“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
| EMINENCE | 41 | INDIANAPOLIS INTERNATIONAL | 37 | |
| GUERIN CATHOLIC | 58 | MUNCIE CENTRAL | 33 | |
| HAGERSTOWN | 57 | SETON CATHOLIC | 48 | |
| HAMMOND SCIENCE & TECH | 58 | WHITING | 34 | |
| HOBART | 54 | SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) | 53 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS RITTER | 74 | INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA | 46 | |
| LEO | 50 | FORT WAYNE WAYNE | 43 | |
| CASS COUNTY INVITATIONAL | ||||
| LOGANSPORT | 65 | CASTON | 53 | R1 |
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
| AUSTIN | 46 | CHARLESTOWN | 37 | |
| CULVER ACADEMY | 48 | TRI-TOWNSHIP | 42 | |
| DALEVILLE | 54 | RANDOLPH SOUTHERN | 31 | |
| DELTA | 57 | WINCHESTER | 47 | |
| EASTERN GREENE | 58 | DUGGER UNION | 37 | |
| EVANSVILLE CENTRAL | 66 | EVANSVILLE HARRISON | 26 | |
| EVANSVILLE REITZ | 50 | EVANSVILLE MATER DEI | 43 | |
| HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN | 49 | NOBLESVILLE | 45 | |
| LAVILLE | 56 | TRITON | 15 | |
| LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC | 38 | HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) | 26 | |
| LAFAYETTE JEFF | 57 | KOKOMO | 36 | |
| LAWRENCEBURG | 39 | LLOYD MEMORIAL (KY.) | 32 | |
| MANCHESTER | 74 | EASTERN (GREENTOWN) | 37 | |
| MARQUETTE CATHOLIC | 65 | OREGON-DAVIS | 25 | |
| MCCUTCHEON | 65 | TRI-WEST | 30 | |
| MONROE CENTRAL | 48 | UNION CITY | 26 | |
| NORTH POSEY | 54 | BOONVILLE | 33 | |
| PERU | 63 | HAMILTON HEIGHTS | 53 | |
| ROCHESTER | 45 | CULVER | 27 | |
| SOUTH BEND RILEY | 34 | JIMTOWN | 20 | |
| SOUTH DEARBORN | 51 | LUDLOW (KY.) | 44 | |
| SOUTH KNOX | 79 | SULLIVAN | 28 | |
| SOUTHERN WELLS | 63 | MUNCIE BURRIS | 26 | |
| SOUTHWOOD | 42 | EASTBROOK | 33 | |
| TIPTON | 38 | TAYLOR | 31 | |
| TRI-CENTRAL | 58 | WES-DEL | 9 | |
| CASS COUNTY INVITATIONAL | ||||
| CASTON | 46 | LOGANSPORT | 33 | R1 |
INDIANA WRESTLING RESULTS
https://indianamat.com/index.php?/dualresults.html/
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
WEEK 15
FRIDAY, DEC. 6
7 P.M. | WESTERN KENTUCKY VS. JACKSONVILLE STATE | CONFERENCE USA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME | CBSSN
8 P.M. | NO. 17 TULANE AT ARMY | AAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME | ABC
8 P.M. | NO. 11 BOISE STATE VS. NO. 22 UNLV | MOUNTAIN WEST CHAMPIONSHIP GAME | FOX
SATURDAY, DEC. 7
12 P.M. | NO. 16 ARIZONA STATE VS. NO. 18 IOWA STATE | BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (ARLINGTON, TEXAS) | ABC
12 P.M. | MIAMI (OH) VS. OHIO UNIVERSITY | MAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (DETROIT, MICHIGAN) | ESPN
2 P.M. | SOUTHERN AT JACKSON STATE (SWAC CHAMPIONSHIP) | ESPN2
2 P.M. | MONTANA AT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (FCS PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
2 P.M. | RHODE ISLAND AT MERCER (FCS PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
2 P.M. | VILLANOVA AT UIW (FCS PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
3 P.M. | UT MARTIN AT MONTANA STATE (FCS PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
3 P.M. | ABILENE CHRISTIAN AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE (FCS PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
3 P.M. | TARLETON STATE AT SOUTH DAKOTA (FCS PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
4 P.M. | NO. 3 TEXAS VS. NO. 7 GEORGIA | SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (ATLANTA) | ABC
4 P.M. | ILLINOIS STATE AT UC DAVIS (FCS PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
7:30 P.M. | LOUISIANA VS. MARSHALL | SUN BELT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME | ESPN
8 P.M. | NO. 9 SMU VS. NO. 12 CLEMSON| ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA) | ABC
8 P.M. | NO. 1 OREGON VS. NO. 4 PENN STATE | BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (INDIANAPOLIS) | CBS
9 P.M. | LEHIGH AT IDAHO (FCS PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
#25 CONNECTICUT 76 #15 BAYLOR 72
#10 ALABAMA 94 #20 NORTH CAROLINA 79
#13 FLORIDA 87 VIRGINIA 69
#16 MEMPHIS 81 LOUISIANA TECH 71
#6 IOWA STATE 81 #5 MARQUETTE 70
CREIGHTON 76 #1 KANSAS 63
#9 DUKE 84 #2 AUBURN 78
MISSISSIPPI STATE 90 #18 PITTSBURGH 57
#12 OREGON 68 USC 60
#24 SAN DIEGO STATE 84 FRESNO STATE 62
ELSEWHERE:
MARYLAND 83 OHIO STATE 59
IU INDY 84 GREEN BAY 75
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
#11 OKLAHOMA 78 #22 LOUISVILLE 72
#9 TCU 78 FLORIDA ATLANTIC 42
ELSEWHERE:
GREEN BAY 78 IU INDY 56
PURDUE 60 MAINE 51
VALPARAISO 67 WESTERN MICHIGAN 54
INDIANA 67 SOUTHERN INDIANA 63
NORTHWESTERN 64 DEPAUL 56
OREGON 85 WASHINGTON STATE 70
NFL WEEK 14 SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, DEC. 5
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT DETROIT LIONS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SUNDAY, DEC. 8
NEW YORK JETS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (1:00P CBS)
ATLANTA FALCONS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1:00P FOX)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT NEW YORK GIANTS (1:00P FOX)
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (1:00P FOX)
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (1:00P CBS)
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (1:00P CBS)
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT TENNESSEE TITANS (1:00P CBS)
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (4:05P CBS)
BUFFALO BILLS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS (4:25P FOX)
CHICAGO BEARS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4:25P FOX)
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 9
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT DALLAS COWBOYS (8:15P ESPN/ABC)
NFL WEEK 15 SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, DEC. 12
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SUNDAY, DEC. 15
DALLAS COWBOYS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (1:00P FOX)
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (1:00P CBS)
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT HOUSTON TEXANS (1:00P CBS)
NEW YORK JETS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1:00P FOX)
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1:00P FOX)
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT NEW YORK GIANTS (1:00P CBS)
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT TENNESSEE TITANS (1:00P FOX)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (4:25P CBS)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT DENVER BRONCOS (4:25P CBS)
BUFFALO BILLS AT DETROIT LIONS (4:25P CBS)
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (4:25P FOX)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (4:25P FOX)
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 16
CHICAGO BEARS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (8:00P ABC)
ATLANTA FALCONS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (8:30P ESPN)
NFL WEEK 16 SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, DEC. 19
DENVER BRONCOS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SATURDAY, DEC. 21
HOUSTON TEXANS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (1:00P NBC)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (4:30P FOX)
SUNDAY, DEC. 22
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS 1:00P FOX)
NEW YORK GIANTS AT ATLANTA FALCONS (1:00P FOX)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT BUFFALO BILLS (1:00P CBS)
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (1:00P FOX)
DETROIT LIONS AT CHICAGO BEARS (1:00P FOX)
TENNESSEE TITANS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (1:00P CBS)
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT NEW YORK JETS (1:00P CBS)
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (1:00P FOX)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (4:05P FOX)
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (4:25P CBS)
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (4:25P CBS)
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT DALLAS COWBOYS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 23
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (8:15P ESPN)
NFL WEEK 17 SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25 (CHRISTMAS)
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (1:00P NETFLIX)
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT HOUSTON TEXANS (4:30P NETFLIX)
THURSDAY, DEC. 26
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT CHICAGO BEARS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SATURDAY, DEC. 28
TBD TBD (1:00P NFL NETWORK)
TBD TBD (4:30P NFL NETWORK)
TBD TBD (8:00P NFL NETWORK)
SATURDAY GAME POOL:
DENVER BRONCOS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT NEW YORK GIANTS
ATLANTA FALCONS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
SUNDAY, DEC. 29
NEW YORK JETS AT BUFFALO BILLS (1:00P CBS)
TENNESSEE TITANS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1:00P CBS)
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1:00P FOX)
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1:00P FOX)
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (1:00P CBS)
DALLAS COWBOYS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (4:25P FOX)
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 30
DETROIT LIONS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (8:15P ESPN/ABC)
NFL WEEK 18 SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, JAN. 4 OR SUNDAY, JAN. 5
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT DALLAS COWBOYS
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT DENVER BRONCOS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT DETROIT LIONS
CHICAGO BEARS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
BUFFALO BILLS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW YORK JETS
NEW YORK GIANTS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
HOUSTON TEXANS AT TENNESSEE TITANS
NBA SCOREBOARD
BROOKLYN 99 INDIANA 90
BOSTON 130 DETROIT 120
MIAMI 134 LA LAKERS 93
ORLANDO 106 PHILADELPHIA 102
ATLANTA 119 MILWAUKEE 104
MINNESOTA 108 LA CLIPPERS 80
NHL SCOREBOARD
TORONTO 3 NASHVILLE 2
BOSTON 4 CHICAGO 2
VEGAS 4 ANAHEIM 1
LOS ANGELES 3 DALLAS 2
MEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER NCAA TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
QUARTERFINALS
SATURDAY DECEMBER 7
WAKE FOREST VS. OHIO STATE 5PM
VERMONT VS. PITTSBURGH 3PM
UMASS VS. DENVER 3PM
MARSHALL VS SMU 7PM
WOMEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER NCAA TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
SEMIFINALS
FRIDAY, DEC. 6
#1 DUKE VS. #2 UNC 7:30
#2 WAKE FOREST VS. #3 STANFORD 5:00
CHAMPIONSHIP
MONDAY, DEC. 9
SEMIFINAL WINNERS, 7 P.M.
MLS PLAYOFFS
CHAMPIONSHIP
SATURDAY, DEC. 7
LA GALAXY VS, NEW YORK, 4 P.M.
TOP NATIONAL NEWS HEADLINES/RELEASES
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
TEXAS, GEORGIA, ALABAMA, OHIO STATE LEADING THE WAY AS PROSPECTS FINALIZE THEIR COLLEGE SELECTIONS
The arrival of the early signing period Wednesday offered a stark reminder for college football fans.
If recruiting rankings offer any accurate gauge in the era of the transfer portal, those teams competing for College Football Playoff berths now should keep contending for years to come.
Texas, Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State are all on track to earn playoff invitations, and those four schools are landing the nation’s top high school recruiting classes. It represents one more example of how the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten have separated themselves from all the other leagues.
Steve Wiltfong, the vice president of recruiting and the transfer portal for On3, said it’s apparent why those programs continue recruiting so well.
“First and foremost, those are the programs with the most resources,” Wiltfong said. “They’re the programs that are having the most success on the field and in the NFL draft.”
The identity of the No. 1 class according to composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports may not be determined until the nation’s top-ranked uncommitted prospect — Manchester (Georgia) defensive tackle Justus Terry — announces his decision Friday.
Terry, the nation’s No. 10 overall recruit according to the 247Sports Composite, is considering Georgia, Texas and Auburn. He’s the rare prospect delaying his decision.
Virtually every top recruit already had committed to a school well before the signing period, continuing a trend that took effect from the time a December signing date was added in 2017 to the traditional February signing period. This year, that early signing period was moved up a few weeks so that it would take place before the transfer window opens Monday.
Perhaps the most notable development in the weeks leading up to the signing period was quarterback Bryce Underwood’s decision to stay in his home state and play for Michigan after initially planning to play at LSU.
Underwood’s switch brought late momentum for the defending national champions, whose recruiting class was ranked sixth as of Wednesday morning. This will be Michigan’s first top-10 class since 2020.
Michigan’s recruiting emergence wasn’t the only surprise.
Auburn has a likely top-five class after posting a fourth consecutive losing season. Florida was the fastest-rising team in the recruiting rankings after coach Billy Napier earned a vote of confidence and freshman quarterback DJ Lagway helped the Gators win three straight games to close the regular season.
“I’m calling it the DJ Lagway effect,” said Andrew Ivins, the director of scouting for 247Sports. “They went from outside the top 50 to knocking on the door for a top-10 recruiting class. We haven’t really seen that type of push ever.”
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK: CLEMSON AND UNLV COULD STIR UP TITLE-GAME TROUBLE FOR TEAMS ON THE BUBBLE FOR CFP
The last two weeks of the college football regular season were wild, and the madness could continue in the conference championship games this week if Clemson, UNLV or both win.
The five automatic bids and most of the at-large spots in the 12-team College Football Playoff will be locked down Friday and Saturday. The real drama centers on the seventh, and final, at-large spot.
The losers between No. 2 Texas (No. 2 CFP) and No. 5 Georgia (No. 5 CFP) in the Southeastern Conference and No. 3 Penn State (No. 3 CFP) and No. 1 Oregon (No. 1 CFP) in the Big Ten should feel secure about making the bracket Sunday. No. 4 Notre Dame (No. 4 CFP), No. 7 Ohio State (No. 6 CFP), No. 6 Tennessee (No. 7 CFP) and No. 9 Indiana (No. 9 CFP) also can count on bids.
That leaves one spot.
If a three-loss and 18th-ranked Clemson (No. 17 CFP) steals the Atlantic Coast Conference’s bid with a win over No. 8 SMU (No. 8 CFP), would the Mustangs get an at-large or would the committee go with three-loss and No. 11 Alabama (No. 11 CFP)? And if No. 19 UNLV (No. 20 CFP) beats No. 10 Boise State (No. 10 CFP) in the Mountain West game and gets the Group of Five bid, would the Broncos be out?
The fun begins Friday night with Western Kentucky facing Jacksonville State in the Conference USA game in what will be the teams’ second meeting in seven days. UNLV-Boise State and Tulane at No. 24 Army (No. 24 CFP) in the American Athletic also are set for Friday.
Then come Saturday’s showdowns: No. 16 Iowa State (No. 16 CFP) vs. No. 12 Arizona State (No. 15 CFP) in the Big 12, Ohio-Miami (Ohio) in the Mid-American, Georgia-Texas in the SEC, Marshall-Louisiana-Lafayette in the Sun Belt, Penn State-Oregon in the Big Ten and Clemson-SMU in the ACC.
Best game
No. 18 Clemson (9-3, No. 17 CFP)) vs. No. 8 SMU (11-1, No. 8) in Charlotte, North Carolina, Saturday, 8 p.m. EST (ABC)
Clemson has Syracuse to thank for punching its ticket to Charlotte for a shot at the ACC title. Had the Orange not knocked off double-digit favorite Miami last week, the Tigers would have been idle this weekend and making plans for a non-CFP bowl. Instead, they’re playing for their first playoff bid since 2020, which was the last of their six straight CFP appearances.
The Mustangs’ only loss was to BYU on a late field goal, and then they did the nearly unthinkable by going unbeaten in ACC play in their first year in a Power Four league.
Heisman watch
Heisman Trophy voters can get one more look at Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty before they cast their ballots. Whatever Jeanty does against UNLV may not be enough to keep two-way star Travis Hunter from becoming Colorado’s second winner of the award.
Hunter finished the regular season fifth in the nation in receptions (92), sixth in receiving yards (1,152) and second in receiving touchdowns (14). At cornerback, he had four interceptions and 11 pass breakups and tied for fifth in the nation with 15 passes defended.
Jeanty goes into the Mountain West title game leading the nation with 2,288 yards rushing and 28 rushing touchdowns in 12 games. His rushing total is the highest since Heisman winner Marcus Allen ran for 2,342 yards in 11 games for Southern California in 1981.
Numbers to know
1-13 — James Franklin’s record against top-five opponents in his 11 seasons as Penn State’s coach.
8 — Texas wins over bowl-eligible opponents, tied with Syracuse for most.
21 — Marshall defensive lineman Mike Green’s tackles for loss, most in the country.
1975 — The last time Miami (Ohio) repeated as MAC champion. RedHawks are in their third MAC title game in six years.
77-3 — Arizona State’s first-half scoring margin against its last three opponents.
Under the radar
Western Kentucky (8-4) at Jacksonville State (8-4), Conference USA, Friday, 7 p.m. EST (CBS Sports Network)
This game — the teams’ second meeting in seven days — is under the radar same as Jacksonville State’s rise in its two years in the Bowl Subdivision under Rich Rodriguez — he of West Virginia, Michigan and Arizona head coaching fame.
The Gamecocks went 9-4 last season and became the first FBS team to make a bowl in its inaugural season in the division. They bounced back from an 0-3 start this year to win eight straight before they lost 19-17 to the Hilltoppers on a late field goal last week.
Tyson Helton has made Western Kentucky into a consistent winner again, with the Hilltoppers having won at least eight games in five of his six seasons.
Hot coach
It’s conference championship week, which means it’s time for our annual pick for a coach who is poised to move up rather than move out.
Barry Odom is 19-7 in two seasons and has led UNLV to its first 10-win season since 1984. The Rebels went to their first bowl in 10 years last season, and now Odom has them playing for a playoff spot in the Mountain West championship game.
The 48-year-old Odom’s name has surfaced in the West Virginia search. Mountaineers athletic director Wren Baker was deputy AD at Missouri in 2015-16. Odom built a top-10 defense as the Tigers’ coordinator in 2015, and 2016 was the first of his four seasons as head coach. Odom was 25-25 with two bowls at Missouri and was Arkansas’ defensive coordinator before he left for UNLV.
NO. 2 TEXAS GETS SECOND CRACK AT NO. 5 GEORGIA FOR SEC CROWN
On the heels of gritty rivalry week victories, No. 2 Texas and No. 5 Georgia will square off again in hopes of earning a Southeastern Conference title and a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.
Texas (11-1, 7-1 SEC) clinched a spot in Saturday’s conference championship in Atlanta after grinding out a 17-7 win at then-No. 20 Texas A&M. The Longhorns’ defense was able to quiet a raucous Aggies crowd, allowing just 248 total yards.
Texas’ defense has been its calling card, surrendering just 11.7 points per game, second only to Ohio State (10.9) nationally. The Longhorns’ lone loss this season was also the only game in which they allowed 30 points, falling to Georgia 30-15 at home on Oct. 19.
For head coach Steve Sarkisian and Co., all they could ask for was another chance at the Bulldogs.
“We knew when we had the matchup with Georgia earlier in the year, we didn’t play great football,” Sarkisian said. “They beat us pretty handily that night, and our margin for error was very small. We’d have to win every game and hope that it would be enough to control our destiny to get ourselves in this position. Our guys were able to do that. Credit to our coaches, and credit to our players for getting that done.”
Since that loss, Quinn Ewers has thrown for 13 touchdowns and just three interceptions, while Quintrevion Wisner has averaged 96.4 rushing yards per game, including outputs of 186 against Texas A&M and 158 in the prior week’s win over Kentucky.
“I think the key for us was to really get recentered, refocused on one game,” Sarkisian added. “That’s what we’ve been doing here probably over the last month or so, is not getting caught up in what’s down the road, but what do we need to do this week to play our best football, whether that’s physical, mental, emotional.”
The Bulldogs (10-2, 6-2) enter on a three-game winning streak, most recently rallying for an improbable 44-42, eight-overtime home win over Georgia Tech last Friday. Trailing 27-13 with less than four minutes remaining, Georgia mounted a comeback that resulted in the longest game in SEC history. Carson Beck threw for 297 yards and five touchdowns, helping the Bulldogs effectively clinch a spot in the CFP.
With attention now focused on Atlanta, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart understands the challenge ahead.
“Their defense is one of the best in the country,” Smart said of Texas. “They’ve got explosive skill players. Did a tremendous job in the portal. Their quarterback is playing at a high level, and the backs they’ve got are doing a great job. So, all in all, it should be an exciting, challenging SEC championship. … They’re the same challenges as they were the first time you played them. You know, I’m a big guy of statistics and philosophies and things like that. The previous matchup does not determine this matchup. You can’t overstate that to your players.”
Following a four-week stretch that saw Beck throw nine interceptions, the fifth-year senior has passed for nine touchdowns and zero picks over the last two games against UMass and Georgia Tech.
Facing a tougher task Saturday, Beck says he doesn’t mind seeing the Longhorns again.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever had to play a team twice in a season. So it’s a little bit different obviously,” Beck said. “We kind of know what their identity is as a team. They know what our identity is as a team. We faced each other before. It will be interesting as we prepare through the week, what we like, what we don’t like. Seeing the film, how they changed since the last time we played them. It’s an exciting challenge. We’re looking forward to it.”
Beck, who has thrown for 3,429 yards, 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, struggled against Texas the first time around, passing for just 175 yards and three picks.
NFL NEWS
THURSDAY NIGHT GAME OF THE WEEK
GREEN BAY PACKERS (9-3) AT DETROIT LIONS (11-1)
Thursday, December 5, 2024 | 8:15 PM ET | Ford Field | Referee: John Hussey
All-Time Series History
Regular Season: GB leads series, 104-77-7 (DET won 5 of past 6)
Postseason: GB leads series, 2-0
The Last Time…
Regular Season: 11/3/24: DET 24 at GB 14
Postseason: NFC-WC 12/31/94: DET 12 at GB 16
PACKERS NOTES:
QB JORDAN LOVE passed for 274 yards & 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 129.2 rating in Week 13, his highest single game rating as starting QB. Aims for his 4th in row with 100+ rating. Has 18 games with 2+ TD passes since 2023, most in NFL. Passed for 3 TDs vs. 0 INTs & 125.5 rating in last road meeting. Aims for his 3rd in row on Thursday with 2+ TD passes & 125+ rating. • RB JOSH JACOBS had 117 scrimmage yards (season-high 74 rec., 43 rush) & 8th rush TD of season last week. Aims for his 4th in row with TD & 6th in row with 100+ scrimmage yards. Needs 13 rush yards for 4th-career season with 1,000+ rush yards. Had 108 scrimmage yards (95 rush, 13 rec.) in Week 9 meeting. Aims for his 6th in row on Thursday with 100+ scrimmage yards & rush TD. • WR JAYDEN REED had 3rd-career game with 2 rec. TDs last week. Had 113 rec. yards in Week 9 meeting. had TD catch in last road meeting. • WR CHRISTIAN WATSON had 67 rec. yards last week. Is 1 of 2 (Alec Pierce) with 20+ yards per reception (20.5) in 2024 (min. 20 catches). Had 5 catches for 94 yards & TD in last road meeting. • TE TUCKER KRAFT tied his career high with 6 catches & had 78 rec. yards last week. Had TD catch in last road meeting. • DL RASHAN GARY has 0.5+ sacks in 3 of his past 4. Had 3 sacks, 2 FF & FR in last road meeting. • DL KENNY CLARK had 1st sack of season last week. • DL LUKAS VAN NESS aims for his 3rd in row with sack. • LB QUAY WALKER had 10 tackles, 2 TFL, incl. sack last week. Has career-high 8 TFL in 2024 & aims for his 3rd in row with 2+ TFL. • LB ISAIAH MCDUFFIE had season-high 10 tackles & 1st-career FF last week. • S XAVIER MCKINNEY ranks tied-1st (Kerby Joseph) with 7 INTs in 2024.
LIONS NOTES:
QB JARED GOFF had 2 TD passes vs. 0 INTs & 100.2 rating last week. Needs 18 pass yards for his 8th-straight 3,000-yard season. Has 13 TDs vs. 3 INTs & 99.3 rating in 8 career starts vs. GB. Aims for his 5th in row at home vs. GB with 2+ TD passes. Has 21 TDs (20 pass, 1 rush) vs. 3 INTs for 105.1 rating in 11 career Thursday starts. • RB JAHMYR GIBBS had 104 scrimmage yards (87 rush, 17 rec.) last week. Ranks 5th with 1,255 scrimmage yards in 2024 & needs 7 scrimmage yards for new career high. Had rush TD in Week 9 meeting. • RB DAVID MONTGOMERY had season-high 124 scrimmage yards (88 rush, 36 rec.) in Week 13. Needs 3 scrimmage yards for his 6th-straight 1,000-yard season. Has 5 rush TDs in his past 4 vs. GB. Has 24 rush TDs in 26 games with Det. since 2023. • WR AMON-RA ST. BROWN has 391 career catches & can become 3rd player ever (Jarvis Landry & Michael Thomas) with 400 receptions in his 1st 4 seasons. Has 50+ rec. yards in 5 of his past 6 vs. GB. • WR JAMESON WILLIAMS aims for his 3rd in row with 5+ catches. • TE SAM LAPORTA had 2 rec. TDs last week, his 3rd-career game with 2+ TD catches. Had TD catch in last home meeting. • DB KERBY JOSEPH had 10th PD of season last week. Ranks tied-1st (Xavier McKinney) with 7 INTs in 2024. Had INT-TD in Week 9 meeting & has 6 PD & 4 INTs in 4 career games vs. GB. • DB BRIAN BRANCH is 1 of 2 (Alontae Taylor) with 25+ PD (26) & 10+ TFL (10) since 2023. Has PD in 2 of his 3 career games vs. GB. • DL ZA’DARIUS SMITH had 1.5 sacks last week. Had 30 sacks & 32 TFL in 38 games (2019-21) with GB, incl. postseason. • DL DJ READER had 2nd-career game with 2 sacks last week.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25 ROUNDUP: POP ISAACS NETS 27 AS CREIGHTON STUNS NO. 1 KANSAS
Pop Isaacs scored 27 points, Ryan Kalkbrenner added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Creighton beat No. 1 Kansas 76-63 on Wednesday night in Omaha, Neb., for the Jayhawks’ first loss of the season
Isaacs shot 6-for-9 from beyond the arc and added seven rebounds and four assists. His contested layup with 3:14 to play pushed Creighton’s lead to 73-57 as the program notched its second win over a No. 1 team in school history. (The Bluejays beat UConn 85-66 last season.)
