THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” FRIDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2025

“THE SCOREBOARD”

SEMI-STATE MATCH-UPS

CLASS 6A

WESTFIELD (10-2) AT CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (9-3)

WARREN CENTRAL (8-4) AT BROWNSBURG (12-0)

CLASS 5A

CONCORD (11-1) AT MERRILLVILLE (10-2)

BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (11-1) AT NEW PALESTINE (12-0)

CLASS 4A

SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (12-1) AT FORT WAYNE DWENGER (11-2)

HERITAGE HILLS (12-1) AT INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (10-3)

CLASS 3A

KNOX (13-0) AT FORT WAYNE LUERS (8-5)

GIBSON SOUTHERN (12-1) AT CASCADE (13-0)…SATURDAY

CLASS 2A

ADAMS CENTRAL (13-0) AT ANDREAN (11-1)

BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (13-0) AT LAPEL (13-0)

CLASS 1A

PIONEER (12-1) AT SOUTH ADAMS (10-3)

SOUTH PUTNAM (11-2) AT MILAN (7-4)

=====

INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES/SCHEDULE

THURSDAY’S GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES

ALEXANDRIA 41          YORKTOWN   24         

AUSTIN             66          CLARKSVILLE              27         

BETHESDA CHRISTIAN         50          VICTORY PREP            28         

CASCADE        45          SPEEDWAY     27         

CASTLE             55          MOUNT CARMEL (ILL.)          51         

CHRISTIAN ACADEMY           50          LANESVILLE   31         

CLAY CITY       38          WEST VIGO    34         

CLINTON CHRISTIAN             40          LAKELAND CHRISTIAN         36         

COLUMBUS NORTH 59          NEW ALBANY               51         

CONCORD     47          WAWASEE       15         

COVENANT CHRISTIAN        42          SHERIDAN      29         

CULVER ACADEMY   58          NORTHWOOD             36         

DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN            33          BOONE GROVE           29         

EASTERN HANCOCK              75          COWAN            24         

ELKHART CHRISTIAN             53          CULVER            16         

EVANSVILLE BOSSE 56          CANNELTON  15         

EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN      55          BARR-REEVE 35         

EVANSVILLE HARRISON      69          TECUMSEH    48         

EVANSVILLE HOMESCHOOL            59          WASHINGTON CATHOLIC   13         

EVANSVILLE MATER DEI       63          SOUTH KNOX               44         

FAIRFIELD       54          CHURUBUSCO           18         

FLOYD CENTRAL        59          SCOTTSBURG              22         

FORT WAYNE DWENGER     67          FORT WAYNE NORTH             22         

FORT WAYNE NORTHROP   64          CARROLL (FORT WAYNE)     42         

HAMILTON HEIGHTS              80          INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD   67         

HAMMOND CENTRAL            58          EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL   45         

HAMMOND MORTON             86          CALUMET        10         

HERITAGE HILLS        59          SOUTH SPENCER      46         

INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI  56          BEECH GROVE            32         

JOHN GLENN                43          KNOX  23         

KOUTS              51          NORTH JUDSON         37         

LAKEWOOD PARK     53          FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY             11         

LAPEL 71          MARION           58         

LINTON             75          NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG)            18         

LOOGOOTEE 58          SHOALS           15         

MONROE CENTRAL  55          RANDOLPH SOUTHERN       33         

MORRISTOWN            49          MILAN 24         

MUNCIE BURRIS        41          SOUTH ADAMS           40         

MUNSTER        35          ANDREAN        30         

NEW PALESTINE         47          CONNERSVILLE          41         

NORTH DECATUR      51          SOUTH DEARBORN  32         

NORTH KNOX               57          VINCENNES RIVET   20         

NORTH VERMILLION              59          WESTVILLE (ILL.)        11         

OREGON-DAVIS         56          RIVER FOREST            23         

ORLEANS        56          NORTHEAST DUBOIS             42         

PERRY CENTRAL        48          FOREST PARK              41         

PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE      32          IRVINGTON PREP      12         

PURDUE ENGLEWOOD         77          HERITAGE CHRISTIAN           40         

RIVERTON PARKE      52          DUGGER UNION        24         

SEVEN OAKS 43          BLOOMINGTON SOUTH C   21         

SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH   73          NEW PRAIRIE               37         

TRINITY GREENLAWN            25          ARGOS              23         

TRITON             35          PLYMOUTH    33         

WESTVIEW     60          GOSHEN          18         

WINAMAC       30          NORTH WHITE            20         

JOHNSON COUNTY TOURNAMENT

CENTER GROVE          60          WHITELAND  19         

FRANKLIN       67          GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN  19         

PUTNAM COUNTY TOURNAMENT

NORTH PUTNAM        35          GREENCASTLE            33         

SOUTH PUTNAM        41          CLOVERDALE               34         

=====

FRIDAY’S GIRLS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

ALL TIMES EASTERN

ANGOLA           AT          EASTSIDE                       7:00 PM            

AUSTIN             AT          PAOLI                 7:30 PM            

AVON  AT          ZIONSVILLE                  7:30 PM            

BATESVILLE    AT          SEYMOUR                      7:30 PM            

BLUFFTON      AT          HUNTINGTON NORTH                          7:30 PM            

BOONVILLE    AT          EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL                     8:00 PM            

BROWN COUNTY      AT          NORTHVIEW                 8:00 PM            

CLARKSVILLE CHRISTIAN   AT          INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS                    7:30 PM              

CLINTON CENTRAL  AT          CARROLL (FLORA)                   7:30 PM            

CLINTON PRAIRIE     AT          DELPHI                            7:30 PM            

DELTA AT          WAPAHANI                    7:30 PM            

EASTERN (GREENTOWN)     AT          ROSSVILLE                    7:00 PM            

EASTERN (PEKIN)      AT          SALEM                              7:30 PM            

ELKHART          AT          SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON                          7:30 PM            

EVANSVILLE REITZ   AT          EVANSVILLE NORTH                              8:00 PM            

FISHERS          AT          WESTFIELD                   7:30 PM            

FORT WAYNE SOUTH             AT          KOKOMO                        7:30 PM            

FRANKLIN CENTRAL               AT          HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN                            7:30 PM            

FREMONT        AT          CENTRAL NOBLE                      7:30 PM            

GARRETT         AT          DEKALB                           7:30 PM            

GIBSON SOUTHERN               AT          PRINCETON                  7:30 PM            

GREENFIELD-CENTRAL         AT          PENDLETON HEIGHTS                         7:30 PM              

HAMMOND NOLL      AT          LAKE CENTRAL                          8:00 PM            

HAUSER           AT          WALDRON                     7:30 PM            

HOMESTEAD AT          FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA                              7:30 PM            

INDIANA DEAF            AT          HORIZON CHRISTIAN                           6:00 PM            

INDIANA MATH & SCIENCE               AT          KIPP INDY LEGACY                  6:00 PM              

INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL             AT          JENNINGS COUNTY                6:00 PM              

INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE          AT          UNIVERSITY                  7:30 PM            

JAY COUNTY  AT          BELLMONT                     7:30 PM            

JIMTOWN        AT          BREMEN                          7:30 PM            

KANKAKEE VALLEY   AT          CHESTERTON                             8:00 PM            

LAVILLE            AT          TIPPECANOE VALLEY                            7:30 PM            

LAWRENCE NORTH AT          WINTON WOODS (OHIO)                   7:00 PM            

LEO      AT          WOODLAN                    7:30 PM            

MONROVIA     AT          TRITON CENTRAL                     7:30 PM            

MOORESVILLE            AT          COLUMBUS EAST                     7:30 PM            

MOUNT VERNON (POSEY)  AT          NORTH POSEY                           8:30 PM            

MUNCIE BURRIS        AT          CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN                            6:00 PM              

NEW CASTLE AT          MUNCIE CENTRAL                   7:30 PM            

NEW WASHINGTON AT          HENRYVILLE                 7:30 PM            

NORTHEASTERN        AT          UNION CITY                  7:30 PM            

NORTHWESTERN      AT          LEWIS CASS                 7:30 PM            

OAK HILL         AT          MADISON-GRANT                    7:30 PM            

PERRY MERIDIAN      AT          PLAINFIELD                  7:30 PM            

PERU   AT          NORTHFIELD                7:45 PM            

PHALEN ACADEMY   AT          PARK TUDOR               7:30 PM            

PIKE CENTRAL             AT          WOOD MEMORIAL                   8:00 PM            

PRAIRIE HEIGHTS     AT          LAKELAND                     7:30 PM            

RUSHVILLE    AT          MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE)                       7:30 PM            

SHENANDOAH            AT          BLUE RIVER VALLEY                7:30 PM            

SOUTH BEND ADAMS            AT          MISHAWAKA MARIAN                           7:30 PM              

SOUTH BEND RILEY AT          PENN                 7:30 PM            

SOUTH RIPLEY            AT          LAWRENCEBURG                     7:30 PM            

SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)  AT          SHELBYVILLE                              7:30 PM              

SOUTHWOOD             AT          ELWOOD                        7:30 PM            

SULLIVAN        AT          WASHINGTON                            7:30 PM            

SWITZERLAND COUNTY      AT          RISING SUN                  7:30 PM            

TELL CITY        AT          CRAWFORD COUNTY                           8:00 PM            

TRI        AT          HAGERSTOWN                          7:30 PM            

TRI-WEST        AT          DANVILLE                       7:30 PM            

UNION COUNTY        AT          FRANKLIN COUNTY                7:30 PM            

WES-DEL         AT          MUNCIE BURRIS                       7:00 PM            

WEST CENTRAL          AT          SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS)                 7:30 PM              

WESTERN        AT          TIPTON                            7:30 PM            

WHEELER        AT          HEBRON                         8:00 PM            

LAFAYETTE TOURNAMENT

WEST LAFAYETTE       VS.        TWIN LAKES                 6:00 PM             CON

LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC   VS.        RENSSELAER CENTRAL                       6:00 PM             CON

BENTON CENTRAL    AT          HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE)                       7:30 PM               SF

LAFAYETTE JEFF         AT          MCCUTCHEON                          7:30 PM             SF

SUGAR CREEK TOURNAMENT

CRAWFORDSVILLE  VS.        NORTH MONTGOMERY                        6:00 PM             R1

SOUTHMONT               AT          WESTERN BOONE                    7:30 PM             R1

=====

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING:

HTTPS://INDIANAMAT.COM

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS WRESTLING RESULTS:

NEW PRAIRIE 63 CULVER ACADEMIES 24

HIGHLAND 45 ILLIANA CHRISTIAN 29

=====

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS WRESTLING RESULTS

COLUMBIA CITY 48 JAY COUNTY 30

=====

COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES/SCHEDULE

#1 PURDUE 80 MEMPHIS 71

#20 TENNESSEE 89 TENNESSEE STATE 60

#14 ST. JOHN’S 97 BUCKNELL 49

#15 TEXAS TECH 84 WAKE FOREST 83

#2 HOUSTON 91 RIDER 45

INCARNATE WORD 87 SOUTHERN INDIANA 81

HIGH POINT 90 ILLINOIS CHICAGO 80

INDIANA 73 LINDENWOOD 53

MARSHALL 98 ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF 70

ST. BONAVENTURE 75 ROBERT MORRIS 61

WRIGHT STATE 100 OHIO WESLEYAN 47

VANDERBILT 109 TEXAS SOUTHERN 74

MIAMI FLORIDA 99 ELON 72

NORTHERN KENTUCKY 90 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 66

IOWA 93 CHICAGO STATE 54

NEBRASKA 84 NEW MEXICO 72

CENTRAL FLORIDA 77 PITTSBURGH 67

FLORIDA ATLANTIC 82 PACIFIC 59

PRINCETON 70 NORTHEASTERN 57

MIAMI OHIO 76 MERCYHURST 71

CORNELL 95 COLGATE 94 2OT

OHIO STATE 91 WESTERN MICHIGAN 58

MISSOURI 102 SOUTH DAKOTA 68

TARLETON STATE 90 RICE 74

OKLAHOMA 95 ORAL ROBERTS 71

NORTH TEXAS 74 CENTRAL ARKANSAS 56

CAL POLY 92 UTAH 85

KANSAS STATE 98 MISSISSIPPI STATE 77

USC 107 TROY 106 3OT

UNLV 99 ST. JOSEPH’S 85

=====

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCHEDULE/SCORES

#9 MARYLAND 95 BETHUNE COOKMAN 49

#23 WEST VIRGINIA 80 APPALACHIAN STATE 51

#22 MICHIGAN STATE 101 EASTERN ILLINOIS 53

#12 IOWA STATE 87 DRAKE 60

#14 NORTH CAROLINA 85 NORTH CAROLINA A&T 50

#10 TCU 80 TARLETON STATE 32

#15 TENNESSEE 85 MIDDLE TENNESSEE 41

#5 LSU 112 ALCORN STATE 49

#19 IOWA 57 #7 BAYLOR 52

TROY 100 MISSOURI 82

ST. JOSEPH’S 66 COLUMBIA 48

TEXAS STATE 53 TEXAS A&M CORPUS CHRISTI 43

UTAH STATE 96 CAL STATE STANISLAUS 41

KANSAS CITY 121 HESSTON COLLEGE 43

CALIFORNIA 70 ST. MARY 62

ARMY 63 NEW HAMPSHIRE 44

AUSTIN PEAY 68 CHATTANOOGA 54

BINGHAMTON 95 AKRON 94 2OT

VIRGINIA 94 LONGWOOD 47

YOUNGSTOWN STATE 64 MERCYHURST 50

VIRGINIA TECH 83 NIAGARA 46

MIAMI FLORIDA 66 DAVIDSON 58

FLORIDA 89 FLORIDA STATE 67

GEORGIA 92 N. FLORIDA 46

SAVIOR 74 OHIO 53

BALL STATE 83 CINCINNATI 63

TEXAS TECH 69 MISSISSIPPI STATE 62

TENNESSEE TECH 61 E. TENNESSEE STATE 52

NORTHERN IOWA 51 CREIGHTON 50

MOUNT ST. MARY’S 69 LOYOLA MARYLAND 50

SETON HALL 94 FORDHAM 83 2OT

HOWARD 57 MONMOUTH 44

AUBURN 51 RUTGERS 46

LAFAYETTE 56 WEGNER 53

EVANSVILLE 75 IU INDY 58

CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD 82 OMAHA 73

HOUSTON 65 TEXAS RIO GRANDE 63

SAM HOUSTON STATE 57 LOUISIANA MONROE 34

ARKANSAS 96 LITTLE ROCK 57

WAKE FOREST 68 NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL 65

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 72 GONZAGA 63

SOUTH FLORIDA 85 DUKE 72

SOUTH ALABAMA 70 FLORIDA ATLANTIC 63

WESTERN ILLINOIS 84 BRADLEY 77

UTAH VALLEY 59 WEBER STATE 55

TEXAS SOUTHERN 96 ARLINGTON BAPTIST 32

NEW MEXICO 77 TENNESSEE MARTIN 45

SAN FRANCISCO 68 LONG BEACH STATE 55

STANFORD 70 UC DAVIS 45

=====

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE/SCORES

THURSDAY, NOV. 20

LOUISIANA 34 ARKANSAS STATE 30

FRIDAY, NOV. 21

8 P.M. | FLORIDA STATE AT NC STATE | ESPN

10:30 P.M. | HAWAI’I AT UNLV | FS1

SATURDAY, NOV. 22

12 P.M. | SAMFORD AT TEXAS A&M | SECN+

12 P.M. | MISSOURI AT OKLAHOMA

12 P.M. | DELAWARE AT WAKE FOREST | ACC NETWORK

12 P.M. | TULSA AT ARMY | CBSSN

12 P.M. | RUTGERS AT OHIO STATE | FOX

12 P.M. | MIAMI (FLA.) AT VIRGINIA TECH | ESPN

12 P.M. | LOUISVILLE AT SMU | ESPN2

12 P.M. | MINNESOTA AT NORTHWESTERN | BTN

12 P.M. | KANSAS AT IOWA STATE | FS1

12:45 P.M. | CHARLOTTE AT GEORGIA | SEC NETWORK

1 P.M. | OLD DOMINION AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN | ESPN+

1 P.M. | WASHINGTON STATE AT JAMES MADISON | ESPN+

1 P.M. | BAYLOR AT ARIZONA | TNT

2 P.M. | EASTERN ILLINOIS AT ALABAMA | SECN+

2 P.M. | MERCER AT AUBURN | SECN+

2 P.M. | MISSOURI STATE AT KENNESAW STATE | ESPN+

2 P.M. | NEVADA AT WYOMING

2 P.M. | BALL STATE AT TOLEDO | ESPN+

2:30 P.M. | MARSHALL AT APPALACHIAN STATE | ESPN+

3 P.M. | UCONN AT FLORIDA ATLANTIC | ESPN+

3 P.M. | LIBERTY AT LOUISIANA TECH | ESPN+

3 P.M. | SAM HOUSTON AT MIDDLE TENNESSEE | ESPN+

3 P.M. | NEW MEXICO STATE AT UTEP | ESPN+

3 P.M. | SOUTH FLORIDA AT UAB | ESPN+

3:30 P.M. | SYRACUSE AT NOTRE DAME | NBC/PEACOCK

3:30 P.M. | KENTUCKY AT VANDERBILT

3:30 P.M. | JACKSONVILLE STATE AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL | CBSSN

3:30 P.M. | SOUTHERN MISS AT SOUTH ALABAMA | ESPN+

3:30 P.M. | USC AT OREGON | CBS

3:30 P.M.| ARKANSAS AT TEXAS | ABC

3:30 P.M. | MICHIGAN STATE AT IOWA | FS1

3:30 P.M. | DUKE AT NORTH CAROLINA | ACC NETWORK

3:30 P.M. | EAST CAROLINA AT UTSA | ESPN+

3:45 P.M. | TULANE AT TEMPLE | ESPNU

4 P.M. | OKLAHOMA STATE AT UCF | ESPN+

4 P.M. | GEORGIA STATE AT TROY | ESPN+

4 P.M. | KANSAS STATE AT UTAH | ESPN2

4 P.M. | MICHIGAN AT MARYLAND | BTN

4 P.M. | TCU AT HOUSTON | FOX

4:15 P.M. | COASTAL CAROLINA AT SOUTH CAROLINA | SEC NETWORK

4:30 P.M. | FURMAN AT CLEMSON | THE CW NETWORK

5 P.M. | UL MONROE AT TEXAS STATE | ESPN+

7 P.M. | NEW MEXICO AT AIR FORCE | CBSSN

7 P.M. | PITT AT GEORGIA TECH | ESPN

7 P.M. | NEBRASKA AT PENN STATE | NBC

7 P.M. | COLORADO STATE AT BOISE STATE | FS1

7:30 P.M. | CAL AT STANFORD | ACC NETWORK

7:30 | TENNESSEE AT FLORIDA | ABC

7:30 P.M. | ILLINOIS AT WISCONSIN | BTN

7:30 P.M. | NORTH TEXAS AT RICE | ESPNU

7:45 P.M. | WESTERN KENTUCKY AT LSU | SEC NETWORK

8 P.M. | BYU AT CINCINNATI | FOX

8 P.M. | ARIZONA STATE AT COLORADO | ESPN2

10:30 P.M. | UTAH STATE AT FRESNO STATE | CBSSN

10:30 P.M. | WASHINGTON AT UCLA | NBC

10:30 P.M. | SAN JOSE STATE AT SAN DIEGO STATE | FS1

=====

MEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER SCORES

NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND

DUKE 1, FDU 0

CORNELL 4, LAFAYETTE 0

DENVER 2, UC IRVINE 0

SETON HALL 1, SIENA 1

GRAND CANYON 0, UCLA 0

UNC GREENSBORO 0, ELON 0

HOFSTRA 2, SYRACUSE 0

WESTERN MICHIGAN 1, CLEMSON 0

NORTH CAROLINA 2, NORTH FLORIDA 2 (6-5)

NOTRE DAME 1, MICHIGAN 0

UCF 3, FLORIDA ATLANTIC 2

WEST VIRGINIA 4, ST. JOHN’S (NEW YORK) 3

KANSAS CITY 1, LINDENWOOD 0

MARSHALL 1, CLEVELAND STATE 0

SAINT LOUIS 2, KENTUCKY 1

WASHINGTON 3, OREGON ST. 2

SECOND ROUND: SUNDAY, NOV. 23

12 P.M. | NO. 6 INDIANA VS. SAINT LOUIS

1 P.M. | NO. 1 VERMONT VS. HOFSTRA

1 P.M. | NO. 4 MARYLAND VS. NORTH CAROLINA

1 P.M. | NO. 14 AKRON VS. NOTRE DAME

1 P.M. | NO. 16 FURMAN VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN

2 P.M. | NO 13 UCONN VS. CORNELL

4 P.M. | NO. 3 PRINCETON VS. DUKE

5 P.M. | NO. 7 GEORGETOWN VS. UCF

5 P.M. | NO. 2 VIRGINIA VS. UNC GREENSBORO

6 P.M. | NO. 15 NC STATE VS. MARSHALL

6 P.M. | NO. 11 BRYANT VS. SETON HALL

7:30 P.M. | NO. 10 HIGH POINT VS. WEST VIRGINIA

7 P.M. | NO. 5 SMU VS. WASHINGTON

8 P.M. | NO. 12 STANFORD VS. KANSAS CITY

8 P.M. | NO. 9 SAN DIEGO VS. GRAND CANYON

9 P.M. | NO. 8 PORTLAND VS. DENVER

=====

WOMEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER TOURNAMENT OPENING ROUND

#3 FLORIDA STATE 1 LIPSCOMB 0

#5 BAYLOR 1 #4 WISCONSIN 0

#3 COLORADO 4 #6 XAVIER 1

#4 WASHINGTON 1 #5 ARKANSAS 0

#3 KANSAS 3 #6 LOUISVILLE 1

#2 GEORGETOWN 1 #7 WEST VIRGINIA 1 (GEORGETOWN WINS ON PENALTY KICKS)

OHIO STATE 1 #1 NOTRE DAME 0 2OT

#2 MICHIGAN STATE 1 #7 WAKE FOREST 0

#1 VIRGINIA 2 #8 PENN STATE 0

#2 DUKE 1 #7 CENTRAL FLORIDA 0

=====

NFL SCHEDULE/SCORES

WEEK 12

THURSDAY, NOV. 20

HOUSTON 23 BUFFALO 19

SUNDAY, NOV. 23

NEW ENGLAND AT CINCINNATI, 1 P.M. (CBS)

PITTSBURGH AT CHICAGO, 1 P.M. (CBS)

INDIANAPOLIS AT KANSAS CITY NY JETS AT BALTIMORE, 1 P.M. (CBS)

NY GIANTS AT DETROIT, 1 P.M. (FOX)

SEATTLE AT TENNESSEE, 1 P.M. (FOX)

MINNESOTA AT GREEN BAY, 1 P.M. (FOX)

CLEVELAND AT LAS VEGAS, 4:05 P.M. (CBS)

JACKSONVILLE AT ARIZONA, 4:05 P.M. (CBS)

ATLANTA AT NEW ORLEANS, 4:25 P.M. (FOX)

PHILADELPHIA AT DALLAS, 4:25 P.M. (FOX)

TAMPA BAY AT LA RAMS, 8:20 P.M. (NBC)

MONDAY, NOV. 24

CAROLINA AT SAN FRANCISCO, 8:15 P.M. (ESPN)

BYES: DENVER, LA CHARGERS, MIAMI, WASHINGTON

=====

NBA SCOREBOARD

ORLANDO 129 LA CLIPPERS 101

SAN ANTONIO 135 ATLANTA 126

PHILADELPHIA 123 MILWAUKEE 114 OT

MEMPHIS 137 SACRAMENTO 96

=====

NHL SCOREBOARD

COLUMBUS 3 TORONTO 2 OT

FLORIDA 1 NEW JERSEY 0

PHILADELPHIA 3 ST. LOUIS 2 OT

NY ISLANDERS 5 DETROIT 0

WASHINGTON 8 MONTRÉAL 4

TAMPA BAY 2 EDMONTON 1 OT

SEATTLE 3 CHICAGO 2

COLORADO 6 NY RANGERS 3

VEGAS 4 UTAH 1

SAN JOSE 4 LOS ANGELES 3

DALLAS 4 VANCOUVER 2

OTTAWA 3 ANAHEIM 2

=====

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER PLAYOFFS

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

NOV. 22 – NOV. 23

EASTERN CONFERENCE: TBD

WESTERN CONFERENCE: TBD

CONFERENCE FINAL

NOV. 29 – NOV. 30

SEMIFINAL WINNERS, TBD

CHAMPIONSHIP

SATURDAY, DEC. 6: CONFERENCE FINAL WINNERS, 2:30 P.M.

=====

TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES

NFL NEWS

DEFENSE RACKS UP 8 SACKS AS TEXANS SHUT DOWN BILLS

Davis Mills threw two touchdown passes, Caden Bullock had two interceptions and a forced fumble and the Houston Texans racked up eight sacks while notching a 23-19 victory over the visiting Buffalo Bills on Thursday night.

Will Anderson had 2 ½ sacks and Danielle Hunter had two as Buffalo’s Josh Allen was brought down for 70 yards in losses. Christian Kirk and Jayden Higgins caught touchdown passes as the Texans (6-5) won for the fourth time in five games.

Allen completed 24 of 34 passes for 253 yards and the two interceptions for the Bills (7-4), who lost for the second time in three games.

James Cook rushed for 116 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries for the Bills. Ray Davis returned a kickoff for a score and Khalil Shakir had eight receptions for 110 yards.

Mills completed 16 of 30 passes for 153 yards while starting his third straight game in place of C.J. Stroud (concussion).

The Bills appeared to be down to their final play when facing fourth-and-27 from their own 30-yard line. However, Allen tossed an 11-yard completion to Joshua Palmer, who then lateraled to Shakir for 33 more yards to the Houston 26 with 41 seconds to play.

Buffalo later faced fourth-and-6 from the Houston 22-yard line and Allen’s throw was picked off by Bullock, who stayed on his knees at the 9 with 18 seconds left.

Bills standout linebacker Terrel Bernard exited with 10:27 left in the third quarter due to a right elbow injury.

Mills tossed an 8-yard touchdown pass to Higgins with five seconds left in the first half to give the Texans a 20-16 lead.

Buffalo struck first on Cook’s 45-yard scoring run with 9:11 remaining in the first quarter. Matt Prater sent the extra-point attempt wide left.

Ka’imi Fairbairn (24 yards) and Prater (44) traded field goals before Mills threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kirk to give Houston a 10-9 edge with 3:47 left in the half.

Bullock’s first interception of Allen set up Fairbairn’s 43-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining.

The four-point lead was quickly erased as Davis fielded the ensuing kickoff and raced 97 yards for a score to give Buffalo a 16-13 lead.

Fairbairn kicked a 26-yard field goal to give the Texans a 23-16 lead with 17 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Bills received Prater’s 38-yard field goal with 5:44 remaining in the game to get back within four.

SAM DARNOLD AND THE SEAHAWKS LOOK TO REBOUND AGAINST STRUGGLING TITANS

Seattle (7-3) at Tennessee (1-9)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, FOX.

BetMGM NFL odds: Seahawks by 13 1/2.

Against the spread: Seahawks 8-2, Titans 4-6.

Series record: Seahawks lead 11-8.

Last meeting: Seahawks beat the Titans 23-20 on Dec. 24, 2023, in Nashville.

Last week: Seahawks lost at Rams 21-19, Titans lost 16-13 to Texans.

Seahawks offense: overall (6), rush (14), pass (4), scoring (5).

Seahawks defense: overall (9), rush (6), pass (14), scoring (6).

Titans offense: overall (32), rush (32), pass (30), scoring (32).

Titans defense: overall (24), rush (26), pass (18), scoring (T-29).

Turnover differential: Seahawks minus-7; Titans minus-4.

Seahawks player to watch

RB Kenneth Walker III. The Seahawks’ run game is on the right path, topping 100 yards rushing in three of Seattle’s past four games. Considering Walker has rushed for 67 yards in back-to-back weeks and Tennessee’s season-long woes stopping the run, he could be in line for his first 100-yard game since Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Titans player to watch

QB Cam Ward. The No. 1 overall pick has 12 turnovers this season with six interceptions and six fumbles lost. He also had possibly his best drive late last week, driving the Titans 95 yards over 11 plays for a tying touchdown. He threw for 194 yards with a TD and ran for a team-high 33 yards. He leads all rookie quarterbacks with 1,954 yards passing.

Key matchup

The Seahawks’ pass rush, which has the fourth-most sacks in the NFL, failed to generate a sack last week against the Rams. Expect that to change against the Tennessee Titans, as Ward has been sacked a whopping 41 times this season.

Key injuries

Seahawks: G Grey Zabel (knee) is day to day, per coach Mike Macdonald, and did not practice Wednesday. WR Tory Horton (Groin) and LB Tyrice Knight (concussion) also did not practice. Macdonald is optimistic S Julian Love (hamstring) and TE Eric Saubert (calf) will return to practice next month when they are each eligible to be activated from injured reserve.

Titans: Rookie WR Elic Ayomanor is dealing with a hamstring. CB Darrell Baker Jr. (knee), S Kendall Brooks (concussion protocol) and S Xavier Woods (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday.

Series notes

This will be Seattle’s fourth regular-season game in Nashville. The Titans have won three of the past five between these teams, but Seattle leads the overall series 11-8 thanks to five straight victories and seven in eight starting in the late 1980s to 2005. The Seahawks are 4-5 in road games in this series.

Stats and stuff

The Seahawks are 7-3 for the first time since 2020. Seattle went 10-7 last season and hasn’t had a losing season since 2021 under Pete Carroll … The Seahawks are 3-0 against AFC foes this season, including 2-0 on the road… Sam Darnold threw four interceptions in a game last week for the first time since Oct. 21, 2019, for the Jets against New England. … Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who led the Seahawks in yards receiving in 2024, leads in the NFL in that category this season. His 1,146 yards are 238 more than Ja’Marr Chase, the NFL’s second-leading receiver. … Linebacker Ernest Jones IV has a career-high three interceptions this season, tied for fifth most in the NFL. … The Seahawks have 32 sacks, tied for fourth in the NFL, while the offense has allowed just 10. … Seahawks K Jason Myers went 4 for 5 on field-goal attempts in Seattle’s most recent game. Myers’ lone miss came on a 61-yard attempt as time expired. … Ward has a TD pass in four of his past five games for the Titans. … RB Tyjae Spears had a season-high five catches last week. … TE Chig Okonkwo led the Titans with three catches for 56 yards last week. … WR Van Jefferson had his first TD catch this season last week. … WR Elic Ayomanor is one of five NFL rookies this season with two or more catches in at least 10 straight games to start his career. … LB Cedric Gray has 10 or more tackles in six games this season, tied for most in the NFL. Gray ranks third with 98 tackles overall. … LB Cody Barton had a sack last week and is one of four LBs with three interceptions this season. … LB Arden Key had 1 1/2 sacks last week.

Fantasy tip

Seahawks TE AJ Barner has had an up and down first season as Seattle’s primary tight end, but is coming off his finest game this season. Considering Darnold’s struggles passing downfield against the Rams, expect him to once again turn to Barner, who had 10 catches for 70 yards last week.

BRONCOS ARE WINNING DESPITE A SPUTTERING OFFENSE AND LEADING THE LEAGUE IN PENALTIES

DENVER (AP) — There are really only two things pretty about the Denver Broncos this year: their defense and their record.

They’re on pace for an NFL-record 76 sacks and are so deep on defense that they’ve withstood the absences of Pat Surtain II and Dre Greenlaw for long stretches and they sit atop the AFC at 9-2 heading into their Week 12 bye.

Their offense sputters on a weekly basis and they lost their best offensive producer in running back J.K. Dobbins to a season-ending foot injury. Their special teams feature All-Pro returner Marvin Mims Jr. and kicker Wil Lutz, but Darren Rizzi’s units are a weekly adventure and cost them a win at Indianapolis in September.

They lead the league in punts (57) and penalties (93).

Quarterback Bo Nix has scuffled aplenty in Year 2, yet he’s led five fourth-quarter comebacks this season and eight of them in his career, which is the most by any player in his first two years in league history.

The Broncos’ 22-19 thriller over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs last weekend marked their seventh comeback of the season, their seventh win in a one-score game, their eighth consecutive victory overall and their NFL-best 11th straight triumph at home.

“Just being able to find ways to win, each and every way. Whether it’s a blowout, a close game, come from behind, it doesn’t matter,” outside linebacker Nik Bonitto said. “We got a resilient team, so just finding ways to win, it’s really special for us.”

Usually, it’s the quarterback who’s the great wart remover on championship contenders, but the Broncos have used their dominant defensive formula before when Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware and the “No Fly Zone” defense carried Peyton Manning across the finish line in Super Bowl 50 a decade ago.

Can they recapture a similar success?

That will be determined over a stretch run that includes trips to Washington, Las Vegas and Kansas City on Christmas Night and home games against the Packers, Jaguars and Chargers — who are the last team to beat the Broncos this season (23-20 in Week 3) and the last team to beat them in Denver (23-16 on Oct. 13, 2025).

Their path may be rocky and their wins ugly, but 9-2 is nothing to scoff at.

“It’s incredible, honestly,” tight end Evan Engram said. “It’s super hard to win in this league. Just the way that we’re finishing games, the way that we’re fighting, the adversity that we’re facing and the adversity that we overcome in games. It’s just an incredible feeling coming in here after games, whether it’s here, on the road, just our celebration is the way we just kind of just enjoy the moment. It’s a special team.”

The Broncos have a couple of signature wins that stand out.

