THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” SUNDAY MARCH 5, 2023

INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL

CLASS 4A
MUNSTER
HAMMOND CENTRAL	71	HAMMOND MORTON	30
MUNSTER	56	LAKE CENTRAL	51
CROWN POINT
CHESTERTON	59	CROWN POINT	50
VALPARAISO	64	HOBART	29
LAPORTE
MICHIGAN CITY	79	LAPORTE	64
MISHAWAKA	71	SOUTH BEND RILEY	58
ELKHART
PENN	55	GOSHEN	37
NORTHRIDGE	51	CONCORD	47	2OT
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE)
FORT WAYNE NORTH	64	FORT WAYNE NORTHROP	48
COLUMBIA CITY
FORT WAYNE WAYNE	57	FORT WAYNE SOUTH	56
HOMESTEAD	59	COLUMBIA CITY	51
FORT WAYNE WAYNE	55	HOMESTEAD	53
KOKOMO
KOKOMO	85	MARION	51
CARMEL
NOBLESVILLE	58	ZIONSVILLE	50
MUNCIE CENTRAL
NEW PALESTINE	71	MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE)	57
WARREN CENTRAL
INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL	76	INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS	33
PERRY MERIDIAN
BEN DAVIS	80	PIKE	59
PLAINFIELD
BROWNSBURG	64	PLAINFIELD	48
CENTER GROVE
BLOOMINGTON NORTH	43	CENTER GROVE	41
COLUMBUS NORTH
COLUMBUS NORTH	67	WHITELAND	59
SEYMOUR
JENNINGS COUNTY	48	JEFFERSONVILLE	46
NEW ALBANY	36	SEYMOUR	31
EVANSVILLE NORTH
EVANSVILLE REITZ	64	JASPER	53
CLASS 3A
HANOVER CENTRAL
LAKE STATION	70	RIVER FOREST	50
HANOVER CENTRAL	60	HAMMOND NOLL	55
LAKE STATION	66	HANOVER CENTRAL	48
KNOX
CULVER ACADEMY	48	KNOX	41
JOHN GLENN	67	BREMEN	36
JOHN GLENN	58	CULVER ACADEMY	47
JIMTOWN
SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON	43	MISHAWAKA MARIAN	41
SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH	50	NEW PRAIRIE	27
SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON	62	SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH	61	OT
NORTHWOOD
WEST NOBLE	57	LAKELAND	53
NORTHWOOD	59	FAIRFIELD	33
GARRETT
FORT WAYNE DWENGER	61	HERITAGE	41
FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA	58	WOODLAN	48
FRANKFORT
TWIN LAKES	61	RENSSELAER CENTRAL	59
PERU
PERU	78	NORWELL	68
NEW CASTLE
DELTA	50	NEW CASTLE	37
DANVILLE
DANVILLE	56	TRI-WEST	44
NORTHVIEW
INDIAN CREEK	52	SOUTH VERMILLION	46
INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE
GUERIN CATHOLIC	58	BREBEUF JESUIT	45
INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD	54	INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE	30
CHRISTEL HOUSE MANUAL
BEECH GROVE	51	INDIANAPOLIS RITTER	50
GREENSBURG
GREENSBURG	58	BATESVILLE	47	CORRECTED
CHARLESTOWN
CORYDON CENTRAL	67	SALEM	50
SCOTTSBURG	80	SILVER CREEK	48
WASHINGTON
NORTH DAVIESS	42	WASHINGTON	28
BOONVILLE
GIBSON SOUTHERN	70	EVANSVILLE MATER DEI	51
CLASS 2A
WHITING
GARY 21ST CENTURY	68	ANDREAN	60
ILLIANA CHRISTIAN	60	BOWMAN ACADEMY	57
NORTH JUDSON
NORTH JUDSON	53	SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS)	25
SOUTH BEND CAREER	71	LAVILLE	62
NORTH JUDSON	56	SOUTH BEND CAREER	48
WESTVIEW
WESTVIEW	50	EASTSIDE	26
CENTRAL NOBLE	51	PRAIRIE HEIGHTS	45
ROCHESTER
WABASH	48	WINAMAC	15
LEWIS CASS	54	ROCHESTER	43
SOUTH ADAMS
FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK	39	ADAMS CENTRAL	32
DELPHI
CARROLL (FLORA)	50	CLINTON PRAIRIE	36
TAYLOR
TIPTON	58	TAYLOR	40
MONROE CENTRAL
WAPAHANI	53	MUNCIE BURRIS	34
SHENANDOAH
NORTHEASTERN	54	HAGERSTOWN	41
EASTERN HANCOCK
INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA	57	TRITON CENTRAL	45
CASCADE
PARK TUDOR	40	UNIVERSITY	37
SOUTHMONT
PARKE HERITAGE	37	NORTH PUTNAM	27
SOUTH RIPLEY
NORTH DECATUR	61	MILAN	37
SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER)
SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER)	59	HENRYVILLE	53
BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL	44	PROVIDENCE	42
NORTH KNOX
LINTON-STOCKTON	49	SOUTH KNOX	32
TELL CITY
FOREST PARK	49	NORTH POSEY	48
CLASS 1A
MORGAN TWP.
KOUTS	84	HAMMOND SCIENCE & TECH	58
MORGAN TWP.	70	DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN	66
KOUTS	60	MORGAN TWP.	52
TRITON
CULVER	40	OREGON-DAVIS	24
MARQUETTE CATHOLIC	51	ARGOS	44
MARQUETTE CATHOLIC	49	CULVER	41
HAMILTON
LAKELAND CHRISTIAN	50	LAKEWOOD PARK	34
BETHANY CHRISTIAN	37	ELKHART CHRISTIAN	36
BETHANY CHRISTIAN	63	LAKELAND CHRISTIAN	49
WEST CENTRAL
TRI-COUNTY	56	FRONTIER	54
NORTH WHITE	54	WEST CENTRAL	53
TRI-COUNTY	43	NORTH WHITE	40	OT
SOUTHWOOD
SOUTHWOOD	70	FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY	57
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL	58	NORTH VERMILLION	44
ROSSVILLE	56	FAITH CHRISTIAN	49
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL	44	ROSSVILLE	40
TRI-CENTRAL
LIBERTY CHRISTIAN	69	DALEVILLE	51
TRI
BLUE RIVER	74	SETON CATHOLIC	65
WHITE RIVER VALLEY
BLOOMFIELD	83	BLOOMINGTON LIGHTHOUSE	45
INDIANA DEAF
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN	51	TRADERS POINT CHRISTIAN	44
INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN
INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN	61	GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN	57
EDINBURGH
JAC-CEN-DEL	50	OLDENBURG ACADEMY	40
WEST WASHINGTON
BORDEN	61	SOUTH CENTRAL (ELIZABETH)	44
ROCK CREEK ACADEMY	76	LANESVILLE	41
NEW WASHINGTON
NEW WASHINGTON	57	TRINITY LUTHERAN	36
RISING SUN	80	CROTHERSVILLE	61
LOOGOOTEE
LOOGOOTEE	41	ORLEANS	34
WOOD MEMORIAL
NORTHEAST DUBOIS	53	EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN	51	OT

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD

#24 TEXAS A&M 67 #2 ALABAMA 61

#9 TEXAS 75 #3 KANSAS 59

#4 UCLA 82 #8 ARIZONA 73

#6 MARQUETTE 96 ST. JOHN’S 94

IOWA STATE 73 #7 BAYLOR 58

WEST VIRGINIA 89 #11 KANSAS STATE 81

AUBURN 79 #12 TENNESSEE 70

#13 VIRGINIA 75 LOUISVILLE 60

#14 UCONN 71 VILLANOVA 59

#16 MIAMI FLORIDA 78 #25 PITTSBURGH 76

#18 SAN DIEGO STATE 67 WYOMING 50

#19 XAVIER 78 BUTLER 66

SETON HALL 82 #20 PROVIDENCE 58

OKLAHOMA 74 #22 TCU 60

#23 KENTUCKY 88 ARKANSAS 79

CLEMSON 87 NOTRE DAME 64

BRADLEY 71 INDIANA STATE 70

MICHIGAN STATE 84 OHIO STATE 78

SOUTH CAROLINA 61 GEORGIA 55

GEORGIA TECH 73 BOSTON COLLEGE 65

MASSACHUSETTS 71 ST. BONAVENTURE 60

MISSOURI 82 OLE MISS 77

SAN JOSE STATE 63 AIR FORCE 61

OREGON 73 STANFORD 68

VIRGINIA TECH 82 FLORIDA STATE 60

SYRACUSE 72 WAKE FOREST 63

UNLV 69 NEVADA 67 OT

FLORIDA 79 LSU 67

COLORADO 69 UTAH 60

OKLAHOMA STATE 71 TEXAS TECH 68

DUKE 67 NORTH CAROLINA 57

OREGON STATE 69 CALIFORNIA 66

VANDERBILT 77 MISSISSIPPI STATE 72

UTAH STATE 86 BOISE STATE 73

USC 68 ARIZONA STATE 65

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/CBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230304

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD

#1 SOUTH CAROLINA 80 OLE MISS 51

#14 OHIO STATE 79 #2 INDIANA 75

TENNESSEE 69 #4 LSU 67

#7 IOWA 89 #5 MARYLAND 84

#8 VIRGINIA TECH 58 #13 DUKE 37

#9 UCONN 69 GEORGETOWN 39

LOUISVILLE 64 #10 NOTRE DAME 38

#11 VILLANOVA 71 DEPAUL 60

#12 TEXAS 80 KANSAS STATE 52

#16 OKLAHOMA 80 OKLAHOMA STATE 71

#23 IOWA STATE 76 TEXAS TECH 52

#24 MIDDLE TENNESSEE 72 UTEP 68 OT

ELSEWHERE:

ILLINOIS STATE 82 INDIANA STATE 71

BALL STATE 77 MIAMI OHIO 68

BRADLEY 61 EVANSVILLE 51

BELMONT 70 VALPARAISO 67

KENT STATE 73 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 58

EASTERN MICHIGAN 74 OHIO 64

BUFFALO 72 WESTERN MICHIGAN 67

AKRON 61 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 54

KANSAS 84 TCU 61

TOLEDO 62 BOWLING GREEN 56

MARQUETTE 57 ST. JOHN’S 47

BYU 66 SAN FRANCISCO 56

WEST VIRGINIA 63 BAYLOR 52

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/WCBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230304

NBA SCOREBOARD

TORONTO 116 WASHINGTON 109 OT

CLEVELAND 114 DETROIT 90

MIAMI 117 ATLANTA 109

HOUSTON 122 SAN ANTONIO 110

PHILADELPHIA 133 MILWAUKEE 130

MINNESOTA 138 SACRAMENTO 134

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

NHL SCOREBOARD

NY ISLANDERS 4 DETROIT 1

BUFFALO 5 TAMPA BAY 3

BOSTON 4 NY RANGERS 2

DALLAS 7 COLORADO 3

FLORIDA 4 PITTSBURGH 1

WASHINGTON 8 SAN JOSE 3

OTTAWA 5 COLUMBUS 2

VANCOUVER 4 TORONTO 1

WINNIPEG 7 EDMONTON 5

NASHVILLE 3 CHICAGO 1

MINNESOTA 3 CALGARY 0

LOS ANGELES 4 ST. LOUIS 2

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

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

LAFC 3 PORTLAND 2

ATLANTA 1 TORONTO 1

COLUMBUS 2 DC 0

MIAMI 2 PHILADELPHIA 0

NEW ENGLAND 3 HOUSTON 0

NEW YORK 0 NASHVILLE 0

ORLANDO 0 CINCINNATI 0

AUSTIN 1 MONTRÉAL 0

CHICAGO 1 NEW YORK CITY 1

DALLAS 3 LOS ANGELES 1

ST. LOUIS 3 CHARLOTTE 1

COLORADO 0 KANSAS CITY 0

SAN JOSE 2 VANCOUVER 1

SEATTLE 2 SALT LAKE 0

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL – SPRING TRAINING

CHICAGO WHITE SOX 5 TEXAS 4

CHICAGO CUBS 2 LA ANGELS 0

KANSAS CITY 12 CINCINNATI 6

ARIZONA 9 SAN FRANCISCO 5

CLEVELAND 4 OAKLAND 4

MILWAUKEE 14 SAN FRANCISCO 2

COLORADO 7 SEATTLE 1

SAN DIEGO 5 ARIZONA 4

CINCINNATI 10 OAKLAND 9

LA DODGERS 7 KANSAS CITY 6

ATLANTA 3 BALTIMORE 2

HOUSTON 4 BOSTON 4

TORONTO 18 DETROIT 5

TAMPA BAY 14 NY YANKEES 10

ATLANTA 7 MINNESOTA 5

ST. LOUIS 9 WASHINGTON 6

PHILADELPHIA 4 PITTSBURGH 3

NY METS 15 MIAMI 4

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

TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES

NBA NEWS

JA MORANT SAYS HE’LL GET HELP AFTER VIDEO SHOWS APPARENT GUN

(AP) — Ja Morant will be away from the Memphis Grizzlies for at least their next two games, the team announced Saturday, not long after the NBA opened an investigation into a social media post by the guard, who livestreamed himself holding what appeared to be a gun at a nightclub.

Morant said in a statement distributed through the agency that represents him that he takes “full responsibility” for his actions and that he was going to “take some time away to get help.”

The video was streamed by Morant on his Instagram page early Saturday, hours after the Grizzlies played in Denver. They were flying to Los Angeles on Saturday for games against the Clippers on Sunday and the Lakers on Tuesday.

Morant will miss those two games, at minimum, the Grizzlies said, without further comment.

“We are aware of a social media post involving Ja Morant and are investigating,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said earlier Saturday.

The league will try to speak with Morant as part of that investigation, though it is unclear when any meeting may occur. Morant apologized in a statement released by Tandem Sports + Entertainment.

“I take full responsibility for my actions last night,” Morant said. “I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down. I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.”

It was not immediately clear what Morant meant by “help” or if he planned to be away from the team for longer than the two-game minimum announced by the Grizzlies.

The league, if it finds wrongdoing, could fine or suspend Morant. Based on the Grizzlies’ statement, the earliest Morant could play is Thursday at home against Golden State. His Instagram and Twitter accounts were disabled shortly after the Grizzlies announced his absence.

Memphis is currently No. 2 in the Western Conference standings, led by Morant, a two-time All-Star averaging 27.1 points and 8.2 assists per game.

This is at least the second time in the last few weeks that Morant has been the subject of a league investigation. Morant’s actions were investigated after a Jan. 29 incident in Memphis that he said led to a friend of his being banned from home games for a year.

That incident followed a game against the Indiana Pacers; citing unnamed sources, The Indianapolis Star and USA Today reported that multiple members of the Pacers saw a red dot pointed at them, and The Athletic reported that a Pacers security guard believed the laser was attached to a gun.

The NBA confirmed that unnamed individuals were banned from the arena but said its investigation found no evidence that anyone was threatened with a weapon.

Morant responded to that incident by tweeting that the reports “paint this negative image on me and my fam. & banned my brother from home games for a year. unbelievable.” During the Jan. 29 game, there was barking between Pacers players and friends of Morant seated along the sideline. A close friend of Morant’s, Davonte Pack, was escorted from the arena as Pacers bench players shouted in Pack’s direction.

Pack and Morant also are involved in a civil lawsuit brought after an incident at Morant’s home this past summer, in which a 17-year-old alleged that they assaulted him. The Shelby County district attorney’s office said in January that it was “aware of the incident, and after careful review of the facts, decided that there was not enough evidence to proceed with a case.”

There is precedent for the NBA when sanctioning a player over conduct involving guns. In January 2010, then-Commissioner David Stern suspended Washington’s Gilbert Arenas indefinitely without pay after saying the player’s behavior made him “not currently fit to take the court.”

The suspension followed Arenas getting photographed before a game in Philadelphia playfully pointing his index fingers in a gun imitation at his teammates while he was under investigation by federal and local authorities after admittedly bringing guns into the Wizards’ locker room.

Arenas ultimately missed 50 games, the rest of the 2009-10 season.

Morant, the No. 2 pick in the 2019 NBA draft, has become a full-fledged superstar. His five-year, $194 million extension with the Grizzlies kicks in to start next season and would rise to about $230 million if he makes an All-NBA team this season.

He also is a sought-after endorser. On Christmas, Nike unveiled Morant’s first signature shoe, which is set to be released in the coming weeks. And earlier this week, Powerade announced a multiyear endorsement deal with Morant.

On the same day the Powerade deal was revealed, The Washington Post published a story, based on police records it obtained, detailing how Morant and some associates “have been accused of threatening and even violent behavior,” the newspaper said.

The questions about Morant’s conduct come at a time when gun violence again is a prominent talking point in the sports world.

Top NBA draft prospect Brandon Miller and his Alabama teammate Jaden Bradley, by courtroom revelations, have been linked to the scene of a killing. Neither has been charged or accused of a crime, but then-teammate Darius Miles and another man are facing capital murder charges.

And New Mexico State’s men’s basketball season was shut down in February because of a fatal shooting and allegations of locker-room hazing. Mike Peake, the New Mexico State player implicated in the shooting death of New Mexico player Brandon Travis in November, said he was acting in self-defense and has not been charged with a crime.

76ERS RALLY TO WIN 133-130, SNAP BUCKS’ 16-GAME STREAK

MILWAUKEE (AP) Nothing could faze the Philadelphia 76ers.

Not the loss of two starters. Not an 18-point deficit late in the third quarter. Not even the fact they were facing the NBA’s hottest team on the road.

Joel Embiid made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 41.4 seconds left and the 76ers rallied to beat Milwaukee 133-130 on Saturday night, snapping the Bucks’ 16-game winning streak.

“You find something that works and you try to stick with it,” said James Harden, who had 38 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. “We found something late, in that fourth quarter, and we just stuck with it. We got some stops and things changed for us.”

Milwaukee had the longest winning streak by any NBA team since the Phoenix Suns had 18 straight victories early last season. The streak ended because the Bucks got outscored 48-31 during a fourth quarter in which the 76ers shot 12 of 21 overall, 7 of 11 from 3-point range and 17 of 19 from the line.

“They went wherever they wanted to go, scoring from the paint, floaters, isos, offensive rebounds, free throws, 3s,” said Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 34 points and 13 rebounds. “You name it. They were able to get everything. We’ve got to be able to play 48 minutes of good basketball, defend for 48 minutes. This is a good lesson for us.”

Philadelphia completed the comeback even though Tobias Harris didn’t play in the second half due to left calf soreness and PJ Tucker sat out the fourth quarter with back spasms. 76ers coach Doc Rivers didn’t have an immediate update on either player.

Embiid finished with 31 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. This marked the first time the 76ers had two players collect at least 30 points and 10 assists in the same game since Wilt Chamberlain and Hal Greer did it way back on Oct. 30, 1965.

Philadelphia’s MVP candidate still wasn’t satisfied. Embiid argued that he “didn’t have a good game.”

“I thought tonight I could have been better,” Embiid said. “I missed a lot of easy shots I usually make.”

Not when it mattered, though.

The 76ers trailed 125-121 before Harden hit a 3-pointer with 1:21 left. After Antetokounmpo missed a shot from around the basket, Embiid sank a 3-pointer that gave Philadelphia its first lead of the second half.

“I had to make it, being down one at that point,” Embiid said. “I had to do it.”

After Jrue Holiday missed a 3-point attempt with 25 seconds remaining, the 76ers went 6 of 6 from the line the rest of the way to seal the victory.

“I thought it was a great look,” Holiday said. “Honestly I thought it was in. I left it a little bit short.”

Tyrese Maxey added 26 points and Georges Niang had 16 for the 76ers. Maxey has scored at least 23 in four straight games.

Brook Lopez and Holiday scored 26 points apiece for Milwaukee. Grayson Allen had 20, all during the first 9 minutes, 19 seconds of the third quarter.

Allen went 6 of 6 from 3-point range during that stretch. His final 3-pointer gave Milwaukee a 95-77 lead with 2:41 left in the third.

But the 76ers came all the way back.

“In the last couple minutes, it’s a tight game, it’s just shot-making and who can get a couple of stops in a row,” Harden said. “We were the team to do that.”

TIP-INS

76ers: Dewayne Dedmon was available to play but didn’t take the floor. Dedmon has been dealing with a sore left hip and hasn’t played for the 76ers since signing with them on Feb. 14. … Rivers, a former Marquette star whose jersey hangs from the Fiserv Forum banners, says he visited with Marquette coach Shaka Smart on Friday night during the team’s trip to Milwaukee.

Bucks: The Bucks signed veteran guard Goran Dragic for the rest of the season. … Wesley Matthews missed a fifth straight game with a strained right calf. … Antetokounmpo went 16 of 18 on free-throw attempts. One of the misses was a 10-second violation on his first attempt. … The Bucks signed C Meyers Leonard to a second 10-day contract.

UP NEXT

76ers: At Indiana on Monday.

Bucks: At Washington on Sunday. —

ANTHONY EDWARDS SCORES 27 POINTS, TIMBERWOLVES EDGE KINGS

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Anthony Edwards scored 27 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat Sacramento 138-134 on Saturday night to snap the Kings’ winning streak at five games.

“De’Aaron Fox has been playing out of his mind,” Edwards said. “We were happy to hold him under 30 tonight. He still played great though in the fourth.”

Edwards added eight assists to help Minnesota (34-32) win its third straight. Mike Conley scored 24 points and made two free throws with 15.7 seconds left to extend the lead to four.

Jaden McDaniels added 19 points, and Kyle Anderson nearly had a triple-double with 18 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. Rudy Gobert had 13 points and 14 rebounds.

“I thought we played great all night long,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “Especially when they tightened it up at the end. …we play a lot in flow. A lot of it was Anthony (Edwards) stepping up at the right time.”

Kevin Huerter scored 29 points for Sacramento (37-26). He made six three-pointers. ox had 25 points and seven assists, and Domantas Sabonis had 24 points, 14 rebounds and five assists.

“At the end of the day, no matter how tired we were, we were terrible defensively,” Kings forward Trey Lyles said “We can outscore anybody, but we cant stop anybody.”

TIP-INS

Timberwolves: C Karl Anthony-Towns remains out with a left knee injury. … Minnesota shot 20 of 39 from 3-point range.

Kings: C Richaun Holmes missed his second straight game because of a non-COVID illness. … Sacramento was 22 of 30 on free throws after going 26 of 26 in a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.

UP NEXT

Kings: Host New Orleans on Monday night.

Timberwolves: Host the Philadelphia on Tuesday night.

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

TAYLOR SCORES 28, LEADS NO. 24 TEXAS A&M OVER NO. 2 ALABAMA

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) Wade Taylor took a minute to reflect on his team’s journey after No. 24 Texas A&M knocked off No. 2 Alabama on Saturday to wrap up the regular season.

“We’ve had a bunch of ups and downs,” Taylor said. “On Dec. 20 we were 6-5 and nobody would have thought we’d be in this position we’re in today. This team is very resilient.”

Taylor scored 28 points and the Aggies beat Alabama 67-61 , making their late free throws after Crimson Tide star Brandon Miller fouled out.

“In the figurative fights they’ve learned not to flinch,” Aggies coach Buzz Williams said. “Our team has improved with each passing game and I think today was another example.”

The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Crimson Tide (26-5, 16-2 Southeastern Conference). Alabama played the last two minutes minus Miller, who fouled out after scoring a team-leading 19 points.

“We just didn’t quite have enough,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said. “They were ready to go and we weren’t. We can’t keep coming out and getting behind double digits early.”

The Aggies (23-8, 15-3) led by two with two minutes left when Miller fouled out chasing down a loose ball. Dexter Dennis made both free throws to make it 61-57.

A basket by Jahvon Quinerly cut the lead to two again with a minute to go, but Taylor made two free throws to make it 63-59 with 30 seconds remaining.

Rylan Griffen missed a 3 for Alabama and the Aggies added two more free throws to pad the lead. Quinerly missed a 3-pointer and A&M made two more free throws with 6 seconds left to seal the victory.

It was another big win for the Aggies, who downed then-No. 11 Tennessee on Feb. 21. They should get a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018, which will be their first trip since Williams took over.

Texas A&M’s 15 conference wins are the most in school history, besting the 1979-80 and 1975-76 teams which each won 14.

“We stayed together throughout this whole process and … we’re not done,” Taylor said. “Just to finish up conference with the most wins in conference in school history is the end of chapter of that book we just wrote. So now it’s time to start volume two.”

SEC champion Alabama lost for the first time since courtroom revelations tied freshmen Miller and Jaden Bradley to the scene of a fatal shooting. Neither has been charged or accused of a crime, but then-teammate Darius Miles and another man are facing capital murder charges.

Police said Miles texted Miller asking him to bring the gun. Miller has started every game and the university said he is a cooperating witness, not a suspect.

The rowdy sellout A&M crowd took every opportunity to heckle Miller. They booed him each time he touched the ball and chanted “lock him up” and “guilty” when he shot free throws.

Alabama took its first lead of the game after a 5-0 run, capped by a 3 from Quinerly, made it 54-51 with 4½ minutes remaining.

Taylor tied it with a 3-pointer soon after that and the Aggies took a 56-54 lead when Tyrece Radford made two free throws after Alabama lost the ball on a charge by Miller.

Miller then picked up his fourth foul when he fouled Taylor on a 3-point attempt. Taylor made all three free throws to push it to 59-54 with less than three minutes to go.

An 8-2 run by Alabama cut the lead to 6 early in the second half. But the Aggies made 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to power a 6-2 run that made it 42-32 with 12 ½ minutes to go.

The Crimson Tide then scored the next eight points, with 3s from Quinerly and Noah Clowney, to get within 42-40 with about a 11 minutes left.

The Aggies ended the run by making three free throws, but Miller hit a 3 soon after to start a 5-0 spurt that tied it at 45-all.

The Aggies led 32-22 at halftime after limiting Alabama to its fewest points in a half this season. The Crimson Tide got off to a poor start on long-range shooting, making just 2 of 19 3-pointers before halftime.

Oats was asked about his team’s slow starts recently.

“If we had the exact answer I would try to fix it,” he said. “I’m not sure, but we’re going to talk about and see if we can fix it. We’ve got to figure out a way to get them more prepared.”

SHOOTING WOES

The Crimson Tide finished 7 of 36 on 3-pointers. Saturday continued a stretch of poor 3-point shooting over the last four games where they’ve made just 25 of 116 3s.

“The way we play it certainly helps to make shots,” Oats said. “We’ll get back in the gym and try to get it fixed.”

UP NEXT

These teams will be in the SEC Tournament in Nashville next week where Alabama will be the top seed and Texas A&M will be No. 2.

SIR’JABARI RICE AND NO. 9 TEXAS SMOTHER NO. 3 KANSAS 75-59

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Kansas had already won the Big 12 championship by the time the Jayhawks made their last trip of the season down to Texas.

The Longhorns sent them home with a message: The league tournament promises to be every bit as rugged as the regular season.

Sir’Jabari Rice scored 23 points and a smothering defensive effort carried No. 9 Texas to a 75-59 win over No. 3 Kansas on Saturday that earned the Longhorns a second-place finish in the Big 12.

Texas entered the day in a three-way tie for second, but the win and losses by Kansas State and Baylor left the Longhorns alone in the spot. A loss at TCU four days earlier denied Texas a chance to earn a share of the league title.

“We wanted confidence going into postseason,” Rice said. “We had to get ourselves focused and re-centered (after the losses).”

Tyrese Hunter made 9 of 10 free throws and scored 20 points for the Longhorns (23-8, 12-6).

Big 12 scoring and rebounding leader Jalen Wilson led Kansas (25-6, 13-5) with 23 points and 10 boards as the Jayhawks’ seven-game win streak ended.

Texas swarmed Kansas with a defensive effort that frustrated Wilson and the Jayhawks from the opening tip.

Kansas scored just 12 points over the first 12 minutes and missed nine of 12 3-point attempts in the half. Wilson, who scored just two points when Kansas beat Texas on Feb. 6, struggled to find open shots or even open passes.

Hunter made consecutive deep 3-pointers late in the half as Texas built a 32-24 lead at the break.

The Longhorns quickly stretched the lead in opening minutes of the second half. Dylan Disu scored the first five points after halftime, and Rice’s 3-pointer pushed the lead to 15.

Kansas got within eight when Gradey Dick made consecutive 3-pointers, his first baskets of the game, before Texas answered with six consecutive points. Rice then ran off seven straight points, including a 3-pointer from the left corner, and Texas led 68-52 with 3:30 to play.

Rice scored his 23 points in 27 minutes off the bench.

“Texas was turned up. Defensively they made us play outside our comfort zone,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “We weren’t any good. We got what we deserved today.”

BIG PICTURE

Kansas: The Big 12 champs won a league many consider the toughest in the country and are still a contender for a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament. The defending national champions head into the Big 12 tourney having won nine of their last 12.

“Our season is really just beginning now,” Wilson said. “We’re playing for a lot, trying to get a No. 1 overall seed. You can’t get too high after wining the conference and can’t get too low after a loss like this.”

Texas: Interim coach Rodney Terry’s future with the program was probably always going to depend on the Longhorns’ postseason success. He might have eased that pressure had Texas won at least a share of the program’s first conference title in 15 years. But finishing second with an emphatic win over the league champ is better than many would have predicted when Texas fired coach Chris Beard in midseason.

“My message is to continue to be a hungry team,” Terry said. “I think we have a team as good as anybody.”

OLD GUARD

Saturday was the senior-day sendoff for five Texas players. The Longhorns have one of the oldest lineups in college basketball.

Marcus Carr is in his sixth season, and Timmy Allen, Christian Bishop and Rice are fifth-year players. Dylan Disu completed his fourth season. They account for an average of 54 points and 19 rebounds per game.

NEW HOME

Texas went 16-1 at Moody Center, the new arena that replaced the 45-year-old Erwin Center. One big change was to move the student section behind the team benches.

“We’ve created a home court (advantage) at Texas basketball. People know if they come into Moody, it’s going to be hard to get a win,” Terry said. “The environment we’ve crated here, our guys love playing here.”

UP NEXT

The Big 12 Tournament starts Wednesday in Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas will be the No. 1 seed. Texas will be No. 2.

IOWA STATE ENDS 4-GAME SKID WITH 73-58 WIN AT NO. 7 BAYLOR

WACO, Texas (AP) Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger got everyone involved in the regular-season finale, and the Cyclones got a big boost going into the Big 12 tournament after the dismissal of one of their key players.

