*******************THE SCOREBOARD*******************
IBCA BOYS BASKETBALL POLLS
JAN. 23
1. BEN DAVIS (20-0)
2. INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (12-2)
3. PENN (13-1)
4. CENTER GROVE (15-1)
5. BROWNSBURG (15-2)
6. KOKOMO (12-4)
7. HAMMOND CENTRAL (16-1)
8. CARMEL (11-5)
9. NEW PALESTINE (14-0)
10. NORTHWOOD (13-2)
11. MISHAWAKA MARIAN (14-2)
12. FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK (15-1)
13. LINTON-STOCKTON (15-1)
14. WESTFIELD (10-3)
15. JENNINGS COUNTY (14-1)
16. LAWRENCE NORTH (12-3)
17. GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (12-1)
18. NOBLESVILLE (11-4)
19. HOMESTEAD (14-4)
20. ZIONSVILLE (9-5)
INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL MONDAY
| BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL | 85 | SILVER CREEK | 74 | |
| FORT WAYNE NORTH | 71 | LEO | 56 | |
| NEW PRAIRIE | 75 | BOONE GROVE | 62 | |
| TRADERS POINT CHRISTIAN | 84 | INDIANAPOLIS INTERNATIONAL | 61 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS CITY TOURNAMENT | ||||
| INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS | 61 | INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL | 51 | 1ST |
IBCA GIRLS BASKETBALL POLLS
JAN. 23
1. SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (21-0)
2. NOBLESVILLE (20-3)
3. FISHERS (18-2)
4. HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (19-2)
5. FORT WAYNE NORTHROP (18-2)
6. BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (19-3)
7. ZIONSVILLE (18-2)
8. TWIN LAKES (21-0)
9. COLUMBIA CITY (18-2)
10. HOMESTEAD (16-4)
11. INDIAN CREEK (21-1)
12. CENTER GROVE (17-4)
13. EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (21-1)
14. LAKE CENTRAL (17-5)
15. WARREN CENTRAL (14-5)
16. FORT WAYNE SNIDER (16-4)
17. VALPARAISO (19-2)
18. WARSAW (16-5)
19. NORTHRIDGE (18-5)
20. NORWELL (17-3)
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL MONDAY
| BLOOMINGTON NORTH | 54 | EASTERN GREENE | 47 | |
| CANNELTON | 54 | MADISON CHRISTIAN | 14 | |
| CASTLE | 50 | EVANSVILLE BOSSE | 3 | |
| CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | 45 | EMINENCE (KY.) | 30 | |
| CULVER | 49 | DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN | 46 | 2OT |
| EASTBROOK | 43 | ALEXANDRIA | 33 | |
| EVANSVILLE MATER DEI | 62 | HERITAGE HILLS | 58 | OT |
| FAIRFIELD | 50 | BETHANY CHRISTIAN | 26 | |
| GARY WEST | 58 | LIGHTHOUSE CPA | 14 | |
| HAMMOND CENTRAL | 51 | GRIFFITH | 31 | |
| LAKE CENTRAL | 54 | HIGHLAND | 37 | |
| MITCHELL | 48 | WEST WASHINGTON | 42 | |
| MORRISTOWN | 49 | KNIGHTSTOWN | 20 | |
| NORTH DAVIESS | 52 | WASHINGTON CATHOLIC | 25 | |
| NORTHFIELD | 59 | SOUTHERN WELLS | 49 | |
| PENDLETON HEIGHTS | 67 | NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) | 54 | |
| RIVER FOREST | 48 | VICTORY CHRISTIAN | 25 | |
| TRINITY LUTHERAN | 72 | GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN | 17 | |
| WEST CENTRAL | 62 | CALUMET CHRISTIAN | 30 |
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SECTIONAL BRACKETS
INDIANA WRESTLING SECTIONAL BRACKETS: HTTPS://WWW.TRACKWRESTLING.COM/LOGIN.JSP?TIM=1672955797754&TWSESSIONID=WAENAMISOK&TOURNAMENTINDEX=0&TNAME=IHSAA%20SECTIONAL
*************************AP MEN’S BASKETBALL POLL***********************
#1 PURDUE
#2 ALABAMA
#3 HOUSTON
#4 TENNESSEE
#5 KANSAS STATE
#6 ARIZONA
#7 VIRGINIA
#8 UCLA
#9 KANSAS
#10 TEXAS
#11 TCU
#12 IOWA STATE
#13 XAVIER
#14 GONZAGA
#15 AUBURN
#16 MARQUETTE
#17 BAYLOR
#18 CHARLESTON
#19 UCONN
#20 MIAMI
#21 FLORIDA ATLANTIC
#22 SAINT MARY’S
#23 PROVIDENCE
#24 CLEMSON
#25 NEW MEXICO
ALSO RECEIVING VOTES:
DUKE 102, INDIANA 61, SAN DIEGO STATE 57, RUTGERS 31, KENT STATE 24, NORTH CAROLINA 12, MICHIGAN STATE 10, CREIGHTON 9, ILLINOIS 9, ARKANSAS 9, MISSOURI 8, WISCONSIN 6, NORTH CAROLINA STATE 4, KENTUCKY 3, VCU 2, BOISE STATE 2, MEMPHIS 1, WAKE FOREST 1, ORAL ROBERTS 1
*******************TOP 25 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL************************
#17 BAYLOR 75 #9 KANSAS 69
NEVADA 97 #25 NEW MEXICO 94 2 OT
NORTHWESTERN 66 WISCONSIN 63
OAKLAND 76 DETROIT 67
VIRGINIA TECH 78 DUKE 75
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/CBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230123
*******************TOP 25 WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL*******************
#10 IOWA 83 #2 OHIO STATE 72
#4 LSU 89 ALABAMA 51
#5 UCONN 94 DEPAUL 51
#6 INDIANA 92 #13 MICHIGAN 83
ELSEWHERE:
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/WCBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230123
*********************NFL PLAYOFFS*******************
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29
NFC: 3:00 PM (ET) NFC CHAMPIONSHIP (FOX, FOX DEPORTES)
AFC: 6:30 PM (ET) AFC CHAMPIONSHIP (CBS, PARAMOUNT+)
***************************NBA*******************************
MILWAUKEE 150 DETROIT 130
ORLANDO 113 BOSTON 98
CHICAGO 111 ATLANTA 100
HOUSTON 119 MINNESOTA 114
UTAH 120 CHARLOTTE 102
PORTLAND 147 SAN ANTONIO 127
SACRAMENTO 133 MEMPHIS 100
BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/NBA/SCOREBOARD.ASP
**************************NHL*******************************
TORONTO 5 NY ISLANDERS 2
NY RANGERS 6 FLORIDA 2
BUFFALO 3 DALLAS 2
CALGARY 4 COLUMBUS 3
BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/NHL/SCOREBOARD.ASP
***********************TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES************************
**************************NFL NEWS***********************************
CHIEFS’ REID: MAHOMES ‘GOING TO PLAY’ VS CINCY FOR AFC TITLE
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Monday that Patrick Mahomes will play in the AFC title game against the Bengals, and that the high ankle sprain the All-Pro quarterback sustained against the Jaguars last weekend is less severe than the one he played through during the 2019 season opener.
“He’s going to play,” Reid told a group of local reporters. “That’s his mindset.”
Mahomes was hurt in the first quarter of Saturday’s win over Jacksonville when pass rusher Arden Key landed heavily on his right ankle. Mahomes finished the drive but was hobbling badly, and Reid and the training staff forced him to get an X-ray – it came back negative – and do some agility testing at halftime before allowing him back in the game.
In the meantime, backup Chad Henne led the Chiefs on a 12-play, 98-yard touchdown drive in the 27-20 victory.
Mahomes played well in the second half, but the Chiefs dramatically altered their offense to account for his reduced mobility.
Mahomes rarely went under center and threw almost exclusively from the pocket, rather than scrambling to buy time and make the many off-schedule throws that have made him so dynamic over the years.
He still threw for 195 yards and two touchdowns, including the eventual clincher with about 7 minutes to play.
Mahomes said afterward that his ankle felt better than expected and he vowed to play in the AFC title game – the fifth consecutive one hosted by Kansas City and a rematch of last year’s game won by Cincinnati in overtime.
“Pain is pain,” Mahomes said. “You’re going to have to deal with it.”
Reid said it was too early to tell how much Mahomes will practice this week. The Chiefs typically spend Monday reviewing film and getting treatment, then the players get Tuesday off, before their first full practice on Wednesday.
“When we get to that Wednesday practice we’ll see where we’re at,” Reid said. “I’ve got to see how he feels.”
Asked whether Mahomes could play without practice, Reid replied: “Who the heck knows?”
“He’s done some amazing things with limited time,” Reid added. “I think so. He’s never had to do it.”
Mahomes sustained a similar ankle injury in the 2019 opener against Jacksonville, and Reid said “I think this one isn’t quite as bad as that one.”
In that case, Mahomes played the following week in Oakland, going 30 of 44 for 443 yards and four TD passes without an interception in a 28-10 win over the Raiders.
Regardless of whether Mahomes practices, Henne is likely to get more repetitions than usual. And while the quarterbacks have vastly different styles, Reid doesn’t believe they will dramatically alter the Chiefs’ game plan.
“We try to keep open communication with the quarterbacks as best we can,” he said. “We’ve had Chad here a while now. We know the plays he likes and doesn’t like. We also know the plays that Pat likes and doesn’t like. We try to blend it and make sure that we have plays that work for both of them.”
WHAT’S WORKING
The Chiefs proved they can take pressure off the quarterback with the ground game on Saturday night, running for nearly 5 yards per carry against Jacksonville. Isiah Pacheco had 95 yards rushing, much of it coming on Henne’s long scoring drive.
WHAT’S NOT
The Chiefs’ wide receivers struggled against the Jaguars, forcing the Chiefs to lean heavily on Travis Kelce, who had 14 catches for 98 yards and two scores. Kadarius Toney was their top wide receiver with five grabs for 36 yards, but nobody else in the group had more than two receptions or 29 yards.
STOCK UP
This is the time of the year Frank Clark makes good on his contract. The defensive end sometimes struggles during the regular season, but his sack against the Jaguars gave him 12 for his playoff career. That tied Hall of Famer Reggie White for fourth among all players since sacks became an official stat in 1982.
STOCK DOWN
Meanwhile, defensive tackle Chris Jones is still searching for his first career postseason sack. He had 15 1/2 in the regular season, third most in the league, but had just one tackle and one quarterback hit against the Jaguars.
INJURIES
Mahomes will dominate the conversation all week. Otherwise, the Chiefs came out of the divisional round healthy.
KEY NUMBER
14 – That’s the number of playoff touchdown catches for Kelce, which trails only Rob Gronkowski (15) and Jerry Rice (22) for the most in NFL history. Kelce has had at least one in each of his past four postseason games.
NEXT STEPS
The Chiefs have lost three straight to the Bengals, all since January 2022, including last year’s AFC championship game. That was the only one of the three played at Arrowhead Stadium, though just like the rest, the Chiefs wound up losing by a field goal. In that game, Kansas City blew a 21-3 lead in the 27-24 overtime defeat.
PANTHERS COMPLETE INTERVIEW WITH SEAN PAYTON
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) The Carolina Panthers interviewed Sean Payton for their coaching vacancy on Monday.
Panthers owner David Tepper has also interviewed Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, former Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, former Detroit Lions and Colts head coach Jim Caldwell and Steve Wilks, who was the team’s interim head coach this season, for the job.
The 59-year-old Payton is drawing plenty of interest from NFL teams with head coaching openings. including the Denver Broncos.
Payton did not coach this past season, but the New Orleans Saints still hold his rights. It’s unclear what type of draft pick compensation it would take from the Panthers to lure Payton from their division rivals.
Payton won the NFC South seven times with the Saints and the Super Bowl in the 2009 season, amassing a 152-89 record in the regular season and a 9-8 mark in the postseason.
ANALYSIS: DEFENSE STILL WINS IN THE NFL PLAYOFFS
Defense stills wins in the playoffs.
The San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals advanced to the conference championship games with excellent defensive performances on Sunday.
The Philadelphia Eagles also had a standout defensive effort Saturday night.
While high-flying offenses led by star quarterbacks get most of the attention, defense matters.
It was evident in the NFL divisional round this weekend.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s aggressive unit forced two turnovers in the fourth quarter, helping Kansas City beat Jacksonville 27-20 in the first game.
“We focused throughout the week, especially on the week we had off, focused on maybe punching the ball a little bit more or hop on the ball or just catching the ones that they give us,” Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton said. “I dropped one early, but it’s one of those things you kind of have to keep going on, and in playoffs, you understand that they count times two when you get them.”
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense were unstoppable, especially dominating the Giants on the ground with 268 yards rushing. But Philadelphia’s defense, which was No. 2 in the league this season, was downright nasty in a 38-7 rout over New York.
Coming off an impressive 301-yard passing game in an upset over 13-win Minnesota, Daniel Jones had no chance against Haason Reddick and Philly’s ferocious D.
Jones was sacked five times, threw a pick, completed just 55.6% of his passes and looked lost. The Eagles held the Giants to only 227 total yards.
“Jonathan Gannon puts these guys in great positions,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said of his defensive coordinator. “Obviously, we have great players. … But this guy is an unbelievable coordinator. … He’s going to be a head football coach in the National Football League because of what he does. This guy is a stud. He’s a stud.”
Cincinnati’s defense had the most impressive all-around game of all, considering its opponent. The Bengals shut down Josh Allen and Buffalo’s dynamic offense in a 27-10 win. The Bills were only 4 for 12 on third downs, went three-and-out three times and managed just a field goal in the second half.
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo put the Bengals in position to constantly pressure Allen and knock him out of rhythm. Allen had only one turnover late in the game, but he misfired on some throws and didn’t click with his receivers. Allen kept his head down and didn’t look up when wide receiver Stefon Diggs approached him on the bench and yelled a few times in his direction midway through the fourth quarter.
“He wants the ball,” Allen said of Diggs, who had just four receptions for 35 yards. “And whatever it was that we couldn’t get him the ball tonight, we’re going to have to learn from.”
The Bengals will meet the Chiefs again in a rematch of last year’s AFC championship game that was won by Cincinnati. Burrow is 3-0 against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
In the final game of the weekend, the 49ers’ top-ranked defense flustered Dak Prescott throughout a 19-12 victory, forcing two interceptions and holding the Cowboys to just 282 total yards. San Francisco had a few more opportunities at turnovers but couldn’t hang on to a couple of picks.
Niners defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, a candidate for several head coaching vacancies, improved his case with another stellar game plan.
“I’m pretty sure DeMeco is gonna have a head coaching job after this year,” Niners defensive back Jimmie Ward said. “You see it with the play calling. We went out there and shut down a playoff team and one of the best teams in the league this year.”
Next up for the 49ers is a trip to Philadelphia to face one of the league’s most well-rounded offenses in the NFC championship game.
“Get ya popcorn ready, man,” Ward said. “Heavyweight fight right there. Get ready. It’s gonna be a good show.”
IT’S PAST TIME FOR THE BUFFALO BILLS TO RECONSIDER THEIR OFFENSIVE APPROACH
In the end, any team based primarily on the efforts of one player, no matter how great that player may be, is doomed.
The Buffalo Bills just found that out the hard way. While the Cincinnati Bengals, who beat the Bills 27-10 in the divisional round to advance to their second straight AFC Championship game, has built their team on both sides of the ball over time, Buffalo’s primary construct, with all due respect to a bunch of really good players on that roster, has been to put too much in the hands of quarterback Josh Allen, and assume that it will all work out.
The Bills team-built to a point to get to where they are, to be sure, but Allen has been in the crucible all year long, and against the Bengals, he simply ran out of gas. As big and strong and gifted as he is, and as much as he has put his own indelible stamp on the quarterback position in his five NFL campaigns, he was also trying to take the Bills to their first Super Bowl since the end of the 1993 season with an iffy-at-best offensive line, one star receiver in Stefon Diggs, and a multi-back run game that could never carry the load for any real stretch of time.
Allen is good, but he’s not that good. Nobody is. Even the greatest quarterbacks need help. Tom Brady spent a few years in the mid-2000s lost in the weeds with Deion Branch, Troy Brown, and Reche Caldwell as his primary targets. The New England Patriots got tired of it, grabbed Randy Moss and Wes Welker in the 2007 preseason, and put up one of the greatest single-season offensive performances in pro football history. Not that they won the Super Bowl in their nearly-undefeated 2007 season, but they were back in the hunt.
Right now, Allen has one gun with which to hunt. He has his Randy Moss in Diggs, some average-to-good receivers in Gabe Davis, Isaiah McKenzie, the recently re-signed Cole Beasley, and tight end Dawson Knox. an offensive line that isn’t a big help, and a three-pronged running back group in James Cook, Devin Singletary, and Nyheim Hines that doesn’t really scare anybody. The only Bills runner who strikes any fear in enemy defenses is Allen, which reinforces the overall point.
Buffalo’s wild-card win over the Miami Dolphins perfectly summarized the boom-or-bust nature of this offense. His 352 passing yards marked a career high — but so did his three turnovers and seven sacks. Buffalo pulled that win out, but it was much closer than people imagined it would be, especially after the Bills worked up a 17-0 second-quarter lead, and got out of there with a 34-31 squeaker.
Anybody who watched the Skylar Thompson-led Dolphins nearly pull off that particular upset had to have a suspicion that a Bengals team led by Joe Burrow, Burrow’s three-headed hellscape of receivers in Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd, an offensive line that performed magnificently despite the absence of three starters due to injury, and the underrated efforts of running back Joe Mixon, could blow the Bills right out of their own stadium.
Which is exactly what happened. The Bengals bracketed Diggs, got after Allen over and over (one sack, but eight quarterback hits), and limited the Bills to 63 yards on 19 carries. Allen completed 25 of 42 passes for 265 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, and a lot of frustration.
The Bengals defense featured 5 different players with multiple pressures in the first half, generating a 44.4% team pressure rate.
What can the Bills do about it? Not a lot in the upcoming free agency period. Based on an estimated 2023 salary cap of $225 million (it may be more), Buffalo is more than $8 million over that number, and there aren’t a lot of obvious cuts to be made, because general manager Brandon Beane pushed contracts into the future, thinking that the window was now.
So, it’ll be up to the draft. The Bills would do well to get a legitimate running back like Texas’ Bijan Robinson or Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs. Maybe they go with the best possible option in a stacked receiver class in the later rounds, and they need at least one new offensive lineman to round it out.
It’s a lot to ask of the Bills, but the Bills have already and clearly asked too much of Josh Allen. Now, it’s time for everybody else to step up.
COACHING IS ABOUT THE LITTLE THINGS. IS IT ANY WONDER THE COWBOYS FELL SHORT?
Over the last two seasons, the inside joke about the Dallas Cowboys has been that offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is there to call brilliant stuff on offense, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is there to call brilliant stuff on defense, and head coach Mike McCarthy is there to mangle the clock, get things situationally wrong, and eat sandwiches.
It’s a cruel narrative, but after Dallas’ 19-12 loss in the divisional round to the San Francisco 49ers, it kinda rings true. Head coaches must understand every aspect of the game, and they must make sure their players are trained to the point of instinct on the little things that can either give you victories, or have you holding your guts in pain after an agonizing loss.
McCarthy’s decisions in this game were… odd, at best. Let’s start with the decision to keep kicker Brett Maher as the starter. Maher had famously missed four extra points in Dallas’ wild-card win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Cowboys had an entire week to come up with an alternate plan. Instead, Maher had an extra point blocked which would have been a miss if it hadn’t, and there were multiple instances in which the Cowboys might have had field goals to try, and didn’t. Dallas converted both of its fourth-down attempts in the game, but that wasn’t the larger issue.
Then, there was the decision to punt from the Dallas 18-yard line after Dak Prescott took a third-down sack with 2:50 left in the game. Fine, but the Cowboys ran the clock down to 2:11 before Brian Anger punted the ball, and if you wanted to get the ball back, that was at least one extra play you just wasted.
The Cowboys’ defense did get the ball back, but when Mitch Wishnowsky punted the ball back to Dallas, there were just 51 seconds left in the game. The Cowboys wouldn’t have had that much time had 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell not run out of bounds at the end of his 13-yard run with 1:53 left in the game. That basically gave Dallas an extra time out when they desperately needed it.
So, now, the Cowboys had first-and-10 from their own six-yard line with 45 seconds left, no timeouts, down by seven points, and in obvious need of a touchdown. Two sideline passes to tight end Dalton Schultz were problematic on that final Dallas drive — one in which Schultz didn’t realize that he had to be moving forward when he went out of bounds, which kept the clock running with, and another in which Schultz failed to get his second foot in bounds, resulting in an incompletion after review.
After that play, Dallas had six seconds left, and one play left in their quiver, from their own 24-yard line. The resulting play probably should have been something like the Fumblerooski or the Annexation of Puerto Rico, but instead, there was… well, whatever this was.
With running back Ezekiel Elliott at center, Prescott threw an eight-yard pass to KaVontae Turpin, and thus endeth the game.
There are a lot of little things — subtle details — that go into a win or a loss. And in this case, it was Mike McCarthy’s inability to have a handle on those subtleties, from preseason design and implementation to postseason finality, that sunk his team. Not for the first time by any means, but in this case, one of the most obvious and crushing set of circumstances.
****************************COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS***************************
GEORGIA FOOTBALL TRANSFER THOMAS ARRESTED ON FELONY CHARGE
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) A wide receiver who recently transferred to national champion Georgia from Mississippi State was arrested Monday on felony and misdemeanor charges.
Rodarius “Rara” Thomas was booked at around 4 a.m. on a felony charge of false imprisonment and a misdemeanor count of family violence battery, according to Clarke County jail records. He spent more than eight hours in jail before being released on $1,850 bond shortly after noon.
Jail records showed the 20-year-old Thomas was arrested by University of Georgia police. No other details were immediately available, and it was not known if Thomas had an attorney who could speak for him.
“We are aware of a reported incident involving conduct by one of our student-athletes,” the Georgia athletic department said in a statement. “While we are limited in what we can say about the incident, the report is disappointing and not reflective of the high standards we have for our student-athletes on and off the field.”
The arrest of Thomas was another blow to a Georgia team that won its second second straight national championship with a 65-7 rout of TCU on Jan. 9.
A few hours after a celebratory parade through Athens and a ceremony at Sanford Stadium, offensive lineman Devin Willock and a member of the recruiting staff were killed in an early morning car wreck on Jan. 15. Excessive speed has been cited as one of the causes of the crash, which remains under investigation.
Thomas, who is from Eufaula, Alabama, was one of Mississippi State’s leading receivers this past season, with 44 catches for a team-high 626 yards and seven touchdowns.
He announced his transfer to Georgia in December.
Thomas has been projected to be key member of the Bulldogs’ offense after receiver Kearis Jackson declared for the NFL draft and receiver Adonai Adonai Mitchell entered the transfer portal.
Mitchell, who has since committed to Texas, missed much of the 2022 season with a high ankle sprain. He returned to make the game-winning, 10-yard touchdown catch against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinal and added a 22-yard touchdown catch against TCU in the title game.
****************************MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL*************************
PURDUE BACK AT NO. 1 IN AP TOP 25, ALABAMA RIGHT BEHIND
Purdue is back at No. 1 in the AP Top 25. Alabama is right behind the Boilermakers.
Purdue returned to the top spot in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll on Monday, moving up two spots after Temple knocked off No. 1 Houston over the weekend. The Boilermakers received 39 first-place votes from a 62-person media panel after a volatile week where just two teams kept the same spot from a week ago.
Alabama climbed two spots to No. 2, picking up 23 first-place votes for its highest ranking since reaching No. 1 in 2002-03. Houston, Tennessee and Kansas State round out the top five.
Purdue (19-1, 8-1 Big Ten) had dropped to No. 3 after four weeks at No. 1 following a loss to Rutgers on Jan. 3, but has since won six straight.
Alabama (17-2, 7-0 SEC) has made a steady climb since being ranked No. 20 in the preseason AP Top 25, moving into the top 10 in early December. The Crimson Tide had lopsided wins over Missouri and Vanderbilt after Darius Miles was dismissed from the team as he faces a murder charge in a fatal shooting near campus.
Alabama coach Nate Oats reached out to Ray Lewis before the Crimson Tide played Vanderbilt last week, sharing a Bible verse suggested by the Hall of Fame linebacker. Alabama ended up beating Vandy by 12 and rolled over Missouri by 21.