They rallied to beat the reigning Super Bowl champions 21-17 by outscoring the Eagles 18-0 in the fourth quarter in Philadelphia, and they topped that comeback in a 33-32 win over the Giants in Denver by snapping a streak in which NFL teams had won 1,602 consecutive games when leading by 18 points in the final six minutes of a game.

“We prepare tons for those situations and we’re just waiting for it, on all phases,” right guard Quinn Meinerz said. “Until the clock hits zero, the game’s not over with and we believe in everyone that we are in the huddle with and it’s really cool to be in those huddles and in these moments where everyone is just locked in and ready to go and it doesn’t matter.”

The Broncos are counting on the returns of Surtain, the league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and leading tackler Alex Singleton returning after the bye to bolster an already stout defense. Surtain has missed three games with a strained pectoral and Singleton underwent surgery to remove a testicular tumor earlier this month and missed the Kansas City game.

“I mean, we just have grit,” safety Talanoa Hufanga said. “We just know how to handle adversity. I think that’s one thing that is a testament to this team, regardless of the situations we are in. I think we are just built for whatever. Whatever comes our way.”

COWBOYS SET TO HOST EAGLES IN 1ST HOME GAME SINCE MARSHAWN KNEELAND’S DEATH

Philadelphia (8-2) at Dallas (4-5-1)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, Fox.

BetMGM line: Eagles by 3 1/2.

Against the spread: Eagles 7-3; Cowboys 5-5.

Series record: Cowboys lead 74-59.

Last meeting: Eagles beat Cowboys 24-20 in NFL opener in Philadelphia on Sept. 4.

Last week: Eagles beat Lions 16-9; Cowboys beat Raiders 33-16.

Eagles offense: overall (25), rush (17), pass (28), scoring (16).

Eagles defense: overall (T17), rush (19), pass (15), scoring (8).

Cowboys offense: overall (3), rush (12), pass (1), scoring (2).

Cowboys defense: overall (30), rush (24), pass (30), scoring (31).

Turnover differential: Eagles plus-6, Cowboys minus-4.

Eagles player to watch

DT Jalen Carter. He was ejected before the first snap of the NFL opener when he spit on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott during a verbal exchange while an injured player was down following the opening kickoff. Assuming Carter plays the entire game, the Dallas running game will be challenged. Plus, Carter and fellow DT Jordan Davis combined to bat down five passes last week against Detroit.

Cowboys players to watch

WRs George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb both were benched for the first series in the victory over the Raiders, apparently for being late to meetings. Both responded with touchdown catches. Pickens had his most dominant game since joining the Cowboys in an offseason trade with Pittsburgh. He tied his career high with nine catches and had 144 yards receiving. Pickens broke several tackles on a spectacular 21-yard catch and run in the fourth quarter.

Key matchup

Eagles RB Saquon Barkley vs. the Dallas run defense. Buoyed by the addition of star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams in a trade during their open week, the Cowboys held the Raiders to 27 yards rushing. Dallas was ranked 29th in run defense before that showing. Barkley’s encore to his 2,000-yard rushing season has been anything but smooth. The All-Pro is averaging just 66 yards per game and 3.8 yards per carry.

Key injuries

Eagles: RT Lane Johnson is expected to miss significant time with a foot injury. Fred Johnson is the likely replacement. … C Cam Jurgens is in concussion protocol and missed the first practice of the week.

Cowboys: Dallas appeared to avoid any significant injuries against Las Vegas. That victory featured the return of safeties Malik Hooker (toe) and Donovan Wilson (elbow/shoulder) from multiweek absences and the season debuts of LB DeMarvion Overshown and rookie CB Shavon Revel. Overshown and Revel tore knee ligaments last season.

Series notes

The Eagles are going for the season sweep of the Cowboys for the second year in a row. Before last season, they hadn’t swept Dallas since 2011. … Philadelphia is well on its way to consecutive NFC East titles, which hasn’t been done since the Eagles won four in a row from 2001-04. Either Dallas or Philadelphia has won eight of the past nine division titles.

Stats and stuff

The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles have won 24 of 27 games, including the playoffs, going back to Week 6 of last season. … Philadelphia is the best road team in the NFL (28-11) since coach Nick Sirianni took over in 2021. … The Eagles have allowed fewer than 10 points in consecutive games for the first time since early 2022. … Philadelphia is the only team that hasn’t allowed a passing TD on third or fourth down this season. … QB Jalen Hurts’ 22 total TDs (16 passing, six rushing) are tied for third in the NFL, and he has a league-low three giveaways. … Dallas Goedert already has a career high with seven touchdown catches, tied for the most among tight ends. … In two games since being acquired in a trade with Miami, edge rusher Jaelan Phillips has 11 pressures, four QB hits. … Cowboys QB Dak Prescott needs 160 yards passing to break Tony Romo’s franchise record of 34,183. With the win over the Raiders, he joined Pro Football Hall of Famers Troy Aikman (94) and Roger Staubach (85) as the only Dallas QBs with at least 80 regular-season victories. … Prescott is 21-2 (.913) at home against NFC East opponents. It’s the highest winning percentage for a QB against his division foes since the 1970 merger. … WR George Pickens needs 92 yards receiving for his second 1,000-yard season. He is second in the NFL with 908 yards. … DT Quinnen Williams had 1 1/2 sacks in his Dallas debut against the Raiders. … DaRon Bland had 10 tackles against the Raiders. He’s the first Dallas cornerback in at least 30 years with double-digit tackles in consecutive games.

Fantasy tip

RB Javonte Williams had 64 scrimmage yards and two rushing TDs in his Dallas debut against the Eagles in the opener. He has had at least 80 scrimmage yards in his past three home games.

CHARGERS’ RETOOLED PASS RUSH FINDING ITS FOOTING AFTER EARLY STRUGGLES WITHOUT JOEY BOSA

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — In two seasons as the Los Angeles Chargers’ defensive coordinator, Jesse Minter has proven himself to be one of the most creative minds in football.

But even Minter acknowledges there are times when his scheming is secondary to the natural pass rush talent at his disposal.

Minter knew he had to reimagine his pass rush this season after the salary-cap release of Joey Bosa, the five-time Pro Bowl selection who spent nine years leading the Chargers’ pursuit of quarterbacks — when he was healthy, at least.

With Khalil Mack returning as the group’s anchor, Tuli Tuipulotu continuing to develop and Odafe Oweh making a major impact as a midseason addition, the Chargers (7-4) believe they’ve cobbled together a pass rush that can keep them in contention in the quarterback-rich AFC West.

“I mean, it’s what wins in this league on passing downs is the ability to affect the quarterback,” Minter said. “Some teams do it by designing super-well-designed blitzes and all that stuff, and I think there’s times where you’ve got to do that. I really think most people would say that if you can get the pressure that you want with four and cover the guys that are out there, that’s harder to go against, even though, yeah, the blitzes are really hard, too.”

The Chargers’ ability to disrupt through their edge rushers had been coming together nicely — at least until their 35-6 loss at Jacksonville last Sunday, when nothing went right for the defense at any level. Before that setback, Mack thought the position group was on the right track to maximize its considerable potential.

“And we building it, we making sure we communicating and all those different things throughout the week, practice and meetings,” Mack said. “It’s not as great as we want it to be right now, but it’s trending that way.”

The upside of the pass rush grew when the Chargers traded for Oweh on Oct. 7, acquiring the five-year NFL veteran and a 2027 seventh-round draft pick from Baltimore in exchange for safety Alohi Gilman and a fifth-round selection.

Los Angeles made the move because Mack had dislocated an elbow against the Raiders in Week 2, sidelining him for four weeks and exposing a lack of consistent production opposite Tuipulotu.

Minter’s first season in charge benefited from the ability to frequently play Mack, Tuipulotu and Bosa together at the same time, with Tuipulotu proving especially adept at pass rushing from an inside position. While the Bolts’ decision to drop Bosa last March was probably prudent since the former No. 3 overall pick had just 14 sacks over the previous three seasons while only managing to play in 28 of their 51 games, the lack of a suitable replacement was evident.

Now, Minter has been able to deploy Mack, Tuipulotu and Oweh on obvious passing downs, and their willingness to work together has helped recharge the ability to create pressure. Minter praised each of their inclinations to run games, stunts and even drop into coverage to create the most favorable matchups for one another.

“I think that makes it work is the unselfishness of the three of them,” Minter said. “Really, Bud (Dupree) as well. So having the edge room be a strength, I think any defensive coach would love to have that.”

That willingness to sacrifice, Mack said, isn’t always a given, especially with the financial rewards that typically come with big individual sack tallies. It hasn’t been an issue for the Chargers, even with Oweh in a contract year and Tuipulotu eligible for a contract extension at the end of this season, his third in the NFL.

“It keeps the vibes high, you know, everybody can stay happy ‘cause everybody kind of getting they wins throughout the game,” Mack said. “It’s super important to keep the vibes high in the edge room ’cause it can be a competitive room. Guys (could) probably be hating on this or hating on that, but we ain’t got those kind of guys.

“We want to win, by any means, and so whatever it takes, whatever it takes to win, we willing to do for each other.”

Oweh went from having no sacks in five games with the Ravens to posting four in his first four games for the Chargers. Tuipulotu had four sacks in a five-game span coinciding with Oweh’s arrival. Mack had three in his first four games after returning from injury and being able to play with Oweh.

“It’s just getting more familiar with each other,” Mack said. “It’s just getting more familiar with each other’s games. Knowing what certain guys like, knowing different sides guys like to be on at certain times of the game, and just playing off of each other. So, yeah, that confidence is growing.”

Before the dud in Jacksonville, Los Angeles had 13 combined sacks against Minnesota, Tennessee and Pittsburgh during a three-game winning streak. Oweh, Mack and Tuipulotu had eight of them.

“The way those four guys, especially the three that are out there a lot on the passing downs,” Minter said, “the way they have rushed the past three or four games is a great vision that we have hopefully for the second part of the year.”

MIAMI DOLPHINS EMBRACE ‘DELUSIONAL’ POSTSEASON HOPE DESPITE LONG PLAYOFF ODDS

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins are delusional. And that’s by their own definition.

They’re entering their bye week at 4-7, five losses behind AFC East leader New England in the division race, 2 1/2 games behind Jacksonville for what would be the final wild-card spot in the conference, and as a 50-1 long shot just to make the playoffs, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

In other words, they’re not exactly in a great spot. One would have to be, well, delusional, to think that playoff hopes are realistic. But that’s exactly the word that Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb used a couple of weeks ago, and it has stuck.

“If I had a dime for every time I was called ‘delusional’ … it’s right down my alley,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said.

It’s not like the reasons for at least some hope aren’t there. They’ve won back-to-back games for the first time all season. The schedule isn’t exactly daunting over the next few weeks. They’ve dealt with a slew of injuries, including Tyreek Hill’s dislocated knee. They’ve heard boos from fans. They’ve seen top pass rusher Jaelan Phillips get traded away. They’ve seen banner planes circling the stadium calling for drastic change; one such move ended up happening when the team parted ways with general manager Chris Grier.

A lot has happened. Much of it has been bad. The Dolphins still believe anyway.

“We just stayed together in the hard times,” Chubb said this week before the team scattered for a few bye-week days off. “We made it — what’s the word I’m looking for? — we made it a thing to get together, to make sure we stuck together, eat together, whatever we can do to bond. I feel like that’s been the biggest thing, guys trusting in one another.”

History says they could have packed it in without much in the way of repercussions. Teams that get off to the sort of starts that Miami did this season almost always wind up missing the playoffs, and the odds are still overwhelming that this Dolphins team will do the same.

— The Dolphins were 1-6. Only two teams in NFL history have started 1-6 or worse and made the playoffs, and the last time it happened was 1970.

— The Dolphins were 2-7. The only team that made the playoffs after such a start was Washington in 2020, a season when its 7-9 record was good enough to win the NFC East.

— The Dolphins are 4-7. Those playoff odds are a tiny bit better now, given than 10 teams that started 4-7 or worse have made the postseason and three of them (Washington 2020, Jacksonville 2022 and Tampa Bay 2023) have gotten there in the five seasons preceding this one.

But here’s where the hope comes into play. Running back De’Von Achane enters this week third in rushing yards and fourth in scrimmage yards across the NFL. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks leads the NFL in tackles. The defense has picked up considerably over the last four games.

“We just want to hold onto that, hold onto that and continue to get better,” Brooks said. “See where we as players can get better individually and see if we can’t keep it rolling.”

After beating Washington this past weekend in Madrid, Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa — in a sentiment echoed by others — said he doesn’t think the bye week will disrupt how the Dolphins seem to have figured out what works best for them.

“I think a lot of the guys on the team would love to continue playing given the momentum that we have, the momentum that we’ve built collectively in all three phases, but it is what it is,” Tagovailoa said. “We’re going to go through our bye week, but that’s not without talking about how we can continue to stay on that momentum train following the next game week.”

The Dolphins will almost certainly be the favorite when they return to game again on Nov. 30 at home against New Orleans. After that, Miami heads on the road to open December at the New York Jets — another game in which the Dolphins should be favored.

Win both of those, and that would mean the record is 6-7. It guarantees nothing and is hardly aspirational — no team comes into a season hoping to be 6-7 after 13 games — but it would surely mean that the delusions might not seem so delusional anymore.

“I’m just very impressed, but not surprised,” McDaniel said. “It matches a belief that I’ve had the entire time with these guys that they are made of the right material that it takes to succeed in this league. A lot more often than not, you have to succeed on the heels of failure. That’s just the way that this league is.

“The opportunity that is a down moment in your season or a down period, that is a supreme opportunity to show people who you really are and I think our guys have responded in kind.”

INJURY-RIDDLED COMMANDERS LOOK FOR SOMETHING TO SALVAGE AT 3-8 ENTERING BYE WEEK

That Jayden Daniels might regress after his AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year breakout should surprise no one.

That the quarterback’s Washington Commanders might take a step back, too, after going 12-5 and participating in their first NFC title game in more than 30 years isn’t all that shocking, either.

What was harder to predict — yet has come to pass — is that Daniels would miss nearly half of Washington’s games, that he would be just one of several starters lost to injuries and that a six-game losing streak would drop coach Dan Quinn’s team to 3-8 heading into its bye week, likely rendering the rest of the schedule meaningless beyond draft positioning.

“These rough spots, they happen in our league. I hate it,” said Quinn, in his second season in charge of the Commanders with general manager Adam Peters. “How you navigate through it, on and off the field, oftentimes sets you up for things to come.”

Washington’s next game, at home on Nov. 30, comes against Sean Payton’s Denver Broncos, who are tied for the league’s best record at 9-2, have won their last eight games and also will be coming off their bye.

“We have games left. We can go out and win those games,” said linebacker Bobby Wagner, who joined London Fletcher as the only NFL players since 2000 to register 14 consecutive seasons with at least 100 tackles. “That’s where our mind needs to be.”

Maybe so.

Quinn will endeavor to balance a desire to win games — even if more losses could be beneficial in the long run, by boosting the club’s place in the draft order — with an attempt to evaluate what less-experienced players down the roster can do.

“I’m going to work like heck to try to fill both those buckets of winning now and also developing players for the future, because it’s important to win now, it is — these guys put absolutely everything you can into it — but it’s also important to bring players along,” Quinn said. “I recognize that.”

One issue this season has been a lack of depth as Washington tried to weather one injury after another.

Daniels has been sidelined for a total of five games so far, thanks to a sprained left knee, a bad right hamstring and, most recently, a dislocated left elbow that did not require surgery but has left his status a question mark coming out of the bye.

His No. 1 receiver, Terry McLaurin, missed seven of the past eight games. Another starter at that position, Noah Brown, is on injured reserve. Top running back Austin Ekeler was lost for the season in Week 2. Two starting cornerbacks, Marshon Lattimore and Trey Amos, and two starting defensive ends, Deatrich Wise Jr. and Dorance Armstrong, are on IR, as is safety Will Harris. On and on it goes.

There’s a lot that’s gone poorly aside from the health issues, leading to noncompetitive contests — four in a row lost by at least 21 points.

The defense has been abysmal, prompting Quinn to take over play-calling on that side of the ball from Joe Whitt Jr. before Week 11, which probably was too late to matter. The Commanders have forced six turnovers; only one team has fewer. They are allowing 387 yards per game; only one team gives up more. They rank 29th of 32 teams in passing yards allowed, 27th in rushing yards allowed.

The offense isn’t as bad, but it’s definitely below-average. Washington is scoring 21.5 points per game, tied for 23rd in the league, and gaining 191.6 yards through the air, is 24th.

Even special teams wasn’t immune: Kicker Matt Gay was cut after too many misses.

Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota has thrown seven TD passes and five interceptions while the Commanders have gone 1-4 in his starts.

“All these trials and tribulations that we’re going through, ultimately, is going to build us better. We just have to kind of take it on the chin,” Mariota said. “It is what it is. We’re not where we want to be. But the only way we can dig ourselves out of it is learning from these mistakes and learning from these games.”

LIONS HOST GIANTS, HOPING TO GET BACK IN PLAYOFF PICTURE

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Lions are in unfamiliar territory.

For the first time since the end of the 2022 season, Detroit isn’t in the playoff picture.

The Lions (6-4) slipped in the hunt for a postseason spot with a 16-9 loss at Philadelphia, falling to third place in the NFC North and losing ground among nine NFC teams with winning records.

Detroit has plenty of time to claw back with seven games left on the schedule, including against the slumping New York Giants (2-9) on Sunday at home.

“We’ve got to get another win, and we’ve got to get back on our feet,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “We’ve got to play better ball in all three units. The focus is New York Giants.

“Don’t worry about anything else. Don’t worry about what’s out there. Don’t worry about the NFC, NFC North. Don’t worry about the rankings or this or that. That doesn’t matter.”

Even though wins and losses are ultimately what matter — and that cost New York coach Brian Daboll his job earlier this month — Lions quarterback Jared Goff respects how competitive the Giants have been.

“They’ve lost in the last few minutes a handful of times this year and against good teams and teams with winning records,” Goff said. “So you look at that, and you go, `If a play or two goes a different way, they’re sitting here with a different record.’ We’re very aware of that.”

Throwing Darts

Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, who has thrown for 10 touchdowns and run for seven scores, is on track to return after a concussion kept him out of last week’s 27-20 loss to Green Bay.

Dart’s legs are a big reason he has been successful, but that has led to several hits the organization would like him to avoid. The Giants want him prioritizing his long-term health over another yard or two.

“He’s an aggressive player, and that’s what we love about him,” interim coach Mike Kafka said. “But obviously, you want to show him some examples that he can learn from. I think he’s going through that now, and I think he’ll continue to grow from those things.”

As Goff goes

Detroit’s success is tied in large part to Goff’s play, and his struggles led to its fourth setback this season one year after losing just two games.

The veteran quarterback completed a career-low 37.8% of passes against the Eagles, who held the Lions to 0 for 5 on fourth down.

“The output is not nearly as important as just finding a way to get a `W,’ and we didn’t do that last week,” he said.

While the drop-back passer was pressured most of the night, he also missed targets with poorly thrown balls when he did have time.

Filling in

Kafka, who was Daboll’s offensive coordinator, is leading the Giants for a second game after they seemed to respond to him in his debut.

“There was some fresh energy last week when you watched them against Green Bay,” said Campbell, who was 5-7 a decade ago as Miami’s interim coach. “I think sometimes it’s just that newness and you don’t know how long that could possibly last or the rebound on it. But I think just the change itself — something a little bit different, a little bit new — can spark you.”

Bouncing back

Detroit has played 54 regular-season games over three-plus years without losing two in a row, the NFL’s longest streak of avoiding consecutive setbacks since New England’s 56-game run from 2012-2015.

Since starting the 2022 season 1-6, the Lions are 13-0 straight up and against the spread after a loss.

Carter cares

Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter, the No. 3 pick overall, was benched by Kafka for the first defensive series against the Packers after the rookie missed a walk-through. Carter disputed reports that he had fallen asleep, saying he was taking part in recovery.

“I took ownership for it,” he said. “We’ve moved on from it. We’re focused on this week, so that’s what I’m trying to focus on.”

Carter had a half a sack in his debut and hasn’t had one since despite playing 70.8% of his team’s defensive snaps. He also drew some criticism for being ringside at WWE “Monday Night Raw.”

“It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish, so, I’m going to finish strong,” he said.

ZAC TAYLOR STILL CONTEMPLATING BENGALS QB JOE BURROW’S STATUS

One day after Joe Burrow practiced without restrictions for the first time in three months, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor might be expecting the quarterback to show up in his office to declare himself fit for the start on Sunday.

“Oh yeah. And that’s my job, to balance all the information and protect the player. And make the best decision possible,” Taylor told 700 WLW on Thursday. “I wish I had that decision today. I’m going to take in all the information I can and make the best decision for Joe and our team and go from there. ”

Burrow had surgery for a turf toe injury and is pining to return to duty Sunday against the New England Patriots (9-2). Cincinnati started 2-0, winning in a comeback over the Jaguars in Week 2, which Burrow exited in favor of Jake Browning. The Bengals then acquired Joe Flacco and sent Browning to the bench, but have only one win since placing Burrow on IR.

If Burrow plays this week, he would be about a month ahead of schedule.

A history of injuries and the Bengals’ 3-7 record are factors the team might weigh before putting Burrow in harm’s way this week. His initial timeline was projected to be three months after the Sept. 19 surgery in Birmingham, Ala. He returned to practice on a limited basis on Nov. 10.

Flacco said Burrow was impressive in his Wednesday work.

“Joe looked good. It’s cool to see him out there,” Flacco said. “And, obviously, when you’re both now taking reps some conversations happen. Like, ‘How do you see this vs. that?’ Joe looked good.”

Asked if there was even a chance Burrow plays this week, Taylor didn’t bite.

“I’m not there yet,” Taylor said. “One day at practice isn’t going to make that decision yet. We’ll use the time we have at our disposal and come up with the best decision we can.”

Flacco was limited in practice on Wednesday, prescribed rest for his right shoulder injury.

Taylor said one of the hurdles remaining for Burrow was gauging the physical response to his first 11-on-11 practice since September.

RAVENS QB LAMAR JACKSON (ANKLE) RETURNS TO PRACTICE

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson returned to practice on Thursday after missing Wednesday’s session with an ankle injury.

It is the second straight week the two-time MVP did not practice on Wednesday of a game week. Last week, it was knee soreness that interrupted his preparations.

If the pattern holds, Jackson should be ready to start on Sunday when the streaking Ravens (5-5) host the New York Jets (2-8) while looking for their fifth straight win.

Jackson completed 14 of 25 passes for 193 yards and two interceptions in last Sunday’s 23-16 road victory against the Cleveland Browns. He was sacked five times and finished with a season-low passer rating of 47.6.

This has been an injury-plagued year for the 28-year-old Jackson, who missed three games earlier this season due to a hamstring ailment. Baltimore lost two of those games and fell to 1-5 before a Week 8 win over the Chicago Bears kicked off the Ravens’ current streak.

For the season, Jackson has completed a career-best 68% of his passes for 1,442 yards with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions in seven starts. He has been running less this season, gaining 226 yards on 39 carries with one TD.

REPORT: TEXANS RB JOE MIXON (FOOT) NOT EXPECTED TO RETURN

The Houston Texans do not expect running back Joe Mixon to play this season as he continues to recover from an offseason foot injury, NFL Network reported Thursday.

Mixon, 29, was placed on the non-football injury list this summer with hopes that he could eventually return to the field. He made his second Pro Bowl and recorded his fifth career 1,000-yard season in his first year with the Texans in 2024.

Instead, the Texans (5-5) are prepared to finish the season with running backs Nick Chubb and Woody Marks, per the report.

Houston has won two straight games and three of its last four entering Thursday night’s game against the visiting Buffalo Bills (7-3).

Mixon played 14 games (all starts) and rushed for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He added 36 receptions for 309 yards and one score.

He has 7,428 rushing yards and 60 touchdowns along with 319 catches for 2,448 yards and 14 scores in 111 career games (102 starts) with the Cincinnati Bengals (2017-23) and Texans. The Bengals drafted him in the second round in 2017.

BROWNS DE ALEX WRIGHT REACHES 3-YEAR, $33M EXTENSION

Cleveland Browns defensive end Alex Wright agreed to a three-year, $33 million contract extension on Thursday.

The deal includes $21 million guaranteed, agents Drew Rosenhaus and Shawn O’Dare confirmed to ESPN.

Wright, 25, is in his fourth season with the Browns, who drafted him in the third round in 2022 out of UAB.

Shining opposite All-Pro pass-rusher Myles Garrett, Wright has three sacks, 24 tackles (nine for losses), three QB hits and one forced fumble in nine games (four starts) this season.

Wright has tallied nine sacks, 85 tackles, nine QB hits, seven passes defensed, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 46 career games (10 starts).

REPORT: BILLS BENCHING WR KEON COLEMAN AGAIN

The Buffalo Bills benched wide receiver Keon Coleman for the second straight week on Thursday night, Cover 1 reported.

A second-round pick (33rd overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft, Coleman was a surprise inactive for last Sunday’s 44-32 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cover 1 reported that Coleman was going to miss that game as well.

The benching will carry over to Thursday’s prime-time Week 12 meeting between the Bills (7-3) and the host Houston Texans (5-5), per the report.

Multiple reports said Coleman, 22, was punished for being late to a team meeting on the Friday before that game.

“That was my decision,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said after Sunday’s game. “It is disappointing, but I still believe in the young man … I try and give the guys a kind of a strike approach, ‘Hey, you get a chance to show your teammates that’s not really who you are.’ When it happens again, then I step in. I believe he will learn from it. He takes it seriously. He will move forward in a way of growing from this, and that’s the whole goal.”

Expected to compete for the No. 1 receiver role this season, Coleman opened with eight catches for 112 yards and a touchdown in the Week 1 win against the Baltimore Ravens.

Since then, he has not topped 50 yards or caught more than four passes in his last eight contests. He ranks second on the Bills in catches (32), third in receiving yards (330) and tied for second in TDs (three).

Coleman caught 29 passes for 556 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games (12 starts) during his 2024 rookie season.

BEARS AT PACKERS FLEXED TO LATER START, BILLS-BENGALS EARLY IN WEEK 14 SWAP

Traditional NFC North rivals were bumped closer to primetime with the NFL adjusting the Dec. 7 schedule to feature the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in the late afternoon slot.

The game will replace the Cincinnati Bengals-Buffalo Bills matchup, which rolls forward to a 1 p.m. ET kickoff.

The Bears and Packers play twice in a span of 14 days, with Green Bay making the return trip to Chicago for a Dec. 20 division game.

Cincinnati (3-7) visits Buffalo to begin December in a stretch of three road games in four weeks beginning with a Thanksgiving night trip to face the Baltimore Ravens (5-5). The Bills (7-3) are trailing the New England Patriots (9-2) in the AFC East.

The full Week 14 schedule following flex revisions released Thursday is below:

Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025
Dallas Cowboys at Detroit Lions, 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video

Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025
Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS
Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS
Washington Commanders at Minnesota Vikings, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS
Denver Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX
Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC

Monday, Dec. 8, 2025
Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Chargers, 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN

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NO. 11 BYU SEEKING SPOT IN BIG 12 TITLE GAME AND POTENTIAL REMATCH AGAINST NO. 6 TEXAS TECH

Things to watch this week in the Big 12 Conference:

Game of the week

No. 11 BYU (9-1, 6-1 Big 12, No. 11 CFP) at Cincinnati (7-3, 5-2), Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (Fox)

BYU can get into the Big 12 championship game — a potential rematch with No. 6 Texas Tech (10-1, 7-1, No. 5 CFP) — by winning its last two regular-season games at Cincinnati and home against UCF. Freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier, league rushing leader LJ Martin and the Cougars could clinch a spot with a win Saturday as long as Arizona State loses at Colorado and then either No. 13 Utah beats Kansas State, or No. 25 Houston loses to TCU.

The Cougars last November had consecutive losses and were on the short end of a four-team tiebreaker. This time, they rebounded from a 29-7 loss at Tech with a 44-13 win over TCU. Cincinnati was 5-0 in Big 12 play before giving up 75 points (and 955 total yards) in losses to Utah and Arizona.

The undercard

Kansas State (5-5, 4-3) at No. 13 Utah (8-2, 5-2, No. 12 CFP), 4 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

Utah, whose only losses are to Texas Tech and BYU, has won three in a row. With dual-threat quarterback Devon Dampier banged up, the Utes are also utilizing true freshman Byrd Ficklin, who had TD runs of 67 and 74 yards last week at Baylor. K-State, which has won three of its last four games, needs a win to get bowl eligible.

Impact players

— Jeff Sims is the first Arizona State player since 1996 to have at least 175 yards passing and 75 yards rushing in back-to-back games. The Sun Devils (7-3, 5-2) have won both games with the senior transfer from Georgia Tech as their starting quarterback since a foot injury ended Sam Leavitt’s season.

— Noah Fifita became Arizona’s career leader with his 68th touchdown pass last week, and has thrown 123 consecutive passes without an interception. The fourth-year junior’s 24 TD passes this season are one off matching his career high.

Inside the numbers

TCU (6-4, 3-4) is facing ranked opponents in true road games in consecutive weeks for the first time since 1982. After their loss at BYU, the Frogs now go to No. 25 Houston (8-2, 5-2). …. Rocco Becht’s next rushing touchdown will break the Iowa State quarterback record of 19 by Brock Purdy. … Oklahoma State (1-9, 0-7) has lost 16 consecutive regular-season Big 12 games since the start of last season. The Cowboys had lost only 15 league games combined the five seasons before that. They play at UCF (4-6, 1-6).

Title contenders

The six teams still eligible for a berth in the Big 12 title game are Arizona State, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Texas Tech and Utah. BYU and Texas Tech are the only ones that could clinch a spot this weekend. While on an open date, the Red Raiders would get in the Dec. 6 game with a loss by Arizona State and a BYU win, or if Arizona State, BYU and Utah all lose.

SEC THIS WEEK: SOONERS LOOK TO STAY HOT VS. HARDY AND MIZZOU; VANDY FIGHTS TO STAY IN PLAYOFF MIX

Things to watch this week in the Southeastern Conference:

Game of the week

No. 23 Missouri (7-3, 3-3 SEC) at No. 8 Oklahoma (8-2, 4-2), Saturday, noon ET (ABC)

Oklahoma, riding high after beating Alabama and getting back in mix for the 12-team playoff, needs to avoid a potential trap game here.

Missouri bounced back from consecutive losses with a 49-27 win against Mississippi State. Running back Ahmad Hardy was a big reason, rushing for 300 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries; he now tops the FBS with 1,346 rushing yards. Freshman quarterback Matt Zollers found the end zone twice.

A year ago, defensive end Zion Young’s late fumble return for a touchdown carried Mizzou to a 30-23 win.

The undercard

Kentucky (5-5, 2-5) at No. 12 Vanderbilt (8-2, 4-2), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Vanderbilt is one of several SEC teams with playoff hopes and is was ranked No. 14 in the latest CFP release. A win against Kentucky is mandatory but Vandy also could use some outside help. Kentucky is coming off a 42-10 win against Tennessee Tech and has won three in a row.

Impact players

-– Eli Bowen’s 87-yard pick-six in the first quarter set the tone for Oklahoma, which went on to snap Alabama’s eight-game winning streak. Bowen also notched a season-high five solo tackles in the 23-21 win.

-– Running back Kewan Lacy rushed for a career-high 224 yards and three touchdowns, helping Ole Miss to a 34-24 win against Florida. Lacy’s rushing yards were the most by any Rebel since 2010 (Brandon Bolden, 228 yards vs. Fresno State).

-– Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton accounted for five touchdowns, leading the Bulldogs to a 35-10 win over Texas. Stockton completed 24 of 29 passes for 229 yards and four touchdowns. He added 29 yards and a score on the ground. Georgia moved up to No. 4 in CFP and AP rankings.

Inside the numbers

Oklahoma’s defense leads the country in tackles for loss and is the only FBS team averaging double-digits per game (10.2). … South Carolina’s defense has forced a conference-high 20 turnovers, including 11 interceptions. …Texas A&M’s offensive line has allowed the fewest sacks in the conference (10). … Ole Miss RB Kewan Lacy is tied for first in the FBS with 19 total touchdowns. … Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell II leads the SEC in receiving yards (873) and receiving touchdowns (8).

Playoff picture

While Georgia moved up to No. 4 in the CFP rankings, Texas A&M held steady at No. 3 and Ole Miss is No. 6. Oklahoma’s postseason chances improved dramatically after beating Alabama, elevating the Sooners to No. 8. Alabama slid from No. 4 to No. 10. No. 14 Vanderbilt is the first SEC team out of the 12-team bracket, and Texas dropped to No. 17 after its third loss of the season.

THE SEC MOVE TO 9-GAME CONFERENCE SLATE PUTS CUPCAKE GAMES ON NOTICE AMID COACH CONCERNS

While competition heats up in the final weeks of the college football season, a handful of SEC teams are getting their annual gift: a late-season cupcake before rivalry week and the postseason.

Undefeated and No. 3 Texas A&M hosts Samford (1-10), No. 4 Georgia welcomes Charlotte (1-9), No. 10 Alabama welcomes Eastern Illinois (3-8) and LSU hosts Western Kentucky (8-2).

Whether these games promise a stress-free Saturday is up for debate, but they were scheduled with the intention of giving projected contenders a breather before the home stretch. This is a longtime scheduling feature in the SEC, helped somewhat by a schedule that requires only eight conference games.

That comes to an end next season. In August, the SEC announced a switch to nine conference games in 2026, which has left coaches fearing a lot more is at stake than the loss of an easy late-season win.

