December 19, 2025

THE SPORTSPAGE

INDIANA'S PLACE FOR SCORES AND NEWS

THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 17, 2025

“THE SCOREBOARD”

THIS WEEK ON INDIANA SRN, WE’VE GOT FOUR EXCITING GAMES FOR YOU!

WEDNESDAY 12/17- EARLHAM VS. ROSE-HULMAN IN A HCAC SHOWDOWN.

SATURDAY, 12/20 – DEPAUW VS. ROSE-HULMAN IN A MEN’S COLLEGE MATCHUP.

MONDAY, 12/22 – CHRIST THE KING VS. PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY (BOYS’ VARSITY).

TUESDAY, 12/23 – OLIVET UNIVERSITY VS. ROSE-HULMAN IN ANOTHER MEN’S COLLEGE GAME.

 MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM ALL OF US AT INDIANASRN! 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT THIS YEAR – WE’RE GRATEFUL TO HAVE YOU AS PART OF OUR SPORTS FAMILY. WISHING YOU JOY, PEACE, AND EXCITING GAMES THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

==========

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL SCORES

TUESDAY’S SCORES

BARR-REEVE 69 NORTH KNOX  32

BOONVILLE    66 PIKE CENTRAL 27             

BOWMAN ACADEMY 60       LAKE STATION 56     

BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL   39          SEYMOUR       37         

CHARLESTOWN         73          CLARKSVILLE              36         

CHESTERTON 69       EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL   48         

CLAY CITY 49 MONROVIA    37         

CULVER ACADEMY   62          ANDREAN        51         

DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN 75     MORGAN TWP. 50    

DECATUR CENTRAL 77         INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 50        

EASTSIDE        47          LAKEWOOD PARK     37         

ELKHART          55          TIPPECANOE VALLEY 31     

EMINENCE      59          SEVEN OAKS 22         

EVANSVILLE DAY       65          CARMI (ILL.)   55         

EVANSVILLE NORTH               60          EVANSVILLE REITZ   51         

FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK               78          HERITAGE       45         

FORT WAYNE DWENGER     68          DEKALB            52         

FORT WAYNE SOUTH             93          PERU   68         

FREMONT        63          FORT WAYNE HOMESCHOOL 57  

GARY 21ST CENTURY             58          VALPARAISO  48         

GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN  76 TRADERS POINT CHRISTIAN 27             

GUERIN CATHOLIC  44          PENDLETON HEIGHTS          42         

HAMMOND CENTRAL 60     GARY LIGHTHOUSE 50         

HANOVER CENTRAL 64        RENSSELAER CENTRAL        28         

HERITAGE HILLS        56          MOUNT VERNON (POSEY)  49         

ITOWN PREP 68 INDIANA DEAF      44         

INDIAN CREEK            64          TRINITY LUTHERAN  62         

INDIANAPOLIS RIVERSIDE 64          PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE      25         

INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI  76          PERRY MERIDIAN      52         

INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE 70   LAFAYETTE JEFF 50  

JIMTOWN        49          NORTHWOOD             47         

KNIGHTSTOWN 60   SETON CATHOLIC     59         

KNOX  74          ARGOS              35         

LAKE CENTRAL 76    GRIFFITH         52         

LAWRENCE NORTH 85 INDIANAPOLIS ARSENAL TECH 46       

LEO      47          FORT WAYNE NORTHROP   39         

LOOGOOTEE 49          EASTERN GREENE     47         

LOWELL           41          BOONE GROVE           38         

MANCHESTER             66          LAVILLE            51         

MARTINSVILLE            41          EDGEWOOD  36         

MICHIGAN CITY         69          MISHAWAKA 46         

MONROE CENTRAL  83          MUNCIE BURRIS        55         

MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE)  62 ANDERSON   49         

MUNCIE CENTRAL    68          TIPTON             53         

NEW PRAIRIE               49          OREGON-DAVIS 36 

NORTH DECATUR      69          MADISON        61          OT

NORTH WHITE            43          TRI-TOWNSHIP 37    OT

PIKE     55          CENTER GROVE          38         

PORTAGE         77          CALUMET        53         

SALEM               70          NEW WASHINGTON 39         

SCOTT COUNTY (KY.) 50       PROVIDENCE               43         

SHELBYVILLE               67          GREENWOOD              58         

SHENANDOAH            91          BLUE RIVER VALLEY 23         

SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS)  62 LAKELAND CHRISTIAN   31         

SOUTH KNOX               64          EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN      58         

SOUTH PUTNAM        62          CLOVERDALE 50       

SOUTH SPENCER      66          LANESVILLE   51         

SOUTHERN WELLS   47          NORTHFIELD 42         

ST. THOMAS MORE   59          TRINITY GREENLAWN 54    

TERRE HAUTE NORTH           83          WEST VIGO    39         

TRITON             57          BETHANY CHRISTIAN            34         

WEST CENTRAL          57          FAITH CHRISTIAN     53         

WESTERN BOONE     60          NORTH PUTNAM        55         

WESTERN        76          TWIN LAKES  43         

WESTFIELD    66          BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 16  

WESTVIEW     66          LAKELAND      48         

WINAMAC       71          CULVER            35         

WEDNESDAY’S SCHDULE

ALL TIMES EASTERN

CASCADE        AT          SPEEDWAY     7:30 PM            

CENTRAL NOBLE       AT          BREMEN 7:30 PM      

CONNERSVILLE          AT          WINCHESTER              7:30 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS     AT          WARREN CENTRAL 7:30 PM             

INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY      AT          PURDUE ENGLEWOOD         7:30 PM            

INTERNATIONAL         AT          INDIANA DEAF            7:00 PM            

KIPP INDY LEGACY   AT          RICHMOND   7:30 PM            

LOGANSPORT              AT          ROCHESTER                 8:00 PM            

MISSISSINEWA           AT          BLUFFTON      7:30 PM            

MTI KNOWLEDGE      AT          ANDERSON PREP      6:00 PM            

NORTH DAVIESS        AT          NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG)            7:30 PM              

NORTHEAST DUBOIS             AT          WASHINGTON CATHOLIC 7:30 PM             

NORTHSIDE HOMESCHOOL            AT          LIBERTY CHRISTIAN               1:00 PM              

PRAIRIE HEIGHTS     AT          CAREER ACADEMY   7:30 PM            

SHOALS           AT          VINCENNES LINCOLN                          7:30 PM            

SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON           AT          NORTHRIDGE              7:45 PM            

SOUTH RIPLEY            AT          SHAWE MEMORIAL                 7:30 PM            

WABASH          AT          PLYMOUTH    7:30 PM            

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES

TUESDAY’S SCORES

BEECH GROVE            58          RUSHVILLE    30         

BELLMONT      57          CARROLL (FORT WAYNE)     29         

BEN DAVIS      66          INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS     59         

BENTON CENTRAL    58          TWIN LAKES  21         

BLUFFTON 79 SOUTHWOOD           51         

BORDEN          61          LANESVILLE   24         

BREMEN           39          CULVER ACADEMY   35         

CASTON           38          PIONEER          27         

CENTER GROVE 50   MARTINSVILLE 19    

CLINTON CENTRAL  54          MUNCIE CENTRAL    30         

COLUMBUS NORTH 59          SEYMOUR       44         

CORYDON CENTRAL 56       MEADE COUNTY (KY.) 46    

COVINGTON  62          SOUTH VERMILLION               33         

DALEVILLE      57          BLUE RIVER VALLEY 25         

DEKALB            57          PRAIRIE HEIGHTS     40         

EAST CENTRAL            73          LAWRENCEBURG      35         

EASTSIDE        51          LAKEWOOD PARK     25         

EDINBURGH  57          NEW WASHINGTON 30         

ELKHART          82          GOSHEN          23         

EMINENCE      57          SEVEN OAKS 21         

EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN 69 NORTHEAST DUBOIS 25    

FAITH CHRISTIAN     53          LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC   39         

FLOYD CENTRAL        46          MADISON        34         

FOREST PARK 62        BOONVILLE    50         

FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK 44        HERITAGE       36         

FORT WAYNE SNIDER 59     FORT WAYNE LUERS 24       

FRANKLIN CENTRAL 42        FRANKLIN       34         

FREMONT        58          FAIRFIELD       41         

GARRETT 61   CHURUBUSCO           26         

GIBSON SOUTHERN 77        SOUTH SPENCER      50         

GREENFIELD-CENTRAL 60 SHELBYVILLE 45       

GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN  68          TRADERS POINT CHRISTIAN 0       

HAMILTON HEIGHTS 52        KOKOMO         44         

HAMMOND MORTON 58      CROWN POINT           45         

HARRISON (OHIO)   51          SOUTH DEARBORN  14         

HENDERSON COUNTY (KY.) 61       EVANSVILLE MATER DEI       36         

HIGHLAND     57          HAMMOND NOLL      37         

ITOWN PREP 35          INDIANA DEAF            29         

INDIAN CREEK 53     WHITELAND  38         

INDIANA MATH & SCIENCE 48        CENTRAL CHRISTIAN            30         

INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI  61          DANVILLE        34         

INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE 58   SOUTHPORT 39         

JAY COUNTY  56          BLACKFORD  19         

JEFFERSONVILLE       56          CHARLESTOWN         35         

JIMTOWN        33          TRITON             27         

JOHN GLENN                31          PLYMOUTH    21         

KOUTS              67          LOWELL           59         

LAPEL 65          EASTERN HANCOCK              62         

LAWRENCE CENTRAL 57     BROWNSBURG 53   

LAWRENCE NORTH 66 NOBLESVILLE 41

LEWIS CASS  49          DELPHI             35         

LINTON             55          OWEN VALLEY             50         

MACONAQUAH          61          CARROLL (FLORA)    46         

MADISON-GRANT     44          EASTERN (GREENTOWN)     36         

MARION           67          NEW HAVEN  35         

MCCUTCHEON 65    LAFAYETTE JEFF         33         

MISHAWAKA 62          SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON 49    

MITCHELL       53          SHOALS           33         

MONROVIA     58          CASCADE        50         

MOORESVILLE 53      GREENWOOD              37         

MORGAN TWP. 51     HOBART           44         

MORRISTOWN 37      SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)  26         

MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) 45  NEW PALESTINE         38         

NORTH JUDSON         45          NORTH WHITE            29         

NORTH PUTNAM        61          WESTERN BOONE     53         

NORTHFIELD 55          LOGANSPORT              15         

NORTHVIEW  62          TERRE HAUTE NORTH 40    

NORWELL       76          WOODLAN     24         

ORLEANS        57          WEST WASHINGTON 35      

PAOLI  44          CLARKSVILLE 39       

PARKE HERITAGE 52 SEEGER 37   

PENN  59          CONCORD     25         

PERRY CENTRAL 53 PIKE CENTRAL 25     

PERU   61          NORTHWESTERN      24         

PROVIDENCE 69        AUSTIN 51      

PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE 34 INDIANAPOLIS RIVERSIDE 33       

RENSSELAER CENTRAL        53          ANDREAN        36         

ROBINSON (ILL.)        47          TERRE HAUTE SOUTH           26         

SILVER CREEK             94          SCOTTSBURG              33         

SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER)         37          EASTERN (PEKIN)      34         

TRI-CENTRAL               48          FRANKFORT   24         

TRI-COUNTY 54          DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN 38    

TRI-WEST        58          SHERIDAN      25         

TRITON CENTRAL      64          SPEEDWAY     15         

VINCENNES LINCOLN 51    EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL      41         

WAPAHANI     44          FRANKTON     41         

WARSAW         70          COLUMBIA CITY         46         

WASHINGTON TWP. 47          HEBRON          25         

WASHINGTON             53          JASPER             31         

WAWASEE       49          BETHANY CHRISTIAN 29    

WEST LAFAYETTE       43          NORTH MONTGOMERY 20 

WESTFIELD    65          AVON  54         

WESTVIEW     52          LAKELAND      47         

WHITE RIVER VALLEY 54      BLOOMFIELD 28       

WHITKO 69     WEST NOBLE 24         

WINCHESTER 40       UNION CITY   38 OT

===========

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

ALL TIMES EASTERN

ANDERSON    AT          KOKOMO         7:30 PM            

CALUMET        AT          WHITING         7:00 PM            

CLINTON PRAIRIE     AT          WESTERN        7:30 PM            

CRAWFORD COUNTY            AT          MITCHELL       7:00 PM            

EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL   AT          BOWMAN ACADEMY 8:00 PM         

EVANSVILLE REITZ   AT          EVANSVILLE CENTRAL          8:00 PM            

FORT WAYNE DWENGER     AT          HUNTINGTON NORTH           7:30 PM            

FORT WAYNE NORTH             AT          LEO      6:30 PM            

FRANKFORT   AT          TAYLOR             7:00 PM            

GUERIN CATHOLIC  AT          PERRY MERIDIAN      7:30 PM            

HAGERSTOWN           AT          NORTHEASTERN        7:30 PM            

HAMMOND CENTRAL            AT          PORTAGE         8:00 PM            

INDIANA DEAF            AT          INDIANAPOLIS HERRON     6:00 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS     AT          WARREN CENTRAL   6:00 PM            

IRVINGTON PREP      AT          INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY      6:00 PM            

MANCHESTER             AT          EASTBROOK                 6:00 PM            

MARQUETTE CATHOLIC       AT          NEW PRAIRIE 7:30 PM          

MISSISSINEWA           AT          YORKTOWN                  7:30 PM            

MOUNT VERNON (POSEY)  AT          EVANSVILLE BOSSE 8:00 PM           

NEW ALBANY               AT          ASSUMPTION (KY.)   7:30 PM            

NEW HAVEN  AT          FORT WAYNE SOUTH             7:30 PM            

NORTH DAVIESS        AT          VINCENNES RIVET   7:00 PM            

NORTHEAST DUBOIS             AT          WASHINGTON CATHOLIC   6:00 PM            

OAK HILL         AT          WABASH          7:30 PM            

PARK TUDOR AT          GREENWOOD              7:30 PM            

PIKE CENTRAL             AT          SOUTHRIDGE 7:00 PM          

PURDUE ENGLEWOOD         AT          INDIANAPOLIS ARSENAL TECH      6:00 PM              

SHERIDAN      AT          TIPTON 7:30 PM         

SOUTH BEND RILEY AT LAVILLE 7:30 PM 

SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)  AT          TRITON CENTRAL      7:00 PM            

TRI        AT          UNION COUNTY        7:30 PM            

WHEELER        AT          SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS)  8:00 PM            

===========

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING SCORES/RANKINGS/NEWS

https://indianamat.com

===========

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES

#3 DUKE 97 LIPSCOMB 73

#9 MICHIGAN STATE 92 TOLEDO 69

#20 TENNESSEE 83 #11 LOUISVILLE 62

#22 ST. JOHN 79 DEPAUL 66

#12 NORTH CAROLINA 77 E. TENNESSEE STATE 58

#19 TEXAS TECH 101 NORTHERN COLORADO 90

#5 UCONN 79 BUTLER 60

#17 KANSAS 73 TOWSON 49

#10 BYU 93 PACIFIC 57

#14 ARKANSAS 108 QUEENS 80

#1 ARIZONA 96 ABILENE CHRISTIAN 62

IU INDY 126 MIAMI OHIO MIDDLETOWN 73

DAYTON 97 FLORIDA STATE 69

CLEMSON 68 SOUTH CAROLINA 61

BOWLING GREEN 76 CHICAGO STATE 55

MIAMI OHIO 83 WRIGHT STATE 76

MIAMI OF FLORIDA 98 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 81

OKLAHOMA 89 KANSAS CITY 67

OHIO 89 OHIO WESLEYAN 56

BELLMONT 83 EVANSVILLE 78

GEORGIA TECH 87 MARIST 76

MISSISSIPPI STATE 87 LIU 83

NORTHERN ILLINOIS 112 EAST – WEST 64

TEXAS 95 LEMOYNE 53

UC RIVERSIDE 95 STANTON 70

MONTANA STATE 83 CAL POLY 80

UC SAN DIEGO 67 LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 57

===========

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES

#5 LSU 91 MORGAN STATE 33

#9 TCU 109 ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF 54

#4 UCLA 115 CAL POLY 28

CLEVELAND STATE 74 NORTHERN KENTUCKY 56

BOWLING GREEN 74 LE MOYNE 46

WICHITA STATE 79 ORAL ROBERTS 65

HOUSTON 60 MONTANA 54

ROBERT MORRIS 60 DETROIT MERCY 52

VCU 69 AMERICAN 63

YOUNGSTOWN STATE 65 WRIGHT STATE 46

HOWARD 66 CINCINNATI 64

ALABAMA 73 SAM HOUSTON STATE 36

SETON HALL 74 WASHINGTON STATE 65

SYRACUSE 72 BINGHAMTON 54

AUBURN 68 MIDDLE TENNESSEE 52

UC IRVINE 83 NEW MEXICO STATE 66

ARIZONA STATE 68 GONZAGA 66

COLORADO 79 NORTHERN COLORADO 62

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 81 CHAPMAN 27

===========

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE/SCORES

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

FIRST ROUND

DEC. 19, 8 P.M. ET
NO. 8 OKLAHOMA (10-2) VS. NO. 9 ALABAMA (10-3) AT NORMAN, OKLA.