Steven Ashworth contributed 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists as the Bluejays (6-3) defeated Kansas for the first time since 1949. Kalkbrenner, Creighton’s star center, was back after missing one game due to a lower-body injury.
Dajuan Harris Jr. scored 15 points for Kansas (7-1). AJ Storr and Zeke Mayo each scored 12 in the loss.
No. 9 Duke 84, No. 2 Auburn 78
Freshman phenom Cooper Flagg scored 16 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, helping the Blue Devils beat the visiting Tigers in Durham, N.C., in the SEC/ACC Challenge.
Flagg also had 11 rebounds for the Blue Devils (6-2), who won their second straight game despite trailing by 11 in the opening minutes. Isaiah Evans added 18 points for Duke, while Tyrese Proctor chipped in 12 and Caleb Foster 11.
Johni Broome had 20 points and 12 rebounds for Auburn (7-1), which allowed a season high in points. Tahaad Pettiford also scored 20 for the Tigers, followed by Chad Baker-Mazara’s 17. Miles Kelly added 14 points and three steals.
No. 6 Iowa State 81, No. 5 Marquette 70
Keshon Gilbert scored 24 and Joshua Jefferson added 15 to lead the Cyclones past the Golden Eagles in Ames, Iowa.
Iowa State (6-1) also got 14 off the bench from Curtis Jones. Gilbert dished out a team-high seven assists while Jefferson grabbed 12 boards.
Marquette (8-1) was led by 17 from freshman Royce Parham. Kam Jones added 14 along with nine assists and eight rebounds despite shooting just 6-of-21 from the field.
No. 10 Alabama 94, No. 20 North Carolina 79
Mark Sears scored 20 points to lead six Alabama players in double figures as the Crimson Tide recorded a runaway victory over the Tar Heels in the SEC/ACC Challenge in Chapel Hill, N.C.
It was a rematch of a Sweet 16 matchup last season, which was also won by Alabama, but this one didn’t live up to the billing. Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway both had 15 points, Clifford Omoruyi and Derrion Reid had 11 apiece and Grant Nelson provided 10 for the Crimson Tide (7-2).
Freshman Ian Jackson scored a season-high 23 points for North Carolina (4-4), which has lost three games in a row. RJ Davis racked up 18 points, and Seth Trimble had 12 points.
No. 12 Oregon 68, Southern California 60
Jackson Shelstad scored 21 of his 24 points in the second half and Keeshawn Barthelemy provided pivotal plays down the stretch as the Ducks rallied to top the Trojans in Los Angeles in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
Oregon (9-0, 1-0 Big Ten) went on a 14-2 run late in the second half to flip a game it trailed most of the way. Shelstad kicked off the Ducks’ key stretch, which lasted 3:01 and extended past the final media timeout, with the first six points.
USC (5-4, 0-1) took its third consecutive loss, a byproduct of the Trojans’ poor shooting. USC went 19-for-55 (34.5 percent) from the floor and just 2-for-13 (15.4 percent) from 3-point range. Oregon shot 8-for-23 (34.8 percent) from deep and 21-for-55 (38.2 percent) overall.
No. 13 Florida 87, Virginia 69
Walter Clayton Jr. scored 27 points as the Gators remained undefeated with a victory over the Cavaliers in the SEC/ACC Challenge in Gainesville, Fla.
Alex Condon contributed 19 points and eight rebounds while Alijah Martin added 16 points for the Gators (9-0). Florida is off to its best start since the 2005-06 season, when it won its first 17 games and captured the NCAA championship.
San Diego State transfer Elijah Saunders scored a career-high 19 points and Isaac McKneely added 12 points, all on treys, for Virginia (5-3).
No. 25 UConn 76, No. 15 Baylor 72
Liam McNeeley recorded 17 points, eight rebounds and three blocks to lift the Huskies past the Bears in a Big 12-Big East Battle in Storrs, Conn.
Samson Johnson scored 13 points before fouling out and Solo Ball added 11 for UConn (6-3), which has won two in a row following a three-game skid. Huskies star Alex Karaban sat out his second straight game due to a head injury.
Robert Wright III scored 22 points off the bench, Langston Love had 16 and Norchad Omier added 14 before fouling out for Baylor (5-3).
No. 16 Memphis 81, Louisiana Tech 71
PJ Haggerty produced 23 points, seven steals, six assists and five rebounds as the Tigers held off the visiting Bulldogs.
Tyrese Hunter added 20 points and Colby Rogers scored 13 points for the Tigers (7-1), who bounced back from their first loss of the season, 90-76 against then-No. 4 Auburn in the championship game of the Maui Invitational on Nov. 27.
Al Green scored 18 points, making 5 of 7 3-point attempts, Sean Newman Jr. had 13 points and 11 assists, Daniel Batcho scored 12, and Kaden Cooper and Amaree Abram added 10 points each to lead Louisiana Tech (7-2).
Mississippi State 90, No. 18 Pittsburgh 57
KeShawn Murphy came off the bench to score 20 points, leading five Mississippi State players in double figures during the Bulldogs’ blasting of the Panthers in Starkville, Miss.
Michael Nwoko added 18 points and 11 rebounds for Mississippi State (7-1), which led by as many as 35 points. The Bulldogs carved out a 49-27 rebounding advantage and canned 57.8 percent of their field-goal attempts.
Jaland Lowe scored 19 points to pace Pittsburgh (7-2) but shot 7 of 21 from the field. Brandin Cummings added 12 off the bench for the Panthers, who hit a measly 31.3 percent of their field-goal tries.
No. 24 San Diego State 84, Fresno State 62
Freshman Magoon Gwath notched career highs of 25 points and 10 rebounds as the Aztecs overcame a slow start to earn to beat the host Bulldogs in the Mountain West Conference opener for both teams.
BJ Davis scored 13 points, Wayne McKinney III added 12 and Miles Byrd grabbed 10 rebounds for San Diego State (5-2), who entered the rankings for the first time this week following an overtime victory over No. 6 Houston on Saturday.
Mykell Robinson scored 20 points with 10 rebounds and Zaon Collins added 10 points for Fresno State (3-5).
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: SARAH STRONG, NO. 2 UCONN CRUSH HOLY CROSS
Freshman Sarah Strong scored a season-high 22 points as No. 2 UConn pulled away from Holy Cross on Tuesday night in an 88-52 victory in Storrs, Conn.
Strong added seven rebounds for the Huskies (7-0). Kaitlyn Chen contributed 14 points and seven assists; Paige Bueckers had 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists; and Azzi Fudd scored seven points in her first start since 2023.
Lindsay Berger had 12 points for Holy Cross (4-4), while Kaitlyn Flanagan added 10 points.
The Crusaders kept things close in the first quarter, ending it down just a point. Holy Cross trailed by just six points at halftime. UConn began to pull away in the third frame, breaking off a 10-0 run to go ahead by 14 points. Fudd capped off that stretch by swishing a 3-pointer on a feed from Ice Brady.
No. 7 Maryland 87, Mount St. Mary’s 52
Christina Dalce scored 13 points as the Terrapins raced away from the Mountaineers in College Park, Md.
Dalce hit 5 of 6 shots from the floor in just 17 minutes of action and was one of five players to scored in double figures for Maryland (9-0). Allie Kubek and Shyanne Sellers each had 12 points and five rebounds, Saylor Poffenbarger had 10 points and seven boards, and Kaylene Smikle added 10 points.
Maryland led wire-to-wire and the result marks their best undefeated start to a season since 2018-19. Winless Mount St. Mary’s (0-6) was led by Jo Raflo’s 10 points.
No. 13 Kansas State 90, Eastern Illinois 43
Zyanna Walker had 16 points and 10 assists as the Wildcats poured it on the Panthers in Manhattan, Kan.
Walker also had four rebounds and four steals to lead Kansas State (8-1) to its third straight win since losing to then-No. 13 Duke a week ago. Ayoka Lee added 15 points for the Wildcats, who never trailed and led by as much as 49 points.
Kiyley Flowers was the leading scorers for Eastern Illinois (2-5) with nine points.
No. 20 Iowa State 92, South Carolina Upstate 35
Audi Crooks tallied 15 points, 13 rebounds and five assists as the Cyclones routed the Spartans in Ames, Iowa.
Addy Brown put up 14 points for Iowa State (7-2), Aili Tanke scored 12 and Kelsey Joens added 11. All 12 players who saw the floor for the Cyclones scored.
Jeni Levine paced South Carolina Upstate (2-8) with nine points.
No. 25 Nebraska 69, Lindenwood 48
Alexis Markowski amassed 11 points and 11 rebounds as the Cornhuskers comfortably beat the Lions in Lincoln, Neb.
Markowski also blocked four shots in the lopsided victory for Nebraska (7-1). Britt Prince added 14 points for the Cornhuskers, Callin Hake had 12, and Petra Bozan chipped in 10. Nebraska forced Lindenwood into 19 turnovers.
Ellie Brueggemann led the Lions (4-3) with nine points and grabbed six rebounds.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: SURGING HAWKS COOL OFF BUCKS
Wisconsin native Jalen Johnson scored 23 points and De’Andre Hunter added 20 to lead the Atlanta Hawks to a 119-104 win in Milwaukee, ending the Bucks’ seven-game winning streak.
Once again, the Hawks got scoring from many different places, with eight players scoring at least eight. Clint Capela grabbed 17 rebounds with his eight points, while Johnson grabbed 13 as Atlanta earned a fifth straight win.
The Bucks committed 18 turnovers on the night while Atlanta also dominated the glass, grabbing 55 boards compared to Milwaukee’s 40.
The Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 31 points and 11 boards. Damian Lillard added 25 points and five assists. Milwaukee’s seven-game win streak was the longest active streak in the NBA.
Heat 134, Lakers 93
Tyler Herro scored 21 of his game-high 31 points in the third quarter as host Miami routed Los Angeles.
The Heat set a franchise record for assists (42), and they tied a team mark for made 3-pointers (24). Jimmy Butler, back after missing one game due to a knee injury, added 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 29 points and eight assists against his former team. He made 12 of 18 shots from the floor. Los Angeles’ Anthony Davis was held to eight points on 3-for-14 shooting.
Nets 99, Pacers 90
Cameron Johnson scored 26 points, Ben Simmons keyed a decisive fourth-quarter run and Brooklyn fended off a late comeback attempt en route to a victory over Indiana in New York.
Johnson returned from missing the Nets’ 26-point loss at Chicago on Monday due to an ankle injury and hit seven of Brooklyn’s 12 3-pointers. He shot 7 of 18 overall and also grabbed seven rebounds. Nic Claxton added 16 points and eight rebounds for the Nets.
Tyrese Haliburton put up a team-high 17 points as the Pacers dropped their eighth straight road game.
Celtics 130, Pistons 120
Jaylen Brown scored a game-high 28 points and dished out nine assists to lead Boston over visiting Detroit.
The Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis added 26 points and nine rebounds, and Sam Hauser made 5 of 10 3-point attempts while logging 20 points. Payton Pritchard contributed 19 points, Derrick White added 14 points and 11 assists, and Al Horford also had 14 points.
Cade Cunningham amassed 27 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds for the Pistons, who lost despite making 20 of their 39 3-point attempts (51.3 percent). Tobias Harris also tossed in 27 points for Detroit, and Malik Beasley finished with 23.
Magic 106, 76ers 102
Franz Wagner scored 35 points as visiting Orlando beat Philadelphia.
Wagner shot 12 of 23 from the field and 10 of 10 from the foul line en route to his seventh 30-point game of the season. Jalen Suggs pitched in 17 points on 4-of-8 3-point shooting, while his Magic teammates combined to shoot 4-of-21 from beyond the arc.
Rookie Jared McCain scored 24 points to pace the 76ers, who played without Joel Embiid (knee) and Paul George (knee). Orlando, meanwhile, continued to play without Paolo Banchero (oblique).
Timberwolves 108, Clippers 80
Julius Randle scored 16 of his 20 points in the first quarter as Minnesota extended its winning streak to three games with a victory over Los Angeles in Inglewood, Calif.
Anthony Edwards added 16 points, Josh Minott had 13 and Jaden McDaniels and Mike Conley each put up 11 for Minnesota. The Timberwolves continue to distance themselves from a four-game losing streak after Edwards ripped the team’s effort last week and criticized the communication level.
Bones Hyland scored 18 points and Derrick Jones Jr. added 14 for the Clippers, who had their nine-game home winning streak end. Amir Coffey scored 12 points and Ivica Zubac pulled down 10 rebounds for Los Angeles, which lost for just the third time in 11 games overall.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: KINGS OVERTAKE STARS, WIN 4TH STRAIGHT
Warren Foegele scored early in the third period to cap the Los Angeles Kings’ 3-2 comeback victory over the visiting Dallas Stars on Wednesday night.
Foegele scored his seventh goal of the season on a wraparound at the 2:22 mark of the third to break a 2-2 tie and extend the Kings’ season-best winning streak to four games.
Foegele and Tanner Jeannot each had a goal and an assist and Joel Edmundson also scored for Los Angeles, which improved to 9-2-1 at home. David Rittich made 26 saves.
Wyatt Johnston and Mason Marchment scored goals for Dallas, which had a three-game win streak snapped despite leading 2-0 after the first period. Jake Oettinger finished with 14 saves for Dallas, which had won its previous four games against Los Angeles.
Golden Knights 4, Ducks 1
Shea Theodore scored twice against his former team to lead visiting Vegas past Anaheim.
William Karlsson, who also started his NHL career with the Ducks, and Alexander Holtz also scored for the Golden Knights. Victor Olofsson, Jack Eichel and Tomas Hertl all collected two assists and Ilya Samsonov made 19 saves for Vegas, which is riding a 6-1-1 run.
Jackson LaCombe replied for the Ducks, who have lost two of three games and have won only twice in six outings (2-3-1). John Gibson stopped 29 shots.
Maple Leafs 3, Predators 2
Auston Matthews scored twice early in the third period and Toronto went on to defeat visiting Nashville.
William Nylander also scored for the Maple Leafs, who have won three in a row and 10 of 12. Mitch Marner added three assists, and Joseph Woll made 22 saves in the victory.
Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Jankowski scored for the Predators, who have lost five in a row (0-2-3). Juuse Saros stopped 25 shots.
Bruins 4, Blackhawks 2
Brad Marchand scored two second-period goals 2:05 apart, Morgan Geekie also scored twice and Jeremy Swayman made 20 saves to lift visiting Boston to a win against Chicago.
Boston won for the sixth time in eight games under interim coach Joe Sacco, recovering from an early deficit to stretch its season-best winning streak to three. Justin Brazeau, Mason Lohrei, Jordan Oesterle and David Pastrnak contributed two assists each.
The Blackhawks lost their fourth straight to match a season-worst skid. Goalie Petr Mrazek stopped 23 shots and Jason Dickinson and Alex Vlasic scored for Chicago.
TOP INDIANA NEWS HEALINES/RELEASES
INDIANA PACERS
GAME REWIND: PACERS 90, NETS 99
The Indiana Pacers traveled to Brooklyn on Wednesday after Tuesday night’s loss to clash with another 9-13 team in the Brooklyn Nets. They fell to the Nets 99-90 after scoring less than 100 points for just the fourth time this season.
Slow starts from both teams gave the Pacers a three-point advantage after five minutes of play as they held Brooklyn to 1-for-9 shooting. The Nets would go on to shoot 61.5% for the remainder of the first quarter as they held Indiana to a season-low 17 first quarter points.
Hot shooting from Cam Johnson gave the Nets a 7-point advantage going into the second quarter. He sank three of his five 3-point attempts in the opening frame en route to an 11-point first quarter. Johnson’s stroke from deep continued to be deadly as he finished the contest with a game-high 26 points on 7-for-13 shooting from 3-point range.
Brooklyn is one of the NBA’s top 4 teams in terms of 3-point attempts, as they average 40 shots from beyond the arc per game. They attempted 25 in the first half of Wednesday’s contest and connected on nine of them. 27 of their 51 first half points came from long range.
Myles Turner recorded three blocks in Tuesday’s game, and had already recorded three at the halfway mark of Wednesday’s matchup with the Nets. Turner entered the locker room at halftime with nine points on perfect 3-for-3 shooting, grabbed five rebounds and recorded two assists. He would finish with 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four blocks in the game.
Tonight marks Turner’s fourth game with four blocks this season.
Indiana trailed by 16 points at halftime but a flurry of shots from deep gave the Pacers’ offense new life. Rookie Johnny Furphy connected on three of his five 3-point attempts and took a crucial charge in the third quarter as he and Tyrese Haliburton propelled the Blue and Gold to within five points of the Nets. They each scored nine points in the third quarter, as Indiana outscored Brooklyn by 11 points in the frame.
“He’s a ball mover,” head coach Rick Carlisle said of Furphy. “He’s an energy giver. He had a lot of good things in this game and we needed it. We were looking for a spark wherever we could get it.”
T.J. McConnell had a great third quarter, scoring 10 points. He had a perfect quarter from the field, making all four of his attempted field goals, helping Indiana to a 35-point quarter. Indiana shot 63% in the third and entered the fourth trailing by just five, 75-70.
Indiana carried a 22-8 run over from the end of the third quarter to tie the game at 80 points with eight minutes to play, but let the game slip out of reach after an 8-0 Brooklyn run put the Nets back in front. Brooklyn led by as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter as they held off the Pacers down the stretch.
Haliburton led Indiana with 17 points and eight assists. The Pacers had six double-figure scorers, including Furphy, whose 12 points and seven rebounds were critical in the near-comeback.
Indiana will look to get a road win on Friday as they take on the 9-13 Chicago Bulls in the United Center.
Inside the Numbers
Indiana forced 17 turnovers leading to 19 points.
The Pacers committed just four turnovers in the second half of play, and all four came in the fourth quarter.
The Pacers recorded 10 total blocks from five different players.
You Can Quote Me on That
“Some of this growth is difficult, you know, because wins are hard to come by. It’s been a rough stretch, but we’ve got to look for positives. Furphy did some great things tonight…Tyrese is doing a terrific job, he’s running the team.” – Carlisle on team’s growth
“We’ve liked him all along. We thought he was in the top-14 of the draft and he slipped into the second round for unknown reasons…He’s a tough kid. He’s solid, he’s smart, he knows how to play the game.” – Carlisle on Furphy
“I’m just trying to go out there and make a positive impact, whatever the team needs me to do. And if I’m open, I’ve been told to just let it go.” – Furphy on his mindset and role
Stat of the Night
Johnny Furphy, a rookie out of Kansas, set a career high in points (12) and rebounds (7) as he shot 50% from deep. Nine of his 12 points came during the team’s third quarter rally.
Noteworthy
Andrew Nembhard did not suit up for the second night of a back-to-back after recently returning from an injury.
Up Next
Indiana will travel to Chicago for a clash with the Bulls on Friday, Dec. 6th at 8:00 PM ET.
Tickets
After a four-game road trip, the Pacers will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host Brandon Miller and the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 5:00 PM ET.
INDIANA FOOTBALL
QUOTED: NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti met with the media on Wednesday (Dec. 4) inside Memorial Stadium to talk about Indiana’s early signees on the first day of the National Signing Day early period.
Below is a full transcript of the press conference, while video of the media session can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Curt Cignetti | Head Coach
Opening Statement…
CC: Signing day sure has changed. They’ve moved it up, which is good. The month of December has changed a lot as well across the country, whether you still have games remaining or not.
Got all of our papers in early this morning. Signed 21 guys. Fourteen will be early enrollees. Seven will enroll for the fall and report in the summer. Nine on offense; 12 on defense. Four from Indiana and Ohio. Two from Illinois and Tennessee. One from St. Louis. So, 13 roughly from a four-hour radius.
I like these guys. Good players, good people, good character, good students. This game is all about recruiting and development and then retention. You know, keeping the guys that eventually produce. So excited about them.
Questions.
On how important is to develop positions who play in the trenches…
CC: Well, it all starts up front, and the defensive linemen with always the hardest to find and get. So we got two inside guys and two ends, and pleased with that.
Offensively, three offensive linemen all report in midyear and then the two tight ends. The one in-state tight end will be an early enrollee, and Blake Thiry will be a fall enrollee. I feel good about that. Feel good about all these guys.
On where revenue sharing entered recruiting conversations…
CC: Well, NIL has been a thing for a while, and the rev-share component was in its infancy when a lot of these guys were being recruited.
It all comes down to a number, and where that comes from really is of no consequence. You know what I mean? But, you know, the rev-share thing will kick in July 1st as long as the court case is approved April, what, 4th, I believe. We’re all counting on it across college football, athletics in general. That will change quite a bit how things are done once that kicks in on July 1st.
On where he stands on with his target scholarship number amidst the upcoming roster limit…
CC: There’s a roster limit that will go into effect right now if everything stays the same. Will that go into effect in August camp or the week of the first game? There are some things to be worked out there.
In theory, if a team wanted to offer 100 — let’s say the number is 105. If a team wanted to offer 105 scholarships, they could, but as soon as you go over 85, it takes 2.5 million off the cap right off the bat.
I saw a poll around the conference — who is planning on staying at 85; who is planning on going over? It appears right now the most people are going to stay at 85 scholarships because the other thing that’s going to change is once you go to 85 scholarships with rev-share, you’ll be able to give partial scholarships too. A quarter scholarship or a half or one-third, kind of like my D2 days.
But it all has to equal 85. Otherwise, you go over what 85 would equal, 2.5 million comes off your rev-share cap.
On if he is planning to stick with 85 scholarships…
CC: Yeah.
On if he looks for multiple-sport athletes or high-achieving students…
CC: Yeah, well, we don’t give academic scholarships, but I do look at the transcript. I like to see the transcript on every guy and see what the grade point average is, a core grade point average.
I do look at the absences. I think that’s a reflection of his habits and accountability, right, and doing what he’s supposed to do.
Multi-sport athletes, that’s all good, but at the end of the day this is football, and football is different than basketball and baseball and track in terms of the skill set required. It can be helpful in an evaluation, but it’s more about what the guy does on tape or at our camp or another camp, things like that.
On his recruiting process for high school guys…
CC: Well, they’re all signed up now. So now we’ve been spending a lot of time right now on portal guys, evaluating portal guys, which opens up Monday, the 9th.
We’re going to be preparing for a football game also. So we want to kind of be as far along in that evaluation as possible because even though the portal doesn’t open until Monday, if a guy is graduated or if a coach has been fired, right, then they’re technically in the portal now.
Underclassmen can’t officially be in the portal until Monday, and then it could take 24 to 48 hours to be processed, so it could be Wednesday, but all you have to do is go on Twitter and see who has announced that they’re going to go into the portal, and that doesn’t prohibit you from pulling up their PFF tape and evaluating them. So there’s a lot of that going on right now.
Then we’re going to practice today, and we’re going to practice tomorrow. We’re going to practice Friday. Right? Players lifted yesterday. Had Monday off. Today will be like a Monday routine, and tomorrow will be like a Tuesday, and Friday will be like a Wednesday to stay sharp with our fundamentals and our timing and that kind of thing. Then we’ll find out who with he play Sunday at 12:15.
On balancing his time with the portal and high school recruiting…
CC: Yeah, it’s a juggling act, the things that I just mentioned. You know, the portal evaluation is taking up a good bit of time right now, and today’s practice in terms of the preparation for today’s practice, an hour, hour and a half. If you count the scripting, maybe two hours.
Then we’re having conversations also. I’ve had a couple of conversations with returners about next year, but not too many because I want our team to focus right now on — we’re in season, and the main thing has to be the main thing, right? You guys all know that today has to be a great day and a great meeting and all that stuff that we preach, so…
On the influence of success in player development in his recruiting pitch…
CC: Well, yeah, you can look at them positionally in terms of what guys have done through the years, but I think it’s a reflection of team success really, recruiting and development. Guys want to be a part of a winning program. Obviously winning here opens doors in the recruiting process and will continue to open doors as long as we continue to be successful, which we plan on being obviously.