“I’ve already been on the record saying it makes no sense to go to nine games in the SEC,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said Wednesday. “Everybody outside of our league, of course they want us to. They want us to devour each other like we’re doing. Makes no sense.”

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is near the end of his second year coaching in the SEC. The Longhorns competed in the Big 12 for his first three seasons.

“In the National Football League right now, today, there are 451 active players from the Southeastern Conference,” Sarkisian said. “The next closest conference with players in the NFL is the Big Ten with 288, then the ACC with 218, and then the Big 12 with 207. So that should just speak to the volume of quality players that are in this league.”

Strength of schedule

The Big Ten and Big 12 already play nine-game conference schedules and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey made clear the reason for the move, noting “our requirement to play an additional power opponent ensures SEC teams are well prepared to compete and succeed in the College Football Playoff.” A month later, the ACC made the move as well, albeit with some wrinkles.

All conferences are looking for ways for their teams to spruce up their CFP resumes. Still, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz criticized the selection process, which this fall added more emphasis on a team’s schedule strength. The CFP committee this week ranked Notre Dame (9) ahead of Alabama (10), a decision that turned heads. Both teams have two losses, but the Crimson Tide have four ranked wins compared to Notre Dame’s one ranked win against USC.

“The level of inconsistencies that have been created is hard to ignore, and we were all given the promise there’s gonna be a strength of schedule metric factored in — didn’t happen,” Drinkwitz said.

What about the cupcake games?

Nine-game conference schedules won’t eliminate all so-called guarantee games from the schedule. Most power conference teams play 12 regular-season games and strive for 10 of those to be against their peers, leaving room for two other games that will almost certainly be against Championship Subdivision or Group of Five teams. Payouts for FCS games are usually less than Group of Five matchups.

This season, Bowl Subdivision teams are 118-4 against FCS opponents with a margin of victory of 34.5 points, according to Sportradar. Within that, power conference teams are 56-0, winning by an average of 42.7 points. They are virtually guaranteed wins and that can be attractive to team schedule-makers looking at seasons that can stretch to 16 games when the CFP is included.

Kentucky is out of the playoff picture, and Missouri and Texas are in the lower half of the CFP rankings with three losses apiece. But it’s not just those on the outside looking in who have complaints. Texas A&M coach Mike Elko, whose Aggies top the conference and are primed for the first-round bye, worries about the future of SEC teams in the 12-team CFP bracket if strength of schedule isn’t taken into account.

“We have to figure out how to reward SEC teams for playing in the SEC, because if we’re not going to be rewarded for strength of schedule metrics, and we’re not going to be rewarded for strength of record, then it’s going to become really, really challenging with us going to nine SEC games to figure out how the best teams are going to get into the playoffs,” Elko said.

Easy wins aren’t the only thing at risk. With the addition of a ninth conference game, coaches fear they may be trading them for fewer bids. And without acknowledgement from the CFP committee, the SEC could find itself taking on a tougher challenge with a lesser reward.

“The coaches have been pounding this drum and nobody seems to be listening,” Elko said.

NO. 20 TENNESSEE TRYING TO END A 10-GAME SKID AGAINST RIVAL FLORIDA IN THE SWAMP

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — No. 20 Tennessee seemingly has its best chance in more than two decades to celebrate in the Swamp.

The Volunteers (7-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) have lost 10 in a row in Gainesville, a skid that began before Tim Tebow arrived on campus. Five previous Florida coaches — Urban Meyer, Will Muschamp, Jim McElwain, Dan Mullen and Billy Napier — never lost to Tennessee at Florida Field.

But these Gators are getable. Florida (3-7, 2-5) has dropped three straight under interim coach Billy Gonzales, and the team’s losing streak probably would be five had Mississippi State not inexplicably thrown an interception in the final minute in the Swamp last month.

Tennessee’s losses, meanwhile, have come against three potential College Football Playoff participants: No. 4 Georgia, eighth-ranked Oklahoma and No. 10 Alabama. The Volunteers are 4 1/2-point favorites, according to BetMGM.

Tennessee’s last win in Gainesville came in 2003, a 24-10 upset led by quarterback Casey Clausen and coach Phillip Fulmer.

“It’s definitely something we’re discussing and something that is on our mind,” Vols center Sam Pendleton said. “It’s not necessarily something that we’re like rah-rahing around.

“But it’s something that we want to take advantage of and kind of go down there with something on our mind — a goal in mind for sure.”

It’s not now or never for Tennessee. But it is the last year of the rivalry in its current iteration. The series has been played every year since 1990, but won’t be an annual event once the league moves to nine-game schedules in 2026.

The Gators, of course, would love to see their dominance in the series continue. They are 26-9 against Tennessee since 1990, including 15-2 in Gainesville.

“It’s a very big deal facing a rival,” Florida linebacker Aaron Chiles said. “We’re willing to make it personal, it being a rivalry game. We’re just trying to go out there and get another win for my seniors and finish the season out strong.”

Meyer will be on hand for this one

Florida will recognize Meyer during the game, saluting him before he’s formally inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame in Las Vegas on Dec. 9.

Meyer went 65-15 over six years (2005-10) at Florida, winning national championships in 2006 and 2008. He was 36-5 in the Swamp.

Gonzales plans to have Meyer speak to the team before the game.

Tennessee will try to set the tempo

The Volunteers have one of the fastest offenses in the country under coach Josh Heupel. They lead the SEC and rank third nationally in seconds between plays. That kind of tempo concerns the Gators, who have gotten caught staring at the sidelines several times this season.

Gators defender returns after missing nine games

Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks will be on the field for just the second time in 11 games this season. The senior injured his left foot in training camp and re-injured it during his season debut, a Week 3 loss at LSU.

He had surgery and is now hoping to do enough in two games to get an invite to the Senior Bowl and/or the NFL scouting combine.

Florida will have logos on the field

Florida has signed a contract with Geico to put the insurance company’s logo on the field for its final two home games. The Gators are expected to generate roughly $500,000 from each game in the deal.

The NCAA began allowing corporate ads on college fields in 2024.

NO. 16 USC VISITS NO. 6 OREGON IN MARQUEE MATCHUP WITH COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS

Southern California will need to overcome its road woes in big games this weekend against Oregon if it hopes to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Of course, the Trojans would have to win the season finale against rival UCLA, too. But there’s no arguing Saturday’s game against the No. 6 Ducks (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten, No. 7 CFP), is crucial for everything to fall into place for No. 16 USC (8-2, 6-1, No. 15 CFP).

“It’s good to be in the hunt, and it’s good to have a team like this that you believe in, and looking forward to the next one,” Trojans coach Lincoln Riley said.

USC has largely fallen short in big games on the road since joining the Big Ten. The Trojans are 2-2 away from home this season, with both losses coming to ranked teams, Illinois and Notre Dame. USC lost all three of its road games against ranked opponents last year.

The Ducks pose an additional challenge. USC hasn’t won in Eugene since 2011 and the Trojans have lost three straight to Oregon overall.

For Oregon, the stakes are also high. Lose to USC and the Ducks are out of the playoff, and the slim chances of a second straight Big Ten title — should Indiana or Ohio State dip in the final two games of the season — also vanish.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning was asked earlier this week if he enjoyed games of this magnitude and all the attention.

“The challenge is always fun. This (USC) is certainly a team that is a challenge. They play really good football,” Lanning said. “These moments are fun. Obviously, when ‘College GameDay’ is coming to come see you twice, there’s a reason. It speaks volumes about our fan base, it speaks volumes about our program and their program as well. When you get opportunities like that, that’s something you want to take advantage of.”

Oregon is coming off a 42-13 rout of Minnesota on Friday night. Dante Moore threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns and his 90% completion rate (27 of 30) was an Oregon single-game record. He’s thrown for 2,190 yards and 21 touchdowns with five interceptions this year.

USC scored 19 straight points in a 26-21 comeback win at home over Iowa on Saturday for the Trojans’ fourth straight Big Ten victory. But the win was costly with safeties Kamari Ramsey and Bishop Fitzgerald and left guard Elijah Paige all suffering injuries. Their status for Saturday’s game was not known.

“We’re gonna have to kind of do what we’ve done all year and that’s been a strength of ours. It’s been a strength of theirs.” Riley said. “I mean, you get two teams that have won as many games as these two teams have, you’re more than likely going to be pairing a lot of strengths against strengths. And that’s what this matchup is going to be like.”

Stopping Makai

USC receiver Makai Lemon averages 109 yards a game, second in the nation, and has eight touchdown catches. In all, he’s caught 71 passes for 1,090 yards, with five games of 100-plus yards.

He’s also run for two touchdowns and has seven kickoff returns for 144 yards and four punt returns for 32 yards. He ranks seventh nationally with an average of 126.9 all-purpose yards.

“I think a lot of times you see the best players are able to make an impact on special teams. He’s obviously one they utilize there. But yeah, he’s a dynamic player and that’s certainly a challenge,” Lanning said.

Offense vs. defense

In the end, it may come down to USC’s much-improved offense against Oregon’s stout defense.

The Trojans are sixth-best in total offense in the country, averaging 488.9 yards per game. The Ducks’ D allows opponents an average of 235.4 yards a game, third in the nation.

NO. 15 GEORGIA TECH GOES FOR ACC TITLE-GAME SHOT, SMU TRIES TO STAY IN HUNT AS PART OF ACC SLATE

Things to watch this week in the Atlantic Coast Conference:

Game of the week

Pittsburgh (7-3, 5-1 ACC) at No. 15 Georgia Tech (9-1, 6-1), Saturday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)

The Yellow Jackets can clinch a spot in the ACC championship game with a win a week before its rivalry game against No. 4 Georgia. The Panthers are among four one-loss teams in the ACC standings.

The undercard

Louisville (7-3, 4-3) at SMU (7-3, 5-1), Saturday, noon ET (ESPN2)

The Mustangs enter the game with a 13-1 record in ACC regular-season games in their two seasons since joining the league. The Cardinals are reeling after home losses to California and Clemson that followed a 7-1 start.

No. 14 Miami (8-2, 4-2) at Virginia Tech (3-7, 2-4), Saturday, noon ET, (ESPN)

The Hurricanes are looking likely to miss the ACC title game with losses to Louisville and SMU, but they’re still chasing CFP consideration with nonconference wins against Notre Dame and South Florida. They visit a Hokies team playing for the first time since the school hired former Penn State coach James Franklin as its next coach.

Impact players

— Duke quarterback Darian Mensah needs a big game Saturday against rival North Carolina (4-6, 2-4) to help the Blue Devils stabilize their wobbly footing. Duke (5-5, 4-2) has lost two straight since a thrilling win at Clemson, with Mensah’s lone TD pass against Virginia last week coming after the Cavaliers had taken a 31-3 lead.

— N.C. State running backs Hollywood Smothers and Duke Scott were bottled up for a combined 12 yards on 14 rushing attempts last week against Miami. The running game has been a strength all year for N.C. State (5-5, 2-4), which hosts Florida State (5-5, 2-5) on Friday in a game with both teams seeking bowl eligibility.

Inside the numbers

The league has four teams in the AP Top 25 poll with No. 14 Miami, No. 15 Georgia Tech and No. 19 Virginia. … It’s time for the 128th edition of the “Big Game” between instate rivals California and Stanford. The Golden Bears have won four straight and five of six meetings. … Wake Forest (7-3, 4-3) steps out of league play against Delaware, which could give Jake Dickert a chance to post the best win total for any first-year Demon Deacons coach in program history. … Syracuse (3-7) visits No. 9 Notre Dame having lost six straight since a 3-1 start that included a win at Clemson, where the Orange lost starting quarterback Steve Angeli to injury. … Clemson (5-5, 4-4) is closing the schedule with two instate foes in Furman on Saturday and rival South Carolina next week. … Boston College and Virginia have an open week.

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TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 1 PURDUE OVERCOMES SLOW START IN BAHAMAS

Fletcher Loyer scored 18 of his game-high 20 points in the second half and No. 1 Purdue remained perfect with an 80-71 win over Memphis in the semifinals of the Baha Mar Championship at Nassau, Bahamas.

C.J. Cox scored a season-high 18 points while Trey Kaufman-Renn added 12 points with 11 rebounds before he fouled out as Purdue (5-0) overcame a sluggish first half to pull away in the final seven minutes. Purdue, which received 11 assists from Braden Smith, opened 5-0 for the fourth time in five seasons.

Dug McDaniel scored 18 points with six rebounds and six assists and Zach Davis added 11 points for the Tigers (1-3), who are on a three-game losing streak and saw their five-game winning streak over Big Ten opponents come to an end.

Memphis led 64-61 with 7:01 remaining following a nearly five-minute run from Purdue without a field goal. The Boilermakers then took over, going on a 12-0 run to take a 73-64 lead with 3:27 remaining.

No. 2 Houston 91, Rider 45

Kingston Flemings scored 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting to help the Cougars roll to a home victory over the Broncs in nonconference play.

Emanuel Sharp made three 3-pointers while totaling 15 points for the Cougars (5-0), who led by as many as 48 points. Mercy Miller scored 14 points off the bench for the Cougars. Joseph Tugler had 12 points, nine rebounds, four blocked shots and three steals for Houston. Chris Cenac Jr. had 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting.

Caleb Smith had 13 points for the Broncs (1-4), who committed 23 turnovers. Rider shot 30.8% from the field, including 4-of-17 from 3-point range.

No. 14 St. John’s 97, Bucknell 49

Bryce Hopkins finished with 20 points as 14th-ranked Red Storm overcame a shaky start to pull away late in the first half on the way to a 97-49 victory over the Bison in Queens, N.Y.

Hopkins scored 13 points in the first half, including nine in the final 11-plus minutes when the Red Storm (3-1) surged ahead for their third double-digit win. Reserve Ian Jackson also scored a season-high 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting, Ruben Prey finished with 14 and Joson Sanon contributed 10 for St. John’s, which missed 11 of its first 14 attempts yet shot 50.6% overall.

Amon Dorries scored 12 points for Bucknell (2-4), which was unable to earn its first win over a ranked team since beating Syracuse on Nov. 22, 2005.

No. 15 Texas Tech 84, Wake Forest 83

JT Toppin scored 21 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field and Christian Anderson notched 16 as the Red Raiders edged the Demon Deacons in Baha Mar Championship semifinal in Nassau, Bahamas.

Texas Tech (4-1) will meet top-ranked Purdue in Friday’s title game. Wake Forest will face Memphis in an earlier consolation game.

Juke Harris poured in 23 of his 26 points in the second half and reserve Myles Colvin tallied 19 for the Demon Deacons (3-2), who came close to knocking off a ranked team on a neutral court for the second time this season. They fell in overtime at Michigan, 85-84 on Nov. 11.

No. 20 Tennessee 89, Tennessee State 60

Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 17 points to lead five Volunteers in double figures and Tennessee cruised past the visiting Tigers in Knoxville.

Freshman Nate Ament added 15 points, going 7 of 8 at the foul line, for Tennessee (5-0). Amaree Abram also hit for 15 as the Volunteers connected on just 43.9 % of their field goal attempts.

Aaron Nkrumah scored a game-high 19 points for the Tigers (2-3), while Travis Harper added 17 and Antoine Lorick contributed 12 points. Tennessee State was a miserable 18 of 56 from the field and 5 of 27 on 3-pointers.

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WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS

WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 5 LSU HITS TRIPLE DIGITS AGAIN

Fifth-ranked LSU continued its run of triple-digit-scoring games to open the season, hitting the century mark for the sixth consecutive time with a 112-49 rout of visiting Alcorn State in Baton Rouge, La., on Thursday night.

Flau’jae Johnson and MiLaysia Fulwiley led the latest onslaught for LSU (6-0), each scoring 18 points. The duo paced five Tigers scorers in double figures, including Kate Koval, who posted a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double off the bench.

Fulwiley knocked down a 3-pointer at the first-quarter buzzer, part of a 27-5 run that lasted into the second quarter.

The Lady Braves (2-3) got 16 points from Nakia Cheatham but were dominated in every aspect. They had 16 rebounds to LSU’s 50, shot half as many free throws (12) as the Tigers made (24 of 30) and turned the ball over 31 times.

No. 9 Maryland 95, Bethune-Cookman 49

Eight Terrapins scored at least seven points and every player who saw the floor for Maryland scored in a 95-49 rout of Bethune-Cookman in College Park, Md.

Kyndal Walker, Oluchi Okananwa and Kaylene Smikle led the balanced scoring effort for Maryland (6-0) with 13 points each. Yarden Garzon added 12 points and Breanna Williams came off the bench for another 12 points with a game-high eight rebounds.

The Terps held the Wildcats (1-4) scoreless for the game’s first 6:33, building a 20-point lead in the process. Jordan Brooks was the only Wildcat to score in double-figures, finishing with 13 points off the bench thanks to hitting all three of her 3-point shots.

10 TCU 80, Tarleton State 32

Marta Suarez scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and the Horned Frogs smothered the visting Texans in Fort Worth, Texas.

TCU (5-0) held Tarleton State (2-4) to 9-of-58 shooting — 2 of 18 from 3-point range. The Texans’ total number of turnovers, 22, exceeded their field-goal percentage of 16.

Olivia Miles added 18 points and contributed to the Horned Frogs’ stout defensive effort with four steals while Donovyn Hunter added 10 points.

No. 12 Iowa State 87, Drake 60

Addy Brown recorded a 12-point, 15-rebound double-double, Audi Crooks scored 22 points, and the Cyclones rolled past the Bulldogs in Des Moines, Iowa.

Iowa State (6-0) scored the game’s first 16 points, immediately quashing any hope that Drake had of scoring the home upset.

The Bulldogs (1-3) had no answer for Crooks, who shot 7 of 11 from the floor while Brown excelled in all phases, flirting with a triple-double at seven assists. Six Iowa State players scored in double figures.

No. 14 North Carolina 85, North Carolina A&T 50

Indya Nivar’s 14-point, 10-rebound effort led the Tar Heels to a dominating win over the Aggies in Greensboro, N.C.

After a sluggish first quarter, leading just 14-8 through 10 minutes, the Tar Heels (4-1) erupted for 29 second-quarter points. North Carolina put the game away in the third quarter, holding the Aggies (2-4) scoreless for a stretch lasting almost five minutes.

Four Tar Heels scored in double figures, including Nyla Brooks, who knocked down four 3-pointers en route to 14 points off the bench.

No. 15 Tennessee 85, Middle Tennessee 41

The Lady Volunteers’ game-opening 16-0 run set the tone and Tennessee cruised from there, more than doubling-up the Blue Raiders’ scoring Murfreesboro, Tenn.

The Lady Vols (4-1) did not allow a point for the first 5:32 — and did not surrender a 2-point field goal until almost nine minutes into the contest. Middle Tennessee (2-3) scored its first two successful baskets from beyond the arc on Savannah Davis and Kirston Verhulst 3-pointers.

The Blue Raiders were not far behind the Lady Vols from deep for the game, going 6 of 21 to Tennessee’s 8 of 34. However, the Lady Vols were 25 of 36 from inside the arc, including Deniya Prawl’s 6 of 7 off the bench.

Prowl finished with 15 points as one of four Tennessee scorers in double figures.

No. 22 Michigan State 101, Eastern Illinois 53

Grace VanSlooten and Juliann Woodard each scored 17 points as the Spartans shook off the Panthers after a competitive first quarter to cruise to victory in East Lansing, Mich.

The Spartans (5-0) held just a three-point lead in the final minute of the first quarter, but Emma Shumate’s 3-pointer began a 23-5 run that lasted well into the second quarter.

After giving up 19 first-quarter points, Michigan State allowed just 34 the rest of the way to drop Eastern Illinois to 0-4. The Spartans forced 27 turnovers, which included four steals each from VanSlooten and Theryn Hallock.

No. 23 West Virginia 80, Appalachian State 51

Gia Cooke scored 19 points and Kierra Wheeler added 15 to go along with five rebounds and five steals to lift West Virginia to an easy win in a matchup of Mountaineers in Morgantown, W. Va.

Jordan Thomas had 10 points for West Virginia (5-0), which has won each of its last 21 home games — including all four this season.

West Virginia shot a robust 56.3% from the floor and benefited from 17 steals to hand Appalachian State (3-2) its second loss in three games.

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NBA NEWS

NBA ROUNDUP: TYRESE MAXEY NETS CAREER-BEST 54 IN 76ERS’ OT WIN

Justin Edwards’ only 3-pointer of the game opened the scoring in overtime and gave Philadelphia a lead it never relinquished and Tyrese Maxey scored a career-best 54 points as the 76ers pulled away for a 123-114 victory over the host Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night.

In a game without injured stars Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Edwards played hero in hitting his seventh 3-point shot of the game just 40 seconds into overtime. His offensive rebound on a missed foul shot with less than a minute to play led to two lead-extending free throws by Quentin Grimes.

Maxey hit four overtime free throws — all in the final 22.7 seconds — to complement key late contributions by Edwards and Grimes, who nailed a 3-pointer with the 76ers up just one with 1:23 to play.

Playing in just his second game of the season, Paul George chipped in with 21 points in 25 minutes for the 76ers, who improved to 2-0 in overtime games this season.

Ryan Rollins amassed a team-high 32 points and a game-high 14 assists and six rebounds for the Bucks, who lost their third straight. Turner also had a double-double with 14 points and a team-high 10 rebounds.

Grizzlies 137, Kings 96

Santi Aldama tied his career high with 29 points and Jock Landale added 21 as Memphis snapped a five-game losing streak with a victory over visiting Sacramento.

The Grizzlies set a franchise record with 42 assists while handing Sacramento its eighth straight loss. Aldama was 11-of-18 shooting with five 3-pointers, while Landale made eight of his nine field-goal attempts. Rookie Cedric Coward finished with 19 points and big man Zach Edey scored 16 points — all in the opening half — on 7-of-7 shooting. Vince Williams Jr., filling in at point guard for the Grizzlies, had a career-high 15 assists.

Sacramento was led by Zach LaVine, who scored 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting. Maxime Raynaud added 12 points and Keegan Murray, making his season debut after returning from preseason thumb surgery, finished with 11 points. Russell Westbrook also scored 11 for the Kings.

Magic 129, Clippers 101

Jalen Suggs knocked down five 3-pointers on his way to a team-high 23 points, and Orlando continued the tailspin of visiting Los Angeles.

Orlando overwhelmed Los Angeles defensively, holding the Clippers to just 36-of-89 (40.4%) shooting from the floor while forcing 21 turnovers. The Magic rode their defensive dominance to their fifth win in the last six games. Franz Wagner complemented Suggs with 20 points, Tristan da Silva added 17 points and eight rebounds, and Desmond Bane converted 3-of-6 from 3-point range on the way to 15 points.

The Clippers mounted little offensive threats outside of James Harden, who led all scorers with 31. The only other Clipper to score in double figures was Ivica Zubac with 14 points. Zubac also grabbed a game-high 19 rebounds.

Spurs 135, Hawks 126

De’Aaron Fox hit for 26 points and Keldon Johnson added a season-high 25 off the bench as host San Antonio beat Atlanta for its third straight win.

The Spurs led by as many as 19 points in the second quarter but entered the final period up just three. Atlanta briefly took the lead on a layup by Nickeil Alexander-Walker with 9:17 to play but San Antonio swung back, forging a 10-0 run capped by Jeremy Sochan’s dunk to make it 110-101.

Alexander-Walker poured in a career-high 38 points for the Hawks, who lost their second consecutive game after winning five in a row. Jalen Johnson added 26 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

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NHL NEWS

NHL ROUNDUP: ALEX OVECHKIN NETS HAT TRICK AS CAPS HAMMER HABS

Alex Ovechkin registered his 33rd career hat trick and added an assist, and the Washington Capitals beat the Canadiens 8-4 in Montreal on Thursday night.

Ovechkin extended his goal streak to four games in the first meeting between the teams since Washington eliminated Montreal four games to one in a Stanley Cup Playoff first-round series last April. Ovechkin has 907 NHL goals, including 10 this season.

Ethen Frank had two goals and two assists, and Sonny Milano scored twice for the Capitals, who have won three straight. Charlie Lindgren made 24 saves.

Mike Matheson and Brendan Gallagher each had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, who have lost five in a row. Sam Montembeault was lifted after allowing three goals on 10 shots. Jakub Dobes made 21 saves.

Avalanche 6, Rangers 3

Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar each recorded two goals and an assist as streaking Colorado scored three unanswered third-period goals to defeat New York in Denver.

Martin Necas registered three assists and Scott Wedgewood stopped 16 shots and recorded his first career assist to help Colorado win its seventh in a row. The Avalanche are 9-0-2 in their last 11 games and have just one regulation loss in their first 20 games.

MacKinnon’s three points moved him past Peter Stastny on the franchise scoring list. MacKinnon is now second with 1,051 points, behind only Joe Sakic’s 1,641 points.

Kraken 3, Blackhawks 2

Jaden Schwartz scored the go-ahead goal on a third-period power play and Brandon Montour tallied two assists to boost visiting Seattle over Chicago in a game not without controversy.

Tye Kartye and Shane Wright also scored for the Kraken, who tallied three unanswered goals in the final period after the Blackhawks scored twice in the second.

Schwartz converted the game-winner in front of the net at 17:42. Two seconds remained on a man advantage that stemmed from a controversial unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Chicago’s Connor Bedard. Skating in on a breakaway, Bedard was unable to manage a shot against Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord but pleaded to an official that he had been hooked by Seattle’s Ryan Lindgren. He was given an abuse-of-officials penalty.

Panthers 1, Devils 0

Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves and Sam Reinhart scored a highlight-reel goal as Florida came out on the right end of a goaltender duel against New Jersey in Sunrise, Fla.

After allowing five goals on only 15 shots in Monday’s 8-5 Panthers win over the Vancouver Canucks, Bobrovsky bounced back by stopping every shot he faced Thursday for his second shutout of the season and 51st of his career.

Jake Allen more than held up his own end of the goaltending duel, stopping 23 of 24 shots. It was a hard-luck loss for Allen, who is 7-3-0 with a .920 save percentage in 11 starts this season.

Islanders 5, Red Wings 0

Max Shabanov produced two goals and one assist in his ninth career game as New York rolled past host Detroit.

Ilya Sorokin recorded his second shutout this season by making 29 saves as the Islanders completed their seven-game road trip with a 6-1 record. Calum Ritchie supplied a goal and an assist while Mathew Barzal and Bo Harvat also scored.

John Gibson made 21 saves for the Red Wings, who had won three of their previous four and were shut out for the second time this season.

Flyers 3, Blues 2 (OT)

Travis Sanheim scored with 1:09 left in overtime as host Philadelphia rallied to nip St. Louis, coming back from two goals down to beat the Blues for the second time in seven days.

On the decisive sequence, Sanheim took a pass from Travis Konecny and skated in on a 2-on-0 break with Sean Couturier. The veteran defenseman opted to shoot and beat Joel Hofer high to the glove side for the game-winner.

Rodrigo Abols and Tyson Foerster also scored for the Flyers. Dan Vladar made 27 saves for Philadelphia, allowing only a pair of goals to defenseman Justin Faulk.

Blue Jackets 3, Maple Leafs 2 (OT)

Adam Fantilli scored his second goal of the game at 4:21 of overtime and Columbus beat host Toronto, handing the Maple Leafs a loss in their last game before a six-game road trip.

Fantilli also had an assist and Dmitri Voronkov contributed a goal and an assist in the win. Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski was credited with assists on all three goals.

Jet Greaves stopped 27 shots for the Blue Jackets, who have split the first two of four in a row on the road. John Tavares tallied a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs and Dakota Mermis scored his first goal of the season.

Lightning 2, Oilers 1 (OT)

Jake Guentzel scored to cap a wild 10-second span in overtime, and host Tampa Bay earned its second straight victory by edging slumping Edmonton.

Edmonton nearly won it in the 3-on-3 session with a loose puck in front of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (24 saves), but the big netminder made a toe save on Jack Roslovic, which sent the Lightning up the ice on an odd-man rush.

Fresh off the bench, Guentzel took a pass from Darren Raddysh and potted his sixth career overtime winner as the Lightning won for the 10th time in 13 games. Edmonton’s Trent Frederic notched his second goal of the season, and goaltender Calvin Pickard stopped 33 shots as Edmonton fell to 2-3-1 on its seven-game road trip.

Sharks 4, Kings 3 (SO)

Philipp Kurashev scored the lone goal in a shootout and also scored in regulation as San Jose edged visiting Los Angeles to earn a point for the ninth time in its past 11 games.

Yaroslav Askarov made 31 saves and stopped all three shots in the shootout while Ty Dellandrea and Adam Gaudette also scored goals for the Sharks, who picked up their 10th victory in 21 games after not reaching double-digit wins until their 28th game last season.

Joel Armia, Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe scored goals and Anton Forsberg made 21 saves for the Kings, who lost their second consecutive game and finished 4-1-1 on a six-game road trip. Kempe sent the game into OT on a goal with 58.3 seconds remaining.

Golden Knights 4, Mammoth 1

Jack Eichel scored two goals and had an assist to lead Vegas to a victory over Utah in Salt Lake City.

It was Eichel’s third two-goal game and also his fourth three-point game of the season. Shea Theodore had three assists, Braeden Bowman had a goal and an assist, and Ben Hutton also scored for Vegas, which extended its point streak to five games. Akira Schmid made 25 saves for his ninth victory in 12 starts (9-1-2).

Nate Schmidt scored a goal and Karel Vejmelka finished with 29 saves for Utah, which suffered its fourth straight loss.

Stars 4, Canucks 2

Colin Blackwell scored the winner and Jason Robertson extended his scoring streak to five games as Dallas kicked off a four-game Western road trip with a victory over Vancouver.

Robertson now has nine goals in that five-game span and he stretched his point streak against the Canucks to seven games. Mavrik Bourque and Mikko Rantanen scored and goaltender Jake Oettinger made 34 saves for the Stars, who have won six of their last seven contests.

Elias Pettersson and Linus Karlsson scored and Kevin Lankinen made 20 saves for Vancouver.

Senators 3, Ducks 2

Drake Batherson’s goal late in regulation broke a deadlock and gave visiting Ottawa a victory over Anaheim.

Nick Cousins and Shane Pinto also scored for Ottawa, which kicked off a seven-game road trip on a positive note. Goaltender Linus Ullmark made 23 saves in the victory, 10 of them in the third period.

Beckett Sennecke and Mason McTavish replied for the Ducks, who saw their six-game home winning streak snapped but remain atop the Pacific Division standings.

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GOLF NEWS

SOMI LEE TAKES 2-STROKE LEAD AFTER 18 HOLES OF TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

South Korea’s Somi Lee carded an 8-under-par 64 to take a two-stroke lead after one round of the season-concluding CME Group Tour Championship on Thursday in Naples, Fla.

Allisen Corpuz is Lee’s closest pursuer, coming in with a 6-under total of 66, and four players got to the clubhouse with identical 67s.

Only the top 60 players in the season-long standings qualified for the season finale, with an $11 million purse on the line and $4 million available to the winner, one of the biggest prizes in women’s golf.

Lee got to 9 under after making an eagle on the par-5 17th hole, but suffered her lone bogey of the day on the finishing hole. She made seven birdies in her first 15 holes around Tiburon Golf Club.

“My tee shot and putter was the things I was focusing on and I really practiced them a lot,” Lee said through a translator. “I think that was the foundation to my success today.”

Lee won the Dow Championship while partnered with countrywoman Jin Hee Im in late June. Im is one of the four players three strokes behind Lee.

Corpuz started slowly, bogeying the third hole, then rattled off four consecutive birdies to get her round in gear. She added three birdies on the back nine as she started to feel more comfortable in the surroundings.

“I think every year I come back and the course feels a little friendlier,” Corpuz said. “It’s been really cold for the last few years as well and I think it’s played a little shorter with it being a little warmer, which always helps me.”

Along with Im, Japan’s Nasa Hataoka, Japan, South Korea’s Sei Young Kim and Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul sit three strokes behind the leader.

For Thitikul, the world’s top-ranked player, she is just anxious to get to the finish line of a brilliant 2025 campaign. She suffered a wrist injury at last week’s The Annika Tournament.

“I just trying to survive for my wrist,” Thitikul said. “I just had the interview, first time told the media that I do have like wrist problem from last week, I think from hitting balls into like hard ground.

“I (was) able to finish yesterday with the pro-am 18 and I felt better, and then today I feel like not — it’s not really bother me that much now, so I think it’s getting better. I think it should be fine.”

DOUG GHIM COMES CLOSE TO BREAKING 60, SHARES LEAD AT RSM CLASSIC

Doug Ghim, Davis Thompson and the Philippines’ Rico Hoey tied atop the first-round leaderboard Thursday at the RSM Classic, the finale of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Fall series.

Ghim, Thompson and Hoey stand at 10 under par after the first day of the event at Sea Island Golf Club in St. Simons Island, Ga.

Ghim played the par-70 Seaside Course on Thursday and threatened a 59 thanks to a late string of birdies before settling for a 60. Thompson and Hoey began with the par-72 Plantation Course and carded bogey-free 62s.

The trio is one stroke ahead of Andrew Putnam and Andrew Novak, who fired 9-under 61s at the Seaside Course. All golfers will play one round at each course before the 36-hole cut.

Ghim, seeking his first PGA Tour victory, put up five birdies on each nine, including a four-birdie run at Nos. 14-17. After he got his 13-foot birdie putt to fall at the par-3 17th, he was one birdie away from breaking 60 but missed a tricky 20-footer at the final green.

“It was pretty clear that it was going to move right early,” Ghim said. “It was a downhill putt so you do have to acknowledge the first part of the putt more so than an uphill one. We were debating on whether or not it would break back to the left at the end. We thought because it was breaking so hard early that it might not get the chance to actually make its way left, but that’s what it did, that’s what it ended up doing.

