys, it was emotional…It was just great to see the guys I built bonds with, the coaches I built bonds with.” -Smith on playing in Phoenix for the first time since the Suns traded him to Indiana last February

Stat of the Night

McConnell’s triple-double was the third in his eight-year NBA career and his second in a Pacers uniform. He had a triple-double with points, assists, and steals in an Indiana win in Cleveland on March 3, 2021 and recorded his first career triple-double for Philadelphia in a victory over New York on Feb. 12, 2018.

Noteworthy

The Pacers have lost three straight and five of their last six games against the Suns. The two teams will meet again at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Feb. 10.

Indiana is now 6-3 on the season when playing on the second night of a back-to-back.

Pacers radio play-by-play broadcaster Mark Boyle called his 3,000th game on Saturday. Boyle, the longtime radio voice of the Pacers, began his tenure with the team in November 1988.

The Suns celebrated the 30th anniversary of their 1992-93 team that reached the NBA Finals on Saturday, with former players including 1992-93 NBA MVP Charles Barkley and All-Stars Tom Chambers, Kevin Johnson, and Dan Majerle honored during a halftime ceremony.

Up Next

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: FUEL TAKE BIG WIN IN FORT WAYNE

FORT WAYNE – The Fuel headed to Fort Wayne to take on the Komets and hopefully claim their fifth win of the season against them. With a two-goal game by Chad Yetman and an empty net goal, they defeated Fort Wayne 4-2 and did just that.

1ST PERIOD

Indy got in a little bit of trouble early with two penalties that were tough to kill off before Fort Wayne took one of their own. As things usually do between these two teams, there was some pushing and shoving before the Fuel’s Spencer Watson took their third penalty of the period for tripping.

Ultimately, Tye Felhaber scored first with less than a minute left in the first frame to put the Komets up 1-0.

2ND PERIOD

Less than two minutes into the period, Chad Yetman scored a power play goal to tie the game. With this goal, Yetman extended his point streak to fourteen games which is just one game short of the Fuel franchise record, currently held by Spencer Watson. This was also Yetman’s eighth goal in his last nine games with the Fuel.

Alex Wideman claimed the primary assist and goaltender Zach Driscoll claimed the secondary assist, marking his first point with Indy just one night after posting a shutout for them against Cincinnati.

At about the halfway point of the period, Andrew Perrott and Anthony Petruzzelli each got a five minute major penalty for fighting. There were a few more penalties handed out that frame as the physical aspect of the game intensified but the period ended with the game tied at one a piece and Indy narrowly outshooting Fort Wayne 22-21.

3RD PERIOD

Cam Hillis opened the scoring in the third period for the Fuel, putting them up 2-1 just a few minutes in.

At 4:57 of the third frame, Petruzzelli and Indy’s Seamus Malone were each handed penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct but it was Yetman with his second goal of the game to make it 3-1 for Indy with just 12 minutes to go in regulation.

After killing off a delay of game penalty, Shawn Boudrias was able to put the Komets back in it with a goal assisted by Joshua Winquist and Tye Felhaber. Fort Wayne kept the pressure on as Alex Wideman was called for hooking but Indy was able to kill it off.

With just four minutes left in the game, Fort Wayne pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker as the Fuel’s Shane Kuzmeski was called for interference but their gamble backfired on them as it was Kuzmeski who collected a pass as he was leaving the penalty box to score on the empty net making it 4-2.

That is how the game ended just two minutes later. Shots were even at 36-36 during this cross-state matchup.

The Indy Fuel are back in action at Indiana Farmers Coliseum tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 p.m. against the Wheeling Nailers.

PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL: #3 PURDUE BATTLES MARYLAND ON SUNDAY IN MACKEY

GAMEDAY INFO

Sunday, January 22, 2023

[3] Purdue (18-1, 7-1) vs. Maryland (12-6, 3-4)

West Lafayette, Ind. | Mackey Arena (14,876)

TELEVISION: FS1 | RADIO: Purdue Sports Network

ANNOUNCERS: Brandon Gaudin, Stephen Bardo

THE NOTES TO KNOW

• After being on the road for four of its last five games, the No. 3-ranked Purdue basketball team returns home for a Sunday afternoon tilt with Maryland — the first of two meetings this season with the Terrapins. This will mark just Purdue’s fourth Big Ten home game, but starts a stretch where the Boilermakers are home for four of their next six contests.

• Purdue is coming off a historic “four-in-five” road-game stretch, winning all five games including all four on the road. In the 10 occurrences that Purdue had four road games in a five-game stretch, the Boilermakers never previously posted a 5-0 record.

• Purdue’s 18-1 record is the program’s best 19-game start in school history. A win over Maryland will give Purdue a 19-1 record through 20 games, just the fifth time since 2000 that a Big Ten team would start 19-1 (2019 Michigan; 2013 Michigan; 2011 Ohio State; 2005 Illinois).

• Last Friday’s win over Nebraska gave Purdue its 1,900th in school history, the 11th team to reach that total. Purdue is 1,902-1,054 (.643) all-time.

• With the win over Michigan State, Matt Painter became the seventh coach in Big Ten history to win 200 league games (Bob Knight, Tom Izzo, Gene Keady, Piggy Lambert, Lou Henson, Branch McCracken). He is one of five coaches to win 400 games while at a Big Ten school.

• Purdue can claim America’s best resume, being one of two teams in America (Kansas) with seven quad-1 wins, five of them against teams ranked in the NCAA Net’s top 30 (Gonzaga, Ohio State, West Virginia, Marquette, Duke). Six of the wins (Marquette) have come away from home.

• After being one of the final two teams in the country with zero losses (New Mexico was last), Purdue is now one of four teams nationally with just one loss (Houston, Purdue, Florida Atlantic, College of Charleston).

• After struggling shooting the ball for the majority of the season, Purdue has gone 48-of-116 (.414) from 3-point range over its last nine halves of basketball. Prior to this stretch, Purdue was 93-of-309 (.301) from long range.

• One year after ranking second in the country in rebound margin, Purdue leads the country in rebound margin (+11.4) this season. Purdue leads Providence (2nd) by 2.2 rebounds per game, the largest margin from first to second in the category since 2016-17 (+3.3 by North Carolina).

• Purdue has MADE 296 free throws this season, while opponents have SHOT just 178. Purdue has made 167 more free throws (296 to 129) than its foes this season, the highest discrepancy in the nation (Purdue +167, North Carolina +133, New Mexico +130, Iowa +129).

• Over the last five games, Purdue is shooting 82.8 percent (48-58) from the FT line. Opponents have made just 20 free throws in that span.

• Purdue ranks sixth nationally in fewest fouls per game (13.3) and is first nationally in opponent free throw attempts per game (9.4). The average is the lowest for an opponent since at least the 2010-11 season (lowest mark is 11.2 by Virginia in 2019-20).

• Purdue has held 20 straight opponents to 70 points or less, the second-longest streak in the country (Saint Mary’s – 21).

• Zach Edey ranks No. 1 in the KenPom POY ratings by a significant margin and has been the game MVP in 14 of the 18 Purdue games that he has played in (missed New Orleans with the flu). Edey has scored 10 or more points in 35 straight games — the nation’s longest streak.

• Perhaps our favorite Zach Edey stat: Through his 17 games this year, he has more blocked shots (41) than personal fouls (27). He has also played 30 minutes 12 times this season after not doing it once in his first two seasons. Edey is averaging just 1.9 fouls / 40 minutes.

• Fletcher Loyer was named the Big Ten’s Player and Freshman of the Week after a 27-point, six 3-pointer game vs. Nebraska. He became the first freshman since Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn in Nov. 2019, to win Player of the Week honors. He was the first Purdue freshman since Robbie Hummel in Feb. 2008, to win Player of the Week accolades. His three Freshman of the Week honors are tied for the most in school history.

• Over the last five games, freshmen Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith are averaging a combined 28.4 points and 8.6 assists per game. The duo is shooting 50-of-100 (.500) from the field, 25-of-49 (.510) from 3-point range and 17-of-20 (.850) from the free throw line in that span.

• Purdue has been ranked in the nation’s top 3 (AP poll) in 14 of the last 30 weeks. Previously in school history, Purdue was top 3 in 18 weeks.

PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: PURDUE ROLLS TO WIN OVER MINNESOTA

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team dominated on both ends of the floor in a 75-56 win over Minnesota on Saturday afternoon at Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers improved to 13-6 on the year and 4-5 in Big Ten play.

The Purdue put four players in double figures led by Cassidy Hardin’s 14 points. The fifth-year senior knocked down a quartet of Purdue’s 10 triples on the afternoon. Jayla Smith used a mix of inside and outside shooting to score 13 points, while Lasha Petree totaled 12 with a trio of 3-pointers. Rickie Woltman finished two rebounds shy of a double-double as she tallied 10 points off the bench in 23 minutes of action.

The Boilermakers took care of the ball offensively with 21 assists on 30 made field goals. Jeanae Terry notched her 10th game this season with five points, five assists and five rebounds, as she tallied eight points, seven boards and eight dimes. Petree and Abbey Ellis both dished out a trio of helpers. Purdue also cut its turnovers down to eight, its lowest since the win at Texas A&M.