DEC, 20, NOON ET
NO. 7 TEXAS A&M (11-1) VS. NO. 10 MIAMI (10-2) AT C

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS

DEC. 20, 3:30 P.M. ET
NO. 6 OLE MISS (11-1) VS. NO. 11 TULANE (11-2) AT OXFORD, MISS.

DEC. 20, 7:30 P.M. ET
NO. 5 OREGON (11-1) VS. NO. 12 JAMES MADISON (12-1) AT EUGENE, ORE.

==========

QUARTERFINALS

DEC. 31, 7:30 P.M. ET
COTTON BOWL, ARLINGTON, TEXAS
NO. 2 OHIO STATE VS. WINNER OF TEXAS A&M-MIAMI

==========

JAN. 1, NOON ET
ORANGE BOWL, MIAMI GARDENS, FLA.
NO. 4 TEXAS TECH VS. WINNER OF OREGON-JAMES MADISON

==========

JAN. 1, 4 P.M. ET
ROSE BOWL, PASADENA, CALIF.
NO. 1 INDIANA VS. WINNER OF OKLAHOMA-ALABAMA

==========

JAN. 1, 8 P.M. ET
SUGAR BOWL, NEW ORLEANS
NO. 3 GEORGIA VS. WINNER OF OLE MISS-TULANE

==========

SEMIFINALS

JAN. 8, 7:30 P.M. ET
FIESTA BOWL, GLENDALE, ARIZ.
WINNER OF COTTON BOWL VS. WINNER OF SUGAR BOWL

==========

JAN. 9, 7:30 P.M. ET
PEACH BOWL, ATLANTA
WINNER OF ORANGE BOWL VS. WINNER OF ROSE BOWL

==========

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

JAN. 19, 7:30 P.M. ET
MIAMI GARDENS, FLA.

===========

COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL SCHEDULE

DEC. 16

JACKSONVILLE STATE 17 TROY 13

============

DEC. 17

CURE BOWL

ORLANDO, FLA.

OLD DOMINION VS. SOUTH FLORIDA, 5 P.M. (ESPN)

68 VENTURES BOWL

MOBILE, ALA.

LOUISIANA VS. DELAWARE, 8:30 P.M. (ESPN)

===========

DEC. 18

XBOX BOWL

FRISCO, TEXAS

ARKANSAS STATE VS. MISSOURI STATE, 9 P.M. (ESPN2)

===========

DEC. 19

MYRTLE BEACH BOWL

CONWAY, S.C.

KENNESAW STATE VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN, 11 A.M. (ESPN)

GASPARILLA BOWL

TAMPA, FLA.

MEMPHIS VS N.C. STATE, 2:30 P.M. (ESPN)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF

FIRST ROUND

NO. 11 ALABAMA (10-3) AT NO. 8 OKLAHOMA (10-2), 8 P.M. (ESPN/ABC)

===========

DEC. 20

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF

FIRST ROUND

NO. 10 MIAMI (FLA.) (10-2) AT NO. 7 TEXAS A&M (11-1), NOON (ESPN/ABC)

NO. 17 TULANE (11-2) AT NO. 6 MISSISSIPPI (11-1), 3:30 P.M. (TNT/HBO MAX)

NO. 19 JAMES MADISON (12-1) AT NO. 5 OREGON (11-1), 7:30 P.M. (TNT/HBO MAX)

===========

DEC. 22

FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL

BOISE, IDAHO

UTAH ST. VS. WASHINGTON ST., 2 P.M. (ESPN)

===========

DEC. 23

BOCA RATON BOWL

BOCA RATON, FLA.

LOUISVILLE VS. TOLEDO, 2 P.M. (ESPN)

NEW ORLEANS BOWL

NEW ORLEANS

WESTERN KENTUCKY VS. SOUTHERN MISS, 5:30 P.M. (ESPN)

FRISCO BOWL

FRISCO, TEXAS

OHIO VS. UNLV, 9 P.M. (ESPN)

===========

DEC. 24

HAWAI’I BOWL

HONOLULU

CAL VS. HAWAII, 8 P.M. (ESPN)

===========

DEC. 26

GAMEABOVE SPORTS BOWL

DETROIT, MICH.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN VS. NORTHWESTERN, 1 P.M. (ESPN)

RATE BOWL

PHOENIX

NEW MEXICO VS. MINNESOTA, 4:30 P.M. (ESPN)

FIRST RESPONDER BOWL

DALLAS, TEXAS

FIU VS. UTSA, 8 P.M. (ESPN)

=============

DEC. 27

MILITARY BOWL

ANNAPOLIS, MD.

PITTSBURGH VS. EAST CAROLINA, 11 A.M. (ESPN)

PINSTRIPE BOWL

BRONX, N.Y.

CLEMSON VS. PENN ST., NOON (ABC)

FENWAY BOWL

BOSTON

UCONN VS. ARMY, 2:15 P.M. (ESPN)

POP-TARTS BOWL

ORLANDO, FLA.

NO. 12 BYU VS. NO. 24 GEORGIA TECH, 3:30 P.M. (ABC)

ARIZONA BOWL

TUCSON, ARIZ.

FRESNO ST. VS. MIAMI (OH), 4:30 P.M. (CW NETWORK)

NEW MEXICO BOWL

ALBUQUERQUE

NO. 23 NORTH TEXAS VS. SAN DIEGO ST., 5:45 P.M. (ESPN)

GATOR BOWL

JACKSONVILLE, FLA.

NO. 25 MISSOURI VS. NO. 20 VIRGINIA, 7:30 P.M. (ABC)

TEXAS BOWL

HOUSTON

LSU VS. NO. 21 HOUSTON, 9:15 P.M. (ESPN)

===========

DEC. 29

BIRMINGHAM BOWL

BIRMINGHAM, ALA.

GEORGIA SOUTHERN VS. APPALACHIAN STATE, 2 P.M. (ESPN)

===========

DEC. 30

INDEPENDENCE BOWL

SHREVEPORT, LA.

COASTAL CAROLINA VS. LOUISIANA TECH, 2 P.M. (ESPN)

MUSIC CITY BOWL

NASHVILLE, TENN.

TENNESSEE VS. ILLINOIS, 5:30 P.M. (ESPN)

ALAMO BOWL

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

NO. 16 SOUTHERN CAL VS. TCU, 9 P.M. (ESPN)

============

DEC. 31

RELIAQUEST BOWL

TAMPA, FLA.

NO. 13 VANDERBILT VS. NO. 23 IOWA, NOON (ESPN)

SUN BOWL

EL PASO, TEXAS

ARIZONA ST. VS. DUKE, 2 P.M. (CBS)

CITRUS BOWL

ORLANDO, FLA.

NO. 14 TEXAS VS. NO. 18 MICHIGAN, 3 P.M. (ABC)

LAS VEGAS BOWL

LAS VEGAS

NO. 15 UTAH VS. NEBRASKA, 3:30 P.M. (ESPN)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF

QUARTERFINALS

AT COTTON BOWL, ARLINGTON, TEXAS

MIAMI/TEXAS A&M WINNER AT NO. 3 OHIO ST., 7:30 P.M. (ESPN)

============

JAN. 1

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF

QUARTERFINALS

AT ORANGE BOWL, MIAMI GARDENS, FLA.

JAMES MADISON/OREGON WINNER AT NO. 4 TEXAS TECH, NOON (ESPN)

AT ROSE BOWL, PASADENA, CALIF.

ALABAMA/OKLAHOMA WINNER AT NO. 1 INDIANA, 4 P.M. (ESPN)

AT SUGAR BOWL, NEW ORLEANS

TULANE/MISSISSIPPI WINNER AT NO. 2 GEORGIA, 8 P.M. (ESPN)

===========

JAN. 2

ARMED FORCES BOWL

FORT WORTH, TEXAS

TEXAS STATE VS. RICE, 1 P.M. (ESPN)

LIBERTY BOWL

MEMPHIS, TENN.

NO. 22 NAVY VS. CINCINNATI, 4:30 P.M. (ESPN)

DUKE’S MAYO BOWL

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

MISSISSIPPI ST. VS. WAKE FOREST, 8 P.M. (ESPN)

HOLIDAY BOWL

SAN DIEGO, CALIF.

NO. 21 ARIZONA VS. SMU, 8 P.M. (FOX)

=========

NFL WEEK 16

THURSDAY, DEC. 18

LA RAMS AT SEATTLE, 8:15 P.M. (PRIME VIDEO)

SATURDAY, DEC. 20

GREEN BAY AT CHICAGO, 4:30 P.M. OR 8 P.M. (FOX)

PHILADELPHIA AT WASHINGTON, 4:30 P.M. OR 8 P.M. (FOX)

SUNDAY, DEC. 21

KANSAS CITY AT TENNESSEE, 1 P.M. (CBS)

NY JETS AT NEW ORLEANS, 1 P.M. (CBS)

NEW ENGLAND AT BALTIMORE

BUFFALO AT CLEVELAND, 1 P.M. (CBS)

TAMPA BAY AT CAROLINA, 1 P.M. (FOX)

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

LA CHARGERS AT DALLAS, 1 P.M. (FOX)

ATLANTA AT ARIZONA, 4:05 P.M. (FOX)

JACKSONVILLE AT DENVER, 4:05 P.M. (FOX)

PITTSBURGH AT DETROIT, 4:25 P.M. (CBS)

LAS VEGAS AT HOUSTON, 4:25 P.M. (CBS)

CINCINNATI AT MIAMI, 8:20 P.M. (NBC)

MONDAY, DEC. 22

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

===========

NBA SCORES

NEW YORK 124 SAN ANTONIO 113

===========

NHL SCORES

VANCOUVER 3 NY RANGERS 0

DETROIT 3 NY ISLANDERS 2

PHILADELPHIA 4 MONTRÉAL 1

COLUMBUS 4 ANAHEIM 3 OT

BOSTON 4 UTAH 1

TORONTO 3 CHICAGO 2

EDMONTON 6 PITTSBURGH 4

MINNESOTA 5 WASHINGTON 0

COLORADO 5 SEATTLE 3

SAN JOSE 6 CALGARY 3

===========

COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

SEMIFINALS: THURSDAY, DEC. 18

TBA | NO. 1 KENTUCKY VS. NO. 3 WISCONSIN

TBA | NO. 1 PITT VS. NO. 3 TEXAS A&M

===========

TOP NATIONAL RELEASES/HEADLINES

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

HIGH-STAKE REMATCH: OKLAHOMA, ALABAMA CLASH IN CFP OPENER

Just more than a month after meeting in the regular season, Oklahoma and Alabama square off again in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

The eighth-ranked Sooners and ninth-ranked Crimson Tide meet Friday in Norman, Okla., in the CFP opener.

The winner will take on top-ranked Indiana in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

Oklahoma (10-2) comes into the game with momentum, having won four consecutive games to close the regular season, including a 23-21 victory over Alabama on Nov. 15 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

“I want our guys to be fully immersed in the moment,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said. “… The enormity of the challenge is real. We’re going to have to be an improved version of ourselves.”

The Sooners have been playing with no margin for error since the beginning of November, winning out after an Oct. 25 loss to Ole Miss.

Alabama (10-3) has struggled some beginning with the meeting against Oklahoma, dropping both that game and the SEC championship game to Georgia, 28-7, and going down to the wire before beating Auburn 27-20.

The Crimson Tide also have been dealing with speculation over Kalen DeBoer and his future at the school after the coach was mentioned prominently regarding the open Michigan job.

DeBoer said he hadn’t talked to anyone about another job and didn’t plan to.

“Our guys, if there’s any distraction, I haven’t seen it, haven’t felt it,” DeBoer said. “And so, I’m really proud of the way they’ve handled whatever noise that’s out there.”

Oklahoma is in the CFP for the first time since 2019 and is looking for its first playoff victory after losing in the semifinals in each of its four appearances in the four-team playoff era.

The Crimson Tide are in the playoff for the ninth time and the first time since 2023. Alabama is 9-5 in CFP games and emerged as champion in 2015, 2017 and 2020.

The matchup between Oklahoma’s secondary and Alabama’s wide receivers figures to be a key one.

Sooners cornerback Eli Bowen has two interceptions over the past three games, including an 87-yard pick-six against the Crimson Tide.

Germie Bernard leads the Crimson Tide with 57 catches for 762 yards and seven touchdowns.

Oklahoma got better news than Alabama early this week regarding the health of a key defensive linemen.

The Sooners’ R Mason Thomas missed the past three games after suffering a quad injury while returning a fumble 71 yards for a touchdown Nov. 1 against Tennessee. However, he was listed as fully available for this week’s game on Tuesday.

Alabama defensive end LT Overton, whose father played for Oklahoma, won’t be available on Friday due to an illness. He also missed the SEC championship game because of the ailment.

The Crimson Tide got more encouraging reports regarding tight end Jose Cuevas and running back Jam Miller.

Cuevas, who had six catches for 80 yards and a touchdown against the Sooners, has not played since that earlier matchup. He hasn’t played since then due to a foot injury, but he was back practicing this week and was considered questionable for Friday.

Miller missed the SEC title game because of a leg injury, but he should be set for the rematch against Oklahoma.

In addition to Thomas, Oklahoma was also without center Jake Maikkula for the regular-season finale as he battled an infection. He is considered questionable to oppose the Crimson Tide.

The Sooners are one of the few teams with a winning record against Alabama. Oklahoma is 5-2-1 all-time against the Crimson Tide.