“Again, pleased with the putt. It’s easy to leave that putt short in that moment.”

Ghim shared that he had never scored better than a 61 in his life — professionally or even recreationally.

“It was cool and rarefied air for me to actually have a chance to shoot 59,” he said.

This is the final official tournament of 2025 and the final opportunity for players to get inside the top 100 in the points race and guarantee full status on tour for 2026. Ghim (No. 125) and Putnam (No. 119) are among those who stand to benefit from a strong finish.

“I’ve had a lot of tough weekends, a lot of missed cuts by one,” Ghim said. “Didn’t putt well for most of the year. Starting to putt better, which is in one way frustrating because obviously there’s not a lot of tournaments left in the season with this being the last one, but at the same time it’s better late than never. Excited for the opportunity to continue to put myself in the position to have a chance this week.”

Hoey also posted a career-best round with his 62, which featured an eagle putt at the par-5 14th.

“Hit the fairway, then I hit a 4-iron from I think 250, left myself 45 feet and made the eagle,” Hoey said.

Thompson also holed an eagle, though his came at the par-5 18th.

Tour cards are not the only thing on the table for golfers this fall. If Hoey and Thompson can crack the top 60 in the points race — which they’re projected to do as of now — they would qualify for the first two big-money signature events of 2026.

Tied at 8 under are Michael Thorbjornsen, Max McGreevy, Quade Cummins, Matthew Riedel and Canada’s Ben Silverman, all of whom played the Plantation Course first.

ANTHONY KIM SHINES IN RIYADH, EYES RETURN TO LIV GOLF

Seeking a return to LIV Golf in 2026, Anthony Kim carded a bogey-free, 7-under-par 64 in Friday’s second round at the PIF Saudi Invitational in Riyadh.

Kim, 40, is tied for third at 11-under midway through the Asian Tour’s $5 million tournament, the final event on the schedule for The International Series.

The top two finishers in The International Series Rankings will earn promotion to the LIV Golf League for the 2026 season. Players inside the top 40 earn spots in the LIV Golf Promotions event in January where two more spots in LIV Golf will be awarded.

Kim was relegated from LIV Golf following his second season as a Wild Card in 2025. He joined the circuit in February 2024 after 12 years away from the game due to injuries and personal reasons.

His score on Friday was his lowest round since making his return and left him three shots behind leader Caleb Surratt and two behind Belgium’s Thomas Pieters.

“Yeah, I’m finally starting to see some of the work show,” Kim said. “I haven’t been able to swing like I have been in practice rounds and back at home in tournament golf, but it’s starting to show up and starting to feel more comfortable out here.”

Kim sits 127th in The International Series Rankings with 13.46 points, but 324 points are up for grabs this week at Riyadh Golf Club.

Kim was a three-time winner on the PGA Tour who finished third at The Masters in 2010 and tied for fifth at The Open Championship in 2011. He also helped the U.S. win the Ryder Cup in 2008 and the Presidents Cup in 2009.

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INDIANA HEADLINES/PRESS RELEASES

COLTS NEWS

COLTS LEAD AFC SOUTH, CHIEFS STRUGGLING TO STAY IN PLAYOFF RACE AHEAD OF SUNDAY MATCHUP AT ARROWHEAD

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen spent some time this week delivering clichés about NFL parity, how anybody can beat anyone else and that “you can throw records out the window each and every week” because of it.

That would be silly for the Colts.

And very much welcomed by the Chiefs.

Because in a matchup Sunday of an 8-2 team leading its division, and one 5-5 and desperately trying to stay in the postseason hunt, the teams carrying those respective records are hardly the ones anyone expected. Indianapolis tops the AFC South and is rolling along, while reigning AFC champion Kansas City has nearly been eliminated from the West race entirely.

“You’ve got to be on your ‘A’ game no matter the records, no matter who you’re playing,” Steichen explained. “We know Kansas City is a hell of a football team. They went to three straight Super Bowls. They’ve got one of the best players in the world playing quarterback for them, and they’re very talented. So we’ve got to be on all the details and specifics going into this game.”

The Colts have won five of their past six games behind rejuvenated play from quarterback Daniel Jones and the otherworldly play of running back Jonathan Taylor. They also are coming off a bye, right on the heels of an emotional overtime win over Atlanta, which gave Indianapolis a chance to spend a little extra time preparing for Patrick Mahomes and Co.

What they saw last Sunday was a microcosm of the Chiefs’ season.

After their own bye, the Chiefs visited Denver for a critical divisional matchup, and they proceeded to commit too many penalties, turn the ball over too much and make far too many mistakes on defense. With a chance to drive for the winning points, Kansas City’s once-feared offense instead had to punt, and the Chiefs’ defense gave up the decisive field goal in a 22-19 defeat.

“We aren’t overreacting,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of their playoff predicament, “but there’s a certain urgency you’ve got to have to make sure you clean up some of the stuff we’ve had. Overreacting doesn’t help. What helps is that you take care of your business.”

Right away, because the Chiefs have no margin for error. They are 3 1/2 games behind the Broncos in the West, and they are just 2-4 against the rest of the AFC, which puts them outside the playoffs if the season ended this week.

“It hasn’t always been just championships. We’ve dealt with adversity, and guys have learned and gotten better from it,” Mahomes said. “Obviously this is something that we haven’t dealt with so early in the season, but at the same time, I know the guys in that locker room and know how they’re going to respond. All we can do is stick together, and push ourselves to be even better.”

Finding balance

The Chiefs only ran the ball 14 times against Denver, even though it was a low-scoring game in which field-position came at a premium. By contrast, they threw the ball 45 times. Reid said part of the wide disparity is because of the number of run-pass options that became throws, but nonetheless, the Chiefs will be striving for more offensive balance this week.

Home sweet home

It will have been nearly a month since Kansas City last played at Arrowhead Stadium, a 28-7 rout of Washington that also was the last time the Chiefs won a game. And they won’t play another home game until Houston visits on Dec. 7.

Some familiarity

Steichen should be plenty familiar with the Chiefs, even though the Colts have played them on rare occasions over the years. That’s because he left to take the Colts job just two days after Philadelphia lost to Kansas City in the Super Bowl in February 2023. He also spent close to a decade coaching against the Chiefs when he was with the AFC West-rival Chargers.

One in, one out

The Chiefs will have left tackle Josh Simmons for the second consecutive game after their first-round draft pick missed the previous five to deal with a family matter. Their offensive line could still be unsettled with left guard Kingsley Suamataia dealing with a concussion that he sustained in the loss to the Broncos.

Kelce’s influence

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce may go down as the best of his generation, and he’s still influencing how the game is played by the next generation of tight ends. Just ask Tyler Warren, who has already broken the Colts rookie record for receptions by a tight end, and who needs just 110 yards to surpass Hall of Famer John Mackey’s rookie mark for yards receiving (726) that has stood since 1963.

“There’s a lot you can learn from watching him,” Warren said. “I feel like he’s a very unique player, right? He’s done stuff that not a lot of tight ends really ever did, so watching him is awesome. He’s a great player so it will be cool to go out there and compete.”

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INDIANA PACERS NEWS

GAME PREVIEW: PACERS AT CAVALIERS (NBA CUP)

Coming off a win, the Pacers (2-13) look to keep the momentum rolling on Friday in Cleveland as they clash with a 10-6 Cavaliers team in a single-game road trip before returning to Indiana on Monday for a rematch with the Detroit Pistons. Friday’s matchup is Indiana’s second NBA Cup game, and the Pacers are seeking their first Cup win after falling to the Hawks, 128-108, in their Halloween Cup match earlier this season.

Indiana is coming off a win over the Charlotte Hornets in which Bennedict Mathurin notched a double-double in his second game back from injury – he recorded 24 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Pacers in both categories. Pascal Siakam added 22 points, four rebounds, and seven assists, while Jay Huff rounded out Indiana’s 20-point scorers with 20 points of his own.

The Blue and Gold offense found a groove on Wednesday, and it’ll need that momentum as it heads to Cleveland.

The Cavs enter Friday’s game after a loss to the Rockets in which Donovan Mitchell (21) and De’Andre Hunter (25) combined to score 46 points. Cleveland got off to a slow start, and scored just 40 points in the first half. The Cavs also gave up 40 points in the fourth quarter as they fell, 114-104.

Mitchell is Cleveland’s best scorer and main source of offense. He puts up just over 30 points per game through 16 contests, and leads the Cavs in three stat categories – points, assists, and steals. As Darius Garland rehabs a toe injury, Mitchell shoulders the playmaking load for the Cavaliers.

The reinstatement of Mathurin into Indiana’s lineup gave the Pacers some semblance of normal offense – both he and Siakam are averaging over 24 points per game, and Nembhard slots in just behind them with 17.4 points nightly.

With the offense finding some type of balance, Indiana’s focus shifts to the defensive side of the ball. Mathurin emphasized its importance following the Pacers’ win over the Hornets.

“I just feel like there’s still a lot of things that we can do, you know, better things defensively,” Mathurin said. “I think that’s the most important thing. You don’t really feel it until you get stops. That’s the most important thing that we have to be able to focus on right now.”

Stability in the lineup as Indiana continues to restore its depth and get healthier is key in hitting a stride and feeding the win column. The Blue and Gold look to add another win on Friday in Cleveland before returning home on Monday to match up with the Pistons.

Probable Starters

Pacers: G – Andrew Nembhard, G – Bennedict Mathurin, F – Ben Sheppard, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Isaiah Jackson

Cavs: G – Donovan Mitchell, G – De’Andre Hunter, F – Nae’Qwan Tomlin, F – Evan Mobley, C – Jarrett Allen

Injury Report

Pacers: Johnny Furphy – out (left ankle sprain), Tyrese Haliburton – out (right Achilles tendon tear), Quenton Jackson – out (right hamstring strain), Kam Jones – out (lower back stress reaction), Aaron Nesmith – out (left knee sprain), Obi Toppin – out (right foot stress reaction)

Cavs: Sam Merrill – questionable (hand), Darius Garland – out (toe), Jaylon Tyson – out (concussion), Max Strus – out (foot)

Last Meeting

May 13, 2025: The Pacers overcame a 19-point first half deficit to eliminate the top-seeded Cavaliers in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series.

Tyrese Haliburton notched 31 points on 10-for-15 shooting as the Pacers eliminated the Cavs in Cleveland. Haliburton also recorded six rebounds and eight assists in the win. Pascal Siakam added 21 points and eight rebounds.

Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 35 points, but shot just 32 percent from the floor.

The Pacers were hot at the right time – they knocked down 50 percent of their field goals, including 43 percent from deep. Cleveland made just 39 percent of its shots, and 26 percent of its 3-pointers.

Indiana won every game on the road in the series.

Noteworthy

Indiana eliminated Cleveland in last year’s postseason, four games to one.

The Pacers are 111-104 against the Cavaliers all-time.

Darius Garland (Gary) was born in Indiana.

Craig Porter Jr. grew up in Terre Haute.

Jay Huff and De’Andre Hunter were teammates at the University of Virginia.

Former Pacers center Thomas Bryant is with the Cavaliers this season.

Broadcast Information (Where to Watch and Listen to Pacers Games >>)

TV: Prime Video – Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Stan Van Gundy (analyst), Cassidy Hubbarth (sideline reporter)

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (studio host)

Tickets

The Pacers will welcome Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday, Nov. 24 at 7:00 PM ET.

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INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

INDIANA TOPS LINDENWOOD, MOVES TO 5-0

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Forward Tucker DeVries banked in a 3-pointer. Of course, he did.

Guard Lamar Wilkerson rattled in a 3-pointer. Finally, he did.

Forward Sam Alexis did what he always does — get physical.

Indiana (5-0) took advantage of that, plus some disruptive defense, to deliver a 73-53 victory over Lindenwood (2-4) Thursday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

“You see how well we play when we bring energy,” Tucker DeVries said. “We have to make sure we bring it every day. We have to play with a bunch of excitement and enthusiasm. We’re really good when we’re doing that.”

Still, it was victory without satisfaction.

“We have to play harder,” Tucker DeVries said. “We were a little flat. We have to get it fixed.”

The defense did its part, holding Lindenwood to 25 percent shooting,17 percent in the first half, forcing 14 turnovers and producing an 11-0 advantage from points off turnovers.

“It got a little choppy offensively,” coach Darian DeVries said. “We’re learning as a group when offense is not going, embrace the defensive side. Let that be our identity.”

Alexis did his part with 10 rebounds, eight points, and four blocks in 24 off-the-bench minutes to spark the defensive tone.

“Sam again saved the day,” Tucker DeVries said, “not only what he provided in rebounding and scoring, but his energy. The first half was dead all around. It’s important to bring energy. He changed the game when he came in.”

Added Alexis: “I want to give energy every time and bring a different vibe.”

Tucker DeVries bounced back from his shooting performance four days earlier against Incarnate Word with 5-for-10 perimeter sharpshooting to finish with 25 points.

Wilkerson missed his first six 3-point attempts before finally making one. He totaled 10 points on 4-for-16 shooting. That followed his 2-for-6 shooting (0-for-3 beyond the arc) against Incarnate Word.

Darian DeVries was not concerned.

“Lamar was 4-for-16, so that means 11-for-17 is coming. He can let them rip whenever he wants. The best players in the world have off nights. If he has an off night, it means a good one is coming. He’ll have plenty of good nights, too.”

IU scored the game’s first 10 points, then had an 13-0 second-half run to get separation Lindenwood couldn’t overcome, although the Lions did get within six points early in the second half.

The reason the Hoosiers took control, Darian DeVries said, centered on defense.

“We’re at our best when we get into the ball, and apply pressure and are disruptive.”

To open the game, Tucker DeVries just beat the shot clock with a 3-pointer. The IU defense followed by forcing a turnover and then an airball, then another turnover, then another airball.

Lindenwood missed its first 13 shots. By the time it scored, at the 13:30 mark, IU led 10-2.

Alexis had a couple of power dunks. Guard Conor Enright hit a 3-pointer. Wilkerson had a steal and a score, and then a free throw, and then a floater. IU surged ahead 25-11 with seven minutes left. A Trent Sisley 3-pointer made it 27-11. Triples from Tucker DeVries and Nick Dorn made it 33-14. IU reached halftime ahead 34-18.

Lindenwood opened the second half on a 10-0 run in three minutes to force a Hoosier timeout. Wilkerson responded with a layup. Still, Lindenwood cut IU’s lead to 37-31. Tucker DeVries had a layup off a Tayton Conerway assist. Four straight Alexis free throws restored the double-digit lead at 43-31. A pair of Dorn free throws made it 45-31 as the Hoosiers were on their way to a 13-0 run. The lead eventually reached 24.

“When the offense isn’t flowing,” Darian DeVries said, “you have to fight through that. You have to learn how to win games in a lot of ways. It’s an important quality to have.”

COACH DARIAN DEVRIES POST GAME: https://iuhoosiers.com/watch?Archive=17760&type=Archive

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INDIANA FOOTBALL NEWS

FERNANDO MENDOZA HAS LEARNED TO SAVOR THE MOMENTS AS HE CHASES HEISMAN, NO. 2 INDIANA SEEKS TITLE

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza took a brief respite from film study Wednesday to reflect on his incredible season and another historic Hoosiers run.

He certainly deserves to take a bow — though he won’t, even on a bye week.

Mendoza knows he can’t stray from his usual routine — not with a chance for No. 2 Indiana to retain the Old Oaken Bucket and clinch the program’s first Big Ten title game appearance next weekend at Purdue in what could be a fitting regular-season finale for Mendoza. And that’s why he’s here now in college football’s Week 13 as one of the Heisman Trophy frontrunners.

“It’s going to be a tough, gritty match-up and I think it might snow over there, which would be really interesting,” Mendoza said. “I just can’t wait to get a bite at the rivalry, just to be able to experience it, to play in it against such a great team. It’s just such an honor to play Purdue and to see the Purdue rivalry in basketball and really just see how the alumni harp on it.”

In some ways, he sounds like another quarterback with Indiana ties who savored every precious moment of his final college season: Peyton Manning, who famously conducted the Tennessee band one time.

Mendoza seems to have embraced every aspect of the Indiana way, right down to the in-state rivalry. Mendoza is a newcomer to this bitter in-state series, having grown up in Miami and then spending his first three college seasons at California.

Yet he’s been around Bloomington long enough to understand how much a loss to the Boilermakers (2-9, 0-8) would tarnish everything the Hoosiers (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten, No. 2 CFP) have achieved this season.

They still hold the highest ranking in school history, are 11-0 for the first time and need one more win to break the single-season school record. They are two wins from claiming their first conference crown since 1967. They ended the nation’s longest active regular-season and home winning streaks with a victory at then-No. 3 Oregon, earned their first ever victory at Penn State and captured the Old Brass Spittoon for the third consecutive year, marking the first time that had happened since the late 1960s. All of it has put the Hoosiers on the cusp of a second straight playoff berth and a potential first-round bye.

Those are the feats Mendoza prefers to celebrate.

“We are so blessed to be 11-0 at this point, and right now we’re just focused on being 1-0 (next week),” he said. “There are challenges with the spotlight, but honestly, it’s a great opportunity to give the praise to the other people around this program that they deserve.”

While Mendoza sees success in a broader sense, those outside the program tend to take a narrower view.

They remember Mendoza’s magical moments — beating an Iowa blitz with a quick-hitting throw to Elijah Sarratt for the winning score with less than 90 seconds to play in September, his resilience to rally the troops at Oregon after throwing a late Pick-6 that tied the score in October and perhaps the play of the college football season — his last-minute TD pass and Omar Cooper Jr.’s toe-tap to beat Penn State two weeks ago.

They also see the gaudy numbers.

Mendoza’s final TD pass in Saturday’s victory over Wisconsin broke Indiana’s single-season school record. He now leads the nation with 30 touchdown passes and ranks second nationally in passing efficiency at 184.84 behind only Julian Sayin of No. 1 Ohio State thanks in part to his eye-popping completion percentage of 73.0%.

His play hasn’t just captured the attention of Heisman voters or college football fans, either.

“He’s fun to watch. He’s a really good player, a good passer,” Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones said when asked about a conversation he had with Mendoza. “You can tell he’s smart and knows where the ball is supposed to go. So, it’s been fun to watch him, and it was good to talk to him and catch up and hear about how things are going at Indiana and kind of how he’s been processing this season.”

The only question now seems to be whether Mendoza can cap his first, and likely only season at Indiana, with the storybook ending by winning college football’s most prestigious award and the national championship he’s been dreaming about.

Until then, though, Mendoza intends to heed the advice of former Southern California star quarterback turned broadcaster Matt Leinart to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime ride.

“His advice was similar to what I got from a lot of the others, but it really stuck with me is this only happens once — unless you’re Tim Tebow,” Mendoza joked. “A lot of people only go through this once, and they end up heading to the NFL or just things happen, so just enjoy it. Take the present moment in. This is so special that although you can kick the can down the road, what an honor it is and how grateful, just giving all the glory to God and how great it is that I’m in this situation.”

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INDIANA SWIMMING NEWS

NO. 3/10 HOOSIERS STEADY, FRESHMAN CLARK SHATTERS SPRINT STANDARD

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana swimming and diving kept its spots in the team standings on the back of high-level performances on Thursday (Nov. 20), the third day of the Ohio State Invitational inside the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion.

The men expanded their lead over the field to 574.5 points, while the women sit second behind host Ohio State while fighting off Louisville, just half a point behind.

Liberty Clark continued her blazing hot freshman fall, recording her first program record in the 50-yard freestyle. Clark’s second place time clocked in at 21.52, four hundredths quicker than senior teammate Kristina Paegle’s best from the 2025 NCAA Championships. Prior to the 2023 NCAA Championships, the school standard had stood at 21.90 for three years. Since then, four Hoosiers – Ashley Turak, Anna Peplowski, Paegle and Clark – have gone under that mark.

Clark followed that up with a 45.87 anchor split to Indiana’s winning 400 medley relay, the 10th sub-46-second split in NCAA history. The Hoosiers put together the program’s fifth-best relay all-time in 3:27.20 with senior Mya DeWitt (51.65), sophomore Jonette Laegreid (59.76), junior Miranda Grana (49.92) and Clark.

Grana and DeWitt opened the night with a one-two finish in the 100-yard backstroke. With her 49.89, Grana went under 50 seconds for the second time in her career, having set the program record in March with a 49.62. DeWitt went 51.37, half a second ahead of third place.

Top-heavy finishes were the average performance for the Indiana men. Senior Owen McDonald and sophomore Raekwon Noel repeated the women’s performance in the 100 back and added a fourth-place finish from sophomore Miroslav Knedla. The divers set the tone on the 3-meter springboard, taking the top three spots. Sophomore Joshua Sollenberger posted a career-best performance with a 422.60. Freshman Josh Hedberg put together a 406.10, followed closely by senior Maxwell Weinrich’s 400.70. The trio combined for four dives that scored at least 80 points.

Indiana posted half of the A-final finishes in both the men’s 500 freestyle and 200 breaststroke. Senior Zalán Sárkány won his second event this week in the 500 with a 4:09.57, and junior Aaron Shackell took second with a 4:11.14, dropping his personal best by over four seconds. Sophomore Luke Whitlock (4:11.82) took fourth, freshman Andrew Shackell (4:15.19) placed fifth and freshman Luke Ellis (4:17.31) was seventh.

In the 200 breaststroke, freshmen Noah Cakir (1:51.68) and Josh Bey (1:52.51) each recorded personal bests to place second and fourth, respectively. Junior Toby Barnett took fifth (1:53.76), sophomore Alexei Avakov was sixth (1:54.19) and junior Travis Gulledge (1:55.62) placed eighth.

TEAM STANDINGS

Men

1. Indiana – 1,906

2. Louisville – 1331.5

3. Ohio State – 1,203

4. Purdue – 944

5. Yale – 791

6. Penn State – 777

7. Kentucky – 674.5

8. Cincinnati – 455

9. Northwestern – 112

10. Wisconsin – 34

11. Pittsburgh – 16

Women

1. Ohio State – 1,530

2. Indiana – 1,404.5

3. Louisville – 1,404

4. Purdue – 831

5. Kentucky – 765

6. UCLA – 728

7. Cincinnati – 618

8. Penn State – 533.5

9. Yale – 433

10. Northwestern – 105

11. Pittsburgh – 99

12. Wisconsin – 25

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INDIANA VOLLEYBALL NEWS

BIG BLOCK BESTS RUTGERS

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – There was no looking ahead for the No. 17-ranked Indiana volleyball team (22-5, 13-4 B1G) on Thursday (Nov. 20) evening. The Hoosiers made quick work of Rutgers in a commanding sweep (25-17, 25-12, 25-15) at Wilkinson Hall. IU’s 13th sweep of the season matches a program record in the NCAA era (since 1981) and sets the team up for a top-20 showdown on Saturday (Nov. 22) against No. 1 Nebraska.

IU’s offense worked at an electric pace on Thursday evening. The team hit .455 on the evening, the second-straight match the Hoosiers have had a hitting percentage of .450 or better. It’s the first time in program history that an IU team has hit above .450 in consecutive conference matches. IU’s three pin hitters recorded 31 kills with just four errors.

Freshman setter Teodora Krickovic dished out 32 assists and recorded four digs. Senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles, playing in front of her family from Spain for the first time, recorded a match-high 13 kills on a .545 hitting percentage. Senior opposite hitter Avry Tatum added 10 kills while freshman outside hitter Jaidyn Jager had eight kills on 13 errorless swings (.615 hitting percentage).

While IU’s offense was great, the defensive performance was even better. Rutgers hit -.042, the third-lowest hitting percentage of any IU opponent since the 25-point rally-scoring era began in 2008. The Hoosiers racked up 14 blocks in just three sets. It’s just the third time IU has had at least 14 blocks in a three-set Big Ten match since 2008. Senior middle blocker Madi Sell matched a career high with seven rejections.

With the victory over Rutgers, IU broke single-season program records for both regular season wins (22) and Big Ten wins (13) – since the NCAA adopted volleyball in 1981. With three matches left to play in conference play, IU is in a tie for third place in the conference. The program hasn’t finished fourth-or-higher in the Big Ten in 30 years.

How it Happened

• Rutgers’ offense was no match for the potent IU block on Thursday night. 14 rejections, six of them solo, helped IU hold the visitors to a hitting percentage under .000. It was the first time since 2022 (Sam Houston) that IU held an opposing team to a negative hitting efficiency.

• On the flip side, IU’s offense enjoyed a quick and efficient day at the office. IU’s three pin hitters combined for 31 kills and just four errors. Freshman outside hitter Jaidyn Jager and senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles had 21 kills and just one error on 35 attacks.

 Top Hoosier Performers

#13 Tatum, Avry

10 kills, .389 hitting percentage, 5 blocks

#3 Alonso-Corcelles, Candela

13 kills, .545 hitting percentage, 3 digs, 3 blocks

#1 Sell, Madi

7 kills, 2 blocks

Notes to Know

• IU’s .455 hitting percentage against Rutgers is the second-highest efficiency in a Big Ten match during the rally-scoring era (since 2001). It trails only IU’s .456 hitting percentage against Maryland – which happened on Sunday. Those two marks are now eighth and ninth in program history respectively in a single match.

• For the 33rd time in their careers, senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles and senior opposite hitter Avry Tatum each recorded 10-or-more kills in a match. It’s the 13th occasion this season and the fourth time in the last five matches. IU is 25-8 over the last three seasons when the senior duo hits the mark.

• With a win over Rutgers, IU broke a single-season program record for Big Ten wins (13). IU’s 12th conference win of the season on Sunday matched the record but a dominant sweep of Rutgers helped break the all-time mark on Thursday. IU has three more chances to further that mark down the stretch in November.

• Senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles continues to leave her legacy on the program. She is now tied for the most wins (74) by any IU player in program history during the NCAA era. Her next one will set her alone as the winningest player in the history of IU volleyball.

• Senior opposite hitter Avry Tatum, senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles and freshman outside hitter Jaidyn Jager have been fantastic for the Hoosiers this season. They have all now reached 300 kills on the season, the first time IU’s had three pins reach 300 kills in the same year since 2014.

• Since the beginning of 2022, IU is now 38-15 on its home floor at Wilkinson Hall. After dispatching of Rutgers, the Hoosiers are 24-2 against unranked conference opponents in that span. IU now has 10 home wins on the season, the first time it’s had three-straight years with 10-or-more home wins since the turn of the century.

• Freshman setter Teodora Krickovic recorded the 1,000th assist of the season and of her career on Thursday. She’s just the fifth IU freshman, and the first since 2007, with more than 1,000 assists in a single season. She’s averaging 10.81 assists per set and has the team hitting at a program-record rate in 2025.

• The Hoosiers had 14 blocks on Thursday, enroute to holding Rutgers to a negative hitting percentage. It’s the most blocks that IU has had in a three-set Big Ten match since 2010 (15 – vs. Wisconsin). On the season it’s the 10th time that the Hoosiers have had a double-digit block performance. Senior middle blocker Madi Sell matched a career high with seven blocks.

VOLLEYBALL BREAKS BIG TEN PROGRAM RECORD

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – With every game in this historic season comes another volleyball milestone. On Thursday (Nov. 20) evening, the Hoosiers broke a single-season program record for Big Ten wins (13) with a 3-0 victory over Rutgers at Wilkinson Hall. It’s the first time in school history that IU has won more than 12 conference games in the same season.

Big Ten success had long evaded the Hoosiers since the conference adopted the sport in 1981. Since head coach Steve Aird took over the program in 2018, conference wins have picked up at a fast rate. IU has won 41 Big Ten matches over the last four seasons, the most in a four-year stretch in program history. Senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles already owns the program’s all-time Big Ten wins record.

With just three conference matches remaining, IU has a chance to finish in the top five of the Big Ten for the first time since the turn of the century. The Hoosiers are currently tied for third in the conference with a small lead on USC (fifth). IU has Nebraska, Illinois and Purdue remaining on the schedule in 2025.

Since the Big Ten began picking a full preseason poll in 2014, no team has finished in the top five of the regular season standings after being selected to finish 10th-or-lower in the preseason. IU was selected 11th in the Big Ten’s preseason coaches’ poll and has an inside track to finish in the top five. Head coach Steve Aird and company will finish out the regular season home slate on Saturday (Nov. 22) against top-ranked Nebraska.

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PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL

#1 PURDUE USES SECOND-HALF RUN TO TOP MEMPHIS 80-71

[1] Purdue 80, Memphis 71 (Postgame Notes)

1 Purdue advanced to the championship game of the Baha Mar Championship with a hard-fought 80-71 win over Memphis at the Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas.

The win snapped a four-game losing streak to Memphis and was Purdue’s first win over Memphis since the 1988 NCAA Tournament. The four-game streak had been the longest-active losing streak against one opponent.

Purdue has won 11 straight multi-team event tournament games, dating to the 2021 Hall of Fame Tipoff. By advancing to the title game on Friday, Purdue has now played in eight straight MTE title games.

Purdue is now 31-6 in MTE events since the 2014 Maui Invitational (12th event).

Purdue has now started 5-0 or better for the fourth time in the last five seasons (2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2025-26).

Purdue is now 33-1 (.971) during the month of November dating to the 2021-22 season. The Boilermakers are also 46-3 (.939) in non-conference play since that same season. Both marks are the best in the country.

Purdue had 15 assists on 16 made field goals in the second half, including 10 by Braden Smith.

Purdue’s two centers (Oscar Cluff and Daniel Jacobsen) combined for 17 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots while going 6-of-6 from the field and 5-of-5 from the free throw line.

Purdue won both the turnover (11-12) and rebounding (37-34) battles, improving to 162-15 under Painter when winning both categories.

Purdue made 11, 3-pointers and has made at least nine 3-pointers in all five games this season.

Fletcher Loyer scored 20 points with four rebounds and two steals, scoring 18 of his 20 points in the second half. He made four 3-pointers and Purdue is now 16-0 during his career when he makes four or more triples in a game.

C.J. Cox scored 18 points with four rebounds, going 7-of-10 from the field and 4-of-7 from 3-point range. Cox now has three career games of 15 or more points and his four 3-pointers were the second most in his career.

Trey Kaufman-Renn tallied 12 points with 11 rebounds and four assists for his third straight double-double to start the season (missed first two games).

Braden Smith dished out 11 assists for his 26th career 10-assist game (10 in the second half). He surpassed 800 career assists in the victory and is now one of six players in NCAA history with 1,450 career points, 800 career assists and 550 career rebounds. He moved into 54th place on the NCAA career assists list (803). Smith now needs 13 assists to tie Michigan State’s Mateen Cleaves (1997-00) for second on the Big Ten’s career assists list.

Smith is also now averaging 7.0 assists per game for his career and is now the fifth player in NCAA history, and the first since 1973, to have played at least 75 games and average 12.0 points, 7.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. The others are Mike D’Antoni (Marshall), Chris Ford (Villanova), Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati) and Dick Groat (Duke).

NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Fletcher Loyer scored 20 points to lead No. 1 Purdue to an 80-71 victory over Memphis on Thursday night at the Baha Mar Championship.

C.J. Cox added 18 points for Purdue (5-0). He and Loyer each made four 3-pointers. Trey Kaufman-Renn finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and four assists before fouling out after 27 minutes, and reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Braden Smith had 11 assists.

Dug McDaniel paced Memphis (1-3) with 18 points, six assists and six rebounds. Zach Davis chipped in 11 points.

The game featured nine lead changes and six ties. Trailing by two, momentum seemed to swing in Purdue’s direction with 7:54 to play when Memphis forward Aaron Bradshaw fouled out after receiving a technical for getting in Oscar Cluff’s face. The game was physical and chippy throughout, with three technical fouls given out by officials.

Loyer sank the pair of technical free throws, which was the start of a 17-5 game-sealing run for the Boilermakers. The late surge featured a sequence from Loyer where he connected on a fast-break layup and then sank a 3-pointer seconds later, giving Purdue a nine-point advantage with under 3 1/2 minutes to play.

COACH MATT PAINTER POST GAME: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIIA81dto1o

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PURDUE WRESTLING NEWS

#21 BOILERMAKERS TO WRESTLE AT DAVIDSON

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — No. 21 Purdue Wrestling goes back on the road to battle the Davidson Wildcats in a Sunday matinee dual at Baker Sports Complex.

The non-conference dual will stream live on FloWrestling at 3 p.m. ET.

In 106 years of program history, the Boilermakers (5-0, 0-0 B1G) have never wrestled Davidson (0-2, 0-0 SoCon) in a dual setting. Davidson, North Carolina, is located about a half-hour north of downtown Charlotte. The event marks the first time Purdue will compete in the Tar Heel State since its season-opening win at Gardner-Webb last year.

The Boilers are coming off a successful sweep of Buffalo, Northern Illinois and American at last Saturday’s Boilermaker Duals, when Purdue won 23 of 30 individual matches, including 15 for bonus points in Lambert Fieldhouse.

Sunday’s dual at Davidson will be the team’s last stop before heading west in two weeks to compete in the annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. CKLV is considered the premier in-season college wrestling tournament.

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NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL

MOORE NAMED FINALIST FOR NAGURSKI TROPHY

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Sophomore cornerback Leonard Moore has been named a finalist for the 2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which honors college football’s top defensive player.

Moore is the fifth Notre Dame finalist for the Nagurski Trophy in program history, joining safety Xavier Watts (2023), linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (2020), linebacker Manti Te’o (2012) and cornerback Shane Walton (2002). Watts and Te’o are Notre Dame’s two previous winners of the Nagurski Trophy.

Moore is also a semifinalist for the 2025 Chuck Bednarik Award, also honoring the top defensive player in college football, the 2025 Lott IMPACT Trophy, which recognizes the nation’s top defensive player who makes an impact on and off the field, and the 2025 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, which honors college football’s top defensive back.

