THE SCOREBOARD
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SECTIONAL SCORES
| CLASS 4A | ||||
| LAKE CENTRAL | ||||
| MUNSTER | 56 | MERRILLVILLE | 52 | |
| LAKE CENTRAL | 60 | EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL | 15 | |
| LOWELL | ||||
| VALPARAISO | 40 | CROWN POINT | 34 | |
| CHESTERTON | 45 | LOWELL | 30 | |
| PLYMOUTH | ||||
| MICHIGAN CITY | 56 | LAPORTE | 41 | |
| PLYMOUTH | 79 | SOUTH BEND RILEY | 20 | |
| MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) | ||||
| NEW PALESTINE | 45 | RICHMOND | 27 | |
| ANDERSON | 63 | MUNCIE CENTRAL | 52 | |
| LAWRENCE CENTRAL | ||||
| INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS | 54 | INDIANAPOLIS TECH | 49 | |
| WARREN CENTRAL | 60 | LAWRENCE CENTRAL | 58 | |
| SOUTHPORT | ||||
| FRANKLIN CENTRAL | 53 | PERRY MERIDIAN | 29 | |
| DECATUR CENTRAL | 53 | INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI | 52 | |
| BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE | ||||
| BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE | 51 | JENNINGS COUNTY | 38 | |
| CLASS 3A | ||||
| GRIFFITH | ||||
| HAMMOND NOLL | 65 | CALUMET | 14 | |
| HANOVER CENTRAL | 65 | RIVER FOREST | 30 | |
| FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA | ||||
| FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA | 62 | LEO | 51 | |
| GARRETT | 41 | ANGOLA | 32 | |
| BENTON CENTRAL | ||||
| BENTON CENTRAL | 54 | WESTERN | 47 | |
| RENSSELAER CENTRAL | 57 | FRANKFORT | 12 | |
| NORWELL | ||||
| BELLMONT | 57 | OAK HILL | 21 | |
| NORTHWESTERN | 69 | MISSISSINEWA | 32 | |
| HAMILTON HEIGHTS | ||||
| FRANKTON | 67 | DELTA | 33 | |
| YORKTOWN | 70 | NEW CASTLE | 37 | |
| LEBANON | ||||
| DANVILLE | 53 | CRAWFORDSVILLE | 16 | |
| TRI-WEST | 61 | MONROVIA | 53 | |
| OWEN VALLEY | ||||
| EDGEWOOD | 50 | WEST VIGO | 27 | |
| INDIAN CREEK | 44 | OWEN VALLEY | 31 | |
| RUSHVILLE | ||||
| FRANKLIN COUNTY | 51 | BATESVILLE | 39 | |
| RUSHVILLE | 55 | GREENSBURG | 53 | |
| PRINCETON | ||||
| SOUTHRIDGE | 50 | HERITAGE HILLS | 31 | |
| PRINCETON | 52 | PIKE CENTRAL | 31 | |
| CLASS 2A | ||||
| ANDREAN | ||||
| ILLIANA CHRISTIAN | 56 | BOWMAN ACADEMY | 22 | |
| ANDREAN | 59 | LAKE STATION | 54 | |
| BLACKFORD | ||||
| BLACKFORD | 68 | EASTERN (GREENTOWN) | 35 | |
| TIPTON | 49 | TAYLOR | 11 | |
| WAPAHANI | ||||
| WES-DEL | 41 | MUNCIE BURRIS | 18 | |
| WINCHESTER | 47 | MONROE CENTRAL | 27 | |
| GREENCASTLE | ||||
| SOUTH PUTNAM | 57 | RIVERTON PARKE | 37 | |
| PARKE HERITAGE | 68 | NORTH PUTNAM | 43 | |
| AUSTIN | ||||
| SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER) | 45 | HENRYVILLE | 35 | |
| AUSTIN | 49 | CLARKSVILLE | 21 | |
| EASTERN GREENE | ||||
| PAOLI | 46 | NORTH DAVIESS | 31 | |
| SULLIVAN | 45 | SOUTH KNOX | 42 | |
| FOREST PARK | ||||
| SOUTH SPENCER | 43 | CRAWFORD COUNTY | 36 | |
| FOREST PARK | 41 | NORTH POSEY | 25 | |
| CLASS 1A | ||||
| CULVER | ||||
| ARGOS | 62 | CULVER | 58 | 3OT |
| WESTVILLE | 38 | TRINITY GREENLAWN | 29 | |
| BLOOMFIELD | ||||
| BLOOMFIELD | 71 | BLOOMINGTON LIGHTHOUSE | 32 | |
| CLAY CITY | 48 | WHITE RIVER VALLEY | 47 | |
| SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE) | ||||
| SOUTH DECATUR | 56 | OLDENBURG ACADEMY | 49 | |
| MORRISTOWN | 53 | EDINBURGH | 17 | |
| BORDEN | ||||
| WEST WASHINGTON | 70 | SOUTH CENTRAL (ELIZABETH) | 62 | |
| ROCK CREEK ACADEMY | 52 | CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | 42 | |
| SPRINGS VALLEY | ||||
| BARR-REEVE | 63 | SHOALS | 40 | |
| ORLEANS | 55 | WASHINGTON CATHOLIC | 11 | |
| TECUMSEH | ||||
| NORTHEAST DUBOIS | 58 | EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN | 25 |
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SECTIONAL BRACKETS
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT FAVORITES
HTTP://SCOREBOARD.HOMESTEAD.COM/GIRLS/PIX.HTM#LOADED
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SECTIONAL SAGARIN RATINGS
HTTP://SCOREBOARD.HOMESTEAD.COM/GIRLS/SECTRATE.HTM#LOADED
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SAGARIN RATINGS BY CLASS
HTTP://SCOREBOARD.HOMESTEAD.COM/GIRLS/CLASSRATE.HTM#LOADED
INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SAGARIN RATINGS BY CLASS
HTTP://SCOREBOARD.HOMESTEAD.COM/BOYS/CLASSRATE.HTM#LOADED
INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SCORES
| CHRISTEL HOUSE MANUAL | 63 | INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY | 55 | |
| EASTBROOK | 60 | BLUFFTON | 55 | |
| EVANSVILLE DAY | 67 | VINCENNES RIVET | 32 | |
| MARQUETTE CATHOLIC | 79 | KNOX | 67 | |
| MONROE CENTRAL | 65 | UNION (MODOC) | 15 | |
| WEST VIGO | 56 | MARSHALL (ILL.) | 44 |
INDIANA WRESTLING REGIONAL SITES
1. HOBART | 9 AM CT
FEEDER SECTIONALS: EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL, PORTAGE.
2. CROWN POINT | 8 AM CT
FEEDER SECTIONALS: CROWN POINT, LAPORTE.
3. PENN | 9 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: MISHAWAKA, PLYMOUTH.
4. LOGANSPORT | 10 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: LAFAYETTE JEFFERSON, WINAMAC COMMUNITY.
5. GOSHEN | 9:30 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: ELKHART, WEST NOBLE.
6. CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) | 8 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: CARROLL (FORT WAYNE), NEW HAVEN.
7. PERU | 8 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: PERU, OAK HILL.
8. JAY COUNTY | 8 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: DELTA, JAY COUNTY.
9. NORTH MONTGOMERY | 8 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: CRAWFORDSVILLE, FRANKFORT.
10. PENDLETON HEIGHTS | 8 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: ELWOOD, INDIANAPOLIS ARSENAL TECHNICAL.
11. PERRY MERIDIAN | 9 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: WARREN CENTRAL, SOUTHPORT.
12. RICHMOND | 8 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: SOUTH DEARBORN, SHENANDOAH.
13. MOORESVILLE | 8 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: AVON, MOORESVILLE.
14. BLOOMINGTON SOUTH | 8 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: BLOOMINGTON NORTH, SOUTHRIDGE.
15. JEFFERSONVILLE | 8 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: JEFFERSONVILLE, JENNINGS COUNTY.
16. CASTLE | 8 AM CT
FEEDER SECTIONALS: CASTLE, EVANSVILLE CENTRAL.
TOP 25 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
#1 PURDUE 80 PENN STATE 60
FLORIDA 67 #2 TENNESSEE 54
#14 MARQUETTE 73 VILLANOVA 64
#16 XAVIER 85 #17 PROVIDENCE 83 OT
#25 AUBURN 94 GEORGIA 73
ELSEWHERE:
INDIANA STATE 83 EVANSVILLE 65
MISSOURI STATE 76 VALPARAISO 67 OT
RUTGERS 90 MINNESOTA 55
SETON HALL 84 ST. JOHN’S 72
DRAKE 88 NORTHERN IOWA 81 2OT
ILLINOIS STATE 68 ILLINOIS CHICAGO 62 OT
CREIGHTON 63 GEORGETOWN 53
CINCINNATI 81 TULSA 55
LOUISVILLE 68 GEORGIA TECH 58
PITTSBURGH 65 NORTH CAROLINA 64
SOUTH FLORIDA 61 E. CAROLINA 63
ST. BONAVENTURE 66 RICHMOND 62
ST. JOSEPH’S 64 RHODE ISLAND 50
BRADLEY 62 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 52
MISSOURI 87 LSU 77
NORTH CAROLINA STATE 94 FLORIDA STATE 66
TULANE 74 SMU 52
OKLAHOMA STATE 71 OKLAHOMA 61
UTAH STATE 84 NEW MEXICO 73
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/CBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230201
TOP 25 WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
#4 INDIANA 77 MINNESOTA 54
#5 UCONN 64 PROVIDENCE 54
#10 OHIO STATE 90 WISCONSIN 67
KANSAS STATE 78 #12 IOWA STATE 77
#19 VILLANOVA 73 MARQUETTE 54
#24 TEXAS 69 WEST VIRGINIA 56
ELSEWHERE:
BALL STATE 76 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 68
EVANSVILLE 68 INDIANA STATE 66
ILLINOIS CHICAGO 55 VALPARAISO 53
KENT STATE 57 AKRON 55
TOLEDO 74 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 60
BOWLING GREEN 74 WESTERN MICHIGAN 56
OHIO 65 EASTERN MICHIGAN 55
BUFFALO 81 MIAMI OHIO 76
DAYTON 81 LOYOLA CHICAGO 68
ST. LOUIS 68 GEORGE MASON 56
NORTHERN IOWA 49 DRAKE 47
TEMPLE 72 WICHITA STATE 59
OKLAHOMA STATE 86 TEXAS TECH 74
TULSA 64 CINCINNATI 50
BAYLOR 77 KANSAS 73
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/WCBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230201
NBA
PHILADELPHIA 105 ORLANDO 94
PORTLAND 122 MEMPHIS 112
BOSTON 139 BROOKLYN 96
HOUSTON 112 OKLAHOMA CITY 106
MINNESOTA 119 GOLDEN STATE 114 OT
SACRAMENTO 119 SAN ANTONIO 109
UTAH 131 TORONTO 128
ATLANTA 132 PHOENIX 100
WASHINGTON AT DETROIT POSTPONED
BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/NBA/SCOREBOARD.ASP
NHL
CAROLINA 5 BUFFALO 1
BOSTON 5 TORONTO 2
BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/NHL/SCOREBOARD.ASP
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES
NFL NEWS
TOM BRADY RETIRES AT 45, INSISTING THIS TIME IT’S ‘FOR GOOD’
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) This time, Tom Brady says he’s done for good.
The seven-time Super Bowl winner with New England and Tampa Bay announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday, exactly one year after first saying his playing days were over, by posting a brief video lasting just under one minute on social media.
Unlike last winter, though, the most successful quarterback in league history, as well as one of the greatest athletes in team sports, said his decision was final.
“Good morning guys. I’ll get to the point right away,” Brady says as the message begins. “I’m retiring. For good.”
He briefly retired after the 2021 season but wound up coming back for one more year with the Buccaneers. He retires at age 45, the owner of virtually every meaningful NFL passing record in an unprecedented 23-year career.
A year ago when he retired, it was in the form of a long Instagram post. But about six weeks later, he decided to return for one more run, citing “unfinished business” after an early playoff exit.
The Buccaneers – with whom he won a Super Bowl two seasons ago – made the playoffs again this season, losing in their playoff opener. And at the time, it begged the question about whether Brady would play again.
Only a couple of weeks later, he has given the answer.
“I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning, I figured I’d just press record and let you guys know first,” Brady says in the video. “I won’t be long-winded. You only get one super emotional retirement essay and I used mine up last year.
“I really thank you guys so much, to every single one of you for supporting me. My family, my friends, teammates, my competitors. I could go on forever. There’s too many. Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream. I wouldn’t change a thing. Love you all.”
Brady is the NFL’s career leader in yards passing (89,214) and touchdowns (649). He is the only player to win more than five Super Bowls and has been MVP of the game five times. He also holds marks for regular-season wins (251), Super Bowl appearances (10), playoff games and wins (48, 35), as well as playoff yards (13,400) and TDs (88).
“Tom’s legacy is unmatched in the history of this game. All the Super Bowl titles and statistical records speak for themselves, but the impact he had on so many people through the years is what I appreciate the most,” Buccaneers general manager Jason Lichet said.
“His imprint on this organization helped take us to the mountaintop. We will certainly miss him as our quarterback, but I will also miss him as a leader and friend,” Licht added. “Our entire organization is indebted to him for what he provided us over the past three years. We won’t ever forget the wins or the accolades, and his influence will be felt for years to come.”
Brady announced his retirement one day after attending the premiere of “80 for Brady” – which comes out Friday – in Los Angeles. The movie tells the story of four lifelong friends, played by Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field, who went to a Super Bowl to see Brady play.
He was asked Tuesday night whether he felt a connection working with women – the four stars range in age from 76 to 91 – who don’t want to retire.
“They’re working hard and they love it. So good for them,” Brady told The Associated Press. “You know, it’s just that’s what life is about. You got to, you know, wake up every day with a purpose. And when you find something you love to do, you know, it’s hard to stop. You really enjoy it. And there’s a lot of aspects that you do enjoy. So they still bring it at this age. It’s really unbelievable to watch them on set and how much energy they have. And I certainly was inspired by them and learned a lot of lessons on this whole experience.”
Famously underrated coming into the NFL – he was picked 199th in the 2000 draft by the Patriots, behind six other quarterbacks, three kickers and a punter – Brady certainly wasn’t expected to become synonymous with greatness. He played in one game as a rookie, completing one of three passes for six yards.
The next year, it all changed.
Brady took over as the Patriots’ starter, the team beat the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl that capped the 2001 season and he and New England coach Bill Belichick were well on their way to becoming the most successful coach-QB duo in football history.
More Super Bowl wins came after the 2003 and 2004 seasons. The Patriots returned to football’s mountaintop for a fourth time in Brady’s era a decade later to cap the 2014 season, the start of three more titles in a span of five years.
He signed with Tampa Bay in free agency in 2020 and added a seventh Super Bowl ring to his collection in his first season with his new team. The Bucs and won 37 games (including postseason) with Brady at quarterback – third most in the league over the past three seasons behind Kansas City (46) and Buffalo (41).
“I think I’ve been on the record dozens of times saying there’s no quarterback I’d rather have than Tom Brady, and I still feel that way,” Belichick said in 2021 – shortly before Tampa Bay, with Brady, came to New England and beat the Patriots in a game dubbed “The Return.” “I was very lucky to have Tom as the quarterback, to coach him, and he was as good as any coach could ever ask for.”
Brady set league single-season records for completions (490) and pass attempts (733) while throwing for 4,643 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions in his final season. The Bucs, however ranked dead last in rushing offense and, forced to rely almost solely of Brady’s arm, struggled to get the ball into the end zone.
After scoring 61 touchdowns in 2021, Tampa Bay slipped to 31 last season and averaged just 18.4 points per game – down from over 30 in Brady’s first two seasons with the Bucs.
At 8-9, Brady’s only losing season in over two decades as a NFL starter, the Bucs became just the fourth team in league history to earn a postseason berth with a losing mark in a non-strike year. The offensive struggles continued during a lopsided loss to Dallas in the NFC wild-card round.
Brady won three NFL MVP awards, was a first-team All-Pro three times and was selected to the Pro Bowl 15 times.
Brady and model Gisele Bundchen finalized their divorce this past fall, during the Bucs’ season. It ended a 13-year marriage between two superstars who respectively reached the pinnacles of football and fashion.
It was announced last year that when Brady retires from playing, he would join Fox Sports as a television analyst in a 10-year, $375 million deal.
AP SOURCE: RHULE FILES $5M ARBITRATION SUIT VS. PANTHERS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule has filed an arbitration suit with the NFL against the Carolina Panthers seeking about $5 million in offset severance compensation, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Rhule was fired as Panthers head coach on Oct. 10. He has since hired high-profile New York City litigator John Singer of Singer Deutsch LLP to handle the lawsuit, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the arbitration suit has not been made public.
A Panthers spokesman would not confirm the suit and declined to comment to the AP. Rhule, reached by text, also declined to comment.
CBS Sports was first to report the arbitration suit.
Rhule was fired after Week 5 of the NFL season, less than three years into a seven-year, $62 million contract. He was 11-27 as head coach with the Panthers. He was owed approximately $34 million at the time he was fired by billionaire David Tepper, the NFL’s second-wealthiest owner.
Rhule returned to college coaching in November when he was hired by Nebraska, receiving a reported eight-year, $72 million contract that seemingly offset what the Panthers owed him. But the arbitration suit alleges the Panthers still owe him about $5 million because of how the contract with Carolina was structured.
The Panthers introduced Frank Reich as their new head coach at a news conference on Tuesday.
Tepper said he made a “mistake” hiring Rhule, whom he described as a “CEO-type head coach.” Tepper added that it is “preferable to have a coach that is really extraordinary on one side of the ball or the other side of the ball.”
“Listen, I’ll self-admit – we could have run a better process last time,” Tepper said. “And I am learning. … With all humility, I could have done better, OK? I’m not saying that Rhule wasn’t a good coach. I’m not saying that. Please don’t interpret it that way. I’m saying I could have run a better process last time. I do believe that. I think this time we were very thorough. I was in every single interview.”
EAGLES BACKUP LINEMAN ACCUSED OF RAPE AHEAD OF SUPER BOWL
CAMBRIDGE, Ohio (AP) Josh Sills, a backup offensive lineman for the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles, has been indicted on rape and kidnapping charges that stem from an incident in Ohio just over three years ago, authorities said Wednesday.
Sills, an undrafted free agent who was on the inactive list in Philadelphia’s conference title victory over San Francisco on Sunday, was indicted Tuesday by a Guernsey County grand jury in Ohio.
The rookie who played at West Virginia and Oklahoma State was ordered to appear in court in Ohio on Feb. 16, four days after the Eagles are to play the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
Court records do not list an attorney for Sills, who is listed as a backup guard and played in just one game this season. He has been on the inactive list for much of the year.
“The organization is aware of the legal matter involving Josh Sills. We have been in communication with the league office and are in the process of gathering more information. We have no further comment at this time,” the Eagles said in a statement.
The indictment accuses Sills, who is from Sarahsville, Ohio, of engaging in sexual activity that was not consensual and holding a woman against her will on Dec. 5, 2019.
A statement issued by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said the incident was immediately reported, and that the county sheriff’s office conducted a detailed investigation.
COMMANDERS TALK TO 49ERS’ LYNN FOR OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR JOB
The Washington Commanders are interviewing Anthony Lynn for their offensive coordinator vacancy.
The team confirmed the interview Wednesday. Lynn, the San Francisco 49ers assistant head coach/running backs coach, is the sixth candidate the Commanders have spoken to about the job.
Coach Ron Rivera interviewed Lynn in person in California days after the 49ers flew home following their loss at Philadelphia in the NFC championship game. Rivera was criticized on social media Tuesday by Washington radio broadcasters for golfing at Pebble Beach before hiring an offensive coordinator.
That process has been ongoing since Rivera fired Scott Turner on Jan. 10, less than 48 hours after the Commanders missed the playoffs with the NFL’s 20th ranked offense. Turner’s at times curious play-calling and underwhelming results with multiple quarterbacks contributed to derailing their postseason hopes.
Lynn, 54, offers a deep resume after coaching the Los Angeles Chargers from 2017-20 and serving as offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions in 2021 before joining San Francisco. The 49ers have already lost defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, who was hired by the Houston Texans as their next coach.
Before Lynn, the Commanders interviewed former Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, current Washington quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese, Atlanta Falcons QB coach Charles London, Miami Dolphins associate head coach/RBs coach Eric Studesville and Los Angeles Rams assistant head coach/tight ends coach Thomas Brown.
Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew in their season-ending news conference said they preferred a run-first style of offense.
“I think it’s a philosophical belief,” Rivera said hours before firing Turner. “If you look at a lot of the teams that do end up at the end where they are, most of them rush for well over 1,000 (yards). They control the tempo of the game, and I think that’s what we need to do to win football games.”
Whoever gets the job could also inherit QB Sam Howell going into his second pro season. Howell made his NFL debut in the season finale, throwing and rushing for a touchdown in beating the playoff-bound Dallas Cowboys.
“He was impressive,” Mayhew said. “He got off to a really good start, and it’s going to be a lot of evaluation process for him, as well. We’ll see where it all shakes out.”
REPORT: TUA CLEARS CONCUSSION PROTOCOL, DOCTORS CONFIDENT OF RETURN
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has cleared the concussion protocol, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Tagovailoa has met with several medical professionals during the process, and they’re confident he’ll be 100% healthy for next season, added Rapoport.
The 24-year-old has been in the protocol since suffering his second concussion of the season in Miami’s loss to the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 25. He was also put into the protocol in Week 4 and missed the next two games.
Tagovailoa was sidelined for the Dolphins’ final three matchups of the season, including the wild-card round. He also won’t participate in the Pro Bowl Games after receiving his first career nomination.
The Dolphins were widely criticized for allowing Tagovailoa to return to their Week 3 game despite appearing disoriented and stumbling while trying to stand following a big hit. After his concussion the following week against the Cincinnati Bengals, the NFL updated the concussion protocol policy.
Miami is reportedly committed to Tagovailoa as its starter for 2023 despite the concerns about his long-term health. He produced a breakout campaign in 2022, throwing for 3,584 passing yards and 25 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in 13 starts this season.
COWBOYS COMMITTED TO PRESCOTT, OPEN TO CONTRACT EXTENSION
Dallas Cowboys vice president and CEO Stephen Jones says the team is committed to quarterback Dak Prescott long term and open to extending his contract, according to Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins.
Prescott is signed through 2024, with void years in 2025 and 2026. The 29-year-old is currently eighth in average annual value among quarterbacks at $40 million per year, according to Spotrac.
Extending him could provide some cap relief for the team. Dallas currently projects to be approximately $9.8 million over the cap entering the offseason, per Spotrac.
The Cowboys have gone 61-36 with Prescott as their starter, but the team hasn’t advanced beyond the divisional round with him at the helm. That trend continued this season with a 19-12 divisional-round loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Prescott threw for 2,860 yards, 23 touchdowns, and a league-high 15 interceptions in 12 games this year.
The Cowboys and former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore agreed to part ways in late January. Owner Jerry Jones confirmed Wednesday that head coach Mike McCarthy will be running the offense next season, according to Watkins.
PAYTON: BRONCOS JOB ‘THE OPPORTUNITY I WAS LOOKING FOR’
Former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton is excited about the chance to lead the Denver Broncos.
“This was the opportunity I was looking for,” the new Broncos head coach said Wednesday after reports of his hiring broke, according to Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com.
Payton stepped down from his position with the Saints in January 2022. He spent the last year as an NFL analyst for Fox Sports but always indicated he wanted to be a head coach again.
The 59-year-old made it clear throughout the process that he was looking for a stable organization with solid ownership.
“It’s a great fan base and great tradition,” Payton said. “The ownership group is fantastic, and I love the way they competed in some of their games last year.” He added: “I tried to put ownership at the top from the beginning, and I was impressed with how much they want to be successful.”
Broncos ownership interviewed Payton on Jan. 17, the first day he was available. He spoke to other members of ownership via video conference over the weekend, then Broncos general manager George Paton began negotiating trade compensation with Saints general manager Mickey Loomis.
After three days of talks, the Broncos reportedly agreed to send a first-round pick in this year’s draft and a second-round pick in the 2024 draft in return for the rights to Payton and the Saints’ 2024 third-round draft pick.
“George and Mickey were great,” Payton said. “It took a minute, but they worked through it hard and got a deal done.”
Payton ranks 23rd all time in NFL wins by a head coach. He has a 152-89 record with seven NFC South division titles in his 15 seasons as the Saints’ head boss.
UNHERALDED GROUP OF CHIEFS GET REDEMPTION IN SUPER BOWL HUNT
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have some of the biggest names in the NFL, from Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce to Chris Jones and JuJu Smith-Schuster, yet they’re playing in their third Super Bowl in four years largely because they refused to give up on players only their most-passionate fans know about.
There’s the quartet of rookie defensive backs that were picked on all season, but who largely shut down Ja’Marr Chase and the Bengals’ other talented wide receivers while picking off Joe Burrow twice in the AFC championship game.
There’s Skyy Moore, their fumble-prone rookie punt returner whose fumble cost them a win in Indianapolis in Week 3, but whose big return in the waning seconds Sunday night helped to set up the winning field goal in the 23-20 victory.
And there’s their kicker, Harrison Butker, whose sprained ankle in the regular-season opener in Arizona led to the most inaccurate season of his career, yet who drilled the 45-yarder with 3 seconds left that ultimately sent the Chiefs back to the desert.
“Really, those are the redemption stories that you get into,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “It was quite a deal to watch.”
Indeed, Reid has been around long enough to understand the unforgiving nature of the NFL, where players’ careers are often measured in weeks rather than years. He’s seen hundreds with promise flame out, their chances at making it big done in by fumble problems, blown blocking assignments, missed tackles or other seemingly minor miscues.
He likes to say that the line between success and failure is so small that it’s almost imperceptible.
His players understand that, too.
“With the circumstances so high,” Chiefs offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. admitted, “the margin of error is so slim.”
So nobody would have batted an eye had the Chiefs relegated Moore to the mothballs earlier in the season, when the first-year wide receiver couldn’t even make a fair catch. To be fair, Moore had never really been put in that position, but that did not stop fans from groaning every time he fumbled a punt.
The Chiefs finally pulled him from return duties, at least during games. But Moore continued to work in practice, and it wound up paying off. Their new returner, Kadarius Toney, hurt his ankle against the Bengals, and his backup Justin Watson already was inactive with an illness. So, the Chiefs sent Moore back to fetch the biggest punt of the season.
He not only fielded it cleanly but raced up the sideline to give Kansas City a chance to win the AFC title in regulation.
“I just had to remind myself who I was and why I was here,” Moore said. “I was doing something new, and I was going to take my bumps and bruises. I just kept working at it. I didn’t think I was ever going to get a punt return again this season. But I didn’t stop catching punts. I was prepared for that moment and it paid off.”
So did the decision by the Chiefs to keep putting rookie cornerbacks Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Josh Williams on the field together, often with rookie safety Bryan Cook, even as wily wide receivers kept beating them and flags kept flying for pass interference. Much like Moore, they took their lumps early in the season so they would be ready later.
In the AFC title game, Watson and Williams both picked off passes, one of them after Cook batted the ball in the air.
“They told us we were going to be a big part of this defense. They threw us in the fire,” Williams said. “They definitely gave us every piece of information and every detail to prepare us to play well in tight situations. They didn’t just tell us to go out there and play. They gave us a game plan and showed us how to execute. We did that and we bought in.”
Butker was a slightly different case. His ankle injury in the opener in Arizona not only caused him to miss three weeks, it also forced him to alter his approach to kickoffs and field goals. The result was a shaky season in which the veteran kicker with the big leg missed a career-worst six field-goal attempts and blew three extra points.
Yet when Moore’s punt return gave Patrick Mahomes and Co. the ball, and the All-Pro quarterback scrambled into field-goal range on his own sprained ankle, the Chiefs had confidence enough in Butker to send him trotting onto the field.
It was frigid. The wind was swirling. The ball probably felt like a rock. And yet Butker managed to get just enough oomph on the 45-yarder that it squeaked over the crossbar and gave the Chiefs their third AFC title in four years.
“You dream about the big kicks. That’s what people remember,” Butker pointed out in the jubilant Kansas City locker room afterward. “They don’t remember your field-goal percentage during the year.”
Nor do folks remember the adversity that players such as Moore, Butker and the Chiefs’ rookie defensive backfield have faced when they suddenly find themselves playing in the Super Bowl.
“Everybody pushed through and made it work,” Reid said, “so I’m very proud for our guys.”
SUPER BOWL FEATURES MATCHUP OF 1ST AND 2ND TEAM ALL-PRO QBS
It’s only fitting that the top two quarterbacks in the regular season based on All-Pro voting are the last two quarterbacks standing in the NFL this season.
First-team All-Pro quarterback Patrick Mahomes will take his Kansas City Chiefs into the Super Bowl against second-team All-Pro Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles.
This marks the seventh time since the merger that the first-team All-Pro quarterback will face the second-teamer for the championship, with it last happening in the 2016 season when second-teamer Tom Brady’s Patriots beat first-teamer Matt Ryan’s Falcons 34-28 in overtime.
That’s been the pattern in all six of the matchups, with the second teamer coming out victorious each time: Drew Brees over Peyton Manning in the 2009 season, Mark Rypien over Jim Kelly (1991), Joe Montana over Dan Marino (1984), Montana over Ken Anderson (1981) and Roger Staubach over Bob Griese (1971).