Jaren Holmes scored 16 points and the Cyclones used all 11 available players within the first 7 1/2 minutes of a 73-58 win over seventh-ranked Baylor on Saturday that ended their four-game losing streak, and came only three days after veteran guard Caleb Grill was dismissed from the team.

“We’ve got a lot of depth on this team, we’ve got a lot of heart,” Otzelberger said. “And we need to re-harness or bring in with our group, that togetherness, that unity, everyone playing for each other. And there’s no better way to get everybody playing for each other than to get everybody in the game and to feel that energy and that enthusiasm.”

Tre King, who started for only the second time this season, had 13 points and seven rebounds for the Cyclones (18-12, 9-9 Big 12).

Grill had started 22 of his 25 games, and was Iowa State’s third-leading scorer (9.5 points a game) when Otzelberger said the guard had failed to meet program expectations. Grill said later on social media that he has been dealing with mental illness.

The Cyclones, who had lost six of their previous seven games, built as much as a 14-point lead before halftime. When Baylor had a 10-0 run to cut its deficit to 36-32 with 15:29 left in the game, Iowa State scored 11 in a row with a 3-pointer by Gabe Kalscheur’s 3-pointer capped the run that pretty much sealed it.

“We were hungry for a win, and we were desperate,” said Kalscheur, who had 12 points. “And we did a great job of all just coming up saying what we’re going to do and doing it.”

Adam Flagler had 20 points with five 3-pointers for the Bears (22-9, 11-7), while LJ Cryer added 13 points.

Baylor’s 77-62 loss at Iowa State in the Big 12 opener on New Year’s Eve was part of an 0-3 start in conference play. The Bears had won 12 of 15 since, but shot only 35.8% (19 of 53) from the field, 55.6% (10 of 18) on free throws and were outrebounded 36-24 in likely their last Big 12 home game in the 35-year-old Ferrell Center.

“They’re a physical defense … we didn’t do a good enough job running our offense and fighting to get our offense lower and executing,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “When we did get good looks, and we didn’t have enough of them, we didn’t make them. It looked like everything was short today. The things that have made us a good team we didn’t do.”

Baylor is moving next season into the Foster Pavilion, which is still under construction just down the street on the edge of campus. The plan is to play their non-conference games in the Ferrell Center and debut in the new arena at the start of Big 12 play.

BIG PICTURE

Iowa State: As they have to opponents all season, the Cyclones kept Baylor out of synch with various defenses. The Bears’ 22 points at halftime marked their fewest in any half this season, and they matched their season-low scoring total. … Iowa State had lost nine in a row in the Ferrell Center.

Baylor: Standout freshman Keyonte George finished with seven points on 3-of-10 shooting (1 of 7 on 3s) after missing Monday’s victory at Oklahoma State because of a right ankle sprain. George got hurt early in a home game against Texas last weekend. The Bears played without freshman guard Langston Love, who was poked in the eye in the first half against Oklahoma State.

SENIORS WITH ELIGIBILITY

Six Baylor seniors were recognized before the game, but big man Flo Thamba is the only of that group who doesn’t have any eligibility remaining after this season. Flagler, Dale Bonner and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua were among the others who could return.

UP NEXT

The Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City. Neither team will have to play in the opening round, and will start in the quarterfinals Thursday.

NO. 4 UCLA BEATS NO. 8 ARIZONA 81-73, GOES 17-0 AT HOME

LOS ANGELES (AP) The final buzzer sounded and the party was on at Pauley Pavilion.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. rushed into the student section, his shaggy damp hair stuck to his face, and started bobbing up and down. He and his teammates celebrated with the fans after No. 4 UCLA beat eighth-ranked Arizona 81-73 on Saturday night to complete a 17-0 record at home in the teams’ regular-season finale.

“We did it, but at the same time we’re not done,” Jaquez said. “Now we got to go into the next half. To me, it’s like a whole new season.”

Jaquez had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Tyger Campbell added 21 points and David Singleton had 17, making a season-best five 3-pointers, for the Bruins (27-4, 18-2 Pac-12). They went undefeated at home for the first time since 2006-07 and have won 25 in a row at Pauley Pavilion in the nation’s longest active home winning streak.

UCLA had already clinched the Pac-12 regular-season title, winning by four games over the Wildcats.

“To be able to be Pac-12 champs, win the way we did on our home court, it’s like a script,” Jaquez said.

Jaquez dunked to push UCLA’s lead to 68-54. The Wildcats (25-6, 14-6) weren’t done yet, despite Ažuolas Tubelis playing with four fouls. He scored consecutive baskets and Kylan Boswell hit a 3-pointer to cut Arizona’s deficit to seven points.

But the Bruins put an exclamation point on the victory with six straight points that had the raucous crowd of 13,659 on its feet. Jaquez scored four points in a row, chasing the ball as it rolled down the court, grabbing it and putting it in the basket for a 74-61 lead.

“Our crowd was a huge factor,” coach Mick Cronin said. “Imagine if it was like that every night how big of an assist it would be for our team.”

Tubelis scored 16 of his 24 points in the first half for the Wildcats and had 10 rebounds before fouling out in the closing seconds. Also fouling out were Pelle Larsson (10 points) and Kerr Kriisa (13 points).

“We got beat by a team that was just better today,” Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd said. “They were a more physical team for over a longer period of time. In the second half, they came out strong and we just didn’t.”

The Bruins ran off eight straight points coming out of halftime to lead 48-37. Adem Bona’s three-point play launched a 14-6 run that extended their lead to 64-50. Bona picked up his third and fourth fouls during that stretch, while Tubelis did the same for Arizona.

Arizona raced to a 15-4 lead to start the game with Tubelis scoring 10 points. The Bruins shot 1 of 11 while Bona picked up two quick fouls and sat down the rest of the half.

Down 23-14, the Bruins ran off 15 straight points to take their first lead and went ahead 29-23. Jaylen Clark scored seven points in a row and Singleton began and ended the spurt with 3-pointers.

“We hung in there,” Cronin said. “Our defense kept us around.”

Tubelis got called for his second foul late in the half before the Bruins led 40-37 at the break.

BIG PICTURE

Arizona: The Wildcats head into the postseason having lost three of six games. “We’re excited,” Lloyd said. “I love tournament basketball.”

UCLA: The Bruins go into next week’s Pac-12 Tournament as the top seed, having won their first regular-season league title since 2012-13. They carry the momentum of a 10-game winning streak into Las Vegas.

CLARK HURT

Clark didn’t return after getting hurt. He later appeared on the bench wearing a boot on his right foot. He’ll have an MRI on Sunday. “Obviously, it’s a blow if he’s out,” Cronin said.

SENIORS HONORED The Bruins honored five seniors before the game: Campbell, Jaquez, Kenneth Nwuba, Singleton and Russell Stong. Jaquez’s father, Jaime, lifted Cronin off the floor in a huge hug. “It’s not hard,” Cronin joked about the height difference. Jaquez Jr. laughed at the sight, saying, “I did not expect that at all.” Stong got his first start in his 36th career game. Cronin started all the seniors against the Wildcats. Singleton and Stong are fifth-year seniors with no eligibility remaining when the season ends. GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY UCLA’s 1972-73 national championship team was celebrated on its 50th anniversary. Led by Bill Walton and Jamaal Wilkes, the Bruins went 30-0 under coach John Wooden on their way to winning the program’s ninth national championship and seventh in a row. Walton, Wilkes, Larry Farmer and Sven Nater were among the team members who gathered at midcourt during halftime.

UP NEXT

Top-seeded UCLA plays in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament on Thursday in Las Vegas. No. 2 seed Arizona also plays Thursday.

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

TENNESSEE WOMEN REACH SEC FINAL, RALLY PAST NO. 4 LSU 69-67

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) Tennessee coach Kellie Harper called time out with her team down 27-10 and on the verge of getting run out of the building by No. 4 LSU.

“I didn’t yell. I asked, ‘Let’s talk about where we’re at right now,’” Harper told her struggling players. “Really asked them to dig deep and what they wanted.”

The answer? To stick around the Southeastern Conference tournament a little longer.

Rickea Jackson had 26 points and Jordan Horston 17 as the Lady Vols (23-10) rallied from 17 points down to defeat the Tigers (28-2) and make their first SEC finals since 2015.

“We just had better focus,” Harper said. “You just get a little momentum.”

Jackson and Horston both had double-doubles, each with 10 rebounds in the improbable comeback.

LSU seemed in control, up 40-26 at halftime with Angel Reese and Alexis Morris leading the way. But Tennessee, behind Jackson and Horston, steadily reeled in the Tigers.

The Lady Vols will face No. 1 South Carolina on Sunday for the league crown.

Jackson’s basket tied it at 56 and Horston followed with two straight jumpers to give Tennessee its first lead at 60-58 with 5:12 to play.

The Tigers got within 68-67 on Morris’ steal and breakaway layup with 1:24 left. They had the ball in the final 15 seconds when Reese was called for an offensive foul on her drive to the basket.

“I thought we were shooting two foul throws,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said.

After Tess Darby made one of two free throws, the Tigers got a final chance. But Morris’ 35 footer at the buzzer was off-target.

The Lady Vols stormed the court and jumped around in celebration. They’ll have to collect themselves quickly and refocus to face undefeated South Carolina for the trophy.

“It feels good” making the finals, Horston said. “But the job is not done.”

Reese finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds her 28th double-double in 30 games this season. Her six made free throws gave her 204 this year to break LSU’s single-season mark set by Maree Jackson in 1977-78.

Morris ended with 20 points for the Tigers.

Morris said her teammates have to focus on what’s ahead and not what happened at the SEC Tournament.

“They probably won’t like me for the next week,” Morris said of her plans to get LSU on track for a deep NCAA run. “I am one of the players who can make my team better. We needed more tonight from certain players, certain people and we’ll get it out of them this week coming up.”

BIG PICTURE

Tennessee: The Lady Vols may have improved their chance to be a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament and host the first two rounds at their site. The team was not among the top 16 teams in the last NCAA reveal. This could push them up a line.

LSU: Tigers coach Mulkey has made it clear that LSU won’t have “arrived” as a top-tier program until they win championships. That chance disappeared with their second-half meltdown. “We’ve got some work to do,” Morris said. “We’ve got a lot of young ones on our team. Experience, toughness, we’ve to a week to prepare for (NCAA) playoffs and that’s all we’re focused on right now.”

CHAMPIONSHIP LOOKAHEAD

South Carolina has owned the series with the Lady Vols in recent years, winning six of the last seven games in the series. The Gamecocks were also the opponents in Tennessee’s last SEC finals appearance, South Carolina winning its first league tournament in 2015. The teams played at Tennessee this year with the Gamecocks winning 73-60.

WOODEN SNUB?

LSU’s Reese was not among the 15 finalists for this year’s Wooden Award, announced earlier Saturday. South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston, last year’s winner, was the only SEC player on the list. Mulkey said many awards have academic or community service components, but said Reese was in good academic standing at LSU.

UP NEXT

Tennessee: Takes on South Carolina on Sunday.

LSU: Awaits its NCAA Tournament destination.

CLARK’S 22 HELPS NO. 7 IOWA TOP NO. 5 MARYLAND IN B10 SEMIS

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Though the box-and-one defense Maryland sent at Caitlin Clark was effective enough to limit the Iowa superstar to 7-of-18 shooting, there was a costly consequence for the Terrapins.

Gabbie Marshall and the rest of the Hawkeyes just kept making them pay – serving as a warning to future tournament foes.

Clark had 22 points and nine assists, Marshall and McKenna Warnock each scored 21 points, and seventh-ranked Iowa made a season-high 15 shots from 3-point range to fuel an 89-84 victory over fifth-ranked Maryland in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday.

“Our circle’s tight, just because we’ve been playing together so long. That helps a lot in March,” Marshall said.

The defending conference tournament champion Hawkeyes (25-6) will play 14th-ranked Ohio State in the championship game on Sunday afternoon. The Buckeyes overcame a 24-point deficit to beat second-ranked Indiana, the regular season champion, in the other semifinal.

Monika Czinano had a hard-earned 15 points and eight rebounds while drawing plenty of attention herself underneath, paving the way for Marshall to go 7 for 13 from deep. Warnock was 3 for 8.

“I think our confidence level in what we have now is really good, so we’ll welcome any defense that any team wants to bring at us,” Clark said.

Abby Meyers and Diamond Miller each scored 21 points for the Terrapins (25-6), who handed the Hawkeyes their worst loss of the season – 96-68 at Maryland – just two weeks ago.

“I think what we need to get better at is digging deep in those moments when it really matters,” Meyers said, “and sticking to our principles and really trying to get those important plays we know can make a difference.”

Indiana remains in line for one of the remaining No. 1 seeds behind defending national champion South Carolina, and Iowa and Maryland are also in the mix.

“I didn’t really want to talk about it with them,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “Right now, you don’t want to put any added pressure on them. They’re playing for a championship tomorrow.”

Miller’s bounce pass on the break to Faith Masonius set up the tying layup for Maryland with 2:19 to go. Clark’s NBA-range shot rimmed out, but Warnock got the rebound and fed Marshall for her seventh 3-pointer of the game and the lead for good with 1:44 left.

Miller missed a 3-point try from a crowded corner. Then Clark fed a high-low pass to Czinano, who came back for a fifth season for just this kind of March madness, for the layup to make it 84-79.

Lavender Briggs hit a 3-pointer for the Terrapins to trim the lead back to one point with 25 seconds to go. But Warnock made four free throws over the balance of the game to ice it.

The Hawkeyes enjoyed another home-like atmosphere, after their fans filled up the lower bowl and howled for every made basket and against every unfavorable call.

The attendance for the afternoon at Target Center was announced at 9,375, the second-largest session in Big Ten Tournament history. The record (9,417) was set at the 2014 championship game in Indianapolis.

The game was physical and intense, just like the Ohio State-Indiana matchup before it. Miller and Sellers both left briefly with minor injuries before returning. After Miller missed the first of her two free throws in the first quarter, the Iowa crowd – still mad about the foul call – jeered loudly. After Miller hit a 3-pointer a few minutes later, she motioned to the Hawkeyes fans in return as they complained for a technical foul on the Maryland star.

“It shows that we can still battle with them, even when their fans were taunting us, saying all this stuff, craziness, but we just still stayed strong,” said Miller, who went 12 for 16 from the free-throw line. “At the end of the day they won this game, but I still feel like we’re the better team.”

Marshall, one of four senior starters on the Hawkeyes, began the season slowly and struggled with her confidence in her outside shot. She went 12 for 23 from 3-point range in two games against Maryland in the last two weeks.

“I couldn’t be happier for somebody,” Bluder said.

NO. 8 VIRGINIA TECH TOPS NO. 13 DUKE, REACHES 1ST ACC FINALS

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) Virginia Tech has reached the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship game for the first time in school history.

Now it wants more.

Georgia Amoore scored 24 points on six 3-pointers, and the eighth-ranked Hokies defeated No. 13 Duke 58-37 to set up a championship game tilt with unranked Louisville, which knocked off top-seeded and No. 10 ranked Notre Dame 64-38 in the other semifinal game Saturday at the Greensboro Coliseum.

“When I first got to Tech we were hoping to win games,” Kitley said. “It’s nice to be at the point where we expect to win these games. We want this next one really bad and we are all really excited for it.”

Added teammate Cayla King: “It is time to break some (school) records in the postseason.”

Amoore finished 9 of 16 from the field, including 6 of 8 from beyond the arc, to go along with seven assists and five rebounds. ACC player of the year Elizabeth Kitley added eight points and 11 rebounds for the Hokies (26-4), who won their 10th straight game.

Elizabeth Balogun had nine points for Duke (25-6).

The Hokies haven’t lost since falling 66-55 at Duke on Jan. 29, a defeat they avenged with a 16-point victory over the Blue Devils in mid-February.

Virginia Tech, the tournament’s No. 3 seed, blew open a close game with a 17-0 run to close the second quarter, giving it a 36-18 halftime lead behind Amoore’s hot shooting. The Hokies made 7 of 9 shots from beyond the arc in the first two quarters – including a 4-for-4 effort from Amoore.

“When you give them open looks, they are probably the best team in the league at making you pay for it,” Duke coach Kara Lawson said.

Duke never got back to within double digits in the second half. Kitley made it a 20-point game in the fourth quarter when she scored on a layup after a Duke turnover in the backcourt.

The Blue Devils, led by Kennedy Brown, did a nice job defending Kitley for the most part, holding her to 4 of 10 shooting.

But Virginia Tech coach Kenny Brooks credited Kitley for being an unselfish player, saying they used the attention she commands on offense to get other players open – like Amoore popping out on screens for open looks – and it worked.

“Today she was more of a decoy. Not too many superstars are OK with that,” Brooks said.

Duke forced 20 Virginia Tech turnovers but shot just 27% from the field and went 1 of 15 from 3-point range.

BIG PICTURE

Virginia Tech: The Hokies are on a serious roll and can secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a win Sunday. They may not have done enough to earn a No. 1 seed, but it’s hard to imagine them falling lower than a 2-seed at this point, providing they don’t falter against Louisville. Either way, this is a team to watch in March. “This is the smartest team I have ever coached,” Brooks said.

Duke: The Blue Devils play good defense – at times great defense – but that won’t be enough if they want to make a run in the NCAA Tournament. Duke, which scored only 44 points in its quarterfinal win over North Carolina, needs to find a go-to scorer. “We have been a good offensive team at times this year, but we have been inconstant of late,” Lawson said. “We are fortunate that there is a two-week break and we can really dig in and get better, because we do have a lot of talented offensive players here.”

UP NEXT

Virginia Tech: Faces fourth-seeded Louisville in the ACC title game on Sunday.

Duke: Awaits NCAA Tournament seeding.

NFL NEWS

YOUNG’S HEIGHT, RICHARDSON’S WORKOUT ALL RAGE AT NFL COMBINE

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Bryce Young provided one answer Saturday at the NFL’s annual scouting combine: He stands 5-foot-10 1/8 inches and weighs 204 pounds.

Next question: Will his small frame hurt his draft stock?

On a day Anthony Richardson put on an impressive show at Lucas Oil Stadium, Young’s numbers will create debate among scouts and team decision-makers about whether Young should be the first player – or the first quarterback – selected on April 27.

Richardson certainly made his case with a 4.43-second 40-yard dash, the fourth-fastest by a quarterback since 2003. The former Florida quarterback also broke the modern combine position record with a 40 1/2-inch vertical jump, and his 10-foot, 9-inch broad jump tied Matt Jones of Arkansas for the best mark by a quarterback since 2003.

Young’s numbers, meanwhile, could have the opposite effect.

Typically, teams want franchise quarterbacks to be a little sturdier to remain healthy. Young’s measurements would make him one of the league’s smallest quarterbacks.

He doesn’t believe it’s a big deal, though he was listed at 6-0, 194 in college.

“I’ve been this size my whole life. I know who I am, I know what I can do,” Young said Friday when asked about the size issue.

The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner from Alabama has all the other prototypical tools that franchises seek – strong arm, quick release, good accuracy, mobility and a knack for making big plays, even on the move.

The closest comparisons might be to Kyler Murray, whom Arizona took with the top overall pick in 2019, and Russell Wilson, a third-round pick in 2012 who led Seattle to its only Super Bowl title before landing in Denver last season.

And while the quarterbacks, tight ends and receivers were scheduled to do their on-field drills Saturday in Indianapolis, Young had said he wouldn’t join them. The next time scouts will see Young will be at Alabama’s scheduled pro day.

Many draft analysts believe Young, former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, former Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter and linebacker Will Anderson Jr. of Alabama are the four players vying to be selected No. 1 overall.

Stroud performed well in the passing drills and another highly regarded quarterback, Will Levis, showed his arm strength. But Anderson is sticking with his ex-teammate.

“I would say Bryce played in the SEC, one of the best conferences in college football,” he said. “Big defensive tackles, big defensive linemen, big pass rushers and took a lot of hits during his years there. I have all confidence in Bryce Young. If I was in the position to take him, I’m taking him.”

MORE WORKOUT NUMBERS

Trey Palmer of Nebraska logged the fastest 40-yard dash time among receivers, 4.33, narrowly outperforming Derius Davis of TCU (4.36).

Four receivers posted vertical jumps of at least 40 inches – Bryce Ford-Wheaton of West Virginia (41), Rashee Rice of TCU (41), Quentin Johnston of TCU (40 1/2) and Jalin Hyatt of Tennessee (40). Hyatt was tops in the broad jump (11 feet, 3 inches), just ahead of Johnston and Demario Douglass of Liberty, who both logged 11-2.

Former Utah cornerback Clark Phillips III had 18 bench reps, tops among his group. Joey Porter Jr. of Penn State and Cory Trice Jr. of Purdue were tied for second at 17.

Will Mallory of Miami (4.54), Zack Kuntz of Old Dominion (4.55) and Sam LaPorta of Iowa (4.59) had the fastest 40s among tight ends. Kuntz led the position with a 40-inch vertical jump and broad jump of 10-8.

Offensive linemen and running backs work out Sunday.

SUPPORTING CARTER

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter didn’t speak to reporters in Indianapolis after Georgia authorities charged him with reckless driving and racing in connection to a fatal traffic accident.

Bulldogs offensive lineman Broderick Jones spoke in support of his friend Saturday.

“When we first met, he was a great dude, real chill, real calm, cool and collected, like nothing going on,” Jones said. “He didn’t do too much, just sat around, you know, not into everything that goes on in life. He doesn’t do too much. He stays to himself, doesn’t bother anybody.”

MISSING TEETH

Offensive lineman Cody Mauch came to the combine carrying 303 pounds. But it’s what the former North Dakota State player was missing – two front teeth – that got everyone biting.

Mauch explained they were pulled in an emergency room after he collided with a friend during a seventh-grade basketball game and the teeth got knocked loose. The intended repairs didn’t work, either, because either the replacements broke or Mauch lost his retainers.

Eventually, he decided to go without, giving him the trademark look of a hockey player – or Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, who also played toothless in green and gold.

“I say that I’m going to get them fixed after football, but I don’t even know if I ever will. It’s kind of just part of me,” he said. “I think every team, every person I talked to here has had some kind of question about it.”

THROWING DARTS

Paris Johnson Jr. of Ohio State is ranked as one of the top offensive tackles in this year’s draft. But occasionally, he makes a mistake, and he acknowledged Saturday that he made one during an interview with the Bears.

Chicago officials have been asking players whether they’d rather putt golf balls or throw darts. Johnson figured he’d be better off with the dart board. That’s when the problems began.

He watched someone in front of him throw three darts – two nearly hit the bull’s eye and the third did. Johnson’s turn didn’t go quite as well.

“The first two hit like some snacks in the corner and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, they’re going to end this meeting,’” Johnson said before describing the third shot. “It hit the board, so I was happy. I should have probably chosen golf.”

NHL NEWS

BERTUZZI SETS UP GOAL IN BRUINS’ 4-2 WIN OVER RANGERS

BOSTON (AP) Tyler Bertuzzi set up a goal in his Boston debut and Linus Ullmark made 24 saves, helping the NHL-leading Bruins beat Patrick Kane and the New York Rangers 4-2 on Saturday.

Charlie Coyle scored off Bertuzzi’s feed and set up Tomas Nosek’s short-handed goal in Boston’s 10th straight win. The Bruins improved 26-2-3 at home and increased their total for the season to 103 points.

“For us, it’s the Stanley Cup. That’s all that matters,” Ullmark said of the Bruins’ shot at an NHL record for total points. “Records are meant to be broken, but once you have the hardware it can never be taken away from you.”

Boston stars David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron each scored in the third period. It was Pastrnak’s 44th on the season, and No. 23 for Bergeron.

Playing his first game since posting a club-record 54 saves in an overtime win at Calgary on Tuesday, Ullmark increased his record to 32-4-1.

Alexis Lafreniere scored both goals for New York, and Igor Shesterkin stopped 20 shots. The Rangers have lost six of eight.

“They’ve got a great squad and they acquired some great players,” New York defenseman Braden Schneider said. “They’re at the top of the league right now and that’s where we want to be. I think we can skate with them and we can play with them and I think we gave them a good run tonight. I’m excited for us to get clicking. … I think we can give them a good run for the money.”

Kane, acquired in a trade with Chicago on Tuesday, is scoreless in two games with the Rangers.

Boston forward Brad Marchand returned to the lineup after missing the last half of Thursday’s victory with a lower-body injury.

After becoming the fastest team in NHL history to reach 100 points in their last game, the Bruins completed a three-game season sweep of the Rangers.

Acquired in a trade with Detroit on Thursday, Bertuzzi collected the puck behind the net and sent it out to Coyle, who one-timed it past Shesterkin to make it 1-0 at 18:07 of the opening period. The new Bruins forward raised his stick and pointed at Coyle after collecting his first point with the club.

“It was good to kind of get my feet wet and hear the crowd, celebrate with the guys and be in the mix a little bit,” said Bertuzzi, who admitted he was nervous before the game.

Coyle centered a pass to a cutting Nosek, who shifted quickly at the edge of the crease before tucking the puck into the net just past Shesterkin’s left skate 30 seconds into the second.

“We just find a way with this group,” Coyle said. “There’s no sense of panic. … If things aren’t working, we play a simple style and play the right way and usually that works out for us.”

The lively matchup – with fans breaking out in chants for each team – featured two teams that bolstered their rosters for the postseason before Friday’s trade deadline.

New York picked up three-time Stanley Cup champion Kane from Chicago and four-time All-Star Vladimir Tarasenko from St. Louis, while Boston also got defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway from Washington before reeling in Bertuzzi, who scored 30 goals last season.

NEXT VEZINA WINNER?

Shesterkin was last season’s Vezina Trophy winner, and Ullmark is the favorite to win it this year.

UP NEXT

Rangers: At Montreal on Thursday.

Bruins: Host NHL scoring leader Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.

KORPISALO SOLID IN DEBUT, HELPS KINGS BEAT BLUES 4-2

LOS ANGELES (AP) Joonas Korpisalo made 24 saves in his Kings debut and Gabe Vilardi had a power-play goal to help Los Angeles to a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.

Kevin Fiala, Adrian Kempe and Carl Grundstrom also had goals, and the Kings won their third straight game. Los Angeles has won five in a row at home.

“Awesome game,” said Korpisalo, acquired from Columbus on Wednesday. “Guys played really well and helped me a lot today, especially in the end. After they scored their second goal, I don’t think I had any shots after, so it was a great job.”

Kasperi Kapanen had a short-handed goal, Robert Thomas also scored and Jordan Binnington made 33 saves, but the Blues failed to earn a point for the fourth time in five games.

“We were able to battle pretty good,” Blues defenseman Justin Faulk said. “They play a tight defensive structure, and it’s tough to break through that. Sometimes against these guys, you’ve got to win the special teams battle, and we weren’t able to do that.”

The Kings traded for Korpisalo to give them a viable option if Pheonix Copley, the 31-year-old journeyman who has unexpectedly posted a 19-4-2 record, fades down the stretch or in the playoffs.

Their first look at Korpisalo was mostly a promising one, although a better showing on Kapanen’s breakaway that tied it at 2 with 7:49 remaining in the third could have helped soothe the sting fans felt about trading away franchise icon Jonathan Quick.

“I thought he looked really confident,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said if Korpisalo. “Not easy to play with a new team, not understanding the calls or touches or what may or may not happen. Part of goaltending is predictability, and you’re coming into a situation where you don’t really know the team at all.

“He made some really good saves.”

The mood turned positive again after Vilardi faked out Binnington with some nasty puck-handling to score the go-ahead goal with 3:03 remaining. Fiala added an empty-netter with 1:56 to go.

“I think these are the kind of games we’re going to see,” McLellan said. “It’s getting closer to the end of the year. Not a lot of space, kind of slugging it out in the corners and tight areas. … Then the special teams come into play.”

LOOK MA, THESE HANDS

Vilardi scored for the third straight game, and all three efforts have included impressive displays of puck handling.

“It’s not an easy thing,” McLellan said. “You’ve got to have real good hands, and while you’re doing everything, you’ve got to have a sense of what’s going on around you so your awareness is still alive and you’re not just looking at the puck. … He’s getting to use them a lot more and looks good doing it.”

KING OF TRIOS

Since Quinton Byfield joined a line with Kempe and center Anze Kopitar, the trio has emerged as one of the most effective groupings in hockey.

When Kempe chased down Byfield’s flip pass and scored on a breakaway for a 2-1 lead with 7:50 left in the second, it gave them 16 goals and 16 assists combined in 11 games since the All-Star break.

McLellan said Byfield was OK after being shaken up on a hit late in the third.

NOTES: Blues F Jakub Vrana, acquired from Detroit in a trade Friday, was finally able to join his new team after weather delayed his flight. Coach Craig Berube expects Vrana to make his debut in the finale of the three-game road trip on Tuesday. … Thomas played in his 300th career game. … Kings D Drew Doughty played in his 1,077th career game to tie Luc Robitaille for fourth-most in team history.

UP NEXT

Blues: At Arizona on Tuesday night.

MARCHMENT, PAVELSKI END DROUGHTS AS STARS DOMINATE AVS 7-3

DALLAS (AP) Mason Marchment and Joe Pavelski ended career-long goal droughts as the Dallas Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche 7-3 on Saturday.

Jason Robertson had two goals and an assist, including a late empty-net score, while Miro Heiskanen, Radek Faksa and Wyatt Johnston also scored for the Stars, who lead the Central Division and are 4-0-1 in their last five games. Jake Oettinger made 32 saves.

Samuel Girard had a goal and two assists and Andrew Cogliano and Evan Rodrigues also scored for the Avalanche. The defending Stanley Cup champions have lost two consecutive games in regulation and allowed seven goals in each, not done by the franchise since the 1989-90 Quebec Nordiques, following a 7-0-1 run.

Alexandar Georgiev was pulled midway through the second period after allowing five goals on 19 shots. Keith Kinkaid, acquired from the Boston Bruins on Feb. 25, replaced Georgiev to make his first NHL appearance since Nov. 12. Kinkaid added eight saves.

Marchment went 32 games without a goal since tallying an empty-netter on Dec. 13, 37 games without shooting a puck past a goaltender. He settled a pass from Ryan Suter in the slot and scored on a wrist shot giving the Stars a 4-1 lead at 5:25 of the second period.

After the goal, linemate Tyler Seguin figuratively pulled the monkey from Marchment’s back.

“That’s a good feeling there for sure,” said Marchment, who joined Dallas as a free agent last summer. “It’s been tough, but it’s always ups and downs through the season. You’ve just got to battle through it.”