“I did see some guys break down postgame,” Oats said. “I think they’ve been bottling some stuff up. We’ve got a job to do. We’ve got to get to the game. We got to the game and took care of business, and then it’s almost like a big relief. The game’s over, and we can let out a sigh of relief.”
COUGARS FALL
Houston moved atop the AP Top 25 for the first time since the Phi Slama Jama of the 1980s earlier this season before a loss to Alabama dropped it back to No. 5.
The Cougars returned to No. 1 on Jan. 9, but their run ended after two weeks with Sunday’s 56-55 loss to Temple. The win was the Owls’ first over a No. 1 team since 2000.
BEATING KU
Kansas State moved up eight spots to No. 5 after outlasting rival Kansas 83-82 at Bramlage Coliseum last week. It’s the Wildcats’ highest ranking since reaching No. 3 in 2010-11.
TCU gave Kansas consecutive losses in the state for the first time since 1989 with a 23-point beatdown at Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday. It was one of Bill Self’s worst losses in 20 years as Kansas’ coach and ended the Jayhawks’ 16-game home winning streak.
The No. 14 Horned Frogs moved up three spots in this week’s poll after the win. Kansas, the defending national champion, dropped seven spots to No. 9.
BIG TEN BUMMER
While Purdue has remained near the top of the poll most of the season, the rest of the Big Ten has fallen off. With Rutgers dropping out, the Big Ten has just one AP Top 25 team for the first time since the Feb. 16, 2004, when No. 12 Wisconsin was the conference’s lone ranked team, according to Sportradar.
RISING/FALLING
Kansas State had the week’s biggest jump, followed by No. 4 Tennessee and No. 6 Arizona each climbing five spots. No. 21 Baylor moved up four spots with wins over Texas Tech and Oklahoma.
Gonzaga had the biggest fall, losing eight places to No. 14 after Loyola Marymount ended the Zags’ 75-game home winning streak on Thursday. No. 13 Xavier dropped five spots after a one-point road loss to DePaul.
IN AND OUT
No. 22 Saint Mary’s is ranked for the first time this season after rolling over Pepperdine and Santa Clara last week. No. 25 New Mexico is back in the poll after beating San Jose State and outlasting Boise State in overtime.
A three-point loss to Michigan State knocked Rutgers out of the poll from No. 23. Arkansas dropped out from No. 25 following a loss to Missouri.
NO. 17 BAYLOR BEATS NO. 9 KANSAS IN MATCHUP OF LAST 2 CHAMPS
WACO, Texas (AP) Langston Love came up huge for 17th-ranked Baylor after No. 9 Kansas took its only lead in a matchup of the last two national champions, both of whom have endured three-game losing streaks in Big 12 play.
The reigning champion Jayhawks are on their three-game skid, only the fourth in coach Bill Self’s 20 seasons. Baylor’s 75-69 win on Monday night gave the Bears a Big 12-best five game winning streak since losing their first three conference games.
“There is time to be reactive in a negative way if your team’s not doing well. This is not one of our times,” Self said. “We have gotten beat, and granted we got beat (by) a team that was projected to win the league tonight, that’s really good. And they went through the same crap we’re going through right now. … Our league is that good. It’s going to be a grind.”
Love made an impressive go-ahead turnaround jumper while being fouled, then made the free throw. The freshman guard, who missed all of last season after tearing his ACL in a preseason scrimmage, later capped the Bears’ key run with a 3-pointer.
Jalen Wilson swished a 3 from the left wing with 15:24 left to give the Jayhawks (16-4, 5-3 Big 12) their only lead at 46-45. Love then started a 12-3 spurt with his three-point play.
“He’s ready to step up whenever his name is called. … We weren’t surprised when he went out there and did what he did,” Bears senior Adam Flagler said of his fellow guard.
“That’s huge for us. It shows that when adversity hits, we’re able to fight through it,” guard LJ Cryer said. “We’ve had games this season where adversity hits and we didn’t fight back.”
Cryer had 22 points for 2021 champion Baylor (15-5, 5-3), though 19 of his points and all five of his treys came before halftime. Flagler added 17 points, while Jalen Bridges and Love each had 11.
Freshman Gradey Dick had 24 points and Wilson 23 for the Jayhawks, who were coming off a 23-point home loss to TCU after a one-point overtime loss at now fifth-ranked Kansas State. Kevin McCullar Jr. had 14 points and 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double this season.
After an early layup by Wilson got Kansas within 11-7, Baylor had a 9-0 run that was punctuated by Josh Ojianwuna’s two-handed putback dunk. That was the last time in the half that the Bears had consecutive scores, though Cryer did make three 3s in an 83-second span – the first two after 3s by Dick and Wilson, and the third following two free throws by Dick.
TOUGH SHOOTING
The Bears missed 11 of their last 13 shots over the final 13 minutes, and finished 37.1% from the field (23 of 62) two days after a 62-60 win at Oklahoma when they shot a season-low 36.2%.
BIG PICTURE
Kansas: The other times the Jayhawks lost three in a row under Self were in February 2005, February 2013 and January 2021. … Dick got his second foul only 3:13 into the first half, and was limited to 11 minutes before the break.
Baylor: The Bears got off to a fast start with a steal by Bridges that led to a fast-break layup by Cryer before Flo Thamba had a three-point play. Bridges then had another steal, this one in the backcourt, though Cryer missed an open 3 that would have made it 8-0 only a minute into the game. … The Bears are 25-8 against Top 25 teams over the past four seasons, the nation’s best mark. Baylor is 12-1 against Top 10 teams the past three years.
UP NEXT
Kansas goes to Rupp Arena to play Kentucky in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Saturday.
Baylor is home for its SEC/Big 12 Challenge game against Arkansas on Saturday. That is a rematch of the 2021 Elite Eight game the Bears won 81-72 on way to winning their national championship.
NEVADA BEATS NO. 25 NEW MEXICO 97-94 IN DOUBLE OVERTIME
RENO, Nev. (AP) Will Baker scored a career-high 28 points and made two free throws with 14 seconds remaining in the second overtime to help Nevada knock off No. 25 New Mexico 97-94 on Monday night.
Baker sank 12 of 17 shots with a 3-pointer for the Wolf Pack (16-5, 6-2 Mountain West Conference), who began the night in a four-way tie for second place in the league along with New Mexico. Jarod Lucas added 22 points and Kenan Blackshear pitched in with 20 points, five steals and four assists.
Jamal Mashburn Jr. scored a career-high 33 points for the Lobos (18-3, 5-3), who saw a four-game win streak end. Mashburn has topped 20 points in five straight games. Jaelen House totaled 17 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. Morris Udeze added 16 points and 10 boards.
New Mexico, which trailed 43-38 at halftime, forced the first overtime when Mashburn buried a jumper with 20 seconds left to tie the game at 78.
Mashburn sank a 3-pointer to start overtime and the Lobos took an 87-82 lead on Udeze’s layup with 1:13 left. New Mexico turned the ball over on its next two possessions and Nevada knotted the score on Darrion Williams’ 3-pointer and a jumper from Blackshear. Mashburn turned the ball over, Lucas missed a 3 and the game went to a second overtime.
Udeze and Williams traded layups before two free throws by Lucas gave the Wolf Pack a 91-89 lead with 2:58 remaining in the second OT. Udeze made a free throw to get the Lobos within a point. Lucas hit two more foul shots, Udeze added two of his own and New Mexico trailed 93-92 with 1:05 left.
Baker made 1 of 2 foul shots and House hit two free throws to knot the score at 94 with 44 seconds remaining. Daniel Foster’s free throw gave the Wolf Pack the lead before Baker sank both of his tries.
Nevada improved to 10-0 at home this season. The Lobos have already snapped two long home streaks, ending Saint Mary’s 23-game win streak on Nov. 30 and San Diego State’s 16-game win streak on Jan. 14. New Mexico was coming off an 81-79 overtime victory over Boise State on Friday.
The Wolf Pack played before their largest crowd since hosting Southern Cal in 2019.
UP NEXT
New Mexico: Hosts Air Force on Friday.
Nevada: At UNLV on Saturday.
VIRGINIA TECH BEATS DUKE 78-75, SNAPS 7-GAME SLIDE
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) Grant Basile scored 15 of his 24 points in the second half, Sean Pedulla had 16 points and five assists and Virginia Tech beat Duke 78-75 on Monday night to snap a seven-game losing streak.
Virginia Tech (12-8, 2-7 ACC) hadn’t won since topping Grambling on Dec. 17. The Hokies are now 5-1 in their last six match-ups with Duke at Cassell Coliseum.
After a timeout with 35.3 seconds remaining, Virginia Tech dribbled down the clock before Michael Collins Jr. made a jumper from the free-throw line for a 77-75 lead. Duke’s Tyrese Proctor was short on an open 3-pointer and Collins was fouled. Collins made 1 of 2 at the line with 3.9 seconds to cap the scoring.
Duke attempted a half-court pass, but Virginia Tech guard Hunter Cattoor intercepted it and ran out the clock.
Cattoor finished with 15 points, on five 3-pointers, and two steals for Virginia Tech. Collins had six points.
Kyle Filipowski scored a career-high 29 and recorded his 10th double-double this season with 10 rebounds for Duke (14-6, 5-4). Proctor and Dariq Whitehead added 10 points apiece. Whitehead missed most of the second half with an apparent leg injury and was on crutches at the end of the game with a wrap around his lower left leg.
Duke went four-plus minutes without a field goal late in the second half, making just two of its final 10 shots. Proctor drained a 3-pointer with 38.9 seconds left, snapping a string of six misses from distance for Duke, to tie it at 75-all.
Both teams play again on Saturday. Virginia Tech hosts Syracuse and Duke plays at Georgia Tech.
**************************MEN’S BIG 10 BASKETBALL******************************
INDIANA, OHIO STATE SCORE MEN’S BASKETBALL WEEKLY ACCOLADES
Player of the Week
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
F – Jr. – 6-9 – Greenwood, Ind. – Center Grove – Major: Sports Marketing
- Averaged 33.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 4.0 blocked shots and 3.5 assists, while shooting 64.1 percent from the floor and 16-19 from the free throw line- in wins over Illinois and Michigan State.
- Shot 15-19 for a Big Ten career-high 35 points to go with nine boards, five assists and three blocked shots in an 80-65 win at Illinois.
- Added 31 points and 15 rebounds in leading the Hoosiers to an 82-69 home win over the Spartans.
- Garners his fourth career Player of the Week award.
- Last Indiana Player of the Week: Trayce Jackson-Davis (Nov. 15, 2021)
Freshman of the Week
Brice Sensabaugh, Ohio State
F – 6-6 – Orlando, Fla. – Lake Highland Prep – Major: Finance
- Averaged 22.5 points on .57.1 percent shooting from the field, including 7-12 from three-point range, with 7.5 rebounds, as the Buckeyes split two games.
- Recorded his third consecutive double-double with a team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds in a 63-60 loss at Nebraska.
- Scored a game-high 27 points on 10-12 shooting from the floor, including 4-5 from three-point range, in Ohio State’s 93-77 victory over Iowa.
- Garners his fourth Freshman of the Week honor.
- Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week: Brice Sensabaugh (Jan. 3, 2023)
**********************************MAC MEN’S BASKETBALL****************************************
TOLEDO’S DENNIS NAMED MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
RayJ Dennis, Toledo, Guard
Junior, Plainfield, Ill. (Oswego East)
Junior RayJ Dennis led Toledo to a pair of victories last week by averaging 23.0 points, 7.0 assists and 6.5 rebounds per game while posting an impressive 7.0 assist/turnover ratio. He also shot 52.9% (18-of-34) from the field and 57.1% (4-of-7) from three-point range. Dennis opened the week by tallying 25 points, a season-high tying nine rebounds, seven assists and a career-best two blocked shots in a 90-75 win over Ohio. He scored 17 of his points on 7-of-8 shooting in a dominant first half to help the Rockets take a 52-31 lead to the locker room. Dennis then registered 21 points, seven assists and four boards in an 86-77 victory at Buffalo. He helped the Rockets pull away from the Bulls down the stretch by scoring six points and dishing out three assists during a game-ending 15-7 spurt over the final 6:35. Dennis ranks third in the MAC with a team-high 18.5 ppg and is ninth nationally with 6.0 apg and 14th with a 3.0 assist/turnover ratio.
***************************HCAC SPORTS NOTEBOOKS************************
MEN’S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Athlete of the Week:
Bryant Smith (West Lafayette, Ind.) Manchester University | Guard | Sophomore – Smith averaged 27.5 points per game in two games played this week. Smith helped lead the Spartans to a win over Bluffton, scoring 20 points and grabbing two steals. Smith also led the Spartans with a new career-high 35 points during Saturday’s win over Earlham, shooting 5-of-9 from three-point range and 12-of-14 from the free throw line. Smith currently leads the conference in three-point field goals per game with 53 total three-pointers so far this season and is second in scoring, averaging 18.8 points per game.
Notable Performances:
- Bryson Huckeby (Freeland, Mich.) Anderson University | Wing | First Year – Huckeby averaged 15 points, 9.5 rebounds and one block as Anderson went 2-0 on the week. Huckeby notched 15 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in Anderson’s 69-55 win against Rose-Hulman. He then provided 15 points and nine rebounds in Anderson’s 76-74 road win against Mount St. Joseph.
- Jordan Marell (Chicago, Ill.) Defiance College | Guard | Senior – Marell averaged 19.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, three apg, two steals per game, and one block per game in the two games last week.
- Trey Flatt (Indianapolis, Ind.) Franklin College | Guard | Sophomore – Flatt averaged 14.5 points per game and shot 63.2 percent from the floor for the Grizzlies as they collected wins over MSJ and Defiance. He had 13 points and grabbed four boards over 31 minutes in Wednesday night’s win over MSJ. Flatt had a team-high 16 points on Saturday in a 67-40 win over Defiance.
- Max Greenamoyer (Zionsville, Ind.) Hanover College | Guard | Junior – Greenamoyer helped propel HC to a 2-0 week as they defeated Transylvania and Bluffton. The junior averaged 16.0 ppg shooting a strong 7-of-15 from three-point. In the contest with Transylvania, he netted a game-high 27 points including seven three-pointers.
- Luke Collinsworth (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) Mount St. Joseph University | Forward | Sophomore – Collinsworth had a fantastic week, scoring 18.5 points per game including a 25-point effort in the teams two-point loss to Anderson on Saturday. He also averaged 4.5 rebounds per game for the week.
- Terry Hicks (Fishers, Ind.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Forward | Senior – Hicks averaged 14.5 points and 4.5 rebounds to lead Rose-Hulman in a pair of road losses at Anderson and Transylvania. Hicks scored 20 points on 8-10 from the field in the narrow 67-65 loss at Transylvania.
- Jaylan Green (Lexington, Ky.) Transylvania University | Guard | Senior – Green had a big week where he totaled 33 points along with a game winner with a second left on Saturday’s game. He had a season high five steals and a season high in blocks against Hanover.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Athlete of the Week:
Laken Ball (Beckley, W.Va.) Transylvania University | Guard | Senior – In one game this week and in only 25 minutes Ball netted 21 points, two blocks, and a steal, helping Transy remain undefeated.
Notable Performances:
- Morgan Smith (Arlington, Ohio) Bluffton University | Forward | Senior – Smith led the Beavers with 16.5 PPG and 6.0 RPG, hitting 12-of-23 (52.2 percent) from the field while drilling all nine of her free throw attempts. Smith added two blocks and two assists for the week. She tallied 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting in Bluffton’s 60-55 loss at Hanover on Saturday.
- Taylor Day (West Mansfield, Ohio) Defiance College | Guard / Forward | Graduate Student – Day scored a career-high 29 points on Saturday at Franklin while playing a season-high 38 minutes. She went 7-for-8 at the free throw line and pulled in seven boards during the performance in which she accounted for 59 percent of DC’s points. On Wednesday, Day was on the floor for just 20 minutes and posted nine points.
- Janaiya Bright (Fort Wayne, Ind.) Earlham College | Guard | Sophomore – Bright averaged over 14 points and five rebounds this week with double digit performances against Defiance and Manchester. The sophomore had a high of 18 points and dished out five assists on the week.
- Grace Bezold (Covington, Ky.) Hanover College | Guard | Sophomore – Bezold led the Panthers to a 1-1 week as they defeated Bluffton and fell to No. 2 ranked Transylvania. Bezold averaged a double-double with 15.5 ppg and 10.0 rpg. In the contest with the Pioneers, she netted 17 points and pulled in a game-high 10 rebounds. Against, Bluffton added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
- Hailee Kline (Huntington, Ind.) Manchester University | Guard | First Year – Kline led the Spartans with 13 points, shooting 4-of-8 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line during Wednesday’s game against Bluffton. During Manchester’s win against Earlham, Kline also tallied 13 points, shooting 4-of-6 from the field, 2-of-4 from three-point range, and 3-of-4 from the free throw line. Kline is currently averaging 8.1 points per game and has a .364 three-point percentage so far this season.
- Karlee Mills (Fairfield, Ohio) Mount St. Joseph University | Guard | Sophomore – Mills led the Lions to a 2-0 record this week. She did so by averaging 17.5 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, two assists and 3.5 steals per game.
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD NOTEBOOK
thletes of the Week:
Men’s Track Athlete of the Week:
Enrique Salazar (Plymouth, Ind.) Manchester University | Senior – Salazar won the men’s one mile event at the Larry Cole Invitational hosted by Ohio Northern University with a time of 4:19.75. Salazar’s time also led the conference this week.
Men’s Field Athlete of the Week:
Gabe Hendricks (Fort Wayne, Ind.) Manchester University | Senior – Hendricks broke his own school record in the weight throw by 0.13 meters after placing second at the Larry Cole Invitational with a distance of 16.45 meters on Friday night. Hendricks also placed third in shot put with a distance of 15.26 meters, placing him third best in Manchester’s all-time top-10 marks.
Women’s Track Athlete of the Week:
Alison Muck (Edinburgh, Ind.) Franklin College | First Year – Muck recorded a new program record in the 60m hurdles on Saturday at the MSJ Invite, hitting the finish line in 9.47 seconds to win the event and break a school record that stood for 10 years by .11 seconds. She also placed seventh in the 200m dash with a time of 29.38 seconds.
Women’s Field Athlete of the Week:
Rofiat Adeyemi (Austin, Texas) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Junior – Adeyemi swept first place honors in both the long jump (17′ 9 3/4″) and triple jump (36′ 11 1/2″) to help Rose-Hulman place third in a competitive Friday Night Spikes Series meet at the Sports and Recreation Center.
Notable Performances:
Men’s
- David Stansbury (Elkhart, Ind.) Anderson University | First Year – Stansbury took second in the college division of the 5K with a time of 16:11.88 during the MSJ Invite. His 5K time currently ranks second in the HCAC.
- Michael Sweigart (Alexandria, Ind.) Anderson University | Sophomore – Sweigart captured second in the weight throw with a distance of 16.26 meters (53 feet, 4.25 inches) during the Warrior Indoor Invitational. His weight throw distance currently ranks second in the HCAC.
- Luke Paddock (Connersville, Ind.) Franklin College | Sophomore – Paddock placed third in the 400m dash at Saturday’s MSJ Invite, recording a time of 52.99 second that moved him into 10th place all-time in program history in the event. He ran the opening leg of Franklin’s winning 4x400m relay team that finished in 3:37.17.
- Ethan Weston (Mount Washington, Ky.) Hanover College | Junior – Weston led the Panthers to a first place finish in the 3,000-meter run as part of the MSJ Invite. The junior completed the event in a time of 8:59.85.
- Anthony Lloyd (Columbus, Ind.) Hanover College | First Year – Lloyd kicked off the afternoon winning the high jump with a height of 1.92 meters. The jump ranks sixth among Hanover all-time top 10. He also turned in a fourth place finish in the long jump with a leap of 6.05 meters.
- Raymond Bates (Cloverdale, Ind.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Junior – Bates won the 400-meter dash (51.13) and was part of the runner-up 4-x-400 meter relay team (3:30.18) to help Rose-Hulman win the six-team Friday Night Spikes Series Meet at the Sports and Recreation Center.
- Kyle Brownell (Encinitas, Calid.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Junior – Brownell won over a field of 13 competitors with a high jump mark of 6′ 6″ to help Rose-Hulman win the six-team Friday Night Spikes Series Meet at the Sports and Recreation Center.
Women’s
- Paige McKain (Brownstown, Ind.) Anderson University | First Year – McKain won the 5K with a time of 20:54.91 during the MSJ Invite. Her 5K time currently leads the HCAC.
- Madison Huelskamp (Sidney, Ohio) Earlham College | Senior – Huelskamp scored in both the long jump and the triple jump at the Larry Cole Invitational on Friday evening. Huelskamp scored third place in the triple jump with a mark of 9.56 meters and fifth in the long jump after leaping 4.89 meters. She also finished sixth in the 200.
- Taylor Tatlock (Edinburgh, Ind.) Franklin College | Senior – Tatlock took fifth place in the weight throw with a toss of 12.51m at Saturday’s MSJ Invite, setting a new PR and moving into seventh place in program history in the event.
- Zaleeya Martin (Shelbyville, Ind.) Hanover College | Senior – Martin ran a fantastic 60-meter dash as she claimed second in the event with a time of 7.89 seconds as part of the MSJ Invite.
- Aliza Boles (Lexington, Ind.) Hanover College | Junior – Boles picked up a first place mark for the Blue and Red as she won the pole vault over the weekend at the MSJ Invite with a vault of 2.55 meters, ranking her sixth all-time among Hanover athletes.
- Hannah Brubaker (Goshen, Ind.) Manchester University | Senior – Brubaker finished the women’s 3,000 meter event in second place, crossing the finish line in a time of 10:51.60. Brubaker’s time led the conference by 40 seconds.
- Carley Camp (Logansport, ind.) Manchester University | Sophomore – Camp won the women’s shot put event with a distance of 12.61 meters at the Larry Cole Invitational hosted by Ohio Northern on Friday. Camp also placed third in the weight throw with a distance of 14.91 meters, placing her fourth in the Manchester’s all-time top-10 record book.
- Katrina Agustin (Edwardsville, Ill.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Senior – Agustin won the 60-meter dash (8.10) and was part of the second place 4-x-200 meter relay to help Rose-Hulman place third in a competitive Friday Night Spikes Series meet at the Sports and Recreation Center.
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING NOTEBOOK
Athletes of the Week:
Men’s Swimming Athlete of the Week:
Jack Burke (Fort Wayne, Ind.) Franklin College | Junior – Burke won three events and swam the third leg on Franklin’s meet-clinching 200 free relay as the Grizzlies bested Hanover and Rose-Hulman in dual action on Friday night. He won the 100 backstroke (53.87), 200 backstroke (1:56.62) and 100 butterfly (51.93) as Franklin remained unbeaten in head-to-head meetings on the year.
Men’s Diving Athlete of the Week:
Gauge Creech (Franklin, Ind.) Franklin College | Senior – Creech cruised to wins on both diving boards on Friday night, recording 301.75 points on the one-meter board and 314.30 points on the three-meter board against Rose-Hulman and Hanover.
Women’s Swimming Athlete of the Week:
Caileigh McCafferty (Wonder Lake, Ill.) Franklin College | Senior – McCafferty claimed three individual events and swam on one winning relay on Friday night as Franklin earned dual wins over Hanover and Rose-Hulman. She bested the field in the 100 backstroke (1:01.00), 200 backstroke (2:14.56) and 100 butterfly (1:01.05) and was the anchor on the winning 200 free relay to close out the night.
Women’s Diving Athlete of the Week:
Faith Jackson (Greenwood, Ind.) Franklin College | Senior – Jackson won on the one-meter board with 240 points and took second on the three-meter board with 248.40 points on Friday night as the Grizzlies took bested Hanover and Rose-Hulman.
Notable Performances:
Men’s
- Callum Buchanan (Franklin, Ind.) Hanover College | First Year – Buchanan turned in an eighth place mark in the 50-yard freestyle touching the wall in a time of 22.94. He also competed as part of the 200-yard freestyle relay taking sixth in a time of 1:37.82 while also turning in a sixth place finish in the 200-yard medley relay.
- Parker York (Roann, Ind.) Manchester University | Sophomore – Over the weekend, the Spartans competed against Bethel and Olivet during the Bethel-Tri Meet. York set a new Manchester top-10 time in the 50 yard freestyle, finishing the event in second place with a time of 22.82. York also took third in the men’s 100 yard butterfly, touching the wall in a time of 57.20 seconds. York was also a member of the men’s 400 yard freestyle relay team finished in third place with a time of 3:31.85.
- Takota Stone (Lakeville, Ind.) Manchester University | Sophomore – Stone took second in the men’s 1-meter diving event with a score of 174.70 at the Bethel Tri-Meet on Saturday.