CFP DEBUTANTS MIAMI, TEXAS A&M WELCOME PLAYOFF PROVING GROUND

Few teams came closer to the top of the sport without reaching the College Football Playoff than Texas A&M and Miami.

After failing to make the playoff field in the first 11 years the bracket was in place, the Aggies and Hurricanes are first-time playoff competitors this season.

They’ll face off Saturday afternoon in College Station for a right to take on No. 2 seed Ohio State in the CFP quarterfinals on New Year’s Eve.

No. 7 seed Texas A&M (11-1) was trending towards a top-four seed and a first-round bye before the team stubbed a toe in the regular-season finale, losing 27-17 at rival Texas on Nov. 28.

Instead of an extra week off, the program’s first playoff game will be in its home stadium in front of a capacity crowd of over 102,000. An Aggies win pushes them 150 miles up the road to the Cotton Bowl in Arlington to play the Buckeyes.

The second half of that Texas loss, in which the Longhorns amassed 285 yards of offense and 24 points, was a stunning turn for Texas A&M’s defense. The Aggies are tied for the FBS lead in sacks (41), have the nation’s best opposing third-down conversion percentage (22.7) and are 19th in total defense (309.8 yards per game).

“We’ve looked at the tape. We’ve seen the areas that we were deficient and made the proper adjustments,” Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said of the Texas loss. “At the end of the day, we’re just excited to get back out on the field and know there’s a really big game in front of us to play on Saturday.”

The 10th-seeded Hurricanes (10-2) appeared destined to narrowly miss the CFP for the second straight year when they were left out of the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game due to a tiebreaker.

However, the CFP committee elected to flip Miami and Notre Dame, giving the Hurricanes the final spot thanks to their head-to-head win after they had trailed the Irish in all previous rankings.

Miami is led by its defense under first-year coordinator Corey Hetherman. The Hurricanes rank sixth in scoring defense (13.8 points), seventh in rushing defense (86.8 yards) and 11th in total defense (277.8 yards).

After a pair of losses in a three-week span, Miami finished the season on a four-game winning streak in which it outscored those opponents 151-41.

“They love to work. They love the grind. They find opportunities to get better on their own by pushing, they push coaches,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said of his team.

He added: “Very hungry, driven team. It’s a team with tremendous heart as it relates to football and off the field.”

That defense could get even better this week, with Cristobal saying he feels “very strongly” that standout nickelback Keionte Scott will return after missing the last three games.

Those defenses have helped each team’s quarterbacks in Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed — who announced on Dec. 12 he’s returning for 2026 — and Miami’s Carson Beck. The two have similar statlines, each throwing 25 touchdowns along with 10 interceptions, tied with Oklahoma’s John Mateer for the most of any CFP QB.

Reed has the benefit of his legs (466 rushing yards, six touchdowns) and a pair of very productive transfer receivers in KC Concepcion (866 yards, nine TDs) and Mario Craver (825 yards, four TDs).

Beck doesn’t have much mobility, but he does have one of the best freshmen in the country in receiver Malachi Toney (970 yards, seven TDs).

This will be the third time in four years Texas A&M and Miami face off. They played a home-and-home in 2022-23, with each team winning at home. Miami leads the all-time series 3-2.

JMU SHRUGS OFF CRITICS, POINT SPREAD AHEAD OF CFP VISIT TO OREGON

James Madison doesn’t feel as if apologies are in order for crashing the College Football Playoff field.

It’s not the fault of the Dukes that the system was set up in a way that five-loss Duke could emerge as the Atlantic Coast Conference champion and open the door for 12th-seeded James Madison to claim a spot and face fifth-seeded Oregon on Saturday in a first-round game at Eugene, Ore.

“Outside critics can say whatever they want, we made it to this position because we earned it,” Dukes standout safety Jacob Thomas said.

James Madison (12-1) is in its fourth season at the FBS level and can’t match Oregon’s reputation and talent. It also will have to deal with the rabid atmosphere that Oregon (11-1) possesses in Eugene.

But that also equates to a major opportunity in the eyes of Dukes quarterback Alonza Barnett III.

“This is an environment you dream of playing in, and if you are who you say you are, you can’t shy down when the lights are bright,” Barnett said.

James Madison coach Bob Chesney will be moving on to be UCLA’s new coach after the magical season ends.

The Dukes, champions of the Sun Belt Conference, were one of two non-power league teams to crash the CFP field. The other is No. 11 Tulane, which visits No. 6 Ole Miss on Saturday.

“A lot of work to get to this point and we’re really proud to be one of the 12 teams in this College Football Playoff,” Chesney said. “It’s rare, you know, for teams in the Group of 5 to make it, and I think to have two in here is pretty exciting.”

James Madison’s loss this season came at ACC foe Louisville, 28-14, on Sept. 5.

As for Oregon, its lone loss came against No. 1 playoff seed Indiana, 30-20 in Eugene on Oct. 11.

The Ducks rebounded with six consecutive victories, five by double digits, including a 42-27 victory over then-No. 15 Southern California on Nov. 22.

“I think you always feel the pressure in moments, especially when we had a hiccup early against Indiana,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “We didn’t have any room to leave any indecision for anybody afterwards. Our guys really approached that with each game. It has a life of its own, we had to attack it.”

Oregon’s Dante Moore finished the regular season with passing-yardage outputs of 306, 257 and 286 yards. The third-year sophomore is being mentioned as a probable top-five NFL draft pick should he enter his name in the 2026 draft.

“Of course, everybody keeps asking me questions, but there’s not a decision yet,” said Moore, who has passed for 2,733 yards and 24 touchdowns against six interceptions. “I don’t know. I’m just glad to be here and play JMU this upcoming week.”

The Ducks have been hearing all week that they are on their way to an easy victory — they are favored by three touchdowns at multiple sportsbooks — but Lanning isn’t buying into that.

“Obviously, they have done an exceptional job all year,” Lanning said of the Dukes. “You talk about one of the few teams that’s top-10 offense and top-10 defense. You watch their offense and they create explosive plays all over the board. … Defensively, they create a lot of issues, a lot of different looks.”

Barnett has passed for 21 touchdowns and rushed for 14 more. He has 2,533 passing yards and eight interceptions plus 544 yards on the ground.

Dukes running back Wayne Knight has rushed for 1,263 yards and nine touchdowns, caught 37 passes for 379 yards and one score and is the main punt returner (9.5-yard average).

Oregon’s defense is led by linebacker Bryce Boettcher (104 tackles).

JACKSONVILLE STATE COMES FROM BEHIND TO BEAT TROY IN SALUTE TO VETERANS BOWL

Caden Creel threw for 173 yards and a touchdown and Deondre Johnson hauled in six catches for 101 yards on Tuesday, helping Jacksonville State post a 17-13 victory over Troy in the Salute to Veterans Bowl in Montgomery, Ala.

Brock Rechsteiner caught a 22-yard touchdown for the Gamecocks (9-5), who won their second bowl game in three FBS seasons. Jacksonville State earned bragging rights in the rivalry known as the “Battle for the Ol’ School Bell.” Tuesday marked the 64th all-time meeting in a series that began in 1924.

Tucker Kilcrease completed 12 of 23 passes for 116 yards and threw two interceptions in relief of Troy starter Goose Crowder, who left with an injury after throwing for 13 yards in the first quarter. The Trojans’ (8-5) lone touchdown came on a fumble recovery in the end zone in the opening quarter.

Trailing by six at halftime, Jacksonville State trimmed its deficit in half on Garrison Rippa’s 51-yard field goal with 6:35 left in the third.

DJ Epps returned the ensuing kickoff 79 yards to Jacksonville State’s 20. From there, Quay Hood and Shane Payton Hodges’ sack of Kilcrease on third down forced Scott Taylor Renfroe’s 49-yard field goal attempt, which missed far right.

After Jacksonville State’s punt, Kilcrease was intercepted by Ian Mitchell at Troy’s 47-yard line.

With 10:06 left in the fourth quarter, the Gamecocks took their first lead since the first quarter, as Andrew Paul’s 1-yard rushing score gave Jacksonville State a 17-13 lead.

Troy came up short on fourth-and-6 on Jacksonville State’s 27 on its next drive before getting the ball back after the Gamecocks’ punt. Kilcrease then threw his second interception, which Tyrin Taylor grabbed at Jacksonville State’s 32.

The Trojans had one last chance, but Kilcrease’s Hail Mary attempt as time expired was knocked down in the end zone.

After Troy’s three-and-out began the game, Creel’s 22-yard touchdown pass to Rechsteiner stamped a nine-play, 71-yard scoring drive to give the Gamecocks a 7-0 lead.

Following Troy’s second punt, Creel fumbled in the end zone and the ball was recovered for a game-tying touchdown by Luis Medina with 1:39 remaining in the first.

After Jacksonville State’s failed fake punt, Troy tacked on with Taylor Renfroe’s 38-yard field goal at the 10:57 mark of the second quarter.

Taylor Renfroe’s 30-yarder gave the Trojans a 13-7 halftime lead.

ACC REVEALS ‘26 SCHEDULE: SOME PLAY 9 LEAGUE GAMES, OTHERS 8

The Atlantic Coast Conference revealed Tuesday that not all 17 of its football members will make the move to a nine-game conference schedule in 2026.

Instead, 12 teams will play nine games while Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech and North Carolina will have eight games in what the league called a “transition year” to its new scheduling policy.

The ACC said in a news release that the unique format for 2026 was “designed to balance competitive equity, honor existing nonconference game contracts and account for the league’s unique 17-team footprint.”

Beginning in 2027, 16 teams will play a nine-game ACC schedule and also be required to schedule one other Power 4 opponent. Because of the odd number of member institutions, one team each season will be scheduled for eight ACC games and must schedule two Power 4 opponents elsewhere.

“Today’s announcement of our 2026 football league opponents is another significant and intentional step forward for ACC Football,” commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement. “Transitioning to a nine-game conference schedule strengthens our competitive framework, aligns us with the other Power Four conferences and provides greater consistency for our student-athletes, coaches and fans. This phased approach reflects our commitment to competitive equity, scheduling flexibility and delivering a premier football product across all 17 institutions.”

The league announced its decision to join the Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC with a nine-game conference schedule back on Sept. 22.

The ACC also said in its release that its tiebreaker policy will be updated and announced sometime before the 2026 season.

The league caught flak for 7-5 Duke winning a five-way tiebreaker among 6-2 ACC teams to qualify for the championship game against Virginia. The unranked Blue Devils upset the Cavaliers for the conference title, and come College Football Playoff selection time, two Group of Five champions — Tulane and James Madison — were ranked higher than Duke and got in the field as the No. 11 and 12 seeds.

BIFF POGGI TELLS SIGNEES AND PARENTS MICHIGAN HOPES TO HIRE A COACH BY END OF MONTH, AP SOURCE SAYS

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan interim football coach Biff Poggi had a Zoom call with the program’s signees and their parents just hours after Sherrone Moore was fired last week, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.

Poggi told the players and their parents that athletic director Warde Manuel hoped to have a new coach hired by the end of the month, said the person, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share details from the call.

Moore’s firing left the No. 18 Wolverines scrambling to retain recruits and give current players reasons to stay out of the transfer portal.

That’s going to be quite a challenge.

Michigan has begun practicing for its bowl game with Poggi and assistants, none of whom know if they will be a part of the team’s staff in 2026.

The Wolverines announced less than two weeks ago that 27 prospects signed commitments to play football for the maize and blue and the class was ranked No. 11 by 247Sports.

Two of those players, however, asked for and were granted their release by the school.

Matt Ludwig, a four-star tight end from Montana, has already switched his commitment to Texas Tech and Bear McWhorter, a three-star offensive lineman from Georgia, opened up his recruitment last week.

“In light of recent events, I’ve made the very difficult decision to withdraw,” McWhorter posted Friday on Instagram.

McWhorter made his decision Monday, committing to Auburn.

Moore was fired Wednesday after the school said an investigation uncovered evidence of his inappropriate relationship with a staffer. He was later jailed for two nights and charged with three crimes.

While a search firm helps Michigan quickly look for a new coach, other colleges are taking advantage of the opportunity to make offers to the Wolverines’ signees because they’re in a 30-day window to potentially get released.

“Every day that a new coach isn’t in place, there’s a risk in more players asking for their release and current players planning to go in the portal,” Allen Trieu, 247Sports national recruiting analyst, said in a telephone interview. “Time is of essence, if the primary goal is to keep the recruiting class in place.

“Those families are waiting with bated breath — as many are who are invested in Michigan football — to see who the next coach is going to be.”

Current players, including starting quarterback Bryce Underwood, will have a chance to enter the transfer portal between Jan. 2-16 if they don’t like the direction of the program or how they fit with the new coach.

“It’s a very unique time,” Trieu said. “You have a coaching staff, not knowing if they’ll be back, preparing for a game while trying to hold onto signees and current players — and everybody is impatient.”

FORMER MICHIGAN COACH JIM HARBAUGH REACHED OUT TO SHERRONE MOORE: ‘IT’S A TRAGEDY’

Michigan’s athletic department is the subject of a new independent investigation to unearth details regarding whether officials and staff had knowledge of the subordinate relationship that led to head coach Sherrone Moore being fired.

Moore was fired “with cause” last week when athletic director Warde Manuel cited “credible evidence” of an inappropriate relationship with a paid staffer. Now Manuel is on alert as the reeling Wolverines must determine how to proceed, facing urgency to hire Moore’s successor.

Michigan promoted Moore in January 2024 after ending a scandal-laced season in 2023 as undefeated national champions under Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh left to become head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, creating the opening.

Fallout from the latest situation surrounding Moore continues to expand and includes a massive window for all players to transfer. The transfer portal officially opens to all current college football players on Jan. 2, and NCAA rules grant players at programs undergoing a coaching change a 15-day window to leave for another school.

Moore, who is married with three children, has not commented publicly since he was fired, setting off a dramatic chain of events and legal entanglement.

Harbaugh said Tuesday in an appearance on the “Dan Patrick Show” that he was able to make contact with Moore and encouraged him to “take care of his family.”

“It’s a tragedy,” Harbaugh said. “The worst days of his life. Keep it together and take care of your family, that’s the message — and getting spiritual guidance, you know, is really critical.”

Current Michigan basketball coach Dusty May hasn’t connected with Moore since he was fired but weighed in on the matter this week.

“The football stuff, obviously some poor decisions made across the board,” May said. “Everyone involved is a human being and every decision impacts other human beings. And so, I just pray for families that are impacted and their lives and their children are impacted.

“I don’t have the solutions to a lot of the world’s problems. But man, if we all just tried to be better human beings, better world civilians and what not, I think we would all have a much greater impact.”

Moore first came to Michigan to be tight ends coach in 2018. He had been co-offensive coordinator with Matt Weiss in 2022, but Weiss was fired in January 2023 after an internal review found he “inappropriately accessed the computer accounts of other individuals.” Weiss was indicted on 24 federal charges in March 2025 for allegedly hacking into hundreds of private, student accounts of female athletes, accessing “intimate digital photographs and videos,” according to the indictment.

As offensive coordinator at the time, Moore twice served as interim coach during two Harbaugh suspensions in the 2023 season.