Purdue shot 45.5% from the field for its 15th game with a shooting clip of 40% or better and went 10-of-30 from behind the arc.

On defense, the Boilermakers held Minnesota to just 27.5% shooting, the lowest mark by an opponent since Nov. 14, 2019, at Chattanooga. Purdue flipped 13 Golden Gopher giveaways into 20 points.

Minnesota entered Saturday’s game averaging 37.6 points in the paint per game. Purdue trimmed that number to a season-low 20 for the Golden Gophers, by holding dominant post player Alanna Micheaux to just two points.

Neither side found its shooting touch early with both clubs combining to shoot 4-for-17 over the opening five minutes. Petree connected on a pair of early triples for the Boilermakers. Following a 3-pointer by Minnesota to tie the game at 8-8, Purdue rolled off nine straight points, carrying a seven-point lead into the second.

The Golden Gophers trimmed the gap down to three early in the second before Madison Layden sank a triple. It was all Purdue to the end of the half, finishing the final 7:33 of the period on a 19-5 run. Woltman started the run with five straight points, before a Petree layup. Hardin connected on back-to-back triples as Purdue finished with seven 3-pointers over the opening 20 minutes.

Minnesota clawed its way back in the early stages of the third on a 13-4 run. Harper ended the run with a tough layup through contact with 5:42 to play. Purdue held the Golden Gophers to just two made field goals over the final five minutes of the third. Woltman and Smith scored Purdue’s final six points of the frame to give Purdue a 56-43 lead after 30 minutes.

In the fourth, Minnesota again chipped the deficit down to single digits midway through the quarter, but the fifth-year-senior duo of Hardin and Petree hit from outside on back-to-back trips down the floor to push the gap to 15 points. Purdue shot 8-of-14 and hit a trio of triples, while keeping Minnesota to just 4-of-19 from the floor in the final period to seal the win.

NOTES

• Purdue leads the all-time series 48-23.

• The crowd of 5,003 was Purdue’s third-largest attendance of the Katie Gearlds era.

• Minnesota won the rebounding battle 45-41, but Purdue only surrendered 11 second chance points on 17 offensive boards.

• Purdue is now 11-2 when the bench scores 20 points or more with 29 points from the second unit on Saturday.

• Terry posted her 13th this season with at least five rebounds and five assists.

• Purdue is now 11-0 when keeping an opponent to 70 points or less.

• The Boilermakers drilled 10 or more triples for the third time this season.

UP NEXT

Purdue will venture back out on the road to face No. 21/23 Illinois on Thursday night in Champaign. The 8 p.m. (ET) tip will be streamed on B1G+.

BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: #5 UCONN TAKES DOWN @BUTLERUWBB 79-39

STORRS – The UConn Huskies remain unbeaten in the BIG EAST Conference after recording a 79-39 victory over Butler on Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs end the weekend with a 7-13 overall record that includes a 2-9 mark in the BIG EAST. UConn is now 17-2 overall (10-0).

How It Happened

Butler led UConn by three at the end of the first quarter, but the Huskies would outscore the Bulldogs 26-6 in the second frame to break open a 36-19 lead at the half. Butler used a 13-0 scoring run in the first quarter to build their lead. Three different ‘Dawgs hit a 3-pointer before the first media timeout to shock a crowd of 10,167 fans at Gampel Pavilion.

UConn ended the first quarter on a 6-0 run and a 6-0 run near the start of the second quarter would put the home team back in front at 18-16. The Huskies led Butler 25-17 at the midway point of the second (4:51), and would end the opening half on an 11-0 run to lead BU by 17 at the break.

The Huskies took control of the third quarter by winning that 10-minute stretch 25-11. The game would come to a close moments later with UConn doubling Butler up in the fourth 18-9.

Postgame Parkinson Quotes

“I was encouraged by the first quarter performance because we have recently struggled to get off to a good start. I thought we had a good practice yesterday that focused on our defense, so it was neat to see that play out today. Overall, we have a lot of young players on this team that will be back here in the future, in this atmosphere, and we will be excited to play in this building again.”

Stat of the Game

Butler’s defense limited UConn to 28 percent shooting in the first quarter (4-14).

Inside the Box Score

– Sydney Jaynes scored seven points, pulled down four rebounds and added a blocked shot

– Jessica Carrothers matched Jaynes with a team-high seven points

– Carrothers added two assists, two rebounds and a steal on Saturday

– Anna Mortag had six points, a team-high five rebounds and a blocked shot at UConn

– Rachel McLimore recorded a team-high three assists and four points in the outcome

– Butler was credited with 10 assists on 14 made field goals

– BU shot 7-for-22 from 3-point range

– Four of Butler’s six made field goals in the first half were from distance

– UConn only had eight active players for the matchup vs. Butler

– The Husky starters were responsible for 76 of the team’s 79 points

– UConn scored 38 points in the paint

– Aaliyah Edwards led all players with 20 points

– Lou Lopez Senechal and Aubrey Griffin each added 17 points

Up Next

The Bulldogs will be in Queens on Wednesday night to play St. John’s at Carnesecca Arena. The 7 PM tip will stream on FloSports.com.

IUPUI MEN’S BASKETBALL: JAGUARS FALL AT HOME TO DETROIT MERCY, 89-77

INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI basketball team put five players in double-figures, paced by sophomore Jlynn Counter’s 23 points, but fell short to visiting Detroit Mercy, 89-77. UDM’s Antoine Davis pumped in 42 points on 16-of-30 shooting and moved into the No. 2 spot on the NCAA Division I’s all-time scoring list in the process.

IUPUI freshman DJ Jackson tallied a career-high 17 points and John Egbuta added 13 points and six board off the bench.

“We’re getting better and we’re getting closer. We just had too many turnovers, especially early in the game. We strung together stops, but didn’t capitalize when we needed to,” head coach Matt Crenshaw said. “(Davis) is really, really good. He made some tough shots, he made open shots and he made contested shots. With (Detroit), it’s pick your poison and Davis really took it upon himself to carry them today.

“Sometimes, you just have to tip your cap and give credit to a kid.”

Davis scored 25 of his 42 in the opening half as Detroit Mercy (8-12, 4-5 HL) led by as many as nine before intermission. Jackson had a new career high before the break, scoring 12 in the first half to help pull IUPUI within 39-38 by halftime.

IUPUI (3-18, 0-10) struggled to get over the hump in the second half, but finally took the lead with 8:00 left when Counter collected a steal near midcourt and raced the other way for a transition deuce. UDM immediately responded with a Davis step back three which ultimately sparked a 14-0 run as the Jags went scoreless over the next five-plus minutes. By the time Counter broke the drought with 2:51 to play, the Titans had built a double-digit lead.

Jackson had 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting, including three threes and Egbuta was an efficient 4-of-6 from the floor. Chris Osten closed with 12 points and five rebounds while Vincent Brady II pumped in 12 points. IUPUI shot nearly 55 percent from the field adn 6-of-13 (46.2 percent) from three point range, but were victims of their own miscues. The Jags committed 20 turnovers, leading to UDM’s 26-10 margin in points off turnovers.

The Titans shot 53 percent overall and 16-of-33 (48.5 percent) from three as Davis hit 8-of-18 attempts. Damezi Anderson finished with 20 points, seven boards and three steals and TJ Moss closed with 11 points and five assists.

IUPUI will be back in action on Wednesday night (Jan. 25) when it heads up I-69 to face Purdue Fort Wayne at 7:00 p.m. inside Memorial Coliseum. That game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: WBB PULLS OFF GRITTY WIN OVER CENTRAL MICHIGAN

MUNCIE, Ind. – It wasn’t pretty, but the Ball State women’s basketball team pulled off yet another gritty win in Mid-American Conference action Saturday afternoon in Worthen Arena.

The Cardinals (15-4, 5-1 MAC) defeated Central Michigan (3-14, 1-5 MAC) by a score of 71-62 for their best conference start since the 2016-17 season. With the win, Ball State also remained undefeated at home with a 9-0 mark.

Although the Chippewas record isn’t what it has been in the past, CMU remains one of the toughest opponents to compete against historically in the MAC and today’s contest proved that statement to be true.

Ball State didn’t make today’s win easy as the game would ultimately come down to the wire despite the Cardinals having control for 34:10 of the 40-minute duration.

The Cardinals opened the game strong, taking a 9-4 lead over CMU after a driving layup from redshirt senior Anna Clephane at the 5:42 mark. But Central Michigan fought back to take a slim 11-10 lead just under the three minute mark. After a scoring drought from both teams, sophomore Ally Becki ended the first frame of action with a fast break layup to put BSU back up by one (12-11).

After that, the see saw match continued but the Cardinals continued to have the upper hand, outscoring the Chippewas 22-17 to take a slim 34-28 advantage over CMU at intermission.

The second half was just as close but fortunately for the Cardinals they were able to hold onto to their halftime lead the remainder of the ball game.

In the final 10 minutes, Central Michigan made it a one possession ball game (57-55) with 7:43 left on the clock. Ball State turned up its defense and fought hard underneath the basket to get some much needed points which would ultimately seal today’s victory for the Cardinals.

