“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL REGIONAL FINALS
1A
NORTH JUDSON (12-0) AT TAYLOR (7-5)
NORTH MIAMI (10-2) AT SOUTH ADAMS (7-5)
SHERIDAN (7-5) AT SOUTH PUTNAM (10-2)
MILAN (8-4) AT PROVIDENCE (11-0)
2A
ANDREAN (8-4) AT LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (11-0)
EASTERN (GREENTOWN) (8-4) AT ADAMS CENTRAL (11-1)
INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (11-1) AT LAPEL (9-3)
BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (12-0) AT LINTON (10-2)
3A
KNOX (9-3) AT GARRETT (12-0)
FORT WAYNE LUERS (8-4) AT MACONAQUAH (12-0)
TRI-WEST (8-4) AT BATESVILLE (8-3)
NORTH HARRISON (9-3) AT HERITAGE HILLS (11-1)
4A
NEW PRAIRIE (9-3) AT MISHAWAKA (10-2)
HUNTINGTON NORTH (9-3) AT EAST NOBLE (11-1)
NEW PALESTINE (11-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD (9-2)….INDIANA SRN BROADCAST
EVANSVILLE REITZ (10-2) AT MARTINSVILLE (11-1)….INDIANA SRN BROADCAST
5A
VALPARAISO (8-3) AT MERRILLVILLE (10-1)
LAFAYETTE JEFF (11-0) AT WARSAW (8-3)
EAST CENTRAL (8-3) AT DECATUR CENTRAL (8-2)
CASTLE (9-2) AT BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (7-4)
6A
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (9-2) AT CROWN POINT (11-0)
WESTFIELD (10-1) AT FISHERS (7-4)…INDIANA SRN BROADCAST
LAWRENCE NORTH (11-0) AT BROWNSBURG (10-1)
CENTER GROVE (7-4) AT WARREN CENTRAL (10-1)
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL WEDNESDAY
HOSTED.COM
| BOONE GROVE | 40 | HEBRON | 18 | |
| BOONVILLE | 46 | PIKE CENTRAL | 23 | |
| CARROLL (FLORA) | 73 | TAYLOR | 41 | |
| DANVILLE | 52 | UNIVERSITY | 51 | |
| EDINBURGH | 45 | INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN | 17 | |
| FISHERS | 64 | ANDERSON | 20 | |
| HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN | 69 | FRANKLIN | 13 | |
| HOMESTEAD | 62 | NORTHRIDGE | 60 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA | 47 | HAGERSTOWN | 20 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE | 45 | INDIANAPOLIS RITTER | 29 | |
| JENNINGS COUNTY | 68 | SCOTTSBURG | 53 | |
| LAWRENCE CENTRAL | 53 | WESTFIELD | 26 | |
| LEO | 48 | FORT WAYNE WAYNE | 39 | |
| MADISON-GRANT | 54 | WES-DEL | 16 | |
| NEW PALESTINE | 59 | GREENWOOD | 36 | |
| RANDOLPH SOUTHERN | 65 | UNION CITY | 22 | |
| ROCHESTER | 42 | NORTH MIAMI | 41 |
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE WEEK 12
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 13
MIAMI OH 34 KENT STATE 7
NORTHERN ILLINOIS 29 AKRON 16
OHIO 35 EASTERN MICHIGAN 10
THURSDAY, NOV. 14
TULSA VS. EAST CAROLINA, 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
ALABAMA A&M VS. GRAMBLING, 8 P.M. | ESPNU
FRIDAY, NOV. 15
COLORADO STATE VS. WYOMING, 8 P.M. | CBSSN
UTSA VS. NORTH TEXAS, 8 P.M. | ESPN2
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL VS. HOWARD, 8 P.M. | ESPNU
WASHINGTON VS. UCLA, 9 P.M. | FOX
ARIZONA VS. HOUSTON, 10:15 P.M. | FS1
SATURDAY, NOV. 16
NO. 2 OHIO STATE VS. NORTHWESTERN, 12 P.M. | BTN
NO. 5 TEXAS VS. ARKANSAS, 12 P.M. | ABC/ESPN+
NO. 18 PITTSBURGH VS. NO. 23 CLEMSON, 12 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 20 COLORADO VS. UTAH, 12 P.M. | FOX
MASSACHUSETTS VS. LIBERTY, 12 P.M. | ESPN+
WESTERN KENTUCKY VS. LOUISIANA TECH, 12 P.M. | CBSSN
NAVY VS. TULANE, 12 P.M. | ESPN2
HAMPTON VS. RICHMOND, 12 P.M. | FLOSPORTS
MONMOUTH VS. VILLANOVA, 12 P.M. | FLOSPORTS
TOWSON VS. NORTH CAROLINA A&T, 12 P.M. | FLOSPORTS
EAST TENNESSEE STATE VS. FURMAN, 12 P.M. | ESPN+
YOUNGSTOWN STATE VS. NORTHERN IOWA, 12 P.M. | ESPN+
MARIST VS. PRESBYTERIAN, 12 P.M. | ESPN+
DAYTON VS. VALPARAISO, 12 P.M. | TBA
YALE VS. PRINCETON, 12 P.M. | ESPN+
BROWN VS. COLUMBIA, 12 P.M. | ESPN+
NORFOLK STATE VS. DELAWARE STATE, 12 P.M. | ESPN+
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT VS. ROBERT MORRIS, 12 P.M. | TBA
DUQUESNE VS. WAGNER, 12 P.M. | TBA
LONG ISLAND VS. ST. FRANCIS (PA), 12 P.M. | TBA
MERRIMACK VS. SACRED HEART, 12 P.M. | ESPN+
LEHIGH VS. COLGATE, 12 P.M. | ESPN+
HOLY CROSS VS. BUCKNELL, 12 P.M. | ESPN+
LAFAYETTE VS. STONEHILL, 12 P.M. | ESPN+
AUBURN VS. UL MONROE, 12:45 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
MARSHALL VS. COASTAL CAROLINA, 1 P.M. | ESPN+
RHODE ISLAND VS. UALBANY, 1 P.M. | FLOSPORTS
WILLIAM & MARY VS. BRYANT, 1 P.M. | FLOSPORTS
DELAWARE VS. CAMPBELL, 1 P.M. | FLOSPORTS
NEW HAMPSHIRE VS. STONY BROOK, 1 P.M. | FLOSPORTS
EASTERN ILLINOIS VS. CHARLESTON SOUTHERN, 1 P.M. | ESPN+
INDIANA STATE VS. ILLINOIS STATE, 1 P.M. | ESPN+
NORTH DAKOTA VS. SOUTH DAKOTA, 1 P.M. | ESPN+
FLORIDA A&M VS. MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE, 1 P.M. | TBA
WESTERN CAROLINA VS. VMI, 1 P.M. | ESPN+
DRAKE VS. MOREHEAD STATE, 1 P.M. | ESPN+
BUTLER VS. ST. THOMAS-MINNESOTA, 1 P.M. | TBA
PENNSYLVANIA VS. HARVARD, 1 P.M. | ESPN+
CORNELL VS. DARTMOUTH, 1 P.M. | ESPN+
GEORGETOWN VS. FORDHAM, 1 P.M. | ESPN+
KENTUCKY VS. MURRAY STATE, 1:30 P.M. | ESPN+/SEC NETWORK+
CHATTANOOGA VS. SAMFORD, 1:30 P.M. | ESPN+
GARDNER-WEBB VS. TENNESSEE STATE, 1:30 P.M. | ESPN+
WOFFORD VS. THE CITADEL, 1:30 P.M. | ESPN+
NO. 11 ALABAMA VS. MERCER, 2:00 P.M. | ESPN+/SEC NETWORK+
JACKSONVILLE STATE VS. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL, 2 P.M. | ESPN+
TEMPLE VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC, 2 P.M. | ESPN+
ELON VS. MAINE, 2 P.M. | FLOSPORTS
AUSTIN PEAY VS. EASTERN KENTUCKY, 2 P.M. | ESPN+
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE VS. WESTERN ILLINOIS, 2 P.M. | ESPN+
EAST TEXAS A&M VS. HOUSTON CHRISTIAN, 2 P.M. | ESPN+
NORTHWESTERN STATE VS. MCNEESE, 2 P.M. | ESPN+
NORTHERN COLORADO VS. NORTHERN ARIZONA, 2 P.M. | ESPN+
ILLINOIS VS. MICHIGAN STATE, 2:30 P.M. | FS1
CALIFORNIA VS. SYRACUSE, 3 P.M. | THE CW NETWORK
KENNESAW STATE VS. SAM HOUSTON, 3 P.M. | ESPN+
UTAH STATE VS. HAWAI’I, 3 P.M. | TBA
UT MARTIN VS. TENNESSEE TECH, 3 P.M. | ESPN+
MONTANA VS. PORTLAND STATE, 3 P.M. | ESPN+
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE VS. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS, 3 P.M. | ESPN+
ALABAMA STATE VS. JACKSON STATE, 3 P.M. | ESPN+
SOUTHERN VS. ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF, 3 P.M. | TBA
TEXAS SOUTHERN VS. BETHUNE-COOKMAN, 3 P.M. | TBA
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M VS. ALCORN STATE, 3 P.M. | ESPN+
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN VS. INCARNATE WOOD, 3 P.M. | ESPN+
NO. 6 PENN STATE VS. PURDUE, 3:30 P.M. | CBS
NO. 10 NOTRE DAME VS. VIRGINIA, 3:30 P.M. | NBC
NO. 13 SMU VS. BOSTON COLLEGE, 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 15 LSU VS. FLORIDA, 3:30 P.M. | ABC/ESPN+
NO. 22 LOUISVILLE VS. STANFORD, 3:30 P.M. | ACCN
AIR FORCE VS. OREGON STATE, 3:30 P.M. | CBSSN
CHARLOTTE VS. SOUTH FLORIDA, 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
NORTH DAKOTA STATE VS. MISSOURI STATE, 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA VS. NEBRASKA, 4 P.M. | FOX
WEST VIRGINIA VS. BAYLOR, 4 P.M. | ESPN 2
GEORGIA SOUTHERN VS. TROY, 4 P.M | ESPN+
OLD DOMINION VS. JAMES MADISON, 4 P.M. | ESPNU
UTAH TECH VS. WEST GEORGIA, 4 P.M. | ESPN+
LAMAR VS. NICHOLLS, 4 P.M. | ESPN+
EASTERN WASHINGTON VS. IDAHO STATE, 4 P.M. | ESPN+
SAN DIEGO VS. STETSON, 4 P.M. | ESPN+
MORGAN STATE VS. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE, 4 P.M. | ESPN+
NO. 24 MISSOURI VS. SOUTH CAROLINA, 4:15 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
GEORGIA STATE VS. ARKANSAS STATE, 5 P.M. | ESPN+
CAL POLY VS. SACRAMENTO STATE, 5 P.M. | ESPN+
CENTRAL ARKANSAS VS. SOUTHERN UTAH, 5 P.M. | ESPN+
MARYLAND VS. RUTGERS, 6 P.M. | FS1
NO. 12 BOISE STATE VS. SAN JOSÉ STATE, 7 P.M. | CBSSN
NO. 19 KANSAS STATE VS. ARIZONA STATE, 7 P.M. | ESPN
LOUISIANA VS. SOUTH ALABAMA, 7 P.M. | ESPN+
TEXAS STATE VS. SOUTHERN MISS, 7 P.M. | ESPN+
TARLETON STATE VS. ABILENE CHRISTIAN, 7 P.M. | ESPN+
NO. 1 OREGON VS. WISCONSIN, 7:30 P.M. | NBC
NO. 3 GEORGIA VS. NO. 7 TENNESSEE, 7:30 P.M. | ABC/ESPN+
NO. 14 TEXAS A&M VS. NEW MEXICO STATE, 7:45 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
NO. 17 IOWA STATE VS. CINCINNATI, 8 P.M. | FOX
NORTH CAROLINA VS. WAKE FOREST, 8 P.M. | ACCN
MEMPHIS VS. UAB, 8 P.M. | ESPN 2
IDAHO VS. WEBER STATE, 8 P.M. | ESPN+
UC DAVIS VS. MONTANA STATE, 8 P.M. | ESPN+
NO. 21 WASHINGTON STATE VS. NEW MEXICO, 9:30 P.M. | FS1
NO. 9 BYU VS. KANSAS, 10:15 P.M. | ESPN
UNLV VS. SAN DIEGO STATE, 10:30 P.M. | CBSSN
NFL
WEEK 11
THURSDAY, NOV. 14
WASHINGTON AT PHILADELPHIA – 8:15PM, PRIME VIDEO
SUNDAY, NOV. 17
GREEN BAY AT CHICAGO – 1PM, FOX
JACKSONVILLE AT DETROIT – 1PM, CBS
MINNESOTA AT TENNESSEE – 1PM, CBS
LAS VEGAS AT MIAMI – 1PM, CBS
LA RAMS AT NEW ENGLAND – 1PM, FOX
CLEVELAND AT NEW ORLEANS – 1PM, FOX
INDIANAPOLIS AT NY JETS – 1PM, CBS
BALTIMORE AT PITTSBURGH – 1PM, CBS
ATLANTA AT DENVER – 4:05PM, FOX
SEATTLE AT SAN FRANCISCO – 4:05PM, FOX
KANSAS CITY AT BUFFALO – 4:25PM, CBS
CINCINNATI AT LA CHARGERS – 8:20PM, NBC/PEACOCK
MONDAY, NOV. 18
HOUSTON AT DALLAS – 8:15PM, ESPN/ABC
WEEK 11 BYES: ARIZONA, CAROLINA, NEW YORK GIANTS, TAMPA BAY
WEEK 12
THURSDAY, NOV. 21
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SUNDAY, NOV. 24
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (1:00P CBS)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT CHICAGO BEARS (1:00P FOX)
TENNESSEE TITANS AT HOUSTON TEXANS (1:00P CBS)
DETROIT LIONS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (1:00P FOX)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (1:00P CBS)
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT NEW YORK GIANTS (1:00P CBS)
DALLAS COWBOYS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (1:00P FOX)
DENVER BRONCOS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (4:05P CBS)
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (4:25P FOX)
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (4:25P FOX)
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT LOS ANGELES RAMS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, NOV. 25
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (8:15P ESPN)
WEEK 13
THURSDAY, NOV. 28 (THANKSGIVING)
CHICAGO BEARS AT DETROIT LIONS (12:30P CBS)
NEW YORK GIANTS AT DALLAS COWBOYS (4:30P FOX)
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (8:20P NBC)
FRIDAY, NOV. 29
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (3:00P PRIME VIDEO)
SUNDAY, DEC. 1
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS (1:00P CBS)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (1:00P CBS)
HOUSTON TEXANS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1:00P FOX)
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1:00P FOX)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (1:00P CBS)
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT NEW YORK JETS (1:00P FOX)
TENNESSEE TITANS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (1:00P CBS)
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (4:05P FOX)
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (4:05P FOX)
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (4:25P CBS)
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT BUFFALO BILLS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 2
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT DENVER BRONCOS (8:15P ESPN)
WEEK 14
THURSDAY, DEC. 5
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT DETROIT LIONS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SUNDAY, DEC. 8
NEW YORK JETS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (1:00P CBS)
ATLANTA FALCONS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1:00P FOX)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT NEW YORK GIANTS (1:00P FOX)
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (1:00P FOX)
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (1:00P CBS)
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (1:00P CBS)
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT TENNESSEE TITANS (1:00P CBS)
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (4:05P CBS)
BUFFALO BILLS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS (4:25P FOX)
CHICAGO BEARS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4:25P FOX)
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 9
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT DALLAS COWBOYS (8:15P ESPN/ABC)
NBA SCORES
ORLANDO 94 INDIANA 90
OKLAHOMA CITY 106 NEW ORLEANS 88
CLEVELAND 114 PHILADELPHIA 106
BOSTON 139 BROOKLYN 114
CHICAGO 124 NEW YORK 123
HOUSTON 111 LA CLIPPERS 103
SAN ANTONIO 139 WASHINGTON 130
MILWAUKEE 127 DETROIT 120 0T
PORTLAND 106 MINNESOTA 98
LA LAKERS 128 MEMPHIS 123
SACRAMENTO 127 PHOENIX 104
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP 25
#22 ST. JOHN 66 WAGONER 45
#3 CONNECTICUT 90 LEMOYNE 49
#11 TENNESSEE 92 MONTANA 57
#5 AUBURN 79 KENT STATE 56
#18 ARKANSAS 65 TROY 49
#8 HOUSTON 91 LOUISIANA 45
#14 CREIGHTON 78 HOUSTON CHRISTIAN 43
ELSEWHERE:
SOUTHERN INDIANA 71 BELLARMINE 69
DAYTON 77 BALL STATE 69
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 80 EVANSVILLE 63
NEBRASKA 86 FDU 80
ILLINOIS 66 OAKLAND 54
NORTH TEXAS 54 MINNESOTA 51
USC 98 TEXAS ARLINGTON 95
WASHINGTON 77 SEATTLE PACIFIC 62
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP 25
#6 NOTRE DAME 92 JAMES MADISON 46
#9 OKLAHOMA 122 WESTERN CAROLINA 56
#11 MARYLAND 84 SYRACUSE 73
#22 ALABAMA 68 NORFOLK STATE 58
#4 TEXAS 95 LAMAR 58
#24 STANFORD 69 UC DAVIS 56
ELSEWHERE:
BALL STATE 95 MEMPHIS 66
BUTLER 56 INDIANA 46
IOWA 94 TOLEDO 57
NHL SCORES
TORONTO 4 WASHINGTON 3 OT
DETROIT 3 PITTSBURGH 2 OT
UTAH 4 CAROLINA 1
VEGAS 3 ANAHEIM 2
COLORADO 4 LOS ANGELES 2
MLS PLAYOFFS
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
TOP NATIONAL SPORTS HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES
NFL NEWS
HOMES OF CHIEFS’ QUARTERBACK MAHOMES AND TIGHT END KELCE WERE BROKEN INTO LAST MONTH
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The homes of Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce were broken into within days of each other last month, law enforcement reports show.
“Obviously it’s frustrating, disappointing,” Mahomes said before practice on Wednesday.
The break-ins, which were first reported by TMZ, happened just before and the day of the Chiefs’ 26-13 home victory over the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 7, as Kelce’s superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift watched from the stands. No injuries were reported in either case.
One day before the Monday night game, law enforcement was called to a home matching Mahomes’ address in a private gated resort-like community in northwestern Cass County, just to the south of the city’s metropolitan area.
Mahomes said he couldn’t provide many details because the investigation is ongoing. He described it as “something you don’t want to happen to anybody and obviously yourself.”
His name isn’t listed on the sheriff’s office report, which The Associated Press obtained. The single-page document shows another person called just after midnight on Oct. 6 to report what was classified as a burglary. It didn’t describe any missing items.
Ronnie Lozano, a spokesman for the sheriff’s department, wrote in an email that the investigation is active and declined to answer other questions, including whether there had been any arrests. The prosecutor for the county didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Around 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 7, as the Chiefs played the Saints at Arrowhead Stadium, a home matching the address of Kelce’s was broken into in the affluent suburb of Leawood, just over the state line in Kansas. The crime wasn’t reported until early the next morning, an offense report obtained from police by the AP shows.
Kelce’s name isn’t listed in the report, which said losses included $20,000 in cash and damage to a rear door. The 16,000-square-foot (1,440 square meter) home includes a wine cellar, backyard pool and six-car garage.
“The Leawood Police Department does not comment about specific victims of crimes except in the case of fatality crashes or homicides,” police Capt. Jason Ahring said in an email.
Melody Webb, a spokeswoman for the area’s Johnson County prosecutor’s office, said in an email that the office had no comment.
KYLE HAMILTON AT PRACTICE BUT NOT IN UNIFORM AS THE RAVENS PREPARE FOR PITTSBURGH
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton was working off to the side — not in uniform — during the portion of practice open to reporters Wednesday.
Hamilton injured his ankle in last week’s victory over Cincinnati. The All-Pro did some stretching and light jogging Wednesday and seemed to be testing his ability to change direction. Then he left the field.
Tight end Isaiah Likely, who missed last week’s game with a hamstring injury, was back practicing.
The Ravens rank last in the NFL in pass defense, and losing Hamilton would be a blow if he can’t play in this weekend’s showdown at Pittsburgh with first place in the division on the line.
RAIDERS TO STICK WITH GARDNER MINSHEW AT QB WHEN THEY VISIT THE DOLPHINS
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Gardner Minshew will remain the Las Vegas Raiders’ quarterback when they visit the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
Coach Antonio Pierce made the announcement Wednesday after considering going with the recent pickup Desmond Ridder.
“Gardner gives us the best opportunity to move forward, and he has every opportunity to go out there and help us get a win,” Pierce said.
Minshew is completing a career-high 67% of his passes, but he has eight interceptions and just six touchdowns. He also has lost four fumbles, tied with Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts for most in the NFL.
Pierce was asked how to give Minshew more confidence.
“Everybody around him. It starts with the staff. It starts with myself. It starts with belief, letting him know, ‘Go out there and let it go. Let it loose.’ What do we have to lose at this point? Right? 2-7, so everything that’s behind us is behind us. I’m looking forward to everything in front of me.”
Ridder replaced Minshew in the Raiders’ most recent game. He completed 11 of 16 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown in Las Vegas’ 41-24 loss at Cincinnati on Nov. 3. The Raiders signed Ridder off Arizona’s practice squad on Oct. 21 with Aidan O’Connell going on injured reserve with a broken thumb.
Minshew heads into the game against the Dolphins with new interim offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Scott Turner, new interim offensive line coach Joe Philbin and senior adviser Norv Turner.
JAGUARS RULE OUT QB TREVOR LAWRENCE AGAINST THE LIONS AND HOPE TO GET HIM BACK AFTER A BYE
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will miss his second consecutive game because of an injury to his left, non-throwing shoulder.
Coach Doug Pederson ruled Lawrence out Wednesday and said Mac Jones will start at Detroit (8-1) on Sunday.
“We don’t want to put a player out there that’s not a hundred percent, so we’re going to rest him more week,” Pederson said.
Jacksonville has a bye week after playing the Lions, so Lawrence will get three weeks of rest before attempting to return against Houston on Dec. 1.
“We’ve got some time,” Pederson said. “It’s still a question mark, but I’m optimistic.”
Lawrence took a hit to his left shoulder while scrambling at Philadelphia on Nov. 3. Instead of sliding, he chose to go head-first and got hammered by linebacker Zack Baun. Lawrence practiced in a limited role last week but was ruled out before a 12-7 loss to Minnesota.
Jones made his first start in nearly a year last week and completed 14 of 22 passes for 111 yards, with three sacks and three turnovers. Jones had two interceptions and a fumble in the fourth quarter. The Jaguars (2-8) finished with 143 yards, the fifth-lowest total in franchise history.
It was a less-than-ideal start for a pending free agent who is hoping to get a chance to compete for a starting job elsewhere next year. The Jaguars traded a sixth-round pick to New England in March in an effort to upgrade the backup spot behind Lawrence.
“It’s the simple things, going through my reads, taking what the defense gives and leading the team down the field,” Jones said. “Try to focus on the now and the present; that’s the best way to do it. You don’t want to get generalized and look for the future or look back. I understand this league is about opportunity, and we have a great one this week.”
Lawrence, the top pick in the 2021 draft, missed a game for the first time in his professional career in 2023 because of a sprained right shoulder sustained in Week 16. He also missed significant practice time because of other injuries: a sprained left knee in Week 6, a sprained right ankle in Week 13 and a concussion in Week 15.
Pederson said last week he has learned that Lawrence needs to practice during the week to be fully effective in games.
Nonetheless, the Jaguars signed Lawrence to a five-year, $275 million contract extension in June that made him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in NFL history.
EAGLES AND COMMANDERS MEET IN BIGGEST GAME IN NFC EAST RIVALRY SERIES IN NEARLY 30 YEARS
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jayden Daniels’ nascent NFL career is all of 10 games old, yet the Washington QB responsible for the instant reshaping of the Commanders into a respectable franchise, and, finally, winners, already knows when a big game is on the schedule.
“I think people just know it’s Philly week,” Daniels said.
Oh yes, Commanders-Eagles, as serious as it gets this time of the NFL season. As a bonus, for the first time in nearly three decades, the outcome truly matters for either team.
Daniels has the Commanders (7-3) on the precipice of their biggest regular-season game in the series against the NFC East rival Eagles (7-2) in decades.
Hyperbole?
Not a chance. Washington and Philadelphia meet — not only with the division lead at stake — but with both teams at least four games over .500 entering the game for the first time since 1996.
Terry Allen and Ricky Watters. Koy Detmer and Gus Frerotte. Norv Turner and Ray Rhodes.
Names forgotten to the history books until this week when every piece of the series rivalry has been resurrected as part of the anticipation for the prime-time showdown at Lincoln Financial Field. The only drawback to the game is that the short week — the Eagles won at Dallas and the Commanders lost to the Steelers on Sunday — has robbed the rivalry of a few extra days of hype.
Behind QB Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley — who ranks second in the NFL with an average of 110.1 yards per contest while Washington is 28th in the league defensively against the run, allowing 142.7 yards per contest — the Eagles are riding a five-game winning streak; the Commanders have won three of four games.
The Eagles are 3 1/2-point favorites, per BetMGM Sportsbook.
“I’m excited just to go to Philly and that type of atmosphere,” Daniels said. “Heard they got very passionate fans, so man, I can’t wait. I can’t wait to go out there and see that fan base, and just experience that. And I know it’s going to be a great venue, a great site, and we’ll just go out there and see what happens.”
Led by Daniels, the Washington offense keeps putting up points, week in, week out, even against stingy opponents like Pittsburgh, which entered Sunday allowing just 14.9 per game. The QB is building a strong connection with receiver Terry McLaurin, who topped 100 yards receiving for the fourth time in the past eight games, accumulating 113 on five catches.
The Eagles, who have won by 20-plus points in three of their last four games, understand the challenge Daniels presents.
“A really good player who started off on fire, so we’ll have a challenge here this week,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “You know how he’s going to the right place with the football, being accurate, the things he can do when things do break down.”
With a win, Washington would move to 8-3, its best record through 11 games since, yup, 1996.
“Taking our show on the road to go up and have another division battle, Thursday night in November, like come on, what are we talking about?” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said.
Late bye attrition
While the Eagles had the earliest bye in the NFL in Week 5, the Commanders have the latest in Week 14, and the injuries are piling up after a relatively healthy start to the season. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. (hamstring) missed the past two games, and right tackle Andrew Wylie (shoulder) and kicker Austin Seibert (right hip) were out against Pittsburgh.
The short turnaround doesn’t help those matters, but Quinn is trying to turn it into a positive.
“This is a really tough-minded group, and so if you told them it was going to be on a Wednesday, they’d be down for it,” Quinn said. “Short weeks, it’s hard, but it also favors guys who are like, ‘Hey man, I’m down for the fight and I’ll be ready and whatever it takes’ kind of attitude. And we got a lot of those kind of guys with a big giant-sized chip on their shoulder.”
Run, Jayden run?
Daniels ran just three times for 5 yards in Washington’s 28-27 home loss to the Steelers, by far the rookie quarterback’s fewest carries and smallest impact on the ground this season. The No. 2 draft pick out of LSU has been playing through sore ribs for several weeks and credited Pittsburgh’s defense for shutting down rushing lanes, and Philadelphia’s second-ranked unit presents another challenge.
“Every game is different,” said Daniels, who has completed 56.4% of his passes the last three games after 75.6% in his first seven. “It just depends on the coordinator. Just going out there and just kind of adjusting to what I see and what they’re doing.”
THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL CAPSULE
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (7-3) AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (7-2)
All-Time Series History
Regular Season: WAS leads series, 88-84-5 (PHI won 5 of past 6)
Postseason: WAS leads series, 1-0
The Last Time…
Regular Season: 10/29/23: PHI 38 at WAS 31
Postseason: NFC-WC: WAS 20 at PHI 6
COMMANDERS NOTES:
QB JAYDEN DANIELS leads rookie QBs in pass yards (2,147), rush yards (464) & rating (101.7). Has 11 TDs (7 pass, 4 rush) vs. INT for 116.2 rating in 5 career road starts. Aims for his 3rd in row on road with 2+ TD passes & 6th in row on road with 90+ rating. • RB BRIAN ROBINSON aims for his 3rd in row at Phi. & 4th in row on road with rush TD. Has 70+ scrimmage yards in 3 of his past 4. • RB AUSTIN EKELER had 7th-career game with 2 rush TDs last week & aims for his 3rd in row with rush TD. Has 8,820 career scrimmage yards & can surpass Arian Foster (8,873) for 2nd-most scrimmage yards by undrafted RB since 1967. Has 50+ scrimmage yards in 8 of his 9 games in 2024. • WR TERRY MCLAURIN had 5 catches for 113 yards in Week 10, his 19th-career game with 100+ rec. yards. Is 1 of 2 (Zay Flowers) with 4 games with 100+ rec. yards in 2024. Has 5+ catches in 9 of his 10 career games vs. Phi. • TE ZACH ERTZ spent 9 seasons (2013-21) with Phi. & ranks 2nd in catches (579) & 4th in rec. yards (6,267) in Eagles franchise history. Needs 4 catches to become 6th TE all-time with 750+ career receptions. • LB BOBBY WAGNER is 1 of 4 with 10 games of 6+ tackles in 2024. Has 5+ tackles in 22 straight games, 3rd-longest active streak in NFL. Needs 17 tackles for 13th-straight 100+ tackle season. • LB FRANKIE LUVU had 5th sack of season last week, his 3rd-straight season with 5+ sacks. Aims for his 3rd in row on Thursday with 11+ tackles. • LB DANTE FOWLER is 1 of 4 with 3+ games (3) with 2+ sacks in 2024. Aims for his 3rd in row on road & 3rd in row overall with 2+ sacks. • S JEREMY CHINN led team with 12 tackles, had 5th-career FR & 3rd-career INT in Week 10. Aims for his 3rd in row with 12+ tackles & PD.