- Evan Sellers (Fishers, Ind.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Junior – Sellers won both the 500-freestyle (4:52.38) and 1000-freestyle (10:07.32) to lead Rose-Hulman’s second place team effort at the Franklin and Hanover Tri-Meet.
- John Dinkel (Alexandria, Va.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Sophomore – Dinkel placed third in 1-meter diving (201.45) and third in 3-meter diving (200.30) as part of Rose-Hulman’s second place team effort at the Franklin and Hanover Tri-Meet.
- Kole Brannock (Georgetown, Ky.) Transylvania University | First Year – Brannock swam the 100 back, winning with a time of 54.93.
- Ballard Wheatley (Louisville, Ky.) Transylvania University | Senior – Ballard scored a 98.65 in the 1-meter dive.
Women’s
- Lily Hunter (Westfield, Ind.) Anderson University | Senior – During Anderson’s tri-match with Asbury and Midway, Hunter clocked a 50-freestyle relay split of 27.84 seconds. She also secured second in the 100 freestyle (1:00.24) and fifth in the 200 freestyle (2:16.00).
- Ilys Anderson (Hebron, Ky.) Hanover College | Senior – Anderson led the Panthers turning in a runner-up finish in the 50-yard freestyle, touching the wall in a time of 26.73. She also took third in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 58.38. Anderson competed in the 200-yard medley relay taking fourth with a time of 2:08.38.
- Eamin Lynch (South Bend, Ind.) Manchester University | Sophomore – Over the weekend, the Spartans competed against Bethel and Olivet during the Bethel-Tri Meet. Eamin Lynch took third in the women’s 100 yard backstroke, touching the wall in a time of 1:06.52. Lynch also finished the 200 yard backstroke in second place with a time of 2:23.51.
- Rayann Nowacki (Lake Station, Ind.) Manchester University | Sophomore – Nowacki won the women’s 1 meter diving event at the Bethel Tri-Meet with a score of 99.20.
- Cate Stauffer (Elkhart, Ind.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Sophomore – Stauffer led Rose-Hulman’s 2nd place effort in the Franklin and Hanover Tri-Meet with 1 first place and 3 second place finishes. Stauffer won the 400-IM with a time of 4:59.44 and was runner-up in the 100-freestyle, 200-freestyle and as part of the 200-medley relay.
- Audrey Hankins (Lynn Haven, Fla.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Sophomore – Hankins placed fourth in 1-meter diving (165.10) and fourth in 3-meter diving (196.45) as part of Rose-Hulman’s second place team effort at the Franklin and Hanover Tri-Meet.
- Delaney McPherson (Kansas, Mo.) Transylvania University | Junior – McPherson won the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:16.84.
******************RIVER STATES CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS PICKED FOR JAN. 16-22**********************
Johnson scores RSC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Indiana University East freshman Jake Johnson was named River States Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week presented by Brown & Brown Insurance for his performance Jan. 16-22.
Johnson, a 6-5 guard from West Harrison, Ind., averaged 26.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while shooting 53 percent from the field in two wins for the Red Wolves. Johnson was 18 for 34 from the field, 7 for 17 from long range and played 78 minutes in two games.
Johnson’s big game was 35 points in 53 minutes played during a four-overtime thriller over Point Park (Pa.). He drained 12 of 22 field goals, made three treys and pulled in eight boards while going a clutch 8 for 11 from the foul line. His week started off with 17 points, eight rebounds and four treys in win over Carlow (Pa.).
Kash gets RSC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Hannah Kash from Alice Lloyd (Ky.) College was selected for River States Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week presented by Brown & Brown Insurance. The award is for Jan. 16-22 and is the second time this year that Kash has earned the honor.
A senior guard from Campton, Ky., Kash averaged 26.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.0 steals in two victories for the Eagles. Kash connected on 44 percent from the field and 79 percent from the foul line in her big week.
Kash began with 32 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals in a win over IU Kokomo. She then put up 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals in a victory over St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) playing 39 minutes.
Pocock named RSC Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Lanie Pocock from Indiana University Kokomo picked up River States Conference Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week presented by Brown & Brown Insurance for her national qualification from Jan. 16-22.
Pocock, a senior from Ft. Wayne, Ind., qualified for NAIA indoor nationals in the race walk. She did so at the Warrior Indoor Invitational placing second and hitting the NAIA ‘B’ standard. That was with a time of 17 minutes, 44.89 seconds. That set a school record and puts her at the top spot in the RSC performance list.
Brown earns RSC Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Midway (Ky.) University pole vaulter Nevaeh Brown earned River States Conference Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week for Jan. 16-22. The award is presented by Brown & Brown Insurance.
Brown, a sophomore from Louisville, Ky., hit another NAIA ‘A’ qualifying mark at the Bellarmine Open. Already qualified for nationals previously, Brown cleared 3.68 meters to place second at the meet. She was the highest finisher among non-Division I competitors. Brown still holds the top mark in the RSC for the pole vault and ranks fifth in the NAIA.
Salaah claims RSC Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Abdul Salaah from Midway (Ky.) University claimed River States Conference Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week presented by Brown & Brown Insurance for Jan. 16-22.
A sophomore from Covington, Ky., Salaah set a pair of school records in the 60 meters and 200 meters at the Bellarmine Open. He won the 60 meters with a record time of 6.99 seconds. He then placed seventh in the 200 meters with another record of 22.56 seconds. Salaah was also a part of the Eagles’ 4×400 relay that registered a Top-10 showing in ninth place at 3:48.97.
Stephens-Stewart named RSC Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Daimere Stephens-Stewart from Point Park (Pa.) University is the River States Conference Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week presented by Brown & Brown Insurance for his performance Jan. 16-22.
Stephens-Stewart, a junior from Pittsburgh, Pa., won the triple jump and was second in the long jump at the SPIRE Midwest Open. He notched a distance of 13.65 meters to win the triple. His leap of 6.72 in the long jump put him at runner-up. He also ran the 60 meters and 200 meters over on the track.
****************************WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS*********************
IN A FIRST, WOMEN’S AP TOP 25 HAS NO TEAMS FROM TEXAS
For the first time in the 47-year history of The Associated Press women’s basketball poll no team from Texas is in the Top 25.
The Texas Longhorns fell out of Monday’s poll, ending a 835-week run that had at least one team from the Lone Star state in the rankings. From Wayland Baptist, Stephen F. Austin and Baylor appearing in the first poll in 1976 to Texas’ No. 25 ranking last week, there has always been at least one team from the state in the poll until now.
“Texas is the oil state and also has certainly been rich in women’s basketball as well,” said Mel Greenberg, who started the poll in the 1976-77 season while with the Philadelphia Inquirer. “When I started, the state had some of the best teams with Wayland and Stephen F. Austin. Then Jody (Conradt) at Texas and eventually Kim (Mulkey) at Baylor continued the tradition.”
Middle Tennessee entered the rankings for the first time in nine years at No. 23. The Blue Raiders (16-2) have won 14 consecutive games, including a victory over Louisville, which is the fourth-longest winning streak in the country behind the last three unbeaten teams.
That group is topped by No. 1 South Carolina (20-0), which has 26 consecutive victories dating to its run to the NCAA championship last season. The Gamecocks, who were again a unanimous choice from the 28-member national media panel, have been ranked atop the poll for 31 consecutive weeks – the fourth-longest streak ever. Only UConn (51 and 34 weeks) and Louisiana Tech (36) have had longer runs at No. 1.
Ohio State (19-0) reamined No. 2 behind the Gamecocks going into a week that includes games against No. 11 Iowa and sixth-ranked Indiana.
Stanford flipped places with LSU for No. 3 after beating then- No. 8 Utah and No. 25 Colorado, which dropped a spot after the loss. LSU (19-0) is fourth and UConn fifth.
Notre Dame, UCLA, Utah followed the sixth-ranked Hoosiers. Maryland and Iowa were tied for 10th.
The Blue Raiders are making their first appearance in the Top 25 since the final rankings in 2014 when coach Rick Insell’s team was 22nd.
“We’ve got a special group,” Insell said. “This year, we were able to beat (Louisville) which was a big win that showed we had a pretty good basketball team.”
Insell credits his team’s run to the WNIT semifinals last year for being a springboard to this season’s success.
“It’s big to be able to take your team in there,” he said. “I’m fortunate I had a young team, give them that type of competition. You’ll have good crowds and it’s an atmosphere you can build on. That’s what we’ve done with that. That’s why we’re at where we are.”
Florida State entered the poll at No. 24, its first ranking since 2021. Oregon fell out.
LONE STAR STRUGGLES
Baylor and Texas have been carrying the state flag over the past two decades in the women’s Top 25; at least one had been ranked every week since Dec. 4, 2000. Teams from the state have won six NCAA titles (Baylor has three while Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Texas each have one). At one point over the last 47 years, at least one of these teams had been ranked until the current poll: Baylor, Houston, Lamar, Rice, Stephen F. Austin, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UTEP and Wayland Baptist.
STREAKING
With Texas’ run over, Connecticut now owns the longest active run for a state thanks to the Huskies, who have appeared in 557 consecutive polls. California has the longest run for a state with more than one different team being ranked: 412 consecutive weeks, with Stanford, California and UCLA all spending time in the Top 25 over that stretch dating to the preseason poll in 2001.
***********************************NBA NEWS****************************
AP SOURCE: LAKERS ACQUIRING RUI HACHIMURA FROM WIZARDS
(AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers are acquiring former lottery pick Rui Hachimura from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Kendrick Nunn and a package of second-round draft picks, a person familiar with the negotiations said Monday.
The person, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade has not been finalized and approved by the NBA, said the teams are working under the expectation that the deal will be completed later Monday.
Hachimura and the Wizards did not agree on a rookie extension before the season started, which prompted speculation that the Japanese power forward wouldn’t be in their long-term plans.
And it would make sense that the Lakers would be seeking help. At 22-25, they’re in 12th place in the Western Conference, but entered Monday just two games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 6 spot and four games back of the New Orleans Pelicans for No. 4 in the West – with LeBron James averaging nearly 30 points per game and a belief that Anthony Davis will be back from injury sooner than later.
“I just want to be somewhere that wants me as a basketball player,” Hachimura told reporters last week. “And I want to be somewhere that likes my game. … I just want to be somewhere that believes in me and I can be myself. That’s my goal.”
Hachimura has appeared in 30 games for the Wizards this season, all off the bench, averaging 13.0 points on 49% shooting from the floor and 34% from 3-point range. He was the No. 9 pick in the 2019 draft.
Nunn is in his fourth NBA season, his second with the Lakers, though he missed all of last season with a knee problem. He has averaged 6.7 points in 39 games this season, 37 of them in a reserve role.
Antetokounmpo scores 29 in return, Bucks top Pistons 150-130
DETROIT (AP) Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 20 of his 29 points in the first quarter, returning to the lineup after a five-game absence to lead the Milwaukee Bucks in a 150-130 win over the Detroit Pistons on Monday night.
The two-time MVP had been out with a sore left knee and was joined by three-time All-Star Khris Middleton, putting the Bucks’ prolific duo in the same lineup for the first time in more than a month.
“The band is back together,” Antetokounmpo said.
Middleton, who hadn’t played since Dec. 15 due to a sore right knee, had eight points and four assists as a steadying presence for the Central Division-leading Bucks.
“It was great to see everyone playing together with no real chemistry issues,” said Bucks center Brook Lopez, who scored 21 points.
Milwaukee scored 49 points in the first quarter, two shy of the NBA record, and led Detroit by 25 after Antetokounmpo made all six of his shots in eight-plus minutes.
“I was trying to be aggressive and some shots fell,” he said.
After drawing defenders, Antetokounmpo also had two assists along with two rebounds in the opening quarter.
“It was impressive to come out and play the way he did,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “He did a little bit of everything, just like the whole group that in that quarter.”
Antetokounmpo didn’t keep up his scoring pace the rest of the game, but he didn’t have to with teammates such as reserve Bobby Portis scoring 12 of his 18 points in the second quarter.
Milwaukee led 83-55 at halftime, had 115 after three quarters and finished with a season high in points in a game that wasn’t competitive beyond the opening minutes.
“The first quarter is what I was afraid would happen,” Detroit coach Dwane Casey said. “A championship-caliber team came in and put their stamp on the game at the beginning. We didn’t respond, and that’s how you give up a 49-point first quarter. I liked our fight after that, but this is a 48-minute game.”
Mercifully, the Bucks held the ball and were called for a shot-clock violation in the final seconds when they were three points from matching the most by an NBA team this season.
“I’m sure the basket looked big for them,” Budenholzer said.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 33 points and rookie Jalen Duren had a season-high 23 points and 14 rebounds for the Pistons, who have won an Eastern Conference-low 12 games and are ahead of only Houston in the league-wide standings.
Detroit rookie Jaden Ivey had 12 points and 11 assists, and Hamidou Diallo added 11 points off the bench.
“The challenge at that point is looking at the scoreboard and telling yourself there’s no 31-point shot,” said Detroit’s Saddiq Bey, who scored 21 points.
IN MEMORY OF
The Pistons honored the late Bob Lanier throughout the game. The Hall of Famer, who played his 14-season career with Detroit and Milwaukee, died in May at age 73.
There was also a moment of silence for Chris Ford, who started his career with Detroit before winning three NBA titles in Boston as a player and assistant coach. Ford, who made the first 3-pointer in league history, died last week at age 74.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Portis left the court with a sore right knee early in the fourth quarter after grabbing a 10th rebound for his 29th double-double this season. “We’re hopeful that it is not anything serious,” Budenholzer said. … Reserve Jevon Carter had 18, and Jrue Holiday added 16 points and seven assists.
Pistons: Killian Hayes (shoulder) was out along with Marvin Bagley (broken hand) and Cade Cunningham (shin surgery). … The short-handed team has lost four straight and eight of 10 games in 2023.
UP NEXT
Bucks: Host Denver on Wednesday night.
Pistons: At Brooklyn on Thursday night.
BANCHERO, ISAAC, MAGIC END CELTICS’ 9-GAME WIN STREAK 113-98
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Paolo Banchero scored 23 points, Jonathan Isaac played in an NBA game for the first time in 2 1/2 years and the Orlando Magic broke the Boston Celtics’ nine-game winning streak Monday night with a 113-98 victory.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 26 points apiece for the Celtics, who managed just three points after Tatum’s 3-pointer cut Orlando’s lead to 97-95 with 6:20 remaining.
“We guarded in that second half,” said Cole Anthony, who came off the Magic bench with 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. “Under 100 points for a a team that’s got two guys (Tatum and Brown) averaging 60 points? That’s a heck of a job by our team.”
Wendell Carter Jr. had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Magic, who beat the Celtics for the third straight time after losing 10 straight to Boston.
“We had 18 turnovers,” said Tatum. who had three of them. “They have long, active guys, and you’ve got to take care of the basketball.”
The Celtics, whose 35-13 record is still the best in the NBA, had not lost since Jan. 3 at Oklahoma City.
“I think it says more about Orlando and how they played tonight,” said Boston interim coach Joe Mazzulla. “They were physical, they had an edge about them and I thought they played really well.”
Isaac missed 211 games since tearing his ACL in the NBA’s restart at Walt Disney World on Aug. 2, 2020. He finished with 10 points, three rebounds and two steals, playing about 9 1/2 minutes.
“Much love to the Magic for sticking with me,” Isaac said. “And the Magic fans were excited, so I was just trying to bottle all that up in one moment. It was surreal.”
Banchero made 3 of 5 3-pointers and had five rebounds.
“Obviously he’s probably the Rookie of the Year and he’s getting better every month,” Tatum said.
After Mo Wagner’s 3-pointer put the Magic up 43-29 in the second quarter, they went 5:21 before scoring another field goal. Tatum scored the last six points on a 12-0 run that lifted the Celtics to their first lead of the game, 45-44 with 4:10 left in the first half.
Orlando led 55-54 at halftime, then opened up a 13-point lead with the help of 3-pointers by Isaac and Gary Harris during a 15-3 run midway through the third quarter.
“I know they came out and hit some really tough shots early on, but we stayed he course from there,” said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley. “Then obviously we wanted to make sure it was a defensive effort down the stretch.”
TIP-INS
Celtics: G Marcus Smart (right ankle) and F/C Robert Williams III (hyperextended left knee) did not play after getting injured Saturday night at Toronto. … G Malcolm Brogdon missed the game for personal reasons. … Tatum went to the Boston locker room with 6:47 left in the third quarter with a “cramping on the side of my stomach,” but re-entered the game with 2:04 left in the period.
Magic: Franz Wagner had 15 points, seven rebounds and a game-leading plus-17 plus/minus ratio. . . . The Magic shot 51.2 overall and 11 for 27 (40.7%) from 3-point range . . . Fultz’s slam dunk with 7:49 left in the third quarter was the first field goal by a Magic starting guard.
UP NEXT
Celtics: At Miami on Tuesday night.
Magic: Host Indiana on Wednesday night.
DEROZAN SCORES 26 IN 1,000TH GAME, BULLS BEAT HAWKS 111-100
CHICAGO (AP) DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points in his 1,000th career game, Nikola Vucevic added 14 points and 17 rebounds and the Chicago Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks 111-100 on Monday night.
The Bulls (22-24) returned to Chicago after a 126-108 win over the Pistons in Paris on Thursday and matched their season high with a third straight victory.
“The second half of the season, you can’t give games back. Everything matters from here in and out,” DeRozan said. “You got to be the desperate ones. You got to go out there and compete.”
Trae Young had 21 points and 13 assists, while Dejounte Murray added 20 points for the Hawks, who have lost two straight after winning five in a row.
The Bulls started to pull away in the fourth quarter after Young found John Collins for an alley-oop dunk to cut the lead to 91-88. Zach LaVine answered with a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws before DeRozan made a 3 to extend the lead to 99-88 with 5:29 left.
LaVine finished with 20 points.
In the previous two meetings in Atlanta, both games ended with a buzzer-beater. AJ Griffin beat the Bulls at the horn on Dec. 11 and 10 days later, Ayo Dosunmu returned the favor with a follow shot as time expired.
The Bulls controlled most of the second half.
Patrick Williams sealed the game with a 3 to put Chicago up 108-95 with 1:53 left. Williams finished with 18 points and nine rebounds.
“I thought Patrick was really good tonight on the glass. He had some really important timely rebounds both defensively and offensively. That was important for us in crucial situations,” said Bulls coach Billy Donovan. “He is a guy that has to try to get double-figure rebounds for us.”
The Hawks lost their key defender De’Andre Hunter before the game to asthma symptoms.
“They got two really good weapons (DeRozan and LaVine) over there and it is hard to guard a lot of guys in this league 1-on-1. So you have to use multiple guys and when you’re missing probably your best defender, it’s hard,” Young said.
“You are going to have to send doubles, you’re going to have to do different types of schemes you (wouldn’t) have if you had him out there. It’s obviously not an excuse why we lost, but I definitely think that’s tough when you have two high horses over there.”
Clint Capela had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Atlanta.
The Bulls led 57-48 at the half. LaVine scored 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Murray led the Hawks with 15 points. Young was held to four points on 1-of-6 shooting.
TIP-INS
Hawks: Bogdan Bogdanovic was back in the lineup after missing Saturday’s loss to Charlotte with a right knee injury. He finished with 11 points in 33 minutes. … THe Hawks had 18 turnovers.
Bulls: G Goran Dragic missed the game with a non-COVID illness. Donovan said Dragic will not travel with the team to Indiana but may re-join them during the three-game road trip. … Bulls were 6 of 25 from the floor in the first quarter and 17 of 25 in the second quarter. … DeRozan became the 143rd player to play in 1,000 games or more. … The Bulls began a stretch where they play four games in six nights in four different cities.
UP NEXT
Hawks: At Oklahoma City on Wednesday.
Bulls: At Indiana on Tuesday.
GREEN SCORES CAREER-HIGH 42, ROCKETS END 13-GAME SKID
HOUSTON (AP) Jalen Green scored a career-high 42 points and the Houston Rockets held on for a 119-114 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night to snap a 13-game losing streak.
Green, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, had 21 points by halftime and kept up his strong play in the second half to lead the Rockets to their first victory since Dec. 26 at Chicago. They ended their longest skid of the season and also a 10-game home losing streak, winning at home for the first time since Dec. 13 against Phoenix.
Green bounced back after shooting just 3 of 13 with 10 points in a loss to the Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Coach Stephen Silas could see the drive in Green to perform better from the start Monday night.
“He was ready for tonight,” Silas said. “It was time for us to buckle down and have a focused game for 48 minutes and he was the leader of that tonight.”
Green said he was “a little bit in my head” after his bad game Saturday but was determined to turn things around. He was thrilled that his big game helped Houston end its skid.
“It feels good,” he said. “My guys relied on me, coaches relied on me. We needed that. We were desperate for it. We came out and executed.”
Anthony Edwards had 31 points and D’Angelo Russell tied a season high with 30 for the Timberwolves, who had won two straight.
“You are what you repeatedly do,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. “We’ve repeatedly struggled with these types of games so focus… has to be part of the problem, but we just didn’t have enough guys play well either.”
Rookie Tari Eason talked about the Houston’s mindset entering Monday’s game.
“I just told the team before the game, just be desperate,” Eason said. “And I think that’s what we did tonight. Everybody played desperate. Everybody played their tails off.”
The Rockets were clinging to a one-point lead before Green scored the next five points, capped by a 3-pointer, to make it 105-99 with two minutes to go.
Edwards made the second of two free throws before Green struck again, knocking down a long 2-pointer to leave Houston up 107-100 with 90 seconds to go.
Kenyon Martin Jr. then stole the ball from D’Angelo Russell and finished on the other end with a dunk to extend the lead to nine with less than a minute left.
Edwards made a 3 for Minnesota after that but Green hit a 3-pointer for Houston seconds later to make it 112-103 with 41 seconds to go. Minnesota closed within four with 12 seconds remaining but Green answer with a free throw.
Green swished a 3-pointer as time expired in the third quarter to leave Houston up 90-81. The Timberwolves used an 8-0 run, with five points from Russell, to cut the lead to 92-89 with about nine minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Houston went on a 7-0 run, with a 3 from Garrison Mathews, to take an 81-74 lead with less than four minutes left in the third quarter.
Austin Rivers made a 3 for Minnesota second later, but the Rockets scored the next six points to make it 87-77 with about two minutes left in the quarter.
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: Taurean Prince sat out with a sprained left ankle. . Rudy Gobert had 15 points and 16 rebounds in his return after missing three games right groin soreness.
Rockets: Rookie Jabari Smith Jr. missed a second straight game with a sprained right ankle. . Kevin Porter Jr. missed a sixth consecutive game with a bruised left foot. … Alperen Sengun had 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
THE BASEMENT
Houston, which finished with the NBA’s worst record in each of the last two seasons, is again the league’s worst team this season at 11-36. Silas hopes a game like this is proof that his team is improving despite its record.
“We’re a work in progress for sure,” he said. “We still made mistakes.. but we played through them tonight and that’s the important thing.”
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: Visit New Orleans Wednesday night.
Rockets: Host Washington Wednesday night.
MARKKANEN SCORES 25 AS JAZZ BEAT HORNETS, WHO MAKE ONLY 2 3S
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Lauri Markkanen had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and the Utah Jazz beat the cold-shooting Charlotte Hornets 120-102 on Monday night.
The Hornets made only two 3-pointers, both by Terry Rozier, the fewest by an NBA team this season. Charlotte had 16 attempts beyond the arc, shooting 12.5%, while the Jazz made 16 of 40. The previous low for Charlotte this season was five 3s, most recently on Dec. 3 at Milwaukee.
“We saw at halftime they weren’t making their 3s, so our focus was just to protect the paint and take away what they wanted to do,” Markkanen said.
Jordan Clarkson scored 18 points and Mike Conley added 14 for the Jazz, who have won three of four.
Rozier scored 23 points and Mason Plumlee had 18 for the Hornets, who were trying to win three straight games for the first time this season.
“We’ve been inside-out all year. I believe we’re like fourth or fifth in drives into the paint per game. We haven’t shot the ball well from 3. Tonight we didn’t get many 3s,” Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said of his team, which ranks at the bottom of the league in 3-point shooting.
Charlotte’s leading scorer, LaMelo Ball, missed his second game with ankle and wrist soreness. Dennis Smith Jr. had 15 points and nine assists for the Hornets.
Utah led by 10 after three quarters before going on an 18-4 run, punctuated by Walker Kessler’s dunk, to make it 107-83 with 6:07 to play.