For the game, Clephane led the Cardinals again this week in scoring with 19 points while Sophomore Marie Kiefer wasn’t too far behind with 16. Becki finished the day with 12 points and sophomore Madelyn Bischoff rounded out the double-digit scoring with 10. Kiefer also led the Cardinals defensively with eight rebounds and two block solos.

The Ball State women’s basketball team remains at home in Mid-American Conference action Wednesday when it hosts Akron for a 6:30 p.m. ET midweek MACtion game in Worthen Arena.

NOTRE DAME HOCKEY: HEARTBREAK IN HOCKEY VALLEY

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The University of Notre Dame hockey team battled to the very end with No. 6/6 Penn State Saturday night, ultimately falling 3-2 for the weekend split.

The Irish struck first with a powerplay goal at 4:48 of the opening period for Trevor Janicke’s team-leading eighth of the season.

Notre Dame headed back to the powerplay halfway through the period but were unable to find the same puck luck as before and the score stayed 1-0 late into the period.

At 14:14 the Irish took their first penalty of the night when T. Janicke was called for a knee but held the Nittany Lions scoreless on their man-advantage and skated on to the intermission with the one-goal lead.

Penn State fired a series of shots on goal in the final minute of the period but the Mike Richter Watch List honoree stood tall in net to keep the Nittany Lions off the board through the first 20 minutes of action.

The Nittany Lions knotted things up at 3:12 of the second stanza to make it 1-1 off an odd-man rush.

Minutes later home team took a tripping call and the Irish found themselves back on the powerplay, trying to swing momentum back in their favor. Despite maintaining possession in the offensive end the Irish were unable to capitalize while up a man but as soon as the penalty expired Chayse Primeau net his second of the weekend to make it 2-1, Irish partway through the second.

The home team would get one back late in the period to even the score, 2-2, heading into the final period of regulation.

Through two periods of play, Bischel had 33 saves between the pipes, including 18 in the second stanza to keep it tied.

Bischel continued to feel the pressure early in the third period as the Nittany Lions fired six shots off in the first few minutes. After their second icing on one shift the Irish used their timeout to regroup at 7:23 of the third.

Shortly after the timeout, the Irish found themselves dishing out shots, peppering the PSU end with a series of pucks but were unable to break Liam Souliere in net and the score remained tied at two halfway through.

The Nittany Lions scored the eventual game-winner with a tap in goal through the pads of Bischel at 14:33 of the third period.

The Irish continued to pressure the Penn State zone, racking up nine total shots off after going down a goal but they were unable to capitalize, even with the extra attacker. With Bischel out and two minutes left in regulation, the Irish held puck possession in the offensive end yet could not break the PSU netminding and dropped the 3-2 decision.

GOALS

Trevor Janicke buried a shot for his team-leading eighth of the year just under five minutes into regulation. On the powerplay, Drew Bavaro found Jackson Pierson at the top of the slot who fed the puck to T. Janicke for the one-timer into the back of the net.

As the Nittany Lions penalty expired, Chayse Primeau put the Irish back on top with a tip out front. Ryder Rolston’s intitial shot ricocheted wide where Justin Janicke corralled the loose puck and sent the rebound on net where Primeau’s stick made the deflection to put ND back on top, 2-1, at 6:42 of the second.

KEY STATS

The Irish registered 31 shots on goal while 12 additional shots were blocked by the home team as ND fell, 3-2.

Defensively, the Irish blocked 17 shots in the contest with Jackson Pierson, Ryan Helliwell and Zach Plucinski each registering two on the night.

Ryan Bischel made 42 saves between the pipes, improving his weekend save percentage to .959 on the weekend series (94-98).

For the second consecutive night the Irish penalty kill unit posted a perfect percentage, allowing the Nittany Lions just one shot on goal on two chances.

Trevor Janicke scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season with a powerplay tally at 5:28 of the opening period.

Chayse Primeau net his second of the weekend, and sixth of the season, to give the Irish the 2-1 lead at 6:42 of the second stanza.

UP NEXT

Notre Dame returns home to close out the first month of 2023 against Wisconsin, Jan. 27-28. Fans are encouraged to stay after next Saturday’s contest for a postgame autograph session with members of the Irish squad.

NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL: IRISH COULDN’T SUSTAIN 2ND HALF RALLY IN 84-72 LOSS TO BC

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Notre Dame men’s basketball team (9-11, 1-8) rallied down 14 points to take the lead in the second half against Boston College (9-11, 3-6), but the Eagles shot a blistering 71.4 percent in the second to capture the 84-72 victory.

Nate Laszewski earned a career high 29 points by tying his career high in threes, converting 7-of-9 from beyond the arc. He also collected seven rebounds, three assists and one block as he filled up the stat sheet.

Dane Goodwin was in double figures for the eighth straight contest with 13 points this afternoon. He continues to find success against BC, amassing 96 points in his last six games against them (16.0 ppg). Furthermore, Goodwin tied his career in steals with four.

Cormac Ryan rounded out the double-digit scorers with 13 points, connecting on three treys.

How It Happened

Notre Dame produced a 13-2 run over a four-minute span, connecting on 5-of-6 from the field, to garner a 22-16 lead midway through the opening half. Laszewski was a major reason for the early success on offense. The graduate just couldn’t miss from deep.

Laszewski started 5-of-6 from beyond the arc to give the Irish a 30-21 advantage with 5:08 on the clock – with 17 of those points belonging to the Florida native.

Later, an 8-0 Boston College run got the Eagles back in it and back in front by two at 34-32. Ven-Allen Lubin had some productive minutes off the bench, supplying a pair of and-ones to keep pushing ND forward.

All-in-all, the halftime score was 36-35 in favor of the visitors with both sides shooting exactly the same, 14-of-30 (.467). The Irish did have a slight rebounding edge at the time, up 18-15.

Notre Dame came out of halftime cold, missing their first eight shots from the field. As a result, Boston College went on an 13-0 run to build its largest lead of the game at 49-35

However, the Irish found some footing and began to rally. The key turn was a five-point play at the 12:18 mark. Laszsewski hit his seventh three-pointer of the game and Goodwin was fouled on the shot – therefore he went to the line and hit both. That capped a 12-2 run to pull the Irish within four at 47-51.

Later, Goodwin and Ryan converted back-to-back treys to reclaim the lead at 57-56, sending the Irish faithful to their feet.

It became a back-and-forth boxing match from this point on with both sides trading blows. Notre Dame recorded a stretch in which they made 9-of-11, while Boston College simultaneously went 7-of-8. At the 3:47 media timeout, the Irish trailed 68-72.

From there, Boston College recorded back-to-back dagger three-point plays and later ended the game on a 7-0 run for the 84-72 final.

Up Next

The Irish head the road to Raleigh for a Tuesday night matchup against NC State. Tip is scheduled for 7 pm ET on ACC Network

NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: NOTRE DAME TO HOST UVA FOR SUNDAY AFTERNOON SHOWDOWN

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — After health and safety protocols kept Virginia (14-5, 3-5) and Notre Dame (15-2, 6-1) from facing off last season, the Irish and the Cavaliers will renew the ACC series on Sunday. Karen & Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey and Co. are seeking a fourth consecutive ACC win, and the seventh-ranked group is currently tied with Duke for the top spot in the conference.

After starting the season 12-0, the Cavaliers have lost five of their last seven. They will be without the services of two of their three best players on Sunday. A Jan. 8 knee injury ended top guard Mir McLean’s year, so Virginia will be heavily reliant on leading scorer and forward Camryn Taylor for buckets. The senior posts 12.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

A more recent development involves former Irish forward turned UVA graduate student Sam Brunelle. The Virginia native was ejected from Thursday night’s game against Florida State. By rule, she is suspended for the following game. Brunelle is averaging 11.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.

Despite the roster setbacks, Virginia is undoubtedly much improved from last season. The Hoos rank second in the ACC in offensive rebounds (15.1 per game) and are holding teams under 59 points per contest on the year. The Irish are pacing the league in the defensive rebounding category, creating a very interesting matchup on the boards.

“The pieces that they have, they play with a lot of confidence,” Ivey said. “They have good depth and with Taylor being that central focus in the paint, she’s so tough and does a great job.”

Notre Dame’s offense has sputtered a bit lately after a fiery start. Both Olivia Miles and Maddy Westbeld are regularly posting double-digit points, but both Dara Mabrey and Sonia Citron are in scoring slumps. UVA leads the ACC in 3-point defense (25.1), likely presenting a challenge for the two behind the arc.

Virginia-Notre Dame tips off on the ACC Network at 2 p.m. ET. The Irish are 8-3 all-time against the Hoos, including a 3-0 mark at home.

INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL: AVILA SCORES CAREER-HIGH, SYCAMORES FALL AT MURRAY STATE

MURRAY, Ky. – Robbie Avila posted a career-high 18 points Saturday evening, but the Sycamores saw their losing streak hit a season-high four games as Indiana State fell 82-73 to Murray State at CSFB Center.

The Sycamores (13-8, 6-4 MVC) rode an 11-0 run across the end of the first half into the second, including a buzzer-beating putback from Cade McKnight that tied things up at 36-all at the break. After opening the second half with three-straight buckets to take a 42-36 lead, the Sycamores gave up a 9-0 Racer run that turned the lead over to Murray State (11-9, 6-4 MVC) for the rest of the game.