EAGLES NOTES:
QB JALEN HURTS had 4 TDs (2 pass, 2 rush) & 115 rating in Week 10 & became 1st QB ever with TD pass, rush TD & 100+ rating in 4 straight games. Has 10 rush TDs in 2024 & became 1st QB ever with 10+ rush TDs in 4 career seasons & 10+ rush TDs in 4 straight seasons. Can join Justin Fields (2022) & Kyler Murray (2020) as only QBs since 1970 with pass TD & rush TD in 5 straight games. Has 8 TDs (4 pass, 4 rush) in 3 career Thursday starts. Has 17 TDs (12 pass, 5 rush) vs. 3 INTs for 104.9 rating in 7 career starts vs. Was. • RB SAQUON BARKLEY ranks 2nd in NFL in scrimmage yards (1,149) & rush yards (991) & can reach 1,000 rush yards for 4th time in his career (2018- 19, 2022). Has 1,164 scrimmage yards (129.3 per game) & 8 TDs (4 rush, 4 rec.) in 9 career games vs. Was. Aims for his 4th in row vs. Was. with 100+ scrimmage yards & 5th in row vs. Was. with TD. • WR A.J. BROWN had 109 rec. yards last week, his 3rd 100-yard game of 2024. Had 8 catches for 130 yards & 2 TDs in last meeting & 9 catches for 175 yards & 2 TDs in last home meeting. • WR DEVONTA SMITH aims for his 4th in row at home with TD catch. Has rec. TD in 3 of his past 4 vs. Was. & aims for his 5th in row vs. Was. with 6+ catches. • LB NAKOBE DEAN has 6+ tackles in 7 of his past 8. Had career-high 13 tackles & 2 TFL in last meeting. • LB ZACK BAUN had team-high 8 tackles, career-high 2 FFs, 1st-career FR & had TFL in Week 10. Aims for his 10th in row with 6+ tackles. • LB JOSH SWEAT aims for his 3rd in row at home with sack. Has sack in 4 of his past 5 vs. Was. • CB DARIUS SLAY aims for his 4th in row with PD. Has PD in 5 of his past 6. • DB COOPER DEJEAN (rookie) had 1st-FR last week.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
THE ACC BEGAN THE SEASON FIGHTING FOR RESPECT. THE EARLY CFP RANKINGS SHOW IT IS AN UPHILL BATTLE
Rhett Lashlee has done the math. It rolls around in the SMU coach’s head every week. The more he thinks about it, the more it doesn’t add up.
Why, Lashlee wonders, is the Atlantic Coast Conference fighting what seems to be an uphill battle for respect from the College Football Playoff committee?
“To look at our league and say, ‘Well we may be a one-bid league,’ but you look at another league (the Big Ten) that we have a winning record against, and say ‘Oh they’re going to get four in,’” Lashlee said Tuesday, a few hours before the latest CFP rankings had the Mustangs (8-1 overall, 5-0 ACC) as the second team out of the coveted top 12. “It doesn’t make sense to me.”
Over the summer, the college football paradigm shifted following the latest round of realignment, with the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference adding bluebloods like USC, Oregon and Texas and the ACC welcoming less-revered programs SMU, Cal and Stanford. What ACC officials and Lashlee’s coaching brethren feared seems to be playing out.
“The disrespect (was) there preseason,” Pittsburgh coach Narduzzi said. “I’m sure it’s there midseason.”
Narduzzi, whose team is at 7-2 overall and 3-2 in the league with nonconference wins over Big 12 members Cincinnati and West Virginia, believes the ACC is the best league in the country, pointing to parity as proof of its competitiveness. Shouldn’t Georgia Tech toppling Miami and Louisville taking down Clemson in Death Valley be proof of the depth of the league as a whole?
Apparently not.
“It hurts when you’re beating each other up, no question about it,” Narduzzi said.
If you play in the ACC anyway.
It doesn’t appear to be much of an issue in the SEC, where Alabama and Ole Miss find themselves inside the projected CFP field in mid-November despite having multiple conference losses, with another two-loss team (Georgia) right above SMU at No. 13 in the current bracket.
The road for the ACC to get multiple teams into the CFP is narrowing by the week. The best case would seem to be for SMU and Miami to win out followed by a well-played and tightly contested ACC championship game.
Warde Manuel, the CFP Selection Committee chair, said the Mustangs and Hurricanes have been impressive. What he didn’t have to say is that only one of them has been impressive enough to merit a spot in the top 12 when the second, third and fourth-place teams in the SEC and Big Ten are both comfortably in the field for now.
The irony is that the fourth-place team in the ACC (Louisville) may be the second-hottest team in the conference behind SMU. Clemson is currently in third and could keep its hopes of an ACC title game berth alive with a victory at Pitt on Saturday, with a shot to further bolster its CFP at-large hopes by downing rival South Carolina the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Swinney struggles to understand how some narratives shift and others don’t. Virginia Tech began its season with an overtime loss on the road at Vanderbilt. It looked like a red flag at the time. Now — with the Commodores in the midst of a renaissance — not so much.
“Everybody is like, ‘Oh, the league stinks, you lost to Vanderbilt,’” Swinney said. “Well, I think Vanderbilt beat Alabama and Auburn. I think they’re pretty good. And that was a touchdown game in Nashville with Virginia Tech.”
The same Virginia Tech team that took Miami to the last play in September and handled Georgia Tech in October, two weeks before the Yellow Jackets handed Heisman Trophy candidate Cam Ward and the Hurricanes their first loss.
In the SEC, that sort of “Any Given Saturday” approach is celebrated. The ACC does not seem to be getting the same benefit of the doubt.
“When other leagues beat each other up internally, they’re considered a deep, solid league,” Lashlee said. “When we beat up (each other) internally, we’re considered a weak league.”
The Big 12 could feel the same way, since the CFP rankings suggest the league is looking a lot like a one-bid pony — BYU? Colorado? — despite a tight race for the championship.
The ACC put up 43 nonconference wins, including eight victories over other Power Four schools. It currently has eight teams bowl eligible and nearly half its conference games have been decided by a touchdown or less, which the ACC considers proof of its depth.
Throw in a little star power — Ward has been in the Heisman Trophy conversation all season, with Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik on the fringe — and the league believes it checks all the same boxes the Big Ten and SEC do.
Well, except for one: brand recognition. SMU is in its first season in the league after coming over from the American Athletic Conference. Miami is still Miami, but the Hurricanes haven’t ended the season ranked in the top 10 in over two decades. Clemson remains among the ACC’s elite, but the Tigers have taken a step back toward the rest of the field in recent seasons.
It doesn’t help that defending league champion Florida State — the same program that has sued the ACC in search of an escape plan — has nose-dived from preseason top 10 to the school’s worst season in 50 years.
While Lashlee admits he can get caught up thinking about the ‘what ifs’ he can take solace in knowing SMU controls its destiny.
If the Mustangs keep winning, they’re in. If do anything other than claim the conference title, they leave themselves at the mercy of a committee that doesn’t seem — at the moment anyway — to consider the ACC an equal to its brethren.
“I don’t know what can be done,” he said. “I think some of that stuff is predetermined a little bit, and that’s the bias we’re talking about. … I think we’ve got four big-time leagues in college football. There needs to be quality representation from all from all four.”
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 12: TENNESSEE-GEORGIA IS MAIN EVENT WITH BOTH TEAMS’ PLAYOFF HOPES AT STAKE
No. 6 Tennessee at No. 11 Georgia — the main event on the Week 12 college football schedule — could have major implications for the Southeastern Conference in the chase for College Football Playoff spots.
A Georgia loss would be its third of the season and effectively end the Bulldogs’ hopes of making the 12-team playoff field.
A Tennessee loss would be its second, and though two losses for an SEC team originally wasn’t thought to be insurmountable, it just might be. That’s because four Big Ten teams are among the top five in this week’s CFP rankings and there could be a slew of two-loss teams in the SEC by the end of the regular season.
Top games in the Atlantic Coast Conference have Boston College at first-place SMU and Clemson at Pittsburgh. In the Big Ten, Oregon puts its 10-0 record on the line when it visits Wisconsin. In the Big 12, first-place BYU hosts Kansas and Colorado plays Utah at home.
There’s a chance for clarity in the American Athletic Conference. If Tulane wins at Navy, the Green Wave and Army would play in the AAC championship game on Dec. 6, with the site to be determined. A Navy win against Tulane would keep the championship pairings undetermined until at least next week.
Best game
No. 6 Tennessee (8-1, 5-1 SEC, No. 7 CFP) at No. 11 Georgia (7-2, 5-2, No. 12), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EST (ABC)
Georgia has won seven straight against Tennessee, and none of the games has been closer than 14 points. This is not a vintage Bulldogs team, though. Their offensive line was overpowered by Mississippi last week, and Tennessee’s defensive front is its strength. The Volunteers haven’t allowed more than 19 points in a game.
BetMGM Sportsbook lists Georgia as an 10-point favorite.
Heisman watch
Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty bounced back from a two-game lull, relatively speaking, with a 209-yard, three-touchdown outing against Nevada last week. He forced eight missed tackles and had 122 yards after contact on his career-high 34 carries.
Jeanty has topped 200 yards in four games this season. He is averaging 193.7 per game to lead the nation and is on pace to have the highest rushing average since 2000. The Broncos visit San Jose State on Saturday.
Numbers to know
0 — Lost fumbles by Louisiana-Lafayette, the only team with none.
6 — North Texas’ FBS-leading plays of 70 yards or longer.
14 — Nohl Williams’ career interceptions for California, most among active players. He has an FBS-leading seven this season.
31 — Penalties called against Iowa, fewest in the FBS.
41 — Sacks allowed by Oklahoma in 10 games, more than double the 20 allowed in 13 games last season.
Under the radar
Nebraska (5-4, 2-4) at Southern California (4-5, 2-5), Saturday, 4 p.m. EST (Fox)
These two blue bloods are trying to find their footing in the Big Ten, and both took significant steps during their two weeks between games.
Cornhuskers coach Matt Rhule replaced offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield with Dana Holgorsen to provide some spark. Holgorsen coached under Mike Leach at Texas Tech, was considered an offensive savant as OC at Oklahoma State and was head coach at West Virginia and Houston.
Trojans coach Lincoln Riley made a change at quarterback, replacing Miller Moss with UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava. Moss won a close competition against Maiava in the preseason. Now Maiava takes over a team that has lost four of its last five games.
Hot seat
Purdue’s Ryan Walters has been on the job for only two seasons, but things are not getting better. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The Boilermakers go into their home game against Penn State on an eight-game losing streak. They’ve scored no more than 21 points in seven of their eight games against Bowl Subdivision opponents. The outlier was the 50-49 overtime loss at Illinois.
Walters fired offensive coordinator Graham Harrell after the fourth game. Meanwhile, the defense has allowed 45-plus points in four games. Walters’ contract runs through 2027, and he would be owed about $9.3 million (75% of his base pay) if he were let go after the season.
OLD TEXAS AND ARKANSAS RIVALRY RENEWED AS BORDER CLASH RECONNECTS IN SEC
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas’ move to the Southeastern Conference has rekindled an old rivalry once so intense that national championships hung in the balance and a U.S. president made a special trip to attend.
The Texas-Arkansas border clash is a feud that in its heyday was as big as any in the country. It renews this week when the No. 3 Longhorns and Razorbacks meet as programs in the same conference for the first time since 1991.
The Longhorns (8-1, 4-1, No. 3 CFP ) and Razorbacks (5-4, 3-3) have met a handful of times over the last three decades, but the rivalry still drips with lore among the old-timers around both programs.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, a California native, got his first taste of it in 2021 when Arkansas smashed Texas 40-21 and Razorbacks fans stormed the field.
It was Sarkisian’s first defeat with Texas, and he would later declare that Arkansas fans probably hate Texas more than they like themselves. Arkansas coach Sam Pittman agreed.
“I don’t know what (former Texas coach) Darrell Royal did to Arkansas back in the day, but they absolutely hate our guts,” Sarkisian said this week. “And I think we learned that the first time around when we went there.”
That’s exactly it. The bitterness runs deep across the ages.
The Longhorns-Razorbacks rivalry dates to 1894, and for many years determined supremacy in the old Southwest Conference. It took on national significance from 1960-70 as eight games featured at least one team ranked in the Top 10. Six times, both teams were.
A Longhorns goal-line stand preserved a 7-3 Texas win in 1962 that determined the SWC title. Texas won the national title in 1963. Arkansas went undefeated and claimed a share of the national crown a year later. Royal said the loss cost Texas another championship.
And then came 1969’s No. 1 vs No. 2 “Game of the Century,” or “The Big Shootout” as it’s known in Arkansas.
Anticipating a blockbuster end to college football’s centennial celebration, Texas-Arkansas had been moved from its usual midseason matchup to Dec. 6, making it the only game in the country that day.
President Nixon flew in by helicopter to attend. The Rev. Billy Graham gave the pregame invocation.
Arkansas led 14-0 before Texas rallied to win 15-14, a victory that turned on James Street’s 44-yard pass to Randy Peschel on fourth down. Nixon and his entourage made their way to the crowded, musty Longhorns locker room to greet the players, and presented Royal with a national championship plaque.
“He was walking around like one of the guys. You’re a kid, you’ve just beaten Arkansas, somebody says, `Congratulations’ and you say, `Thanks, buddy!′ and start slapping backs, not realizing it’s the president of the United States,” Street told The Associated Press in 2005.
In Texas lore, the game ranked as the program’s greatest victory until Vince Young and the Longhorns beat USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl for the national championship.
The rivalry split when the Razorbacks left the SWC for the SEC in 1992 and the teams have played only a handful of times since then. Texas leads the overall series 56-23 but the Razorbacks have won four of the six matchups since 2000.
And then Texas joined the SEC, and the league immediately linked the Razorbacks and Longhorns again. It is yet to be determined if the matchup will be an annual one or just every few years, but Saturday’s game comes at a time when national championship dreams are once again on the line.
Texas is tied atop the SEC with an eye on the conference championship game and the College Football Playoff. Another loss in Fayetteville could severely damage both of those goals.
Pittman said he showed his team some grainy highlights of the 1964 and 1969 matchups, as well as 1991, the last time the Razorbacks and Longhorns met as conference opponents. He wanted his players to feel the history between the schools.
“I think you have to educate the kids on how big the game is to the fans (and) to the university,” Pittman said. “I think rivalry games matter.”
The history lesson made an impact on the Razorbacks.
“We’re here, I mean 60-70 years later and this game still means the world to Arkansas and Texas,” Arkansas offensive lineman Fernando Carmona said. “I’m excited to make history.”
Both teams have a few players left from the 2021 matchup. Of the 11 still on the Texas roster, nine are starters.
Texas players recalled Razorbacks fans jeering the Longhorns bus all the way from the team hotel to the stadium.
“I remember a packed house. I remember them not treating us very well,” senior center Jake Major said.
Texas defensive tackle Alfred Collins remembered the nightmare that was the game.
“It was an introduction to the SEC,” Collins said. “They came out and wanted to whip our (butts) and they did.”
This group of Longhorns likely won’t be intimidated by the crowd, the Razorbacks or what’s at stake. Texas has won nine consecutive games on an opponents’ home field. Pittman noted the roster differences between the Texas team of three years ago and the one coming to play Saturday.
“Their talent level is certainly a lot faster, bigger,” Pittman said.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 22 ST. JOHN’S, BACK IN POLL, ROUTS WAGNER
Aaron Scott scored seven of his 11 points over the final seven minutes of the second half as No. 22 St. John’s survived several choppy stretches before pulling away for a 66-45 victory over visiting Wagner Wednesday night in Queens, N.Y.
Ranked for the first time since January 2019, St. John’s (3-0) led virtually the entire way but didn’t put away Wagner (1-2) until it scored 18 straight points to turn a two-point lead into a 57-37 edge with 5:48 left. RJ Luis Jr. led the Red Storm with 13 points.
Deivon Smith and Brady Dunlap added nine points apiece as the Red Storm shot 50 percent from the floor (21 of 42) but missed 12 of its 30 free-throw attempts.
Javier Ezquerra scored 10 points to lead Wagner, which shot a dreadful 29.1 percent overall, went 5-for-24 from 3-point range and committed 16 turnovers.
No. 3 UConn 90, Le Moyne 49
Alex Karaban scored a game-high 17 points and Liam McNeeley finished with 15 as the Huskies crushed the Dolphins in Hartford, Conn.
Karaban was 7 of 11 from the field and made three 3-pointers. McNeeley also connected on three 3-pointers. Samson Johnson had four of UConn’s nine blocked shots.
The Huskies (3-0) had a 17-0 advantage in points off turnovers, and a 12-0 ratio in fast-break points. Dwayne Koroma led Le Moyne (1-3) with 13 points and five rebounds.
No. 5 Auburn 79, Kent State 56
Four days after topping then-No. 4 Houston on the road, the Tigers let much of a 22-point first-half lead against the Golden Flashes slip away before emerging with a home win.
Johni Broome, selected the SEC Player of the Week on Monday, and Chaney Johnson each scored 18 points to lead the Tigers (3-0). Johnson’s night included 12 rebounds plus a dunk that increased the Tigers’ lead to 36-22 entering halftime. Auburn’s Denver Jones and Chad Baker-Mazara tallied 12 points apiece.
Kent State (2-1) was carried by forward VonCameron Davis’ 19 points but struggled from beyond the 3-point arc. The Golden Flashes went 5-for-21 (23.8 percent) from long distance. Davis finished 6-for-14 from the field, including 2-for-6 from 3-point range.
No. 8 Houston 91, Louisiana 45
Terrance Arceneaux led a balanced scoring effort with 14 points and the host Cougars dominated from early in the game while downing the Ragin’ Cajuns.
Milos Uzan added 13 points, Mercy Miller scored 12 and J’Wan Roberts and Emanuel Sharp had 11 each as the Cougars (2-1) bounced back from a 74-69 home loss to then No. 11 Auburn on Saturday.
Louisiana (1-2) got a team-high eight points from Christian Wright. The Ragin’ Cajuns sank just 6 of 21 3-point attempts, while the Cougars made 10 of 23.
No. 11 Tennessee 92, Montana 57
Igor Milicic Jr. scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, paving the way for the Volunteers to throttle the Grizzlies in Knoxville, Tenn.
Chaz Lanier added 13 points, shooting 5 for 8 from the floor, as the Volunteers improved to 3-0. He scored all but two of his points in the second half. Felix Okpara and Cameron Carr each chipped in 13 points, as well.
Money Williams scored 30 points to lead Montana (2-2), which was facing Tennessee for the first time. Williams was 4 of 7 on 3-point shooting and hit on eight of his 15 attempts from the field.
No. 14 Creighton 78, Houston Christian 43
Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 16 points to fuel the Bluejays to a convincing victory over the visiting Huskies in Omaha, Neb.
A three-time conference defensive player of the year, Kalkbrenner also had five rebounds and three blocks. His dominant performance paved the way for Greg McDermott to record his 328th head coaching victory at Creighton, snapping a tie with his predecessor Dana Altman (1994-2010). Steven Ashworth collected 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and Fredrick King added 11 points off the bench. Jamiya Neal had nine points and seven rebounds for the Bluejays (3-0), who benefited from a 36-5 run to close the first half.
The Huskies (1-2) made just 25.4 percent of their attempts from the floor and 14.3 percent from beyond the arc. Houston Christian was led by D’Aundre Samuels’ eight points.
No. 18 Arkansas 65, Troy 49
A hot second half from Zvonimi Ivisic allowed the Razorbacks to overcome the pesky Trojans in Fayetteville, Ark.
Ivisic, who scored 19 points and blocked five shots, provided a second-half spark off the bench as he shot 5 of 6 from 3-point range and scored 16 points after intermission. Adou Thiero also had 19 points for Arkansas (2-1).
Jackson Fields led Troy (2-1) with 13 points, while Myles Rigsby added 12.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO NETS 59 IN BUCKS’ OT WIN
Giannis Antetokounmpo amassed an NBA season-high 59 points as the Milwaukee Bucks overturned an 18-point deficit to defeat the visiting Detroit Pistons 127-120 in overtime on Wednesday night.
It was Antetokounmpo’s ninth 50-plus outing and the second best of his career, after his 64-point effort against Indiana last season.
The two-time MVP hit 21 of 34 from the field, 16 of 17 from the foul line, and had 14 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks. Brook Lopez provided the support with 29 points.
Cade Cunningham had 35 points and 11 assists for the Pistons, while Malik Beasley hit eight 3-pointers in his 26-point, 10-rebound game.
Cavaliers 114, 76ers 106
Darius Garland scored 25 points and Donovan Mitchell took over down the stretch as Cleveland remained undefeated with a road victory over short-handed Philadelphia.
Mitchell finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists for Cleveland (13-0), which is off to the NBA’s best start since the Golden State Warriors’ record-setting 24-game winning streak to begin the 2015-16 season.
Philadelphia fought hard without Joel Embiid (knee), Paul George (knee) and Tyrese Maxey (hamstring) but still lost for the ninth time in 11 games. Rookie Jared McCain took advantage of the available playing time by posting career highs in points (34) and assists (10).
Bulls 124, Knicks 123
Coby White made three free throws with 3.2 seconds left to cap his 22-point effort and Chicago rallied after squandering a 22-point lead to beat host New York.
After falling behind 90-68 late in the third quarter, New York — playing the second leg of a back-to-back — ended the period on a 17-0 run to set up an intense fourth quarter.
Jalen Brunson, who scored a pair of go-ahead baskets under duress in the final 38 seconds, created space for a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer, but his attempt rimmed in and out. Had the Knicks completed the comeback, it would have been the franchise’s biggest second-half rally since a 26-point turnaround in March 2004.
Lakers 128, Grizzlies 123
LeBron James scored 35 points in his third consecutive triple-double as Los Angeles remained perfect at home with a victory over visiting Memphis.
James added 14 assists with 12 rebounds in his fourth triple-double of the season. Los Angeles rookie Dalton Knecht added a career-best 19 points while going 5-for-5 from 3-point range. The Lakers improved to 6-0 at home, matching the NBA-best mark also held by the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 29 points and Scotty Pippen Jr., Santi Aldama and Marcus Smart each added 15 points as the Grizzlies saw their season-best three-game winning streak come to an end.
Kings 127, Suns 104
De’Aaron Fox poured in a game-high 29 points, Kevin Huerter backed him with 22 and Sacramento won a battle of attrition over visiting Phoenix with a late flurry that produced a victory.
Fox, who also found time for a game-high 10 assists, and Domantas Sabonis (11 points, team-high 10 rebounds) recorded double-doubles for the Kings, who beat the Suns a second straight time after winning 127-118 in overtime in Phoenix on Sunday. Fox shot 11-for-17, Huerter 9-for-16 and Keegan Murray 7-for-11 (17 points) for the Kings, who outshot the visitors 64.1 percent to 37.1 percent.
Josh Okogie had 25 points off the bench to pace the Suns. Devin Booker totaled 18 points while Ryan Dunn, Tyus Jones and Monte Morris added 10 apiece for Phoenix. Jones also had a team-high eight assists while Jusuf Nurkic grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
Magic 94, Pacers 90
Franz Wagner scored 29 points and Orlando benefited from a fourth-quarter surge to beat visiting Indiana and improve to 6-0 at home.
Orlando’s Goga Bitadze collected 12 points and 12 rebounds to record his third double-double of the season. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Moritz Wagner each had 10 points in the win as the Magic outscored the Pacers by a 26-18 margin in the fourth.
Indiana’s Pascal Siakam sank four 3-pointers to highlight his 25-point performance, and Bennedict Mathurin added 23 points and 12 rebounds.
Celtics 139, Nets 114
Jayson Tatum scored 15 of his 36 points in the third quarter as Boston recovered from a slow start and pulled away in the second half for a blowout of Brooklyn in New York.
Jaylen Brown added 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Celtics, who shot a season-best 53.8 percent. Payton Pritchard contributed 23 points.
Ziaire Williams scored 23 points to lead the Nets, who took their most lopsided loss of the season despite. Cam Thomas added 17 points and Dennis Schroder put up 16.
Thunder 106, Pelicans 88
Jalen Williams scored a season-high 31 points to lead host Oklahoma City past New Orleans.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 29 points two days after he posted a career-high 45 points. Williams added seven assists, six rebounds and four steals.
Brandon Ingram amassed 18 points and six assists but had eight turnovers as the Pelicans took their sixth loss in a row.
Rockets 111, Clippers 103
Jalen Green scored a game-high 21 points while Alperen Sengun chipped in a double-double and threw down a key late dunk that helped Houston fend off visiting Los Angeles.
With the Rockets up 98-79, the Clippers turned to reserves Kobe Brown, Jordan Miller and Bones Hyland to key a rally and close the deficit to 107-103. But Sengun (13 points, 11 rebounds) delivered his driving dunk before Tari Eason (18 points, 10 rebounds) added another in transition to seal the victory.
James Harden led the Clippers with 19 points and seven assists while Terance Mann added 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: KAREL VEJMELKA MAKES 49 SAVES IN UTAH’S WIN
Karel Vejmelka made a career-high 49 saves and the Utah Hockey Club scored three goals within a 2:19 span in the third period for a 4-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday in Salt Lake City.
Nick Bjugstad had two goals for Utah, and Michael Kesselring had two assists. Jack McBain and Mikhail Sergachev scored Utah’s other goals, both during the third-period flurry.
With the game tied 1-1 at 5:09 of the final frame, Kesselring made a great play to take the puck into Carolina’s end, and then made a canny pass to McBain for the conversion. Sergachev followed up at the 7:11 mark, and Bjugstad’s second goal of the game came just 17 seconds later to put the hosts up 4-1.
Martin Necas’ second-period power-play goal was the only tally for the Hurricanes, despite a whopping 50-21 shots advantage and six power-play opportunities.
Maple Leafs 4, Capitals 3 (OT)
John Tavares scored the winner in overtime to complete Toronto’s comeback from a two-goal deficit in the third period for a victory at Washington.
Tavares, who also had an assist, broke into the offensive zone to collect Mitch Marner’s backhand clear and slid it five-hole on Logan Thompson with 47 seconds left in overtime.
William Nylander had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who have won four of their last five games. Joseph Woll made 24 saves. Aliaksei Protas had a goal and an assist, and Thompson made 30 saves for the Capitals.
Avalanche 4, Los Angeles 2
Mikko Rantanen scored three goals for his ninth career hat trick, including a go-ahead goal midway through the third period, and Colorado beat Los Angeles in Denver.
Rantanen added an assist, Artturi Lehkonen had a goal and an assist and Nathan MacKinnon had three assists for Colorado, which won its third game in a row. Alexandar Georgiev turned away 13 shots for the victory.
Los Angeles goaltender Darcy Kuemper made 18 saves before leaving early in the third period with an apparent injury. David Rittich had four saves in relief. Adrian Kempe had two goals while Trevor Moore and Anze Kopitar had two assists for the Kings.
Knights 3, Ducks 2
Pavel Dorofeyev scored what proved to be the game winner early in the third period and Adin Hill made 22 saves as Vegas handed host Anaheim a loss.
Tomas Hertl and Nicolas Roy also scored goals and Shea Theodore had two assists for Vegas, which improved to 25-7-1 all-time against the Ducks (including 11-4-1 at the Honda Center). It was just the second road win of the season for the Golden Knights (2-3-2).
Brock McGinn and Frank Vatrano scored goals and Brett Leason had two assists for Anaheim, which lost for the fifth time in its last six games (1-4-1). Lukas Dostal finished with 36 saves.
Red Wings 3, Penguins 2 (OT)
Defenseman Simon Edvinsson scored 1:30 into overtime to give Detroit a win at Pittsburgh.
Patrick Kane posted a goal and an assist and Jonatan Berggren also scored for the Red Wings, who had lost their previous two games. Cam Talbot made 31 saves.
Bryan Rust and Anthony Beauvillier got the goals for the Penguins, who fell for the fourth time in five games (1-2-2). Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 28 shots.
GOLF NEWS
2024 BUTTERFIELD BERMUDA CHAMPIONSHIP: PREVIEW, PROPS & BEST BETS
Only two events remain in the 2024 PGA Tour season, and the grind continues for players seeking critical points toward their playing status for next year.
This week’s stop for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course in Bermuda begins Thursday, and our golf experts preview the event while sharing their favorite prop picks and best bets to win this week.
BUTTERFIELD BERMUDA CHAMPIONSHIP
Location: Southampton, Bermuda, Nov. 14-17
Course: Port Royal Golf Course (Par 71, 6,828 Yards)
Purse: $6.9M (Winner: $1.242M)
Defending Champion: Camilo Villegas
FedEx Cup Champion: Scottie Scheffler
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 1-4 p.m. ET; Saturday: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Sunday: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (All times Golf Channel)
X: @Bermuda_Champ
PROP PICKS
–Nico Echavarria to Beat Patrick Rodgers (-110 at DraftKings): Echavarria proved his second career PGA Tour victory was no fluke, nearly going back-to-back last week before slipping to T6. He’s in as good of form as anyone grinding out these final events. Rodgers is trying to maintain his grip on entries into the first two signature events next year as he sits 55th in the standings. He’s coming off a T24 at the WWT, with a best result in five fall events thus far being a T11 in Utah.
–Carson Young Top 30 Finish (+110 at BetRivers): Young is up to a career-high 135th in the Official World Golf Ranking following his T2 last week. Granted, that was on the heels of a T37 and MC in his previous two events, but he did also tie for 11th in Utah. This is one of the weaker fields of the year and Young should be playing somewhat loose. At No. 86, he has secured his card for next year but is a longshot to rise into the AON Next 10.
–Mark Hubbard to Make Cut (-330 at DraftKings): We made a similar play with Austin Eckroat last week and while the made cut payout wasn’t attractive he did go on to win. Hubbard has made 80 percent of his cuts this year, and took a week off after a T41 in Japan. He also finished T20 in Bermuda last year while posting four rounds of 68 or better.
2024 Prop Picks Record: 52-58
BEST BETS
–Seamus Power (+1600 at DraftKings) won the event in 2022, when he set the tournament record with 28 birdies.
–Maverick McNealy (+1600) is ranked 68th as he still seeks his maiden win on tour. He did post a T6 last week. He has been a popular play since opening at +1800.
–Mackenzie Hughes (+2000) is a two-time winner on tour and has posted a pair of top-10s in his only two starts this fall. His odds have lengthened since opening at +1600.
–Lucas Glover (+2500) is among the most accomplished players in the field. In four fall starts so far, he has a pair of T3 finishes and two other top-25s.
–Echavarria (+3000) claimed his second tour title two weeks ago and was in contention to make it two in a row until a 71 last Sunday dropped him into a T6. Recent form has made him one of the most popular plays in the field since opening at +4000.
–Matti Schmid (+3000) is coming off a missed cut last week. However, that followed a pair of top-5s and his best PGA Tour result to date was a solo third in Bermuda last year. Schmid has shifted slightly since opening at +2800.
NOTES
–This is the seventh of eight tournaments on the FedEx Cup Fall schedule, which finalizes the top 125 players who will retain exempt status for 2025. Nos. 126-150 after the fall will retain conditional status. Players who finished Nos. 51-70 in the FedEx Cup have secured their tour cards, but are competing for spots in the first two signature events after the season-opening The Sentry on Jan. 2-5.