The 2023 season netted a perfect record, conference championship and the national title trophy, but the university is holding the bag for the significant cost stemming from allegations during that season. An NCAA investigation brought show-cause penalties from the NCAA for Moore and Harbaugh for evading or “intentionally misleading” investigators searching for details of a sign-stealing effort by Connor Stalions, a now-infamous volunteer staffer.

Even still, if not for his most recent missteps, Moore, 39, could be preparing the Wolverines for a high-profile bowl game against Texas in Orlando. That assignment fell to interim coach Biff Poggi following Moore’s dismissal and arrest last week.

As Moore and the rest of the world learned of charges including felony third-degree home invasion and stalking and breaking and entering misdemeanors, the remaining staff and players were reeling at the thought of coping with a new reality.

“It has been a tumultuous time,” Poggi said in Orlando on Monday. “A lot of … first, disbelief, and anger. Really, what we’re in right now is the phase of — the kids, quite frankly, feel very betrayed. And we’re trying to work through that.”

Poggi was associate head coach under Harbaugh at Michigan from 2021-22 and was Charlotte head coach in 2023-24, going 6-16 before he was fired. Poggi was back in Ann Arbor this season and became the Wolverines’ acting head coach for two games in September while Moore served a suspension for his role in the sign-stealing scandal.

Poggi said he is doing his best to keep players at the forefront before refocusing on football and Texas.

“Multiple levels of complexity that our young people are dealing with, our university’s dealing with, our athletic director Warde Manuel’s dealing with,” Poggi said in low, measured tones. “You know, our team, our coaches and our kids (too). It’s been … I don’t know that you can prepare for something like this. It’s been, I’ll just say, complicated.”

Poggi indicated he has met with all of the players and their parents via Zoom on several occasions.

“The message has been listening, right? I want to listen to them,” Poggi said. “I want to understand what the kids are feeling and what their parents are feeling. And so, a lot of listening. There has been a wide range of emotions, as you can imagine. We’re kind of going through those steps. They’re not over yet, and I don’t expect them to be over for a while, quite frankly.”

Michigan’s payout for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl and a percentage take from the Big Ten postseason revenue share is owed to the NCAA, and the program could face litigation if it’s found university officials, administrators and others were aware of Moore’s alleged extra-marital relationship with a subordinate on staff.

Among candidates thought to be in consideration for Moore’s now-vacant post are Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator with the Chargers and a former U-M assistant, Jesse Minter.

“I still don’t have my head wrapped around it,” Harbaugh said on the “Dan Patrick Show.” “It’s a tragedy, and just praying for all concerned. I love my alma mater. I love Michigan. But I love the Chargers, too, and I would be doing a disservice if I wasn’t putting all my focus on this game. This is the most important game for us.”

Harbaugh told Patrick he is not involved in Michigan’s search for a new coach. Manuel is leading that initial search, and Poggi said he told players and recruits Michigan is hopeful a new coach will be in place Jan. 1.

Members of the University of Michigan Board of Regents met with Manuel last Thursday (Dec. 10) and some went public with thoughts on the matter, emphasizing transparency.

“The decision to retain Jenner & Block as an independent third party to thoroughly investigate what happened and how it was allowed to happen is a necessary first step. My expectations are clear: the findings of that investigation must be made public,” regent Jordan Acker said in a social media statement.

“Transparency is essential to restoring trust and meeting the expectations of the people of this state, our students, our faculty, our alumni, and everyone who believes in the values this university is supposed to represent. Anything less would fall short of who we claim to be.”

USC QB JAYDEN MAIAVA RETURNING TO TROJANS IN 2026

After leading the Big Ten Conference with 3,431 passing yards through the regular-season schedule, Southern California quarterback Jayden Maiava committed Tuesday to returning to the Trojans program in 2026.

Maiava completed 66.2% of his passes with 23 touchdowns against eight interceptions while leading USC to a 9-3 record. The Trojans are set to face TCU in the Dec. 30 Alamo Bowl at San Antonio, Texas.

In two seasons at USC, Maiava has completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 4,632 yards and 34 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. The Hawaii native, who started his college career at UNLV in 2023, took over as USC’s starting quarterback late last season.

While the Trojans are set to lose a pair of the nation’s top wide receivers in Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane to the NFL draft, the program will return wideouts Tanook Hines and Zacharyus Williams, along with running back Waymond Jordan.

QB ARCH MANNING TO RETURN TO TEXAS FOR 2026 SEASON

Quarterback Arch Manning will return to Texas for the 2026 season, his father informed ESPN late Monday night.

“Arch is playing football at Texas next year,” Cooper Manning wrote in a text to the network.

The nephew of Super Bowl MVPs Peyton and Eli and grandson of Archie Manning, Arch is eligible to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. As a redshirt sophomore, he has two more seasons of eligibility.

The younger Manning was seen as a Heisman Trophy candidate and potential No. 1 overall draft pick in 2026 before enduring a slow start to this season.

He completed 227 of 370 pass attempts for 2,942 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season for No. 13 Texas (9-3), which plays No. 18 Michigan (9-3) on Dec. 31 in the Citrus Bowl. The 6-foot-4 Manning also rushed for 244 yards and eight scores.

“He’s a young man who’s gotten better as the season’s gone on, and not only physically, but mentally, maturity-wise,” Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said at a recent media event in Orlando, Fla. “I would think he’s going to want another year of that growth to put himself in position for hopefully a long career in the NFL. And he’s got some unfinished business of what he came here to do and what he came here to accomplish.

“We had a really good football season. We left some meat on the bone with an opportunity to be SEC champs, national champs, and so ultimately for him, I think the competitor in him is going to say, ‘Man, I sure would like another crack at trying to do those things.’”

===========

NFL NEWS

WEEK 16 NFL PREVIEW 

Last week, the Denver Broncos (12-2) and Los Angeles Rams (11-3) became the first two teams to clinch a playoff spot this season. The Broncos and Rams will play in the two Week 16 games between clubs with at least 10 wins, as Denver hosts the AFC South leading Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4) on Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX) and the Rams visit the Seattle Seahawks (11-3) on Thursday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video).

Four of the five other teams with at least 10 wins this season – Buffalo (10-4), the Los Angeles Chargers (10-4), New England (11-3) and San Francisco (10-4) – are on the road in Week 16.

In addition to the NFC West, the NFC North and NFC South also have matchups this week between the teams with the two best records in their divisions. In the NFC North, the Chicago Bears (10-4) host the Green Bay Packers (9-4-1) on Saturday night (8:20 p.m. ET, FOX) and in the NFC South, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7) visit the Carolina Panthers (7-7) in Week 16 (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX).

Here’s a look at each division race entering Week 16:

AFC East: The New England Patriots (11-3) lead the Buffalo Bills (10-4) by one game in the AFC East after Buffalo overcame a 21-point deficit to defeat New England, 35-31, in Week 15. The Patriots finished last in the division in 2024 and in 19 of the past 22 seasons (2003-24), at least one team finished in first place in its division the season after finishing in last or tied for last place.

  • The Patriots visit the Baltimore Ravens (7-7) on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC) in Week 16 and with a win or tie, can clinch their first playoff berth since 2021. 
  • The Bills have won the AFC East in each of the past five seasons and at Cleveland (3-11) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), look to clinch their seventh-consecutive playoff berth.
  • Last week, Buffalo became the sixth team all-time with at least 10 wins in seven straight seasons, joining the 2003-19 New England Patriots (17 consecutive seasons), 1983-98 San Francisco 49ers (16), 2015-24 Kansas City Chiefs (10), 2002-10 Indianapolis Colts (nine) and 1975-81 Dallas Cowboys (seven).

AFC North: The Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6) lead the Baltimore Ravens (7-7) after both teams earned Week 15 victories. Pittsburgh is set to visit Detroit (8-6) on Sunday afternoon (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS) while the Ravens will host New England (11-3) on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC).

  • The Steelers look to record their 22nd consecutive season with a .500-or-better record and surpass the Dallas Cowboys (21 consecutive seasons from 1965-85) for the longest such streak in NFL history.
  • Pittsburgh and Baltimore will also meet in Week 18. Pittsburgh can secure its first AFC North division title since 2020 while Baltimore can win the division for the third-consecutive season.

AFC South: The Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4) have won five consecutive games to take over first place in the AFC South, leading the Houston Texans (9-5) and Indianapolis Colts (8-6). The Jaguars, along with the Patriots, are in playoff position after selecting in the top-five in the 2025 NFL Draft. In six consecutive seasons (2019-24) and in 21 of the past 23 seasons (2002-24), a team that chose in the top five of the NFL Draft has qualified for the postseason.

  • The Jaguars visit the Denver Broncos (12-2) on Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX) and can secure their first playoff berth since 2022. It has been 21 seasons (Week 17 of the 2004 season, Pittsburgh at Buffalo) since two teams on winning streaks of five-or-more games met in Week 16 or later.
  • Last week, Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence became the first player in NFL history with at least 300 passing yards, five touchdown passes, 50 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in a single game. 
  • Houston, looking to become the fifth team since 1990 to begin 0-3 and qualify for the postseason, has won six consecutive games entering Week 16 against Las Vegas (2-12) (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS). The Texans have won the AFC South in each of the past two seasons.
  • Indianapolis, who hosts San Francisco (10-4) on Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Week 16, searches for its first playoff berth since 2020 and is set to face Jacksonville in Week 17 and Houston in Week 18.

AFC West: The Denver Broncos (12-2) lead the AFC West after clinching a playoff spot for the second-consecutive season and have won 11 consecutive games in a season for the third time in franchise history (13 consecutive games in 1998 and 11 in 2012).

  • The Broncos host the Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4) on Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX) and look for their first 13-win season since 2013. 
  • The Los Angeles Chargers (10-4), who visit Dallas (6-7-1) in Week 16 (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX), have at least 10 wins in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2006-07 and can qualify for the postseason in back-to-back years for the first time since four straight playoff appearances from 2006-09.

NFC East: There has been a new NFC East division champion in 20 consecutive seasons (2005-24). The Philadelphia Eagles (9-5) currently lead the Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1) for first place in the division and with a win at Washington (4-10) on Saturday in Week 16 (5 p.m. ET, FOX), can become the first team to repeat as NFC East champions since they won four consecutive division titles from 2001-04.

NFC North: The Chicago Bears (10-4) lead the Green Bay Packers (9-4-1) and Detroit Lions (8-6) in the NFC North entering Week 16. The Packers defeated the Bears, 28-21, at home in Week 14 and will travel to Chicago in Week 16 (Saturday, 8:20 p.m. ET, FOX).

  • The Bears can win the NFC North for the first time since 2018 and qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2020.
  • The Packers can secure their first division title since winning three consecutive NFC North titles from 2019-21. 
  • The Lions, who host Pittsburgh (8-6) on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS), look to win the division and qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

NFC South: The Carolina Panthers (7-7) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7) are tied atop the NFC South and are set to meet twice in the final three weeks of the season (Week 16 at Carolina, Week 18 at Tampa Bay). The Buccaneers have won four consecutive division titles since 2021 while the Panthers are seeking their first NFC South title since 2015 and first playoff berth since 2017.

NFC West: The Los Angeles Rams (11-3, clinched playoff berth), Seattle Seahawks (11-3) and San Francisco 49ers (10-4) each enter Week 16 in a playoff spot. Two matchups between the three teams remain this season – the Rams visit the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football in Week 16 (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video) and Seattle visits San Francisco in Week 18.

  • The Rams qualified for the playoffs for the seventh time in nine seasons under head coach Sean McVay and can win the NFC West for the second-straight season. 
  • The Seahawks can win the division for the first time since 2020 and reach the postseason for the first time since 2022. 
  • The 49ers, who visit Indianapolis (8-6) on Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC), can win the NFC West for the third time in the past four seasons and qualify for the postseason for the fourth time in the past five years.

WEEK 16 PLAYOFF SCENARIOS

AFC

CLINCHED:

            Denver Broncos (12-2) – playoff berth


Denver Broncos (12-2)
 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4); Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX)

Denver clinches AFC West division title and the AFC’s No. 1 seed, lone first-round bye and home-field advantage with:

  1. DEN win + LAC loss or tie + NE loss + BUF loss or tie

Denver clinches AFC West division title with:

  1. DEN win + LAC loss or tie OR
  2. DEN tie + LAC loss


Buffalo Bills (10-4)
 at Cleveland Browns (3-11); Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS)

Buffalo clinches playoff berth with:

  1. BUF win + IND loss or tie OR
  2. BUF win + HOU loss or tie OR
  3. BUF tie + IND loss OR
  4. BUF tie + HOU loss


New England Patriots (11-3)
 at Baltimore Ravens (7-7); Sunday night (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC)

New England clinches playoff berth with:

  1. NE win or tie OR
  2. IND loss or tie OR
  3. HOU loss or tie


Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4) 
at Denver Broncos (12-2); Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX)

Jacksonville clinches playoff berth with:

  1. JAX win + IND loss or tie OR
  2. JAX win + HOU loss or tie OR
  3. JAX tie + IND loss OR
  4. JAX tie + IND tie + HOU loss


Los Angeles Chargers (10-4) 
at Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1); Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX)

Los Angeles Chargers clinch playoff berth with:

  1. LAC win + IND loss or tie OR
  2. LAC win + HOU loss or tie OR
  3. LAC tie + IND loss OR
  4. LAC tie + IND tie + HOU loss

NFC

CLINCHED:

            Los Angeles Rams (11-3) – playoff berth


Philadelphia Eagles (9-5) 
at Washington Commanders (4-10); Saturday (5 p.m. ET, FOX)

Philadelphia clinches NFC East division title with:

  1. PHI win OR
  2. DAL loss OR
  3. PHI tie + DAL tie


Chicago Bears (10-4) 
vs. Green Bay Packers (9-4-1); Saturday night (8:20 p.m. ET, FOX)

Chicago clinches playoff berth with:

  1. CHI win + DET loss or tie OR
  2. CHI tie + DET loss


Green Bay Packers (9-4-1) 
at Chicago Bears (10-4); Saturday night (8:20 p.m. ET, FOX)

Green Bay clinches playoff berth with:

  1. GB win + DET loss or tie OR
  2. GB tie + DET loss


San Francisco 49ers (10-4) 
at Indianapolis Colts (8-6); Monday night (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)

San Francisco clinches playoff berth with:

  1. SF win OR
  2. DET loss OR
  3. SF tie + DET tie


Seattle Seahawks (11-3) 
vs. Los Angeles Rams (11-3); Thursday night (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video)

Seattle clinches playoff berth with:

  1. SEA win or tie OR
  2. DET loss or tie

EAGLES RB SAQUON BARKLEY (STINGER) APPEARS ON INJURY REPORT

Philadelphia Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley popped up on the team’s first injury report of the week Tuesday, listed as DNP with a stinger.

The injury report was an estimation because the Eagles only held a walkthrough Tuesday.

It’s unclear how Barkley may have suffered the stinger, also known as a pinched nerve. He participated in just 39 offensive snaps in Philadelphia’s 31-0 home win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. He still racked up 78 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.

Barkley, who posted a 2,005-yard rushing season in 2024 and helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl, has amassed 940 rushing yards on 240 attempts and scored six touchdowns through 14 games. He’s added 37 catches for 273 yards and two touchdowns for the Eagles (9-5).

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter (shoulders), guard Landon Dickerson (calf), tackles Lane Johnson (foot) and Fred Johnson (ankle) and tight end Cameron Latu (stinger) were also listed as DNP for the Eagles. Backup running back Tank Bigsby (illness) was deemed a limited participant.