“We let them dictate too much on the defensive end. I feel like we didn’t get enough good shots and kind of let the game get away from us there,” Charlotte’s Gordon Hayward said.
The Jazz ran the Hornets off the 3-point line and conceded long 2-point jumpers and wild drives to the basket.
“Our team really executed on the defensive end. Our guys did a great job of switching and disrupting their offense,” Utah coach Will Hardy said.
Meanwhile, the Jazz used crisp passing to find open 3-point shooters and drives through the lane.
Eleven of Utah’s first 15 field goals were 3s, while the Hornets missed their first seven tries from long range. The Jazz led 58-45 at halftime despite having made three fewer field goals.
“My stuff comes off running into screens or off ball screens. Our team does a great job finding mismatches we like,” said Markkanen, who also grabbed 11 rebounds. “I don’t need to shoot it each time because if they double, I can find shooters for 3s.”
The Jazz extended their home winning streak over the Hornets to 16.
JANUARY DOLDRUMS
The game was played without a lot of emotion and the Jazz led by double-digits most of the way.
“Fatigue starts to set in around the 50-game mark and guys legs are getting heavy. The mental and the emotional fatigue is real. … At this time of year, everything about the NBA is telling your brain to relax,” Hardy said.
Players start making plans for the All-Star break and injuries start to add up, making for some unenthusiastic midseason games.
“It’s the weirdest part of the season right now. The trade deadline is coming and you’ve played a lot of games … so you your mind can get a little bit jumbled, when your body’s already worn down a little bit,” Conley said.
TIP-INS
Hornets: Because of injuries, Hayward played just his fourth game at Utah since spending his first seven seasons with the Jazz. He finished with 11 points. … Rozier made Charlotte’s first 3-pointer of the game with 10:51 left in the third quarter. … The Hornets outscored the Jazz 22-15 on the fast break.
Jazz: The 40-foot big screens above the court facing each sideline were inoperable. … After the game, Clarkson gave his jersey to rapper YG, who sat courtside. … Ochai Agbaji flipped in the air on an acrobatic dunk attempt in the third quarter and landed awkwardly. He returned with in the fourth with tape on his left wrist.
UP NEXT
Hornets: At Phoenix on Tuesday night.
Jazz: At Portland on Wednesday night.
LILLARD SCORES 37, BLAZERS BEAT SPURS 147-127 TO STOP SKID
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Damian Lillard had 37 points and 12 assists, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the San Antonio Spurs 147-127 on Monday night to stop a three-game losing streak.
Jusuf Nurkic added 25 points and 11 rebounds for the struggling Blazers, who had lost eight of their previous 10 games.
Keldon Johnson scored 20 points for the Spurs, who have lost seven of their last eight games and sit second-to-last in the Western Conference standings, just above the Houston Rockets.
The high-scoring first half ended with the score knotted at 74. The Blazers started to pull away late in the third quarter, when Lillard hit a 3-pointer that gave them a 103-95 lead.
Rookie Shaedon Sharpe added a 3 and then dunked to give the Blazers a 108-97 lead. Lillard made another 3 from just inside Portland’s pinwheel logo at center court.
“We separated ourselves in that third quarter. We played the way we need to play for most of an NBA game, separated ourselves and then obviously finished the game. It was a great offensive game and a better defensive effort in the second half,” Lillard said. “Right now we can’t complain about how we get them. We won the game.”
Portland led by as many as 24 points in the fourth quarter to run away with the win.
The Blazers rebounded from a loss to the Lakers on Sunday night, when they blew a 25-point halftime lead for a 121-112 loss.
Portland coach Chauncey Billups spoke to the team before the game against the Spurs. While not revealing details of the chat, he said he used the quote: “Adversity has a way of introducing a man to himself.”
Afterward, he praised the team for bouncing back.
“What we did tonight is really, really hard to do. In my experience, just being around, losing a game like we lost last night, it usually has a lasting impact on you,” Billups said. “And I’m really proud of my guys for being able to put it aside and just move on and just worry about the Spurs. It’s really, really hard to do. I’m really proud of my dudes for being able to have the mental fortitude to do so.”
The Blazers led 40-38 lead after the first quarter. Tre Jones’ driving layup put the Spurs up 57-53. But Lillard was fouled on a 3-point attempt with just over a minute left before halftime and hit all of them, giving the Blazers a 72-67 lead.
“We’re scoring enough points, we’re not getting enough stops. A lot of credit goes to Damian tonight. He was great. He got the better of us, a great player. He’s who he is, and we couldn’t stop him,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
TIP-INS
Spurs: It was the first of a three-game road trip. Next up are the Los Angeles teams. … The Spurs had eight players in double figures. … Jeremy Sochan finished with 18 points.
Trail Blazers: The Blazers won the first two meetings against the Spurs earlier this season. … Portland is mostly healthy, with only Gary Payton II playing limited minutes. … Anfernee Simons finished with 26 points. … Portland’s record for most points in a game is 156.
MOVING UP
Lillard had seven 3-pointers, moving him into seventh all-time in the league with 2,283.
Lillard now has 42 career games with 30 or more points and 10 or more assists.
UP NEXT
Spurs: Visit the Lakers on Wednesday.
Trail Blazers: Host the Jazz on Wednesday.
KINGS USE EARLY 3S, BIG 4TH QUARTER TO TOP GRIZZLIES 133-100
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Trey Lyles scored a season-high 24 points, Harrison Barnes had 15 of his 20 in Sacramento’s record-tying first quarter and the Kings beat the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies 133-100 on Monday night.
The Kings tied the NBA record with 12 3-pointers in the first quarter – in just 13 attempts – and scored 47 points. But Sacramento didn’t put away the game until outscoring Memphis 33-10 in the fourth quarter.
Lyles was 6 for 8 from 3-point range for the Kings (27-19), who have won seven of their last eight games.
“It’s nice,” Lyles said. “We have another game on Wednesday. Let’s see if we can do it again.”
Domantas Sabonis finished with 14 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his sixth triple-double of the season. Sabonis leads the NBA in double-doubles with 36.
Keegan Murray also finished with 20 points and De’Aaron Fox had 17 points and 10 assists.
“Great team win,” Kings coach Mike Brown said. “I thought defensively in the second half, we were good.”
Desmond Bane scored 21 points for Memphis (31-16), which played without Ja Morant and Steven Adams. The Grizzlies have lost three straight following an 11-game winning streak.
“They shot the ball really well tonight,” Brandon Clarke said. “We didn’t have an answer.”
Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 19 points and Dillon Brooks scored 13 points and added six assists. The Grizzlies visit Golden State on Wednesday.
“We have to focus on getting better and playing better against Golden State,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. “Just continue to play hard and play together and just try and find a groove.”
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Tyus Jones started in place of Morant and had 12 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Kings: Sacramento was without C Chimezie Metu because of a left knee bone bruise. .the Kings committed a season-high 25 turnovers.
UP NEXT
Kings: Host Toronto on Wednesday.
Grizzlies: Travel to face the Warriors on Wednesday.
*******************************NHL NEWS*****************************
NYLANDER HELPS MAPLE LEAFS BEAT SLUMPING ISLANDERS 5-2
TORONTO (AP) William Nylander had two goals and two assists as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the slumping New York Islanders 5-2 on Monday night.
John Tavares had a goal and an assist, Calle Jarnkrok and Auston Matthews also scored and Justin Holl had two assists for Toronto, which is 3-0-1 in its last four and 6-2-1 in its last nine. Ilya Samsonov had 31 saves.
Anders Lee scored twice for New York in its ninth loss in 10 games (1-6-3). Ilya Sorokin had 33 saves.
The Maple Leafs 1-0 after one period and coach Sheldon Keefe tweaked his top-6 forward group during the first intermission, reuniting Tavares and Nylander, and slotting Mitch Marner alongside Matthews.
“I don’t think a lot had to be said (in the intermission) other than pointing out the obvious, but it’s on the players,” Keefe said. “They did the talking and, more importantly, just came out on the ice way more focused.”
Toronto tied it at 5:07 of the second when Nylander scored off the rush after a nice play from Tavares.
“We decided to battle and compete a little bit more,” Nylander said of the team’s play in the second period. “That’s what took over the game.”
Lee put New York back ahead 1:10 later on a one-timer that fooled Samsonov for his 17th.
Toronto it on a power play at 7:53 when Samsonov caught the Islanders on a long change with a stretch pass. Nylander quickly fed Tavares, who moved in alone and backhanded his 21st goal of the season upstairs against his former team.
“I wasn’t expecting it, to be honest,” Tavares said of Samsonov’s quick strike. “Happy I got back onside because he sends it up there quickly.”
Keefe had a lot of praise for Tavares’ play in the second period.
“Best period John Tavares has played all season,” Keefe said. “That got Willie going. Willie finished the chances and Willie was good. But I thought J.T. was excellent.”
The Leafs, who lost 3-2 in overtime to the Islanders here on Nov. 21, then took their first lead 1:40 later when Nylander used a delicate flip pass to send Jarnkrok in alone to score his 11th.
Sorokin stopped Michael Bunting’s penalty shot later in the period, but Nylander buried his second of the night and 26th overall with 3:28 left in the middle period after stealing the puck from Scott Mayfield in the offensive zone.
Matthews sealed the win with his 25th at 7:44 of the third on a breakaway off a pass from Holl.
“Our details and our awareness cost us,” Islanders coach Lane Lambert said. “We’ve got to just absolutely get past that and clean it up.”
New York opened the scoring with 22.2 seconds left in the first when Lee swatted home a loose puck in the crease for his 16th after Brock Nelson’s shot glanced off the Samsonov’s shoulder and hit the post.
The Toronto goaltender was sharp on a number of chances earlier in the period, including a terrific blocker stop at full stretch on Casey Cizikas.
SAMSONOV ON A RUN
Samsonov made his third straight start and fourth straight appearance. Samsonov came in 14-4-2 record and a .919 save percentage, while Matt Murray was 11-5-0 with a .911 save percentage as part of Toronto’s goaltending tandem.
DEBUTS AND RETURNS
New York D Samuel Boldoc made his NHL debut. The 22-year-old from Quebec had eight goals and 26 points in 40 AHL games this season. … Also, Islanders F Kyle Palmieri and D Adam Pelech returned to the lineup after long injury absences.
UP NEXT
Islanders: At Ottawa on Wednesday night to wrap up a two-game trip.
Maple Leafs: Host the New York Rangers on Wednesday night in the second of a five-game trip.
ZIBANEJAD, SHESTERKIN LEAD RANGERS PAST PANTHERS 6-2
NEW YORK (AP) Mika Zibanejad scored twice and Igor Shesterkin stopped 33 shots as the New York Rangers beat the Florida Panthers 6-2 on Monday night.
Adam Fox had a goal and two assists, and Jimmy Vesey, Alexis Lafreniere and Filip Chytil also scored for the Rangers, who are 15-4-2 since Dec. 5 and 5-0-1 in their last six home games against Florida. Artemi Panarin had three assists.
Shesterkin had seven saves in the first, 14 in the second and 12 in the third to improve to 11-4-3 in his last 18 starts and 21-8-6 overall this season.
“We played a smart game,? Shesterkin said. “And we scored on our opportunities.”
The 27-year-old Russian just missed scoring when the Panthers pulled goaltender Alex Lyon with more than five minutes left, down by three goals. Sheskterin’s full-rink attempt missed wide left by mere inches.
“From our angle on the bench, I thought it was in,? Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said.
Shesterkin said he would keep trying when the opportunity presents itself.
“Maybe next time,? he said.
Carter Verhaeghe and Aleksander Barkov scored for the Panthers, who had won four of their previous five and are 7-3-1 since Jan. 1, when the Rangers won the previous meeting 5-3 in Florida.
Fox opened the scoring with his 10th goal at 3:03 of the first, bursting past the Panthers’ defense before sliding the puck past Lyon. Fox has points in 32 of New York’s 47 games this season. With his pair of assists, Fox tied Brian Leetch for the most assists (177) within a player’s first four seasons with the Rangers.
Verhaeghe tied it on the power play at 5:56 with his 23rd, giving the Panthers goals with the man advantage for the fourth-straight game and seven of the last eight.
Zibanejad put the Rangers ahead with 2:39 left in the first on the power play, one-timing a pass from Panarin past Lyon from his patented spot in the left circle. Fox had an assist on the play, giving him a multi-point effort for the third time in six games.
Vesey made it 3-1 at 15:03 of the second with his eighth.
Lafreniere then scored for the first time in 18 games at 7:56 of the third before Zibanejad scored again – his team-leading 22nd – at 8:10 to make it 5-1. Zibanejad’s first goal of the night was the 250th of his career.
“It’s obviously fun. I try not to analyze my career when I’m still in it and hopefully have a few more good years left,” the 29-year-old Zibanejad said.
Lafreniere was heartened by his goal, his sixth of the season and first since Dec. 7.
“We’re trying to get better and gain confidence,” the 21-year-old Lafreniere said about his youthful line which includes Kaapo Kakko, also 21, and Chytil, 23. “We’re all kind of the same age and its fun.”
Barkov pulled the Panthers within three at 11:02 of the third with his 13th before Chytil completed the scoring with an empty-net goal with 3:11 remaining.
“We just didn’t generate enough chances to win,” Barkov said. “It’s not going to go our way every time. We have to forget about this one and move forward.”
Panarin, who leads the Rangers with 50 points, extended his points streak against the Panthers to 12 games. It was the 28th time in his career Panarin had a three-assist game.
STAAL RETURNS
Former Rangers defenseman Marc Staal, 36, played his first game with the Panthers at Madison Square Garden after two seasons with Detroit. Staal, who was traded to the Red Wings in September 2020, played 892 games over 13 seasons in New York and skated in the second-most playoff games (107) in Rangers history.
UP NEXT
Panthers: At Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.
Rangers: At Toronto on Wednesday night.
SABRES ROOKIE POWER SCORES IN OVERTIME IN 3-2 WIN OVER STARS
DALLAS (AP) Rookie defenseman Owen Power scored his first goal of the season 56 seconds into overtime and 41-year-old Craig Anderson stopped 29 of 31 shots in his 700th career NHL appearance as the Buffalo Sabres beat the Dallas Stars 3-2 on Monday night.
Rasmus Dahlin and Victor Olofsson also scored for the Sabres, who have won three consecutive games. Seeking their first playoff berth since 2011, the Sabres moved within three points of the East’s second wild-card position.
Power was eight days old when Anderson made his NHL debut on Nov. 30, 2002 with the Chicago Blackhawks.
“You just keep chugging along,” said Anderson, who made multiple point-blank saves during the first 10 minutes when Dallas took a 1-0 lead and outshot Buffalo 10-0. “Whatever the milestone might be, the milestone is. The love of the game is for real. It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long.”
“He’s had a lot of years in the NHL and there’s not going to be a lot of years left in the NHL for him,” Sabres coach Don Granato said of Anderson. “He knows every moment’s special, and tonight was another one of those.”
Power scored from the right circle off a pass from Tage Thompson, who had two assists, seconds after hitting a goalpost.
“It’s obviously nice,” said Power, who scored two goals in eight games last season. “Hopefully I get some more.”
Jamie Benn and Jason Robertson scored for the Stars, who had shutouts in their last two. Jake Oettinger made 22 saves. Earning one point, Dallas moved one point ahead of the Winnipeg Jets for the Central Division lead.
“I’m going to go glass half full,” Stars coach Peter DeBoer said. “We’ve been playing a lot of good hockey and found a way to get an important point.”
Benn opened the scoring at 1:48, and 25 seconds into a power play, with a second-effort tap-in at the far corner of the net following a skate save off a centering pass by Roope Hintz, who missed Dallas’ previous seven games with an upper-body injury.
Dahlin’s one-time blast from the high slot tied the score at 1 midway through the period.
Olofsson converted on a 3-on-2 break with a one-timer from the right circle 1:44 into the third period to put Buffalo ahead 2-1.
Robertson scored at 5:58 to tie the score at 2 after collecting a puck on the doorstep centered by Joe Pavelski, who assisted on both Dallas goals.
Robertson is tied for fourth in the league with 65 points; Thompson is sixth with 63. Robertson has 32 goals, tied with Thompson and Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen for third place in the league.
HOCKEY (OFFICIALS) ARE TOUGH
Referee Furman South had to leave the game early in the second period for medical attention after Buffalo’s Peyton Krebs caught him in the chin with his stick. Referee TJ Luxmore went solo but only for a few minutes before South rejoined him.
NOTES
The Sabres are 6-3 in games decided in overtime, the Stars 2-6. . It was Benn’s 19th goal this season, one more than the 2015 Art Ross Trophy winner scored last season. . Dahlin has a career-high 14 goals this season with 53 points, matching last season’s career-best total. The first overall draft pick in 2018 went into play second in points among defensemen behind San Jose’s Erik Karlsson (62).
UP NEXT
Sabres: Will complete a road back-to-back on Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues.
Stars: Will host the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday in the third of four consecutive home games going into the All-Star break – followed by four more home games coming out of the break.
DUBE SCORES IN OT, FLAMES BEAT BLUE JACKETS 4-3
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) Dillon Dube scored at 2:25 of overtime to give the Calgary Flames a 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night.
Andrew Mangiapane had a goal and two assists, and Nazem Kadri and Walker Duehr also scored for the Flames. Dan Vladar stopped 22 shots to improve to 10-4-4 this season.
Patrik Laine had a goal and two assists, and Boone Jenner and Kirill Marchenko also scored for Columbus. Johnny Gaudreau had two assists in his return to Calgary for the first time since leaving as a free agent last summer. Joonas Korpisalo finished with 45 saves.
In the extra period, Dube got a cross-ice pass from Mangiapane on a 2-on-1 and fired a one timer past Korpisalo for his 12th of the season to give Calgary the win after they gave up leads of 2-0 and 3-2.
“A character win tonight,” Kadri said. “We find a way to hang in there and fight off some adversity. (We) had a lot of opportunities, and for the most part played a pretty solid game. That’s always good to see.”
Gaudreau, who is fifth all-time in Flames history with 609 points, was greeted by boos and derisive chants of “John-ny” the moment he stepped on the ice.’
“We knew it was going to be that kind of environment. Johnny had an excellent game,” Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. “The guys battled. We had some puck management issues, no question.”
Gaudreau was awarded a penalty shot five minutes into the opening period when Calgary defenseman MacKenzie Weegar hooked him on a breakaway. A wave of boos followed Gaudreau’s approach to the Flames’ net, and intensified when he shot the puck high attempting to pick the net’s top corner.
A video tribute minutes later brought many in the crowd to their feet to acknowledge his eight seasons of Flames’ service, but that goodwill was short-lived.
“I think that just shows how good of a player he was and how important he was for this organization, because you don’t get a reaction like that if you’re not that important,” Dube said.
Jenner tied the score 3-3 at 4:34 of the third as he got a pass from Laine, skated into the left circle on a 2-on-1 with Gaudreau and a fired a shot that beat Vladar for his 13th.
Duehr got the Flames on the scoreboard with 3:42 left in the first as his one-timer from just above the faceoff dot deflected off the inside of Korpisalo’s pad and in so fast that it was unclear where the puck was until officials fished it from inside the net. It was Duehr’s second goal in six games since he was called up from the AHL on Jan. 7.
Kadri made it 2-0 at 1:32 of the second. After a turnover by the Blue Jackets, Kadri spun in the slot and wired the puck over Korpisalo’s right arm for his team-leading 19th.
Marchenko got Columbus on the board, ripping Gaudreau’s cross-ice pass over Vladar’s glove at 9:04 while Dube served a tripping penalty. It was Marchenko’s 10th.
With Kadri serving a delay-of-game penalty, Gaudreau feathered the puck across to Laine, who dropped to his knee to squeeze a shot by Vladar at 9:53 for his 14th to tie it 2-2.
Mangiapane put the Flames back ahead with 3:43 left in the second. The Blue Jackets turned the puck over behind their own net and Mikael Backlund fed Mangiapane in the slot and he spun and beat Korpisalo glove side for his 10th.
VALUABLE VLADAR
The Flames have earned at least a point in Vladar’s last 12 starts, with a 9-0-3 record since Nov. 29. That’s the longest active point streak this season among NHL goalies.
SIDELINED
Calgary D Chris Tanev left the game midway through the first period after a collision in the neutral zone.
UP NEXT
Blue Jackets: At Edmonton on Wednesday night in the second of a four-game trip.
Flames: Host Chicago on Thursday night to wrap up a four-game homestand.
****************************BIG 10 HOCKEY WEEKLY********************************
• The third week in January features three Big Ten series as teams attempt to separate themselves in the Big Ten standings (a three-way tie exists for second place). A battle of Top-10 teams finds No. 2/2 Minnesota at home against No. 8/7 Michigan with Saturday’s game on Big Ten Network. Both teams should be at full strength, which was not the case when they met in November, a series the Gophers swept. No. 6/6 Penn State will host its first Big Ten home game since Dec. 3 when Notre Dame visits Pegula Ice Arena. The teams last met six weeks ago, splitting two games. No. 7/8 Ohio State stays on the road for the second straight week, traveling to Wisconsin, a team it swept on the opening weekend of conference play in October. Michigan State is idle this week.
• Seven Big Ten goaltenders have been named to the Watch List for the Mike Richter Award, presented to the top netminder in NCAA Division I hockey. Representing the conference are: Ryan Bischel (Notre Dame), Justen Close (Minnesota), Jakub Dobeš (Ohio State), Jared Moe (Wisconsin), Erik Portillo (Michigan), Dylan St. Cyr (Michigan State) and Liam Souliere (Penn State). All seven goalies have received Three Stars of the Week Awards on multiple occasions from the Big Ten this season. The Richter Award winner will be announced during the Frozen Four in April. Presented since 2014, the award has been won twice by Big Ten goaltenders — Cale Morris of Notre Dame in 2018 and Minnesota’s Jack LaFontaine in 2021.
• Minnesota’s Ryan Johnson is one of 15 nominees for the 2023 Hockey Humanitarian Award, given to college hockey’s finest citizen. The award honors student-athletes who make significant contributions to the community and their team through leadership and volunteerism. A senior defenseman, Johnson has performed gospel outreach with local churches and houses of prayer. The Gophers’ alternate captain has also provided leadership to a squad consisting of 11 freshmen. A native of Irvine, California, Johnson has appeared in 127 career games and leads the team in blocked shots (40). Humanitarian winners from the Big Ten include Michigan’s Blake Sloan in 1997 along with Wisconsin’s Erik Raygor in 1998 and Jake Bunz in 2019. Finalists for the award will be announced in February with the winner revealed on April 7.
• Ohio State has excelled in penalty-killing this season, scoring nearly as many goals as it has allowed when down a skater. The Buckeyes have struck for an NCAA-high nine short-handed goals with those tallies distributed among seven players. At the same time, OSU has limited opponents to 10 power play goals, its 89.5 percent kill rate ranking second-best nationally.
• In the latest NCAA report tracking toughest schedules, four Big Ten teams rank among the top five. Notre Dame has played the toughest schedule to date, facing opponents with a combined .611 winning percentage to share the top spot with North Dakota. The third-toughest slate belongs to Minnesota (.590), followed by Michigan (.588) and Michigan State (.583) in fifth.
****************************MEN’S TENNIS NEWS**************************
WITH DJOKOVIC’S LEG OK, HE SEES AUSTRALIAN TITLE REALISTIC
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) It took about a week for Novak Djokovic to go from worrying about whether he simply could play a match at all on his injured left hamstring to thinking he can win the Australian Open.
And one pain-free, nearly perfect performance in the fourth round Monday made a world of difference.
“Tonight, the way I played, the way I felt, gives me reason now to believe that I can go all the way,” Djokovic said after completely overwhelming 22nd-seeded Alex de Minaur 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals for the 13th time at Melbourne Park and 54th time at all Grand Slam tournaments.
“I mean, I always believe I can go all the way, in terms of my tennis,” continued Djokovic, whose 21 major championships include nine in Australia. “But the way my leg felt before tonight wasn’t giving me too many hopes, so to say, for the entire tournament, to go all the way through. Tonight I feel that, so I feel positive about it.”
A year ago, he got kicked out of the country before the Australian Open because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19. He still hasn’t gotten the shots, but the government’s coronavirus rules have been relaxed.
After looking out of joint occasionally in his first three matches in the tournament last week, sometimes stumbling to the ground, sometimes seeking treatment from a trainer, the 35-year-old from Serbia looked like his usual flexible, court-covering, dominant self at Rod Laver Arena against de Minaur.
Djokovic won 42 of 64 points that lasted five shots or more. He accumulated a 26-9 edge in winners. He won all 12 of his service games, never facing a single break point. Generally considered the best returner in the game now – and, perhaps, ever – Djokovic earned a dozen break chances and converted half.