Pavelski ended an 18-game drought at 17:42 of the first period about a minute and a half after Girard’s slap shot from the right point pulled Colorado within 2-1. Pavelski also had an assist.

“I don’t think we did a very good job of handling their forecheck at the start of the game,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “You look at two of the first three goals, we kind of turned pucks over and they come back and capitalize on those chances. They did it again in the second period.”

Robertson has 37 goals and 79 points. He went into play tied for 10th in the NHL in both categories.

The 15 goals this season by Johnston, the NHL’s youngest player at 19 years and 294 days old, rank fourth among league rookies.

WELCOME AND WELCOME BACK

Max Domi made his Stars debut without a practice or even a morning skate with his new team after the late-night Thursday trade from the Blackhawks soon after the Stars played in Chicago that night. On his first shift, Domi plowed over Girard by the boards.

“He set the tone,” Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said.

Cale Makar, the reigning winner of the Norris and Conn Smythe Trophies, returned to the Avs’ lineup after missing the last five games and 13 of the last 17 because of multiple injuries, including a head injury.

Makar went in leading the NHL averaging 26:57 per game and played a team-high 22:27.

“You want to be thrown in the fire like that,” Makar said. I think it’s the best scenario.”

NOTES

Stars captain Jamie Benn was honored before the game for reaching 1,000 career NHL games, which he did on Feb. 6. That’s second in franchise history to Mike Modano’s 1,459. Benn assisted on Heiskanen’s goal. … Dallas forward Roope Hintz and Colorado forward Alex Newhook had two assists each. … Kinkaid wore his yellow Bruins gloves and pads.

UP NEXT

Avalanche: Complete a back-to-back at home on Sunday night against the Seattle Kraken.

Stars: Host the Calgary Flames on Monday night before a six-game road trip from Buffalo to Seattle.

BARRIE, SAROS LEAD PREDATORS PAST BLACKHAWKS 3-1

CHICAGO (AP) Tyson Barrie, Philip Tomasino and Colton Sissons each had goals, Juuse Saros made 27 saves and the Nashville Predators beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 on Saturday night.

The Predators won their second game in a row and fifth in six games in their quest for a Western Conference wild-card spot.

“We’ve worked hard to put ourselves in a position where we’re competing for the playoffs,” Nashville coach John Hynes said. “We want to put some heat on the teams ahead of us and play some meaningful games down the stretch.”

Seth Jones scored the lone goal for the Blackhawks, who lost their fourth straight.

Barrie, playing his second game for Nashville since he was traded from Edmonton on Tuesday, made it 2-1 at 12:08 of the second with a 55-foot drive that was deflected by the Blackhawks’ Philipp Kurashev. Ryan McDonagh picked up an assist on the play. Petr Mrazek was screened by teammate Nikita Zaitsev, making his debut with Chicago.

“It was emotional switching teams, but the guys have been great,” Barrie said. “It was nice to get the first one out of the way. You don’t want to sit on a bagel with a new team for too long. I appreciate the good bounce there.”

Mrazek finished with 22 saves.

Jones’ slot backhand tip 37 seconds after the opening faceoff put the Blackhawks ahead 1-0. Andreas Athanasiou picked up his 100th career assist on the goal.

Nashville tied it on Tomasino’s power-play goal at 9:36. Mrazek gave up a big rebound on Yakov Trenin’s shot and Tomasino had an open net.

“The first part of the first two periods, we played better, and then we dropped (off),” Chicago coach Luke Richardson said. “A couple penalties slowed us down a bit and we seemed to be a bit too much in the D zone.”

Richardson said the Blackhawks are “still trying to find ourselves” after the team’s roster shuffling leading up to the trade deadline.

“There are so many new guys,” added forward Lukas Reichel, who played his fifth NHL game. “In the second period, we played a lot in our own zone. If we do a better job, it’s easier to create offense.” Saros made a big save on Jones’ drive from the point with 59 seconds left, and Sissons sealed the win for Nashville with an empty-net goal with 30 seconds remaining.

“We didn’t get off to a great start, but we managed the puck better in the second and third periods,” Hynes said. “We didn’t have a ton of emotion to start, but we worked (and) controlled what we could control.”

NEW FACES

The Predators featured only one new player in their lineup on Saturday. Center Rasmus Asplund, acquired from Buffalo on Friday, played his first game for Nashville.

Along with Barrie, defenseman Cal Foote and left wing John Leonard played their second games for Nashville.

The Blackhawks, after making nine deals before the deadline – notably sending away Patrick Kane, Max Domi, Sam Lafferty and Jake McCabe – had two players in their first game for Chicago: Zaitsev and left wing Anders Bjork.

UP NEXT

Nashville: at Vancouver on Monday.

Chicago: host Ottawa on Monday.

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

CHIELLINI, LAFC BEAT TIMBERS 3-2 AFTER RAISING TITLE BANNERS

LOS ANGELES (AP) Giorgio Chiellini only got gold medals and trophies as rewards for his nine straight Serie A titles with Juventus, so he was dazzled by the glittering black-and-gold MLS championship ring put on his finger Saturday by Los Angeles FC.

“That was a little bit weird for me,” he said with a chuckle. “But it was nice.”

LAFC’s chase for a second ring is off to a strong start after the 38-year-old Italian great turned in a vintage performance.

Chiellini scored his first MLS goal and LAFC opened its defense of its first league title with a 3-2 victory over the Portland Timbers.

Carlos Vela and Mahala Opoku also scored after LAFC unveiled its championships banners and handed out those rings during a lively pregame ceremony at sold-out BMO Stadium. Retired Welsh forward Gareth Bale and injured goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau carried the MLS Cup onto the field where they won it four months ago.

Banners celebrating LAFC’s two Supporters’ Shield titles and its 2022 Western Conference and MLS Cup championships were unveiled above the east stands during the pregame festivities.

“It was very good, and it will remain in my memories for all time,” Chiellini said. “But after the celebration, we have to play, and we did the first 60 minutes very well. We have to learn from our mistakes in the last 30 minutes.”

After appearing in 11 matches last year as a midseason arrival, Chiellini got his second MLS season off to a strong start with a superb defensive game and his first goal in any competition since August 2019 for Juventus. He opened the scoring for LAFC in the 24th minute when he deftly flicked home a loose ball in the box with the outside of his right foot.

“Best player on the field tonight,” LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said. “A step ahead of everybody else. It’s fun to watch and a privilege to coach.”

Chiellini said his goal celebration was dedicated to Davide Astori, his friend and former Italy teammate who died in 2018 before a match for Fiorentina.

“I would like to celebrate with him, and he’s always on my mind,” Chiellini said.

LAFC improved to 6-0-0 in season openers, matching Dallas as the only MLS clubs to achieve that feat in their first six openers. Los Angeles also became only the second defending MLS Cup champion to win its opener in the past seven years despite nearly blowing a 3-0 lead built during an excellent start on the momentum of that pregame ceremony.

“The feeling was really great, having my first trophy as a professional player,” Opoku said. “I want to get more. The ring is so beautiful. You say to yourself, ‘If you do more, you get more.’”

Evander, the Brazilian midfielder who joined Portland in December from Midtjylland, scored his first MLS goal, while Cristhian Paredes added a late score in the Timbers’ third straight loss to LAFC.

Vela coolly converted a penalty in the 34th minute after Opoku was fouled in the box. Opoku then ripped a goal past David Bingham in the 52nd minute.

Paredes scored in the 84th minute when John McCarthy, LAFC’s MLS Cup MVP goalkeeper, ventured too far from his own net while defending a corner.

LAFC rested Vela and Spanish star Ilie Sánchez in the 65th minute. This match was the first of five in 15 days for LAFC, including two CONCACAF Champions League games.

LAFC’s scheduled season opener at the Rose Bowl against the LA Galaxy last week was postponed by severe rainstorms.

ST LOUIS CITY TOPS CHARLOTTE 3-1, EXTENDS HISTORIC START

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (AP) Eduard Lowen scored the go-ahead goal on a penalty kick in the 5th minute of first-half stoppage time and St. Louis City became the fourth expansion team to win its first two matches after posting a 3-1 victory over FC Charlotte on Saturday night.

St. Louis joins the Chicago Fire (1998) and Los Angeles FC (2018). The Seattle Sounders won their first three matches in 2009. Eleven of the last 21 expansion teams won their home opener. The last to do so was Inter Miami in 2020.

St. Louis was coming off a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Austin – joining the 1996 Tampa Bay Mutiny as the only teams to rally for victories in inaugural matches.

Enzo Copetti gave Charlotte (0-2-0) the lead with a goal in the 25th minute. An own-goal by Charlotte’s Bill Tuiloma knotted the score in the 41st minute. João Klauss capped the scoring with an unassisted goal in the 71st minute.

St. Louis outshot Charlotte 11-6 with a 5-3 advantage in shots on goal. Charlotte had lost its last three matches by shutouts dating to last season.

Roman Burki saved two shots for St. Louis. Pablo Sisniega had three saves for Charlotte.

Up next for Saint Louis is a matchup Saturday with the Portland Timbers on the road. Charlotte visits the LA Galaxy on Saturday.

MEN’S GOLF

KITAYAMA HOLDS ONTO BAY HILL LEAD OVER SCHEFFLER, HOVLAND

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Kurt Kitayama had to leave home to find his way in golf by playing circuits in Europe, Australia and Asia, all for a chance to get to the highest level. Along with three worldwide titles, he learned how to battle.

That might come in handy Sunday at Bay Hill.

Without a birdie on the front nine and no longer in the lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Kitayama fought back with a 25-foot birdie to start the back nine and two birdies over the final three holes Saturday for an even-par 72.

A 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole gave him a one-shot lead over defending champion Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland of Norway.

“Just proud of the way I fought,” Kitayama said. “There’s no giving up. It’s just kind of in my nature. Even when it’s going bad, you can’t just like pack it in. You fight for every shot.”

Now comes the hard part for Kitayama, a 30-year-old Californian going after his first PGA Tour victory.

Scheffler had five birdies over his last seven holes in warm gusts that made Bay Hill tough as ever. He finished with a 68 and was one shot behind. Hovland holed a bunker shot for one of his six birdies in a bogey-free round of 66.

Hovland finished runner-up to Scheffler a year ago at Bay Hill.

The rest of the contenders are what was to be expected with a $20 million event and every PGA Tour member from the top 50 in the world.

Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Max Homa all were within range of Kitayama if he were to lose ground or if Bay Hill was baked and brittle as it typically is for the final round.

For now, Kitayama held his own, even if it looked as though he could crater.

His two-shot lead was gone when one loose swing sent his drive well to the right and out-of-bounds on the par-5 fourth hole, leading to double bogey. He went out in 39 as Hovland planted himself at the top and McIlroy made his move with a remarkable bogey-free round of 68.

“I think any time you can go bogey-free on the weekend at Bay Hill you’re doing something right,” McIlroy said. “I got myself right into the tournament, into the thick of things for tomorrow.”

Kitayama bounced back with four birdies on the back nine, and that final putt put him at 9-under 207. Tyrrell Hatton (66) was two behind, while McIlroy and Harris English (69) were another shot back.

“Started off fairly solid first three holes and then one loose swing and I’m 2 over,” Kitayama said. “Then got some uncomfortable shots coming in on that front nine. It’s just tough. But making that birdie, that putt on 10, that helped calm things down.”

There was plenty of evidence of trouble at Bay Hill, as always.

Corey Conners of Canada was among four players who had at least a share of the lead at one point Saturday, only to shoot 40 on the back nine for a 75.

Spieth opened bogey-bogey playing in the final group with Kitayama. He still was within two shots of the lead but then went the final 12 holes with no birdies and one bogey for a 74. Thomas played bogey-free until missing a 4-foot par putt on the last hole for a 72.

Homa was 4 under through his opening four holes, only to drop four shots the rest of the way until a birdie on the 16th for a 71. He was five behind, along with Cameron Young (72).

Still, this final round could be wide open.

Kitayama finished one shot behind three times last year — to Jon Rahm in the Mexico Open, Xander Schauffele in the Scottish Open, McIlroy at the CJ Cup in South Carolina. Now he has to contend with a host of top players, and Scheffler is sure to get his attention. Scheffler already has successfully defended one title this year at the WM Phoenix Open.

Scheffler took care of both par 5s on the back nine, hit a lob wedge at a scary pin on the 13th for birdie, and saved his best for the par-3 17th. Even with the wind at his back, his only hope was to hit something that stayed on the brick-hard green. He hammered a 9-iron and watched it narrowly clear the bunker and finish 4 feet away.

Now the Masters champion is in range of another title that could be enough to take him back to No. 1 in the world. Scheffler expects the sternest test of the week.

“Should be another fun one,” he said, alluding to the course and the contenders. “That’s what’s exciting about our new schedule. I think we’re going to have a lot more of this stuff. I’m sure Viktor’s looking to beat me this year and I’m looking to do the same. There’s a lot of talented guys on the leaderboard, though. I’m not going to be too focused on anybody else other than myself going into tomorrow.”

Rahm is in danger of losing the top ranking. He opened with a 65 and followed with two straight 76s. He made five straight bogeys around the turn in the third round.

COLOMBIAN ROOKIE ECHAVARRIA TAKES 2-SHOT LEAD IN PUERTO RICO

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico (AP) PGA Tour rookie Nico Echavarria of Colombia ran off four straight birdies early in his round Saturday and finished with a 7-under 65 for a two-shot lead in the Puerto Rico Open as he goes for his first PGA Tour victory.

Carson Young, who led the opening two rounds at Grand Reserve, had to birdie the last hole for a 71 and was Echavarria’s closest pursuer.

Young began with a four-shot lead, and the 28-year-old Colombian made up ground quickly with an eagle on the par-5 second hole and then four straight birdies starting at the fourth.

He went out in 30 and already had the lead when they made the turn.

“It was a dream start,” Echavarria said. “You never think you’re going to shoot 6 under on the front nine the third round, so I knew it had to be a low one because (Young) had a big lead. I gave myself some really good chances on the front nine, putter was hot.”

Echavarria was at 17-under 199.

The winner earns a spot in The Players Championship next week with its $25 million purse, along with spots in the PGA Championship and a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour. It does not come with an invitation to the Masters because the Puerto Rico Open is held the same week as the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Sam Stevens (65) and Nate Lashley (67) were four shots behind.

“I played solid today, I just didn’t hit anything really close,” Young said. “I still feel good about my game. I drove it better today than I did yesterday, which is a positive. It was just a grind today just because I wasn’t hitting really anything close, but I feel good about my game and I’m ready to see what I can do tomorrow.”

Young also is a tour rookie hopeful of a big opportunity Sunday.

A year ago, Ryan Brehm won in his final start before he would have been relegated to the Korn Ferry Tour. Brehm was at Bay Hill this week and previously played in two other elevated events with a $20 million purse.

WOMEN’S GOLF

JIN YOUNG KO LEADS BY 2 AFTER 3RD ROUND AT LPGA SINGAPORE

SINGAPORE (AP) Defending champion Jin Young Ko shot a second consecutive 7-under 65 Saturday to take a two-stroke lead over Nelly Korda into the final round of the LPGA’s Women’s World Championship.

Ko had a 54-hole total of 14-under 202 after another weather-delayed day at the Sentosa Golf Club. She birdied four of her first five holes and two of her last three.

“I tried to focus really hard over the front nine,” Ko said. “I felt, ‘yeah, today is a good day, so keep going.'”

Americans held the other leading positions.

Korda shot 68 Saturday and was in second place, followed by first-round leader Elizabeth Szokol, who had a 70 and was three behind Ko and in third place, tied with Allisen Corpuz, who also shot 70.

Second-round leader Danielle Kang was in fifth place after a 72, four strokes behind Ko.

Korda said weather suspensions over the past two days “have been really, really long” and she had to make sure she stayed mentally alert.

“After the rain delay, I actually bogeyed No. 10 and had to tell myself to refocus because after such a long delay, just kind of lose it in a sense,” Korda said. “You’re not in a zone like you were playing nine or holes before and you had the momentum.”

Corpuz said she plans to stay aggressive during the final round.

“I’ve had a tendency in the past to get a little more conservative I think under pressure, and I think just knowing that what it’s going to take just staying aggressive and still trying to play the same way that I did the last three days,” she said. “I will just try to take that mindset into tomorrow.”

No. 1-ranked Lydia Ko shot 70 and was at 7-under, seven strokes behind.

BOXING

JON JONES RETURNS TO WIN UFC HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE IN 1ST ROUND

LAS VEGAS (AP) Jon Jones ended a three-year sabbatical from the UFC, moved up to its highest weight class and emphatically won the heavyweight belt Saturday night with a first-round submission over Ciryl Gane.

The 35-year-old Jones took Gane to the mat just a little more into the round, and won with a guillotine choke at 2:04 in UFC 285.

“I’m so excited,” Jones said. “I’ve been working for this for a long time. A people thought I wasn’t coming back. I’m been faithful to my goal, faithful to my mission.”

For Jones, this was his first fight in three years and his first in the heavyweight division. The former light heavyweight champion is regarded as UFC’s greatest fighter.

Jones, however, wanted to prove he could be just as successful at the highest weight, and that for sure would erase any remaining doubts about his place in history.

The swiftness of this victory cemented that legacy.

There were questions whether so much time off would affect Jones’ effectiveness, and he spent time at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to prepare for this night. His last fight was Feb. 8, 2020, a unanimous decision over Dominick Reyes.

“I had to show up and get him down to the ground,” Jones said. “I been wresting since I was 12 years. I feel stronger than ever. Once I got him in my hands, I know I could take control.”

The victory extended Jones’ record unbeaten streak to 19 in a row, and he improved to 27-1 with one no-contest.

Jones said he next wants Stipe Miocic, who is the second-ranked contender and who Jones called the greatest heavyweight ever.

France’s Ciryl Gane, 32, was the top-ranked heavyweight contender. His record dropped to 11-2.

In the co-main event in a women’s bout, sixth-ranked Alexa Grasso (16-3) of Mexico submitted champion Valentina Shevchenko (23-4) Kyrgyzstan by 4:34 at of the fourth round to capture the belt.

“I feel like this is a dream,” Grasso said. “I’ve dreamed of this moment.”

Shevchenko, 34, had won her previous eight title matches and was in control of this one through three rounds by dictating the action and repeatedly taking Grasso to the floor.

Grasso, however, got Shevchenko to the mat late in the fourth when the now former champ went for a back kick. Then Grasso, 29, put Shevchenko in a position where she was forced to tap out.

Middleweight Bo Nickal, 27, won his UFC debut, submitting Jamie Pickett, 34 by arm triangle at 2:54 of the first round. Nickal won three NCAA wrestling championships at Penn State. He moved to 4-0 overall; Pickett is 13-9.

Scenes of the remake of 1989 movie “Road House” were shot in between action in the octagon with actor Jake Gyllenhaal portraying an MMA fighter.

AUTO RACING

AUSTIN HILL RALLIES TO WIN NASCAR XFINITY RACE IN LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS (AP) Austin Hill overtook Chandler Smith just before the final lap to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Smith, who was the pole-sitter, led 118 laps of the 200-lap race and appeared to be in good shape in the final laps before Hill made his late charge.

“I think with about 10 (laps) to go was where it set in I had a really, really good chance to win the race,” Hill said. “I knew once I got in there, I couldn’t mess around. I had to make my move right away, and he just happened to slip up in (turn) three or four and he gave me that opportunity to get underneath him.”

Hill also won the season-opening race two weeks ago at Daytona in the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. The four-time series winner was sixth last week at Fontana, California.

His victory was another impressing showing for RCR. In addition to Hill’s two Xfinity wins, Kyle Busch won the Cup Series race last week in Fontana and was in position to take the checkered flag at the Daytona 500 if not for a crash that forced overtime.

Hill also won the second stage Saturday, and he leads the season standings by 12 points over Smith.

“I just think it shows that we mean business,” Hill said. “We’re here to play and we’re here to win, and we are showing that confidence. I had confidence going into the season, and winning Daytona builds the confidence even more. Now that we got a mile-and-a half winner under our belt, I think we can go in anywhere.”

His other three career victories were on superspeedways, though his win at the 1 1/2-mile track at Atlanta falls under that category after it was repaved before last year’s races.

The Las Vegas race looked like Smith’s to lose, and that’s largely how it played out as Hill overcame more than a two-second deficit in the late laps. He charged past Smith near the start/finish line of the final lap.

Smith, a rookie who drives the Kaulig Racing No. 16 Chevy, said his car got tight near the end and he finished third. He also was passed by Justin Allgaier in the JR Motorsports No. 7 Chevy.

“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” Smith said. “All in all, I can’t be too disappointed. It’s my sixth start.”

Kyle Busch in the Kaulig No. 10 Chevy finished fourth at his hometown track, a night after taking the NASCAR Truck Series race.

Josh Berry, who has won this race twice including last October, finished fifth in the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevy.

It was a busy 24 hours for Berry, who found out Friday night he would have to replace Chase Elliott in Sunday’s Cup Series race. Chase was injured in a snowboard accident in Colorado, and he underwent surgery to repair a broken tibia and is out indefinitely.

“Without a doubt, it’s going to be a great challenge for me,” Berry said. “But a great challenge comes great opportunity for me to learn and grow as a driver, and work around a lot of really great, talented and smart people here at Hendrick Motorsports.”

DEFENDING CUP CHAMPION JOEY LOGANO WINS POLE IN LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS (AP) Defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano, who won the October race at Las Vegas, won the pole Saturday for Sunday’s Pennzoil 400.

Logano qualified at 186.053 mph the Team Penske No. 22 Ford. He has won three of his past eight Cup races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“It really handled well, and obviously it’s got really good speed,” Logano said. “You hope you make the right adjustments and right changes from the fall over to here. Some of them were pretty good then, but you’ve got to keep evolving and try things, and it gets a little nerve-wracking when you try to make these changes that you’re married to.

“Hopefully, that transfers to the race tomorrow. I think it will.”

William Byron, in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet, qualified second at 185.153 mph.

The rest of the top five were Ryan Blaney in the Penske No. 12 Ford (184.9), rookie Ty Gibbs in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 Toyota (184.54) and Kyle Busch in the Richard Childress Racing No. 8 Chevy (184.489).

GROSJEAN LEADS ANDRETTI QUALIFYING SWEEP FOR INDYCAR OPENER

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Romain Grosjean opened his third season in IndyCar by winning the pole in qualifying on Saturday on the downtown streets of St. Petersburg.

The Frenchman led an all-Andretti Autosport front row in qualifying and surged to the second pole of his IndyCar career in the waning moments of the session. He beat teammate Colton Herta for the top starting position in Sunday’s race.

His wife and three children raced to pit road, with the kids jumping into their father’s arms in celebration. Grosjean moved to IndyCar in 2021 after his nearly fatal fiery crash in a Formula One race ended his European career. He joined Andretti last season but didn’t have the success he expected to achieve with one of IndyCar’s top teams.

It’s been an incredible opening weekend for Andretti, which had a difficult 2022, with only two wins among its four drivers. But three of its four cars have been fast all weekend in St. Petersburg and, along with Kyle Kirkwood, the team put three cars into the Fast Six qualifying shootout.

“We’ve done a lot of work, for sure, it’s a pretty good feeling,” team owner Michael Andretti said before the last qualifying group. “We know the competition has done so, too, but so far so good. Feels good to have three in the top six.”

The Andretti group stumbled at the start of the final shootout when Kirkwood crashed to bring out a red flag.

“Sorry, I hit the wall,” Kirkwood radioed.

Kirkwood, in his second IndyCar season but first with Andretti, said after he locked his brakes that the wind made his qualifying lap “kind of sketchy.”

“Disappointed, it was less than ideal,” Kirkwood said. “Ultimately, we are in the Fast Six with three cars, happy with that.”

Pato O’Ward of McLaren was the highest-qualifying Chevrolet driver in third and followed by Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson of Chip Ganassi Racing and then Kirkwood, as Honda drivers took four of the top five spots.

Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske went off course in the Fast Six and qualified sixth in a Chevy.

Marcus Armstrong, a rookie for Chip Ganassi Racing, was the highest qualifier among the newcomers at 13th. The biggest qualifying disappointment was Penske driver Josef Newgarden, who missed out on advancing in qualifying by a tick – under .04 seconds to teammate Will Power.

Newgarden will start 14th and stalked down pit road in anger.

TOP INDIANA NEWS RELEASES

INDIANA WRESTLING

HOOSIERS WRESTLE THROUGH SESSION II OF BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

ANN ARBOR, Mich. –––––– Indiana Wrestling competed through Session II of the Big Ten Championships on Saturday night at the Crisler Center.

After day one, Indiana stands in a tie with Michigan State for 12th place, as team currently has 27 points.

The highlight of Session II for Indiana was junior Derek Gilcher (157) picking up a massive win in Consolation Round 2 of wrestlebacks. After trailing early, Gilcher put together a fantastic third period that resulted in a win by fall (6:54) to punch his ticket to NCAAs for the first time in his career.

Redshirt senior Graham Rooks (149) made his first career Big Ten Semifinal appearance in Session II. He was also the first Big Ten semifinalist coached under Angel Escobedo at Indiana.

Rooks dropped a 6-2 decision to No. 6-seed Michael Blockhus of Minnesota, but guaranteed himself no finish lower than 6th place regardless of how he wrestles in his final matches by making the semifinal.

After day one, Indiana has eight wrestlers still alive in the field, when including matches in the 9th place bracket. These matches do not count for team score, though, only for NCAA qualification purposes.

Outside of Graham Rooks and Gilcher, each of the remaining six Hoosiers has an opportunity to claim a bid, but some have more work ahead of them than others in order to do so.

Jacob Moran (125), Henry Porter (133), Cayden Rooks (141), Nick Willham (197) and Jacob Bullock (285) will all have to win the 9th place bracket to claim a bid as there are nine spots available at their weight classes. Donnell Washington (174) must wrestle to seventh place to take the last remaining automatic bid for his weight class.

INDIANA BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS – DAY 1

125 – No. 12 Jacob Moran:

-Round 1: No. 5 Patrick McKee (Minnesota) def. No. 12 Jacob Moran (IU): MD, 15-6

-Cons. Round 1: No. 12 Jacob Moran (IU) def. No. 13 Maximo Renteria (Illinois): MD, 16-7

-Cons. Round 2: No. 3 Matt Ramos (Purdue) def. No. 12 Jacob Moran (IU): MD, 15-6

-9th Place Bracket Round 1: No. 12 Jacob Moran (IU) def. No. 13 Maximo Renteria (Illinois): Dec. 10-4

133 – No. 11 Henry Porter:

-Round 1: No. 6 Aaron Nagao (Minnesota) def. No. 11 Henry Porter (IU): MD, 10-2

-Cons. Round 1: No. 11 Henry Porter (IU) def. No. 14 Jackson Cockrell (Maryland): Fall (0:16)

-Cons. Round 2: No. 4 Chris Cannon (Northwestern) def. No. 11 Henry Porter (IU): Dec. 8-1

-9th Place Bracket Round 1: No. 11 Henry Porter (IU) def. No. 14 Jackson Cockrell (Maryland): TF, 17-2

141 – No. 13 Cayden Rooks:

-Round 1: No. 4 Frankie Tal Shahar (Northwestern) def. No. 13 Cayden Rooks (IU): Dec. 7-4

-Cons. Round 1: No. 13 Cayden Rooks (IU) def. No. 12 Jordan Hamdan (Michigan State): Dec. 7-2

-Cons. Round 2: No. 11 Joseph Zargo (Wisconsin) def. No. 13 Cayden Rooks (IU): MD, 9-1

-9th Place Bracket Round 1: No. 13 Cayden Rooks (IU) def. No. 12 Jordan Hamdan (Michigan State): Dec. 10-3

149 – No. 7 Graham Rooks:

-Round 1: No. 7 Graham Rooks (IU) def. No. 10 Tony White (Rutgers): Dec. 4-1

-Quarterfinals: No. 7 Graham Rooks (IU) def. No. 2 Austin Gomez (Wisconsin): Dec. 6-5

-Semifinals: No. 6 Michael Blockhus (Minnesota) def. No. 7 Graham Rooks (IU): Dec. 6-2

157 – No. 10 Derek Gilcher:

-Round 1: No. 10 Derek Gilcher (IU) def. No. 7 Michael Carr (Illinois): MD, 10-2

-Quarterfinals: No. 2 Levi Haines (Penn State) def. No. 10 Derek Gilcher (IU): Dec. 6-0

-Cons. Round 2: No. 10 Derek Gilcher (IU) def. No. 9 Garrett Model (Wisconsin): Fall (6:54)

-Cons. Round 3: No. 6 Will Lewan (Michigan) def. No. 10 Derek Gilcher (IU): Dec. 4-2

165 – No. 11 Nick South:

-Round 1: No. 6 Maxx Mayfield (Northwestern) def. No. 11 Nick South (IU): SV-1, 6-4

-Cons. Round 1: No. 11 Nick South (IU) def. No. 14 John Best (Maryland): Dec. 4-0

-Cons. Round 2: No. 4 Alex Facundo (Penn State) def. No. 11 Nick South (IU): Dec. 3-1

-9th Place Bracket Round 1: Nick South is eliminated due to medical forfeit

174 – No. 6 DJ Washington:

-Round 1: No. 6 DJ Washington (IU) def. No. 11 Ceasar Garza (Michigan State): MD, 8-0

-Quarterfinals: No. 3 Ethan Smith (Ohio State) def. No. 6 DJ Washington (IU): MD, 10-1.

-Cons. Round 2: No. 6 DJ Washington (IU) def. No. 12 Dom Solis (Maryland): Dec. 11-6

-Cons. Round 3: No. 7 Nelson Brands (Iowa) def. No. 6 DJ Washington (IU): SV-1, 3-1

184 – No. 13 Clayton Fielden:

-Round 1: No. 4 Matt Finesilver (Michigan) def. No. 13 Clayton Fielden (IU): MD, 12-0

-Cons. Round 1: No. 12 Ben Vanadia (Purdue) def. No. 13 Clayton Fielden (IU): MD, 12-2

-9th Place Bracket Round 1: No. 12 Ben Vanadia (Purdue) def. No. 13 Clayton Fielden (IU): MD, 10-2

197 – No. 10 Nick Willham:

-Round 1: No. 7 Gavin Hoffman (Ohio State) def. No. 10 Nick Willham (IU): Dec. 6-3

-Cons. Round 1: Nick WIllham received a bye

-Cons. Round 2: No. 9 Michial Foy (Minnesota) def. No. 10 Nick Willham (IU): SV-1, 3-1

-9th Place Bracket Round 1: Nick Willham received a bye.