–This week’s field includes every player from Nos. 118-135 in the standings other than No. 130 Matt Wallace. Joel Dahmen (+6500) is among the notables battling for full status, having moved up to No. 121 with a T14 last week. Former Top 10 player Daniel Berger (+3000) has climbed to 124th with four consecutive top-40 finishes.
–Villegas’ win last year was his first since 2014.
–Camiko Smith won a local qualifier to earn a sponsor exemption into the event along with fellow Bermudians Nick Jones and Eric West. None of the 14 Bermudians who have played in the event to date have made the cut, including Smith in 2020 and 2021. Each are being offered as +250000 longshots.
–Miles Russell, 16, is in the field on an exemption as the Junior Player of the Year. He shot 74-70 in his PGA Tour debut at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in June.
AON NEXT 10
The top 10 players in the AON Next 10 following The RSM Classic will receive spots in the first two designated events of 2025.
Seven of the players from Nos. 51-60 are in this week’s field: No. 51 Hughes, No. 53 McNealy, No. 54 Power, No. 55 Rodgers, No. 57 Nick Taylor, No. 58 Ben Griffin, No. 60 Kevin Yu.
–Field Level Media
LIV GOLF ADDS EVENTS IN SOUTH KOREA, INDIANA TO 2025 SCHEDULE
LIV Golf is adding events in South Korea and the Indianapolis area to its 2025 schedule.
The league announced Wednesday tournaments to be played at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea and at The Club at Chatham Hills in Westfield, Ind.
“LIV Golf is growing across the globe in new and returning markets, and our 2025 schedule is a testament to that,” said Greg Norman, LIV Golf commissioner and CEO.
“Bringing LIV Golf to South Korea is another significant milestone as we continue to expand throughout Asia, and our inaugural event in Indy will be a perfect match for a community steeped in sports history and tradition.”
The tour will stop in South Korea May 2-4 at the Nicklaus club in Incheon, where the 2015 Presidents Cup was played. It is one of four Asian stops in 2025.
LIV Golf Indianapolis is set for Aug. 15-17 and will be the final individual event on the calendar. Players will battled for the 2025 LIV Golf League championship there, also looking to secure their positions for 2026. Team-event seedings also will be determined there.
The league also unveiled the dates for four of its returning tournaments:
June 27-29: LIV Golf Dallas, Maridoe Golf Club
July 11-13: LIV Golf Andalucia, Real Club Valderrama (San Roque, Spain)
July 25-27: LIV Golf UK, JCB Golf and Country Club (Rocester, England)
Aug. 8-10: LIV Golf Chicago, Bolingbrook Golf Club
Play in the league’s third season begins Feb. 6-8 at LIV Golf Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. LIV Golf has released the dates and locations of 10 of its 14 tournaments on the league’s 2025 schedule, with further announcements expected soon.
–Field Level Media
NASCAR NEWS
REPORT: NASCAR CONSIDERING PLAYOFF FORMAT CHANGES
NASCAR is reviewing its playoff format and is considering making changes as soon as next year, the Sports Business Journal reported Tuesday.
Because the season gets underway in February, the short turnaround time means a more extensive overhaul would have to wait until 2026, per the report.
Joey Logano was crowned the 2024 Cup Series champion on Sunday at Phoenix despite having the fewest top-five finishes (seven), the fewest top-10 finishes (13) and lowest average finishing position (17.1) for a series champion in the modern era.
NASCAR has used its current playoff format since 2017, consisting of four rounds: Round of 16, Round of 12, Round of 8 and the Championship 4. The first three rounds include three races each, while the Championship 4 comprises only the season finale (Phoenix).
According to Wednesday’s report, topics under review include whether wins should automatically qualify a driver for the playoffs, as is currently the case; whether the regular season champion should get locked into one of the playoffs’ later rounds; and whether the final round should consist of multiple races instead of just one.
TOP INDIANA SPORTS HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES
COLTS NEWS
RICHARDSON TO START REST OF SEASON
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Richardson showed the Indianapolis Colts over the past two weeks off the field that he could be their starting quarterback.
Again.
Two ugly losses might have helped convince Indy’s brain trust, too.
Either way, Richardson has won back the job.
Coach Shane Steichen announced Wednesday that he was making yet another quarterback change, handing the reins back to the 22-year-old Richardson while benching 39-year-old Joe Flacco.
“He’s going to be our starter again, he’s going to start for the rest of the season and we’re going to go from there,” Steichen said. “ I informed Joe of the decision yesterday. He’s the ultimate pro. He respects the decision, he understands it.”
Steichen made the first change because he said Flacco gave the Colts (4-6) the best chance of winning now.
Instead, Flacco committed six turnovers in two losses, the offense struggled to get in the end zone or stay on the field and Indy’s lost ground in the race for the AFC’s seventh and final playoff spot.
So now the Colts are turning back to their franchise quarterback.
What changed? Apparently, Richardson commitment to working harder.
“It was, ‘Hey, Anthony, these are the areas we need to work on and see growth and improvement and he’s made great strides in those areas,” Steichen said. “I didn’t have a timetable on it, but I knew at some point, you know, we were not going to give up on Anthony.”
For Richardson, it’s yet another twist in what already has been a stop-and-go career.
After being drafted No. 4 overall in 2023, the former Florida star quickly won the starting job. Richardson’s rookie tenure didn’t last long.
He started Indy’s first two games, missed Week 3 with a concussion, then started two more games before undergoing season-ending surgery on his throwing shoulder.
This season has been more of the same. Richardson started Indy’s first four games then missed two more with a hip injury and started two more before being benched.
Now, the youngest quarterback in the NFL will be back in the lineup for Sunday’s matchup against the New York Jets and the league’s oldest quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.
“I just showed I’m willing to be a pro, I’m willing to sacrifice anything I need to do for the team,” Richardson said. ”I feel that these past two weeks have definitely opened my eyes and allowed me to do that and do a deeper dive and look into myself and see what I’m made of, so I’m thankful for these past two weeks and I’m real glad to have it (the job).”
Flacco, last season’s AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year, won two of the five games he played in his first season with the Colts but was 1-3 as the starter.
Still, the decision was unexpected. On Monday, the day after Flacco threw three interceptions and lost a fumble in a 30-20 loss to Buffalo, Steichen left little doubt that Flacco would remain the starter for the rest of this season.
Less than 24 hours later, he notified Flacco of the move just four days before the NFL’s second-oldest quarterback met one of his former teams.
“Shane and I had a private conversation, and it was a good talk and that’s all I’m going to say,” Flacco said. “Every time you take the field you’re being evaluated, and I’m definitely disappointed the way the last two weeks went. Any time you walk into the locker room like this, and you have the ability to play for the guys, you want to do a good job for them.”
Now, though, Richardson must prove Indy made the right move.
In his first six games this season, Richardson threw seven interceptions and four touchdown passes with a league-low 44.4% completion rate. Richardson believes the extra time he’s put in over the past two weeks have helped create more consistent habits that he hopes will help him on and off the field.
If it does, the Colts may finally figure out if Richardson can be the long-term solution to a quarterback carrousel that has been spinning constantly since Andrew Luck’s surprise retirement in August 2019.
“I feel like there’s still for improvement all around but lately I’ve been working on consistency, just trying to get better at that,” he said. “The past couple of weeks I’ve been trying to focus on like sacrificing more. Guys ask me to do certain things you’ve got to do it. They’re sacrificing so why not do it?”
COACH SHANE STEICHEN MID-WEEK PRESSER: https://www.colts.com/video/shane-steichen-mid-week-update-colts-at-jets
QB ANTHONY RICHARDSON MID-WEEK PRESSER: https://www.colts.com/video/anthony-richardson-colts-at-jets-week-11
INDIANA PACERS NEWS
PACERS LOSE AT ORLANDO
The Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic each entered Orlando’s Kia Center with .500 records, both fighting for a chance to rise above that mark. Orlando was just one of just three NBA teams to be undefeated in their home arena, and remain unbeaten against all visitors as they downed the Pacers, 94-90.
Franz Wagner picked up where he left off in the Pacers last meeting with the Magic as he tallied 11 first quarter points on his way to a 16-point first half. He notched 28 points in their November 6th meeting, and topped it with 29 points in Wednesday’s game.
Wagner was the lone bright spot in Orlando’s first quarter offense as Indiana held the Magic to just 18 first quarter points – nearly 10 fewer than the Magic’s first quarter scoring average of 27.5 on the season. The Magic would even out their offensive efforts as the game progressed, punching the Pacers with a 27-point third quarter to battle for the lead.
Indiana recorded nine assists in just the first quarter; eight of those came from the hands of Tyrese Haliburton. The ninth was an advance pass by T.J. McConnell to set up rookie Johnny Furphy for his first NBA points.
Furphy hammered down a dunk with 30 seconds remaining in the first quarter. His active hands on defense knocked the ball away from Jalen Suggs and created the fastbreak opportunity. Furphy took advantage of his 6:37 minutes of first half playing time as he scored seven points on 60% shooting, helping lift Indiana to a four point halftime lead.
“You can see why we’re excited about him in the future,” coach Rick Carlise said of Furphy. “And really right now too. That’s a pretty high culture game and he went in there and played well.”
Indiana led by as many as 12 points in the first quarter, but Orlando’s defense roared back in the second as they allowed the Pacers just 18 points. Indiana shot just 25% from 3-point range in the first half, and were 1-for-8 from range in the second quarter.
Turnovers plagued the Pacers in the second half – they committed 17 that led to 17 Magic points. Orlando’s length troubled Indiana’s offense, and created fastbreak opportunities for the Magic that led to a 10-0 run to open the fourth quarter. Indiana opened the fourth 0-for-6 from the field.
“The level of physicality in the game increased even more in the fourth quarter,” Carlisle said. “The first three or four minutes hurt us.”
Nine minutes into the fourth and final quarter, Indiana had just 10 fourth quarter points.
Mathurin went on a five point personal run as he cut Orlando’s lead to four points with just under two minutes remaining. Despite a 12-point fourth quarter from Mathurin, Indiana fell to the Magic, 90-94. It’s just the third time this season that they’ve recorded under 100 total points.
Siakam led the Pacers with his 25 points and seven rebounds, and Mathurin added 23 points and 12 rebounds to the Pacers’ efforts. Mathurin’s 12 rebounds tied former Pacer Goga Bitadze for the game high. Wagner’s 29 points carried the Magic to the win as they remain unbeaten at home, 4-0 at Kia Center this season. Bitadze contributed a double-double for Orlando as he scored 12 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, six of those rebounds coming off the offensive glass.
The Pacers will look to regroup as they return to Indianapolis on Friday to take on the Miami Heat in NBA Cup play, 7:00 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Inside the Numbers
Bennedict Mathurin’s double-double on Wednesday was the sixth regular season double-double of his career.
Both teams committed 17 turnovers and allowed at least 17 points off those turnovers.
There were 13 lead changes over the course of the game, and each team’s largest lead was 12 points.
Orlando outscored Indiana’s bench, 32-17.
The Pacers recorded 10 steals. Four of those were steals by Jarace Walker.
You Can Quote Me on That
“Defensively it was one of our best defensive games we’ve had in recent years…It was a disjointed game offensively really for both teams because the intensity and physicality was so high.” – Carlisle on defense and intensity
“He’s a very good player off movement. He’s a great runner. He’s got size. He’s deceptively tough…You can see why we’re excited about him in the future.” – Carlisle on Johnny Furphy
“The rebounding has been impressive, he led our team with 12 tonight…23 points, at the end of the game he manufactured some points…He’s going to get great defenders every night, the same way Tyrese [Haliburton] is, and he’ll continue to grow.” – Carlisle on Mathurin’s growth
Stat of the Night
On a night where neither team shot better than 40%, Pascal Siakam scored 25 points on 72.7% shooting and made all five of his free throw attempts.
Noteworthy
Obi Toppin returned Wednesday after a single game absence due to a sprained ankle.
Johnny Furphy recorded his first NBA points against Orlando on Wednesday.
Up Next
The Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday, Nov. 15th to take on Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat in NBA Cup play, 7:00 PM ET.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
FanDuel Sports Network – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Tickets
The Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to face Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat on Friday, Nov. 15th to open NBA Cup play at 7:00 PM ET.
PACERS POST GAME: https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/game-rewind-pacers-90-magic-94
INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
CAFFEY AND MAKALUSKY SIGN WITH THE HOOSIERS
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s basketball has announced the signing of a pair of Top 100 players in Nevaeh Caffey (Warrenton, Mo.) and Maya Makalusky (Fishers, Ind.) on Wednesday.
Caffey is a 5-10 guard out of Incarnate Word High School in St. Louis where she a third team All-American honoree, Class 6 All State Player of the Year and Class 6 first team All-State. Incarnate Word has won three-straight Missouri Class 6 State Championships during her three seasons including help guide them to a perfect record of 92-0 during her time with the program. Her additional accolades include All-Metro Girls Basketball Player of the Year and Class 6 District Player of the Year and Class 6 All-District. As a junior at Incarnate Word, Caffey averaged 14.0 points and shot 49.0 percent from the floor as a junior. She ranks as the No. 65 recruit in the ESPN Top 100.
Makalusky, a 6-3 forward, is the No. 1 recruit out of the state of Indiana and No. 36 overall by ESPN in the class of 2025. A three-year starter and letterwinner at Hamilton Southeastern who holds a career average 18.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals and has scored 1,315 points heading into her senior season. In her three seasons at HSE, Makalusky holds a 56-15 career record. She was named a Indiana Junior All-Star in 2024 and ICGSA First Team All-State. A two-time Hoosier Basketball magazine first team all-state, she is ranked 30th by Blue Star, 34th by Junior All-Stars and 44th by Prospect Nation.
INDIANA FALTERS ON THE ROAD TO BUTLER
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Indiana couldn’t find a rhythm in the second half as it fell on the road, 56-46, at Hinkle Fieldhouse to the Butler Bulldogs on Wednesday night.
KEY MOMENTS
It was a tight first half, as neither team led by more than four in the opening quarter. Indiana (1-2) went 3-for-3 from the 3-point line the first quarter with triples from graduate student guards Moore-McNei and Sydney Parrish along with junior guard Julianna LaMendola all connected from beyond-the-arc.
Indiana was able to pull ahead in the second quarter by as many as six, forcing a Butler timeout with 4:26 on a second-chance opportunity by Parrish.
After getting outscored 15-9 in the third, the Hoosiers went looking for answers in the fourth. They didn’t find them as Butler (3-0) outscored them by the same margin as the third to suffer the 10-point loss.
NOTABLE
Junior guard Shay Ciezki led the way with 11 points while junior guard Yarden Garzon pitched in 10. Ciezki also added four assists.
Parrish led IU with eight boards but the Hoosiers were outrebounded, 36-30.
Indiana shot just 34 percent from the floor and 35.5 percent from the 3-point line. They went a perfect 6-for-6 at the charity stripe, but didn’t get to the line in the second half.
UP NEXT
Indiana returns home for a matchup with No. 24 Stanford on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on FS1.
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
SISLEY SIGNS LETTER OF INTENT FOR INDIANA
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Consensus four-star recruit Trent Sisley has signed his letter of intent to continue his basketball career at Indiana University under head men’s basketball coach Mike Woodson.
Trent Sisley
Forward | 6-7 | 205
Lincoln City, Ind. | Montverde Academy
No. 71 on 247Sports | No. 91 on Rivals | No. 92 on ESPN
Consensus 4-star and top-100 nationally-ranked recruit … holds the Heritage Hills High School career scoring (1,715 points) and rebounding (751 boards) records despite only playing three seasons for the Patriots before transferring to Monteverde Academy … helped Indiana Elite to an undefeated spring in 2024 … advanced to the adidas 3SSB title game … scored 20 points to go along with six rebounds and three assists for the Indiana Junior All-Stars against Kentucky … earned Associated Press All-State Second Team honors as a junior … averaged 12.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for Indiana Elite while shooting 40.7% on 2.7 3-point attempts per game … averaged 24.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.2 blocked shots, and 1.8 steals per game as a junior at Heritage Hills … produced 26.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 1.6 steals per contest as a sophomore … posted 19.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 blocked shots, and 1.1 steals per outing as a freshman … son of Heather and Matt Sisley … his father played basketball collegiately at Southeast Missouri State … has one brother, Blake, who played basketball at Evansville and Wright State, and two sisters, Lauren and Claire.
Woodson on Sisley:
“Trent is a young man that we have prioritized for a long time. He is the ideal player for me and my staff. He is a long, rangy, versatile player that can do a lot of things for us on the basketball floor. He is switchable on defense, a very good rebounder, and possesses a level of toughness that was very attractive to us in the recruiting process.
“Offensively, he has the ability to play multiple positions, push the ball in transition, make shots from the perimeter, and take advantage of mismatches inside. Hoosier Nation will love Trent’s competitiveness and desire to win. We are extremely excited to get Trent to Bloomington to reunite him with his siblings who already attend IU and be a part of our basketball family.”
INDIANA VOLLEYBALL
VOLLEYBALL CENTRAL: IOWA AND NEBRASKA
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – It’s back to the road this weekend as the Indiana Volleyball team (12-12, 5-9 B1G) continues a busy month of November. In total, IU will play 10 matches across five weekends – capped off by Thanksgiving break tilts with Michigan (Nov. 27) and Illinois (Nov. 29).
IU heads to Iowa (Nov. 14) and No. 2 Nebraska (Nov. 16) for the first time since 2022. The Hoosiers saw both opponents at home over the same weekend in 2023. IU has never won in Lincoln and hasn’t beaten the Hawkeyes in their gym since the COVID season of 2021.
Big opportunities escaped the grasp of a hungry Hoosier ballclub this past weekend at Wilkinson Hall. IU had chances to pick up important wins against No. 9 Purdue and No. 20 USC but couldn’t find the necessary points in crunch time. Over 4,500 people – including a building attendance record of 2,858 on Friday – came to the two matches this past week.
Senior setter Camryn Haworth racked up five aces in the two matches this weekend, pushing her all-time record in program history to 206. She became the first player at IU to record at least 40 aces in all four seasons of her career. Against USC on Sunday (Nov. 10), Haworth tallied the 12th four-ace match of her career. That included a run of three-straight aces in the second set.
Junior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles extended her streak of matches with 10+ kills out to five-straight contests. She picked up 26 kills over the weekend across eight sets. In her IU career, she has more Big Ten games (33) with double-digit kills than not (19). Her 3.58 kills per set are on pace to be the most by a Hoosier since at least 2014.
With one more league win, the four-year 2024 senior class – led by Haworth – will reach 30 career Big Ten wins. It would be the first time a full recruiting class reached 30 combined Big Ten wins since All-American Ashley Benson’s 2010 senior group.
Thursday’s contest (Nov. 14) with Iowa will have a first serve of 7:00 PM ET/6:00 PM ET. On Saturday, IU will head to the Bob Devaney Center in Lincoln for an 8:30 PM ET/7:30 PM CT first serve on the Big Ten Network. Saturday’s contest will be the seventh time that IU has played a road match with at least 2,500 fans this season.
Gameday Info
at Iowa (Thursday, November 14th – 7:00 PM ET/6:00 PM CT)
Live Video: bit.ly/4fkF3dL
Live Stats: bit.ly/3UMSXga
at #2 Nebraska (Saturday, November 16th – 8:30 PM/7:30 PM CT)
Live Video: bit.ly/44wik9K
Live Stats: bit.ly/40J5pBI
Stat Notes
• Among players averaging 3.40 kills per set or more in the Big Ten, junior opposite hitter Avry Tatum is second in hitting percentage (.290) behind only the reigning National Player of the Year – Wisconsin’s Sarah Franklin. Tatum needs just 13 more kills for her first career 300-kill season.
• Tatum and fellow junior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles combine to form a productive offensive duo. They are one of two pairs (Penn State – Camryn Hannah and Jess Mruzik) of teammates to each average over 3.40 kills per set this year. Each rank inside the top-14 of the Big Ten in the category.
• Senior setter Camryn Haworth has filled up every statistical category there is during her time in Bloomington. Among setters in program history, she is first in aces (206), second in kills (350), fourth in blocks (168), fourth in digs (883) and fifth in assists (3,699). She’s the only player to achieve that entire stat line.
Notable
Close Calls
• Indiana had chances to pick up a signature win last weekend at Wilkinson Hall but again let late leads slip away down the stretch. The Hoosiers had a late lead in set three to try and take the advantage vs. No. 9 Purdue on Friday but lost the set. The same thing happened in set four against No. 20 USC on Sunday afternoon.
Rally-Era Record Up Next
• A staple of the program for four seasons, senior setter Camryn Haworth will create even more history with just 13 assists against Iowa. She will break the rally-era career assists record soon as she attempts to pass Megan Tallman (3,711 – 2013-16) this weekend.
• Haworth has run away with the all-time aces record – currently at 206 – and will now look for another rally-scoring era record (since 2001). Before the current scoring systems went into effect, setters often had bloated assist numbers (upwards of 80-90) that can no longer be achieved.
Number 30 on Deck
• IU’s four-year senior class – which includes the likes of Haworth and outside hitter Mady Saris – needs just one more Big Ten win to reach 30 for their careers. Along with Kenzie Daffinee and Carly Mills, they would become the first four-year class (2024) with 30 Big Ten wins since 2010.
Big Block in Last Five
• IU’s block has been up and down all season but has really picked up over the past five games. Since the Northwestern contest (10/27), IU is averaging 2.67 blocks per set including double-digit outputs against Rutgers (12.0) and Purdue (11.0).
• Junior middle blocker Madi Sell has 20 blocks over the past five matches including seven against Purdue (three solo) that matched a career best.
Sweet, Sweet Cande
• Junior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles has been the focal point of the offense this season and has performed admirably. While inheriting the bulk of responsibility in serve receive, she has still put up big offensive numbers.
• In her last five matches, all double-digit kill outputs, she is averaging 4.17 kills per set. She had a season best 23 in the win over Rutgers and has nine matches this season with 15-or-more kills.
The Path to a Winning Season
• IU needs to finish the season 4-2 to secure back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1999-2000. Its final six games includes three of the last four at home. Since the turn of the century, there have been just seven winning seasons.
Final Games
» at Iowa, at #2 Nebraska, vs. UCLA, at Ohio State, vs. Michigan, vs. Illinois
Scouting the Opponent
Iowa (9-16, 3-11 B1G)
• The Hawkeyes have won just three conference games this year – two of those against winless Rutgers. Iowa enters the weekend having lost nine-straight contests. It is 4-9 at home in Xtream Areana this year but just 1-6 in league play. IU hasn’t won there since the COVID-2021 season.
• Due to injury, Iowa has played a shuffled lineup the entire year. Freshman outside hitter Malu Garcia and senior outside hitter Michelle Urquhart have become reliable offensive options at 2.83 and 2.17 kills per set respectively.
• Sophomore middle Hannah Whittingstall has picked up her game as the season has progressed. She has 105 blocks on the year (1.22 p/s) and is holding her own with 179 kills (.292 hitting) at the offensive end. Fellow middle Grace Gibson leads the team at a .338 offensive clip (179-47-390).
• Freshman Jenna Meitzler has done the setting over the past few weeks. She accumulated 70 assists over the weekend including a 40-assist effort in a defeat to Northwestern (Sunday). Redshirt freshman Alyssa Worden has been Iowa’s other primary attacker in recent weeks. Graduate student Joy Galles swears the libero jersey.
Nebraska (24-1, 14-0 B1G)
• The Huskers enter the weekend as potentially the hottest team in the country. Nebraska has won 21-straight matches since a sweep at the hands of upstart SMU. It has a trio of tough tests left on the slate but figures to be a lock for a national seed and homecourt advantage through the NCAA Tournament.
• Sophomore setter Bergen Reilly runs the nation’s most balanced offense. Its top four primary attackers average between 2.51 and 3.30 kills per set. Sophomore outside hitter Harper Murray leads with 3.30 kills per set. Senior opposite Merritt Beason is not far behind at 3.06 kills per set.
• Nebraska is known for stout defense and boasts one the most elite back row in the country. Senior libero, a three-time All-American, helps lead the Blackshorts to 14.78 digs per set and an opponent hitting percentage of just .162. Sophomore Laney Choboy and freshman Olivia Mauch contribute in the same department. Murray plays the full six rotations for the Big Red.
• Sophomore middle blocker Andi Jackson is top-five in the country, hitting at an impressive .444 clip (200-49-340) on the season. As a team, Nebraska hits .295. Reilly averages 11.12 assists per set. Nebraska has lost just one set over its past nine matches. Nebraska has allowed the fewest service aces in the Big Ten this season, giving up just 46 points from the end line.
Inside the Series
Iowa
• The Hoosiers have the all-time lead against Iowa, holding a 43-41 advantage in the series. Head coach Steve Aird is 5-5 against the Hawkeyes during his time in Bloomington. The last time IU went out west to Coralville, the Hoosiers fell in five with a depleted squad. Mady Saris had a career high 22 kills in that match.
Nebraska
• One of the premier volleyball programs in NCAA history, Nebraska has been nothing short of dominant in the series. IU is 1-23 all-time against the Huskers and 0-22 since they joined the Big Ten conference. IU pushed Nebraska to five sets in a 2012 loss. Last year, IU had a 23-22 lead in set two with the chance to go up 2-0. Nebraska won a pair of late challenges in game two and eventually cruised to a 3-1 victory.
INDIANA FOOTBALL
ROURKE NAMED SEMIFINALIST FOR THIRD NATIONAL AWARD
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana football senior Kurtis Rourke earned his third national semifinalist nod when the Walter Camp Award selected him as one of 20 semifinalists for its national player of the year award. The Oakville, Ontario, native is already a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award and Davey O’Brien Award.
Rourke is the highest-rated passer in the FBS per Pro Football Focus (92.3) and owns the second-best passing efficiency (182.7) in the nation. He ranks No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 12 in FBS with 21 passing touchdowns, a total that sits tied for No. 6 on the IU single-season list and he is top-20 in both single-season passing (2,401) and total offense (2,427) in the IU record books.
In 2024, Rourke has thrown just four interceptions- the fourth fewest among Power 5 passers – with one of those on an end-of-half throw to the end zone against Nebraska. He is the first Big Ten quarterback since 2000 to throw for at least 250 yards and three touchdowns in his first three career conference road starts.
He is a two-time Big Ten Player of the Week and was the Manning Award Quarterback of the Week after a Week 3 victory at UCLA. On the national level, Rourke was named to the Davey O’Brien Quarterback Class of 2024.
The Walter Camp Player of the Year will be voted on by the 134 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors later this month. Three finalists will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 26, and the 58th recipient of the Walter Camp Player of Year award will be announced on the ESPN College Football Awards Show on Thursday, December 12.
Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team.
INDIANA WOMEN’S TENNIS
WOMEN’S TENNIS SIGNS TWO FOR 2025
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s tennis head coach Gabrielle Moore announces two signees to the class of 2025. Moore’s first signing class as head coach includes two top 30 ranked athletes in the 2025 class in Ameia Sorey and Hi’ilani Williams.
“I am very excited about the addition of Ameia and Hi’ilani to our tennis family,” Moore said. “They both have been very successful on the national and international stage, and I am confident they will fit in well with our team to help us reach our goals. They are both capable of making an immediate impact on our team, which is what we need. Both are super competitive and believe in this program and university. They are really hard workers and come from two great families. The sky is the limit for them both, and the future is bright for Indiana women’s tennis.”
Ameia Sorey | Miami, Fla.
Sorey, a native of Miami, Fla., is ranked No. 32 and was ranked as high as No. 24 in the class of 2025. She is also a blue-chip recruit and ranked No. 6 in the state of Florida. Sorey also earns a No. 4 ranking in the UTR girls high school players list with a ranking as high as No. 244 in the ITF rankings.
On the court, Sorey has won three ITF singles and one doubles title. In 2023, she was named the Miami’s Herald Dade Tennis Player of the Year and was a FHSAA Tennis State Champion in singles.
“We are so pumped to have Ameia join our family,” Moore said. “She has a passion for tennis, and a deep enthusiasm for learning the game. Her work ethic, competitiveness, and athleticism help set her apart. Ameia has had a lot of success on the ITF Junior Circuit both in singles and doubles that will provide stability and depth for our program. We cannot wait to have her here in Bloomington!”
Hi’ilani Williams | Oro Valley, Ariz.
Our next signee, Hi’ilani Williams, hails from the state of Hawai’i but currently lives in Oro Valley, Ariz.
The five-star recruit currently trains at the John Newcombe Tennis and is ranked No. 31 in the class of 2025 and was ranked as high as No. 26. Williams is also the No. 1 recruit in the state of Arizona for the 2025 class.
Williams is the recipient of the 2024 Girls Southwest Region Sportsmanship Award and was a member of the USTA All-Southwest Team. She also won a Silver Ball at the 2024 USTA National Team Championships in Mobile, Ala., and was the G18’s Southwest Junior Section Closed Champion.
“We are thrilled to add Hi’ilani to our family,” Moore stated. “She was everything we were looking for in building our team culture around. She is an absolute joy and oozes the enthusiasm and values that we are looking for in a team player. She is extremely talented, hardworking and has a lot of variety to her game. She is a great player with a high doubles IQ who is really going to help us there with her experience and her desire to continue to grow on and off the court. We can’t wait to have her on campus next season!”
PURDUE FOOTBALL
GAME 10 PREP: BOILERMAKERS HOST #4 PENN STATE FOR HOME FINALE/SENIOR DAY
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Football closes out the home slate of the 2024 season, hosting No. 4 Penn State at Ross-Ade Stadium. The contest will be Senior Day with the program honoring its seniors before the 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on CBS.
QUICK HITS
• The Boilermakers are in a stretch of playing three of four games against teams ranked in the nation’s Top 5.
• Four of Purdue’s final six games of the season are against teams currently ranked in the AP’s Top 5.
• The Boilermakers have seven wins against ranked opponents over the past six seasons, including three against teams ranked in the Top 3 (No. 2 Ohio State in 2018, No. 2 Iowa in 2021, No. 3 Michigan State in 2021).
• On this date 135 years ago, Purdue Football won its first game in program history with a 34-10 victory over DePauw (Nov. 16, 1889).
• Last week at No. 2 Ohio State, Purdue did not commit a penalty for the first time in a game since Oct. 10, 2015 (vs. Minnesota). It marked just the third time over the past 28 seasons that Purdue was not penalized during a game.
• Starting center Gus Hartwig has a 83.6 pass blocking grade from PFF, ranking second in the Big Ten and 17th nationally among centers, while not giving up a sack and allowing only one hit on the quarterback.
• Senior linebacker Kydran Jenkins ranks sixth in the Big Ten in sacks (0.61 per game). Jenkins is the conference leader in sacks wearing a Big Ten uniform, recording 22.0 throughout his career to also rank sixth in Purdue history.