So, the high school part of it really is the guys have been committed a while, right, so the last few days we’ve been in the office it’s been more portal evaluation.
On how he vets players he is recruiting and their maturity…
CC: Well, I think it’s all about people… the coaches you hire, the players you recruit. There’s a lot of good players out there. I mean, you’re looking for people that are passionate about what they do, goal-oriented, know how to set goals and go about achieving them.
Now, they’re still young guys, and they’re going to need developed and guided, correct? Then it’s process, but as you get closer to the season, the key to the drill then becomes getting everybody to think alike and keep their eye on the prize, focused on the bull’s-eye, you know, the intangibles as you get into the season.
But the winter conditioning program leads up to that. Spring football, summer conditioning, and fall camp. So, I like the class. I think these guys all have a chance, and we’re excited about them.
On not recruiting a high school quarterback and his portal plan…
CC: Well, we have two young quarterbacks in the program that we like: Tyler Cherry and Mendoza. So, we didn’t feel a real need to sign a young quarterback this year.
We will definitely recruit a quarterback out of the portal. In terms of our other needs, I’ll let you guys put pen to paper and figure out who is coming back and who we’re losing and figure that out on your own.
On conversations with guys who have NFL possibilities…
CC: Well, no. Let’s say we have 55 returning scholarship players, and I had the staff rate them 1 to 55, right? Well, I didn’t start my conversations at 55. So, I’ve had a couple; not many.
On preparing for the postseason amidst the offseason roster work…
CC: You are looking at about a three-week turnaround. This week the players are going to get two days of weights, and we’ll get three practices in. One will be more of a walk-through.
Then next week we’ll look more like a normal game week in terms of what we do on the field. It will be closer to a game week.
On maximizing the preparation period…
CC: Next week will be very similar to a game week. It might not be exact, but we’ll start preparation in earnest. We still have to balance the portal, the evaluation, and we’ll probably have official visits coming in during December as well.
You know, preparation on the opponent, depending on who that is. Some of these teams we know already. Some of them we don’t. So next week won’t be quite like a game week, but it will be similar.
On if he knows how big of a portal class he will have…
CC: Yeah, I do.
TRISTON ABRAM
Position: Defensive line
Hometown: Saint Louis, Missouri
School: Christian Brothers College
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 225-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars; No. 672, No. 52 Edge
Notable offers: Georgia Tech, Kansas State, Michigan
BYRON BALDWIN
Position: Safety
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
School: St. Frances Academy
Vitals: 6-foot-1, 190-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 4-stars; No. 195; No. 14 Safety
Notable offers: Colorado, Florida, Penn State, Tennessee
ANDREW BARKER
Position: Tight End
Hometown: Kokomo, Indiana
School: Kokomo
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 230-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars, No. 1,666, No. 95 TE
Notable offers: Army, Marshall Navy, Ohio
JAYLEN BELL
Position: Defensive back
Hometown: Loganville, Georgia
School: Grayson
Vitals: 5-foot-11, 170-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars, No. 977, No. 87 CB
Notable offers: Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Ole Miss
LEBRON BOND
Position: Wide receiver
Hometown: Norfolk, Virginia
School: Maury
Vitals: 5-foot-9, 160-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars, No. 875, No. 129 WR
Notable offers: Boston College, Duke, Maryland, Syracuse
TYRONE BURRUS JR.
Position: Defensive line
Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana
School: Warren Central
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 235-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars; No. 566; No. 42 Edge
Notable offers: Louisville, Illinois, Iowa
KEISHAUN CALHOUN
Position: Defensive line
Hometown: Groveport, Ohio
School: Groveport Madison
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 245-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars, No. 1,245, No. 132 DL
Notable offers: Marshall, Miami (OH), Ohio, Toledo
DAVION CHANDLER
Position: Wide receiver
Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana
School: Lawrence North
Vitals: 6-foot-0, 170-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars, No. 705, No. 103 WR
Notable offers: Illinois, Iowa, Louisville
SEAN CUONO
Position: Running Back
Hometown: Clearwater, Florida
School: Clearwater Central Catholic
Vitals: 5-foot-10, 185-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars, No. 760, No. 58 RB
Notable offers: Auburn, Minnesota, South Carolina
JAMARI FARMER
Position: Linebacker
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina
School: Mooresville
Vitals: 5-foot-10, 218-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars, No. 1,293, No. 126 LB
Notable offers: Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, Old Dominion
KYLER GARCIA
Position: Defensive line
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
School: Pearl-Cohn
Vitals: 6-foot-3, 280-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars, No. 1,246, No. 132 DL
Notable offers: Georgia, Louisville, Wisconsin
JHREVIOUS HALL
Position: Defensive line
Hometown: Columbia, Tennessee
School: Columbia Central
Vitals: 6-foot-2, 270-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars, No. 1,038, No. 114
Notable offers: Auburn, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee
MYLES KENDRICK
Position: Wide receiver
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida
School: Riverside
Vitals: 6-foot-0, 165-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars, No. 1,134, No. 163 WR
Notable offers: Colorado, Michigan State, Tulane
MATT MAREK
Position: Offensive line
Hometown: Orland Park, Illinois
School: Carl Sandburg
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 285-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars, No. 1,391, No. 109 IOL
Notable offers: Ball State, Coastal Carolina, Northern Illinois, Toledo
PAUL NELSON
Position: Linebacker
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
School: Princeton
Vitals: 6-foot-2, 205-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars, No. 1,067, No. 111 LB
Notable offers: Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan
EVAN PARKER
Position: Offensive line
Hometown: Carmel, Indiana
School: Carmel
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 295-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars, No. 1,403, No. 111 IOL
Notable offers: Kent State, Miami (OH), Toledo
GARRETT REESE
Position: Defensive back
Hometown: La Grange Park, Illinois
School: Nazareth Academy
Vitals: 6-foot-2, 170-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars, No. 1,503, No. 120 ATH
Notable offers: Arizona State, California, Cincinnati
ZACHAREY SMITH
Position: Defensive back
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
School: Hapeville Charter
Vitals: 6-foot-0, 170-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars, No. 1,012, No. 93 CB
Notable offers: Auburn, Kentucky, Louisville, SMU
SEAONTA STEWART
Position: Defensive back
Hometown: Winton Woods, Cincinnati
School: Winton Woods
Vitals: 6-foot-2, 180-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars, No. 842, No. 56 ATH
Notable offers: Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee
BLAKE THIRY
Position: Tight end
Hometown: Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin
School: Prairie Du Chien
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 216-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars, No. 1,058, No. 53 TE
Notable offers: Appalachian State, Texas Tech, UAB
BAYLOR WILKIN
Position: Offensive line
Hometown: Findlay, Ohio
School: Findlay
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 275-pounds
247Sports Composite (High school rankings): 3-stars, No. 1,525, No. 121 IOL
Notable offers: Cincinnati, Marshall, Michigan State
INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
SECOND HALF LIFTS INDIANA OVER SOUTHERN INDIANA
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Junior guard Shay Ciezki scored 17 points while three others added double figures as Indiana got past Southern Indiana, 67-63.
KEY MOMENTS
The Hoosiers (6-3) took the lead early, leading by as many as 10 with 5:59 to go, but the Screaming Eagles clawed back to tie it up 17-17 at the end of the first 10. Southern Indiana (7-2) took as many as a 15-point lead in the second, as Indiana trailed at the break, 42-29.
Battling back from the deficit, junior forward Lilly Meister pulled the Hoosiers back within sing digits with 6:22 to go in the third. Ciezki tied the game up at the five-minute mark on a 3-pointer, but Southern Indiana ended the quarter with the slight lead 51-48.
The Hoosiers came back fighting in the fourth quarter, tying the game up in the first minute of the frame on a triple by junior guard Yarden Garzon. Sandvik gave Indiana its first lead back since the 2nd quarter as junior guard Henna Sandvik connected from the left wing to take a one-point edge.
USI continued to provide answers for Indiana’s comeback, coming within one with 1:24 remaining. Ciezki’s corner 3-pointer set up by Garzon gave the Hoosiers the three point edge with 26 seconds to go while adding a couple free throws in the bonus down the stretch.
NOTABLE
Four players for the Hoosiers reached double digits – Ciezki (17), Garzon (14), Moore-McNeil (13) and Meister (11).
Indiana assisted on 14 of its 21 made buckets on the night, led by six assists from Garzon.
Meister also scored in double figures with 11 points, her fifth game of the season in double digits.
The Hoosiers led on the glass with a 38-33 advantage over the Screaming Eagles. Moore-McNeil led the way with seven rebounds while Meister pulled down six.
UP NEXT
The Hoosiers will start Big Ten play on Saturday when they travel to Penn State. Tipoff at Bryce Jordan Center is at 1 p.m. ET.
INDIANA VOLLEYBALL
GARY, HAWORTH PICK UP ALL-BIG TEN HONORS
ROSEMONT, Ill. – For the second-straight season, both senior setter Camryn Haworth and sophomore libero Ramsey Gary were honored by the Big Ten Conference as two of the league’s most outstanding players. All-Big Ten awards were announced by the league office on Wednesday afternoon (Dec. 4).
The Indiana duo were both named to the All-Big Ten Second Team list as part of 40 players in total that were selected by coaches of the 18 conference schools. Haworth picks up her third career All-Big Ten accolade (two first team, one second team) while Gary makes the second team for the second-straight year.
Haworth, a native of Fishers, Ind., is the third player in program history (Ashley Benson, Karen Dunham) to earn All-Big Ten honors in three-separate years. She was a first team selection in both 2022 and 2023 and battled through injuries to earn a second team nod in 2024.
On the season, Haworth racked up 1061 assists (10.10 per set) and started 29 of 30 matches for the Hoosiers. She tallied up 49 aces (fourth in Big Ten) and had 234 digs and 90 kills. For her career, she finished first in all-time aces (213) and fourth in all-time assists (3,923) in program history.
The other half of IU’s all-conference duo, Gary, was one of the premier liberos in the league for the second-straight year. After a tremendous freshman campaign, opposing teams did their best to keep the ball away from Gary this time around. She still managed to pick up 438 digs and finish third in the league with 4.06 digs per set.
She finished just shy of reaching 1,000 digs by the end of her sophomore year (968) but is averaging 4.21 digs per set in her career so far. With the graduation of Nebraska’s Lexi Rodriguez (Big Ten Libero of the Year), Gary will enter 2025 as the only Big Ten libero to earn multiple All-Big Ten honors in their career.
Gary helped anchor one of the better passing duos in the Big Ten along with graduate student Delaynie Maple. IU had the fifth-fewest reception errors on the season in the league (118). Among starting liberos, Gary had the fewest reception errors (15) in the Big Ten across 434 total attempts. According to Volley Metrics, she passed a 2.32 on a 3.0 scale this season.
Sophomore middle blocker Ava Vickers was selected by head coach Steve Aird as the team’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Honoree. Despite a nagging injury, Vickers stepped up to start in all 20 conference matches for the Hoosiers. She finished the season with 98 kills (.314 hitting percentage) and 67 blocks.
INDIANA WRESTLING
NO. 28 INDIANA TO FACE NO. 11 ILLINOIS IN INDIANAPOLIS
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– No. 28 Indiana Wrestling will compete in the first-ever Big Ten Takedown event on Friday at the Indiana Convention Center against No. 11 Illinois in Indianapolis.
The Hoosiers and Fighting Illini will open their conference dual schedule center of Big Ten Fan Fest presented by Dr Pepper at the Indiana Convention Center in conjunction with the 2024 Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game.
BORDER BATTLE:
-No. 28 Indiana will open its Big Ten dual schedule against No. 11 Illinois for its biggest matchup of the season to this point and the first ever Big Ten Takedown event.
-The dual will take place in a first-of-its-kind setting at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. The event is in conjunction with the Big Ten Championship football game on Saturday featuring Oregon and Penn State.
-This will also be first Big Ten dual of the season for any teams in the conference.
-The two teams are both undefeated as Indiana sports a 4-0 dual record while Illinois is 5-0.
-This will be Indiana’s first ranked test while Illinois sports wins over No. 21 Arizona State, No. 6 Missouri and No. 23 North Carolina.
-There are a multitude of ranked wrestlers across both lineups with Indiana having eight ranked and Illinois with 10.
-Illinois’ top wrestlers include No. 2 Lucas Byrd (133) who is back after redshirting in 2023-24 and No. 12 Edmond Ruth (184) who was the 2024 Big Ten Champion at 174 lbs. last season.
-The match will mark the first time that Indiana has wrestled in the state’s capital since 2010.
CLEVELAND STATE TRIP:
-Following The Big Ten Takedown, Indiana will have six wrestlers compete in the Cleveland State Open on Saturday, Dec. 7.
-The Hoosiers are only sending freshmen to compete in the tournament, including: Chris Crawford, Chase Leech, Joey Buttler, Lucas Peters, Matt Hart and Caleb Marzolino.
-For Leech, Peters, Hart and Marzolino, this will be their first collegiate competition.
NAVY CLASSIC NEWS:
-Indiana had a successful outing in the Navy Classic on Saturday, Nov. 23 at the U.S. Naval Academy.
-Indiana had 15 wrestlers compete and 10 of them finished on the podium.
-No. 26 Angelo Rini (133) and No. 25 Jacob Bullock (285) each won their respective weight class’ bracket.
-Rini defeated No. 14 Kurt Phipps (Bucknell) by decision, 3-2, to clinch his title in the final match.
-Bullock defeated Nebraska’s Harley Andrews in a dominant 9-2 decision in the final match to win the 285 lbs. bracket.
-No. 23 Jacob Moran (125) finished in third place with his only loss being a 2-1 decision to No. 3 Caleb Smith of Nebraska.
-The Hoosiers took fourth place in the team standings with 94.0 total points, finishing only behind Nebraska, Oregon State and Navy.
CLOSE WIN OVER COLUMBIA:
-On Nov. 21, Indiana won 23-21 in a rollercoaster of a road dual at Columbia.
-The Hoosiers opened the match wins at 125 and 133 lbs. before Columbia won five straight to lead 21-8.
-From there, Indiana’s lineup combination of DJ Washington (184), Gabe Sollars (197) and Jacob Bullock (285) each earned bonus points to lift Indiana 23-21.
-Washington won by tech fall, Sollars by pin and Bullock defeated his opponent by major decision to clinch the match.
HIGH-LEVEL RECRUITING:
-Indiana brought in eight freshmen this fall to bolster the team’s roster.
-The freshmen include Chris Crawford, Ryan Garvick, Sam Goin, Matt Hart, Chase Leech, Caleb Marzolino, Nick Pavlechkko and Lucas Peters.
-InterMat ranked it the 14th best recruiting class in the 2024 cycle.
-Seven of Indiana’s eight freshmen were ranked in the MatScouts’ Senior Big Board which charts the top 250 recruits in the country.
-The class includes two in-state Hoosiers in Goin and Leech as well as wrestlers from five other states (Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, New York and Wisconsin).
TRANSFER TUNE-UP:
-As part of Indiana’s ten new wrestlers, two of them are transfers.
-The transfers include Angelo Rini from Columbia and Logan Frazier from Virginia Tech. Both wrestlers will compete this year at 133 lbs.
-Rini arrives in Bloomington after spending five years at Columbia. He follows suit from Dan Fongaro who did the same thing last year after doing five years at Columbia before spending a sixth season at IU.
-A Kirtland, Ohio native, Rini was an NCAA Qualifier in 2023 after finishing third at the EIWA Championships. He went 1-2 at NCAAs.
-His 2023-24 campaign ended early due to a season-ending injury after starting 8-2.
-He had wins over No. 14 Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State), No. 7 Chris Cannon (Michigan) and No. 17 Julian Farber (Northern Iowa) and was ranked as high as No. 11 prior to injury.
-Frazier went 10-7 in his redshirt season at Virginia Tech with one win by tech fall and three pins.
-The transfer to IU brings Frazier back to his home state as he is a Crown Point, Ind. native.
ATTENDANCE GROWTH:
-Since Angel Escobedo took over, Indiana has seen tremendous growth in its attendance at home duals.
-Last season, averaged 2,111 fans per dual which ranked No. 16 by the National Wrestling Media Association.
PROMOTED:
-C.J. Red was promoted to a full-time assistant coach role in the offseason after serving as a volunteer assistant coach the previous two seasons.
-Red was a three-time All-American and five-time NCAA Qualifier at Nebraska.
-He also was a four-time, undefeated state champion at New Palestine High School.
OFFSEASON WORK:
-The Indiana Wrestling team had a number of wrestlers compete in offseason competition to get better and chase international goals.
-Twelve student-athletes competed in the U20 World Team Trials and U23 National Tournament last June at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
-There were Hoosier wrestlers competing in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle competition with six finishing on the podium across bothstyles.
-Derek Gilcher (74 kg), Tyler Lillard (79 kg), Nick South (79 kg), DJ Washington (86kg) and Jacob Bullock (125 kg) all were All-Americans in Freestyle while Blaine Frazier (61 kg) was one in Greco-Roman.
-Gilcher, South and Bullock each finished in fifth place.
GEOGRAPHICAL DISPERSION:
-Indiana’s roster features wrestlers everywhere across the country.
-Twelve wrestlers on the team are home grown, in-state Hoosiers. Three of them went to high school together at Crown Point and all graduated in 2023 (Bahl, L. Frazier, Goin).
-Of the 29 wrestlers on the team, there are 12 different states represented.
-The states represented on Indiana’s roster include Indiana, California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin.
PURDUE FOOTBALL
PURDUE FOOTBALL WELCOMES 6 NEW BOILERMAKERS ON NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Football added six new Boilermakers to its family on National Signing Day (Dec. 4). Sawyer Anderson (QB – Dallas, Texas), Landon Brooks (RUSH END – Albany, Ind.), Zyntreacs Otey (DB – Murfreesboro, Tenn.), Ziaire Stevens (RB – Akron, Ohio), Sam Steward (LB – Fort Wayne, Ind.) and Jaron Thomas (RB – Elkhart, Ind.) all signed their national letters of intent Wednesday to join the Boilermakers for the 2025 season.
The early signing period class features three players on each side of the ball: two running backs and one quarterback on offense, along with a linebacker, rush end and defensive back on defense.
After the 38th head coach in Purdue Football history is named and establishes his coaching staff, the recruiting class size will increase during the regular signing period, which begins on February 5, 2025. The new staff will also undoubtedly utilize the transfer portal over the next month.
The list of early signees, along with information about each new Boilermaker, can be found below.
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown (High School) |
| Sawyer Anderson | QB | 6-0 | 180 | Dallas, Texas (Parish Episcopal) |
| Landon Brooks | RUSH END | 6-5 | 220 | Albany, Ind. (Delta) |
| Zyntreacs Otey | DB | 5-11 | 165 | Murfreesboro, Tenn. (Battle Ground) |
| Ziaire Stevens | RB | 5-9 | 185 | Akron, Ohio (East) |
| Sam Steward | LB | 6-1 | 215 | Fort Wayne, Ind. (Homestead) |
| Jaron Thomas | RB | 6-0 | 200 | Elkhart, Ind. (Concord) |
SAWYER ANDERSON
QB | 6-0 | 180
Dallas, Texas | Parish Episcopal School
• Rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports Composite
• Ranked the No. 52 quarterback by On3
• Selected first team all-state twice and second team all-state once
• Three-time first team all-district
• Three-year team captain
• Three-time TAPPS Division I State Champion
• Will play in the TAPPS Division I State Championship on Dec. 7 vs. Liberty Christian
• Is 849-for-1,290 (65.8-percent) with 14,370 passing yards and 156 passing touchdowns serving as a four-year starter
• Added 145 carries for 948 yards and 13 touchdowns over his high school career
• His passing yards are a Dallas-area high school career record that he set on Nov. 11, 2024
• Fourth quarterback in Texas high school history to surpass 14,000 career passing yards
• Leads the state of Texas and ranks second in the nation with 4,830 passing yards this season
• His father, Blake, was drafted in the 23rd round of the 1996 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies
• His grandfather, Donny, played in the NFL from 1966-75 and won the first two Super Bowls in NFL history with the Green Bay Packers
LANDON BROOKS
RE | 6-5 | 220
Albany, Ind. | Delta High School
• Listed as a three-star prospect by 247Sports, On3 and Rivals
• Named the No. 20 prospect in Indiana and No. 87 edge overall by 247Sports Composite
• 2023 IHSAA 3A Sectional Champion
• Two-time Prime Time 25 Defensive Player of the Year
• Three-year team captain
• Recorded 22 sacks over his final three seasons of high school
• During his breakout junior season, recorded 72 tackles, 19.5 tackles-for-loss and 6.5 sacks
ZYNTREACS OTEY
DB | 5-11 | 165
Murfreesboro, Tenn. | Battle Ground Academy
• Rated a four-star recruit by Rivals.
• The No. 13 prospect in Tennessee and No. 36 cornerback according to Rivals
• Has 100 total tackles (73 solo) with four interceptions in two seasons.
• Battle Ground Academy will play in the TSSAA state championship on Dec. 5, 2024
ZIAIRE STEVENS
RB | 5-9 | 185
Akron, Ohio | East High School
• Consensus three-star prospect according to 247Sports Composite
• Rated the No. 28 prospect in Ohio and No. 45 running back by ESPN
• Two-time First Team All-Ohio
• Two-time Akron City Series Offensive Player of the Year
• Three-time Northeast Ohio First Team All-District
• Sits atop Akron East’s career leaderboards with 5,810 rushing yards and 50 total touchdowns
• Broke the school record in rushing after a 104-yard performance in week nine of his senior season
SAM STEWARD
ILB | 6-1 | 215
Fort Wayne, Ind. | Homestead High School
• Rated a three-star prospect and No. 22 in Indiana by On3
• 6A All-State selection as a junior
• Two-time all-conference
• Team captain as a senior
• Had 194 total tackles, 30 tackles-for-loss and 18 sacks in his three-year varsity career
• Led Homestead in tackles, tackles-for-loss and sacks during his junior and senior seasons
• Had a senior season-high 14 tackles in his final game against Hamilton Southeastern
• Took second in the 100 and 200-meter dash in his conference meet
JARON THOMAS
RB | 6-0 | 200
Elkhart, Ind. | Concord High School
• Rated a four-star recruit according to On3
• Ranked the No. 7 athlete and No. 8 prospect in Indiana by On3
• Two-time all-state selection as an athlete, playing both running back and linebacker
• Two-time all-conference
• Totaled 2,867 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns in two seasons
• Had 15 games of 100-plus rushing yards according to MaxPreps
• Totaled 227 tackles and 13 tackles-for-loss
• Two-time state qualifier and 2023 sectional champion in the 100-meter dash
• Placed seventh in the 4×100-meter relay at the 2024 state championships
• Three-time all-conference selection in track & field
PURDUE VOLLEYBALL
4 RECEIVE ALL-BIG TEN AWARDS
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Four Boilermakers were named to the Big Ten volleyball postseason awards with Eva Hudson and Raven Colvin named First Team All-Big Ten while Chloe Chicoine and Taylor Anderson received Second Team honors.
It is Hudson’s third consecutive year as a first team honoree, Colvin’s second straight first team and third overall all-conference team nod, Chicoine’s second all-conference nod (first team in 2023) and Anderson’s first.
It is the fourth time Purdue has earned as many first or second teamers in the last five years.
Picking up where she left off, junior Hudson led the Big Ten in kills for the third consecutive year, totaling 516 kills during the regular season (4.73 per set). Improving as the season goes, she closed the chapter on the regular season with a season-high 28-kill performance last Thursday at #13 Oregon in a double-double effort for Purdue’s 3-2 reverse sweep. Her history of performing at her best against top opponents, Hudson also posted 26 kills with just four attack errors in five sets of action (.349 hitting %) at No. 2 Nebraska (10/11) and a nearly going errorless for the entire match at then-#10 Kansas, and 15 kills in just two sets vs. then-#10 Kentucky. Meanwhile, in a head-to-head comparison of her first 10 matches versus her last 10, she upped her offensive production from 4.40 kills per set to 5.39 per set. A six rotation outside hitter, Hudson is an AVCA National Player of the Year Semifinalist, owns two Big Ten Player of the Week nods this season, including AVCA National Player of the Week following Week 1 of action.
Senior middle blocker Colvin leads the Big Ten in blocks and ranks No. 4 nationally with 1.56 blocks per set. Not only has she risen through the Purdue record books this season to No. 2 in Purdue history with 628 career blocks and 546 career block assists, but she is also four block assists away from tying the program record and 15 kills away from reaching her 1,000th. This season, she’s totaled three double-digit block performances, including a season-high 11 blocks at No. 2 Nebraska, 10 blocks at Utah State and 10 vs. Kansas State. Meanwhile, her offensive production included a career-high 19 kills alongside a Purdue record-matching 7 aces in a five set match for the win at No. 13 Minnesota (9/28). The Boilermaker has improved in every facet compared to 2023, hitting .340% this season vs. .280% last year and 1.56 blocks per set this season vs. 1.34. She is also averaging more kills, points and aces per set.