Both Mahomes and Hurts are among the five finalists for the MVP award that will be announced next week. The winner of the AP NFL MVP hasn’t won the Super Bowl since Kurt Warner did it for the Rams in the 1999 season. The last eight MVPs to play in the game all ended up losing.
Mahomes will be starting in his third Super Bowl at the young age of 27 years, 148 days — 39 days younger than Brady in the 2004 season when he became the youngest QB to start in three Super Bowls.
Hurts is set to start his first Super Bowl at age 24, joining Mahomes and six others to do that before turning 25.
This will be the third Super Bowl with both starting QBs younger than 28, with Brett Favre (27) beating Drew Bledsoe (24) in the game following the 1996 season and Jim McMahon (26) besting Tony Eason (26) following the 1985 season.
BLOWOUTS
The Eagles got to the Super Bowl behind a pair of lopsided wins, which bodes well for their chances to win it all based on past history.
Philadelphia followed up a 38-7 win over the Giants in the divisional round with a 31-7 win over the 49ers in the NFC title game.
The Eagles became the fifth team to win their divisional round and conference championship games by at least 20 points. The other four teams all followed it up with a Super Bowl victory, with San Francisco doing it in 1988 and ’89, Chicago in 1985 and Pittsburgh in 1978.
The Eagles also became the 11th team to allow seven or fewer points in back-to-back playoff games in the season, with the 2000 Ravens the most recent to do it before Philadelphia. Seven of the previous 10 won the Super Bowl that season.
The only team to do it three straight games in a single postseason was the Chiefs on the way to their first Super Bowl title in the 1969 season.
OLD-MAN JOHNSON
The well-traveled Josh Johnson finally got his first playoff opportunity in some unfortunate circumstances.
The 36-year-old Johnson has spent time with 14 NFL organizations since being drafted by Tampa Bay in 2008 and played in three different spring leagues.
Johnson got forced into action for San Francisco after Brock Purdy injured his elbow on the opening drive of the NFC title game.
Johnson went 7 for 13 for 74 yards and lost a fumble before being knocked out on the first drive of the third quarter with a concussion. He became the third-oldest player at the time of his first postseason pass, with only 40-year-olds Josh McCown and Sonny Jurgensen waiting longer.
The concussion for Johnson led to Purdy going back into the game despite not being able to throw the ball more than 5 or 10 yards.
San Francisco threw the ball only 18 times in the 31-7 loss, marking only the fifth time in NFL history a team lost a playoff game by at least 20 points while throwing fewer than 20 passes.
STREAKS SNAPPED
The Bengals and 49ers each came into the conference title games on impressive streaks, with San Francisco having won 12 in a row and Cincinnati 10 straight.
Both got snapped on Sunday.
Before this year, 10 teams had taken winning streaks of at least 10 games into the conference title game, with eight coming out victorious.
The only teams to lose before the Bengals and 49ers were the 2004 Steelers (15 straight) and the 1976 Steelers (10 straight).
HALL OF FAME NFL EXECUTIVE BOBBY BEATHARD DIES AT 86
(AP) — A spokesperson for the Washington Commanders said Beathard’s family told the team he died Monday at his home in Franklin, Tennessee, less than a week after his 86th birthday. A cause of death was not immediately available.
Beathard was director of player personnel for two of the NFL championships by Miami in the 1970s and served as general manager for two more by Washington in the ’80s. He also scouted for Kansas City when the Chiefs won the American Football League title and made Super Bowl I following the 1966 season and was GM with San Diego when the Chargers got there in the mid-1990s.
Part of seven teams that made the Super Bowl during his lengthy front office career, Beathard was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018. Washington added him to the organization’s Ring of Honor in 2016.
“Bobby not only built winning teams throughout his career, but he also built winning cultures that lasted beyond his years with an organization,” Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement. “He combined an eye for talent with a special gift for working with other people. The results speak for themselves.”
Beathard also scouted for the Atlanta Falcons, but is most known for his roles with Don Shula’s Dolphins that won the Super Bowl back-to-back and then hiring coach Joe Gibbs and drafting Darrell Green, Art Monk and others during his time in Washington.
“I came to the Redskins from the Miami Dolphins, and the years at the Miami Dolphins including the ’72 season of undefeated teams and being with Shula, I learned a lot more than I ever had up until that time about football,” Beathard said in 2016 at Washington’s training camp in Richmond, Virginia. “So I felt coming into a situation like this that I felt prepared because I never wanted to go into a situation that I felt was too big for me or where I wasn’t prepared.”
Beathard resigned from that job in 1989, before Washington won a third Super Bowl with a core he constructed, and went into TV before being hired as GM of the Chargers in 1990. He spent a decade with them, including overseeing the team that went to the Super Bowl before losing to the San Francisco 49ers, though he nearly resigned before that 1994 season because of a dispute with owner Alex Spanos.
But Spanos’ son, Dean, stepped in and was put in charge of the day-to-day operations. Beathard stayed, and the Chargers reached their only Super Bowl in franchise history.
Now owner and chairman of the Chargers, Dean Spanos in a statement called Beathard “one of the best judges of football talent in NFL history.”
“He was the best GM in football, but he was also the guy sitting on his surfboard in the ocean that you caught waves with, jogged trails alongside and chatted up in the checkout line of the local market,” Spanos said. “He was just a regular guy who happened to be anything but. Bobby was, in fact, exceptional. He was one of a kind. And he will be incredibly missed.”
Beathard in more than three decades in an NFL front office loathed first-round picks and reveled in taking chances on players from out-of-the-way colleges, a strategy that paid off along the way. In 1988, Sports Illustrated called him “The Smartest Man in the NFL” – a title he did not like.
“That was kind of embarrassing,” Beathard said in 2018 before going into the Hall of Fame. “Whoever put that in there, I told them when it first came out, `Well, you better go back and ask my high school and college teachers if that’s true, and I don’t think they’d agree with that.'”
MCCARTHY SET TO CALL PLAYS FOR COWBOYS AFTER MOORE DEPARTURE
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is set to call plays in 2023 after the club parted ways with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
Owner/general manager Jerry Jones told reporters at the Senior Bowl on Wednesday that McCarthy will run a version of the West Coast offense he used when calling plays as head coach in Green Bay from 2006-18.
Executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones hinted at philosophical differences between McCarthy and Moore, who kept the play-calling role for three seasons after McCarthy was hired.
The Los Angeles Chargers hired Moore as offensive coordinator Monday, a day after the Cowboys announced Moore’s departure.
The Cowboys haven’t had the head coach calling plays since Jason Garrett gave up that role after the 2012 season. Moore’s debut as offensive coordinator came in 2019, Garrett’s final year in Dallas.
McCarthy said he wanted to keep Moore as the play-caller because he thought it was the best thing for quarterback Dak Prescott.
The Cowboys had one of the league’s most productive offenses the past two seasons when Prescott was healthy. But they misfired on offense in playoff losses each time, most recently in a 19-12 divisional-round loss to San Francisco last month.
McCarthy briefly gave up play-calling with the Packers, and said he’d never give up that role again after taking it back over.
He was fired midseason in 2018 and reversed course on that declaration after joining Dallas in 2020. Now McCarthy is back in that role.
“This is the logical step to build on it and use what we’ve established, if you will, the foundation of the things we’ve got,” Jones told reporters in Mobile, Alabama. “This is the time for us to build on it. That’s what this is, a building step.”
Moore’s departure came a few days after the Cowboys announced six assistant coaches on expiring contracts wouldn’t return.
With McCarthy set to call plays, Dallas is still planning to hire an offensive coordinator. Among the interviews are Carolina’s Jeff Nixon and Thomas Brown of the Los Angeles Rams. Both have been assistant head coaches, with Nixon in charge of running backs and Brown coaching tight ends.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS
FLORIDA UPENDS NO. 2 TENNESSEE 67-54 BEHIND COLIN CASTLETON
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) Colin Castleton is accustomed to being double-teamed every time he touches the ball, so he was pleasantly surprised – maybe even downright stunned – when Tennessee opted to guard him with a single defender in the second half.
“I’ve got to take advantage of that,” Castleton said.
He did. Castleton scored 20 points, including 16 in the second half, and Florida upended the second-ranked Volunteers 67-54 on Wednesday night.
Kyle Lofton added 14 points for the Gators, who delivered coach Todd Golden his most significant victory in his first season in Gainesville. It was Florida’s second Quad 1 win in the last two weeks.
The Volunteers, playing with their highest ranking in four years, lost for the first time in five games. They had won nine of 10.
“Our guys are disappointed,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. “We’re better than this, but tonight we weren’t.”
Tennessee (18-4, 7-2 Southeastern Conference) looked like it had taken control midway through the second half. They outscored Florida by 10 points in the early going to take a six-point lead.
But the Gators (13-9, 6-3) stormed back behind Castleton, who scored 11 of 14 points as Florida rallied. The senior had a dunk, two free throws, a three-point play, a layup and a short jumper – essentially putting the team on his back down the stretch.
“They went small, and I felt like I had a mismatch,” Castleton said.
Myreon Jones and Will Richard chipped in nine points apiece for the Gators.
Zakai Ziegler led the Vols with 15 points on 6-of-19 shooting. Olivier Nkamhoua added 11 points and nine rebounds for the visitors, who also got 11 points and eight boards from Vescovi Santiago.
The Gators were red hot to start the game, making six of their first eight shots – including all three from 3-point range – while building a 17-4 advantage. But they quickly cooled against the nation’s best defense, missing nine of their next 11 as Tennessee made cut it to 22-21.
The Vols had it going coming out of the locker room, with Ziegler getting into the paint and making things happen. But it was short-lived – thanks mostly to Castleton.
“We gave them a chance to start believing in what they’re doing, and they took it,” Barnes said.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Tennessee surely will drop a few spots in next week’s AP Top 25 college basketball poll.
BIG PICTURE
Tennessee: The Volunteers gave up 10 points in the opening four minutes of the games, a rare sluggish start for the nation’s best defense. Tennessee had held four of its first eight SEC opponents scoreless at the first media timeout, roughly the first four minutes of games. It was a sign of things to come.
“We kept fighting uphill all night long,” Barnes said.
Florida: The Gators are two games into the toughest stretch of their season. Coming off a loss at Kansas State, they have road games against Kentucky and Alabama up next. So to say they needed this one would be an understatement.
“It was a desperation game,” Castleton said. “We’ve got a tough schedule here and we’ve got to win games. We were able to claw and fight.”
IN THE HOUSE
Football coach Billy Napier watched the game from a few rows behind Florida’s bench alongside his two sons and receiver Ricky Pearsall. Former Florida tennis star Ben Shelton, the NCAA singles champion in 2022, also was in attendance. So was former Gators and NFL quarterback Doug Johnson.
UP NEXT
Tennessee hosts No. 25 Auburn and former coach Bruce Pearl on Saturday.
Florida plays at Kentucky on Saturday. The Gators have lost seven of eight in the series.
NO. 16 XAVIER BEATS NO. 17 PROVIDENCE 85-83 IN OT THRILLER
CINCINNATI (AP) Jack Nunge had 23 points and 14 rebounds as No. 16 Xavier held off No. 17 Providence 85-83 in an overtime thriller Wednesday night.
Colby Jones and Souley Boum each scored 20 for the Musketeers, who won a first-place showdown in the Big East without injured forward Zach Freemantle.
Xavier was coming off an 84-67 loss at Creighton on Saturday.
“This was not an easy task,” coach Sean Miller said. “Traveling back from Omaha and not playing well, then losing Zach on the heels of that. I wouldn’t want to play Providence in any tournament. It’s tough to beat them.”
Noah Locke had 22 points and Ed Croswell added 21 for Providence (17-6, 9-3), which had beaten Xavier three straight times.
A layup by Boum put the Musketeers (18-5, 10-2) ahead 82-79 with 51 seconds remaining in overtime. But a Xavier turnover led to a layup by Devin Carter that cut the margin to one with 24 seconds left.
Boum hit one of two free throws, and Jared Bynum’s 3-point attempt from the left corner rimmed out at the buzzer as the Musketeers held on.
“I was just glad that last shot went in and out,” Nunge said.
Bynum hit a 3 at the buzzer to beat Xavier at Cintas Center last season, and his shot on Wednesday night appeared it was going in, too.
“I was having flashbacks to last year,” Jones said.
Xavier played its first game without Freemantle, the team’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer. He is expected to miss four weeks with a left foot injury, the same foot that required surgery in 2021.
“We told him we were going to fight for him,” Jones said. “It was big for us. He does a lot on the court. We just played for him.”
Jerome Hunter, who has excelled off the bench for the Musketeers, made his first start of the season and scored nine points with eight rebounds. Xavier had used the same starting lineup in each of its previous 11 Big East games.
It was only one game, but Miller was encouraged by how his team responded without one of its top players
“We worry mostly about him because of how hard he’s worked,” Miller said. “For him to go down now, when the spotlight is on college basketball, it’s very difficult. Losing Zach can bring out the best in other things and that’s what we’re really in search of right now.”
Things started well for the Musketeers. who went on a 12-1 run to build a 25-11 lead.
With Boum on the bench with two fouls, the Musketeers didn’t have a field goal in the final 4:18 of the first half and the Friars pulled to 39-35 at halftime.
“We were just taking quick shots, a lot of 3s,” Jones said. “We did a great job of weathering the storm and sticking to our game plan.”
Providence outscored Xavier 8-2 to start the second half and took its first lead, 43-41, with 17:41 left.
There was a frantic finish to regulation, with Adam Kunkel’s 3-pointer putting Xavier ahead 76-73 with 55 seconds left. But then Bynum banked in a tying 3 and Boum missed two long shots to send the game to overtime.
“We went into a hostile environment and I was proud of tenacity,” Providence coach Ed Cooley said. “Souley (Boum) showed why he’s an all-Big East-caliber guard. When you face these atmospheres and this type of coaching, you’re not going to go undefeated.”
BALL CONTROL
The Musketeers, who average 13 turnovers per game, committed only five – their fewest since they had four in an 81-75 win over Georgetown on Jan. 9, 2019.
“The key stat for us was five turnovers in 45 minutes,” Miller said. “That’s why we won the game.”
BIG PICTURE
Providence: The Friars, who won their first Big East regular-season title last year, entered the night tied atop the conference standings with Xavier and No. 14 Marquette, which hosted Villanova later. Providence was picked fifth in the preseason. “There are no moral victories ever in sports,” Cooley said. “But I’m happy where we are.”
Xavier: Hunter, who averages 14 minutes, left with three minutes remaining in OT with an apparent cramp in his right leg. With Freemantle out, Hunter played 36 minutes. “I credit Jerome’s toughness, and the energy he exerted on defense,” Miller said. “Just look at how much energy he used guarding Bryce Hopkins.”
UP NEXT
Providence: Hosts last-place Georgetown on Wednesday.
Xavier: Will host St. John’s on Saturday.
PITT CONTINUES SPELL-BINDING WAYS, DOWNS NORTH CAROLINA
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) Jamarius Burton made the game-winning foul shots with three seconds left, Nike Sibande recorded a late block and Pittsburgh continued its recent bedevilment of North Carolina, beating the Tar Heels 65-64 on Wednesday night.
The Panthers (16-7, 9-3 ACC) now have won three straight against North Carolina – including three straight at the Smith Center – and five of the last six meetings over the last four seasons.
After Burton’s free throws, North Carolina pushed it to the front court and called timeout with 0.6 seconds left before Sibande came up with a block of Caleb Love as time expired.
Nelly Cummings scored 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting for Pitt before fouling out with 1:47 left. Burton scored 19 and Sibande 10.
Love scored 22 points for North Carolina (15-7, 7-4), Armando Bacot scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Pete Nance scored 13. Bacot made just 3 of 10 shot attempts while going 9 for 15 from the foul line.
North Carolina used a 13-2 run in early in the second half to take a 46-40 lead with 12:50 left. The Panthers countered with their own 13-2 outburst and for a 53-48 lead five minutes later.
Pitt will take a break from action and return to the court when it hosts Louisville on Feb. 7. North Carolina visits Duke on Saturday.
NBA NEWS
EMBIID, HARDEN DOUBLE-DOUBLES LIFT 76ERS PAST MAGIC 105-94
PHILADELPHIA (AP) James Harden refused to stump for an all All-Star bid. After another standout game in a Philadelphia 76ers win in which he fell one rebound shy of a triple-double, Harden can let his statistics sell his candidacy.
Joel Embiid had 28 points and 11 rebounds, Harden added 26 points and 10 assists and the 76ers beat the Orlando Magic 105-94 on Wednesday night.
The NBA will reveal, on Thursday, the 14 players – seven from the Eastern Conference, seven more from the Western Conference – who got picked to be reserves for the All-Star Game. The reserves are selected by coaches voting for players in their conference. Embiid figures to be among those selected. Harden might be left out because of a crowded group of stars in the East.
“If my name is called, great,” Harden said. “If not, bigger and better goals for the season.”
The Sixers split the home-and-home set this week with Orlando. The Magic stormed back from a 21-point, first-quarter deficit to beat the 76ers 119-109 on Monday night. That loss ended the 76ers’ seven-game winning streak.
But, despite uneven moments against a young, rising Magic team, the Sixers steadied themselves late and improved to 20-8 at home.
“I didn’t think we played great,” coach Doc Rivers said. “But we played good enough to win. We’ll take that.”
Embiid, the NBA scoring leader, made all 10 of his free throws and was 9-of-17 shooting overall to help keep the Sixers within striking distance of the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Harden, a 10-time All-Star, hit six of Philadelphia’s 14 3-pointers and grabbed nine rebounds.
“I’m not going to sit here and make a case,” Harden said. “The numbers show it.”
Markelle Fultz led the Magic with 18 points. The Magic have been the most improved team in the league since a nine-game losing streak left them at 5-20 in early December. They are 15-12 since then, which included a six-game winning streak.
“I really think it’s a belief system,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “Having them know that on any given night anything can happen. If you play hard, you give yourself a chance.”
The Sixers used a 17-0 run in the first quarter to take a 56-53 lead into halftime. The Sixers’ play with Embiid out again highlighted Philadelphia’s need to try and acquire a reliable backup option for the big man. The Sixers were a plus-12 when Embiid played in the half, while Montrezl Harrell (minus-6) and Paul Reed (minus-3) struggled in limited action. With the trade deadline ahead next week, 76ers President Daryl Morey will surely try and beef up the bench.
But don’t expect a seismic deal like the one at last season’s deadline, when the Sixers acquired Harden.
Rivers declined to talk about potential moves. But the third-year Sixers coach knows he has his best team yet in Philadelphia — one that should contend for a championship.
“This team, I think is better, better equipped for the playoffs,” Rivers said. “I think we have toughness. We’re not as young. I think we have less holes. Every team has holes.”
TIP-INS
Magic: Made 6 of 38 3-pointers.
“We couldn’t throw it in the ocean,” Mosley said.
76ers: De’Anthony Melton and Tyrese Maxey shot a combined 1 for 11 from the floor through three quarters. Maxey broke through for a 3 midway through the fourth for a 93-83 lead. … Harden had his 14th game this season with at least 20 points and 10 assists.
DOC AND BRADY
Rivers was still the Boston Celtics coach the first time he was invited to be a guest speaker at a New England Patriots practice. Rivers had a casual friendship at the time with now-retired Tom Brady. They golfed together and Brady gave a few pep talks to the Celtics. Rivers recalled the first time he spoke at a Patriots practice, Brady walked in with a notebook, pen and sat dead center, front row.
“Then Randy Moss walked in,” Rivers said, laughing. “He grabbed Randy. He had an empty seat which he wouldn’t let anyone else sit in and he grabbed Moss and said, right here. It was amazing how much he was writing while I was talking. I wanted to see what he was writing. Like, this guy is nuts. I don’t know what he was writing. But it was really impressive the leadership he showed in that meeting. I thought it was really cool.”
UP NEXT
Magic: Play Friday night at Minnesota.
76ers: At San Antonio on Friday.
LILLARD, SIMONS LEAD TRAIL BLAZERS PAST GRIZZLIES, 122-112
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Damian Lillard had 42 points and 10 assists, Anfernee Simons added 26 points and the Portland Trail Blazers rallied to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 122-112 on Wednesday night.
Jerami Grant had 18 points in the first half, before leaving because of concussion symptoms. Portland outscored Memphis 38-22 in the fourth quarter to win for the fourth time in five games.
“I think we’ve had a couple of quality wins,” Lillard said. “This was the best team we’ve come up with a win against, especially as of late.”
Portland was able to rally late despite losing two starters – Jusuf Nurkic and Grant – to injuries in the first half. There were key stops down the stretch, and the Trail Blazers defense kept the Memphis shooting at 39%, including converting only 1 of 7 shots in from 3-point range in the fourth quarter.
“I knew I needed to be a little more aggressive just to give ourselves a chance,” Simons said. “Everybody else played well and everybody was ready to play.”
Ja Morant had 32 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds for Memphis. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 18 points and six blocks, and Desmond Bane had 17 points.
Lillard, who had five games of at least 40 points in January, continued the trend, converting 11 of 22 shots and 5 of 13 3-pointers. He also missed only one of his 16 free throws.
“They just found a way to get open shots,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. “… I thought our guys competed. You’ve just got to tip your hat. Lillard’s on a roll right now, and we were on the wrong end of that.”
The teams were tied at 109 with two minutes to play, but Lillard’s 3-pointer and Simons’ layup was good on Morant’s goaltending. When Drew Eubanks converted a three-point play on a dunk, Portland led 117-109 with just under a minute left.
Lillard scored 17 points in the third quarter, but Morant countered with 16 points in the period and Memphis took a 90-84 lead into fourth before the Portland rally completed the comeback.
“I didn’t play good enough defense on Lillard,” said Memphis forward Dillon Brooks, who had the defensive assignment most of the night on Portland’s top scorer. “He started hitting shots. Even though they were tough shots, I’ve got to do something to contest. Do something to discourage him from shooting when he started getting hot.”
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Nurkic left early in the first quarter with left calf soreness and did not return. Nurkic was listed on the pregame injury report with the same injury. … Lillard has at least 25 points in 12 of his last 13 games.
Grizzlies: C Brandon Clarke was 3 of 6 from the field and has made 24 of his last 35 shots.
ALL-STAR LOBBYING
Portland coach Chauncey Billups said he has filled out his All-Star ballot and acknowledged that he received some calls from other coaches lobbying for their teams. And maybe a bit more. “Definitely, there’s some bribery going on,” Billups said with a smile.
GREEN’S RETURN
Memphis guard/forward Danny Green, who missed the first 50 games of the season, saw his first action, playing 10 minutes and scoring three points, hitting one of his four 3-pointers. Green, acquired by Memphis in a draft night trade, spent the first part of the season rehabbing a knee injury he suffered in last year’s playoff when he was with the Philadelphia 76ers.
“It felt good,” Green said. “Game obviously moved fast, so I had to slow it down a little, but it was good to get out there.”
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: At Washington on Friday night.
Grizzlies: At Cleveland on Thursday night.
TATUM SCORES 31, CELTICS SIZZLE IN 139-96 ROUT OF NETS
BOSTON (AP) Jayson Tatum scored 31 points and had nine rebounds and the Boston Celtics rolled to a 139-96 win over the short-handed Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.
Jaylen Brown added 26 points as both of Boston’s stars knocked down seven 3-pointers in a game the Celtics never trailed and led by as many as 49 points. Boston dominated on both ends of the floor, shooting 60% through three quarters on the way to its largest victory of the season.
“You can tell we were ready to go from the jump,” Tatum said.
It marked the eighth time this season Tatum and Brown have each scored at least 25 points in the same game.
Robert Williams finished with 16 points and nine rebounds in his return from a sprained ankle. Derrick White added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
“They’re hungry,” Williams said of Tatum and Brown. “They’re still (upset) about last year.”
The NBA-leading Celtics have won all three meetings with the Nets this season.
Tatum began the night second in the NBA while averaging 37.5 minutes per game. He played just over 29 on Wednesday and was able to sit most of the fourth quarter. Coach Joe Mazzulla said it was nice to get him some rest, but isn’t concerned about the load he has carried so far.
Tatum credits team trainer Nick Sang and the conversations they had since last season for helping him maintain his body this season.
“I feel great,” Tatum said. “My body feels so much better at this time than it did last season.”
Kyrie Irving scored 20 points and Cam Thomas added 19 for Brooklyn, which struggled throughout while shooting 41%, including 9 of 39 beyond the arc. The Nets dropped to 4-7 since Kevin Durant sprained his right knee on Jan. 8.
“It’s clear as day that they want to win the championship, and they’re not wasting any time in the regular season,” Irving said. “Tonight I felt like we were just one of those teams in the way, and you know, we just can’t be one of those teams in the way. We’ve got to be one of those teams that stands up to them.”
Brooklyn had managed to keep pace with Boston in the standings without Durant and through recent injuries to Ben Simmons (left knee soreness) and T.J. Warren (left shin contusion), who both sat for the third straight game.
The Celtics had their entire rotation available except for Marcus Smart, sidelined for the fifth straight game as he recovers from his sprained right ankle. Boston took advantage, racing to a 33-7 advantage as the Nets started just 2 of 14 from the field.
Irving missed four of his first five shots as Boston’s crowd booed whenever he touched the basketball, mirroring the treatment he received during his most recent visits to TD Garden.
Tatum finished the quarter with 18 points, single-handedly outscoring the Nets as Boston took a 46-16 edge into the second quarter. The 30-point, first-quarter lead marked the first time in franchise history Boston outscored its opponent by 30 in the opening period.
The Celtics led 79-45 at halftime.
“This was a night where they hit first, they hit hard and it hurt,” Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said.
TIP-INS
Nets: Shot 6 of 21 (29%) in the first quarter. … Neither Simmons nor Warren made the trip, but Vaughn said both are progressing and hope to return as soon as Saturday.
Celtics: It was Tatum’s 29th game this season with at least 30 points. … Boston outscored the Nets 22-1 in fastbreak points in the first half. … Shot 18 of 29 (62%) in the first quarter, including 8 of 11 from 3-point range. … Former Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman sat courtside.
UP NEXT
Nets: Open five-game homestand Saturday against the Washington Wizards.
Celtics: Host the Phoenix Suns on Friday.
GORDON, ROOKIE EASON HELP ROCKETS DEFEAT THUNDER 112-106
HOUSTON (AP) Eric Gordon had a season-high 25 points and rookie Tari Eason added career-high 20 to lead the Houston Rockets to a 112-106 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.
The Rockets (13-38), who have the worst record in the Western Conference, have won three of their last five games after dropping 18 of the previous 19.
Eason, the 17th overall pick in the 2022 draft, also had 13 rebounds off the bench, matching a career best on a night Jalen Green sat out with an injury.
Coach Stephen Silas credited Gordon for keeping this young team focused when the game was close down the stretch.
“Eric tonight was so steady and when we went down five or six he was the one settling the guys down, and that’s important,” Silas said. “That veteran presence . was huge tonight.”
Gordon, who is in his 15th NBA season, takes pride in helping his inexperienced teammates.
“My mentality is all about winning,” he said. “And for me it’s all about just giving these young guys confidence.”
Houston was up by five after consecutive baskets by Josh Christopher before the Thunder got a free throw from Darius Bazley and a jump shot from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to get within 100-98 with about four minutes left.
But the Rockets scored the next five points, with a 3 from Kenyon Martin Jr., to push the lead to seven about a minute later. Gordon missed two free throws after that, and Gilgeous-Alexander made two for Oklahoma City, cutting the lead to 105-100.
But Daishen Nix made a layup before Martin had a two-handed dunk seconds later to extend Houston’s lead to 109-100 with less than a minute to go.
Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points to lead the Thunder and Josh Giddey scored 20 with eight rebounds and eight assists.
“The best thing Houston did tonight was the way they were ready to play from the jump.” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said.
Silas was impressed with his team’s defense on Gilgeous-Alexander, who entered the game ranked fifth in the NBA by averaging 30.9 points.
“It was a team effort,” Silas said.
Tre Mann opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer to extend Oklahoma City’s lead to five points. But Houston got consecutive 3s from Garrison Mathews and Eason after that to go on top 90-89.
Eason got a steal a couple of minutes later and drove in for a layup, but missed. It was the first of four straight misses – and four rebounds – by Eason on that possession as he kept grabbing rebounds and missing shots at the rim until finally making a fifth shot that he was fouled on. He made the free throw to put Houston up 93-89.
“That just shows the fight that we had at that moment of the game,” Silas said.
Eason said the moment was both fun and exhausting.
“It’s a little bit of both,” he said. “Any time I step on the court, I want to bring a lot of energy, a lot of hustle and that’s just what I do.”
Houston was up by eight after baskets by Gordon and Martin early in the third quarter before the Thunder used a 9-0 run, with seven points from Jaylin Williams, to take a 72-71 lead.
Their lead was short-lived as the Rockets made the next four points to go back on top 75-72 midway through the quarter.
Oklahoma City used a 7-0 run after that, with a 3 from Isaiah Joe, to take a 79-75 lead with about four minutes left in the third.
The game was tied later in the third before Gilgeous-Alexander made all the Thunder’s points in a 7-1 spurt, capped by a three-point play, to put them up 86-80.
The Rockets scored the last four points of the quarter to cut the lead to two entering the fourth.