DOLPHINS COACH ON POTENTIAL QB CHANGE: ‘EVERYTHING IS ON THE TABLE’

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Tuesday that he’s considering a quarterback change from traditional starter Tua Tagovailoa.

McDaniel’s comments came one day after the Dolphins (6-8) were eliminated from playoff contention with a 28-15 setback to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“The quarterback play last night was not good enough,” McDaniel said. “So for me, everything is on the table.”

Tagovailoa, 27, completed 6 of 10 passes for 65 yards while throwing his NFL-leading 15th interception through the first three quarters of Monday’s game. He finished 22 of 28 for 253 yards with a pair of late touchdowns to tight end Darren Waller.

Tagovailoa has thrown for 2,660 yards and 20 touchdowns this season for the Dolphins, who host the Cincinnati Bengals (4-10) on Sunday.

Zach Wilson and rookie Quinn Ewers have seen limited work this season. The former completed 6 of 9 passes for 32 yards in three games, while the latter is 5-for-8 for 53 yards in one game.

McDaniel said he is “trying to determine who gives us the best chance to win.” He also noted that he will have a decision on Wednesday as to who will start Sunday.

JETS RELEASE WIDE RECEIVER ALLEN LAZARD AFTER NEARLY 3 DISAPPOINTING SEASONS

Allen Lazard came to the New York Jets with a big contract and high expectations. He’s leaving after almost three disappointing seasons.

The Jets released the veteran wide receiver on Tuesday, cutting ties with Lazard after his role diminished significantly this season even as the offense struggled to produce. With three games left in the regular season, the 30-year-old will be able to sign elsewhere.

Lazard had only 10 catches for 70 yards and a touchdown this season while playing in just 10 games after he was buried on the depth chart.

Lazard came to the Jets as one of the team’s biggest offseason moves in 2023, signing a four-year, $44 million contract — a month before he was reunited with Aaron Rodgers, his former quarterback in Green Bay who was acquired in a trade by New York.

The two showed instant chemistry in training camp that summer, but the connection never materialized in the regular season when Rodgers was lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. Lazard finished with 23 catches for 311 yards and a touchdown in 14 games.

With Rodgers back, Lazard was a bit more productive last season, with 37 receptions for 530 yards and six scores in 12 games, but never quite made the impact the Jets expected.

RAMS CROSS FINGERS THAT DAVANTE ADAMS WILL BE ABLE TO FACE SEAHAWKS

The Los Angeles Rams have the NFL’s touchdown-reception leader.

The Seattle Seahawks have the leader in receiving yards.

However, only one of those players might suit up when the teams meet in an NFC West showdown on Thursday night in Seattle.

The Rams (11-3) might be without Davante Adams, who has 14 touchdown catches, because of a nagging left hamstring injury.

Coach Sean McVay said he would likely wait until game time to make a decision on Adams, who aggravated the injury while running a deep route on Sunday in Los Angeles’ 41-34 victory against visiting Detroit.

“I’m not ruling anyone out,” McVay said Tuesday. “He just got his hamstring. He felt it a little bit, and it’s something he’s been dealing with, and he’s as tough as it gets. Want to be able to see what it looks like with the time we have.”

Adams has twice previously dealt with hamstring issues this season, his first with the Rams. He has 60 catches for 789 yards.

Rams defensive end Braden Fiske (ankle) also missed practice on Tuesday.

Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford is a leading MVP contender with a league-leading 37 touchdown passes and 3,722 yards through the air, second only to the 3,931 of the Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott.

The Rams, who have won two games in a row and eight of their past nine, lead the Seahawks (11-3) in the NFC West by virtue of their 21-19 home victory against Seattle on Nov. 16. Los Angeles intercepted Sam Darnold four times but had to sweat out a last-second 61-yard field-goal attempt by Jason Myers that narrowly missed wide right.

Myers kicked a franchise-record six field goals on Sunday as the Seahawks edged the visiting Indianapolis Colts 18-16. It was Seattle’s fourth straight win since the loss to the Rams.

Left tackle Charles Cross, who sustained a hamstring injury on Myers’ winning kick, was the lone Seahawks player to miss practice on Tuesday.

“We’re just trying to gather the info right now, exhausting all options to see how fast we can get him back,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said of Cross.

While the Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the NFL with 1,541 receiving yards, the rest of the offense has stalled. Seattle’s offense has scored just six first-half points in each of its past three games (not counting an interception return for a TD).

The Seahawks likely will need more than that against a Rams team that has scored 40-plus points in each of its past two contests.

“We just need to get together and understand the game plan and execute at the end of the day,” Smith-Njigba said. “And I’ll leave it at that.”

Seattle managed a season-low 50 rushing yards against the Colts, with Kenneth Walker III totaling just 17 yards on nine attempts.

“We didn’t run it the way we wanted to,” Macdonald said. “It’s kind of a little bit of everything right now. A little bit late in the year to be saying that. So, I mean, we got to pick it up, really, on all fronts.”

Seattle’s defense ranks second in the league in opponents’ scoring, allowing just 17.3 points per game.

McVay admitted he hasn’t gotten much sleep this week after his wife Veronika gave birth to son Christian Alexander McVay on Monday morning.

“What a crazy week to be playing on a Thursday,” McVay said. “This is a good challenge. … It’s a blessing to be able to play in meaningful games this late in the season.”

===========

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS

TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 20 TENNESSEE BEATS NO. 11 LOUISVILLE TO SNAP SKID

Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 23 points for No. 20 Tennessee, which brushed off the cobwebs to score an impressive 83-62 victory over No. 11 Louisville on Tuesday in Knoxville, Tenn.

Playing for the first time in 10 days, the Volunteers (8-3) ended a three-game losing streak by using their size to stifle one of the country’s most potent offenses. Tennessee held the Cardinals (9-2), who entered Tuesday ranked seventh nationally averaging 94.3 points per game, to a season-low point total.

Gillespie scored 20 of his points in the second half as Tennessee shot 58.3% in the second half. Nate Ament added 13 points for the Volunteers, and Jaylen Carey posted 12 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

Ryan Conwell led Louisville with 22 points. The Cardinals played short-handed as Mikel Brown Jr., the team’s starting point guard and second-leading scorer, was a late scratch due to a back injury. They committed 16 turnovers without him.

No. 1 Arizona 96, Abilene Christian 62

Brayden Burries had 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field, leading six players who scored in double figures in Arizona’s win over Abilene Christian in a battle of Wildcats at Tucson, Ariz.

Motiejus Krivas finished with 15 points after making all four of his shots from the field and 7 of 8 free-throw attempts for Arizona. Ivan Kharchenkov finished with 11 points while Koa Peat, Jaden Bradley and Tobe Awaka each had 10. Arizona (10-0) made 66.7% (30 of 45) of its shots from the field, outrebounded Abilene Christian 38-23 and held a 44-22 advantage in points in the paint.

Abilene Christian (7-4) shot 35.7% (20 of 56) from the field. Cbo Newton had 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, and Joseph Scott had 15 after making 5 of 9 shots. The rest of the team was a combined 8 of 37 (21.6%).

No. 3 Duke 97, Lipscomb 73

Cameron Boozer piled up 26 points and 13 rebounds to help the Blue Devils hold off the upset-minded Bisons in Durham, N.C.

Boozer shot 10 of 17 from the floor, was a perfect 6 of 6 from the charity stripe and also dished out three assists for Duke (11-0). Isaiah Evans added 16 points. The Blue Devils won the rebounding margin 55-21 and turned 20 offensive boards into 26 second-chance points. Lipscomb, meanwhile, grabbed just three of their own misses.

Grant Asman scored 18 points for the Bisons (6-5), while Mateo Esmeraldo tallied 14 points and eight assists.

No. 5 UConn 79, Butler 60
Solo Ball scored a career-high 26 points on 8-of-14 shooting to lead the Huskies to a victory over the Bulldogs in Hartford, Conn., to open Big East conference play.

Tarris Reed Jr. added 16 points and five rebounds for UConn (11-1, 1-0), while Silas Demary Jr. dished out 11 assists.

Drayton Jones led Butler (8-3, 1-1) with 13 points, and Azavier Robinson and Evan Haywood each added 10. The Bulldogs were held to a season low in points after coming into this game averaging 90-plus points per contest.

No. 9 Michigan State 92, Toledo 69

Jaxon Kohler notched a double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds and Jeremy Fears Jr. added 15 points and eight assists as the Spartans downed the Rockets in East Lansing, Mich.

Starter Coen Carr and reserve Kur Teng scored 14 points apiece, and Michigan State (10-1) overcame a 15-4 turnover disparity thanks in part to a 54-24 rebounding advantage.

Sonny Wilson led all scorers with a career-best 29 points while shooting 10-for-15 from the floor for Toledo (5-6). The Rockets outscored the Spartans 41-34 in the second half but couldn’t overcome a 58-28 first-half deficit.

No. 10 BYU 93, Pacific 57

Richie Saunders scored a game-high 24 points to lead the Cougars to a win over the Tigers in Provo, Utah.

AJ Dybantsa had a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds for BYU (10-1), while Robert Wright III added 22 points and Tyler Mrus chipped in 15 on 4-of-4 3-point shooting. The Cougars have now won seven straight games.

Kajus Kublickas led Pacific (8-4) with 14 points and Elias Ralph tallied 12, all of which he scored after halftime.

No. 12 North Carolina 77, East Tennessee State 58

Henri Veesaar scored a career-high 26 points as the Tar Heels pulled away from the Buccaneers in the second half in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Caleb Wilson contributed 20 points and eight rebounds as North Carolina (10-1) captured its fourth straight win. Veesaar made 10 of 11 shots, including 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. He also had eight rebounds to help the Tar Heels to a 35-23 edge on the boards. North Carolina posted a 36-22 advantage in points in the paint.

Brian Taylor scored 14 points and Blake Barkley added 11 points to lead East Tennessee State (8-4) of the Southern Conference.

No. 14 Arkansas 108, Queens 80

Senior Trevon Brazile had career highs with 26 points and five 3-pointers, freshman Darius Acuff Jr. had a career-high 23 points with 10 assists and the Razorbacks rolled to a victory over the Royals in Fayetteville, Ark.

Arkansas (9-2) also received contributions from Billy Richmond III (15 points), Nick Pringle (14 points and seven rebounds) and Karter Knox (11 points). The Razorbacks made a season-high 14 3-pointers to win their fourth straight game.

Nasir Mann scored 16 points, Maban Jabriel had 14 and Avantae Parker had 13 for Queens (5-7).

No. 17 Kansas 73, Towson 49

Flory Bidunga finished with 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Tre White added 16 points and the Jayhawks pulled away for a 73-49 victory over the Tigers on Tuesday night in Lawrence, Kansas.

Even without star freshman Darryn Peterson, who was ruled out before the game with cramping in his quad, Kansas (9-3) faced little danger. Melvin Council Jr. had 15 points and five rebounds, and Bryson Tiller finished with 11 points. As a team, the Jayhawks shot 46.7% from the field.

Dylan Williamson led Towson with 19 points, including 14 in the first half. Tyler Tejada, the Tigers’ leading scorer going into the game, was held to eight points. The team made just 27.5% of its shots from the field.

No. 19 Texas Tech 101, Northern Colorado 90

LeJuan Watts tallied 20 of his career-high 36 points in the first half, and the Red Raiders toppled the pesky Bears in Lubbock, Texas.

Watts made all but one of his 13 field-goal attempts and hit 9 of 11 at the foul line while grabbing six rebounds and dishing four assists for Texas Tech (8-3). Teammate JT Toppin had 23 points, three rebounds and five blocks. Christian Anderson and Jaylen Petty notched 14 points each and Donovan Atwell scored 10 as the Red Raiders shot 35 of 59 from the field (59.3%) and made 19 of 24 at the stripe (79.2%).

Northern Colorado (9-2) played without top scorer Quinn Denker (17.3 points) but received a career-high 29 points from Brock Wisne. Zach Bloch totaled 17 points, five rebounds and eight assists. In his first Bears start, Vincent Delano scored 16 as the squad shot 56.1% from the field.

No. 22 St. John’s 79, DePaul 66

Dylan Darling scored a season-high 17 points and sparked decisive runs in each half for the Red Storm, who beat the Blue Demons 79-66 in the Big East opener for both schools in New York.

Joson Sanon (15 points, nine rebounds) flirted with a double-double and Ian Jackson added 10 points for St. John’s (7-3, 1-0 Big East), which has won its last five conference openers, including three under Rick Pitino.

Kaleb Banks posted a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds for DePaul (8-4, 0-1), which has dropped 11 straight league openers and had its three-game winning streak snapped. CJ Gunn added 15 points.

===========

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS

NO. 5 LSU DOMINATES AGAIN IN ROUT OF MORGAN STATE

No. 5 LSU nearly tripled the offensive output of its opponent Tuesday in a 91-33 rout of visiting Morgan State in front of a spirited crowd including thousands of schoolchildren from the Baton Rouge area.

With 10 points and seven boards, Grace Knox was one of five LSU players who scored in double figures on Field Trip Day as the Tigers (12-0) overwhelmed Morgan State, which converted just 25% of its shots (11 of 44) and scored on consecutive possessions just once in the second half.

Mikaylah Williams and Flau’jae Johnson led the Tigers with 14 points apiece, with Johnson adding four rebounds and two steals. MiLaysia Fulwiley notched 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals, and Jada Richard added 10 points.

Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey switched up her starting lineup again, putting freshman ZaKiyah Johnson and senior East Carolina transfer Amiya Joyner in the two starting frontcourt spots. They responded by combining for 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Ja’la Bannerman and Michaela Bogans led the Lady Bears with eight points apiece.

============

NBA NEWS

KNICKS RIDE 4TH-QUARTER SURGE PAST SPURS TO WIN NBA CUP

OG Anunoby made five 3-pointers and scored 28 points and the New York Knicks rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 and win the NBA Cup in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

NBA Cup MVP Jalen Brunson recorded 25 points and eight assists as the Knicks won their sixth straight game and 10th in their past 11 — though the tournament final doesn’t count toward the regular-season standings and stats.

New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points and 11 rebounds despite missing 12-plus minutes due to a left calf issue. Jordan Clarkson scored 15 points and fellow reserve Mitchell Robinson grabbed 15 rebounds for the Knicks.

San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama scored 18 points off the bench while being limited to 25 minutes in his second contest after missing 12 straight games due to a calf injury.

Dylan Harper scored a team-high 21 points off the bench for the Spurs, who unofficially lost for just the fourth time in the past 14 games. San Antonio made just 5 of 19 shots (26.3%) in the fourth quarter while being outscored 35-19.

De’Aaron Fox had 16 points and nine assists, Stephon Castle registered 15 points and 12 assists and Luke Kornet added 14 points for the Spurs.

New York shot 46.7% from the field, including 15 of 40 (37.5%) from 3-point range.

The Spurs made 41.4% of their field-goal attempts and hit 14 of 39 (35.9%) from behind the arc.

The Knicks scored the first eight points and 11 of 12 to start the fourth quarter to turn a five-point deficit into a 100-95 lead. Clarkson hit two 3-pointers and Anunoby sank one during the spurt.

Towns returned to the floor with 4:49 left — the same time Wembanyama subbed back in — with New York again leading by five.

Nearly two minutes later, Josh Hart drained a 3-pointer to give the Knicks a 115-107 advantage.