Chicoine, a sophomore outside hitter and second team honoree, had a well-rounded season which saw sound passing, an increase in digs and blocking and season-highs in the top matches of the year. Her passing numbers have helped Purdue reach the second-highest hitting % this century (.274%). The six-rotation hitter set career-highs in hitting % (.565 at Rutgers), assists (5 at #2 Nebraska) and blocks (4 at Utah State). Meanwhile, her performances include a season-high 22 kills at No. 2 Nebraska, 16 kills at No. 10 Kansas, 17 kills vs. Kansas State and 16 kills at No. 13 Oregon. Chicoine registered 13 double-doubles with 7 matches reaching at least 10 digs and 21 matches reaching at least 10 kills. In the last 10 matches of the regular-season, she has averaged 3.36 digs per set, 3.02 points per set, registered two matches with a .500 attack % and two with 16 kills. She saw a perfect reception % in 19 matches this season and owned a 96.2 receive % during Big Ten action. It is her second consecutive year earning a Big Ten all-conference award after receiving first team a year ago.
Anderson, a sophomore setter, has guided the team to the second-highest hitting % in a single Purdue season (.274%). She’s dished out 13 40-plus assist matches, including five with at least 50 assists. With Anderson leading the way, the Boilermakers have posted 12 matches this season hitting at least .300%, five with at least a .360% and two matches above .400%. Anderson set a season-high 57 assists at No. 13 Oregon (11/27) and 54 assists at No. 13 Minnesota and 44 assists in just three sets of action vs. Illinois (11/17). Not only does the San Antonio, Texas, native lead all Big Ten setters in blocks (93 or .85 per set), she finished the regular-season ranked second in the league in assists (1,208 or 11.08 per set, just .04 off from the conference leader).
Additionally, Sydney Yim was selected as Purdue’s Sportsmanship Award recipient, earned by one student-athlete per institution. A senior out of Newburyport, Massachusetts, Yim
The Boilermakers helped Purdue to the second-most regular-season wins since the 1980’s with a 25-6 overall record. The team finished fourth in the conference standings behind a 16-4 Big Ten record, which ties as the second-most wins ever by the Boilermakers. The Boilermakers have ranked in the top-10 for 14 of the 15 weeks, tallying 16 sweeps (the most since 2017) and have gone 9-1 during the month of December.
BIG DANCE TO BEGIN IN WEST LAFAYETTE
Thursday, December 5: NCAA First Round
3:30 p.m. ET | #5 BYU vs. Loyola Chicago | ESPN+
6:30 p.m. ET | #4 Purdue vs. Western Michigan | ESPN+ | WSHY 104.3 FM
Friday, December 6: NCAA Second Round
6 p.m. ET | BYU/Loyola Chicago vs. Purdue/Western Michigan | ESPN+
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The No. 4 seeded Purdue Boilermakers are set to begin their postseason journey tomorrow at Holloway Gymnasium, hosting the NCAA First and Second Rounds for Western Michigan, No. 5 seeded BYU and Loyola Chicago. All NCAA First & Second Round matches will be streamed on B1G+.
FAN PARKING
Fans attending the match can park in the R & H Lots for $5 day-of sales via credit card only.
Additional parking is available in the A Lot for $10.
Please refer to the parking map, found HERE
25-WIN SEASONS
Purdue’s 25 regular-season wins are the second-most since the 1980’s (most: 26 in 2011).
It is the 10th season in Purdue history, including fifth under HC Dave Shondell, Purdue has started the year with a 20-5 record or better.
Dave Shondell has reached the 20-win benchmark 16 times in his 22-season career.
When Purdue has reached 20 wins as quickly as the 2024 squad, Purdue’s reached the NCAA Regional Semifinals 86% of the time.
PURDUE’S 16-4 BIG TEN RECORD
Purdue finished fourth in the Big Ten standings, marking the third time in the last four seasons Purdue’s finished as high in the toughest conference in America.
It is the eighth time under HC Dave Shondell the team’s finished fourth or better in the Big Ten standings.
The team entered November with just three Big Ten losses, marking the second straight year and seventh time Purdue has had such few losses under Shondell that far into league play.
It is the fourth time under HC Shondell Purdue has finished Big Ten play with five losses or less (2023’s 15-5 record, 2021’s 15-5 record and 2011’s 16-4 record).
SWEET SWEEPS
Purdue totaled 16 sweeps during the regular season, the most since 2017.
#4 SEED PURDUE IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Purdue’s hosted the 1st/2nd Rounds in four of the last five eligible years (2020’s tournament was held in Omaha).
The Boilermakers have earned an NCAA tournament bid for the past 10 straight years.
Dave Shondell has led Purdue to the tournament 19 times in his 22 years of coaching and owns a 32-17 record in the Big Dance (65%).
Purdue made back-to-back Regional Final berths in 2020 and 2021.
Purdue NCAA Tournament Record: 37-25 (.593%)
Number of Second Round Appearances: 22
Number of Regional Semifinal Appearances: 16
Regional Semifinals record under Shondell: 4-6 (Last: 2021)
Number of Regional Finals Appearances: 5 (1982, 2010, 2013, 2020, 2021)
Dave Shondell has never lost a First Round match.
Overall, Purdue is 23-2 in First Round matches, with the last loss coming in 1990 (other: 1984).
BIG DANCE. BIG NUMBERS
Last year, two individual records for postseason play was broken in the NCAA Second Round match vs. Marquette in Holloway Gymnasium: freshman setter Taylor Anderson recorded a career-high 60 kills and libero fifth-year libero Maddie Schermerhorn totaled 25 digs.
Last year, Hudson averaged 5.50 kills per set. Meanwhile as a freshman she averaged 4.38 per set.
SCOUTING WESTERN MICHIGAN (20-12 | 13-5 MAC)
The Broncos lead their conference (Mid-Atlantic Conference) in digs per set (16.58), kills per set (13.74) and assists per set (13.11).
Fifth year setter Logan Case has registered 1337 assists this season with a conference-leading average of 11.73 assists per set. In 2023, the All-American was named MAC Player of the Year and MAC Setter of the Year.
Outsider hitter Keona Salesman has earned a team-leading 3.18 kills per set in her fifth-year season, tallying 353 total kills.
All-American libero and 2023 MAC Defensive Player of the Year Andelyn Simkins leads the conference in total digs this season, posting 547 digs with a 4.80 average.
SCOUTING #5 SEED BYU (19-9 | 12-6 Big 12)
The No. 25 Cougars defeated No. 11 Kansas in four sets in their most recent top-25 match.
Sophomore outside hitter Claire Little has registered a team-high 419 total kills for an average of 3.92 kills per set.
BYU places first in the Big 12 for total blocks (286.5) and blocks per set (2.60).
Sophomore middle blocker Brielle Kemavor leads the Cougars with 164 blocks for a 1.49 block per set average.
Setter Alex Bower ranks second in the conference with 1101 total kills in her freshman campaign.
SCOUTING LOYOLA CHICAGO (21-11 | 13-5 A10)
Last time out, the Ramblers swept then-No. 18 Dayton at the Atlantic 10 Championship, punching their ticket for the NCAA Tournament.
Graduate student outside hitter Marta Cvitkovic leads the team with 331 total kills for an average of 2.98 kills per set.
Junior middle back Amm Marie Remmes has earned the second highest hitting percentage with a .316 and leads the Ramblers in total blocks with 105.
Loyola Chicago ranks second in the Atlantic 10 for both total kills (1714) and total assists (1601).
Senior setter Bree Borum places first in the conference for total assists with 1202 and ranks second for assists per set with a 9.54 average.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
#8 PURDUE OPENS BIG TEN PLAY THURSDAY AT PENN STATE
GAMEDAY INFORMATION — GAME 09
[8] Purdue (7-1, 0-0) vs. Penn State (7-1, 0-0)
6:30 p.m. ET | State College, Pa.
Bryce Jordan Center (15,261)
TELEVISION: FS1 (Jeff Levering, Laphonso Ellis)
RADIO: Purdue Global Radio Network (Rob Blackman, Bobby Riddell)
THE NOTES TO KNOW
• The No. 8-ranked Purdue men’s basketball team looks for its first road win of the season when it opens Big Ten play at Penn State on Thursday evening in State College. The Boilermakers are heading to State College for the first time since Jan. 2022, and are looking for their seventh straight road win in the series with the Nittany Lions.
• Purdue is coming off its fourth straight “Feast Week” title, winning last week’s Rady Children’s Invitational with victories over North Carolina State and No. 23-ranked Ole Miss. The Boilermakers have won 10 straight “Feast Week” games, eight of them against ranked teams.
• Trey Kaufman-Renn was named the Big Ten Player of the Week after leading Purdue to the Rady Children’s Invitational title in San Diego. Kaufman-Renn averaged 23.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 16-of-26 (.615) from the field in the two games. He recorded his first career double-double in the win over Ole Miss with 25 points and 13 rebounds.
• In the win over NC State, Purdue recorded its sixth run of 10-0 or larger this season. Purdue has won 25 straight games when having a run of 10-0 or larger, and has won 56 of its last 57 games when having a 10-0 run.
• In the last three games, Purdue is 64-of-85 (.753) from the free throw line. In the first five games, Purdue was just 79-of-116 (.681).
• Purdue has won 25 straight games when holding its opponent under 70 points. The last loss came to Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
• During Purdue’s three-game winning streak, opponents are averaging 61.3 points and shooting just 38.9 percent from the field.
• Ole Miss made 15, 3-pointers against Purdue, the fifth most for an opponent against the Boilermakers in school history. Purdue became the seventh team in the last 20 years, and the first since Jan. 2018, to win against a ranked opponent when allowing 15 made 3-pointers and having five or more turnovers. Purdue had never previously won ANY game when reaching those statistical categories.
• Since going “small” in its starting lineup, Purdue has a rebound margin of +22 (+7.3 per game). In the first five games, Purdue outrebounded its opponents by just nine rebounds (+1.8 per game).
• Purdue is now 99-20 since the start of the 2021-22 season, the second-most wins in the country (Houston – 101). The senior class of Caleb Furst (only senior) needs one win to become the seventh class in school history with 100 career victories. His current winning percentage of .832 would easily be the best in school history.
• The starting backcourt of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer are 70-12 since their arrival at Purdue, starting every game of their tenure. The duo has combined for 1,806 points, 569 rebounds and 694 assists during their careers, shooting 249-of-623 from deep (.400).
• Braden Smith has 45 assists against eight turnovers (5.63 ratio) in his last five games. In his first three games, he had a 28 / 12 ratio (2.33).
• Myles Colvin scored a career-high 20 points in the win over Ole Miss, giving Purdue four different players this season to have scored at least 20 points in a game (Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer, Braden Smith).
• Matt Painter ranks fourth on the Big Ten’s list for career wins with 454, trailing only Tom Izzo (713), Bob Knight (662) and Gene Keady (512) in Big Ten history. On the Big Ten games-only chart, Painter is fifth (226 wins), needing two wins to tie Hall of Famer, Ward “Piggy” Lambert of Purdue with 228 victories.
• Purdue, Duke, Gonzaga and Houston are the only programs in America to have made at least a Sweet 16, Elite 8 and Final Four during their last five NCAA Tournaments. Purdue reached the Sweet 16 in 2022, the Elite 8 in 2019 and the Final Four in 2024.
PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BOILERS BOUNCE BLACK BEARS
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team pulled away in the second half to defeat Maine 60-51 on Wednesday night in Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers (5-3) locked the Black Bears (3-6) down defensively over the final 20 minutes to outscore them 31-16.
Purdue was led by Reagan Bass’ 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting to go with six rebounds, an assist, a block and two steals. Destini Lombard recorded her second double-double on the year with a 12-point, 13-rebound night. The fifth year added a team-high three steals.
Ella Collier led the way on the outside with a season-high three 3-pointers, while Bass and Sophie Swanson both connected once.
TOP STATS
The Boilermakers’ second half performance helped erase a nine-point deficit early in the third. After Maine made seven 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes, Purdue surrendered just one the rest of the night. Purdue bottled the Black Bears up to just 24% shooting in the second half, 1-of-14 from behind the arc and eight turnovers.
The Boilermakers tallied six of their 10 steals in the second half. Maine scored seven points in the third and nine points in the fourth.
Offensively, Bass took over in the second half with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Lombard nearly recorded her double-double over the final two frames with eight points and seven rebounds. The Boilermakers tallied 22 of their 31 second half points in the paint.
KEY MOMENTS
• The Boilermakers connected on three of their first four makes of the night, including a pair of Collier triples to take a 10-1 lead.
• Swanson tallied five straight points for Purdue, before a Bass putback gave Purdue a 17-6 lead in the first.
• Maine chipped away at Purdue’s lead early in the second, before going a 13-3 run over the last 4:06. The Black Bears were 6-of-9 from distance in the second and held a 35-29 lead at the break.
• The Blackbears opened the third with a 3-pointer at the 9:25 mark. That would be their final field goal for the next 5:20.
• Purdue rolled off 12 straight points, including seven straight from Bass, to erase a nine-point gap and take a 3-point lead.
• Collier scored five points in the final 3:36 of the third as Purdue closed on a 9-2 run to take a 50-42 lead into the fourth.
• Purdue held Maine to 1-of-7 from the field and without a field goal over the final 3:12 of the game.
NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series 2-1.
• After shooting just four free throws at the Fort Myers Tip-Off, Purdue finished the night 7-of-10 at the line.
• Collier notched a season-high two blocks to lead the team.
• Lombard matched her career high with 13 rebounds.
• The Boilermakers forced the Black Bears to turn the ball over 15 times and scored 21 points off miscues. The Boilermakers recorded their third game this season with 10 steals.
• Purdue scored 36 points in the paint.
• The 51 points allowed were the fifth lowest score allowed during the Katie Gearlds era. Purdue is 30-4 when holding opponents to 60 points or fewer.
UP NEXT
Purdue will open Big Ten play on Saturday afternoon at Mackey Arena against No. 7 Maryland. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. on B1G+.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
NO. 10 IRISH HOST NO. 4 LONGHORNS FOR SEC-ACC CHALLENGE
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — No. 10 Notre Dame (5-2) already has a top-five win on its resume this year, and the Irish will go for a second on Thursday, as Notre Dame hosts No. 4 Texas (7-0) at Purcell Pavilion for its first ranked home matchup of the season. The contest is part of the second annual SEC-ACC Challenge. Notre Dame beat Tennessee in Knoxville last year as part of the inaugural event.
The Irish are coming off of back-to-back losses to TCU and Utah, the first time they have lost consecutive games since 2021. Sonia Citron was the bright spot against the Utes with 22 points and 4 steals, both team-leading on the day and season-highs for the wing. Hidalgo was the leading scorer against TCU with 27 points. She now has at least 20 points in 31 of her 42 collegiate games.
The Longhorns will arrive in South Bend undefeated. The group picked up its first and only ranked win of the year on Sunday, downing then No. 12 West Virginia to win the Gulf Coast Showcase.
Madison Booker, the SEC Preseason Player of the Year and a Preseason AP All-American, leads the Longhorns with 16 points per game. Texas point guard Rori Harmon has returned from an ACL tear last season and is running one of the nation’s most efficient offenses. Texas is averaging 92.9 points per game this year, which ranks fourth nationally.
But it starts on defense for Texas, as the Longhorns are forcing 27 turnovers per game this year and are outscoring opponents 236-84 off of those mishaps.
Notre Dame is familiar with Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer, as he was the head coach at Mississippi State for the 2018 national title game against the Irish. He is in his fifth year at Texas and 20th overall as a head coach.
Notre Dame is 1-1 all-time against Texas and last saw the Longhorns in the NCAA Tournament in 1997, during which Muffet McGraw’s Irish team made its first Final Four.
Texas-Notre Dame tips off on ESPN at 7 p.m. Ryan Ruocco and Rebecca Lobo will be on the call.
BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BULLDOGS BACK AT HOME THURSDAY NIGHT
Butler and UT Martin will meet for the first time in program history on Thursday night. Action at Hinkle Fieldhouse is set for 7p.m. The contest will also stream live on FloSports.com.
GameDay
Date: Thursday, December 5, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM EST
Location: Indianapolis, Ind. – Hinkle Fieldhouse
Live Stats: ButlerSports.com
Watch: FloSports.com
Bulldog Bits
– Caroline Strande and Kilyn McGuff combined to score 45 of Butler’s 70 points in the Boise State win.
– McGuff recorded her third double-double of the season in the victory with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
– McGuff is tied with Olivia Olsen (PC) for the BIG EAST lead in double-doubles this season.
– McGuff leads the team and ranks fifth in the conference in rebounds per game (6.9).
– McGuff hit four 3-pointers in the first half and helped seal the win by making 10 second half free throws.
– The Bulldogs lead the league in free throw attempts (20.6) and free throws made (14.4) per game.
– Butler has attempted 20 or more free throws in three-straight games and six times overall.
– Strande scored 10 of her game-high 23 points in the third quarter vs. the Broncos.
– Strande ranks seventh in the BIG EAST in points per game with her 16.3 scoring average.
– Strande ranks second among all BIG EAST players in made 3-pointers (20).
– Strande needs just five more 3-pointers to reach 100 in her career.
– Seven more made free throws will move Strande’s career total to 200.
– Butler leads the BIG EAST in bench points per game (28.6).
– The Bulldog bench has outscored the opponent bench in seven of their nine games.
– Cristen Carter ranks second in the league in blocked shots (14) and is fifth in blocks per game (1.5).
– Lily Carmody ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in total steals (21) and eighth in steals per game (2.3).
– Karsyn Norman tied her career-high assist total vs. Boise State (6).
– Norman ranks sixth in the league in assist to turnover ratio.
BIG EAST Standings
UConn 6-0
St. John’s 7-1
Butler 7-2
Creighton 5-2
Seton Hall 5-2
Villanova 5-2
Marquette 4-2
Georgetown 4-3
Xavier 4-3
Providence 4-5
DePaul 3-5
Scouting UT Martin
The Skyhawks spent Thanksgiving in Hawaii, participating in the Rainbow Wahine Showdown. Three losses in tournament play moved their overall record to 1-7. Their first game in Honolulu came against #1 UCLA and host Hawaii would hand them a loss in game two. The third was an overtime thriller that featured Fresno State hanging on for the win. Head Coach Kevin McMillan is in his 16th year at the helm of the Skyhawk program. He is the school’s all-time wins leader with 281 career victories. McMillan’s top player on the 2024 roster is forward Anaya Brown. She leads the team in scoring (13.0) and rebounding (5.9).
All-Time Series
This is the first meeting between Butler and UT Martin.
NET Rankings
The first NET rankings came out December 1st and the Bulldogs were listed at 64th. UConn leads the league at No. 4 and seven BIG EAST schools appear in the top 100.
Two With 20
Caroline Strande and Kilyn McGuff became the first Bulldog teammates to score 20 points in the same game since Dec. 10, 2023. That day, Jordan Meulemans paced the Bulldogs with 23 points and Strande added 22 in a win over Chicago State.
Strande Makes All-Tournament Team
Caroline Strande averaged 15 points per game in Florida during a three-game stretch in the Gulf Coast Showcase. She shot 47 percent from the field (16-34) and 35 percent from 3-point range (5-14). Strande only needed eight in the win over Santa Clara, but poured in 14 vs. #5 Texas. She erupted for 23 in the victory over Boise State.
A Look At Last Week
Butler went 2-1 last week to earn third place in the Gulf Coast Showcase. The Bulldogs averaged nearly 70 points per game and had three players averaging double figures. #5 Texas won the championship game in Florida over #12 West Virginia.
History Has Been Made
The Bulldogs won six games during the month of November for the first time in program history. Head Coach Austin Parkinson guided BU to four November wins in his first season with the program and five in 2023-24. BU also won five games during the opening month of the season in 2018-19 and 2019-20.
Parkinson Named to 2025 Silver Anniversary Team
Austin Parkinson was named to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2025 Silver Anniversary Team on Tuesday. The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Directors selected eighteen men based on their outstanding accomplishments as a senior basketball player 25 years ago. Parkinson averaged 20.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 3.6 steals as a senior at Northwestern H.S.
Final Four From The Non-Con
Butler only has four non-conference games left on the 2024-25 schedule. The final four teams are UT Martin, Ohio, Wisconsin and Saint Francis. The only road game during this stretch is the contest at Ohio. BIG EAST play starts Saturday, Dec. 21 when Butler travels to Chicago to play DePaul at 3 p.m.
Home Sweet Hinkle
The Bulldogs are undefeated at home with a 4-0 record. Wins have come against Chicago State, Indiana, Indiana State and UMass Lowell. All four victories were double-digit wins.
Heating Up
Butler made 10 3-pointers in two of their three games in the Gulf Coast Showcase. They went 10-for-24 vs. Santa Clara (41%) and 10-for-23 vs. Boise State (43.5%). The Bulldogs rank fourth in the BIG EAST in 3-point field goal percentage (35.1).
100 Games
Sydney Jaynes will appear in her 100th game as a Bulldog on Thursday night. Jaynes has logged over 2,200 minutes of playing time at Butler and has started in nearly 60 games.
1,000 Point Watch List
Three Bulldogs are closing in on 1,000 career points this year. Caroline Strande is the closest at 906. The graduate guard scored 484 points for BU last year just missing the program’s top ten list for most points scored in a single-season. Belmont transfer Kilyn McGuff has 816 career points and Sydney Jaynes is up to 752 points.
Signing Day Standouts
Addison Baxter and Anna Wypych will join the Butler women’s basketball program next year. Baxter is a 5-9 guard from Columbia City H.S. that entered her senior season with 1,162 career points. Wypych is a 6-0 guard that attends Rockford H.S. She is the career assist leader at Rockford and helped the Rams win their first-ever State Championship in 2023.
Cheers To 50
The Butler women’s basketball program is celebrating 50 years of Bulldog basketball in 2024-25. Over the previous 49 years, BU has recorded 689 wins under the direction of nine head coaches. The program record for most wins in a single-season was set in 1980-81 when the Bulldogs went 26-2 under the leadership of Linda Mason. Butler’s only NCAA Tournament appearance came in 1995-96 when BU posted a 21-9 overall record.
Up Next
Butler will be in Ohio this weekend to face the Bobcats at the Convocation Center. The 1 p.m. tip will stream on ESPN+.
IU INDY MEN’S BASKETBALL
JAGUARS OUTLAST GREEN BAY INSIDE THE JUNGLE, 84-75
INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indianapolis men’s basketball team opened Horizon League play with a home win over Green Bay on Wednesday night (Dec. 4), scrapping past the Phoenix 84-75 inside the Jungle on the IU Indy campus. Jarvis Walker led five Jaguars in double-digits with 25 points and reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Week DeSean Goode notched his first collegiate double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Junior Sean Craig also had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds and Alec Millender closed with a season-high 15 points and five assists.
Anthony Roy, the nation’s top scorer entering play, pumped in 34 points on 12-of-20 shooting to lead Green Bay (2-7, 0-1 HL) and Foster Wonders finished with 14. Roy connected on 6-of-12 from three and also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds in the loss.
“It was awesome. It always feels good to be 1-0 in league play,” head coach Paul Corsaro said. “Horizon League regular season play is huge to us. It’s a whole new season in itself. Starting out 1-0 is great. Our guys are playing really well right now and we’re getting contributions from a lot of different guys and a lot of guys stepped up tonight and it was just a great environment tonight.”
It marked the first time in eight seasons the Jaguars (5-5, 1-0 HL) won their Horizon League opener and did so by outscoring Green Bay 48-33 in the second half. The game featured 17 lead changes, but the Jaguars seized command with a 14-0 run in the second half that turned a four-point deficit into a 10-point lead with just under six minutes remaining. After Roy knocked in a trey to make it 62-58 with 10:50 to play, the Jags reeled off 14 straight points and held the Phoenix without a field goal for more than six minutes to take control. Walker scored seven of the team’s 14 points during the run, including a pair of tough buckets inside the arc.
After leading by as many as 11 with 3:39 to play when Goode knocked in a wing three, things got a tad dicey late as the Jags misfortunes at the foul line left the door ajar. The Phoenix were within five with 50 seconds left and C.J. O’Hara rebounded a Roy missed free throw, but Goode erased the putback attempt and the Jags regained a two-possession lead at the free throw line. From there, Craig essentially iced the game at the foul line, making his final four attempts of the evening.
“We know our potential. We know how good we can be,” Walker said. “Just to put it out on the court and play a full 40 minutes of hard basketball and how we play our style – it was great.”
The Jaguars used the glass and limited turnovers to help offset a night in which they made just 9-of-33 (27.3 percent) from three-point range. The Jaguars were outshot by Green Bay as the Phoenix hit 47.1 percent from the floor and 39.3 percent from three. However, the Jags converted 14 offensive rebounds into a 22-5 margin on second chance points and turned it over just five times. On the flip side, the Jags forced 11 Green Bay miscues and finished with an 18-9 gap in points off turnovers.