TIP-INS
Thunder: Luguentz Dort sat out for a third straight game with a strained right hamstring. . Mann had 18 points off the bench. . Oklahoma City made 12 of 43 3-pointers.
Rockets: Green missed a second straight game with a bruised right calf. Coach Stephen Silas said he’s getting better and should return this weekend. . Kevin Porter Jr. was out for a 10th consecutive game with a bruised left foot. . Martin had 18 points and seven rebounds. . Sengun had 10 points and 12 rebounds.
BOARDS
The Rockets outrebounded Oklahoma City 65-52 Wednesday. They’ve won the rebounding battle in each of their three recent wins, with Sengun and Eason leading the way.
“With those guys rebounding the way they are, they’re always going to give us a chance,” Gordon said.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Face the Rockets again on Saturday night.
Rockets: Host Toronto on Friday night.
RUSSELL, EDWARDS HELP TIMBERWOLVES BEAT WARRIORS IN OT
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) D’Angelo Russell scored 14 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, Anthony Edwards took over in overtime after Russell fouled out and the Minnesota Timberwolves outlasted the Golden State Warriors 119-114 on Wednesday night.
Russell fouled out after two quick whistles in the first minute of overtime. That set the stage for Edwards.
After a scoreless fourth quarter, Edwards was aggressive in overtime, driving to the basket and scoring in traffic on multiple possessions. Edwards helped the Timberwolves – who trailed by 11 after three – complete the comeback. He scored just four of his 27 points in overtime but was the catalyst on offense in the extra session.
“We needed it,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said about Edwards. “It was good to see him get to the paint.”
Minnesota moved half-game ahead of the Warriors in the Western Conference standings.
Stephen Curry had 29 points and 10 rebounds for Golden State. Jordan Poole added 18 points, Klay Thompson had 14, and Draymond Green had 10 points and 12 rebounds. The Warriors had won three in a row.
Golden State committed nine total turnovers between the fourth quarter and overtime after turning the ball over eight times through the first three quarters.
“We had control of the game, and I thought we just kind of gift wrapped it,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “They took advantage of our mistakes and our lack of execution. … Everything we had done to that point to have control of the game, we stopped doing, so we got what we deserved.”
Russell hit three 3-pointers early in the fourth to help the Wolves claw back. After Russell got Minnesota back in it, Naz Reid hit multiple go-ahead shots, including a 3-pointer that made it a 110-108 game with 1:50 to play in regulation.
“I just think as a group, we did it collectively,” Russell said. “It was just a balanced game from our group. Everybody pitched in.”
Curry tied it at 110 on a driving layup and had a good look with five seconds to play in regulation, but missed. Minnesota couldn’t get a good shot off at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.
With Russell watching from the bench, Edwards hit a big shot in the lane to put Minnesota up 115-112 with 1:43 left. Reid, who had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Minnesota, closed out the victory with an emphatic dunk after rebounding his own miss in the final seconds.
“That’s a team that’s not going to back down,” Reid said about the Warriors. “They’re accustomed to winning, so when we bring it to them early, it just shows that we’re not here to back down. We’re really here to fight.”
Curry was held to six points in the fourth and didn’t score in overtime for Golden State.
The Timberwolves struggled from the free-throw line from the second straight game. Minnesota finished 13 of 24 after going 15 of 22 on Monday night against Sacramento.
Wednesday was Minnesota’s second overtime game in a row. The Wolves were outscored 15-8 on Monday night in overtime.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Andrew Wiggins scored 16 points against his former team.
Timberwolves: Minnesota was without center Rudy Gobert because of soreness in his right groin.
UP NEXT
Warriors: At Denver on Thursday night.
Timberwolves: Host Orlando on Friday night.
SABONIS’ DOUBLE-DOUBLE HELPS KINGS POWER PAST SPURS 119-109
SAN ANTONIO (AP) Domantas Sabonis scored a season-high 34 points and had 11 rebounds and the Sacramento Kings beat San Antonio 119-109 on Wednesday night, handing the beleaguered Spurs their seventh straight loss.
“If they are going to be down there trying to guard him one-on-one, `Hey, yo, go score,'” Kings guard De’Aaron Fox said. “If you have to shoot the ball 10, 15 times in a row, do it.”
Sabonis finished 15 for 20 from the field.
Fox added 31 points, 10 assists and had just one turnover for Sacramento, which has won two straight and nine of 12 to remain atop the Pacific Division.
The Spurs, who have lost 12 of 13, were led by a season-high 22 points from rookie Malaki Branham. But already without Devin Vassell, the Spurs lost starters Tre Jones and Jeremy Sochan to injury in the first quarter.
Even without three of its top six scorers, San Antonio kept pace with Sacramento’s league-leading offense for most of the game. Josh Richardson added 19 points for the Spurs in his return after missing three games with a sore left knee.
“They do it every game,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. “They stick with it and they play hard every game. One out of every 10 or so, we might lay and egg, but everybody else does the same thing. I have always been pleased with their effort and their stick-to-itiveness.”
Sacramento, which matched its season average of 119.5 points per game, went on a 14-2 run in taking a 49-37 lead midway through the second quarter.
The Kings were 8 for 27 on 3-pointers, but compensated for the poor outside shooting with a season-high 74 points in the paint.
Sabonis ignited the inside dominance, scoring 17 points primarily in the paint in the first quarter while shooting 7 for 9.
“In the first quarter, they were trying to play him one-on-one and not allow him to spread the ball,” Fox said. “Obviously, he’s a super unselfish guy, but if they are going to guard him like that, we all tell him, go score the ball because at some point they are going to have to start helping.”
The Spurs pulled within three points twice in the third quarter and cut the deficit to 89-88 two minutes into the fourth on Doug McDermott’s cutting layup. But the Kings responded each time with a short run to maintain their advantage.
“Stopping them from getting in the paint,” Sacramento guard Malik Monk said. “After they made a little run, we locked in. Went to the timeout, said, `We can’t let them in the paint,’ and we did that. That’s how we held the lead.”
Monk added 22 points while playing 33 minutes off the bench.
TIP-INS
Kings: Sabonis’ previous high was 31 points against Denver on Dec. 28. … Sacramento did not have a single player listed on its injury report. … The Kings clinched the season series with their third victory over The Spurs. The series finale is April 2 in Sacramento. The Kings’ last loss to the Spurs was 136-117 on Nov. 10, 2021, in San Antonio.
Spurs: Popovich said there was no update on Sochan and Jones’ status after the game. Sochan exited with 5:11 remaining in the first quarter after clutching at his lower back. Sochan was fouled while fighting for position under the rim against Fox. Jones left with 2:58 remaining in the first after injuring his left foot. … G Romeo Langford missed his fifth straight game with left adductor tightness. . C Zach Collins had 14 points on 7-for-9 shooting.
ALL-STAR NODS
Sabonis and Fox put up double-doubles in their final game before All-Star reserves are announced Thursday.
Sacramento coach Mike Brown hopes their outings serve as a punctuation to their selections given how well both have played for the surprising Kings this season.
“I hope so,” Brown said. “You’ve got to think people would take into consideration your record. To me, Fox and Domas are clear All-Stars, but at the end of the day, it’s not just my decision.”
UP NEXT
Kings: At Indiana on Friday.
Spurs: Host Philadelphia on Friday.
MARKKANEN, CONLEY POWER JAZZ TO 131-128 WIN OVER RAPTORS
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Lauri Markkanen had 28 points and 13 rebounds and Mike Conley added a three-point play and two clutch free throws in the closing minutes to lift the Utah Jazz to a 131-128 win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
“Taking my time, having a little more patience, not just going right away and being a little bit stronger with the ball,” said Markkanen of finishing strong against the physical Raptors after a slow start.
Toronto’s Fred VanVleet had his second career triple-double with 34 points, a career-best 12 rebounds and 10 assists, but the Jazz overcame that effort by shooting 53% and making key play after key play down the stretch.
Conley, who had 19 points and eight assists, drew Pascal Siakam’s sixth foul on a head fake and completed a three-point play to give the Jazz a 120-113 lead with 2:13 remaining.
“(Siakam) reached in but I was able to finish it. Really was the best of both worlds there. It was a big play and I think it got us going enough able to finish the game,” Conley said.
VanVleet kept the Raptors close with his 3-point shooting, but Toronto couldn’t complete the comeback effort.
“If we’re up three at the end of the night, then a lot of these stats look a lot better. We’d be celebrating . just got to find ways to win and that’s really all that matters,” VanVleet said.
Conley hit two free throws with 12.2 seconds left to seal the win and the Jazz moved above .500 at 27-26.
“Mike has been such a steadying force for us late in games. He and I have developed a very good communication about what we would like to do and he does a good job communicating that to the team and getting them organized. His decision-making continues to be great late in games,” Utah coach Will Hardy said.
Jordan Clarkson scored seven of his 23 points in the final 1:39 and Walker Kessler added 17 points, 14 rebounds and matched a career best with seven blocked shots for Utah, which has won five of its last seven games.
“(Kessler) got seven blocks tonight and I don’t know how many more he affected. Guys just stopped going in on him at some point,” Markkanen said.
Siakam scored 21 before fouling out, Gary Trent Jr. had 20 points and the Raptors stayed in the game with a season-high with 25 offensive rebounds.
“Obviously you saw a lot of those rebounds were off our own misses,” Toronto coach Nick Nurse said. “I thought we had some really good chances down there that we didn’t finish and those led out to some transition 3s.”
Kessler had NBA season-best six blocked shots in the first quarter, tying the franchise record that Mark Eaton set on Feb. 18, 1989, against San Antonio. Eaton had six blocks in both the second and fourth quarter and 14 overall in that game.
VanVleet had his first career triple-double last season (37 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds) against the Jazz on Jan. 7.
The Jazz, at times, showed their youth – failing to box out for rebounds, turning the ball over and slow getting back on defense, which led to 28 fast-break points for Toronto.
Malik Beasley had four 3s and all 14 of his points in the first half as the Jazz led by as many as 14 points. The Raptors cut it to 65-60 at the break, thanks to 15 points off Utah’s 11 turnovers. Toronto had just two giveaways and 15 offensive rebounds in the same span.
TIP-INS
Raptors: Scottie Barnes was announced Tuesday as part of the 2023 Jordan Rising Stars, which will be played in Utah on Feb. 17. . O.G. Anunoby missed his third straight game with a left wrist sprain.
Jazz: Detroit Lion Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson sat courtside. . Kessler will also play in the Rising Stars game.
UP NEXT
Raptors: Continue seven-game trip – their longest since 2007 — at Houston on Friday.
Jazz: Host Atlanta on Friday.
MURRAY SCORES 21 POINTS, HAWKS ROLL PAST SUNS 132-100
PHOENIX (AP) Trae Young rose up for a 3-pointer in the second half that left his hands way too hard, hurtling toward the basket before slamming off the backboard and through the hoop.
Atlanta’s star guard shrugged and ran back down the court with a sheepish grin.
Things were going the Hawks way Wednesday night, leading to a blowout victory. Dejounte Murray scored 21 points, Young added 20 points and 12 assists and Atlanta rolled past the Phoenix Suns 132-100.
The Hawks had lost four of five games coming into Wednesday’s game, but played much better on both ends of the floor.
“We wanted to win really bad and knew it had to start on the defensive end,” Murray said. “The defense took care of the offense.”
The Hawks never trailed, jumping to a 9-4 lead with three 3-pointers. Atlanta never let up, pushing to a 102-67 advantage by the end of the third quarter and leading by 43 points in the fourth.
Just about everyone was hitting shots for the Hawks, who made 52 of 91 shots (57.1%), including 19 of 33 (57.6%) on 3-pointers. Bogdan Bogdanovic added 18 points off the bench.
“When you’re getting downhill, moving the ball, sharing the ball, things like that can happen,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. “I thought tonight we did a good job moving the ball and getting it to the open man.”
Phoenix – with star guard Devin Booker close to returning from a groin injury – lost for just the second time in eight games. The Suns were sloppy with 16 turnovers that turned into 31 points for the Hawks and had a dismal shooting night, hitting just 4 of 28 (14.3%) shots from 3-point range.
“They were a lot faster then us especially in transition and we just couldn’t make a shot for whatever reason,” Suns coach Monty Williams said.
Mikal Bridges led the Suns with 23 points but shot just 6 of 18 from the field, including 1 of 7 on 3s. Deandre Ayton added 20 points and nine rebounds.
“It felt like we were on a treadmill,” Ayton said. “It felt like we were hamsters running in one spot. The game was going too fast and we were making some points but not putting a dent into the lead.”
The Hawks used a 13-0 run early in the second quarter to take a 66-47 lead into halftime. Murray led Atlanta with 15 points before the break while Bridges had 17 for the Suns.
Phoenix shot just 18 of 47 (38.5%) in the first half, including 2 of 16 (12.5%) from 3-point range.
SUNS SIGN LEE
The Suns announced Wednesday that they’ve signed guard Saben Lee for the rest of the season.
Lee has emerged as the team’s backup point guard over the last three weeks after being signed to back-to-back 10-day contracts. He’s filling in for Cam Payne, who remains out with a foot injury.
To make room for Lee on the roster, the Suns released Duane Washington Jr., who played in 31 games this season, starting three. He averaged 7.9 points, but shot just 36.7% from the field.
Lee had six points, three assists, three steaks and three rebounds in 21 minutes against the Hawks.
TIP-INS
Hawks: Onyeka Okongwu made all seven of his shots. He finished with 17 points. … Former Suns center Frank Kaminsky got a technical foul in the fourth quarter. … Young reached 3,000 career assists.
Suns: Booker, Payne and G Landry Shamet (foot) were out. … Hosted a 54th straight sellout crowd.
UP NEXT
Hawks: At Utah on Friday night.
Suns: At Boston on Friday night.
NHL NEWS
NOESEN HAS GOAL, ASSIST AS HURRICANES ROUT SABRES 5-1
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Stefan Noesen had a goal and an assist to help lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night.
Sebastian Aho, Brent Burns, Derek Stepan and Jordan Martinook also scored for the Hurricanes, who have won seven games in a row. Antti Raanta made 29 saves.
Alex Tuch scored the lone goal for Buffalo. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 29 saves.
“We’ve played pretty consistently,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Our guys work really hard and that’s the cornerstone of our group, contributions up and down the lineup.”
The Hurricanes completely dominated the Sabres out of the gates, taking control of the game and jumping out to an early 3-0 lead.
“It felt like that was huge for us,” Aho said. “It was almost the game right there.”
Aho opened the scoring on the power play 2:35 into the game, finishing a pass through the crease from Teuvo Teravainen for a tap-in. Aho extended his hot streak and has goals in six consecutive games.
Noesen had a tap-in of his own midway through the first period on a feed from Martin Necas.
Burns made it 3-0 with 7:13 left in the first, shooting at an open net following a terrific setup by Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
Tuch got the Sabres on the board with 5:15 left in the first on a wrist shot from the right circle. It was his 24th goal of the season.
Things went from bad to worse late in the second period for Buffalo. Sabres leading scorer Tage Thompson left the game with an upper-body injury and did not return. Thompson had been trying to play through injury in recent days and missed practice on Monday. Thompson has 34 goals and 68 points in 50 games. The injury puts his status for this weekend’s NHL All-Star Game in jeopardy.
“Never got in a rhythm and obviously we played a very good hockey team and a capable hockey team,” Sabres coach Don Granato said. “It didn’t matter who we played tonight. That result was going to be not a favorable one for lots of the reasons that were well within our control.”
Buffalo outshot Carolina 8-1 to open the third period but was unable to get on the board before Stepan made it 4-1. Stepan picked up his fifth goal of the season with a deke around Luukkonen at the top of the crease.
Martinook added an empty-net goal with 1:41 remaining.
SKINNER MILESTONE
Sabres forward Jeff Skinner played in his 900th career game. He’s the 63rd active NHL player to play in 900 or more games. Skinner originally entered the league with Carolina after being chosen seventh overall by the Hurricanes in 2010.
UP NEXT
Hurricanes: After the All-Star break, travel home to play the New York Rangers on Saturday, Feb. 11.
Sabres: After the All-Star break, host the Calgary Flames on Saturday, Feb. 11, before heading across the country on a three-game road trip.
PAVEL ZACHA SCORES TWICE AS BRUINS BEAT MAPLE LEAFS 5-2
TORONTO (AP) The Toronto Maple Leafs feel like they can keep up with the NHL-leading Boston Bruins. They just need to do it for three consecutive periods.
Pavel Zacha scored twice in the third as Boston surged past the Maple Leafs 5-2 on Wednesday. After a scoreless first period, Toronto trailed 2-1 at the second intermission before the Bruins blew the game open.
“I thought we were with them nearly the whole way,” said Leafs forward Mitchell Marner, who had a power-play goal in the second. “Just in the third, I don’t know if I’d call it cheating but we were pushing hard and gave up a couple of odd-man chances and it cost us.”
Derek Forbort and Brandon Carlo both had goals in the second period as Boston snapped a three-game winless skid. A.J. Greer also scored in the final period and Linus Ullmark made 33 saves.
Of the four Bruins scorers, only Zacha has double digits in goals this season, with his two on Wednesday lifting him to 11. Carlo said it’s important for Boston to count on its depth players for offense, too.
“We all want to contribute in that aspect when we can,” said Carlo, who has two goals on the season. “It’s great when you do get the result from it. I think it gives the rest of the guys a boost as well.
“We want to be a great support system to the guys who are scoring all the time and occasionally do our part, too.”
Marner scored on the power play, his 19th goal of the season, for Toronto. Calle Jarnkrok had a goal in the third to keep the Maple Leafs in the game. Ilya Samsonov stopped 24 shots in his eighth consecutive game in net for Toronto.
Forbort snapped home a short-handed goal 6:57 into the second.
Marner replied on the power play 2:28 later. After a long leading pass off the boards from Samsonov, Marner skated through the left faceoff circle and snapped a shot past Ullmark to tie it at 1.
Carlo reestablished Boston’s one-goal lead a little over three minutes later, taking a pass from Hampus Lindholm and deflecting it past Samsonov from a wide angle.
Zacha’s second goal of the night came at 12:19 of the third. Standing just a few feet from Samsonov’s crease, he dropped to a knee to one-time a pass from David Krejci into the net.
“I think that line is very dynamic,” said Bruins coach Jim Montgomery. “It’s one of the most creative lines in the league.
“(Zacha’s) a little bit of a glue guy that has to do a lot of the dirty work, so to speak, drive the middle lane, be the first guy on the forecheck, first guy in the back check.”
TAVARES PUNK’D
John Tavares celebrated his 1,000th game in the NHL on Sunday with two assists in Toronto’s 5-1 win over the Washington Capitals. Timothy Liljegren decided to have a little fun at his captain’s expense after the game, awarding the team’s MVP belt to Mark Giordano instead of Tavares. Giordano said on Wednesday he had intended to give a long speech to really rub salt in Tavares’ wound but when he looked around the room he knew he had to give the belt to its proper recipient.
“The joke got a few guys and they were already pretty upset that we didn’t give it to John so I had to turn it over pretty quick,” laughed Giordano.
UP NEXT
Bruins: After All-Star break, host the Washington Capitals on Saturday, Feb. 11.
Maple Leafs: After All-Star break, at Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, Feb. 10.
MLB NEWS
BATTING CHAMP ARRAEZ, MARLINS GO TO SALARY ARBITRATION
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — AL batting champion Luis Arraez went to a salary arbitration hearing Wednesday against the Miami Marlins, who acquired the infielder from the Minnesota Twins last month.
Arraez asked for a raise from $2.2 million to $6.1 million, and the Marlins argued for $5 million. The case was heard by John Stout, Mark Burstein and Scott Buchheit, who are expected to issue a decision Thursday.
Arraez hit .316 with eight homers, 49 RBIs and a .795 OPS, starting 61 games at first base, 34 at designated hitter and 31 at second. The 25-year-old was traded on Jan. 20 for starting pitcher Pablo López and a pair of prosects: infielder Jose Salas and outfielder Byron Chourio.
Arraez is eligible for free agency after the 2026 season.
Seattle defeated Diego Castillo in the first salary arbitration decision this year on Wednesday, and the relief pitcher will get a raise to $2.95 million rather than his request of $3,225,000.
A decision is being held for Los Angeles Angels outfielder Hunter Renfroe, whose case was argued Monday.
Twenty-three players remain scheduled for hearings, to take place through Feb. 17.
M’S BEAT DIEGO CASTILLO IN YEAR’S 1ST ARBITRATION DECISION
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Seattle Mariners defeated Diego Castillo in the first salary arbitration decision this year, and the relief pitcher will get a raise to $2.95 million rather than his request of $3,225,000.
Richard Bloch, Melinda Gordon and Brian Keller made the decision on Wednesday, a day after hearing arguments.
A 29-year-old right-hander who made $2.15 million last season, Castillo was 7-3 with a 3.64 ERA and seven saves in 59 relief appearances, striking out 53 and walking 22 in 54 1/3 innings. The Mariners made the playoffs for the first time since 2001 and lost to eventual World Series champion Houston in the Division Series.
Castillo signed with the Rays in 2014 and pitched for Tampa Bay from 2018 until he was traded to Seattle in July 2021. He is 24-18 with a 3.12 ERA and 35 saves in five major league seasons, and is eligible for free agency after the 2024 World Series.
Outfielder Teoscar Hernández, acquired by the Mariners from Toronto, also remains on track for a hearing. He asked for a raise from $10.65 million to $16 million, and Seattle offered $14 million.
Angels outfielder Hunter Renfroe and Los Angeles argued the first case of the year on Monday in a decision that is being held for later announcement. He asked for a raise from $7.65 million to $11.9 million, and the Angels argued for $11.25 million.
Twenty-four players remain scheduled for hearings, to take place through Feb. 17.
BLUE JAYS SIGN RELIEVER CHAD GREEN TO $8.5M, 2-YEAR DEAL
TORONTO (AP) — Free agent reliever Chad Green and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to an $8.5 million, two-year contract on Tuesday.
The deal includes options for 2025 and 2026 and could be worth $29.25 million over four seasons.
Green is likely to miss at least the early portion of this season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He injured his pitching elbow last May with the New York Yankees and was sidelined the rest of the year.
The right-hander got off to a solid start last season with a 3.00 ERA and 16 strikeouts over 15 innings. He left New York’s game against the Baltimore Orioles on May 19 with right forearm discomfort and three days later the Yankees announced he needed Tommy John surgery.
Typical recovery time for the ligament-replacement procedure is 12-18 months.
Green gets a $2.25 million salary this year, and the Blue Jays must decide after this season whether to exercise a club option calling for $9 million salaries in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Green has a conditional player option for 2024 at $6.25 million that can be exercised only if Toronto declines its option. Green’s conditional option includes performance bonuses of up to $1 million: $250,000 each for 40, 45, 50 and 55 appearances.
If both the Blue Jays and Green decline their initial options, Toronto has a conditional option at $10.5 million annually for 2024 and 2025. Those options have $1 million in performance bonuses for appearances: $500,000 each for 60 and 65 games.
The 31-year-old Green is 33-22 with a 3.17 ERA in seven major league seasons, all with the Yankees. He has 11 saves and 53 holds.
Green has struck out 494 batters and walked only 96 in 383 2/3 innings. He set personal bests in 2021 with 10 wins, 67 appearances and 83 2/3 innings while posting a 3.12 ERA.
To make room on the 40-man roster, left-handed pitcher Matt Gage was designated for assignment by Toronto.
The Blue Jays also appointed Jeff Ware (bullpen) and David Howell (strategy) as assistant pitching coaches. The team said the rest of last year’s big league coaching staff will return this season.
TOP INDIANA RELEASES
INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
NO. 6 INDIANA GETS PAST MINNESOTA, 77-54
MINNEAPOLIS – Senior forward Mackenzie Holmes and junior guard Sydney Parrish paced No. 6 Indiana to its ninth-straight win at it secured the road win at Minnesota, 77-54.
KEY MOMENTS
The offense ran through Holmes in the first quarter, as she had eight of the Hoosiers’ first 10 points. It would be part of a 20-6 effort in the first behind a 52.9 percent clip from the floor.
Back-to-back triple by junior guard Sydney Parrish extended the Hoosiers (21-1, 11-1 B1G) lead early in the second to 20, 26-6. Nine of Parrish’s 23 points came in the second quarter, as she went 3-for-3 from the arc. Minnesota (9-13, 2-9 B1G) would shoot 60 percent in the frame, but a previously built lead by Indiana kept it a 21-point game at the break, 41-20.
Despite being outscored in the third quarter, the Hoosiers held on to a double-digit lead and got a small push at the end of the frame with three-straight buckets from Holmes and Parrish to take a 58-40 lead.
The Hoosiers regained a 20-point lead as it kept the Gophers away in the fourth, never relinquishing a 16-point lead to close it out.
NOTABLE
Holmes has scored in double figures in all 22 games this season and has scored 20 or more points in the last six games. The Gorham, Maine native went 11-for-13 from the floor and had four blocks, four rebounds and two steals.
Parrish scored 14 of her 23 points in the first half, nine of which came in the second quarter. She also led IU on the glass with eight rebounds.
A 21-point lead at the break was tied for its largest halftime lead of the season against a Big Ten foe.
Berger set a new season-high nine assists and pulled down five boards. Indiana had 21 assists on 31 made shots. It’s the 10th time it has had 20 or more assists in a game.
Senior guard Sara Scalia also added double figures with 10 points off the bnech and four rebounds.
IU shot 50 percent from the floor, the 15th time in a single game this season.
Indiana extends its win streak in the all-time series over the Gophers, winning its sixth-straight dating back to the 2018-19 season.
QUOTABLE
Indiana head coach Teri Moren
“We are happy to get the victory tonight, but collectively we feel that we didn’t play our best basketball. 17 turnovers is just way too many for this basketball team that really prides itself in taking care of the basketball. Obviously, Mack and Syd had big nights for us, on a night where are guard play struggled. They struggled from the field. We are obviously glad that we are getting out of Minnesota with a win, but we know as we move forward that ball security, less turnovers, being able to make shots and being able to be cleaner from an execution standpoint is going to be important. Again, defensively we did some good things. That is the one thing that always keeps us in games and wins us a lot of games and these guys know that. Tonight, I would have loved to have seen our offense be a little bit better. None the less we are happy that it is another win in that column for us.”
UP NEXT
An in-state rivalry is set to be renewed on Sunday in West Lafayette against Purdue. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. ET on FS1.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
#1 PURDUE ROLLS PAST PENN STATE BEHIND GILLIS’ CAREER NIGHT
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Mason Gillis routinely demonstrates his shooting prowess at Purdue’s practices.
On Wednesday night, the roaring, sellout crowd at Mackey Arena finally got a glimpse, too.
The third year forward made an arena record nine 3-pointers and finished with a career high 29 points to lead the top-ranked Boilermakers to an 80-60 rout over Penn State.
“Honestly to me, it doesn’t feel like I did anything different. I just hit a couple shots and they kept falling,” Gillis said. “I kind of hesitate sometimes in games, but the first couple ones went in and I said, ‘I’m just going to keep taking them.'”
Nobody complained. Gillis, Zach Edey said, made his job of recording an 18th double-double this season easy. Edey had 18 points and 13 rebounds as the Big Ten-leading Boilermakers (22-1, 11-1) made a season-best 14 3s and won their ninth in a row.
But to many, Gillis’ incredible game seemed to come out of the blue. Until Wednesday, he had never made more than three 3s in a game or scored more than 14 points. Then suddenly, there he was making 10 of 14 shots and nine of 12 from beyond the arc, thanks in part to the Nittany Lions’ strategy of trying a zone defense to negate the 7-foot-4 Edey.
Gillis made sure the game plan backfired on his old coach.
“My opening statement is going to be very succinct,” said Penn State coach Micah Shrewsberry, who was an assistant at Purdue before taking the Nittany Lions job two years ago. “Best team in the country, best player in the country, best coach in the country.”
Seth Lundy had 18 points to lead the Nittany Lions (14-8, 5-6), who have lost six straight in the series and all four during Shrewsberry’s tenure.
Purdue, the only Power Five team left with fewer than two losses, looked like it would run away early when it used a 9-0 run to build a 23-13 lead. But Penn State scored the final five points of the first half to close to 35-29.
Then, after Jalen Pickett opened the second half with a layup, Gillis answered with a flurry. He made three straight 3s to give Purdue a 44-31 lead, and after Penn State called timeout, Gillis made a mid-range jumper and Ethan Morton added another 3 to make it 49-31.
The Nittany Lions never recovered as Purdue pulled away and extended the margin to as much as 26.
“We’re not worried about results, we’re pretty process driven,” Gillis said. “But it definitely felt amazing.”
BIG PICTURE
Penn State: Shrewsberry was the first Matt Painter assistant to return to Mackey with a different team. It might go down as a pretty forgettable experience. But the Nittany Lions for an improving team, there are going to be some bumpy obstacles along the way.
Purdue: The Boilermakers showed just how much firepower they possess — in addition to Edey. When Edey’s supporting cast plays this way, Purdue is almost unbeatable.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The Boilermakers left nothing to doubt after becoming the first Power Five team to earn unanimous No. 1 selections in consecutive years in 20 years. Now comes the hard part — adding a win at archrival, No. 21 Indiana, the Big Ten preseason favorite, to the resume.
TEAMING UP
Shrewsberry and Painter wore T-shirts to promote Project 44, an initiative to expand bone marrow registries. It honors the late Andrew Smith, who played on Butler’s two Final Four teams when Shrewsberry was an assistant there. Smith died in January 2016 at age 25 after a two-year battle with cancer and a bone marrow transplant gave Smith and his wife, Samantha, three additional months together.