He broke to lead 4-2 in the first set and again to end it. He broke to go up 2-0 and 4-0 in the second. He broke for advantages of 1-0 and 3-0 in the third.
“It just felt like constant pressure today. Every service game I had, wasn’t getting free points. It felt like an uphill battle from the start,” de Minaur said. “Never really was able to get my teeth into the match, make it tough for him, or bring the pressure moments and situations.”
Djokovic said he felt “fantastic” and “really great in terms of mobility and movement.”
In addition to taking “a lot” of anti-inflammatory pills to help the hamstring, Djokovic said he has been using “different treatments and machines and stuff” to help improve his leg. He also cautioned that he does not “want to celebrate too early, ’cause I don’t know how the body’s going to respond tomorrow and for the next match.”
Yes, there are still contests to come and players to contend with.
His upcoming opponent is No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev, who will head into their matchup Wednesday with an 0-6 record in Grand Slam quarterfinals. That day’s other men’s match will be between two unseeded Americans in their 20s who’ve never been this far at a major tournament: Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul.
The men’s quarterfinals scheduled for Tuesday: No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas against unseeded Jiri Lehecka, and No. 18 Karen Khachanov vs. No. 29 Sebastian Korda.
Of the seven remaining men other than Djokovic, none has won a Grand Slam title and only Tsitsipas ever has even reached a major final, and that was just once, losing to – yep, you guessed it – Djokovic at the French Open in 2021.
“I’ve been in this situation so many times before,” Djokovic said, leaning back in his chair and placing both palms on his chest. “From that point of view I think it helps me have kind of a more, let’s say, clear approach to the remaining days of the tournament and what I need to do. Of course, I’ll keep an eye on all the other matches, see how the other guys are doing. We’ll see what happens.”
De Minaur, for one, knows what he thinks is going to happen.
“What I experienced today was probably Novak very close to his best, I would say,” he said. “To me, if that’s the level, I think he’s definitely the guy that’s going to take the title.”
SHELTON, PAUL GIVE US 3 MEN IN QUARTERS AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Ben Shelton’s concerns leading into his first Australian Open had less to do with playing tennis and more to do with everything else associated with the trip.
His first time outside of the United States. His first time using a passport. The jet lag. The time difference. The food. The driving on the left side of the road. And, oh, yeah, the whole part about keeping up with online classwork as he begins a new semester this week while pursuing a business degree.
Shelton, you see, is still just 20. A year ago at this time, he was attending classes and competing in college tennis at the University of Florida, where his dad, a former pro himself, coaches the men’s team. As of Monday, when he edged J.J. Wolf 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 6-2 at John Cain Arena, Shelton is, suddenly and stunningly, a Grand Slam quarterfinalist – one of three American men to make it that far at Melbourne Park, the most for the country since 2000.
“Definitely a surprise. I got on the plane with no expectations,” Shelton, who won the 2022 NCAA singles championship, said of his performance at the second major tournament of his nascent professional career. “It maybe has helped me a little bit, kind of not having that expectation or the feeling that I have to perform, but being able to just go out there, be myself and play free. I think that’s been a big contribution to my success.”
Now the 89th-ranked Shelton meets yet another unseeded American, 35th-ranked Tommy Paul, who eliminated No. 24 seed Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.
Their matchup will be the first Slam quarterfinal between two men from the U.S. since 2007, when Andy Roddick beat Mardy Fish in Melbourne. Roddick’s title at the U.S. Open 20 years ago remains the last major singles championship for a man from the country.
“It’s like every person’s dream when they start playing tennis to play the big matches at the Slams,” said Paul, a 25-year-old from New Jersey. “I’m really excited to get out there on Wednesday. We know there’s going to be an American in the semis, so I’m really excited about that, too.”
Completing the trio is Sebastian Korda, who plays his quarterfinal Tuesday against No. 18 Karen Khachanov of Russia. Like Shelton and Paul, Korda has made it this far at a major for the first time. And like Shelton, Korda’s Dad played tennis: Petr Korda won the 1998 Australian Open.
There is nothing new about all of this, of course, for Novak Djokovic, the 21-time Grand Slam champion who looked indomitable during a 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 win over No. 22 seed Alex de Minaur of Australia and declared that his bothersome left hamstring is no longer an issue.
“I didn’t feel anything today,” Djokovic said, noting that he has been taking “a lot of” anti-inflammatory pills.
Djokovic, who couldn’t play in last year’s Australian Open because he wasn’t vaccinated against COVID-19, moved a step closer to a record-extending 10th championship in Melbourne by never facing a break point and by claiming a half-dozen of de Minaur’s service games.
Djokovic moves on to a matchup against No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev. The Russian kept coming back, kept coming back, kept coming back – from down 5-2 in the fifth set, from facing a pair of match points while trailing 6-5, from deficits of 5-0 and 7-2 in the first-to-10 concluding tiebreaker – before finally putting away No. 9 Holger Rune 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (11-9) at Rod Laver Arena.
Rublev won it when his backhand return slipped off the net cord and barely, just barely, made it over onto Rune’s side of the court, impossible to reach. Rublev dropped to his back at the baseline and raised both arms as if to say, “Sorry!” – or perhaps “Sorry. Not sorry!” – while Rune also flung away his racket.
“I have no words, man. I’m shaking,” said Rublev, who is 0-6 in Grand Slam quarterfinals for his career. “That ball was exactly on my side and I don’t know how (it) went over.”
Advancing in the women’s draw Monday were Magda Linette – into the quarterfinals of a Slam for the first time at age 31 and in her 30th appearance at a major – Karolina Pliskova, Aryna Sabalenka and Donna Vekic.
Linette will play Pliskova, while Sabalenka will face Vekic for semifinal berths. On the other side of the bracket, it’ll be Jessica Pegula vs. Victoria Azarenka, and Elena Rybakina vs. Jelena Ostapenko.
Shelton and Wolf traded big cuts and momentum shifts on a day where the temperature rose above 80 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius).
The left-handed Shelton comes equipped with a powerful serve that produced the fastest offering of the tournament so far, at 142 mph (228 kph) during his first-round victory, an instinct for defense and a competitive streak. Against Wolf, who played college tennis at Ohio State and also was playing in the main draw in Melbourne for the first time, Shelton only faced two break points and saved them both.
At times a bit quiet in the early going under the sun, Shelton grew more and more loud and animated as the shadows crept across the blue playing surface and the scoreline increased the intensity.
He would throw uppercuts and yell, “Come on!” or “Let’s go!” after winning points, and when the close contest came to a close, Shelton jutted out his tongue and flexed his arms.
“Each match that I’ve won here has felt the same. It’s a mixture of joy, relief. I just have that feeling of ecstasy, right? When the last ball lands: `I did it!'” Shelton said. “To be able to do that on this stage four times in a row, that feeling over and over again, has been pretty cool.”
*********************************WOMEN’S TENNIS NEWS***********************************
KORDA STOPS; KHACHANOV INTO 1ST AUSTRALIAN OPEN SEMIFINAL
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) For a full set, Karen Khachanov’s Australian Open quarterfinal against Sebastian Korda on Tuesday was as tight as can be. Right up until, that is, Khachanov unleashed a down-the-line backhand to cap a 17-shot point and steal a tiebreaker.
Khachanov raised his right index finger to his ear, telling the Rod Laver Arena crowd to let him hear some support, then wagged that finger in a “No. 1!” gesture. Not long after that, early in the second set, Korda, a 22-year-old American whose father Petr was the 1998 champion in Australia, felt pain in his right wrist when he mis-hit a forehand service return. He called for a trainer to examine and tape it.
And early in the third, it was over, because Korda stopped playing while trailing 7-6 (5), 6-3, 3-0, allowing Khachanov to reach his first semifinal at Melbourne Park – and his second consecutive trip to the final four at a Grand Slam tournament, following his run at the U.S. Open last September.
Soon, Khachanov was doing an on-court winner’s interview, telling the spectators to offer applause for his injured opponent, while Korda was walking toward the locker room, a red equipment bag over his left shoulder and a dour look on his face.
“I kind of reinvented myself, I would say. I always believed in myself, but there are always ups and downs,” said Khachanov, a 26-year-old Russian who is seeded No. 8 in Australia. “And sometimes when you have this great result, it just shows you what you are capable of and you start to believe more and more.”
Korda’s wrist first bothered him during a tune-up tournament in Adelaide earlier this month, but he said it seemed to be fine over the past two weeks until Tuesday.
“I kind of felt that spot that I was feeling before,” Korda said. “Some forehands, I couldn’t even hold the racket. Volleying was almost impossible for me. So it was a little tough.”
Earlier Tuesday, reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina reached her first semifinal at Melbourne Park, beating 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-4 in a match delayed for about 20 minutes in the first set while the main stadium’s retractable roof was shut because of rain.
Rybakina, who hit 11 aces to take her tournament-leading total to 35, will play Jessica Pegula or Victoria Azarenka next.
“I got all the experience at Wimbledon, and it’s helping me now this time, here in Australia, and I know what to expect,” said No. 22 seed Rybakina, who was born in Moscow but has represented Kazakhstan since 2018 because it offered to fund her tennis career. “For sure, it’s just easier in this case.”
Khachanov will face either No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece or unseeded Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic for a berth in the men’s final. Tsitsipas and Lehecka were scheduled to play their quarterfinal Tuesday night.
Korda, who was seeded 29th, upset 2021 U.S. Open champion and two-time Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev in the third round, then made it past No. 10 Hubert Hurkacz in five sets in the fourth round.
The younger Korda was one of three 20-something American men to get to the quarterfinals this time, the most for the country at the Australian Open since 2000. The other two, Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul, meet for a berth in the semifinals on Wednesday.
None of the three ever had been to the final eight at a major tournament.
“There is a lot of positives. I mean, way more positives than even negatives. Today was tough, but hopefully it’s nothing serious and I can take care of it so I don’t have it in the future,” Korda said, referring to his wrist. “I’m going to go forward with my head high and keep working.”
**********************TOP INDIANA RELEASES***********************
INDIANA PACERS
Game Preview
After a four-game road trip, the Pacers (23-25) are back home on Tuesday night for a Central Division showdown with the Chicago Bulls (21-24).
The Blue & Gold went 0-4 over last week’s road trip and have now dropped seven straight contests to dip under .500. The hope is that they can discover their winning form on their home court — where Indiana has gone 15-9 this season.
Head coach Rick Carlisle made a lineup tweak in Saturday’s 112-107 loss in Phoenix, starting T.J. McConnell at point guard for the first time this season and moving rookie guard Andrew Nembhard (who had taken over point guard duties with the first unit since Tyrese Haliburton was injured on Jan. 11 in New York) back off the ball.
The move seemingly paid off, as McConnell provided a steadying presence to Indiana’s offense, recording a triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists. He also got Buddy Hield going again after a recent shooting slump, as the sharpshooter scored 22 points and made five 3-pointers on Saturday.
Those developments weren’t enough for the Pacers to snap their skid, but they were competitive until the final buzzer after four straight double-digit losses.
It’s been an up-and-down season for the Bulls, but they have won two straight and five of their last eight entering Monday night’s game with Atlanta. Included in that stretch are wins over Brooklyn, Golden State, and at Philadelphia.
The Bulls have played just once in the past week, as they traveled to Paris to face Detroit in the NBA Global Games on Thursday, where they came away with a 126-108 win.
Chicago still has two prolific scorers in DeMar DeRozan (26.1 points per game on 50.6 percent shooting) and Zach LaVine (24.1 points per game while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from 3-point range). They also have a former All-Star big man in Nikola Vucevic (17.5 points and 11 rebounds). That trio will present a challenge to Indiana’s young defense.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – T.J. McConnell, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Buddy Hield, F – Aaron Nesmith, C – Myles Turner
Bulls: G – Ayo Dosunmu, G – Zach LaVine, F – DeMar DeRozan, F – Patrick Williams, C – Nikola Vucevic
Injury Report
Pacers: Kendall Brown – out (right tibia stress reaction), Tyrese Haliburton – out (left knee/elbow sprains), Daniel Theis – out (right knee surgery)
Bulls: Goran Dragic – questionable (non-COVID illness), Lonzo Ball – out (left knee surgery), Javonte Green – out (right knee surgery)
Last Meeting
Oct. 26, 2022: The Pacers trailed by as many as 24 in the first half, climbed within four during a 36-point third quarter, but couldn’t get over the hump, dropping a divisional battle to the Bulls in Chicago, 125-109.
Buddy Hield played a pivotal role in the Blue & Gold’s third quarter surge and finished with a season-high 25 points and went 7-for-12 from 3-point range for Indiana.
Tyrese Haliburton added his fourth straight double-double in the loss, tallying 17 points and 11 assists.
But it wasn’t enough for the Pacers to overcome another large deficit. Indiana surrendered 76 points in the first half, digging a hole that proved to be too deep to climb out of.
“We’ve got to decide that we’re going to start games stronger, with more presence, with more disposition,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “That we’re going to move the ball better. That’s really where we are as a team right now.”
Zach LaVine led all scorers with 28 points, going 6-for-8 from 3-point range and 10-for-12 from the free throw line, and also registered six rebounds and five assists. DeMar DeRozan added 17 points and six assists, while Nikola Vucevic finished with 14 points, seven boards, and four assists.
Noteworthy
- The Bulls have won their last four games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, taking a pair of games in each of the previous two seasons. Prior to that, the Pacers had won eight straight home games against Chicago.
- Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin and Bulls rookie Dalen Terry were teammates at the University of Arizona for two seasons.
- Indiana and Chicago will meet twice more after Tuesday, facing off on Feb. 15 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and on March 5 in Chicago.
- Pacers radio play-by-play announcer Mark Boyle will be recognized at Tuesday’s game after calling his 3,000th career game on Saturday in Phoenix.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
TV: Bally Sports Indiana – 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
After a four-game road trip, the Pacers will be back at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets >>
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL: INDIANA BASKETBALL GAME NOTES – GAME 20 AT MINNESOTA
• Indiana University continues its 123rd season of competition in men’s basketball with a road game at Minnesota. Tip is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on Jan. 25 from Williams Arena on BTN.
• The Gophers, led by second-year head coach Ben Johnson, enter Wednesday night’s contest with a 7-11 record and a 1-7 mark in B1G play. Minnesota has lost three-straight games.
Game Information
Jan. 25, 2023 • 9 p.m. ET
Williams Arena (14,625) • Minneapolis
TV: BTN (Cory Provus and Robbie Hummel)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
Series History: Indiana leads, 106-69
Last Meeting: IU 84, MINN 79 on Feb. 27, 2022 in Minneapolis
Series History
• Indiana has won 106 games in 175 chances against Minnesota, including a pair of wins in the 2021-22 season.
In the first game, Indiana secured a 73-60 home victory before earning an 84-79 win in Minneapolis. IU led by as many as 27 points in the second game but had to withstand a furious comeback attempt from the home team to secure the win.
• Guard Xavier Johnson averaged 19.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in the two wins.
• Head coach Mike Woodson averaged 18.1 points in his seven career contests against the Gophers.
• Indiana has won five-straight games against Minnesota dating back to the 2019-20 season. IU has claimed victory in 10 of the last 12 contests in the series.
Last Time Out
• Indiana earned a third-straight conference win for the first time since the 2018-19 Big Ten season with an 82-69 result over the Michigan State Spartans on Jan. 22.
• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis registered his second-consecutive 30-point game with 31 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, and five blocked shots in the victory.
• The Greenwood native is the first major-conference player in 25 seasons of men’s college basketball to secure at least 65 points, 20 rebounds, nine assists, and eight blocks in a two-game span.
• Junior guard Trey Galloway scored 17 points, the second most of his Big Ten career, on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor and 3-of-3 shooting from the 3-point line. He added three assists and one rebound.
• Sophomore guard Tamar Bates added 17 points to the IU ledger off the bench. He canned 5-of-6 shots from behind the 3-point arc to go along with three rebounds and one steal.
• The Indiana bench out-scored Michigan State by a tally of 25-9 in the win.
Jackson-Davis Heating Up
• During Indiana’s three-game winning streak, senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis is averaging 28.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 4.3 blocks per game.
• Jackson-Davis has made 34-of-52 (65.4%) of his shots from the floor and 16-of-19 (84.2%) of his free throw attempts during that stretch.
• For the second time in his career, TJD posted back-to-back 30-point games with 35 points at Illinois (Jan. 19) and 31 points against Michigan State (Jan. 22).
• He has posted nine or more rebounds in six-straight games, the longest streak of his career. During that stretch, Jackson-Davis is averaging 13.3 boards per game.
Scoop, There it is
• Sophomore guard Tamar Bates, nicknamed “Scoop”, has taken a second-year leap for the Hoosiers. He has upped his minutes per game from 14.3 to 23.1, points per game from 3.9 to 98.7, and 3-point percentage from 29.8% to 42.0% from his debut collegiate season.
• The IMG Academy product scored 32 points off the bench on 6-of-11 (54.5%) shooting from the 3-point line against Nebraska (Dec. 7) and Arizona (Dec. 10).
• Scoop scored 17 bench points on 5-of-6 shooting from the 3-point line against Michigan State on Jan. 22.
• Bates became a father to his daughter, Leilani, on March 20, 2022, two days after his freshman season concluded. On Jan. 22, the 10-month-old won the halftime show Baby Race in come-from-behind fashion.
The Trey Gallo-Way
• In his last two starts, junior guard Trey Galloway has averaged 14.0 points per game on 9-of-13 (69.2%) shooting from the floor and 4-of-4 shooting from the 3-point line.
• Galloway scored a career-high 20 points on 4-of-6 shooting from deep in IU’s first Big Ten win of the season over Nebraska on Dec. 7.
• The Culver Academies graduate scored 17 points on 4-of-4 shooting from behind the arc against Michigan State on Jan. 22.
Next Man up: Jordan Geronimo
• Junior forward Jordan Geronimo has started the last five contests in place of the injured sixth-year senior forward Race Thompson.
• In those five starts, he is averaging 7.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game on .533/.400/.667 shooting splits.
• The Newark, N.J., native blocked a combined 10 shots against Miami (Ohio) on Nov. 20 and Little Rock on Nov. 23. The tally marked the most by a Hoosier off the bench since 1996-97.
Rise of the Fino
• After hitting double figures in the scoring column just twice in his first six collegiate games, freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino has scored 10-plus points in nine of the last 10 games.
• During the 10-game run, Hood-Schifino is averaging 15.3 points on 48.7% shooting from the floor and 48.6% shooting from the 3-point line.
• Hood-Schifino scored a career-best 33 points on 12-of-17 shooting from the floor and 5-of-7 shooting from the 3-point line against Northwestern on Jan. 8, the highest point total by a Hoosier freshman since Eric Gordon scored 33 against Chattanooga on Nov. 12, 2007.
• JHS ranks fourth among all freshmen in the Big Ten in scoring (12.5 points per game), first in assists (4.4), fourth in rebounds (4.2), and fifth in made 3-pointers per game (1.4). He is second in the league averaging a combined 21.1 points, rebounds, and assists per game.
The Best in the Big Ten
• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Jan. 23 after turning in a phenomenal week. He tallied 35 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and three blocks on 15-of-19 shooting from the floor in a road victory at No. RV/23 Illinois on Jan. 19 and 31 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, and five blocked shots against Michigan State on Jan. 22.
• He became the first major-conference player in 25 seasons of men’s college basketball to secure at least 65 points, 20 rebounds, nine assists, and eight blocks in a two-game span.
• For his efforts, he was also named Naismith Trophy Player of the Week, ESPN.com Player of the Week, and NCAA March Madness Player of the Week on Jan. 23.
Road Warriors
• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis scored a Big Ten career-high 35 points at Illinois on Jan. 19, the sixth-highest output for a Hoosier on the road in program history.
• Only Alan Henderson (41 at Michigan State) Bracey Wright (39 at North Texas), Steve Alford (38 at Wisconsin), Damon Bailey (36 at Kansas), and Jay Edwards (36 at Minnesota) tallied more points in an IU road game.
Passing out of the Double
• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis ranks fourth in Division I basketball in assists per game among players list at 6’9 or taller.
• With defenses collapsing on post touches, Jackson-Davis has flourished this season with his passing, averaging 3.5 dimes per game. He has produced seven games with four assists or more this season. He has dished out at least four helpers in five-straight games.
ALSO: TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS COLLECTS TRIO OF NATIONAL ACCOLADES
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis was honored as the Naismith Trophy Player of the Week, the ESPN.com Player of the Week, and the NCAA March Madness Player of the Week, the publications announced on Monday.
Jackson-Davis averaged 33.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 4.0 blocks in a two-game stretch that saw Indiana knock off No. RV/23 Illinois on Jan. 19 by a score of 80-65 and Michigan State by a score of 82-69 on Jan. 22.
In the last 25 seasons, Jackson-Davis is the only Division I men’s college basketball player to rack up at least 65 points, 20 rebounds, eight assists, and nine blocked shots in a two-game stretch.
In Champaign, the Greenwood native tallied 35 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and three blocked shots. He made 15-of-19 shots from the floor and buried 5-of-6 free throw attempts. Only one other player (Ben Simmons, LSU) has put up a stat line of at least 35 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and three blocks on 75.0% shooting from the floor or better for a high-major program in the last 25 seasons of college basketball.
Against the Spartans, the John R. Wooden Midseason Watch List selection compiled 31 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, and five blocked shots. TJD shot 10-of-20 from the field and 11-of-13 from the charity stripe. Jackson-Davis is one of three players (Michael Sweetney; Georgetown and David Harrison; Colorado) from a major conference to put up a 30-15-5 game in the last 25 years.
Jackson-Davis and the Hoosiers will be back on the floor against Minnesota at 9 p.m. ET on Jan. 25 at Williams Arena.
INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: NO. 6 HOOSIERS WIN TOP 15 BATTLE IN VICTORY OVER NO. 13 MICHIGAN
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Six players scored in double figures as No. 6 Indiana shot 51.6 percent from the floor in a 92-83 win over No. 13 Michigan inside Crisler Center on Monday night.
KEY MOMENTS
Indiana found some separation in the first quarter with 3:41 to play as junior guard Sydney Parrish drilled a 3-pointer and junior guard Chleo Moore-McNeil found Holmes in transition to lead 16-10. Michigan came back within two, but freshman guard Yarden Garzon and senior guard Sara Scalia connected from long range as Indiana led 26-16 at the end of the first.
Dialing up a 54.1 percent clip in the first half, IU was fueled by 15 points from senior forward Mackenzie Holmes and 12 points from senior guard Sara Scalia, who had seven of her 12 points in the second quarter.
Another hot scoring clip in the third quarter – 63.6 percent – helped the Hoosiers maintain its lead through three quarters, 68-56. They held their largest lead of 17 with 3:52 to go in the frame, as Scalia drained her third 3-pointer of the day.
Michigan made a run at the deficit in the fourth, cutting it to as few as six with 4:48 to play but graduate student guard Grace Berger had the answers with back-to-back jumpers to increase her teams lead back to 10.
NOTABLE
The Hoosiers earn their best start to a season in program history with an 18-1 record since the inaugural season 17-2 record in 1971-72.
No. 6/6 Indiana earned their fifth ranked win of the season over the No. 14/16 ranked Michigan Wolverines.
Six Hoosiers scored in double-figures against the Wolverines for the second time this season, last since IU’s win over Bowling Green on Nov. 17, 2022.
Indiana out rebounded Michigan 41-24 and grabbed 14 offensive boards.
Mackenzie Holmes earned her ninth double-double this season and the 19th of her career with 25 points and 10 rebounds. This marks her 19th straight game in double-figures this season.
Sara Scalia set a new season high of 19 points, shooting 7-of-10 from the field.
Chloe Moore-McNeil and Grace Berger combined for 13 of the Hoosiers 18 assists.
Indiana tallied nine blocks against the Wolverines tying the most blocks against a Big Ten opponent since the Hoosiers played Wisconsin on Jan. 10, 2021, under head coach Teri Moren.
Freshman Lilly Meister scored four points and grabbed six rebounds off the bench. Meister also set a career high with two blocks in her contribution off the bench.
Sydney Parrish added 12 points and five rebounds making this her 15th game this season in double figures.