• One of the nation’s leading tacklers as an All-American a season ago, sophomore Dillon Thieneman ranks second in the Big Ten and sixth nationally in solo tackles (5.6 per game) this year. The 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year has record 50 solo tackles, ranking second nationally among defensive backs.
• Thieneman’s 75 total tackles are 17 more than the next Big Ten defensive back.
• Freshmen and sophomores have accounted for 57 starts for Purdue this season.
• Devin Mockobee ranks fifth in the Big Ten in yards per carry (5.88). He is 109 yards away from becoming the eighth Boilermaker in program history to surpass 2,500 career rushing yards.
• Purdue has rushed for at least 200 yards in three games this year, the most 200-yard games in a season since 2018.
• Tight end Max Klare leads the Boilermakers in receptions (32), receiving yards (475) and receiving touchdowns (2), ranking third among Big Ten tight ends in receiving yards and receptions. Klare is on pace to become the first Purdue tight end to lead the team in receptions since current tight ends coach Justin Sinz hauled in 41 receptions (240 yards, four touchdowns) during the 2013 season.
• Kyndrich Breedlove has recorded three of Purdue’s four interceptions this season, ranking fourth in the Big Ten and 22nd nationally.
• In his first season as a Boilermaker, Keelan Crimmins is on pace for the second-best punting average (44.8 yards per punt) in program history, behind only 2001 Ray Guy Award winner Travis Dorsch (48.1 yards per punt).
• Crimmins’ punting average ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 18th nationally.
RECENT SUCCESS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
• Purdue has beaten seven ranked teams over the past six seasons, going 7-13 against Top 25 opponents despite being the underdog in each one of those games.
• Three of those wins were against Top 3 teams, while Purdue handed five of those ranked teams their first loss of the season.
• The victories during the 2021 campaign (No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Michigan State) gave Purdue multiple wins over Top 5 teams in one season for the first time since 1960 (No. 3 Ohio State, No. 1 Minnesota).
• Five of the seven wins have been by double digits, the biggest being a 29-point victory over No. 2 Ohio State in 2018.
• Purdue has 17 victories against AP Top 5 opponents as an unranked team, more than any other team during the AP Poll era (since 1936).
• Four of Purdue’s final seven opponents on its 2024 schedule are against ranked teams, including three ranked in the Top 5 (No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Indiana).
ON THIS DATE
• Joe Tiller’s Boilermakers went on the road to beat Michigan State in a 45-42 thriller (Nov. 16, 2002). Purdue also defeated the Spartans 27-17 in its final home game of the 1991 campaign.
• The Boilermakers squeaked out a 13-11 victory over Minnesota in the 1963 home finale.
• Purdue shuts out Northwestern 27-0 at Ross-Ade Stadium (Nov. 16, 1957).
• As part of the undefeated 1929 season, a lone touchdown was all Purdue needed to beat Iowa 7-0 on Homecoming.
• Purdue earns the first win in program history, cruising past DePauw 34-10 (Nov. 16, 1889).
NO FLAGS
• Last week against No. 2 Ohio State, Purdue did not commit a penalty for the first time in a game since 2015 (Oct. 10, 2015 vs. Minnesota).
• Since 1996, it marked only the third time that the Boilermakers were not flagged for a penalty during a contest.
• Purdue has only been called for two penalties (20 yards) over the past two games.
• The Boilermakers have had three games this season in which they have committed two penalties-or-less (at Oregon State, vs. Northwestern, at Ohio State).
LEADING THE O-LINE
• Center Gus Hartwig and right tackle Marcus Mbow have been the leaders on Purdue’s offensive line this season.
• Both Boilermakers have started all nine games this season, bringing a total of 74 starts between the duo (Hartwig – 45, Mbow – 29).
• Hartwig has earned an 83.6 pass blocking grade from PFF, not allowing a sack and only surrendering one hit on the quarterback. His pass blocking grade ranks second in the Big Ten and 17th nationally among centers. Hartwig’s 74.3 offensive grade ranks second in the conference and 19th nationally.
• Going up against No. 2 Oregon, Mbow earned a spot on the PFF National Team of the Week for battling the Ducks’ difficult defensive line.
• Mbow has a 74.5 run blocking grade by PFF, ranking sixth among Big Ten tackles.
MAD MAX
• Max Klare has not missed a beat since he returned to the lineup at the start of the season.
• The sophomore tight end leads Purdue in receptions (32), receiving yards (475) and receiving touchdowns (2), on pace to become the first tight end to lead the Boilermakers in receiving since current tight ends coach Justin Sinz paced Purdue in 2013 (41 receptions).
• Klare has led Purdue in receiving in six of the team’s nine games this season.
• His 475 receiving yards rank 13th in a single season by a Purdue tight end.
• He had his best game as a Boilermaker at No. 23 Illinois (Oct. 12), hauling in six receptions for a career-high 133 yards. It marked the most receiving yards by a Purdue tight end since Payne Durham’s 150-yard night in the 2021 season opener and the sixth most by a Boilermaker tight end since 1996. Klare added 76 yards after catch as part of his receiving total.
• Klare was on pace to be one of the best tight ends in the country before his 2023 season was cut short. However, the sophomore bounced back in the 2024 season opener with five catches for 71 yards, both team highs. He also caught Purdue’s first touchdown of the season, a 9-yard strike from Hudson Card on the opening drive.
• Klare was also tabbed to the Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List ahead of the year.
HERE COMES THE MOCK TRAIN
• From walk-on to phenom, Devin Mockobee has certainly made a name for himself in his time in West Lafayette.
• For the third straight season, Mockobee leads the Purdue rushing attack. The junior has recorded 612 yards with three rushing touchdowns to pace the Boilermakers in both categories.
• Mockobee’s 5.88 yards per carry ranks sixth in the Big Ten.
• Mockobee sits 11th on Purdue’s all-time rushing list (2,391), passing legendary College Football Hall of Fame running back Leroy Keyes (2,094) against Nebraska (Sept. 28). He also sits 11th with 18 career rushing touchdowns, passing another College Football Hall of Famer (Otis Armstrong) by finding the end zone against Northwestern (Nov. 2).
• The junior is 109 yards away from becoming just the eighth Boilermaker in history to rack up 2,500 career rushing yards.
• With 11 carries for 102 yards at No. 23 Illinois (Oct. 12), Mockobee became the seventh Boilermaker to produce at least eight 100-yard rushing games over a career and the first since Kory Sheets (2005-08) recorded nine over his career.
• He rushed for a season-high 168 rushing yards at Oregon State (Sept. 21), becoming the sixth Boilermaker since 1996 to record a 100-yard rushing game in three separate seasons.
• He started his career by setting a new Purdue freshman record with 968 rushing yards while also adding nine touchdowns.
• After being put on scholarship in the first official act of the Walters era, he led the team in rushing once again with 807 yards and six touchdowns in 2023.
• In doing so, Mockobee became the first Boilermaker to lead the team in rushing in back-to-back seasons since Markell Jones, who did it three years running (2015-17).
• The Boonville, Ind., native is one of only four Big Ten players to rush for more than 800 yards in each of the past two seasons.
TACKLES-4-LOSS
• One of the major anchors of the defense is senior Kydran Jenkins (KAY-dran), who ranks sixth in Purdue history with 22.0 career sacks and 12th with 40.0 tackles-for-loss.
• The senior linebacker leads the Boilermakers in TFLs (8.5) and sacks (5.5), while ranking second in tackles (62).
• Jenkins sacks per game (0.61) ranks sixth in the Big Ten.
• Jenkins had a huge game against Oregon State (Sept. 21), recording a career-high 16 tackles to go along with 3.0 TFLs and 2.0 sacks. With his second sack of the contest, he became the eighth Boilermaker in program history to make 20 career sacks.
• As a junior, Jenkins finished second in the Big Ten in tackles-for-loss with 15.5 on the year, ranking 18th in the country and the most by a Boilermaker since George Karlaftis in 2019 (17.0).
• He garnered All-Big Ten Honorable Mention for the second straight year in 2023.
• A versatile player, Jenkins moved from RUSH END to middle linebacker ahead of the 2024 campaign, a position he played in high school and a spot the coaching staff believed would do more to impress NFL scouts.
HIGHWAY TO HELDT
• After recording only 12 tackles throughout his freshman season, sophomore rush end Will Heldt has made 43 tackles this season. He ranks second on the team in sacks (5.0) and tackles-for-loss (7.5).
• Heldt recorded his first career touchdown with a 16-yard scoop-and-score at No. 23 Illinois (Oct. 12).
• At Wisconsin (Oct. 5), Heldt recorded a career-high eight tackles to pace Purdue.
• Heldt started the season with a team-high seven tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks in the win over Indiana State. Prior to the season opener, Heldt’s career high in tackles were two.
DT THE TACKLING MACHINE
• After pacing Purdue and becoming one of the nation’s leading tacklers as a freshman, Dillon Thieneman is back atop the Boilermakers’ chart for tackles in 2024.
• The sophomore defensive back leads Purdue in total tackles (75) and solo tackles (50), besting all Big Ten defensive backs in both categories.
• Thieneman’s 5.6 solo tackles per game rank second in the Big Ten and sixth nationally.
• His 50 solo tackles rank second nationally by a defensive back.
• Thieneman is one of only 26 Big Ten defensive backs over the past 20 seasons to record at least 50 solo tackles in two different seasons, including just the third to do it during both freshman and sophomore campaigns (Ricardo Allen – Purdue, Ibraheim Campbell – Northwestern).
• A season ago, Thieneman led the team with 106 tackles, ranking fifth in the Big Ten among all players and the most by any freshman in the country
• His 74 solo tackles in 2023 led all freshmen nationwide and set a new Purdue freshman record.
LOVIN’ THE INTs
• An important part of Purdue’s nickel defense, Kyndrich Breedlove produced a breakout game at Wisconsin (Oct. 5).
• The Nashville, Tennessee, native hauled in interceptions on back-to-back drives in the second quarter for Purdue’s first INTs of the season.
• Breedlove’s performance marked just the eighth time in the last decade that a Boilermaker recorded two interceptions in one game and the first since Dillon Thieneman did it in the 2023 season finale victory over Indiana.
• He added his third INT of the season against No. 2 Oregon (Oct. 18), becoming the 13th Boilermaker over the past decade to pick off three passes in a season.
ANOTHER AUSSIE
• Keelan Crimmins has quickly become Purdue’s most reliable punter in at least seven seasons.
• Crimmins is fourth in the Big Ten and ranks 18th nationally with a 44.8-yard average. He is on pace to be the fourth Boilermaker to average over 44 yards in a season going back to 1976.
• He is on pace for the second-highest season punt average in program history behind Ray Guy Award winner Travis Dorsch (48.1 yards per punt).
• Against Notre Dame, Crimmins punted 10 times for a 47.3-yard clip with a pair of balls over 50 yards and three inside the 20-yard line.
• It was only the sixth time a Big Ten punter averaged over 47 yards when punting 10 times. Iowa has three of them.
• His career-long 64-yard kick against the Irish was just the 20th ball of 64 or more yards by Purdue punter since 1996.
• He tallied a 46.7-yard average against Indiana State on three boots.
• The Aussie was the No. 3-ranked punter by ProKick Australia.
• He played cricket and high-level Australian Rules Football.
• Crimmins is the second straight Purdue punter from Australia, joining Jack Ansell (2021-23), who also wore No. 30.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
WEST JR. SIGNS NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT TO JOIN BOILERMAKERS
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Ohio native Antione West Jr., has signed his National Letter of Intent to join the Purdue men’s basketball team for the 2025-26 season.
West, a 6-foot, 3-inch, combo guard from Toledo, Ohio, is currently the Boilermakers’ lone signee for the upcoming season. Purdue has just one senior (Caleb Furst) on the current squad.
“We are really excited to sign Antione to our squad for next season,” head coach Matt Painter said. “He is going to be able to help us in a lot of different ways on both ends of the floor. He is a lead guard that can play both positions, but perhaps most importantly, he is just a player. He can score the basketball. He can catch and shoot, play off the dribble and has a very good pull-up game. I’ve always liked guards like him that can draw a lot of attention like he does. He has a good skill level, good speed and athleticism and loves to compete and battle. I am just really looking forward to coaching him.”
Antione West Jr. | Guard | 6-3 | 180 | Toledo, Ohio | Whitmer High School
Ranked 76 in the 2025 ESPN 100 recruiting class.
4-star recruit ranked No. 18 among guards and third in the state of Ohio.
Chose Purdue over Nebraska, Dayton, Michigan and Ohio State.
Was named to the Division 1 All-Ohio First Team as a Junior.
Averaged 20.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 2023-24, leading Whitmer to state semifinals as a junior.
Reached the 1,000-point mark (Dec. 16, 2023) after burying six 3-pointers against Cleveland Glenville.
Was named MVP in the 2023 East vs West Challenge after scoring 30 points in the title game.
Shot 48.3 percent from 2, 36.7 percent from 3, and 82.9 percent from foul line his junior year
Named the Toledo Blade 2024 Player of the Year.
Scored a season high of 33 in a regional semifinal win over St. John’s Jesuit.
Enters his senior year with 1,477 career points.
Named the 2023 TRAC Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
Scored 42 points in a game during his sophomore season, hitting six 3-pointers and was 8-of-9 from the free throw line against Clay in January 2023.
Plays club basketball for All Ohio Red.
One of the favorites to win Ohio Mr. Basketball in 2024-25.
PURDUE VOLLEYBALL
4 JOIN PURDUE VOLLEYBALL ON NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Head coach Dave Shondell announced the 2025 signing class, featuring four newcomers: Isabelle Bardin, Addy Tindall, Aniya Warren and Morgan Williams.
“The momentum continues to build in the Boilermaker program with our incoming class of talented volleyball athletes,” Shondell said. “Success breeds success and the positive results of the past several years and the remarkable fan support have attracted several of the nation’s best recruits.
“Competing in the best and most physical conference in America, it is essential to add size and athleticism to our roster and these four high school standouts provide exactly what our staff has been searching for,” Shondell said. “This group includes an outside hitter, a setter, a middle-blocker, and a libero. The physical talent of this group is only surpassed by their unique character. I look forward to their arrival.”
The class, which will be a part of next year’s 2025 Purdue squad, adds depth for the Boilermakers at every position, comprised of a defensive specialist (Aniya Warren), setter (Isabelle Bardin), outside hitter (Addy Tindall) and middle blocker (Morgan Willliams). Meanwhile, Purdue’s presence at the net wil grow, with three commits checking in at 6’3″.
Isabelle Bardin
S | 6’3″ | Washington, D.C. | Flint Hill HS
2024 Under Armour Next MVP
Three-time USAV National Team Development Program U17 Training Series member
2024 AVCA All-Region selection
2024 Capital Hill Classic 17 Open MVP
2023 USAV GJNC All-Tournament Team – 16 National Division
2023 and 2022 UA Next Training Camp Series attendee
Two-time VISAA All-State First Team and ISL All-League selection as a senior and junior
Helped her team to a 2021 Virginia Independent School (VISAA) State Championship and a 2024 runner-up title
Posted 403 kills on a .379% alongside 306 assists, 236 digs, 33 blocks and 58 aces as a senior
As a junior, registered 232 kills on a .335 attack % and 308 assists, 33 blocks, 182 digs and 35 aces
Recorded 353 assists as a sophomore with 21 blocks, and 49 kills on a .336%
Parents: Michael and Sara Bardin
Sister, Jacqueline plays volleyball at Davidson as an outside hitter
Addy Tindall
OH | 6’3″ | Roanoke, Ind. | Homestead HS (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
No. 1 ranked player in the state of Indiana in the 2025 class by PrepDig
Member of the JVA All-National Team in 2022, 2023 and 2024
Led her team to a win at the 2024 AAU National Champion title
Named All-American at the AAU Nationals
Trained at AAU National Training Development Program
Two-time First Team All-State and All-District in her sophomore and junior seasons
Broke Homestead’s record for most kills as a junior
Reached the 1,000-kill club at the beginning of her senior season
Helped Homestead to four consecutive sectional wins
Selected as Fox 55’s MVP of the Week during her senior season
Career Plans: work in elementary education
Parents: Marsha and Drew Tindall
Aniya Warren
DS | 5’8″ | Lockport, Ill. | Benet Academy (Lilse, Ill.)
#1 ranked libero in the nation
USA U19 Team Captain and Gold Medalist
Class of 2025 National Player of the Year Finalist
Max Preps First Team All-America and Prep Volleyball All-America (2023)
Three-time Open USAV National Championship Finalist
Played for the JVA National Team in 2023 and 2024
Two-time ESCC Player of the Year (2023, 2024)
Four-time ESCC All-Conference athlete
Repeat member of the JVA Watch List (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
Naperville Sun Player of the Year in 2023
New Gazette 42 First Team All-State (2023)
Named 4A First Team All-State in her sophomore, junior and senior season
Led all players with five digs and contributed three successful receptions in the U.S. Girls U19 match vs. Puerto Rico in the 2024 NORCECA games to advance to the Gold medal match
Recorded three digs in the gold medal match as the U.S. Girls U19 team won gold at the 2024 NORCECA Continental Championship vs. Canada
Reached 1600+ career digs in her senior season
Awarded honor roll distinction all four years of high school
Parents: Tammy and Tirie Warren
Morgan Williams
MB | 6’3″ | Enterprise, Ala. | Enterprise HS
Competed at the AAU Nationals in 2022 and 2023
Selected for the 2024 Nike All-Star Team
Member of the 2024 AI.com Top Seniors All-State Team
Two-time AAU nationals attendee (2022 and 2023)
Hitting .340 for Enterprise with already 200 kills this season
Owns a kill % of 49% in both her senior and junior years
Hit .706% with 13 kills at a 76.5 kill % rate vs. Dothan HS in October
As a junior, hit at a .500 clip or better in 11 matches
Career Plans: become a physician’s assistant
Parents: Tamiko Williams and Willie Fells. Her father, Willie, was a linebacker for the Boilermakers from 1995-1999.
PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
GEARLDS WELCOMES TRIO OF 4-STAR SIGNEES
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue head coach Katie Gearlds welcomed three new members to the Purdue women’s basketball team on National Signing Day.
Two in-state products in forwards Avery Gordon and Kira Reynolds, as well as international guard Keona Douwstra, will suit up for the Boilermakers starting in 2025-26.
“We’re really excited to welcome Avery, Kira and Keona into our family,” head coach Katie Gearlds said. “After going through the recruiting process with them, we know they have the competitiveness, basketball IQ and character that we want in our program. These three will be huge as we keep stacking classes and continue to elevate Purdue.”
All three recruits in the 2025 class are 4-stars, bringing Gearlds’ total to seven over her three fully recruited classes. Several signees during Gearlds’ tenue ranked outside the top 100 have become key pieces in the program, including Sophie Swanson, Lana McCarthy and Kendall Puryear.
AVERY GORDON
6-6 | Forward | Brownsburg, Ind.
Instagram – avery_gordon | X – avery_gordon | TikTok – avery_gordon
Avery is one of the most elite post players in the 2025 class. She has a perfect combination of height, strength and length to have an impact at this level. Avery possesses a soft touch around the rim that makes her a high-quality finisher. She is an elite shot blocker in the paint. – Katie Gearlds
PREP
• Four-year starter and two-time captain for Brownsburg High School
• Posted the highest scoring efficiency on the 3SSB Circuit in 2024
• Led Brownsburg to a sectional title in 2023 and county championships in 2022 and 2023
• Nearly averaged a double-double with 22.0 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 56% from the field as a junior
• Finished junior season ranked 12th in the state in scoring and fourth among post players
• Scored 1,000th career point as a junior
• Topped the Hoosier Crossroads Conference in field goals made (223) and double-doubles as a junior
• Averaged 18.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game as a sophomore
• Started every game as a freshman, leading the team in blocks and rebounding
• Set single-game and single season Brownsburg scoring records for freshmen
NOTABLE
• No. 56 player in the nation, No. 1 post nationally, and No. 3 player in Indiana by Prospects Nation
• Four-star recruit from ESPN with a scout grade of 93
• Ranked No. 56 player in the nation, No. 10 post/forward in the country, No. 3 player in Indiana by ESPN, ranked as high as No. 42
• No. 4 player in the state of Indiana by PrepGirlsHoops
• Three-time Adidas All-American
• IndyStar Fab15 as a senior
• Two-time Wootten Camp invitee
• Tabbed the No. 4 player in the state by PrepGirlsHoops
• Two-time IBCA All-State – Supreme 15 in 2023 and 2024
• Indiana Junior All-Star in 2024, Indiana Futures All-Star in 2023
• Two-time First Team Indy Star Preseason Super Team in 2023 and 2024
• Three-time IBCA Player of the Week, Fox59 Player of the Week once again
• Named IBCA Top 100 three times
• Two-time Hendricks All-County Team pick in 2023 and 2024
• First Team All-Hoosier Crossroads Conference selection in 2023 and 2024
• PrepGirlsHoops 4A 4th Team All-State in 2023, Junior All-State in 2024
• Two-time NCAA Academy Invitee
PERSONAL
• Full Name: Avery Kristine Gordon
• Intended Major: Veterinary Medicine
• Parents: Joshua Gordon and Kathleen Gilstrap
• Kathleen played basketball and volleyball at Cincinnati Christian University
KIRA REYNOLDS
6-4 | Forward | South Bend, Ind.
Instagram – _kirareynoldss | X – KiraMReynolds | TikTok – _daddyl0ngl13s
At her size, Kira owns an elite combination of length and athleticism. She is incredibly dynamic with the ability to play inside and out, including high-level ball handling. She can impact a game defensively her first day on campus. – Katie Gearlds
PREP
• Four-year starter for South Bend Washington under her father Steven Jr.
• Went 73-9 in her first three seasons, notching seven triple-doubles through three seasons
• Recorded 16.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, 6.5 blocks, 4.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game as a junior
• finished the year with 144 blocked shots, best in the state of Indiana
• Posted 16.1 points, 12 rebounds, 5.8 blocks, 2.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game as a sophomore
• Topped the state with 138 blocks as a sophomore, as South Bend Washington reached No. 8 in the national rankings
• Averaged a double-double of 10.2 points and 10.0 rebounds with 4.7 blocks, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game as a freshman
• Set state championship game record with 24 rebounds in 2022 title bout
• Helped South Bend Washington reach No. 22 in the nation in 2021-22
• Won the 16U and 17U Select 40 National Championships
NOTABLE
• Four-star recruit with a grade of 91 per ESPN, ranked as high as No. 15
• No. 5 player in Indiana by ESPN
• No. 3 player in the state of Indiana by PrepGirlsHoops
• No. 52 player in the nation, No. 12 forward, No. 2 player in Indiana by Prospects Nation
• Indiana Junior All-Star
• Won the 2022 Indiana 3A State Championship alongside Mila Reynolds, Amiyah Reynolds and Rashunda Jones
• Won three Northern Indiana Conference titles, never losing a game her first three seasons (32-0)
• Three-time sectional champion
• 2023 South Bend Tribune and Northern Indiana Conference Player of the Year
• Two-time Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year nominee
PERSONAL
• Full Name: Kira Michelle Reynolds
• Parents: Steven Jr. and Marcy Reynolds
• Steve played basketball at Western Michigan, where was an All-MAC Second Team selection in 2002 behind 16.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, still ranks fifth in program history with 31.7 minutes per game and third in single-game 3-pointers with eight
• Steve and Marcy both played basketball overseas
• Siblings: Mila, Kira, Steven, Jordan, Aubrey and Tristan
• Mila transferred to Purdue and Amiyah signed with Purdue in in spring of 2023
• First set of three sisters to play for Purdue
KEONA DOUWSTRA
5-9 | Guard | Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Instagram – Keona.douwstra | X – kdouwstra | TikTok – Keona_douwstra
Keona is a versatile guard and brings an incredible amount of international experience to our roster. Her explosive first step gives her the ability to play and score at all three levels. Her strength and physicality allow her to get downhill and score at the rim, while also being able to guard the opposing team’s best player. – Katie Gearlds
PREP
• Played for Triple Threat in the Dutch Eredivisie in 2024, totaling 15 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 51.6% from the field and 50% from distance
• Averaged 8.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 26 games when playing for the Netherlands in the European Championships
• Called up for the U20 European Championships in 2024, posting seven points, three rebounds and two assists per game
• Tallied 6.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in the U18 European Championship in 2024
• Recorded 9.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the U18 European Championship in 2023
• Notched 10.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in the U16 European Championship in 2022
• Appeared in the 3×3 European Championship Qualification MVP in 2023
• Made six appearances in Basketball Without Borders competitions in 2023 and 2024
• Competed in the European Youth Olympics in 3×3 in 2023
NOTABLE
• Three-time National Champion at U12 (Landsmeer), U14 (BS Leiden Landsmeer) and U16 (BS Leiden Landsmeer)
• Two-time European Girls Basketball League champion and two-time EGBL All-Star
PERSONAL
• Full Name: Keona Estrelia Douwstra
• Parents: Richard Douwstra and Caroline Douwstra-Manuel
• Intended Major: Pre-Law
• Siblings: Nyah-Mar
PURDUE FACES IU INDY IN MACKEY ON THURSDAY NIGHT
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team opens a new week with a Thursday night clash against IU Indy at Mackey Arena at 7:30 p.m.
Max Bury and JJ Palmer will be on the call for B1G+, while Tim Newton and Jane Schott will be on the Purdue Global Radio Network on 95.3 BOB FM, as well as Purdue Stretch Internet.
GAME INFORMATION
Purdue (1-1) vs. IU Indy (1-1)
Thursday, Nov. 14
Time: 7:30 PM
TV/Stream: B1G+
Radio: 95.3 BOB FM
Live Stats: Purduestats.com
LAST TIME OUT
The Boilermakers dropped a 102-58 decision to No. 6 Notre Dame on Sunday. Destini Lombard paced Purdue for the second straight game with 13 points. Ella Collier knocked down a pair of triples to finish with 11 points, while Reagan Bass added 10.
NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series 5-1 with the last matchup coming back in 2018.
• On Wednesday, Gearlds welcomed three new players to program on National Signing Day in Avery Gordon, Kira Reynolds and Keona Douwstra.
• The Boilermakers’ newcomers have made an early impact accounting for 75% of the scoring, 70% of the rebounding and 52% of the assists through two games.
• Destini Lombard averaged 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 3.5 assists over two games during the opening week. She was one of six players nationally to average over 15 points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists last week.
• Lana McCarthy is tied for 18th nationally and fourth in the Big Ten with a 78.5% field goal clip. She is fourth nationally among freshmen after hitting 11 of her 14 shots last week.
• McCarthy became the 15th freshman in program history to start a season opener since 1982-83. McCarthy also became the second freshman in Purdue history to notch a double-double in a season opener, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
• Sophie Swanson made her first career start on Sunday against Notre Dame. The sophomore tallied six points in both games, then she dished out a career-high three assists against the Irish.
• Swanson was one of the top freshmen shooters in the nation last season, finishing fourth among Big Ten rookies with 1.5 3-pointers per game and leading the league in usage rate at 29.4%.
• Ella Collier knocked down a pair of 3-pointers against Notre Dame on Sunday. After a record-breaking career at Marian, the fifth-year senior has 252 career triples, while shooting 54.3% from the field, 46.1% from distance and 94% at the line.
• Redshirt freshman Amiyah Reynolds made her Boilermaker debut against Purdue Fort Wayne after missing last year to injury. The South Bend native connected on a 3-pointer in her first official game in 648 days.
• Purdue will play nine games scheduled against teams in the preseason AP Top-25 rankings and is the only team in the nation that will face four teams in the top six of the preseason Top-25.
• Purdue went on a 10-day European Tour in August, spending time in Spain and Portugal. The Boilermakers won all three games played during the overseas trip and averaged 90 points per game.
• McCarthy is 18th nationally and fourth in the Big Ten with a 78.6% field goal clip.
• McCarthy was one of six freshmen nationally to record a double-double over the opening week of the year.
• Destini Lombard ranks third in the Big Ten with 4.0 steals per game.
PURDUE SOFTBALL
FREZZOTTI SIGNS 6 ON NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Head coach Magali Frezzotti welcomed six players for the 2025-26 academic year, featuring Bella Douglas (utility), Bri Fontenot (pitcher), Anna Moore (middle infield), Kendyl Rainey (outfield), Kate Sarago (outfield) and Haley Waggoner (catcher).
“The 2025 class is loaded with talent, work ethic, and personalities,” Frezzotti said. “Offensively, we are adding a ton of power and speed, and defensively, they are solid all around – plus, we are adding a high-level battery to the bullpen. They are going to complete us and elevate Purdue Softball. I cannot wait to see the way they compliment our existing group of talented Boilermakers.”
The additions hail from five states: Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana and Utah.
Bella Douglas
Position: UTL
Hometown: Howell, Utah
High School: Bear River
Intended Major: Exploratory Studies
Club Team: Impact Caymol Premier 18U
Ranked the #2 utility player and #19 overall player for the class of 2025 by Extra Innings Softball
Two-time 4A First Team All-State honoree
2023 4A State Champion
Helped the team to a 2022 Regional Champion title
As a junior, registered a .465 batting average with her club team and a .950 fielding %
Posted 10 home runs between her club and high school teams during her junior campaign
Posted a .510 on-base %, 1.181 OPS and 30 RBI for Bear River High School as a junior
During her sophomore year, owned a .510 batting average after blasting 14 homers and 55 RBI
Career goal is to work in behavioral profiling or forensic psychology
Parents: Brooke and Justin Douglas
Sisters: Pearl, Perri and Louee
Bri Fontenot
Position: RHP
Hometown: Kinder, La.
High School: Kinder
Intended Major: Kinesiology
Club Team: Strykers National Esparza
Finalist for the 18u 2024 PGF
Received the team’s pitching and hitting award for all three years at Kinder
During the fall 2024 club season, has notched 20 strikeouts while batting .385
As a junior, struck out 94 batters with a 1.7 ERA for Kinder
Totaled 50 RBI and 18 homers behind the plate as a junior for Kinder with a .583 batting average
As a sophomore, totaled 90 strikeouts for Kinder
Registered a 522 batting average with 40 RBI and nine homers at Kinder in her sophomore campaign
Owns the Strykers National club record for home runs (8) as a freshman
Notched a .516 batting average and 146 strikeouts with a 1.85 ERA from the circle as she helped lead Kinder to the state semifinals
Parents: Shanna and Brandon
Siblings: Brother William and sisters Anna Camille and Kennedi
Anna Moore
Position: MIF
Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.