(Postgame Notes)
Purdue improved to 22-1 overall and 11-1 in the Big Ten with an 80-60 win over Penn State in front of the 53rd straight sellout at Mackey Arena. The win gives Purdue a three-and-a-half game lead on Rutgers and Illinois with eight games to play.
Purdue is just the third Big Ten team since 2000 to start a season with a 22-1 record (24-0 by Ohio State in 2011; 29-0 by Illinois in 2005).
Purdue is 11-1 in the Big Ten for just the fifth time in school history (2023, 2018, 2008, 1988, 1969).
Purdue is now 45-13 all-time against Penn State, including 24-3 in Mackey Arena. Over the last 33 games, Purdue is 29-4 against the Nittany Lions.
Over the last 60 games, Purdue is 51-9 (.850), the second-best, 60-game stretch in Purdue history (52-8 from Nov. 1986, to March 1988).
Purdue’s nine-game winning streak is the fifth-longest streak in the country. The Boilermakers have had two separate 9-game winning streaks in three previous seasons (2023, 2010, 1996, 1988).
Holding Penn State to 60 points, Purdue has held all 23 opponents to 70 or fewer points.
Purdue’s 14, 3-pointers were a season high.
Purdue averaged 1.43 points / possession for the game, including 1.67 for the second half.
Purdue outrebounded Penn State 38-19, including 17-7 in the second half. Both teams had just seven turnovers.
Purdue’s bench outscored Penn State’s bench by a 39-15 margin.
Mason Gillis scored a career-high 29 points, making nine 3-pointers. The nine 3-pointers were the most for a Purdue player in Mackey Arena history and tied for the second most in a game in Purdue history behind Carsen Edwards (10 vs. Virginia; 3-30-19). His previous career high was 14 points.
Gillis’ 29 points off the bench were the most by a major-conference player this season.
Zach Edey recorded 18 points and 13 rebounds in just 28 minutes for his 18th double-double of the season, tied for the second most in a season in school history (28 by Caleb Swanigan in 2017).
Braden Smith dominated the floor game with nine points, nine assists and five rebounds with no turnovers. In two games against Penn State, Smith had 24 points, 11 rebounds and 16 assists against just one turnover.
PURDUE COACH MATT PAINTER PRESS CONFERENCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2JjN1M1ztU
PURDUE PLAYER PRESS CONFERENCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Uax7YvLUyA
PURDUE FOOTBALL
FOOTBALL ADDS 10 BOILERMAKERS TO 2023 SIGNING CLASS
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Starting off the calendar year and heading into his first season as head coach of Purdue Football, Ryan Walters and his coaching staff hit the recruiting road to add 10 Boilermakers to the 2023 signing class.
Purdue brought in four high school prospects on the Feb. 1 National Signing Day, while six transfers joined the team for the upcoming season. Walters’ first signing class totals 22 new Boilermakers heading into spring ball after 12 prospects inked their National Letters of Intent during the December signing period.
“Our staff spent the past month scouring the country for the newest Boilermakers to join the brotherhood,” said Walters. “This group, along with the guys we signed in December, will be a special one as part of our first signing class. I am excited for them to join us here in West Lafayette. The time is now!”
Walters and his staff made a splash in the transfer portal. Quarterback Hudson Card decided to continue his career at Purdue after three seasons at Texas. Anthony Brown (safety) and Isaiah Nichols (defensive lineman), teammates at Arkansas, look to provide an instant impact on Walters’ Boilermaker defense. Also on that side of the ball, cornerback Salim Turner-Muhammad arrives in West Lafayette as a graduate transfer. Jalen Grant brings experience to Purdue as a starter on the Bowling Green offensive line for the past three years. Joining Grant to the o-line room is Issiah Walker, who spent last season at Butler Community College following stops at Florida and Miami (FL).
Four high school prospects signed their National Letters of Intent on the first day of February. Walters and his staff went after versatility in signing athletes Arhmad Branch, Mondrell Dean and Derrick Rogers Jr. Making his decision to stay in state and become a Boilermaker, McCordsville, Indiana, native George Burhenn joins the Purdue tight ends heading into the 2023 season.
COACH WALTERS PRESS CONFERENCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbZkEzxuHQI
The entire class, along with information about each signee, can be found below.
2023 Purdue Football Signing Day Class
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown (High School/Previous School) |
| Winston Berglund | S/LB | 6-2 | 200 | Carmel, Ind. (Carmel) |
| Arhmad Branch | ATH | 6-0 | 175 | Festus, Mo. (Festus) |
| Anthony Brown | DB | 6-0 | 180 | Milan, Tenn. (Milan/Arkansas) |
| Ryan Browne | QB | 6-4 | 205 | Venice, Fla. (Milford Academy) |
| George Burhenn | TE | 6-5 | 220 | McCordsville, Ind. (Mt. Vernon) |
| Hudson Card | QB | 6-2 | 200 | Austin, Texas (Lake Travis/Texas) |
| Drake Carlson | DL | 6-3 | 280 | Nashville, Tenn. (Father Ryan) |
| Ethon Cole | S | 6-1 | 195 | Clermont, Fla. (Lake Minneola) |
| Owen Davis | LB | 6-3 | 220 | Richwood, Ohio (North Union) |
| Mondrell Dean | ATH | 6-3 | 240 | Charleston, W. Va. (Hurricane) |
| Jalen Grant | OL | 6-3 | 285 | Chicago, Ill. (Mount Carmel/Bowling Green) |
| Zion Gunn | CB | 6-2 | 180 | Orlando, Fla. (Winter Park) |
| Jamarrion Harkless | DT | 6-3 | 310 | Lexington, Ky. (Frederick Douglas) |
| Will Heldt | DE | 6-6 | 235 | Carmel, Ind. (Carmel) |
| Jimmy Liston | OL | 6-3 | 280 | Hinsdale, Ill. (IMG Academy) |
| Isaiah Nichols | DL | 6-3 | 315 | Springdale, Ark. (Springdale/Arkansas) |
| Derrick Rogers Jr. | ATH | 6-1 | 170 | Orlando, Fla. (Jones) |
| Ryne Shackelford | WR | 6-0 | 175 | Elyria, Ohio (Keystone) |
| Dillon Thieneman | S | 6-0 | 200 | Carmel, Ind. (Carmel) |
| Jaron Tibbs | WR | 6-3 | 195 | Indianapolis, Ind. (Cathedral) |
| Salim Turner-Muhammad | CB | 5-11 | 190 | Corona, N.Y. (Episcopal/Stanford) |
| Issiah Walker | OT | 6-5 | 285 | Miami, Fla. (Miami Norland/Butler C.C.) |
Arhmad Branch
HIGH SCHOOL
● A four-star prospect ranked as the No. 22 recruit from Missouri and the No. 126 wide receiver according to 247Sports
● Named to the 2022 Missouri Football Coaches Association All-State team
● Put up 900 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior
● Became his school’s record holder for both career and single-season receptions, touchdowns and receiving yards
● A three-sport athlete in high school, he was an all-state point guard and was all-sectional in the triple jump
PERSONAL
● Full Name: Arhmad Sedeano Branch
● Son of Leslie and April
● Has two siblings, Leuntae and Aaliyah
● Plans on majoring in Marketing
Anthony Brown
● On the roster for one season at Arkansas, taking a redshirt
● Was a consensus three-star prospect coming out of high school
● Rated the No. 18 player in Tennessee and No. 43 safety in the country according to Rivals
● Was a finalist for the Class 3A Mr. Football Award and named All-West Tennessee Offensive Player of the Year
● Logged 64 tackles, eight tackles-for-loss and nine pass breakups
PERSONAL
● Has one brother, Adonus Madison
George Burhenn
HIGH SCHOOL
● A consensus three-star prospect
● Ranked as the No. 43 tight-end in the nation and the No. 12 recruit in the state of Indiana by 247Sports
● One of 12 players nominated for the 2022 Indiana High School Sports Mr. Football Award
● Racked up 38 catches for 784 yards and nine touchdowns through the air with 127 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in his senior season
● Won the Indiana Class 4A state title as a junior with Mt. Vernon
● Named to the Indiana Football Coaches Association’s Top 50 All-State team as a senior
● Chosen as the top tight end in the state in 2022 by the IFCA
● A three-sport athlete at Mt. Vernon, also competed in basketball and track. He was fifth in the state as a junior in the 300-meter hurdles
● Named the Daily Reporter Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year
PERSONAL
● Full Name: Arhmad Sedeano Branch
● Son of Leslie and April
● Has two siblings, Leuntae and Aaliyah
● Plans on majoring in Marketing
Hudson Card
● Spent three seasons at Texas, seeing action in two
● Played in 22 games for the Longhorns, starting five
● Went 127-for-194 (65%) for 1,523 yards and 11 touchdowns through the air and only threw two interceptions
● Career game came against West Virginia (10/01/22) when he threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-20 win, earning him Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week honorable mention honors
● Completed 14-of-22 passes for 158 yards against Alabama after entering on the last play of the first quarter
Mondrell Dean
HIGH SCHOOL
● A consensus three-star prospect
● Ranked as the No. 2 prospect from West Virginia and the No. 120 edge in the nation by On3
● Won the Huff Award from the West Virginia Sports Writers Association as the premier defensive player in the state
● Tabbed as the All-Kanawha Valley Player of the Year by the Charleston Gazette-Mail
● Played both sides of the ball for Hurricane High School.
● As a senior, rushed for 617 yards on 76 carries with 16 touchdowns while making 139 total tackles with 24 for a loss and 11 sacks on defense. Also five pass defenses and four forced fumbles
● On the basketball court, averaged 15.1 points per game with 7.6 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game
PERSONAL
● Full Name: Mondrell K. Dean
● Son of Al Dean and Vondrell Foster
● Has five siblings, Cameron, Jervon, Markale, Markiesha and Robert
Jalen Grant
● Played for three years at both left guard and center for Bowling Green
● Appeared in all 30 games the team played in during that time, starting in 27 of them
● Played 658 snaps at left guard and 154 plays at center in 2022
● Saw action in all five of the Falcon’s games in 2020 as a true freshman, helping the team to Top 50 rankings in rushing offense, sacks allowed and yards per completion
PERSONAL
● Plans on majoring is pre-exercise science
Isaiah Nichols
● Spent four years at Arkansas, playing in three with a redshirt
● Saw action in 49 games for the Razorbacks, starting 23
● Recorded 80 tackles, 6.0 for a loss, and 2.5 sacks in three seasons
● Logged a career-high six tackles against Alabama (12/12/20)
● His best performance of the 2021 season came with four tackles in a 24-10 win over Penn State (1/1/22)
Derrick Rogers Jr.
HIGH SCHOOL
● A consensus three-star prospect
● Ranked as the No. 145 wide receiver in the class by 247Sports
● Hauled in 49 receptions for 920 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior
● Recognized as one of the top performers at the 2022 ESPN Elite Underclassmen Camp
● Named to the 2022 Orlando All-Metro Conference team
● Included in the Orlando Sentinel’s Central Florida Super60
● Related to Detroit Lions safety Kirby Joseph, who played under head coach Ryan Walters at Illinois
PERSONAL
● Full Name: Derrick Devon Rogers Jr.
● Son of Derrick Rogers and Latoya Hayes
Salim Turner-Muhammad
● Spent four years at Stanford, playing in three with a redshirt
● Played in 21 total games in his career for the Cardinal
● Made 34 total tackles with two passes defended and a forced fumble over three seasons
● Logged a career-high five tackles with one for a loss in an upset win at No. 23 Washington
● Three-time Pac-12 All-Academic Honor Roll honoree (2020, 2021, 2022)
PERSONAL
● Full Name: Salim Ali Turner-Muhammad
● Son of Rita Bridgewater Turner and David Turner
● Has six siblings, Khairi, Aisha, David, Jabril, Niya and Khalil
Issiah Walker
HIGH SCHOOL
● Ranked as the No. 127 overall junior college recruit and the No. 19 OT from the junior college ranks
● Played right tackle for one season Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas. Had previous stops at Florida and Miami (FL)
● Out of high school, was a consensus four-star prospect.
● Ranked as the No. 13 OT in the nation and the No. 24 recruit from the state of Florida
● Named to the inaugural Sports Illustrated All-American team in 2019 alongside the likes of Bryce Young and Jaxon Smith-Njigba
BUTLER FOOTBALL
BUTLER FOOTBALL ADDS 17 STANDOUT NEWCOMERS TO 2023 ROSTER
INDIANAPOLIS – Butler football head coach Mike Uremovich is pleased to announce the addition of 17 student-athletes to the program for the start of the 2023 campaign. This unit is composed of five defensive backs, four offensive linemen, three defensive linemen, two wide receivers, one tight end, one quarterback, and a specialist.
“We are really excited about this recruiting class,” said Uremovich. “Our goal was to start in Indiana and work our way out. I thought the coaching staff did a great job identifying kids early in the process who are great students, love physical football, and want to be a part of the Butler community. We will add a few more to the class over the next few weeks but the majority of the class is in place. It is really exciting to welcome these young men and their families into the program.”
Nik Belski
OL
6-2, 275
LaSalle, Ill.
LaSalle-Peru Township H.S.
Two-year starter for head coach Jose Medina at LaSalle-Peru Township High School. Belski was a First Team All-State selection as a senior and was tabbed WLPO Offensive Lineman of the Year. The team captain was also an Interstate 8 All-Conference selection as well as a Prep Redzone 5A First Team All-State honoree.
Why Belski Chose Butler
“I found a great school that will prepare me for the future with a great football program. I’m excited to live out my dreams of playing college football at Butler.”
Eric Bower
OL
6-6, 265
Lake in the Hills, Ill.
Huntley H.S.
Two-year starter for head coach Michael Naymola at Huntley High School. Helped his team post an 8-2 record that ended with a conference championship. Tabbed All-Conference, All-Area and Academic All-State.
Why Bower Chose Butler
“It gives me the best opportunity to continue my education and build an academic foundation that will lead to success in the future. I also get the opportunity to play for an outstanding program and coaching staff.”
Nick Cloyd
DB
5-11, 175
Brownsburg, Ind.
Brownsburg H.S.
Two-year starter for head coach John Hart at Brownsburg High School. Team captain that helped Brownsburg win back-to-back sectional championships. Intercepted seven passes as a senior while added 40 tackles and 14 breakups. Picked off three passes in 2021 with 47 tackles and five breakups. Cloyd was a two-time HCC All-Conference selection that guided his team to a 10-2 record in 2022. His top individual performance came in the first round of the sectionals vs. Ben Davis. Cloyd returned an interception for a touchdown and ended the game with four pass break-ups and five tackles.
Why Cloyd Chose Butler
“Butler has the best of both worlds, academically and athletically.”
Peyton Daniels
DB
5-9, 165
Fishers, Ind.
Hamilton Southeastern H.S.
Two-year starter for head coach Michael Kelly at Hamilton Southeastern High School. Part of a team that won a conference, sectional and regional championship with a 12-1 overall record that included a perfect 7-0 mark in conference. Daniels had 33 tackles as a senior with an interception and seven pass breakups. He made three stops behind the line of scrimmage and also added a sack. In 2021, Daniel came up with 36 tackles, 13 pass breakups and two interceptions.
Why Daniels Chose Butler
“Butler had my major and I developed a great relationship with the position coach. I can tell the coaching staff and team is dedicated and I hope to have an impact on the team.”
Jack Davis
S
6-1, 195
Northville, Mich.
Detroit Catholic Central
Two-year starter for head coach Dan Anderson at Detroit Catholic Central High School. Helped his team win a district championship in 2022 after posting an 8-3 record. Davis made 61 tackles during his senior season while picking off two passes, forcing a fumble and recovering a fumble. He was named All-Catholic and Academic All-State. His top individual performance of 2022 came against De La Salle when he recorded 14 tackles and broke up a pass.
Why Davis Chose Butler
“I knew it would be the best place for me to build my academic and athletic legacies.”
George Dristiliaris
DL
6-3, 245
Lowell, Mass.
Lowell H.S. (Valparaiso Transfer)
Two-year starter for head coach Rob Pike at Lowell High School. Dristiliaris was an All-Conference talent that led Lowell in sacks during the 2019 season. He led all defensive linemen in tackles and had four multi-sack games as a senior. While at Valpo, Dristiliaris made his collegiate debut at Butler in 2021. He played in all 11 games a year ago, recording nine tackles (two tackles for loss) and a sack.
Why Dristiliaris Chose Butler
“I felt at home here and believe that I can succeed. Butler is giving me an opportunity to play football at the D1 level.”
Grant Edwards
TE
6-0, 235
Springfield, Ill.
Sacred Heart Griffin H.S. (Eastern Illinois Transfer)
Edwards arrived at Eastern Illinois as a Top 50 FCS Recruit by Hero Sports. As a senior in high school, he was an All-State Academic selection, along with earning all-conference honors while being a team captain. He had 51 tackles (including eight for loss) on the defensive side of the ball as a senior. His team was the 2016 state runner-up. Edwards earned his undergraduate degree in criminology/criminal justice from Eastern Illinois.
Why Edwards Chose Butler
“I am extremely grateful to be given this amazing opportunity to continue playing football during Graduate School. The coaches welcomed me from the very beginning and made me feel at home. The culture is great and a Masters degree from such a prestigious institution will add additional value to my undergraduate degree, opening up many opportunities for my future career.”
Charlie Gardner
OL
6-5, 270
Greenwood, Ind.
Center Grove H.S.
Three-year starter for head coach Eric Moore at Center Grove High School. Gardner was part of three-straight Indiana 6A State Championship teams (2022, 2021, and 2022). Center Grove went undefeated in 2020 and 2021 and would post a 40-2 overall record over the last three seasons. Gardner was tabbed All-State, All-County and All-Conference in 2022. After his senior season, he was added to the Center Grove Athletic Hall of Fame.
Why Gardner Chose Butler
“I chose Butler to further my academic and athletic career. I am confident that Butler will successfully prepare me for a career in federal law enforcement. Athletically, I also want to be a part of the thriving, winning culture that Coach U and his staff are creating.”
Luke Green
DL
6-1, 265
Pelham, N.Y.
Pelham Memorial H.S.
Four-year starter for head coach Artie Viggiano at Pelham Memorial High School. Green set the single-season (93) and career (251) school records in tackles. He also set new school records for most tackles for loss in a single-season (29) and career (69). Green was a two-time All-State selection that was tabbed All-Conference three times. This two-time team captain recorded 21 tackles in the last game of his high school career. He ended the 2022 campaign with 93 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 29 tackles for loss. As a junior, Green was credited with 86 tackles, 6.5 sacks and 26 tackles for loss. He was a two-time Defensive Lineman of the Year and once selected as the Defensive Player of the Year.
Why Green Chose Butler
“Butler give me the opportunity to further my academic and athletic careers at a great institution. It also felt like home.”
Dylan Hawthorne
DB
6-2, 170
St. Louis, Mo.
Ladue Horton Watkins H.S.
Two-year starter for head coach Mike Tarpey at Ladue Horton Watkins High School. Helped his team win a conference championship by playing both defensive back and wide receiver. All-Conference talent that scored nine touchdowns in 2022. Caught 37 passes for 535 yards and made 31 tackles as a defender. Hawthorne was a team captain that year that was tabbed All-District at the completion of the season.
Why Hawthorne Chose Butler
“I believe Butler is the place that will best prepare me for my future.”
Landon Hochstein
QB
6-4, 200
Norwalk, Iowa
Norwalk H.S.
Two-year starter for head coach Paul Patterson at Norwalk High School. Two-time All-District selection that served as a team captain in 2022. Threw for 2,143 passing yards as a senior and added 646 rushing yards to score 32 touchdowns. Hochstein left Norwalk ranked second all-time in career passing yards (4,071) and second all-time in touchdown passes. His top individual performances included throwing for 352 yards and four touchdowns vs. Indianola and going 20-for-23 vs. Pella to gain 315 yards through the air with five scores.
Why Hochstein Chose Butler
“I chose Butler for the combination of high level competition in athletics and rigor in the classroom. I also felt a strong connection between the players and coaches which made my decision clear.”
Charles Mackley
OL
6-3, 250
Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Brother Rice H.S.
Three-year starter for head coach Adam Korzeniewski at Brother Rice High School. All-State, Dream Team, All-Region, All-area, All-North, and All-Catholic talent who allowed zero sacks in his junior and senior seasons. Mackley helped his team to a 20-12 record and two district championships in his three years as a starter.
Why Mackley Chose Butler
“Butler has the best all-around fit. The coaching staff and players make up a great football program which is balanced well with strong academics.”
Blake Matthews
WR
5-11, 175
Carmel, Ind.
Carmel H.S.
Two-year starter for head coach John Hebert at Carmel High School. Matthews was an All-Conference selection as a senior after catching 26 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns. He scored on a 76-yard reception that season and averaged 11.3 yards per catch. As a junior in 2021, Matthews caught 21 passes for 200 yards and scored three TDs. He averaged 18.2 yards per catch.
Why Matthews Chose Butler
“I chose Butler to join a supportive community and I think the coaches and team will push me into the athlete that I want to become.”
Michael Nix
WR
6-0, 168
Inverness, Ill.
Saint Viator H.S.
Three-year starter for head coach Dave Archibald at Saint Viator High School. Nix caught 50 passes during his senior season, ending the year with 1,053 yards and 12 touchdowns. He added 13 carries for 101 yards and two rushing TD’s. Overall, Nix had 1,284 all-purpose yards and added a kick return TD to give him 15 total. The team captain was named All-State honorable mention, All-Conference and All-Area. As a junior, Nix caught 43 passes for 595 yards and five touchdowns.
Why Nix Chose Butler
“Butler is a high-respected academic school with high athletic standards. It feels like a great fit for me.”
Matthew Randar
DL
6-1, 230
Westlake, Ohio
Westlake H.S.
One-year starter for head coach Jason Hall at Westlake High School. Randar earned All-Conference second team and the defensive lineman of the year award in 2022. In his senior year, he recorded 41 tackles, four sacks, six tackles for loss, an interception, safety, and fumble recovery. His top individual performance came against Lakeland when he returned an interception for a pick six while adding a safety and sack.
Why Randar Chose Butler
“Butler has outstanding academics combined with an impressive division one football program.”
Jackson Stratton
S
6-1, 200
Quincy, Ill.
Quincy Notre Dame H.S.
Three-year starter for head coach Jack Cornell at Quincy Notre Dame High School. The four-year varsity player earned All-State and offensive player of the year twice, was team MVP and served as team captain. His senior year, he recorded 81 tackles, two interceptions and five sacks. Stratton notched 280 rushing and receiving yards along with two touchdowns, 10 tackles and two tackles for loss in his top individual game performance.
Why Stratton Chose Butler
“Butler as a university and as a football program offered a great culture.”
Sam Taglia
K/P
5-11, 175
Park Ridge, Ill.
Maine South H.S.
Two-year starter for head coach Dave Inserra at Main South High School. Part of a 9-3 team in 2022 that went undefeated in conference action (5-0) and reached the 8A Quarterfinals. Went 5-for-8 on field goals that year and 30-for-34 on PAT’s. Taglia’s longest made field goal that season covered 37 yards and he was also credited with 35 touchbacks on kick-offs. The year before, Maine South went 12-2 overall with a 5-0 conference record and reached the 8A Finals. He went 7-for-11 on field goals in 2021 and 41-for-45 on points after. His career-long field goal split the uprights that season from 44-yards out.
Why Taglia Chose Butler
“Butler has it all. The academics, the campus, and a team on the rise all led me here.”
IUPUI MEN’S BASKETBALL: JAGS TO OPEN TWO-GAME HOMESTAND ON THURSDAY MORNING
INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI basketball team will open a brief two-game homestand on Thursday (Feb. 2) when the Jaguars host Milwaukee (15-7, 9-3 HL) at 11:00 a.m. inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum. More than 1,000 elementary students from across a variety of Indianapolis Public Schools are expected to be in attendance. Thursday’s game will be broadcast on ESPN+ as Greg Rakestraw (pxp) and IUPUI Hall of Famer Bob Lovell (analyst) are on the call.
IUPUI (3-20, 0-12 HL) has filed a number of contests in the ‘close but no cigar’ category of late, including a six-point loss at Cleveland State on Sunday. Freshman Armon Jarrard fueled a comeback effort as the Jaguars trailed by as many as 20 in the second half before whittling the deficit to three with 3:01 to play. Jarrard tallied a career-high 22 points, including five threes, off the bench and Jlynn Counter contributed 13 points, all after halftime. Freshman Vincent Brady II had seven points and a career-high seven rebounds and five assists in the loss.
Jarrard was later honored with his second #HLMBB Freshman of the Week Award for the season as it became the sixth time this season an IUPUI rookie has been awarded.
IUPUI enters Thursday’s game looking to avenge a Dec. 3 loss to the Panthers as Milwaukee won the prior meeting, 74-61. The Panthers are currently one of four teams tied atop the Horizon League standings at 9-3 in league play. Milwaukee has won the last five meetings in the series, dating back to January 2021.
QUOTABLE
“We dug too big of a hole and you can’t do that against good teams. We left some points on the free throw line and turned it over a little too much, but this team doesn’t quit. We stayed in the fight. We knew it would be tough without (Osten) and without some other guys, but we didn’t fold,” head coach Matt Crenshaw said following the contest at Cleveland State on Sunday.
SCOUTING MILWAUKEE
Milwaukee is 15-7 overall and 9-3 in the Horizon League this season. The Panthers are 5-5 away from home this season and are coming off an improbable comeback win at Northern Kentucky on Saturday (Jan. 28). B.J. Freeman (16.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and Kentrell Pullian (10.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg) lead the Milwaukee attack while Markieth Browning II averages 9.9 points per game. Collectively, MKE is outscoring foes by more than seven points per game and are holding their opponents to just 39.5 percent shooting overall and 28.4 percent from three. The Panthers are the top shot blocking team in the Horizon League, swatting 5.9 shots per game. Ahmad Rand leads the league in blocked shots (48) and 7-foot-1 center Moses Bol is second in the league with 26 rejections.
UP NEXT
IUPUI will close out the homestand on Saturday (Feb. 4) when the Jaguars host Green Bay at noon inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum. That game will be broadcast on ESPN+ as Greg Rakestraw (pxp) and Bob Lovell (analyst) are on the call. Tickets are available by clicking here.
Tidbits heading into Thursday’s game (click here for full game notes (PDF))
SIX AWARDS
IUPUI freshmen have collected six #HLMBB Freshman of the Week Awards this season as Vincent Brady II has collected four honors and Armon Jarrard has been honored twice, including this past week.
Brady is second on the team in scoring (10.1 ppg) and rebounding (4.0 rpg) and leads the team in minutes played (31.4 mpg, 14th in the HL) and threes made (39). Brady comes in having made at least one three in 18 straight games and in 21 of the team’s 23 games this season.
Jarrard is coming off a career-high 22 points (6-8 FG, 5-7 3’s, 5-5 FT) at Cleveland State on Sunday in earning his second award of the year.
FRESHIES
All total, IUPUI freshmen are accounting for 27.8 points per game, paced by Vincent Brady’s 10.1 points per game.
Here’s a look at how the four have performed so far this season.
Vincent Brady: 31.4 mpg (14th in the HL), 10.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 39 3’s made (leads team)
Amhad Jarrard: 22.9 mpg (5th on the team), 5.7 ppg, 2.1 apg (3rd on the team), 7 steals
Armon Jarrard: 19.5 mpg (7th on the team), 5.6 ppg, 18 steals (t-3rd on the team)
DJ Jackson: 19.7 mpg, 6.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg
FRESH DUBS
It would appear that Brady will be hovering around double-digits in scoring all season long as he sits at 10.1 points per game entering today’s game.
Earlier this season, he had a stretch of four straight games with 15-or-more earlier this season, becoming the first IUPUI freshman to do so since Alex Young in 2008.
Freshmen scoring in double-digits has been a rarity for the IUPUI program as just two have done so in the program’s Division I-era. Young went on to score 2,286 points in his four-year IUPUI career and George Hill scored 1,619 points in three-plus seasons before being drafted in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft.
Alex Young – 10.8 ppg (2008-09); George Hill – 10.7 ppg (2004-05)
ALL 12
Following IUPUI’s game at Cleveland State on Sunday (Jan. 29), all 12 of the Jaguars’ scholarship players have now started at least one game this season. Graduate student Jonah Carrasco started in place of an injured Chris Osten, becoming the 12th different IUPUI player to start a game and IUPUI’s 12th different starting unit of the year.
TOPS IN THE COUNTRY
IUPUI is tops in the nation, having had 14 different players miss at least one game due to injury or illness, 12 of whom are scholarship student-athletes. Highest on the list are Zach Gunn (out for the season), Bryce Monroe (19 games missed) and DJ Jackson (11 games). Other scholarship student-athletes who have missed multiple games this season include Amhad Jarrard (8 games), Armon Jarrard (7 games), John Egbuta (5 games), Daylan Hamilton (5 games) and Cooper Dewitt (3 games).
Behind IUPUI, Wyoming, Vanderbilt and Iona have all had eight student-athletes miss time.
IUPUI has not had a game this season in which the entire roster was available.