QUOTABLE
Indiana head coach Teri Moren
“Well, we are obviously very happy. Anytime you can win on the road in a place like Michigan it is a good night. I am really, really happy for our players. We knew that controlling the boards was going to be the number one key. To out rebound Michigan by 17 and have six in double digits. Lilly Meister, I thought, came in and did a great job when Mack got into foul trouble and to see Sara Scalia hit a bunch a shots today the way we know she can was big. I loved how we guarded. Leah Brown was cooking, but I thought for the most part we did a decent job. Even (Lalia) Phelia I know has 21, but I think all those are hard earned, even Brown’s. Defensively I thought we did a good solid job. Turnovers stayed low which was terrific, 18 assists. There is just not a lot to be disappointed about. I thought our kids followed the game plan. They didn’t panic, and we knew there was going to be Ebb and flows. We knew they were going to make runs and we were going to have runs. But this group did a fantastic job today.”
UP NEXT
Indiana returns to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall to face No. 2/2 Ohio State on Thursday night. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on BTN.
BUTLER WOMEN’S SOCCER: BUTLER WSOCCER ANNOUNCES SPRING SCHEDULE
The Butler women’s soccer program is set for five matches this spring as the team prepares for the upcoming fall 2023 campaign. Two of the contests will take place in the Indianapolis area.
The initial match will be an indoor contest with Valparaiso at Grand Park on Saturday, Feb. 25. The only other game in Indianapolis will be on Sunday, Apr. 2, when the Bulldogs host Northwestern.
Butler is coming off a 2022 season that produced an overall record of 7-7-5 and was highlighted by a 1-0 victory at No. 9 Michigan. Led by Co-Head Coaches Tari St. John and Rob Alman, the Bulldogs finished in a tie for the third spot in the final BIG EAST regular-season standings, qualifying for the program’s 8th consecutive postseason tournament.
2023 Online Schedule
Women’s Soccer Spring 2023 Schedule
Saturday, Feb. 25 vs. Valparaiso @ Grand Park 6 pm
Saturday, Mar. 25 at Indiana State @ Terre Haute 1 pm
Sunday, Apr. 2 NORTHWESTERN Sellick Bowl 2 pm
Saturday, Apr. 8 at Illinois @ Urbana 12 pm CT / 1 pm ET
Saturday, Apr. 15 at Cincinnati @ Cincinnati 1 pm
IUPUI MEN’S BASKETBALL: BRADY COLLECTS FOURTH #HLMBB FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK AWARD
INDIANAPOLIS – IUPUI freshman guard Vincent Brady II has been named the #HLMBB Freshman of the Week for his efforts in the Jaguars’ two contests last week, marking his fourth award of the season.
In two games, Brady averaged 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game against Oakland and Detroit Mercy. Brady shot 54.2 percent (13-of-24) from the floor and 42.9 percent (6-of-14) from three. On Thursday, he had a career-high 23 points (8-16 FG, 4-9 3’s, 3-3 FT), six boards, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot against Oakland on Thursday (Jan. 19), marking his first career 20-point game. He also connected on a career-high four treys in that contest.
He followed up with 12 points, three boards, two assists and two steals against Detroit Mercy on Saturday.
Brady has now made a three in 16 straight games dating back to Nov. 24.
NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL: GAME 21 PREVIEW: IRISH AT NC STATE
RALEIGH, N.C. – In the post-game press conference after the Boston College loss, Notre Dame graduate guard Cormac Ryan vowed that this team will keep throwing punches and keep fighting. They’ll get that opportunity on Tuesday night against a team poised to make the NCAA Tournament in NC State. The Fighting Irish, who are still searching for that first coveted road win of the year, will tip against the Wolfpack at 7 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
ND vs NC STATE
Notre Dame leads the overall series 10-8 against NC State and has enjoyed much of that success in PNC Arena where they are 6-2. Last year the Irish achieved a regular-season sweep of the Wolfpack.
The Irish won 69-57 at PNC last season and 73-65 inside Purcell. As far as the returners go, Dane Goodwin posted a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double in Raleigh and 17 points and 8 rebounds in South Bend.
THREAT FROM THREE
Over the last 14 games, Notre Dame has knocked down 139 three-pointers (9.9 per game) which leads all Power-Five schools since Nov. 30. Amongst all D-I schools since that date, it ranks 13th.
Overall on the season, they are averaging 9.3 threes per game, which would rank 4th all-time. The program record is 9.7 set by the 19-20 squad. That 9.3 number also leads all teams in the ACC along with their total made threes (185).
Furthermore, let’s dive into the recent three-point shooting trends of the team:
– Hammond – back-to-back games with a season high in made threes in Syracuse and Florida State –> 4+5. He has connected on multiple threes in 6 of the last 8 games. In fact, he tied his career high in made three-pointers with five vs FSU on Jan. 17. Lastly, Hammond is shooting better from three (.429) than overall from the field (.426).
– Wertz – tied his season high in made threes with four at Syracuse on Jan. 14, totaling 12 points. Only made 2 buckets against Georgia Tech on Jan. 10 but they were the two most clutch of the game. Wertz hit a three in the corner which tied the game at 65-all with 53 seconds left and sent the game to overtime. Then in OT, he hit a go-ahead three with 55 seconds left. Lastly, 10 of Trey’s last 15 made buckets have been threes.
– Laszewski – tied his career high in made threes with a 7-of-9 performance against Boston College on Jan. 21, earning a new career best 29 points in the process.
GAMES GETTING AWAY
The Irish have now had three ACC games in which they’ve garnered double-digit leads, only to succumb to the opponent’s rally. Coach Brey has emphasized that this group has to learn, and quickly, how to close out games, especially on the road.
Largest Lead Given Out in Loss
12 at Syracuse (12:54 in 2H), 1/14/23
11 at Florida State (10:41 in 1H), 12/21/22
10 at Boston College (17:53 in 2H), 1/3/23
And what’s tough specifically about the Syracuse and Boston College losses was that Notre Dame led for almost the entire game in both. Take this stat – in those two games, Notre Dame led for a combined 63:38 out of the 80 minutes. More on that below
A DIFFERENCE OF A FEW POSSESSIONS
A difference in a few possessions – one in each of the following games – Syracuse x2, Florida State, Boston College.
1st game vs. Syracuse – Down five, with under 1:20 to play, Cormac Ryan and Marcus Hammond recorded back-to-back three-point plays to go up 61-60, but the Orange answered with 14 seconds on the clock. Notre Dame couldn’t connect on the buzzer-beater, falling 62-61.
Florida State – With six seconds remaining on the clock down one, Notre Dame ran a great in-bounds play to Wertz but his next pass to an open and sprinting Cormac Ryan was thrown just a tad too high/long as the Seminoles tracked it down and escaped with a 73-72 win. The Irish were on a 6-0 run with two big defensive stands in the final minute before the final play of the game.
Boston College – The Irish led for the first 37:19 of the game but Boston College closed on a 17-4 run to take it 70-63. Notre Dame led 59-53 with 4 minutes remaining. When BC took its first lead at 1:43, 62-61, Notre Dame went 0-3 on its next three possessions.
2nd game at Syracuse – Irish led for a majority, 26:19 in fact, leading as much as 12 points with 12:54 to play. However, the Orange ultimately closed the game on a 24-10 scoring run, stealing the victory from the Irish in the closing minutes. The Irish, who made a season high 15 three-pointers in the contest, suddenly went cold, missing 8 of their last 9 three-pointer attempts.
THE POSITIVES OUT OF SYRACUSE
Offensively, that was one of ND’s best games of the season. They converted a season best 15 three-pointers. In fact, they recorded a stretch in which they made 11 of 16 three attempts. But as much as three-ball giveth, the three-ball taketh, as one has to wonder if they could have gotten a few more – for the Irish missed on 8 of their last 9 three attempts of the game.
Next, the Irish dished out a season high 21 assists on 27 made baskets. Plus, they didn’t turn the ball over, only committing five in the game.
Four different Irish had at least three treys – Laszewski, Wertz, Hammond and Goodwin.
23 IN ‘23
Goodwin has found his offensive rhythm and is Notre Dame’s best player right now with 8 straight games in double figures. He’s amassed 110 points in the last 8 games, averaging 13.4 ppg. He is 45-of-93 (.484) from the field in that stretch.
In 2023 (6 games), Goodwin is averaging 14.0 ppg. Plus, he’s also been more active on the glass in 2023 grabbing 40 boards over the last 6 games aka 6.7 rpg.
He had a season high 6 assists to go with his 15 points at Syracuse on Jan. 14. A game prior vs Georgia Tech, he produced a team high 19 points and a career best 12 rebounds. Goodwin connected on a big three in the overtime period to help seal the win.
“THAT WAS MARCUS HAMMOND”
Marcus Hammond is starting to get in a groove as of late and be that guy that Coach Brey thought he could be for the Irish.
How about back-to-back games leading the team in scoring at Syracuse and vs Florida State (Jan. 14-17) and back-to-back games with a season high in made threes (4+5).
He also has compiled 90 points over the last 8 games, averaging 11.3 ppg. Or, one could say he’s averaging 14.7 ppg over the last 3 games.
VOCAL LEADER – RYAN
A three-time captain, Ryan used his voice and his leadership ability to rally the Irish in a huddle down seven with 2:30 to go against Georgia Tech on Jan. 10.
“C-Mac’s huddle,” said Brey. “Coach didn’t need to say anything. The guys react to him. He was unbelievable. Cormac wants it so bad. He’s invested so much.”
Notre Dame then closed regulation on a 9-2 run to tie the game at 65-all to force overtime, where they ultimately won it 73-72.
“Cormac kind of lit a fire under us and I think that certainly helped,” Goodwin said. “He just kind of got into us. It happens. That’s what a veteran leader should do. I think we responded well and I think we responded how we should have.”
NOTRE NOTABLES
The Irish currently rank in the top-5 in two statistical categories. Their highest ranking – 4th in turnovers per game, only surrendering 9.2 per game. Penn State leads there with 8.8.
They rank 5th in least amount of fouls per game with 13.2. That has been a Coach Brey staple for a while. In the last 12 years, Notre Dame has only failed to finish among the top 10 in least amount of personal fouls committed just once. They have also led the country in least amount of personal fouls five times.
Next, they rank 25th in made three-pointers per game, averaging 9.3. That number leads the ACC.
INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL: SYCAMORES TRAVEL TO DRAKE LOOKING FOR SEASON SWEEP AGAINST BULLDOGS ON CBSSN
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Sycamores are set to face Drake for the second time this season Tuesday, Jan. 24, this time on a bigger stage as the game will be broadcasted on CBS Sports Network. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET from the Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
Indiana State will be looking to sweep the season series against the Bulldogs after defeating them at home in the Valley opener back on Nov. 30 earlier this season.
The Sycamores will also be looking to break a four-game skid after falling 82-73 at Murray State Saturday.
After starting off 6-0 in Valley play, the Sycamores have dropped their last four games. The four-game skid marks ISU’s longest losing streak of the season, and it’s the longest current losing streak out of the 10 Valley teams with two or more league wins.
True freshman Robbie Avila scored a career-high 18 points at Murray State, besting his previous career-high of 16 that he tied against Drake in the first meeting between the two teams this season.
At 13-7, head coach Josh Schertz has already surpassed last season’s amount of total (11) and Valley (4) wins. Only four ISU coaches have improved win totals from year one to year two.
SERIES HISTORY
The Sycamores are set to face the Bulldogs for the 97th time dating back to 1945 and the second time this season. The series is tied 48-48 after Indiana State won its first matchup against Drake earlier this season, 75-73, in the MVC opener at Hulman Center on Nov. 30, 2022.
ISU’s win against Drake in the most recent meeting marked its first-ever win against Drake in a Valley opener, and it was Drake’s first loss of the season.
The Sycamores hold the advantage in Terre Haute, but in Des Moines, ISU trails 31-13 in the series.
LAST GAME AGAINST THE BULLDOGS
In front of a packed crowd in a sea of blue at the Hulman Center Nov. 30, the Indiana State Sycamores fought for a gutsy win against the previously undefeated Missouri Valley Conference preseason favorite Drake, defeating the Bulldogs 75-73 in their Valley opener.
Indiana State led Drake for 31:15 in the game, but after being up by 14 points at 8:40 in the first half, the Sycamores found themselves down by five with 3:57 to go in the second. Leading scorer Robbie Avila sparked a late 9-0 run for the Sycamores spanning 2:38 to get ISU back up to a four-point lead at 73-69 with 15 seconds to go, and Cameron Henry hit four clutch free throws in those final 15 seconds to help the Sycamores fend off a late push from the Bulldogs.
Avila finished the night with 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field alongside a team-high eight rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Henry was 10-of-12 from the charity stripe in the game and finished with 14 points, three rebounds, and three assists.
Jayson Kent made his first start of the season and scored the first eight straight points for the Sycamores before capping his night with a pair of game-tying free throws in the last 1:35 to get him in double-figures. He also pulled down a career-high seven boards.Courvoisier McCauley also scored in double-figures with 12 points off the bench. Kailex Stephens was 2-of-2 from the field with five rebounds and two steals.
Cooper Neese exited the court with an injury at 3:18 in the first half and did not return.
LAST TIME OUT
Robbie Avila posted a career-high 18 points Saturday evening, but the Sycamores saw their losing streak hit a season-high four games as Indiana State fell 82-73 to Murray State at CSFB Center.
The Sycamores (13-8, 6-4 MVC) rode an 11-0 run across the end of the first half into the second, including a buzzer-beating putback from Cade McKnight that tied things up at 36-all at the break. After opening the second half with three-straight buckets to take a 42-36 lead, the Sycamores gave up a 9-0 Racer run that turned the lead over to Murray State (11-9, 6-4 MVC) for the rest of the game.
Courvoisier McCauley paced all scorers in the game with 19 points, and Avila pulled down a tied team-high seven boards alongside his 18 points. Cooper Neese also hauled in seven rebounds, and Cameron Henry dished out a game-high six assists beside 16 points. McKnight rounded out the Sycamores in double-figures with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL: POLAKOVICH NAMED CO-OVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana senior forward Jacob Polakovich (Grand Rapids, Michigan) was named co-Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week for his efforts the Screaming Eagles games versus Lindenwood University and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville last week. The OVC honor is the second for Polakovich and the fourth this season for the Eagles as a program.
Polakovich started the week by overpowering Lindenwood in the lane, grabbing 12 rebounds and posting nine points in the 81-65 road victory. The senior reached double-digits in rebounding for the 11th time this season by swiping four offensive and eight defensive boards off the glass, while scoring the nine points on four-of-seven from the field and one-of-one at the line.
The senior forward finished the week with a 16-point, 23-rebound performance in the 82-72 victory over SIUE. The double-double was his eighth of the season and his 12th double-digit rebound game. The 23-rebound contest was his third game of 20-or-more rebounds this season and ties for fourth among individual performances this season among Division I players.
Polakovich, who scored all of his 16 points in the second half of the SIUE game, was six-of-15 from the field and four-of-seven from the line, while grabbing eight offensive and 15 defensive boards.
For the week, Polakovich averaged 12.5 points and 17.5 rebounds per game. He shot 45.5 percent from the field (10-22) and averaged 11.5 defensive rebounds per contest. Following last week’s action, Polakovich needs four rebounds to reach USI’s top-15 all-time in rebounding.
This season, Polakovich averaging a double-double with 11.9 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. He also has reached double-digits in rebounding in each of the last nine games, averaging 15.4 rebounds per contest. Polakovich leads the OVC and ranks fourth nationally in rebounds per game, while ranking second nationally in double-doubles.
The OVC honor was shared this week with Tennessee State University’s graduate guard JR Clay. Clay averaged 25.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.
Polakovich and the Eagles resume OVC action Thursday when they host Eastern Illinois University at Screaming Eagles Arena. The game is slated for a 7:30 p.m. tip, streaming on ESPN+ and airing on ESPN 97.7FM and 95.7FM The Spin.
VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: WOMEN’S BASKETBALL STEPS OUT OF MVC PLAY WEDNESDAY AT WISCONSIN
Valparaiso (3-13, 1-7 MVC)
Game #17 – Jan. 25, 2023 – 6:30 p.m.
at Wisconsin (6-14, 2-7 Big Ten)
Kohl Center (17,287) – Madison, Wis.
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valpo women’s basketball team takes a brief step away from the grind of the MVC slate for its final nonconference game of the regular season, as the Beacons travel to Madison, Wis. to face off with Wisconsin Wednesday evening. The game is a makeup from the originally scheduled game Dec. 22, which was postponed due to weather.
Previously: Valpo closed out its Iowa road swing on Saturday afternoon in Des Moines, falling to host Drake by an 84-51 final. Olivia Brown led the Beacons offensively with a 16-point effort, while Ilysse Pitts and Ava Interrante tallied four steals apiece.
Following Valpo Basketball: Streaming Video: BTN+
Radio: None
Streaming Audio: YouTube
Links for live coverage: Available via ValpoAthletics.com
Head Coach Mary Evans: Mary Evans is in her fifth year at the helm of the program in 2022-23 and owns a record of 51-81. Evans has made an impact on the program in her first four years, raising the team’s level of play to be competitive in a strong Missouri Valley Conference. Evans’ preferred style of play has been a big part of the program’s turnaround, as Valpo has led the MVC in 3-pointers made per game in each of the last three seasons and in steals per game in two of the last three years.
Series Notes: Wednesday marks the third meeting between the Valpo and Wisconsin women’s basketball programs. Both of the previous two matchups have come in Madison as well, including the most recent – an 89-82 overtime win for the Badgers on Dec. 20, 2020. Valpo rallied from a 10-point second half deficit to force overtime on a Shay Frederick layup with 1.3 seconds to play in regulation – two of her career-best 27 points. Leah Earnest is the only current Beacon to have played in that game, as the Badger State native contributed 11 points and four rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench as a freshman.
@ValpoWBB…
…and @ValleyHoops
– Valpo was picked to finish in 10th place in the MVC preseason poll, totaling 197 points, just 10 points behind Evansville.
– Valpo is in its sixth season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
– The Valley was ranked 10th in conference NET last year, was ranked seventh nationally in conference NET in 2020-21 and was eighth nationally in conference RPI in 2019-20.
…looking back at last year
– Valpo finished last year with an 11-19 overall record, but was strong in MVC play, going 9-9 in conference and finishing in sixth place – both of which match the program’s best since joining the Valley.
– The Beacons registered the first win at Drake and the first win at Bradley in program history.
– Valpo swept the season series over Drake, the program’s first two wins ever against the Bulldogs.
– The Beacons also tallied four top-100 wins within Valley play.
– Grace White was named MVC Sixth Player of the Year – the program’s first major postseason award since joining the Valley. Shay Frederick was a First Team All-MVC choice, while White was an All-Defensive Team selection and Olivia Brown earned a spot on the All-Newcomer Team.
…at Drake
– Valpo got out to a strong start, buoyed by its early defense. The Beacons forced five Drake turnovers in the opening five minutes of the game, four of which were steals by fifth-year point guard Ilysse Pitts.
– Meanwhile, on the offensive end, the Beacons had fifth-year Maya Dunson and junior Jayda Johnston hit early 3-pointers, while junior Ava Interrante had a 3-point play as Valpo led 11-7 at the first media timeout.
– Drake outscored Valpo 14-3 over the final five minutes of the first quarter to lead 21-14 at the end of one.
– Senior Olivia Brown helped keep Valpo within striking distance in the second period, scoring 11 points in that quarter alone — including three 3-pointers. The Bulldogs led 42-31 at halftime.
– Drake scored the first 11 points of the second half, and Valpo got no closer than 18 points the rest of the way. The Bulldogs were up 68-42 with 10 minutes to play.
– Drake shot 54% (27-of-50) for the game, while the Beacons were just 14-of-47 (29.8%) from the field.
– Valpo also committed 25 turnovers, allowing Drake to score 24 points off turnovers. The Beacons did force 19 Drake miscues, 12 of which were steals — highlighted by four apiece from Pitts and Interrante. Pitts set a season high with her four thefts, while Interrante broke her career high.
– Brown was the only Valpo player to score in double figures, finishing with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Through eight Valley games, the senior is averaging 13.6 points/game and hitting at a 48.9% clip from the 3-point line.
…at UNI
– UNI opened the game with a 10-2 lead. Valpo closed to within 12-11, but the Panthers closed the first quarter on a 12-0 run to lead 24-11 at the end of the period.
– Valpo was within 30-18 with seven minutes to play in the opening half. That was as close as Valpo would get in the second quarter, however, as UNI led 44-28 at intermission.
– Valpo’s chances of mounting a comeback took a hit to start the third quarter when the Panthers opened the period on a 10-3 run to push their lead to 54-31. The Beacons were unable to get any closer than the halftime margin, as UNI led 68-45 with 10 minutes to play and extended its lead in the final quarter.
– Valpo surrendered 89 points to the Panthers after giving up fewer than 70 points in each of its last five games. The 89 points allowed, 53.6% FG% (30-of-56) and 10 3-pointers made were each the second-most by a Valpo opponent this year, trailing only the Beacons’ loss to Bowling Green.
– The Beacons shot 42.2% (19-of-45) for the game and hit at a 42.1% (8-of-19) clip from the 3-point line, their best shooting percentage of the year from deep.
– Turnovers were the big difference in the ballgame, as Valpo committed 22 miscues, 12 of which were UNI steals, while the Panthers turned the ball over just 12 times. UNI held a massive 31-6 advantage in points off turnovers.
– Olivia Brown led the Valpo offense with 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting, knocking down a pair of triples and handing out three assists.
…looking ahead
– A stretch of three games in five days continues with home games at the ARC this weekend against Illinois State (Jan. 27) and Bradley (Jan. 29).
– It’s three in a row at home following Wednesday’s game for the Beacons, as Valpo welcomes UIC to town next Wednesday.
VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL: GREEN NAMED MVC NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
After shooting lights out to help the Valparaiso University men’s basketball team to a 71-51 victory at Illinois State on Saturday night, Quinton Green (Columbus, Ohio / Homeschool [Cedarville]) was tabbed Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week on Monday.
Green averaged 17.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game during the week, helping the Beacons to back-to-back double-figure victories over UIC and Illinois State, stretching the program’s longest winning streak of the season to three games.
Green shot 61.1 percent from the field (11-of-18) and 57.1 percent from the 3-point arc (8-of-14) over the two contests. He went 9-of-11 from the field and 6-of-8 from 3 in Saturday’s 20-point triumph in Normal, helping Valpo enjoy its largest margin of victory in a regular season Missouri Valley Conference game since joining the league. He became the third Valpo player to shoot 80 percent or better from the field with 10 or more field-goal attempts in a game against a Division-I opponent since the start of the 2015-16 season.
Green scored a season-high 26 points against the Redbirds thanks in part to the career-high six made 3s, the most triples in a game by a Valpo player since February 2020 (Mileek McMillan at Drake). In Tuesday’s home win over UIC, Green garnered nine points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Green, who spent the first five years of his collegiate career at Cedarville, is averaging 11.4 points per game and has 51 made 3-pointers this season. This marks Valpo’s first weekly award since Thomas Kithier was named MVC Newcomer of the Week on Nov. 15, 2021.
The Beacons will shoot for a fourth straight win on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at UNI in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
ALSO: VALPO SHOOTS FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT VICTORY AT UNI
Valparaiso (9-12, 3-7 MVC)
at UNI (11-9, 7-3 MVC)
Game No. 22 – Wednesday, Jan. 25, 7 p.m. CT
McLeod Center (6,500) – Cedar Falls, Iowa
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The red-hot Valparaiso University men’s basketball team will look to extend its winning streak to four on Wednesday night in Cedar Falls, Iowa in a rematch of a buzzer-beating loss at the Athletics-Recreation Center earlier this month. The Beacons will look to sustain the mojo developed during this recent tear that includes each of the last two wins coming by double figures.
Last Time Out: Valpo earned its most lopsided Missouri Valley Conference regular-season victory since joining the league on Saturday night in Normal, Ill., blitzing Illinois State 71-51 behind a season-high 26 points from Quinton Green, who nailed a career-high six 3-pointers. The shooting numbers told the tale as Valpo hit at a 57.4 percent clip from the field while holding Illinois State to 33.9 percent. The best Beacon work came from long range, where the team shot 56.3 percent.
Following the Beacons: Streaming – ESPN+ – Brad Wells (play-by-play) and Adam DeJoode (analyst)
Radio – 95.1 FM, WVUR, ValpoAthletics.com, TuneIn Radio App – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Brandon Vickrey (analyst)
Twitter updates – @ValpoBasketball
Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.
Head Coach Matt Lottich: Matt Lottich (106-108) is in his seventh season as the head coach of the men’s basketball program in 2022-2023. Twice during his tenure, Valpo has upset Top-25 opponents, defeating Drake and Rhode Island at the ARC. Valpo has four wins over AP Top 25 teams in program history, and two have come under Lottich. In 2019-2020, Valpo became the first team in the history of Arch Madness, the annual Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in St. Louis, to reach the title game after playing in the opening round by winning three games in three days. Lottich, hired as the 22nd head coach of the Valpo men’s basketball program in April 2016, graduated from Stanford University in 2004 and New Trier High School (Illinois) in 2000.