Moore has made a statement thus far in the 2025 season, earning seven midseason first-team All-America honors, including by The Associated Press, The Sporting News, CBS Sports, The Athletic, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Focus and Athlon Sports.

Because of his lockdown abilities, Moore has only been targeted by opposing quarterbacks on 10.6 percent of passing plays in which he was on the field. For every reception he has allowed this season, he has posted 14.4 coverage snaps.

In just eight games played this season, Moore has posted three interceptions. Moore is the only cornerback in the nation to rank in the Top 10 in both INT rate allowed and first-down rate allowed. Among starting Power 4 cornerbacks, Moore ranks second in INT rate (nine percent), fourth in Pro Football Focus coverage grade and defense grade (88.8 and 86.8) and 10th in first-down rate (10 percent).

Moore, in addition to his three interceptions this season, has posted six passes defended, 25 tackles, three pass breakups and a forced fumble in just eight games played. With Moore’s help, Notre Dame ranks third in the nation in total interceptions (17), 10th in turnover margin (0.90), 13th in rushing defense (99.3), 15th in sacks (2.80), 17th in scoring defense (18.4) and 19th in team passing efficiency defense (112.76).

Two of Moore’s interceptions came in the same game vs. Boise State, a career-best performance. For his performance that week, he was named the Walter Camp FBS Defensive Player of the Week and the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Defensive Back of the Week. He became the first Notre Dame player to have multiple interceptions in the same game since 2023 (Xavier Watts). The 2024 FWAA Freshman Defensive Player of the Year, Moore entered the 2025 season with several accolades, as he was named to the Preseason All-America First Team lists by Walter Camp, The Sporting News, the Associated Press, The Athletic, ESPN, CBS Sports, Athlon Sports and Phil Steele. He has also been named to patch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, Chuck Bednarik Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy.

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NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

NO. 24 IRISH WELCOME NO. 11 SOUTHERN CAL TO PURCELL

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — No. 24 Notre Dame (3-1) will look to get back on track this Friday, as the Irish welcome No. 11 Southern Cal (3-1) to Purcell Pavilion for a 6 p.m. ESPN matchup. Ryan Ruocco and Rebecca Lobo will have the call.

NOTES

Notre Dame is currently pacing the ACC in scoring offense (88.3), free throw percentage (80.6), steals per game (18.0), turnover margin (12.0) and turnovers forced per game (26.5).

Hannah Hidalgo leads the nation in scoring (28.8) and steals per game (6.5).

Graduate transfer Vanessa de Jesus has been a menace on defense, averaging 3.5 steals per game. She has at least three steals in every game this season, and she entered the year with just four career games with three steals (106 games played).

Notre Dame is coming off its first loss of the season, a neutral site game against Michigan in Detroit. Cassandre Prosper led Notre Dame with 17 points.

The Irish defeated Akron in their last home game, 85-58. Hannah Hidalgo broke the program scoring record with 44 points and the NCAA Division I steals record with 16 swipes.

Hidalgo has earned ACC Player of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks to start the season, the first ACC player to begin a season with the two honors since Ta’Niya Latson did it in 2022-23. Hidalgo has now earned the award eight times in her career, the fifth-most in the history of the storied ACC.

The Trojans will be without All-American JuJu Watkins, who is rehabbing a torn ACL and is out for the season. Freshman Jazzy Davidson is currently pacing USC in scoring with 15.5 points per game.

Notre Dame is 9-2 all-time against Southern Cal, and the Irish beat the Trojans last season in Los Angeles, 74-61.

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NOTRE DAME VOLLEYBALL NEWS

IRISH SET FOR ROAD TESTS AT CLEMSON, GEORGIA TECH

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – With just four games remaining in the regular season, the Notre Dame volleyball team hits the road for its next three games, including this weekend when the Irish play at Clemson Friday night at 6:00 p.m. ET and at Georgia Tech 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. Both games will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.

Notre Dame won its last road contest, taking a competitive match in five sets over NC State in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Irish have four wins on the road, three of them against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents, this season as well as a neutral win.

As the season starts to wind down, Morgan Gaerte has cemented herself as one of the best in the conference. Gaerte is fourth in the conference with 385 kills and 4.28 kills per set. She has seven games with 20 or more kills this season, which is the third-most in program history in a single-season. She’s coming off a 23 kill game against Florida State, the third-most output in her career.

Lucy Trump has played a crucial role for the Irish lately, playing an all-around role for Notre Dame. Trump leads the team with 31 service aces on the season and has 110 for her career, which is just two away from being in the top-10 in program history. Last time out against Florida State, Trump had 11 kills, her second game of the season with double-digit kills.

Lily Fenton has grabbed a bigger role in the setter rotation as of late, starting the last four games for the Irish. Against Florida State, Fenton notched a career-best 27 assists to go along with five digs. Fenton has 23 or more assists in three of her last four matches.

Blocking has been a strength for the Irish all season. The Irish’s 2.58 blocks per set are the fifth-most in the ACC and are led by Grace Langer. Langer has a career-best 102 blocks this season, 10 of them solo. Anna Bjork is close behind her with 98 blocks this season. Gaerte has 59 total blocks this year and leads the team with 14 solo blocks.

HISTORY VS. CLEMSON

This is the 18th overall meeting between Notre Dame and Clemson. The Irish lead the series 11-6 overall (9-5 ACC)

Notre Dame swept Clemson last season on October 6, 2024 in South Bend, 25-17, 25-17, 25-23. It snapped a three game losing streak to the Tigers

The Irish haven’t won in Clemson since October 3, 2021. Notre Dame swept Clemson on the road 25-20, 25-23, 26-24

HISTORY VS. GEORGIA TECH

This is the 16th overall meeting between Notre Dame and Georgia Tech. The Irish trail in the series 6-9 overall (5-8 ACC)

Notre Dame is looking for its first win against the Yellow Jackets since October 1, 2021 in five sets, 17-25, 25-20, 20-25, 25-23, 9-15 in Atlanta

The Irish are 4-5 all-time on the road at Georgia Tech, but winners of two of their past three matchups in Atlanta

THE GAERTE PARTY

The All-ACC Preseason Selection broke the school record for kills in a match against Illinois back on September 5th with 34. Kathy Cunningham’s record of 33 kills had stood for over 37 years. Those 34 kills at the time were tied for the most in a single match so far this season in the country with Racquel Frazier of Hampton. She was named ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week for her performance on September 8th

She is the just the third player in Irish history to have three consecutive games of 20 or more kills and would be the first to do so in separate occasions with 20 or more kills against Miami. She has seven total games of 20 or more kills this season after her 23 kills vs. Florida State, which is the second-most in single-season in program history

Gaerte is fourth in the conference and 37th nationally with 4.28 kills per set. In points per set, she is fourth in the ACC and 19th in the country with 4.99

The sophomore had double-digit kills in 22-straight games to begin the season, the second-longest streak in program history

FRESH FACES

The Irish have five freshmen to the team, bringing the Irish to a roster size of 20.

The freshman class consists of Maya Baker (S), Maya Evens (DS/L), Mae Kordas (OH/O), Chichi Nnaji (OH), Sophia Thornburg (OH).

Baker, who was a two-time Max Preps All-American, leads the team with 470 assists, is third on the team with 132 digs and has 18 aces. She had a career-high 31 assists (10.33 assists per set) in the sweep over Duke.

The Irish pair a duo of former high school teammates in the incoming freshman class. Maya Evens and Mae Kordas both played together at Cathedral Catholic High School in Carlsbad, California. The duo was part of two Open State Championships (2022, 2024).

Evens has played in 84 sets and leads the team with 265 digs on this season. She also has 71 assists.

Kordas had the best game of her early career at California. In her home state, she had a nine kills, five digs and five blocks in the three set sweep over the Golden Bears. She also had back-to-back games with 10 kills against Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Chichi Nnaji and Sophia Thornburg were high school teammates in Dallas, Texas at the Ursuline Academy of Dallas. Thornburg was named to the Prep Volleyball Top 100 National List for the Class of 2025 while both spent time working with the USAV National Team Development Program.

Nnaji has made an impact from game one. She is third on the team with 103 kills and has 48 total blocks for 128.0 points.

The Irish added one player from the portal, outside hitter Sydney Helmers from Texas. She was a member of the 2023 National Champion team as a freshman for the Longhorns. The junior has 229 kills, 157 digs and is third on the team with 25 service aces this season.

In the win over NC State, Helmers had 14 kills, a career-high 19 digs, 3 service aces, 3 blocks and was a perfect 50/50 on receptions

KEY RETURNERS

The Irish return 14 to the roster; 5 outside hitters, 3 defensive specialist/liberos, 3 middle blockers, 2 setters and 1 opposite

Senior Lucy Trump has played a crucial all-around role off the bench, giving a spark to the rotation. Trump had 11 kills against Florida State, her second double-digit kill game of the season

Trump leads the team with 31 aces on the season and has 110 in total for her career, just outside of the top-10 in program history

Against Syracuse, Trump recorded a career-high 18 digs

Notre Dame returns all three middle blockers; Mallory Bohl, Anna Bjork and Grace Langer for their sophomore seasons

Langer and Bjork have been a dominant presence in the middle for Notre Dame. Langer leads the team with 101 blocks with Bjork behind her at 98. Offensively, Langer has 89 kills to Bjork’s 81.

In a homecoming match at Colorado State, Langer tallied nine kills on a career-best .600 hitting percentage to go along with 4.0 blocks

Junior Lily Fenton has jumped onto the scene for Notre Dame, starting the last four matches. Most recently, she tallied a career-best 27 assists against Florida State and has 23 or more assists in three of her last four games

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NOTRE DAME MEN’S SOCCER NEWS

IRISH SHUTOUT MICHIGAN TO ADVANCE IN NCAA TOURNAMENT

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Notre Dame went into Ann Arbor and defeated the Wolverines by a score of 1-0 to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday evening.

The Irish will take on No. 14 Akron in Akron in the second round of the tourney at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 23. The match will air on ESPN+.

Blake Kelly put in an impressive performance in goal, making eight saves to collect the clean sheet victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Irish and Wolverines each had opportunities over the opening 45 minutes of play but neither team was able to score the opener as the match went to the half scoreless at 0-0.

Notre Dame’s best chances came off free kicks in the final third, the best of which came off the foot of Mitch Ferguson. He put a shot just wide of the far post in the 26th minute.

On the other end Blake Kelly made a couple of big saves to keep the match level for the Irish in the first half.

The Irish came out of the halftime break and struck within the first six minutes of play to grab a 1-0 lead.

Wyatt Borso unleashed a shot from the edge of the box, forcing a diving stop from the Michigan keeper. Ren Sylvester then headed the rebound on target but the Wolverine keeper scrambled to save his effort as well. While trying to clear his lines, a Michigan defender headed the ball but it went backwards into his own net for an own goal.

Michigan nearly leveled in the 66th minute, firing a shot headed towards the top of the net but Kelly made a great diving save to keep the lead intact.

The Irish defense got stuck in down the stretch, putting out fires all over the pitch in the final 20 minutes of play to leave Michigan with the 1-0 victory.

McFARLAND FAMILY MEN’S HEAD SOCCER COACH CHAD RILEY’S TAKE

On the match…

“I’m just so excited for the team and for the guys. We knew this was the best first round game you’re ever going to play and it was an excellent game. The team stuck together and had some moments of real quality and found a way to get a goal and then defended a very dynamic Michigan team very well. Michigan had an unbelievable season and we are just so happy to advance and get to compete again.”

On Blake Kelly’s performance…

“I thought Blake was outstanding tonight. To win games at this level you need your keeper to make saves and he did his job really well tonight. We are so glad he’s our goalie.”

On the mindset heading into Sunday’s match at Akron…

“We hadn’t played for a couple of weeks so it was nice to get a game and get our fitness there and then we’ll take a look at Akron and we know we have to do the little things well in tournament time to get victories.”

NOTRE DAME NOTES

The Fighting Irish are now 24-21-7 in the NCAA Tournament in program history.

Notre Dame is 14-8-2 in its opening NCAA Tournament match in program history.

The win gives Notre Dame an all-time record of 17-4-5 against Michigan in the series, including a mark of 1-0-2 in NCAA Tournament play.

The clean sheet is the sixth of the season for the Fighting Irish, all coming with Blake Kelly between the posts.

The Irish have posted six clean sheets over their last three NCAA tournament appearances.

UP NEXT

The Irish travel to Ohio to take on No. 14 Akron in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov 23 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The match will air on ESPN+.

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IU INDY VOLLEYBALL NEWS

FOUR JAGS EARN #HLVB ALL-LEAGUE AWARDS

INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indy volleyball team had four different Jags earn #HLVB All-League Awards. Grace Purichia led the way earning Setter of the Year and All-League First Team honors. Morgan Ostrowski joined her on the All-League First Team while Jillian Tippmann earned Second Team honors and All-Freshman Team. Laura Roeder rounded out the group earning a spot on the All-Freshman Team.

Junior Grace Purichia was named #HLVB Setter of the Year after dominating the Horizon League and all of Division 1 volleyball when orchestrating the Jaguars’ offense this season. The setter led the Horizon League in assists per set with 11.02, ranking her in third in all of Division 1 volleyball behind Texas A&M’s Maddie Waak (11.48) and SMU’s Averi Carlson (11.12). Purichia leads the nation in total assists with 1,256. As a junior, she currently sits at fifth all-time in program history with 3,320 assists.

Purichia was also named #HLVB Player of the Week four times this season, the most of anyone in the league. Along with her Setter of the Year award, she was also named to the All-League First Team.

Morgan Ostrowski earned a spot on the All-League First Team for the second year in a row. The senior led the Jags and the league in hitting percentage with a .384 overall percentage with a total of 277 kills. She recorded an IU Indy program record hitting percentage of .778 (14-for-18) without an attack error in the Jags’ sweep over Purdue Fort Wayne (Oct. 28).

Jillian Tippmann earned All-League Second Team honors as well as All-Freshman Team. Tippmann leads the Jags in total kills with 388 and sits at fifth in the Horizon League for kills and eighth in hitting percentage (.281).

Laura Roeder joined Tippmann on the All-Freshman team after starting every match at libero for the Jags. Roeder leads the team in digs with 513, ranking her at sixth in the Horizon League for digs per set at 4.50.

These four Jags and the rest of the IU Indy volleyball team will now travel to Highland Heights, Kentucky for the Horizon League Tournament. The Jags will face the Milwaukee Panthers on Friday, November 21 at 6:00 PM.

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IU INDY SWIMMING NEWS

JAGS COMPLETE DAY ONE OF HOUSE OF CHAMPIONS

INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indianapolis men’s and women’s swim and dive teams closed out day one of the annual House of Champions invite Thursday, Nov. 21 with strong performances across both swimming and diving. After the first full day of competition, the IU Indy men’s team sits in first with 902 points. The IU Indy women’s team sits at sixth with 437 points.

Chloe Yerkes finish in fifth in the women’s 50-yard backstroke, stopping the clock at 25.92. The men’s side followed with an impressive cluster in the championship final: Grayson Tidwell placed third (22.59), followed closely by Seth Cannon in fourth (22.76), Jack Gallob in fifth at (22.81), and Hugo Arteaga in seventh at (22.97).

The men’s A relay teams of Keaton Barwick, David Niemiec, Ben Rocks, and Shane Tebeest finished fourth in the 200-yard freestyle relay, with a time of 1:20.19. Later in the session, the men’s A relay team of Grayson Tidwell, Logan Kelly, Hugo Arteaga, and Nathan Rariden claimed third in the 400-yard medley relay with a time of 3:12.53. The IU Indy women’s A relay team of Luca McGee, Grace Sharp, Kyrah Kittleson, and Addy Hirsbrunner placed sixth in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:34.82.

The men’s 200-yard IM produced a win from Logan Kelly, who took first with a time of 1:48.17, followed by a third-place finish from Zach Drotar with 1:49.55 and eighth-place from Noah Van Zuidam with a time of 1:52.46.

Sebastian Otero dominated the men’s 1 meter diving, claiming first with a final score of 393.20, while teammate Blake Vanderjeugdt placed sixth with 298.70. On the women’s side, Alaina Heyde placed sixth on 3-meter with a final score of 223.05.

The Jaguars end night one with strong momentum on both boards and blocks. Swimming will resume tomorrow (Nov. 21) at 10:00 A.M. with the prelims. Diving will follow at 12:30 P.M. and day two will conclude with the finals starting at 5:00 P.M.

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IU INDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS TO HOT SHOOTING PURPLE ACES

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The IU Indianapolis women’s basketball team’s quest for an in-state road win fell shy to a hot shooting Evansville squad on Thursday night (Nov. 20) as the Jaguars fell to the Purple Aces, 75-58. Evansville (1-4) shot 55 percent from the floor in the second half, including 8-of-11 from three-point range, to flip a three-point halftime deficit into a 17-point win.

Nevaeh Foster led IU Indy (2-3) with 16 points and Sydney Bolden closed with 11. Camryn Runner paced Evansville with 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and Logan Luebbers Palmer added 23 points, hitting 6-of-11 treys.

Offensively, the Jaguars got off to a slow start, making just one field goal in the game’s opening eight minutes as UE built a 12-4 lead. Foster stopped the drought with a wing three and then followed with tough drive down the left side. The Jags closed within three at 14-11 when Kamara Mills scored a hotly contested runner before the hosts scored the final points of the first quarter.

The second quarter went the way of the Jaguars as they limited Evansville to just seven points in building a 26-23 halftime lead. Defensively, the Jags held the Purple Aces to just three field goals in the second quarter and used buckets from Foster and E’Zaria Adams to take the lead before intermission.

An 8-0 Evansville run in the early stages of the third quarter gave UE a lead they would never relinquish. The Purple Aces pushed the lead out to 48-36 on a Mireia Mustaros layup before Bolden scored six straight points to make it a two-possession game. The hosts scored the final bucket of the third quarter to extend the lead out to eight. Evansville opened the fourth quarter with a Kylee Norkus three to retake a double-digit lead and never let the Jaguars close from there.

Evansville finished the game at 46 percent overall and 9-of-19 (47.4 percent) from three while the Jags mustered just 34 percent overall. The Jags also committed 21 turnovers, handing Evansville a 22-12 advantage in points off turnovers.

Adams tallied eight points off the IU Indy bench and Olivia Smith contributed five points, eight rebounds and five assists. Hailey Smith and Destini Craig each tallied five points apiece as well.

The Jaguars will return to action on Sunday (Nov. 23) when they trek to Huntington, W.Va., to face Marshall in a 4:00 p.m. tip on ESPN+.

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BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL NEWS

PLAYER, SETTERS, COACH OF THE YEAR HIGHLIGHT WVB’S #MACTION AWARDS

CLEVELAND – – Seven members of the Ball State women’s volleyball program were honored by the Mid-American Conference’s 12 head coaches Thursday (Nov. 20) for their contributions to the team’s run to the 2025 MAC regular season title.

“I’m incredibly proud of all our All-MAC award winners,” head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said. “The hard work, trust and grit that’s been shown by this team has been incredible to be a part of. Each of these award winners is a culmination of the entire team and system working together to create opportunities for one another to excel.”

Sophomore Carson Tyler became just the fourth player in program history, and first since 1999, to be named the MAC Player of the Year.

Junior Lindsey Green and Freshman Reese Axness were named the MAC Setters of the Year, with Axness also earning a spot on the MAC All-Freshman Team. It’s the third time Ball State players have claimed the league’s top setting honor.

Tyler, junior middle Gwen Crull, sophomore libero Sophie Ledbetter and junior middle Camryn Wise all earned First Team All-MAC honors. It ties as the Cardinals’ most First Team All-MAC honors in a single season with the 2021 squad.

For the third time in her career, Phillips has been named the MAC Coach of the Year. She has guided the Cardinals to a 122-45 league record in her 10 seasons as the program’s head coach, with this season’s 17-1 MAC mark tying as the third best single-season effort in program history.

“Our setters need our passers, our hitters need our setters, our defenders need our blockers, and it goes on and on,” Phillips added. “Additionally, while we’re very honored for the regular season awards, we are still incredibly locked in for the MAC Tournament this weekend. That’s what makes this group so special; it’s not about one person, but truly every single person being all in and working hard to get the MAC Tournament Championship. I’m excited for the weekend ahead!”

Combined, the group helped the Cardinals post a 17-1 record in league play and earn the No. 1 seed in this week’s MAC Volleyball Championship. Ball State has a first-round bye directly into Saturday’s 4 p.m. semifinal match where it will face the winner of Friday’s first-round match between No. 4 Toledo and No. 5 Miami.

Overall, the four All-MAC honors raise Ball State’s all-time total to 120 selections, including 68 first team nods. Both totals rank second all-time in MAC history.

CARSON TYLER: MAC Player of the Year / First Team All-MAC
Four-time MAC Offensive Player of the Week … led BSU and ranked second among MAC players with 4.22 kills per set … recorded at least nine kills in all 18 MAC matches, including double-digits in 16 and 20-or-more in three … her 29 kills in the win over Toledo (Oct. 10) were the most by a MAC player in a league match … second on the team with 175 digs, including 10 kill/dig double-doubles … served 27 aces, for a MAC-best 0.42 aces-per-set average … led BSU’s primary passers with a .9643 reception percentage on a team-high 421 attempts.

LINDSEY GREEN AND REESE AXNESS: MAC Setters of the Year
Four-Time MAC Setter Pair of the Week … combined to help the Ball State offense lead the MAC with a .274 attack percentage in league play … the Cardinals also averaged league-highs of 13.14 assists, 14.05 kills and 17.66 points-per-set in #MACtion … Ball State hit .300-or-better in six league matches, including a .437 effort at Kent State (Nov. 11) and a .430 rate of success at Buffalo (Sept. 25) … they were the top two attack percentages in league matches this season … Green ranked 10th in the league with a 6.71 assists-per-set average, while Axness averaged 4.71 assists per set.

KELLI MILLER PHILLIPS: MAC Coach of the Year
Led the Ball State women’s volleyball program to a 17-1 MAC record despite missing three projected starters for the season due to injury … mentored an offense that led the MAC in hitting percentage at .274, nearly .050 better than the second-best team in Ohio at .226 … The Cardinals also led the league in per-set average for points (17.66), assists (13.14) and kills (14.05), while being blocked the fewest times in MAC play.  

GWEN CRULL: First Team All-MAC
Ranked second among all MAC players with a .384 attack percentage, with just 28 errors in league play … tallied 136 kills in #MACtion … hit .300-or-better in 13 matches, including .400-or-better marks nine times and .500-or-better efforts eight times … her best effort was a .692 (10-1-13) rate of success in the sweep of Miami (Oct. 28) … Collected double-digit kills in six league matches, including a season-high 13 at Miami (Oct. 7) … second on the squad with 58 total blocks in league play, including five-or-more in six outings … served up 10 aces and collected 30 digs.

SOPHIE LEDBETTER: First Team All-MAC
Named MAC Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 13 … led the Ball State defense and ranked third among league players with a 4.14 digs-per-set average … credited with at least five digs in all 18 MAC matches, with double-digits in 16 and 20-or-more in three … ranked second on the squad with a .9641 reception percentage, with just 12 errors in 335 attempts … perfect in serve receive in nine matches, including each of the last six … served up 15 aces and credited with 53 assists.

CAMRYN WISE: First Team All-MAC
Led all MAC players with a .425 attack percentage, with just 18 attack errors … smashed 135 kills in #MACtion … hit .300-or-better in 15 matches, including .400-or-better marks 11 times and .500-or-better efforts six times … best percentage was a .667 (6-0-9) mark in BSU’s sweep at BGSU (Oct. 17) … double-digit kills three times, including a season-high 14 in the win over Ohio (Oct. 14) when she hit .478 (14-3-23) … led the Ball State block with 63 total blocks in league play, including five-or-more in five outings … collected 16 digs and served up two aces.

REESE AXNESS: MAC All-Freshman Team
A part of four MAC Setter Pair of the Week honors … helped the Ball State offense lead the MAC with a .274 attack percentage in league play … the Cardinals also averaged league-highs of 13.14 assists, 14.05 kills and 17.66 points-per-set in #MACtion … Ball State hit .300-or-better in six league matches, including a .437 effort at Kent State (Nov. 11) and a .430 rate of success at Buffalo (Sept. 25) … they were the top two attack percentages in league matches this season … Axness dished out 4.71 assists-per-set and earned three assist/dig double-doubles … she also served up 11 aces.

2025 MAC Volleyball All-MAC Teams & Specialty Award Winners

Coach of the Year: Kelli Miller Phillips, Ball State

Player of the Year: Carson Tyler, Ball State

Defensive Player of the Year: Grace Freiberger, Toledo

Freshman of the Year: Bailey Blair, Ohio

Setters of the Year: Lindsey Green and Reese Axness, Ball State

All-MAC First Team

Delaney Gash, Outside Hitter, Akron

Gwen Crull, Middle Blocker, Ball State

Sophie Ledbetter, Libero, Ball State

Carson Tyler, Outside Hitter, Ball State

Camryn Wise, Middle Blocker, Ball State

Jessica Andrews, Middle Blocker, Bowling Green

Avery Hobson, Outside Hitter, Bowling Green

Bailey Blair, Middle Blocker, Ohio

Emily Waddell, Middle Blocker, Ohio

Grace Freiberger, Libero, Toledo

Olivia Heitkamp, Outside Hitter, Toledo

Kelsey Smith, Setter, Toledo

Mary Clare Brusek, Middle Blocker, Western Michigan

Amanda Glanton, Middle Blocker, Western Michigan

Leah Richmond, Setter, Western Michigan

All-MAC Second Team

Martina Villani, Setter, Akron

Manoela Forlin, Outside Hitter, Buffalo

Emerson Matthews, Outside Hitter, Buffalo

Natalia Rejment, Outside Hitter, Central Michigan

Molly Creech, Outside Hitter, Miami

Gentry Warrick, Middle Blocker, Miami

Sierra Pertzborn, Middle Blocker, Toledo

MAC All-Freshman Team

Lyndi Wolf, Middle Blocker, Akron

Reese Axness, Setter, Ball State

Emerson Matthews, Outside Hitter, Buffalo

Molly Creech, Outside Hitter, Miami

Bailey Blair, Middle Blocker, Ohio

Jessica Costlow, Outside Hitter, Toledo

Leah Richmond, Setter, Western Michigan

VOLLEYBALL HEADS TO BOWLING GREEN FOR MAC CHAMPIONSHIP

THIS WEEK IN BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL: The No. 1 seed Ball State women’s volleyball team opens postseason play Saturday when it battles either No. 4 Toledo or No. 5 Miami in the 4 p.m. semifinal match of the 2025 MAC Volleyball Championship … The winner advances to Sunday’s championship match which will also be played at 4 p.m. … The tournament is hosted by No. 6 Bowling Green and will be played at the Stroh Center.

FOLLOW THE ACTION: All five MAC Women’s Volleyball Championship matches will be broadcast live on ESPN+ … In addition, live stats will be provided by Bowling Green athletics … Updates from the matches will also be provided on the team’s X feed and Instagram story: @BallStateWVB.

BALL STATE ALL-TIME: Ball State enters the 2025 MAC Volleyball Championship with a 1055-667-2 (.613) all-time record in women’s volleyball … Ball State became the 44th program in NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball history to reach 1,000 wins with a sweep of Central Michigan on Sept. 22, 2023 … All-time, the Cardinals have captured 12 MAC West Division Championships, 11 MAC Regular Season Championships and eight MAC Volleyball Championship titles … Ball State has made 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including three of the last six seasons … BSU has also earned two bids into the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).

BALL STATE IN THE MAC: With a 17-1 record in Mid-American Conference play this season, Ball State maintains its status as the winningest program in league play with a 476-226 (.678) all-time MAC mark … Western Michigan is second on the list, six matches behind the Cardinals at 470-232 (.670).

IN THE MAC CHAMPIONSHIP: Ball State will be making its 36th all-time appearance in the MAC Volleyball Championships in 2025, owning a 39-27 (.591) overall record and eight tournament titles (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2002, 2019 and 2021) … The Cardinals’ 39 tournament wins are second in MAC Championship history as are its eight titles are second … Overall, the Cardinals own a 5-2 (.714) record in first round matches, a 13-10 (.565) mark in quarterfinal play, an 13-10 (.565) ledger in semifinal action and an 8-5 (.615) record in the championship match … Ball State has advanced to the championship match in four of the last six tournaments.

ON THE ALL-TOURNAMENT SQUAD: Ball State ranks first in league history with 36 MAC All-Tournament selections … The Cardinals are also second all-time with eight MAC Tournament Most Valuable Player award winners.

THE ALL-TIME VS. THE TOURNAMENT FIELD: Ball State enters the MAC Volleyball Championship with an 8-1 record versus the tournament field this season, with the lone loss coming to Ohio (Oct. 25) … In MAC Championship play, the Cardinals are 21-19 versus this season’s field in the event, including a 7-4 mark in championship matches … Overall, Ball State is 282-149-1 all-time against opponents in the event.

Ball State vs. 2025 MAC Championship Field

Opponent                                       2025           Tournament          Championship                 All-Time

No. 2 Western Michigan                1-0                      3-6                              1-2                         57-52 (W1)

No. 3 Ohio                                         1-1                      2-5                              0-1                           45-22 (L1)

No. 4 Toledo                                     2-0                      2-1                              0-0                         79-12 (W3)

No. 5 Miami                                      2-0                      6-4                              2-0                         52-39 (W7)

No. 6 Bowling Green                       2-0                      8-3                              4-1                     49-24-1 (W2)

Overall                                              8-1                    21-19                            7-4                           282-149-1

SCOUTING BALL STATE:

• The Cardinals enter the MAC Volleyball Championships with a 21-9 overall record, including a 17-1 record in Mid-American Conference play … Ball State clinched the 2025 MAC regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming MAC Volleyball Championship with its win at Eastern Michigan (Nov. 6).

• Ball State remains the top-ranked MAC squad in the latest NCAA RPI Rankings, coming in at 55 this week, down three spots from the previous week … The Cardinals were 77th in the initial RPI rankings on Oct. 5 and climbed to as high as 45th in the Oct. 19 release.

• Ball State is one of the nation’s top terminating teams, ranking second nationally with 1,580 total kills, one back of national leader Southeast Missouri State (1,581) … 491 of Ball State’s kills, which is eighth nationally, have come from the arm of sophomore outside Carson Tyler who also ranks first in the MAC and 39th nationally with a 4.23 kills-per-set average.

• In addition, the Cardinals lead the MAC and rank 31st nationally with a .262 team attack percentage … Junior middle Camryn Wise is first in the league and 33rd nationally with a .393 rate of success, while junior setter Lindsey Green ranks 112th nationally with 840 total assists and owns a 7.30 assists-per-set average.

LET AWARDS SEASON BEGIN:

• The Ball State women’s volleyball team kicked off awards season with a BANG, as seven members of the program earn MAC postseason honors

• Sophomore Carson Tyler became just the fourth player in program history, and first since the 1999 season, to earn MAC Player of the Year honors … She was also named First Team All-MAC for the second consecutive season … The 2024 MAC Freshman of the Year, Tyler is only the second Ball State player to ever earn MAC Player of the Year and MAC Freshman of the Year accolades, joining Emily Sallee.

• For their role in guiding the Ball State offense to a league-best .274 attack percentage in league  play, junior Lindsey Green and freshman Reese Axness were named the MAC Setters of the Year … It is the third time Ball State has claimed the league’s top setter award and the first time in MAC history a 6-2 pair has earned the honor.

• After guiding the Ball State women’s volleyball team to a 17-1 league record despite the loss of three projected starters to injury before the start of the season, Kelli Miller Phillips was named the MAC Coach of the Year … It is the third time Phillips has earn the league’s top coaching award, as she also claimed the honor in 2021 and 2022.

• In addition to Tyler, junior middle Gwen Crull, sophomore libero Sophie Ledbetter and junior middle Camryn Wise earned First Team All-MAC honors … Ball State’s four First Team All-MAC honors were the most for a league program this season and tie as the most in program history with the 2021 squad … Crull, Ledbetter and Wise are all first-time All-MAC honorees.

BALL STATE QUICK HITS:

• Sophomore outside Carson Tyler has been one of the nation’s top attackers so far this season, ranking eighth nationally with 491 kills for a MAC-best 4.23 kills-per-set average … She has reached double-digit kills in 28 matches, including a career-high 29 kills versus Toledo (Oct. 10) and 28 kills versus Cincinnati (Sept. 18) … Tyler’s 491 total kills are currently the eighth-most in a single season in program history, with the 498 by Sarah Obras in 2002 being next on the list to catch … Only five players in program history have reached 500 kills in a season, with Obras’ total of 695 in 2003 standing as the single-season record … Megan Hammons is the only player to do it twice, ranking second (569 in 2000) and third (549 in 1999) on BSU’s all-time list.

• With double-digit kills in both matches vs. Central Michigan last weekend, Carson Tyler took over sole possession of 15th in program history with double-digit kills in 50 career matches … She has 28 such matches this season, which ties as the third-most in a single season in program history, while collecting 22 her freshman campaign … In addition, Tyler is one of just nine players in program history to register 20-or-more kills in at least 10 career matches, with her 20 kills at Eastern Michigan (Nov. 7) being her 13th which is sixth on BSU’s all-time list.

• A six-rotation player, Carson Tyler is currently second on the squad with 305 digs … She has recorded kill/dig double-doubles in 17 matches this season, with her latest coming last Thursday versus Central Michigan … Tyler registered a career-high 19 digs in the win at Marquette (Sept. 12) and collected 18 versus Cal Poly (Aug. 31) and James Madison (Sept. 14) … Tyler also leads Ball State’s primary passers with a .966 reception percentage, successfully passing 688 of the team-high 712 serves she has faced … Tyler also led the Cardinals’ primary passers with a .963 reception percentage last season by successfully passing 650 of the team-high 675 serves she faced.