After Harper nailed a 3-pointer with 2:42 left, Anunoby swished a trey from the corner to put New York back ahead by eight with 1:56 to play.

Tyler Kolek later scored four straight points as the Knicks pushed the lead to 12 while closing it out.

Fox hit a jumper with 7.1 seconds left in the first half to give the Spurs a 61-59 lead at the break.

Devin Vassell scored 12 first-half points to lead San Antonio. Anunoby scored 20 points and Brunson had 15 in the half for the Knicks.

Wembanyama poured in 12 points in the third quarter to help the Spurs lead by as many as 11 points in the period.

The Spurs led 94-89 entering the final stanza.

ADAM SILVER: NBA EXPANSION VERDICT DUE IN 2026

A decision on possible NBA expansion is due next year, and Las Vegas and Seattle are at the head of the line should the league open the door to new franchises, commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged on Tuesday.

Silver spoke ahead of the NBA Cup final in Las Vegas.

“It’s not a secret we’re looking at this market in Las Vegas,” Silver said. “We are looking at Seattle. We’ve looked at other markets, as well. I’d say I want to be sensitive there about this notion that we’re somehow teasing these markets, because I know we’ve been talking about it for a while. …

“We’re in the process of working with our (existing) teams and gauging the level of interest and having a better understanding of what the economics would be on the ground for those particular teams and what a pro forma would look like for them. And then sometime in 2026, we’ll make a determination.”

The NBA last expanded in 2004 with the arrival of the Charlotte Bobcats as the 30th team. Charlotte previously had a team, the Hornets, that relocated to New Orleans. Seattle hopes to follow a similar pattern, as it lost the SuperSonics to Oklahoma City in 2008.

Las Vegas has never been home to an NBA franchise, but it has close ties to the league as the site of a summer league and as the host of the NBA Cup semifinals and final the past few years.

“I think Seattle and Las Vegas are two incredible cities,” Silver said. “Obviously, we had a team in Seattle that had great success. We have a WNBA team here in Las Vegas in the Aces. We’ve been playing the summer league here for 20 years. We’re playing our Cup games here, so we’re very familiar with this market.

“I don’t have any doubt that Las Vegas, despite all of the other major league teams that are here now, the other entertainment properties, that this city could support an NBA team.”

Silver addressed other league topics:

–The NBA commissioner said he is closely monitoring the collective-bargaining talks between the WNBA and its players union.

“As I’ve said before, we, the NBA, WNBA collective, acknowledged that our players deserve to be paid significantly more than they have so far based on the increased success of the league, and it’s just a question now of finding a meeting of the minds in terms of what is a fair deal,” he said. “It’s going to require compromise on both sides. I remain optimistic we’ll get something done.”

–The Miami Heat might be granted salary-cap relief related to the absence of Terry Rozier. The guard is on leave after he was charged with alerting gamblers he would leave a game early, allowing them to cash in on prop bets regarding his statistics. Rozier pleaded not guilty in federal court last week.

“We’re going to try to work something through, work this out with them, but there’s no obvious solution here,” Silver said. “I would just say that there’s no doubt at the moment they have a player that can’t perform services for them. … Obviously, he hasn’t been convicted of anything yet either — but this is an unfortunate circumstance. Sometimes there’s these unique events and maybe sometimes they require a unique solution.”

–Silver disputed assertions that the NBA Cup is overloading the players.

“All I can deal with is the data itself, and the data we have so far this season is we have the lowest number of injuries in the last three years,” Silver said.

============

NHL NEWS

NHL ROUNDUP: OILERS’ LEON DRAISAITL JOINS 1,000-POINT CLUB

Leon Draisaitl became the first German-born player to reach 1,000 points by recording the first of his four assists Tuesday, lifting the visiting Edmonton Oilers to a 6-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Edmonton captain Connor McDavid collected two goals and two assists and Zach Hyman and defenseman Evan Bouchard had one of each. Rookie Matt Savoie and Vasily Podkolzin also tallied as the Oilers improved to 5-1-1 in their past seven games.

Edmonton’s Tristan Jarry got the better of Pittsburgh’s Stuart Skinner in a battle of goaltenders that were traded for another on Friday. Jarry made 26 saves, while Skinner — who still was sporting his Oilers mask — yielded five goals on 22 shots.

Bryan Rust scored a goal in his fourth straight game and defenseman Erik Karlsson and Tommy Novak each had a goal and an assist for the reeling Penguins, who have lost six in a row (0-2-4). Sidney Crosby notched an assist for his 1,722nd point to move within one point of Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux for the franchise record.

Avalanche 5, Kraken 3

Nathan MacKinnon collected two goals and an assist — all in the third period — as Colorado rallied to defeat host Seattle.

Brock Nelson scored the tiebreaking goal and Artturi Lehkonen and Samuel Girard also tallied for the Avalanche. Martin Necas, Cale Makar and Valeri Nichushkin each had two assists, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 34 saves as Colorado improved to 5-0-1 in its past six games.

Shane Wright, Jordan Eberle and Chandler Stephenson scored for the Kraken, who lost their third straight and fell for the ninth time in 10 games (1-8-1). Philipp Grubauer stopped 33 of 37 shots against his former team.

Sharks 6, Flames 3

Macklin Celebrini scored two goals in a four-point performance and Barclay Goodrow tallied two goals and an assist as host San Jose doubled up Calgary.

Celebrini, 19, got to 50 points in the season in his 34th game. He is the third-fastest teenager to hit that milestone, trailing only Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky (twice). John Klingberg and Tyler Toffoli also scored for the Sharks, who won a third straight game. Yaroslav Askarov made 27 saves for the victory.

Blake Coleman, Ryan Lomberg and Nazem Kadri scored for Calgary, which has lost two of three games. Dustin Wolf stopped 20 shots.

Bruins 4, Mammoth 1

Morgan Geekie clinched his fifth multi-goal game of the season before Boston separated with a pair of third-period tallies on the way to a win over visiting Utah.

Geekie’s eventual game-winner 23 seconds into the second period was his 24th goal of the season, keeping him in second in the NHL. Casey Mittelstadt and Michael Eyssimont also scored, while David Pastrnak registered two assists to help the Bruins win their fourth straight at home.

Barrett Hayton scored the only goal for the Mammoth, while Vitek Vanecek stopped 19 shots to fall to 0-6-1 in his last seven starts.

Blue Jackets 4, Ducks 3 (OT)

Adam Fantilli scored at 3:32 of overtime to give Columbus a win over visiting Anaheim, snapping a five-game losing streak.

Zach Werenski logged two goals and an assist, Boone Jenner had a goal and an assist and Kent Johnson recorded two assists for the Blue Jackets. Jet Greaves made 24 saves for the victory.

The Ducks’ Mikael Granlund had a goal and an assist, Ryan Strome and Jackson LaCombe also scored, and Ryan Poehling had two assists. Ville Husso stopped 24 shots in the finale of the five-game road trip for Anaheim.

Red Wings 3, Islanders 2

Alex DeBrincat scored two power-play goals, including the game-winner with 2:17 left, to lead host Detroit to a come-from-behind win over New York.

Defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka was the only other Red Wing to reach the back of the net. Lucas Raymond assisted on all three goals, defenseman Moritz Seider had two assists and John Gibson stopped 16 shots to help Detroit improve to 6-1-1 over its past eight games.

Emil Heineman and Scott Mayfield scored for the Islanders, but that wasn’t enough to prevent the end of the team’s three-game winning streak. Ilya Sorokin made 18 saves.

Flyers 4, Canadiens 1

Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist as Philadelphia snapped a three-game skid (0-0-3) with a road victory against Montreal.

Carl Grundstrom, Trevor Zegras and Bobby Brink scored for the Flyers, and Dan Vladar made 21 saves. Zegras, playing in his 300th NHL game, scored his 33rd point of the season in his 32nd game, eclipsing his total from last season in 57 contests.

Alexandre Texier scored and Jacob Fowler made 17 saves for the Canadiens, who have lost four of six (2-3-1).

Canucks 3, Rangers 0

Evander Kane and newcomer Liam Ohgren scored early in the opening two periods and Thatcher Demko recorded a 23-save shutout as retooled Vancouver earned a victory over New York to continue the Rangers’ home woes.

Conor Garland tallied the other Canucks goal with an empty-net short-handed marker. Vancouver has now won both of its games since sending Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild in a blockbuster trade, just the second time this season the team has won consecutive contests.

Jonathan Quick made 14 saves for New York. The Rangers are now 4-10-3 at home, and they’ve been shut out at Madison Square Garden six times this season.

Maple Leafs 3, Blackhawks 2

Host Toronto scored twice in eight seconds late in the third period and went on to edge Chicago.

Auston Matthews scored on a power play at 16:51 of the third period to tie the game at two. Dakota Joshua came right back to score the go-ahead goal at the 16:59 mark. Oliver Ekman-Larsson also scored in the third period for the Maple Leafs, Goaltender Joseph Woll returned from injured reserve and made 23 saves. He missed four games with a lower-body injury.

Wyatt Kaiser and Jason Dickinson scored for the Blackhawks, who have lost three straight. Spencer Knight stopped 24 shots.

Wild 5, Capitals 0

Vladimir Tarasenko scored two goals and dished one assist as host Minnesota pulled away for the win over Washington.

Danila Yurov finished with one goal and two assists, Matt Boldy scored a goal and goaltender Filip Gustavsson stopped all 25 shots he faced for his third shutout this season to help the Wild pull out the victory. Kirill Kaprizov also notched his 70th career power-play tally to move past Zach Parise and set a new team record.

Alex Ovechkin failed to muster a shot on goal and Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren allowed five tallies on 32 shots. Washington was shut out for the second time this season and first since Oct. 28.

============

TOP INDIANA RELEASES/HEADLINES

COLTS FOOTBALL NEWS

COLTS SIGN G LADARIUS HENDERSON, G BILL MURRAY, T ZACH THOMAS TO PRACTICE SQUAD

Indianapolis  The Indianapolis Colts today signed guard LaDarius Henderson, guard Bill Murray and tackle Zach Thomas to the practice squad.

Henderson, 6-4, 309 pounds, spent time on the Cleveland Browns practice squad earlier this season. As a rookie in 2024, he spent the entire season on the Houston Texans Injured Reserve list. Henderson was originally selected by the Texans in the seventh round (249th overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft. Collegiately, he played in 14 games (10 starts) in one season (2023) at Michigan. Henderson previously saw action in 33 games (29 starts) at Arizona State (2019-22).

Murray, 6-3, 321 pounds, has played in four career games in his time with the New England Patriots (2020-23, 2025) and Chicago Bears (2023-25). He was originally signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent on April 27, 2020. Collegiately, Murray played in 40 career games (33 starts) as a defensive lineman at William & Mary (2016-19) and compiled 143 tackles (73 solo), 32.0 tackles for loss, 19.0 sacks, six passes defensed, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 10 blocked kicks.

Thomas, 6-5, 308 pounds, has played in 17 career games in his time with the Texans (2024-25), Patriots (2024), Los Angeles Rams (2022-24) and Bears (2022). He was originally selected by Chicago in the sixth round (186th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft out of San Diego State

COLTS RELEASE UNOFFICIAL DEPTH CHART FOR WEEK 16 GAME VS. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

OFFENSE

  • WR: Michael Pittman Jr.
  • LT: Bernhard Raimann, Luke Tenuta
  • LG: Quenton Nelson
  • C: Tanor Bortolini, Danny Pinter
  • RG: Matt Goncalves, Dalton Tucker
  • RT: Jalen Travis
  • TE: Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree, Will Mallory
  • WR: Josh Downs, Anthony Gould
  • WR: Alec Pierce, Laquon Treadwell
  • QB: Philip Rivers, Riley Leonard, Brett Rypien
  • RB: Jonathan Taylor, Tyler Goodson OR Ameer Abdullah, DJ Giddens
  • Rivers was 18-of-27 for 120 yards and a touchdown on Sunday.
  • Abdullah led the Colts with five receptions for 32 yards. He also had four carries for 15 yards.
  • Taylor had 25 carries for 87 yards against the Seahawks.

DEFENSE

  • DE: Kwity Paye, Tyquan Lewis, JT Tuimoloau
  • DT: Neville Gallimore, Adetomiwa Adebawore
  • NT: Grover Stewart, Eric Johnson II
  • DE: Laiatu Latu, Samson Ebukam
  • WLB: Germaine Pratt, Segun Olubi, Buddy Johnson, Jaylon Carlies
  • MLB: Zaire Franklin, Austin Ajiake
  • CB: Jaylon Jones, Johnathan Edwards
  • FS: Camryn Bynum, Rodney Thomas II
  • SS: Nick Cross, Reuben Lowrey III, George Odum
  • N: Kenny Moore II
  • CB: Sauce Gardner, Mekhi Blackmon, Cameron Mitchell
  • The Colts placed Ward on injured reserve last week.
  • Latu recorded a sack, two quarterback hits and three tackles for loss on Sunday.
  • Franklin and Pratt each recorded 10 tackles against the Seahawks.

SPECIALISTS

  • P: Rigoberto Sanchez
  • PK: Blake Grupe
  • H: Rigoberto Sanchez
  • LS: Luke Rhodes
  • KR: Anthony Gould, Ameer Abdullah
  • PR: Anthony Gould, Josh Downs
  • Grupe made a franchise record (and career-long) 60-yard field goal on Sunday; he also made a 42-yard field goal and 54-yard field goal as well as one PAT.

===========

INDY FUEL NEWS

FUEL TRADE FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS FOR DEFENSEMAN MIKE VAN UNEN

FISHERS– The Fuel announced on Tuesday that they have acquired defenseman Mike Van Unen in exchange for future considerations. 

Van Unen joins the team from the Rapid City Rush, where he has played four games and tallied one assist so far this season. 

Prior to that, he played 42 games for the Allen Americans during the 2024-25 season and 11 games for the Adirondack Thunder at the end of the 2023-24 season, after graduation from Northern Michigan University. 

Wearing the ‘A’ in his final year there, the Kamloops, British Columbia native played five seasons for the Wildcats. 

The 6’1 defenseman has a younger brother, Joshua, who is currently a forward at Lakehead University as well as a twin brother, Rylan, who has played 45 games in the ECHL, including 11 for the Allen Americans with his brother. 

VIEW VAN UNEN’S CAREER STATS HERE

============

INDIANA FOOTBALL NEWS

INDIANA’S CURT CIGNETTI BECOMES THE FIRST BACK-TO-BACK WINNER OF AP COACH OF THE YEAR

Indiana’s Curt Cignetti exceeded expectations again this season and it earned him a second consecutive honor as The Associated Press coach of the year in college football.

Cignetti is the first coach to win the award in back-to-back years since it was first presented in 1998. He is the fourth coach to win it twice, joining Brian Kelly, Gary Patterson and Nick Saban.

The 64-year-old Cignetti is 24-2 while leading the Hoosiers to unprecedented heights in his two seasons since leaving James Madison of the Championship Subdivision to take over what had been the losingest program in major college football. Last year, the Hoosiers won their first 10 games, were ranked as high as No. 5 in the AP Top 25, and reached the first round of the College Football Playoff.

He outdid himself this year, showing his smashing debut was not a one-off.