Courvoisier McCauley paced all scorers in the game with 19 points, and Avila pulled down a tied team-high seven boards alongside his 18 points. Cooper Neese also hauled in seven rebounds, and Cameron Henry dished out a game-high six assists beside 16 points. McKnight rounded out the Sycamores in double-figures with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

Back-to-back triples for McCauley put the Sycamores up 8-2 at 17:28 in the opening frame, and Indiana State continued to build on that early lead with a pair of Robbie Avila layups. The lead hit double digits at 16-6 on the free throw of Avila’s and-one with 15:17 to play in the first half.

Back-to-back and-ones for Murray State cut ISU’s lead to 16-12, but McKnight checked in and immediately laid up a basket to cut off the Racer run. Murray State took its first lead of the game at 2:55 in the first half on two-straight buckets from DJ Burns. ISU trailed 36-31 with 1:32 left in the opening half, but McKnight completed the and-one and then grabbed an offensive board to set himself up for the buzzer-beating putback to tie things up at 36 at the half.

After going up 42-36 with their three-straight buckets to open the second half, the Sycamores got down 50-47 at 13:23 after the 9-0 Murray State run. The two teams were tied 50-50 with 12:18 to go, but Murray State retook the lead on a pair of free throws a minute later and would never concede the lead the rest of the way.

Inside the Numbers

The Sycamores shot 44.4 percent (28-of-63) from the field compared to Murray State’s 42.6 percent (26-of-61).

Indiana State shot 5-for-30 from three with all five triples coming from Courvoisier McCauley. ISU held the Racers to 2-of-18 from three.

ISU was 12-of-20 from the free throw line and Murray State was 28-of-33 from the line.

There were three lead changes in the game. ISU led for 20:25 and Murray State led for 16:00.

There were also eight ties, and the two teams spent 3:32 tied in the game.

ISU’s 13 offensive rebounds are the most offensive rebounds for the Sycamores this season and just the fourth time they’ve had 10 or more offensive rebounds in a game.

News & Notes

Robbie Avila’s 18 points bested his previous career-high of 16 set against Drake in ISU’s Valley opener Nov. 30.

With a team-high 19 points, Courvoisier McCauley pushed his double-digit scoring streak to 13 games. Tonight was the first time he’s hit five triples in a game since hitting six at Miami (Ohio) Dec. 3.

This four-game skid marks ISU’s longest losing streak of the season, and it’s the current longest losing streak out of the 10 Valley teams with two or more wins.

Up Next

The Sycamores play their second of back-to-back nationally televised road games at Drake Tuesday, Jan. 24. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET tip on CBS Sports Network.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL: JARRED GODFREY BECOMES PROGRAM LEADER IN GAMES PLAYED IN LOSS AT NKU

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s basketball team fell 74-54 on Saturday (Jan. 21) in a road Horizon League game.

Jarred Godfrey became the program leader in games played in the contest. He has now played 142 career games as a Mastodon, passing Cameron Benford’s 141 career games.

The Mastodons trailed by only six at half (29-23) but saw Northern Kentucky start the second half on a 13-3 run. Marques Warrick had a game-high 18 points for Northern Kentucky to guide the Norse to the win.

The Mastodons shot 45.2 percent (19-of-42) from the floor but were hurt by 18 turnovers. Northern Kentucky shot 50.9 percent (29-of-57) with nine turnovers.

Bobby Planutis, Damian Chong Qui and Anthony Roberts each had 10 points for the ‘Dons.

Both clubs are now 13-5. The ‘Dons are 5-5 in Horizon League. Northern Kentucky stays in first place at 8-2.

The ‘Dons are back in action on Wednesday (Jan. 25) at the Gates Sports Center against IUPUI. It is Pack the House Night as the ‘Dons play their in-state rival. Tip is set for 7 p.m. with autographs following the game.

EVANSVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL: DRAKE PULLS AWAY TO DEFEAT UE MEN

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Scoring 55 points in the first half, Drake pulled away in the final 20 minutes to defeat the University of Evansville men’s basketball team by a score of 97-61 on Saturday afternoon inside the Ford Center.

After shooting 66.7% in the first half, the Bulldogs finished the game at 56.7%.  Evansville had four players score in double figures with Kenny Strawbridge Jr. and Yacine Toumi recording 12 apiece while Antoine Smith Jr. and Marvin Coleman II each chipped in 11.  Gabe Spinelli added 9 points and a team-high five rebounds.  Tucker DeVries led all players with 23 points while Darnell Brodie added 17.  Roman Penn had an unbelievable 18 assists while scoring 13.

“First and foremost, Drake is a very good team.  They were able to get just about everything offensively that they got.  If they play like that, it will be hard for anybody to beat them,” UE head coach David Ragland stated.  “We moved at a good pace offensively in the first half but we could not sustain it.”

Drake reeled off the first seven points of the game to force a time out by Evansville.  The Aces regrouped and went on a 14-2 run to take a 14-9 lead.  Antoine Smith Jr. got his team on the board with a triple before hitting a runner to make it a 9-5 score.  Three consecutive triples by Gabe Spinelli, Smith and Marvin Coleman II put UE in front as the team hit five out of six shots during the stretch.

With the Aces in front, the Bulldogs stormed back.  Going on a 18-2 run, the Bulldogs retook the lead at 27-16 as they capped the run off scoring 11 in a row.  With the half moving under 10 minutes remaining, Chris Moncrief and Yacine Toumi recorded field goals to trim the deficit back down to seven.

Shots continued to fall for the Bulldogs, who shot 66.7% in the opening stanza.  Connecting on nine of their final ten attempts, Drake led by a 55-34 margin at halftime.  Equally impressive in the opening 20 minutes was their 8-for-12 performance from long range.  UE converted six of its 12 attempts from 3-point range in the period.

Evansville posted the first two baskets of the second half but it was Drake with the big run, scoring nine in a row and 12 of the next 14 to take a 67-40 advantage.  Up 73-50, the Bulldogs scored the next nine to push their lead to 82-50.  The final score of 97-61 matched their largest margin of the game.

Another home game is coming up Wednesday when the Aces welcome Belmont for a 7 p.m. tip.

SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL: USI HOLDS ON TO DEFEAT SIUE, 82-72

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball had to make a defense stand in the last minute before closing out a 81-72 victory over Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Saturday afternoon in Edwardsville, Illinois. The Screaming Eagles go to 12-9 overall and 5-3 in the OVC, while the Cougars are 14-7, 5-3 OVC.

With the victory, USI is in a six-way tie for first in the OVC standings at 5-3 with SIUE, Tennessee Tech University, Southeast Missouri State University, University of Tennessee at Martin, and Morehead State University.

USI was dominating through the first 20 minutes of action, building a 38-22 lead by the intermission. Sophomore guard Isaiah Swope (Newburgh, Indiana) led the charge with 14 points in the half, hitting five-of-eight with four three-pointers.

The Eagles, as a team, led by as many as 17 points during the first half (36-19) after shooting 45.2 percent for the half (14-31) and 53.3 percent from the beyond the arc (8-15).

SIUE made a brief run at USI to start the second half, cutting the margin to 11 points three times in the first eight minutes (42-31, 48-37, 50-39). USI methodically pushed the lead back to 18 points, 59-41, on a 9-2 spurt with 8:31 left on the clock. Senior forward Jacob Polakovich (Grand Rapids, Michigan) led the surge with six of the nine points.

USI appeared to be cruising until the last five minutes of the game when SIUE exploded on a 20-6 run to cut the Eagles’ lead to six points, 67-61, with 2:16 to play. The Eagles regained the momentum with a 7-0 spurt to get the lead back to double-digits, 73-61, with 1:30 remaining on the clock.

The Cougars, however, had one more run at the Eagles to cut the margin to eight points, 75-67, before USI closed out the game at the free throw line for the 82-72 victory.

Swope led four players in double-digits for the Eagles with 23 points, adding nine points in the final 20 minutes. The sophomore guard was six-of-12 overall, four-of-seven from long range, and seven-of-12 from the line.

Senior guard Jelani Simmons (Columbus, Ohio) followed Swope with 17 points, reaching double-digits for the second game in a row. Polakovich finished with 16 points, all in the second half, and grabbed 23 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the year. The 23 rebounds also marked Polakovich’s third 20-plus rebound game of the season.

USI graduate forward Trevor Lakes (Lebanon, Indiana) rounded out the double-figure scorers with 12 points and was second on the team with eight rebounds.

Next Up For USI:

USI returns to the friendly surroundings Screaming Eagles Arena Thursday when it hosts Eastern Illinois University. The game, which is slated for a 7:30 p.m. tip, will be streamed on ESPN+ in addition to being heard on ESPN 97.7FM and 95.7FM The Spin.

EIU (7-14, 3-5 OVC) stumbled at the University of Tennessee at Martin this afternoon, 91-78, and reached the middle of its three-game road swing. The Panthers have lost four of their last five in January.

EIU junior guard Kinyon Hodges led the Panthers in the loss to UTM with 25 points.