• Graduate outside Noelle VanOort has made quite an impact for the Cardinals, ranking second on the squad with 329 total kills, while adding 202 digs and hitting .222 … A member of the Golden Gopher Invitational All-Tournament Team, VanOort has tallied double-digit kills in 19 of BSU’s 30 matches, including a season-high 20 kills twice … Throw in 97 matches with double-figure kills during her four-year career at Indiana Tech and VanOort has been credited with at least 10 kills in 116 collegiate matches … She has also raised her collegiate total to 11 matches with 20+ kills, including a 20/20 effort Nov. 5, 2022, with 23 kills and 25 digs versus Siena Heights.

• Noelle VanOort reached a career milestone in the Oct. 28 victory over Miami, smashing the 2,000th kill of her collegiate career … The moment came midway through the second set when her third blast of the match gave BSU a 12-6 edge … Prior to arriving at Ball State, VanOort finished her four-year playing career at Indiana Tech (2021-24) as a two-time NAIA Third Team All-American and ranked second in program history with 1,724 kills … Add 329 kills so far at Ball State and her career total stands at 2,053 … She has also collected 1,850 digs and served up 295 aces over her collegiate career.

• With 20 kills each in the Aug. 31 match versus Cal Poly, Noelle VanOort and Carson Tyler became the first Ball State duo to record 20-or-more kills in the same match since the 2007 season … Brittany May and Julie Breivogel were the last players to do so with 21 and 20 kills, respectively, in an Oct. 5, 2027 match versus Western Michigan.

• Sophomore libero Sophie Ledbetter paces the Ball State defense with 464 digs and a 4.00 digs-per-set average … Her dig total ranks second among all MAC defenders, while her average is third … In fact, the 464 digs rank 20th on Ball State’s single season digs list … Ledbetter has recorded double-digit digs in 27 of BSU’s 30 matches this season, upping her career total to 50 which is tied for 18th on BSU’s all-time list … The effort includes a career-high tying 27 digs versus Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 20) and 26 digs in the season-opener versus St. Thomas (Aug. 29).

• Sophie Ledbetter earned her first collegiate double-double versus Cal Poly (Aug. 31), handing out 10 assists to go along with her 14 digs.

• Junior Lindsey Green and freshman Reese Axness have combined to lead the Ball State offense to a .262 attack percentage this season which is first in the MAC and 31st nationally … The mark includes a .274 rate of success over the team’s 18 MAC matches … Green, who became the 17th player in program history to reach 1,000 career assists at Kent State (Oct. 31), currently ranks ninth in the MAC with a 7.30 assists-per-set average … She also leads the squad with 41 service aces … Axness, meanwhile, enters the weekend with a 4.46 assists-per-set average and has served up 13 aces.

• Junior middle Camryn Wise enters the weekend leading the Mid-American Conference and ranked 33rd nationally with a .393 attack percentage … She has hit .300-or-better in 23 of the team’s 30 matches, paced by a .667 (6-0-9) effort at Bowling Green (Oct. 17) and a .579 (12-1-19) rate of success at Marquette (Sept. 12) … Looking at just league matches, Wise’s mark jumps up to .425 with just 18 errors on 275 swings, to go along with 135 kills … Wise has hit at least .385 in 14 MAC outings, starting with a .545 (6-0-11) effort at Buffalo (Sept. 25).

• Junior middle Gwen Crull has been just as solid in the middle for the Cardinals, reaching double-digit kills for the first eight times in her collegiate career over the last nine weeks … Her best match came at Miami (Oct. 7), when she smashed a career-high 13 kills and hit .522 (13-1-23) … She has also collected 12 kills on two occasions; vs. Cincinnati (Sept. 18) and at Akron (Sept. 26) … Since the start of MAC play, Crull is second on the squad and in the league with a .384 (136-28-281) attack percentage … She also leads the squad with a 0.84 blocks-per-set average this season, including a team-high 16 solo blocks.

• Sophomore Tiffany Snook is starting to find her grove on the right side, smashing 135 kills and hitting .281 in MAC play … The effort includes a career-high 17 kills and a .433 (17-4-30) attack percentage versus Toledo (Oct. 10) … She also secured 11 kills at Akron (Sept. 26) and has at least six kills in 14 of Ball State’s 18 league matches.

• While it’s season-long 10-match winning streak came to an end vs. Ohio (Oct. 25), Ball State’s 10-0 start to MAC play tied as the third-best league start in program history … The Cardinals also won its first 10 conference matches of the 1997 campaign … Ball State has gone undefeated in league play twice, boasting an 18-0 mark in 1993, followed by a 17-0 record in 1994.

• Roster Update: Senior opposite Madison Buckley and redshirt junior outside attacker Aniya Kennedy will both miss the 2025 season as medical redshirts … Buckley was a 2024 First Team All-MAC selection after ranking second on the team in total blocks (90.0) and third in total kills (276) last season … Kennedy, the 2023 MAC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-MAC selection, ranked second on the squad with 279 kills last season and chipped in 43 total blocks.

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BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

DEFENSE AND DEPTH MOVES WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PAST BIG XII FOE CINCINNATI

MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State women’s basketball team’s fiery defense helped lead the Cardinals to an 83-63 victory over Big XII foe Cincinnati Thursday night in Worthen Arena.

With the win, Ball State remains undefeated with a 5-0 record for the second-straight season while Cincinnati drops to 1-4 overall.

Ball State head coach Brady Sallee has now defeated a Power 4 conference team nine times during his tenure with the Cardinals — Minnesota (54-51, 2012-13), Iowa (77-72, 2015-16), Vanderbilt (88-79, 2017-18), Purdue (66-60, 2017-18), Pitt (68-66, 2022-23), Pitt (73-62, 2023-24), Georgia (52-51, 2023-24), Texas A&M (75-62) and Cincinnati (83-63).

Bree Salenbien led the Cardinals with a career best 26-point performance, she also registered her second double-double of the season after adding 10 rebounds. Tessa Towers collected her third double-double this year with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Rounding out the Cardinals double-digit scoring was Karsyn Norman (13), Aniss Tagayi (13) and Grace Kingery (12).

For the game, Ball State pulled down 52 rebounds as a team. The Cardinals, who lead the nation in defensive rebounds, ended the contest with 34.

The Cardinals continue to dominate for the third-straight contest in the opening quarter of play as Ball State went on a 14-2 run to take a 10-point (14-4) edge over Cincinnati with 4:22 on the clock. Defensively, the Bearcats were held to only four points for over a six-minute stretch. The Bearcats cold feet began to get a little warmer towards the end of the frame, but BSU was able to hold onto a 17-8 advantage to end the quarter.

Ball State kept Cincinnati at arms link in the second period finding itself up by 13 (27-14) at the 6:11 mark after back-to-back 3’s from Salenbien and Grace Kingery. The Bearcats came within single digits on a few occasions, but the Cardinals defense deemed to be too much which led to back-to-back 3-pointers from Salenbien along with free throws that helped Ball State end the first half with a 39-23 cushion over the Bearcats.

Salenbien shined in the first half scoring 20 points after going 7-of-10 from the field and 4-of-6 from the 3-point line.

Following the break, the Cardinals went up by as many as 22 after a layup from Towers (45-23) with just a minute shaved off the clock. A few intense plays later Cincinnati was able to come within 14 (47-33) with 6:40 remaining in the third stanza.

After that, Ball State amped up the ball pressure to stop Cincinnati from making an impactful comeback. Salenbien continued to find ways to score by attacking the basket and getting to the line to help BSU end the third with a 64-43 cushion.

The Cardinals continued to control the tempo of the ball game in the final stanza which eventually led to their impressive win over the Bearcats.

All-in-all the Cardinals main objective was to shut down Cincinnati’s top scorer and that they did holding Mya Perry (22.0 ppg) to only two points in the first half and 10 total for the contest.

The Ball State women’s basketball team will host a “Hoops Giving” contest at home Monday against the University of Illinois-Chicago in Worthen Arena at 6:30 pm ET.

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BALL STATE SWIMMING NEWS

MEN’S S&D SHOW STRONG START ON DAY ONE OF HOUSE OF CHAMPIONS

INDIANAPOLIS – The Ball State men’s swimming and diving program captured one program record, on top of five top five finishes, during day one of the 2025 House of Champions invitational at the IU Natatorium. The men are currently fourth out of 11 teams with 456 points, trailing Lynn (516), Missouri State (581), and the hosting IU Indy (770).

Freshman George Patterson showcased an impressive performance on day one, capturing his first program record in the 500 freestyle (4:27.13), placing forth in the event. Patterson also contributed to the second place 200 freestyle relay team (1:19.83) to open the day, joining AJ Friend, Benjamin Clarkston and Jacob Siewers.

Friend and Siewers both showed strong performances in the 50 freestyle, tying each other during prelims (20.33) to qualify for the A Final. Later in the afternoon, Friend turned in a fourth-place finish (20.24) and Siewers followed with a seventh place finish (20.49).

Both men also aided the 400 medley relay effort to close the day, joining William Raches and Aidan Biddle to place fifth with a time of 3:15.18. The team’s finishing time serves as the fourth-fastest in program history.

On the 1-meter board, Zach Shaddy showcased his best performance yet, scoring 331.75 to place third. His score puts him fourth in the program’s history.

The men are back in action once again tomorrow for day two of the 2025 House of Champions Invitational. Prelims are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., and finals are slated for 5 p.m.

BALL STATE RESULTS – DAY 1 AT HOUSE OF CHAMPIONS

200 Freestyle Relay | Program Record – 1:18.88 by Chaye, Garberick, Siewers, Pheifer in 2024

2nd – AJ Friend, Benjamin Clarkston, George Patterson, Jacob Siewers – 1:19.83 (3rd in program history)

EX – Dominick Perkowski, Mason Young, Zack Vervlied, William Raches – 1:23.51

EX – Colin Walrond, Aidan Biddle, Reeve Ferber, Nathan Harper – 1:24.88

50 Backstroke

Finals

8th – William Raches – 23.99

14th – Colin Walrond – 23.35

16th – Benjamin Clarkston – 23.39

19th – AJ Friend – 23.53

Prelims

9th – William Raches – 22.99 – Advanced to A Final

15th – Benjamin Clarkston – 23.18- Advanced to B Final

17th – Colin Walrond – 23.29 – Advanced to B Final

26th – AJ Friend – 23.97 – Advanced to C Final

38th – Logan Ayres – 25.03

500 Freestyle | Program Record – 4:27.13 George Patterson in 2025

Finals

4th – George Patterson – 4:27.13 (1st in program history)

10th – Malcolm Slater – 4:29.37

22nd – Henry Ko – 4:35.15

Prelims

8th – George Patterson – 4:28.38 – Advanced to A Final

11th – Malcolm Slater – 4:29.81 – Advanced to B Final

23rd – Henry Ko – 4:34.47 – Advanced to C Final

32nd – Dominick Perkowski – 4:38.71

33rd – Tommy Brunner – 4:38.99

43rd – Seth Blossom – 4:43.38

58th – Kenny Reed – 4:59.03

200 IM | Program Record – 1:49.31 by Joe Morris in 2015

Finals

14th – Ike Ruszkowski – 1:52.51

25th – Max Kruglov – 1:52.19

32nd – Nathan Harper – 1:57.38

Prelims

15th – Ike Ruszkowski – 1:52.50 – Advanced to B Final

25th – Max Kruglov – 1:53.57 – Advanced to D Final

33rd – Nathan Harper – 1:55.21

50 Freestyle | Program Record – 19.89 by Owen Chaye on Two Occasions

Finals

4th – AJ Friend – 20.24

7th – Jacob Siewers – 20.49

18th – Benjamin Clarkston – 20.59

30th – William Raches – 21.12

Prelims

7th – AJ Friend – 20.33 – Advanced to A Final

7th – Jacob Siewers – 20.33 – Advanced to A Final (7th in program history)

17th – Benjamin Clarkston – 20.53 – Advanced to C Final

26th – William Raches – 20.82 – Advanced to D Final

43rd – Zack Vervlied – 21.20

46th – Mason Young – 21.27

56th – Reeve Ferber – 21.51

60th – Luke Pryor – 21.59

62nd – Aidan Biddle – 21.60

69th – Colin Walrond – 21.74

400 Medley Relay | Program Record – 3:10.53 by Pheifer, Garberick, Handshoe, Chaye in 2024

5th – William Raches, Aidan Biddle, AJ Friend, Jacob Siewers – 3:15.18 (4th in program history)

EX – Benjamin Clarkston, Ike Ruszkowski, Luke Pryor, Zack Vervlied – 3:22.54

EX – Colin Walrond, Reeve Ferber, Henry Ko, George Patterson – 3:22.61

1-Meter Diving | Program Record – 344.25 by Dave Keener in 1991

3rd – Zach Shaddy – 331.75 (4th in program history)

6th – Porter Brovont – 312.70

9th – Ryan Farmer – 274.00

18th – Mitchell Mauck – 228.25

19th – Emilio Perez – 222.05

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INDIANA STATE SWIMMING NEWS

PARSONS SETS NEW INDIANA STATE MARK IN THE 500-YARD FREESTYLE ON SECOND DAY OF MIAMI INVITE

OXFORD, Ohio – Claire Parsons set a new Indiana State record in the 500-yard Freestyle highlighting six Sycamores who competed in A-Finals on the second day of the 2025 Miami Invite held inside the Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center.

Parsons broke Erin Cummins’ mark in the 500-yard Freestyle set one year ago at the 2024 Miami Invite as the junior claimed the top overall position in the evening’s event finals with a preliminary swim of 4:46.65. She finished second overall in the Thursday night finals in 4:47.83 in posting Indiana State’s top overall individual finish on the day.

Brenna Woodruff added a win in the B-Finals 3M springboard diving event and Grace Cummings added a top three finish in the 500-yard Freestyle to highlight a strong day in the pool for the Sycamores.

Overall, Indiana State sits third in the team standings with 372 total points over the first two days. The Sycamores trail both host Miami (524) and Notre Dame (524) with two days still to compete in Oxford.

Thursday Night Results

Indiana State opened up competition in the 200-yard Freestyle Relay with the group of Raine Boles, Erin Cummins, Sahara Visscher, and Kalli Agapios opening up competition with a seventh-place result after going 1:32.74. The second group of Addison Johnson, Allie Barasch, Rachel Stutz, and Ash Saple finished 10th in 1:34.96. The final group of Sophia Diaz, Kate Reeves, Kiarra Thomas, and Raz Harel finished 17th in 1:37.83.

Claire Parsons was unable to keep her momentum in the 500-yard Freestyle Relay finals as the junior finished second overall in the field with a time of 4:47.83, after securing the top overall spot in the prelims. Parsons was joined in the top three by Grace Cummings (4:49.66) as the freshman dropped nearly 1.5 seconds off her prelim time to place third in the field. Erin Cummins rounded out the top five in the field with a time of 4:51.14 to round out the three Sycamores in the A-Finals.

Maria Saldana Riebeling was 11th overall in the field after finishing third in the B-Finals with a time of 4:54.81, while Haley Halsall finished 16th in 4:59.08. Peyton Heagy won the C-Finals with a time of 4:59.56 to place 17th in the field.

Ali Pearson led the Sycamores in the 200-yard IM event as the graduate student went 2:06.32 to place 16th overall in the field. Anna Asplund finished fourth in the C-Finals to place 20th overall in 2:06.15, while Gemma Dilks finished one spot back after finishing in 2:07.43. Ella Moustgaard (2:06.58) and Sara Keefe (2:07.57) both finished inside the top 30 in the field.

Raine Boles led the Sycamores in the 50-yard Freestyle event finals on Thursday night. Boles finished eighth overall in the field after going 23.38 in the A-Final heat. Kalli Agapios placed19th overall after going 23.60 to finish third in the C-Finals. Ash Saple placed 26th in the field in 23.80, while Addison Johnson (24.06) and Allie Barash (24.23) also competed in the finals on Thursday evening.

Jecza Lopez and Bree Cleary took on the field in the 3M Diving A-Finals on Thursday afternoon. Lopez posted a six-dive score of 253.50 to finish fourth in the field, while Cleary posted a 208.55 to place eighth overall.

The Sycamores closed out events in the pool with the 400-yard Medley Relay with the team of Sara Keefe, Ali Pearson, Raine Boles, and Erin Cummins finishing sixth in 3:42.91. Sahara Visscher, Jenna Nave, Sophia Diaz, and Addison Johnson finished 13th in 3:49.38, while the group of Kate Reeves, Peyton Heagy, Allie Barasch, and Kalli Agapios finished 16th in 3:51.04. The final team of Ella Moustgaard, Kiarra Thomas, Raz Harel, and Ash Saple finished in 3:54.45.

Thursday Night Finals Top Finishers

200-yard Freestyle Relay: 7th –  (1:32.74)

500-yard Freestyle: 2nd – Claire Parsons (4:47.83)

200-yard IM: 16th – Ali Pearson (2:06.32)

50-yard Freestyle: 8th – Raine Boles (23.38)

3M Diving: 4th – Jecza Lopez (253.50)

Thursday Morning Results

Claire Parsons set a new Indiana State record in the 500-yard Freestyle event and claimed the top overall seed in the evening’s 500-yard Freestyle event in pacing 16 Sycamores that advanced to Thursday’s evening’s event finals at the Miami Invite.

Parsons opened competition on Thursday morning setting a new school record in the 500-yard Freestyle event as the junior topped the field by nearly a full second to claim the top spot in Thursday night’s finals. The Terre Haute native was first to the wall in 4:46.65 to earn the top seed. Grace Cummings was fourth in 4:51.08, while Erin Cummins finished in 4:52.42 to finish fifth and earn a spot in the top finals.

Maria Saldana Riebeling (4:56.50) and Haley Halsall (4:59.25) both finished inside the top 15 in the field to advance to the B-Finals, while Peyton Heagy (5:02.45) finished 20th in the field to earn a spot inside the C-Finals. Anna Asplund (5:05.80) just missed out on the cut placing 26th overall in the field.

Ali Pearson was the top overall finisher for Indiana State in the 200-yard IM event as the senior touched the wall 16th overall in 2:05.81. Asplund (2:06.65) and Gemma Dilks (2:06.92) both advanced to the C-Finals group that will compete this evening after finishing inside the top 24.

Ella Moustgaard (2:07.68) narrowly missed out advancing finishing 25th in the field in 2:07.68. Sara Keefe (2:08.50), Elle Santucci (2:09.12), Raz Harezl (2:09.99), Jenna Nave (2:10.17), Kiarra Thomas (2:10.17), and Sophia Diaz (2:12.79) also took on the preliminary field over the morning session.

Raine Boles led the Sycamores in the 50-yard Freestyle preliminary rounds as the senior went 23.07 to place sixth overall in the field. Kalli Agapios (23.79) joins Boles in the evening’s finals after placing 21st overall in the field.

Ash Saple (23.93) finished just outside the top 24 in the morning’s events, while Allie Barasch (23.95) and Addison Johnson (23.97) were inside the top 30. Sahara Visscher (24.10), Rachel Stutz (24.12), and Kate Reeves (24.77) rounded out the Sycamores in competition this morning.

Brenna Woodruff won the 3M Springboard diving B-Finals as the senior scored a six-dive total of 212.80 to highlight the early session.

Thursday Morning Prelims Top Finishers

500-yard Freestyle: 1st – Claire Parsons (4:46.65 – School Record)

200-yard IM: 16th – Ali Pearson (2:05.81)

50-yard Freestyle: 6th – Raine Boles (23.07)

3M Diving: 9th – Brenna Woodruff (212.80 – B-Final Winner)

Up Next

Indiana State swimming and diving continues the Miami Invite tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.

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PURDUE FT. WAYNE VOLLEYBALL NEWS

RILEY ROSNECK NAMED TO #HLVB ALL-LEAGUE SECOND TEAM

INDIANAPOLIS – Purdue Fort Wayne outside hitter Riley Rosneck was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team, the league announced on Thursday (Nov. 20).

Rosneck was one of the top offensive options in the Horizon League this season. In league play, Rosneck averaged 4.00 kills per set, good for third in the HL. She also added 2.42 digs per set in league play, just shy of a top-25 mark. The sophomore had double-figure kills in 20 matches and 20 or more in seven.

Rosneck was also a member of this season’s All-Academic Team. She was the 2024 Horizon League Freshman of the Year.

All-League First Team

Diane Pichelman, Green Bay

Morgan Ostrowski, IU Indianapolis

Grace Purichia, IU Indianapolis

Kara Erdmann, Milwaukee

Sydney Bray, Northern Kentucky

Abby Pickard, Northern Kentucky

Allison Risley, Northern Kentucky

Jasmine Purakal, RMU

Lauren Yacobucci, Wright State

Reilly Zegunis, Wright State

Abbie Householder, Youngstown State

Gabriela Machin, Youngstown State

All-League Second Team

Jillian Tippmann, IU Indianapolis

Josie Noble, Milwaukee

Riley Rosneck, Purdue Fort Wayne

Jocelyn Jourdan, RMU

Mya Ayro, Wright State

Katie Sowko, Wright State

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PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL

MASTODONS AND BILLIKENS TANGLE ON FRIDAY

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne travels to Saint Louis on Friday evening. It will be one of the best mascot matchups in nation all season when the Mastodons and Billikens battle. 

Game Day Information
Who: Purdue Fort Wayne (2-4) at Saint Louis (4-0)
When: Friday, November 21 | 8 PM ET
Where: St. Louis, Mo. | Chaifetz Arena
Live Stats: Link
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: 1380 AM Brett Rump (PBP) 
Game Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne | Saint Louis

Know Your Foe

Saint Louis is averaging 96.75 points per game. Amari McCottry is averaging 17.3 points per game. Robbie Vaila is averaging 14.0 points a contest. They have wins over SEMO, Chicago State, Lindenwood and Grand Canyon.

Series History

Saint Louis leads the all-time series 1-0 with a 78-66 win over the Mastodons in 2005.

‘Dons & Ends

// Jon Coffman picked up his 200th career victory on Nov. 15 against Boyce. He is the program’s leader in victories.

// Corey Hadnot II was named the Horizon League Player of the Week on Monday (Nov. 17) after scoring 32 points at Western Michigan and 18 against Boyce.

// DeAndre Craig Jr. has scored double-digits in all six games this season. Corey Hadnot II and Mikale Stevenson have done so in 5-of-6 games.

// Corey Hadnot II is second in the nation and first in the league with 45 field goals. His 117 points this year is ninth in the nation. He leads the league at 19.5 points per game. Hadnot is also 14th in the nation in steals with 14.

// At 19.5 points per game, Hadnot’s scoring is up this year as is his shooting percentage. He is shooting 54.2 percent from the floor and 40.7 from three.

// Darius Duffy leads the league and ranks 47th in the nation in blocks with nine.

// Darius Duffy has 33 rebounds on the season, 22 have been on the offensive glass.

// DeAndre Craig Jr. has demonstrated an ability to fill up the box score. Not only does he have 10+ points in each game this season, he has two games with six or more rebounds, two games with six or more assists and two games with three steals; all while turning the ball over only seven times in 155 minutes. 

// Redshirt freshman Ebrahim Kaba has shown early results from beyond the arc, hitting 9-of-21 (42.9 percent) from three.

// In the nation, the ‘Dons are:

– 12th in turnover margin (8.0)

– 16th in steals per game (11.8)

– 18th in turnovers forced per game (18.0)

– 15th in fast break points per game (22.0)

// Factoids on the contest at Utah

– DeAndre Craig Jr. tied a career best with seven assists

– With 12 offensive rebounds, it was the Mastodons’ third straight game with double-digit offensive rebounds. The last time the ‘Dons had double-digit offensive rebounds in three straight games was Feb. 2024 at Green Bay, at Milwaukee and at Wright State.

– The ‘Dons shot 60.71 percent in the second half, out-scoring Utah 45-43.

– Corey Hadnot II had 20 points, his fifth career 20-point game.

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EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BIG SECOND HALF POWERS ACES OVER IU INDY

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Heading into halftime facing a three-point deficit, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team got red-hot to begin the third quarter to build a lead they would not relinquish, defeating IU Indy 75-58 in their home opener on Thursday night inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse. The win was the Aces’ largest against a DI foe since an 18-point win over Bradley on January 30, 2023. 

Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind./Hamilton Heights) paced the Aces with 25 points while adding seven assists, seven rebounds, and a career-high five steals. Logan Luebbers Palmer (Union, Ky./Randall K. Cooper) enjoyed a career night, scoring a career-high 23 points, 21 of which came in the second half, while 6-for-11 shooting from the three-point line.

Evansville got out to an early lead, scoring the first five points of the game on a three-pointer by Runner and two free throws from Luebbers Palmer. The Purple Aces extended their lead to eight with 2:31 to go in the quarter, but the Jaguars battled back to make it a five-point game heading into the second quarter.

The Purple Aces struggled to score in the second quarter, putting up only seven points. The Jaguars capitalized, taking a 26-23 lead into halftime.

Despite their offensive struggles in the first half, the Aces broke out offensively in the second half. Mireia Mustaros (Barcelona, Spain/Odessa College) got the Aces going with a buckets in the paint on the Aces’ first two possessions of the half.

From there, it was the Luebbers Palmer show, as the sophomore scored 14 points in the next 3:37 of action to help the Aces go on a 16-6 run and open up an 11-point lead. During the stretch, Luebbers Palmer knocked down four three-pointers. The 27 point quarter was Evansville’s largest of the season.

Holding a 50-42 lead going into the fourth quarter, the Aces kept the foot on the gas, as Kylee Norkus (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) knocked down a three-pointer to begin the quarter. Norkus played 10 minutes on the night in her long-awaited return from injury, making her first appearance since November 18, 2024.

The Evansville offensive continued to light it up in the fourth quarter, not letting the Jaguars back within single digits. Runner took control of the game, scoring 10 points in the final 5:50 of play.

With 2:42 to go and Aces holding a 15-point lead, Luebbers Palmer put the cherry on top of a stellar night, knocking down another three to make it 71-53. From there, the Aces knocked down their free throws to salt away a 75-58 win.

“Great win for us tonight,” said Head Coach Robyn Scherr. “Really pleased with our effort. 52 points in the second half is something I’m really pumped about.”

“[It was] a breakout offensive performance, we really needed that. I thought Camryn Runner kept us afloat in the first half, and the second half was much more of a team effort on the scoring front.”

“Logan Luebbers Palmer had a huge second half. After missing a bunch of shots in the first half, to come out and keep shooting and see the ball go through the hoop, it provided a big spark.”

Evansville shot a season-best 46.2% from the field, including a 47.4% mark from three-point range. The Purple Aces also posted season highs in points (75), free throws made (18), assists (9) and steals (9).

The Aces return to action next Tuesday, traveling to Edwardsville, Ill. for a clash with SIUE. Tip-off is set for 6 PM.

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EVANSVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

UE FACES OREGON STATE IN PARADISE JAM OPENER

SAINT THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands– The 2025 Paradise Jam opens on Friday evening when the University of Evansville men’s basketball team takes on Oregon State at 7 p.m. CST in the Virgin Islands. ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network will have the broadcast.

A History Lesson

– Friday’s game between the Purple Aces and Beavers will be just the second meeting between the squads

– The first game was a big one for the UE program – on March 17, 1989, Evansville took a 94-90 overtime win in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Tucson, Arizona

– That marked the first and to this day only DI NCAA Tournament win for the program

– Scott Haffner led UE with 26 points in the victory while Brian Hill scored 21

Last Time Out

– UT Arlington pulled away in the second half to take an 84-76 win over UE on Tuesday at the Ford Center

– The Mavericks led 35-34 at the half before extending their lead to as many as 15 in the final 20 minutes

– Connor Turnbull led the way with 20 points while Keishon Porter scored 18

Improving Each Game

– Each time Connor Turnbull has taken the floor this season his output has improved

– This culminated in a season-high of 20 points against UT Arlington

– Before that, he scored 16 versus MTSU and 12 in the win over Oakland City

– Turnbull has at least one block in each game and is tied for second in the MVC with 1.75 blocks per game and had four in the victory over Oakland City

– His field goal percentage of 56.4% is 11th in the MVC while his 13.50 PPG is tied for 16th in the league

Making an Impact

 -Over the last two games, Keishon Porter has averaged 16.0 points while going 10-of-18 from the field

– His season mark of 18 points came against UT Arlington as he connected on 9 of his 13 free throw tries

– It is a huge turnaround for Porter who his just four of his opening 19 attempts to begin the season

Scouting the Opposition

– Oregon State enters the Paradise Jam with a 3-1 record

– The Beavers have wins over North Dakota State, UIC, and North Texas while their only loss was on the road at Oregon

– Josiah Lake II leads OSU with 13.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game

– Isaiah Sy checks in with 10.0 PPG while Johan Munch and Matija Samar average 9.0 and 8.5 PPG, respectively

– In Monday’s 87-75 loss to the Ducks, Sy lead OSU with 14 points while converting all seven of his free throw tries

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SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL

USI COMES UP SHORT VERSUS UIW, FALLS 87-81

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball’s offense cooled in the second half and fell to the University of the Incarnate Word, 87-81, in the first round of the Boardwalk Battle at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida. The Screaming Eagles go to 1-4 in the non-conference schedule, while UIW is 3-2.

Despite being on fire through the first 20 minutes, USI led only once in the first half (2-1 on a basket by senior guard Ismail Habib) and trailed by three at the break, 41-38. The Eagles shot 57.7 percent from the field (15-26), 55.6 percent from beyond the arc (5-9), and 75 percent from the stripe (3-4).

USI trailed by as many as nine points (29-20) once in the first half but battled back with a 10-4 run in the final two minutes before halftime to trail by three. Senior guard Cardell Bailey led USI’s comeback with 13 points off the bench, including a trio of field goals beyond the three-point arc.

UIW took command in the second half with a 20-8 run in the first seven minutes to lead 61-46 with 13:14 to play. USI also would go without a field goal for seven minutes (15:25 to 8:17), managing only seven free throws to trail 67-53.

After falling behind by as many as 16 points twice, the Eagles tried to rally in the final eight minutes. USI used a 22-13 run to pull to within five points, 80-75, with 36 seconds left on the clock after Bailey converted an old-fashioned three-point play. Senior forward Ola Ajiboye led the USI run with nine of the 22 points, while Habib and Bailey added six points and five points, respectively.

The Cardinals stopped the Eagles’ offensive push by connecting on seven-of-eight trips to the free throw line in the final 36 seconds to close out the 87-81 final.

In the second half, USI fell below 50 percent from the field by shooting 42.9 percent (15-35) and was 0-of-12 from beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes. The Eagles also lost the battle on the boards, 38-27, for the contest.

For the game, Habib reached 21 points for the second-straight game to lead the USI scorers. He was eight-of-15 from the field, including a three-pointer, and a perfect four-of-four from the stripe.

Bailey and Ajiboye posted season highs with 18 points each. Bailey finished seven-of-12 from the field, three-of-seven from beyond the arc, and one-of-two from the stripe. Ajiboye was six-of-eight from the field and six-of-nine from the charity stripe.

Next Up For USI:

USI finishes out the Boardwalk Battle Saturday at 4 p.m. (CST) when it plays the University of Illinois Chicago in the consolation game. UIC is 3-1 overall after starting the year with a win and has won its last two outings.

After this week’s trip to Florida, USI has a trip to Valparaiso University November 26 for a 2 p.m. tipoff and comes home to Liberty Arena to face off with Kentucky State University November 29 at 3 p.m.

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VALPO BASEBALL NEWS

JAKE MILLER ADDED TO TIGERS 40-MAN ROSTER

Former Valparaiso University baseball pitcher Jake Miller has been added to the Detroit Tigers 40-man roster.

Miller is believed to be the first Valpo product on a 40-man roster since Lloyd McClendon retired in 1994. 

Miller, a left-hander who is ranked the No. 19 prospect in the Tigers organization according to MLB.com, was drafted by Detroit in the eighth round of the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft out of Valpo. The Chester, N.Y. native has pitched in 47 professional games including 23 starts over four minor league seasons, reaching as high as Double-A and owning an overall ERA of 3.66 with a record of 10-8.

Other Valpo alums who were active professional players during the 2025 season include right-handed pitcher Trent Turzenski, right-handed pitcher Colin Fields, outfielder Kyle Schmack, infielder/outfielder Chase Dawson and right-handed pitcher Harry Deliyannis.

Turzenski, who signed as an undrafted free agent with the Orioles organization in 2024, has reached as high as Class-A Advanced. Fields, who signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022 with the Detroit Tigers, has reached as high as Triple-A. Dawson finished his seventh professional season, spending time with Leon of the Mexican League and Schaumburg of the Frontier League in 2025. Schmack played independent ball with the Chicago Dogs of the American Association and Great Falls of the Pioneer League this past summer. Deliyannis is playing professionally overseas in Belgium.

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VALPO SWIMMING NEWS

NINE PROGRAM-RECORD SWIMS FOR VALPO THURSDAY

The Valpo men and women’s swimming teams combined for nine program-record swims Thursday, ending the day with new records in five events as the Beacons continued competition at the Miami Invitational in Oxford, Ohio.

The Record Swims

The men’s team started the day with a splash, recording two record swims in the morning prelims of the 500 free in the day’s first event. Swimming in the third heat, Evan Curran (Golden, Colo./Golden) touched the wall in 4:34.35 — over three seconds faster than the previous program record.

Two heats later, Gabe Corkran (Avondale Estates, Ga./Druid Hills) — who had set the record in the 500 free earlier this season — took the record back with a swim of 4:33.97.