Series Notes: Valpo is just 5-30 all-time against the Panthers including a 69-67 defeat on a buzzer-beating putback on Jan. 4 at the ARC. Trips to Cedar Falls have not been particularly kind to Valpo as the Beacons are 1-15 all-time at UNI. Overall, the Panthers have won eight of the 11 matchups since Valpo joined The Valley. The two teams split last season as Valpo flipped a 27-point defeat in Cedar Falls into an overtime win at the ARC two weeks later.
Routing the Redbirds
Valpo’s 71-51 win over Illinois State on Jan. 21 marked the team’s largest margin of victory in a regular season Missouri Valley Conference game since joining the league. Prior to that, the team’s most lopsided win in an MVC contest was 17, and that occurred on three occasions – February 2021 vs. No. 25 Drake, February 2020 vs. Southern Illinois and January 2018 vs. Drake.
The team does own a pair of 22-point blowouts of Valley foes since joining the league, but both of those occurred in the State Farm MVC Tournament – 2022 vs. Evansville and 2019 vs. Indiana State.
The 20-point drilling in Normal marked the first time Valpo went on the road and prevailed by such a lopsided margin since a 94-69 win at SIUE on Nov. 15, 2017.
This was the team’s first regular-season conference victory by 20 points or more since beating Detroit Mercy 83-63 on Feb. 19, 2017 in the final road game of Alec Peters’ career.
The 20-point win represented Valpo’s largest margin of victory against Illinois State in the 22 all-time matchups. Previously, Valpo’s most lopsided wins over the Redbirds were a pair of 49-31 triumphs in 1943 and 1944.
Valpo handed Illinois State its most lopsided home loss since Dec. 1, 2010, an 82-51 defeat to UNLV.
Valpo became just the third MVC team with a road win of 20 points or more this season, joining Southern Illinois on Nov. 30 at Evansville (80-53) and Drake on Jan. 21 at Evansville (97-61).
The head-to-head series has been heavily tilted in Valpo’s favor in recent years as the Beacons have prevailed in nine of the last 10 matchups.
On a Roll
Thanks to victories over Evansville, UIC and Illinois State, Valpo owns its first three-game winning streak of the season. Its last such streak occurred last season – a stretch that featured wins over Eastern Michigan, William & Mary and Illinois State in late December and early January.
This is Valpo’s first three-game league-only winning streak since late January 2021 (at Illinois State twice, vs. Bradley).
The Beacons have won back-to-back MVC road games (at Evansville, at Illinois State) for the first time since sweeping two at Illinois State on Jan. 23-24, 2020.
Valpo has won back-to-back league games by double figures (vs. UIC, at Illinois State) for the first time since downing Bradley and Missouri State late in the 2020 regular season.
With a win on Wednesday, Valpo would possess its first four-game winning streak since the 2018-2019 campaign, when the team won five in a row in late December and early January including a 4-0 start to the MVC slate.
A victory in Cedar Falls would give Valpo its first three-game road winning streak since joining The Valley. The last time the program won three straight on the road was Matt Lottich’s first season in 2016-2017, which featured a five-game road winning streak at Missouri State, UIC, Youngstown State, Cleveland State and Milwaukee.
The Green Light
Quinton Green drilled 3-pointer after 3-pointer on Jan. 21 in Normal, Ill., bagging six total triples on his way to a season-high 26 points in the win over Illinois State.
Green outdid his previous season high of 20 points, which he had reached on Nov. 7 at Toledo and Nov. 19 vs. Incarnate Word. He was four points away from his overall career high of 30 that came in 2019 while playing for Division-II Cedarville.
The six made treys represented a career high including his time at Cedarville. Previously, he had made five 3s on five occasions, including three times this year.
Green becomes the first Valpo player to nail six 3s in a game since Mileek McMillan on Feb. 19, 2020 at Drake.
Green hit his marks with an efficient shooting showing as he went 9-of-11 from the field and 6-of-8 from long distance.
Since the start of the 2015-2016 season, only three Valpo players have shot better than 80 percent from the field with 10 or more field-goal attempts against a Division-I opponent. All three of those instances have occurred at Illinois State – Javon Freeman-Liberty (11-of-13) and Derrik Smits (8-of-10) both did so on Feb. 5, 2019.
Shooting Shines
The shooting numbers told the story in Valpo’s 20-point win at Illinois State on Jan. 21. The Beacons shot a season-best 57.4 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from 3, also a season watermark.
The field goal percentage was Valpo’s best since shooting 58.3 percent in the MVC Tournament opener vs. Evansville last season.
This marked just the second time since the start of the 2014-15 season that Valpo shot 57 percent or better in a true road game, behind only 60 percent on Feb. 19 of last season at Evansville.
The 3-point field goal percentage was Valpo’s best since shooting 57.1 percent from distance on Feb. 27, 2021 vs. Indiana State. This was the program’s highest 3-point shooting clip in a road game since also shooting 56.3 percent at SIUE on Nov. 15, 2017 and best in a conference road game since 62.5 on Jan. 20, 2015 at Youngstown State.
This marked the first time Valpo shot 57 percent or better overall and 56 percent or better from 3-point range in the same game since Nov. 10, 2013 vs. North Park. The last time Valpo turned that trick in a game against a Division-I opponent was Feb. 5, 2013 vs. UIC.
Defense Dominates
Valpo held Illinois State to 51 points on Jan. 21, the fewest points scored by a Valpo opponent since Dec. 6, 2020, when Judson was kept to 45 points.
The 51 points were the fewest Valpo has permitted against a Division-I opponent since beating Southern Illinois 55-38 on Feb. 12, 2020.
This marked the fewest points Valpo allowed in a road game since a 66-43 victory at Cleveland State on Feb. 16, 2016.
Valpo’s field-goal percentage defense of 33.9 was a season best. This marked the team’s best since Feb. 27, 2021, when the Brown & Gold held Indiana State to 32.7 percent from the field. It was Valpo’s best field goal percentage defense in a road game since Feb. 13, 2021 at UNI (also 33.9 percent).
Illinois State was held to its worst shooting percentage in a conference home game since Feb. 6, 2016 vs. Wichita State (27.3 percent).
Other Notes Wrapping Up Jan. 21: Valpo 71, Illinois State 51
Quinton Green (26) was joined in double figures by Kobe King (15), Ben Krikke (10) and Nick Edwards (10).
All of Edwards’ scoring damage came after halftime, but he dished out five of his seven assists in the opening 20 minutes.
King made seven of his 12 field-goal attempts and has knocked down 15 shots over the last two games. Krikke squeezed a team-high eight rebounds, tying for his highest output on the glass in league play this year.
Darius DeAveiro returned to action after missing the previous two games with a knee injury.
Ibra Bayu had four points, five rebounds, three steals and a blocked shot.
Connor Barrett canned a pair of 3s for the second straight game and is up to 42.2 percent for the season.
Illinois State was led by Darius Burford, who poured in 23 points.
The only two blemishes on an otherwise dominant victory were free throw shooting and offensive rebounding. Valpo had its worst performance at the charity stripe in league play, going 8-of-14 (57.1 percent), the team’s second-worst of the season behind 8-of-17 (52.9 percent) against Stonehill.
On the offensive glass, Valpo picked up just three boards and has five total offensive rebounds over the last two games. Illinois State had 11 offensive caroms, creating Valpo’s worst offensive rebounding margin since Jan. 2, 2022, also vs. Illinois State.
Double Figure Streak
The only player in the Missouri Valley Conference who has scored in double figures in each of his team’s games this season is Kobe King, who has scored 10+ in 21 straight.
King has entered the list of longest double-figure scoring streaks in recent Valpo memory. Javon Freeman-Liberty scored in double figures in all 29 regular season games that he played during the 2019-20 season before seeing his streak snapped in the first MVC Tournament game. Alec Peters scored in double figures in all 29 games he played in 2016-17 before seeing his season cut short by an injury.
King has scored in double figures in 40 of his 44 games in a Valpo uniform.
The former Wisconsin Mr. Basketball has scored 15 points or more in 15 of his 21 games this season. He has seven 20-point outputs this year and has scored 15 or more points in 25 of his 44 games with the Beacons.
King is up to 45 career double-figure scoring efforts including his tenure at Wisconsin.
At the end of last season, King became Valpo’s second All-Newcomer Team choice since joining the league and first since Bakari Evelyn in 2017-18.
He appeared on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays after a three-quarter court buzzer-beater on Dec. 11 vs. Charlotte, a play that ranked No. 9 on the popular countdown that evening.
Krikke in Select Company
Ben Krikke is one of 11 players in the country (and one of only four mid-major players) who is averaging at least 17.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while shooting better than 75 percent from the free-throw line and better than 50 percent from the field.
Krikke is on pace to become just the third different Missouri Valley Conference player since 2005 to average at least 17 points and five boards while shooting better than 75 percent from the free-throw line and 50 percent from the field. He would join Missouri State’s Isiaih Mosley and Creighton’s Doug McDermott, who did so twice each.
Krikke is one of three players in the MVC shooting better than 50 percent from the field and better than 75 percent from the foul line, joining Drake’s Garrett Sturtz and Bradley’s Rienk Mast.
Krikke is one of two players in the MVC averaging at least 17.0 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game this year. He joins Drake’s Tucker DeVries.
Krikke on the All-Time Scoring List
Ben Krikke moved up another spot on Valpo’s all-time scoring list in the Jan. 10 game vs. Belmont. He made his way past Chuck Kriston (1960-63; 1,287) for 18th.
Entering Jan. 25 at UNI, Krikke has scored 1,339 career points. He is on the cusp of passing Milo Stovall (1998-2002), who is 17th in program history with 1,345 points.
Krikke cracked the top 20 on Valpo’s all-time scoring list when he scored the first basket of the game on Dec. 18 vs. Elon, and moved up to 19th on Jan. 4 vs. UNI.
Freebie Frenzy
Kobe King established a career high for made free throws with eight at Evansville on Jan. 14, and matched that mark on Jan. 17 vs. UIC.
He had just one miss in that span, going 8-for-8 against the Flames and a combined 16-of-17 (94.1 percent) over the two games.
King’s 8-for-8 performance at the foul line on Jan. 17 vs. UIC was the most free throws without a miss by a Valpo player in a game since Nov. 12, 2019, when Nick Robinson went 8-for-8 at SIUE.
King has made eight or more free throws in back-to-back games, becoming the first Valpo player to do that since Alec Peters in November 2016 vs. Ball State and Rhode Island.
King is shooting 79.2 percent (76-of-95) at the foul line this season, a significant improvement after he entered the game with a career free-throw mark of 67.4 percent.
Edwards Anecdotes
Valpo point guard Nick Edwards is one of 16 players in the nation with 100 or more assists and 50 or fewer turnovers. He joins Drake’s Roman Penn as the only Missouri Valley Conference players to feature that combination.
Edwards is averaging 8.0 points per game and 5.0 assists per game. Just two Valpo players in the last 30 years have finished a season with 8.0 ppg and 5.0 apg – Ali Berdiel (2003-04) and Bryce Drew (three times, 1994-1998).
If Edwards stays on his current pace, he would post Valpo’s highest apg number since Berdiel’s 6.0 in 2003-2004.
Edwards leads the conference and ranks 21st nationally in total assists with 104.
Sharing is Caring
Ben Krikke’s scoring ability has been a constant throughout his Valpo career, but he has developed a knack for distributing the basketball in recent games.
The 6-foot-9 senior had nine total assists in 15 games this season (0.6 apg) prior to Jan. 4 vs. UNI. He now has multiple assists in each of his last six contests and 25 total assists in that span (4.2 apg), seven times his assist per game average from the season’s first 15 games.
In the Jan. 4 game vs. UNI, he gave out a team-high six assists, shattering his previous career high of five set on Jan. 26, 2021 vs. Bradley. He again tallied five helpers on Jan. 14 at Evansville and Jan. 17 vs. UIC, making it 10 assists in a two-game span.
Among Conference & National Leaders
Valpo has two of the top three players in the MVC in terms of field goals made and two of the top 41 nationally. Ben Krikke leads the conference and ranks 11th in the nation with 148 made field goals, while Kobe King ranks third in the conference and 41st nationally with 134.
Valpo is one of two teams in the country with two players in the top 41 nationally in terms of field goals made, joining Marshall.
Krikke and King also represent two of the league’s top five players in terms of scoring average. Krikke’s 17.4 points per game rank fourth in The Valley with King not far behind at 17.0 ppg, fifth.
Valpo is the only team in the conference with two players who rank in the top 10 in the league in scoring average.
Scouting the Panthers
Have won back-to-back games, edging Illinois State (65-63) and UIC (78-72) last week.
Have won six of their last seven with the other wins in that span coming over Valpo (69-67), Illinois State the first time (66-60), Southern Illinois (69-67) and Murray State (75-67).
Led by one of the league’s top players in Bowen Born, who is second in The Valley in scoring at 18.8 points per game.
Under the direction of longtime head coach Ben Jacobson.
Picked to finish fifth of 12 in the MVC preseason poll.
Won the MVC regular season title last year and qualified for the NIT.
U OF I MEN’S BASKETBALL: CORSARO NAMED HOOPDIRT.COM NATIONAL DII COACH OF THE WEEK
INDIANAPOLIS – UIndy men’s basketball head coach Paul Corsaro was tabbed the HoopDirt.com Coach of the Week presented by Just Play Solutions, the organization announced Monday. The recipient of the DII accolade, Corsaro is one of five head coaches honored by HoopDirt for their success last week (1/16-22).
The Greyhounds stretched their winning streak to 10 with a pair of victories last week. Jesse Bingham became the 44th Greyhound to reach 1,000 career points against Maryville on Monday, while UIndy used a big second half to defeat McKendree at Pack the House on Saturday.
Corsaro is now eligible for consideration as the DII National Coach of the Year award, which will be announced after the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. The 2022-23 season is the eighth year that HoopDirt has run the Coach of the Week and Coach of the Year programs.
The UIndy bench boss is the second in the program’s history to be recognized by HoopDirt, as Stan Gouard earned the weekly award during the 2018-19 campaign.
MARIAN WRESTLING: ELLIOTT RODGERS NAMED WHAC WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
INDIANAPOLIS – For the fourth consecutive week, the Marian wrestling program has claimed the WHAC Wrestler of the Week honor, with junior Elliott Rodgers claiming the award after a dominant weekend at the Missouri Valley Invite. Rodgers is the fifth different winner for Marian this year, earning the sixth overall honor.
Rodgers finished as the runner-up in the annual Missouri Valley Invite, going 4-1 in the 165 weight class bracket. The Marian junior earned two wins by fall and two wins by decision, which included a win over the defending national champion and current NAIA No. 1 ranked 165 wrestler Cole Smith. Rodgers’ weekend also included a win by fall over No. 25 Devin Crawford, while his loss in the championship came on a 7-3 decision to No. 7 Rysan Leong.
The Knights are in WHAC action this week, hosting Cornerstone on Friday night at 6:00 p.m. for senior night.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: *
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
SPORTS EXTRA
************************NBA STANDINGS***********************
| EASTERN CONFERENCE | ||||||||||||
| W | L | PCT | CONF GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF | LAST 10 | STREAK | |||
| 1 BOSTON | 35 | 13 | .729 | — | 18-5 | 17-8 | 6-0 | 20-9 | 9-1 | 1 L | ||
| 2 PHILADELPHIA | 30 | 16 | .652 | 4.0 | 17-7 | 13-9 | 4-3 | 17-10 | 8-2 | 5 W | ||
| 3 MILWAUKEE | 30 | 17 | .638 | 4.5 | 18-5 | 12-12 | 6-4 | 18-13 | 6-4 | 1 W | ||
| 4 BROOKLYN | 29 | 17 | .630 | 5.0 | 13-7 | 16-10 | 5-3 | 20-8 | 5-5 | 2 W | ||
| 5 CLEVELAND | 29 | 19 | .604 | 6.0 | 20-5 | 9-14 | 8-3 | 18-8 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| 6 MIAMI | 26 | 22 | .542 | 9.0 | 15-9 | 10-13 | 5-2 | 10-13 | 6-4 | 1 W | ||
| 7 NEW YORK | 25 | 23 | .521 | 10.0 | 11-13 | 14-10 | 2-6 | 16-14 | 5-5 | 4 L | ||
| 8 ATLANTA | 24 | 24 | .500 | 11.0 | 13-10 | 11-14 | 5-4 | 17-17 | 6-4 | 2 L | ||
| 9 INDIANA | 23 | 25 | .479 | 12.0 | 15-9 | 8-16 | 2-3 | 16-12 | 2-8 | 7 L | ||
| 10 CHICAGO | 22 | 24 | .478 | 12.0 | 13-10 | 8-14 | 5-3 | 18-13 | 6-4 | 3 W | ||
| 11 TORONTO | 21 | 27 | .438 | 14.0 | 15-12 | 6-15 | 4-9 | 15-19 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| 12 WASHINGTON | 20 | 26 | .435 | 14.0 | 12-10 | 8-16 | 5-3 | 13-15 | 5-5 | 2 W | ||
| 13 ORLANDO | 18 | 29 | .383 | 16.5 | 12-12 | 6-17 | 2-6 | 8-19 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| 14 CHARLOTTE | 13 | 35 | .271 | 22.0 | 5-16 | 8-19 | 4-6 | 6-23 | 3-7 | 1 L | ||
| 15 DETROIT | 12 | 37 | .245 | 23.5 | 6-17 | 6-19 | 0-8 | 4-23 | 2-8 | 4 L | ||
| WESTERN CONFERENCE | ||||||||||||
| W | L | PCT | CONF GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF | LAST 10 | STREAK | |||
| 1 DENVER | 33 | 14 | .702 | — | 22-4 | 11-10 | 9-4 | 24-10 | 9-1 | 1 L | ||
| 2 MEMPHIS | 31 | 16 | .660 | 2.0 | 20-3 | 11-13 | 6-2 | 15-13 | 7-3 | 3 L | ||
| 3 SACRAMENTO | 27 | 19 | .587 | 5.5 | 16-10 | 11-9 | 5-5 | 15-9 | 7-3 | 1 W | ||
| 4 NEW ORLEANS | 26 | 21 | .553 | 7.0 | 17-6 | 9-15 | 7-3 | 16-10 | 3-7 | 4 L | ||
| 5 DALLAS | 25 | 23 | .521 | 8.5 | 17-8 | 8-15 | 6-2 | 18-11 | 3-7 | 1 L | ||
| 6 LA CLIPPERS | 25 | 24 | .510 | 9.0 | 13-11 | 12-13 | 3-4 | 15-15 | 4-6 | 2 W | ||
| 7 PHOENIX | 24 | 24 | .500 | 9.5 | 17-7 | 7-17 | 8-0 | 19-13 | 4-6 | 3 W | ||
| 8 UTAH | 25 | 25 | .500 | 9.5 | 16-9 | 9-16 | 4-4 | 18-14 | 6-4 | 1 W | ||
| 9 MINNESOTA | 24 | 25 | .490 | 10.0 | 16-10 | 8-15 | 6-6 | 15-16 | 6-4 | 1 L | ||
| 10 GOLDEN STATE | 23 | 24 | .489 | 10.0 | 17-6 | 6-18 | 4-4 | 13-9 | 4-6 | 1 L | ||
| 11 OKLAHOMA CITY | 23 | 24 | .489 | 10.0 | 14-9 | 9-15 | 4-6 | 11-13 | 7-3 | 1 W | ||
| 12 LA LAKERS | 22 | 25 | .468 | 11.0 | 12-11 | 10-14 | 1-8 | 11-16 | 6-4 | 2 W | ||
| 13 PORTLAND | 22 | 25 | .468 | 11.0 | 12-10 | 10-15 | 4-7 | 16-15 | 3-7 | 1 W | ||
| 14 SAN ANTONIO | 14 | 33 | .298 | 19.0 | 9-16 | 5-16 | 2-7 | 5-26 | 2-8 | 2 L | ||
| 15 HOUSTON | 11 | 36 | .234 | 22.0 | 7-15 | 4-21 | 1-8 | 6-27 | 1-9 | 1 W |
*************************NHL STANDINGS**************************
| EASTERN CONFERENCE | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | ROW | GF | GA | HOME | ROAD | L10 | ||
| 1 BOSTON BRUINS | 46 | 37 | 5 | 4 | 78 | 35 | 177 | 96 | 22-1-3 | 15-4-1 | 9-1-0 | |
| 2 CAROLINA HURRICANES | 46 | 29 | 9 | 8 | 66 | 26 | 151 | 124 | 14-5-2 | 15-4-6 | 5-3-2 | |
| 3 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS | 48 | 29 | 11 | 8 | 66 | 29 | 163 | 127 | 18-3-4 | 11-8-4 | 6-3-1 | |
| 4 NEW JERSEY DEVILS | 46 | 30 | 12 | 4 | 64 | 29 | 161 | 121 | 12-10-2 | 18-2-2 | 7-1-2 | |
| 5 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING | 45 | 29 | 15 | 1 | 59 | 28 | 163 | 135 | 17-4-1 | 12-11-0 | 6-4-0 | |
| 6 NEW YORK RANGERS | 47 | 26 | 14 | 7 | 59 | 24 | 151 | 125 | 12-9-4 | 14-5-3 | 7-2-1 | |
| 7 WASHINGTON CAPITALS | 49 | 25 | 18 | 6 | 56 | 25 | 156 | 139 | 13-8-3 | 12-10-3 | 4-5-1 | |
| 8 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS | 46 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 54 | 22 | 148 | 138 | 13-5-4 | 10-10-4 | 4-4-2 | |
| 9 BUFFALO SABRES | 46 | 24 | 19 | 3 | 51 | 23 | 175 | 157 | 11-12-2 | 13-7-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 10 FLORIDA PANTHERS | 49 | 23 | 21 | 5 | 51 | 22 | 165 | 169 | 12-6-3 | 11-15-2 | 6-3-1 | |
| 11 NEW YORK ISLANDERS | 49 | 23 | 21 | 5 | 51 | 23 | 143 | 141 | 13-9-2 | 10-12-3 | 1-6-3 | |
| 12 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS | 48 | 20 | 21 | 7 | 47 | 20 | 133 | 155 | 10-12-1 | 10-9-6 | 6-4-0 | |
| 13 DETROIT RED WINGS | 45 | 19 | 18 | 8 | 46 | 18 | 138 | 153 | 11-10-3 | 8-8-5 | 3-6-1 | |
| 14 OTTAWA SENATORS | 46 | 20 | 23 | 3 | 43 | 19 | 133 | 152 | 12-11-1 | 8-12-2 | 4-6-0 | |
| 15 MONTREAL CANADIENS | 47 | 20 | 24 | 3 | 43 | 16 | 125 | 171 | 11-12-0 | 9-12-3 | 5-5-0 | |
| 16 COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS | 47 | 14 | 30 | 3 | 31 | 13 | 122 | 184 | 11-15-1 | 3-15-2 | 3-6-1 | |
| WESTERN CONFERENCE | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | ROW | GF | GA | HOME | ROAD | L10 | ||
| 1 DALLAS STARS | 49 | 28 | 13 | 8 | 64 | 27 | 169 | 127 | 13-5-4 | 15-8-4 | 5-3-2 | |
| 2 VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS | 48 | 29 | 17 | 2 | 60 | 26 | 156 | 139 | 14-13-0 | 15-4-2 | 5-5-0 | |
| 3 WINNIPEG JETS | 48 | 31 | 16 | 1 | 63 | 31 | 159 | 126 | 17-6-0 | 14-10-1 | 7-3-0 | |
| 4 SEATTLE KRAKEN | 46 | 27 | 14 | 5 | 59 | 27 | 166 | 144 | 11-9-3 | 16-5-2 | 7-2-1 | |
| 5 LOS ANGELES KINGS | 49 | 26 | 17 | 6 | 58 | 22 | 159 | 167 | 14-9-2 | 12-8-4 | 5-5-0 | |
| 6 MINNESOTA WILD | 45 | 25 | 16 | 4 | 54 | 22 | 143 | 130 | 13-8-1 | 12-8-3 | 5-3-2 | |
| 7 EDMONTON OILERS | 48 | 27 | 18 | 3 | 57 | 27 | 178 | 156 | 12-11-2 | 15-7-1 | 7-2-1 | |
| 8 CALGARY FLAMES | 48 | 23 | 16 | 9 | 55 | 22 | 151 | 145 | 14-8-2 | 9-8-7 | 5-3-2 | |
| 9 COLORADO AVALANCHE | 45 | 25 | 17 | 3 | 53 | 21 | 141 | 124 | 11-8-3 | 14-9-0 | 6-4-0 | |
| 10 NASHVILLE PREDATORS | 46 | 22 | 18 | 6 | 50 | 20 | 129 | 136 | 12-7-3 | 10-11-3 | 6-4-0 | |
| 11 ST. LOUIS BLUES | 47 | 23 | 21 | 3 | 49 | 20 | 149 | 167 | 10-11-2 | 13-10-1 | 6-4-0 | |
| 12 VANCOUVER CANUCKS | 46 | 18 | 25 | 3 | 39 | 15 | 154 | 183 | 8-13-1 | 10-12-2 | 2-8-0 | |
| 13 SAN JOSE SHARKS | 48 | 14 | 25 | 9 | 37 | 13 | 145 | 184 | 5-12-7 | 9-13-2 | 3-5-2 | |
| 14 ARIZONA COYOTES | 47 | 15 | 27 | 5 | 35 | 13 | 123 | 170 | 9-7-2 | 6-20-3 | 2-8-0 | |
| 15 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS | 45 | 14 | 27 | 4 | 32 | 14 | 108 | 163 | 9-16-2 | 5-11-2 | 6-4-0 | |
| 16 ANAHEIM DUCKS | 47 | 13 | 29 | 5 | 31 | 10 | 113 | 199 | 8-13-1 | 5-16-4 | 3-6-1 |
*****************************FOOTBALL HISTORY*******************************
JANUARY 24, 1952 – DALLAS TEXANS FRANCHISE WAS AWARDED AFTER DALLAS PURCHASED ASSETS OF NEW YORK YANKS FROM THE NFL. THIS IS THE FIRST TEXAS NFL FRANCHISE IN HISTORY. AS WE LEARNED IN THE JANUARY 23 EDITION OF THIS SERIES, THEY WERE NOT VERY GOOD AND THE NFL SHUT THEM DOWN AFTER JUST ONE SEASON. THE REMNANTS OF THE FRANCHISE WERE SOLD TO CAROLL ROSENBLOOM IN 1953 TO FORM THE BALTIMORE COLTS.