285 – No. 8 Jacob Bullock:

-Round 1: No. 8 Jacob Bullock (IU) def. No. 9 Jaron Smith (Maryland): Dec. 4-1

-Quarterfinals: No. 1 Mason Parris (Michigan) def. No. 8 Jacob Bullock (IU): MD, 12-2

-Cons. Round 2: No. 10 Hayden Copass (Purdue) def. No. 8 Jacob Bullock (IU): Dec. 2-1

-9th Place Bracket Round 1: Jacob Bullock received a bye.

TEAM STANDINGS (Through Session II)

1. Penn State (120.0)

2. Iowa (108.5)

3. Nebraska (98.5)

4. Ohio State (77.0)

5. Minnesota (73.0)

6. Michigan (67.0)

7. Northwestern (64.0)

8. Wisconsin (46.5)

9. Illinois (36.5)

9. Purdue (36.5)

11. Rutgers (30.0)

12. Indiana (27.0)

12. Michgian State (27.0)

14. Maryland (19.5)

INDIANA WBB

INDIANA FALLS IN BIG TEN TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS

MINNEAPOLIS – Top seed Indiana gave up a 24-point halftime lead as it feel to 4-seed Ohio State, 79-75, on Saturday in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal inside Target Center.

KEY MOMENTS

Graduate student guard Grace Berger buried a three-point basket and hit a layup to pour in the first five points of the game for the Hoosiers.

IU (27-3) went on an 8-0 run midway through the first quarter with buckets from junior guard Chloe Moore-McNeil, Garzon and freshman forward Lilly Meister to extend IU’s lead to 20-12.

The Hoosiers held the Buckeyes scoreless over the final 5:34 of the first period to take a 23-12 advantage into the second quarter.

Junior guard Sydney Parrish buried a three-point basket in transition to force Ohio State into its second timeout of the half just a minute into the second quarter. Her shot extended IU’s run out to 16-0 while holding the Buckeyes scoreless for the last 7:40. After finishing a layup through contact, senior guard Sara Scalia converted the free throw and the three-point play to push IU’s lead out to 35-20. IU took a 20-point lead into the break behind 12 first-half points from Scalia and 11 from Berger.

Parrish opened the second half by burying a three-point basket to push IU’s lead out to 49-26. With Ohio State (25-6) on a 6-0 run, Berger took a screen and knocked down a jumper from the free-throw line to break a scoreless drought. IU finished the third period with a pair of Holmes’ free throws to take a 63-53 lead into the fourth quarter.

Scalia knocked down a huge three-point basket at the 7:10 in the fourth quarter for IU’s first points of the period. Meister grabbed a pair of offensive rebounds and was fouled. She converted both shots at the line to send the Hoosiers up seven with a 70-63 lead. The Hoosiers were unable to hang on to the lead down the stretch, committing nine turnovers in the final 10 minutes as the Buckeyes pulled within one off IU turnovers with 4:29 to play. Berger got one in the bonus before Ohio State took its first lead since the 9:40 mark of the first quarter. Indiana once again regained the lead on a Holmes bucket inside but free throws in the bonus for OSU pulled the game away.

NOTABLE

Berger was the first to reach double-digit scoring, finishing the day with 20 points.

She also pitched in six assists and four rebounds in 37 minutes of action.

Senior guard Sara Scalia finished the game with 15 points including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.

Senior forward Mackenzie Holmes scored 12 points, the 95th game of her career in double figures.

She moves into fifth place all-time on the program’s scoring list with 1,875 points.

Junior guard Sydney Parrish totaled 10 points.

Freshman guard Yarden Garzon scored six points and added 11 rebounds on the afternoon.

The Hoosiers had four score in double figures against the Buckeyes.

IU finished 20-of-23 from the charity stripe.

UP NEXT

Indiana will await the NCAA Tournament selection show on Sunday March 12 at 7 p.m. ET.

INDIANA BASEBALL

HOOSIERS HANDLE HOYAS

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Trailing 3-0 heading to the bottom of the sixth inning, the Indiana baseball team scored three in the sixth and one in the seventh to come from behind for the 4-3 victory over Georgetown in its second game at the LeClair Classic on Saturday (March 4) inside Clark-LeClair Stadium on the campus of East Carolina.

Georgetown (6-4) opened the scoring with an unearned run in the first inning and tacked on two more in the third to extend its lead. Indiana (5-5) got on the board in the sixth inning with three runs to tie the game and pushed the eventual game-winning across in the seventh.

Freshman Tyler Cerny posted his first career multi-hit game with three hits and two runs scored – including the go-ahead run in the seventh. He posted a pair of singles and doubled in the game. Senior Hunter Jessee drove in a pair of RBIs for his third multi-RBI game of the year and extended his reached base streak to 28 games in the process. Redshirt junior Bobby Whalen and sophomore Josh Pyne each singled and walked in the game, with Whalen adding one run scored.

Sophomore Luke Sinnard (2-0) continued his string of strong starts on the mound with three runs allowed – two earned – on four hits over six innings of work. He struck out six and walked two in a no decision. Redshirt senior Craig Yoho (1-0) entered and threw a scoreless inning with one walk and two strikeouts to earn his first career victory on the mound.

The save went to sophomore Ryan Kraft (2) after two scoreless innings of work to close out the game. He struck out three to post his second save of the season.

For Georgetown, Andrew Williams tossed 5 1/3 innings in a no decision. He allowed three runs on four hits, walked two and struck out four. Ubaldo Lopez doubled, had a sacrifice fly and drove in two RBIs in the game. Jake Hyde was on base twice with a walk and a hit and scored twice. Carson Frye (0-1) took the loss with one run allowed over one inning of relief work.

Scoring Recap

Top First

Jake Hyde reached on a fielding error to start the game and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Ubaldo Lopez brought in the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly.

Georgetown 1, Indiana 0

Top Third

A leadoff walk to Zaid Walker was followed by a stolen base. Hyde singled to move the runner to third base, but an error on the play allowed the run to score and moved him to third. Lopez doubled to score the second run of the inning.

Georgetown 3, Indiana 0

Bottom Sixth

Indiana loaded the bases with one out and Hunter Jessee delivered the breakthrough at-bat with a two-run single to left field. Josh Pyne followed with a walk to reload the bases and Carter Mathison grounded out to push the tying run across.

Georgetown 3, Indiana 3

Bottom Seventh

Tyler Cerny singled to start the inning, moved to second on a balk and third on a Peter Serruto base hit. Phillip Glasser’s fielder’s choice scored Cerny and gave IU the lead.

Indiana 4, Georgetown 3

INDIANA SB

INDIANA SOFTBALL SHUT OUT GREEN BAY IN SEASON HOME OPENER, 3-0

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana Softball (7-8) shutout Green Bay in their season home opener and game one of the Hoosier Classic at Andy Mohr Field on Saturday afternoon.

INDIANA 3, GREEN BAY 0

KEY MOMENTS

• Indiana sophomore Brianna Copeland hit an RBI triple deep into right center to give the Hoosiers an early lead in the bottom of the first.

• Copeland went yard as she bounced one off the bottom of the scoreboard deep into left field to put the Hoosiers up 2-0 in the bottom of the third.

• IU scored again in the bottom of the sixth after Copeland hit an RBI single to left field with the bases loaded.

• Indiana would secure the win with a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh.

NOTABLES

• Copeland hit her fourth home run of the season and the 13th of her career. The RBI triple was also the third of her career.

• Parker recorded her third double of the season.

• Junior pitcher Macy Montgomery recorded four strikeouts for her third win of the season.

UP NEXT

Indiana will play back-to-back games tomorrow at Andy Mohr Field against Big Ten foe Wisconsin and Purdue Fort Wayne on day two of the Hoosier Classic. The first pitch against the Badgers is set for 3 p.m. ET with the next game to follow.

PURDUE WRESTLING

4 BOILERMAKERS PUNCH TICKETS TO NCAAS ON DAY 1

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Purdue wrestling secured four auto bids and has six wrestlers still fighting into day two at the 2023 Big Ten Wrestling Championships at the Crisler Center. Three Boilermakers are still chasing conference bronze, one more has secured a spot on the podium and two are grinding through the extra 9th place bracket in search of automatic qualification. The team as a whole has amassed 36.5 points and sits in a tie for ninth.

Matt Ramos, Parker Filius, Kendall Coleman and Hayden Copass all punched their tickets to the NCAA Championships in Tulsa, while Dustin Norris and Ben Vanadia still have the opportunity to earn their spots by wrestling through the extra 9th place brackets.

The No. 3 seeded Coleman led the way for Purdue in the first session, starting the day with two straight wins to earn an auto bid and a spot in the semifinals at 157. He faced Penn State’s Levi Haines in that semifinal and came up just short in a 3-2 decision loss.

Both No. 3 Matt Ramos and No. 8 Parker Filius bounced back from second round losses by going 2-0 in the second session. Ramos looked dominant in picking up two bonus point wins on the afternoon. He racked up 10 points in the first period to roll to a 15-6 major decision over Indiana’s No. 12 Jacob Moran and then put an exclamation point on his day with a pin (4:22) of No. 8 Dean Peterson of Rutgers.

Filius wrestled a tight match with Rutgers’ No. 8 seeded Joe Olivieri, coming back from an early deficit with a six-point move in the second that helped him to a 9-5 win. He then booked his spot in the consolation semis by beating Minnesota’s No. 5 Jakob Bergeland for the second time this season. It was a takedown clinic from the Havre, Mont., native and he eased to a 9-3 win.

No. 10 seeded Hayden Copass grabbed a huge 2-1 win over in-state rival Indiana’s No. 8 Jacob Bullock to secure his first career NCAA qualification. Tied late into the third, Copass pushed the offense to force a stall call on Bullock that gave him the deciding point. He then lost via fall to Lucas Davison of Northwestern in the next round, but will wrestle for seventh place tomorrow morning.

Redshirt-freshmen Dustin Norris and Ben Vanadia lost their first matches in the second session, moving them into the extra brackets to try and wrestle their way into the final allocated auto bid for the weight class at ninth place. Both won their first round in the extra brackets and will take on the semifinals tomorrow in session three.

Tomorrow’s first session begins at 1 p.m. ET with the ninth place wrestle-offs, consolation semifinals and seventh-place matches all appearing on B1G+. The Big Ten Network will continue its live coverage for the first, third and fifth place matches at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Results

Big Ten Wrestling Championships

Crisler Center

T-9th Place – 36.5

Team Scores

1            Penn State – 120.0

2            Iowa – 108.5

3            Nebraska – 98.5

4            Ohio State – 77.0

5            Minnesota – 73.0

6            Michigan – 67.0

7            Northwestern – 64.0

8            Wisconsin – 46.5

9            Illinois – 36.5

9            Purdue – 36.5

11          Rutgers – 30.0

12          Indiana – 27.0

12          Michigan State – 27.0

14          Maryland – 19.5

125: #3 Matt Ramos (R-Sophomore)

First Round: #14 Andre Gonzales (Ohio State) – W, TF 18-1 (6:15)

Quarterfinals: #6 Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern) – L, MD 9-1

Cons. Round 2: #12 Jacob Moran (Indiana) – W, MD 15-6

Cons. Round 3: #8 Dean Peterson (Rutgers) – W, Fall 4:22

133: #13 Dustin Norris (R-Freshman)

First Round: #4 Chris Cannon (Northwestern) – L, D 7-4

Cons. Round 1: #12 Kyle Burwick (Nebraska) – W, D 3-1

Cons. Round 2: #3 Lucas Byrd (Illinois) – L, D 7-3

9th Place Quarter: #12 Kyle Burwick (Nebraska) – W, D 6-2

141: #8 Parker Filius (Graduate Student)

First Round: #9 Dylan D’Emilio (Ohio State) – W, D 3-1

Quarterfinal: #1 Real Woods (Iowa) – L, Fall 2:08

Cons. Round 2: #7 Joe Olivieri (Rutgers) – W, D 9-5

Cons. Round 3: #5 Jakob Bergeland (Minnesota) – W, D 9-3

149: #14 Jaden Reynolds (R-Freshman)

First Round: #3 Yahya Thomas (Northwestern) – L, D 8-2

Cons. Round 1: #11 Dayne Morton (Nebraska) – W, SV-1 3-1

Cons. Round 2: #5 Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) – L, MD 19-7

9th Place Quarter: #12 Jake Harrier (Illinois) – L, D 8-4

157: #3 Kendall Coleman (R-Senior)

First Round: #14 Michael North (Maryland) – W, MD 12-3

Quarterfinal: #6 Will Lewan (Michigan) – W, D 4-2

Semifinal: #2 Levi Haines (Penn State) – L, D 3-2

165: #13 Stoney Buell (R-Freshman)

First Round: #4 Alex Facundo (Penn State) – L, D 7-2

Cons. Round 1: #12 Robert Kanniard (Rutgers) – W, D 8-5

Cons. Round 2: #6 Maxx Mayfield (Northwestern) – L, D 8-2

9th Place Quarter: #12 Robert Kanniard (Rutgers) – L, D 12-8

174: #14 Cooper Noehre (Junior)

First Round: #3 Ethan Smith (Ohio State) – L, D 11-6

Cons. Round 1: #11 Cesar Garza (Michigan State) – L, D 3-2

184: #12 Ben Vanadia (R-Freshman)

First Round: #5 Abe Assad (Iowa) – L, D 6-1

Cons. Round 1: #13 Clayton Fielden (Indiana) – W, MD 12-2

Cons. Round 2: #6 Layne Malczewski (Michigan State) – L, D 6-2

9th Place Quarter: #13 Clayton Fielden (Indiana) – W, MD 10-2

197: #14 Hayden Filipovich (R-Freshman)

First Round: #3 Zac Braunagel (Illinois) – L, MD 11-3

Cons. Round 1: #11 Billy Janzer (Rutgers) – L, D 8-2

9th Place Quarter: #11 Billy Janzer (Rutgers) – L, D 4-1

285: #10 Hadyen Copass (R-Freshman)

First Round: #7 Tate Orndorff (Ohio State) – L, D 2-0

Cons. Round 1: Bye

Cons. Round 2: #8 Jacob Bullock (Indiana) – W, D 2-1

Cons. Round 3: #4 Lucas Davison (Northwestern) – L, Fall 1:40

PURDUE SOFTBALL

PURDUE SHUTS OUT NORTH CAROLINA, 4-0

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Boilermakers recorded its second shutout of the day as Purdue downed North Carolina, 4-0, thanks to a late-game push.

After earning the win for Purdue in the first game of the day in complete-game fashion, relief pitcher Alex Echazarreta secured the Boilermaker victory at UNC. With the win, the Reston, Virginia, native improves to a 3-5 record on the season while Purdue wins its 10th game of the year (10-6).

Up 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Echazaretta got the Boilermakers out of a jam when, with the bases loaded with two outs on the board, forced a Tar Heel to swing for the pitcher’s first strikeout of the game. Echazarreta went on to toss three key strikeouts in her 2.2 innings pitched to close the game, allowing just one hit during her time in the circle.

Tyrina Jones had a hand in all four Purdue runs, crossing home in the sixth inning for the eventual-game winner before recording a three-run homer in the top of the seventh as insurance runs. The sophomore produced a home run earlier in the day as well vs. James Madison and ends the day with five home runs on the year. Jones recorded a .429 batting average in the game.

Meanwhile, third baseman Olivia McFadden earned an RBI single to score Jones in the sixth.

Purdue’s outfield was stellar, including a throw from center fielder Kiara Dillon to catcher Anna Lonchar for an out at home to end North Carolina’s chance in the fifth inning. Meanwhile, right fielder Kyndall Bailey had a day, making two catches, including one in diving fashion early on.

It is the second time this season Purdue has posted a pair of shutouts in a single day.

Purdue will return to Anderson Stadium tomorrow to close out the Carolina Classic vs. James Madison at 11 a.m. ET.

PURDUE BASEBALL

BOILERMAKERS SCORE 30 TO SWEEP SATURDAY DOUBLEHEADER

HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. – A big inning early in both games and a complete game one-hitter from Kyle Iwinski in the nightcap propelled Purdue baseball to a decisive doubleheader sweep of Akron on Saturday at Ting Stadium.

The Boilermakers (7-4) erupted for 30 runs on the day, winning 17-9 in game 1 and 13-0 in seven innings in the nightcap. Purdue scored nine times in the third inning of the game 1 and eight times in the first inning of game 2.

Iwinski needed only 78 pitches to roll through seven shutout innings in his first start as a Boilermaker. He struck out eight and retired 21 of the 22 batters he faced, surrendering only a leadoff single to the Zips’ cleanup hitter in the fifth inning.

OFFENSIVE STANDOUTS

• First-team All-Big Ten performer CJ Valdez returned to the starting lineup for the first time this season and finished the day with four doubles.

• Highlighted by his second multi-homer game and second six-RBI effort of the season in game 1, Paul Toetz was 4-for-9 with seven RBI on the day.

• Evan Albrecht reached base safely in seven of his eight plate appearances, going 4-for-4 in game 1 before being lifted to open the sixth inning with Purdue leading 14-4. Albrecht had four hits in a game for the second time as a Boilermaker. He’s riding 14-game on-base streak dating back to the end of last season.

• Jake Parr connected for a grand slam in the first inning of the nightcap, hitting his second slam as a Boilermaker.

• With an RBI single in both long innings, Jo Stevens extended his hitting streak to seven consecutive games.

SATURDAY’S UNIQUE FEATS

• The Boilermakers won in shutout fashion away from Alexander Field for the first time since February 2019 at Texas.

• Iwinski pitched Purdue’s first complete game since Tanner Andrews in the opening round of the 2018 Big Ten Tournament. Andrews also accounted for the last complete-game shutout, in March 2017 at Southeast Missouri State.

• Toetz is the first Boilermaker since Dan Black in 2008 with a pair of six-RBI games in a season. He’s also just the seventh Purdue hitter since 2001 with a pair of five-RBI games in a season (Black did it in both 2008 and 2009). Valdez also accomplished the feat last year.

• Toetz is the first Boilermaker since Cameron Perkins in 2012 with a pair of multi-homer games in a season.

• Valdez accounted for the first three-double game by a Boilermaker since Owen Jansen in the 2019 season opener at Southern Miss.

• Parr hit Purdue’s first grand slam since Miles Simington in May 2021 at Minnesota. Parr’s other career slam also came in that series.

• The nine-run inning in game 1 was Purdue’s second-most prolific frame under head coach Greg Goff (2020-present). Then in the nightcap, the Boilermakers posted their fifth inning with at least eight runs since 2020.

Jonathan Blackwell struck out eight over 5 1/3 innings in game 1 Saturday, matching his K total from last weekend’s win vs. NJIT. Meanwhile, Iwinski has now pitched 14 1/3 innings of one-run ball, racking up 16 strikeouts vs. two walks over his first four appearances.

Keenan Taylor made his first start as a Boilermaker and doubled in his lone at-bat of the day in game 1. Taylor had to leave the contest in the top of the third inning after a collision with Kaito Hara at first base. Taylor jumped to catch a high throw and came down on Hara. Both players escaped serious injury, but Taylor is likely to be sidelined for the remainder of the weekend.

Mike Bolton Jr. hit a pinch-hit home run in game 1 and was not retired in his four plate appearances on the day. Bolton joined Jake Jarvis as active Boilermakers with a pinch-hit homer.

Of the 26 combined runs in game 1, 12 were scored in the third inning. The Boilermakers went on to score in six of the eight innings in which they batted, en route to a season-high total.

Purdue stole eight bases Saturday and is a perfect 15-for-15 on stolen bases for the series.

Sunday’s series finale is set for a 1 p.m. ET first pitch.

PURDUE MBB

#5 PURDUE CLOSES OUT REGULAR SEASON SUNDAY AGAINST ILLINOIS IN MACKEY ARENA

GAMEDAY INFO

Sunday, March 5, 2023 | 12:30 p.m. ET

[5] Purdue (25-5, 14-5) vs. Illinois (20-10, 11-8)

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

TELEVISION: FOX | RADIO: Purdue Sports Network

ANNOUNCERS: Jason Benetti, Nick Bahe

THE NOTES TO KNOW

• Purdue closes out the 2022-23 regular-season slate as Illinois visits Mackey Arena on the final day of the regular season. Barring a postseason contest, it will mark the only meeting between the two teams located just 86 miles apart. Purdue is looking for its 15th conference win of the season, while Illinois is mathematically still alive for the No. 2 slot in the Big Ten Tournament.

• With its win over Wisconsin, Purdue locked up its 13th outright Big Ten Championship and league-best 25th title overall. Having won three crowns in the last seven seasons, Purdue is a Keita Bates-Diop (Ohio State) tip-in at the buzzer in 2018, and your pick of four buzzer-beating defeats a year ago from having five titles in the last seven years.

• Head coach Matt Painter has now finished in the top three in seven of the last nine seasons. His 11 top-three finishes are the sixth most in Big Ten history, while his four Big Ten titles are tied for the ninth most in league history (sixth since 1950).

• Purdue is one of three teams to rank in the top 20 of both offensive (11th) and defensive (20th) efficiencies (Houston, Alabama).

• Purdue is 54-13 since the start of last season. The 54 wins over a two-year span are already the fifth most in school history and Purdue needs just three wins to tie the record for most wins in a two-year span (57 in 2017, 2018). Iowa is second among Big Ten teams with 45 wins.

• Purdue ranks fourth nationally in Quad-1 victories with nine and is tied with Alabama for the most among teams not in the Big 12. Purdue’s 15 Quad-1 and 2 victories are also the third most nationally. The Boilermakers’ 12 wins away from Mackey Arena are the most among power-conference squads. Purdue tied a school record with seven Big Ten road victories — the most in the league this season.

• Purdue has been ranked in the AP top 5 in 15 straight weeks, more than double the longest stretch in school history. Since the start of last year, Purdue has been ranked in the top 5 in 27 weeks, six more weeks than the next-closest team (Gonzaga).

• Purdue owns wins over three teams that won their respective conferences (Hofstra – Colonial; Gonzaga – West Coast; Marquette – Big East).

• Purdue has MADE 452 free throws this season, while opponents have SHOT just 310. Purdue has made 224 more free throws (452 to 228) than its foes this season, the highest discrepancy in the nation (Purdue +224, Portland +184, North Carolina +171, New Mexico +161).

• In Purdue’s last six games (3-3), Purdue is shooting just 27.5 percent (33-of-120) from long distance.

• The Boilermakers lead the country in rebound margin (+11.5) and have 13 games this season where it has outrebounded their opponents by 15 or more rebounds — the most in the country. Over the last three games, Purdue has outrebounded its foes 127 to 74, with 45 offensive rebounds.

• After a three-game stretch from Feb. 4 to Feb. 12, where it averaged 16.3 turnovers per game against Indiana, Iowa and Northwestern, the Boilermakers are averaging just 10.0 turnovers per game over its last four games.

• Purdue is in search of its fourth No. 1 seed in school history, previously earning the No. 1 seed in 1988, 1994 and 1996. In addition, Zach Edey is the leader to earn consensus National Player of the Year accolades. The last time Purdue earned a No. 1 seed, it was led by its last consensus National Player of the Year recipient, Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson. Since 2000, eight players have earned consensus National Player of the Year accolades and led their team to a No. 1 seed, including four times in the last eight years (Williamson, Brunson, Mason, Kaminsky).

• Zach Edey surpassed 750 career rebounds in the win over Ohio State and is the only active junior (or younger) in the country with 1,400 career points and 750 rebounds. He and former No. 1 NBA Draft pick Joe Barry Carroll are the only Purdue players to ever do it.

• Edey and Michigan’s Chris Webber (1992-93) are the only Big Ten players in the last 30 years to have at least 600 points, 350 rebounds and 50 blocked shots in a season. Only Ohio State’s Jerry Lucas (1959-60) has had 700 points and 400 rebounds in a season in Big Ten history. Edey needs 59 points and 21 rebounds to join Lucas on that incredibly inclusive list.

• Loyer and Smith have combined for 650 points. They are on pace to become the second-highest freshman-scoring duo in Purdue history.

EDEY NAMED TO WOODEN AWARD NATIONAL BALLOT

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Zach Edey is one of 15 players named to the 2023 Men’s National Ballot for the John R. Wooden Award, as announced by the Los Angeles Athletic Club Saturday morning on ESPN’s College Gameday.

Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the National Ballot consists of 15 student-athletes who are candidates for the Wooden Award All-American Team and Wooden Award Trophy as the most outstanding college basketball player in the United States.

The front-runner for National Player of the Year awards, Edey has been named to the watch list for every major award this season.

Edey, a 7-foot, 4-inch center from Toronto, is considered the front-runner for the National Player of the Year awards. He currently averages 22.1 points, 13.1 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.6 assists per game while shooting over 60.0 percent from the field and nearly 75.0 percent from the free throw line – ranking ninth nationally in scoring and second in rebounds. He also leads the country with 23 double-doubles.

He is one of just two Big Ten players in the last 30 years (Michigan’s Chris Webber) to have at least 600 points, 350 rebounds and 50 blocked shots and is on pace to become the first player since Navy’s David Robinson in 1985-86 to have at least 750 points, 450 rebounds and 50 blocked shots in a season. His nine games of 25 points and 10 rebounds are the most for a major-college player since the 2006-07 season behind just Luke Harangody, Blake Griffin and Kevin Durant. Lastly, he is on pace to become the first Big Ten player in over 50 years to average 22.0 points and 13.0 rebounds per game in a season.

Edey currently leads the Big Ten in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage, and is on pace to become the second player in Big Ten history and the first since Ohio State’s Gary Bradds in 1963-64 to lead the league in all three categories.

Edey has also been named a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.

The No. 5-ranked Boilermakers host Illinois on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET, in Mackey Arena.

BUTLER MBB

NO. 19 XAVIER HOLDS OFF BUTLER, 78-66, IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE

Butler fought back to take a brief second-half lead before No. 19 Xavier retook control and a 78-66 win Saturday night at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati.

With the result, Butler is now 14-17 (6-14 BIG EAST). Xavier improves to 23-8 (15-5 BIG EAST).

TOP DAWG PERFORMANCE: Jayden Taylor led the Bulldogs with 16 points.

STAT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Xavier had a 15-6 advantage in second-chance points thanks to 12 offensive rebounds.

HOW IT TRANSPIRED:

Xavier took its first double-digit lead at 24-13 with 6:47 remaining in the first half.

The Musketeers shot 52 percent in the first half to take a 37-27 halftime lead.

Butler fought back after halftime, using a 7-0 run to take a 50-48 lead with 12:08 remaining in the game. At that point, Butler had made nine of its first 12 attempts from the field in the second half.

Xavier immediately responded with a 12-2 run to retake the lead at 60-52. Butler would only get within six one more time.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

Xavier’s Colby Jones had a team-high 20 points and eight rebounds. He went 8-for-10 from the field.

Taylor was joined in double figures for Butler by Chuck Harris (13) and Jalen Thomas (12).

Xavier shot 54 percent for the game.

Xavier went 18-for-27 from the free throw line, while Butler shot 13-for-15.

Xavier had a 37-20 advantage in rebounds.

Eric Hunter Jr. had seven assists for Butler, tying a season-high. 

OF NOTE:

Manny Bates exited the game with 6:14 remaining in the first half after aggravating a shoulder injury. He did not return to the game.

Butler won the first meeting between the two teams Feb. 10 at Hinkle Fieldhouse (69-67).

Butler coach Thad Matta led the Xavier program for three seasons (2001-04). Saturday night was his first game coaching at the Cintas Center since departing for Ohio State at the conclusion of the 2003-04 season.

Butler was without Ali Ali, DJ Hughes and John-Michael Mulloy for Saturday’s contest.

UP NEXT: Butler now turns its attention to the 2023 BIG EAST Tournament in New York City. The Bulldogs and St. John’s will be the first game of the tournament Wednesday (3 p.m. on FS1).

BUTLER BASEBALL

BUTLER FALLS TO CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE 3-1

BATON ROUGE – The Bulldogs scored first on Saturday night, but would fall on the road to Central Connecticut State at Bertman Field 3-1.

Anthony Mozzicato (1-0) got his first win of the season for the Blue Devils. He threw six full innings and struck out five. Benhardt followed on the mound for two innings and Luke Garofalo (2) was clean in the ninth to get the save.

Alex Voss (0-1) and Jon Vore we the only two Bulldogs to touch the rubber. Voss threw 5.1 innings and Vore took the final 3.2.

Butler’s lone run came across the plate in the bottom of the third. Carter Dorighi tripled to right center to score Jake DeFries.

Pasqualini homered to right center to tie the game in the fifth. Sullivan singled the in sixth to score Hussey and an RBI single to left from Gordon scored short to finalize the scoring.

Butler will return to action on Monday night with a 6:30 game at #1 LSU.

BUTLER SOFTBALL

BUTLERSOFTBALL SPLITS ON FIRST DAY OF SALUKI INVITATIONAL

CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Butler softball team defeated Loyola, 9-2, and then dropped on to Tennessee-Martin, 6-4, in its opening games of the Saluki Invitational.

The Bulldogs (4-14) led the Ramblers (3-12) from start to finish. The UTM Skyhawks (4-7), on the other hand, built a 4-0 lead before Butler tied things up in the sixth inning. UTM was able to score two in the seventh and ultimately hold off the Bulldogs for the win.

Game 1: Butler- 9, Loyola- 2 (7 innings)

In the top of the second inning, after Monique Hoosen (3-4, HR, 3B, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI) tripled and Kieli Ryan (2-3, 2 R) was hit by a pitch, Olivia Moxley (2-4, 2B, RBI) produced a double to left field that put the Bulldogs up, 1-0. Cate Lehner then knocked Ryan across, and Moxley scored by stealing home. Butler held the 3-0 lead until the third.

In the bottom of the third, Loyola scored one but left three stranded. The score remained 3-1 through four innings.

In the top of the fifth, Butler loaded the bases with only one out. Teagan O’Rilley (2-4) hit a single that scored two, and Hoosen hit a double that send one more across. The Bulldogs extended the lead to 8-1 the following inning when Kaylee Gross (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI) hit a two-run double down the right field line.

The Ramblers plated one more on a home run in the sixth, but Hoosen matched that with her own dinger and that ended the scoring.

Mackenzie Griman (2-6) picked up her second win of the season, pitching the complete seven innings for Butler. She allowed two runs, both earned, on four hits and one walk, while striking out one.

Game 2: Tennessee-Martin- 6, Butler- 4 (7 innings)

Butler loaded the bases in the second but could not get any runs across.