Zilinskas helped stake the Jaguars to a quick 10-2 lead with a pair of early threes, but the Phoenix fired back with a 12-0 run to take a 14-10 advantage. The margin stayed at two possessions for the entire first half before Green Bay tallied the final five points to take a 42-36 lead into the break.
The Jaguars shot 53 percent from the field after halftime to earn the victory and the program’s first three-game winning streak since February 2021.
Walker hit 10-of-20 shots, doing the bulk of his damage inside the arc where he made 9-of-13 attempts. He also grabbed four rebounds and delivered three assists in the win. Goode, who had made just two threes in the season’s first nine games, went 3-of-3 from deep and finished 5-of-6 from the field. Millender piloted the team for better than 36 minutes at the lead guard spot, connecting on 5-of-9 shots.
The Jaguars will cap the three-game homestand on Saturday (Dec. 7) when they host Northern Kentucky at 2:00 p.m. inside the Jungle. Fans can purchase tickets by clicking the link and are encouraged to purchase and download tickets before arriving on site on Saturday. Rick Johnston (pxp) and Hall of Famer Bob Lovell (analyst) will describe the action from courtside in the Jungle on ESPN+.
IU INDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS IN #HLWBB OPENER AT GREEN BAY, 78-56
GREEN BAY, Wisc. – The IU Indianapolis women’s basketball team struggled to find their rhythm in the first half, ultimately falling to Green Bay, 78-56, in their Horizon League opener on the road.
Jada Patton led the Jaguars with 15 points, while Faith Stinson and Alexa Hocevar each added 12 points. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome a slow start and an explosive performance from the Phoenix.
In the opening quarter, the Jaguars were unable to get anything going offensively, shooting just 0-13 from the field. The only points for IU Indy came from the free-throw line, where they managed to total three points. Meanwhile, Green Bay capitalized on the Jaguars’ struggles, putting up 22 points to take a commanding 22-3 lead after one.
Despite the rough start, the Jaguars regrouped in the second quarter, showing much more offensive firepower. IU Indianapolis outscored Green Bay 21-20 in the period, trimming the Phoenix’s lead to 42-24 at the halftime break.
Coming out of the locker room, Green Bay came out hot, shooting an impressive 7-9 from the field to rack up 25 points in the third quarter. The Jaguars, meanwhile, shot just 36.4% and scored 13 points in the period. By the time the final quarter began, the Phoenix had built a 67-37 lead.
In the fourth quarter, the Jaguars found some offensive rhythm again, outscoring Green Bay 19-11, but it wasn’t enough to mount a comeback. The Phoenix sealed the 78-56 victory to open Horizon League play.
The Jaguars are now 1-7 overall and 0-1 in Horizon League play. They will next play on Saturday when they travel to Cleveland State at 2:00 PM.
BALL STATE FOOTBALL
MIKE UREMOVICH NAMED 19TH HEAD COACH IN BALL STATE FOOTBALL HISTORY
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State University has announced today the naming of Mike Uremovich as its head football coach.
Uremovich’s naming as the program’s 19th head football coach comes two weeks after the nine-year tenure of coach Mike Neu was terminated after the first 10 games of the 2024 season. Offensive line coach Colin Johnson led the Cardinals through two remaining games following the leadership change on Nov. 16.
Ball State’s search produced a skilled candidate with wide-ranging experience and a variety of successes as head coach and coordinator at multiple levels. Most recently, Uremovich (pronounced you-REM-uh-vitch) was the head coach at Butler University, guiding the Bulldogs to three straight winning seasons, the first national ranking in program history and a list of successes on both sides of the ball.
“Mike Uremovich brings a significant breadth of coaching experience from high school, small college, FCS and FBS levels,” said Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell. “He has spent time in Group of 5 and Power 4 conference environments. He has an extensive background in both coordinator and head coaching roles, and his recruiting connections are deep. What is readily apparent and what will excite our fans and players is the level of urgency and detail in his plan to lead our football program and return the Cardinals to the top of the Mid-American Conference.”
Uremovich’s tenure at Ball State begins with national signing day on Wednesday.
“My family and I are extremely excited to be a part of the Ball State family,” said Uremovich. “I am thankful for the trust that President [Geoffrey] Mearns and Jeff Mitchell have placed in me to direct this proud football program. We are elated about the opportunity to help shape this organization and engage with the Muncie community. I look forward to meeting with the team, and I can’t wait to get to work.”
Named the head coach at Butler three years ago, Uremovich guided the Bulldogs to three straight winning seasons and a 23-11 record. A 9-3 mark in 2024 led to the first national ranking in Butler’s football history, debuting in the FCS Coaches Poll at No. 25 and rising as high as No. 23. His three winning seasons at Butler were the program’s first string of three consecutive winning seasons since 1987 to 1989.
Uremovich, 48, arrives in Muncie with six bowl appearances under his belt and prior coaching experience in the Mid-American Conference, spending six seasons over three separate stints at Northern Illinois. In four years in a full-time capacity at NIU, the Huskies were 33-20 overall with a 25-7 ledger in the MAC.
He is the second Ball State football coaching hire named directly from Butler and he is the second coach in recent weeks to emerge from the Pioneer Football League (PFL) to assume an FBS head coaching job. Scott Abell resigned from his post at Davidson on Nov. 26, to take over at Rice.
At Butler, Uremovich guided the Bulldogs to a 7-4 season in 2022 and again in 2023, recording five PFL victories each year. Over three years at the helm of the program, the Bulldogs were 15-9 against league opponents and 15-4 overall when playing inside the Sellick Bowl.
The PFL’s Offensive Player of the Year was tutored by Uremovich in each of his first two years on the BU campus. Running back Jyran Mitchell earned the honor in 2023 while quarterback Bret Bushka was the choice in 2022, alongside punter and placekicker Luka Zurak who was the PFL’s Special Teams Player of the Year the same year.
Butler offenses had great success moving the ball during the three-year Uremovich era. Leading all FCS teams nationally in red zone offense and sacks allowed in 2022, the Bulldogs ranked first or second in the PFL in scoring offense, total offense and rushing offense in both 2023 and 2024. BU’s 214.4 rush yards per game last season were seventh among FCS teams and its 407.8 yards of total offense ranked 28th.
While the Bulldogs’ offense averaged 35.6 points and 407.8 yards per game in 2024, the defense was equally as impressive as BU led the PFL and ranked fourth in the FCS with just 16.3 points allowed per game. In 2023, the Bulldogs led the league and ranked seventh nationally by allowing an average of only 17.5.
Butler boasted a top 10 FCS ranking last year in points allowed (4th) as well as points scored (9th).
Uremovich arrived in Indianapolis after serving as the offensive coordinator at Temple for three seasons (2019-21). The Owls reached the Military Bowl in 2019 which was the most recent of six bowl appearances between stints at Temple, NIU and North Carolina State.
Prior to Temple, Uremovich coached at Northern Illinois during three separate stints, including his post as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator from 2016-18. NIU won the 2018 MAC championship and earned bowl appearances in both 2017 and 2018. The 2016 edition of the Huskies was 16th nationally in rushing yards, while future NFL Pro Bowl selection Kenny Golladay had 87 catches for 1,156 yards and eight TDs.
He previously served as the Huskies’ running backs coach and special teams coordinator in 2012, and as a graduate assistant from 2001-02. In 2012, NIU won the MAC championship and became the only MAC team to play in a Bowl Championship Series game when the Huskies earned a berth in the 2013 Orange Bowl. The Huskies finished ninth in the nation in both rushing and scoring offense that season and were ranked 15th nationally in total offense, while NIU special teams units ranked fifth in the country in kickoff coverage and fourth in punt coverage. Both the 2001 and 2002 teams won MAC West Division titles.
Uremovich coached the offensive line at North Carolina State from 2013-15, where he helped the Wolfpack to a pair of bowl appearances. Behind his offensive line, the 2014 Wolfpack posted the fourth-best rushing total in school history and the best per-game average since 1992.
He had a successful seven-year tenure (2005-11) as head coach at the University of St. Francis, an NAIA program based in Joliet, Illinois. In 2011, he led the Fighting Saints to their most successful season in school history as they won a school-record 10 games. The team was ranked as high as No. 8 in the NAIA national coaches poll and also earned the first national playoff victory in program history. Uremovich led the Saints to a 17-7 record over his final two seasons. Overall, he posted a 33-45 record, rebuilding a program that had won a total of four games over three seasons prior to his arrival.
In addition to serving as a graduate assistant at Northern Illinois, Uremovich’s early coaching career also included stints at Waynesburg College (Pa.), Benedictine University (Ill.), Providence Catholic (Ill.) High School and McCutcheon (Ind.) High School. Uremovich is a 2000 graduate of Purdue. He received his master’s degree from Northern Illinois in 2002. He and his wife, Katie, have a daughter, Ella (19), and two sons, Michael (17) and Drew (13).
Uremovich’s Coaching Career
Dec. 4, 2024 – Ball State; Head Coach
2022-24 – Butler; Head Coach
2019-21 – Temple; Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/TEs
2016-18 – Northern Illinois; Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/TEs
2013-15 – North Carolina State; Offensive Line Coach
2012 – Northern Illinois; Special Teams Coordinator/Running Backs Coach
2005-11 – University of St. Francis (Ill.); Head Coach
2003-04 – Waynesburg College (Pa.); Offensive Coordinator
2001-02 – Northern Illinois; Graduate Assistant
2000 – Benedictine University (Ill.); Special Teams Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach
1998-99 – Providence Catholic High School (Ill.); Wide Receivers Coach
1996-97 – McCutcheon High School (Ind.); Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach
BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HOSTS DAVIDSON FOR EIGHTH ANNUAL “FIELD TRIP DAY” THURSDAY
Game No. 9
Ball State (5-3) vs. Davidson (3-5)
Dec. 5, 2024 >>Worthen Arena>>11 a.m. ET>>Muncie, Ind.
Opening Tip:
– Ball State is looking to snap its two-game losing streak when it hosts Davidson, Thursday morning fat 11 a.m. ET for the Cardinals’ annual “Field Trip Day”.
– Today’s contest marks the eighth annual Field Trip Day. The Cardinals are 7-0 on Field Trip Day with wins against Milwaukee (84-75 OT), Arkansas Pine Bluff (88-60), Austin Peay (89-57),
Bowling Green (77-70), Xavier (70-49), IU East (105-51) and Tennessee Tech (97-64).
– This is the first-ever meeting between Ball State and Davidson. The Wildcats have lost their last two contests after falling to Virginia Tech (79-50) and Belmont (69-59). Davidson is member of the A-10 Conference.
– With the win over Texas A&M, Ball State head coach Brady Sallee has now defeated a Power 5 conference team eight times during his tenure with the Cardinals — Minnesota (54-51, 2012-13), Iowa (77-72, 2015-16), Vanderbilt (88-79, 2017-18), Purdue (66-60, 2017-18), Pitt (68-66, 2022-23), Pitt (73-62, 2023-24), Georgia (52-51, 2023-24) and Texas A&M (75-62).
– In the second quarter against Columbia University on Nov.25, senior Marie Kiefer became Ball State women’s basketball’s all-time blocks leader with 153 total blocks passing former Cardinal Tamara Bowie who owned the record of 152 since 2003.
– After today’s contest, the Cardinals will play two games on the road at No. 7 Ohio State (Dec. 10) and at Northern Kentucky (Dec. 15). Ball State will then return home for their final contest of 2024 at Worthen Arena on Dec. 19, against Anderson University at 6:30 p.m. ET. Tickets are available for $1.00 for that game and make sure you wear an ugly Christmas sweater.
– The month of December has been good to the Cardinals their last two seasons. Ball State owns an 11-3 ledger during the festive holiday month from 2022- present.
Ally Buckets:
Ally Becki has picked up where she left off last season. The senior guard recently recorded her first triple double on Nov 13 against Memphis. For the game, Becki scored 22 points, pulled down 10 rebounds while dishing out 10 assists. Becki’s triple double also marked the first from a Ball State women’s basketball player since at least 2010 when the NCAA started keeping the triple double stat. It also remains the first NCAA women’s basketball Division I triple double of the season.
Home Sweet Home:
John E. Worthen Arena has been very good to the Cardinals for the past decade. Ball State has a record of 191-87 (.654) at Worthen Arena from 2004-present. In 13 seasons Brady Sallee has compiled a 125-56 (.691) record in Worthen Arena. His best season at home was in 2022-23 when the Cardinals went 15-1 in Worthen.
Inside the Paint:
Ball State is 4-2 when winning the paint battle and this year; vs. Old Dominion (38-24), IU Indy (36-12), Memphis (60-28) and Northern Iowa (28-24). Ball State tied with Texas A&M, 34-34 and led that stat category in a loss to South Dakota State (32-14).
Forcing Miscues:
Ball State has caused its opponents to commit 149 turnovers in seven games. The Cardinals have been able to turn those turnovers into a total of 157 points so far this season: Old Dominion (21 pts), IU Indy (25 pts), Memphis (22 pts), Northern Iowa (21 pts), No. 16 Northern Carolina (14 pts), Texas A&M (29 pts) and Columbia (eight).
Scouting Davidson:
– Gayle Fulks became Davidson’s 12th women’s basketball head coach on May 10, 2017. She is in her eighth season at the helm of the Davidson women’s basketball program.
– Candice Lienafa leads the way for Davidson in scoring with 11.5 points per game. Defensively the Wildcats are paced by Katie Donovan who is currently averaging 5.6 rebounds per contest.
– Last year the Wildcats were plagued by many injuries that caused Davidson to forfeit some contests at the end of the season. Davidson ended its season with an overall record of 18-8.
– Ball State is the only Mid-American Conference team Davidson will face this season.
Next Up:
The Cardinals will travel to No. 7 Ohio State on Tuesday, Dec. 10 for a 6 pm ET tipoff in the Jerome Schottenstein Center. This will be the third-ever meeting between the Cardinals and the Buckeyes. Ohio State leads the all-time series record, 2-0. The last time the two teams met was on Dec. 15, 1996 in Columbus, Ohio, resulting in a 73-51 loss for the Cardinals.
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S SOCCER
THREE SYCAMORES EARN UNITED SOCCER COACHES ALL-MIDWEST REGION HONORS
TERRE HAUTE, Ind.- Indiana State’s Mackenzie Kent, Brooklyn Woods, and Maddie Alexander have been named to the All-Midwest Region team, as announced by United Soccer Coaches on Tuesday.
Kent and Woods earned Third-Team honors, while Alexander received Fourth-Team recognition.
Kent earned All-Midwest Region honors for the first time in her career, adding to a standout senior season. Earlier this year, the Aurora, Indiana native was named Second-Team All-Conference for the second time.
She led the Sycamores in scoring, finishing with a team-high eight goals on 42 shots, including 26 on target, and 17 total points. Kent recorded two multi-goal performances, including a crucial effort in the MVC tournament.
In the opening round, she scored just 58 seconds into the match and added another goal in the 25th minute, leading the Sycamores to a 2-1 victory over Southern Illinois and their first MVC tournament win since 2016.
Woods earned All-Midwest Region honors for the first time in her career, following her recognition as Third-Team All-Conference, also marking the first conference honor of her career.
The Waukee, Iowa native had a standout junior season, scoring three goals, all from corner kicks, as she served as the primary corner taker for Indiana State in 2024. She also registered three assists and tallied 31 shots on the season.
In the MVC tournament quarterfinals, Woods set a career high with five shots, including three on target. She finished third on the team in total minutes played, logging 1,724 minutes and starting 20 matches.
Alexander earned All-Midwest Region honors for the first time in her career, highlighting an outstanding season. Earlier in the year, she was selected to the Second-Team All-Conference for the second consecutive season, recognizing her exceptional contributions as the Sycamores’ goalkeeper.
The Battle Creek, Michigan native started all 21 games, recording 120 saves, a .870 save percentage, nine shutouts, and allowing only 18 goals. In October, she was named MVC Women’s Soccer Goalkeeper of the Week after guiding the team to a 1-0-1 record, including back-to-back shutouts against Drake and Northern Iowa.
Her top performance came in a 2-0 win over Drake, where she made a season-high 16 saves, tying for fourth in program history for single-game saves.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL
#HLMBB PLAY STARTS ON THURSDAY AT DETROIT MERCY IN 1 P.M. TIP
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Mastodons open Horizon League play on Thursday (Dec. 5) in a 1 p.m. start in the Motor City. The early tip is to allow the citizens of Detroit time to take in Horizon League basketball in the afternoon and watch their favorite professional football team that evening.
Game Day Information
Who: Purdue Fort Wayne (5-3, 0-0 Horizon League) at Detroit Mercy (4-5, 0-0 Horizon League)
When: Thursday, Dec. 5 | 1 p.m.
Where: Detroit, Mich. | Calihan Hall
Live Stats: Link
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: 1380 AM
Series History: ‘Dons lead 6-5. The Mastodons took both meetings last season.
Game Notes (PDF): Purdue Fort Wayne | Detroit Mercy
// Eric Mulder is 8th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game (4.25).
// Eric Mulder is number one in the nation in offensive rating, per Ken Pom. Mulder has a 165.7 rating. Per Ken Pom: “offensive rating is a measure of an individual player’s efficiency. In its simplest form, it’s points produced divided by possessions used.”
// In the nation the Mastodons are:
– 13th in turnover margin (6.0).
– 14th in fewest turnovers (9.4 per game).
– 25th in free throw percentage (78.7).
– 37th in 3-pointers per game (10.1).
– 46th in 3-point percentage (38.0).
// Maximus Nelson has opened the season shooting 44.4 percent (20-of-45) from three.
// Four times this year have the ‘Dons committed single-digit turnovers in a game. Their season low is five in a win over Drexel.
// Rasheed Bello earned his second career Horizon League Player of the Week accolade on Nov. 18, averaging 24.5 points, 2.5 steals, 2.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds in wins over Bethune-Cookman and Southern Indiana. He had a career-high 31 points vs. Bethune-Cookman.
// The ‘Dons have won 23 straight regular season home games against non-league opponents, a streak that started on Nov. 16, 2019 vs. Stetson.
// Jalen Jackson is averaging 7.0 fouls drawn per game, 55th in the nation per Ken Pom.
// Another Ken Pom stat, the ‘Dons lead the nation in minutes continuity at 76.6 percent. Ken Pom describes the stat as “determining what percentage of a team’s minutes are played by the same player from last season to this season.” The current national average is 34.1 percent.
// Eric Mulder has recorded just two turnovers in 209 minutes.
// Corey Hadnot II has four double-digit scoring games this season after five his entire freshman season last year. This year includes a career-high 20 points with five 3-pointers at Penn State. He added 15 points at East Texas A&M.
// Quinton Morton-Robertson has three assists in 7-of-8 games this season. He did it 14-of-36 games last season.
// Across the board, Corey Hadnot II’s shooting percentages are up this year from his freshman season last year. Field goal (from 40.9 % to 54.8 %), 3-point (from 25.0 % to 46.2 %) and free throw (from 68.8 percent to 90.9 percent). It has led him to average 11.2 points per game, up from 6.2 last year.
// A few ‘Dons are nearing career scoring marks:
– Rasheed Bello has 1,443 points, needing 57 to reach 1,500 for his career (Purdue Fort Wayne and UW-Parkside combined).
– Jalen Jackson owns 936 career points, needing 64 to reach 1,000 (Purdue Fort Wayne and UIC combined)
– Quinton Morton-Robertson has 918 career points, needing 82 to reach 1,000 (Purdue Fort Wayne and Radford combined).
– Maximus Nelson has scored 435 career points, needing 65 to reach 500 for his career (Purdue Fort Wayne and Valparaiso combined).
// Notes on the East Texas A&M contest:
– The ‘Dons forced 21 turnovers, forcing 20 or more turnovers for the third time season.
– The ‘Dons shot 50 percent or better for the fourth time this season.
// Notes on the Radford contest:
– Jalen Jackson had 23 points with four 3-pointers.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
ROSS LEADS MASTODONS TO 1-0 HORIZON LEAGUE START
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Lauren Ross scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Purdue Fort Wayne to a 68-57 win over Robert Morris on Wednesday (Dec. 4) to start Horizon League play 1-0.
Ross was an efficient 6-of-11 from the floor, 5-of-10 from 3-point range and 8-of-8 from the charity stripe. She is one of two Mastodon players in the Division I era to record 25 points and nine rebounds while shooting 50 percent or better from 3-point range. The only other is Amellia Bromenschenkel, who did it last year against Saint Louis.
Bromenschenkel put together a solid performance in her first game in the Gates Sports Center of her final season with 13 points, seven rebounds, two steals and an assist. Jazzlyn Linbo added 10 rebounds, six points and five blocks, one of four unique Mastodons to record such a line since the ‘Dons went Division I in 2001.
The difference in Wednesday’s contest came in the second quarter, when the Mastodons blew the game open with a 22-3 frame. The Mastodons were 43.8 percent (7-of-16) in the second quarter while holding RMU to 7.7 percent (1-of-13). Seven different Mastodons scored in the second, led by Bromenschenkel and Ross’ two buckets each. The only basket the Colonials managed to convert was a pull up jumper at the 5:19 mark. This meant the ‘Dons held their opponents scoreless for 30 minutes of real time from the 5:19 mark of the second quarter to the 8:43 mark of the third thanks to the halftime break.
After the Mastodons built up a lead as large as 19 early in the third quarter, the Colonials did chip away, cutting it to seven after a 10-0 run in the third. The Mastodons built the lead back up to 12 by the third quarter break after Bromenschenkel hit a 3-pointer from the corner as time expired.
While the Mastodons never fully put the Colonials out of reach in the fourth, they did hold RMU without a field goal for over five minutes of game time. RMU got six points in the meantime due to free throws, but the visitors never got back within 10.
Purdue Fort Wayne had 15 assists to just 12 turnovers. The Mastodons forced RMU into 16 miscues and held them to just four assists. The ‘Dons poured in 12 3-pointers, shooting 38.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Purdue Fort Wayne improves to 4-5 and 1-0 in the Horizon League while RMU falls to 2-6, 0-1. The Mastodons will take to the Arnie Ball Court again on Saturday (Dec. 7) when they welcome Green Bay to the Summit City.
SOUTHERN INDIANA SOFTBALL
USI SOFTBALL SIGNS EIGHT FOR 2025 CLASS
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball announced that eight student-athletes have signed national letters of intent to compete for the Screaming Eagles in 2025-26.
“Our staff is really excited about the incoming 2025 recruiting class,” USI Softball Head Coach Sue Kunkle said. “It is a bigger class with tons of talent, athleticism, and personality.”
Anna Kemp (Henderson, Kentucky) is a 5’6″ right-handed pitcher from Henderson County High School. Kemp has been a part of multiple regional championship teams, a state finalist in 2023, and a Kentucky state champion in 2024. While at Henderson County, Kemp has been all-region twice, was on the Kentucky state tournament team in 2023, and was additionally named Class 3A All-State and MVP in 2024. In the pitching circle, Kemp set a school record with 25 wins in a single season, hurled a perfect game against Webster County High School, and tossed a no-hitter in a regional final against Union County. Throughout her high school career, Kemp has recorded a 1.62 ERA, a 53-4 record, and 531 strikeouts in 402.2 innings pitched. Last spring, Kemp went 25-1 with a 1.26 ERA and 195 strikeouts. Kemp has also done well at the plate with a .319 batting average, 80 RBIs, and 13 home runs in her high school career, including a .409 average, 55 RBIs, and 10 home runs in 2024. Kemp plays club ball for Top Gun National 18u Turner.
Elly Robbins (Farmington, Missouri) is a 5’7″ utility who can pitch and play at first or outfield. Robbins has been named all-district, all-conference, and all-region all four years at Farmington High School. Plus, Robbins earned all-state and ‘Dream Team’ accolades. The lefty is tied for the school record with 32 career home runs and is first with 504 career strikeouts in the circle. The Missouri native also holds school records for hits, doubles, triples, and extra bases in a season offensively and pitching strikeouts. Additionally, Robbins owns school career records in hits, singles, doubles, triples, RBIs, and runs scored. Robbins was a district champion in 2021 and a district finalist in the last three years. Robbins plays club ball for Top Gun 18u National.
Laney Schuster (Independence, Kentucky) is a 5’6″ catcher and utility out of Simon Kenton High School. Schuster is coming off back-to-back First-Team All-Conference selections. Schuster has totaled 114 hits toward a .333 batting average with 96 RBIs, 29 doubles, and 16 home runs. Schuster was also a member of two district championship teams in 2022 and 2023. Schuster’s club team is Indy Crush 25/26 Schuster.
Peyton Pryor (Tennyson, Indiana) is a 5’7″ catcher and infielder from Boonville High School. Pryor was an All-PAC and all-state selection last season as a junior. Pryor also recorded the highest batting average on her squad. Pryor’s club team is Fusion 16u National Unruh/Hunt, which won a championship in California in 2023.
Amelia Kiegel (Boonville, Indiana) is a 6’0″ left-handed pitcher for Heritage Hills High School. Kiegel is a three-time all-conference honorable mention. Kiegel’s high school squad won sectional championships during her freshman and junior seasons. The lefty recorded a 2.01 ERA as a junior in 2023-24 while also hitting for .304 at the plate. Last season, Kiegel had 43 strikeouts in 52.1 innings. Offensively, she hit five home runs and tallied 25 RBIs. Kiegel’s club team is Fusion National 18u Unruh/Greenwood.