Indiana is 13-0, Big Ten champion for the first time since 1967, No. 1 in the AP poll for the first time and the top seed for the CFP. He also is coach of Indiana’s first Heisman Trophy winner, quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the AP player of the year.

Cignetti was a landslide winner for coach of the year in voting by the nationwide panel of 52 media members who cover college football. Cignetti received 47 first-place votes. Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire and Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea received two each, and Virginia’s Tony Elliott got one.

The magnitude of Cignetti’s work at Indiana can’t be overstated.

In 2022, the Hoosiers became the first Bowl Subdivision program to reach 700 all-time losses. They entered this season with 714, a figure that still stands, and they’ve since been passed by Northwestern (717) for the dubious FBS mark.

In a program that had never won more than nine games in a season before Cignetti’s arrival, the Hoosiers have double-digit wins for a second straight year and completed a regular season without a loss for the first time.

Cignetti had said before last week that his program was chasing Ohio State in recruiting and on the field. The 13-10 win over the Buckeyes in the Big Ten championship game marked another milestone.

“It’s another step we need to take as a program,” he said after the game. “It’s a great win, obviously. And we’re going to go in the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. And a lot of people probably thought that wasn’t possible. But when you get the right people and you have a plan and they love one another and play for one another and they commit, anything’s possible.”

===========

PURDUE SWIMMING NEWS

DIVERS MEDAL IN 2 SYNCHRO EVENTS TO CLOSE WINTER NATIONALS

MIDLAND, Texas – With Boilermakers claiming silver and bronze medals in the 10-meter synchronized events, the Boilermakers wrapped up their week at the annual USA Diving Winter Nationals by winning a medal of each color on the tower.

Alumnus Jordan Rzepka teamed with current sophomore Tyler Wills to win silver in men’s synchronized 10-meter Tuesday. They posted a two-list total of 732.66 (359.91 prelim, 372.75 final).

Alumna Sophie McAfee was also a bronze medalist in women’s 10-meter synchro with two-time Olympian Katrina Young on Monday. Only .09 hundredths of a point separated second (488.91) and third place (488.82) in the event.

PURDUE’S SYNCHRO RESULTS AT USA DIVING WINTER NATIONALS

• Men’s 10-Meter Synchro – Jordan Rzepka & Tyler Wills (Silver Medalists, 732.66 – 372.75 Final, 359.91 Prelim)

• Women’s 10-Meter Synchro – Sophie McAfee [with Katrina Young] (Bronze Medalists, 488.82 – 248.88 Final, 239.94 Prelim)

• Men’s 3-Meter Synchro – Zach Welsh [with Misha Andriyuk] (7th, 616.35 – 313.89 Final, 302.46 Prelim)

Individually, Rzepka won gold on 10-meter Saturday night, medaling at Winter Nationals for the fifth consecutive year. This time he won medals in both the 10-meter individual and synchro events at Winter Nationals for the first time. At the 2021 Winter Nationals, he won silver in 10-meter synchro with Purdue teammate Tyler Downs and bronze on 1-meter. The 2018 Winter Nationals also saw Rzepka win gold in 10-meter synchro with Downs while both were still in high school.

McAfee won her fourth career medal at Winter Nationals and her first in a synchro event since being a back-to-back gold medalist in 10-meter synchro with Olivia Rosendahl in 2016 and 2017. Earlier this year, the Purdue graduate won silver in mixed 10-meter synchro with Boilermaker Kaden Springfield at the World University Games in Germany.

Wills also won his fourth career medal at Winter Nationals, all coming in 10-meter synchro. He’s now medaled with Joshua Hedberg (gold in 2022), Baleigh Cranford (gold in 2023), Daryn Wright (silver in 2023) and Rzepka. He competed with both Cranford and Wright in mixed 10-meter synchro two years ago and went on to represent USA Diving in the event at 2024 and 2025 World Aquatics Championships. Mixed-gender events were not contested at Winter Nationals this year.

Rzepka is now a seven-time medalist overall at Winter Nationals. He earned the opportunity to represent USA Diving at 2026 World Aquatics Diving World Cup meets set for February through May.

Wills joins Brandon Loschiavo and Downs as teammates that Rzepka has medaled with in the synchro events at the annual meet.

Purdue resumes its NCAA schedule the weekend of Jan. 9-10 with the final home meets of the season. The men host Southern Illinois on Friday at 2 p.m. Saturday’s Senior Day meet features the women hosting Illinois and the men competing as part of an intrasquad meet. The annual Senior Day ceremony will begin at approximately 10:30 a.m. with the meet to follow.

==========

NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NEWS

NOTRE DAME RB JEREMIYAH LOVE DECLARES FOR NFL DRAFT

Notre Dame junior Jeremiyah Love, a Heisman Trophy finalist and the Doak Walker Award winner as the top running back in college football, declared for the 2026 NFL Draft on Tuesday.

Love, 6-foot, 214-pounder, is projected to be the first running back selected and a potential first-round pick. He made the announcement on social media.

“I will take the many experiences Notre Dame has given me and apply those lessons learned as I move onto the next level,” Love said in a social media post. “I look forward to representing my family and Notre Dame in the NFL.”

Notre Dame (10-2) was the first team left out of the College Football Playoff and decided not to play a bowl game, ending the season for Love and his team.

The All-America running back is the first Fighting Irish player to win the Doak Walker Award. He also was a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year and the Maxwell Award.

He finished third in the Heisman voting behind Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia.

Love had 199 carries for 1,372 yards (fourth in the country) and 18 touchdowns (third) as well as 27 receptions for 280 yards and three TDs. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry. His 21 total touchdowns in a single season broke the Notre Dame record set by Jerome Bettis in 1991 (20).

===========

BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

NO. 5 UCONN TOPS BUTLER TUESDAY NIGHT IN HARTFORD

No. 5 Connecticut’s defensive pressure limited Butler to 30-percent shooting as the Huskies took a 79-60 win Tuesday night in Hartford.

With the win, UConn is now 11-1 on the season, while Butler falls to 8-3. Tuesday night was the BIG EAST opener for the Huskies while the Bulldogs are now 1-1 in conference play.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Butler opened the game by scoring 11 of the first 15 points.

UConn fought back into the game and then utilized a 12-0 run to take a 30-17 lead with 5:36 remaining in the first half.

The Huskies held a 39-25 halftime advantage, Butler’s lowest output in a half this season. Butler made only one of 12 three-point attempts over the first 20 minutes.

UConn was able to build its lead to 23 (52-29) with 14:17 remaining. At that point in the contest, Solo Ball had 22 of UConn’s total.

Butler would not go away, using a three three-pointers and a 12-3 run to cut the advantage to 55-41 with 12:05 remaining.

Another spurt pulled the Bulldogs within 11 at 62-51 at the 8:35 mark but three straight UConn scores alongside three consecutive empty possessions by Butler put the game out of reach.

TIP-INS:

Solo Ball led UConn with 26 points. Tarris Reed Jr. added 16 points.

UConn shot 51 percent for the game.

The Huskies’ defense had 13 blocks on the night.

Butler had out-rebounded eight of its nine opponents this season, but UConn held a 47-29 advantage on the boards.

Butler shot only 30 percent in the contest, making only five of their 24 attempts from behind the arc.

Drayton Jones had 13 points (including hitting all seven of his free throw attempts); the scoring output was his high in a Butler uniform.

Azavier Robinson and Evan Haywood each scored 10 points for the Bulldogs.

Finley Bizjack, Michael Ajayi and Jamie Kaiser Jr. combined for 19 points on the night after entering the game averaging a combined 47 per game.

Butler was 19-for-24 from the free throw line.

UP NEXT: The Bulldogs take a break from BIG EAST play to close out the non-conference portion of their schedule. Butler and Northwestern will tip Saturday afternoon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis as part of the Indy Classic. Butler then hosts NJIT at Hinkle Fieldhouse Monday (Dec. 22).

===========

IU INDY MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

JAGUARS RACE PAST MIAMI MIDDLETOWN ON RECORD BREAKING EVENING

INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indianapolis men’s basketball team ran away with a 126-73 win over Miami Middletown inside the Jungle on Tuesday night (Dec. 16), breaking the program record with 42 assists with a free wheeling offensive show. Seven Jaguars finished in double-digits, led by Jaxon Edwards’ career-high 19 points and seven steals. Kameron Tinsley scored 16 points in just 15 minutes and freshman Reece Hagy had a first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in a team-high 20 minutes.

The 126 points tied for the fourth-most in a game in program history and set a new high mark in the program’s Division I era. It was the most points by the program since a 133-point effort against the Virgin Islands in December 1997.

“We did what we were supposed to do, so I’m proud of that. For the most part, we played the right way, looked to make the extra pass and shared the basketball,” head coach Ben Howlett said. “It was good to get a lot of guys some extended minutes and have them see some shots go in.”

Tinsley scored the team’s first eight points as the Jaguars built a quick 10-3 lead in the opening four minutes. After Miami Middletown closed within 14-7, the Jaguars ripped off a 21-0 run and held the Thunderhawks without a field goal for over eight minutes, pushing the first half lead beyond 30. The Jaguars led by as many as 34 in the opening half before taking a 59-27 cushion to the locker room.

The Jaguars went over the century mark with 8:36 remaining when Aiden Miller splashed an open three off a Gabe Stewart assist. The reserves hung a late 18-2 run on the guests to extend the lead beyond 50 in the closing minutes. The IU Indy bench contributed 79 points and the Jaguars finished with a 37-7 margin in points off turnovers.

“I think we needed this win as a team,” Edwards said. “We’re all still kind of new to each other, so it’s always good to spend more time together, off the court and on the court.

“Playing like this, (Coach Howlett) gives us the freedom to make our own decisions. It’s hard, but you’ve got to make sure you make the right decisions.”

The Jaguars right decisions far outweighed the wrong ones on Tuesday as they turned it over just seven times while forcing 28 Miami Middletown miscues, including 20 IU Indy steals.

Matt Compas had 14 points and five assists off the bench and freshman Maguire Mitchell finished with 13 points, three assists and three steals. JP Dragas had 11 points, six assists and three steals and senior Finley Woodward added 10 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting.

The Jags shot 54 percent overall and 36 percent from three, hoisting a school record 50 three-point attempts, making 18. Miami Middletown finished at 40 percent overall and 35.3 percent from deep.

Jakari Parker had a game-high 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting for the guests and Ramy Ahmed added 15 points off the bench.

The Jaguars return to action on Monday, Dec. 22 when they trek west to face Grand Canyon at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on the Mountain West Network. The game can be heard in Central Indiana on 1430 Indy’s Sports Ticket as Jimmy Cook (pxp) and Chaz Hinds (analyst) describe the action.

===========

INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

SYCAMORES BEGIN MVC PLAY AT HOME AGAINST DRAKE

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State opens Missouri Valley Conference play Wednesday night as the Sycamores play host to Drake for a 7 p.m. tip inside Hulman Center.

Wednesday’s game will be carried on ESPN+ with Landon Kleindorfer (play-by-play) and Nyah Wilson (analyst) on the call. John Sherman also returns to the airwaves for the radio call on WVIG-FM/105.5 The Legend.

Gameday Offers/Promotions

As part of a ticket special in conjunction with Thursday’s men’s basketball game against Bradley, students in the eighth grade and below can receive a free ticket to Wednesday’s game against Drake and will also receive a voucher for $5 upper level tickets for Thursday’s men’s basketball game. Adults who purchase a ticket for Wednesday’s game will also receive a $5 upper level ticket voucher for Thursday’s men’s basketball game. These deals and ticket purchases must be claimed at the Hulman Center Ticket Office.

Wednesday’s game will also feature a halftime performance from K9’s in Flight, and the group will also be performing at Thursday’s men’s basketball game. Donations for the Terre Haute Humane Society will also be taken on the concourse Wednesday.

Last Time Out

Indiana State got off to a slow start Thursday night and never recovered, as the Sycamores were defeated 101-56 by Butler inside Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Tierney Kelsey paced the Blue and White with 14 points, while Clemisha Prackett tacked on 12 points and a game-high 15 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. Samiyah Briggs added eight points, five rebounds and three steals.

Indiana State attacked the basket early to take a two-point lead in the opening stages of the game, but a 17-1 Butler run had the Sycamores down by double digits early. The home side followed that by outscoring the Trees 26-7 in the second quarter and never looked back. Kelsey and Prackett combined for 17 points in the third quarter to give the Trees life, but Butler shot better than 50 percent in all four quarters to secure a lopsided win.

Weekly Winner

Indiana State junior forward Clemisha Prackett nabbed her first career weekly honor, as the Sycamore post player was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week Monday afternoon.

Prackett recorded her fourth double-double of the seaosn in the Sycamores’ last game at Butler, finishing with 12 points and a career-high 15 rebounds against the Bulldogs. Eight of Prackett’s 15 rebounds came on the offensive glass, as the Sycamores recorded their fourth straight game with 10 or more second chance points.

Prackett became the second Sycamore to earn an MVC weekly honor this season, as Tierney Kelsey previously earned MVC Newcomer of the Week accolades in November.

Home Sweet Home

Indiana State returns to the friendly confines of Hulman Center for Wednesday’s Missouri Valley Conference opener, with the Sycamores off to their first 3-0 start at home since the 2012-13 season.

The Trees completed their first undefeated home non-conference slate since the 2020-21 season, while their current three-game home win streak is the program’s longest since the 2018-19 campaign.

Indiana State’s strong home form is reflected in the stat sheet, as the Sycamores are averaging 87.0 points per game and have a scoring margin of plus-27.0 in their three home contests. The Sycamores are shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 30.7 percent from 3-point range, both marks well above their season average, while opponents are shooting just 33.0 percent from the field in Terre Haute. The Sycamores also own a plus-4.7 rebound margin in home games this season.

Welcome To The Valley

Indiana State begins Missouri Valley Conference play Wednesday night, with the Sycamores sitting 19-23 all-time in MVC/Gateway Conference openers. The Sycamores have opened conference play at home on 21 previous occasions and have gone 10-11 in those games.

Indiana State has alternated wins and losses in its last four conference openers, with the Sycamores claiming wins in the 2021-22 and 2023-24 MVC openers and falling in the 2022-23 and 2024-25 conference openers. The Trees’ 2021-22 conference-opening win was at Drake, who the Sycamores face Wednesday night.

Get To The Glass

» Indiana State features two of the top rebounders in the Missouri Valley Conference this season, with forwards Amerie Flowers and Clemisha Prackett both ranking in the top five in rebounds per game entering the Sycamores’ conference opener.

Prackett ranks fourth in the MVC at 8.5 rebounds per game, including a conference-leading 3.8 offensive boards per game. The junior has pulled down double-digit rebounds in five of the first eight games this season, including a career-high 15 boards in Indiana State’s most recent game at Butler.

Flowers currently ranks fifth in the MVC with 8.1 rebounds per game, with her 5.6 defensive boards per game ranking third in the conference. The sophomore has four games with double-digit rebounds this season, with her 15 boards at IU Indy being the most in a season opener in program history.

Scoring In Bunches

Indiana State sophomore guard Tierney Kelsey has taken her game to a new level since her arrival in Terre Haute, with the Memphis native already surpassing her entire 2024-25 scoring total in her first season as a Sycamore. After scoring just 108 points in her freshman season at Jackson State, Kelsey has 141 points through Indiana State’s first eight games of the 2025-26 season.