In the top of the third, Tennessee-Martin used a pair of singles along with a sacrifice bunt to take a 1-0 lead, and then a lead-off home in the fourth put the Skyhawks up, 2-0.

In the top of the sixth, UTM added two runs to extend its lead to 4-0, but in the bottom half, the Bulldogs’ bats came to life. Monique Hoosen drew a walk and, after advancing to third, was knocked in by an Ella White single. Then, after an Olivia Moxley single, Sydney Carter hit a double to left that pushed White and Moxley across. With the score 4-3 in favor of UTM, the Skyhawks made a pitching change. Mackenzie Griman stepped up and singled to left, sending Carter home as the tying run. The teams entered the final frame with the score knotted, 4-4.

In the seventh, after a UTM double, Butler starting pitcher Rylyn Dyer re-entered the game, replacing Sydney Cammon who had provided relief for Dyer at the beginning of the fifth. Dyer retired one but gave up a two-run double before securing the third out. UTM led, 6-4, and was three outs away from the win.

With its final at bat, Butler advanced a runner to third but could not extend or win the game.

Rylyn Dyer (2-4) pitched 4.2 total innings for Butler and took the loss. She started the game and, after being relieved at the end of four, re-entered in the seventh. Overall, she allowed three runs, all earned, on five hits and one walk, while striking out one. Sydney Cammon (2.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, BB, K) provided relief for the fifth, sixth, and the beginning of the seventh innings.

Bulldog Bits

Monique Hoosen’s home run vs. Loyola was her fifth of the season and the 18th of her career.

Hoosen hit a home run, a triple, and a double vs. Loyola. It was her first triple of the season and her second double.

Kaylee Gross’s double vs. Loyola was her second of the season and the third of her career.

Olivia Moxley’s double vs. Loyola was her second of the season, and her stolen base was the first of her career.

Sydney Carter’s double vs. UTM was her second of the season.

Cate Lehner’s stolen base vs. UTM was her fourth of the season.

Up Next

Butler plays two more games in the Saluki Invite in Carbondale, Ill., on Sunday, Mar. 5. The Bulldogs will have a rematch with Loyola and will then take on the host school, SIU.

IUPUI SB

OFFENSE SHINES IN JAGUAR’S WIN OVER GREEN BAY, 10-2

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The IUPUI softball team defeated Green Bay to open the Hoosier Classic at Indiana University on Saturday in five innings, 10-2. The Jaguars recorded 12 hits in the victory. Sophomore Isabelle Waggner earned her first win of the season.

IUPUI took the early lead with two runs on two hits in the bottom of the first inning. Kendal Calvert singled on a bunt to give the Jags a runner. With two outs and Calvert on third, Rachael Gregory reached on a throwing error by the Phoenix third baseman to score Calvert. Morgan Gilbert followed with a triple to left center to score Gregory extended the Jags lead, 2-0.

Green Bay cut the lead in half with one run on three hits in the top of the third inning, but the Jags wasted no time in the bottom half of the inning. Gilbert knocked a homer over the left field fence to give IUPUI the 3-1 lead.

The Phoenix scored one more run in the top of the fourth frame with two hits. IUPUI stopped the threat immediately with four runs on five hits in the bottom half of the inning. With the bases loaded, Gregory singled to center field scoring Kennedy Cowan and Jaida Speth. Victoria Sivert then singled up the middle to score Gregory and Kendal Calvert to extend the lead to 7-2.

IUPUI sealed the win in the bottom of the fifth inning with three runs on three hits. Cowan doubled down the left field line to score Jaylin Calvert. Kendal Calvert then doubled on a bunt to score Cowan and Jaida Speth to end the game at 10-2.

Kendal Calvert went 4-for-4 on the day with two RBI, one double and two runs while Gilbert went 2-for-2 with two RBI, one triple, one homerun and one run. Gregory collected three RBI while Sivert totaled two RBI. Cowan recorded two hits for the Jags while Jaylin Calvert and Jaida Speth each recorded one hit.

Sophomore Waggner recorded her first win of the season throwing five innings giving up two runs on five hits with three strikeouts and just one walk.

IUPUI returns to the diamond for day two of the Hoosier Classic tomorrow, March 5 when they face Wisconsin at 12:15 PM.

BALL STATE WBB

ENDS REGULAR SEASON WITH WIN AT MIAMI; HEADS TO MAC TOURNEY NEXT WEEK AS THE NO. 3 SEED

OXFORD, Ohio – The Ball State women’s basketball team ended the 2023 regular season on a high note earning a 77-68 victory on the road at rival Miami Saturday afternoon in Millett Hall. The Cardinals finished the season tied for second in the MAC standings.

The Cardinals (24-7, 14-4 MAC) had already sealed their fate in next week’s Mid-American Conference Tournament in early February while the RedHawks (12-19, 7-11 MAC) were still fighting for a spot prior to today’s loss. The last time Ball State entered the MAC Tourney in Cleveland as the No. 3 seed was in 2018.

Redshirt senior Anna Clephane tallied another double-digit performance leading the Cardinals’ charge with 19 points while going 6-of-6 from the charity stripe and 6-of-13 from the field. Sophomore Madelyn Bischoff chipped in 17 points off 7-of-10 shooting from the floor and teammate graduate senior Thelma Dis Agustsdottir rounded out the double digit scoring for Ball State with 11.

The Cardinals opened today’s game on mission, outscoring the RedHawks 23-15 in the first quarter of play.

A layup by Agustsdottir at the 6:34 mark in the second frame put the Cardinals up by 10 (29-19). The RedHawks fought back with an 11-5 run to close out the first half cutting Ball State’s led to 34-30 at intermission.

After the break, Ball State scored 22 points in the third frame to take its largest of the ball game (53-38) which came off a layup from senior Estel Puiggros with 2:43 remaining. The Cardinals were able to hold onto a double-digit advantage (56-46) despite the RedHawks efforts heading into the final quarter of play.

In the fourth stanza, the RedHawks turned up their defense and were connecting offensively to make it a 3-point ball game (66-63) just under the two-minute mark.

As time was winding down, Clephane was sent to the line making both free throws to keep Ball State in the driver’s seat. Miami continued to foul Ball State in its last efforts to win the ball game but Clephane who was perfect from the line, helped the Cardinals seal today’s victory.

The Ball State women’s basketball team will play in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tourney Wednesday night at approximately 30 minutes following game No. 3 in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse against the No. 6 seed.

BALL STATE BASEBALL

BALL STATE SPLITS GAMES WITH PURDUE FORT WAYNE, NO. 3 WAKE FOREST

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Ball State baseball team returned to action for two games, one against Purdue Fort Wayne and one against No. 3 Wake Forest on Saturday. Ryan Peltier, Decker Scheffler, and Blake Bevis each homered on the day.

The Cardinals finish the day with a 6-5 record.

“We battled all day long and earned a split,” said Head Coach Rich Maloney. “Wake Forest is an awfully good team and outplayed us. I thought our guys competed well.”

Game One – Ball State 11, Purdue Fort Wayne 0

After a scoreless first inning, Matthew Rivera produced a one-out double down the left field line. Decker Scheffler launched the third pitch he saw over the right field wall and put the Cardinals up 2-0.

Nick Gregory led off the top of the third with a single through the right side. Adam Tellier followed with a single through the left side and advanced Gregory to second. Peltier reached on a fielder’s choice and moved Gregory to third. Hunter Dobbins notched a sac fly to center as Gregory scored to extend the BSU lead to 3-0.

Blake Bevis launched a solo home run down the left field line to extend the BSU lead to 4-0 in the top of the fourth. In the top of the fifth inning, Ball State used a wild pitch, a walk, and a hit batter to score three more runs. The Cardinals led 7-0 after five innings.

After Gregory walked and stole second, Tellier singled through the left side and moved Gregory to third. Peltier followed with an RBI single through the right side. Dobbins followed with a single to third base and scored Tellier. Rivera picked up an RBI with a single through the left side. Ball State held a 10-0 lead after six innings.

Zach Lane started the top of the seventh with a six-pitch walk. Dylan Grego was hit by a pitch. Peltier notched another RBI with a single up the middle. Ball State went on to win the game 11-0.

Ty Johnson picked up the win for the Cardinals and moved to 2-1 on the year with five innings of work. Johnson struck out five batters with two walks and scattered two hits. Tanner Knapp added an inning of relief with a strikeout. Ty Weatherly picked up a strikeout in one inning of work. Will Jacobson went two innings with three strikeouts.

Game Two – No. 3 Wake Forest 7, Ball State 4

After a scoreless first inning, the Demon Deacons got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the second.

Gregory led off the top of the third with a five-pitch walk. With two outs and a runner on, Peltier tied the game with an opposite field home run.

Wake Forest added three runs in the bottom of the third and retook the lead, 5-2.

The Cardinals pulled within one, 5-4 in the top of the fourth. Logan Flood singled to a diving shortstop with bases loaded for an RBI. Justin Conant reached on an error by the third baseman, which scored Zach Lane from third.

Wake Forest added two runs in the home half of the fourth and went on to win 7-4.

Ryan Brown picked up his first loss of the season in three innings of work in the start. He surrendered seven earned runs and struck out five batters. Trennor O’Donnell was outstanding in five innings of relief. He struck out three batters and gave up just three hits.

Sean Sullivan picked up the win in five innings of work. He struck out 10 batters and gave up four runs, three earned. Cole Roland added two innings of relief with two strikeouts. Seth Keener went an inning with two strikeouts. Camden Minacci picked up the save with a scoreless ninth inning with one strikeout.

The Cardinals return to David F. Couch Ballpark for one more time on Sunday. Ball State will face Purdue Fort Wayne at 10 a.m.

BALL STATE SB

SOFTBALL SPLITS SATURDAY ACTION AT BULLDOG CLASSIC

ATHENS, Ga. – – Ball State softball started its second day at the Bulldog Classic with another thriller, topping Stetson 6-5 in 10-innings Saturday afternoon at Jack Turner Stadium.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals (7-7) fell a short in the nightcap, suffering a 1-0 loss in a pitcher’s duel to 16th-ranked Georgia.

In the day’s opening game, the Cardinals and Hatters (14-7) battled to a 3-3 tie through six innings, eventually going to extras. Both teams scored single runs in the eighth and ninth innings, before Ball State tallied the winning run in the 10th.

With the international tiebreaker rule in effect for extra innings, the Cardinals had the speedy second baseman McKenna Mulholland at second to start the 10th. After a sac bunt from left fielder Kaitlyn Mathews moved her to third, an error on a grounder to short from third baseman Emma Richards allowed Mulholland to cross for the game-winning run.

In the nightcap, it was Angelina Russo’s time to shine as she limited the Bulldogs (16-5) to five hits and one run over her 6.0 innings of work. She also struck out a pair.

HIGHLIGHTS

Francis King picked up the win for the Cardinals in the opener, throwing the final 6.0 innings, allowing seven hits and three runs, only one of which was earned. It was her first victory for the Cardinals.

Shortstop Amaia Daniel and first baseman/catcher McKayla Timmons each tallied a pair of this versus Stetson.

Second baseman Haley Wynn tallied both of BSU’s hits versus Georgia and finished the day with three to keep her season average above .500 at .511.

SCORING SUMMARY GAME 1 – Ball State 6 – Stetson 5 (10)

T2 | A bases loaded RBI single from Alyssa Gilman drives in the game’s first run (1-0)

B3 | Shortstop Amaia Daniel drives a sac fly to right field, driving in center fielder Remington Ross (1-1)

B3 | An RBI groundout to short from designated player Jazmyne Armendariz brings home Haley Wynn (1-2)

T5 | Haley Fox drives an RBI single into left field to even the score (2-2)

T5 | Evette Morgan follows with an RBI single through the left side (3-2)

B5 | First baseman Samantha-Jo Mata draws a bases loaded walk to plate pinch runner Ashlee Lovett (3-3)

T8 | An RBI fielder’s choice from Briana Robinson brings home the placed runner (4-3)

B8 | Ball State strikes back with an RBI single up the middle from Mathews to score its placed runner catcher McKayla Timmons (4-4)

T9 | Gilman gets her second RBI of the game with a double down the left field line (5-4)

B9 | Timmons strikes back with a base loaded sac fly to send the game to a 10th inning (5-5)

B10 | Ball State capitalizes on a sac bunt and error to bring home placed runner Mulholland for the game-winning run (5-6)

SCORING SUMMARY GAME 2 – Ball State 0 – Georgia 1

B4 | Georgia scored the game’s lone run in the bottom of the fourth on a RBI single from Lyndi Rae Davis (1-0)

UP NEXT

The Ball State softball team closes play in the Bulldog Classic Sunday morning with a schedule 10:30 a.m. first pitch versus Stetson.

NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL

IRISH CAN’T OVERCOME EARLY HOLE AT CLEMSON, FALL 87-64

CLEMSON, S.C. – Whenever you start a game on a cold spell, the worst that could happen is the other team starting hot, because then you find yourself in an early hole that’s hard to climb out of. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to the Notre Dame men’s basketball squad (11-20, 3-17) against the Clemson Tigers (22-9, 14-6) on Saturday night inside Littlejohn Coliseum.

In the first half, the Tigers started 5-of-7 from three (before finishing with eight made threes in the half), shot 57 percent from the field and outscored ND 48-29. Clemson then rode that momentum to the 87-64 final.

Notre dame graduate guard Cormac Ryan recorded his second consecutive game with at least 19 points and fourth straight in double digits. Ryan shot 7-of-18 from the field. Graduate forward Nate Laszewski joined him in double figures with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting. Laszewski also grabbed a team high nine boards. Both Ryan and Laszewski recorded their 20th games in double figures this season.

Lastly, Matt Zona recorded a career high 10 points on a 3-of-6 night.

How It Happened

Notre Dame started 1-for-11 from the field while Clemson started 7-of-12, with five of those made field goals coming from beyond the arc. As a result, the Irish instantly found themselves in a pit, looking up at a 20-3 deficit.

Clemson just didn’t seem to miss any open shots in the first half, finishing 17-of-30 overall and 8-of-15 from three. In comparison, Notre Dame shot 10-of-32 and 4-of-15 from three-point range. The Tigers also doubled up the Irish on the boards at 24-12.

Cormac Ryan led the Irish at the half with 10 points. On the flipside, Clemson had five players with six or more points in a balanced attack. The 48 points were the most surrendered by the Irish in a first half this season.

The second half was a much more competitive affair. Halfway through the half, the Irish were outpacing the Tigers 22-21. Over the first 10 minutes, ND received threes from Hammond, Zona and a pair from Ryan.

A highlight of the second half was Matt Zona – who scored eight of his 10 points in the half.

With two minutes left in the game, both sides emptied their benches. Clemson ended up taking the second half 37-35. Clemson finished the game 51 percent from the field, knocking down 31-of-61. Notre Dame finished 34 percent at 21-of-61. Both sides connected on double-digit threes, ND’s 10 to CU’s 13.

Up Next

The Irish will bus straight to Greensboro, North Carolina, on Sunday morning in preparation of the opening round of the ACC Tournament – which gets underway on Tuesday, March 7. The 14th-seeded Irish will first clash with 11th-seeded Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. inside the Greensboro Coliseum on Tuesday. In their one previous matchup this season, the Hokies took it in South Bend, 93-87.

NOTRE DAME WBB

NOTRE DAME FALLS TO LOUISVILLE IN ACC SEMIFINAL

GREENSBORO, N.C. — On Saturday, Notre Dame (24-5) found out the hard way that it’s incredibly difficult to beat a team three times in a single season. The Irish fell 64-38 to Louisville (23-10), ending their stay at the 2023 ACC Tournament.

The first half was Notre Dame’s worst of the season. The Irish scored just 15 points. Louisville was the last team to hold them to that mark when they visited South Bend in February 2022. With the exception of Maddy Westbeld’s 5 points, no player had more than one bucket in the first two frames. Sonia Citron, who posted 28 points on Friday against NC State, was limited to 1-for-4 from the floor, missing a pair of triples. Cassandre Prosper went 0-for-6.

To start the third quarter, Notre Dame fell into its biggest hole of the year at 35-15. Louisville’s lead continued to grow and reached 30 with 8:05 to go. It maxed out at 34.

Westbeld led the Irish scoring with 9 points and went 4-for-12. She hit Notre Dame’s lone 3-pointer. Citron had 8 points. Prosper and Lauren Ebo each had 5 boards, and Citron and KK Bransford had 3 assists.

Louisville’s Hailey Van Lith struggled hitting buckets in the first half, but she ultimately ended up with 15. Four total Cardinals reached double-digits.

Notre Dame will now spend the week waiting to learn its fate for the NCAA Tournament. The Irish were a No. 3 seed in the latest release from the Division I women’s basketball selection committee. The group was a No. 5 seed last season and reached the Sweet 16.

NOTRE DAME BASEBALL

IRISH LOOK TO SWEEP IN FINAL GAME AFTER TODAY’S 7-3 WIN

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Notre Dame claimed the series win over UAB today after defeating the Blazers 7-3 in game two at Young Memorial Field. The Irish defeated the Blazers 7-2 yesterday in game one and will look for the series sweep as they play game three at 1:00 CT tomorrow.

How it happened

The first three innings were scoreless for both the Irish and the Blazers, until the Notre Dame offense was able to pick up some momentum in the top of the fourth. Back-to-back singles from Zack Prajzner and Brooks Coetzee put runners on first and third for the Irish with Carter Putz up to the plate. Coetzee was able to steal second while the third strike was called on Putz, putting two runners in scoring position. Vinny Martinez followed with a sac bunt to score Prajzner and the Irish took the lead 1-0.

The Blazers responded with a three-run homerun to take the lead 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth, but the top of the sixth proved to be the best offensive outing of the game for the Irish. Coetzee reached first after being hit by the pitch and Putz followed with an infield single. With runners on first and second, Martinez reached on a fielder’s choice making it bases loaded for Notre Dame. In the next at bat, Penney reached first via a walk and scored Coetzee to make it a 3-2 ball game.

With bases loaded, Nick Juaire recorded a two RBI single up the middle to score both Putz and Martinez and the Irish regained the lead 4-3. Estevan Moreno stepped up to the plate looking to do some damage and recorded his first career home run out to left field to add three more runs to the board for Notre Dame. Bringing in Penney, Juaire, and Moreno, the Irish took the 7-3 advantage heading into the seventh.

The final three innings would remain scoreless for Notre Dame and UAB and the Irish would only tally one more hit in the game as Prajzner added another infield single at the top of the seventh.

Blake Hely (0-1) started on the mound for the Irish and pitched 3.2 innings. In his third start of the season, Hely gave up three hits and finished with four strikeouts. Will Mercer (1-0) relieved Hely in the fourth and pitched 2.1 innings, giving up two hits and three runs and finished with three strikeouts on the day. Sammy Cooper closed it out, pitching 3.0 innings and only giving up one hit. Mercer would earn his first win of the season in today’s 7-3 victory and Sammy Cooper would take home his first save of the season.

Up Next

The Irish are back at Young Memorial Field tomorrow for the final game of the three-game series at UAB. First pitch is set for 2:00 PM ET (1:00 PM CT).

NOTRE DAME HOCKEY

IRISH FACE GAME THREE AFTER SATURDAY LOSS

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey team fell to Michigan State, 4-2, Saturday night in game two of the Big Ten Conference quarterfinals.

The Irish struck first off a goal from Solag Bakich but the Spartans’ four unanswered goals were too much for the Irish icers as they face a decisive third game Sunday evening looking to advance to the tournament semifinals next weekend.

Much like the first night, the Irish won the opening draw but the Spartans managed the first shot on net, ripping a shot through the slot which Ryan Bischel quickly gloved to halt play just 33 seconds in.

Jesse Lansdell fired the first Irish shot on goal with a saucer from the point but MSU’s netminder made the pad save and play went on with both teams fighting for the opening goal early in the first.

Ben Brinkman found senior forwards Solag Bakich and Trevor Janicke alone in the neutral zone for the two-on-goalie matchup. Bakich carried the puck into the offensive zone before passing the puck to T. Janicke on his right. The alternate captain drew St. Cyr out of the crease before a quick tap back to Bakich for a shot at the wide open net.

The Irish came back firing in the second period, sending 10 unanswered shots on net but were unable to extend their one-goal lead nearly halfway through the middle frame.

MSU evened the score with a powerplay goal at 8:38 of the second stanza, capitalizing off their first shot of the period when the puck crept under the right toe of Bischel.

The Spartans got one more in the second as the Irish faced their first deficit of the weekend heading into the third period Saturday night.

MSU struck early in the third to extend their lead with a shot from the point sailing top shelf.

An improbable shot minutes later beat Bischel top shelf again as the Irish faced a three-goal deficit with 14:26 to play in regulation.

Notre Dame opted for the extra attacker with just under five minutes to play in the third period and were able to cut the Spartan lead to two but could not break St. Cyr more as they ultimately dropped game two, 4-2.

GOALS

Solag Bakich opened the scoring at 17:13 of the first period, racing up ice with linemate Trevor Janicke as the duo beat all defenders in their path as they closed in on the MSU net. Bakich sent a pass to T. Janicke on his right who quickly passed the puck back to Bakich for the open net shot. Ben Brinkman, who set up the initial odd-man rush, earned the second assist on the goal.

In favor of the extra attacker late in the third period, Drew Bavaro picked up a pass from Hunter Strand while a Spartan looked on from the penalty box. The junior blueliner one-timed a shot on net where Jack Adams stood to get the deflection.

KEY STATS

Through 10 minutes of game play Saturday night, Bischel had tallied 14 saves. The Irish held the opposition to just two shots the remainder of the first as Bischel registered 16 saves in the first 20 minutes.

With the primary assist on Bakich’s goal in the first period, Trevor Janicke extended his point-streak to four games, boasting an assist in each of his last four appearances.

UP NEXT

The Irish and Spartans meet once more with their seasons on the line in a winner-take-all game three matchup. The puck is set to drop on the third and final game Sunday night at 6 p.m. and will air on FS2.

NOTRE DAME MLAX

#2 IRISH WALK-OFF #4 MARYLAND IN TRIPLE OVERTIME CLASSIC

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The No. 2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish outlasted No. 4 Maryland in a triple-overtime instant classic in College Park on Saturday, as Pat Kavanagh fired in the game-winning goal to give the Irish a 13-12 win at SECU Stadium.

The Irish were the definition of resilient in the victory, overcoming deficits on five different occasions in the contest. Notre Dame trailed by two with 3:30 left in regulation before striking twice to send it into overtime.

The Kavanagh’s led the attack, each finishing with three points. Chris paced the team in goals with three while Pat added a goal and two assists. Quinn McCahon, Brian Tevlin and Jack Simmons each scored a pair of goals in the win as well.

The Notre Dame defense continued to cause chaos, recording double-digit caused turnovers for the fourth straight game. In goal Liam Entenmann came up with some huge stops, finishing with 14 saves.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Irish trailed for the first time all season, as Maryland managed to strike first but Notre Dame immediately responded. The Irish scored the next three goals, coming from Brian Tevlin, Chris Kavanagh and Quinn McCahon. However, the managed to end quarter by scoring the final three goals, all coming while a man up.

Notre Dame’s attack clicked into gear early in the second quarter, scoring twice in the first two minutes, courtesy of Bryce Walker and Tevlin, to retake the lead at 5-4. On the other end of the field the Irish defense put the clamps on the Terrapin attack, shutting out Maryland in the second stanza to take a 5-4 lead into the halftime break.

After being shut out in the second quarter, the Maryland offense found its rhythm in the third, scoring two goals in the first five minutes to reclaim the lead at 6-5. Once again, Notre Dame answered with a 3-0 run of its own, as Eric Dobson and Simmons each scored to put Notre Dame up at 8-6.

The Terrapins finished the quarter with a flurry, scoring three straight to put the hosts back on top at 9-8 heading into the final 15 minutes of regulation.

Notre Dame goals from Chris Kavanagh and McCahon in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter gave the Irish the lead back at 10-9 before Maryland scored three in a row to take its largest lead of the game at 12-10 with 3:50 left on the clock.

Reilly Gray beat his man and fired home a shot to trim the lead to 12-11 with just over three minutes left and then Chris Kavanagh leveled the score with a highlight-reel diving effort to send the game into overtime at 12-12.

The Irish got two good looks in the first overtime session, putting shots on cage, but were unable to come up with the winner. On the other end the Notre Dame defense stood tall, forcing the two Terrapin turnovers without allowing a single shot in the four-minute session.

Both teams traded possessions in the second overtime, neither finding the game winner, sending it to a third overtime.

The Notre Dame defense got a huge stop to start the third overtime, setting up Pat Kavanagh’s heroics to score the walk-off winner.

STAT OF THE GAME

The Irish win snapped Maryland’s 20-game home win streak and a 17-game home win streak against non-conference opponents.

NOTRE DAME NOTES

The victory pushes Notre Dame’s active winning streak to 10 games, the longest active streak in the country for men’s DI lacrosse.

The game was just Notre Dame’s second triple overtime game in program history, the other coming in a 10-9 win over No. 9 Denver in 2012.

The Notre Dame defense finished with 11 caused turnovers and have now caused double-digit turnovers in every game this season.

Chris Kavanagh now has 15 goals through three games, recording a hat trick in all four games.

Tevlin and Simmons posted multiple goals in a game for their first time in a Notre Dame uniform.

Pat Kavanagh finished with three points, giving him 164 in his career. That total breaks a tie for seventh all time in program history with Joe Franklin.

UP NEXT

After two games on the east coast the Irish return to Arlotta Stadium for another ranked showdown against a Big Ten opponent, welcoming No. 9 Ohio State to South Bend for a 2 p.m. ET clash on Saturday, March 11. The game will air on ACCN.

NOTRE DAME SB

IRISH FALL AT #12/14 DUKE TO EVEN SERIES

DURHAM, N.C. – The University of Notre Dame softball team dropped the second game of the series to the #12/14 Duke Blue Devils Saturday afternoon, 6-2. After the Fighting Irish won Friday night, Saturday’s result evens the three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series. Notre Dame falls to 11-5 overall and 1-1 in ACC action. Duke improves to 16-4 and 1-1.

Shannon Becker got the start in the circle. The sophomore threw 2.2 innings, allowing seven hits and five earned runs to go with a strikeout. Freshman Micaela Kastor came on in relief, throwing 3.1 innings, allowing just one hit, one earned run and struck out two.

The Irish offense was limited to five hits from five players. Leea Hanks, Carlli Kloss, Karina Gaskins, Lexi Orozco and Joley Mitchell each had base knocks. Gaskins had the lone extra-base hit, a solo homer in the sixth.

How It Happened

Duke got on the board in the first inning. A lead-off single scored on a triple down the left field line. The second inning saw the Blue Devils get on the board again, this time with a two-run homer from Anna Gold to extend the lead to 3-0.

Gold struck again in the bottom of the third with another two-run homer as Duke extended the lead to 5-0.

The Irish got on the board in the top of the fourth inning. A walk and a single put runners on the corners for Mitchell who singled up the middle to bring in Emily Tran who was pinch running for Gaskins, cutting the Duke lead to 5-1.

Notre Dame continued to battle in the sixth as Gaskins led off with a solo home run to cut the lead to 5-2.

Duke got its four-run cushion back in the bottom of the sixth. A lead-off walk and a single put two on as a fly out moved both runners into scoring position. A ground out scored the run to push the lead to 6-2.

Notre Dame threatened in the seventh, putting two on with a walk and a single, but couldn’t find the hit needed to tie it up.

Up Next

The Irish and the Blue Devils are back in action to close out the series at 12 p.m. at the Duke Softball Stadium.

NOTRE DAME WLAX

IRISH MAKE STATEMENT WIN OVER NO. 11 DUKE

SOUTH BEND, Ind. –  The No. 13 Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team took down the No. 11 Duke Blue Devils in a dominating 14-6 win.

“I am really proud of the total team effort today. We really focused on disrupting Duke’s game, with an emphasis on of couple of their top players that the ball goes through their hands a lot and I was just so proud of my defense to hold numbers 4 and 14 scoreless,” said head coach Chris Halfpenny.

The Irish were led by Madison Ahern who tallied six goals in the win. Jackie Wolak wasn’t far behind as she tied her career high again with four goals on the day. Kasey Choma and Mary Kelly Doherty each scored twice.

On the defensive end Keelin Schlageter caused four turnovers while Hannah Dorney caused three of her own.

“A big piece of our game plan and it was very effective, but ultimately our second half is where we really can alive and that was a total team effort. We had a great week of preparation which led to a great final outcome and just really really happy for that growth we saw last week to this week, specifically you know I think in the way that we handled the game plan and playing to our potential.”

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Irish came out firing as they scored the first three goals of the game to put themselves in front 3-1 in the first five minutes of the quarter. Once Duke put a second goal on the board the game slowed down with a lot of pressure on both ends with neither team able to find the back of the net. The Blue Devils evened out the score 3-3 with just over four minutes left in the first quarter. Mary Kelly Doherty took a shot with range and hit the back of the net to put the Irish up 4-3 at the end of the quarter.

A free position from Madison Ahern put even more of a lead on the score for the Irish, 5-3. Duke responded and cut the lead to one, but the Irish converted on shots to push their lead 6-4 thanks to Wolak. Duke put another goal on the board before the end of the quarter to go into the halftime break 6-5.

Notre Dame came out of the half and converted on both of their free position attempts by Wolak and Ahern to push their lead to 8-5. The Irish kept pushing their lead as Choma found Wolak to fire for their ninth goal and tenth goal from Ahern. Choma picked up a rebound and fired for a second time to push the Irish lead to 11-5 with just under two minutes left in the third quarter. The Blue Devils scored with thirty seconds left on the clock for a 11-6 score.

The fourth quarter Ahern kicked off the scoring for the fourth quarter when she rolled around the crease for a low shot to give the Irish a 12-6 lead. The majority of the quarter remained quiet as the Irish put up a great defensive effort and held the Blue Devils scoreless. Ahern broke the quiet streak with a free position attempt that gave the Irish another goal. A free position by Choma would give the Irish their 14-6 win over the Blue Devils.

“It’s so cool to come to an event that gives you a little bit of the vibe for what we will see down the road in two months time. We’re going to be playing here for the ACC tournament and to get the feel and to now feel like we understand, we know what this feels like, we know what the environment will be, getting wins on the road in the ACC is something to be really proud of,” said Halfpenny.

NOTRE DAME NOTES

With this win the Irish will continue to hold the advantage on neutral site games over the Blue Devils.

Wolak tied her career high again with four goals, this is the second time this season.

Ahern tied her career high for goals when she scored six in the contest. This performance is also her season best.