Abigail Booher (Yorktown, Indiana) is a 5’5″ utility and left-side infielder out of Yorktown High School. Booher was all-conference and all-county for the last two years and was an all-county honorable mention in 2022. The right-hander has hit over .370 in the last three seasons, and in 2024, she batted .449 with 32 runs and 20 RBIs. Through three years in high school, Booher has hit .399 while driving in 52 RBIs and scoring 71 runs. Booher’s team has won the sectional championship in the last three years with regional titles in 2022 and 2023. Booher’s travel ball team is Indiana Magic Gold 07 Neace.
Jadyn Tinsley (Indianapolis, Indiana) is a 5’6″ shortstop from Franklin Central High School. Tinsley has been all-county and all-HCC for the last two years while being a county champion in 2024. The right-hander has batted over .400 with an on-base percentage near .500 in the last two seasons. Tinsley has also totaled nine home runs and 40 RBIs over the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Tinsley plays club ball for Indy Dreams 06 Back/Baird.
Katelyn Sue Marx (Elberfeld, Indiana) is a 5’9″ outfielder out of Tecumseh High School. Marx bats left-handed and throws right-handed. Marx has been all-conference each year in high school. Marx is a two-time All-State Second Team selection and All-State First Team selection as a sophomore. Her team won back-to-back 1A state championships and was the 1A state runner-up in 2024. Marx has hit over .400 all three years, including a .409 batting average last year. Marx also scored 43 runs and 14 RBIs in 2024. Marx plays club ball for Fusion Premier-Gibson.
“Offensively, we will have a mix of power, speed, and gap-to-gap hitters,” Kunkle stated. “Katie Sue Marx will bring even more impressive speed to our outfield. Peyton, Jadyn, Laney, and Abby will add depth and competition to our infield, along with Peyton and Laney working behind the plate.”
“With three of our four current pitchers being upperclassmen, the addition of Elly, Mia, and Anna will be crucial in the continued success of the USI pitching staff.”
USI Softball heads into its third season at the Division I level and in the Ohio Valley Conference in February. The Screaming Eagles won 25 games last spring and finished fourth in the OVC to earn a second consecutive OVC Tournament berth. USI came within a game of making an appearance in the championship round. The 2025 spring championship schedule will be released later.
SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
USI TRAVELS TO SIU SATURDAY
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball takes its three-game winning streak on the road Saturday when it visits Southern Illinois University Saturday in Carbondale, Illinois. Tipoff time is set for 2 p.m. at the Banterra Center.
The USI Screaming Eagles, who also have won four of their last five games, hit the road after sweeping their three-game homestand. USI completed the sweep Monday night when it zipped through East-West University, 104-46.
Sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi led USI scorers versus East-West with 17 points. Junior guards Braxton Jones and Jared Washington followed with 15 points each, while junior guard Jayland Randall rounded out the double-digit scorers with 14 points.
Randall leads USI through the first eight games with 16.3 points per outing, while Olowoniyi is averaging 14.1 points and is grabbing a team-high 6.8 rebounds. Junior guard Damoni Harrison and Washington follow the top two with 12.5 and 12.2 points per appearance.
The Salukis of Southern Illinois are 3-6 following its 2024-25 Missouri Valley Conference opening loss at home versus Bradley University Tuesday evening, 83-60.
SIU leads the all-time series with USI, 4-1, after posting an 81-50 win at Banterra Center last December. A.J. Smith led USI with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Following the trip to Carbondale, USI returns home to Liberty Arena for a four-game homestand, the longest of the season for the Eagles. The homestand starts December 15 with a visit from Shawnee State University for the non-conference finale for 2024-25.
In addition to the non-conference finale versus Shawnee State, USI opens the 2024-25 Ohio Valley Conference schedule with visits from Tennessee State University (December 19); University of Tennessee at Martin (December 21); and Morehead State University (December 31).
All of the USI Basketball action can be seen live on ESPN+. The game can also be heard on ESPN 97.7FM (http://listentotheref.com) and 95.7FM The Spin (http://957thespin.com). Tickets for the homestand and all USI home dates are on sale now at USIScreamingEagles.com.
SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
EAGLES DROP TIGHTLY CONTESTED BATTLE AGAINST THE HOOSIERS
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball battled and scrapped every possession Wednesday night against Indiana University at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, falling in a narrow defeat, 67-63.
The Screaming Eagles moved to 7-2 on the season, snapping their six-game win streak. Indiana improved to 6-3 as they begin conference play on December 7.
USI fell behind out of the gate, struggling to convert at the rim. The Hoosiers took the first ten of 12 points, forcing the Eagles into calling an early timeout. Coming out of the timeout, USI settled in and went on a 15-7 run to close out the quarter tied at 17. Graduate forward Madi Webb helped the Eagles bounce back, scoring a team-high six points in the quarter.
The Eagles carried their momentum from the end of the quarter into the second period, outscoring Indiana 25-12 in the frame to extend the lead to 13 heading into halftime. The Eagles’ defense stood up to the challenge by holding the Hoosiers to 31.3 percent from the field and 27 percent from beyond the arc. USI found the open shot consistently down the floor, as eight Eagles scored while totaling eight assists.
Senior leaders Vanessa Shafford, Meredith Raley, and Webb each contributed eight points. Shafford led the Eagles in rebounding at four, one ahead of sophomore guard Triniti Ralston who hounded the Hoosiers with relentless defense.
USI struggled on both ends to start the second half, as Indiana went on a 12-2 run to cause the Eagles to call an early timeout with the Hoosiers pulling within three. Junior guard Ali Saunders, Ralston, and Raley helped stop the bleeding with six points on strong drives to the basket. However, Indiana closed within three points again to end the third quarter.
Indiana continued to seize momentum, taking a 60-55 lead after converting their offensive sets from multiple levels with five minutes remaining in the game. USI refused to quit as sophomore forward Amiyah Buchanan and Saunders drilled jumpers in the paint to cut the lead to one with a minute to play. The Hoosiers responded with a pivotal three to make it a two-possession game and then converting at the charity stripe down the stretch put the game away.
For the game, USI shot 45.5 percent (25-55) with an impressive 61.5 percent (8-13) from three. The largest discrepancy in the game came at the free-throw line as USI made it to the line eight times, sinking five. Indiana shot 26 free throws at a 61.5 percent clip. The Screaming Eagles were outrebounded 38-33, but the Eagles gained four more boards on the defensive end than Indiana. The Hoosiers grabbed 13 offensive rebounds compared to the Eagles’ four. Saunders finished atop the scoring sheet with 14 points for Southern Indiana.
USI returns to Liberty Arena to face familiar foe Oakland City University on Saturday at 1 p.m. Saturday’s game will be Ugly Holiday Sweater Day. Tickets for all home games at Liberty Arena can be purchased online at usiscreamingeagles.com or the USI Ticket Office.
VALPO FOOTBALL
JOHNSON CONTINUES AWARDS HAUL, NAMED FCS PUNTER OF THE YEAR SEMIFINALIST
After being named the Pioneer Football League Special Teams Player of the Year on Monday and representing the Beacons on the All-PFL First Team on Tuesday, Valparaiso University football redshirt senior punter Sam Johnson (Birmingham, Ala. / Oak Mountain [Jackson State / Alabama]) continued a productive week as he was named a semifinalist for the 2024 FCS Punter of the Year Award, as announced by Augustana Sports Council on Wednesday.
Johnson continued a recent trend of successful Valpo punters, as Evan Matthes was tabbed a semifinalist for this award last season and Ben Niesner earned the same recognition in Spring 2021.
The candidates were evaluated by the FCS Punter of the Year Award committee on their overall statistics and contributions to the team. Particular emphasis was placed on net punting average, number of times a punt was downed or kicked out-of-bounds inside the opponents’ 20-yard line, total yardage punted, average return yardage and percentage of punts not returned. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact on the team’s success.
A national voting body of FCS sports information directors, conference representatives and sports writers will choose the winner from the 10 semifinalists. The winner will be announced on Monday, Dec. 16.
Johnson finished with a season punting average of 47.13, shattering the previous program and PFL record of 43.68 that had stood for 14 years since it was established by Greg Wood in 2010. Johnson had 24 punts of 50 yards or more and pinned the opposition inside the 20 on 19 occasions. He ranked third nationally in FCS in punting average and second among those with at least 50 attempts. Elon’s Jeff Yurk averaged 47.9 yards per punt on 60 attempts, while The Citadel’s James Platte averaged 47.3 yards per punt on 44 attempts. Johnson was named the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week four times this year – Sept. 15, Oct. 20, Oct. 27 and Nov. 24.
2024 FCS Punter of the Year Award Semifinalists
Aaron Trusler, Richmond
Albert Jang, Penn
Ben D’Aquila, Northern Arizona
Brendan Hall, Montana State
Brendon Kilpatrick, Youngstown State
John McConnell, Mercer
Nick Bigelow, Gardner-Webb
Oscar Doyle, Weber State
Sam Johnson, Valpo
Thomas O’Hara, Murray State
VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ROLLS INTO FINALS WITH WIN OVER WESTERN MICHIGAN
The Valpo women’s basketball team never trailed Wednesday evening at the ARC in its last game before a break for final exams, as the Beacons defeated Western Michigan by a 67-54 final. Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) led all players with her second consecutive double-double, finishing the game with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
How It Happened
Valpo got off to a quick start, as four different players scored in a 9-2 spurt to open the game which forced a WMU timeout 3:55 into the contest.
The Beacons bookended the quarter with a similar run over the final three and a half minutes. Sophomore Raeven Raye-Redmond (Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood Madison) and senior Katie Beyer (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) hit 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to start the run. Beyer had another basket late in the period, and a layup just before the buzzer from Earnest capped the 10-2 run which pushed Valpo’s lead to 21-8 at the end of the first.
Earnest hit a 3-pointer on Valpo’s first possession of the second quarter to extend the advantage to 16 points, but WMU scored seven straight to force a Beacon timeout with 6:57 to play in the half and the lead cut to 24-15.
The Broncos got no closer than nine in the second quarter, however, and a steal and buzzer-beating layup from sophomore Nevaeh Jackson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) heading into halftime gave the Beacons a 34-20 lead.
A trifecta from junior Maci Rhoades (Beavercreek, Ohio/Beavercreek [Radford]) on the opening trip of the third quarter gave Valpo its largest lead of the game at 17. WMU came back with a 12-3 run over the next four-plus minutes, cutting its deficit to 40-32 halfway through the period.
3-pointers on consecutive possessions by sophomore Kayla Preston (Omaha, Neb./Millard North) and Earnest staved off that Bronco threat, and the Beacons’ advantage was 51-36 with 10 minutes to play.
WMU pulled back to within eight as it scored eight points in less than two minutes to open the fourth quarter, making it a 52-44 game.
Valpo kept the Broncos off the board on their next four possessions and took advantage on the offensive end, as freshman Lexi Castator (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) hit a pair of free throws and Jackson and Rhoades converted layups to push the lead back to 58-44 with five minutes to play.
WMU got no closer than 10 points the rest of the way.
Inside the Game
Valpo extended its home winning streak to three straight games with Wednesday’s win.
The victory was just the second for Valpo in seven meetings with WMU over the last 13 seasons.
The Beacons enjoyed their second-best shooting game of the season, as they hit 50% (22-of-44) from the field and 40% (8-of-20) from 3-point range — numbers outdone only by their performance in the North Dakota win on Saturday.
Valpo tied its season high with 15 steals as it forced 22 WMU turnovers — the fifth time in nine games this season the Beacons have forced at least 20 turnovers. Valpo finished with a 24-14 advantage in points off turnovers.
For the fifth time in the last seven games, the Beacons held a double-digit edge in points in the paint, closing the win with a 28-18 advantage inside.
Earnest paced the Beacons’ offense with 23 points (6-of-10 FG), the 12th game of her career with 20 or more points.
Earnest tallied 10 rebounds as well as she registered her second straight double-double and the 18th of her career. Her final rebound was the 713th of her career, moving her into a tie for fifth place on Valpo’s career chart with Dani Franklin.
Earnest is one of just three MVC players this season who own multiple 20-point double-doubles.
Jackson continued her consistent year with a 14-point night, going 5-of-9 from the field as she scored in double figures for the seventh time this season. The sophomore added three steals as well to match her season best.
Rhoades tied her career high with 12 points, going 5-of-9 from the field and hitting a pair of 3-pointers.
Sophomore Layla Gold (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) handed out a team-high four assists to set a career high and matched her career best with four steals.
Raye-Redmond filled up the stat sheet with four points, four rebounds, three assists and six steals — the latter mark the second-highest single-game total of her career.
Next Up
It’s a lengthy break from game action for Valpo (4-5), as the Beacons return to competition in two weeks on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at Saint Louis.
UINDY VOLLEYBALL
REED RESIGNS AS UINDY VOLLEYBALL HEAD COACH
INDIANAPOLIS – UIndy volleyball head coach Jason Reed has announced his resignation after 12 seasons on the Greyhound sideline. Reed produced a 201-156 (.563) overall record, ranking second in program history in win percentage and third in all-time wins.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity to work alongside such amazing coaches and athletes,” said Reed. “UIndy took a chance on me more than a decade ago and I’ll forever be grateful for how this place has shaped my world.”
The Greyhounds claimed the 2013 GLVC title during his tenure, while earning berths to NCAA tournaments in 2013, ’14 and ’19. UIndy advanced to its first GLVC semifinal since 2019 this past season with a four-set victory over second-seeded Maryville.
“I can’t say thank you enough to all of the players, coaches, administrators, and support staff,” Reed continued.
Three Greyhounds earned AVCA All-America distinction during Reed’s tenure, as well as one Academic All-America honoree.
Furthermore, Reed had a knack for earning milestone victories against top competition, including perennial NCAA tournament programs Hillsdale (his first win), Lewis (win No. 100), as well as 20th-ranked Quincy (his 200th) in the 2024 regular season finale.
“I would like to thank Coach Reed for his dedication and longstanding service to the volleyball program and for the positive impact he has had on countless UIndy volleyball student-athletes,” said Kim Pate, UIndy Director of Athletics. “I wish him the very best in an exciting new chapter of his professional career.”
Reed concluded: “I’ve grown up here and although my title is changing, I’m forever a Greyhound. My chapter is closing here – and I’m so excited for the future of the program and its continued success.”
UIndy will begin a national search for its next head coach. Stay tuned to UIndyAthletics.com for more updates.
PARLANTI VOTED AVCA ALL-REGION
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – UIndy volleyball outside hitter Sophia Parlanti was named AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention on Wednesday afternoon, becoming the first Greyhound to be recognized as one of the Midwest’s best since 2019.
Parlanti is the first all-region selection for the program since Katie Furlong in 2019.
The Las Vegas native recently earned All-GLVC Second Team honors, leading UIndy with 4.09 kills per set on a .242 attacking percentage. The senior recorded double-digit kills on 26 occasions this fall, including a career-high 26 against Maryville in the team’s GLVC quarterfinal victory.
UINDY MEN’S BASKETBALL
GREYHOUNDS FACE TRITONS, SAINTS IN STL THIS WEEKEND
vs. Missouri-St. Louis Tritons (2-5, 2-0 GLVC)
Thursday, December 5
8:30 p.m. ET // St. Louis, MO
Watch | Live Stats | Listen | Tickets
vs. Maryville Saints (1-6, 0-2 GLVC)
Sunday // November 17
4 p.m. ET // St. Louis, MO
Watch | Live Stats | Listen
The UIndy men’s basketball team travels westward to St. Louis this weekend for a pair of GLVC contests still in search of its first league win.
The Greyhounds lead both all-time series, including a 28-12 record against the Tritons and 14-3 mark over the Saints.
UIndy dropped its conference opener on Monday with an 88-82 loss to Lewis at Nicoson Hall. Zac Szul provided a season-13 points off the bench.
UINDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S HOOPS HEADS TO ST. LOUIS FOR WEEKEND ROAD TILTS
vs. Missouri-St. Louis Tritons (6-1, 2-0 GLVC)
Thursday // December 5
6:30 p.m. ET // St. Louis, MO
Watch | Live Stats | Listen | Tickets
vs. Maryville Saints (1-6, 0-2 GLVC)
Saturday // December 7
2 p.m. ET // St. Louis, MO
Watch | Live Stats | Listen
The UIndy women’s basketball team faces its first pair of league road tests this weekend in the Gateway to the Midwest, facing off with Missouri-St. Louis and Maryville.
The Greyhounds lead the all-time series with the Tritons, 25-15, while trailing ever so slightly to the Saints, 9-8.
UIndy looks to fight its way back into the win column after dropping the GLVC opener to preseason favorite (and defending league champion) Lewis on Monday. Patricia Chikamba led the team with 12 points.
MARIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
SECOND HALF OFFENSE HEADLINES MARIAN’S THIRD CL WIN OVER TAYLOR
INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian women’s basketball team won their fourth straight game Wednesday night, getting another dominant performance from Abbey McNally and strong second half numbers in a one-sided 84-49 victory against Taylor. Marian is now 9-1 on the season and 3-0 in Crossroads League play.
As they have done often in their recent games, Marian ran their offense directly through Abbey McNally, as the junior got off to a hot start scoring six of the team’s first eight points. Eva Fisher pushed Marian in front 10-2 as the clock rolled under five minutes to play in the first quarter, highlighting a Marian offensive run that grew to 10 unanswered points over a five minute window. Taylor would halt their scoreless drought with 1:48 to play in the quarter, but were unable to string together any additional scores, while Kenna Kirby and Olivia Faust polished off a strong quarter as the Knights led 18-4.
After their woeful first quarter, Taylor came out firing in the second quarter and scored six quick points to cut their deficit to eight, but the return of Kiley McNally to the lineup helped end the run as the junior scored four points off the bench to end the run. Taylor would continue to fight and claw as they whittled Marian’s lead down to six points with 2:00 to play in the half. The Knights snapped the run with a Kennedy Fuelling jumper, while Olivia Faust drained a three as the clocked rolled under a minute to play to regain a double figure lead. Fuelling would score the final points of the half for both sides with 26 seconds to play, as Marian went into the break leading 35-24.
Returning to the court in the third quarter, Marian ramped up their offense and defensive intensity, out-scoring Taylor 25-8 in the quarter. The majority of Marian’s offense came through Abbey McNally, as the junior dominated the quarter, out-scoring the Trojans by herself 15-8. McNally was 5-7 from the field in the quarter, and grabbed seven rebounds to secure her sixth double-double in the last seven games. Marian got an additional six points in the quarter from Taylor Double, while Faust and Kiley McNally capped the 25-point period that gave the Knights a commanding 60-32 advantage after three quarters.
In the final quarter, Marian continued to have no issues on the offensive end, dropping 24 points in the period as they were able to continue their landslide victory. Kiley McNally led the scoring in the final quarter with nine points, while Zoe Wheeler scored seven points in five minutes off the bench. Both Kenna Kirby and Kennedy Fuelling each scored four as the Knights closed out their third win of the Crossroads League season, ending the game victorious 84-49.
The Knights shot 46 percent from the field overall in the game, while making 50 percent of their shots from inside the arc. Abbey McNally ended the game as the game’s leading scorer, finishing the night with 25 points and 16 rebounds. McNally’s 25 points marks the sixth time this season she has eclipsed the 20-point barrier for the 16th ranked Knights. Olivia Faust scored 12-points as the next leading scorer as a starter, while Kiley McNally led the bench with 14 points in the win. Madiysn Bailey had a team-high five assists, and Faust had six rebounds and two steals to round out her stat totals.
Marian goes on the road to end their week, traveling to Goshen College for a 1:00 p.m. matchup against the Maple Leafs this Saturday.
MARIAN MEN’S BASKETBALL
MARIAN SUFFERS OVERTIME DEFEAT AGAINST TAYLOR 91-83
INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian men’s basketball team suffered their third loss of the Crossroads League season on Wednesday night, as the Knights fell to Taylor University 91-83 in overtime after overcoming a double-digit deficit late in the second half. Marian is 5-4 overall on the season and 0-3 to start league play.
Jackson Ames scored the first points of Wednesday’s contest to put Marian on the board first, but an efficient Taylor team responded throughout the first seven minutes of the game, out-pacing the Knights 14-4. The Trojan stretch carried through the first media timeout of the game, as their defense helped spark a 6-0 run that held the the Knights scoreless for three minutes. Noah Lovan snapped the skid as Marian returned the favor with intense defense, as the freshman and Dylan Moles ignited a 9-0 run that brought the team within a point.
Taylor remained in the lead as the clocked ticked under 10 minutes of play, but Marian maintained a one-possession game for a large portion of the first half after their 9-0 run. With 7:42 to play before the intermission, a driving layup from Hayden Nahra tied the game at 20, bringing Marian to the doorstep of the Trojan hold on the game. Moles gave Marian a 28-27 lead with 4:53 to play in the half, and after a pair of Taylor scores at the foul line, the Knights would go on to out-score their opposition 9-6 over the final 3:40 of the period, taking a one-point lead into the locker room. Marian’s lead looked to be four points going into the break as Moles drained a shot from the volleyball line as the first half expired, but upon review the ball was still in his hand as the clock hit zero, leaving Marian with their 37-36 lead.
Gavin Foe made up for the lost three points just 10 seconds into the second half as he drained an open three to push Marian’s lead to four, and a contested layup from Moles moments later gave the Knights a 42-36 lead. Taylor gradually responded, taking the lead on a Nate Paarlberg three with 15:16 to play. Paarlberg’s three was one of four made by Taylor in a two minute window, as the Trojans were able to go back on top by 10 points at a 57-47 clip.
The Trojans continued to lead by 10 points as the clock wound deeper into the second half, but Marian continued to fight, finding a spark from Aidan Franks and Reis Butcher, as the pair of guards ripped a 6-0 run with a pair of quick three-pointers. Hayden Nahra continued a strong night with baskets in the paint, while another three from Butcher brought Marian within two. The Knights kept the game a two-possession contest over the final 9:19, and chipped the lead to a pair of points with 5:25 to play. With time running out, Marian was able to make the deficit one with 1:14 to play, as Noah Lovan sank a pair of shots at the foul line.
With 30 seconds to play in regulation, Taylor remained in front by one point and held a seven-second difference between the expiration of their shot clock and the game clock. Anton Webb attempted to push Taylor’s lead to three with a driving layup as the shot clock reached it’s expiration, but was denied at the rim by Jackson Ames, who followed the ball down the court and was fouled on a putback layup after a layup attempt by Aidan Franks. Ames split the pair of shots at the charity stripe, tying the game at 74-74.
Taylor would get a chance to win the game but missed a deep three-point shot, sending the game to overtime. The Trojans struck first in the extra session, but saw their score quickly matched by Noah Lovan. Taylor would go back in front on their next possession with a Jackson Ullom three, as the trey sparked an 8-1 run that gave Taylor a seven-point edge. Butcher would score a layup with 1:24 to play to make it a five-point game, but forced to foul, Marian was unable to keep up with the Taylor free throws, eventually falling in the extra session 91-83.
Aidan Franks led Marian’s scoring efforts in the loss, putting in 15 points while knocking down three shots from beyond the arc. Moles finished the game with 14 points, and Nahra scored 13 points while leading the team in rebounds with eight. Nahra also had five assists. Lovan scored 13 points and had a team-best eight assists and two steals, and Ehladj Diallo scored 10 off the bench.
Marian ended the game shooting 45 percent from the floor while limiting Taylor to 46 percent, but were out-down in the game at the foul line and from beyond the arc, as Taylor held an edge in both shooting categories.
Marian will aim to claim their first road win of the Crossroads League season on Saturday, as they travel to Goshen to take on the Maple Leafs at 3:00 p.m.
ANDERSON WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
HOT SHOOTING LIFTS ANDERSON PAST FRANKLIN IN SHOOTOUT
Hot shooting lifting the Anderson University women’s basketball team (4-4, 1-1) past Franklin College (4-2, 0-1) during Wednesday’s Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) matchup in O.C. Lewis Gymnasium.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Franklin rolled to a 26-6 advantage on the offensive rebounds, but only outscored Anderson 15-8 on second-chance points.
Anderson converted 32-of-57 (56.1 percent) shots from the field and 7-of-13 (53.8 percent) attempts from 3-point range. The Grizzlies were held to a 30.6-percent (26-of-85) shooting effort from the floor and a 33.3-percent (8-of-24) shooting effort from behind the arc.
Anderson recorded the program’s fourth 11-block performance as a team in school history. The mark ties for second in school history and is one block shy of the school record.
Anderson’s mark of a .561 field-goal percentage ranks sixth in school history.
The Ravens held a 33-23 advantage against the Grizzlies on the defensive boards.
Anderson committed 21 turnovers while Franklin turned the ball over 12 times. The Grizzlies outscored the Ravens 15-10 off turnovers.