High School: Cathedral
Intended Major: Engineering
Club Team: Indiana Magic Gold
First Team All-State as a junior
Three-time all-city selection
Posted an on-base % over .550 in each season at Cathedral
Registered a .634 batting average as a junior with a .699 on-base % and 52 hits
Currently batting .438% this fall for the Indiana Magic Gold club team with a .486 on-base %
Secured a .966 fielding % as a junior for Cathedral
As a sophomore, posted a .746 slugging % which included five triples
Began her high school career with a .496 batting average with 49 hits and 15 stolen bases
From a family with nine Purdue alums, including parents David and Nany Moore and sister Valerie
Kendyl Rainey
Position: OF
Hometown: Munster, Ind.
High School: Marian Catholic
Intended Major: Exploratory Studies / Business / Psychology
Club Team: D1Vision 18U National
Helped lead her team to a 2024 D1Vision Fall Death Valley Championship title
As a junior with her travel team, batted .379
Led her club team in stolen bases while maintaining a perfect 100% stolen base rate
Threw out 26 runners from the outfield with a perfect 1.000 fielding % as a junior
Throughout her freshman and sophomore campaigns, maintained a batting average over .340%
Registered a batting average of .463 and POS of .990 with 25 hits, 26 runs as a freshman for her club team
Parents: Kason and Cory Rainey
Brothers: Alijah and Cylis with Alijah playing baseball at Olive Harvey Junior College
Kate Sarago
Position: OF
Hometown: Chamblee, Ga.
High School: Chamblee
Intended Major: Biomedical Health Sciences
Club Team: Athletics Gold Tamborra
Ranked #13 among all outfielders in the nation and #4 in the southeast by Extra Innings Softball
Ranked as high as #12 overall player by Extra Innings Softball while a sophomore
Named Dekalb County Player of the Year, Regional Player of the Year in addition to First Team All-Region as a junior
Competed at the Georgia Dugout Club All-State Game at Truist Park
Re-wrote the Chamblee High School record book for runs scored in a single season (49 as a senior), home runs in a single season (7 as a senior), career runs scored (178), career RBI (109), career home runs (13)
Helped guide her senior class to the all-time career wins record for a graduating class with 102 wins
Registered a .525 batting average as a senior with a .633 on-base %, 1.546 OPS and .913 slugging %
Totaled 49 runs, 42 hits, 27 RBI, 22 stolen bases and seven homers as a senior
Recorded a .563 batting average as a junior with a .873 slugging % and .627 on-base % during her junior campaign as she totaled 49 hits, 49 runs and 24 RBI
Letterwinner in track & field, making the State Championship Meet as a junior in long jump and triple jump, broke the 4x200m school record. She was the long jump county champion, made second team all-district and was named Field Athlete of the Year
Parents: Dan and Karyn Sarago
Sister: Emi Sarago
Haley Waggoner
Position: C
Hometown: Athens, Ala.
High School: West Limestone
Intended Major: Architecture
Club Team: Indiana Magic Gold-Green
2022 Alabama All-State Champion
2024 PGF National Champion with the Indiana Magic club team
Alabama All-Area selection as a sophomore
Named First Team All-State Catcher as a sophomore
Selected Athens HS Defensive MVP as a sophomore
Helped her club team the Birmingham Thunderbolts to a PGF national championship and a PGF Show me the Money tournament titles
Member of the National Honors Society
QB RILEY LEONARD LEADS NO. 8 NOTRE DAME VS. FAMILIAR FOE IN VIRGINIA
No. 8 Notre Dame continues its College Football Playoff chase on Saturday in South Bend, Ind., against a Virginia team that is 3-1 on the road and held a lead in every game this season.
The Fighting Irish (8-1) have a seven-game winning streak since their two-point loss to Northern Illinois on Sept. 7 and won all four previous meetings with the Cavaliers (5-4).
Notre Dame improved to 4-0 this season against Virginia’s fellow Atlantic Coast Conference members with a 52-3 rout of Florida State last weekend, having also defeated once-ranked Louisville, Georgia Tech and Stanford.
Riley Leonard passed for 215 yards and a touchdown and ran for 70 yards and two scores against the Seminoles. The balanced Fighting Irish offense had more than 200 rushing yards and 200 passing yards for the third time in the last four games. The defense collected eight sacks and two additional tackles for loss and finished the blowout with a 79-yard pick-six by Luke Talich.
Leonard posted similar numbers the last time he faced Virginia. Playing for Duke in 2022, he threw one touchdown pass and rushed for two scores in a 38-17 defeat of the Cavaliers.
Virginia snapped a three-game skid last weekend with a 24-19 victory at then-No. 18 Pittsburgh. Xavier Brown had a 1-yard touchdown run and a 24-yard touchdown catch and former Notre Dame wideout Chris Tyree had his best game as a Cavalier with four catches for 42 yards and one run for 13 yards.
“I’m excited to go back,” said Tyree, a graduate transfer who gained 3,284 all-purpose yards with 17 touchdowns in 49 games with the Fighting Irish from 2020-23.
Tyree’s fourth-quarter catch of 25 yards on third-and-15 allowed Virginia to extend a drive that consumed 8:26 and led to a field goal for the final margin.
“I think this is a really good start for us to finish these last four games,” Tyree said. “So it’s just up to us to go 1-0 every week, take it day by day.”
The Cavaliers haven’t played in a bowl game since the 2019 season. They need one more win to gain eligibility with remaining games against Notre Dame, No. 14 SMU and rival Virginia Tech.
“Coach (Tony) Elliott has done a great job. He has his team really playing at a high level, playing with confidence, competitive,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said.
“… They had a huge win last week versus Pitt, and they’re a talented bunch and they’re playing that way with confidence and physicality. So, we’re expecting their best and expecting a great challenge Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium for our Senior Day.”
Freeman said Fighting Irish defensive lineman Howard Cross, who ranks second on the team with four sacks, will not play due to an ankle injury.
The Notre Dame community mourned the loss this week of former head coach Gerry Faust, who died Monday at 89. Faust compiled a 30-26-1 record from 1981-85 before being replaced by Lou Holtz.
–Field Level Media
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
KOVAL HAS 6 BLOCKS AND 16 REBOUNDS TO LEAD IRISH PAST DUKES, 92-46
South Bend, Ind. — Notre Dame coaches and players have said since she arrived that newcomer Kate Koval is “not a freshman,” and Wednesday night’s game showed exactly what they meant.
The No. 6 Irish (3-0) pulled away from James Madison (3-1) at Purcell Pavilion and earned the 92-46 victory. Koval had 6 blocks and 16 rebounds. The former mark is the most in the ACC this season, and the latter is the second-most. Koval also had 14 points and notched the first double-double of her career.
“I think I have a good feel for the ball and know the right time to go up to block it,” Koval said. “I try to stay calm. I don’t think I get mad or angry easily, I just try to stay locked in on the game and not get too crazy.”
A physical contest, the game started 6-6 before Notre Dame went on an 11-0 run. The Dukes’ Peyton McDaniel, who was the Preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year, did not score until nearly 8 minutes into the game. Notre Dame was up 21-11 after Q1.
Hidalgo reached double-figures in the second quarter on a trey, and Notre Dame had six different players score before the Q2 media timeout. JMU went scoreless for several minutes of the quarter, and the Irish took a 47-23 lead into the locker room.
Notre Dame was cold to start the second half — 2-11 from the floor — but did add 10 more rebounds by the media timeout, including 4 from Koval. JMU was equally stagnant and ended the frame with just a pair of field goals. The Irish went on a 9-0 run to end the quarter.
When the buzzer hit, Notre Dame had 54 rebounds, a mark they eclipsed just once last season. The Irish had five players in double-figures once again — Hannah Hidalgo (24), Olivia Miles (16), Koval (14), Liatu King (11) and Cassandre Prosper (11). Along with Koval, Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey dubbed Prosper a player of the game for her.
“She’s doing whatever it takes for us to win,” Ivey said. “Her energy defensively as she plays above her size, she was all over. I thought it was one of her best games.”
Notre Dame is now on the road until Dec. 5 with trips to Lafayette, USC and the Cayman Islands (TCU/Utah). The Irish head to Lafayette this weekend for a Sunday afternoon tilt at 2 p.m.
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL ADDS A TALENTED GROUP ON NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
The University of Notre Dame softball team has announced the addition of six student-athletes who have signed an Athletic Aid Agreement and will join the program for the 2026 season.
“As a class, these six student-athletes create a perfect combination to come in and contribute to the team immediately,” head coach Kris Ganeff, who is entering her first season in 2025, said.
“They possess speed, power and high game IQ’s. Off the field they have exactly what we are looking for with a Success Mindset, Winning Tradition, A+ Attitude and Effort.”
Molly Connor • 5-6 • R/R • P • Toledo, OH (Anthony Wayne) • Indiana Magic Gold Green
As a sophomore batted .414 with 18 RBI and added 70 strikeouts in 37 innings as Anthony Wayne made an appearance in the Division I state title game • ranked as the No. 9 overall prospect in the 2025 class by Extra Innings Softball.
Ganeff on Conner – “Molly is a pitcher who can make hitters swing and miss with her dynamic movement. She has excellent presence in the circle and inspires her defense to make plays behind her. Molly is a pure athlete who can play all parts of the game well. We can’t wait for Molly and her family to ‘Be Irish!’”
Lily Hagan • 5-8 • R/R • P/1B • Colts Neck, NJ (Red Bank Catholic) • Jersey Intensity
Line Drive Media ranked her as the No. 29 player in the Hot 100 • pitched 110 innings for Red Bank Catholic in 2023-24 striking out 171 and posting a 1.02 ERA.
Ganeff on Hagan – “Lily is a power pitcher who can dominate in the circle anytime she enters the game. She has a great command of her pitches and the strike zone. We are excited for what Lily can bring to the lineup not only as a pitcher but she can also hit for power offensively. Lily and her family were made to ‘Be Irish.’
Hayden Kyne • Catcher • 5-7 • R/R • Vacaville, CA (Vacaville) • Walling Lady Magic
Recently ranked as the No. 4 catcher in the 2025 class by Line Drive Media • led her team with a .431 batting average, 1.803 OPS with 17 home runs and 51 stolen bases.
Ganeff on Kyne – “Hayden is the complete package offensively and defensively. As a catcher she knows how to command the field and create a source of calm. At the plate she is able to change the game with one swing. Hayden has been trained to be a champion. We are so excited for Hayden and her family to ‘Be Irish!’”
Keira Murphy • 5-8 • R/R • Infield • Farmingdale, NJ (Academy of Allied Health & Science) • Jersey Intensity
Recently ranked as the No. 49 player in Line Drive Media’s Hot 100 • in 2022-23, batted .375 with seven extra-base hits and 10 RBI.
Ganeff on Murphy – “‘Murph’ is all heart and soul. She is a player who works extremely hard to make sure she and her teammates are always taking steps towards success. Keira is a great player, from a great organization, who will outwork anyone. We welcome the entire Murphy family to the Irish family.”
Jillian Torres • 5-9 • R/R • Outfield • Coto de Caza, CA (Santa Margarita) • BSC Bengals-Briggs
Hit .575 in 2023 with a 1.545 OPS and 20 extra-base hits • hit a game-tying two-run home run for Team Mexico at the TCS International Challenge.
Ganeff on Torres – “Jillian is the player who walks into a room and can bring people together to accomplish greatness. She is such a great player on both sides of the game. We know Jillian will bring grit and determination to every single pitch. We are excited to welcome her to the Irish softball family.”
Ava Zachary • 5-8 • R/R • Infield • Mishawaka, IN (Penn) • Indiana Magic Gold
Led Penn in batting average as a freshman and sophomore and a member of the Kingsmen’s 2023 4A state title team • a first-team 4A all-state selection in 2024 after hitting .473 with 40 RBI with 20 extra base hits.
Ganeff on Zachary – “Ava has always been a player who sets the standard. Her excellence bar is set very high and she is always working to take it up to the next level. She is the kind of player who can change a program. Ava is a hometown star from the area. It is very exciting to have a player of her caliber stay home and ‘Be Irish!’”
NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL
COACH SHREWSBERRY SIGNS HIGHEST RATED NOTRE DAME RECRUITING CLASS IN MODERN ERA
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – When Micah Shrewsberry became the Glenn & Stacey Murphy Notre Dame Men’s Basketball Head Coach he told fans to jump on now because the train was taking off. Said recruiting train built massive momentum that ultimately materialized in Notre Dame’s highest-rated recruiting class in the modern era.
Tommy Ahneman, Ryder Frost, Jalen Haralson and Brady Koehler all signed their Athletic Aid Agreement on Wednesday and officially became Irish. The class is ranked fourth in the nation by 247Sports, fifth by ESPN, fifth by Rivals and sixth by ON3. It’s also the top-rated class in the state of Indiana; second overall in the ACC.
TOMMY AHNEMAN
Tommy Ahneman is the top-ranked prospect in the state of Minnesota and a consensus top-100 recruit. He transferred to Cretin-Derham over the summer. Prior to that, he was at Sheyenne High School in West Fargo, North Dakota, where he led his team to a Class 2A state title and was named Gatorade Player of the Year. Ahneman averaged 20.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.9 assists as a junior. He dominated Fargo North in the state championship game with 28 points, 17 rebounds and two blocks in the 78-62 victory. Ahneman finished the spring playing in the Nike EYBL Champions 17U league where he averaged 20.7 points and 8.1 rebounds in 11 games with Howard Pulley.
Coach Shrewsberry on Ahneman
“Finding true big men who can score with their back to the basket and also face the rim and make an impact is difficult, but that is exactly what Tommy can do. Tommy is a center who has skill and should immediately provide a physical presence to this program and be someone who you can throw the ball to on the post and expect a bucket with his combination of a soft touch around the rim and excellent footwork.”
Staff on Ahneman
Finding centers is never easy, as it is the position with the least amount of supply, and one of the highest demands. Because of that, it is always a focus to land a quality post player on the recruiting trail.
Tommy is someone who fits the mold of a traditional center in that he is 6-foot-10 and scores well on the low block, but he does more than that. He has a good touch out to the mid-range, and also is a willing passer who will make others better.
As he gets older and more mature, we view Tommy as someone who can make a major impact on the court and provide low post scoring along with someone who gets his teammates easy shots due to his passing ability.
Tommy chose Notre Dame over Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin and others.
BRADY KOEHLER
Brady Koehler is a consensus top-100 recruit. Coach Shrewsberry added to his in-state haul by tapping into his former high school in Cathedral. Koehler averaged 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game in his junior season. In addition, he shot 38.6 percent (32-for-83) from beyond the arc. For his stellar play, Koehler was named an Indiana Junior All-Star. Furthermore, Koehler and Haralson are no strangers to each other for they were teammates on the Indy Heat 17U EYBL squad.
Coach Shrewsberry on Koehler
“Brady is someone who I have been very familiar with for a long time. He attends Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, which is the same high school I attended. Brady is someone who we think has legitimate NBA potential. He is 6-foot-9 with over a 7-foot wingspan, and already has high level athleticism along with an ability to handle the basketball and make shots. As he gets stronger, Brady is someone who we expect to thrive and really explode onto the scene.”
Staff on Koehler
Brady is a classic late bloomer who really exploded onto the scene heading into his junior season in high school. He grew almost nine inches in high school, but he has kept his coordination and guard skills, while now having more of a forward’s body.
Knowing that we needed to continue to upgrade our athleticism and versatility at the forward position, Brady is someone who immediately popped out to us last year. He showed an ability to shoot and handle the ball, and did it all at 6-foot-9 with a tremendous wingspan.
Beyond that, this past summer, Brady proved to be someone who can be an elite rim protector on the defensive end. He uses his long arms combined with excellent athleticism and timing to block shots both from his man, and when he is on the weak side.
When it comes to pure physical upside and potential, there aren’t many prospects that possess more of it, and when you combine that with his work ethic that was instilled by his parents, Staci and Carl, it is easy to see why the future is so bright for Brady.
Brady chose Notre Dame over offers from Wake Forest, Iowa, Virginia Tech, Northwestern, Butler and others.
JALEN HARALSON
Jalen Haralson is the highest-rated prospect to commit to the Irish in the modern history of the program. A consensus five-star recruit and the top-ranked prospect in the state of Indiana. Haralson averaged 16.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists as a junior in his first season at La Lumiere. His went on to represent USA Basketball at the FIBA U17 World Cup this past summer. There he averaged 11.1 points and 4.0 rebounds in seven games as the team ultimately won the gold medal. Haralson also averaged 21.2 points and 7.3 rebounds with the Indy Heat on the Nike EYBL circuit last spring. He then followed that up with 16.6 ppg at the Nike Peach Jam in July.
Coach Shrewsberry on Haralson
“When I first got the job here, from a recruiting perspective, immediately Jalen was a top target for us. Jalen was someone who we knew was an elite player and a great kid as well. His combination of size, athleticism, passing ability, and versatility have long made him one of the top players in his class nationally, and given him the ability to represent the country with USA Basketball. We couldn’t be more excited about what Jalen is going to bring to Notre Dame.”
Staff on Haralson
As a five-star recruit and one of the truly elite players in the United States, we focused on Jalen Haralson immediately once we got to South Bend. Given the competition for a player of his caliber, we knew it wouldn’t be easy to land him, but Jalen immediately saw our vision for him as a player, and we couldn’t have been more thrilled when he announced his commitment and decided to make Notre Dame his college home.
What makes Jalen so unique is that he has no real hole in his game. Like every other player, he has room to get better, but he already possesses a college-ready game. His athleticism is top-level. He is as good as a passer as anybody his size in the class, and he’s also a gifted scorer.
Beyond that, Jalen is someone who has been coached very well. Beginning at Fishers High School and now at La Lumiere, he has been in tremendous systems where he has learned to play the game the right way, and also has continued to get better.
Playing with Indy Heat in the EYBL, Jalen proved to be one of the best, leading them in scoring, and being one of the true impact players in the entire country.
Off the court, Jalen is a good student and a great kid who comes from a great family. His two brothers have been a tremendous influence on him, and his parents, Shantel and Art, are excellent leaders who have instilled a work ethic in Jalen on and off the court that is unsurpassed.
Jalen chose Notre Dame over offers from Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State, Kansas, Auburn and others.
RYDER FROST
Ryder Frost is yet another consensus top-100 recruit nationally. Frost averaged 21.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game in his junior season, leading Phillips Exeter to a NEPSAC Class A championship. Frost made nearly 44 percent of his 201 three-point attempts. He was ultimately named the NEPSAC Class A Player of the Year. Frost also played on the Under Armour Association circuit this past summer with 17U Middlesex Magic. He shot 48.0 percent from the field (98-of-204) and 45.2 percent from three (70-of-155), averaging 15.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 18 games. His 45 percent clip from three-point range led the Under Armour circuit.
Coach Shrewsberry on Frost
“Playing for the Middlesex Magic AAU program, Ryder is someone who we became very familiar with this summer. The Middlesex Magic program has been very kind to Notre Dame, and Ryder is the latest example. Immediately what stands out with Ryder is his ability to make shots. He is in my opinion the best outside shooter in the entire class. However, he can do more than just catch and shoot. Ryder also is a capable ball handler and an underrated athlete whose size and strength should give him positional versatility.”
Staff on Frost
We will always focus on elite floor spacers who can threaten the defense from three point range, and there might not be a better example of someone who fits that role in the class of 2025 than Ryder Frost.
Ryder shot 45 percent from three on the Under Armour Association with the Middlesex Magic, and was seen as potentially the best shot maker in the entire country.
He has good size on the wing, and is a strong kid who will also contribute in other ways beyond just shot making. Ryder is a solid rebounder and a good passer as well, but we expect his shooting to fit in perfectly with our roster and within our system, making us dynamic on the offensive end of the floor.
Ryder chose Notre Dame over Michigan, Iowa, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Syracuse, BYU and others.
BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BAXTER AND WYPYCH CHOSE BUTLER ON NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
The Butler women’s basketball program signed two outstanding players on Wednesday morning as part of National Signing Day. Addison Baxter (5-9, G) and Anna Wypych (6-0, G) will make Indianapolis their home over the next four seasons giving the Bulldogs great depth at the guard position.
Addison Baxter
5-9, Guard
Larwill, Indiana
Columbia City High School
Baxter is a 5-9 guard at Columbia City High School playing for head coach Amy Shearer. The all-time leading scorer in Columbia City school history, Baxter has recorded 1,162 points over her first three seasons as a starter. The Eagles have gone 63-8 overall and 19-2 in the Northeast Eight Conference with Baxter in the lineup. Those victories allowed Columbia City to become the top-ranked team in the state for the first time in school history during the 2023-24 campaign.
Baxter has been a First Team All-Northeast Eight Conference selection during each year at Columbia City. She averaged 18.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 5.7 steals per game as a junior. Those stats allowed her to be an honorable mention All-State selection. As a junior, Baxter averaged 18.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.8 steals per game. She’s a two-time team captain that was also a two-time Supreme 15 selection. Baxter also played AAU ball for Always100 Elite 2025.
“Addi is one of the best passing point guards in the entire country,” Head Coach Austin Parkinson explained. “Her ability to play with pace and make others around her better is exciting to watch. Being a taller point guard allows her to defend multiple positions as well. Bulldog fans will love watching her compete the next four years.”
Personal: Daughter of Cory Baxter and Jennifer Patrick… Has five siblings; Ethan, Eli, Kyndalyn, Megan and Ryan.
Why Baxter Chose Butler: I knew Butler was going to be my home away from home after my first visit. I connected with the coaching staff and their vision. The academic prestige of the Butler pharmacy program also means a lot to my future beyond basketball. I believe Butler can set me up for success.
Anna Wypych
6-0, Guard
Rockford, Michigan
Rockford High School
Wypych is a 6-0 guard at Rockford High School playing for head coach Brad Wilson. Over her first three seasons at Rockford, the Rams have posted a 77-6 overall record. Wypych has impacted the team as a starter in each season and has helped the women’s basketball team claim one State Championship, two Conference Championships, three District Championships, and three Regional Championships.
Last year, Wypych averaged 16.5 points, three rebounds, three assists, and five steals per game. She is a two-time All-State and All-Conference talent that is also a two-time selection to the Grand Rapids Dream Team. The Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan (BCAM) included Wypych on their Best of the Best postseason award list and as an Academic All-State honoree.
The combo guard holds multiple school records heading into her senior season. Her vision has allowed her to be the career and single-season assist leader at Rockford. Wypych is also a proven scorer that is the school record holder for most points in a single-season and highest scoring average. She set the single-season free throw record recently and is now the all-time leader at Rockford in made free throws. On the defensive end, Wypych set the single-season steals record for Coach Wilson. Wypych also played AAU ball for West Michigan Drive.
“Anna is a versatile wing who can score in a number of different ways,” Parkinson added. “Her ability to shoot the ball from deep as well as get to the rim whenever she wants makes her extremely dangerous offensively. She is very active defensively and uses her length and quickness to create turnovers. Bulldog fans will find out that Anna is simply a winner!”
Personal: Daughter of Jason and Jenny Wypych… Has two siblings; Alyssa and Addison.
Why Wypych Chose Butler: I chose Butler because it felt like home. The coaches, players and staff are all super welcoming and friendly which made my choice easy.
BUTLER BEATS (RV) INDIANA 56-46 IN FRONT OF RECORD-SETTING CROWD
Butler defeated Indiana on Wednesday night for just the second time in program history. BU trailed by two at the half, but limited Indiana to just 18 second half points to pull out the 56-46 victory. Caroline Strande led all players with 14 points and Sydney Jaynes came up huge in crunch time with 11. The victory in front of 4,135 fans moves Butler to 3-0 on the season while IU slips to 1-2.
Butler’s defense forced Indiana to shoot 1-for-5 from the field over the opening stages of the contest, but the Hoosiers would hang onto a 7-6 lead at the first stoppage. Each possession was a battle which caused BU to go over four minutes without a point, but the Bulldogs would eventually climb back within one after a Lily Carmody 3-pointer from the left wing. All three IU field goals in the first quarter were made from 3-point range giving the Hoosiers a 13-11 edge.
Scoring in the second quarter got underway with a Carmody hook-shot from the right block. Fellow freshman Lily Zeinstra followed that bucket with a made 3-pointer giving Butler a 16-15 lead.
IU was responsible for the next four points helping them lead 26-20 at the media timeout. BU was limited to just two made field goals over the final five minutes giving the visitors a slim 28-26 advantage at halftime.
Butler came out firing in the second half and tied the game at 35-35 on a Riley Makalusky 3-pointer in front of the BU bench. The tempo slowed down over the final minutes of the third, but a 12-2 Butler run gave the home team a 41-37 lead heading into the fourth.
The two evenly matched teams exchanged 3-pointers at the start of the fourth, but the slugfest would follow keeping the score at 46-44 with five minutes remaining.
Jaynes went to work on the right block at the three minute mark to double Butler’s lead at 48-44. She went back to the same spot on the next trip to give BU a six-point lead.
That advantage stuck until the one minute mark and BU would hit free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Inside the Box Score
– Caroline Strande led all players with 14 points and eight rebounds
– Strande was perfect from the free throw line (6-6)
– Sydney Jaynes shot 5-for-8 from the field to net her 11 points
– Lily Carmody came off the bench to provide BU with nine points
– Karsyn Norman had four assists and zero turnovers in 30 minutes of action
– Cristen Carter had five points, seven rebounds and two blocks for BU
– Riley Makalusky had eight points in the victory
– Butler ended the game on a 10-0 scoring run
– There were seven ties and six lead changes on Wednesday night
– Shay Ciezki and Yarden Garzon combined to score 21 of IU’s 46 points
Up Next
Butler will play at Vanderbilt on Sunday, Nov. 17. Tip is set for 3 p.m. ET, 2 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
BUTLER SIGNS HIGHEST-RANKED RECRUITING CLASS IN PROGRAM HISTORY
Butler head coach Thad Matta and his staff have signed the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history with the addition of a trio of four-star standouts.
Jackson Keith, Jack McCaffery and Azavier “Stink” Robinson signed financial aid agreements on the first day of the national signing period with each set to begin their Butler careers with the 2025-26 season.
247sports has Butler’s class ranked No. 12 nationally as of National Signing Day.
Jackson Keith, 6-5 Wing, Durham, N.C.
Keith, from Durham, N.C., is a consensus four-star recruit, who is ranked as high as No. 87 nationally by Rivals.
Keith averaged 19.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, two assists and one block per game as a junior. He helped lead Southern High School to a 25-5 record, earning a trip to the quarterfinals of the North Carolina Class 3A tournament. On the EYBL circuit for Team CP3 during the summer of 2024, he averaged 11.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. He played with Team Loaded during the 2023 summer.
Matta on Keith: “Jackson is a very athletic wing who takes great pride in his defense. He can get to the rim and score the ball. His athleticism, physicality and defensive grit are going to translate well to college basketball beginning with day one.”
Jack McCaffery, 6-9 Forward, Iowa City, Iowa
The No. 80-ranked prospect in the Class of 2025 by ESPN, McCaffery is a consensus four-star recruit who is also among the Top 150 recruits in the Rivals and 247sports rankings.
During his junior season with Iowa City West High School, McCaffery averaged 16.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.9 blocks, shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and better than 80 percent at the free throw line.
During the 2024 summer, McCaffery played for Madden Brothers 17U on the UAA Rise circuit. He averaged 18.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per contest. His 36-point performance against Atlanta All-Stars included nine three-pointers.
McCaffery’s father, Fran, is the head coach at Iowa and his mother, Margaret, was an All-American at Notre Dame. Jack’s two older brothers are part of the Butler program this season: Connor as an assistant coach and Patrick, who is finishing his collegiate career on the court with the Bulldogs.
Matta on McCaffery: “Jack knows how to play the game, just as you would expect from a coach’s son. He’s a big wing and multi-dimensional in how he can pass, shoot and make great decisions with the ball in his hands.”
Azavier “Stink” Robinson, 6-1 Guard, Indianapolis, Ind.
Robinson is the No. 83 recruit nationally in the class according to ESPN. A consensus four-star recruit, Robinson is also ranked No. 92 nationally by 247sports.
Robinson was named Marion County Player of the Year and was one six players named to the core Indiana Junior All-Stars team following his junior season at Lawrence North High School. He led LN to a 25-4 record as the team won a Class 4A Regional Championship.
He averaged 20.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Robinson is already No. 5 on the Lawrence North all-time scoring list with 1,370 career points. Over the summer, he played with the George Hill All Indy AAU program.
Matta on Robinson: “I love that we were able to keep Stink home here in Indy. He’s an explosive guard who can score it and is tremendous defensively. He checks all the boxes that you’re looking for in a lead guard.”
IU INDY MEN’S BASKETBALL
JAGUARS TO CAP TWO-GAME HOMESTAND AGAINST EASTERN MICHIGAN
INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indianapolis men’s basketball team will cap a quick two-game homestand on Thursday night (Nov. 14) when the Jaguars host Eastern Michigan (1-1) at 6:30 p.m. inside The Jungle. Fans are encouraged to purchase and download their tickets prior to arrival at the Jungle as the department has gone to exclusively digital tickets this season. Thursday’s game will be aired on ESPN+ as Jonathan Matthes (pxp) and Hall of Famer Bob Lovell (analyst) are on the call.
The Jaguars (2-1) coasted to a 97-55 win over Goshen College inside the Jungle on Tuesday night behind a career-high 27 points from graduate transfer Paul Zilinskas. Zilinskas knocked down 9-of-12 shots, including four treys, in just 24 minutes of work. Jarvis Walker chimed in with 15 points and six rebounds and Nathan Dudukovich added 13 points off the bench. Freshman Keenan Garner also closed in double-digits with 11 points and junior Sean Craig just missed a double-double with eight points and 14 rebounds. It marked Craig’s third straight game with at least 10 rebounds to start the year as the Jaguars on the glass, 50-30.
Head Coach Paul Corsaro’s team has been efficient offensively to start the season, shooting 48.3 percent from the floor and 41 percent from three, connecting on better than 11 treys per contest. The Jags are also winning the glass by nearly 17 caroms per game and been stingy with turnovers, committing just 9.0 per game.
Zilinskas leads the team in scoring (17.3 ppg) and is shooting 50 percent from the floor and 58.8 percent from three-point range. Walker (16.0 ppg), Craig (10.7 ppg) and Dudukovich (10.7 ppg) also are averaging double-digits through three games. Craig is averaging a double-double as he is grabbing 11.7 rebounds per game.
Newcomer guard Alec Millender checks in at 9.3 points and 4.7 assists per game and has yet to commit a turnover in the first three games. As a team, the Jaguars have a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio to start the year.
QUOTABLE
“We need to get tougher, and I mean mentally tougher. You can’t be physically tough if you’re not mentally tough. Toughness in terms of concentration and execution of the small details; being able to move on from one mistake and move on to the next play. And really, just understanding just how locked on you have to be for all 40 minutes in order to win a big time basketball game,” Corsaro said following the Jaguars’ win over Goshen on Tuesday night.