UP NEXT

Notre Dame will stay on the road as they travel for their next matchup against Syracuse. There will be live stats available and the game will be aired on the ACC Network.

INDIANA STATE SB

SYCAMORES SPLIT PAIR ON DAY TWO OF COLONEL CLASSIC

RICHMOND, Ky. – Indiana State softball split a pair of games on Saturday at the Colonel Classic, falling 6-2 to Dayton while defeating Eastern Kentucky 4-3 in nine innings.

The Sycamores (6-6) bounced back from an afternoon loss to the Flyers to defeat the host Colonels for their second extra-inning victory of the season.

Game One

After the top of the second inning, Indiana State held a 2-1 lead over the Flyers following a 2-RBI double from Annie Tokarek but were unable to keep Dayton at bay as they scored five unanswered runs to get the 6-2 win over ISU.

Dayton got two runs in the third and added three more in the sixth to round out their scoring for the afternoon.

The Sycamores totaled seven hits, getting two each from Tokarek, Danielle Henning and Cassie Thomerson while Maeve McDonough added a pinch-hit single in the top of the seventh.

Lexi Benko started in the circle for Indiana State and would take her first loss of the season, allowing four runs across five innings while striking out two. Lauren Sackett also threw an inning in relief.

Game Two

Eastern Kentucky got on the board first in Saturday’s nightcap, getting a solo home run and a bases-loaded walk to take a 2-0 lead into the third inning.

After Danielle Henning reached with a single in the top of the third, Annie Tokarek hit a two-out, two-run home run over the left field fence for her first long ball of the year to level the game at two runs apiece.

Following 4.2 innings, the Sycamores replaced starter Cassi Newbanks with Hailey Griffin who entered for just her second appearance of the season. Griffin settled in quickly, getting a pop up to end the fifth inning. She then struck out five across the next two innings including striking out the side in the seventh to send the game into extra innings.

In extra innings, a runner is placed on second base to begin the inning. Olivia Patton quickly took advantage and drove in Abi Chipps with a single to put ISU in front 3-2. The Colonels would get a run back in the eighth to extend the game.

With two outs in the top of the ninth, Maeve McDonough singled up the middle, scoring Hannah Welch to give the Sycamores a 4-3 lead. Lauren Sackett would enter in the bottom of the ninth and strike out a pair en route to the first save of her collegiate career, clinching the 4-3 win for ISU.

Griffin earned her first win of the season, throwing 3.1 innings and striking out five while allowing zero earned runs. Starter Cassi Newbanks allowed just two runs and struck out a pair in her 4.2 innings of work.

Offensively, Indiana State finished with seven hits led by Olivia Patton who had two. Danielle Henning, Annie Tokarek, Cassie Thomerson, Kaylee Barrett and Maeve McDonough had one hit apiece.

Up Next

Indiana State will conclude play at the Colonel Classic on Sunday with a pair of games, beginning with a matchup against Ohio at 10:30 a.m. ET followed by a 1:00 p.m. ET rematch against EKU.

INDIANA STATE MBB

INDIANA STATE’S ARCH MADNESS RUN ENDS IN GUT-WRENCHING FASHION AGAINST TOP-SEEDED BRADLEY IN TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Indiana State’s Arch Madness run came to a gut-wrenching close Saturday afternoon with a 71-70 loss to No. 1 Bradley in the MVC Tournament Semifinals inside Enterprise Center. The fifth-seeded Sycamores overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half to take a one-point lead on a clutch 3-pointer from Courvoisier McCauley with 36 seconds to go but fell victim to a foul call in the last six seconds where Bradley sunk two game-winning free throws.

Cameron Henry and Robbie Avila combined for 24 of ISU’s 36 points in the second half and tied for the team lead of 16 points. Henry was 7of-6 from the free throw line in the second half while Avila was 5-of-6.

Courvoisier McCauley pulled down a team-high seven boards alongside 14 points including four triples, and Cooper Neese was the fourth Sycamore in double figures with 11 points.

The Sycamores made eight threes in the game, starting off 3-of-3 and shooting 7-of-14 beyond the arc in the first half before shooting just 1-of-8 from three in the second half.

Indiana State held Rienk Mast to just two points in the game and allowed just two field goals from him and Malevy combined.

Bradley got the first bucket of the game, but the Sycamores responded with three straight threes including back-to-back triples for McCauley in a first half that saw six lead changes and four ties. After the Sycamores held their highest lead of the day at eight points (20-12) with 13:49 to go in the first, Bradley fought back to cut its deficit to one point and neither team gained a lead more than three points until back-to-back Bradley buckets put the Braves up by four at 35-31 with 1:29 left in the half. Neese responded with a triple to make it 35-34 and Indiana State trailed by just one point at halftime.

The Braves used an 8-0 run in the second half to get up by 11 points at 55-44 with 13:55 left in the second frame, but the Sycamores continued to fight back, trimming the deficit to six points on a Neese and-one and then five points on a Henry and-one with 9:17 to go that made it 59-54. Bradley went back up by nine, but Neese then fed Cade McKnight for a layup with another pair of Henry free throws to follow that pulled ISU back within five points at 63-58.

With the Sycamores down 69-61 at 3:08 and their season on the line, Avila sparked a 9-0 run that saw back-to-back Henry layups that made it 69-67. Bradley called a timeout with a two-point lead, and on its next possession, turned the ball over to McCauley and ISU called its final timeout with 41.6 on the clock.

Out of that timeout, McCauley drained a dramatic go-ahead three that put ISU up 70-69 with 36 seconds to go. Henry blocked a Bradley jumper at 19 seconds, and the Braves got a second chance, but missed the 3-point attempt with nine seconds remaining. Julian Larry aggressively went for the rebound and was called for an unfortunate, ill-fated foul that sent Bradley to the line for a one-and-one. Leons knocked down both free throws and McCauley launched a desperate last-second shot that did not go in.

News & Notes

Indiana State exits the MVC Tournament with a 22-12 record, the most victories by an Indiana State squad since the 2013-14 season. ISU’s MVC Tournament record falls to 28-40, including 5-6 in the semifinal round

Cooper Neese played in his 135th career game today which puts him in front of Jake Odum as ISU’s all-time leader in career games played.

After setting the MVC Tournament record for threes in a game against Belmont with nine, Neese hit two in today’s game to set a record for threes in an MVC Tournament with 16 across the three games.

The Sycamores set an MVC Tournament record for most team 3-pointers in an MVC Tournament with 37 across the three games. This comes after ISU set the record for team threes in a single MVC Tournament game against Belmont with 16.

Robbie Avila is just the sixth freshman to score over 300 points at ISU and the first since the 2014-15 season. His 16 points tonight puts him at 338 points which ranks fifth on ISU’s all-time list of freshman scoring.

With four triples in today’s game, Courvoisier McCauley collected his 101st three of the year and becomes just the second Sycamore ever to make 100 3-pointers in a single season.

INDIANA STATE BASEBALL

STINSON, SEARS HOMER IN DOUBLEHEADER LOSS TO KENTUCKY

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky held off Indiana State in both games of Saturday’s doubleheader as the Sycamores fell to the host Wildcats at Kentucky Proud Field by scores of 4-2 and 5-4.

Parker Stinson and Mike Sears both homered for the Sycamores (2-8) to highlight the ISU offense, while Luis Hernandez and Randal Diaz both added RBI hits on the afternoon against UK (8-2).

The Sycamores’ bullpen put on a dominant display on the afternoon as ISU’s relievers combined to go nine scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts.

Game One: Kentucky 4, Indiana State 2

Kentucky scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning and held off the Indiana State offense to take the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader at Kentucky Proud Park.

Parker Stinson homered to lead the Sycamores, while Cameron Holycross went a career-high 5.0 innings in a scoreless relief stint to pace Indiana State in the game. Luis Hernandez added an RBI double scoring Randal Diaz to cap the ISU scoring.

Kentucky took the 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second highlighted by a Grant Smith two-run single as the Wildcats took advantage of four of the first five batters reaching base in the frame to take the early lead.

The Sycamores battled back with Hernandez’s RBI double in the top of the third and Stinson’s first home run of the 2023 season in the fourth inning, but ISU was unable to connected against UK reliever Darren Williams (1-0) to mount a rally.

Indiana State put one on with one out in the top of the ninth inning as Stinson was hit by a pitch. Mike Sears followed with a single to left center, but the relay back to the infield caught Stinson at third base as UK was able to hold off the rally and close out the win.

Brayden Lybarger (1-1) took his first loss of the season after going the first two innings allowing all four UK runs. Aaron Moss recorded all three outs in the third inning before turning the ball over the Holycross in the fourth. The redshirt junior went the rest of the way scattering three hits and walking one while striking out five in the career outing.

Ryan Waldschmidt led UK with two of the Wildcats’ seven hits in the game. He added Kentucky’s lone extra-base hit, a one-out double in the sixth.

Williams went the final five innings in relief for Kentucky in earning his first win of the season. The reliever allowed the Sears single in the ninth while striking out two in support of starter Logan Martin (ND, 4.0 IP).

How They Scored

Kentucky opened the scoring with a four-run second inning as the Wildcats went ahead 4-0 early. Ryan Waldschmidt connected on an RBI single for the first run, while Grant Smith highlighted the frame with a two-run single to put UK ahead.

Luis Hernandez put Indiana State on the scoreboard in the top of the third inning as the sophomore connected on an RBI double down the left field line scoring Randal Diaz to cut the margin down to 4-1.

Parker Stinson put the second ISU run on the board with a one-out solo home run to right centerfield putting the score at 4-2.

Game Two: Kentucky 5, Indiana State 4

Kentucky held off a late Indiana State rally courtesy of a Mike Sears three-run home run as the Sycamores fell in the nightcap at Kentucky Proud Field, 5-4.

With runners on first and second, Sears connected on an 0-2 pitch driving the ball over the left field fence and into the Kentucky bullpen to cut a 5-1 deficit down to a one run game. The blast was his team-leading third of the season and brought the Sycamore dugout to life late against the Wildcats.

Indiana State’s relievers in the game combined to go three scoreless innings late to give the Sycamores a chance. Simon Gregersen fielded a popped-up bunt and turned it into an inning-ending double play in the seventh, while Jared Spencer struck out the final two Wildcat batters to give ISU a chance in the ninth.

The Sycamores put two on with two out in their final at-bats as Randal Diaz worked a full-count walk. Josue Urdaneta followed getting hit by a pitch, but the rally stalled as Luis Hernandez’s fly ball down the right field line was hauled in for the final out to close out the contest.

Sears’ home run highlighted Indiana State’s six hits in the game, while Randal Diaz added an RBI single in the top of the fifth in the loss.

Matt Jachec (0-2) took the loss on the mound after surrendering eight hits and five runs over 5.0 innings. Jacob Pruitt added three strikeouts in relief.

Jackson Gray, Emilien Pitre, and Hunter Gilliam all posted multi-hit games as Kentucky connected on three triples in the contest. Gilliam added three RBI in the win.

Tyler Bosma (2-1) recorded the win after going 5.0 innings and allowing four hits and one run while striking out seven. Mason Moore (S, 2) added his second save of the year after closing out the eighth and ninth frames for UK.

How They Scored

Kentucky took the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth as Emilien Pitre connected on a leadoff triple before coming around to score on Hunter Gilliam’s RBI single.

The Sycamores tied the game up in the top of the fifth as Randal Diaz connected on a two-out RBI single through the left side of the infield scoring Henry Brown to knot the game up at 1-1.

Kentucky scored four in the bottom of the frame with Gilliam again providing the big hit with a two-run single through the right side scoring Devin Burkes and James McCoy to give the Wildcats the 5-1 lead.

Mike Sears crushed an 0-2 pitch over the left field fence and into the UK bullpen for a three-run home run as the Sycamores cut the lead down to 5-4 in the top of the eighth. His blast followed a leadoff Josue Urdaneta walk and a Luis Hernandez hit-by-pitch to narrow the lead.

News & Notes

Parker Stinson became the sixth Indiana State player to homer in the 2023 season as the redshirt sophomore went deep in the first game of the day.

Mike Sears connected on his team-leading third home run in the nightcap and cracked double-digit RBI (11) on the season following his three-run blast.

Josue Urdaneta and Seth Gergely continue to get on base as the duo have reached safely in all nine Indiana State games in the 2023 season.

Gergely boasts a 16-game on-base streak dating back to the end of the 2022 season.

Cameron Holycross became the second ISU reliever to post at least a 5.0-inning relief stint this year joining Connor Fenlong (5.2, Feb. 17 vs. Iowa).

Up Next

Indiana State and Kentucky close out the weekend series tomorrow at Kentucky Proud Park. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. and will be streamed live via SEC Network Plus.

INDIANA STATE WBB

SYCAMORES FALL TO REDBIRDS IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State’s regular season came to a close Saturday afternoon, as the Sycamores fell to visiting Illinois State, 82-71, inside Hulman Center.

Anna McKendree led the Sycamores with 22 points, while Del’Janae Williams added 16. Caitlin Anderson and Hattie Westerfeld combined for 15 points off the bench for the Sycamores, while each of Indiana State’s healthy seniors scored in their final home game of their careers.

Indiana State was aggressive in the early stages and it paid dividends in the first 15 minutes. The Sycamores jumped out to a 35-25 lead midway through the second quarter, hitting five 3-pointers in the first 15 minutes to storm in front. Illinois State had an answer, though, and after tying the game just before halftime, led for most of the second half. Indiana State was within five early in the fourth following a Chelsea Cain jumper, but the visitors countered every punch the Sycamores had to earn a share of the MVC regular season crown.

First Half

Cain opened the scoring with a jumper from the elbow, and McKendree followed with a 3-pointer from the wing to make it 5-0 just over a minute into the contest. A 3-pointer from Williams made it 10-6 midway through, and McKendree tacked on another trey to make it 15-8 just over five minutes in. The visitors cut their deficit to two late in the quarter, but a McKendree 3-pointer and a Williams layup pushed Indiana State’s advantage up to nine, its largest lead of the quarter, at 24-15. The Sycamores took a 24-17 lead to the second.

Indiana State’s momentum carried into the early stages of the second quarter, as Anderson and Mya Glanton made baskets to keep the Sycamore advantage at seven. A 3-pointer from McKendree, followed by a Cain basket, gave the Trees their largest lead of the contest at 35-25, but the Redbirds came storming back. Illinois State closed the half on a 14-4 run, with McKendree accounting for all of the Sycamores’ points during that span from the charity stripe. The Sycamores and Redbirds went to the locker room tied at 39 at the half.

Second Half

Illinois State jumped out to a five-point lead early in the third, but a 3-pointer from McKendree and a layup from Bella Finnegan tied it at 46-apiece. The Sycamores went back in front on a Williams 3-pointer, but an 8-0 run from the visitors put the Redbirds ahead 56-49. Williams added another fastbreak layup and baskets down low from Westerfeld and Glanton, the latter’s being a buzzer-beating putback, gave Indiana State late life in the quarter, as the Sycamores entered the fourth trailing 62-56

Early fourth-quarter baskets from Anderson and Cain got the Sycamores within five at 65-60 with just under eight minutes to go. Illinois State got hot from distance, though, pushing its advantage up to double-digits on a pair of 3-pointers. The Sycamores tried to rally back with baskets from Anderson and Westerfeld, but the 3-point barrage in the second half was too much to overcome. Florence Tshimanga scored the final points at Hulman Center for the Sycamores this season, but it was Illinois State who came out on top.

Inside the Numbers

Indiana State was plus-seven on the glass (34-27), and converted 16 offensive rebounds into 21 second chance points.

Indiana State outscored Illinois State 17-4 in bench points.

The 17 bench points for Indiana State were its most in a conference game since scoring 20 off the bench against Valparaiso on Jan. 7, 2023.

The Sycamores finished with 20 points off turnovers, their 12th game this season with 20-plus points off turnovers. Seven of those 12 games have come against MVC foes.

News & Notes

Indiana State recognized its graduating class, consisting of Sommer Pitzer, Adrian Folks, Natalia Lalic, Florence Tshimanga, Hattie Westerfeld, Anna McKendree, Caitlin Anderson and Del’Janae Williams, prior to the game.

Anna McKendree’s 22 points were her most against an MVC foe in her career.

Indiana State closed its regular season at 11-18 overall and 6-14 in conference play.

The Sycamores finished with seven home wins this season, their most since the 2015-16 campaign.

Up Next

Indiana State will play its first round game of Hoops in the Heartland Thursday at 7 p.m. The Sycamores will be seeded 10th for the tournament and will play the seventh-seeded team, which is still to be determined, in the opening round.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE MVB

NO. 8 LOYOLA TAKES MIVA MATCH IN FIVE

CHICAGO – Purdue Fort Wayne’s attempt to head to Hawaii with a three-match win streak came up just a little short on Saturday (March 4) as the Mastodons fell to No. 8 Loyola 3-2 (22-25, 25-21, 25-17, 21-25, 15-12) at Gentile Arena.

The ‘Dons will now head to Hawaii for the Outrigger Challenge to face No. 1 Hawaii, No. 2 UCLA and No. 3 Penn State.

Three Mastodons finished with double-digit kills on Saturday. Mark Frazier had a team-best 12. Jon Diedrich recorded 11 with two aces. Bryce Walker had 10 kills and four aces. As a team, the ‘Dons had 10 aces to Loyola’s six.

The ‘Dons took set one thanks to four aces in the frame. Diedrich had a pair of key serves that resulted in points 24 and 25 for the ‘Dons by not allowing the Rambler offense to get into system.

The second set saw three more Mastodon aces, including one to start the set, but Loyola finished with four aces of their own in the second set. Two came after the score was tied at 20 and proved to be the difference. Loyola cruised in set three, before the ‘Dons won the next game to tie the match at two. The fourth set changed thanks to a 7-0 scoring run for the ‘Dons. Walker had a kill and a block in the run. Loyola took their final timeout during the middle of the push, but it didn’t make a difference.

Loyola went up 8-6 off an ace as the teams switched sides in set five. A Loyola service error and a Ryan Steponaitis ace for the ‘Dons tied it at nine. From there, however, Loyola scored six of the next nine points to take the match.

Parker Van Buren had a match-high 20 kills for Loyola.

The ‘Dons had a 46-39 dig advantage, with Diedrich and Zach Solomon both recording eight.

Loyola improves to 14-2 (7-0 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association). The ‘Dons fall to 12-5 (3-4 MIVA).

PURDUE FT. WAYNE SB

‘DONS DROP TWO TO WISCONSIN ON OPENING DAY OF HOOSIER CLASSIC

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne softball team played a pair of competitive games with Big Ten foe Wisconsin on Saturday (March 4), falling 3-0 and 5-0.

GAME 1 – Wisconsin 3, Purdue Fort Wayne 0

The Badgers broke open the scoring in the first inning after a walk and double. From there, Quinlan did not allow a hit until the top of the fifth, and it took another inning from there to plate two more runs.

Sonia Solis had the first hit of the day for the ‘Dons. It was a single down the left field line. In the fourth, Grace Hollopeter had a single in the fourth that eventually put her on third base. She was halted there and Wisconsin kept the ‘Dons off the scoreboard. Hollopeter finished with a pair of hits.

Alyson Quinlan (0-4) held the Badgers to three runs, tying their season-low in a winning effort. Gabi Salo (2-0) struck out 11 Mastodons.

GAME 2 – Wisconsin 5, Purdue Fort Wayne 0

In game two, it took Wisconsin until the third inning to score, which came on a throwing error.

This was a half inning after the Mastodons had loaded the bases to threaten a lead. It started with singles from Bailey Manos and Taryn Jenkins. Hollopeter put the ball in play, but Manos was called out at home. Wintlend then drew a walk to juice the bases. Solis made contact to left field, but the Badgers made the catch to end the inning and strand three ‘Dons. Wisconsin opened up the game with a three-run fourth inning.

Alanah Jones threw all six innings and registered three strikeouts. She fell to 3-6 while Maddie Schwartz improved to the same record. Schwartz had five strikeouts in her three innings pitched.

Purdue Fort Wayne falls to 4-14 and Wisconsin improves to 8-6. The Mastodons will return to play two more games at Andy Mohr Field on Sunday (March 5) with Green Bay (non-league game) and Indiana.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL

‘DONS DIG THE LONG BALL IN 6-3 VICTORY OVER CORNELL

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Purdue Fort Wayne pounded four home runs in a 6-3 victory over Cornell on Saturday (March 4) morning. Mastodon pitchers JD Deany and Brody Fine combined to strikeout 15 Cornell batters. The last time the ‘Dons recorded 15 strikeouts was April, 6, 2019 vs. North Dakota State.

Braedon Blackford started the Mastodons with a solo shot in the first and added another in the third. Cade Nelis and Grant Thoroman each added solo home runs in the fifth.

The ‘Dons were knocking the ball over the wall as starter  Deany (1-1) was dealing. He went five shutout innings, allowing three hits and recording eight strikeouts.

Fine entered in the sixth and didn’t allow a hit in his first three innings of work. He would end up giving up a three-run home run in the ninth, but finished the game for his first career save. Fine earned seven strikeouts with no walks in four innings.

Blackford added a double to his day for three hits. Jacob Walker had two walks to go with a single and a run scored.

Ethan Hamill took the loss for Cornell. He is 0-2.

EVANSVILLE BASEBALL

BASEBALL SWEEPS SATURDAY DOUBLEHEADER FROM BOWLING GREEN

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball exploded for 20 total runs in two games on Saturday, and combined it with strong pitching to sweep a doubleheader from the visiting Bowling Green State Falcons at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.  UE won the opener 9-3 before cruising to an 11-0 run-rule victory in game two.

“What a great day for us at the yard today against a good team,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll.  “Our offense had a great approach and was able to put up some runs against two really good starters, and both Nick Smith and Tyler Denu set the tone on the mound for us with quality starts.

“We were able to stack a lot of quality at-bats together today and put up some crooked numbers, which was great to see.  We have a quick turnaround though, as we play an early doubleheader tomorrow, so we need to be ready to go.”

After erupting for 14 runs on Wednesday in a mid-week victory at Southeast Missouri State, the Purple Aces continued the offensive momentum early on Saturday.  UE plated the first run of the game just three pitches into Saturday’s opener, as junior Kip Fougerousse led off with a double off the wall in right-center field and scored on an RBI single by fifth-year first baseman Chase Hug.  Four batters later, senior third baseman Brent Widder would come through with a two-out, two-run triple off of the glove of a lunging left-fielder to give UE an early 3-0 lead.

UE would add two more runs in the third inning and would take a 5-2 lead to the bottom of the fifth inning, before fifth-year outfielder Danny Borgstrom tripled off the literal top of the outfield fence in right field to score a run to push the lead to 6-2.  He would then score on a sacrifice fly by sophomore DH Ben Stuart to move the cushion to 7-2.

Evansville would tack on two more runs in the sixth inning, and that would be more than enough for UE’s game-one starter Nick Smith (1-2), who tossed a seven-inning complete-game victory while striking out a career-best 12.  Offensively, Hug, junior shortstop Simon Scherry and junior catcher Brendan Hord all had two-hit games, with Hug, Widder, Borgstrom and Stuart all driving in two runs each.

In the nightcap, UE starter Tyler Denu (1-0) struck out the side in the first inning to set the tone on the mound, and Fougerousse crushed the second pitch he saw as UE’s lead-off batter over 414 feet to right-center field to give Evansville a lead it would never lose.  Fougerousse finished the second game going 3-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI.

After Fougerousse’s fourth home run of the year gave UE a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Purple Aces would push the lead to 2-0 in the fourth inning on an RBI double by sophomore DH Evan Waggoner.  Evansville would then break things open in the fifth inning with four runs on back-to-back RBI singles by fifth-year outfielder Eric Roberts and Widder, who would both then come into score on a Bowling Green error.  UE then added five runs in the sixth inning to enact the mercy rule, and reliever Shane Harris worked a perfect seventh inning to close out the contest.

Denu earned the victory in game two for UE by tossing 5.0 scoreless innings of three-hit baseball, while striking out four.  Harris allowed just one base runner in two scoreless innings of relief work to close things out.

With the two victories on Saturday, Evansville (5-5) extended its winning streak to five-straight games.  Bowling Green, meanwhile, saw its overall record to 2-6.  The two teams will conclude the four-game series on Sunday, beginning at 11 a.m. at GAB Field.  Junior LHP Donovan Schultz (0-1, 8.00 ERA) and graduate RHP Jarrett Blunt (0-0, 2.45 ERA) are expected to start the two games for UE.

EVANSVILLE SB

ACES DROP SATURDAY CONTESTS TO AUSTIN PEAY AND WKU

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Saturday’s opening day of the WKU Hilltopper Spring Fling saw the University of Evansville softball team open the day with a 2-1 loss to Austin Peay before falling in the finale by a score of 9-0 to Western Kentucky.

Game 1 – Austin Peay 2, UE 1

Alexa Davis and Zoe Frossard recorded two hits apiece but a single run in the top of the fourth lifted Austin Peay to a 2-1 victory.

Frossard picked up a hit in the first while Hannah Hood and Davis recorded hits in the second but the game remained scoreless heading to the third.  The Governors took a 1-0 lead on an RBI single.  UE countered with a run in the second.  Taylor Howe and Frossard led the inning with hits.  Dori Brown pinch ran for Howe and her speed made the difference.

After stealing third, Brown tied the game on a throwing error by APSU.  Gabi Apiag gave Austin Peay the lead on an infield single and the damage could have been more but Purple Aces starter Mikayla Jolly got out of a bases-loaded jam to end the threat.

Unfortunately, the offense picked up just one hit over the final four frames and could not overcome the deficit as APSU won by a 2-1 final.  Jolly suffered her first loss of the season.  Elle Jarrett allowed four hits in a scoreless 1 1/3 innings while Megan Brenton tossed a hitless 1 2/3 frames.  Jordan Benefiel picked up the win for the Governors.  She struck out 11 in the complete-game effort.

Game 2 – Western Kentucky 9, UE 0 (5 innings)

Western Kentucky scored seven runs in the first innings and cruised to a 9-0 victory in five innings.  After Evansville went down 1-2-3 in the top of the first, it did not take long for the Hilltoppers to strike.  With one out, WKU had seven consecutive batters reach as they took a 6-0 lead.

Kennedy Foote and TJ Webster picked up 2-RBI singles in the frame.  Hannah Hood registered the first UE hit of the game in the second inning but was stranded on second to end the inning.  WKU extended the lead to 9-0 on a Taylor Sanders 2-RBI hit and that would complete the scoring.

Alexa Davis picked up the Aces’ second hit of the game in the fourth while Hood followed with a walk.  The duo stole second and third with two outs before a pop up kept UE scoreless.  That would be the top threat of the game as UE fell by the 9-0 final.

Erin Kleffman took the loss for UE allowing seven runs, six earned, in 1/3 of an inning.  Sydney Weatherford tossed 2 2/3 frames and gave up two unearned runs.  Paige McAllister threw a scoreless fourth inning.

UE looks to get back on track when they face Akron (10 a.m.) and Austin Peay (5:30 p.m.) on Sunday.

SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL

USI OVERPOWERED BY WSU, 12-5

PULLMAN, Wash. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball was overpowered by Washington State University, 12-5, Saturday afternoon in Pullman, Washington. The Eagles watch their record go to 5-5, while WSU goes to 9-1.

USI had the momentum early, building a 3-0 lead after two-and-half innings. USI junior third baseman Nolan Cook (Evansville, Indiana), who had a team-best three hits in the game, gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead in the second inning with a two-run blast over the left field wall. The home run was the first home run of Cook’s career at USI.

The Eagles increased the lead to 3-0 in the third when senior centerfielder Evan Kahre (Evansville, Indiana) stole home on a double steal with junior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas). Kahre had moved into scoring position by singling to open the frame, advanced to third on a sacrifice, and to third on an error.

The momentum swung to WSU in the bottom of the third with the Cougars scoring four time to take a 4-3 lead. The Cougars would increase the margin to 7-3 with a tally in the fifth and two in the sixth before the Eagles could get back on the scoreboard.

The Eagles narrowed the gap to 7-4 in the seventh when senior catcher Lucas McNew (Floyds Knobs, Indiana) singled in sophomore shortstop Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela). Van Grieken had doubled with one out to get in scoring position.

After WSU posted four more in the seventh and one in the eighth for a 12-4 advantage, USI closed the margin to 12-5 in the ninth. Ebest singled up the middle to score Kahre with the final run of the game as WSU closed out the 12-5 final.

USI junior right-hander Caleb Meeks (Evansville, Indiana) started and took the loss for the Eagles. Meeks (1-1) allowed four runs on two hits and five walks, while striking out one in 2.2 innings of work.

Up Next for the Eagles:

The Eagles and the Cougars conclude the three-game series Sunday with a 3:05 p.m. (CST) first pitch.

SOUTHERN INDIANA SB

EAGLES EARN SPLIT ON FIRST DAY AT THE SPRING GAMES

MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – University of Southern Indiana Softball (4-6) earned a split on the first day of games for the Screaming Eagles at The Spring Games in Madeira Beach, Florida, recording a 2-0 win against Holy Cross before getting edged by Yale University, 3-2, in the night cap.

In the first game of the day against Holy Cross, the offenses were rather limited by the starting pitchers. Sophomore pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) pitched her second shutout of the season on Saturday for USI. Newman struck out 12 in seven innings, giving up only three hits, to improve her season record to 3-3. Her opposition in the circle from Holy Cross, sophomore pitcher Sophia Roncone, was also strong. Roncone went seven innings, surrendering two runs – one earned – with three strikeouts, as her record dropped to 1-3.

USI had a chance in the top of the third with the bases loaded but were unable to score. In the top of the fourth inning, the Screaming Eagles found a little momentum the second time through the lineup in the middle of the batting order. Following a stolen base by sophomore outfielder Olivia Howard (Fishers, Indiana), who came in as a pinch runner, junior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) found the left-center gap for an RBI double to drive in Howard and give USI a 1-0 lead after four innings.

Meanwhile, Newman had struck out eight through four innings, including striking out the side in order in the bottom of the fourth.

In the top of the seventh, USI scored an insurance run, as junior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) doubled in a run with two outs to put USI ahead, 2-0, which allowed Newman to finish the game with ease.

In USI’s second game of the day against Yale, once again, both starting pitchers put up zeroes through the first three innings, working around a few baserunners along the way.

For USI, senior pitcher Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana) made the start in the circle. In the top of the fourth, Goodin pitched with the bases loaded. A double by Yale scored two unearned runs after an error earlier in the inning. USI answered right away in the bottom half of the inning with two runs to knot the game, 2-2. Goodin helped her own cause with an RBI single that scored junior outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana), and later in the inning, Fair singled in the tying run.