The Grizzlies drained 26-of-29 (89.7 percent) free-throw attempts while the Ravens hit 20-of-29 (69.0 percent) shots from the charity stripe.
Franklin held a 12-6 advantage in fast-break points.
Makynlee Taylor recorded a career-high five blocks. It was the 21st five-block performance in school history. It ties for 10th in the school record book.
Izzy Davis – 20 Points, 6 Assists, 1 Block, 6/10 (60%) FG
Raven of the Game – Brynn Beard – 18 Points, 2 Steals, 1 Block, 7/8 (87.5%) FG
Makynlee Taylor – 11 Points, 5 Blocks, 6 Rebounds
Bella Larrison – 14 Points, 10 Rebounds, 3 Steals, 1 Block
Lauren Smith – 9 Points
Victoria Detraz – 8 Points, 2 Blocks
Paige Williamson – 7 Points
Sarah Sewak – 4 Points, 1 Block
COACH JON GIN’S COMMENTS
It was an absolute great team win! I told our team it was going to be a track meet and they were ready for it!
We did a great job of getting out in transition and creating easy looks for each other. I thought we kept the ball moving really well and hit some big threes when we really needed it. We are really dangerous when we share the ball because everyone is capable of getting buckets for us.
I thought Brynn Beard had an incredible game for us. She was really aggressive from the tip and really set the tone for us on both ends of the court.
We need to sure up some things on defense, but I’m super happy with our performance [on Wednesday]. We are going to need another big effort against Berea on Saturday.
UP NEXT
Anderson faces off with Berea College (3-3, 0-1) in HCAC action on Saturday at 2 p.m. in O.C. Lewis Gymnasium.
ANDERSON MEN’S BASKETBALL
RAVENS FLY PAST GRIZZLIES
The Anderson University men’s basketball team (5-1, 1-0) defeated Franklin College (3-3, 0-1) by a score of 99-85 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) action on Wednesday in Franklin.
Anderson entered Wednesday’s contest, receiving votes in the latest D3hoops.com poll.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Anderson shot 33-of-64 (51.6 percent) from the floor, while Franklin connected on 32-of-77 (41.6 percent) from the field.
The Ravens made 11-of-30 (36.7 percent) from three-point range, compared to 8-of-26 (30.8 percent) for the Grizzlies.
At the free-throw line, the Ravens went 22-of-28 (78.6 percent), while Franklin made 13-of-21 (61.9 percent).
Raven of the Game – Tate Ivanyo – 29 Points, 54.5 FG% (6-11), 50% 3PT% (4-8), 92.8 FT% (13-14), 5 Rebounds, 3 Steals, 9th Career Double-Double
Bryce Williams – 26 Points (Career High), 73.3 FG% (11-15), 4 Rebounds, 8 Assists, 2 Steals
Nolan Swan – 14 Points, 50% FG% (5-10), 5 Rebounds, 4 Assists
Rob Davidson – 12 Points, 12 Rebounds, 3 Steals, 2nd Career Double-Double
Kenney Troutman – 9 Points
Elisha Moore – 5 Points, 2 Rebounds
Marco Beverly – 2 Points, 10 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 2 Blocks
Axel Laby – 2 Points, 3 Blocks
COACH CARTER COLLINS’S COMMENTS
I was very pleased with our effort in getting a road win to kick off conference play. Road wins require a ton of mental focus and physical fortitude, and I thought we brought both of those to the table this evening. We’ll celebrate this one for a bit, but it’s onward and upward starting [Thursday] morning.
UP NEXT
The Ravens face off with Berea College (4-2, 0-1) in HCAC action in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday, Dec. 7, scheduled to tip-off at 4 p.m. in O.C. Lewis Gymnasium.
WABASH MEN’S BASKETBALL
LITTLE GIANTS ROUT DEPAUW 74-48
Wabash used an 11-0 run midway through the first half to race out to a 20-point lead over DePauw in Greencastle Wednesday evening on the way to a 74-48 victory over the host Tigers in North Coast Athletic Conference basketball action.
The win was the largest by a Wabash (3-4, 2-0 NCAC) team at Neal Fieldhouse since the Little Giants earned a 57-40 victory in Greencastle on December 1, 2010. The 2024-25 squad nearly matched the 30-point margin with an 89-59 win on February 24, 1981.
Josh Whack gave the Wabash the early lead it would never relinquish. DePauw (2-5, 0-1 NCAC) evened the score with a layup inside before Robert Sorensen and Gavin Schippert scored on back-to-back possessions to put the Little Giants up 6-2.
Sorensen caught fire in his first Wabash-DePauw rivalry appearance. The freshman guard nailed a three-pointer and a pull-up jumper to maintain a six-point lead at 12-6 with 13:46 remaining in the opening half. Sorensen finished with a team-high 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field. He finished 5-of-7 from three-point range and had two steals in the victory.
Sorensen added another three to make it 15-6 with 12:48 on the clock. The Little Giants exploded for four consecutive baskets, including three three-pointers, over the next two minutes to push the lead to 20 points. Nate Matelic started the scoring with the first three-pointer, followed by a triple from Rich Brooks. Brooks added another trey to make it a 24-6 contest, then scored on a driving layup after a Tigers timeout for a 26-6 advantage at the midway point of the period.
The Little Giants pushed the lead to as many as 24 points at 33-9 on a Matelic jumper 4:59 remaining in the first period before taking a 22-point lead into the locker room at 43-21.
Wabash struggled to find a basket in the first four minutes of the second half, allowing the Tigers to cut the advantage to 43-30. Sorensen ended the drought with a three-pointer from the left wing for his third triple and 13th point of the game. DePauw trimmed the advantage to 15 points with 13:33 remaining in the contest, but a three-pointer from Vinny Buccilla and a layup basket by Noah Hupmann off an assist from Buccilla stretched the lead back to 20 points.
The Tigers never got closer than 17 points before Wabash finished off the home team, taking a 27-point lead with 5:29 left to play on another Matelic three-pointer.
Wabash made a season-high 12 three-pointers, finishing 12 of 25 from beyond the arc for 48 percent shooting. The Little Giants made 29 of 57 total shots in the game (50.9 percent) and hit four of six free throw attempts. Wabash also gave out a season-best 18 assists and committed only five turnovers in the game.
Buccilla finished with 15 points and gave out three assists with two steals. Matelic added 12 points and grabbed eight boards. Brooks scored eight points, and Schippert added seven points and eight rebounds.
The Little Giants held DePauw to 16 of 56 from the field (28.6 percent) and 3 of 16 from three-point range (18.8 percent). The Tigers hit only 13 of 23 free throw tries (56.5 percent) and committed six turnovers. Sam Jacobs led DePauw with 18 points on a 5-of-13 shooting effort.
Wabash continues its conference road swing with a game Saturday at Oberlin at 1 p.m.
ROSE HULMAN MEN’S BASKETBALL
ROSE-HULMAN MEN’S BASKETBALL TRIUMPHS OVER MANCHESTER IN HCAC OPENER
NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. — The Rose-Hulman men’s basketball team picked up a big win on the road against Manchester University with a final score of 84-74 in their conference opener. This improves the team to 3-2 overall and 1-0 in the HCAC.
Miles McGowen led the team recording his second double-double of the season finishing with 22 points and 13 rebounds. McGowen also led the team with five assists in the contest. The Fightin’ Engineers had three other players reach double figures in scoring including Joey Schmitz (16), Daniel Savovic (12), and Cole Pride (11).
The Fightin’ Engineers came out hot starting the game on a 12-0 run to take the early lead. The team built their largest lead of the game after a made free throw by Jack Jenniges put the score at 29-10 with 11:28 left.
Rose-Hulman would enter the halftime break ahead 51-36. The team finished the half shooting an impressive 60.61% from the field.
Manchester battled back in the second half to cut the lead to six with the score at 80-74 with 2:16 remaining in the game. The Fightin’ Engineers were able to hold off the comeback to claim the win and hand Manchester their second loss of the season.
Rose-Hulman will continue HCAC play traveling to face Bluffton on Saturday, December 7 at 3 PM.
VINCENNES MEN’S BASKETBALL
ANDREWS GUIDES TRAILBLAZERS BACK IN THE WIN COLUMN OVER SCHOOLCRAFT COLLEGE
VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University Trailblazers returned home Wednesday night to the Physical Education Complex where the Blazers played host to Schoolcraft College from Detroit, Mich.
The Trailblazers were able to use a big second half and a big game by freshman Christian Andrews (Asheville, N.C.) to get back in the win column with a big 90-51 victory over the Ocelots.
Vincennes got off to a slow start against the visiting Ocelots, going back and forth with Schoolcraft for most of the first half.
Schoolcraft held the lead for most of the opening 20 minutes of action before the Blazers closed out the first half on a 12-3 run to take a 32-26 lead into the locker room at the break.
Coming out of the locker room in the second half the Trailblazers looked determined to get back in the win column, using a 22-3 stretch to open the game up and take a 59-34 lead.
Vincennes would continue to add pressure on the defensive end and helped put the game away with a 21-3 scoring run to increase the lead to 82-44.
VU continued to battle to the final horn, closing out the scoring with back-to-back threes as the Blazers pulled away late to pick up the 90-51 victory over Schoolcraft College.
“I thought we played pretty good once we put Christian in,” VU Hall of Fame Head Coach Todd Franklin said. “Christian and Jalen, those two guys got the energy from the guard position going. We didn’t have much energy coming from the guard position early. We weren’t initiating, we were just standing. There are actions and reactions that we are supposed to be doing offensively and we weren’t doing them. We just played with no energy, no snap, no nothing.”
“I didn’t change anything strategically, we just changed personnel,” Franklin added. “Those guys started to play better. It took us a little while to get it churning but you can see in the last eight minutes of the first half it began. We obviously rewarded those guys that they should be the ones playing to start the second half. We did and it continued.”
“Christian was a big part of that,” Franklin said. “He’s learning out there on the fly. It’s not perfect. We’re walking him through it as it goes along. But I think the thing tonight with him was that he was receptive to learning and when he would do something we would say ‘here’s what we are talking about to change this a little bit’ and you could tell that he’s listening. He’s listening and trying to get it and that’s what he needed to do.”
“I’m probably not going to tell him wrong,” Franklin added. “I’ve been around a long time and seen about all there is to see with it. So I keep telling them ‘I’m trying to help you’. And I get frustrated sometimes because they don’t take that. Here’s what you need to do and you don’t do it but there was growth there tonight.”
“I thought Jalen Calloway was the same way,” Franklin said. “The first minute or two he came in he had a bit of deer in the headlights look to him. I don’t know what it was but he got a look of determination on his face after that and from that point on I thought he played pretty well. Again, not perfect. There are things that we’re trying to correct on the fly the whole time that need to be corrected to make them even better. But they tried to play hard. Once the ball started moving with some intensity and some pace, we started running our actions and had the actions and reactions all of a sudden, we’re getting open shots and we’re getting open shots in rhythm and we start making them with energy and flow and everybody gets happy.”
“It’s amazing,” Franklin added. “It’s just about doing what you are supposed to with the intensity that you are supposed to. We’re usually pretty effective when we do and hopefully, they are learning that lesson because that’s what it comes down to. You can see that completely on display tonight. If you ever just want to watch what I’m talking about, that’s it. Watch the first 10-12 minutes and then watch from then on. I didn’t change one thing strategically. But it was players that started to try to do what we’ve told them to do with the intensity and the pace that we ask them to and it’s amazing the difference that happens from one to the other.”
Vincennes was led offensively by an outstanding game by freshman Christian Andrews who came off the bench to set a new career-high with 25 points, four rebounds and four steals.
Sophomore Michael Cooper (Minneapolis, Minn.) scored in double figures for the sixth time this season, ending his night with 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Freshman Jalen Calloway (Chicago, Ill.) was the third VU scorer in double figures, ending his night with 12 points and five assists in the game.
Freshman Dayton Williams (Louisville, Ky.) scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds in the game, while sophomore Bryan Akanmu (Paris, France) ended his night with six points, six rebounds and a team-high five assists.
“The last 28 minutes I thought we played pretty good,” Franklin said. “It’s that simple. The first 12 I didn’t like what we were on offense. Defense we were okay. I thought we tried defensively for most of the night and were pretty solid. Offensively we were just stale. We were stale and we just had a refusal to do what we said to do. I don’t really understand that because if I was a player I’d like to play well.”
“But statistically, I’m not worrying about it one way of the other,” Franklin added. “I just thought we played better the last 28 minutes and the stats follow. As we move the ball better and we swung the ball better. As we play with a better pace and intensity, as our energy got even better on the defensive end, the stats improve, the shots start going in, the ball gets some energy to it. The thing starts going off the play and we see the play and we make the play.”
“I was glad to see Christian hit shots,” Franklin said. “He hit shots all preseason. But it’s probably not just a coincidence that he started to really make shots in this game when he starts trying to do what he needs to be doing with the kind of pace and intensity that we ask. He wasn’t forcing it. A lot of his threes he got as a result of him initiating the offense well, the ball moved, it was snapping around and he ended up being the back end recipient of that. Broke them down, got inside, found him at the back end of it, he was there and he hit shots. I thought he attacked the basket better tonight. He’s learning what it takes and he’s having to learn when you are a smaller guy what it takes from an intensity level that it requires to finish plays. He’s still learning where the passing lanes are. He sees things and he’s still throwing the ball through defenses at arm level, that’s not going to happen at this level. These guys are long, quick and athletic, so you’ve got to find the windows to get it to and he did better as the game went on. But he was also receptive to that as we were giving him instruction and you could see ‘alright, he’s listening’ and he’s making adjustments as the game went along and that’s what all of them need to do.”
“The stats I’m not worried about,” Franklin added. “I just would like to see us play with snap and energy and everybody dedicated to what we are trying to do and I want that because they will be better players and will have more success, all the good things that they need and want will happen for them better. So that I thought we did better as the game went along.”
The Trailblazers will look to keep this positive momentum going as they prepare for another tough test Saturday, Dec. 7 when VU hosts No. 17 ranked Triton College at 7 p.m. eastern.
This game will be Toys for Tots Donation Night at the P.E. Complex, where fans who donate a new stuff animal at the main gate Saturday night will receive free admission into the game.
“We’ve just got to have another level of pop, snap, here’s what we do and how we do it,” Franklin said. “We’re going to do it right and we’re going to do it with intensity and tenacity because it’s all going to be required. If you don’t do what you are supposed to, you’re in trouble. If you do what you are supposed to but you don’t do it with the tenacity that’s required, it won’t work. Then somewhere at the back end of that has to become the confidence. And the confidence will follow. You can see the guys that are doing the things that they are supposed to be doing with the intensity they are supposed to be doing it with, they start to have success. And we are going to need a full 40 minutes of that on both ends.”
“I roll that up sometimes and say that as ‘we are going to do it in a competitive fashion’,” Franklin added. “And that’s what you’ve got to see, 40 minutes of that. We work every day, practice every day to have an idea of the way that we are supposed to play scheme wise on both sides of the floor. The fundamentals the way we are supposed to apply them. So we’re not going to do something amazing between now and Saturday. We’re just going to see if we can do those things well enough in a competitive fashion to beat Triton.”
“If we play really well, I think we can play with anybody,” Franklin said. “Then we are going to have to get tough minded in a competitive basketball game at some point that says we’re not just going to be here and be close, we’re going to win. We’re going to fight through and make the play, whatever that little thing is that needs to happen to make that happen and at some point, in time this year I think we will. At some point in time this year I think we’ll be a really good basketball team. Will it be Saturday? I don’t know. It will need to be Saturday if we’re going to win and it will need to be next Wednesday when we play John A. Logan if we’re going to win. It will need to be the next Saturday when we go and play at Lincoln Trail. Will we be there and be ready? We could be but it’s in these guys’ hands. When to they really take it and own it and own it for the entire two hours that we’re playing.”
“I hoping, trust me, I’m rooting for them to do it Saturday and if they do, I like our chances,” Franklin added. “But if we don’t, then it could be a long night in here with Triton. They are really talented and long and a long team like that, if you’re not sharp, then it gets to be a problem. Against long teams, you have to be sharp and you minimize that length. If you are not sharp, that length, it’s always in front of you. So it will be a good test for us. I hope we get a bunch of people out here. We schedule these big time games for those reasons but we’ll see where our team is. This year is going to be a different kind of year but it’s a different kind of year around the country. I think it’s going to be about who gets better. I don’t think there’s any great team. I think we’re in a pile with about 40 to 45 other teams and who is going to be the one learns the lessons, has the intensity, practices the best all year, improves the most over the next two months, hardens up and is that ball club. I don’t know how pretty our record will be but I think that we can be a good ball club and we’ll need to be a good ball club on Saturday.”
VINCENNES WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
LADY BLAZERS DROP REMATCH WITH NO. 8 THREE RIVERS COLLEGE
VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University Lady Trailblazers hit the home court Wednesday night for a rematch against No. 8 ranked Three Rivers College from Poplar Bluff, Mo.
The Lady Raiders picked up the win in the first meeting between these two teams Nov. 23 when VU fell 82-59 in Poplar Bluff and Three Rivers was able to complete the season sweep Wednesday with a 71-45 victory over the Lady Blazers.
The Lady Trailblazers got off to an excellent start Wednesday night against the Top 10 ranked Lady Raiders, going back and forth in the opening quarter to hold a 15-13 lead over Three Rivers after the first 10 minutes of action.
Three Rivers was able to get some traction going in the second quarter, taking the lead back early in the second period and riding a 9-0 scoring run to close out the first half with a 34-24 lead.
The lead continued to grow for the Lady Raiders in the third quarter, using an 8-0 run to increase the lead to 18 before the Lady Blazers were able to swing the momentum back with seven straight points.
Three Rivers held firm to close out the third quarter and took a 51-37 lead into the final quarter of action.
The Lady Raiders opened the fourth quarter with nine straight points and were able to cruise down the stretch as the Lady Blazers fell by the final score of 71-45.
The Lady Trailblazers were again led offensively by freshman Delora Pricop (Satu Mare, Romania) who used a big second half to finish the night with 17 points and nine rebounds.
Freshman Emani Washington (Indianapolis, Ind.) was the second VU scorer in double figures, ending her night with 12 points, three rebounds, three assists and a team-high three steals.
Freshmen Ahmya Thomas (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Jazmyn Robey (Sellersburg, Ind.) each finished the game with five points, with Thomas moving the ball well to finish with a team-high six assists.
The Lady Blazers will now move forward to another tough matchup against a Nationally ranked opponent, going on the road Saturday, Dec. 7 to face NJCAA Division II No. 22 ranked Parkland College in Champaign, Ill. at 2 p.m. eastern.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB 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”
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
11 – 35 – 77 – 5 – 44 – 12 – 7 – 34 – 12 – 22
December 4, 1909 – Oldest still-operating NHL franchise is officially established as J. Ambrose O’Brien and Jack Laviolette create the “Club de Hockey Canadien,” known today as the Montreal Canadiens
December 4, 1927 – Pittsburgh Pirates future Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder, eventual Number 11, Paul Waner won the National League MVP
December 4, 1945 – 11th Heisman Trophy Award is won by Army fullback, Number 35, Doc Blanchard
December 4, 1949 – Bob Gage, Number 77 of the Pittsburgh Steelers tied an NFL record of a 97 yard touchdown run against the Chicago Bears
December 4, 1956 – 22nd Heisman Trophy Award is won by Notre Dame quarterback, Number 5, Paul Hornung
December 4, 1961 – 1962 NFL Draft: Ernie Davis, Number 44 from University of Syracuse first pick by Washington Redskins. It was soon after that he was traded to the Cleveland Browns.
December 4, 1963 – Boston Bruins’ right wing, Number 12, Andy Hebenton set a new NHL record by playing in his 581st consecutive game in 2-2 tie with Chicago Black Hawks. The NHL skater would reache 630 straight games in his streak
December 4, 1979 – Cleveland Cavaliers retire jersey Number 7, Bingo Smith
December 4, 1982 – 48th Heisman Trophy Award was won by Georgia running back, Number 34, Herschel Walker
December 4, 1988 – Edmonton Oilers center Number 12, Jimmy Carson becomes just the third player to score 6 NHL hat tricks before the age of 21 in the Oilers 10-6 win over the New York Rangers
December 4, 2007 – Ballon d’Or: Milan’s Brazilian midfielder Number 22 of AC Milan, Kaká was named best football player in the world; first year in which players from clubs outside the UEFA federation eligible for nomination
December 4, 2009 – Montreal Canadiens retire Hall of Fame center Elmer Lach’s jersey Number 16, as part of team’s centennial celebration
December 4, 2018 – Ownership group Seattle Hockey Partners led by billionaire businessman Davis Bonderman is unanimously granted an NHL license by the Board of Governors; to start play 2020-21 season at KeyArena. The team would later be officially named the Seattle Kraken
FOOTBALL HISTORY
December 5, 1914 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – At the 6th Grey Cup the Toronto Argonauts won the franchises’ first Championship; as they beat the University of Toronto Blues, 14-2. Our friends at Ninety-nine Yards have a few tidbits on this game.
December 5, 1925 – Landsdowne Park, Ottawa – Ottawa Senators won their first Grey Cup title by knocking out Winnipeg’s Tammany Tigers, 24-1 at the 13th Cup game.
December 5, 1931 – Molson Stadium, Montreal – At the 19th Grey Cup it was the Montreal AAA Winged Wheelers blanking the Regina Roughriders, 22-0 to take home their first Grey Cup Championship.
December 5, 1936 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – It was a close one at the 24th Grey Cup as the Sarnia Imperials defeated the Ottawa Rough Riders, 26-20 for Sarnia’s 2nd Championship banner.
December 5, 1942 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – We assure that the score of the 30th Grey Cup game is indeed and football score and not one from the Hockey realm. With WWII in process the Cup had a military flavor as the team taking the Grey Cup title was the Toronto RCAF Hurricanes as they edged out the Winnipeg RCAF Bombers, 8-5.
December 5, 1943 – The Merger of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL referred to by many as the “Steagles” dissolved as the season came to an end. The football History Dude, Arnie Chapman has a fantastic podcast dedicated to this merged team, you can find by clicking FootballHistoryDude-Steagles. The two organizations combined their resources to be able to survive and field a team many men of playing age were overseas fighting in World War II. Packershistory.net serves up the story on how in the last game of the merged teams from Pennsylavania’s two largest cities against the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay gave the Phil-Pitt Steagles inhospitable farewell party with a 38-28 victory for the Pack. Don Hutson of the Packers scored 20 of his team’s points.
December 5, 1948 – New York Giant, Charley Conerly completed 36 passes to set an NFL record for the most completions thrown in an NFL game. The website footballperspective.com has an interesting article that touches on Conerly’s time in the NFL.
December 5, 1970 – Memorial Coliseum, LA – F64Sports reports that the fine running back of the Los Angeles Rams, Willie Ellison rushed for an NFL record of 247 yards in a game against the New Orleans Saints. Ellison started the game off with a bang as he took a hand off on the third play from scrimmage and raced around the end for a 80 yard touchdown sprint. The Rams powered their way to a 45-28 victory charged by the yards on the ground provided by Willie Ellison.
December 5, 1972 – Johnny Rodgers the flanker from the University of Nebraska claimed the 38th Heisman Trophy Award.
December 5, 1974 – The NFL’s Seattle Seahawks franchise is officially announced. Historylink.org has an excellent presentation with all of the details. Pete Rozelle gave the go ahead to a consortium called “Seattle Professional Football” and that group headed up by Lloyd Nordstrom cut a check for a cool $16 million to make NFL football in Seattle a reality. You will want to check out the Historylink article because they also give the answer of what came first, the Team or the Dome?
December 4, 1974 – The World Bowl. Soon after the AFL/NFL merger in the late 1960’s another group decided it would be a good idea to go head to head in competition with the NFL, the World Football League. A group headed by Gary Davidson put together a band of wealthy individuals and threw cash at the League to sign big names off of the NFL’s best team at the time the Miami Dolphins such as Larry Csonka, Paul Warfield and Jim Kick. Many other teams lost star players to the allure of good pay from the WFL. Well needless to say the NFL’s popularity was still strong and it crushed the WFL like a bug. However in their 1-½ seasons that they existed they did have one championship game played, and it was the 1974 World Bowl. In the game the Birmingham Americans claimed the title as they defeated the Florida Blazers 22-21 in a great lone championship game for the league. You can learn more about the WFL from the Deadfootball.com website.
December 5, 1981 – Marcus Allen the graceful running back from the University Southern California wins the 47th Heisman Trophy Award. The voters could not look past that Allen was the first player in NCAA history to eclipse 2000 yards on the ground in one season according to Heisman.com. In the eleven games that the Trojans played in 1981’s magical season Marcus went over the 200 yard mark in eight of them! His gaudy total of 2342 yards rushing went into the NCAA record books and he added 29 receptions and 23 touchdowns to his Heisman resume.