SCOUTING EASTERN MICHIGAN
EMU enters play at 1-1 on the season, having lost on the road at Texas State to open the season before blasting Siena Heights in their home opener. The Eagles are holding opponents to just 38.1 percent from the floor this season and outrebounding opponents by a 4.5 margin in the opening two games. Jalin Billingsley leads EMU in scoring (20.0 ppg) and rebounding (8.5 rpg) while shooting nearly 55 percent from the floor. Junior guard Christian Henry comes in averaging 13 points per game and Jalen Terry averaged 10.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. EMU was picked to finish ninth in the Mid-American Conference preseason coaches poll prior to the start of the season.
SERIES HISTORY
IU Indy is just 1-3 all-time against Eastern Michigan and 1-2 in three meetings in Indianapolis. IU Indy won the most recent meeting, 83-71 on Nov. 19, 2016 at Indiana Farmers Coliseum in the championship game of the Indianapolis Subregional of the 2K Classic. Ron Patterson led five Jaguars in double-digits with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting and Evan Hall had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds in just 19 minutes. The first meeting in the series was a 62-56 loss in Indy on Dec. 23, 1999.
UP NEXT
The Jaguars will travel to Ames, Iowa, to take on No. 7 Iowa State on Monday night (Nov. 18) at 7:00 p.m. CT (8 Eastern) on ESPN+.
IU INDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
JAGUARS FACE PURDUE IN B1G THURSDAY MATCHUP
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The IU Indy Jaguars travel to West Lafayette to face the Purdue Boilermakers on Thursday night. The Jags and Boilermakers are set for a 7:30 PM tip at Mackey Arena and on B1G+.
The Jags enter Thursday nights’ game with a 1-1 mark on the season. IU Indy couldn’t overcome a strong Ball State offense, dropping their second game of the season by a final score of 89-63 in Muncie, Indiana on Friday, November 8. Jada Patton made her IU Indy debut against the Cardinals, totaling 14 points.
Purdue enters the game with a 1-1 mark as well, defeating fellow Horizon League member Purdue Fort Wayne (87-77) then falling to #6 Notre Dame (102-58). Destini Lombard scored a career-high 20 points and freshman Lana McCarthy posted a double-double to lead the Boilermakers to the 87-77 win over Purdue Fort Wayne to open the 2024-25 season.
The Jaguars started the season off hot at the three-point line, totaling 13 threes in the season opener against Evansville, two more than the season high during the 2023-24 season. Six different Jags recorded a three in the win with newcomer Nevaeh Foster leading the way, shooting 5-for-7 from behind the arc. Sophomore Shania Nichols-Vannett added three three-pointers.
Nearly everyone who saw the floor in the win over Evansville recorded points, including three Jaguars totaling double-digits. Foster totaled a career-high 23 points to lead IU Indy, followed by Davidson with 19 and Nichols-Vannett with 17. Four Jags added nine points, with Alexa Hocevar, Faith Stinson, Kendall Wingler and Azyah Newson-Cole each totaling nine. Logan Lewis rounded out the scoring with six points, giving the Jags a total of 101 points. The last time the Jags broke the 100 point mark was in December of 2019 when IU Indy (then IUPUI) defeated IU Northwest 103-45.
Katie Davidson is one of the key returners for the Jags and was voted Horizon League Preseason All-League Second Team after finishing the 2023-24 season averaging 16.4 points per game. Davidson was one of three Jaguars who totaled double-digit points in the season opener over Evansville, opening the 2024-25 season with 19 points, shooting .636 percent (7-for-11) with five assists and four steals. Unfortunately, due to injury, Davidson left the Jags’ game at Ball State in the first quarter, playing just eight minutes in the loss. The Indianapolis native was named All-League Second Team following the 2023-24 season.
Head coach Kate Bruce was named Indianapolis Business Journal Forty Under 40 in April of this year for her successful career at every level and community work in the Indianapolis area. The Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ) announced their 32nd class of Forty Under 40 honorees on April 11 with an impressive collection of business, community and non-for-profit leaders representing health care, finance, law, sports, education and other sectors. Kate Bruce and the rest of the honorees were selected by a committee of IBJ leaders and former Forty Under 40 honorees from about 250 nominations. Bruce leads the IU Indy Jaguars with integrity, empathy and belief and hopes to show that within the product on the court. Although the Jaguars suffered several injuries that played a big role within the 2023-24 season, Bruce is confident in the 2024-25 season.
Coach Bruce’s squad was picked to finish tenth in the Horizon League Preseason Poll, just ahead of Robert Morris. The Jags will look to fight their way through the Horizon League in hopes of outdoing their preseason rank. They will kick off the Horizon League slate on the road at Green Bay on December 4.
BALL STATE BASEBALL
BASEBALL SIGNS SIX TO 2025 RECRUITING CLASS
The Ball State baseball team and head coach Rich Maloney have announced the signings of six student-athletes for the 2025 recruiting class.
The class includes two outfielders, an infielder, two pitchers and a two-way player. Four of the signees are from the state of Indiana, while the other two are from Ohio and Michigan.
“We are thrilled to welcome these six players to our Ball State Family,” Maloney said. “We strive to take players who have upside, work hard, are getting better, dream big and do a great job in the classroom. This class meets that criteria, and we can’t wait to work with them.
“Recruiting coordinator Alex Maloney and Justin Wechsler did a great job identifying and landing this outstanding group!”
Luke DeMasse
Macomb, Mich. | Dakota HS
DeMasse is a right-handed pitcher who was the Macomb Area Conference Player of the Year as a junior in 2024 after posting a 1.38 ERA in 55.2 innings pitched. Additionally, he was his team’s MVP, an All-District performer, Academic All-District, threw a five-inning no-hitter and pitched in the state quarterfinal win.
Academically, DeMasse has been an honor roll member every semester in high school and plans on studying exercise science at Ball State.
Coach Maloney on DeMasse
“Luke has a loose arm with upside and pounds the zone.”
Huston Dunn
Fishers, Ind. | Fishers HS
A left-handed hitting infielder, Dunn has been named Second Team All-Conference as both a sophomore and junior. He has posted a .282/.422/.366 slash line in 85 games played at Fishers while also earning two varsity football letters.
Dunn is an honor roll member who hopes to major in business with a minor in marketing.
Coach Maloney on Dunn
“Huston is a gritty player, versatile, athletic and a line-drive hitter.”
Brandt Kendall
Scottsburg, Ind. | Scottsburg HS
Kendall is a left-handed hitting outfielder who was named First Team All-Conference and First Team PBR All-State as a junior after leading the Mid-Southern Conference in home runs, RBI, batting average, runs scored, on base percentage and slugging percentage.
Academically, Kendall plans to study exercise science and be a strength and conditioning coach after his playing career.
Coach Maloney on Kendall
“Brandt has a good skill set and bat potential.”
Joe Lafkas
Cincinnati, Ohio | Turpin HS
A two-time First Team All-Conference right-handed pitcher, Lafkas accumulated a 2.24 ERA as a junior in 2024. He was also a Second Team All-Conference pick in basketball for Turpin.
Lafkas is an honor roll member who plans to major in business and minor in marketing at Ball State.
Coach Maloney on Lafkas
“Joe has good size with a strong arm and upside.”
Maalik Perkins
Greenwood, Ind. | Whiteland HS
Perkins is a right-handed outfielder who was named All-County and All-Conference as a sophomore while being the best defender on his team as a freshman, sophomore and junior. He has earned two letters in basketball and three in football as a multi-sport athlete at Whiteland.
Academically, Perkins plans to study exercise science and be a physical therapist after his playing career.
Coach Maloney on Perkins
“Maalik is a plus-plus runner, aggressive baserunner and gritty.”
Brayden Stevenson
Pendleton, Ind. | Pendleton Heights HS
A right-hander who can both pitch and catch, Stevenson was named First Team All-Conference and the Herald Bulletin Baseball Pitcher of the Year as a junior after striking out 44 and posting a 7-0 record with a 1.73 ERA in 32.1 innings and a .114 batting average against.
Stevenson plans to study either exercise science or business at Ball State.
Coach Maloney on Stevenson
“Brayden is a two-way player with a plus arm and upside.”
BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WBB LEAVES MEMPHIS SINGING THE BLUES BEHIND BECKI’S TRIPLE DOUBLE
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State women’s basketball team put on quite the show in Worthen Arena tonight with the star being senior Ally Becki, who registered her first career triple double in the Cardinals’ 95-66 victory over Memphis Wednesday night. Becki’s triple double was the first by an NCAA Division I women’s basketball player so far this season.
With the win, the Cardinals improved their overall record to 3-0 for the third-straight season while Memphis dropped to 2-2.
For the game, Becki scored 22 points, pulled down 10 rebounds while dishing out 10 assists. Becki’s triple double also marked the first from a Ball State women’s basketball player since at least 2010 when the NCAA started keeping the triple double stat.
Elise Stuck turned in a career high 20-point performance while shooting 8-of-12 from the field. Rounding out the double figure scoring was Lachelle Austin with 11 and Maliyah “MJ” Johnson with 10.
Tonight’s contest opened as an up and down affair that saw the Cardinals take a slight 18-14 edge over the Tigers to end the first quarter of play.
The Cardinals took that motivation into the second 10 minutes of action as Ball State opened the second frame on a 11-0 scoring spree which was capped off by a long jumper from Becki to give BSU a 29-14 edge over the Tigers. The Cardinals’ stingy defense held Memphis without a field goal up until the 5:15 mark.
Memphis started to make a slight comeback but back-to-back 3-pointers from Grace Kingery and Becki stopped the Tigers in their tracks. The frustration on Memphis’ face was evident as Ball State continuously made plays on both sides of the court. Becki closed out the half with a last minute 3-pointer to put the Cardinals up 42-27 over the Tigers at intermission.
The Cardinals’ second half defensive pressure accompanied by some good ball handling and impressive shooting, eventually led to a 31-point (62-31) cushion for Ball State at the five-minute mark of the third quarter. The strong late lead by the Cardinals made it nearly impossible for the Tigers to make any kind of comeback the remainder of the contest.
Ball State simply outplayed Memphis tonight after leading the way 60-28 in the points in the paint category while also having the advantage in second chance points (20-4), fast breaks (26-16) and points from turnovers (22-8). Rebounding was also a key component (49-38). The Cardinals limited their turnovers as well to a season low of eight.
The Ball State women’s basketball team will play its first road contest of the season when it travels to Northern Iowa Saturday for a 3 pm ET tipoff in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
HILL’S BIG GAME NOT ENOUGH FOR MBB TO PULL OFF COMEBACK AT DAYTON
DAYTON, Ohio – The Ball State men’s basketball team made a strong run from late in the first half to midway in the second but Dayton held on for a 77-69 win on Wednesday night at UD Arena.
The Cardinals (1-2) got 25 points, seven rebounds and three assists from Jermahri Hill that helped the visitors rally back from a 20-point deficit to trail by 53-48 after a Mickey Pearson Jr. 3-pointer with 10:44 to play. The triple punctuated a 27-12 run in just over 10 minutes of game time.
Ethan Brittain-Watts (16 points) hit four 3-pointers including a trio of them in the final five minutes to keep the visitors within striking distance. Pearson Jr. finished with 11 points, four rebounds and two assists as the third Cardinal to score in double figures.
Dayton (3-0) got out to a 10-0 lead in front of a full house of 13,407 fans of UD Arena but were outscored for the remainder of the contest. Enoch Cheeks (23 points, 12 rebounds) and Malachi Smith (17 points, 10 assists, six rebounds) paced the Flyers in scoring.
The hosts won the rebounding battle 35-31 and committed fewer turnovers (15-8). Ball State shot 38.5 percent (20-52) from the field including 44.4 percent (8-18) on 3-pointers while making 87.5 percent (21-24) of its free throw attempts. Dayton went 49.1 percent (26-53) on field goals, 21.1 percent (4-19) on 3-pointers and 72.4 percent (21-29) on free throws.
Brittain-Watts and Mason Jones made their first starts of the season for the Cardinals, who quieted the crowd midway through the second half after cutting Dayton’s edge to two possessions. The Flyers held a 41-26 edge heading into the break with Hill scoring the last five points of the half including a highlight reel and-one dunk with five seconds to go before the halftime buzzer.
The Cardinals return home to host Indiana State at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
MBB SIGNS FORWARD PRESTON COPELAND TO 2025 CLASS
The Ball State men’s basketball team and head coach Michael Lewis have announced the signing of forward Preston Copeland to their 2025 class.
A Clayton, N.C., native who was an All-Conference performer as a junior, Copeland averaged 16.3 points and 8 rebounds per game last season. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 8 points and 10 rebounds per game as a sophomore and 6 points and 8 boards per game as a freshman.
“We’re super excited about Preston,” Lewis said. “I’ve known his family for a long time as I had the opportunity to coach his brother while I was an assistant at Nebraska. Great family, and he’s a player with a lot of upside. He has excellent athleticism for his position, and can continue to grow and expand his game. I think he has a high ceiling as a basketball player.”
Copeland also played football in high school while being an honor roll student. He will enroll at Ball State ahead of the 2025-26 season.
According to 247sports.com, Copeland is the No. 22 recruit from North Carolina in his class and the No. 65 power forward nationally as a three-star recruit.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL
MOSLEY, ARNOLD AND MORGAN SIGN WITH MASTODON MEN’S BASKETBALL
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne men’s basketball head coach Jon Coffman has announced three additions to the Mastodon program. EJ Mosley, Jaiden Arnold and Quentin Morgan have signed to join the ‘Dons in 2025-26.
“I’m ecstatic about our 2025 recruiting class of EJ Mosley, Jaiden Arnold and Quentin Morgan,” Coffman said. “Our program has been built on gym rats that love to play and are obsessed with their player development coupled with versatile skill sets. All three are versatile players that are a great fit with how we play the game with pace and space.”
EJ Mosley (6’0″ | guard | Chicago, Ill. | St. Laurence High School)
Mosley is returning to St. Laurence to play his senior year after having an outstanding junior year at Romeoville High School. While at Romeoville he was first team all-conference and an all-state performer while averaging just under 20 points a game. He has already scored 1,000 points in his high school career. His high school coach is Roshawn Russell.
He played AAU this past summer for Y&R and coach Jay Brim, making multiple all-tournament teams. Mosley is regarded as the top point guard in the state of Illinois by multiple scouting services.
Coffman on Mosley: “EJ is another Chicago native that joins a long list of successful ‘Dons from his hometown (John Konchar, Joe Edwards, Xzavier Taylor, Rasheed Bello, Anthony Roberts). EJ is an intense competitor that fits with our style of play and is obsessed with player development! He makes those around him better, lives in the paint and can really, really pass the basketball! We are extremely excited about his ability to play in transition, create for other off ball screens and raise the intensity of those around him.”
Jaiden Arnold (6’1″ | guard | Cincinnati, Ohio | Cincinnati Aiken High School)
Arnold is the reigning Cincinnati Metro Athletics Conference Player of the Year after averaging 16 points and 4.8 assists per game as a junior. He was also first team all-district, second team all-Southwest Ohio, and honorable mention-all state. His high school coach is Derrell Black.
This past summer he played AAU with Midwest Basketball Club Gold for Coach Dustin Kavanaugh. Arnold helped Cincinnati Aiken to an 8-2 conference record, their best finish in the past decade.
Coffman on Arnold: “Jaiden is a gym rat who is obsessed with player development. He committed early last season because Jaiden, his family, his coaches and our coaching staff recognized what a great fit we were for each other both on-and-off the court. Our playing style will put Jaiden in a great position to excel at the collegiate level where he is exceptional in transition! Jaiden is extremely efficient in ball screens, lives in the paint, can really, really pass the ball and has the capability to score it in bunches. We are really excited about his ability to make his teammates better around him.”
Quentin Morgan (6’9″ | post | Glen Allen, Virginia | Deep Run High School)
Morgan is beginning his senior campaign at Deep Run high school in Glen Allen, Virginia where he had a breakout junior campaign. Last season he averaged a double-double with 10 points and 10.5 rebounds a game. He was top five in rebounding in the state of Virginia. He was an All-Region player as a junior. His high school coach is Doug Bibby.
This past summer he played AAU he played for Team Loaded 804 and Coach Riley Highfill. He was an outstanding performer at the NCAA Academy in July – a nominated only event for rising seniors.
Coffman on Morgan: “Quentin and his family recognized the fit of our academics, culture and obsession with player development early in our recruiting process. The power of our degree and our commitment to building a program that is more than just basketball has attracted terrific players nationally over our staff’s tenure. Quentin is another example coming from Richmond, Virginia. He fills up the stat sheet, averaging a double-double as a junior. We love his athleticism, versatility and skill coupled with his size as well as his commitment to player development.”
The Mastodons are 2-1 in 2024-25 and host Southern Indiana on Saturday.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PURDUE FORT WAYNE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL RELEASES 2025 SCHEDULE
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne’s men’s volleyball head coach Donny Gleason has announced his program’s schedule for the 2025 season.
The ‘Dons start their season in January with non-MIVA matches, hosting only two at home. Purdue Fort Wayne will start with their only exhibition, playing at The Masters (Jan. 16) on Thursday, followed by playing CSUN and UC San Diego in Northridge over the weekend.
The Mastodons will break in the Arnie Ball Court for their only non-conference matches against Long Island (Jan. 24) and Lees McRae (Jan. 25). The ‘Dons finish out the month at Harvard, facing Saint Francis (Pa.) on Jan. 31. and Harvard the following night (Feb. 1).
Purdue Fort Wayne will open MIVA play in a lone match at Ball State on Thursday, February 6th. The ‘Dons host their first home conference game against Ohio State the following Monday (Feb. 10). The Mastodons continue their homestand as they host Queens on February 13th and 14th.
The ‘Dons will hit the road in route to Illinois, facing Loyola on Friday (Feb. 21) and traveling 30 minutes southwest to take on Lewis the following day (Feb. 22). The Mastodons will end February by hosting Lindenwood (Feb. 28). Purdue Fort Wayne will quickly turn around, playing at Ohio State March 1st.
Purdue Fort Wayne takes an extended stay at home, playing three home matches in a week. Thomas More will visit the Gates Sports Center on Friday (Mar. 7). The Mastodons’ next opponent is Maryville on Tuesday (Mar. 11). Loyola will be the last team making the trip to Fort Wayne during the home-stretch, facing off on Friday (Mar. 14). The ‘Dons venture to Quincy March 21st and Lindenwood the 22nd.
The ‘Dons host their last stretch on home games to begin April, starting with Quincy on Saturday (Mar. 29). Lewis will travel to Fort Wayne on April 3rd for the second game in the homestand. Purdue Fort Wayne will host Ball State in the last home game of the conference season. The Mastodons will travel to McKendree for a pair of matches for the last trip of the season, playing on April 11th and 12th.
The MIVA quarterfinals will be played on April 19th, the highest four seeds will host the lower four. The MIVA semifinals will be hosted by the highest two remaining seeds, played on April 23rd. The MIVA Final will be on April 26th, hosted by the highest seed.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE VOLLEYBALL
MASTODON WVB HOSTS YOUNGSTOWN STATE FOR SENIOR WEEKEND
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne women’s volleyball will play host to the Youngstown State Penguins this weekend for two Horizon League volleyball matches. Saturday’s match will be Senior Day for Abby Stratford, Taya Haffner and Nicole Jones.
Game Day Information
Who: Youngstown State Penguins
When: Friday-Saturday, Nov. 15-16 | 7 PM & 3 PM
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center
Live Stats: Link
Watch: Link (Friday only)
Match Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne
Know Your Foe
Youngstown State is 9-19 and 3-13 in the Horizon League this season. The Penguins’ league wins came over IU Indy and Oakland (2), but the Penguins have not won a road match since September 13. The Penguins are hitting .164 as a team. Abbie Householder is averaging a team-best 3.97 kills per set. She is second in the Horizon League behind Panna Ratkai in that category.
Series History
Purdue Fort Wayne leads the series against Youngstown State 7-4, with all four YSU wins coming since 2021. The Mastodons won the last meeting 3-0 in Youngstown behind 24 kills and five aces from Panna Ratkai.
Hungary for More
Panna Ratkai has 20 or more kills in 21 matches in her career with nine coming this season. She had 12 as a redshirt-freshman. This season, she has 450 total kills, which is top-10 in the country. She is the only sophomore on the NCAA’s active top-250 career kills list with 986. She is 192nd in that category.
Chasing 1,000
Panna Ratkai is nearing 1,000 kills for her career. She has 986 in her two years in a Purdue Fort Wayne uniform, needing 14 to hit the 1,000 mark. Nicole Jones is also nearing the 1,000-assist mark for her career. She needs 22 to reach the milestone.
Playoff Picture
Purdue Fort Wayne will finish as the No. 4, 5 or 6 seed for the upcoming Horizon League Championship depending on results around the league. Two wins clinches at least the No. 5 spot.
Saturday… Is Senior Day
Saturday’s match against Youngstown State will include a Senior Day celebration for Abby Stratford, Taya Haffner and Nicole Jones.
Last Time Out
The Mastodons dropped a pair of matches at Wright State.
Next Time Up
Purdue Fort Wayne will play one of Cleveland State, Green Bay, IU Indy or Northern Kentucky in the opening round of the Horizon League Championship on Friday (Nov. 22)
EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
UE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ADDS TWO ON NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team has officially signed shooting guard Sydney Huber (Cedar Rapids, Iowa / Mount Vernon HS) and guard BreAunna Ward (St. Louis / John Burroughs School) to its 2025 recruiting class.
“I am thrilled that Sydney and BreAunna have chosen to join Evansville Women’s Basketball!” says Head Coach Robyn Scherr. “Both of them will complement our talented group of returners and bring a dynamic set of skills to our program! Additionally, they are both winners, each with a state championship under their belt. Sydney’s volleyball team won a state championship a week ago, and BreAunna’s high school team won a state championship last year!”
The Purple Aces’ first verbal commitment over the summer was 6-0 shooting guard Sydney Huber from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Huber comes from a decorated women’s basketball family as her mother Stacy was an All-American at Iowa State from 1996 to 2000 and drafted by one of the original eight WNBA teams, the Utah Starzz. Along with her mom, both of Huber’s aunts Brenda Frese and Martha Frese played college basketball. Brenda is currently the Head Coach at Maryland while Marsha is an assistant coach at Loyola Chicago.
“Sydney is a bigger guard that can shoot the heck out of the ball from deep range,” says Coach Scherr. “She can shoot in transition, off of screens, and off the dribble with a very quick release. She can also use her size and length to put pressure on the rim with cuts, drives, and posting up smaller defenders. She is a versatile guard that will create a lot of match-up problems for our opponents. Sydney fits in perfectly with our current freshman class in that she is a gym rat, and she loves the game.”
Heading into her senior season at Mount Vernon High School, Huber has already been part of two state championship teams for both basketball and volleyball. Huber was with the Mustangs as part of their 4A 2022 Freshman Championship while also just winning a state title in volleyball as the 2024 3A Champions. With the Mustangs basketball team, Huber was also part of a 4A state quarterfinal run in her sophomore year and a 3A state semifinal run last year. Individually Huber has been named to All-Conference teams twice and was named First Team All-State last season while averaging 12.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, three assists, and two steals a game.
“I am so excited to officially sign with the University of Evansville,” says Huber. “I’m very thankful to Coach Robyn and the entire staff for their belief in me. I can’t wait to compete at the collegiate level and be part of the UE community!” Huber plans to major in biology and business at Evansville to become a dentist. She is the daughter of Brian and Stacy Huber who both worked at UE from 2001-04 as Stacy was an assistant coach under former Head Coach Tricia Cullop while Brian was the Assistant Director of the Fitness Center and Intramural Sports. Huber has two younger siblings, brother Will and sister Lauren.
The Aces’ second addition to the 2025 signing class is 5-10 guard BreAunna Ward. Ward comes to UE as a three-sport athlete at John Burroughs School in Saint Louis. Along with basketball Ward plays volleyball in the fall and runs track in the spring. Ward also comes from a basketball family as her older brother BJ is the Southeast Missouri men’s basketball team’s leading scorer through two games as a sophomore.
“BreAunna is a long, athletic guard that can play in multiple spots,” says Coach Scherr. “I love how disruptive Bre is as a press defender. She is a player that makes everyone around her better. She is an unselfish teammate and will do whatever the team needs to be successful. If she needs to create for others, she will do that. She doesn’t care about stats; she cares about winning. That said, she can score in a variety of ways from getting to the rim on drives to shooting the three.”
Ward has also been on multiple championship teams while at John Burroughs. With the Bombers Ward was part of the team’s 2022 Class 4 State Championship and their 2024 Class 5 State Championship. Individually Ward has been named three times to All-District teams and All-Conference teams and was named to the 2024 All-Tournament team. Ward also played AAU basketball with the Missouri Phenom who placed second in the Nike Nationals in 2022.
“I’m incredibly excited to attend Evansville and play basketball under Coach Robyn and her amazing coaching staff,” says Ward. “I can’t wait to contribute to the program and learn from such wonderful coaches. The opportunity to be part of this talented group is something I’m truly looking forward to and thankful for!” Ward will major in biochemistry at UE with hopes of becoming an anesthesia specialist. She is the daughter of Brian and Aunna Ward and has five older siblings, brothers Brandon, BJ, and Bryan, and sisters Bria and Brandy.
EVANSVILLE MEN’S SOCCER
UE MEN’S SOCCER TAKES DOWN NO. 1 MISSOURI STATE IN MVC SEMIFINALS
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The University of Evansville men’s soccer team took down another Top 25 team to advance to the MVC Tournament Championship game.
The Purple Aces earned their fifth shutout of 2024 in a 1-0 win over the top-seeded Missouri State Bears. On a windy night at Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium UE avenged its previous 6-1 loss to the Bears to start November. Junior defender Nacho Garcia (Zaragoza, Spain) scored his first goal with Evansville in the 50th minute for the Aces win. Redshirt freshman midfielder Jacopo Fedrizzi (Giulia, Italy) picked up his fifth assist of 2024 on the lone goal of the match.
“These guys believed in each other and that’s what put us over the top,” said Head Coach Robbe Tarver. “Missouri State is a top 10 team for a reason. The guts we had to have tonight to win, I have no words. These guys deserve everything they’ve gotten, and we’ve earned the chance to have a match against a really good Bowling Green team. We will be ready to go!”
Wednesday’s semifinal match began as a defensive battle. Outside of a shot in the second minute for Missouri State neither team was able to get pass the other’s defensive pressure. UE didn’t take a shot in the first 45 minutes but had a corner kick in the 10th minute that was taken away from the net by the heavy winds.
The Bears got only four shots around Evansville’s defense including an indirect kick in the 33rd minute. Senior forward Nacho Diaz Barragan (Almeria, Spain) blocked the kick from the 10 by MVC Player of the Year Jesus Barea to send it out of harm’s way. The only other close attempt came in the final seconds of the second half from Missouri State that went wide.
The defensive pressure continued at the start of the second half as both teams took two fouls in the first five minutes. It didn’t stay completely defense for long as the Aces got a free kick opportunity from 30 yards out. Fedrizzi took the free kick and found Garcia just inside the 12 where he headed the ball in for the lone score of the match.
UE had another close opportunity just six minutes later as senior forward Edward Mendy (Overland Park, Kan. / Blue Valley West HS) took a shot from inside the penalty area that forced a diving save from Bears goalkeeper Will Lowry. Missouri State went on the attack trying to find the equalizer with six shots in the final 25 minutes. But freshman goalkeeper Michal Mroz (Elk Grove, Ill. / Elk Grove HS) made three saves and Evansville’s defense kept the other three shots away to secure the 1-0 win.
The Aces move onto the MVC Tournament Championship match for the third time in four years. This will be the first time since 2009 that UE will face a team other than Missouri State in the championship match. Evansville will play the third-seeded Bowling Green Falcons for the MVC Championship at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 16th.
EVANSVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL
SECOND-HALF RALLY PUSHES MTSU PAST UE
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Four days after posting the top effort of his University of Evansville career, Cam Haffner accomplished the feat once again in Wednesday’s road game at Middle Tennessee State. Haffner scored 16 points in the Purple Aces’ 80-63 loss to the Blue Raiders, besting his 14-point effort on Saturday versus Brescia.
Haffner was 7-of-12 from the field on his way to the 16-point game. Just behind him was Tanner Cuff who tallied 15 points and a team-high 7 boards.
“It was a tale of two halves and we just did not do enough to get it done. If we take care of business in the first half and not let them get the momentum that they did, it would have been a different game,” UE head men’s basketball coach David Ragland stated. “We need to be more disciplined and get some things fixed.”
Gabriel Pozzato knocked down a triple to give the Aces a 5-0 lead while Tanner Cuff added a field goal to cement a 7-2 edge in the opening three minutes. The Blue Raiders fought back to tie the game at 9-9 before taking their first lead of 13-11 at the 14:08 mark. The lead was short-lived as Cam Haffner drilled a triple to put the Aces right back in front on the ensuing possession. A competitive half saw the teams swap the lead on seven occasions.
Middle Tennessee State came back to go up 19-15 while Pozzato put his team right back on top. As the half approached the midway point, he connected on his second triple to give Evansville a 20-19 lead. The teams swapped the lead once again before Tanner Cuff hit UE’s fourth triple of the period to cement a 25-21 advantage.
Evansville continued to hold the lead in the final minutes with Cuff hitting his fourth bucket of the game to put the Aces in front at 38-34 with 1:18 left before the break. The Blue Raiders countered once again, completing the half on a 7-0 run to take a 41-38 halftime lead. After tying it up in the final seconds, a foul on a 3-point attempt sent MTSU to the line where they converted all three attempts to lead by three.
Out of the break, Middle Tennessee State continued the run as a bucket on the opening possession gave them their largest lead of five points. Tayshawn Comer connected on his second field goal to end the stretch. It was a temporary halt to the momentum as the Blue Raiders kept the pressure on. Ten in a row following Comer’s basket extended the lead to 53-40 at the 15:52 mark. In total, the run for MTSU saw them outscore UE by a 19-2 margin.
Josh Hughes got UE back on the board, but the Blue Raiders proved to be too much. After leading by as many as 19 in the second half (72-53), they took the game by a final score of 80-63. The difference in the contest was the run by MTSU to finish the first half and open the second period. Their 19-2 stretch was the difference as the MTSU lead remained in double figures for the remainder of the second half.
In the first half, UE shot 41.9%, but the Blue Raider defense held the Aces to just 26.7% shooting in the final stanza to finish the game at 34.4%. MTSU shot an even 50% on the night while finishing with a 47-29 edge on the boards. They were led by Essam Mostafa’s double-double as he tallied 18 points and 10 caroms.