In the finals of the 500 free Thursday night, Curran reclaimed the record with a time of 4:33.40, finishing in 14th place.

The 200 IM record dropped twice on Thursday. Jackson Oostman (Aurora, Ill./Marmion Academy) sliced .53 off his own program record in the event with a prelim time of 1:51.93, and then finished 20th in the event finals with a time of 1:51.31.

During the prelims, Garrett Hoppman (Midland, Texas/Midland) swam a 50 fly time of 22.95, lowering his own program record by .09.

The Beacon men set two records in time trial swims midday as well. Oostman took .21 off his own record in the 100 IM with a time of 51.24, while Ben Mettler (Sussex, Wis./Hamilton) lowered the 50 breast record by .42 as he came home in 25.67.

Valpo’s women had four swimmers team up to shatter the program record in the 200 free relay. Una Dizdarevic (Bloomingdale, Ill./Lake Park), Bri Keese (Brighton, Colo./Brighton), Faith Bargwell (Grand Rapids, Mich./Rockford) and Audrey Morgan (Villa Park, Ill./Willowbrook) covered the 200 in 1:35.33, over a full second faster than the program’s previous record quartet.

The Rest of the Action

The nine program-record swims were only the tip of the iceberg Thursday for the Beacons, as all eight competitive events and eight of the 10 time trial events featured movement on the program’s top-10 charts, including four times which are the second-fastest in program history in their respective events.

In the record-setting women’s 200 free relay, Dizdarevic swam a 50 leadoff leg of 24.07, moving into second in program history after having previously improved her PR — which had ranked fourth all-time at Valpo — earlier in the day in the prelims of the 50 free.

A time trial swim of 2:08.25 by Kailyn Benoit (Sussex, Wis./Hamilton) moved the junior into second place in program history in that event.

Both of the relays on the men’s side saw the Beacons have squads post a time second-fastest in program history. The 200 free relay of Isaac Dinari (Houston, Texas/Memorial), Carson Parker (Silver Lake, Ind./Tippecanoe Valley), Mettler and Anthony Martin (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) posted a time of 1:23.44, just five-hundredths of a second off the program record.

Dinari’s leadoff leg of 20.97 improved upon his fifth-fastest time in program history in the 50 free, which he had moved into earlier in the day in the prelims of that event. Dinari ended up placing 16th in the 50 free event final.

The quartet of Caleb Smesko (Green, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit), Mettler, Hoppman and Curran covered the 400 medley relay in 3:22.05 to move into second place in program history in the event.

In all, three of the Valpo men’s 400 medley relay squads cracked the program’s top-six. Dinari, Parker, Asa Sadowsky (Green Bay, Wis./Bay Port [Milwaukee]) and Corkran are fourth-fastest in program history with a time of 3:23.45, while Oostman, Luke Snider (Germantown, Tenn./Memphis University School), Timothy Mai (St. Johns, Fla./Creekside) and Martin moved into sixth with a time of 3:23.69.

Dinari’s leadoff 100 back leg of 51.01 ranks fourth in that event in the program record book, while Dustyn Starkey (New Carlisle, Ind./New Prairie) moved into fifth in the 100 back with his leadoff leg of 51.67.

Elsewhere on the men’s side, Gabe Vasquez (Houston, Texas/Memorial) moved into third in program history in a pair of events — in the prelims of the 200 IM (1:53.42) and in a time trial swim in the 50 breast (26.16). Parker also swam the 50 breast time trial, moving into a tie for fifth all-time at Valpo with a time of 26.42.

Two other Beacon men moved into third in program history in their respective time trial swims — Sadowsky with a time of 23.09 in the 50 fly and Martin with a time of 46.05 in the 100 free.

Corkran and Bolinger joined Curran in the finals of the 500 free Thursday evening, placing 16th and 23rd, respectively.

The Valpo women closed the day with the third-fastest time in program history in the 400 medley relay, as Sophie Schoch (Medina, Ohio/Medina), Natalie Eaton (Tulsa, Okla./Jenks), Benoit and Morgan covered the distance in 3:55.10.

In Thursday’s prelims, Morgan moved up into fourth all-time in the 500 free with a time of 5:06.03, while Ally Unruh (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap) cracked the chart in eighth place with a time of 5:10.05.

Majo Suarez de la Fuente (Mexico City, Mexico/ITESM Preparatoria Tec Campus Santa Fe [Bethel]) paced the Beacons in the 200 IM prelims with a time of 2:13.76, ninth-fastest all-time at Valpo.

Dizdarevic was joined by two other Beacon women who posted times among the top-10 all-time at Valpo in the 50 free prelims. Keese moved up the chart to fifth position with her time of 24.19, while Bargwell is tied for 10th in program history with a time of 24.48.

In time trial swims, Eaton moved up to fifth in the 50 breast (31.00), Keese moved up to sixth in the 100 IM (1:02.09) and Bargwell cracked Valpo’s all-time best with her 50 fly time of 26.89, seventh-fastest.

The Valpo men are in fifth place after two days of competition, while the women sit in seventh place.

Next Up

The third of four days of competition at the Miami Invitational awaits the Beacons on Friday, with morning prelims and evening finals.

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VALPO VOLLEYBALL NEWS

VOLLEYBALL READY FOR MVC SEMIFINAL AT ARC VERSUS DRAKE

Valparaiso (21-8, 12-4 MVC)

Saturday, Nov. 22 – Drake (16-11, 12-4 MVC) – 6 p.m.

MVC Tournament Semifinal

Next Up For Valpo Volleyball: The second-seeded Valpo volleyball team opens up its quest for the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship Saturday evening, as it hosts a postseason conference tournament match at the ARC for the first time in 20 years when it faces third-seeded Drake at 6 p.m. The winner will be one step away from claiming the tournament crown.

Previously: The Beacons closed the regular season with a pair of five-set matches, falling to Illinois State before earning a dramatic win over Bradley to secure the tournament’s second seed, their best finish since joining the MVC.

Looking Ahead: The tournament championship match is slated for Tuesday evening.

Following the Beacons: Saturday’s match is scheduled to be streamed on ESPN+. Live stats are also available for both matches via ValpoAthletics.com.

Head Coach Carin Avery: In her 24th season as head coach at Valpo, Carin Avery is the all-time winningest head coach across all sports in the history of Valpo Athletics. She has won 528 matches (528-265, .666) at the helm of the program and has led Valpo to three league regular season and three league tournament titles. The program has made seven postseason appearances under Avery, including three NCAA Tournament appearances, and advanced to the championship match of the 2021 NIVC. Avery has coached 61 All-League recipients over her tenure at Valpo, which has spanned three different conferences. She is Valpo’s all-time leader in both victories and winning percentage, and owns a 583-289 (.669) record overall as a head coach.

Series History: Valpo is 14-9 all-time against Drake, including a 13-8 mark under Avery and a 10-7 record since joining the Valley. The Bulldogs had won the last five matchups in the series prior to this season’s lone meeting at the ARC, where the Beacons emerged with a 3-1 victory. Ava Helming had a match-best 19 kills, while Jessica Pickett hit .500 with 11 kills and blocks and Emma Hickey racked up a match-best 27 digs. Valpo is facing Drake for the first time in an MVC Tournament match.

Scouting the Opposition: The Bulldogs come into the ARC with a 16-11 overall record and finished tied with the Beacons in second place in the MVC regular season standings with a 12-4 mark in Valley play. Drake had to rally from down two sets to one against sixth-seeded Belmont in its first-round match on Wednesday to earn a 3-2 victory. Kacia Brown and Macy Daufeldt were both named First Team All-MVC honorees, while Caroline Smith earned a spot on the MVC All-Freshman Team.

Libero of the Year: Senior Emma Hickey was tabbed the MVC Libero of the Year when the Valley announced its postseason awards Wednesday, following another stellar season in the back row. She ranks 11th nationally with 5.09 digs/set and adds 1.26 assists/set as well. Hickey led Valpo in digs 26 times in the regular season and tallied 10 or more digs 27 times, including 14 matches with at least 20 digs and three matches with at least 30 digs.

In the Top 20: Hickey enters Saturday’s match with 2,647 career digs, good for 19th in D-I history and just 47 digs away from the top-15. She is also just nine digs away from former UNI standout Ellie Blankenship for fourth in MVC history in the category. Hickey leads all active NCAA players (all divisions) in career digs and owns 668 more digs than any other active Division I player.

Right Side, Strong Side: Hickey was joined on the First Team All-MVC by both of Valpo’s right sides, Ava Helming and Sam Warren, as the Beacons had their highest number of First Team honorees since joining the Valley. Helming has been a consistent presence on the right side for the Beacons this season. She ranks among the top-10 in the Valley in both kills/set (8th, 3.28) and hitting percentage (10th, .298). Helming has paced the team in kills 14 times and has totaled at least ten kills in 22 of Valpo’s 29 matches, including 14 of 16 times within Valley play. She has reached the 15-kill mark on 11 occasions, nine of which came in MVC matches.

When Helming rotates out, it has been Warren rotating in to continue the Beacons’ production from the right side. She ranks just outside the top-10 in the Valley with 2.93 kills/set and has boosted that mark to 3.28 kills/set within MVC play, good for ninth among Valley players. Warren has led Valpo in kills eight times this year and has been in double figures in kills on 14 occasions. When she has tallied at least 15 kills, the Beacons own a 6-1 record — including most recently a career-best 23-kill output in the Senior Night win over Bradley.

Libero Dominance: Hickey’s Libero of the Year accolade continues a remarkable string of accomplishments by Valpo liberos. Since the position was introduced to NCAA volleyball, Valpo has had six regular liberos – all six of whom have claimed at least one conference Libero/Defensive Player of the Year award: Sara Silcox was the 2003 Mid-Con Libero of the Year, Brittany Malicoat was the 2007 and 2008 Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year, Taylor Root was the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year in 2010, 2011 and 2012, Morganne Longoria earned the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year honor in 2016 and Rylee Cookerly was MVC Libero of the Year in 2019 and spring 2021. In all, the six liberos have combined for 10 major conference awards.

The MVC Tournament: Valpo owns a 5-7 record over its first eight seasons in the Valley in the MVC Tournament, including a 4-1 record as the better seed. The Beacons’ previous top seed before earning the second seed this year was the fourth seed in 2021. This will be Valpo’s first MVC Tournament match at the ARC, and the first volleyball conference tournament match of any sort since Valpo defeated Oral Roberts in the 2005 Mid-Con title match.

MVC Success…: Valpo has continued its run of success in conference play again this season, as the program has now finished in the top-half of the Valley standings in each of its nine years in the conference, the only MVC program to accomplish that feat. Going back further into the Horizon League and Mid-Continent Conference days, Valpo has posted top-half conference finishes in 23 of Avery’s 24 seasons and 32 of the last 33 years overall.

…and This Year is the Best: Valpo’s 12-4 record in MVC regular season play and tied for second place finish is the program’s best record and best finish within MVC play since joining the conference – the 2021 team finished in a tie for third at 12-6. The second-place finish was Valpo’s first runner-up placement since 2013 in the Horizon League. Avery’s teams have finished in second place in the league regular season standings seven times – four times in the Horizon, twice in the Mid-Con and now once in the MVC

20 Wins Once Again: With its win at Murray State, Valpo hit the 20-win milestone for the season – the program has won 20 or more matches in 19 of Carin Avery’s 24 seasons and has averaged 22 wins per season in Avery’s tenure. The Beacons secured a winning 2025 season with its home win over Murray State in mid-October, the 22nd winning season in 24 years under Avery. The Beacons secured their spot in the MVC Tournament with their win at Evansville – Valpo has qualified for its conference tournament in each of Carin Avery’s 24 seasons at the helm of the program.

Dramatic End to the Regular Season: It wasn’t just Valpo fans on the edge of their seats (or the balls of their feet) on Saturday evening during the 5th set against Bradley, trailing by 10-7 before the Beacons rallied for the 15-12 win. That match was the last MVC regular season match being played, meaning all eyes were on the ARC as multiple placements in the tournament bracket were up for grabs. Had Bradley emerged victorious, Drake would have been the second seed and received the first-round bye, Valpo would have dropped to the third seed, Bradley would have been in the tournament as the sixth seed and Belmont would have missed out. Instead, Valpo claimed the second seed, forcing Drake to play its first-round matchup Wednesday against sixth-seeded Belmont, which moved into the tournament field with the Braves’ loss.

Going the Distance: Given the way conference play went for the Beacons, it was quite appropriate both matches in the final weekend went the full five sets. The loss to Illinois State was Valpo’s first in a five-set match in Valley play this season, while the win over Bradley meant the Beacons ended MVC play with a 5-1 record in five-set contests. Notably, two of those five wins came after trailing by two sets, while two more of them came by regrouping to win a fifth set after surrendering a 2-0 lead. Even more remarkably, three of the five wins came when Coach Avery used a timeout in the fifth set, trailing 5-2.

Road Warriors: Valpo bounced back from the Belmont loss in the next-to-last weekend of the regular season with a sweep of Murray State Saturday, closing out its road slate in MVC play this season with a 7-1 record. It is the program’s best performance on the road in MVC play since joining the Valley, and its best record on the road in any conference play since the 2004 NCAA Tournament team went 7-0 in Mid-Con road matches.

Digging It and Killing It: The Beacons rank among the nation’s best on both sides of the ball this season. Valpo currently leads the the MVC rankings with 16.62 digs/set, a mark which ranks 17th nationally, while it is second in the Valley and 17th nationally with 14.08 kills/set and second in the Valley and 16th nationally with 13.11 assists/set. Notably, that kills mark would be the program’s best kills/set average in a season since 2015.

Kois’ Helping Hands: Senior Addy Kois cracked Valpo’s career top-10 chart in assists early on in the Beacons’ sweep of Murray State. With 57 assists last weekend, Kois boosted her career total to 2,662 assists.  The senior posted setting percentages of .606 at Belmont and .525 at Murray State, giving her eight matches this season where she has registered a setting percentage above .500.

Still Underclassmen: It’s easy to forget, given the number of returnees this year’s Beacon squad features, that a large number of those returnees are still just sophomores. 74.3% of the team’s kills and 74.9% of the team’s blocks have come courtesy of the underclassmen.

Players of the Week: Valpo claimed nine MVC weekly awards this season.

– Despite playing just three sets in both of the weekend’s matches, Emma Hickey extended her streak of 20+ dig matches to five straight, as she tallied exactly 20 digs in both the sweep at Indiana State and the sweep at Evansville, to earn her fifth Defensive Player of the Weke honor Nov. 3. Hickey’s defensive work, which also included 17 serve receptions without an error, contributed to the Beacons holding their opponents to just 11.67 kills/set on .141 hitting in the pair of wins. With nine career Defensive Player of the Week awards, Hickey is tied with Blankenship for third-most in conference history.

– Hickey picked up her fourth award of the year Oct. 27, as she averaged 7.14 digs/set, leading all players with 29 digs against UIC and 21 against Southern Illinois, and handled 21 serve receptions without an error. 13 of Hickey’s 21 digs versus SIU came in the third set alone, tying her career best for a single frame.

– Sophomore Ava Helming earned MVC Player of the Week honors for the second time in her career Oct. 13. She hit .520 with 15 kills in Valpo’s wins at UIC and at SIU, becoming the first Valpo player to hit at least .500 with 15 or more kills in consecutive matches since Allison Sears in October 2008.

– Hickey was named Defensive Player of the Week for the third time this year after the Illinois State/Bradley road weekend as she averaged 5.60 digs/set and 1.70 assists/set while not committing a serve reception error on 39 attempts.

– Jessica Pickett was named Player of the Week for the first time in her career and Hickey was tabbed Defensive Player of the Week after splitting the Drake/UNI opening weekend of conference play – Pickett hit .391 over the pair of matches with 2.88 kills/set and 1.50 blocks/set, while Hickey averaged 6.25 digs/set and committed just one serve reception error on 45 attempts.

– Hickey was recognized as Defensive Player of the Week for the first time this year following the opening weekend of the season, which saw her earn All-Tournament Team honors at the USI Invitational as she averaged 6.60 digs/set and committed just one serve reception error on 49 attempts.

– On Sept. 15, the Beacons boasted a pair of award winners: Lilly Merk was named Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career after averaging 1.50 blocks/set, highlighted by a 12-block effort in Valpo’s upset bid at Northwestern, while Keira Lucas was tabbed Freshman of the Week as she averaged 2.44 kills/set on .302 hitting and 2.00 digs/set while committing just one serve reception error on 49 attempts at the Lehigh Steel Classic.

Capturing Crowns: Valpo continued its penchant for winning in-season tournament titles under Carin Avery this season, claiming a share of the crown at the USI Invitational and sweeping its way to the Lehigh Steel Classic title. Valpo has won 36 in-season tournament titles in Avery’s time as head coach. The team has won at least one tournament in 18 of her seasons, and multiple tournaments 12 times. Those tournament titles have come in 14 different states.

All-Tournament Accolades: Over the course of Valpo’s four early-season tournaments, six players combined to earn a total of nine All-Tournament Team honors.

– Leatherneck Classic: Emma Hickey, Lilly Merk

– Lehigh Steel Classic: Kadence Brumitt (MVP), Addy Kois

– EMU Tournament: Ava Helming, Merk

– USI Invitational: Helming, Hickey, Sam Warren

Who’s Back: In a nutshell, everybody who could be. All 16 players who ended last season on the Beacons squad with remaining eligibility return for Valpo in 2025. That group accounted for 78.1% of the kills, 84.4% of the service aces, 78.0% of the digs and 93.9% of the blocks from the 2024 season.

Who’s Gone: Valpo graduated just two players from last year’s squad: Abby Boyle and Elise Swistek. Swistek’s production will be the big piece to replace, as she closed her time at Valpo as one of just 10 players in program history to surpass 1,000 kills (1,018; 19th) and 1,000 digs (1,479; 12th).

Who’s New: The Beacons welcome two freshmen to the large group of returnees this year. Keira Lucas is an outside hitter who was a three-time All-State honoree at Northview [Ind.] H.S., while Olivia Wagner is a setter who helped lead Lakeville South [Minn.] H.S. to the 2024 Minnesota Class AAAA state championship.

Young But Mighty: Legendary college basketball coach Al McGuire is credited for having said “The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores.” If that’s the case for last year’s class of Valpo volleyball freshmen, opponents are in for a rough time this season. Last year’s freshman class accounted for 59.1% of the team’s kills, 31.1% of the aces and 73.6% of the blocks in the 2024 campaign. That comes out to a total of 58.7% of the team’s points accounted for by freshmen last season, a mark which ranked third nationally among D-I programs, trailing only Mississippi Valley State and Le Moyne – two programs which combined for just eight wins, compared with the Beacons’ 18 victories. Prior to last season, none of Avery’s teams in her time at Valpo had freshmen account for even 30% of the team’s points.

Digging Deep: Valpo continued its long tradition of strong back row play last fall, finishing the 2024 campaign 19th nationally with an average of 17.20 digs/set. The program has ranked among the top-30 nationally in digs/set in every season since 2009, including 14 seasons among the top-20 and four seasons among the top-10 – highlighted by the 2017 campaign in which Valpo led the nation with 20.03 digs/set. Other top finishes include fourth nationally in the spring 2021 season (20.37/set), a fourth-place rank in 2010 and a sixth-place finish in 2015. Since the move to 25-point scoring, only seven teams have averaged more than 20 digs/set over the course of a season, and Valpo is the only program to have done it twice. 2018 saw Valpo lead the nation with 2,613 total digs – a mark which set a program single-season record and a Division I record in the 25-point era. Valpo also boasts two of the top-10 athletes in D-I history in career digs – Rylee Cookerly (2nd; 3,175) and Taylor Root (10th; 2,752).

Next Stop, 600: Head coach Carin Avery reached yet another milestone last October, winning her 500th match in charge of the Valpo program with the Beacons’ win at Murray State. Valpo’s all-time winningest coach in any sport, Avery’s 500th win came in her 752nd match in charge of the program. Avery is the second current MVC coach to win at least 500 matches at their current institution, joining UNI’s Bobbi Petersen.

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UINDY MEN’S SOCCER NEWS

MEN’S SOCCER TRAVELS WEST FOR TOURNAMENT DUEL VERSUS MCKENDREE

vs. (8) McKendree (10-5-5)
Friday // November 21
2 p.m. ET // Hays, KS

Watch | Live Stats | History

The UIndy men’s soccer team is making its third NCAA Tournament appearance in four years when the Greyhounds travel out west to take on GLVC opponent McKendree in Hays, KS. The Bearcats bested the Greyhounds in the teams’ meeting earlier this season in a back-and-forth 3-2 thriller.

Gabe Hall and the Greyhounds claimed the team’s third double-digit win season in Hall’s four year tenure, and are now looking to advance past the second round for the first time in Hall’s reign of the Hounds.

All-GLVC members; Alvaro Sanchez, Gio Terlizzi, Joey Longo, and Kabiru Gafar have combined for 18 goals and 13 assists this season, which accounts for half of the team’s points on the season. Meanwhile, Keerti Unnamatla has been rock solid in goal, capturing seven clean sheets and garnering 42 saves in his first full-time season as the Greyhounds’ starting goalkeeper.

Hall and McKendree’s head coach, Scott Gyllenborg have met five times before, with the two’s career record against one another tied 1-1-3.

HOUNDS REMAIN #8 IN LATEST REGIONAL RANKINGS

INDIANAPOLIS—The 19-10 University of Indianapolis Volleyball team earned the No. 8 spot in the Midwest Region in the latest NCAA Regional Rankings.

The Greyhounds head into the GLVC tournament having played six matchups against teams ranked top 10 in the Midwest, including UMSL, Findlay, Ohio Dominican, Rockhurst, Quincy, and a sweep against Cedarville.

UIndy is shooting for their first NCAA Tournament since the 2019 season and its 11th tournament appearance as a program. 

Selection Monday comes on Nov. 24 when the 64-team NCAA DII Championship field—eight from each region—will be announced on NCAA.com

NCAA DII Midwest Regional Rankings

RK     School        IN REGION     OVERALL

1	Mo.-St. Louis	21-2	23-4
2	Findlay	21-4	22-4
3	Ferris St.	18-3	22-6
4	Ohio Dominican	22-4	23-5
5	Wayne St. (MI)	19-4	21-5
6	Quincy	18-3	22-5
7	Rockhurst	20-5	20-9
8	UIndy	14-7	19-10
9	Cedarville	20-5	22-5
10	Northern Mich.	14-9	15-13

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UINDY VOLLEYBALL NEWS

FONDA NAMED GLVC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR, FOUR EARN ALL-LEAGUE HONORS

INDIANAPOLIS – Setter Carly Fonda earned the 2025 GLVC Freshman of the Year Award, the league office announced on Thursday. Senior Paige Parlanti joined Fonda, earning All-GLVC First Team honors. Macy Bruton and Maddie Lynch were named Second Team All-GLVC and Senior Claire Morris earned the James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award.

The All-Conference awards are nominated and voted on by league coaches, who, per GLVC Bylaws, are not permitted to vote for their own players.
 Freshman of the Year: Carly Fonda, Setter, Indianapolis

• Becomes Indianapolis’ fifth Freshman of the Year.
• Earns sixth overall major award for the Greyhounds.
• Assisted the tied for first best hitting percentage offense in the league (.259)
• Placed third in the league with 989 total assists and 9.16 assists per set over 108 sets.
• Finished third in the league in 50 GLVC-only sets with 496 total assists, 9.92 per set. 

  
A complete list of the 2025 All-GLVC team and postseason honors can be found below.
 
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Caitlin Bishop, Sr., S, Missouri-St. Louis
LIBERO OF THE YEAR: Skylar Weaver, Jr., Missouri-St. Louis
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Carly Fonda, S, Indianapolis
COACH OF THE YEAR: Ryan Young, Missouri-St. Louis
 

FIRST TEAM	SECOND TEAM
Ella Rademaker, Sr., Att., DU	Makenna Cox, R-So., Att., UIS
Carly Fonda, Fr., S, UINDY	Erica Sledge, Sr., S, UIS
Paige Parlanti, Sr., Att., UINDY	Macy Bruton, Jr., L, UINDY
Ella Brinkmann, Sr., Att., MU	Maddie Lynch, So., Att., UINDY
Olivia Klump, Sr., L, MU	Sarah Newberry, Jr., Att., LEWIS
Caitlin Bishop, Sr., S, UMSL	Emma O’Neill, Sr., Att., LEWIS
Iyannah Jackson, Sr., Att., UMSL	Destiny Gray, Sr., Att., MCK
Maggie Johnson, So., Att., UMSL	Hannah Copeland, Sr., Att., UMSL
Alayna Santel, So., Att., UMSL	Janelle Pye-Blacknard, Sr., Att., QU
Skylar Weaver, Jr., L, UMSL	Molly Trachta, Jr., S, RU
Susanna Beretti, Jr., Att., QU	Tori Creason, Jr., S, TSU
Elena Kasavica, So., S, QU	Autumn Erickson, So., Att., TSU
Sarah Pyle, Sr., Att., RU	Michaela Goad, So., Att., TSU
Delaney Hope, So., Att., RU	Addy Janssen, So., L, TSU

 
 
JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD HONOREES
Kim Quinit, DU
Tuana Yuce, UIS
Claire Morris, UINDY
Olivia Opstad, LEWIS
Lily Brown, MU
Corinne Leech, MCK
Elise Mehaffy, S&T
Rylee Edson, UMSL
Shelby Fabbri, QU
Carly Rolf, RU
Gabriela Dupree, SBU
Lily Porter, TSU
Lydia Imbrogno, UIU
Alexis Nunn, WJC
 
JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD TEAM WINNER
William Jewell

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UINDY SWIIMMING NEWS

NAMUTEBI’S A-CUT HIGHLIGHTS DAY 2 AT MIDSEASON MEET

OXFORD, Ohio – The No. 3/6 ranked UIndy swimming & diving teams continued a successful stint at the Miami Invitational Thursday. After the men’s 800 free relay opened the midseason meet with a victory on Wednesday night, the Greyhounds added three more event wins while setting a slew of NCAA standards amongst a mostly-DI field.

With two days left of competition, the UIndy men currently sit atop the men’s team standings, leading the likes of Notre Dame, host Miami and Valpo. The Greyhound women finished the evening in fifth place of eight teams. Action continues Friday with morning prelims and evening finals before concluding with the same schedule on Saturday.

THURSDAY RECAP

The Hounds notched a pair of A cuts on the day, with Kirabo Namutebi (50 free) and Swann Plaza (500 free) officially punching their tickets to nationals. Namutebi won her sprint race with a time of 22.31—after an even-faster 22.27 in the morning prelims—while Plaza set a new pool record and just missed the UIndy benchmark with a 4:16.21. Both times are the fastest marks in their respective event in Division II this season.

Four other UIndy men improved or set B-cuts in the 500, including a 4:20.17 from Jan Schmidt, putting him third on the UIndy top-10 list.

Senior Jeremias Pock also earned a win, with he and teammate Nico Basten going 1-2 in the men’s 200 IM. Both improved their B-cut standards, with Pocks’ 1:44.71 coming in just .05 seconds behind the A standard. Basten, meanwhile, put his name in the No. 2 spot on the school top 10 with a 1:45.70.

Celina Schmidt led UIndy’s efforts in the women’s 200 IM. The All-American was one of a trio of Greyhounds to improve on her B standard, with her time of 2:00.78 good for fourth place.

The men’s sprinters saw similar results, with three Greyhounds shaving time off existing B cuts. Zachary Anthony became the first Greyhound this year—and ninth ever—to go sub-20 in the 50 free, posting a 19.85 to finish runner-up. Elias Noe (20.11) and Johann-Matthew Matamoro (20.21) also scored points in the A-final.

All four relay times found success. Both 400 medley relay squads placed second and hit NCAA provisional times, with the women’s quartet of Valentina Masella, Schmidt, Caprice Schlueter and Namutebi touching less than a half second behind a school-record pace. The UIndy 200 free relay teams both placed third, while both also trimmed provisional times.

Lillie Arps finished third in the 500 free C-final with a B-cut time of 5:02.40, and Silas Buessing won the 200 IM B-final with a time of 1:48.15 to improve his B time.

On the boards, two UIndy men earned a spot in the one-meter A-final. Freshman Donovan McMahon placed fifth, followed closely by teammate Adam Carr in seventh. Junior Megan Sunderman finished seventh on the three-meter board.

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IU INDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

COMEBACK FALLS SHORT FOR HOUNDS IN HOME OPENER

INDIANAPOLIS – UIndy came up just short in an overtime loss to Walsh on Wednesday afternoon, 75-68, in the team’s opening game at Nicoson Hall.

Amyrah Sapenter and Graycie Poe both led the Greyhounds in scoring today with 17 points a piece, while Autumn Rucker notched 11 of her own. The Hounds overall went 10-23 (43.5%) from downtown against the Cavaliers today. This is the highest three point percentage on at least 20 attempts since February 2024, when the Greyhounds shot 50% on 22 attempts from long range.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The teams were tied after both the first and second quarters, with Rucker leading the way with seven points after 20 minutes, while Patricia Chikamba, Sapenter, and freshman Taylor Van Meter had six.

After a defensive stalemate in the third quarter, that only saw 20 points in total scored, the fourth quarter was a quarter of runs. The Cavaliers jumped out to an 11 point lead thanks to a 10-3 run over the first five minutes of the quarter, before the Hounds clawed back with an 18-7 run over the final 4:43. Sapenter connected on two threes, while Poe collected six points of her own during that stretch.

A three pointer from Sapenter on a well designed in bounds play with .3 seconds left on the clock sent the game to overtime. Walsh had one final chance to win the game with a half court heave after Sapenter’s show, but that shot harmlessly hit the backboard.

Sapenter had a similar moment last season when she connected on a three to tie the game in the dying seconds to send the Greyhounds’ game against Illinois Springfield to overtime.

In overtime, Murray tied the game at 68 with 1:28 left on a three pointer, before Walsh finished the game on a 7-0 run to secure the 75-68 win over UIndy.

INSIDE THE BOX

– Van Meter scored her first career basket tonight, and scored six points on 2-5 shooting.

– Poe snatched six of the Greyhounds’ 14 team steals today. Six steals are the most for Poe in her collegiate career dating back to her days at Limestone and Lincoln Trail College.

– Kylah Lawson grabbed eight boards tonight, which is the fourth time in her career she’s had at least eight rebounds in a game.

– Chikamba finished tonight with eight points, eight boards, and six assists. This is the first time she’s had at least 8-8-6 in a game.

UP NEXT

The Hounds travel to Pepper Pike, OH for a date with Ursuline with tip scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday’s game will be the first meeting between the Greyhounds and the Arrows.

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MARIAN FOOTBALL NEWS

KEAGAN LA BELLE NAMED MSFA MIDWEST MVP AS KNIGHTS LEAD ALL-MIDWEST LEAGUE TEAM HONORS

INDIANAPOLIS – With ten First Team selections, Midwest League champions Marian highlight the 2025 MSFA All-Midwest League Teams in a balanced honor roll that saw five of the six teams in the Midwest collect at least three First Team representatives. In total, Marian earned 23 total All-MSFA Midwest League honors, led by Keagan La Belle being named as the first-ever Mid-States Midwest League MVP.

Leading the way as the Midwest League’s Most Valuable Player is Marian running back Keagan La Belle. The first-ever winner of the newly minted MVP award, the McCordsville, Ind. native led the Midwest with 115.8 rushing yards per game and was tied for the Association lead with 21 rushing TDs on the year. Nationally, La Belle will enter the NAIA Football Championship Series ranked 3rd in TDs, and currently ranks 6th nationally in rushing average. The senior reached the century mark six times throughout the season, with a high of 236 yards in the win over Taylor on Oct. 11.

In Marian’s win against St. Francis (Ill.), La Belle dashed for three touchdowns, breaking the Marian single-season rushing touchdown record. The senior running back also has 63 yards receiving and one touchdown through the air.

Leading the Knights to a No. 6 ranking in the final NAIA Coaches Poll before the start of the Football Championship Series, and a third straight league crown, Marian head coach Ted Karras was selected as the 2025 MSFA Midwest League Coach of the Year. This is the second time in Karras’ nine years coaching at Marian that he has been named as an MSFA Coach of the Year, having previously won in 2011.

Joining La Belle on the MSFA First Team offense are receiver Jake Reichard and left tackle Reece Byerly. Reichard has had a steady season as the team’s leading receiver, recording 44 receptions for 657 yards and seven touchdowns. Reichard has averaged 14.93 yards per catch this season, and cracked the top-10 all-time at Marian in career receiving yards, touchdowns, and receptions. Byerly stepped into the left tackle position this season, and has shined on the left side of the line as the only Knight offensive lineman to start every game this season. Byerly has helped keep quarterback Tristan Polk upright with the team averaging just over one sack allowed per game, while gaining over 400 yards of offense per game.

Marian’s defense stole the show on the MSFA Midwest League First Team, earning six of the 13 slots. Making the First Team defense are defensive ends Isaiah Street and Deon Pettiford, linebackers Cade Houseman and Wyatt Woodall, cornerback Yassine Falke, and safety Logan Carrington. Up front, Isaiah Street has been a game-wrecker, making 54 total tackles with 12.5 tackles for loss. Street is the team-leader in sacks with seven, and has forced a pair of fumbles in addition to five pass breakups. Deon Pettiford had a respected final season as he earned another MSFA First Team honor in his career, totaling 4.5 sacks on the season and 7.0 tackles for loss. The senior became Marian’s all-time TFL leader earlier this season.