COUNTER POINTS
Sophomore Jlynn Counter, IUPUI’s top scorer at 14.1 points per game (11th in the Horizon League), has hit for 20-or-more in three of IUPUI’s last four games. He matched his career-high with 27 points (10-18 FG, 2-5 3’s, 5-5 FT) at Purdue Fort Wayne last Wednesday (Jan. 25).
Counter has now moved among the Horizon League’s top-15 in scoring, free throw percentage, field goal percentage, assists and assist-to-turnover ratio.
TEN HIT TEN
Freshman DJ Jackson became the tenth different IUPUI player to have a double-digit scoring game for the Jaguars this season, doing so against Detroit Mercy on Jan. 21. Amazingly, of all the 10 players who have scored in double-digits this season, none were on the IUPUI roster last season.
CHRIS DON’T MISS
Graduate transfer Chris Osten is currently shooting 66.2 percent for the season, chasing the school record for single-season shooting percentage (Jon Avery – 67.9 percent in 2008-09). The 6-foot-9 forward is shooting an absurd 77 percent from the field (47-of-61) at home this season.
Coming into this season, he had scored in double-digits just one time in his Division I career
in stops at both Arizona State and Northern Illinois, and never had a double-double. However,
in 21 games this season, Osten has hit double-figures 12 times and registered four double-doubles.
BUTA EMERGES
The past five games have seen a new star emerge off the IUPUI bench as John Egbuta has provided a huge lift. The New York-native has contributed 12.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while making 24-of-40 (60 percent) shots.
SEEING 20-20
IUPUI had a pair of 20-point scorers against Oakland last Thursday as freshman Vincent Brady II had a career-high 23 points (8-16 FG, 4-9 3’s, 3-3 FT) and Jlynn Counter tallied 22 (8-16 FG, 1-2 3’s, 5-6 FT). It marked the first time under head coach Matt Crenshaw that two players have gone for 20-or-more in the same game.
CALL IN THE CLOSER
We’re putting out a call for Mariano Rivera or Trevor Hoffman or Jeff Brantley for that matter. With so many new faces and primarily young faces, head coach Matt Crenshaw is still seeking a closer to help in crunch time. IUPUI has gone down to the wire in five of its past seven games, falling short on all five occasions.
At Robert Morris on Jan. 9, IUPUI trailed 44-29 at halftime, but rallied to come all the way back in the second half. The Jaguars tied the game at 61 all and again at 63-63 before being outscored 14-7 over the game’s first five-plus minutes in the 77-70 loss.
Against Oakland on Thursday (Jan. 19), IUPUI again rallied from a nine-point deficit and led by as many as four in the closing minutes before a Jalen Moore trey with 3.0 seconds left sent the game to overtime. Oakland outscored the Jags 15-9 in overtime to secure an 83-77 win, keeping the Jags winless in league play.
Against Detroit Mercy on Jan. 21, it was a two-possession game with five minutes remaining before the Titans outscored the Jags 20-12 down the stretch.
At Purdue Fort Wayne, IUPUI rallied from 11 down to cut the Mastodons’ lead to two in the waning minutes, but couldn’t get over the hump late.
The most recent close call came at Cleveland State on Sunday as the Jaguars rallied from down 20 in the second half to down three with 3:01 to play. However, IUPUI was never able to draw even late in that contest before ultimately falling short, 78-72.
FRESH STARTERS
IUPUI had three freshmen in the starting lineup in the season opener at Iowa State as Vincent Brady II, Amhad Jarrard and Armon Jarrard all got the starting nod. The trio, all of whom are Indianapolis natives, combined on four points, five boards and an assist in their collegiate debut.
A fourth freshman, DJ Jackson, made his first collegiate start on Dec. 31 against NKU.
4K
IUPUI hosted its annual NCAA Readers Become Leaders game on Dec. 12 against Spalding University and had a program best 4,114 fans in attendance. The game attracted roughly 3,500 3rd graders from Central Indiana and stressed the importance of creating reading habits at a young age. The 4,114 fans easily surpassed the previous record for an IUPUI home game – 3,327 against Indiana State inside Conseco Fieldhouse on Dec. 23, 2008.
The previous record for an IUPUI game inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum was 3,159 in the inaugural game against Indiana State on Nov. 14, 2014.
THE MONROE EFFECT
After missing the first three games of the season to injury, junior transfer Bryce Monroe came in and made a major impact in the Jaguars’ lineup. In his four appearances, Monroe led the team in scoring (12.0 ppg) and assists (3.8 apg), despite suffering an injury in his third game back. More importantly, the team as a whole has improved its output. Without Monroe in the lineup, the Jags averaged just 53.4 points per game and scored 65.0 points per game with him available.
The San Diego-transfer had a monster game at New Orleans on Nov. 24, pumping in 29 points (13-20 FG, 3-6 3’s) and seven assists – both of which are the most by an IUPUI player this season. However, Monroe was injured during the New Orleans trip and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
LOOK AT THE ARC
The three-point line has been a tell as to IUPUI’s success, or struggles, this season.
As a whole, IUPUI ranks No. 341 (of 352) nationally in three-point percentage (28.9%) and No. 345 in threes made per game (4.6).
In IUPUI’s 20 losses, opponents are shooting 40 percent from three and connecting on 9.3 threes per game, while outscoring the Jags by 14.0 points per game from deep.
In IUPUI’s three wins, opponents are shooting just 13.3 percent from deep and connecting on just 2.6 threes per game. IUPUI is outscoring foes by five points per game from three and shooting a respectable 34.2 percent from beyond the arc.
BOOK WORMS
The Jaguars put together a 3.03 team grade point average during the fall semester with 12 members of the team earning a 3.0 or better. Junior John Egbuta was most impressive with a perfect 4.0 mark during the fall.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL EARNS “GRITTY” WIN IN MIDWEEK MACTION OVER NIU
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State women’s basketball team remained undefeated (11-0) at home in Worthen Arena Wednesday night after earning a gritty 76-68 victory over Northern Illinois.
The Cardinals (18-4, 8-1 MAC) came together as a team and were able to grind out a tough Mid-American Conference win over the Huskies (10-10, 2-7 MAC) after shooting 52 percent (32-61) from the field while defensively holding Northern Illinois to 39 percent (23-59) from the floor.
Historically, when these two teams collide it’s a battle and tonight was no different as tonight’s game came down to the wire something the Cardinals haven’t been accustomed to much this season.
In the opening minutes of the ball game, it was a tug of war between the Cardinals and the Huskies. Ball State found itself in unfamiliar territory trailing Northern Illinois 16-13 with 2:23 left in the first quarter. But the Cardinals answered with back-to-back driving layups from sophomore Ally Becki and redshirt senior Anna Clephane to end the first frame of action with a slim 17-16 edge over NIU.
Ball State finally got its offensive groove back in the second quarter and was able to begin its quest to pull away from Northern Illinois. Senior Annie Rauch knocked down a 3-pointer with just over two minutes shaved off the clock and senior Sydney Shafer’s driving layup put the Cardinals back up by seven (27-20) at the 7:10 mark. NIU stayed close throughout the remainder of the half, but the Cardinals would remain atop of the Huskies 42-37 at intermission.
The final two quarters mimicked the first half. Ball State continued to have the upper hand, but Northern Illinois battled until the very end to come within four (72-68) with under a minute remaining. Sophomore Madelyn Bischoff along with Clephane hit some key baskets down the stretch. As time was winding down, the Cardinals defensive rebounds along with a steal from graduate senior Thelma Dis Agustsdottir, would all play a vital role in tonight’s victory.
For the game, Clephane led all players with 16 points while Bischoff wasn’t too far behind with 15. Rauch registered 11 points and teammate Becki rounded out the double digit scoring with 10.
Defensively, sophomore Marie Kiefer pulled down 10 boards, eight defensive and the Cardinals as a team held one of NIU’s top scorers, Chelby Koker to five points.
The Ball State women’s basketball remains at home Saturday when it hosts Kent State in Worthen Arena at 11 a.m. ET.
BALL STATE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
NO. 8 MEN’S VOLLEYBALL HOSTS NO. 11 BYU FOR TWO MATCHES STARTING THURSDAY
No. 8 Ball State (4-2) vs. No. 11 BYU (5-1) | Thursday, Feb. 2 (7 p.m. ET)
Last meeting: Ball State 3, BYU 1 (2/5/22) | Series History: BYU leads the all-time series 17-4
CRUZ’S FIRST MEMORABLE SEASON: The Cardinals are looking to build off a historic 2022 season which saw Donan Cruz, in his first year at the helm, lead Ball State to a 23-4 overall record and the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship. BSU was also ranked third in the final NVA/AVCA Men’s Division I-II Coaches Poll: the highest ranking in program history. Ball State was also the 2022 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association regular season and tournament champions. Cruz was named the 2022 AVCA Coach of the Year last season and MIVA Coach of the Year.
SCOUTING BYU: After a road series against UC Irvine, the Cougars (5-1) moved up to No. 11 in this week’s AVCA coaches poll. BYU split the series 1-1 with No. 6 UC Irvine, defeating the Anteaters on Saturday, January 27 in a 3-2 upset win. Teon Taylor won Off the Block National Middle Attacker of the Week and was also named MPSF player of the week. It was BYU’s first weekly conference honor since former Cougar Davide Gardini won Offensive Player of the Week on March 21, 2021
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS: Ball State is coming off back-to-back 3-0 sweeps last weekend over Queens (Charlotte) and Sacred Heart. The Cardinals remain at No. 8 in the country with a 4-2 mark. The two matches this weekend against No. 11 BYU will be the second ranked opponent the Cardinals have faced this season. Offensivley, Kaleb Jenness led Ball State is kills (23) while Vanis Buckholz shined defensively with 10 blocks.
LAST MATCH AGAINST THE COUGARS: The Cardinals fell behind early to the Cougars after dropping the first set 25-23. Ball State then came back with a vengeance taking the second frame from BYU, 25-19. The third set went to extra points as both teams played neck and neck. Unfortunately, the Cardinals dropped the third set to the Cougars, 33-31. Set four was a battle but back-to-back BYU hitting errors late in the frame allowed Ball State to go up 22-20. Sophomore opposite hitter Dyer Ball’s kill put the Cardinals up 23-20 over the Cougars. An ace by senior opposite hitter Kaleb Jenness and another kill by Ball sealed the victory for BSU. For the game, Jenness led the team with 19 kills and Ball registered a personal best 17-kill performance.
MIVA/AVCA PREASEASON PREDICTION: The reigning 2022 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association regular season and tournament champions, the Ball State men’s volleyball team was picked first in the preseason MIVA poll. In addition, two Cardinals were named to the 12-member preseason all-conference team — outside attacker Kaleb Jenness and middle blocker Felix Egharevba. Jenness was also tabbed as the preseason MIVA Player of the Year. The Cardinals were recently selected No. 6 in the preseason AVCA Coaches Poll.
CARDINAL STANDOUTS RETURN: The Cardinals return veterans outside attacker Kaleb Jenness and middle blocker Felix Egharevba. Jenness has been tabbed preseason All-MIVA three straight seasons. Last year, Jenness was tabbed the MIVA Player of the Year and the MIVA Tournament MVP while also tallying First Team All-MIVA honors. Jenness was also tabbed as First Team NVA/AVCA All-American. Egharevba, a force to be reckoned with on defense, Egharevba was tabbed to the All-MIVA Second Team for the second time in his career. Last year Egharevba also earned NVA/AVCA All-American Honorable Mention. He ended last season as the 2021-22 NCAA Division NCstatistical champion for blocks per set (1.41).
USA VOLLEYBALL WINS BRONZE: Ball State men’s volleyball senior Kaleb Jenness along with his former teammate and alumnus Quinn Isaacson helped the USA Men’s Volleyball team earn the bronze medal at the Pan Am Cup this past summer in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The U.S. led in kills (56-42) and had a .463 hitting efficiency behind Isaacson who dished out 86 assists in four sets (25-16, 25-15, 22-25, 25-21) against Chile.
NEXT GAME: The Cardinals remain at home for their last two of eight home matches in row when Ball State opens MIVA action against Lewis (2/9) and Mckendree (2/11). The games are slated for a 7 pm and 5 pm ET start, respectively.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BB
NO. 8/9 NOTRE DAME SEEKS SEASON SWEEP AT BOSTON COLLEGE
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — For the second time this season, No. 8/9 Notre Dame and Boston College will square off on the basketball court. The Irish won the first matchup handily (85-47), but this time the game is in the Eagles’ house.
Notre Dame will obviously be without emotional leader Dara Mabrey, and center Lauren Ebo remains day-to-day with a lower body injury. Because of those setbacks, Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey has challenged the entire team to step up.
“It has definitely put us in an adverse situation,” Ivey said this week. “It’s a lesson and growing experience for us, and adversity builds character. Next woman up. Everyone knows they have to do a little more, even 10 percent more.”
The Eagles have struggled in conference play, but they aren’t to be overlooked. After falling to Notre Dame on New Year’s Day, they beat both NC State and Florida State back-to-back. Those are both AP Top 25 teams in the most recent poll. Boston College had many issues on defense when they played in South Bend, but Maria Gakdeng’s 6 blocks were a bright spot. No player has posted more than 4 against Notre Dame since then.
Boston College’s leading scorer Dontavia Waggoner has missed the last couple of games with an ankle injury, and she has been dealing with those issues for much of the season. Whether or not she will face Notre Dame is unknown. She leads the Eagles in points (13.1) and rebounds (7.5). Freshman Taina Mair is pacing the team in assists. Both Mair and Miles lead the ACC with 7 assists per game.
Maddy Westbeld has been the hot hand for Notre Dame recently and eclipsed the 900-point mark against NC State. She had a season-best 13 rebounds against the Wolfpack as well. Miles continues to stuff the stat sheets, posting 15.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and the previously mentioned 7 assists each time she sees the floor. She’s also shooting 50.9 percent on the year and 49.6 percent in conference play.
Thursday’s game tips off at 7 p.m. ET on ACCNX. Notre Dame is 27-9 all-time against Boston College and 10-7 at Conte Forum.
INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
SYCAMORES OVERCOME EARLY DOUBLE-DIGIT DEFICIT TO DEFEAT ACES ON THE ROAD
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Indiana State men’s basketball completed the season sweep against Evansville Wednesday night by overcoming a double-digit deficit to defeat the Purple Aces 83-65 at the Ford Center.
Cooper Neese joined Evansville’s (4-20, 0-13 MVC) Yacine Toumi to pace all scorers in the game with 19 points while Courvoisier McCauley posted an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double for Indiana State (15-9, 8-5 MVC). Julian Larry also scored in double figures while dishing out a career-high seven assists.
Larry opened the scoring in the game, but the Aces spouted off a 12-0 run to force an Indiana State timeout with a 10-point lead less than four minutes in. The Sycamores came out of that timeout with back-to-back threes that sparked a 14-0 run for a 16-12 lead at 13:44. Indiana State shot 5-of-5 from the field including 3-of-3 beyond the arc in that span while forcing three Evansville turnovers.
Evansville reeled it in to 23-21 at 8:55, but shortly after that Neese took a charge and then drove all the way in through contact on the other end to make it 25-21. Xavier Bledson hit back-to-back threes to push Indiana State’s lead to double figures at 31-21 with 6:09 to go in the opening frame.
The Sycamores led 37-23 with 3:44 left in the first half, but Evansville closed out the half on a 13-0 run to make it 37-36 at the break.
After being tied up at 39-all early in the second half, Indiana State went on a 10-0 run to go up 52-41 and force an Evansville timeout at 15:34. Zach Hobbs checked in an applied pressure to force a Cameron Henry steal which Larry laid up to push ISU’s lead to 63-51 with 9:27 to go.
The Indiana State lead hit 72-53 at 6:17 thanks to a 9-0 run, and the Sycamores closed things out with back-to-back triples in the last minute of action.
Inside the Numbers
The Sycamores held the edge in almost each statistical category, including field percentage. ISU outshot Evansville 53.8 percent to 41.8 percent from the field.
The Sycamores hit 13 triples and dished out 19 assists, the most triples and assists in a game for ISU since the last time they faced Evansville on Dec. 29 earlier this season.
ISU shot a season-high 50 percent (13-of-26) from three.
The Sycamores outrebounded the Aces 35-27 and improved to 11-1 this season when outrebounding their opponent.
Both teams committed 14 turnovers in the game, but ISU scored 21 points off Evansville miscues while the Aces scored just 14 points off ISU miscues.
News & Notes
Wednesday night was the first time ISU came from 10+-point deficit to win since Feb. 12, 2022 against Illinois State.
Wednesday night was ISU’s first road Valley win since Jan. 4, 2023 at Illinois State. The Sycamores have now won four Valley road games this season after winning just one last season.
Wednesday night marks ISU’s first Valley season sweep since defeating Evansville twice in the regular season in February of 2021.
Cooper Neese’s season-high three triples on the night makes 200 career 3-pointers for the senior, and his game-high 19 points ties a season-high.
Alongside his 14 points, Julian Larry dished out a career-high seven assists while pulling down a season-high eight rebounds.
Xavier Bledson posted double figures (13) off the bench in his second consecutive game.
Courvoisier McCauley’s 18-point, 11-rebound effort marks his third double-double of the season.
Up Next
The Sycamores return home for Hall of Fame Weekend in Terre Haute and will host Murray State at Hulman Center Saturday, Feb. 4 at 4 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
SYCAMORES DROP NAILBITER TO PURPLE ACES
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State was unable to sustain its strong start Wednesday evening, as the Sycamores fell to visiting Evansville 68-66 inside Hulman Center.
Bella Finnegan led the Trees with a career-high 17 points, all of which came in the second half. Del’Janae Williams and Anna McKendree finished with 14 points apiece, while Chelsea Cain added eight points and eight rebounds.
Similar to the previous meeting this season, Indiana State quickly jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and led 24-10 after the opening 10 minutes. Evansville rallied back to take the lead in the third quarter, though, as Indiana State’s strong start fizzled. The Sycamores retook the lead midway through the fourth but a late run for the visitors was enough for them to prevail. Indiana State had a chance to win at the buzzer, but Williams’ 3-point attempt was off the mark.
First Half
Williams scored Indiana State’s first five points, as the Sycamores got off to a torrid start from the field. McKendree kickstarted an 11-0 run for the Blue and White with a 3-pointer, which was followed by a basket from Caitlin Anderson and free throws from Cain and Ella Sawyer. Williams tacked on a pair of late baskets, the last one coming just before the buzzer to give the Sycamores a 24-10 lead heading into the second.
Evansville started the second quarter with the hot hand, as the Purple Aces scored the first 10 points of the period before Williams ended the run with a jumper. Baskets by Sawyer and Cain followed, but the quarter proved to be a cold one from the floor for the Trees. Indiana State made just four of its 15 shots from the floor, all of which came from inside the arc, as the Sycamores’ double-digit lead was cut to 32-30 at the half.
Second Half
Finnegan kept Indiana State ahead early in the third quarter with each of the Blue and White’s first nine points of the period. The freshman hit three of her first four shots to begin the second half, but Evansville answered back each time. The visitors went on to take a seven-point lead late in the quarter, but a three-point play by Lily Niebuhr got the Sycamores within 50-46 heading into the fourth.
McKendree cut Evansville’s lead down to one with a 3-pointer early in the quarter, and back-to-back jumpers by Finnegan midway through the frame tied it a 57-all. Finnegan later gave the Sycamores a 60-59 lead with a pair of free throws, but a 6-0 Evansville run followed and the Purple Aces held the lead for the remainder of the game. 3-pointers by Williams and McKendree late in the game gave Indiana State a chance, but a last-second shot from Williams to win the game was off the mark.
Inside the Numbers
Indiana State had an advantage in points in the paint (32-26), second chance points (12-11) and bench points (13-3).
Indiana State was plus-five in rebounds (41-36), with 14 of the Sycamores’ 41 rebounds coming on the offensive glass.
Lily Niebuhr finished with a career-high five points along with five rebounds. Niebuhr played 20 minutes, marking the first time in her career she played 20-plus minutes in consecutive games.
Chelsea Cain tied her season-high of four assists in Wednesday’s game, with those four assists also being her most in an MVC game.
News & Notes
Del’Janae Williams currently sits 31 points away from reaching 1,000 for her career. Williams would be the 29th player in program history to hit the milestone.
Bella Finnegan’s career-high 17 points Wednesday marked the first double-figure scoring game for her since the opening weekend of conference play.
Indiana State outscored Evansville 40-20 in the first quarter across the two games played between the teams this season.
Ella Sawyer’s four points were her most in a game since the non-conference finale against Detroit Mercy.
Up Next
Indiana State begins a three-game road trip Sunday afternoon at Northern Iowa, with tipoff slated for 3 p.m.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BB
‘DONS AT OAKLAND ON THURSDAY IN #HLMBB MATCHUP
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The long series between Oakland and Purdue Fort Wayne continues on Thursday (Feb. 2) evening in Horizon League play.
Game Day Information
Who: Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons (14-9, 6-6 Horizon League) at Oakland Golden Grizzlies (9-14, 7-5 Horizon League)
When: Thursday, February 2 | 7 p.m. ET
Where: Rochester, Mich. | O’Rena
Live Stats: Link
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: Listen
Talent: Brett Rump
Game Notes (PDF): Purdue Fort Wayne | Oakland
Series Record: Oakland leads 20-8
About Oakland:
// The ‘Dons defeated Oakland 79-73 earlier this season in overtime in Fort Wayne.
// Oakland lost on the road at Youngstown State and Robert Morris last week.
// Jalen Moore is averaging 17.2 points per game.
‘Dons and Ends:
// Deonte Billups enters the game needing four points for 1,000 in his career.
// Jarred Godfrey enters the game needing 30 points for 2,000 in his career.
// The ‘Dons have had individual scoring career highs in each of the last two games. Deonte Billups set career highs in points (26), 3-pointers (7), field goal attempts (16) and 3-point field goal attempts (12) in the win over IUPUI (Jan. 25). Damian Chong Qui followed with a career-best 31 points at Cleveland State (Jan. 27). Chong Qui’s 13 made field goals also marked a career best.
// Jarred Godfrey is the all-time leader in games played in program history. He played in his 142nd career game on Jan. 25th at Northern Kentucky to pass Cameron Benford (2017-22) who had 141 games for the mark. Godfrey now owns 144 career games played.
// Jarred Godfrey has eight games of 20 or more points this season. He has 33 career games of 20 or more points.
// Ra Kpedi on the season has six double-digit rebound games, including double-doubles at Northwestern (Nov. 18), vs. Oakland (Dec. 3) and vs. Cleveland State (Jan. 16).
// The ‘Dons have had 12 or fewer turnovers in seven of the last nine games.
// The ‘Dons are 12-1 this season when scoring 71 or more points in a game.
// Per sports-reference.com, Ra Kpedi leads the Horizon League in offensive rebounding percentage at 15.7 percent. He is second in the league with 86 total offensive boards.
// Jarred Godfrey owns 1,970 career points, second place in program history. The only Mastodon ahead of Godfrey is his former teammate John Konchar. Konchar sits in first place in program history with 2,065 points.
// Jarred Godfrey owns 604 rebounds, fifth in program history. He is also in the top five in points, assists, steals, field goals, free throws and 3-pointers in program history.
// Jarred Godfrey is shooting 91.8 percent (90-of-98) from the free throw line this season, 8th in the nation. Only once in program history has a player made 50 or more free throws in a season and finished at 90 percent or better. That was Ben Botts in 2009-09, making 65-of-71 (91.5 percent).
// Ra Kpedi has won the opening tip in 20-of-24 games this season. He also won the tip in overtime against Oakland (Dec. 3).
// The ‘Dons are 12th in the nation in 3-pointers per game (10.0).
// The ‘Dons are 11th in the nation in 3-point defense with teams shooting just 28.5 percent against them from three.
// Jarred Godfrey (1,970), Damian Chong Qui (1,505), Anthony Roberts (1,487), and Bobby Planutis (1,119) have each scored 1,000 career NCAA points. Deonte Billups (996) is knocking on the door.
// The ‘Dons have 15 games of double-digit offensive rebounds this season.
// Jarred Godfrey is the only active player in NCAA Division I men’s basketball with 1,900 points, 600 rebounds, 400 assists and 200 3-pointers. Since 1992-93 only 13 student-athletes have finished with such a career stat line. The list includes Kerry Kittles, E’Twaun Moore and Randy Foye. (per sports-reference.com)
… when Godfrey gets one more steal (to get to 200), the group will then be five total players.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BB
MASTODON WBB GOES FOR FOUR IN A ROW WHEN PENGUINS VISIT GATES
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball puts its three-game winning streak on the line against Youngstown State on Thursday (Feb. 2).
Know Your Foe
Horizon League preseason favorite Youngstown State is 16-5 and 10-2 in league play. The Penguins are riding a four-game winning streak, with their last loss coming on January 16 to IUPUI. The only other team the Penguins lost to in league play was Cleveland State. Player of the Year candidate Lilly Ritz is averaging a double-double with 17.2 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.
The Series
Youngstown State leads the all-time series 10-2 and has won the last seven meetings. The Mastodons’ last win came in 2010, which saw Stephanie Rosado score 22 points and grab 12 rebounds.
National Girls & Women in Sports Day
Purdue Fort Wayne will celebrate the National Girls and Women in Sports Day prior to Thursday’s game with a panel of women in sports associated with the Mastodons, including women’s soccer Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year Samantha Castaneda.
Defense (Clap, Clap) Defense
Purdue Fort Wayne has held its opponents to 64 points or fewer in 12 games this season. They are 9-3 in such games.
She’s Back!
After four games of four points or less, Amellia Bromenschenkel has averaged 16.6 points per game in the last five games.
In The Wins…
In the Mastodons’ wins this year, Amellia Bromenschenkel is recording 18.0 points and 6.2 rebounds with a 58.6 percent shooting clip and a 52.5 percent 3-point shooting percentage. She is also averaging 2.0 steals, 1.9 assists and 0.6 blocks per game in those games.
The Best Choice For Defensive Player of the Year
In Horizon League play, Shayla Sellers leads the league with 2.3 steals per game and is 14th in the league with 0.7 blocks per game. She is one of two players in the league that is in the top 14 in both categories.
It’s Not Over Until It’s Over
The Mastodons had three deficits of 10 points or more this season from which they came back to win: Bellarmine (10), Milwaukee (11) and Wright State (13).
Checking In On The Standings
Through 12 Horizon League games played, the Mastodons are tied for sixth in the league standings. If the current standings were to hold, the Mastodons would host a Horizon League Championship first round game on February 28.
Thieves!
Purdue Fort Wayne is leading the Horizon League and 55th in the country with 9.6 steals per game. The ‘Dons also force the 56th-most turnovers in the country at 19.00 per game, a league-best.
Especially Those Two!
In league play, Amellia Bromenschenkel and Shayla Sellers are tied for first in the Horizon League with 2.3 steals per game.
Sellers Swiper
Shayla Sellers ranks in the top-150 in the country with 39 steals this season.
Block Party
Purdue Fort Wayne is second in the Horizon League and just outside the top-100 nationally with 3.4 blocks per game.
Linbo Limbo
Jazzlyn Linbo is second in the Horizon League with 29 blocks this season.
Bro!
Amellia Bromenschenkel is in the top 120 in the nation with a 45.6 field goal percentage. This ranks third in the Horizon League.
Last Time Out
Purdue Fort Wayne blew out Detroit Mercy 69-45 on the road. Audra Emmerson scored 18 points, all of which came in the first half. Amellia Bromenschenkel had 16 points, 13 of which came in the second half.
Coming Up
Purdue Fort Wayne will welcome Robert Morris to the Gates Sports Center for its 16th-annual Pink Out Celebration on Saturday (Feb. 4).
EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BB
CLARK AND FEIT HELP ACES BATTLE BACK TO EARN 10TH WIN OF THE SEASON
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Powered by its two top scorers, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team battled back from an early deficit to capture a 68-66 win over Indiana State on Wednesday evening in Terre Haute, Ind.
Reaching the 20-point mark for the fourth time this season, fifth-year guard Myia Clark poured-in a game-high 21 points on the night, while dishing-out five assists and grabbing four rebounds. Feit notched her fifth double-double of the year, finishing with 18 points and 10 boards, hitting three triples in the Aces win. Rounding-out Evansville’s double-figure scorers, fifth-year guar A’Niah Griffin tallied 10 points, getting most of her scoring done at the charity stripe where she went a perfect 8-for-8 on the night. The Sycamores were led by guard Bella Finnegan, who recorded 17 points to pace the home side.
Despite leading by three in the opening minutes and even sitting tied at 7-7 just 3:30 in, Evansville quickly found itself in a hole to start the game. The Sycamores took control of the early portion of the game using an 11-0 run to jump out to an 18-7 lead. Indiana State’s advantage would grow as large as 14 at 24-10 at the quarter break as the Sycamores limited Evansville to just three points over the final 6:30 of the first period.
As was true last Sunday following a slow start, Evansville responded in the second quarter and worked itself back within a workable margin. Straight out of the gate in the second frame, the Aces scored 10-straight points to cut the deficit to just four with over seven minutes left in the half. A string of seven-straight Aces points scored by Clark helped Evansville tie the game at 30 as the period waned before Indiana State hit a late shot to take a two-point, 32-30 lead to the break.
Opening the second half, Indiana State built a four-point lead on three separate occasions, but Evansville seemed to have an answer each time. The game-turning point came in the middle part of the third quarter as the Aces mounted an 11-4 run to not only take the lead, but build it to its highest point of the evening at 50-43 following a layup from redshirt junior center Barbora Tomancova.