Joining Haffner and Cuff in double figures was Pozzato. He totaled 11 while Tayshawn Comer finished with eight. UE returns home on Saturday for a 1 p.m. game against Radford.
SOUTHERN INDIANA VOLLEYBALL
USI TRAVELS TO TTU FIGHTING TO KEEP THEIR OVC TOURNAMENT CHANCES ALIVE
EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball travels to Cookeville, Tennessee taking on Tennessee Tech University on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. and Friday at 6 p.m. USI desperately needs to produce a result with only four matches left, currently sitting at tenth in the Ohio Valley Conference.
Coverage
Both volleyball matches on ESPN+ can be found at the links above or on the USI Volleyball schedule where you can also find the live stats. In game updates will be provided on Twitter, while pregame and post-game updates can be found on all three @USIAthletics platforms. Also, just a reminder that Cookeville is still on the central time zone.
USI HEADLINES
Senior Weekend Spoiled by Tigers. USI failed to break their losing streak, falling on Friday night (25-27, 25-10, 17-25, 21-25). USI had three chances to clinch set one but made crucial errors dropping their 20th first set of the season. The Eagles dominated set two with a season best .577 hitting percentage. However, USI came out slow in both the third and fourth sit digging a hole too deep to recover. The Tigers took Friday’s momentum into Saturday as the Eagles were swept (28-30, 23-25, 20-25). Another devastating first set loss took the wind out of the Eagles sails as they continued to come up short in tightly contested battles. USI was out blocked 13-4 on Saturday.
Looking into the Books. Three different Eagles dipped into the top five/ten in the USI record books recently. Senior Paris Downing recently passed 300 career blocks climbing into tenth all-time at 303. The senior also cemented herself into tenth in block assists with 248. Senior Carly Sobieralski racked up 80 assists last weekend jumping into fifth all-time in assists at 2,771. Former Castle product, junior Keira Moore has averaged 20,07 digs per set jumping from 11th to 7th in the all-time book with 1,225. Senior outside hitter Abby Weber jumped into the eight all-time in digs on Friday, currently sitting at 1,198.
Road to 1K. Senior setter, Sobieralski is only eight assists shy of 1,000 for the season. This would mark the second time the Indianapolis native has accomplished this feat with 1,153 assists in 2023. Sobieralkski looked to eclipse this mark in the regular season currently averaging 10.13 assists per match, while she averaged 2,92 in 2021, 6.32 in 2022, and 9.69 in 2023. The senior sits at fifth all-time while 77% of her assists have occurred in her junior and senior season. She also sits at 927 digs for the season.
Set Trends. The Eagles are now 5-21 in first sets, 13-13 in second sets, 9-17 in third sets, 8-7 in fourth sets, and 2-3 in fifth sets. Opponents have outscored the Eagles by 92 (559-651) in first sets, by 58 in third sets (536-594), and by two in fifth sets (64-66). However, the Eagles are positive in the second (598, 583) and fourth sets (345-334).
Road to Reaching OVC tournament. USI’s two losses over the weekend severally hindered their postseason chances. The Eagles currently sit one game out of the last tournament slot behind Tennessee State University (4-10) and Eastern Illinois University (4-10). With four regular season games left against Tennessee Tech University and Morehead State University the road is complicated. However, USI owns the advantage in the tiebreaker over EIU but will be left out if the tiebreaker comes down to University of Tennessee Martin (3-10) or TSU (4-10). Therefore, over the next four matches, USI needs to go 3-1, while EIU goes 2-2 or go 4-0, while EIU goes 3-1, etc. Tennessee State and Eastern Illinois match up in the final weekend of the year. In order to advance over TSU, USI needs to go 3-1, while TSU goes 1-3, or USI goes 4-0 while TSU goes 2-2, depending on EIU’s finish.
Scouting TTU. The Golden Eagles (19-7, OVC 8-6) sit in fifth in the OVC with multiple different winning and losing streaks. TTU rattled off an impressive 11-1 non-conference season with strong wins against Georgetown University, University of Memphis, Austin Peay State University, Towson University, and more. They continued into OVC play with four straight wins over Western Illinois University, Morehead State University, and TSU. However, the Golden Eagles came back to earth dropping their next six of seven but salvaging a series split against OVC number one Southeast Missouri State University. TTU is currently on a three-game winning streaking after sweeping Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Tennessee Tech is lead offensively by last week’s AVCA National Player of the Week, Maddie Isringhausen. The senior owns a league best 4.94 kills per set and 464 total kills. Junior setter Jordan Karlen also excels for the Golden Eagles with a conference leading 11.16 assists per match, along with 3,232 career assists in only three years.
USI Strengths and Weaknesses Statistically. Sobieralski continues to shine, helping the Eagles rank third in the conference in assists per set (12.06) as a team. The Eagles also excel on the back line in digs ranking third (17.90 per set). USI also ranks fourth in the OVC in kills (12.81 per set). The Eagles have struggled with hitting percentage (9th, .167), opponent percentage (9th, .205), blocks (9th, 1.75 BPS), and service aces (11th, 1.22 SAPS).
Golden Eagles Strengths and Weaknesses Statistically. TTU attacks the net with extreme efficiency ranking first in the conference with a .218 hitting percentage. The Golden Eagles also are first in limiting opponents with a .162 opponent hitting percentage. The mark is .022 better than the second-place team. TTU is first in kills, services aces, and assists per set as well with 14.13 KPS, 1.71 SAPS, and 12.90 APS. The Golden Eagles rank sixth in digs and eighth in blocks.
USI VOLLEYBALL ADDS INCOMING FRESHMAN AYSA THOMAS TO 2025 SQUAD
EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball announced the signing of incoming freshman Aysa Thomas to the 2025 roster. Thomas is a setter, coming to USI from Brownsburg, Indiana.
“We’re excited to welcome Aysa to the USI family! Aysa believes in the future of our program and we can’t wait to see the impact she will make,” says head coach Jeffrey Aucoin. “She is a talented player that has competed at the highest level in the country. In addition, she is a great teammate and natural leader that will add great value to our culture.”
Thomas attends Brownsburg High School where she helped her team win four sectional championships, along with an elite eight appearance in 2022. Individually, Thomas was an IHSVCA All District selection in 2024. She also earned First Team All-Conference in 2023 and 2024. She also excels in the classroom achieving 2024 Academic All State and Brownsburg Honor Roll.
In her four-year career, Thomas was a starter each season playing 400 career sets. She finished high school with a monstrous 3,763 career assists and 1,276 career digs. Thomas explained “I choose USI because of the coaching staff, players, amazing facilities, and support system.”
SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
USI RALLIES FOR LAST-SECOND 71-69 VICTORY
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Southern Indiana junior guard Jack Campion hit the game-winner with 1.4 seconds on the clock to give the Screaming Eagles a 71-69 victory at Bellarmine University Wednesday evening at Knights Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. The Screaming Eagles are 1-3 to start the year, while the Knights go to 0-3 in 2024-25.
With the game tied, 69-69, Campion, who had five points, took the ball on the left wing and drove into the top of the key to hit the game-winning pull-up jumper to give USI its first win of the season.
The game started with USI spotting Bellarmine a 6-0 lead, but got the offense rolling to tie the game, 8-8, and take the lead, 10-8, on a pair of free throws by sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi. The Eagles would expand the lead to 18-12 when junior guard Jayland Randall hit a running lay-up with 11:46 remaining in the half.
After USI posted its largest lead of the opening half, 21-14, the Knights rallied and got the final jumpers of the half to take a 31-30 advantage into the break.
The second half began with a Bellarmine offensive surge to take a 50-35 lead on a 19-4 run. The Knights would run the margin to 19 points, 56-37, with 10:09 to play in the contest.
USI started the comeback with a 17-2 run, cutting the deficit to 58-54 with 5:59 remaining. The Eagles were six-of-seven from the field, including a pair of three-pointers and three-of-four from the stripe during the second-half explosion. Randall led the way with five points, while Olowoniyi and junior guard Damoni Harrison added four points each during the run.
The Eagles continued to close the gap until Randall knotted the score at 69-69 with 47 seconds left on the clock. USI would hold defensively and set the stage for Campion with 15.6 seconds left.
For the game, Randall led three Eagles in double-digits with 21 points on eight-of-15 from the field, including two from downtown, and three of three from the line. Olowoniyi and Harrison followed with 14 points and 10 points, respectively.
Next Up For USI:
USI concludes the road trip Saturday when USI visits another former GLVC rival Purdue University Fort Wayne. The Mastodons are 1-1 to start the 2024-25 campaign, defeating Bluffton University, 99-47, and falling at the University of Central Florida, 75-68.
Purdue Fort Wayne plays Bethune-Cookman University at home Thursday before hosting USI Saturday.
USI has the upper hand in the all-time series, leading 25-15, but Purdue Fort Wayne has won the last two since the Screaming Eagles moved to Division I. The series, when played in Fort Wayne, is tied 9-9 all-time.
The Eagles return to the friendly home surroundings of Liberty Arena November 22 when they host the University of South Dakota.
VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HEADS TO MILWAUKEE THURSDAY
Valparaiso (1-2, 0-0 MVC)
Game #4 – November 14, 2024 – 6 p.m.
at Milwaukee (1-2, 0-0 Horizon)
Klotsche Center (3,500) – Milwaukee, Wis.
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valpo women’s basketball team faces a quick turnaround from its Tuesday victory, as the Beacons hit the road to take on a former Horizon League rival Thursday evening at Milwaukee.
Previously: Buoyed by the energy from a few hundred fifth-graders from Valparaiso Community Schools on Tuesday morning at the ARC, the Valpo women’s basketball team rolled to an 81-40 victory over visiting Trinity Christian. Kayla Preston scored a career-best 20 points, while Kylie Waytashek (14) and Nevaeh Jackson (13) also scored in double figures.
Following Valpo Basketball: Video: ESPN+
Links for live coverage: Available via ValpoAthletics.com
Head Coach Mary Evans: Mary Evans is in her seventh year at the helm of the program in 2024-25 and owns a record of 61-118. Evans’ first six seasons at the helm have seen Valpo’s six of the top-eight single-season 3-pointers made marks, including each of the top five, while defensively, her teams have racked up steals at a high rate, averaging at least 7.7 steals/game in five of her six seasons. Under her guidance, Valpo players have earned an MVC Sixth Player of the Year honor, five All-Conference accolades, three All-Freshman/Newcomer Team awards and three All-Defensive Team honors.
Series Notes: Milwaukee owns a 22-9 advantage in an all-time series in which the two programs shared conference affiliation for one year in the Mid-Continent Conference and 10 seasons in the Horizon League. The two programs have not met since Valpo departed the Horizon League following the 2016-17 season. The Panthers have won the last five meetings between the two teams, most recently an 80-64 decision in Milwaukee Feb. 20, 2017.
@ValpoWBB…
…and @ValleyHoops
– Valpo was picked to finish in eighth place in the MVC preseason poll, totaling 193 points to edge out Indiana State.
– The eighth-place projection is two spots ahead of the Beacons’ regular-season finish last year.
– Valpo is in its eighth season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
– The Valley was ranked 13th in conference NET last season. In Valpo’s time in the MVC, the conference has been ranked as high as seventh in NET (2020-21).
…looking back at last year
– Valpo finished last season with a 5-25 overall record and finished at 4-16 in MVC play, good for 10th in the Valley standings.
– Leah Earnest was a Second Team All-MVC honoree.
– Valpo won three consecutive road games in Valley play, the second straight year the Beacons have accomplished that – prior to that, the program had last accomplished that feat against three different opponents since 2007.
…versus Trinity Christian
– Valpo opened the game on a 14-2 run over the first nine minutes and led 17-6 at the end of the first quarter, led by eight points from sophomore Nevaeh Jackson.
– The Beacons tallied assists on eight of their nine field goals in the second quarter and fifth-year Leah Earnest stuffed the stat sheet in the period with a team-high five points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals as Valpo led 42-14 at intermission.
– Sophomore Kayla Preston scored nine points in the third quarter and freshman Kylie Waytashek added seven as the Beacons extended their lead to 68-27 at the end of the third quarter.
– Preston tallied seven more points in the final period and freshman Lexi Castator added four points and four rebounds as Valpo closed out the victory.
– All 12 Beacons who played on Tuesday played at least nine minutes, while the Beacons’ five starters averaged just north of 14 minutes of action.
– Preston had easily the best game of her collegiate career, leading all players with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and 6-of-8 from the foul line. The sophomore tied her career best with five rebounds and also set career highs with four assists and two steals.
– Waytashek finished with 14 points, four rebounds and three assists in her third collegiate game.
– Jackson rounded out a trio of Valpo players in double figures in the scoring department with 13 points, including three 3-pointers.
– Castator narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with nine points, tying for game-high honors with 10 rebounds and dishing out four assists without a turnover.
…versus Purdue Fort Wayne
– The Mastodons got out to an 11-2 lead, which Valpo was able to cut to 16-11 at the end of the first quarter.
– The Beacons used a 7-1 run early in the second quarter to take their first lead and extended their lead to five just past the midway point of the frame before PFW went 14-5 over the final 4:34 of the first half to regain the lead heading into halftime, 36-32.
– An 8-0 spurt for the Mastodons extended their advantage to 44-32 just two minutes into the second half, prompting a Valpo timeout.
The Beacons responded out of the stoppage with the next seven points.
– PFW led 54-46 at the end of the third quarter, and while the Beacons got the deficit down to four points with 6:45 to play, the Mastodons pulled away late.
– Valpo held the advantage shooting from the field, hitting at a 46.7% (21-45) clip to the Mastodons’ 40.7% (24-59) clip. Purdue Fort Wayne did knock down 11 3-pointers to the Beacons’ seven.
– The Beacons held a 28-24 edge in points in the paint, but turnovers were the bugaboo on Saturday night. Valpo committed 26 turnovers to Purdue Fort Wayne’s 18, and the Mastodons held a 29-16 edge in points off the miscues.
– Nevaeh Jackson led all players with a 20-point night, edging her previous career best of 19 set last year against Illinois State.
– Leah Earnest notched the 17th double-double of her career, shooting 8-of-15 from the floor for 17 points and leading all players with 11 rebounds.
…looking ahead
– The Beacons face another familiar foe next Tuesday, as they make the short trip to Chicago to face Loyola.
– Valpo returns home to the ARC Monday, Nov. 25 to host Goshen.
…on the road
– Thursday’s game is Valpo’s first true road game of the season. The Beacons opened the season with a neutral-site game against Liberty.
– Valpo will play either three or four true road games prior to MVC play, depending on the results on the first day of action at Lehigh’s Christmas City Classic.
@MKE_WBB
– Milwaukee enters Thursday’s game with a 1-2 record this year, most recently falling in overtime at home to Butler, 79-70, on Saturday afternoon.
– The Panthers were picked fourth in the Horizon League preseason poll, while Kamy Peppler was named to the preseason All-Horizon League team.
– Milwaukee posted a 16-16 overall record last year and went 10-10 in Horizon League play.
Familiar Foes
– Thursday marks the first of three games in nonconference action which sees the Beacons take on a former conference opponent.
– Valpo and Milwaukee paired up in conference play in 1993-94 in the Mid-Continent Conference and then from 2007-08 through 2016-17 in the Horizon League.
– Next Tuesday, Valpo renews acquaintances with Loyola – those two programs were both members of the Horizon League from 2007-08 through 2012-13 and then the Missouri Valley Conference from 2017-18 through 2021-22.
– The Beacons close conference play next month against Detroit Mercy, who they took on for the entirety of their decade in the Horizon League.
Notables From Tuesday
– Valpo surrendered just 40 points to Trinity Christian, the lowest mark by a Valpo team since giving up just 37 in a win over UIC Dec. 15, 2019.
– The 41-point margin of victory (81-40) was the program’s largest since a 95-49 win over Chicago State Dec. 28, 2019.
– The Beacons dished out 25 assists on 29 made field goals, the program’s highest single-game assist total since a 26-assist performance against Purdue Calumet Dec. 9, 1998.
– Valpo’s 43 rebounds was the highest team single-game total since grabbing 44 against UAB Nov. 21, 2022.
Setting New Bests
– Four Valpo returnees have posted career highs in the scoring column in the Beacons’ first two games.
– Senior Katie Beyer, who entered the season with five career 3-pointers, hit three triples on her way to a 14-point game off the bench in the season opener versus Liberty.
– Beyer surpassed her previous career best of 11 points, which notably also came in a season opener, two years ago at Central Michigan.
– Sophomore Layla Gold scored in double figures for the first time in her collegiate career against Liberty, ending with 11 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
– Gold’s two highest-scoring games of her career came in back-to-back games, as her previous career high was nine points in last season’s MVC Tournament game against UIC.
– Against Purdue Fort Wayne, Neveah Jackson hit four 3-pointers as she scored a game-high 20 points, surpassing her 19-point effort last year versus Illinois State.
– Last time out against Trinity Christian, Kayla Preston smashed her previous best, going for 20 points on 7-10 FG and 6-8 FT.
Defending the Interior
– Valpo has been strong defensively inside the arc in its last two games.
– The Beacons limited Purdue Fort Wayne to 8-for-23 shooting on layups and 13-for-33 shooting in all from 2-point range last Saturday.
– Then on Tuesday, Valpo held Trinity Christian to 10-of-32 shooting from 2-point range.
– The Beacons have held the edge in the paint in each of the last two games – 28-24 against Purdue Fort Wayne and 36-20 versus Trinity Christian.
The First Time
– Valpo fans got their first look at five of the program’s six newcomers in the season opener against Liberty.
– Transfers Maci Rhoades (Radford) and Fiona Connolly (La Salle) were both in Valpo’s starting lineup against the Flames.
– True freshmen Lexi Castator, Mor Shabtai and Kylie Waytashek came off the bench for the Beacons.
– The final of Valpo’s newcomers, transfer Bella Swedlund (Toledo/Kansas) made her collegiate debut Tuesday against Purdue Fort Wayne.
Leah’s Last Ride
– Graduate student Leah Earnest is back for her fifth and final season of eligibility, looking to put a bow on one of the most productive careers in program history.
– Earnest was a Second Team All-MVC selection last season and tabbed a preseason Second Team All-MVC choice this year.
– Earnest became the first Valpo player since 1991-92 to pace the team in scoring, rebounding and assists.
– She ranked sixth in the Valley in scoring and eighth in rebounding, one of only four Valley players to rank in the top-eight of both categories.
– Earnest scored 494 points on the season, fifth-most in a single season in program history and second-most since 1994.
– Earnest currently ranks ninth in program history in career rebounding (662) and 13th on the career scoring chart (1,138).
– For reference, should she duplicate her season totals from last year, Earnest would close her career third all-time at Valpo in scoring and second in rebounding.
VALPO VOLLEYBALL
VOLLEYBALL WRAPS UP REGULAR SEASON WITH TRIO OF HOME MATCHES
Valparaiso (15-12, 7-8 MVC)
Friday, Nov. 15 – Indiana State (4-23, 1-14 MVC) – 6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 16 – Evansville (6-21, 5-10 MVC) – 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 19 – UIC (18-9, 10-5 MVC) – 6 p.m.
Next Up For Valpo Volleyball: The Valpo volleyball team wraps up the regular season with three home matches in a five-day stretch, hosting Indiana State on Friday night, Evansville on Saturday evening and UIC on Tuesday night. Saturday’s match against the Purple Aces will serve as the program’s Senior Night.
Previously: The Beacons hit the road for the final time in the regular season last weekend, falling in five sets at second-place Drake and straight sets at conference-leading UNI.
Looking Ahead: Should Valpo qualify for the MVC Tournament, it would head to Cedar Falls, Iowa for the tournament beginning next Saturday, Nov. 23.
Following the Beacons: All three matches will be broadcast live on ESPN+. The matches will have live stats available as well, linked via ValpoAthletics.com.
Head Coach Carin Avery: In her 23rd season as head coach at Valparaiso, Carin Avery is the all-time winningest head coach across all sports in the history of Valpo Athletics. She has won 504 matches (504-255, .664) at the helm of the program and has led Valpo to three league regular season and tournament titles. The program has made seven postseason appearances under Avery, including three NCAA Tournament appearances, and advanced to the championship match of the 2021 NIVC. Avery has coached 62 All-League recipients over her tenure at Valpo, which has spanned three different conferences. She is Valpo’s all-time leader in both victories and winning percentage, and owns a 559-279 (.667) record overall as a head coach.
Series History: Indiana State – Valpo owns the 19-16 edge in the all-time series with the Sycamores, an advantage which is extended to 9-4 since Valpo joined the Valley. The Beacons have swept the Sycamores in each of their last three meetings, including a 3-0 win in Terre Haute earlier this year in which Valpo hit .287 and limited ISU to .063 hitting. The Beacons’ balanced offense featured five different players between five and nine kills, while Emma Hickey had 19 digs and Jessica Pickett tallied five blocks.
Evansville – Valpo holds a 16-14 advantage in the all-time series, including an 11-4 mark over the Purple Aces since joining the MVC. In this season’s first matchup, however, it was Evansville which got the better of the Beacons, defending their home court in a five-set victory despite Valpo hitting .257 to the Purple Aces’ .165 clip.
UIC – Valpo owns a 31-30 overall record against the most-common opponent in program history and is a commanding 22-11 against the Flames under Coach Avery. But it is UIC which has earned victories in all six meetings since the Flames joined the Valley, including a 3-0 sweep in Chicago earlier this season.
Scouting the Opposition: Indiana State – The Sycamores come into Friday’s match at 4-23 overall and 1-14 in MVC play. Ella Scott ranks fifth among MVC players with 0.96 blocks/set.
Evansville – The Purple Aces enter the weekend at 6-21 overall and with a 5-10 record in the Valley, with a Friday match at UIC before coming to the ARC Saturday. Evansville boasts the nation’s leader in kills/set in Giulia Cardona (5.60).
UIC – The Flames come into the final stretch of Valley games at 10-5 in MVC action and 18-9 overall. Zahria Woodard leads all MVC players in both hitting percentage (.428) and blocks/set (1.43), while Kayanna Jones ranks second in the Valley in hitting percentage (.418).
Valpo Picked Sixth in Preseason Poll: Valpo was picked to finish in sixth place in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2024, according to preseason polling of the conference’s head coaches. The Beacons shared sixth position with Missouri State, while UNI topped the poll. In six of Valpo’s seven seasons in the Valley, the program has met or exceeded its preseason prognostication.
Looking Back at Last Season: Valpo is coming off a third consecutive postseason appearance in 2023, as the Beacons earned an at-large berth in the NIVC. The program posted an 18-15 overall record and went 10-8 in MVC play, finishing in a tie for fifth place in the Valley standings. Miranda Strongman earned First Team All-MVC honors, while Mallory Januski was a Second Team All-MVC honoree.
Who’s Back: This year’s squad returns nine letterwinners from the 2023 team, a group which includes the team’s leader in kills (Elise Swistek) and digs (Emma Hickey). The Beacons return a good bit of their back row defensive production, as 65.7% of the team’s digs from last year are back in 2024.
Who’s Gone: Valpo did graduate a talented class which accounted for a good portion of the team’s front row production last year, as the Beacons return just 37.9% of the kills and 25.3% of the blocks from 2023. Middles Mallory Januski and Miranda Strongman, both All-MVC selections last year, ended their Valpo careers 1-2 in program history in career hitting percentage, while the team also graduated players who ranked among the top-10 in program history in career digs (outside hitter Bella Ravotto) and assists (setter Victoria Bulmahn).
Who’s New: While there’s a lot of production from last year to replace in 2024, there’s also an exciting new class of rookies eager to take on the challenge of stepping up into contributing roles. This year’s squad has nine players with freshman eligibility – one redshirt (Jessica Pickett) and eight true freshmen. The incoming class includes two players who were AVCA High School All-Americans last year (Ava Helming, Second Team; Lilly Merk, Third Team) and three others who were First Team All-State honorees as high school seniors (Jordyn Gove, Drew Glaser, Kadence Brumitt).
Celebrating the Seniors: Valpo will recognize its pair of seniors on Senior Night following Saturday night’s match against Evansville. Elise Swistek enters the weekend having appeared in 117 matches for the Beacons, racking up 960 kills and 1424 digs, while Abby Boyle has appeared in 88 matches, tallying 105 digs and 21 assists.
Making the Tournament: While the Beacons have not yet clinched a spot in the eight-team MVC Tournament field, they enter the final stretch of conference play in good shape. One win would all but assure Valpo a spot in the field, and two victories would clinch a spot. If Valpo goes 3-0 over the final three regular season matches, a top-four seed and the corresponding opening-round bye could potentially be in play.
Record Book Watch: As the season starts to wind down, multiple players are or will be impacting the program’s single-season record book. With 33 aces, Mara Thomas is tied for fourth in a single season in the 25-point era, while Jessica Pickett’s .332 hitting percentage would rank third overall and second in the 25-point era. Emma Hickey enters the final stretch of regular season action just 37 digs away from cracking the top-10 in that category in the 25-point era.
Next Stop, 600: Head coach Carin Avery reached yet another milestone in mid-October, winning her 500th match in charge of the Valpo program with the Beacons’ win at Murray State. Valpo’s all-time winningest coach in any sport, Avery’s 500th win came in her 752nd match in charge of the program. In her 23rd season as head coach, Avery’s squads have averaged better than 22 wins per season over her 22 complete years. Avery is the second current MVC coach to win at least 500 matches at their current institution, joining UNI’s Bobbi Petersen.
Racking Up the Kills: While freshman Ava Helming didn’t rack up the kills last weekend at the rate she has through MVC play, she was much improved this time around against the conference’s best teams. After posting just 1.43 kills/set on .073 hitting the first time Valpo faced UNI and Drake, Helming averaged 2.00 kills/set on .256 hitting last weekend. For the season, Helming has totaled 249 kills, the most by a Valpo freshman since Allison Ketcham recorded 249 kills in 2014 and tied for fifth-most by a Valpo freshman in Carin Avery’s tenure. Helming’s 66 blocks are also ninth-most by a Valpo freshman in Avery’s tenure as well. Over the last month, Helming has once earned MVC Player of the Week honors and twice been named MVC Freshman of the Week.
Block Party For Pickett: Freshman Jessica Pickett recorded six blocks over Valpo’s pair of matches last weekend and is now up to 111 on the season, just three shy of the program’s single-season top-10 chart in the 25-point era. Pickett, who also has the most blocks by any Valpo freshman in Avery’s tenure, has tallied at least six rejections in all seven weekends of Valley play.
The Rookies Produce: Valpo’s freshman class has been leaned on for major production all season long. The Beacons’ rookies have accounted for 59.9% of the team’s kills, 29.7% of the aces and 74.8% of the blocks this year. That comes out to a total of 59.1% of the team’s points accounted for by freshmen, a mark which ranks third nationally, trailing only Mississippi Valley State and Le Moyne. Prior to this season, none of Avery’s teams in her time at Valpo have had freshmen combine for even 30% of the team’s points.
Another Milestone Upcoming: Junior Emma Hickey enters the final three regular season matches with 1,954 career digs – not only just four digs away from moving into fifth place in program history, but 46 shy of the 2,000-dig milestone for her career. Having played 93 career matches heading into Friday’s contest against Indiana State, Hickey is poised to potentially become the quickest in both MVC history (Courtney Pence, Illinois State, 96) and Valpo history (Rylee Cookerly & Taylor Root, 101) to reach MM career digs.
Near the Top: Hickey currently ranks third in D-I in digs/set (5.63) and third in total digs (591). With 1,954 career digs, Hickey has far and away the most digs of any D-I junior, as number two on that list – Montana State’s Lauren Lindseth – sits at 1,406 career digs. In fact, Hickey ranks 20th nationally overall among D-I players in career digs.
UINDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S HOOPS VISITS PNW, ODU FOR FIRST ROAD TESTS
vs. Purdue Northwest Pride (2-0)
Thursday // November 14
6 p.m. ET // Hammond, IN
Watch | Live Stats | Listen | Tickets
vs. Ohio Dominican Panthers (1-1)
Sunday // November 17
2 p.m. ET // Columbus, OH
Watch | Live Stats | Listen
The UIndy women’s basketball continues its search for its first win under new head coach Jama Sharp, hitting the road against in-state foe Purdue Northwest before battling Ohio Dominican on Sunday afternoon in Columbus, Ohio.
UIndy dropped a pair of in-region matchups this past weekend at home to No. 5 Ashland and Malone, the G-MAC’s top two teams in the league preseason poll. Patricia Chikamba averaged a team-best 18.5 points and 7.0 rebounds, while Amyrah Sapenter recorded seven steals against the Pioneers in Sunday’s matinee.
The Greyhounds hold the all-time edge against the Pride by the slimmest of margins, 3-2, while they are equal at two wins apiece with the Panthers.
UINDY MEN’S SOCCER
MEN’S SOCCER JUMPS TWO SPOTS IN LATEST REGIONAL RANKINGS
INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy men’s soccer team climbed two spots to ninth in the latest NCAA Super-Region 3 rankings, announced Wednesday. UIndy advanced to the GLVC Tournament semifinals after their 3-0 win over Drury on Sunday. The Greyhounds sport a 9-4-4 overall record, and an 8-2-4 in GLVC play.
Next up for UIndy in the GLVC Tournament semifinals, is number one-seeded Lewis on Friday Nov. 15 in St. Louis, MO. The match is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET., and can be streamed on GLVCSN.com. If UIndy wins, the team will stay in St. Louis for the GLVC Tournament final against the winner of McKendree and Maryville.
SUPER REGION 3 RANKINGS
| RK | SCHOOL | REC |
| 1. | Saginaw Valley | 11-5-0 |
| 2. | McKendree | 12-0-6 |
| 3. | Tiffin | 13-4-1 |
| 4. | Maryville | 11-4-4 |
| 5. | Lewis | 10-2-7 |
| 6. | Findlay | 8-3-4 |
| 7. | Davenport | 9-6-4 |
| 8. | Southern Nazarene | 11-3-4 |
| 9. | UIndy | 9-4-4 |
| 10. | Rogers St. | 8-5-5 |
| 11. | Fort Hayes St. | 11-3-3 |
| 12. | Ky. Wesleyan | 8-5-4 |
MARIAN MEN’S SOCCER
KNIGHTS SUFFER HEART BREAKING LOSS IN CL CHAMPIONSHIP
Indianapolis, Ind.- The Marian men’s soccer team fell in the Crossroads League Championships 4-1 to Spring Arbor. The Knights are now 14-4-3 overall on the season.