Cade Houseman and Wyatt Woodall have been game-changers in their second year as starting linebackers, with each making First Team honors. Houseman is the team leader in tackles with 88 total stops, making eight for a loss while forcing two takeaways. Woodall has been a strong tackler for the team, logging 75 total stops and 1.5 sacks this season.

In the secondary, Logan Carrington led the conference in interceptions with seven, ranking second in the NAIA on the season. Carrington has made 36 tackles, one sack, and broken up six passes in addition to his seven interceptions. Yassine Falke trails Carrington as second on the team in interceptions with three, logging a pick-six earlier this season in the comeback win over Indiana Wesleyan. Falke has a team-high eight pass breakups, and has made 38 tackles in addition to recovering a fumble.

Completing Marian’s First Team haul is punter Dean Mason, who lands on the special teams honors for the second time in his career. Mason was the Mideast League First Team punter a year ago with Concordia, and in his first year at Marian, the kicker has put up the second-best punt average in the NAIA at 43.2 yards. Mason has totaled 1467 total yards punting this year, and has placed 16 kicks inside the 20 with an additional seven kicks for 50 yards.

Making the Second Team for Marian on the offensive side of the ball are linemen Razhaun Wells, Mason Cook and Trent Allen. The trio helped pave the way for Keagan La Belle’s record-setting season, helping the team run for 221.8 yards on the ground per game. Wells got involved in the offense as a receiver and runner this season, catching a deflected pass for 29 yards while taking one direct wildcat snap for three yards.

Making their mark on the MSFA Second Team defense included Darian Dixon, Ozzy Pollard, and JT Downey. Dixon and Pollard have started every game since week two, with Dixon making impactful plays on the end, scoring a touchdown in each of the last two weeks. The second-year man has 39 total tackles and 3.5 sacks, and ranks first in the NAIA in fumble recoveries. Pollard has been equally impressive in his freshman season, making 30 total tackles with 7.5 for a loss. Pollard has made five sacks and broken up four passes on the line. In the secondary, JT Downey has impressed as the team’s third-leading tackler, making 63 total stops on the year. Downey has forced a fumble and intercepted one pass, while making one sack this season.

Completing Marian’s Second Team honors are kicker Ashton Vogel and return specialist Alijah Price, with each freshman earning their first career honor. Vogel came on late in the season as the team’s placekicker in addition to handling kickoff duties throughout the season. The freshman kicker is 26-28 on point after attempts, and has made two field goals, including a 48-yard boot last week at St. Xavier. For Price, the shifty running back was a threat in the return game, leading the NAIA through nine weeks with 577 kickoff return yards. Twice named MSFA Special Teams Player of the Week, Price had one kickoff return touchdown and ran for 279 yards on the ground with three scores.

Marian had three players named to the Honorable Mention Team, with Tristan Polk, Aidan Wanner, and Matthias Pilkington rounding out the Knights’ honors. Polk is having a career-best touchdown-to-turnover ratio this season, accounting for 26 total touchdowns against three giveaways. The quarterback has thrown for 2105 yards and run for another 234. Aidan Wanner is enjoying a breakout season as Marian’s second-leading pass catcher, logging 23 catches for 466 yards and four touchdowns. Pilkington has made seven catches for 138 yards on the year, playing a role in the run game as well as blocking for the team’s 221.8 yards per game.

Marian will learn their opponent in the NAIA FCS Second Round this Saturday night, following the conclusion of the NAIA FCS First Round matchups.

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SMALL INDIANA COLLEGE SPORTS WEB SITES

UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/

MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/

INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/

ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index

TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/

OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx

ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index

IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/

IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/

IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/

PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/

INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx

GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/

GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/

HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php

TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/

VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index

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TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

Nov. 21

1953 — Notre Dame ties Iowa 14-14 by faking injuries in both halves. With two seconds to go in the first half, a Notre Dame player stops the clock by faking an injury and the Fightin’ Irish score on the next play. With six seconds left in the game and Notre Dame out of timeouts, two players fake injuries and the Irish score on the last play to tie the game.

1965 — The Cotton Bowl is packed with 76,251 fans, giving the Dallas Cowboys their first home sellout. The Cleveland Browns spoil the day with a 24-17 win.

1971 — The New York Rangers score eight goals in the third period of a 12-1 rout over the California Seals.

1981 — Brigham Young’s Jim McMahon passes for 552 yards in a 56-28 victory over Utah. Gordon Hudson sets the NCAA record for yards gained by a tight end with 259.

1982 — The NFL resumes play after seven weeks of the season were canceled when the NFL Players Association went on strike Sept. 23.

1987 — The Columbia Lions extend their Division I-record losing streak to 41 games with a 19-16 loss to Brown. Columbia gives up a touchdown with 47 seconds left in the game.

1987 — Southwestern Louisiana quarterback Brian Mitchell rushes for 271 yards and four touchdowns and passes for 205 yards in a 35-28 victory over Colorado State.

1998 — Villanova’s Brian Westbrook becomes the first player to record 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season and catches two touchdowns to lead the Wildcats to a 27-15 victory over Rhode Island.

2004 — Roger Federer wins a record 13th straight final, beating Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 6-2 in the title match of the ATP Masters Cup. Federer breaks the record of 12 straight finals victories shared by Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe.

2008 — Michigan’s 42-7 drubbing by Ohio State put a merciful end to the worst season in Michigan’s 129 years of intercollegiate football. The Wolverines (3-9) lose the most games in school history.

2010 — Jimmie Johnson becomes the first driver in the seven-year history of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship to overcome a point deficit in the season finale, finishing second to Ford 400 winner Carl Edwards while winning his record fifth consecutive title.

2015 — Brent Burns scores twice and Patrick Marleau gets his 1,000th career point — an assist on Burns’ first goal — to lift the San Jose Sharks over the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1.

2015 — Wes Washpun scores 21 points as Northern Iowa stuns top-ranked North Carolina 71-67 for its first win over the nation’s No. 1 team. The Panthers use a 29-8 run in the second half to turn a 50-34 deficit into a 63-58 lead. The Tar Heels scheduled the trip to Cedar Falls so senior Marcus Paige could play in his home state. Paige doesn’t play because of a broken bone in his right hand.

2016 — Mackenzie Hughes holes an 18-foot par putt from off the green to win the RSM Classic and become the first rookie in 20 years to go wire-to-wire for his first PGA Tour victory. Four players return for the third extra playoff hole at the par-3 17th. Hughes makes his putt and watches Blayne Barber, Henrik Norlander and Camilo Villegas all miss par putts from 10 feet or closer.

2021 — Alexander Zverev of Germany captures his second ATP Finals men’s tennis title defeating world #2 Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-4 in Turin.

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Nov. 22

1945 — Jim Benton of the Cleveland Rams is the first NFL player to have more than 300 receiving yards in a game. Benton has 10 receptions for 303 yards and a touchdown in a 28-21 victory over the Detroit Lions.

1950 — The Fort Wayne Pistons edge the Minneapolis Lakers 19-18 in the lowest-scoring game in NBA history. John Oldham leads the Pistons with five points and George Mikan had 15 of the Lakers’ points.

1959 — The AFL holds their first player draft. First round choices are Boston, Gerhard Schwedes; Buffalo, Richie Lucas; Dallas, Don Meredith; Denver, Roger LeClerc; Houston, Billy Cannon; Los Angeles, Monty Stickles; Minneapolis, Dale Hackbart; New York, George Izo.

1965 — Muhammad Ali knocks out Floyd Patterson in the 12th round to retain the world heavyweight title in Las Vegas.

1981 — Kellen Winslow of the San Diego Chargers catches five touchdown passes in a 55-21 rout of the Oakland Raiders.

1986 — Mike Tyson becomes the youngest heavyweight champion ever when he knocks out Trevor Berbick in the second round to win the WBC heavyweight title in Las Vegas.

1986 — Wayne Gretzky, playing in his 575th NHL game, scores his 500th goal in the Edmonton Oilers’ 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.

1992 — North Carolina wins its seventh straight Division I women’s soccer title with a 9-1 win over Duke. The Tar Heels also set the record for most goals in a championship game.

1998 — John Elway of the Denver Broncos joins Dan Marino as the only players with 50,000 yards as the Broncos post a 40-14 victory over the Oakland Raiders.

2003 — The Montreal Canadiens beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3, in the NHL’s first outdoor game. The game marking the 86th anniversary of the founding of the league is played in front of a record crowd of 57,167 at a football arena in Edmonton.

2003 — Utah ends BYU’s NCAA-record streak of 361 consecutive games without being shutout when the Utes beat the Cougars 3-0 in Provo, Utah. Wind and snow limits both offenses. Bryan Borreson’s 41-yard field goal is the all the 9-2 Utes need to clinch the Mountain West conference title. The Cougars had scored in every game dating back to Oct. 3, 1975.

2006 — Teemu Selanne scores his 500th career goal in Anaheim’s 3-2 loss to Colorado. Selanne, the 36th player in NHL history to reach the milestone, joins Jari Kurri as the only Finnish-born NHL players to score 500 goals.

2008 — Abilene Christian sets a record for points in an NCAA playoff game, beating West Texas A&M 93-68 in the second round of the Division II playoffs.

2010 — Alex Kovalev records his 1,000th point with a power-play goal midway through the first period of Ottawa’s game against Los Angeles.

2012 — New England embarrasses the New York Jets with a 35-point second quarter in a 49-19 victory to give and Bill Belichick his 200th NFL victory. Belichick is the eighth coach in NFL history with 200 career victories, including the playoffs.

2014 — Samaje Perine of Oklahoma sets the single-game FBS record by rushing for 427 yards in the Sooners’ 44-7 in over Kansas. Perine breaks the single-game FBS record of 408 set by Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon a week earlier.

2015 — Novak Djokovic wins his fourth straight title at the season-ending ATP finals by beating six-time champion Roger Federer 6-3, 6-4. Djokovic, who won three Grand Slam titles this year and reached the final in the other, caps the best season of his life.

2020 — Russian Daniil Medvedev wins ATP World Tour Finals tennis title beating Dominic Thiem of Austria 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 in London.

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Nov. 23

1947 — Sammy Baugh throws six touchdown passes as the Washington Redskins beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 45-21.

1958 — Bobby Mitchell of the Cleveland Browns returns a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns in a 28-14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

1968 — Houston scores 49 points in the fourth quarter to complete the rout an injury-riddled, flu-stricken Tulsa, 100-6.

1975 — Minnesota’s Fran Tarkenton becomes the all-time completions leader in the NFL. Tarkenton completes his 2,840th pass in the Vikings’ 28-13 win over the San Diego Chargers.

1984 — Doug Flutie passes for 472 yards and leads Boston College to a 47-45 upset victory over Miami with a last second touchdown throw to Gerard Phelan.

1988 — Wayne Gretzky scores his 600th NHL goal.

1991 — Tony Sands smashes NCAA records with 396 yards and 58 carries and scores four touchdowns as Kansas trounces Missouri 53-29. Sands broke the NCAA one-game rushing record of 386 yards set this season by Marshall Faulk of San Diego State.

1991 — Desmond Howard returns a punt against rival No. 18 Ohio State for a touchdown, celebrating with his “Heisman Pose” en route to No. 3 Michigan’s biggest win over the Buckeyes in almost 50 years. The Wolverines win 31-3.

1991 — Evander Holyfield comes back from a third-round knockdown to batter and bloody Bert Cooper before stopping him in the seventh round of a IBF and WBA heavyweight title fight.

1996 — Iowa State’s Troy Davis becomes the first Division I-A player to rush for 2,000 yards in consecutive seasons, gaining 225 yards in a 35-20 loss to Kansas State. Davis, who had 2,010 yards in 1995, finishes with 2,185 yards.

2001 — Middleweight boxer James Butler punches his opponent Richard Grant long after the final bell at Madison Square Garden in New York. Grant, winner of a 10-round decision, is dropped by Butler who connects with a short hook with gloves off. Butler, facing second-degree assault charges, is suspended indefinitely by the New York State Athletic Commission.

2002 — Penn State’s Larry Johnson becomes the ninth running back in NCAA Division I-A history to run for 2,000 yards in a season when he gained 279 yards and scored four TDs in a 61-7 win against Michigan State.

2007 — In a rare instance of double triple-doubles, Baron Davis and the Golden State Warriors get the better of Caron Butler and the Washington Wizards. Davis finishes with 33 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds and Golden State beat Washington 123-115. Butler ends with 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

2012 — The San Diego Sockers set a U.S. professional team sports record with their 41st consecutive victory, 14-4 against the Toros de Mexico in the Professional Arena Soccer League. The Sockers had been tied with the Sioux Falls Storm of United Indoor Football, who set the old record of 40 from 2005-08.

2014 — New Zealand teenager Lydia Ko ends a big year on the LPGA Tour with the largest payoff in women’s golf. Ko wins the $1 million bonus from the “Race to CME Globe” even before she begins a three-way playoff in the CME Group Tour Championship. The 17-year-old adds $500,000 when she defeats Carlota Ciganda of Spain on the fourth extra hole at Tiburon Golf Club.

2016 — Kevin Love scores 40 points, including an NBA-record 34 in the first quarter, LeBron James records his 44th career triple-double, and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 137-125.

2018 — Phil Mickelson needs 22 holes to beat Tiger Woods in their head-to-head golf matchup. Mickelson wins the $9 million purse and a championship belt crafted with 18-karat gold and two karats worth of diamonds. The four extra holes force the match to finish under the lights at Shadow Creek Golf Course in North Las Vegas. B/R Live, the sports streaming platform for Turner Sports, makes the match available for free to anyone after technical difficulties prevent those who paid $19.99 to see the live stream.

2023 — Dallas Cowboys defensive back Ron Bland breaks NFL single-season record for interception returns for a touchdown with his fifth, in 45-10 win over visiting Washington Commanders; previous record of 4 set in 1971 and most recently tied in 1993.

_____

Nov. 24

1904 — Fullback Sam McAllester is thrown for a touchdown to give Tennessee a 7-0 victory over Alabama. McAllester, wearing a wide leather belt with handles sewn on the side, is repeatedly thrown by two teammates over the line of scrimmage, including the only touchdown of the game.

1927 — The “Golden Egg Trophy,” is presented for the first time at the Egg Bowl played on Thanksgiving Day. Mississippi beats Mississippi State (then Mississippi A&M) 20-12.

1949 — The Syracuse Nationals edge the Anderson Packers 125-123 in five overtimes in the National Basketball league.

1949 — Led by quarterback Joe Paterno, Brown overcomes a 26-7 third-quarter deficit by scoring 34 points in the final 17 minutes to beat Colgate 41-26.

1957 — Cleveland Brown rookie Jim Brown rushes for 232 yards and scores four touchdowns in a 45-31 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

1960 — Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors sets an NBA record with 55 rebounds in a 132-129 loss to the Boston Celtics.

1977 — Miami’s Bob Griese throws for six touchdowns in a 55-14 Thanksgiving Day victory over the Detroit Lions.

1985 — Ron Brown of the Los Angeles Rams returns two kickoffs for touchdowns in a 34-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers.

1996 — Karrie Webb, capping a sensational rookie year, wins the season-ending LPGA Tour Championship to become the first player in tour history to earn more than $1 million in a season.

2000 — LaDainian Tomlinson caps the fourth-best rushing season with 174 yards and a touchdown in TCU’s 62-7 victory over SMU. Tomlinson, who also won his second straight NCAA rushing title, finishes the season with 2,158 yards.

2002 — Annika Sorenstam completes the best LPGA Tour season in 38 years with a 4-under 68 to win the season-ending ADT Championship, her 11th victory of the year.

2007 — Kevin Smith rushes for 219 yards and a touchdown to surpass 2,000 yards for the season in Central Florida’s 36-20 win over UTEP. Smith is the nation’s leading rushing with 2,164 yards, the fourth highest in Division I-A (Bowl Subdivision) history.

2010 — Boston’s Mark Recchi scores two third-period goals to become the 13th NHL player to reach 1,500 career points and helps the Bruins defeat Florida 3-1.

2011 — In the first NFL game featuring brothers as opposing head coaches, John Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens top Jim Harbaugh’s San Francisco 49ers 16-6.

2013 — Sebastian Vettel wins Formula One’s season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix, matching Michael Schumacher’s record of 13 victories in a year and equaling the nine consecutive wins of Alberto Ascari.

2015 — The defending champion Golden State Warriors set the record for best start in NBA history at 16-0. Stephen Curry has 24 points and nine assists in a 111-77 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers.

2018 — Dwayne Haskins throws five touchdown passes, freshman Chris Olave scores twice and blocks a punt that is returned for a TD and No. 10 Ohio State continues its mastery over No. 4 Michigan with a 62-39 victory.

2018 — Kellen Mond’s 2-point conversion to Kendrick Rogers in the seventh overtime gives Texas A&M 74-72 victory over No. 8 LSU, tying the NCAA record for most overtimes in an FBS game.

2018 — Florida uses a punishing ground attack to end a five-game losing streak to Florida State, defeating the Seminoles 41-14. The Gators send the Seminoles (5-7) their first losing season since 1976, Bobby Bowden’s first season as head coach.

Nov. 25

1925 — Red Grange, playing his first game as a professional with the Chicago Bears, is held to 36 yards in a 0-0 tie with the Chicago Cardinals.

1934 — The Detroit Lions suffer the first defeat in franchise history, 3-0 to the Green Bay Packers. The Lions had won the first 10 games of the season.

1948 — Howie Dallmar of the Philadelphia Warriors matches his NBA record for futility by missing all 15 shots against the Washington Capitols.

1976 — Buffalo’s O.J. Simpson rushes for 273 yards and scores two touchdowns in a 27-14 loss to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day.

1979 — Pat Summerall and John Madden broadcast a game together for the first time, a pairing that lasts 22 years and becomes one of the most well-known partnerships in TV sportscasting history.

1980 — “No Mas, No Mas.” Roberto Duran quits with 16 seconds to go in the eighth round at New Orleans, allowing Sugar Ray Leonard to regain the WBC welterweight title.

1983 — Larry Holmes knocks out Marvis Frazier at 2:57 of the first round to retain the world heavyweight title in Las Vegas.

1985 — Clemson’s Grayson Marshall sets an NCAA record with 20 assists in an 83-57 victory over Maryland-Eastern Shore.

1995 — Tim Biakabutuka rushes for a career-high 313 yards as Michigan upsets Ohio State 31-23.

2002 — Ozzie Newsome becomes the first black general manager in NFL history, signing a new five-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens that includes an upgrade in his title.

2007 — San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson becomes the 23rd player in NFL history rush for 10,000 yards, reaching the milestone on a 36-yard run in the Chargers’ 32-14 win over Baltimore.

2007 — Minnesota returns three interceptions by Eli Manning for touchdowns in a 41-17 win over the New York Giants. Darren Sharper scores on a 20-yard return, Dwight Smith rumbles 93 yards and Chad Greenway follows from 37 yards just a few plays later.

2012 — The Toronto Argonauts beats the Calgary Stampeders 35-22 in the 100th Grey Cup. Toronto earns its 16th Grey Cup title and first since 2004.

2014 — Lionel Messi becomes the UEFA Champions League all-time scorer.

2018 — LA Charger Quarterback Philip Rivers sets an NFL single-game record completing 25-straight passes in a 45-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

_____

Nov. 26

1917 — The NHL is formed with five charter members: Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Maroons, Toronto Arenas, Ottawa Senators, Quebec Bulldogs. Frank Calder is elected president.

1949 — Boston College beats Holy Cross 76-0, with Al Cannava rushing for 229 yards.

1956 — In the Melbourne Olympics, Australia, Vyacheslav Ivanov of the Soviet Union wins the single sculls. After receiving the gold medal, he jumps up and down and accidentally drops it through the slats in the float and it sinks to the bottom of the lake.

1961 — Jerry Norton of St. Louis becomes the only NFL player to have four interceptions in a game twice. He picks off four, two for touchdowns, in the Cardinals’ 30-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

1988 — For the first time in their long rivalry, Notre Dame and Southern California enter the game undefeated and ranked Nos. 1-2. The top-ranked Fighting Irish win 27-10.

1989 — Willie “Flipper” Anderson of the Los Angeles Rams sets an NFL game record with 336 yards receiving. Anderson has 15 catches, one for a touchdown, in the Rams’ 20-17 overtime victory over the New Orleans Saints.

1994 — The Cleveland Cavaliers sets an NBA record by attempting just two free throws, during a 101-87 home victory over Golden State. John Williams and Tony Campbell go 1-for-1 from the line.

1995 — Dolphins QB Dan Marino sets NFL record with 343rd touchdown pass.

1997 — Charles Jones scores a school-record 53 points and Long Island University beats Division III Medgar Evers 179-62, breaking the NCAA record for margin of victory. The 117-point difference eclipses the mark of 97 set by Southern in a 154-57 victory over Patten in 1993.

1999 — Detroit’s Steve Yzerman scores his 600th career goal in the Red Wings’ 4-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers at Joe Louis Arena. He’s the 11th player in NHL history to reach 600 goals.

2005 — Defenseman Marek Malik ends the NHL’s longest shootout in the 15th round, fooling goalie Olie Kolzig with a trick shot to give the New York a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals. Malik wins it by taking a shot with his stick between his skates.

2005 — Florida International ties an NCAA record by returning four interceptions for touchdowns in a 52-6 rout of rival Florida Atlantic.

2010 — UConn defeats Howard 86-25 to win its 82nd straight game, setting an NCAA women’s basketball record for consecutive victories.

2010 — Cam Newton passes for three touchdowns and runs for another, rallying No. 2 Auburn from a 24-point for a 28-27 victory over No. 9 Alabama that kept the Tigers on course for a shot at the national championship.

2011 — Illinois finishes the season with its sixth straight loss, 27-7 at Minnesota. The Illini become the first FBS team to open the regular-season with six straight wins and close it with six losses in a row.

2013 — Jordan Lynch breaks his single-game rushing record for quarterbacks with 321 yards, and No. 18 Northern Illinois completes its first unbeaten regular season in 50 years with a 33-14 victory over Western Michigan.

2016 — Nate Peterman throws for 251 yards and four TDs and runs for another score to lead Pittsburgh past Syracuse 76-61 — the most combined points for a regulation FBS game.

2016 — Will Worth accounts for four touchdowns while becoming the first Navy quarterback with more than 100 yards rushing and 100 yards passing in three consecutive games when the Midshipmen rout SMU 75-31. The Midshipmen, who beat East Carolina 66-31 the previous week, have consecutive 60-point games for the first time since 1917.

2017 — Julio Jones finishes with 12 receptions for 253 yards and two touchdowns in Atlanta’s 34-20 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s Jones’ third career game with at least 250 yards receiving; no other player has more than one.

_____

Nov. 27

1913 — Notre Dame and Texas meet for the first time in a Thanksgiving showdown. Both carry perfect records into the game, with Notre Dame not losing a game in three years and the Longhorns on a 12-game winning streak. The Fighting Irish build on a 10-7 halftime lead, scoring 20 unanswered points for a 30-7 win at Austin, Texas. The win gives Notre Dame a 7-0 season for rookie coach Jesse Harper.

1947 — Howie Dallmar of the Philadelphia Warriors sets an NBA record for the most field goal attempts with none made (15) in an 81-59 loss to the New York Knicks.

1949 — Steve Van Buren of the Philadelphia Eagles becomes the second NFL player, the first in 16 years, to rush over 200 yards. He runs for 205 yards in a 34-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

1960 — Trailing 38-7, the Denver Broncos score 31 points to salvage a 38-38 tie with the Buffalo Bills.

1960 — Detroit’s Gordie Howe scores his 1,000th point with an assist, and the Red Wings beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-0. It’s Howe’s 938th NHL game.

1961 — Detroit’s Gordie Howe becomes the first to play 1,000 NHL games.

1965 — Gordie Howe becomes the first NHL player to score 600 goals. The milestone comes in Detroit’s 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

1966 — The Washington Redskins set an NFL regular-season record for most points in a 72-41 victory over the New York Giants. Both teams also set records with 16 TDs and 113 total points.

1980 — Dave Williams returns Eddie Murray’s opening kickoff in overtime 95 yards to give the Chicago Bears a 23-17 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day. The Bears tied the game with no time remaining in regulation.

1994 — Joe Montana of the Kansas City Chiefs becomes the fifth quarterback to surpass 40,000 passing yards in a 10-9 loss at Seattle.

1998 — Texas’ Ricky Williams becomes the leading rusher in Division I-A history, breaking Tony Dorsett’s record set 22 years earlier.

2009 — Graham Gano kicks a 33-yard field goal in overtime to give the Las Vegas Locomotives a 20-17 victory over the Florida Tuskers in the inaugural UFL championship game.

2011 — The Connecticut women’s basketball team wins its 89th straight at home to set an NCAA record, beating Dayton 78-38 behind freshman Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis’ 23 points.

2015 — James Harden scores 50 points to lead Houston past Philadelphia 116-114 for the 76ers’ 27th straight loss dating to last season, the longest losing streak in major U.S. pro sports. The previous record was set by the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1976-77 and matched by the 76ers in 2013-14.

2016 — Justin Tucker makes all four of his field goal attrempts, including ones from 52, 54 and 57 yards, in Baltimore’s 19-14 victory over Cincinnati. Tucker has made 34 field goals in a row, including 27 this season, and has connected on all 15 conversion. It is Tucker’s 11th game with at least four field goals since entering the NFL in 2012.

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TV SPORTS TODAY

Friday, Nov. 21
AUTO RACING

7:25 p.m.

ESPNEWS — Formula 1: Practice, Las Vegas Strip Circuit, Las Vegas

10:55 p.m.

ESPN2 — Formula 1: Qualifying, Las Vegas Strip Circuit, Las Vegas

COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)

1 p.m.

ESPN2 — Utah St. vs. Tulane, Charleston, S.C.

2 p.m.

CBSSN — South Carolina vs. Butler, White Sulphur Springs, W.V.

3:30 p.m.

ESPN2 — Davidson vs. Boston College, Charleston, S.C.

4 p.m.

PEACOCK — Wisconsin vs. BYU, Salt Lake City

5 p.m.

CBSSN — Virginia vs. Northwestern, White Sulphur Springs, W.V.

6:30 p.m.

BTN — Detroit Mercy at Michigan St.

ESPN2 — West Virginia vs. Clemson, Charleston, S.C.

ESPNU — Louisville at Cincinnati

7 p.m.

ACCN — Niagara at Duke

9 p.m.

ACCN — Arkansas St. at SMU

ESPN2 — Georgia vs. Xavier, Charleston, S.C.

10:30 p.m.

BTN — Presbyterian at UCLA

COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)

5 p.m.

FS2 — Syracuse vs. Utah, Uncasville, Conn.

6 p.m.

ESPN — Southern Cal at Notre Dame

8 p.m.

FOX — Michigan vs. UConn, Uncasville, Conn.

COLLEGE FIELD HOCKEY

Noon

ESPNU — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Semifinal

2:30 p.m.

ESPNU — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Semifinal

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

8 p.m.

ESPN — Florida St. at NC State

10:30 p.m.

FS1 — Hawaii at UNLV

COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)

Noon

SECN — Southeastern Tournament: TBD, First Round, Savannah, Ga.

2 p.m.

SECN — Southeastern Tournament: TBD, First Round, Savannah, Ga.

5 p.m.

SECN — Southeastern Tournament: TBD, First Round, Savannah, Ga.

7 p.m.

SECN — Southeastern Tournament: TBD, First Round, Savannah, Ga.

GOLF

Noon

GOLF — PGA Tour: The RSM Classic, Second Round, Sea Island Golf Club (Seaside Course), St. Simons Island, Ga.

3 p.m.

GOLF — CME Group Tour Championship: Second Round, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla.

NBA BASKETBALL

7 p.m.

PRIME VIDEO — Indiana at Cleveland

9:30 p.m.

PRIME VIDEO — Denver at Houston

NHL HOCKEY

7 p.m.

NHLN — Minnesota at Pittsburgh

_____

Saturday, Nov. 22
AUTO RACING

10:55 p.m.

ESPN — Formula 1: The Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix, Las Vegas Strip Circuit, Las Vegas

COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)

2 p.m.

TRUTV — Cent. Michigan at Marquette

4 p.m.

TRUTV — Providence vs. Penn St., Uncasville, Conn.

5:30 p.m.

PEACOCK — San Francisco vs. Minnesota, Sioux Falls, S.D.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

2 p.m.

CW — Kentucky at Louisville

COLLEGE CROSS COUNTRY

10 a.m.

ESPNU — NCAA Championship: From Columbia, Mo.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Noon

ABC — TBA

ACCN — Delaware at Wake Forest

CBSSN — Tulsa at Army

ESPN — TBA

ESPN2 — TBA

ESPNU — Harvard at Yale

FOX — TBA

FS1 — TBA

12:45 p.m.

SECN — Charlotte at Georgia

3:30 p.m.

ABC — TBA

ACCN — TBA

CBS — TBA

CBSSN — Jacksonville St. at FIU

ESPN — TBA

ESPN2 — TBA

FS1 — TBA

NBC — Syracuse at Notre Dame

PEACOCK — Syracuse at Notre Dame

4 p.m.

ESPNU — TBA

FOX — TBA

4:15 p.m.

SECN — Coastal Carolina at South Carolina

4:30 p.m.

CW — Furman at Clemson

7 p.m.

CBSSN — New Mexico at Air Force

FS1 — TBA

ESPN — TBA

7:30 p.m.

ABC — TBA

ACCN — California at Stanford

ESPN2 — TBA

7:45 p.m.

SECN — W. Kentucky at LSU

8 p.m.

ESPNU — TBA

FOX — TBA

10:30 p.m.

CBSSN — Utah St. at Fresno St.

FS1 — TBA

11 p.m.

ESPNU — Bethune-Cookman at Florida A&M (Taped)

GOLF

1 p.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour: The RSM Classic, Third Round, Sea Island Golf Club (Seaside Course), St. Simons Island, Ga.

9 p.m.

GOLF — CME Group Tour Championship: Third Round, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla. (Taped)

NBA BASKETBALL

5 p.m.

NBATV — New York at Orlando

8 p.m.

NBATV — Detroit at Milwaukee

NHL HOCKEY

1 p.m.

NHLN — Columbus at Detroit

7 p.m.

NHLN — Edmonton at Florida

SOCCER (MEN’S)

7:30 a.m.

USA — English Premier League: Chelsea at Burnley

10 a.m.

USA — English Premier League: West Ham United at AFC Bournemouth

Noon

CBS — USL Championship: TBD

12:30 p.m.

NBC — English Premier League: Manchester City at Newcastle United

SOCCER (WOMEN’S)

8 p.m.

CBS — NWSL Postseason: TBD, Championship, San Jose, Calif.

_____

Sunday, Nov. 23
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)

1 p.m.

ESPN — TBD, Charleston, S.C.

2 p.m.

CBSSN — Virginia vs. Butler, White Sulphur Springs, W.V.

3:30 p.m.

ESPN — TBD, Charleston, S.C.

4 p.m.

ACCN — Howard at Duke

5 p.m.

CBSSN — South Carolina vs. Northwestern, White Sulphur Springs, W.V.

6 p.m.

TRUTV — Bryant at UConn

6:30 p.m.

ESPN2 — TBD, Charleston, S.C.

9 p.m.

ESPN2 — TBD, Charleston, S.C.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)

Noon

FS1 — Syracuse vs. Michigan, Uncasville, Conn.

12:30 p.m.

BTN — Miami (Ohio) at Purdue

2:30 p.m.

BTN — George Mason at Maryland

FS1 — UConn vs. Utah, Uncasville, Conn.

6 p.m.

ACCN — UNC-Greensboro at North Carolina

COLLEGE FIELD HOCKEY

1 p.m.

ESPNU — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Championship

COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)

Noon

SECN — Southeastern Tournament: TBD, Quarterfinal, Savannah, Ga.

1 p.m.

ACCN — Louisville at Clemson

2 p.m.

SECN — Southeastern Tournament: TBD, Quarterfinal, Savannah, Ga.

3 p.m.

ESPN2 — Big East Tournament: TBD, Championship

5 p.m.

SECN — Southeastern Tournament: TBD, Quarterfinal, Savannah, Ga.

7 p.m.

SECN — Southeastern Tournament: TBD, Quarterfinal, Savannah, Ga.

FIGURE SKATING

4 p.m.

NBC — 2025 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: The 2025 Finlandia Trophy, Helsinki

GOLF

1 p.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour: The RSM Classic, Final Round, Sea Island Golf Club (Seaside Course), St. Simons Island, Ga.

1 p.m.

NBC — CME Group Tour Championship: Final Round, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla.

NBA G-LEAGUE BASKETBALL

3 p.m.

NBATV — Tip-Off Tournament: Motor City at Noblesville

NFL FOOTBALL

1 p.m.

CBS — Regional Coverage: Pittsburgh at Chicago, New England at Cincinnati, Indianapolis at Kansas City, N.Y. Jets at Baltimore

FOX — Regional Coverage: N.Y. Giants at Detroit, Minnesota at Green Bay, Seattle at Tennessee

4:05 p.m.

CBS — Regional Coverage: Cleveland at Las Vegas OR Jacksonville at Arizona

4:25 p.m.

FOX — Regional Coverage: Philadelphia at Dallas OR Atlanta at New Orleans

8:20 p.m.

NBC — Tampa Bay at L.A. Rams

PEACOCK — Tampa Bay at L.A. Rams

NHL HOCKEY

1 p.m.

NHLN — Carolina at Buffalo

7 p.m.

NHLN — Colorado at Chicago

SOCCER (MEN’S)

9 a.m.

USA — English Premier League: Aston Villa at Leeds United

3 p.m.

ABC — LaLiga: Real Madrid at Elche CF

WNBA BASKETBALL

6:30 p.m.

ESPN — WNBA Draft Lottery

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