After a game of runs in the first 30 minutes, the fourth quarter unfolded similarly as wild. Owning a seven-point lead at one point in the fourth, the Aces saw Indiana State roar back to take the lead just past the halfway point of the final quarter. A key jumper from Tomancova that followed the Sycamores’ run helped regain UE’s lead for good, but the win required resiliency down the stretch from the Aces. With two minutes left, a layup from Feit gave Evansville a five-point lead, but Indiana State answered with a triple to get back within a pair. When it looked like Evansville had secured the win up 67-63 following two made free-throws from graduate guard Anna Newman with 21 seconds left, the Sycamores came down the floor and hit another three with time running out to get within one. Feit was fouled and sent to the line with just 0.8 seconds remaining, splitting a pair to make it a two-point Aces lead. Advancing the ball with a timeout, Indiana State had one last chance, but Evansville defended the in-bounds well, forcing a deep three that rattled off the side of the rim as the Aces secured the 68-66 road win.
The victory marks Evansville’s 10th win of the season and secures the Aces their 25th season in program history with double-digit wins.
Evansville will be back on the road to face Drake at 2 PM on Saturday afternoon in Des Moines, Iowa.
EVANSVILLE MEN’S BB
TOUMI SETS CAREER SCORING MARK AGAINST SYCAMORES
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Yacine Toumi connected on eight of his 16 field goal attempts to finish with a career-best 19 points on Wednesday evening as the University of Evansville men’s basketball team fell to Indiana State by a final score of 83-65 on Wednesday night at the Ford Center.
Toumi’s performance eclipsed his previous scoring high of 18, which came against Campbell and Valparaiso. Kenny Strawbridge Jr. recorded 17 while Antoine Smith Jr. and Marvin Coleman II scored eight apiece. Indiana State was led by Cooper Neese’s 19-point game with Courvoisier McCauley scoring 18 points and hauling in a game-high 11 rebounds.
“We had a much better start tonight. Indiana State is a great team and we knew they would respond. What I was really happy about is how we finished the first half to make it a 1-point game at halftime,” Purple Aces head coach David Ragland said following the game. “In the second half, they were able to get out in transition, build a double-digit lead, and it was difficult to overcome.”
An exciting first half featured big runs by both squads. Evansville connected on five shots in a row to take a 12-2 lead in the opening four minutes. After the Sycamores took a 2-0 lead, Yacine Toumi hit a jumper to tie it up. Antoine Smith Jr. followed with a triple before Gage Bobe and Kenny Strawbridge Jr. added buckets to push the lead to 9-2. Marvin Coleman II capped the run with a triple to force a time out by Indiana State.
Following the stoppage, Indiana State drained five baskets to go up 16-12 less than three minutes later. Three triples and a 3-point play opened the run as ISU went up 16-12. Toumi ended the Sycamore run but they kept the pressure on and pushed the lead to as many as 14 points – 37-23 – with 3:44 remaining in the period.
Evansville refused to back down, grabbing the momentum right back in the final minutes and it was Strawbridge leading the way in a 13-0 run. He opened the rally with a pair of free throws and knocked down three 2-point shots to make it a 37-33 game at the 1:17 mark. As the seconds ticked down, UE retook possession and Strawbridge drained a 3-pointer just before the buzzer to cut the Indiana State lead to 37-36 at the break. Evansville hit five of its final six attempts in the half while ISU’s final six possessions included three missed shots and three turnovers.
Bobe opened the second half with a triple to tie the game at 39-39 but it was another ISU run that pushed the lead back into double figures. Up 42-41, ISU knocked down four field goals in a row to open a 52-41 edge. Antoine Smith Jr. ended the stretch with his second field goal of the night and would hit three free throws to get UE back within six at 52-46 with 14:19 left in the game.
Indiana State would not let the Aces get any closer. Another three by McCauley was the start of a 20-7 run that gave ISU its largest lead at 72-53 with 6:17 on the clock. Evansville closed the gap to as few as 12 points in the final minutes before the Sycamores took the game by a final score of 83-65.
Highlighted by a 57.7% shooting performance in the second half, ISU completed the game at 53.8%. UE shot 41.8%. The Sycamores wrapped up the night with a 35-27 advantage on the boards. Next up for the Aces is a road game on Saturday at UIC with tip set for 1 p.m.
SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BB
EAGLES RETURN HOME AGAINST TENNESSEE STATE AND MOREHEAD STATE
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball returns to Screaming Eagles Arena for a pair of Ohio Valley Conference games Thursday and Saturday, celebrating Homecoming Week and Family Weekend on the USI campus. The Screaming Eagles will welcome Tennessee State University Thursday at 5 p.m. and Morehead State University for the homecoming game Saturday at 1 p.m.
Southern Indiana (9-12, 3-7) heads into the homestand looking to snap a three-game skid, the program’s longest since the 2015-16 season. The most recent setback for USI was a 68-56 loss last Saturday at the University of Tennessee at Martin. USI got off to a solid start in the contest, leading UT Martin 32-23 at halftime. However, a momentum swing for the Skyhawks in the third quarter led to a 45-24 second half in favor of UT Martin.
Junior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) led USI with 16 points in the game. Senior forward Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio) scored 15 points and senior forward Tara Robbe (Wildwood, Missouri) posted a season-high 12 points. Sophomore guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) had a tough day shooting but pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds.
During the game, Haithcock had another career milestone moment, as she passed 500 career rebounds. The senior already passed 1,000 career points at the beginning of the conference season. Haithcock joined an elite group in USI Women’s Basketball history on Saturday, becoming the 10th player all-time to tally at least 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds. Haithcock enters the week with 1,139 points and 502 rebounds in her USI career. The senior leads USI with 15 points per game on the season.
Raley returned to the starting lineup Saturday after coming off the bench in the previous three games. Her team-high 16 points marked the 17th game this season that the junior has posted double figures. She has scored 15 or more in nine games this season. Raley was 6-11 shooting with two triples in Saturday’s game. Raley is third on the team in scoring, averaging 13.2 points per outing.
Robbe had her first double-digit game of the season with 12 points, although the senior has come close to scoring 10 or more on several occasions in 2022-23. Previously, Robbe scored nine points in five different games with all five being road games. The senior went 5-7 from the floor on Saturday and recorded a team-best eight second-half points.
Shafford surpassed her previous career-high 12 rebounds with 14 on Saturday. The sophomore has been sensational on the glass all season, pacing USI at 7.2 boards per game. She has five double-figure rebound games this season, including her first two career double-doubles back in nonconference play. Making a determined effort on the boards, Shafford has doubled her season average from her freshman campaign. Shafford’s rebounding output has complemented her scoring ability, as she has scored 10 or more in 17 games this season. Shafford is top-five in the nation in three-point percentage and is the only Screaming Eagle to start every game this year. Shafford is second on the squad with 13.3 points per contest.
Heading into this week’s games, USI is tied for eighth with Tennessee State in the Ohio Valley Conference standings at 3-7. Morehead State is tied for sixth at 4-6. Thursday will be the first all-time meeting between USI and Tennessee State, while Saturday will be the second meeting between USI and Morehead State after Morehead State defended its home court in early January with a 64-61 win against USI.
Tennessee State (7-13, 3-7) started conference play with three straight losses before winning two in a row. Now, TSU has dropped four straight in games actually played. Tennessee State did not play last Saturday following a forfeiture by Lindenwood University. Last Thursday, the Tigers fell on the road at Southeast Missouri State University, 77-59. A slow start hurt the Tigers, as they were outscored 27-12 by SEMO in the first quarter. Both teams shot the ball well, but SEMO made 11 triples. Tennessee State’s defense recorded 15 steals, as the Tigers lead the OVC and are one of the best teams in the nation in takeaways.
The Tigers are led in scoring by graduate guard Erica Haynes-Overton at 14.7 points per game. She also leads the team with 46 steals. Sophomore guard Gia Adams is second on the team in points, averaging 13.8 points per contest.
Morehead State (8-13, 4-6) has won two of the last three games after dropping the previous four contests. Last time out, Morehead State captured a 64-60 home win against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. After a close first half where Morehead State trailed by three at the break, the Eagles flipped the scoreboard in their favor with a 21-14 third quarter. Morehead State’s defense had 10 steals, while offensively, the Eagles capitalized on 42 points in the paint and 13 fast break points.
Senior guard Veronica Charles, who scored a team-high 21 points against SIUE, leads the squad in scoring and rebounding, averaging 12.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. She also tops the team with 68 steals. Junior forward Sophie Benharouga had 12 points against SIUE and is second in scoring with 9.8 points per contest.
VALPO WOMEN’S BB
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL DROPS NARROW BATTLE TO UIC
The Valpo women’s basketball team battled nearly all the way back from a 14-point first-half deficit on Wednesday evening at the ARC in a physical battle with UIC, but the Beacons were unable to complete the comeback, falling by a 55-53 final to the Flames
How It Happened
Senior Olivia Brown (East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids [St. Bonaventure]) scored Valpo’s first eight points of the game, keeping the Beacons within 10-8 with 3:21 to play in the opening period.
UIC closed the first quarter on an 11-3 spurt to extend its lead to 21-11 at the end of the period, and scored six of the first eight points of the second quarter to push its edge to 27-13 with 6:15 to play in the first half.
Valpo surrendered just two points the remainder of the half, however, as part of a 9-2 stretch to finish out the opening 20 minutes. Brown and sophomore Olivia Sims (Toledo, Ohio/Notre Dame Academy [Oakland]) both had 3-pointers during that span as Valpo was within 29-22 at intermission.
UIC scored on each of its first two trips of the second half to make it a double-digit lead once again, but Valpo answered with an 8-1 run over the next five-plus minutes — capped by a 3-pointer from freshman Ali Saunders (Depauw, Ind./North Harrison) which made it a 34-30 game.
The Flames extended their lead out to 40-32 at the end of the third quarter.
A 3-point play from redshirt junior Emma Tecca (Tallmadge, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban [Akron]) and a layup by fifth-year Maya Dunson (Dayton, Ohio/Wayne [Loyola]) in the opening three minutes of the final period brought the Beacons within one possession at 40-37 with just over seven minutes to play, as close as they had been since the first quarter.
UIC pushed back out to a seven-point edge, but Valpo came back with an 8-2 spurt on a Dunson triple, a layup from junior Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) and another 3-pointer from Brown to close to within one at 48-47 with 3:40 remaining.
The Beacons had a shot to take the lead on their next possession, but were unable to convert, and UIC’s Tiana Jackson — who had made just three 3-pointers all season — hit from deep to bump the Flames’ edge to 51-47 with 2:20 to go.
Neither team scored again until Brown hit a pair from the free throw line with 38.4 seconds to play, cutting the deficit to 51-49. UIC hit two free throws on its next possession, but Valpo responded with a layup from Dunson with 8.2 seconds to go.
On the ensuing inbounds, in the frontcourt after a UIC timeout, the Flames’ Jaida McCloud got free for a layup to close out Valpo’s shot at earning the come-from-behind win.
Inside the Game
Valpo shot 47.5% from the field on Wednesday while holding the Flames to 39.1% shooting. The Beacons were 8-of-19 from the 3-point line as well, matching their season best percentage-wise (42.1%) from deep.
Valpo was hit with 27 fouls, its highest mark since the start of Valley play. UIC got nine more chances at the charity stripe, going 13-of-19 from the foul line versus Valpo’s 7-of-10 mark.
The Beacons committed 22 turnovers in the loss while forcing just 13 UIC miscues. UIC ended the night with a 17-6 advantage in points off turnovers.
Brown was the lone Valpo player to score in double figures, posting 16 points. The senior went 4-of-7 from the 3-point line and is now hitting at a 51.6% clip from downtown in MVC action.
Making her return to regular action after missing Sunday’s game and seeing limited game time on Friday due to injury, Dunson scored nine points off the bench on 4-of-6 shooting and pulled down a team-best seven rebounds to match her career high.
Earnest chipped in eight points and six rebounds as well, while Saunders handed out four assists to pace the Beacons.
U OF I FOOTBALL
UINDY FOOTBALL ANNOUNCES 2023 RECRUITING CLASS
INDIANAPOLIS – It’s National Signing Day and the UIndy football team is joining programs all over the country in proudly announcing its newest additions. With the help of his assistants, Head Coach Chris Keevers welcomed his newest recruiting class on Wednesday, with 54 newcomers joining the program this fall. Find a list of the names below, with complete signing day coverage – including bio info, highlights and coach’s thoughts – available here.
2023 UINDY FOOTBALL SIGNING CLASS
| NAME | POS | HT | WT | YR | HOMETOWN | HIGH SCHOOL |
| Nate Ahoyt | TE | 6-4 | 230 | Fr | Plainfield, IL | Joliet Catholic Academy |
| Alex Bailey | DL | 6-4 | 260 | Fr | Mentone, IN | Tippecanoe Valley |
| Mike Barberi | RB | 5-9 | 185 | Fr | Tinley Park, IL | Victor J. Andrew |
| Joey Burke | WR | 6-4 | 190 | Fr | Tinley Park, IL | Victor J. Andrew |
| Riley Buroff | QB | 6-4 | 190 | Fr | Columbia City, IN | Churubusco |
| Colten Cahill | OL | 6-5 | 290 | Fr | New Salisbury, IN | North Harrison |
| Cole Cardwell | RB | 5-11 | 210 | Fr | Kokomo, IN | Northwestern |
| Eli Carter | RB | 5-10 | 180 | Fr | Noblesville, IN | Tipton |
| Kaleb Carver | WR | 5-9 | 160 | Fr | Mt. Juliet, TN | Green Hill |
| Luke Chambers | TE | 6-5 | 235 | Fr | Galveston, IN | Lewis Cass |
| Troy Cooper | DE | 6-4 | 235 | Fr | Lombard, IL | Glenbard East |
| Lucas Copenhaver | OL | 6-1 | 280 | Fr | Sullivan, IN | Sullivan |
| Kaden Edwards | DL | 5-10 | 245 | Fr | Indianapolis, IN | North Central |
| Daniel Foster | OL | 6-3 | 270 | Fr | Trafalger, IN | Indian Creek |
| Wrigley Franklin | DE | 6-2 | 225 | Fr | Linton, IN | Linton-Stockton |
| Jerrell Franklin, Jr. | LB | 6-0 | 205 | Fr | Murfreesboro, TN | Oakland |
| Jeremiah Goodwin | LB | 6-2 | 190 | Fr | Owensboro, KY | Owensboro |
| Freddy Hawthorne | WR | 6-3 | 175 | Fr | Brownsburg, IN | Brownsburg |
| Jake Houston | DE | 6-3 | 250 | Fr | Franklin, IN | Franklin Community |
| Elijah Jennings | LB | 6-0 | 215 | Fr | Clarksville, IN | New Albany |
| DeBrince Johnson | DB/LS | 6-1 | 185 | Fr | Versailles, KY | Woodford County |
| Chase Jones | RB | 6-0 | 200 | Fr | Elberfield, IN | Tecumseh |
| Luke Keller | QB | 6-3 | 225 | Gr | Zionsville, IN | Guerin Catholic |
| Zackarrey Kelley | WR | 6-1 | 170 | Fr | Georgetown, KY | Great Crossing |
| Caleb Kramer | LB | 6-1 | 207 | Fr | Huntingburg, IN | Southridge |
| Giuseppe Leone | K | 5-9 | 160 | Fr | Sullivan, IN | Sullivan |
| Jon Lewis | RB | 5-10 | 197 | Jr | Hermitage, TN | Donelson Christian Academy |
| Ki’Arran Love | DB | 5-10 | 195 | Fr | Hamilton, OH | Fairfield |
| Deshaun Lowe | WR | 5-8 | 170 | Fr | Terre Haute, IN | South Vigo |
| Caleb Marcus | RB | 5-11 | 170 | Fr | Brownsburg, IN | Brownsburg |
| Deejay McFerson | STAR | 6-0 | 180 | Fr | Indianapolis, IN | Speedway |
| Drew McClure | OL | 6-2 | 280 | Fr | Louisville, KY | DuPont Manual |
| Joey McDermott | TE | 6-3 | 240 | Fr | Fishers, IN | Fishers |
| Griffin McGee | K | 5-10 | 165 | Fr | West Baden, IN | Springs Valley |
| Gavin Miller | STAR | 6-2 | 185 | Fr | Hobart, IN | Hobart |
| Layton Moore | DB | 5-11 | 175 | Fr | Avon, IN | Avon |
| Bralynn Morris | DT | 6-2 | 250 | Fr | Nashville, TN | Ensworth |
| Phillip Newman | DL | 6-0 | 212 | Fr | Terre Haute, IN | South Vigo |
| Keegan Otte | RB | 5-8 | 190 | Fr | West Dundee, IL | Dundee Crown |
| Kade Sainz | WR | 6-2 | 170 | Fr | Goshen, IN | Northridge |
| Jamall Starks | DL | 5-11 | 260 | Fr | Columbus, IN | Columbus East |
| Cory Stennis | WR | 5-11 | 175 | Fr | Monee, IL | Crete Monee |
| Gabe Stockrahm | TE | 6-1 | 230 | Fr | Terre Haute, IN | Northview |
| Brandon Stuckey | OL | 6-3 | 270 | Fr | Fort Wayne, IN | Snider |
| Gavin Sukup | QB | 6-0 | 195 | So. | Seward, NE | Seward |
| Carson Terrell | QB | 6-2 | 195 | Fr | Richmond, IN | Northeastern |
| Nolan Tunny | LB | 6-2 | 205 | Fr | Indianapolis, IN | |
| Elijah Tyson | WR | 5-8 | 165 | Fr | Dixmoor, IL | Shepard |
| Collin Vaughn | DT | 6-3 | 285 | Gr | Charlotte Court House, VA | Stafford |
| Aidan Wasson | TE | 6-4 | 240 | Fr | Fairland, IN | Triton Central |
| Ryan Whitwell | RB | 6-0 | 205 | Fr | Geneva, IL | Batavia |
| Colton Wilkie | WR | 6-3 | 190 | Fr | Portage, IN | Portage |
| Keion Willis | DT | 6-3 | 280 | Gr | St. Louis, MO | Christian Brothers |
| Michael Wojciechowski | LS | 5-8 | 175 | Gr | Graytown, OH | Oak Harbor |
U OF I WOMEN’S TENNIS
#8 GREYHOUNDS DOWN FINDLAY OILERS IN HOME OPENER
INDIANAPOLIS – No. 8 UIndy women’s tennis had a successful open to their spring, welcoming and subsequently beating G-MAC member Findlay by a score of 5-2.
INS AND OUTS
Doubles was a story the Greyhounds are not used to, dropping two of the three matches on route to a Findlay point. Anna Novikova and Lea Cakarevic held down the fort at the No. 1 slot, picking up a victory 6-1.
Singles was a different story however, with the Greyhounds going undefeated, minus a forfeit at the No. 6 singles slot. Maissane Aik struck the first blow, speeding to a 6-1, 6-0 victory. The fresh face in Maria Fiacan followed Aik’s lead, winning in straight sets 6-2, 6-3.
No. 18 Anna Novikova got the job done just minutes later in the No. 1 singles slot leading to a complete momentum switch in the team match. Another fresh face in the Stavropol, Russia-native Margarita Andreiuk saw the court for the first time in the Crimson in Grey. She proved she belonged with a clean 6-2, 6-1 victory.
Ending the match was the third new face for the Hounds in Aimee Reynoso out of Mexico. Despite dominance in the first set, she dropped the second, forcing a 10 point tiebreak. In said tiebreak she took a lead and never let up, ending in a 10-3 win.
U OF I WOMEN’S TENNIS
#7 MEN’S TENNIS BLANKS GRACE ON HOME OPENER
INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 7-ranked University of Indianapolis men’s tennis team made a showing of dominance in their home opener against the Grace Lancers, sweeping all nine matches.
INS AND OUTS
The Zeuch Destouet magic was in full effect the beginning of doubles, as within only 15 minutes of action, the reigning ITA DII national champions had claimed a 6-0 victory, giving up only two points across the match-up. For Nikolaj Talimaa and Jason Gerweck, the tides were equally as calm as the pair cruised to a 6-1 win. The fresh faces in Erwan Andre Momo and Louis Picaud faced some opposition but found the W in the end.
Singles was quick and simple to say the least, Tom Zeuch made it a perfect day, scoring his second clean sweep of the day, winning 6-0, 6-0 in the No. 2 slot. Edgar Destouet, much like his partner in crime, showed very little strife on route to a 6-2, 6-2 straight sets win at the top slot. From then on the Greyhounds were on a role with Talimaa, Picaud and Momo all winning their matches. A fresh face to the program in August Ehrnrooth made his debut for the Hounds, impressing with a dazzling 6-1, 6-1 victory.
UP NEXT
The Hounds have their first test of 2023 on deck as they travel north to face the Lakers of Grand Valley State on Saturday, Feb. 4. The first match is set to start at 1 p.m. in the Great Lake State.
MARIAN WOMEN’S BB
NO. 6 MARIAN WINS FIFTH STRAIGHT WITH SEASON SWEEP OF BETHEL
INDIANAPOLIS – No. 6 Marian downed Bethel 62-42 Wednesday night on John Grimes Court led behind Ella Collier’s 18 points. The win wraps up the regular season sweep of the Pilots, moving the Knights to 13-1 in Crossroads League play and 22-2 overall.
Marian got out to a quick 5-0 start before Bethel got their first points at the 7:17 mark. It was the start of a 14-4 run fueled by Jayla Wehner and Ella Collier who combined for all by two points during the spurt to give Marian the 10-point lead at 19-9 to end the first quarter.
Collier picked up right where she left off, canning the triple 33 seconds into the second quarter. Collier was a key factor to Marian’s success by spreading the Pilots’ defense thin. The junior guard went 6-7 from the floor to have 14 first half points. Marian’s lead got up to 19 by the end of the first half after a triple by Kenna Kirby sparked a 9-0 run to close out the second quarter 35-16.
Wehner and Allison Bosse scored the first points for Marian with a jumper and three-pointer. The Pilots responded seconds later with a basket of their own, but it was Abbey McNally giving her team more momentum by scoring six of her team’s last 12 points in quarter three. The Knights held the 28-point lead at 52-24 going into the final quarter of action.
Bethel never gave up despite their deficit as they outscored Marian 18-10 in the fourth. The Pilots got a little bit of an offense flowing with an 8-2 run to cut the lead back to 56-32. Alexa McKinley ended the run with three free throws and later a layup to put her team back up by 25. McKinley’s points would be the last for the Knights for a little over five minutes as the Bethel defense put a stop to Marian’s offensive.
The defensive pressure by the Pilots allowed them to cut the deficit to 62-42 for a final score.
Collier led all players with 18 points, while also adding four rebounds and two assists. Wehner added 10 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Abbey McNally ended with eight points and five rebounds, while Aliyah Evans and Kinnidy Garrard each poured in six points. Garrard also corralled a game-high seven rebounds.
Marian will return to play on Saturday when they host Huntington on Senior Day. Tipoff is set for 1 PM.
MARIAN MEN’S BB
KNIGHTS STUMBLE IN ROAD LOSS AT BETHEL
Mishawka, Ind. – The Knights jumped out to a 14-8 lead Wednesday night as they battled against Bethel, however a 13-0 run in the first quarter for the Pilots gave them the lead for good as the men’s basketball team fell 87-72. Marian’s sixth loss in Crossroads League play drops them to 18-6 overall and 8-6 in league action.
The Knights started strong Wednesday night, getting a quick six points from Taeshon Cherry and a Hayden Langkabel dunk to pad an 8-2 lead in the first two minutes. Christian Harvey went coast to coast with a layup, and after a pair of Bethel scores Gavin Foe helped keep control, scoring in a 4-2 stretch that gave the visitors a 14-8 lead.
Langkabel’s score at the 14:44 mark was quickly answered by a Drew Lutz three, and after a full timeout the Pilots went to work from beyond the arc, nailing three of four trey’s to go on a 13-0 run. Tanguy Touze’s three at the 11:06 mark forced Marian to regroup with a timeout trailing 21-14, as they gradually regained their bearings with Cherry and Foe scoring in the paint and at the line. Trading scores throughout much of the final eight minutes of the opening half, Bethel held their lead at three points or more, with a combination of Lutz and Nathan Aerts answering the scores of Harvey and Langkabel.
A Brody Whitaker jumper with 4:27 would be the closest Marian would get to taking back the lead as the half dwindled, with Bethel building their lead back to a two-possession game over the next three trips down the floor. Marian would go into the half trailing 40-35, getting a point back with 61 seconds to go on a Jackson Ames free throw.
Fouls plagued Marian early in as the second half resumed, with the Pilots working their way to the charity stripe to extend their lead. A three-point play from Josh Bryan gave the Knights their second score in the half and cut Bethel back to a three-point lead, but Marian’s inability to stop Bethel’s three-point shooters cost dearly.
As the Knights aimed to grab momentum, a Pilot would knock down a trey, with Lutz and Deacon Heath drianing outside scores. The score remained a two-score contest throughout the first eight minutes of the half despite the three-point barrage, with Whitaker and Harvey carrying the scoring. At the 11:08 mark, a layup from Aerts ignited a 7-0 run for Bethel, giving them their first double-digit lead of the game.
Harvey would help Marian cut their deficit to nine points after Bethel claimed the double-digit lead, but that would be the closest the score would get for the remainder of the night, as the Pilots answered any Knight score with one of their own. Bethel led by as many as 17 points in the final five minutes, closing Marian’s 87-72 road defeat.
The Knights shot a respectable 46.6 percent from the field in the loss, however a cold 1-17 night from downtown did the Knights in, with Bethel canning 10 more shots from deep. Harvey finished with a game-high 20 points while dishing three of the team’s nine assists, and Cherry scored 13. Langkabel and Foe each scored 11 in the loss.
Marian will return home on Saturday as they look to avenge an early season loss to Huntington, with tip coming at approximately 3 p.m.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
KENDRICK GILBERT PICKS KENTUCKY OVER PURDUE
Four-star Cathedral senior defensive lineman Kendrick Gilbert, previously a Purdue commit, announced his decision to attend Kentucky.
He committed to Purdue in August, but the Wildcats jumped back into the process when coach Jeff Brohm left the Boilermakers for Louisville. Gilbert took official visits to Purdue, Kentucky, LSU and Iowa prior to committing making his original commitment to the Boilermakers.
Gilbert had 31 tackles and three sacks in nine games as a senior for Cathedral.
ANDERSON MEN’S BB
MEN’S BASKETBALL: RAVENS FALL SHORT TO PANTHERS IN OVERTIME
The Anderson University men’s basketball team fell short to Hanover College by a score of 87-80 in overtime during Wednesday’s Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) matchup in Hanover.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the opening four minutes of the contest, the Ravens built an 11-6 lead.
Hanover cut away at Anderson’s lead in threes and tied the game at 15-15 with 12 minutes, 47 seconds to go in the first half. Ty Houston scored six points during the 9-4 run.
The Ravens sparked an 18-2 run in the first half to take a 33-17 lead with 8:00 remaining in the first half. Alex Hunt contributed six points during the run.
Anderson held a 38-24 lead with 3:21 left in the half. Hanover cut the deficit in half before halftime with a 7-0 run. The Ravens led 38-31 at halftime.
The Ravens led the Panthers 47-39 with 15:05 in regulation. Hanover then put together a 11-0 run to take a 50-47 lead with 10:32 remaining in regulation. Coleman Sater tallied six points during the run.
The contest began to go back and forth as the next 5:04 consisted of five lead changes.
A pair of free throws from Jordan Gadis and a layup from Camden Smith gave the Ravens a 65-60 lead.
Michael Donoho provided a bucket for Hanover to trim Anderson’s lead to three. Bryson Huckeby then knocked down a shot from behind the arc to give Anderson a 68-62 lead with 3:48 left in regulation.
The Panthers responded with five consecutive defensive stops and a 9-0 run to take a 71-68 lead. Donoho hit a shot for Hanover to put the Panthers ahead by three with 22 seconds to go.
After Anderson received a second and third chance, Tate Ivanyo sank a 3-pointer with 1 second left in regulation, tying the game at 71-71.
Huckeby kicked off the overtime with a 3-pointer for the Ravens, giving Anderson a 74-71 lead.
Brice Gilman added a basket for Hanover. Sater completed a bucket-and-1 situation to give the Panthers a 76-74 lead with 3:01 to go.
Smith knocked down a pair of free throws to tie the game. Up one point with 2:00 to go, Max Greenamoyer delivered a dagger 3-pointer to give Hanover a four-point lead.
The Panthers made 6-of-7 (85.7 percent) free-throw attempts down the stretch.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
During the overtime, Hanover converted 4-of-5 (80 percent) shots from the field while Anderson was held to 2-of-9 (22.2-percent) shooting from the floor.
The Panthers drained 15-of-18 (83.3 percent) shots from the free-throw line while the Ravens made 8-of-10 (80 percent) attempts from the charity stripe.
Hanover converted 30-of-63 (47.6 percent) attempts from the field while Anderson made 30-of-66 (45.5 percent) shots from the floor.
The Ravens knocked down 12-of-29 (41.4 percent) shots from 3-point range while the Panthers hit 12-of-32 (37.5 percent) attempts from behind the arc.