December 5, 1982 – Cleveland Municipal Stadium – Cleveland Browns’ Quarterback Brian Sipe set a new franchise record when he had 33 pass completions on 48 attempts for 338 yards with on touchdown and 2 interceptions. The San Diego Chargers backfield tandem of Chuck Muncie and James Brooks though each had two touchdown runs as San Diego stole this one 30-13 per Pro-Football-Reference.com
December 5, 1985 – The first Polycarbonate helmet was introduced. The helmet prevented injuries of players by being lighter than plastic and stronger according to a story on Atavus.com.
December 5, 1987 – The 53rd awarded Heisman Trophy went to Notre Dame’s wide receiver Tim Brown. Heisman.com tells us that Brown’s 1987 game against Michigan State where he took back to back Spartan punts to the house was the game that put him over the edge in the Heisman voting that season. “Touchdown” Tim Brown finished his career as Fighting Irish’s all-time leader in pass reception yards with his lofty 2493 and also returned six kicks for touchdowns.
December 5, 1992 – The very first SEC Championship Game is played as #2 Alabama outscore #12 Florida by a score in a 28-21 final.
December 5, 1998 – It took two Over Time sessions but the ‘98 Big 12 Championship belonged #10 Texas A&M as they got past #2 Kansas State, 36-33 after the smoke cleared.
December 5, 2002 – The NFL and NFLPA got quite a buzz stirring when they decided to invest in the lower levels of the Gridiron by introducing the new product of USA Football. USA Football was the first organization to represent all levels of amatuer football according to the sportsbusiness daily website story.
Onthisday.com Rapid Fire 2009 Conference Championships
December 5, 2009 – This season had a big ticket matchup for the SEC Title Game as #2 Crimson Tide of Alabama faced off against the top ranked Florida Gators. That ranking got moved around in the aftermath as it was all Tide in a 32-13 one sided game.
December 5, 2009 – The ACC Championship Game was a doozie as #12 Georgia Tech beat #25 Clemson, 39-34.
December 5, 2009 – And even a better game yet was the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game where #3 Texas nipped #21 Nebraska, 13-12.
December 5 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
December 5, 1936 – Riverview, Texas – John Wooten the outstanding tackle from the University of Colorado was born. The NFF’s bio on John tells us that he blazed a path for others to follow, becoming one of the first African-Americans to earn All-America honors as a lineman in 1958. His bio goes on to give the tale of the tape on his blocking which had the Buffaloes ranked 12th in the nation in 1956 with 252.1 yards per game, first in 1957 with 322.4 yards per matchup and fifth in 1958 with 249.5 yards per contest. The National Football Foundation selected John Wooten to enter into their College Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
December 5, 1936 – Albert Lea, Minnesota – The fine guard from the University of Minnesota, Tom Brown celebrated his birth. The NFF’s footballfoundation.org bio on Tom sets the remarkable picture of how the Minnesota Golden Gophers were last in the Big Ten for the 1959 season and then in the next they won a national Championship. Tom Brown in 1960 became the interior lineman with the highest vote ranking in Heisman history when he took second in the tabulation for the 1960 award. Tom Brown found himself inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003. After school Tom played in the CFL with the BC Lions for 7 seasons.
December 5, 1947 – Santa Clara, California – The former quarterback of the Stanford Cardinal, Jim Plunkett was born. The National Football Foundation voted Jim Plunkett into their College Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
December 5, 1955 – Camden, New Jersey – Art Still, the University of Kentucky’s defensive end came into this life. Art Still was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
December 5, 1957 – White Plains, New York – The University of Syracuse legendary wide receiver Art Monk was born. The Pro Football Hall of Fame states that his career catches were counted at 940 and that he played 183 straight games where he caught at least one pass. Monk was an All-Pro twice and was voted into three Pro Bowls. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Art Monk in 2008.
December 5, 1963 – Omaha, Nebraska – Larry Station the linebacker from the University of Iowa was birthed. Larry Station was inducted by the NFF into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
TODAY IN SPORTS
Dec. 5
1924 — Red Green of the Hamilton Tigers scores five goals in a 10-5 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
1971 — Willie Ellison of the Los Angeles Rams sets an NFL record with 247 yards rushing in a 45-28 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Teammate Travis Williams also returns a kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown.
1972 — Johnny Rodgers of Nebraska wins the Heisman Trophy beating out Oklahoma’s Gregg Pruitt and teammate Rich Glover. The all-purpose back gains 5,586 yards and scored 45 touchdowns in his collegiate career.
1974 — David Thompson scores an ACC-record 57 points to lead North Carolina State to a 144-88 rout of Buffalo State. Thompson surpasses the 56 points scored by South Carolina’s John Roche against Furman on Feb. 5, 1971.
1976 — O.J. Simpson of the Buffalo Bills rushes for 203 yards and a touchdown in a 45-27 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
1981 — Southern California’s Marcus Allen, who set an NCAA record for yards rushing in a season with 2,342, wins the Heisman Trophy.
1987 — Tim Brown, wide receiver and kick returner from Notre Dame, is awarded the Heisman Trophy.
1992 — Second-ranked Alabama beats No. 15 Florida 28-21 in the first SEC championship game. Alabama’s Antonio Langham intercepts a Shane Matthews pass, returning it 27 yards for a touchdown with 3:16 left in the game.
1995 — Dan Marino completes 35 of 50 passes for 343 yards with two touchdowns and in leading Miami to a 21-20 comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons. It was his 52nd 300-yard game of his career, breaking the league record he had shared with Dan Fouts.
2004 — Peyton Manning of Indianapolis is 25-of-33 for 425 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in a 51-24 win over Tennessee. Manning notches his 13th straight multi-TD game, breaking the NFL record held by Dan Marino, Johnny Unitas, Don Meredith and Brett Favre.
2008 — Former NFL star O.J. Simpson is sentenced to 33 years in prison for kidnapping and armed robbery.
2012 — Kobe Bryant scores 29 points, making him the fifth player in NBA history to score 30,000, and the Los Angeles Lakers snap a two-game skid with a 103-87 victory over the New Orleans Hornets. The other players to score more than 30,000 are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.
2016 — Klay Thompson has 60 points, an NBA season high and the most by a Golden State player in more than 42 years, as the Warriors whip the Indiana Pacers 142-106. Thompson scores 40 by halftime in just 18-plus minutes. He had a career-best 60 points through three quarters and called it a night, sitting down with 1:22 left in the period.
2017 — Russia is banned from the next Winter Olympics in South Korea over state-sponsored doping.
Dec. 6
1939 — Iowa’s Nile Kinnick wins the Heisman Trophy. The back passed for 638 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushed for 374 yards.
1961 — Syracuse running back Ernie Davis becomes the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy.
1984 — Martina Navratilova loses to Helena Sukova, ending the longest winning streak in history of women’s singles tennis — 74 matches dating to Jan. 15, 1984.
1986 — Miami’s Vinny Testaverde wins the Heisman Trophy in a runaway. The quarterback, who led the nation in passing efficiency, won the by 1,541 points over Temple running back Paul Palmer, the country’s top rusher.
1990 — The Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators receive approval to join the NHL in 1992-93.
1992 — Jerry Rice becomes the NFL’s career leader in touchdown receptions with his 101st scoring pass during the fourth quarter of the San Francisco 49ers’ 27-3 victory over Miami. Rice surpassed Steve Largent’s mark of 100.
1992 — Jim Courier rebounds from a slow start to beat Switzerland’s Jakob Hlasek in four sets as the United States recaptures the Davis Cup.
1998 — Denver with a 35-31 comeback win over Kansas City, becomes the third 13-0 team in NFL history. The Broncos join the 1934 Chicago Bears and 1972 Miami Dolphins.
2000 — Golden State’s Antawn Jamison and the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant each scored 51 points, including trading six straight scores in the final two minutes of overtime. It’s Jamison’s second 51-point performance in four days, and Bryant’s career high. But Jamison earns extra satisfaction as the Warriors prevail 125-122 over Los Angeles. It’s the first time in 38 years two players score 50 in the same game.
2003 — Army becomes the first team to finish 0-13 in major college history after a 34-6 loss to Navy.
2005 — Philadelphia wins the first scoreless NHL game that is decided by a shootout, beating Calgary 1-0. Philadelphia’s Antero Niittymaki stops 28 shots in regulation and overtime and all three during the shootout.
2008 — Southern California beats UCLA 28-7 to win its record seventh straight Pac-10 championship. The Trojans (11-1) also have won 11 or more games in seven straight seasons — another record.
2009 — Switzerland’s Carlo Janka wins the giant slalom to become the first man in more than 2 1/2 years with three consecutive World Cup victories. Janka won the super combined event two days earlier and the downhill yesterday.
2009 — Drew Brees is 35 for 49 for 419 yards with two touchdowns and one interception as New Orleans stays undefeated with a 33-30 overtime win at Washington. New Orleans and Indianapolis both improve to 12-0, marking the first time in NFL history that two teams are unbeaten this late in the season.
2009 — Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre sets an NFL record by playing in his 283rd consecutive game, a 30-17 loss to Arizona. The 40-year-old Favre breaks the record of 282 held by longtime Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall.
2013 — Jennifer O’Neill scores a career-high 43 points, including the go-ahead basket in the fourth overtime, and No. 5 Kentucky beats No. 9 Baylor 133-130 in the highest-scoring Division I women’s game in history. The previous high for a Division I women’s game was 252 points in SMU’s 127-125 win over TCU, also in four overtimes, on Jan. 25, 1997.
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Dec. 7
1973 — Jerry West of Los Angeles sets an NBA record with 10 steals in the Lakers’ 115-111 loss to the Seattle Supersonics.
1985 — Auburn tailback Bo Jackson beats Iowa quarterback Chuck Long by 45 points in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy, the closest vote in the 51-year history of the trophy.
1991 — AJ Kitt becomes the first American in seven years to win a men’s World Cup race, taking the first downhill of the season In Val D’Isere, France.
2002 — St. John’s (Minn.) coach John Gagliardi wins his 400th game with a 21-14 victory over Linfield in the Division III quarterfinals. Gagliardi is the second coach to reach the 400 mark, eight victories behind Eddie Robinson.
2003 — The computer rankings have Oklahoma as the country’s top team while the human poll voters pick USC. Despite getting walloped by Kansas State 35-7, No. 3 Oklahoma takes its 12-1 record to the Sugar Bowl against No. 2 LSU, which won the Southeastern Conference championship by beating Georgia 34-13.
2006 — Willie Parker breaks Pittsburgh’s single-game rushing record with 223 yards as the Steelers rough up the Cleveland Browns 27-7. Parker, the first player in Steelers history to have two 200-yard games in a season, betters John “Frenchy” Fuqua’s record of 218 yards against Philadelphia in 1970.
2008 — The Arizona Cardinals clinch their first division title in 33 years by beating the woeful St. Louis Rams 34-10. The Cardinals, long the league’s doormat franchise with just one winning season in the past 24 years, earn their first playoff berth since 1998 and first divisional title since they won the NFC East in 1975.
2013 — Aurelien Collin scores the equalizer in the second half of the MLS Cup, then drives home the deciding penalty kick to give Sporting Kansas City a dramatic victory over Real Salt Lake and its first league title since 2000. With the score 1-1 through regulation and 30 minutes of overtime, the teams engage in the longest penalty-kick shootout in championship history — one that both sides had chances to win before Collin’s shot and Jimmy Nielsen’s save left Sporting KC with the 7-6 victory.
2014 — The first College Football Playoff expands the national championship race and produces a final four with major star power. Nick Saban’s No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Urban Meyer’s No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes at the Sugar Bowl. Marcus Mariota and second-seeded Oregon vs. Jameis Winston, last season’s Heisman Trophy winner, and defending national champion Florida State at the Rose Bowl.
2014 — Robbie Keane scores on a breakaway in the 111th minute, and Landon Donovan wins his record sixth MLS title in the LA Galaxy’s 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution in the MLS Cup.
2016 — Napheesa Collier scores 20 points, Gabby Williams has 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists and No. 1 Connecticut beats No. 2 Notre Dame 72-61 for its 83rd straight victory. UConn’s last loss was 88-86 in overtime to Stanford on Nov. 17, 2014.
2017 — Larry Nassar, a former elite sports doctor whose sexual assault cases that rocked Michigan State University and the group that trains U.S. Olympic gymnasts, is sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for possessing thousands of images of child pornography. Nassar, 54, will also be sentenced for 10 state counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in January. In November, he pled guilty to using his hands to molest girls at his campus office, his home and at a gymnastics club near Lansing, Michigan.
TV SPORTS THURSDAY
| NFL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Green Bay at Detroit | 8:15pm | AMZN |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Denver Nuggets vs Cleveland Cavaliers | 7:00pm | NBATV ALT2 FanDuel Sports Ohio |
| Dallas Mavericks vs Washington Wizards | 7:00pm | KMPX MNMT |
| Charlotte Hornets vs New York Knicks | 7:30pm | FanDuel Sports South MSG |
| Oklahoma City Thunder vs Toronto Raptors | 7:30pm | FanDuel Sports Oklahoma Sportsnet |
| Sacramento Kings vs Memphis Grizzlies | 8:00pm | NBCS-CA FanDuel Sports Southeast |
| Phoenix Suns vs New Orleans Pelicans | 8:00pm | AFSportsnet GCSN |
| Chicago Bulls vs San Antonio Spurs | 8:00pm | CHSN FanDuel Sports Southwest |
| Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors | 10:00pm | NBATV SCHN NBCS-BAY |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Winnipeg Jets vs Buffalo Sabres | 7:00pm | ESPN+ Sportsnet MSG-BUF |
| Nashville Predators vs Montreal Canadiens | 7:00 PM | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports South Sportsnet |
| San Jose Sharks vs Tampa Bay Lightning | 7:00 PM | ESPN+ NBCS-CA FanDuel Sports Sun |
| Florida Panthers vs Philadelphia Flyers | 7:00 PM | ESPN+ Scripps NBCS-PHI Sportsnet |
| Colorado Avalanche vs Carolina Hurricanes | 7:00 PM | ESPN+ ALT FanDuel Sports South |
| Detroit Red Wings vs Ottawa Senators | 7:00 PM | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports Detroit Sportsnet |
| Seattle Kraken vs New York Islanders | 7:30 PM | ESPN+, HULU |
| St. Louis Blues vs Calgary Flames | 9:00 PM | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports Midwest Sportsnet |
| Columbus Blue Jackets vs Edmonton Oilers | 9:00 PM | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports Ohio Sportsnet |
| MEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Southeast Missouri at Lipscomb | 12:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Purdue Fort Wayne at Detroit Mercy | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Alabama State at Southern Miss | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Purdue at Penn State | 6:30pm | FS1 |
| Wright State at Oakland | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Maryland Eastern Shore at Longwood | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Florida Tech at Jacksonville | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Radford at North Carolina Central | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Warner at North Florida | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Southeastern Louisiana at Nicholls | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Stephen F. Austin at UTRGV | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Xavier at TCU | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Cleveland State at Milwaukee | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Drake at Valparaiso | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Northwestern State at UIW | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| East Texas A&M at Houston Christian | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Lamar at A&M-Corpus Christi | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Jackson State at Arkansas State | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Cal Poly at UC Davis | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UC Riverside at CSUN | 10:00pm | Spectrum |
| UC San Diego at UC Santa Barbara | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Long Beach State at Cal State Fullerton | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| CSU Bakersfield at UC Irvine | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Saint Louis at San Francisco | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| WOMEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Boston College at Arkansas | 7:00pm | SECN |
| Duke at South Carolina | 9:00pm | ESPN |
| Duke at South Carolina | 9:00pm | SECN |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| DP World Tour: Nedbank Golf Challenge | 4:00am | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: Hero World Challenge | 1:30pm | GOLF |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| EPL: Fulham vs Brighton & Hove Albion | 2:30pm | Peacock |
| Belgian Cup: Anderlecht vs Westerlo | 2:30pm | ESPN+ |
| La Liga: Athletic Club vs Real Madrid | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Coppa Italia: Lazio vs Napoli | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Scottish Premiership: Aberdeen vs Celtic | 3:00pm | CBSSN Fubo |
| EPL: AFC Bournemouth vs Tottenham Hotspur | 3:15pm | USA Peacock |
TV SPORTS FRIDAY
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Orlando Magic vs Philadelphia 76ers | 7:00pm | FanDuel Sports Florida NBCS-PHI |
| Los Angeles Lakers vs Atlanta Hawks | 7:30pm | Spectrum FanDuel Sports Southeast SN |
| Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston Celtics | 7:30pm | ESPN FanDuel Sports Wisconsin NBCS-BOS |
| Indiana Pacers vs Chicago Bulls | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports Indiana CHSN |
| Sacramento Kings vs San Antonio Spurs | 8:00pm | NBCS-CA FanDuel Sports Southwest |
| Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors | 10:00pm | ESPN FanDuel Sports North NBCS-BAY SN |
| Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers | 10:00pm | KJZZ KPTV |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Washington Capitals vs Toronto Maple Leafs | 7:00pm | ESPN+ MNMT Sportsnet |
| Seattle Kraken vs New Jersey Devils | 7:00 PM | ESPN+ KONG MSGSN |
| Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers | 7:30 PM | ESPN+, HULU Sportsnet |
| Dallas Stars vs Vegas Golden Knights | 10:00 PM | ESPN+ Victory+ Scripps Sportsnet |
| Minnesota Wild vs Anaheim Ducks | 10:00 PM | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports West Victory+ |
| Columbus Blue Jackets vs Vancouver Canucks | 10:00 PM | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports Ohio Sportsnet |
| COLLEGE FOOTBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Tulane vs Army | 8:00pm | ABC ESPN+ |
| CUSA No. 2 vs Jacksonville State | 8:00pm | CBSSN |
| CSU/UNLV vs Boise State | 8:00pm | FOX |
| MEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| St. Joseph’s (NY) at Hofstra | 11:30am | FloSports |
| Calumet at Eastern Illinois | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Brown at Bryant | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Delaware at Duquesne | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Siena at Niagara | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Georgetown at West Virginia | 7:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Miami (OH) at Indiana | 7:00pm | BTN |
| Portland at Kent State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| New College at FIU | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Charleston Southern at Davidson | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Kennesaw State at Georgia State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Iona at Sacred Heart | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Manhattan at Saint Peter’s | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Merrimack at Canisius | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Mount St. Mary’s at Marist | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Quinnipiac at Rider | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Campbellsville-Harrodsburg vs. Eastern Kentucky | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Prairie View A&M at UAB | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| North Texas at High Point | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| East-West at Western Illinois | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Illinois at Northwestern | 9:00pm | BTN |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| DP World Tour: Nedbank Golf Challenge | 4:00am | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: Hero World Challenge | 1:30pm | GOLF |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| Serie A: Internazionale vs Parma | 12:30pm | Paramount+ |
| Ligue 1: Lille vs Brest | 1:00pm | Fanatiz beIN Sports |
| Bundesliga: Stuttgart vs Union Berlin | 2:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Serie A: Atalanta vs Milan | 2:45pm | Paramount+ |
| Ligue 1: Auxerre vs PSG | 3:00pm | Fanatiz beIN Sports |
| La Liga: Celta de Vigo vs Mallorca | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
TV SPORTS SATURDAY
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Cleveland Cavaliers vs Charlotte Hornets | 1:00pm | FanDuel Sports Ohio FanDuel Sports South |
| Denver Nuggets vs Washington Wizards | 7:00pm | ALT2 MNMT |
| Oklahoma City Thunder vs New Orleans Pelicans | 7:00pm | FanDuel Sports Oklahoma GCSN |
| Detroit Pistons vs New York Knicks | 7:30pm | FanDuel Sports Detroit MSG |
| Dallas Mavericks vs Toronto Raptors | 7:30pm | KMPX Sportsnet |
| Memphis Grizzlies vs Boston Celtics | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports Southeast NBCS-BOS |
| Phoenix Suns vs Miami Heat | 8:00pm | AFSportsnet FanDuel Sports Sun |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Philadelphia Flyers vs Boston Bruins | 1:00pm | ESPN+ NBCS-PHI NESN |
| Utah Hockey Club vs Buffalo Sabres | 1:00 PM | ESPN+ Utah16 MSG-BUF |
| Winnipeg Jets vs Chicago Blackhawks | 4:00 PM | ESPN+ Sportsnet CHSN |
| Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Islanders | 5:00 PM | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports South MSGSN |
| San Jose Sharks vs Florida Panthers | 6:00 PM | ESPN+ NBCS-CA Scripps |
| Colorado Avalanche vs Detroit Red Wings | 7:00 PM | ESPN+ ALT FanDuel Sports Detroit |
| Toronto Maple Leafs vs Pittsburgh Penguins | 7:00 PM | ESPN+ ATTSN-PIT Sportsnet |
| Nashville Predators vs Ottawa Senators | 7:00 PM | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports South Sportsnet2 |
| Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens | 7:00 PM | ESPN+ MNMT2 Sportsnet |
| Minnesota Wild vs Los Angeles Kings | 8:00 PM | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports North KCAL |
| St. Louis Blues vs Edmonton Oilers | 10:00 PM | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports Midwest Sportsnet |
| COLLEGE FOOTBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Iowa State vs Arizona State | 12:00pm | ABC ESPN+ |
| Ohio vs Miami(OH) | 12:00pm | ESPN |
| Texas vs Georgia | 4:00pm | ABC ESPN+ |
| Marshall vs Louisiana | 7:30pm | ESPN |
| Clemson vs SMU | 8:00pm | ABC ESPN+ |
| Penn State vs Oregon | 8:00pm | CBS Paramount+ |
| MEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Oklahoma State at Seton Hall | 12:00pm | FS1 |
| Maryland at Purdue | 12:00pm | BTN |
| Richmond at Auburn | 12:00pm | SECN |
| Maine at Fordham | 12:00pm | YES |
| Vanderbilt vs. TCU | 12:30pm | ESPNU |
| Kansas at Missouri | 1:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Cornell at Army West Point | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Siena at Canisius | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Merrimack at Niagara | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Saint Peter’s at Iona | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Harvard at New Hampshire | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Tarleton at UCF | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Colgate at Northeastern | 2:00pm | NESN |
| Sacred Heart at Quinnipiac | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Robert Morris at Purdue Fort Wayne | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Marist at Manhattan | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Fairfield at Mount St. Mary’s | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Howard at Cincinnati | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Ball State at SIUE | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Bucknell at Radford | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Vermont State-Johnson at Bryant | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Texas A&M vs. Texas Tech | 3:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Chicago State at Saint Louis | 3:00pm | FanDuel Sports Midwest |
| Austin Peay at Samford | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| FGCU at LSU | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Rice at Texas State | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Mercer at Stetson | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Arkansas State at Memphis | 4:00pm | ESPNU |
| Prairie View A&M at Mississippi State | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Southeast Missouri at Murray State | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Jacksonville State at South Alabama | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UConn at Texas | 5:00pm | ESPN |
| Dartmouth at UIC | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UCLA at Oregon | 6:00pm | BTN |
| Duke at Louisville | 6:00pm | ACCN |
| Jackson State at Iowa State | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Mary Baldwin at Longwood | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| NCAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Iowa vs. Tennessee | 7:00pm | FOX |
| Louisville vs. UConn | 9:00pm | FOX |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| DP World Tour: Nedbank Golf Challenge | 4:00am | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: Hero World Challenge | 12:00pm | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: Hero World Challenge | 2:30pm | NBC |
| SKIING | TIME ET | TV |
| World Cup | 5:00pm | NBC |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| EPL: Everton vs Liverpool | 7:30am | USA Peacock Fubo |
| La Liga: Las Palmas vs Real Valladolid | 8:00am | ESPN+ Fubo |
| Serie A: Genoa vs Torino | 9:00am | CBSSN Paramount+ Fubo |
| Bundesliga: Bayern München vs Heidenheim | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen vs St. Pauli | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Bochum vs Werder Bremen | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Eintracht Frankfurt vs Augsburg | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Holstein Kiel vs RB Leipzig | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| EPL: Brentford vs Newcastle United | 10:00am | USA Peacock Fubo |
| EPL: Crystal Palace vs Manchester City | 10:00am | Peacock Fubo |
| EPL: Aston Villa vs Southampton | 10:00am | Peacock |
| La Liga: Real Betis vs Barcelona | 10:15am | ESPN+ Fubo |
| Ligue 1: Monaco vs Toulouse | 11:00am | Fanatiz beIN Sports |
| Serie A: Juventus vs Bologna | 12:00pm | Paramount+ Fubo |
| EPL: Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest | 12:30pm | NBC Peacock Fubo |
| Bundesliga: Borussia M’gladbach vs Borussia Dortmund | 12:30pm | ESPN+ |
| La Liga: Valencia vs Rayo Vallecano | 12:30pm | ESPN+ Fubo |
| La Liga: Las Palmas vs Mallorca | 12:30pm | ESPN+ Fubo |
| Ligue 1: Nice vs Le Havre | 1:00pm | Fanatiz beIN Sports |
| Serie A: Roma vs Lecce | 2:45pm | Paramount+ Fubo |
| La Liga: Girona vs Real Madrid | 3:00pm | ESPN+ Fubp |
| Ligue 1: Angers SCO vs Olympique Lyonnais | 3:00pm | Fanatiz beIN Sports |