The Panthers evened the series with the Eagles, 2-2, after taking the first meeting of the sea-son, 91-80, in Charleston back in December. USI was led by graduate forward Trevor Lakes and junior guard Gary Solomon (Detroit, Michigan) with 16 points each. EIU was led by sophomore guard Dan Luers with 20 points.

SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: EAGLES’ FOURTH-QUARTER PUSH COMES UP SHORT AGAINST SIUE

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball made a big, fourth-quarter charge against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Saturday afternoon, but the Screaming Eagles’ push came up a little short as the Cougars held on to win 78-69.

SIUE started off fast in the first 90 seconds of the game with an early 6-0 advantage. Southern Indiana then found its offensive spark to narrow the early deficit under the eight-minute mark of the first quarter. Sophomore guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) drilled back-to-back jumpers, including one from three, to bring USI back within one, 8-7.

Later in the first quarter, Southern Indiana began attacking downhill aggressively, earning trips to the foul line. The assertiveness from USI forced SIUE into early foul trouble. The Screaming Eagles made nine trips to the charity stripe in the first quarter, knocking down seven free throws. SIUE led 18-16 after the opening 10 minutes.

At the beginning of the second quarter, the Cougars pushed their lead back up to six. After a pair of made free throws for USI, junior guard Lexie Green (Indianapolis, Indiana) canned a three from the top of the arc to trim the deficit down to one, 22-21. The offenses slowed down over the course of the next few minutes. A layup by senior forward Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio) with 3:58 left in the first half put USI ahead, 25-24. Both offenses went back and forth for the remainder of the second period, as SIUE took a three-point lead, 35-32, into halftime.

Out of the break, SIUE came out with extensive pressure and hot shooting to begin the second half. The Cougars went on a 10-0 run over the first 1:38 of the third quarter. Trailing 45-42, the Screaming Eagles responded with consecutive baskets to cut the margin back down to nine, 45-36.

Midway into the third period, graduate forward Ashlynn Brown (Perrysburg, Ohio) made two consecutive baskets inside to bring SIUE’s lead down to five, 47-42. In the last 3:30 of the third quarter, SIUE’s defense and offense clicked, as the Cougars outscored USI 11-3 for the remainder of the third to take a 58-45 lead into the fourth quarter.

SIUE increased its lead at the start of the fourth period, extending the margin up to 18, 63-45. Approaching the halfway point of the fourth, the Screaming Eagles started their pushback, as junior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) connected on consecutive layups. Inside the five-minute mark, a layup by Brown was followed by a buried three-pointer from senior guard Tori Handley (Jeffersonville, Indiana) to make the score 65-54 SIUE.

A minute later, Raley cashed in at the foul line and then made a jumper in the next possession to bring USI back within seven, 65-58. Southern Indiana was able to cut the deficit down to five, 65-60, with three minutes left, but SIUE closed out the game from there with a pair of key jumpers and free throws down the stretch.

Southern Indiana was led on the afternoon by Raley with 19 points on 6-14 shooting and 7-8 at the foul line. The junior also pulled down eight rebounds and dished out four assists. Shafford tallied 14 points, going 5-12 from the field, and grabbed six boards. Brown also recorded double figures with 10 points in the game. USI went 22-62 for 35 percent from the floor, including four three-pointers, and 21-25 for 84 percent at the stripe. The Screaming Eagles outrebounded the Cougars 44-37 overall and 17-11 on the offensive glass.

SIUE was led in scoring by sophomore guard Molly Sheehan, who posted 18 points with four made triples. Sophomore guard Sofie Lowis and senior forward Ajulu Thatha each scored 13 points. The Cougars were 26-62 for 42 percent on the day, hitting eight three-pointers, and went 18-21 for 86 percent at the free-throw line.

Saturday’s result moved USI’s record to 9-10 overall and 3-5 in Ohio Valley Conference play, while SIUE improved its record to 6-13 on the season and 5-3 in OVC games. Both teams sit in the middle of the Ohio Valley Conference standings. The coming week will mark the halfway point of the Ohio Valley Conference season.

Southern Indiana will return home to Screaming Eagles Arena next Thursday for the Screaming Eagles’ second go-around against Eastern Illinois University at 5 p.m.

U OF I MEN’S BASKETBALL: DEFENSE LIFTS HOUNDS TO 10TH STRAIGHT VICTORY

INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 18 UIndy men’s basketball team (16-2, 8-2 GLVC) won its 10th straight game on Saturday, earning a big 75-50 victory over McKendree (8-9, 4-6 GLVC) at the first Pack the House event since 2020.

Kendrick Tchoua posted his 15th career double-double, posting 15 points and 11 rebounds in the win, while Josiah Tynes matched the big man in the scoring column to lead the team. Defensively, the Hounds allowed their second-lowest opponent point totals of the winter, limiting the visiting Bearcats to just 50 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The UIndy defense was outstanding once again on Saturday, forcing nine second-half turnovers – and 14 total – to help build an insurmountable lead after halftime. Jarvis Walker capped a 22-5 run to close the contest, as one of six Greyhounds to score during the stretch. UIndy spent the final 6:06 of the game leading by double digits.

Freshman Sean Craig finished with eight points and five boards, all in the second half, including an offensive rebound and putback layup with just over five minutes left in the game. Jakobie Robinson finished his night just moments later, finishing a three-point play at 4:09 on the clock to end the night with eight.

Starting the game on an 18-5 run in the first 12 minutes, Tynes was on fire with a 4-of-5 effort from the floor. The Bearcats responded strongly before the break to only trail by five at 27-22.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– Tynes scored nine of his 15 points from long range, drilling 3-of-4 attempts from beyond the arc.

– Tchoua’s effort on Saturday afternoon is the fifth double-double of the season.

– Saturday marked the ninth time this season UIndy has held an opponent to under 60 points, including the second straight contest.

– McKendree shot just 35.8 percent from the floor, including a 2-for-18 effort from 3-point range.

– Walker recorded double figures for the second straight game and the sixth time this season.

– Robinson was all over the box score, adding five rebounds, five assists, and four steals to his eight points.

MORE NOTES

UIndy is now 15-3 against McKendree in the all-time series … only the five Bearcat starters scored on Saturday, with Milos Vicentic leading the team with 18 points … Tynes finished one point shy of his career-high of 16, scoring 10 of those in the first half … Robinson’s four thefts matched a UIndy-high for the Indianapolis native … Tchoua now sits at 937 career points, just 63 short of joining Jesse Bingham this season in the 1,000-point club as a Greyhound.

UP NEXT

The Hounds visit Illinois Springfield on Thursday in the team’s first road bout since January 7. Tip is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. in Springfield, Ill.

U OF I WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: BECKER SCORES CAREER-HIGH IN 73-50 WIN OVER MCKENDREE

INDIANAPOLIS – Liv Becker of the University of Indianapolis women’s basketball team notched her UIndy career-high in scoring on Saturday afternoon to help lift the Greyhounds to a convincing 73-50 win over McKendree during “Pack The House” at Nicoson Hall. With the win, the Hounds improve to 10-8 overall (6-4 GLVC) while the Bearcats fall to 7-10 (4-6 GLVC).

Entering the contest today, Becker’s previous career-high in scoring was 16 points, which she notched this season on Jan. 7 against Drury. Today, she produced 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field (56.3 percent) to go along with eight rebounds and two steals, assists, and blocks.

Along with Becker, Elana Wells and Sadie Hill also notched double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively. In total, nine different UIndy players had two or more points in the scorebook.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Hounds opened the game firing away from behind the arc and proceeded to drill eight shots from deep in the first 20 minutes. McKendree on the other hand struggled mightily from 3-point land and went an ice cold 0-for-7 in return. Despite the Bearcats having a better first half field goal percentage on eight fewer shots taken, UIndy took a comfortable 36-23 lead into the intermission. Notably, Becker led the Hounds in scoring with 12 points on a solid 5-of-8 mark from the field.

Despite being out-scored in the third quarter, it was all Greyhounds in the final 20 minutes of action as their lead never slipped below eight points in that span of play. Notably, similar to the Maryville game back on Monday, the Hounds rolled out another big fourth quarter this afternoon and out-scored the Bearcats by 14.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

-McKendree went just 1-of-12 from behind the arc in the contest.

-UIndy won the rebounding battle by 11 this afternoon.

-The Hounds had just nine turnovers through the 40 minutes of action which is the second time this season the team has kept the number of giveaways under double-digits.

-The Greyhounds had five blocks as a team with Caroline Jakaitis having three, which matches her UIndy career-high.

UP NEXT

UIndy is set to hit the road on Thursday, Jan. 26 for a GLVC battle against Illinois Springfield. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET. 

SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:

INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/

ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index

TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/

OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx

ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index

IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/

IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/

IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/

PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/

INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx

GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: *

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/

GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/

HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php

TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/

VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index

SPORTS EXTRA

*************NBA STANDINGS***********

Eastern Conference
	W	L	Pct	Conf GB	Home	Road	Div	Conf	Last 10	Streak
1 Boston	35	12	.745	—	18-5	17-7	6-0	20-8	9-1	9 W
2 Philadelphia	30	16	.652	4.5	17-7	13-9	4-3	17-10	8-2	5 W
3 Milwaukee	29	17	.630	5.5	18-5	11-12	5-4	17-13	6-4	1 L
4 Brooklyn	28	17	.622	6.0	13-7	15-10	5-3	20-8	5-5	1 W
5 Cleveland	29	19	.604	6.5	20-5	9-14	8-3	18-8	5-5	1 W
6 Miami	25	22	.532	10.0	14-9	10-13	5-2	10-13	6-4	1 L
7 New York	25	22	.532	10.0	11-13	14-9	2-5	16-13	6-4	3 L
8 Atlanta	24	23	.511	11.0	13-10	11-13	5-4	17-16	7-3	1 L
9 Indiana	23	25	.479	12.5	15-9	8-16	2-3	16-12	2-8	7 L
10 Chicago	21	24	.467	13.0	12-10	8-14	5-3	17-13	5-5	2 W
11 Washington	20	26	.435	14.5	12-10	8-16	5-3	13-15	5-5	2 W
12 Toronto	20	27	.426	15.0	14-12	6-15	3-9	14-19	4-6	3 L
13 Orlando	17	29	.370	17.5	11-12	6-17	2-6	7-19	4-6	1 L
14 Charlotte	13	34	.277	22.0	5-16	8-18	4-6	6-23	3-7	2 W
15 Detroit	12	36	.250	23.5	6-16	6-19	0-7	4-22	3-7	3 L
Western Conference
	W	L	Pct	Conf GB	Home	Road	Div	Conf	Last 10	Streak
1 Denver	33	13	.717	—	22-3	11-10	9-3	24-9	9-1	9 W
2 Memphis	31	14	.689	1.5	20-3	11-11	6-2	15-11	9-1	1 L
3 Sacramento	26	19	.578	6.5	15-10	11-9	5-5	14-9	7-3	1 L
4 New Orleans	26	20	.565	7.0	17-6	9-14	7-3	16-10	3-7	3 L
5 Dallas	25	22	.532	8.5	17-7	8-15	6-2	18-10	4-6	1 W
6 Golden State	23	23	.500	10.0	17-5	6-18	4-4	13-9	5-5	1 W
7 Minnesota	24	24	.500	10.0	16-10	8-14	6-6	15-15	7-3	2 W
8 LA Clippers	24	24	.500	10.0	13-11	11-13	3-4	14-15	3-7	1 W
9 Utah	24	25	.490	10.5	15-9	9-16	4-4	18-14	5-5	1 L
10 Phoenix	23	24	.489	10.5	16-7	7-17	8-0	18-13	3-7	2 W
11 Oklahoma City	22	24	.478	11.0	14-9	8-15	3-6	10-13	7-3	1 L
12 Portland	21	24	.467	11.5	11-9	10-15	4-7	15-14	3-7	2 L
13 LA Lakers	21	25	.457	12.0	12-11	9-14	1-8	10-16	6-4	1 W
14 San Antonio	14	32	.304	19.0	9-16	5-15	2-7	5-25	2-8	1 L
15 Houston	10	36	.217	23.0	6-15	4-21	1-8	5-27	0-10	13 L

*************NHL STANDINGS***********

Eastern Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Boston Bruins	45	36	5	4	76	34	173	96	21-1-3	15-4-1	8-1-1
2 Carolina Hurricanes	46	29	9	8	66	26	151	124	14-5-2	15-4-6	5-3-2
3 Toronto Maple Leafs	47	28	11	8	64	28	158	125	17-3-4	11-8-4	5-3-2
4 New Jersey Devils	45	29	12	4	62	28	159	120	11-10-2	18-2-2	7-1-2
5 Tampa Bay Lightning	45	29	15	1	59	28	163	135	17-4-1	12-11-0	6-4-0
6 New York Rangers	46	25	14	7	57	23	145	123	11-9-4	14-5-3	6-2-2
7 Washington Capitals	49	25	18	6	56	25	156	139	13-8-3	12-10-3	4-5-1
8 Pittsburgh Penguins	45	23	15	7	53	22	147	136	13-5-4	10-10-3	4-5-1
9 Florida Panthers	48	23	20	5	51	22	163	163	12-6-3	11-14-2	7-2-1
10 New York Islanders	48	23	20	5	51	23	141	136	13-9-2	10-11-3	2-5-3
11 Buffalo Sabres	45	23	19	3	49	22	172	155	11-12-2	12-7-1	5-4-1
12 Philadelphia Flyers	47	20	20	7	47	20	130	150	10-11-1	10-9-6	7-3-0
13 Detroit Red Wings	45	19	18	8	46	18	138	153	11-10-3	8-8-5	3-6-1
14 Ottawa Senators	46	20	23	3	43	19	133	152	12-11-1	8-12-2	4-6-0
15 Montreal Canadiens	47	20	24	3	43	16	125	171	11-12-0	9-12-3	5-5-0
16 Columbus Blue Jackets	46	14	30	2	30	13	119	180	11-15-1	3-15-1	3-7-0
Western Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Dallas Stars	48	28	13	7	63	27	167	124	13-5-3	15-8-4	5-4-1
2 Vegas Golden Knights	47	29	16	2	60	26	155	135	14-13-0	15-3-2	5-4-1
3 Winnipeg Jets	47	30	16	1	61	30	154	123	17-6-0	13-10-1	7-3-0
4 Seattle Kraken	46	27	14	5	59	27	166	144	11-9-3	16-5-2	7-2-1
5 Edmonton Oilers	48	27	18	3	57	27	178	156	12-11-2	15-7-1	7-2-1
6 Minnesota Wild	45	25	16	4	54	22	143	130	13-8-1	12-8-3	5-3-2
7 Los Angeles Kings	48	25	17	6	56	21	157	166	14-9-2	11-8-4	5-5-0
8 Colorado Avalanche	45	25	17	3	53	21	141	124	11-8-3	14-9-0	6-4-0
9 Calgary Flames	47	22	16	9	53	21	147	142	13-8-2	9-8-7	5-3-2
10 Nashville Predators	46	22	18	6	50	20	129	136	12-7-3	10-11-3	6-4-0
11 St. Louis Blues	47	23	21	3	49	20	149	167	10-11-2	13-10-1	6-4-0
12 Vancouver Canucks	46	18	25	3	39	15	154	183	8-13-1	10-12-2	2-8-0
13 San Jose Sharks	47	14	24	9	37	13	145	180	5-12-7	9-12-2	3-5-2
14 Arizona Coyotes	46	14	27	5	33	12	119	169	8-7-2	6-20-3	1-9-0
15 Chicago Blackhawks	44	14	26	4	32	14	107	161	9-15-2	5-11-2	6-4-0
16 Anaheim Ducks	47	13	29	5	31	10	113	199	8-13-1	5-16-4	3-6-1

*******FOOTBALL HISTORY*******

January 22, 1953 – During the 1953 NFL Draft the San Francisco 49ers chose End Harry Babcock from University of Georgia. According to pro-football-reference.com the Pro Football Hall of Fame players that entered the League through this draft were Cleveland’s pick of Doug Atkins the defensive end at number 11, Arizona States Fullback John Henry Johnson to Pittsburgh with the 18th overall pick and the 49ers striking gold with Bob St. Clair in the second round. The Bears had a late steal in the fifth round when they grabbed Guard Stan Jones as well as the Packers 7th round choice of Center Jim Ringo. Rounding out the future HOFs from the 1953 Draft were Joe Schmidt the linebacker of the Lions and the Giants pick of Tackle Rosey Brown. Another player in this draft made the Hall of Fame as a coach and that would be Chuck Noll who the Browns drafted in the 20th round.

January 22, 1967 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – At the 17th annual NFL Pro Bowl, once again we refer to the American Football Database who shares that the coach of the Eastern Conference, Blanton Collier of the Cleveland Browns, used the domination of the west that year as a rallying cry for the eastern team as they prepared to take the field against the West coached by Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers. You see it seemed like the winning of football in the country at all levels of football was tilted to the west coast. Western teams had won the NFL championship, the Playoff Bowl, college football’s East-West game and the Rose Bowl the article goes on to say. Whatever coach said it must have motivated the stars of the East as the Eastern squad doubled up the West, 20-10. The Offensive MVP was a familiar face in the great Gale Sayers of the Chicago Bears and on the defensive side the Eagles Floyd Peters, won the honor from his defensive tackle position.

January 22, 1981 – O. Andrew “Bum” Phillips becomes head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Coach Phillips had 6 pretty successful years with the Houston Oilers but could never win that big game when his squad had to contend with division rival the powerful Pittsburgh Steelers dynasty of the 1970’s. At Houston Bum had a record of 55-35 according to the Pro-Football-Reference. In his 5 seasons in the Saints franchise his teams went 27-42.

January 22, 1983 – RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. – The Washington Redskins defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 31-17 in the NFC Championship game to move on to play in Super Bowl XVII against the Dolphins per the Pro-Football-Reference website.