Tate Ivanyo – 20 Points, 7 Rebounds, 4 Assists
Bryson Huckeby – 12 Points, 10 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 4 Steals
Camden Smith – 15 Points
Elijah Mattingly – 10 Points, 2 Blocks
Jordan Gadis – 10 Points
Alex Hunt – 6 Points
Gavin Dowling – 5 Points
Fred Shropshire – 2 Points
COACH CARTER COLLINS’S COMMENTS
A disappointing one. You need to be really good to win on the road against good teams, and there were a couple of areas that we knew we needed to be good in, had it in our power to be better in, but just didn’t get it done. It’s frustrating, but we need to move on quickly – we still control our own destiny in the conference race.
UP NEXT
Anderson takes on Franklin College (12-8, 8-5) in HCAC action on Saturday at 3 p.m. in O.C. Lewis Gymnasium.
ANDERSON WOMEN’S BB
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: ANDERSON SHUTS DOWN HANOVER
The Anderson University women’s basketball team (13-7, 10-4) shut down Hanover College (12-6, 11-2) with a 91-62 victory during Wednesday’s Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) matchup in O.C. Lewis Gymnasium.
Anderson converted 31-of-62 (50 percent) shots from the field while Hanover was limited to 21-of-71 (29.6 percent) attempts from the floor. The Ravens drained 14-of-31 (45.2 percent) shots from 3-point range while the Panthers were held to just 2-of-15 (13.3 percent) attempts from the perimeter. Jade Shipley notched 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists for the Ravens while Lexi Dellinger produced 20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Anderson converted 31-of-62 (50 percent) shots from the field while Hanover was limited to 21-of-71 (29.6 percent) attempts from the floor.
The Ravens drained 14-of-31 (45.2 percent) shots from 3-point range while the Panthers were held to just 2-of-15 (13.3 percent) attempts from the perimeter.
Anderson outscored Hanover 20-14 off turnovers.
Hanover held a 17-8 advantage in offensive rebounds, but the Ravens still outscored the Panthers 8-6 on second-chance points.
The Panthers made each of their 18 free-throw attempts while Anderson hit 15-of-18 (83.3 percent) shots from the charity stripe.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Jade Shipley – 22 Points, 7 Rebounds, 3 Assists
Lexi Dellinger – 20 Points, 10 Rebounds, 6 Assists, 4/5 (80%) 3FG
Lauren Smith – 12 Points, 4/6 (66.7%) 3FG
Izzy Davis – 12 Points
Makynlee Taylor – 7 Points, 7 Rebounds, 4 Assists
Grace Marshall – 6 Points
Jada Stansberry – 6 Points
Bella Larrison – 4 Points
Brynn Beard – 2 Points
COACH JON GIN’S COMMENTS
What an incredible night. I felt like we played our best basketball all year. We were moving the ball great on offense and finding the open player all night long. We were in attack mode early and often. Defensively, we stuck to the game plan really well and contested everything from the rim all night long. Jade and Lexi had huge nights for us and when the Splash Sisters are going, everyone feeds off their energy.
UP NEXT
The Ravens battle Franklin College (8-11, 7-7) in HCAC action on Saturday at 1 p.m. in O.C. Lewis Gymnasium.
WABASH MEN’S BB
LITTLE GIANTS THRILL CAPACITY CROWD WITH TEN-POINT WIN OVER DEPAUW
CRAWFORDSVILLE, IN – Wabash took a one-point lead with seven minutes left in the first half and never trailed again, holding off a tough DePauw University Tigers team 89-79 Wednesday evening in front of a capacity crowd at Chadwick Court.
Wabash (16-4, 9-2 NCAC) trailed DePauw (14-7, 6-6 NCAC) by as many as seven points on three separate occasions in the first half. Down 16-9 six minutes into the contest, the Little Giants got back-to-back three-pointers from Ahmoni Jones and Vinny Buccilla to cut the Tigers’ lead to one.
Buccilla gave Wabash its first lead at the 8:40 mark of the first half with a pull-up jumper for a 19-18 advantage. DePauw answered with a basket from Ronald Johnson, but Gavin Schippert scored a put-back hoop with 6:52 left on the clock to put the Little Giants up for good at 21-20 in the first half. Wabash stretched its lead to six points in the final minute of the half and took a 38-32 lead to the locker room at the break.
The Little Giants shot 62.5 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes, connecting on 15-of-24 shots. The Little Giants hit 3-of-9 from three-point range for 33.3 percent and went 5-of-6 from the free throw line for 83.3 percent.
DePauw cut into the Wabash lead in the second half after the Little Giants pushed their advantage to as many as nine points in the first five minutes of the final period. The Tigers trimmed the lead to one point at 60-59 at 11:35, but a two-pointer and a free throw from Josh Whack expanded the lead back to four points. Buccilla gave Wabash a seven-point lead with his final three-pointer of the game with 7:36 left for a 70-63 contest.
DePauw got as close as four points with 3:11 remaining, but Sam Comer hit a back-down basket to push the lead to 78-72. Comer scored again after a DePauw turnover to make it an 80-72 lead for Wabash. Elijah Hales answered with a basket with 1:46 left on the clock before Sam Comer nailed a dagger 3-pointer with 1:22 left to put Wabash ahead 83-74. The Little Giants made their final six free throws to offset a pair of baskets by DePauw to claim the ten-point victory.
The Little Giants finished with four players scoring in double figures, led by Jones, who had 27 points. Buccilla matched his career high with 25 points, and Comer chipped in with 14 points and five assists. Whack scored a career-best 14 points, eclipsing his 13-point effort earlier in the season against DePauw.
Wabash did a great job taking care of the basketball, dishing out 12 assists while turning the ball over six times. Comer’s five assists paced the Little Giants. Wabash disrupted several DePauw shots in the contest, coming away with five blocks. Whack led the way individually for the Little Giants with two rejections.
How It Happened
After falling behind 16-9, Wabash went on a 6-0 run with 13:38 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Buccilla, to narrow its deficit to 16-15. The Little Giants then closed the rest of the gap and grabbed a 38-32 lead heading into halftime. Wabash did most of its first-half damage in the paint, scoring 20 of its 38 points close to the basket.
Wabash kept its lead intact before going on a 5-0 run to grow the lead to 85-74 with 1:03 to go in the contest. The Tigers narrowed the margin to eight points before the game was over, but the Little Giants still cruised for the 89-79 win. Wabash shot well from three-point range in the half, hitting seven shots from deep to score 21 of its 51 points.
Game Notes
» Wabash shot 31-of-53 from the field for the game (58.5 percent) and made 10-of-25 three-point attempts (40 percent). Wabash connected on 17-of-19 free throws in the contest (89.5 percent).
» DePauw went 29-of-64 from the field (45.3 percent) and shot 8-of-22 from three-point range. The Tigers finished 13-of-17 from the free-throw line.
» Wabash had a 30-29 edge on the boards in the win. Buccilla grabbed a team-high five rebounds.
» Wabash turned the ball over six times while dishing out 12 assists. Comer finished with five assists. Jones and Buccilla each had two assists.
» Sam Jacobs led DePauw with 21 points. Hales scored 18 points for the Tigers. Camden Brown added 11 points, and Grant Niego chipped in 10 points.
ROSE-HULMAN MEN’S BASKETBALL:
TAKES DOWN EARLHAM; MOVES INTO 3-WAY TIE FOR 4TH
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology brought home their second consecutive home win as they took down Earlham 56-52. The win marks their 28th in 30 games against the Quakers.
In the first half, the Fightin’ Engineers built an eight-point lead, but the Quakers were able to battle back with a 7-0 scoring run. They would lead 29-27 at the break.
The Quakers came out strong in the second half and grew their lead to eight at with a 6-0 run. The Quakers would stay in control until the Fightin’ Engineers came alive. When Jaden Terry picked up his fourth foul for Earlham and had to exit the game, Rose-Hulman went on a 16-4 run to take a three-point deficit and turn it into a nine-point lead with two minutes to go.
Max Chaplin led the Fightin’ Engineers in scoring with 11 points, and Kobe Stoudemire added 10 points and 3 rebounds.
Terry Hicks and Willie Bowman each added 9 points for the Fightin’ Engineers. Vuk Djuric provided a major spark off the bench as he led the team with 6 rebounds and 4 assists.
Earlham was led by Tommy Makabu with 18 points, and Jaden Terry added 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals.
Rose-Hulman improves to 11-9 overall and 8-5 in HCAC play, while Earlham dropped to 4-16 and 3-10 in league games. Rose-Hulman moves into a three-way tie for fourth place in the HCAC with Franklin and Transylvania. The Fightin’ Engineers hit the road on Saturday for a 2:00 PM tipoff against Bluffton.
TAYLOR WOMEN’S BB
TAYLOR ATHLETICS | OSSWALD DRIVES TROJANS TO VICTORY AT THE CHARITY STRIPE
HUNTINGTON, Ind. – Jillian Osswald drove the Trojans to their fourth-straight win on Wednesday evening, when she shot a perfect 10-10 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter alone en route to a 77-73 TU victory over Huntington (9-15, 4-10 CL).
As a team, Taylor shot a remarkable 16-17 from the charity stripe in the final period of play, fueling a 29-point quarter to flip the script on a hopeful Huntington squad.
Huntington scored the first six points of the game behind an aggressive display of basketball. The Foresters persisted in their defensive pressure throughout the first half, forcing 11 TU turnovers that resulted in 11 points on the other end for Huntington.
At the half, Huntington led, 36-29, as Taylor shot just 5-15 as a team in the second quarter. Claycee West led the Trojan response in the third, however, posting 11 of her game-high 22 points while the Trojans cut the Huntington lead to two.
Osswald then commanded the game from the free-throw line down the stretch, embodying a calm posture while sinking 10-consecutive shots at the line.
TU has now made 10-or-more free throws in four-straight games, shooting nearly 77.0 percent throughout its four-game win streak.
West, meanwhile, has scored 20-or-more points in three of her last six performances, all the while adding six assists, five steals, and three boards in Wednesday’s win at Huntington.
Dating back to last season, Trojan forward, Taylor Westgate, had scored double-digit points in 24-consecutive games, an impressive streak that ended with a nine-point and 14-rebound performance against the Foresters.
10 of Westgate’s rebounds came in the decisive second half for Taylor, in which TU outrebounded Huntington 17-10 while also committing two fewer turnovers than the Foresters.
Ball control and capitalizing at the free-throw line served as the magic ingredients for Taylor in its significant second-half comeback win over Huntington. With its latest win, Taylor maintains a hold on sole possession of fourth place in the Crossroads League standings, now just two games behind Grace for third.
Taylor (15-9, 8-6 CL) and RV Grace (17-7, 10-4 CL) are set to square off at 1:00 pm this Saturday, February 4, in Winona Lake, where Westgate will have the opportunity to eclipse 1,000-career points in a Trojan uniform. The Marion, Indiana, native currently sits at 984-career points, just 16 away from the 1,000-career-point milestone.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
SPORTS EXTRA
NBA STANDINGS
| EASTERN CONFERENCE | ||||||||||||
| W | L | PCT | CONF GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF | LAST 10 | STREAK | |||
| 1 BOSTON | 37 | 15 | .712 | — | 20-6 | 17-9 | 7-1 | 21-11 | 7-3 | 2 W | ||
| 2 MILWAUKEE | 34 | 17 | .667 | 2.5 | 21-5 | 13-12 | 7-4 | 20-13 | 7-3 | 5 W | ||
| 3 PHILADELPHIA | 33 | 17 | .660 | 3.0 | 20-8 | 13-9 | 5-3 | 19-11 | 8-2 | 1 W | ||
| 4 BROOKLYN | 31 | 20 | .608 | 5.5 | 15-8 | 16-12 | 6-5 | 21-11 | 4-6 | 1 L | ||
| 5 CLEVELAND | 31 | 22 | .585 | 6.5 | 21-6 | 10-16 | 8-3 | 18-10 | 4-6 | 1 L | ||
| 6 MIAMI | 29 | 23 | .558 | 8.0 | 17-9 | 12-14 | 6-3 | 13-14 | 7-3 | 1 W | ||
| 7 NEW YORK | 27 | 25 | .519 | 10.0 | 12-14 | 15-11 | 3-7 | 18-15 | 4-6 | 2 L | ||
| 8 ATLANTA | 26 | 26 | .500 | 11.0 | 13-11 | 13-15 | 5-4 | 17-17 | 6-4 | 1 W | ||
| 9 WASHINGTON | 24 | 26 | .480 | 12.0 | 12-10 | 12-16 | 5-3 | 13-15 | 7-3 | 6 W | ||
| 10 INDIANA | 24 | 28 | .462 | 13.0 | 16-10 | 8-18 | 3-4 | 17-14 | 1-9 | 3 L | ||
| 11 CHICAGO | 23 | 27 | .460 | 13.0 | 13-11 | 10-16 | 5-4 | 19-15 | 4-6 | 1 L | ||
| 12 TORONTO | 23 | 30 | .434 | 14.5 | 15-12 | 8-18 | 4-9 | 15-19 | 4-6 | 2 L | ||
| 13 ORLANDO | 20 | 32 | .385 | 17.0 | 13-13 | 7-19 | 2-7 | 10-22 | 4-6 | 1 L | ||
| 14 CHARLOTTE | 15 | 37 | .288 | 22.0 | 7-16 | 8-21 | 5-6 | 8-24 | 4-6 | 1 L | ||
| 15 DETROIT | 13 | 39 | .250 | 24.0 | 6-19 | 7-20 | 0-8 | 5-23 | 2-8 | 2 L | ||
| WESTERN CONFERENCE | ||||||||||||
| W | L | PCT | CONF GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF | LAST 10 | STREAK | |||
| 1 DENVER | 35 | 16 | .686 | — | 23-4 | 12-12 | 9-4 | 26-10 | 7-3 | 1 W | ||
| 2 MEMPHIS | 32 | 19 | .627 | 3.0 | 21-4 | 11-15 | 6-2 | 15-16 | 4-6 | 1 L | ||
| 3 SACRAMENTO | 29 | 21 | .580 | 5.5 | 16-11 | 13-10 | 5-5 | 17-10 | 7-3 | 2 W | ||
| 4 LA CLIPPERS | 29 | 25 | .537 | 7.5 | 14-11 | 15-14 | 4-4 | 17-15 | 7-3 | 1 W | ||
| 5 DALLAS | 27 | 25 | .519 | 8.5 | 18-9 | 9-16 | 6-2 | 19-12 | 4-6 | 1 W | ||
| 6 MINNESOTA | 28 | 26 | .519 | 8.5 | 19-11 | 9-15 | 6-6 | 19-17 | 6-4 | 1 W | ||
| 7 GOLDEN STATE | 26 | 25 | .510 | 9.0 | 19-6 | 7-19 | 4-4 | 15-10 | 6-4 | 1 L | ||
| 8 PHOENIX | 27 | 26 | .509 | 9.0 | 19-9 | 8-17 | 8-0 | 20-14 | 6-4 | 1 L | ||
| 9 UTAH | 27 | 26 | .509 | 9.0 | 18-9 | 9-17 | 4-5 | 19-15 | 7-3 | 2 W | ||
| 10 NEW ORLEANS | 26 | 26 | .500 | 9.5 | 17-9 | 9-17 | 7-3 | 16-13 | 1-9 | 9 L | ||
| 11 PORTLAND | 25 | 26 | .490 | 10.0 | 14-11 | 11-15 | 5-7 | 18-15 | 6-4 | 2 W | ||
| 12 OKLAHOMA CITY | 24 | 27 | .471 | 11.0 | 15-11 | 9-16 | 4-6 | 11-15 | 6-4 | 2 L | ||
| 13 LA LAKERS | 24 | 28 | .462 | 11.5 | 13-12 | 11-16 | 1-9 | 12-17 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| 14 SAN ANTONIO | 14 | 38 | .269 | 21.5 | 9-20 | 5-18 | 2-7 | 5-30 | 1-9 | 7 L | ||
| 15 HOUSTON | 13 | 38 | .255 | 22.0 | 8-17 | 5-21 | 1-8 | 7-27 | 3-7 | 2 W |
NHL STANDINGS
| EASTERN CONFERENCE | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | ROW | GF | GA | HOME | ROAD | L10 | ||
| 1 BOSTON BRUINS | 51 | 39 | 7 | 5 | 83 | 37 | 192 | 111 | 22-1-3 | 17-6-2 | 7-2-1 | |
| 2 CAROLINA HURRICANES | 51 | 34 | 9 | 8 | 76 | 31 | 173 | 136 | 17-5-2 | 17-4-6 | 9-0-1 | |
| 3 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS | 52 | 31 | 13 | 8 | 70 | 31 | 175 | 141 | 20-5-4 | 11-8-4 | 5-4-1 | |
| 4 NEW JERSEY DEVILS | 49 | 32 | 13 | 4 | 68 | 31 | 171 | 131 | 13-10-2 | 19-3-2 | 8-1-1 | |
| 5 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING | 48 | 32 | 15 | 1 | 65 | 31 | 175 | 141 | 20-4-1 | 12-11-0 | 8-2-0 | |
| 6 NEW YORK RANGERS | 49 | 27 | 14 | 8 | 62 | 25 | 157 | 129 | 13-9-4 | 14-5-4 | 6-2-2 | |
| 7 WASHINGTON CAPITALS | 53 | 27 | 20 | 6 | 60 | 26 | 166 | 152 | 14-8-3 | 13-12-3 | 4-6-0 | |
| 8 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS | 49 | 24 | 16 | 9 | 57 | 23 | 161 | 153 | 14-6-4 | 10-10-5 | 4-3-3 | |
| 9 BUFFALO SABRES | 50 | 26 | 20 | 4 | 56 | 25 | 186 | 170 | 11-13-2 | 15-7-2 | 6-2-2 | |
| 10 NEW YORK ISLANDERS | 52 | 25 | 22 | 5 | 55 | 25 | 148 | 144 | 15-9-2 | 10-13-3 | 3-5-2 | |
| 11 FLORIDA PANTHERS | 52 | 24 | 22 | 6 | 54 | 23 | 178 | 183 | 13-7-3 | 11-15-3 | 5-3-2 | |
| 12 OTTAWA SENATORS | 50 | 24 | 23 | 3 | 51 | 23 | 151 | 159 | 14-11-1 | 10-12-2 | 6-4-0 | |
| 13 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS | 51 | 21 | 21 | 9 | 51 | 21 | 142 | 162 | 10-12-2 | 11-9-7 | 5-3-2 | |
| 14 DETROIT RED WINGS | 48 | 21 | 19 | 8 | 50 | 20 | 145 | 160 | 12-10-3 | 9-9-5 | 5-4-1 | |
| 15 MONTREAL CANADIENS | 51 | 20 | 27 | 4 | 44 | 16 | 134 | 189 | 11-14-1 | 9-13-3 | 4-5-1 | |
| 16 COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS | 51 | 15 | 32 | 4 | 34 | 14 | 131 | 198 | 11-15-2 | 4-17-2 | 3-5-2 | |
| WESTERN CONFERENCE | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | ROW | GF | GA | HOME | ROAD | L10 | ||
| 1 DALLAS STARS | 51 | 28 | 13 | 10 | 66 | 27 | 173 | 133 | 13-5-6 | 15-8-4 | 4-2-4 | |
| 2 SEATTLE KRAKEN | 49 | 29 | 15 | 5 | 63 | 29 | 177 | 151 | 13-10-3 | 16-5-2 | 6-3-1 | |
| 3 WINNIPEG JETS | 52 | 32 | 19 | 1 | 65 | 32 | 166 | 137 | 18-8-0 | 14-11-1 | 5-5-0 | |
| 4 LOS ANGELES KINGS | 53 | 28 | 18 | 7 | 63 | 24 | 173 | 183 | 14-9-2 | 14-9-5 | 5-4-1 | |
| 5 VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS | 51 | 29 | 18 | 4 | 62 | 26 | 160 | 148 | 14-13-0 | 15-5-4 | 2-6-2 | |
| 6 MINNESOTA WILD | 48 | 27 | 17 | 4 | 58 | 23 | 151 | 138 | 15-8-1 | 12-9-3 | 5-4-1 | |
| 7 EDMONTON OILERS | 50 | 28 | 18 | 4 | 60 | 28 | 187 | 162 | 13-11-3 | 15-7-1 | 7-1-2 | |
| 8 COLORADO AVALANCHE | 48 | 27 | 18 | 3 | 57 | 23 | 151 | 133 | 13-9-3 | 14-9-0 | 7-3-0 | |
| 9 CALGARY FLAMES | 50 | 24 | 17 | 9 | 57 | 23 | 157 | 152 | 14-9-2 | 10-8-7 | 5-3-2 | |
| 10 NASHVILLE PREDATORS | 48 | 24 | 18 | 6 | 54 | 22 | 137 | 141 | 14-7-3 | 10-11-3 | 6-4-0 | |
| 11 ST. LOUIS BLUES | 51 | 23 | 25 | 3 | 49 | 20 | 156 | 185 | 10-12-2 | 13-13-1 | 3-7-0 | |
| 12 VANCOUVER CANUCKS | 49 | 20 | 26 | 3 | 43 | 17 | 165 | 193 | 10-13-1 | 10-13-2 | 3-7-0 | |
| 13 SAN JOSE SHARKS | 51 | 15 | 25 | 11 | 41 | 14 | 157 | 196 | 5-12-7 | 10-13-4 | 3-4-3 | |
| 14 ARIZONA COYOTES | 50 | 16 | 28 | 6 | 38 | 14 | 131 | 177 | 10-8-2 | 6-20-4 | 3-6-1 | |
| 15 ANAHEIM DUCKS | 50 | 16 | 29 | 5 | 37 | 13 | 125 | 205 | 9-13-1 | 7-16-4 | 4-5-1 | |
| 16 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS | 48 | 15 | 29 | 4 | 34 | 15 | 118 | 176 | 9-16-2 | 6-13-2 | 6-4-0 |
FOOTBALL HISTORY
FEBRUARY 2, 1913 – THE NEW YORK GIANTS BASEBALL CLUB SIGNED JIM THORPE. IF YOU REMEMBER IT WAS THIS WAS RIGHT AFTER HIS OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALS EARNED AT THE 1912 GAMES WERE STRIPPED FROM HIM DUE TO PLAYING A LITTLE BIT ON THE DIAMOND IN 1910. THORPE WAS A GREAT ATHLETE BUT HIS DABBLING IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL FOR 6 OF THE NEXT 8 YEARS WERE NOT HIS TOP MOMENTS IN ATHLETIC HISTORY. HE RESUMED FOOTBALL IN 1920 WHEN THE FLEDGLING NFL UNDER THE GUISE OF THE APFA HIRED THORPE TO BE THEIR MARQUIS PLAYERS AND PRESIDENT TO GIVE THE LEAGUE CREDIBILITY PER THE HISTORY.COM WEBSITE ARTICLE.
FEBRUARY 2, 1959 – VINCE LOMBARDI SIGNED A 5 YEAR CONTRACT TO COACH THE GREEN BAY PACKERS. WHAT HE DID IN THE NEXT DECADE WITH THAT FRANCHISE MAY NEVER BE REPEATED AGAIN IN THE NFL. PER THE PFR LOMBARDI LED THE PACK TO THREE NFL CHAMPIONSHIPS AND TWO SUPER BOWL VICTORIES IS A PRETTY GOOD ITEM TO HAVE ON YOUR COACHING LEGACY!
FEBRUARY 2, 1986 – ALOHA STADIUM, HONOLULU – AT THE NFL PRO BOWL FOR THE 1985 SEASON THE NFC BEAT THE AFC, 28-24. THE MVP OF THE GAME WAS GIANTS QUARTERBACK PHIL SIMMS.
FEBRUARY 2, 1992 – ALOHA STADIUM, HONOLULU – NFC OUTLASTED THEIR AFC COUNTERPARTS, 21-15 AT THE NFL PRO BOWL. MICHAEL IRVIN, THE DALLAS COWBOYS WIDE RECEIVER, EARNED THE MVP OF THE GAME.
FEBRUARY 2, 1997 – ALOHA STADIUM, HONOLULU – QUARTERBACK MARK BRUNELL OF THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS WON A GAME MVP HONOR AS HE HELPED HIS AFC TEAMMATES OVERCOME THE NFC IN AN EXCITING OVERTIME 26-23 VICTORY AT THE NFL PRO BOWL FOR THE 1996 SEASON.
FEBRUARY 2, 2003 – ALOHA STADIUM, HONOLULU – AT THE 2002 SEASONS NFL PRO BOWL, THE AFC DOMINATED THE NFC WITH A FINAL SCORE OF 45-23, THE CONTEST’S MVP WAS DOLPHINS RUNNING BACK RICKY WILLIAMS.
FEBRUARY 2, 2014 – METLIFE STADIUM, EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – SUPER BOWL XLVIII WAS A FAIRLY ONE SIDED AFFAIR AS THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS KNOCKED AROUND THE DENVER BRONCOS, 43-8. THE FAMED LEGION OF DOOM DEFENSE OF THE SEAHAWKS MADE LIFE MISERABLE FOR VETERAN QB PEYTON MANNING, AS THEY PICKED OFF TWO OF HIS PASSES AND HARASSED AND HURRIED THE LEGENDARY THROWER ALL GAME. THE GAME STARTED WITH A BAD SNAP BY THE BRONCO WHICH LED TO 36 UNANSWERED POINTS UNTIL DENVER FINALLY GOT ON THE BOARD WITH MANNING PASS TO DEMARYIUS THOMAS TD STRIKE OF 14 YARDS ON THE LAST PLAY OF THE 3RD QUARTER. SEATTLE LINEBACKER MALCOLM SMITH TOOK HOME THE GAME’S MVP TROPHY PER THE PFR.
FEBRUARY 2, 2020 – HARD ROCK STADIUM, MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – SUPER BOWL LIV SAW A TEAM THAT HAD NOT BEEN IN THE BIG GAME IN A HALF CENTURY! THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS WERE DOWN IN EVERY PLAYOFF GAME LEADING UP THE SUPER BOWL AND THE BIG GAME WAS NO DIFFERENT. THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS HELD A 20-10 LEAD WITH OVER SIX MINUTES TO PLAY IN THE GAME ONLY TO WATCH IT EVAPORATE WITH MAHOMES ORCHESTRATING 21 UNANSWERED POINTS IN LESS THAN 6 MINUTES! THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS CAPTURED THE NFL TITLE WITH A VICTORY OVER THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, 31-20. THE YOUNG GUN PATRICK MAHOMES QUARTERBACK OF THE CHIEFS GRABBED THE MVP HONORS AND GAVE KANSAS CITY ITS FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORY IN 50 YEARS! MAHOMES THREW 2 PICKS BUT ALSO HAD A COUPLE OF TD TOSSES AS HE PASSED FOR 286 YARDS AND RAN ANOTHER SCORE IN WITH HIS LEGS PER THE PRO FOOTBALL REFERENCE.
FEBRUARY 2, 2022 – THE WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM OF THE NFL, AFTER DEPARTING TWO YEARS EAR;IER FROM THE NICKNAME OF REDSKINS ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WOULD NOW BE THE WASHINGTON COMMANDERS GOING FORWARD. THE FRANCHISE ROLLED OUT THREE DIFFERENT UNIFORMS, TWO OF THEM WITH THE TRADITIONAL MAROON AND GOLD AND ONE THAT SPORTED ALMOST ENTIRELY BLACK IN COLOR FROM HELMET TO PANTS.
HOF BIRTHDAYS
FEBRUARY 2, 1895 – WHERE WOULD WE BE IN PRO FOOTBALL WITHOUT THE GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS OF GEORGE HALAS WHO WAS BORN ON THIS DAY. MAYBE A BETTER QUESTION WOULD BE IF WE HAVE PRO FOOTBALL WITHOUT MR HALAS. HALAS WAS A VERY GOOD PLAYER, IN COLLEGE HALAS CAUGHT A TOUCHDOWN PASS FROM PADDY DRISCOLL AS THE GREAT LAKES NAVAL STATION TEAM CRUISED TO A 17-0 ROSE BOWL VICTORY OVER THE MARE ISLAND MARINES SQUAD. HALAS WENT ON TO HELP ORGANIZE AND COACH THE DECATUR STALEYS, WAS HANDED OWNERSHIP OF THE FRANCHISE BY MR STALEY HIMSELF AND THEN MOVED THE TEAM TO THE WINDY CITY AND RE-BRANDED THEM AS THE CHICAGO BEARS. IN 1902 PAPA BEAR MET WITH OTHER PROFESSIONAL TEAMS ACROSS THE MIDWEST TO ORGANIZE THE APFA, THE EARLY NAME OF THE NFL IN RALPH HAY’S HUPMOBILE SHOWROOM OVER A BUCKET OF BEER! HALAS ALSO COACHED THE BEARS SQUAD FOR 40 SEASONS STEPPING AWAY ONCE TO SERVE IN WORLD WAR II. GEORGE HALAS ACCORDING TO HIS BIO ON THE HOF SITE FINISHED WITH 318 REGULAR-SEASON WINS AND 324 TOTAL VICTORIES WHICH WERE BOTH LONG-STANDING NFL RECORDS UNTIL DON SHULA SURPASSED THEM IN 1993. HIS CHICAGO BEARS TEAMS WON SIX NFL TITLES, THE FIRST COMING IN 1921 AFTER THE STALEYS MOVED TO CHICAGO. THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME RECOGNIZED GEORGE HALAS WHEN THEY ENSHRINED HIM IN THE INAUGURAL INDUCTION CEREMONY IN 1963.