The Cougars struck first in the game with a goal at the 2:48 mark to claim their first lead of the night. Both sides of the field traded the ball back and forth throughout the first half. The Knights claimed five shots in the middle portion of the half with two on target the rest being too wide or blocked by the Cougar defenders. Yeudiel Sebastian Gonzalez, Foslyn Grant, Kyle Alb, and Kieran Swanson all claimed the shots for the Knights. The Cougars had seven shots in the half with three on target all to be saved by Juan Torres. With two minutes remaining in the half Gonzalez hit the back of the net off of a pass from Kyohei Kuroda to tie the game 1-1 going into the half.
Samuel Wehaus and Kuroda opened up the second half with two shots, Wehaus shot a tad too wide and Kuroda’s too high. Both sides traded shots once more, each claiming three with Josh Wesseling, Gonzalez, and Swanson claiming the shots for the Knights. Spring Arbor clinched the lead once more at the 63:12 minute mark to bring the score 2-1. Swanson fired back with two more shots but came up short to the Cougar defense. Wehaus took his chances shooting three header shots but came up short with the shots all being too high off the target. The Cougars secured their win with two goals within two minutes of each other to claim the 4-1 win and the Crossroads League Tournament Championships.
Yeudiel Sebastian Gonzalez led the team in shots with five and two being on target, while Samuel Wehaus and Kieran Swanson each had four. Kyle Alb finished the game with three shots and two on target and Foslyn Grant made his comeback for the season with two shots in the game. In goal Juan Torres had four saves on the evening.
The Knights await the results of the NAIA National Tournament selection show held on Saturday November 16th. In hopes of continuing their postseason run. Stay tuned on MUKnights.com to see the results of the show.
MARIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER
NO. 9 MARIAN FALLS SHORT IN CROSSROADS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Spring Arbor, Mich. – For the first time in eight matches, the Marian women’s soccer team suffered defeat, as No. 11 Spring Arbor upended the Knights 4-3 in the Crossroads League Championship. Marian’s loss in the tournament championship drops them to 16-3-2 on the season.
Marian wasted no time pouncing on their rivals, as an early opportunity created by Layla Brown and Katie Koger gave the Knights a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute of the game. Both Koger and Brown set up Lizzie Chlystun, who drove in the first goal of the evening to spark the quick lead. Marian continued to stay aggressive, and on their second shot of the match found a second goal, this time with Brown getting the score in the 14th minute. Sienna Mullen set up the fifth-year senior, and helped create the 2-0 lead for Marian.
Just as quickly as they got the lead, the Knights saw the lead evaporate as Spring Arbor countered with a strong attack. In the 15th minute, Spring Arbor found a pair of shot attempts in close range of the goal, with Mychaela Johnson making the save on the first, but was unable to deny the second attempt as Kaylee Beekel beat the keeper for the Cougars first goal. Just four minutes later, Spring Arbor again scored, as their third shot of the night, again from Beekel, darted past Johnson in the net and leveled the match 2-2.
After the four-goal frenzy to open the first 20 minutes of play, the final 25 minutes of the opening half went without a goal, as the game stood even 2-2 at the half. Chylstun and Brown each took shot attempts in an effort to reclaim the lead, but were unsuccessful, as was the Cougars’ Lauren Marshall who missed her attempt in the 43rd minute high of the bar.
Spring Arbor’s momentum from the first half carried over into the second, as their defense played strong against Marian as four corner kicks in the first five minutes of the new period came and went without a shot attempt. The Cougars would go back on the offensive with a Fara Serra shot, and in the 53rd minute the lead was conceded by Marian for the first time as Marshall shot one past Johnson to give the home side a 3-2 edge.
The Knights attempted a response in the 57th minute with a shot from Cecelia Kostick, but her look on goal was snared by Reagan Kohler. The Cougars would answer the shot with a goal 15 minutes later, as Kaylee Beekel completed the hat trick with her third goal of the night, putting Spring Arbor in front by two goals. Marian would respond quickly as the Knights drew a penalty kick, which Layla Brown sank to make it a 4-3 game, but a last ditch effort from the guests did not come with an equalizing goal, as the Cougars held on to a 4-3 victory.
Both teams took nine shots in the match, with Marian getting a team-high three from Brown. Brown’s brace equaled her 17th and 18th goals of the season, while her assist on the goal for Chlystun was her 12th. Koger took one shot while earning an assist, while Chlystun took a pair of shots. In goal, Johnson suffered defeat for the first time since taking a 1-0 loss against Taylor on October 2. Johnson made three saves in the match.
The four goals allowed are the most in a match since suffering a 4-1 defeat against the University of the Cumberlands on August 24.
Marian will learn their fate for the NAIA National Tournament on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. during the NAIA Selection Show. The show will be aired on the NAIA YouTube Channel. Marian is a candidate to host yet again in the First and Second Round, which takes place November 21-23. More details on the Knights postseason appearance will be announced after the selection show. Marian has earned an automatic bid to the NAIA Tournament as the runner-up in the Crossroads League Regular Season and Tournament.
MARIAN VOLLEYBALL
NO. 22 MARIAN ROARS PAST NO. 14 MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE IN CL TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS
Mount Vernon, Ohio – For the first time in two seasons, the Marian volleyball team will play for the Crossroads League Tournament Championship, as the Knights upset No. 14 Mount Vernon Nazarene 3-1 in Wednesday’s CL Semifinals. Marian’s win gives them a mark of 23-7, as they landed their first victory over the Cougars this season.
Mount Vernon opened the night by winning a back and forth first set, as they responded from allowing the first two points by going on a 7-2 run. The Cougars would lead by five after 17 rallies before Marian asserted themselves, scoring four straight to get back within one. A 3-0 run by the Knights highlighted by a Madison Brooks kill tied the set 14-14, but it was not enough to fully overthrow Mount Vernon in the game, as the home team would use a 5-0 run after falling behind 19-18 to go on and win set one 25-22.
Marian used their late opening set energy that allowed them to take a lead in the second set, as the Knights controlled every aspect of the game. After coming to a 5-5 deadlock early on, strong attacks by Khori Dryden and a solo block from Mikyala Christiansen pushed the team in front 11-6. Marian continued to attack after a timeout, pushing in front 17-9 to force the final Cougar stoppage in the set. Nicole Wilkinson and Christiansen played a key role in finishing a second set win with strong offensive approaches, as Marian dominated the rest of the way in a 25-12 victory.
With the match level 1-1, the Cougars responded in the third set by grabbing a quick 4-1 lead. Marian rallied back behind the arms of Christiansen and Gabby Fish, igniting back and forth play. The two teams matched each other in scoring rallies, but a 4-0 Marian swing led by Brooks and Sarah Bennett put Marian on the right side of the net. With the side out point in favor of Marian, the Knights battled with the lead on their side until the set drew even once more at 21-21. The Cougars would go back in control as they willed their way to set point at 24-23, but a kill from Fish extended the set. Marian would again face set point, but a free ball kill from Emma Lyons gave the Knights the life they needed, moving the game to a 25-25 tie. Christiansen followed the libero’s kill with a service ace, setting up Khori Dryden who won the set 27-25 with a kill on the outside.
Now leading 2-1, Marian saw an opportunity and took it, racing out to a 7-3 lead in the fourth set. Mount Vernon would tie and eventually take a 9-8 lead, but it was not enough to keep Marian down, as a 6-1 run led by four kills and two Sarah Bennett blocks gave the Knights a 14-10 lead. Mount Vernon was unable to comeback into the set after falling behind, as Marian reached the winning stretch as a Bennett block made the score 20-15. The Knights would finish the match on a 4-1 swing, getting the winning kill from Christiansen as the Knights completed the one-set deficit with a 25-19 fourth set victory.
Khori Dryden had a strong night as she led the offense, recording 15 kills to pair with 17 digs for a double-double. Mikayla Christiansen also had a double-double with 13 kills and 20 digs, while setter Logan Smith led the team in assists as she dished out 27 helpers while marking 13 digs. Emerson Evans had 22 assists, and Gabby Fish and Madison Brooks had a combined 21 kills from the right side. Emma Lyons led the defense with 35 digs in the win, and Sarah Bennett had a strong blocking night, recording seven total blocks, including four solos.
Marian will take on top-seed and No. 3 ranked Indiana Wesleyan on Saturday evening in the Crossroads League Tournament Championship match. First serve in Luckey Arena is set for 5:00 p.m.
MARIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
MARIAN RACES PAST OLIVET NAZARENE 91-70
INDIANAPOLIS – From the opening tip Marian University controlled the pace against the high-tempo Olivet Nazarene Tigers, as Marian built a double-figure lead in the first quarter as they rolled to a 91-70 victory in the PE Center. Marian is now 5-0 after the win, as the Knights now boost the No. 19 ranking in the NAIA.
Marian scored the first time they touched the ball Wednesday night, getting a steal and fastbreak layup from Kiley McNally to open the high-octane game. Taylor Double and Eva Fisher pushed Marian’s lead to five as the home team continued to run in transition, while the first points of the game for Abbey McNally gave the Knights a 10-3 edge in under four minutes of play. Abbey McNally and Fisher would continue to score at will as the lead swelled to double figures in less than six minutes. Olivet Nazarene’s run-and-gun style of play allowed Marian to find open layups, as McNally ended the 30-point quarter with a transition basket, giving the Knights a 30-15 lead.
The Knights pushed their lead to 20 points in the third minute of the second quarter, getting a driving layup from Kiley McNally after an Eva Fisher steal. Leading 38-18, Marian settled for mid-range shots rather than layups for a short spell, allowing the Tigers to inch back within 14 points with 2:25 to play before the half. The Knights toughened their defense and prevented Olivet Nazarene from scoring for nearly two minutes as the clock wound down, and got a score from Abbey McNally to end the half as they maintained a 51-36 lead at the break.
Olivet’s pressure and a lack of makes from Marian allowed the Tigers to recover in the early minutes of the third quarter, as the lead dwindled to eight points five minutes into the period. Abbey McNally stopped the bleeding with a layup, and saw a score from Eva Fisher on the next possession to bring the lead to 12. Carrying a 61-49 lead with 4:15 to play in the third quarter, Marian attacked and pushed their lead to 18, getting another open layup from Fisher to extend the lead to 18. Fisher’s make in the final minute of the game gave Marian a 72-54 lead entering the final quarter.
Marian would out-score Olivet Nazarene 19-16 in the final quarter of play, as Taylor Double and Madisyn Bailey vaulted the lead back over 20 points. Scoring from Emily Grim in the final minutes of the game helped seal the win, helping the Knights lead by as many as 24 points before ending the game victorious 91-70.
Abbey McNally had a career-night in the victory, scoring a career-best 28 points while grabbing a season-high 19 rebounds. McNally also recorded three blocked shots and three steals. Taylor Double also had a career-high in points, scoring 18 while grabbing six rebounds and three steals. Kiley McNally finished the game with 14 points, and Eva Fisher had a career-best 12 points. Madisyn Bailey posted a season-best nine assists in the win, and Fisher led the team in steals with five.
Marian ends their week with a top-25 matchup, traveling to No. 8 University of the Cumberlands on Saturday night. Tip is set for 6:00 p.m.
ANDERSON MEN’S BASKETBALL
RAVENS HOLD OFF TIGERS COMEBACK IN HOME OPENER
The Anderson University men’s basketball team (2-0) defeated DePauw University (1-1) by a score of 76-71 on Wednesday in O.C. Lewis Gymnasium.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
The Ravens converted 28-of-63 (44.4 percent) on shots from the field, while the Tigers hit 27-of-68 (39.7 percent) attempts from the floor.
Anderson hit 12-of-32 (37.5 percent) shots from 3-point range, while DePauw converted 11-of-34 (32.4 percent) attempts from the perimeter.
The Ravens shot 8-of-12 (66.7 percent) on free throws, while the Tigers went 6-of-10 (60.0 percent) on their free-throw attempts.
DePauw held a 14-7 advantage in second-chance points, while Anderson had a 16-7 advantage in points on fast-break points.
Raven of the Game – Tate Ivanyo – 25 Points, 9-of-15 FG (60.0 percent), 5-of-7 3PT (71.4 percent), 6 Rebounds (3 Offensive), 3 Steals, 2 Assists
Kenney Troutman – 13 Points, 6-of-10 (60.0 percent), 3 Assists, 2 Steals
Nolan Swan – 10 Points, 3 Rebounds, 2 Steals
Axel Laby – 8 Points, 7 Rebounds, 1 Block
Bryce Williams – 7 Points, 4 Rebounds, 4 Assists
Marco Beverly – 7 Points, 4 Rebounds, 1 Block
Rob Davidson – 3 Points, 6 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 2 Steals, 1 Block
Elisha Moore – 3 Points, 5 Rebounds, 2 Assists
COACH CARTER COLLINS’S COMMENTS
Just another typical game of the sport that we all love: college basketball!
Obviously, we started the game playing extremely well, but somewhere late in the first half or the beginning of the second half, we lost our mojo.
We’ll check the film to see if it was caused by something schematically, but I just felt that our energy was too low during that time period.
Some of our vets turned things around in the middle of the second half, and we were able to hold on down the stretch.
There will be learning moments for us to take, but ultimately, winning college basketball games is extremely hard, and we were able to get it done tonight.
UP NEXT
The Ravens are back in action at the O. C. Lewis Gymnasium to take on Wilmington College (1-0) on Monday at 7:00 p.m.
ANDERSON VOLLEYBALL
SPARTANS TOP RAVENS IN HCAC TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS
Third-seeded Manchester University (17-10) topped the sixth-seeded Anderson University volleyball team (17-9) by a score of 19-25, 25-21, 25-14, 26-24 during Wednesday’s Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Tournament Quarterfinal in North Manchester.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Manchester posted a .290 hitting percentage while the Ravens finished with a .100 hitting percentage.
Raven of the Match – Reece Kral – 12 Kills, .429 Hitting Percentage (on 21 Attacks)
Blythe Young – 37 Assists
Paige Ricica – 11 Digs, 10 Kills, 2 Service Aces
Lauren Dungan – 3 Service Aces, 14 Digs
Taylor Ridge – 11 Kills, 2 Blocks
COACH TAMI MILLER’S COMMENTS
[Wednesday] unfortunately was not our best match of the season. However, we showed so much fight, which has been this team’s motto. I am so proud of the contributions that Lauren Dungan, Sydney McClain, Trinity Benedict and Reece Kral have given Anderson Volleyball. They were all instrumental in the team’s success this season. The great news is that we have a lot of talent returning and we will build on what we accomplished this year.
TAYLOR ATHLETICS | TU WOMEN LOCK IN NO. 1 SPOT IN FINAL NAIA COACHES’ RATING
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The top-ranked Taylor women’s cross country team (80-1) kept its No. 1 spot in the final NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Rating, representing 88 top-25 poll appearances in a row for the program.
The rating coincided with the NAIA’s announcement of the 36 teams set to compete at the 2024 NAIA Women’s Cross Country Championship.
Though No. 1 TU is unbeaten against NAIA competition in 2024, the Purple and Grey will face fellow title contenders No. 2 Milligan, No. 3 Saint Mary and No. 4 The Master’s for the first time this season at the NAIA Championships.
Taylor is also joined by No. 9 Grace, No. 11 Indiana Wesleyan, No. 12 Marian and No. 25 Goshen as the NAIA-best five institutions hailing from the Crossroads League set to compete on the national stage.
The Trojans cruised to a 12th straight title at the CL Championships on Nov. 8, where its entire top seven were All-Crossroads League honorees. That group consists of Jaynie Halterman, Ahna Neideck, Noel VanderWall, Sam Patterson, Abby Mays, Kaitlin Burden and Audrey Brinkruff, each of whom will look to lead TU to a second red banner in three seasons.
The national meet will be held for the first time in Columbia, Missouri, where No. 1 Taylor will race at 12:30 p.m. EST/11:30 a.m. CST on Nov. 22.
TAYLOR ATHLETICS | TAYLOR TRENDS UP TO NO. 9 AHEAD OF NAIA NATIONALS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Taylor men’s cross country team (74-13) recently moved up one spot to No. 9 in the final NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Rating, making it 75 straight appearances in the poll for the program. The final poll comes on the heels of TU officially securing its spot in the 36-team field at the 2024 NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Championship on Nov. 22.
The Trojans have oscillated somewhere between No. 6 and No. 10 in the ratings all season long, a spot that puts them neck-and-neck with Crossroads League foes, No. 7 Spring Arbor and No. 8 Indiana Wesleyan.
The Crossroads League features an NAIA-high five teams competing in the national field, with No. 17 Marian and No. 24 Grace joining the aforementioned top-10 squads.
At the CL Championships on Nov. 8, Taylor placed third in a competitive race as it finished within 12 points of the champion, SAU, and the runner-up, IWU. The Trojans finished with three All-Crossroads League honorees – Luke Harber, Ryan Hanak and Joel Mumaw – a trio that headlines a strong junior class that will largely dictate how TU closes its season at the national meet.
The NAIA National Championships will be held for the first time in Columbia, Missouri, where the No. 9 Taylor men will race at 11:30 a.m. EST/10:30 a.m. CST on Nov. 22.
TAYLOR ATHLETICS | TROJANS SWEEP MSFA WEEKLY HONORS FOLLOWING HISTORIC WIN
UPLAND, Ind. – Dakohta Sonnichsen, Jeremiah Mansfield and Lucas Shilts teamed to sweep the Mid-States Football Association Mideast League Player-of-the-Week awards following TU’s 91-28 win at Madonna. The sweep marked the third time this fall that Taylor had taken all three of the MSFA Mideast League honors in a week.
Sonnichsen was named the MSFA Mideast League Offensive Player of the Week following a three touchdown day. Sonnichsen found the end zone on three of his four touches in the game, taking touchdown runs of 65 and 49 yards, returning a kick 95 yards for a score and hauling in a 20-yard reception. Sonnichsen closed the day with 229 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns, averaging 57.3 yards per touch.
Mansfield repeated as the MSFA Mideast League Defensive Player of the Week with three more sacks to move into second in the NAIA with 12 sacks on the season. In addition to his second-straight outing with at least three sacks, Mansfield posted six total tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in the Taylor victory.
Shilts was named the MSFA Mideast League Special Teams Player of the Week after setting a new MSFA single-game record with 13 made point-after tries. Shilts provided the seventh point on each of Taylor’s record 13 touchdowns, going 13-for-13 in PATs.
The MSFA weekly honor is the first for Sonnichsen, the second for Mansfield and the fourth for Shilts during their time with the Trojans. The trio of MSFA Player-of-the-Week awards moves Taylor’s total number of weekly league honors for the fall season to 25, with the football team accounting for 15 of those selections.
Sonnichsen, Mansfield, Shilts and the Trojans (8-2, 3-1 MSFA) will close their regular season on Saturday, November 16 against Concordia (5-5, 3-1 MSFA) at noon, with Senior Day festivities beginning at 11:40 am inside Turner Stadium.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEBSITES
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
FOOTBALL HISTORY
Harvard vs. Dartmouth
November 14, 1903 – The Crimson and the Big Green clashed in a early football rivalry at Harvard. Dartmouth blanked the Harvard eleven on this day 11-0.
Sid Luckman Day at the Polo Grounds?
November 14, 1943 – Polo Grounds, New York – I am not sure if it has ever occurred before but the home team held a special promotional day for the opposing quarterback. Yes the New York Football Giants promoted their game against the Chicago Bears on November 14, 1943 as Sid Luckman Day according to the goldenrankings.com website. Sid had grown up in Brooklyn and was a high school sports legend at Erasmus High. After that he turned down offers from larger colleges and played at local Columbia to star as a single-wing tailback. The folks around New York loved Sid Luckman because he was one of them, but the only problem was that George Halas used the first pick in the 1939 NFL Draft to claim Luckman for the Bears. The pick was a great one for Chicago as they went to three straight NFL Championship games winning the first two but then losing the third to Washington in 1942. Sid did not disappoint his hometown fans by his play but he did break their hearts as he picked apart their beloved Giants. Sid Luckman passed for 7 touchdowns versus the NY Giants that day and the Bears triumphed big by the score of 56-7.
Georgia v. Auburn , 1959
November 14, 1959 – Athens, Georgia – The number 12 Georgia hosted No. 8 Auburn in a big SEC game. Auburn came out of the gates swinging as they built a 13-7 lead on two long field goals by Hall of Famer and 1960 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Ed Dyas. Their touchdown was done via a quarterback sneak by Bryant Harvard. Georgia’s comeback began with less than three minutes to play when Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton hit Don Soberdash for two crucial completions to set up a touchdown pass to Bill Herron with 30 seconds left. Kicker Durwood Pennington became the real hero with the game-winning point after. Georgia defeated Auburn, 14-13 in a thriller. Georgia’s victory over Auburn was its first over College Football Hall of Fame coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan and the Tigers in seven seasons and it clinched the Bulldogs’ first SEC title since 1949. https://footballfoundation.org/news/2015/11/5/_55462.aspx
Cuozzo makes his mark
November 14, 1965 – According to barstoolsports.com the Baltimore Colts third-year backup QB Gary Cuozzo made his first NFL start, replacing the injured Johnny Unitas who was the reigning NFL MVP. Cuozzo lit up the Vikings for 5 TDs in a 41-21 rout in Minnesota. For the record, Unitas never threw more than 4 TD passes in a game in his entire career!
The Marshall Tragedy
November 14, 1970 – Kenova, West Virginia – A good portion of the Marshall University football team passed away in the horrible crash of a chartered Southern Airways DC-9. All 75 people on board were killed. According to history.com’s story on the accident the crash occurred about two miles away from the Tri-State Airport in Kenova as the group was returning from a football game they played against East Carolina University. The victims included 37 players of the Thundering Herd, along with the University’s A.D., the teams coaches, doctor and about 25 boosters. It was one of the largest tragedies in sports history.
Sherk is a Sack Machine
November 14, 1976 – Cleveland Municipal Stadium- When the Philadelphia Eagles visited the Cleveland Browns they knew the Browns had a pretty good defense. What they didn’t realize was that hidden in the Cleveland lineup was a one man wrecking crew, Jerry Sherk. Sherk was in the Eagles backfield almost as much as quarterback Mike Boryla. Sherk set a club record with 4 sacks, Cleveland won the game 24-3.
Shula Sets Record
November 14, 1993 – Miami Dolphins longtime Head Coach Don Shula becomes the winningest Coach in NFL history. When the Dolphins defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 19-14 and it gave Shula his 325th victory in pro football to move him past the long standing record of Papa Bear George Halas.
Buffs Get back on Track
November 14, 1998 – Boulder , Colorado – In 1998, the CU Buffalos went into the game against the Iowa State Cyclones with a 6-3 record, but had lost three out of the previous four games after a 5-0 start. The Bleacherrport.com website goes onto say that the 5-0 record had earned Colorado a No. 14 ranking, but losses to No. 5 Kansas State, as well as unranked Kansas and Missouri, had dropped the Buffs out of the polls. Senior tailback Marlon Barnes rushed for a career-high 237 yards and two touchdowns as CU got back on track and rolled to a final score of Colorado 37, Iowa State 8.
Titan Up
November 14, 1998 – The Tennessee Oilers changed their name to the Titans officially on this day. According to a story of CBS, franchise owned at the time, Bud Adams stated, “We wanted a new nickname to reflect strength, leadership and other heroic qualities.” The franchise started in 1960 as the Houston Oilers as part of the American Football League, and even won the AFL’s first two championship games and played and lost in two others during the brief existence of the League before merging with the NFL in 1970. Adams moved the teams from Houston to the state of Tennessee in 1996.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
Nov. 14
1943 — Sid Luckman of the Chicago Bears becomes the first pro to pass for more than 400 yards (433) and seven touchdowns in a 56-7 victory over the New York Giants.
1964 — Gus Johnson and Walt Bellamy become the first NBA teammates to score 40 points apiece as the Baltimore Bullets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 127-115. Johnson has 41 points, Bellamy 40.
1964 — Detroit’s Gordie Howe becomes the NHL’s all-time goal-scoring leader, including playoffs, with his 627th career goal. Howe beats Montreal’s Charlie Hodge in a 4-2 loss.
1965 — Gary Cuozzo, subbing for injured Johnny Unitas, throws five touchdown passes to lead the Baltimore Colts to a 41-21 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
1966 — Muhammad Ali knocks out Cleveland Williams in the third round to retain the world heavyweight title in Houston.
1970 — Forty-three members of the Marshall football team die when their chartered plane crashes in Kenova, W.Va.
1993 — Don Shula breaks George Halas’ career record for victories with No. 325 as the Miami Dolphins defeat Philadelphia 19-14. Shula’s record: 325-153-6 in 31 seasons with Baltimore and Miami; Halas, 324-151-31 in 40 seasons with Chicago.
2004 — Chicago’s 19-17 win over Tennessee marks the second time an NFL game ended in overtime on a safety.
2004 — John and Ashley Force become the first father-daughter combo in NHRA history to win at the same event in the season finale. John Force races to his 114th Funny Car victory, and his 21-year-old daughter takes the Top Alcohol class at Pomona (Calif.) Raceway.
2009 — Toby Gerhart rushes for 178 yards and three touchdowns as Stanford annihilates Southern California 55-21. It’s the most points ever conceded by the Trojans, who played their first game in 1888.
2009 — Daniel Passafiume sets the NCAA record for most receptions in a single game, catching 25 passes for Division III Hanover College. Passafiume finishes with 153 yards receiving and two touchdowns in a 42-28 loss to Franklin.
2010 — John Force wins his NHRA-record 15th Funny Car season championship, completing an improbable and emotional comeback from a horrific accident in Dallas three years ago that left the 61-year-old star’s racing future in serious jeopardy. Force becomes the oldest champion in NHRA history on the same day that the series crowns its youngest champion, 20-year-old Pro Stock Motorcycle rider LE Tonglet.
2010 — The New York Jets defeat the Browns 26-20 in overtime at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Jets, who won 23-20 in OT at Detroit’s Ford Field last week, are the first team in NFL history to win road games in overtime in consecutive weeks.
2015 — Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds breaks the NCAA record for career rushing touchdowns, upping his total to 81 with four scores in the No. 22 Midshipmen’s 55-14 over SMU.
2015 — Kellen Dunham scores 24 points and No. 24 Butler breaks four school records in a 144-71 trouncing of The Citadel. The 144 points are the most points scored by a team in a men’s college basketball game featuring two D-I schools since TCU beat Texas-Pan American 153-87 in 1997.
2017 — Grayson Allen — Duke’s lone senior — scores a career-high 37 points, freshman Trevon Duval has 17 points and 10 assists, and the top-ranked Blue Devils beat No. 2 Michigan State 88-81 in the Champions Classic in Chicago. Wendell Carter Jr. adds 12 points and 12 rebounds, helping Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski improve to 12-1 in his career against Michigan State.
TV SPORTS THURSDAY
| NFL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Washington at Philadelphia | 8:15pm | Prime |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Dallas Mavericks at Utah Jazz | 9:00pm | NBATV KMPX KJZZ |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Philadelphia at Ottawa | 7:00pm | NBCS-PHI Sportsnet |
| Winnipeg at Tampa Bay | 7:00pm | FanDuel Sports Sun Sportsnet |
| New Jersey at Florida | 7:00pm | MSGSN Scripps |
| San Jose at NY Rangers | 7:00pm | NBCS-CA MSG |
| St. Louis at Buffalo | 7:30pm | ESPN+ Hulu |
| Boston at Dallas | 8:00pm | Victory+ NESN |
| Montreal at Minnesota | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports North Sportsnet |
| Nashville at Edmonton | 9:00pm | FanDuel Sports South Sportsnet |
| NY Islanders at Vancouver | 10:00pm | MSGSN Sportsnet |
| Chicago at Seattle | 10:00pm | CHSN Prime-Seattle |
| COLLEGE FOOTBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| East Carolina at Tulsa | 7:30pm | ESPN |
| MEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Utah Valley at North Dakota | 1:00pm | MidCo |
| New Orleans vs. Lindenwood | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Eastern Michigan at IU Indianapolis | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Florida National at FIU | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Stonehill at Robert Morris | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| South Carolina State at Jacksonville | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Bryant at Buffalo | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Nicholls at Northern Kentucky | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| North Greenville at The Citadel | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Coppin State at UMBC | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Dakota Wesleyan at South Dakota | 7:00pm | Summit |
| Mississippi Valley State at Missouri | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| UNI at Wichita State | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Ecclesia at ULM | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Tabor at Tarleton | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Morehead State at Chattanooga | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Southern Illinois at Oklahoma State | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Arizona State vs. Grand Canyon | 9:00pm | ESPN2 |
| LSU at Kansas State | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| A&M-Corpus Christi at NM State | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Northern Colorado vs. South Dakota State | 9:00pm | Summit |
| Colorado Christian at Denver | 9:00pm | Summit |
| Omaha at UNLV | 10:00pm | MWN |
| Northern Arizona at Pacific | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Seattle U at Cal Poly | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| La Sierra at UC Riverside | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| WOMEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Creighton at Kansas St. | 6:30pm | ESPN2 |
| Utah at Northwestern | 7:00pm | BTN |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| DP World Tour: DP World Tour Championship | 2:00am | GOLF |
| LPGA: The ANNIKA | 10:00am | GOLF |
| PGA: Butterfield Bermuda Championship | 1:00pm | GOLF |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| UEFA Nations League: Kazakhstan vs Austria | 10:00am | FS2 Fubo |
| UEFA Nations League: Armenia vs Faroe Islands | 12:00pm | Fox Soccer Plus Fubo |
| UEFA Nations League: Belgium vs Italy | 2:45pm | VIX Fubo |
| UEFA Nations League: France vs Israel | 2:45pm | Fox Soccer Plus Fubo |
| UEFA Nations League: Greece vs England | 2:45pm | FS1 Fubo |
| UEFA Nations League: Ireland Republic vs Finland | 2:45pm | VIX Fubo |
| UEFA Nations League: North Macedonia vs Latvia | 2:45pm | VIX Fubo |
| UEFA Nations League: Slovenia vs Norway | 2:45pm | VIX Fubo |
| CONCACAF Nations League: Montserrat vs Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| World Cup Qualifying: Slovenia vs Norway | 4:00pm | Fanatiz USA |
| CONCACAF Nations League: St. Kitts and Nevis vs Cuba | 6:00pm | Paramount+ |
| World Cup Qualifying: Paraguay vs Argentina | 6:30pm | Fanatiz USA |
| World Cup Qualifying: Ecuador vs Bolivia | 7:00pm | Fanatiz USA |
| CONCACAF Nations League: Jamaica vs USA | 8:00pm | TNT turTV MAX Paramount+ |
| CONCACAF Nations League: Bonaire vs El Salvador | 8:00pm | Paramount+ |
| CONCACAF Nations League: Belize vs French Guiana | 8:00pm | Paramount+ |
| CONCACAF Nations League: Costa Rica vs Panama |