January 22, 1984 – Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida – The Los Angeles Raiders and the Washington Redskins tangled in Super Bowl XVIII. A Raiders.com website article gives us the scoop on the game. The Raiders that season had some star players like Lyle Alzado, Marcus Allen, and quarterback Jim Plunkett. Allen had one of the greatest Super Bowl runs ever when he took a Plunkett hand off on a rushing play designed to go off tackle to the left side, but when Washington plugged all of the rushing lanes , Marcus cut back on a dime and reversed field till he found a hole in the middle of the field that he dashed through to scamper 74 yards for a touchdown. The article linked above had a great video of the play. The LA Raiders beat Washington that day, 38-9 and the game’s MVP was deservedly Marcus Allen the running back of Los Angeles.

January 22, 1989 – Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami – Super Bowl XXIII per the 49erswebzone.com had Bill Walsh’s San Francisco 49ers playing against Cincinnati Bengals and their Head Coach Sam Wyche. Joe Montana huddled the 49ers near their own 8-yard line with a tad over 3 minutes left in the game and down by 3. The Niners did the improbable after barely moving the ball all game they traveled that 92 yards and with just 34 seconds remaining Montana found Mike Cofer in the endzone to the go ahead score. The Defense did the rest as the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 20-16. The game’s MVP was Jerry Rice who caught 11 balls for 215 yards and a score. After winning his third Super Bowl as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Bill Walsh retired.

January 22, 2006 – Mile High Stadium, Denver – The 2005 AFC Championship game featured the Denver Broncos hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers per the pro-football-reference.com. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 275 yards and two TDs as the Steelers doubled up the Denver Broncos, 34-17 to advance to Super Bowl XL.

January 22, 2006 – At the 2005 NFC Championship played at Qwest Stadium in Seattle, Shawn Alexander pounded out 132 yards against the Carolina Panthers defense and scored twice to help the Seahawks crush Carolina’s Super Bowl XL aspirations, 34-14 per the Pro-Football-Reference.com.

January 22, 2012 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough- The 2011 AFC Championship was a classic as the Baltimore Ravens visited the Patriots and Tom Brady for the right to go to Super Bowl XLVI. Brady’s one yard QB Sneak in the fourth gave New England the lead and the defenses on both sides stonewalled any further scoring as the New England Patriots beat Baltimore Ravens, 23-20 to advance.

January 22, 2012 – Candlestick Park, San Francisco – The 2011 NFC Championship was even better as it went to an extra session to determine a winner between the Giants and the 49ers. San Fran’s David Akers kicked a 25 yard game tying field goal with over five minutes left to send the game into overtime. In Sudden Death the Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes showed off his leg when he kicked a 31 yard game winner. The final score was the New York Giants 20, the San Francisco 49ers 17 per the Pro-Football-Reference.

January 22, 2017 – Georgia Dome, Atlanta – The 2016 NFC Championship wasn’t really close as the Atlanta Falcons beat Green Bay Packers, 44-21 to send them on to the Super Bowl.

January 22, 2017 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough – The 2016 AFC Championship wasn’t close at the end either as the New England Patriots breezed past the Pittsburgh Steelers, 36-17.

HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 22

January 22, 1927 – Hopelawn, New Jersey – Lou Creekmur the great William and Mary offensive lineman was born. Creekmur was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1950 and he spent ten great seasons with the team. In 1996 the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Lou Creekmur in Canton.

January 22, 1927 – Stevens, Arkansas – Joe “ The Jet” Perry of Compton Junior College and the San Francisco 49ers arrived into this world.

January 22, 1948 – Minneapolis, Minnesota – The stud linebacker from the University of Minnesota, Bob Stein was born. The National Football Foundation selected Bob Stein to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

January 22, 1958 – Charles White the QB from USC was born. Charles led the nation in all-purpose yards in both 1978 and 1979 as he averaged a whopping 6.2 yards per play per the NFF. Charles was so good that he won the 1979 Heisman Trophy for being the best College player that season. The National Football Foundation selected Charles White to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

******BASEBALL HISTORY******

1913       The Giants agree to share the Polo Grounds with the Highlanders, who will become known as the Yankees. Previously the American League club played their home games at Hilltop Park, located at 168th Street and Broadway, since 1903, when the franchise shifted from Baltimore to New York.

1953       Argyle R. Mackey warns alien players they will face deportation if found jumping U.S. professional contracts. The Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization cites the McCarran-Walter Act as the basis of his decision.

1965       “I’ve been asked the question many times over the years, all of us have, but I have to say right here and now: Willie was probably the best of us three…just look at the stats.” – MICKEY MANTLE, Hall of Fame Yankee outfielder. Willie Mays, Duke Snider, and Mickey Mantle make their last joint appearance when attending the BBWAA Dinner in New York. ‘The Mick’ answers the often-asked question about who was the best of the legendary Big Apple trio of outfielders, telling the audience, “Willie was probably the best of us three…just look at the stats.

1969       After being traded by the Expos along with outfielder Jesus Alou to the Astros for first baseman/outfielder Rusty Staub, Donn Clendenon threatens to retire, refusing to report to his new team. The Montreal first baseman balks at going to Houston because of a personality conflict with the team’s newly-hired skipper, Harry Walker, who had managed him with the Pirates.

1976       Right-handers Robin Roberts (86.9%), best known for his work with the Phillies, and Bob Lemon (78.6%), who spent his entire career in an Indians uniform, are elected to the Hall of Fame. Roberts enjoyed six consecutive seasons with 20+ wins with Philadelphia, and Lemon compiled a 207-128 (.618) record along with an ERA of 3.23 during his 15 years with the Tribe.

1979       Lindsey Nelson, selected by the expansion Mets as the team’s lead announcer in 1962, reveals he will not be returning to the Mets broadcast booth this season, ending a 17-year partnership with Ralph Kiner and Bob Murphy. The colorfully clad Hall of Fame announcer, who will eventually do play-by-play for the Giants, is replaced by Steve Albert, the younger brother of the well-known NBA Knicks and NHL Rangers’ broadcaster Marv Albert.

1982       Free-agent Reggie Jackson signs a four-year, nearly four-million dollar contract with the Angels, ending his five-year roller coaster ride with the Yankees. During his tenure in New York, the Bronx Bombers appeared four times in the postseason, winning back-to-back World Championships in 1977-78.

1988       Arbitrator T. Roberts declares seven presently contracted players no-risk free agents due to the collusion suit against Major League baseball. The players, who include Kirk Gibson, Carlton Fisk, and Joe Niekro, have until March 1 to make deals with other clubs.

2001       Brian Giles, the first Pirate to bat .300, hit 30 homers and drive in 100 runs in consecutive seasons, repeats as the Roberto Clemente Award winner. The local award, presented by the Pittsburgh chapter of the BBWAA, is given to the Buc player who best demonstrates a standard of excellence on the field, as exemplified by the team’s late outfielder.

2001       Fifty-eight-year-old Tommie Agee, the 1966 American League Rookie of the Year, dies of cardiac arrest in Manhattan. The World Series standout made two memorable catches in center field at Shea Stadium (possibly saving five runs) and homered in the Mets’ 5-0 victory over the Orioles in Game 3 of the 1969 Fall Classic.

2003       Free-agent and former Ranger catcher Ivan ‘Pudge’ Rodriguez (.314, 19, 60) signs a one-year deal worth $10 million to play in his hometown with the Marlins. The Miami resident, a ten-time Gold Glove catcher, replaces Charles Johnson, the team’s former backstop traded to the Rockies in the off-season.

2006       When the island’s best players meet for an exhibition game, 16-year-old Dayan Viciedo becomes the youngest player in Cuban baseball history selected to an All-Star squad. The Villa Clara prospect, who will ink a four-year, $10 million contract with the Chicago White Sox in 2008, has played shortstop and third base and pitched in international youth competitions for various national teams.

2008       The Mets and outfielder Endy Chavez agree on a $3.85 million, two-year deal. The 29-year-old Venezuelan, who missed most of last season with a hamstring pull, will always be remembered in Mets lore for ‘the catch’ in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS against the Cardinals.

2009       Jayson Werth, avoiding salary arbitration, agrees to a $10 million, two-year deal with the Phillies. With the departure of free agent Pat Burrell to Tampa Bay, the outfielder becomes the only returning right-handed slugger to the World Champions’ lefty-heavy lineup.

2010       A’s prospect Grant Desme, selected in the second round of the 2007 MLB June Amateur Draft from California Polytechnic, is retiring from baseball to pursue his calling to be a Catholic priest. In 2009, the 23-year-old minor-league outfielder, recently named the Arizona Fall League’s Most Valuable Player, hit .288, with 31 home runs and 89 RBIs, playing Single-A ball with the Kane County Cougars (MWL) and the Stockton Ports (CAL).

2010       The Mets, in need of a center fielder, until Carlos Beltran returns to the lineup in early May, deal 30-year-old right-handed reliever Brian Stokes (2-4, 3.97) to the Angels in exchange for the highly-paid but under-achieving Gary Matthews Jr. (.250, 4, 50). Los Angeles agrees to pay a significant portion of the slumping outfielder’s $50 million five-year contract that ‘Little Sarge’ signed three seasons ago with the Halos.

2010       The Phillies and Shane Victorino (.292, 10, 62) agree on a $22 million, three-year deal. Last season, the ‘Flyin’ Hawaiian’ won his second consecutive Gold Glove roaming center field for the NL champions.