Yale recaptured the lead, 3-2, in the top of the fifth on a solo home run by sophomore infielder Lauren Perren. Yale held on the rest of the way.

Goodin was charged a tough loss, going six innings with five strikeouts. The senior allowed three runs – one earned. Her record dropped to 0-3.

Yale freshman pitcher Emma Taylor picked up the win after a complete game with three strikeouts and two runs allowed. Her record moved to 2-2.

Offensively, on the day, Bedrick recorded a pair of hits against Holy Cross, and Kihega had a two-hit game against Yale.

The Screaming Eagles continue action at The Spring Games Sunday with two games, one against Central Michigan University at 1 p.m. CT and one against Bethune-Cookman University at 3:30 p.m. CT. All games at The Spring Games can be seen with a subscription to FloSoftball. Plus, 95.7 FM The Spin will have radio coverage from Madeira Beach, Florida. John Morris, 95.7 The Spin General Manager, will be on the call. Coverage links can be found on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.

VALPO BASEBALL

VALPO BASEBALL SWEEPS DOUBLEHEADER, OFF TO BEST START SINCE 1985

The Valparaiso University baseball team holds its best record through eight games in nearly four decades and owns the program’s longest winning streak in seven years after sweeping a doubleheader at Little Rock on Saturday in Arkansas. The Beacons rallied in the ninth to stun the host Trojans 7-6 in the opener before earning a 9-3 victory by grabbing the lead with five in the seventh in the nightcap.

How It Happened – Game 1

The Beacons struck first as Brady Renfro (Antigo, Wis. / Antigo) grounded a two-out single through the right side to plate Nolan Tucker (Cedar Lake, Ind. / Hanover Central) in the top of the first.

Little Rock got even with a two-out solo homer in the bottom of the first inning to make it 1-1.

Valpo starting pitcher Griffin McCluskey (Normal, Ill. / Normal Community) worked around a one-out error in the second to keep it tied. The Trojans took a 2-1 lead in the last of the third by virtue of a leadoff home run.

In the bottom of the fourth, Little Rock notched its fourth hit and third homer of the day – another solo blast, this one coming with two down to make it 3-1.

Valpo went to the bullpen in the fifth as Grant Jablonski (Mishawaka, Ind. / Mishawaka) entered the game and fired a 1-2-3 with help from solid defense behind him.

In the top of the sixth, a one-out double by Renfro bounced starting pitcher Jackson Wells from the game, but the bullpen notched the final two outs with nothing across for the Beacons.

Nico Baumbach of Little Rock led off the sixth with his second homer and third extra-base hit of the day, a blast to center to make it 4-1.

A sharp two-out single by Tucker trimmed the Little Rock lead to two at 4-2 in the top of the seventh. Valpo had a chance for more, but the Trojans induced a fielder’s choice bouncer to send the game to the seventh-inning stretch at 4-2.

Little Rock used a two-run triple with two down in the bottom of the seventh to double the lead to four at 6-2.

The Beacons manufactured a run in the eighth as Renfro worked a walk and eventually came around to score on a ground ball by Ryan Maka (Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest). That made it 6-3.

Jablonski recorded a looking strikeout to start the bottom of the eighth, ending his day on a high note. Josh Spencer (Woodinville, Wash. / Woodinville [Tacoma]) took over on the mound, retiring back-to-back batters in his Valpo debut.

Little Rock led 6-3 after eight, but for the second time this season, Valpo put together some ninth-inning magic. A single, a hit batter and a walk caused a pitching change, then a fielder’s choice bouncer by Kyle Schmack (Wanatah, Ind. / South Central) made it 6-4. Renfro came through with a clutch two-run single to tie the game before crossing the dish himself as Jake Skrine (Longmont, Colo. / Mead [Indiana]) tattooed a double high off the left-field fence to put Valpo ahead 7-6.

Valpo inserted Bobby Nowak (Cedar Lake, Ind. / Hanover Central [Kankakee]) for the bottom of the ninth and he struck out the side to nail down the save.

Inside the Game – Game 1

McCluskey logged four innings and allowed three runs on four hits with three of the hits leaving the yard. He struck out five and did not issue any walks. This marked the first time in McCluskey’s career that he started and allowed no walks and the first time he logged more than 1 1/3 innings and kept the walk total to zero.

Tucker, Renfro and Alex Thurston (Fowler, Ind. / Benton Central) each had multiple hits. Renfro led the way with three hits and reached base four times. 

Valpo outhit Little Rock 12-8, but had to overcome a Little Rock advantage in the extra-base hit department. Six of the eight hits by the Trojans went for extra bases including four home runs, while 10 of Valpo’s 12 knocks were singles.

Valpo pitching registered 12 strikeouts, the third time this season the Beacon arms have fanned double figures.

The Beacon bats produced a dozen hits, their fourth straight game with 12 hits or more.

Valpo extended its winning streak to four, the team’s longest since Feb. 20 to March 4 last season, a stretch that included wins over Memphis, Alabama A&M and Omaha.

Valpo improved to 5-2 on the season, the team’s best record through seven games since 1997.

Nowak nailed down the save, the ninth of his Valpo career. That allowed him to climb into a tie for eighth in program history with Adam Paetznick (2001-2004).

Valpo earned its second win of the season when trailing after eight innings, the second straight game in which they’ve trailed after eight innings that they have won.

Prior to the rally last Saturday, Feb. 25 at UT Martin, the last time Valpo trailed through eight and prevailed was May 10, 2019 vs. Southern Illinois, a 5-4, 14-inning win. Valpo had lost 66 straight games when trailing after eight before winning back-to-back games under those circumstances.

Prior to this season, Valpo had not won multiple games when trailing through eight innings in the same season since 2012, when they won three such games. Now, the Beacons have boasted multiple ninth-inning rallies that produced victories in the first seven games of the year.

Valpo also improved to 2-0 in one-run games.

How It Happened – Game 2

Valpo grabbed the early lead for the second straight game as Skrine flied out to the warning track in deep right center with the bases loaded in the first, allowing Tucker to tag and score.

Little Rock scratched a run on a two-out single in the bottom of the second to tie the game at one.

The Beacons wrestled the lead right back in the third as Skrine drove in his second run of the day, this time grounding one through the left side for a two-out tally.

Skrine made it a three-RBI game in the fifth with a fielder’s choice bouncer to plate a run and increase the lead to 3-1.

Little Rock got a run back with a string of three straight singles in the fifth, but an inning-ending double play extinguished the rally and kept Valpo ahead 3-2.

Little Rock’s Baumbach hit his third home run of the day and first of the second game in the bottom of the sixth, leveling the score at three.

Valpo produced the go-ahead run in the seventh when Schmack stole second and a run scored as the throw went down to second. Skrine continued his big day with a run-scoring single to make it 5-3, then Maka unloaded a three-run homer to up the edge to 8-3.

Valpo went to the bullpen in the bottom of the seventh, when Nathan Chasey bounced back from a leadoff walk by striking out three straight.

Valpo added a run in the eighth, and Chasey slammed the door with three scoreless innings to earn the three-inning save.

Inside the Game – Game 2

Valpo notched its fifth straight win, the team’s longest winning streak since recording six straight from May 15-25, 2016. That stretch featured wins over Oakland, Youngstown State and Northern Kentucky.

The Beacons improved to 6-2, their best record through eight games since 1985, when they also won six of the first eight, and eventually seven of the first nine.

Lockwood logged six innings, allowing three runs on six hits while walking one to earn the victory and improve to 2-0 on the season. Chasey’s save was the second of his career.

Maka drilled his second home run of the season and the seventh of his career.

Hannahs, Schmack and Skrine all had multiple hits. Skrine became the fourth different Beacon with a four-RBI game this season. He had five productive plate appearances, going 3-for-4 with a sacrifice fly. He drove in a run in each of his first four plate appearances before singling to lead off the ninth.

This represented Valpo’s first doubleheader sweep since March 25, 2022 vs. St. Bonaventure.

Valpo collected 10 hits, the team’s fifth straight game with double figures in the hit column.

The Beacons have scored in the first inning in four of their six wins including both games on Saturday. Valpo is 6-0 when scoring first and 4-0 when scoring in the opening frame.

Up Next

Valpo (6-2) and Little Rock will close the three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Little Rock.

VALPO SB

SEEING DOUBLE: SOFTBALL PICKS UP PAIR OF WINS SATURDAY

It might have taken one more day than expected to get this weekend’s action from Louisville underway, but the Valpo softball team made sure it was well worth the wait on Saturday as the Beacons opened the weekend with a pair of victories, defeating host Bellarmine, 6-2, before edging Eastern Illinois, 2-1.

How It Happened – Bellarmine

The host Knights were on the front foot early on, connecting for a solo homer in the bottom of the first and a two-out RBI single for an unearned run in the second to take a 2-0 lead.

Valpo came right back and started chipping away at the deficit in the third. Freshman Lexi Szostak (Roselle, Ill./Lake Park) connected on a one-out double and eventually scored on a Bellarmine error to cut the Knights’ advantage in half.

The Beacons evened the scoreline in the top of the fourth. Junior Emily Crompton (Salem, Ill./Christ Our Rock Lutheran) worked a full-count walk, fouling off three two-strike pitches, to lead off the inning, moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced 60 feet closer to scoring on a single from freshman Kim Rodas (San Bernadino, Calif./Cajon). Crompton completed the journey around the bases, tying the game at 2-2 as she scampered home on a bunt single by junior Alexis Johnson (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central).

The first three batters of the fifth inning proved the decisive stretch of the ballgame. Junior Regi Hecker (Lee’s Summit, Mo./Blue Springs South) led off the frame with a two-strike single and junior Kayla Skapyak (Macomb, Mich./Dakota) followed with an infield single. Senior Lauren Kehlenbrink (Ballwin, Mo./Parkway South) stepped up, watched the first four pitches go by to work a 3-1 count and then drilled the fifth pitch of the at-bat deep to left for a three-run homer to give Valpo a 5-2 lead.

The Beacons got an insurance run in the top of the sixth, as Szostak led off with her second double of the game and came around to score on a pinch-hit RBI single from sophomore Kaiah Fenters (Speedway, Ind./Speedway).

While the offense delivered the six consecutive runs, junior Caitlyn Kowalski (Temperance, Mich./Notre Dame Academy) took care of work in the circle. Kowalski entered in the bottom of the fourth after Valpo tied the game and threw four hitless innings, not allowing a single Bellarmine runner past first base.

How It Happened – EIU

Eastern Illinois jumped on top with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the first

The Beacons responded immediately in the top of the second with back-to-back one-out doubles. Fifth-year Taylor Herschbach (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) delivered the first two-bagger and scored on the second double, this one off the bat of Rodas to tie the game.

The Panthers got a leadoff double in their half of the second, but the Beacons stranded that runner on third — which proved to be critical as the game played out.

Again, it was a two-bagger which got things started in the top of the third for Valpo, as Hecker doubled with one out. Two batters later, Kehlenbrink knocked a single into center field to bring Hecker around to score and give Valpo the 2-1 lead.

With a one-run edge, the combination of senior Easton Seib (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs South) and Kowalski got the job done in the circle. Handed the advantage, Seib did not allow a runner past first base from the third through the fifth innings.

Kowalski entered in the sixth, where a baserunner on a two-out error was erased by Kehlenbrink catching her trying to steal. EIU opened the seventh with a single and a sacrifice bunt to move the potential tying run into scoring position, but Kowalski recorded a big strikeout for out two and then induced an easy fly ball for the final out.

Inside the Games

Valpo outhit both of its opponents in Saturday’s pair of victories, holding an 11-2 advantage in the hits department versus Bellarmine and 8-7 against Eastern Illinois. The 11 hits against the host Knights were a season best for the Beacons.

Kehlenbrink went 3-for-7 over the two games and had the big blow with her 3-run homer in the win over Bellarmine. The home run was the eighth of her career.

Szostak registered a pair of doubles and scored two runs in the opening win. Her two doubles in a single game has been bested just once in program history.

Rodas also picked up a pair of hits against Bellarmine, while the trio of Hecker, Herschbach and Johnson all reached base twice with a hit and a walk in the win over the Knights.

Hecker continued on to go 3-for-4 with a run scored out of the leadoff spot in the win over EIU, her third career three-hit game.

Herschbach also posted a multi-hit game in Valpo’s nightcap, going 2-for-3 with a run scored in the win over the Panthers. The veteran did have her consecutive stolen base streak broken on Saturday at 14, as she was caught stealing against Bellarmine for the first time since March 7, 2020.

In the circle, Seib started and surrendered just two hits and one earned run in the first three innings against Bellarmine before giving way to Kowalski, who threw four no-hit innings with eight strikeouts to pick up the victory.

For Kowalski, it was her second career outing of at least four innings of relief work without giving up a hit, while the eight strikeouts tied for the second-most of her career.

Against Eastern Illinois, Seib again received the starting assignment and scattered six hits over the first five innings to earn the win.

Kowalski recorded her first career save as she closed out the victory over the Panthers with two innings of work.

Next Up

Valpo (3-9) looks to keep the wins coming on Sunday as the Beacons rematch with both opponents — Eastern Illinois at 12:30 p.m. CT and Bellarmine at 3 p.m. CT. Start time for the opening game could be pushed back, as EIU and Bellarmine have to conclude their game from Saturday — halted by darkness mid-seventh inning with the score tied — before playing their first full game of the day Sunday prior to Valpo taking the field.

VALPO WBB

3-POINT BARRAGE COMES UP JUST SHORT AGAINST BELMONT ON SENIOR DAY

Using one of the most prolific 3-point shooting games in program history, the Valpo women’s basketball team nearly took down MVC co-regular season champion Belmont at the ARC Saturday afternoon, but the visiting Bruins edged ahead late to earn a 70-67 victory over the Beacons. Valpo celebrated Senior Day on Saturday, honoring Ilysse Pitts (Aurora, Ill./Montini Catholic) and Maya Dunson (Dayton, Ohio/Wayne [Loyola]) as they played the final home game of their collegiate careers.

How It Happened

Sophomore Olivia Sims (Toledo, Ohio/Notre Dame Academy [Oakland]) set the tone early on, hitting a pair of 3-pointers as she scored eight points in the first 4:19 of the game. Redshirt junior Emma Tecca (Tallmadge, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban [Akron]) also connected on a triple in the opening stretch as Valpo took an early 11-4 lead.

Belmont scored six in a row to move within one point, but the Beacons ended the quarter by scoring 12 out of 16 points in the last three minutes of the period. Pitts and senior Olivia Brown (East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids [St. Bonaventure]) both hit 3-pointers in that span, while freshman Ali Saunders (Depauw, Ind./North Harrison) hit consecutive shots from deep on Valpo’s last two possessions of the quarter to put the Beacons ahead 23-14 at the end of the period.

After hitting seven 3-pointers and zero 2-pointers as a team in the opening quarter, the Beacons got a pair of early drives and finishes from Brown to start off the second period, and when Saunders hit again from downtown, Belmont was forced to use a timeout with 7:40 to play in the first half, trailing 30-17.

Valpo was able to score just four points the remainder of the opening half as the Bruins went on a 13-4 run following their stoppage to cut the Beacon edge to 34-30 at intermission.

It was a third quarter of back-and-forth stretches. Dunson and Pitts knocked down 3-pointers in the first 2:32 of the second half to help push the lead back up to eight points, but the Bruins cut the lead back down to two with 3:28 to play in the quarter.

A second-chance basket from junior Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) and a 3-pointer by Brown bumped the lead right back to seven points at 47-40 with 2:38 to play in the period. Belmont scored the final six points of the quarter, however, to close to within 47-46 with 10 minutes to play.

Destinee Wells scored for Belmont on its first possession of the fourth quarter, giving the Bruins their first lead since early in the first quarter and setting the stage for a fourth quarter which eventually featured seven lead changes and four ties.

Belmont held a 51-49 lead, but Saunders scored four straight points in the span of 38 seconds to put Valpo in front, 53-51, with 7:06 to play.

The Bruins scored the next five points to regain the lead before Earnest hit a triple with 5:01 remaining to tie the game. Two possessions later, Brown hit from deep once again, giving Valpo a 61-60 lead with 3:34 to play.

Wells scored back-to-back baskets for Belmont, but again, Brown was up to the challenge, knocking down yet another 3-pointer with 1:46 to play to tie the game at 64-64.

Wells followed with another bucket for the Bruins, one which turned out to give them the lead for good, with 1:24 to play. Following turnovers on both sides, Valpo missed a 3-point attempt which would have regained the lead and the Beacons were forced to foul, trailing by two with the shot clock off.

Wells capped a 20-point fourth quarter with a pair of free throws, but the Beacons weren’t done yet, as Brown drained another 3-pointer with 16.0 seconds remaining to bring Valpo within 68-67. After a Valpo foul, though, Bradley hit two more free throws and the Beacons’ last-second 3-point attempt to tie the game was off the mark.

Inside the Game

Valpo went 15-of-32 from 3-point range, easily a season high for 3-pointers made and its second-best 3-point percentage (46.9%) of the year.

The 15 triples are tied for fourth-most in a single game in program history.

It was the first time Valpo hit 15-plus triples in a game since connecting on 15 3’s on Feb. 27, 2021 at Southern Illinois.

Brown led the attack from downtown, hitting 5-of-8 from 3-point range on her way to a team-best 19 points. The senior went 11-of-16 from deep in Valpo’s pair of games against Belmont this season.

All seven Beacons who attempted a triple connected at least once from deep. Saunders was next up, as she went 3-of-6 from 3-point range on her way to 13 points. The freshman also tied her season high with a game-best six assists.

Sims hit on both her 3-point attempts as she finished with eight points.

Pitts was good on a pair of 3-pointers as well for six points. Celebrating her Senior Day and taking the court in the Brown and Gold for the 110th time, Pitts also tallied six rebounds and handed out four assists before fouling out late.

Dunson matched a pair of career highs in her final appearance at the ARC, posting seven rebounds and three assists to go with seven points.

Earnest narrowly missed out on her ninth double-double of the campaign, finishing with nine points and a game-best nine rebounds.

Led by Earnest, Duncan and Pitts, the Beacons outrebounded the Bruins on Saturday, 30-29. This comes after Belmont held a +9 advantage on the glass in the first meeting of the season.

Pitts’ and Saunders’ distribution of the basketball helped Valpo record a season-high 20 assists on 24 made baskets.

Wells scored 26 of her game-high 31 points after halftime for Belmont, which narrowly outshot Valpo from the field, 43.1%-42.9%. The Bruins, who entered the game 68.8% foul shooters on the season, were 22-of-25 (88.0%) from the foul line versus Valpo’s 4-of-6 afternoon at the charity stripe. The 19-attempt differential at the foul line was a season worst for the Beacons.

INDIANAPOLIS MTENNIS

GREYHOUNDS DOMINATE IN-REGION WAYNE STATE ON SATURDAY

INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 7 UIndy men’s tennis team picked up a huge in-region victory on Saturday evening, earning a 7-0 decision against fifth-ranked Wayne State at the UIndy Tennis Center.

Five of the Hounds’ singles players swept their respective match, while each doubles squad started the scoring with 6-3 victories across the board.

INS AND OUTS

The dominant UIndy doubles team of August Ehrnrooth and Louis Picaud was the first Greyhound unit to finish, winning the first of three consecutive decisions by the home team. All three pairings concluded within six minutes of one another, as Edgar Destouet and Tom Zeuch ended nearly 60 seconds before Jason Gerweck and Nikolaj Talimaa to move to 14-0 in dual competition.

It was Erhnrooth who snagged the first singles points for the Hounds, claiming a 6-0, 7-5 win at the No. 6 position. Not far behind was Thomas Mathis at No. 5, earning a 7-5, 6-1 win to retain his perfect record in singles play this season.

Picaud (6-4, 6-4) officially gave UIndy the win at the No. 3 slot, while Zeuch (6-4, 6-2) was next in line at No. 2 with the victory.

Talimaa was the lone Greyhound to go three sets, but the senior from Switzerland powered through with a 7-6 win in the finale. Destouet, at UIndy’s No. 1, capped off the evening with a 6-4, 7-5 triumph in the top solo position.

MORE NOTES

The Greyhounds are now 2-0 this spring against Warriors, last winning 4-2 in the ITA Indoor semifinals … Destouet and Zeuch won their third match over WSU’s No. 1 double pairing this season.

UP NEXT

The seventh-ranked Hounds head to state of Florida for three matches from March 14-19. UIndy battles Case Western on Tuesday, March 14, in Orlando to open its spring break trip.

INDIANAPOLIS WLAX

#7 WOMEN’S LACROSSE TAKES DOWN #2 TAMPA IN CROWN LACROSSE CLASSIC

CHARLOTTE, N.C.– The No. 7 UIndy women’s lacrosse team took down the No. 2-ranked Tampa Spartans on Saturday by a final of 12-11 in Charlotte, N.C., at the 2023 Crown Lacrosse Classic.

With the win, the Hounds jump up to 6-0 on the season and have now won their last 23 games dating back to last season.

In total, seven different players for UIndy had one or more point in the contest. The duo of Anna Ziemba and Joey Fowler led the squad on offense with three points each. On defense, Delaney Stahrr matched her career high with four caused turnovers while goalkeeper Audrey Moran matched her career high with nine saves in the net to pick up the winning decision. Kara Antonucci managed four draw controls to lead the Hounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Hounds netted two goals within the first three minutes of the game and then tacked on two more unanswered from the sticks of Fowler and Quinn Malcolm to take an early 4-0 advantage over the Spartans. However, Tampa came roaring back towards the end of the opening quarter with four unanswered goals of its own to make the contest all square. Despite the shift in momentum, a big second quarter from UIndy saw the team produce four goals while holding UT to just one in return as the Hounds led 8-5 at the break.

Both teams netted a pair of goals in the third which kept the Greyhounds with a slim lead going into the final 15 minutes. The fourth was all Tampa, who scored four goals to just two from UIndy. However, up by one with second remaining, Greyhound goalkeeper Moran corralled a clutch save on a Spartan shot which capped off a thrilling victory in the 2023 Crown Lacrosse Classic.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

-Tampa led the game with 28 total shots while UIndy had 26.

-Each team coughed up 12 turnovers in the contest.

-The Hounds scooped up a game-high 18 ground balls. The Spartans had 10.

-The Spartans won the battle in the draw control circle at 17-9.

-Tampa had nine free-positions shots, six of which came in the fourth period.

HOUND BYTES

Head coach Elaine Jones’ initial thoughts on the win…

“What an exciting game and awesome team win! The players had this date circled and marked from day one, and they were prepared mentally and physically to play today. Although we still have some areas to work on as the season moves along, I am really proud of the effort they gave in earning this win today. I specifically like how our freshman really stepped up and contributed in several areas.”

Jones discusses the defensive effort from her team…

“Our defense held multiple times despite being shorthanded. Audrey Moran had a great game protecting the net and came up with a lot of clutch saves to help secure the win.”

UP NEXT

The Hounds will be back in action next Sunday, March 12, up in Allendale, Mich., for a battle against No. 10 Grand Valley State. The contest is set to begin at 12 p.m. ET.

INDIANAPOLIS WBB

#2 PANTHERS END HOUNDS SEASON AT GLVC TOURNEY

ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The University of Indianapolis women’s basketball team fell in the semifinals of the GLVC Championship Tournament to the No. 2-ranked and top-seeded Drury Panthers (28-1) by a score of 105-69. The Greyhounds finished the first season of the Marc Mitchell era with a 18-12 record and a 13-8 conference mark. The season marks the most wins by the UIndy women’s basketball team since the 19-20 season.

UIndy shot 42.9 percent from the field in the contest, while Patricia Chikamba led the Hounds in scoring with a career-high 15 points on 3-of-5 shooting and a 9-of-10 split from the charity stripe. Lauren With was only other Greyhound in double figures, amassing 10 points and a team-leading four rebounds.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– In her final contest as a Hound, Hill went a perfect 3-of-3 from the field for six points.

– Despite the deficit, the defensive effort by the UIndy bigs was evident, recording seven blocks.

– The free-throw line was kind to the Hounds, as the team shot 24 for 29 (82.7 percent).  

HOUND BYTES

Head coach Mitchell on the team, Schiedt and Hill…

“I’m just really proud of our young women… those two young women (Mya Schiedt and Sadie Hill) mean everything to this program, I came in here, new, didn’t know anyone, their leadership really helped us inside the locker room and on the court. They have two different leadership styles, but both were needed. They really helped me through my first season.”

SENIOR CLASS

The Greyhounds graduate a pair of seniors in Mya Scheidt and Sadie Hill. Scheidt ends her five-year career with the Hounds, being a four-time Academic All-GLVC honoree as well as a team captain her senior season after playing in 95 games. She leaves having scored 496 points with 222 assists and 69 steals.

Hill leaves after a three-year Hounds stint, earning second team All-GLVC honors her senior season. She averaged double-digit figures all three seasons with UIndy, including a career-best 14.7 points per game this winter. She was also a menace on the boards all season, grabbing 7.2 boards a game.

MARIAN TRACK

OLEKSAK AND NORWOOD HIGHLIGHT THE FINAL DAY AT THE NAIA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Brookings, S.D. – The Marian women’s track and field team completed their run at the NAIA Track and Field National Championships on Saturday evening, coming out of three-day event as the team finished eighth in the NAIA. On the final day, the Knights captured three NAIA All-American honors, as Erin Oleksak finished fifth in both the 60m hurdles and high jump, while Jai-Lyn Norwood finished eighth in the triple jump.

Erin Oleksak shined on the national stage, competing in two events on the final day. Oleksak started her day on the track where she earned her first All-American honor of the day by finishing fifth in the 60m hurdles. Oleksak set a new program record by clocking in a time of 8.49. In the high jump, Oleksak finished in fourth. Oleksak passed the bar on her first attempts at 1.59m and 1.64m. On the next height, competitors started to fall as the height moved up to 1.67m, while Oleksak cleared the height. At 1.70m, the run for the senior came to an end, as she failed to clear the height. The finish gave her the fifth-place spot, earning her third NAIA All-American honor of the weekend.

Marian got another NAIA All-American performance from Jai-Lyn Norwood in the triple jump, as she finished eighth in the event. Norwood started her day with a 12.06m jump before having her best jump of the day with a leap of 12.10m. Norwood’s jump not only was a personal best for her, but set a new program record held previously by Norwood at 11.85m.

Competing for Marian in the shot put was Arriana Benjamin, as she finished in 12th. Benjamin threw her best throw of the day on her first attempt, throwing 13.57m to grant her a top-12 spot. Shirmara Anderson also competed in the triple jump with Norwood, but was unable to make it into the finals. Anderson finished 33rd after hitting 10.62m on her only successful jump.

Marian will begin their outdoor season later this month as they move into the next part of the season.

MARIAN EARNS FIVE ALL-AMERICAN HONORS ON FINAL DAY AT NAIA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Brookings, S.D. – The Marian men’s track and field team completed their run at the NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships on Saturday evening, earning nine NAIA All-American honors to close out the weekend. Maksims Sincukovs, Drew Thornton, Jacob Netral, Christian Rios, and the 4x400m relay team highlighted the final day as each earned All-American honors.

Marian finished the NAIA Championships in sixth place in the NAIA.

Maksims Sincukovs was the first podium finish for the Knights as he placed fifth with a time of 1:19.85. Sincukovs posted a new school record with his time in the event. In his final race of the indoor season, Drew Thornton finished fourth in the 800m finals. Thornton clocked a time of 1:52.32 to claim his second career individual All-American honor in the event, and second overall of the week.

Also earning NAIA All-American honors were Jacob Netral and Christian Rios in the shot put. Netral led Marian in the shot put, throwing 16.69m and posting his best throw on his final throw of the day to help him place fourth and earn the All-American honor. Rios saw his best throw of the day in the finals as he threw 16.39m to place sixth and claim his first All-American honor of his career.

The 4x400m relay team finished off the final day strong, as they earned All-American honors. Marian’s group of Matthew Riehle, Maksim Sincukovs, Eli Givens, and Olivier Lifrange clocked a time of 3:16.21 in the finals to finish in fifth place and garner NAIA All-American status.

Competing for Marian in the triple jump was Chase Maxey and Eli Felton, with Maxey posting the team’s top finish in 24th place. Maxey hit 13.67m in his first jump, granting him the top-25 spot. Felton finished right behind his teammate as he claimed 25th with a jump of 13.62m.

Marian will begin their outdoor season later this month as they move into the next part of the season.

MARIAN WRESTLING

MARIAN PLACES TOP-10 AT NAIA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Wichita, Kan. – The Marian wrestling team completed their 2023 NAIA National Championship experience on Saturday afternoon, as Blake Mulkey, Jack Servies, and Asa Garcia finished their tournaments as NAIA All-Americans to tie Marian’s program record for honors in a single tournament. Mulkey headlined the trio finishing fourth, while Servies and Garcia each finished sixth.

Blake Mulkey entered the day with a 2-0 record, wrestling in the 133 weight class semifinals. Mulkey put up a fight against the top-ranked Carson Taylor of Grand View, scoring the first points of the match with a takedown. Taylor would pull ahead as the first period went on, however an escape for Mulkey tied the bout at 3-3 before the expiration of the three minute period. Mulkey would score an escape point in the first minute of the second period, however it would be his last scoring of the match, with Taylor scoring a takedown and an escape to take the match.

The loss dropped Mulkey to the consolation bracket, where he fought back and earned a 3-0 win over Sammy Shires (Cumberland) to get into the third place match. In his final collegiate match, Mulkey forced overtime for the second time of the weekend as he wrestled Southern Oregon’s Evan Potter, but came up short with Potter taking a 3-1 sudden victory. Mulkey finished the tournament in fourth place to earn his second career NAIA All-American, joining his teammate Servies as the lone members in program history with two All-American honors. Mulkey ended the tournament with a 3-2 record.

Jack Serives took his 2-0 record up against Owen Braungardt of Grand View in the semifinals, but was overpowered the Viking scored a 12-2 major decision win. In his loss to Braungardt, Servies suffered an injury that prevented him from wrestling further in the tournament, taking two medical forfeits to settle for sixth place. Servies’ sixth place NAIA All-American honor is his second of his career, joining Mulkey as the lone Knights with the distinction.