JANUARY 24, 1964 – CBS PURCHASED THE NFL TELEVISION BROADCASTING RIGHTS FOR THE 1964 & 1965 SEASONS FOR A COOL $28.2 MILLION. NBC HAD BID $21.5 MILLION FOR RIGHTS TO THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE GAMES IN 1964 AND 1965 BUT CBS WON THE WAR WITH THE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER AMOUNT OFFERED. THE ABC NETWORK PAID A MERE $2,350,000 IN 1964 FOR THE RIGHTS TO BROADCAST THE AFL, LESS THAN A THIRD OF THE ANNUAL AVERAGE OF THE NBC CONTRACT FOR THE AFL’S RIGHTS IN 1965 ACCORDING TO A NEW YORK TIME ARTICLE FROM JANUARY 30, 1964.
JANUARY 24, 1971 – LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM -THE NFC’S TOP PLAYERS SQUASHED THE AFC SQUAD BY THE SCORE OF 27-6 IN THE 21ST NFL PRO BOWL. FRED CARR THE LINEBACKER OF THE GREEN BAY PACKERS AND MEL RENFRO THE CORNER OF THE DALLAS COWBOYS WERE SELECTED AS THE GAME’S MVPS.
JANUARY 24, 1982 – PONTIAC SILVERDOME, DETROIT, MICHIGAN – SUPER BOWL XVI WAS PLAYED AND PITTED THE CINCINNATI BENGALS AGAINST THE UPSTART SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS. FOR THIS STORY WE GO TO STADIUMSOFPROFOOTBALL.COM WHO TELLS US THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THE BIG GAME WAS MOVED TO A TRADITIONALLY COLD WEATHER VENUE. THE 49ERSWEBZONE.COM FILLS US IN WITH THE OTHER DETAILS OF HOW AFTER A SIZABLE FIRST HALF LEAD OF 20-0 THE 49ERS WATCHED ON AS THE BENGALS HEATED UP IN THE SECOND HALF TO SCORE 21 POINTS OF THEIR OWN. BUT TWO RAY WERSCHING FIELD GOALS IN THE FOURTH QUARTER PRESERVED THE SAN FRANCISCO VICTORY OVER THE BENGALS, 26-21. NINERS LEGENDARY QUARTERBACK JOE MONTANA ENDED UP AS THE GAME’S MVP AS HE THREW FOR ONE TD AND HAD A QB RATING OF 100.0 IN THE GAME.
JANUARY 24, 2010 – LUCAS OIL STADIUM, INDIANAPOLIS -THE 2009 SEASON’S AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME RESULTED IN THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS KNOCKING OFF THE NEW YORK JETS, 30-17.
JANUARY 24, 2010 – LOUISIANA SUPERDOME, NEW ORLEANS – THE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME TO SEE WHO WOULD PLAY THE COLTS WAS A TIGHT ONE. THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS AND THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS WOULD BATTLE IN THIS EPIC GAME. THE STARTING QUARTERBACKS WERE LEGENDS WITH BRETT FAVRE GUIDING THE TEAM IN PURPLE WHILE DREW BREES CALLED SIGNALS FOR THE SAINTS. FARVE THREW FOR 310 YARDS AND A SCORE BUT WAS PICKED OFF TWO TIMES WHILE BREES HAD THREE TOUCHDOWN PASSES AND KEPT THE BALL AWAY FROM MINNESOTA’S SCRONDARY. ADRIAN PETERSON SCORED THE GAME TYING TOUCHDOWN ON A TWO YARD PLUNGE AT THE 5:03 MARK OF THE 4TH TO SEND THE GAME TO AN EXTRA SESSION. GARRETT HARTLEY SEALED THE SUPER BOWL TRIP FOR THE SAINTS WHEN HE KICKED A 40 YARD FIELD GOAL IN OVERTIME. THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS EDGED OUT THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS, 31-28 PER THE PRO FOOTBALL-REFERENCE.COM.
JANUARY 24, 2016 – MILE HIGH STADIUM, DENVER -AT THE AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME FOR THE 2015 SEASON IT WAS PEYTON MANNING AND THE DENVER BRONCOS WHO OVERCAME TOM BRADY AND THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS, 20-18 TO ADVANCE TO THE SUPER BOWL.
JANUARY 24, 2016 – BANK OF AMERICA STADIUM, CHARLOTTE – THE CAROLINA PANTHERS HAD NO TROUBLE WITH DISPATCHING THE ARIZONA CARDINALS IN THE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP. THE PANTHERS WITH CAM NEWTON UNDER CENTER AND A FEROCIOUS DEFENSE GOBBLED UP THE RED BIRDS 49-15 TO ADVANCE TO THE BIG GAME AGAINST THE BRONCOS.
JANUARY 24, 2021 – LAMBEAU FIELD, GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – TOM BRADY AND HIS NEW TEAM THE TAMPA BAY BUCS
HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAYS
JANUARY 24, 1881 – SPRINGVILLE NEW YORK – CORNELL UNIVERSITY’S LEGENDARY GUARD, BILL WARNER WAS BORN.
JANUARY 24, 1920 – PORTLAND, OREGON – CHUCK TAYLOR RENOWN AS A TOUGH GUARD FOR STANFORD. THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION LISTS CHUCK AS AN ALL-AMERICA GUARD IN 1942. AFTER SERVING IN THE NAVY TAYLOR PLAYED ONE YEAR, 1946, WITH THE MIAMI SEAHAWKS OF THE ALL-AMERICA CONFERENCE, RETURNED TO STANFORD AS FRESHMAN COACH IN 1948, WAS ASSISTANT COACH WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 1949-50, AND RETURNED AGAIN TO STANFORD AS HEAD COACH IN 1951. HIS 1951 TEAM WENT 9-2, WAS IN THE ROSE BOWL, AND EARNED TAYLOR ELECTION AS COACH OF THE YEAR. HE WAS AGE 31, THE YOUNGEST MAN EVER NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR. HE ALSO SERVED AS THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR FOR THE CARDINAL FOR MANY YEARS. TAYLOR WAS HERALDED AS A MAN WHO HAD GONE TO THE ROSE BOWL AS A PLAYER, HEAD COACH, AND ATHLETIC DIRECTOR. THE NFF VOTERS INDUCTED CHUCK TAYLOR INTO THEIR COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME IN 1984.
JANUARY 24, 1936 – WEATHERSFIELD, NEW YORK – THE RUGGED FULLBACK FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI , FLORIDA DON BOSSELER CELEBRATED HIS BIRTH. THE FOOTBALLFOUNNDATION.ORG WEBSITE STATES THAT BOSSELER WAS A FOUR-YEAR STARTER AT FULLBACK FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI. IN HIS SENIOR YEAR, 1956, HE HELPED THE TEAM TO AN 8-1-1 RECORD, WAS NAMED AS AN ALL-AMERICAN BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. HE RUSHED FOR 1,642 YARDS IN HIS FOUR YEARS. THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION SELECTED DON BOSSELER INTO THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME IN 1990. AFTER SCHOOL DON PLAYED IN THE NFL FOR 7 SEASONS WITH THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS.
JANUARY 24, 1937 – ZANESVILLE, OHIO – BOBBY BEATHARD THE TALENTED GM WITH A GREAT EYE FOR FINDING TALENT WAS BORN. THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME ENSHRINED BOBBY BEATHARD AS A CONTRIBUTOR IN 2018. BEATHARD WAS REALLY GOOD AT DISCOVERING TALENT AS HE STARTED OUT AS A SCOUT IN THE FALCONS AND CHIEFS ORGANIZATIONS ACCORDING TO THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME WEBSITE. IN 1972 BOBBY BECAME THE DIRECTOR OF PLAYER PERSONNEL FOR MIAMI, YES THOSE UNDEFEATED DOLPHINS. LATER IN THE 1970’S HE WAS HIRED AS THE GM OF THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS AND BECAME FAMOUS FOR TRADING OUT OF FIRST ROUND PICKS TO ACQUIRE MORE DRAFT CAPITAL, AND BUILT CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS BY DOING SO. ALL IN ALL IN HIS ELEVEN SEASONS WASHINGTON USED ONLY 3 FIRST ROUND PICKS! THE SUPER BOWL XVII ROSTER OF THE REDSKINS HAD 27 FREE AGENTS THAT BEATHARD HAD SIGNED. IN THE EARLY 1990S HE HELPED BUILD THE SAN DIEGO CHARGERS INTO SUPER BOWL CONTENDERS. SO IN REVIEW BEATHEARD HELPED WITH 2 CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH MIAMI, TWO WITH WASHINGTON AND LOST A SUPER BOWL WITH SAN DIEGO. THAT IS A PRETTY GOOD TRACK RECORD.
************************************BASEBALL HISTORY************************************
1931 AFTER BEING RELEASED BY THE INDIANS FOUR DAYS AGO, ALABAMA NATIVE JOE SEWELL, WHO SPENT THE FIRST 11 YEARS OF HIS CAREER WITH CLEVELAND, SIGNS AS A FREE AGENT WITH THE YANKEES FOR $10,000. THE 33-YEAR-OLD FUTURE HALL OF FAME INFIELDER, THE RECORD HOLDER FOR CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITHOUT RECORDING A STRIKEOUT AT 115, WILL HIT .282 DURING HIS THREE SEASONS WITH NEW YORK.
1939 NEEDING AN ADDITIONAL PLAYER TO REACH THE INITIAL GOAL OF HAVING AT LEAST TEN INDUCTEES BEFORE THE DEDICATION CEREMONIES THIS SUMMER, MEMBERS OF THE BBWAA ELECT ‘WEE’ WILLIE KEELER, GEORGE SISLER, AND EDDIE COLLINS TO BE IN THE INAUGURAL CLASS OF THE HALL OF FAME. THE THREE PLAYERS CHOSEN ARE JOINING THE 1936 SELECTION OF TY COBB, BABE RUTH, HONUS WAGNER, CHRISTY MATHEWSON, AND WALTER JOHNSON, ALONG WITH NAP LAJOIE, TRIS SPEAKER, AND CY YOUNG, SELECTED BY THE WRITERS A YEAR LATER.
1955 CUBS BUSINESS MANAGER JIM GALLAGHER, CHAIRMAN OF THE NINE-MAN RULES COMMITTEE, ANNOUNCES THE TWO LEAGUES WILL IMPLEMENT AN EXISTING RULE DURING SPRING TRAINING THAT REQUIRES A HURLER TO THROW THE BALL WHEN THE BASES ARE EMPTY WITHIN 20 SECONDS AFTER TAKING A PITCHING POSITION. THE MANDATE, WHICH RESULTS IN THE UMPIRE CALLING A BALL WHEN THE TOSSES ARE TARDY, WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT DURING THE SEASON.
1961 THE A’S TRADE WHITEY HERZOG AND RUSS SNYDER TO THE ORIOLES FOR WAYNE CAUSEY, JIM ARCHER, BOB BOYD, AND AL PILARCIK. THE DEAL WILL NOT IMPROVE EITHER CLUB WHEN BOTH TEAMS FINISH IN THE SECOND DIVISION NEXT SEASON.
1962 THE SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION, ESTABLISHED IN 1901, SUSPENDS OPERATION DUE TO DECREASING YEARLY ATTENDANCE. EXCEPT FOR 27-YEAR-OLD OUTFIELDER NAT PEEPLES, WHO BECAME THE ONLY BLACK PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE’S HISTORY WHEN HE APPEARED IN TWO GAMES WITH THE 1954 ATLANTA CRACKERS, THE CIRCUIT REMAINED RACIALLY SEGREGATED UNTIL THE END OF ITS EXISTENCE.
1973 WARREN SPAHN BECOMES ONLY THE SIXTH PLAYER ELECTED TO THE HALL OF FAME IN HIS FIRST YEAR OF ELIGIBILITY, RECEIVING 316 OF THE 380 (83.2%) VOTES CAST BY THE BBWAA SCRIBES. THE BUFFALO (NY) NATIVE, WHO RECORDED THIRTEEN 20-WIN SEASONS WITH THE BRAVES, RETIRED AS THE WINNINGEST LEFT-HANDED PITCHER IN BIG-LEAGUE HISTORY WITH 363 VICTORIES, A REMARKABLE FEAT GIVEN HE RECORDED HIS FIRST VICTORY AT THE AGE OF 26.
1980 THE PAYSON FAMILY SELLS THE CONTROLLING INTEREST OF THE METS TO BOOK PUBLISHER DOUBLEDAY AND COMPANY, WITH FRED WILPON OF STERLING EQUITIES AND A GROUP FROM CITY INVESTING BECOMING MINORITY OWNERS. THE ESTIMATED $21.1 MILLION PRICE TAG, TWICE AS MUCH AS THE SALE OF THE YANKEES TO GEORGE STEINBRENNER SEVEN YEARS AGO, IS THE HIGHEST AMOUNT EVER PAID FOR A BASEBALL FRANCHISE, FAR SURPASSING THE $12 MILLION NEEDED TO PURCHASE THE ORIOLES AND ASTROS LAST SEASON.
2001 SIXTY-EIGHT MAJOR LEAGUE UMPIRES PARTICIPATE IN A PRESEASON SESSION, BELIEVED TO BE A HISTORICAL FIRST, TO PRACTICE CALLING STRIKES AS DEFINED BY THE RULE BOOK. WITH THE HELP OF MINOR LEAGUERS WEARING TAPES NINE INCHES ABOVE THEIR BELTS, THE MEN IN BLUE GET A GOOD LOOK AT PITCHES, COMMONLY CALLED BALLS, BUT ARE STRIKES WHEN THE PROPER ENFORCEMENT OF THE ZONE IS PUT INTO PLACE THIS UPCOMING SEASON.
2006 JAY GIBBONS (.277, 26, 79) AND THE ORIOLES AGREE TO A $21.1 MILLION, FOUR-YEAR DEAL. THE 28-YEAR-OLD OUTFIELDER, WHO IS GETTING MARRIED THIS WEEKEND, COULD HAVE TAKEN HIS CHANCES ON THE FREE-AGENT MARKET NEXT SEASON.
2007 CLIFF FLOYD, COMING OFF AN INJURED ACHILLES TENDON, SIGNS A VERY FLEXIBLE DEAL WITH THE CUBS, BEGINNING WITH A ONE-YEAR GUARANTEED CONTRACT FOR $3 MILLION TO ONE, WHICH COULD BE WORTH AS MUCH AS $17.5 MILLION OVER TWO YEARS. THE CHICAGO NATIVE WILL PLATOON WITH MATT MURTON, GIVING THE NORTHSIDERS LEFT-HANDED POWER OFF THE BENCH.
2008 THE BRAVES, AVOIDING ARBITRATION, SIGN RAFAEL SORIANO (3-3, 3.00) TO A TWO-YEAR DEAL WORTH $9 MILLION. ATLANTA PLANS TO USE THE 29-YEAR-OLD RIGHT-HANDED RELIEVER, WHO RECORDED NINE SAVES LAST YEAR, AS THE TEAM’S CLOSER THIS SEASON.
*************************SPORTS IN NUMBERS*********************
42- 16 – 22 – 9 – 53 – 20 – 21 – 31 – 99 – 48
JANUARY 24, 1939 – EDDIE COLLINS, WILLIE KEELER AND GEORGE SISLER WERE ALL ELECTED TO BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
JANUARY 24, 1950 – THE MOST FAMOUS NUMBER 42 IN SPORTS HISTORY, JACKIE ROBINSON, BECAME THE HIGHEST PAID BROOKLYN DODGER TO THAT POINT IN HISTORY WHEN HE SIGNED A $35,000 CONTRACT FOR THE 1950 SEASON.
JANUARY 24, 1956 – 6TH NBA ALL STAR GAME, ROCHESTER WAR MEMORIAL COLISEUM, NY: WEST BEATS EAST, 108-94; MVP CHOSEN WAS ST. LOUIS HAWKS, C, NUMBER 9, BOB PETTIT.
JANUARY 24, 1962 – WE SPOKE JUST A MOMENT AGO ABOUT JACKIE ROBINSON HE WAS ALSO SELECTED AS THE FIRST BLACK MAN TO BE ENSHRINED IN THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME ON THIS DAY. AN IMPORTANT DATE IN HISTORY FOR NUMBER 42.
JANUARY 24, 1971 – 21ST NFL PRO BOWL, LA MEMORIAL COLISEUM: NFC BEATS AFC, 27-6; MVPS SELECTED WERE BOTH OF DEFENSE, GREEN BAY PACKERS, LB, NUMBER 53, FRED CARR AND DALLAS COWBOYS, CB, NUMBER 20, MEL RENFRO
JANUARY 24, 1973 – LEGENDARY LEFTHANDED PITCHER, WARREN SPAHN, NUMBER 21 FOR MUCH OF HIS CAREER, WAS ELECTED TO BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
JANUARY 24, 1978 – 31ST NHL ALL-STAR GAME, BUFFALO MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM, BUFFALO, NY: WALES BEATS CAMPBELL, 3-2 (OT); MVP SELECTED WAS NY ISLANDERS, G, NUMBER 31, BILLY SMITH.
JANUARY 24, 1982 – NUMBER 16 OF THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, JOE MONTANA WAS SELECTED AS THE SUPER BOWL XVI MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AFTER HE AND THE NINERS KNOCKED OFF THE CINCINNATI BENGALS 26-21.
JANUARY 24, 1986 – MIKE BOSSY WHO WORE NUMBER 22 FOR THE NEW YORK ISLANDERS SCORED HIS 1000TH NHL CAREER POINT ON THIS DAY.
JANUARY 24, 1999 – NHL ALL-STAR GAME, ICE PALACE, TAMPA, FL: NORTH AMERICA BEATS WORLD, 8-6; MVP SELECTED WAS NY RANGERS, C, NUMBER 99, WAYNE GRETZKY.
JANUARY 24, 2007 – NHL ALL-STAR GAME, AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTRE, DALLAS, TX: WEST BEATS EAST, 12-9; MVP CHOSEN WAS BUFFALO SABRES, C, NUMBER 48, DANIEL BRIERE.
**************************TV TUESDAY*************************
| NCAA BASKETBALL GAMES – MEN’S | TIME ET | TV |
| PENN STATE AT RUTGERS | 6:30PM | BTN |
| OHIO STATE AT ILLINOIS | 7:00PM | ESPN |
| LSU AT ARKANSAS | 7:00PM | ESPN2 |
| DEPAUL AT GEORGETOWN | 7:00PM | FS1 |
| MIAMI (FL) AT FLORIDA STATE | 7:00PM | ESPNU |
| MISSOURI AT OLE MISS | 7:00PM | SECN |
| NOTRE DAME AT NC STATE | 7:00PM | ACCN |
| EASTERN MICHIGAN AT TOLEDO | 7:00PM | CBSSN |
| MIAMI (OH) AT AKRON | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| BOWLING GREEN AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| BUFFALO AT BALL STATE | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| WESTERN MICHIGAN AT OHIO | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| TULSA AT EAST CAROLINA | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| DAVIDSON AT LA SALLE | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| OKLAHOMA AT TCU | 8:00PM | ESPN+ |
| KENT STATE AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS | 8:00PM | ESPN+ |
| MURRAY STATE AT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS | 8:00PM | ESPN+ |
| UIC AT MISSOURI STATE | 8:00PM | ESPN+ |
| NORTHWESTERN AT NEBRASKA | 8:30PM | BTN |
| NORTH CAROLINA AT SYRACUSE | 9:00PM | ESPN |
| FRESNO STATE AT BOISE STATE | 9:00PM | FS1 |
| KANSAS STATE AT IOWA STATE | 9:00PM | ESPNU |
| KENTUCKY AT VANDERBILT | 9:00PM | SECN |
| GEORGIA TECH AT CLEMSON | 9:00PM | ACCN |
| INDIANA STATE AT DRAKE | 9:00PM | CBSSN |
| OKLAHOMA STATE AT TEXAS | 9:00PM | LHN |
| AIR FORCE AT SAN JOSE STATE | 10:00PM | NBCS-BAY |
| WYOMING AT UNLV | 11:00PM | CBSSN |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| CHICAGO AT INDIANA | 7:00PM | NBCS-CHI BALLY SPORTS |
| BOSTON AT MIAMI | 7:30PM | TNT |
| DENVER AT NEW ORLEANS | 7:30PM | ALT2 BALLY SPORTS |
| WASHINGTON AT DALLAS | 8:30PM | NBCS-WSH BALLY SPORTS |
| CHARLOTTE AT PHOENIX | 9:00PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| LA CLIPPERS AT LA LAKERS | 10:00PM | TNT |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| BOSTON AT MONTRÉAL | 7:00PM | NESN SPORTSNET |
| FLORIDA AT PITTSBURGH | 7:00PM | BALLY SPORTD ATTSN-PIT |
| LOS ANGELES AT PHILADELPHIA | 7:00PM | NBCS-PHI BALLY SPORTS |
| MINNESOTA AT TAMPA BAY | 7:00PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| SAN JOSE AT DETROIT | 7:00PM | NBCS-CA BALLY SPORTS |
| VEGAS AT NEW JERSEY | 7:30PM | ESPN+ HULU |
| BUFFALO AT ST. LOUIS | 8:00PM | MSG-BUF BALLY SPORTS |
| WINNIPEG AT NASHVILLE | 8:00PM | BALLY SPORTS SPORTSNET |
| ANAHEIM AT ARIZONA | 9:00PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| WASHINGTON AT COLORADO | 9:00PM | NBCS-WSH ALT |
| CHICAGO AT VANCOUVER | 10:00PM | SPORTSNET NBCS-CHI |
| SOCCER MATCHES | TIME ET | TV |
| BUNDESLIGA: SCHALKE 04 VS RB LEIPZIG | 12:30PM | ESPN+ |
| BUNDESLIGA: BAYERN MÜNCHEN VS KÖLN | 2:30PM | ESPN+ |
| BUNDESLIGA: HOFFENHEIM VS STUTTGART | 2:30PM | ESPN+ |
| BUNDESLIGA: HERTHA BSC VS WOLFSBURG | 2:30PM | ESPN+ |
| ENGLAND LEAGUE CUP: SOUTHAMPTON VS NEWCASTLE UNITED | 3:00PM | ESPN+ |
| TENNIS | TIME ET | TV |
| AUSTRALIAN OPEN | 9:00PM | ESPN2 |