2014       Twenty-five-year-old right-hander Masahiro Tanaka accepts the Yankees’ seven-year contract offer for $155 million, the fifth-largest deal ever given to a pitcher. In addition to paying the most substantial sum ever awarded to a Japanese player, New York will also pay an additional $20 million to the Rakuten Golden Eagles, his former team, as part of the new posting agreement between Major League Baseball and teams in Japanese leagues.

2016       The Brewers announces Joe Adcock, who was one vote shy of being elected last year, will be added to the Miller Park Walk of Fame. The former first baseman, who played 10 of his 17 major-league seasons in Milwaukee with the Braves, appeared in 1,207 games with the franchise, including the inaugural County Stadium contest in 1953, when he recorded the first base hit and scored the first run in the history of the ballpark.

2017       Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura and 33-year-old former third baseman Andy Marte, who played for the Braves, Indians, and Diamondbacks, are killed in separate Dominican Republic car crashes. Kansas City will honor their 25-year-old right-hander, a Águilas Cabañas teammate of Marte, by wearing patches that read “ACE 30” on their uniforms during the upcoming season.

2019       The Baseball Writers’ Association of America name Mariano Rivera on all 425 ballots, making the Bronx Bomber closer the first player unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame. The BBWAA also elects Mariner DH Edgar Martinez, Roy Halladay (Blue Jays, Phillies), and Mike Mussina (Orioles, Yankees), who will join the Veteran’s Committee’s selection of long-time reliever Lee Smith and outfielder/DH Harold Baines.

*****************SPORTS IN NUMBERS**********************

88 – 13 – 39 – 6 – 40 – 80 – 24 – 32 – 35 – 8 – 0 – 33

January 22, 1953 – 1953 NFL Draft: Harry Babcock, Number 88 from University of Georgia first pick by San Francisco 49ers. He wore those same digits on his shirt with the Niners too.

January 22, 1960 – 10th NBA All-Star Game, Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pa: East beats West, 125-115; MVPselected was Philadelphia Warriors, Center, Number 13, Wilt Chamberlain

January 22, 1967 – Gale Sayers the star running back of the Chicago Bears who wore Number 40,was selected as the Offensive Most Valuable Player of the NFL Pro Bowl game. On the defensive side Floyd Peter the Defensive Tackle of the Philadelphia Eagles took home the MVP honor as the East double up the West 20-10 in the 17th annual Pro Bowl event this time played at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

January 22, 1969 – Brooklyn Dodgers catcher, Number 39, Roy Campanella and St Louis Cardinals ourfiled legend, Number 6, Stan Musial were elected to enter into the Baseball Hall of Fame

January 22, 1981 – State University of New York Womens Basketball star Annette Kennedy sets a record in Ladies Hoops by scoring 70 points in one game. The SUNY-Purchase team used Kennedy’s 34 field goals, 2 free throws and 8 assists to embarass their opponent Pratt 116-21. The previous record was for 63 point set in 1978 by Francis Marion’s Pearl Moore.

January 22, 1989 – Number 80, Jerry Rice the standout Wide Receiver of the San Francisco 49ers earned the Most Valuable Player honor in Super Bowl XXIII as he and Niners defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 20-16 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida. San Francisco Head Coach Bill Walsh retired from his post soon after the game.

January 22, 1998 – Rickey Henderson, Number 24 that season, rejoined the Oakland A’s for the fourth time in his career. Hos 57 RBIs and 66 Stolen bases showed that the 39 year old still had his wheels and could bring value to a club. In fact after 1998 he played with 5 additional clubs retiring in 2003 at the age of 44.

January 22, 1984 – Super Bowl XVIII, Tampa Stadium, Tampa, FL: LA Raiders beat Washington Redskins, 38-9; MVP selectee was Los Angeles Raiders, RB, Number 32, Marcus Allen

January 22, 1994 – 45th NHL All-Star Game, Madison Square Garden, NYC: East beats West, 9-8; MVP selected was New York Rangers, Goal tender, Number 35, Mike Richter

January 22, 2006 – Los Angeles Lakers scoring machine, Number 8, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in a 122-104 Lakers victory over the Toronto Raptors; second-highest game total in NBA history, behind only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game (1962)

January 22, 2018 – New Orleans Pelicans’ Number 0, DeMarcus Cousins has 44 points, 24 rebounds & 10 assists in 132-128 double-OT win over Chicago Bulls; 1st player since Number 33, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1972) with 40+ points, 20+ rebounds & 10+ assists

********************TV SUNDAY*************************

NCAA BASKETBALL GAMES – MEN’S	TIME ET	TV
Michigan State at Indiana	12:00pm	CBS
Butler vs. UConn	12:00pm	FOX
Central Connecticut at LIU	12:00pm	NEC
Memphis at Cincinnati	1:00pm	ESPN2
Minnesota at Michigan	1:00pm	BTN
Maryland at Purdue	1:00pm	FS1
NJIT at Vermont	1:00pm	NESN
Sacred Heart at Wagner	1:00pm	NEC
Merrimack at St. Francis Brooklyn	1:00pm	NEC
Bryant at UMass Lowell	1:00pm	ESPN+
New Hampshire at UMBC	1:00pm	ESPN+
Fairfield at Siena	2:00pm	–
Canisius at Quinnipiac	2:00pm	ESPN+
Manhattan at Rider	2:00pm	ESPN+
Marist at Mount St. Mary’s	2:00pm	ESPN+
Niagara at Saint Peter’s	2:00pm	ESPN+
Binghamton at Maine	2:00pm	ESPN+
Temple at Houston	3:00pm	ESPN
Oregon State at California	3:00pm	PAC12N
Wichita State at SMU	3:00pm	ESPN+
Furman at Wofford	4:00pm	ESPNU
Washington State at Colorado	6:00pm	ESPNU
Stonehill at Fairleigh Dickinson	6:00pm	NEC
COLLEGE BASKETBALL – WOMEN’S	TIME ET	TV
Davidson at Duquesne	12:00pm	CBSSN
Syracuse at Duke	12:00pm	ACCN
UMass at Dayton	12:00pm	ESPNU
Kentucky at Mississippi St.	1:00pm	SECN
N.C. State at Louisville	1:00pm	ABC
UCF at South Florida	2:00pm	ESPNU
Virginia at Notre Dame	2:00pm	ACCN
Vanderbilt at Florida	2:00pm	SECN
Arkansas at South Carolina	3:00pm	ESPN2
Seton Hall at Marquette	3:00pm	FS1
Georgia Tech at North Carolina	4:00pm	ACCN
Texas at Baylor	5:00pm	ESPN2
NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
New Orleans at Miami	3:30pm	Bally Sports
New York at Toronto	6:00pm	MSG Sportsnet
LA Clippers at Dallas	7:30pm	Bally Sports
Oklahoma City at Denver	8:00pm	ALT Bally Sports
Memphis at Phoenix	8:00pm	Bally Sports
Brooklyn at Golden State	8:30pm	NBATV YES NBCS-BAY
LA Lakers at Portland	9:00pm	Spectrum Root Sports
NFL PLAYOFFS	TIME ET	TV
AFC Divisional Playoff: Cincinnati at Buffalo	3:00pm	CBS
NFC Divisional Playoff: Dallas at San Francisco	6:30pm	FOX
NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
Pittsburgh at New Jersey	2:00pm	NHLN ATTSN-PIT MSGSN
Los Angeles at Chicago	7:00pm	Bally Sports NBCS-CHI
San Jose at Boston	7:00pm	NBCS-CA NESN
Winnipeg at Philadelphia	7:00pm	Sportsnet NBCS-PHI
Vegas at Arizona	8:00pm	ATTSN-RM Bally Sports
SOCCER MATCHES	TIME ET	TV
Serie A: Sampdoria vs Udinese	6:00am	Paramount+
Women’s Super League: Brighton & Hove Albion vs Arsenal	7:30am	Paramount+
La Liga: Villarreal vs Girona	8:00am	ESPN+
English Premier League: Manchester City vs Wolverhampton Wanderers	9:00am	USA
English Premier League: Leeds United vs Brentford	9:00am	Peacock
Serie A: Monza vs Sassuolo	9:00am	Paramount+
Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund vs Augsburg	9:30am	ESPN+
La Liga: Elche vs Osasuna	10:15am	ESPN+
English Premier League: Arsenal vs Manchester United	11:30am	NBC
Bundesliga: Borussia M’gladbach vs Bayer Leverkusen	11:30am	ESPN+
Serie A: Spezia vs Roma	12:00pm	Paramount+
La Liga: Barcelona vs Getafe	12:30pm	ESPN+
Coupe de France: Lille vs Pau	12:30pm	FS2
Women’s Super League: Brighton & Hove Albion vs Arsenal	1:45pm	Paramount+
Serie A: Juventus vs Atalanta	2:45pm	CBSSN
La Liga: Athletic Club vs Real Madrid	3:00pm	ESPN+
Liga MX: Querétaro vs Atlas	6:00pm	TUDN
Liga MX: Pachuca vs Juárez	8:10pm	TUDN