Asa Garcia began his day in the consolation bracket, wrestling Chasen Brown of the Cumberlands. In the match, Garcia scored a clutch 6-5 win by decision, coming from behind 5-0 to take the win in the final minute of his bout with a near fall at the buzzer sealing the win. Garcia squared off against No. 6 Patrick Gould of Keiser in his next round, but was unable to score a win to move to third place match, losing by fall at 2:03. In the fifth place match, Garcia fell shot to Cade Manion of Oklahoma City, dropping a 5-2 decision to finish sixth in the NAIA. Garcia’s NAIA All-American honor is his first career, as he helps tie the program record with the third All-American of the weekend.

Marian scored 52.5 total team points, finishing in the top-10 of the NAIA Tournament field. The Knights placed as the second team from the WHAC, with Indiana Tech placing in the top-five. Grand View won the NAIA Championships, with Life placing as the national runner-up.

SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:

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

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

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

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

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

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

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

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

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

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/

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

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

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

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

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

SPORTS EXTRA

NBA STANDINGS

Eastern Conference
	W	L	Pct	Conf GB	Home	Road	Div	Conf	Last 10	Streak
1 Milwaukee	45	18	.714	—	27-6	18-12	8-4	26-14	9-1	1 L
2 Boston	45	19	.703	0.5	25-8	20-11	9-3	28-14	7-3	1 L
3 Philadelphia	41	22	.651	4.0	24-10	17-12	7-6	24-15	7-3	1 W
4 Cleveland	40	26	.606	6.5	27-7	13-19	12-3	24-13	6-4	1 W
5 New York	38	27	.585	8.0	19-15	19-12	7-8	27-16	9-1	8 W
6 Brooklyn	35	28	.556	10.0	18-12	17-16	7-8	25-17	3-7	1 W
7 Miami	34	31	.523	12.0	20-12	14-19	8-4	17-21	4-6	1 W
8 Atlanta	32	32	.500	13.5	18-13	14-19	5-7	19-21	5-5	1 L
9 Toronto	32	33	.492	14.0	20-13	12-20	4-9	20-21	7-3	1 W
10 Washington	30	33	.476	15.0	15-14	15-19	7-3	17-20	6-4	1 L
11 Chicago	29	35	.453	16.5	18-14	11-21	6-7	23-21	3-7	1 L
12 Indiana	28	36	.438	17.5	18-15	10-21	4-5	19-18	3-7	1 L
13 Orlando	27	37	.422	18.5	15-16	12-21	4-8	14-27	5-5	1 W
14 Charlotte	20	45	.308	26.0	11-20	9-25	7-9	11-30	5-5	2 L
15 Detroit	15	49	.234	30.5	8-23	7-26	0-11	6-32	1-9	7 L
Western Conference
	W	L	Pct	Conf GB	Home	Road	Div	Conf	Last 10	Streak
1 Denver	45	19	.703	—	29-4	16-15	10-5	32-12	8-2	3 W
2 Memphis	38	24	.613	6.0	26-5	12-19	7-2	20-17	6-4	1 L
3 Sacramento	37	26	.587	7.5	19-13	18-13	7-6	25-14	7-3	1 L
4 Phoenix	35	29	.547	10.0	21-10	14-19	9-1	22-15	7-3	2 W
5 Golden State	34	30	.531	11.0	27-7	7-23	5-7	22-15	6-4	5 W
6 Dallas	33	31	.516	12.0	21-12	12-19	8-2	24-17	5-5	1 W
7 Minnesota	34	32	.515	12.0	20-14	14-18	8-7	25-20	5-5	3 W
8 LA Clippers	33	33	.500	13.0	15-15	18-18	6-7	19-21	3-7	5 L
9 Utah	31	33	.484	14.0	20-13	11-20	5-7	21-20	4-6	2 L
10 New Orleans	31	33	.484	14.0	20-11	11-22	7-4	20-16	4-6	1 L
11 LA Lakers	30	34	.469	15.0	15-15	15-19	3-9	17-22	5-5	1 L
12 Oklahoma City	29	34	.460	15.5	18-15	11-19	6-7	16-22	4-6	1 W
13 Portland	29	34	.460	15.5	17-15	12-19	5-8	21-19	3-7	3 L
14 San Antonio	16	48	.250	29.0	10-22	6-26	2-9	6-33	2-8	1 L
15 Houston	14	49	.222	30.5	8-22	6-27	2-9	8-35	1-9	1 W

Eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs. 

X – Clinched Playoff Spot,  Y – Clinched Division,  Z – Clinched Conference

NHL STANDINGS

Eastern Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Boston Bruins	62	49	8	5	103	47	237	132	26-2-3	23-6-2	10-0-0
2 Carolina Hurricanes	60	40	12	8	88	37	206	155	21-7-2	19-5-6	7-3-0
3 New Jersey Devils	61	40	15	6	86	39	218	166	18-11-2	22-4-4	6-2-2
4 Toronto Maple Leafs	63	38	17	8	84	38	212	168	23-6-4	15-11-4	6-4-0
5 Tampa Bay Lightning	62	37	20	5	79	35	220	190	22-5-4	15-15-1	3-4-3
6 New York Rangers	63	35	19	9	79	32	209	179	17-11-4	18-8-5	4-5-1
7 New York Islanders	65	32	25	8	72	32	188	177	19-11-3	13-14-5	5-2-3
8 Pittsburgh Penguins	62	31	22	9	71	30	201	199	16-9-4	15-13-5	5-5-0
9 Buffalo Sabres	61	32	25	4	68	31	229	218	13-16-2	19-9-2	6-4-0
10 Ottawa Senators	62	32	26	4	68	30	199	193	19-12-2	13-14-2	7-2-1
11 Florida Panthers	64	31	27	6	68	29	219	217	17-10-3	14-17-3	5-5-0
12 Washington Capitals	64	31	27	6	68	30	199	192	15-13-3	16-14-3	3-7-0
13 Detroit Red Wings	62	28	25	9	65	26	187	205	15-12-4	13-13-5	4-5-1
14 Philadelphia Flyers	62	23	28	11	57	22	163	205	11-15-4	12-13-7	2-6-2
15 Montreal Canadiens	62	26	32	4	56	22	170	221	14-15-1	12-17-3	5-5-0
16 Columbus Blue Jackets	63	20	37	6	46	19	163	234	13-19-2	7-18-4	4-4-2
Western Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Dallas Stars	63	34	16	13	81	31	211	166	17-8-8	17-8-5	4-3-3
2 Vegas Golden Knights	62	37	19	6	80	33	199	174	20-13-1	17-6-5	7-1-2
3 Los Angeles Kings	64	36	20	8	80	30	218	215	19-9-2	17-11-6	7-2-1
4 Minnesota Wild	63	36	21	6	78	29	182	168	21-10-2	15-11-4	8-1-1
5 Seattle Kraken	62	35	21	6	76	35	217	198	15-12-3	20-9-3	6-3-1
6 Winnipeg Jets	63	36	25	2	74	35	197	176	21-10-1	15-15-1	3-6-1
7 Edmonton Oilers	64	34	22	8	76	34	248	216	16-12-5	18-10-3	4-3-3
8 Colorado Avalanche	60	34	21	5	73	30	193	171	16-10-4	18-11-1	7-2-1
9 Nashville Predators	60	31	23	6	68	28	175	176	16-11-3	15-12-3	6-4-0
10 Calgary Flames	63	27	23	13	67	26	194	196	15-13-3	12-10-10	2-5-3
11 St. Louis Blues	62	27	30	5	59	24	191	227	13-14-4	14-16-1	3-5-2
12 Vancouver Canucks	62	25	32	5	55	22	209	243	12-17-1	13-15-4	4-5-1
13 Arizona Coyotes	62	21	32	9	51	18	167	222	14-11-2	7-21-7	4-4-2
14 Anaheim Ducks	63	21	34	8	50	18	161	257	11-16-2	10-18-6	4-4-2
15 San Jose Sharks	63	18	33	12	48	17	186	240	6-18-8	12-15-4	2-7-1
16 Chicago Blackhawks	62	21	36	5	47	19	153	225	12-18-3	9-18-2	5-5-0

Last updated Mar. 5, 1:40 ET

Eight teams in each conference qualify for the divisional playoff format.  The top three teams from each division make up the first six spots.   The two remaining teams with the highest points, regardless of division, qualify for the final two wild card spots.  

X – Clinched Playoff Spot, Y – Clinched Division, Z – Clinched Conference

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

1922       Babe Ruth and the Yankees agree to a three-year contract worth $52,000 annually, breaking down to $1,000 for each of the 156 weeks of the deal, more than three times as much as teammate Home Run Baker, the second-best paid major leaguer. The ‘Sultan of Swat’ will prove worthy of his contract, hitting 122 home runs and earning MVP honors in the team’s first World Championship season in 1923.

1936       Without the holdout Dean brothers, Dizzy and Daffy, available, the Cardinals lose an exhibition game to Habana at Havana’s Tropical Park. Luis Tiant Sr., the dad of a future major league pitcher, is the starting pitcher for the Cuban winter league team.

1958       Duke Snider, Johnny Podres, and Don Zimmer, trying to beat a 12:30 am curfew, suffer minor injuries in an auto mishap in Vero Beach. With prior crashes involving Roy Campanella and Jim Gilliam, the car accident involves Dodger players for the third time within the last two months.

1962       Gene Freese suffers a severely fractured ankle in the team’s first intrasquad game, keeping the Reds’ third baseman out of action until mid-August. The 28-year-old infielder, who played an essential role in Cincinnati’s National League championship last season, will never regain the form he displayed during the pennant drive.

1964       Atlanta’s Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. claims to have a verbal agreement with a major league team that promises to move to the Peach State if a stadium is ready by next year. The next day the Board of Alderman approves a $15-million stadium.

1966       Marvin Miller, an assistant to the President of United Steelworkers, is elected as the first full-time executive director of the Major League Players’ Association by the player representatives. The skilled negotiator, who will lead the MLBPA from 1966 to 1982, transforms the organization into one of the country’s strongest unions.

1972       Jim Fregosi, obtained by the Mets from the Angels in the off-season for future Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, breaks his right thumb during a spring training workout. The All-Star infielder will suffer through an agonizing season, batting only .232 in 101 games after being touted as the team’s solution to its revolving door at third base.

1973       “We may have to call off family day.” – LEE McPHAIL, Yankees GM jesting about two players swapping their wives and children. Yankee southpaws Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich announce that they have traded families, including their wives, kids, and dogs. The teammates’ swap that began last Fall will work better for Peterson, who will become married to his best friend’s former wife with whom he will have four children than it does for Kekich, whose relationship with Marilyn Peterson is short-lived.

1982       Gaylord Perry signs a one-year deal with Seattle, needing three wins to reach 300 career victories. The 43-year-old ‘Ancient Mariner’ will reach the milestone in May when he goes the distance to beat New York at the Kingdome, 7-3, en route to finishing his 22-year career next season with a 314-265 (.542) won-loss record.

1986       The Braves and Brewers swap backstops with Atlanta acquiring Ted Simmons from Milwaukee in exchange for Rick Cerone and a pair of minor leaguers, David Clay and Flavio Alfaro. The offensively talented Simmons will spend three years with his new club before retiring after the 1988 season with a lifetime .285 batting average.

2002       When dismissed by the Red Sox, Joe Kerrigan becomes the fourth manager fired during spring training. The team’s former pitching coach, who led the club to a 17-26 record after taking over for Jimy Williams last August, had signed a multi-year contract to be Boston’s field boss with then-GM Dan Duquette but was not favored by the new ownership that took control last month.

2003       Although not agreeing to ban ephedra, a memo is sent to all major leaguers by the players’ union strongly recommending players “be extremely reluctant to use any products” containing the substance. The diet supplement, available without a prescription, has been linked to Orioles’ pitcher Steve Belcher’s death during spring training.

2005       A new ownership group, headed by real estate tycoon Lewis N. Wolff and businessman John J. Fisher, takes control of the A’s after purchasing the franchise from Steve Schott and Ken Hoffman. Oakland’s four-year playoff streak, fueled by Billy Beane’s “Moneyball” approach, had come to an end in 2004, and the former owners were anxious to sell the club they bought from the estate of Walter A. Haas, Jr. in 1995.

BASEBALL’S BEST

GROVER ALEXANDER BIOGRAPHY

It seems strange that one can look back at a Hall of Fame pitcher’s career that includes three-hundred seventy-three wins and still come away with a thought of what if? Yet, such is the case when one looks back at the career of Grover Cleveland Alexander. Despite putting up numbers that rivaled the two legendary hurlers of his day, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson, it has often been the opinion of some that Alexander could have done more. It is thought that, due to war service and his battle against personal demons, he lost his chance to surpass his rival’s career win marks and perhaps even eclipse Cy Young’s all-time victory total of five-hundred eleven.

Born in Elba, Nebraska on February 26, 1887, Alexander developed his strength as a youth husking corn on his father’s farm. Later, while working digging postholes for the phone company, he also played ball on the side and gained notice for his pitching ability . He was signed by Galesburg (Illinois) of the Illinois-Missouri League, and was 15-8 half way through the season when his suffered his first case of misfortune. While running from first to second, Alexander was struck in the head by the shortstop’s throw to first to complete a double play. The blow rendered him unconscious and after recovering he was left with blurred vision. Galesburg, withholding his ailment, sold him to Indianapolis of the American Association who, after finding out about his vision, then shipped him to Syracuse of the New York State League. Finally, over time his vision cleared up and he responded with a fine 29-14 record for Syracuse in 1910.

The National League’s Phillies purchased Alexander in 1911 and he had a remarkable rookie big league season, winning twenty-eight games, striking out two-hundred twenty-seven batters (a National League rookie record that stood for seventy-three years) and topped the loop with seven shutouts. He followed up with seasons of nineteen and twenty-two wins respectively, led the league in strikeouts (one-hundred ninety-five) in 1912, and shutouts again in 1913 with nine. Alexander’s shutout totals were even more impressive because in Philadelphia he pitched in the hitter friendly Baker Bowl. Following a twenty-seven win campaign in 1914, he began a run of three seasons that put him in the class of the contemporary greats of his time, Mathewson and Johnson. From 1915-17 Alexander reeled off three consecutive thirty win seasons (31,33, 30) led the league in ERA with microscopic figures of 1.22, 1.55 and 1.83, and topped the National League (NL) in shutouts (twelve, a still held Major League record sixteen, and eight). He worked tirelessly averaging three-hundred eighty-four innings pitched, while twice pitching two complete games in one day, winning both times. He helped the Phillies reach the World Series in 1915, winning their only game as Philadelphia lost to Boston.

Alexander came at the batter with an easy sidearm motion and excellent control of his fastball and curve. “He looked like he was hardly working at all, like he was throwing batting practice,” is how one teammate described him. Although he was known for an excellent curveball, (Alexander himself once said “The main thing with me is my curves”), Hall of Fame pitcher Burleigh Grimes described his fast ball as “kicking in about three inches on a right-handed batter.” Why then would the Phillies trade a pitcher with so much talent coming off such great seasons? Philadelphia shipped Alexander to the Chicago Cubs before the 1918 season suspecting their star pitcher would join the war effort. Their suspicions proved correct as Alexander shortly after the start of the season joined the Army. During the one year he served he engaged, and was witness to, some heavy combat and he returned home a changed man who became withdrawn. He became an alcoholic and suffered bouts of epilepsy.

Despite his ailments, Alexander remained a fine pitcher and gave the Cubs some fine seasons from 1919-25, winning twenty games twice (twenty-seven in 1920 and twenty-two in 1923), leading the league in ERA twice (1.72 in1919 and 1.91 in 1920), and was the Alex of old — walking just thirty batters in three-hundred five innings pitched in 1923. Halfway through the 1926 season the Cubs (wary of his constant drinking) traded him to the Cardinals. Although his best years were behind him, Alexander pitched well and contributed to St. Louis’ first pennant winning year. That put the aging, ailing Alexander on the big stage in the World Series against the Babe Ruth / Lou Gehrig led Yankees. However, Alex wasn’t one to be intimidated and he twice knotted the Series for the Cardinals winning Game 2 and Game 6. He then took a seat in the St. Louis bullpen thinking full well his Series work was complete, only to soon find out he would be needed, and would end up being associated with one of the most often told World Series stories that is legend to this day.

The Cardinals led Game 7 of the 1926 World Series 3-2, with two out, in the seventh inning when Redbird pitcher Jesse Haines developed a finger blister and walked three straight hitters. St. Louis Manager Rogers Hornsby was forced to make a pitching change and to everyone’s surprise signaled for Grove Cleveland Alexander to come in and face powerful hitting rookie Yankee second baseman Tony Lazzeri. Legend has it the Alex entered the game either recovering from a hangover or simply having been woken up from a bullpen nap. While neither of them has ever been proven true, the record shows Alexander calmly took on the task and was up to it. Surviving a 1-1 pitch mistake (Lazzeri pulled one foul deep down the leftfield line) the crafty veteran snapped off a curveball to fan Tony, strand three runners, and escape danger. Alex then retired the Yankees in order in the eighth and got their first two hitters in the ninth. That left Babe Ruth as the last New York hope. Pitching carefully, Alexander went to a full count on the Babe before just missing and walking him. To everyone’s surprise Ruth tried to steal second and was thrown out making the Cardinals 1926 World Champions.

Alexander had one more twenty win season in him (twenty-one in 1927) and won a respectable sixteen in 1928. The Cardinals released him in 1929, after he went 9-8, and he then returned to the Phillies in 1930 but did not win a game in his last Major League season. He then played some semipro ball, but the drinking and epilepsy had taken its toll and he soon left baseball completely. He finished tied with Christy Mathewson for third in career wins, second to Walter Johnson in all-time shutouts with ninety, led the league in ERA four times, and in strikeouts six seasons. He won the NL Pitching Triple Crown (wins, strikeouts, ERA) three times, and was elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1938. At one point in the 1940’s, he was an attraction at a New York Circus where he would answer patron’s questions about his career, mostly about the famous strikeout of Lazzeri. He returned to Nebraska in 1950 where he died on November 4. In 1953, a film was made about Grover Cleveland Alexander’s life (‘The Winning Team’) and he became a ballplayer not only named for a U.S. President, but one that was portrayed by one, as future Chief Executive Ronald Reagan landed the role.

BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW

YEAR IN REVIEW : 1904 AMERICAN LEAGUE

Off the field…

The first section of the New York Subway system was opened between City Hall and 145th Street. The original system consisted of twenty-eight stations along 9.1 miles of track with the IRT extending to the Bronx in 1905, Brooklyn in 1908 and Queens in 1915. Since then, it has expanded to over two-hundred thirty miles of routes and over four-hundred miles of single track.

In the American League…

On May 11th, Sam Crawford of the Detroit Tigers broke Boston Red Sox ace Cy Young’s consecutive streak of no-hit innings at 24 1/3 (seventy-six batters without a hit) after managing a one-out single en route to a 1-0 victory.

The St. Louis Browns and Detroit Tigers played a doubleheader on September 8, 1904, another doubleheader on the 9th, a third doubleheader on the 10th, then a fourth doubleheader on the 11th! After “only” one game on the 12th, they faced off for a final doubleheader on the 13th, setting a record for the most games played consecutively (11) between two teams in Major League Baseball history.

After pitching a record setting season with forty-one wins and four-hundred fifty-four innings in fifty-five games, New York Highlanders (Yankees) ace Jack Chesbro “crashed and burned” after losing control of a spitball that sailed over his catcher’s head and allowed the American League pennant losing run to score from third.

In the National League…

New York Giants’ Dan McGann stole five bases on May 27th during 3-1 win over the cross-town rival Brooklyn Dodgers. The record stood for seventy years until Davey Lopes of the Los Angeles Dodgers matched the mark in August of 1974. Atlanta Braves outfielder Otis Nixon eventually topped the feat with six steals (against the Montreal Expos) in 1991.

Frank Chance of the Chicago Cubs set a painful Major League mark after being hit four times in one day during a May 30th double header against the Cincinnati Reds. In the first game, “The Peerless Leader ” actually lost consciousness after being tagged in the head by Jack Harper.

In October, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Taylor tossed his thirty-ninth consecutive complete game of the season setting a modern Major League record. The streak started on April 15th and finished with an astounding three-hundred fifty-two innings pitched.

Around the League…

John T. Brush, president of the National League champion New York Giants, refused to play the returning American League champion Boston Americans. He was quoted as stating that he refused to compete with a “representative of the inferior American League”. Surprisingly, Brush regretted the decision and later that year proposed to continue with the series as originally conceived. His about-face spawned the “Brush Rules,” a set of guidelines relating to the on-field play and off-field finances of the World Series, which exists to this day.

FOOTBALL HISTORY

March 5, 1918 – St Louis, Missouri – The awesome Mizzou Halfback Paul Christman celebrated his day of birth. Learn more about his by clicking his name.

March 5, 1921 – Lancaster, Wisconsin – Dave Schreiner the University of Wisconsin end in early 1940s, was born. Schreiner was a perfectionist and really pushed himself in the offseason to sharpen his skill set and improve. He had everyone he knew tossing passes to him in all types of crazy ways so that he had the confidence that he could catch anything thrown at him. Dave is one of a handful of players that made All-America status on a bad team as he did this in 1941 when the Badgers were a mere 3-5 according to the National Football Foundation. The College Football Hall of Fame celebrated the induction of Dave Schreiner to their fine museum of gridiron legends in 1955.

March 5, 1922 – Corning, Iowa – The stellar University of Pennsylvania halfback of the 1941 through the 1943 seasons, Bob Odell was born. The FootballFoundation.org website claims that Bob did it all for Penn as he not only ran and caught balls out of the backfield but he also punted, passed and returned kicks and punts. The talented back even made it as far as being the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in in 1943 losing out to Angelo Bertelli, but he did win the Maxwell Award and was an All-American in all four major selection groups. The NFF voters honored the name of Bob Odell at the 1992 College Football Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.

HOF BIRTHDAYS

March 5, 1960 – Scranton, Pennsylvania – Mike Munchak the stellar offensive lineman from Penn State University had his born on date assigned. The Pro Football HOF website states that Munchak was the eighth overall player taken in the 1982 NFL Draft when he was picked by the Houston Oilers. He had a phenomenal 12 year NFL career in light blue starting even in his rookie season. He was a first or second All-NFL selection in ten different seasons and he helped the Oiler’s O-line rank near the top of the League in most statistics nearly every season he played. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Mike Munchak in 2001.

March 5, 1966 – The “Playmaker” Michael Irvin who caught passes as a wide receiver for the Miami Hurricanes in the mid-1980s arrived into this world. Michael was the first round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in the 1988 NFL Draft. The Pro Football Hall of Fame tells us how Irvin led the League in 1991 with his 93 caught balls and 1532 yards. Later in 1995 he established an NFL record when he sliced together eleven straight games where he went over 100 yards in receptions. He really made a nice career in his 12 NFL seasons with the ‘Boys as he hauled in a total of 750 passes for 11904 yards and 65 scores. The Pro Football Hall of Fame placed Michael Irvin’s bronze bust in their Canton, Ohio Museum in 2007.

March 5, 1970 – Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – The nifty Marshall Quarterback from 1990 to 1992, Michael Payton was born. Payton was voted as a consensus All-American in his senior season and the Marshall Thundering Herd took home the Division I-AA National Crown. Michael Payton also had a very high honor bestowed upon him in that magical 1992 season when the Walter Payton Award for the top player in Division I-AA was his honor. Michael Payton was given the great honor of having his collegiate gridiron legacy placed into the College Football hall of Fame in 2015. The NFF states that After spending part of 1993 with the Dallas Cowboys, Payton played two seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League before finishing his career with the Florida Bobcats of the Arena Football League in 1996.

SPORTS IN NUMBERS

36 – 22 – 31 – 4 – 14 – 4

March 5, 1982 – Pitcher Gaylord Perry, Number 36 signed with the Seattle Mariners

March 5, 1985 – Mike Bossy, Number 22 of the New York Islanders became the first NHL skaters to score at least 50 goals in eight straight seasons

March 5, 1991 – Indiana Pacers star shooter Reggie Miller, who wore the Number 31 proudly, started a torid streak of making a free throw in 52 straight games

March 5, 1996 – Former Orioles skipper Earl Weaver whose managerial Number 4 was retired by Baltimore and retired pitcher Jim Bunning who famously wore the Number 14 with the Detroit Tigrers are both selected to the reward of entering into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

March 5, 1997 – Tommy Lasorda, whose managerial Number 4 was retired by the Dodgers, Nellie Fox, Number 2 with the White Sox and Number 4, Willie Wells also known as “Willie the Devil” were all inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame

TV SUNDAY

NCAA BASKETBALL GAMES – MEN’S	TIME ET	TV
WCC Quarterfinal: Santa Clara vs. TBD	12:30am	ESPN2
Houston at Memphis	12:00pm	CBS
Maryland at Penn State	12:00pm	BTN
CAA Quarterfinal: Hofstra vs. William & Mary/Elon	12:00pm	FloHoops
Illinois at Purdue	12:30pm	FOX
Big South Championship	1:00pm	ESPN2
MVC Championship	2:00pm	CBS
Nebraska at Iowa	2:00pm	BTN
South Florida at Wichita State	2:00pm	ESPNU
Patriot League Semifinal	2:00pm	CBSSN
SMU at Cincinnati	2:00pm	ESPN+
Temple at Tulane	2:00pm	ESPN+
East Carolina at UCF	2:00pm	ESPN+
CAA Quarterfinal: UNCW vs. TBD	2:30pm	FloHoops
ASUN Championship	3:00pm	ESPN2
SoCon Semifinal	4:00pm	ESPNU
Patriot League Semifinal	4:00pm	CBSSN
Michigan at Indiana	4:30pm	CBS
Sun Belt Semifinal	6:00pm	ESPN+
Southland First Round: #5 vs. #8	6:00pm	ESPN+
CAA Quarterfinal: Charleston vs. North Carolina A&T/Stony Brook	6:00pm	FloHoops
SoCon Semifinal	6:30pm	ESPNews
Summit League Quarterfinal: St. Thomas vs. Western Illinois	7:00pm	ESPN+
Wisconsin at Minnesota	7:30pm	FS1
Northwestern at Rutgers	7:30pm	BTN
Big Sky Second Round: Eastern Washington vs. Northern Arizona/Idaho	7:30pm	ESPN+
Sun Belt Semifinal	8:30pm	ESPN+
Southland First Round: #6 vs. #7	8:30pm	ESPN+
CAA Quarterfinal: Towson vs. Delaware/Northeastern	8:30pm	FloHoops
Summit League Quarterfinal: North Dakota State vs. South Dakota	9:30pm	ESPN+
Big Sky Second Round: Montana State vs. Northern Colorado/Portland State	10:00pm	ESPN+
COLLEGE BASKETBALL – WOMEN’S	TIME ET	TV
Atlantic 10 Tournament	12:00pm	ESPNU
ACC Tournament	1:00pm	ESPN
Big East Tournament	3:00pm	FS1
SEC Tournament	3:00pm	ESPN
Big Ten Tournament	5:00pm	ESPN
Big East Tournament	5:30pm	FS1
GOLF	TIME ET	TV
PGA: Arnold Palmer Invitational	12:30pm	GOLF
MLB SPRING TRAINING	TIME ET	TV
Miami vs Boston	1:05pm	MLBN
MOTORSPORTS	TIME ET	TV
Formula One: Bahrain Grand Prix	10:00am	ESPN
IndyCar: Grand Prix of St. Petersburg	12:00pm	NBC
Xfinity:NASCAR Cup: Pennzoil 400	3:30pm	FOX
NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
Phoenix at Dallas	1:00pm	ABC
Golden State at LA Lakers	3:30pm	ABC
Indiana at Chicago	3:30pm	NBCS-CHI Bally Sports
Charlotte at Brooklyn	6:00pm	YES Bally Sports
Portland at Orlando	6:00pm	Root Sports Bally Sports
San Antonio at Houston	7:00pm	ATTSN-SW Bally Sports
Utah at Oklahoma City	7:00pm	Bally Sports ATTSN-RM
New York at Boston	7:30pm	ESPN MSG NBCS-BOS
Milwaukee at Washington	7:30pm	NBCS-WSH Bally Sports
Memphis at LA Clippers	10:00pm	ESPN Bally Sports
NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
Tampa Bay at Carolina	3:00pm	TNT
Montreal at Vegas	6:00pm	Sportsnet ATTSN-RM
Detroit at Philadelphia	6:00pm	NHLN Bally Sports NBCS-PHI
New Jersey at Arizona	7:00pm	MSGSN Bally Sports
Seattle at Colorado	10:00pm	Root Sports ALT
SOCCER MATCHES	TIME ET	TV
Serie A: Spezia vs Hellas Verona	6:30am	Paramount+
Ligue 1: Troyes vs Monaco	7:00am	beIN Sports
La Liga: Real Valladolid vs Espanyol	8:00am	ESPN+
English Premier League: Nottingham Forest vs Everton	9:00am	USA
Serie A: Sampdoria vs Salernitana	9:00am	Paramount+
Ligue 1: Reims vs Ajaccio	9:00am	beIN Sports
Ligue 1: Strasbourg vs Brest	9:00am	beIN Sports
Ligue 1: Toulouse vs Clermont	9:00am	beIN Sports
Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen vs Hertha BSC	9:30am	ESPN+
La Liga: Barcelona vs Valencia	10:15am	ESPN+
Ligue 1: Olympique Lyonnais vs Lorient	11:05am	beIN Sports
English Premier League: Liverpool vs Manchester United	11:30am	USA
Bundesliga: Wolfsburg vs Eintracht Frankfurt	11:30am	ESPN+
Serie A: Internazionale vs Lecce	12:00pm	Paramount+
La Liga: Rayo Vallecano vs Athletic Club	12:30pm	ESPN+
English Premier League: Southampton vs Leicester City	12:30pm	NBC
Serie A: Roma vs Juventus	2:45pm	Paramount+
Ligue 1: Rennes vs Olympique Marseille	2:45pm	beIN Sports
La Liga: Real Betis vs Real Madrid	3:00pm	ESPN+
Argentina Primera División: Gimnasia La Plata vs Colón	3:00pm	Paramount+
Argentina Primera División: Independiente vs Instituto	3:00pm	Paramount+
Argentina Primera División: Huracán vs San Lorenzo	5:15pm	Paramount+
Argentina Primera División: Talleres Córdoba vs Vélez Sarsfield	7:30pm	Paramount+
Argentina Primera División: Tigre vs Argentinos Juniors	7:30pm	Paramount+
Liga MX: Querétaro vs Toluca	8:05pm	TUDN
XFL	TIME ET	TV
St. Louis at D.C.	1:00pm	FX
Orlando at Arlington	4:00pm	FX
San Antonio at Houston	8:00pm	ESPN2