FEBRUARY 2, 1952 – BEMIDJI, MINNESOTA – THE AWESOME UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME TIGHT END, DAVE CASPER WAS BORN. THE NFF HAS AN EXCELLENT BIO ON DAVE CASPER IN WHICH THEY STATE THAT HE EARNED ALL-AMERICA HONORS ON THE FIELD AND IN THE CLASSROOM. CASPER LED THE FIGHTING IRISH TO A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WHILE EARNING CONSENSUS ALL-AMERICA HONORS. CASPER CAUGHT THREE PASSES FOR 75 YARDS IN NO. 5 NOTRE DAME’S 24-23 WIN OVER NO. 1 ALABAMA IN THE 1973 SUGAR BOWL. THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION VOTERS SELECTED DAVE CASPER FOR ENTRANCE INTO THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME IN 2012. AS WE LEARNED A FEW DAYS AGO IN THE FOOTBALL HISTORY HEADLINES, CASPER WAS PICKED IN THE SECOND ROUND OF THE 1974 NFL DRAFT BY THE OAKLAND RAIDERS. HE PLAYED 10 SEASONS WITH THE SILVER AND BLACK AND ONE WITH THE VIKINGS AND WAS NAMED AS AN ALL- PRO IN FOUR CONSECUTIVE YEARS ACCORDING TO THE PROFOOTBALLHOF.COM SITE GARNERING THE HONOR FIVE TIMES OVERALL IN HIS BRILLIANT CAREER. CASPER WAS PART OF NFL HISTORY AS HE SCORED ON THE INFAMOUS HOLY ROLLER PLAY THAT LED TO A RAIDERS VICTORY OVER SAN DIEGO. THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME ENSHRINED DAVE CASPER INTO THEIR MUSEUM OF LEGENDS IN 2002.
BASEBALL HISTORY
1876 THE NATIONAL LEAGUE FORMS WITH CHARTER TEAMS LOCATED IN BOSTON, CHICAGO, CINCINNATI, HARTFORD, LOUISVILLE, NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA, AND ST. LOUIS. THE HARTFORD DARK BLUES WILL PLAY ITS SECOND SEASON IN BROOKLYN AS THE HARTFORDS BEFORE DISBANDING IN 1877.
1936 TY COBB, BABE RUTH, HONUS WAGNER, WALTER JOHNSON, AND CHRISTY MATHEWSON ARE THE FIRST FIVE MEN ELECTED INTO BASEBALL’S NEW HALL FAME, SCHEDULED TO BE OPEN IN 1939 AS PART OF THE GAME’S CELEBRATION OF ITS CENTENNIAL. A CLAIM MADE BY THE FORMER 1905 MILLS COMMISSION, WHICH PROVES TO BE ERRONEOUS, SUGGESTS THAT THE NATIONAL PASTIME WAS INVENTED BY CIVIL WAR HERO ABNER DOUBLEDAY IN COOPERSTOWN, MAKING THE SMALL VILLAGE IN UPSTATE NEW YORK THE PERFECT PLACE FOR THE INDUCTION OF THE LEGENDARY BALLPLAYERS.
1950 AT A BOSTON SPORTSWRITERS DINNER, INFIELDER BOBBY DOERR RECEIVES THE FRED HOEY AWARD, GIVEN BY THE SCRIBES IN MEMORY OF THE FIRST FULL-TIME BROADCASTER FOR BOTH THE RED SOX AND THE BRAVES. THE SCRAPPY SECOND BASEMAN’S FRIEND AND BOSTON TEAMMATE, TED WILLIAMS, SURPRISES THE GATHERING BY ATTENDING THE EVENT WEARING A TIE.
1972 LEFTY GOMEZ, A SOUTHPAW BEST KNOWN FOR HIS FOUR 20-WIN SEASONS WITH THE YANKEES, AND ROSS YOUNGS, A POPULAR OUTFIELDER FOR THE GIANTS WHO COMPILED A LIFETIME .322 BATTING AVERAGE BEFORE SUCCUMBING TO KIDNEY DISEASE AT THE AGE OF 30, ARE SELECTED BY THE SPECIAL VETERANS COMMITTEE TO BE ENSHRINED IN COOPERSTOWN. THE GROUP ALSO GIVES THE NOD TO FORMER AMERICAN LEAGUE PRESIDENT WILLIAM HARRIDGE, INITIALLY HIRED TO FILL A THREE-YEAR TERM AS AN INTERIM BUT WILL HOLD THE POSITION FOR THE NEXT 27 YEARS.
1976 WITH HIS ELECTION INTO COOPERSTOWN, UMPIRE CAL HUBBARD BECOMES THE ONLY PERSON ELECTED TO THE BASEBALL AND FOOTBALL HALLS OF FAME. THE BIG MAN FROM KEYTESVILLE, MISSOURI, NAMED THE ALL-TIME NFL’S OFFENSIVE TACKLE, PLAYED WITH THE GIANTS, PACKERS, AND PIRATES (STEELERS) DURING HIS TEN-YEAR CAREER IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, AND WAS INDUCTED INTO THE PRO GRIDIRON HALL OF FAME IN 1966.
1976 THE VETERAN’S COMMITTEE ELECT VETERAN UMPIRE CAL HUBBARD, THIRD BASEMAN/OUTFIELDER FREDDIE LINDSTROM, ONE-TIME CAREER HOME RUN CHAMPION ROGER CONNOR TO THE HALL OF FAME. THE WATERBURY REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN, CONNOR’S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER, HAD HEAVILY LOBBIED FOR THEIR NATIVE SON AFTER HANK AARON PASSED BABE RUTH’S RECORD IN 1974.
1986 AFTER RETURNING FROM A THREE-YEAR ABSENCE DUE TO A KNEE INJURY, RIGHT-HANDER DENNIS LEONARD ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT. THE 35-YEAR-OLD, A TWENTY-GAME WINNER IN 1977, 1978, AND 1980, COMPILED AN 8-13RECORD AND A 4.44 ERA IN HIS COMEBACK ATTEMPT WITH THE ROYALS.
1987 THE BRAVES TRADE RIGHT-HANDED CRAIG MCMURTRY TO THE BLUE JAYS FOR SECOND BASEMAN DAMASO GARCIA AND PITCHER LUIS LEAL. THE RIGHT-HANDERS WILL NEVER PITCH FOR THE NEW TEAM, AND GARCIA WILL HIT .117 IN 21 GAMES BEFORE BEING RELEASED BY ATLANTA.
1999 PADRES’ OUTFIELDER GREG VAUGHN BECOMES THE FIRST PLAYER TRADED IN MAJOR LEAGUE HISTORY AFTER HITTING 50 HOME RUNS THE PREVIOUS SEASON. SAN DIEGO DEALS THE SLUGGER AND MARK SWEENEY TO THE REDS FOR REGGIE SANDERS, DAMIAN JACKSON, AND JOSH HARRIS.
2001 A FLY BALL WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY SEVEN MORE FEET TO CLEAR CAMDEN YARDS’ FENCES THIS SEASON DUE TO THE ORIOLES MOVING HOME PLATE. THE FIELD’S NEW ALIGNMENT WILL ALSO CUT DOWN THE AMOUNT OF FOUL TERRITORY AVAILABLE, WITH THE FAIR POLES BEING ALMOST FLUSH AGAINST THE LEFT- AND RIGHT-FIELD CORNERS.
2003 RED SOX MANAGER GRADY LITTLE, KNUCKLEBALLER TIM WAKEFIELD, AND FIRST-BASE COACH DALLAS WILLIAMS APPEAR AT THE ATRIUM MALL IN NEWTON, MODELING THE TEAM’S NEW LOOK, INCLUDING SOLID RED SOCKS. THE RED SOX SOCKS HAVE HAD VERY LITTLE RED IN RECENT YEARS AND HAVEN’T BEEN ENTIRELY RED FOR OVER FIFTY YEARS.
2005 THE BLUE JAYS ANNOUNCE THE THREE-YEAR CORPORATE CONTRACT TO RENAME THE SKYDOME TO THE ROGERS CENTRE. THE CONTROVERSIAL CHANGE, REVEALED BY TED ROGERS, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS, PROVES UNPOPULAR WITH MANY FANS, MOST OF WHOM CONTINUE TO REFER TO THE TORONTO BALLPARK BY ITS ORIGINAL MONIKER.
2005 THE MUCH-HERALDED SAMMY SOSA TRADE TO THE ORIOLES BECOMES FINAL WHEN COMMISSIONER BUD SELIG APPROVES THE DEAL, AND THE 36-YEAR-OLD SLUGGER PASSES A PHYSICAL. THE CUBS EXCHANGE ‘SLAMMIN’ SAMMY’ FOR SECOND BASEMAN JERRY HAIRSTON JR. AND TWO MINOR-LEAGUERS AND AGREE TO PAY BALTIMORE $16.15 MILLION OF THE REMAINING $25 MILLION LEFT ON A FOUR-YEAR, $72 MILLION CONTRACT SIGNED IN 2003.
2008 FILLING A TALL ORDER, THE NATIONALS AVOID ARBITRATION WITH JON RAUCH, SIGNING THE 6′ 11″ PITCHER TO A $3.2 MILLION, TWO-YEAR DEAL. THE RIGHT-HANDED RELIEVER, WHO LED THE BIG LEAGUES WITH 88 APPEARANCES, COMPILED AN 8-4 RECORD WITH FOUR SAVES WHILE POSTING A 3.61 ERA IN 87 1-3 INNINGS OF WORK.
2009 ACCORDING TO A REPORT IN THE SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL, MLB TAX DOCUMENTS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING OCTOBER 31ST, 2007, SHOW BUD SELIG RECEIVING AN $18.35 MILLION SALARY. THE COMPENSATION PACKAGE, IF CORRECT, WOULD MAKE THE COMMISSIONER BETTER PAID THAN MOST OF THE SUPERSTARS IN THE GAME AT THE TIME, EXCEPT FOR JASON GIAMBI, ALEX RODRIGUEZ, DEREK JETER, AND ROGER CLEMENS, ALL EMPLOYED BY THE YANKEES.
2011 ALEXEI RAMIREZ AND THE WHITE SOX AGREE TO A FOUR-YEAR, $32.5 MILLION CONTRACT EXTENSION AND A $10 MILLION TEAM OPTION FOR AN ADDITIONAL YEAR. EARLIER IN THE OFF-SEASON, THE PALE HOSE PICKED UP HIS OPTION FOR 2011, COMING TO TERMS WITH THE 29-YEAR-OLD GOOD-HITTING SHORTSTOP WITH A BASE SALARY OF $2.75 MILLIONALEXEI RAMIREZ AND THE WHITE SOX AGREE TO A FOUR-YEAR, $32.5 MILLION CONTRACT EXTENSION AND A $10 MILLION TEAM OPTION FOR AN ADDITIONAL YEAR. EARLIER IN THE OFF-SEASON, THE PALE HOSE PICKED UP HIS OPTION FOR 2011, COMING TO TERMS WITH THE 29-YEAR-OLD GOOD-HITTING SHORTSTOP WITH A BASE SALARY OF $2.75 MILLION.
2013 IN FRONT OF A HOME CROWD OF 87 FANS, THE CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY BASEBALL TEAM SNAPS A 228-GAME LOSING STREAK, BEATING PACIFICA IN A NON-CONFERENCE GAME, 9-7. THE CALTECH BEAVERS, WHOSE LAST VICTORY OCCURRED ON FEBRUARY 15TH, 2003, HAVEN’T WON A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CONTEST SINCE 1988, A SPAN OF 463 GAMES.
2017 THE CANADIAN BASEBALL HALL OF FAME ELECTS ROY HALLADAY, WHO POSTED A 148-76 (.661) RECORD DURING HIS DOZEN SEASONS WITH THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS, AND VLADIMIR GUERRERO, A FOUR-TIME ALL-STAR WHILE PLAYING FOR THE MONTREAL EXPOS. OTHER INDUCTEES INCLUDE PAST BASEBALL CANADA PRESIDENT RAY CARTER, THE 2015 CANADIAN MEN’S TEAM THAT WON GOLD AT THE PAN-AM GAMES, AND THE LATE LITTLE LEAGUE UMPIRE DOUG HUDLIN.
2020 THE NFL NAMES PATRICK MAHOMES THE MVP OF SUPER BOWL LIV, AFTER THE 24-YEAR-OLD QUARTERBACK LEADS A FOURTH-QUARTER RALLY IN THE CHIEFS’ 31-20 VICTORY OVER THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS. THE KANSAS CITY QB’S DAD, PAT, COMPILED A 42-39 (.519) RECORD PITCHING FOR FIVE MAJOR LEAGUE TEAMS IN 11 SEASONS, INCLUDING POSTING AN 8-0 RECORD FOR 1999 METS.
2021 AFTER FAILING TO SIGN A SLUGGER IN THE OFFSEASON, THE BRAVES OPT TO RETAIN MARCELL OZUNA, WHO WILL RETURN WITH A FOUR-YEAR, $64 MILLION DEAL WITH A $16 MILLION CLUB OPTION FOR A FIFTH SEASON ALONG WITH A $1 MILLION BUYOUT. THE 30-YEAR OLD OUTFIELDER PLAYS IN ONLY 48 GAMES, GOING ON THE INJURED LIST WITH TWO DISLOCATED FINGERS ON HIS LEFT HAND AT THE END OF MAY AND RECEIVING A RETROACTIVE 20-GAME SUSPENSION IN NOVEMBER FOR VIOLATING MLB’S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE POLICY.
2021 IN A BAFFLING TRADE, THE ROCKIES DEAL FIVE-TIME ALL-STAR THIRD BASEMAN NOLAN ARENADO TO THE CARDINALS FOR PITCHERS AUSTIN GOMBER, TONY LOCEY, JAKE SOMMERS, AND INFIELDERS MATEO GIL AND ELEHURIS MONTERO. COLORADO’S GM JEFF BRIDICH’S RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS EIGHT-TIME GOLD GLOVER, WHO VOCALLY CRITICIZED THE FRONT OFFICE OVER THE TEAM’S DIRECTION, DETERIORATED SO QUICKLY THAT THE INFIELDER WAIVED A NO-TRADE CLAUSE TO GO TO ST. LOUIS.
SPORTS IN NUMBERS
32- 18 -19 – 7 – 44 – 89 -15
FEBRUARY 2, 1876 – BASEBALL’S NATIONAL LEAGUE FORMS AT THE GRAND CENTRAL HOTEL, NYC WITH TEAMS IN BOSTON, CHICAGO, CINCINNATI, HARTFORD, LOUISVILLE, NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA AND ST LOUIS.
FEBRUARY 2, 1943 – THE CHICAGO CUBS RETURN TO ORIGINAL UNIFORM AFTER EXPERIMENTING WITH A VEST.
FEBRUARY 2, 1954 – RIO GRANDE COLLEGE’S STAR HOOPS PLAYER BEVO FRANCIS, WHO WORE NUMBER 32, SCORED 113 PTS IN BASKETBALL GAME AGAINST HILLSDALE. IF THE NAME SOAUNDS FAMILIAR, IT IS AS WE TALKIED ABOUT OLE BEVO PUUTTING UP 116 POINTS LAST WEEK ON ANOTHER OPPONENT.
FEBRUARY 2, 1959 VINCE LOMBARDI SIGNED A MEMORABLE 5 YEAR CONTRACT TO COACH NFL GREEN BAY PACKERS. LOMBARDI HAD THE PACKERS IN CONTENTION FOR AN NFL TITEL IN ALL BUT ONE OF HIS SEASONS AT THE HELM.
FEBRUARY 2, 1964 – PITCHERS RED FABER (NUMBER 18 & 19 OF THE WHITE SOX), BURLEIGH GRIMES (WHO ONCE WORE 16, 18, 20, 21, 23 & 37 WITH VARIOUS CLUBS), TIM KEEFE (PLAYED BEFORE NUMBERS WITH VARIOUS CLUBS) , LEFTFIELDER HEINIE MANUSH (WHO ONCE WORE 2,3, 7, 14, 26 & 36 WITH VARIOUS CLUBS), SS JOHN M. WARD , & MILLER HUGGINS (BOTH PLAYED BEFORE NUMBERS WITH VARIOUS CLUBS) ALL WERE ELECTED TO ENTER IN TO THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME.
FEBRUARY 2, 1967 – FORMATION OF AMERICAN BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION IS ANNOUNCED. THE A. B. A. WAS A FORMER COMPETITIVE LEAGUE TO THE NBA, MERGED WITH THE NBA IN 1976 AND THEN DISSOLVED WHEN FOUR OF ITS MEMBERS JOINED INTO THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION IN 1979.
FEBRUARY 2, 1969 – STAN COVELESKI (PLAYED BEFORE NUMBERS WITH VARIOUS CLUBS) AND WAITE HOYT (WHO WORE NUMBERS 11, 12, 14, 15, 19, 28, 34 & 48 WITH VARIOUS CLUBS) ARE VOTED INTO BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
FEBRUARY 2, 1970 – PETE MARAVICH WHO WORE NUMBER 7 AND 44 IN HIS CAREER BECAME THE FIRST PLAYER TO SCORE 3,000 POINTS IN HIS COLLLEGIATE CAREER OF BASKETBALL
FEBRUARY 2, 1976 – ROGER CONNOR, FRED LINDSTROM AND UMPIRE CAL HUBBARD ELECTED TO BASEBALL HALL OF FAME. HUBBARD IS ALSO IN THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME AS A GRIDIRON PLAYER.
FEBRUARY 2, 1987 – KANSAS CITY ROYAL PITCHER DENNIS LEONARD WHO WAS A 20 GAME WINNER THREE TIMES IN HIS CAREER, RETIRED FROM PLAYING THE GAME.
FEBRUARY 2, 1997 – SCOTTY BOWMAN BECOMES FIRST COACH IN NHL HISTORY TO WIN 1,000 GAMES
FEBRUARY 2, 2012 – EDMONTON OILERS SKATER NUMBER 89, SAM GAGNER BECOMES THE FIRST PLAYER TO SCORES EIGHT POINTS IN ONE GAMEAS HE AND HIS OILERS AGAINST TEAMMATES DOUBLED UP THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS 8-4. THE FOUR ASSISTS AND FOUR GOALS MATCHED A RECORD SET BY THREE GREATS: WAYNE GRETZSKY, PAUL COFFEY AND JARI KURRI.
FEBRUARY 2, 2014 – SUPER BOWL XLVIII PLAYED AT METLIFE STADIUM IN EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY HAD THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS BEAT DENVER BRONCOS, 42-8. THE GAME’S MVP WAS SEATTLE LINEBACKER MALCOLM SMITH, WHO WORE NUMBER 53 FOR THE HAWKS.
FEBRUARY 2, 2020 – HARD ROCK STADIUM, MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – SUPER BOWL LIV SAW A TEAM THAT HAD NOT BEEN IN THE BIG GAME IN A HALF CENTURY! THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS CAPTURED THE NFL TITLE WITH A VICTORY OVER THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, 31-20. THE YOUNG GUN NUMBER 15 PATRICK MAHOMES QUARTERBACK OF THE CHIEFS GRABBED THE MVP HONORS ! MAHOMES THREW 2 PICKS BUT ALSO HAD A COUPLE OF TD TOSSES AS HE PASSED FOR 286 YARDS AND RAN ANOTHER SCORE IN WITH HIS LEGS PER THE PRO FOOTBALL REFERENCE.
TV THURSDAY
| NCAA BASKETBALL GAMES – MEN’S | TIME ET | TV |
| MILWAUKEE AT IUPUI | 11:00AM | ESPN+ |
| CENTRAL CONNECTICUT AT ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN | 2:00PM | NEC |
| LIU AT MERRIMACK | 5:00PM | CBSSN |
| MARSHALL AT APP STATE | 6:30PM | ESPN+ |
| MICHIGAN AT NORTHWESTERN | 7:00PM | ESPN2 |
| WISCONSIN AT OHIO STATE | 7:00PM | FS1 |
| HIGH POINT AT UNC ASHEVILLE | 7:00PM | ESPNU |
| FLORIDA ATLANTIC AT UAB | 7:00PM | CBSSN |
| CHARLESTON AT DREXEL | 7:00PM | NBCS-PHI |
| ELON AT STONY BROOK | 7:00PM | SNY |
| SAINT FRANCIS U AT STONEHILL | 7:00PM | ESPN3 |
| WAGNER AT SACRED HEART | 7:00PM | NEC |
| NORTHERN KENTUCKY AT ROBERT MORRIS | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| CLEVELAND STATE AT DETROIT MERCY | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| PURDUE FORT WAYNE AT OAKLAND | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| WRIGHT STATE AT YOUNGSTOWN STATE | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| UNCG AT MERCER | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| VMI AT THE CITADEL | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| TENNESSEE TECH AT MOREHEAD STATE | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| UT MARTIN AT SIUE | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| RICE AT LOUISIANA TECH | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| FIU AT CHARLOTTE | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| NORTH FLORIDA AT JACKSONVILLE | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| NORTH ALABAMA AT STETSON | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| CENTRAL ARKANSAS AT FGCU | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| JAMES MADISON AT OLD DOMINION | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| GEORGIA SOUTHERN AT GEORGIA STATE | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| SOUTHERN MISS AT TROY | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| NORTH CAROLINA A&T AT UNCW | 7:00PM | FLOSPORTS |
| DELAWARE AT MONMOUTH | 7:00PM | FLOSPORTS |
| TOWSON AT HOFSTRA | 7:00PM | FLOSPORTS |
| WILLIAM & MARY AT HAMPTON | 7:00PM | FLOSPORTS |
| JACKSONVILLE STATE AT EASTERN KENTUCKY | 7:30PM | ESPN+ |
| KENNESAW STATE AT BELLARMINE | 7:30PM | ESPN+ |
| COASTAL CAROLINA AT ULM | 7:30PM | ESPN+ |
| OREGON STATE AT ARIZONA STATE | 8:00PM | PAC12N |
| STANFORD AT UTAH | 8:00PM | PAC12N |
| NORTH DAKOTA STATE AT SOUTH DAKOTA | 8:00PM | – |
| A&M-COMMERCE AT NICHOLLS | 8:00PM | ESPN+ |
| A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI AT NEW ORLEANS | 8:00PM | ESPN+ |
| NORTHWESTERN STATE AT HOUSTON CHRISTIAN | 8:00PM | ESPN+ |
| LITTLE ROCK AT SOUTHEAST MISSOURI | 8:00PM | ESPN+ |
| LIBERTY AT AUSTIN PEAY | 8:00PM | ESPN+ |
| QUEENS AT LIPSCOMB | 8:00PM | ESPN+ |
| UTSA AT WKU | 8:00PM | ESPN+ |
| SOUTH ALABAMA AT ARKANSAS STATE | 8:00PM | ESPN+ |
| TEXAS STATE AT LOUISIANA | 8:00PM | ESPN+ |
| NORTH DAKOTA AT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE | 8:00PM | – |
| ST. THOMAS AT OMAHA | 8:00PM | – |
| UIW AT SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA | 8:30PM | ESPN+ |
| LAMAR AT MCNEESE | 8:30PM | ESPN+ |
| TENNESSEE STATE AT SOUTHERN INDIANA | 8:30PM | ESPN+ |
| WASHINGTON AT UCLA | 9:00PM | FS1 |
| HOUSTON AT WICHITA STATE | 9:00PM | ESPN2 |
| UTEP AT MIDDLE TENNESSEE | 9:00PM | ESPNU |
| LOYOLA MARYMOUNT AT BYU | 9:00PM | CBSSN |
| WESTERN ILLINOIS AT DENVER | 9:00PM | ALT2 |
| STEPHEN F. AUSTIN AT NM STATE | 9:00PM | – |
| UTAH VALLEY AT UTAH TECH | 9:00PM | ESPN+ |
| EASTERN ILLINOIS AT LINDENWOOD | 9:00PM | ESPN+ |
| HAWAI’I AT UC DAVIS | 9:00PM | ESPN+ |
| NORTHERN ARIZONA AT MONTANA STATE | 9:00PM | ESPN+ |
| NORTHERN COLORADO AT MONTANA | 9:00PM | ESPN+ |
| CALIFORNIA AT COLORADO | 10:00PM | PAC12N |
| PEPPERDINE AT PACIFIC | 10:00PM | STADIUM |
| PORTLAND AT SAN DIEGO | 10:00PM | STADIUM |
| EASTERN WASHINGTON AT SACRAMENTO STATE | 10:00PM | ESPN+ |
| IDAHO AT PORTLAND STATE | 10:00PM | ESPN+ |
| LONG BEACH STATE AT CAL STATE FULLERTON | 10:00PM | ESPN+ |
| UC IRVINE AT UC SAN DIEGO | 10:00PM | ESPN+ |
| UC RIVERSIDE AT CSU BAKERSFIELD | 10:00PM | ESPN+ |
| CAL POLY AT UC SANTA BARBARA | 10:00PM | ESPN+ |
| OREGON AT ARIZONA | 10:30PM | ESPN |
| WASHINGTON STATE AT USC | 11:00PM | FS1 |
| SAN FRANCISCO AT SAINT MARY’S | 11:00PM | ESPNU |
| SANTA CLARA AT GONZAGA | 11:00PM | CBSSN |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| PGA TOUR: AT&T PEBBLE BEACH PRO-AM | 3:00PM | GOLF |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| LA LAKERS AT INDIANA | 7:00PM | SPECTRUM BALLY SPORTS |
| MEMPHIS AT CLEVELAND | 7:30PM | TNT |
| MIAMI AT NEW YORK | 7:30PM | MSG BALLY SPORTS |
| CHARLOTTE AT CHICAGO | 8:00PM | BALLY SPORTS NBCS-CHI |
| NEW ORLEANS AT DALLAS | 8:30PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| GOLDEN STATE AT DENVER | 9:00PM | NBCS-BAY ALT |
| LA CLIPPERS AT MILWAUKEE | 10:00PM | TNT |
| NFL | TIME ET | TV |
| NFL PRO BOWL SKILLS SHOWDOWN | 7:00PM | ESPN |
| SOCCER MATCHES | TIME ET | TV |
| BELGIAN CUP: ZULTE-WAREGEM VS MECHELEN | 2:45PM | ESPN+ |
| LA LIGA: REAL MADRID VS VALENCIA | 3:00PM | ESPN+ |
| COPPA ITALIA: JUVENTUS VS LAZIO | 3:00PM | PARAMOUNT+ |
TV FRIDAY
| NCAA BASKETBALL GAMES – MEN’S | TIME ET | TV |
| YALE AT HARVARD | 5:00PM | ESPNU |
| BROWN AT DARTMOUTH | 6:00PM | ESPN+ |
| EASTERN MICHIGAN AT BALL STATE | 6:30PM | CBSSN |
| VCU AT SAINT LOUIS | 7:00PM | ESPN2 |
| FAIRFIELD AT QUINNIPIAC | 7:00PM | ESPNU |
| MOUNT ST. MARY’S AT IONA | 7:00PM | ESPN3 |
| SIENA AT MANHATTAN | 7:00PM | ESPN3 |
| SAINT PETER’S AT RIDER | 7:00PM | ESPN3 |
| COLUMBIA AT PENN | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| CORNELL AT PRINCETON | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| CANISIUS AT NIAGARA | 8:00PM | ESPN+ |
| BOISE STATE AT SAN DIEGO STATE | 9:00PM | FS1 |
| KENT STATE AT AKRON | 9:00PM | ESPNU |
| FRESNO STATE AT UNLV | 11:00PM | FS1 |
| AIR FORCE AT NEVADA | 11:00PM | CBSSN |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| PGA TOUR: AT&T PEBBLE BEACH PRO-AM | 3:00PM | GOLF |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| CHARLOTTE AT DETROIT | 7:00PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| SACRAMENTO AT INDIANA | 7:00PM | NBCS-CA BALLY SPORTS |
| PORTLAND AT WASHINGTON | 7:00PM | ROOT SPORTS NBCS-WSH |
| PHOENIX AT BOSTON | 7:30PM | NBATV BALLY SPORTS NBCS-BOS |
| TORONTO AT HOUSTON | 8:00PM | SPORTSNET ATTSN-SW |
| ORLANDO AT MINNESOTA | 8:00PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| PHILADELPHIA AT SAN ANTONIO | 8:00PM | NBCS-PHI BALLY SPORTS |
| ATLANTA AT UTAH | 9:00PM | ATTSN-RM BALLY SPORTS |
| SOCCER MATCHES | TIME ET | TV |
| BUNDESLIGA: AUGSBURG VS BAYER LEVERKUSEN | 2:30PM | ESPN+ |
| SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP: QUEEN’S PARK VS AYR UNITED | 2:45PM | PARAMOUNT+ |
| FIRST DIVISION A: KV OOSTENDE VS ANDERLECHT | 2:45PM | ESPN+ |
| ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: CHELSEA VS FULHAM | 3:00PM | USA |
| LA LIGA: ATHLETIC CLUB VS CÁDIZ | 3:00PM | ESPN+ |
| ARGENTINA PRIMERA DIVISIÓN: NEWELL’S OLD BOYS VS VÉLEZ SARSFIELD | 6:00PM | PARAMOUNT+ |
| ARGENTINA PRIMERA DIVISIÓN: TIGRE VS ROSARIO CENTRAL | 6:00PM | PARAMOUNT+ |
| LIGA MX: NECAXA VS TIJUANA | 8:00PM | TUDN |