Kelsey has scored in double-figures in each of the first eight games this season, including a trio of 22-point games for the Blue and White. Kelsey’s ability to score at all levels has been on full display this season, as she ranks second on the Indiana State roster with 11 3-pointers made while getting to the free throw line a team-leading 53 times.

Entering Indiana State’s first conference game this season, Kelsey ranks third in the MVC in scoring this season at 17.6 points per game. Kelsey will hit 250 points for her collegiate career with her next point scored.

Steady Hand

Indiana State senior guard Samiyah Briggs has been a steady presence in the Sycamore backcourt this season, and is the only player to start in each of Indiana State’s first eight games. Briggs is third on the team in scoring at 11.1 points per game, and has scored at least eight points in each of the Sycamores’ first eight games of the season.

Briggs has scored in double-figures in four of the Trees’ first eight games, with the senior guard making four or more field goals in six of the first eight contests.

On This Date

Indiana State is 8-4 in program history in games played on December 17, including a 5-0 mark in home games played on this date.

The Sycamores’ average scoring margin in December 17 games is plus-5.7, a figure that jumps up to plus-15.0 in home games.

1979 – DePaul (W, 74-69)

1980 – Louisville (W, 72-63)

1983 – vs. Chattanooga (L, 49-60)

1993 – vs. Florida Atlantic (W, 74-57)

2000 – Austin Peay (W, 89-85 (OT))

2001 – Akron (W, 84-45)

2002 – IUPUI (W, 70-52)

2005 – at Youngstown State (W, 96-57)

2006 – at Toledo (W, 53-51)

2011 – at Michigan (L, 44-72)

2018 – at Butler (L, 49-72)

2023 – at Ohio (L, 62-65)

Drake At A Glance

Drake, one of the mainstays at the top of the MVC, enters Wednesday’s conference opener with a 1-8 record. The Bulldogs won their season opener at EIU but have lost eight straight, including a 70-50 setback at St. Thomas (Minn.) in their last game.

Abbie Aalsma leads the Bulldogs in scoring at 14.7 points per game, while Grace Knutson adds 13.6 points per contest for the Bulldogs. Maggie Taylor nearly averages a double-double with 8.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, with Peyton McCabe and Ava Hawthorne both averaging more than three assists per game.

Allison Pohlman is in her fifth season as head coach at Drake and owns a 94-50 record at the helm of the Bulldogs. Pohlman has taken Drake to the postseason in each of her first four years, including two NCAA Tournament berths.

Series History Against Drake

Indiana State is 24-66 all-time against Drake, including a 17-25 mark at home against the Bulldogs. The Sycamores’ last win in the series came during the 2021-22 season.

Drake has won each of the last six meetings in the series, with Indiana State’s last win over the Bulldogs being the 2021-22 conference opener. The Sycamores’ last home win in the series came in the 2015-16 season.

Last Meeting Against Drake (Feb. 27, 2025)

Indiana State had three starters score 20-plus points, but it came in a high-scoring setback at the hands of Drake, 107-86, inside the Knapp Center.

Keslyn Secrist and Savannah White paced the Sycamores with a career-high 24 points each, with White also adding a team-high 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Bella Finnegan added 22 points and Deja Jones flirted with another double-double (nine rebounds, eight assists) for the Trees, who shot a season-best 52.4 percent from 3-point range.

Indiana State came out swinging from the start, as the Sycamores hit six threes in the first quarter and built a double-digit lead early on. The Trees led 35-33 after the opening frame and kept the lead until the late stages of the second quarter. A 16-2 Drake run to close the half saw the Sycamores go behind 59-49 at the intermission, and the Bulldogs took control from there. Indiana State never got closer than eight in the second half, as Drake withstood a valiant effort from the Blue and White to pull away late.

Up Next

Indiana State closes its non-conference slate with a trip to the Carolinas, as the Sycamores take part in the Cherokee Invitational Sunday and Monday at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, North Carolina.

===========

EVANSVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

HUNDLEY POSTS TOP GAME AT UE IN VALLEY OPENER

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Trent Hundley put together his top performance as a member of the University of Evansville men’s basketball squad as he knocked down six 3-pointers on his way to 20 points in an 83-78 loss to Belmont on Tuesday at the Ford Center.

Hundley’s effort surpassed his previous Purple Aces high of nine points, which came on four occasions this season. He completed the game 6-of-10 from outside. Leif Moeller scored 17 points while hitting three triples. AJ Casey scored 12 points while Bryce Quinet added 10. James Dyson-Merwe recorded the top performance of his freshman season setting career marks with five points and nine boards.

“It was a huge positive for us tonight especially without Connor Turnbull,” UE head men’s basketball coach David Ragland said after the game. “I’m proud of the response our guys had. There are some things we can do to get us over the hump while being more disciplined.”

Belmont scored the first six points of the night before the Aces got on the board thanks to a Keishon Porter bucket. The Bruins continued their hot start, opening a 9-2 advantage before UE made its way back. Helped by a Josh Hughes 3-pointer, UE made it a 9-7 game.

At the 14:32 mark, a tip-in by James Dyson-Merwe tied the score at 12-12. Belmont posted the next four points while Trent Hundley connected from downtown to get UE within a point at 16-15. The Bruins regained control with a 10-0 run to take a 26-15 lead at 8:36 remaining in the half. Sam Orme hit a pair of triples during the rally.

AJ Casey scored on a second-chance basket just over a minute later to cut the Belmont lead to 26-19. Another triple – this one by Eoin Dillon – opened a 10-2 run that gave the Bruins their largest lead of the half at 36-21 inside of the 5-minute mark. The Aces cut into the deficit over the next two minutes as Hundley’s second triple was followed by a 3-point play by Bryce Quinet that got UE within eight at 36-28.

Five free throws in the final minutes saw Belmont regain its double figure lead at the break – taking a 41-30 lead into the locker room. Their defense held Evansville to 29.0% shooting in the opening 20 minutes. Hughes led the team with seven tallies at the break.

After scoring two points in the opening stanza, Leif Moeller knocked down a triple to begin the second half. Casey followed with his second 3-pointer of the season to cut the Belmont lead to 41-36. The Bruins countered with a 10-2 stretch to go back up by 13 with 16:05 on the clock before Trent Hundley put the Aces squad on his back. Consecutive treys got Evansville within seven – 51-44 – inside of 13 minutes remaining.

One minute later, he drained another triple before Kaia Berridge converted a pair of free throws that got the Aces back within four tallies – 53-49. Once again, the Bruins answered, regaining a 10-point lead as the game entered the final 10 minutes when a Drew Scharnowski dunk gave them a 61-51 edge.

The lead for Belmont stayed within 2-3 possessions until the Aces staged a furious rally in the final minutes. Two Bruin free throws established a 75-67 lead with 2:36 remaining. Moeller hit a layup before a Casey steal led to a triple by Moeller that cut the gap to 75-72. After Belmont went back up by give, a 3-pointer banked in by Casey got Evansville all the way back within a single point at 77-76. Unfortunately, the Bruins held strong over the final second, hanging on for the 83-78 win.

Tyler Lundblade paced the Bruins with 21 points while Scharnowski had a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards. The Bruins show 48.3% while holding UE to 37.7%. They also had a slight rebounding edge at 38-37.

UE looks to pick up a conference win on Sunday when Drake comes to town for a 3 p.m. game.

===========

EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

MVC OPENER UP NEXT FOR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team opens up MVC play on Wednesday, traveling to Nashville for a road test at Belmont. Tip-off is set for 6:30 PM from the Music City.

Series History   
– Wednesday marks the 9th meeting between Evansville and Belmont
– Belmont leads the series 6-2
– Evansville is looking for their first win in the series since 1998, as Belmont has won all six meetings since joining the MVC ahead of the 2022-23 season

Free Throw Aficionado 
– After finishing last season fifth in the country in free throws made and free throw attempts, Camryn Runner has once again been one of the top free throw shooters in the country in 2025-26
– Runner ranks 26th in the country in free throws made per game (5.0) and 18th in the country in free throws attempted per game (6.7)
– Entering Wednesday’s game, Runner has made 19 consecutive free throws
 
Active on the Glass
– Through 10 games, Evansville has posted their highest per game rebounding average since 2013-14 at 35.8 per game
– Elle Snyder leads the team in rebounding at 6.9 boards per game, ranking seventh in the MVC
– Snyder’s mark of 6.9 rebounds per game ranks in the 94th percentile nationally, while her 5.2 defensive rebounds per game ranks in the 96th percentile

Scouting the Opponent
– Belmont brings a 4-6 record into the week and is coming off a 77-69 loss to Kentucky on Sunday
– Last season, the Bruins finished third in the MVC regular season standings at 15-5 and reached the MVC Championship Game to earn an invite to the WNIT, where they advanced to the Championship
– Jailyn Banks leads Belmont in scoring at 14.9 ppg, while three other Bruins average 10-plus points per game

Follow Along
Wednesday’s game will be streamed live on ESPN+. Live stats are available at GoPurpleAces.com.

==========

VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

VALPO DROPS NONCONFERENCE FINALE AT NORTHWESTERN

The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team played with Big Ten Conference foe Northwestern for long stretches of Tuesday’s nonconference finale at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill., but the host Wildcats went on runs early in both halves on their way to an 86-70 victory over the Beacons. Three Valpo players scored in double figures, led by JT Pettigrew (Lisle, Ill. / Bolingbrook), who turned in 13 points and six rebounds.

How It Happened

Northwestern went on a 7-0 run to begin the contest, and stretched the early lead to 12 at 17-5 with 13:14 on the first-half clock.

The Beacons orchestrated a 6-0 run to cut what had been an 11-point disparity to five when Brody Whitaker (Greencastle, Ind. / Greencastle [University of Indianapolis / Marian]) knocked in a second-chance jumper with 7:17 left in the opening half.

Junior Mark Brown Jr. (South Phoenix, Ariz. / Bella Vista Prep [Snow College]) hit a 3 with 5:41 left in the opening half, climbing Valpo within six at 27-21. Freshman Rakim Chaney (Rockford, Ill. / Rockford Auburn [212 Sports Academy]) hit a 3 with 3:46 on the clock to shrink the lead to six again at 32-26, but NU scored the next five to boost the margin back to 11.

Valpo went into the locker room at halftime within single figures at 39-30.

A layup by Pettigrew put Valpo within eight at 40-32 with 18:38 left in the second half, but the Wildcats followed with an 11-0 run that lifted the lead to 19 at 51-32 with 16:21 on the clock. Valpo was whistled for six fouls in the first three and a half minutes of the second half.

The Beacons continued to battle, scoring nine straight to get within 13 at 65-52 with 8:41 remaining, culminating with a tip-in by Pettigrew. The Beacons again battled it down to 13 when Whitaker had a late five-point burst, but that was as close as the guests would come.

Inside the Game

Pettigrew’s 13 points represented his fourth straight game in double figures and his sixth straight with nine points or more.

Whitaker chipped in a dozen points on 5-of-10 shooting, his third double-figure scoring effort of the season and his second-highest output as a Beacon.

McNair posted 10 points, his third straight double-figure showing. He is 12-for-18 shooting during that three-game stretch.

Pettigrew (+2) and fellow freshman Carter Hopoi (Tauranga, New Zealand / Mount Maunganui]) at +3 were the only Beacons with a positive plus-minus. Hopoi logged 18 minutes and had six points, all on traditional 3-point plays.

Valpo held Northwestern to just 23.8 percent (5-of-21) from 3, but the Wildcats still shot 54.1 percent (33-of-61) overall.

Northwestern won the turnover battle 15-7 and had a 24-6 edge in points off turnovers. On the season, Valpo has taken good care of the basketball, but this game’s turnover total was the second highest of the year.

Valpo assistant coach Pat Baldwin returned to his alma mater, where he previously spent four years on Chris Collins’ staff as an assistant coach. Baldwin, one of the program’s all-time greats during his playing days, was recognized on the video board prior to the game and given a nice ovation.

Up Next

Valpo (6-5) will open Missouri Valley Conference play on Sunday by hosting Murray State at 1 p.m. at the Athletics-Recreation Center. For ticket information, visit tickets.valpoathletics.com.

==========

UINDY MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

HOUNDS FALL IN OVERTIME THRILLER AT PARKSIDE

Kenosha, Wis. — The UIndy Men’s basketball team fell to the Parkside Rangers 81-81 in overtime Tuesday night.

The Greyhounds led by as many as 12 points in the second half, but foul trouble created holes in the UIndy offense down the stretch.  Carmelo Harris led the Greyhounds in scoring with 21 points. Shaun Arnold recorded his third-straight double-double, adding 17 points, shooting 7-8 from the field, while grabbing 10 rebounds for UIndy before receiving his fifth foul with less than a minute left in regulation.  Noah Kon led the Hounds on the boards, grabbing a career-high 13 rebounds before he was granted his final foul with 3:52 remaining in regulation.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Rangers opened up the scoring with back-to-back layups before the Greyhounds responded with a six-point run off of an Arnold and one immediately followed by a Harris step-back three to give the Greyhounds their first lead and early momentum just under three minutes into the contest. The scoring remained close for the majority of the first half, but UIndy went on a four-minute 10-6 run sparked by a three-point basket by freshman Ethan Edwards. Harris scored back-to-back buckets for the Hounds, followed by a Kon layup. Kon capitalized on the Greyhound run with his first three-pointer of the season, a buzzer-beater to give the Hounds a 10-point lead going into the break.

Harris stretched the UIndy lead to 12 with an early jumper, but Parkside fought with a 10-2 run to even the score. The Greyhounds got in foul trouble early in the second half, putting Parkside in the bonus with nearly 12 minutes left in the contest. The squads went back and forth, but UIndy did not trail until 5:50 left in regulation. Arnold capitalized on a driving layup to give UIndy a one-point lead, and Julian Norris nailed two from the charity stripe to make it a three-point ballgame. The Rangers did not go away and hit a vital free-throw and a fastbreak layup to force overtime.

The Rangers carried the momentum in the overtime period and took a two-point lead off a Paxton Warden three, followed by a Warden layup. Tyler Parrish kept the game within reach for the Hounds, nailing two free throws to make it a three-point game with 30 seconds left. UIndy put Luka Mateski at the line, who would hit the double-bonus before Parrish knocked down a layup to bring it back to a two-point game. The Hounds then put former UIndy player, Braden McGlothlin, at the line, who would miss both shots in the double bonus, before Edwards’ potential game-winning shot fell short for UIndy.

UP NEXT

The Greyhounds head to the Sunshine State for a pair of non-conference contests, facing Tampa and Eckerd Dec. 20 and 21 to round out the 2025 slate. 

==========

UINDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

HOUNDS FALL AT HOME TO FINDLAY

INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy women’s basketball dropped its third home game of the season on Tuesday night, falling to Findlay 83-54.

Amyrah Sapenter led the way in scoring for the Greyhounds, connecting on three long range shots, accounting for nine of her 12 points on the night. Four Greyhounds; Autumn Rucker, Halie Gilbert, Patricia Chikamba, and Taylor Van Meter all collected six points of their own tonight.

HOW IT HAPPENED

UIndy jumped out to an 11-7 lead with 6:12 to go in the first quarter, thanks to some hot shooting from Rucker and Sapenter, who combined to shoot a perfect 4-4 from the field during that stretch. Following the Hounds’ lead, the Oilers would go on to double UIndy’s scoring output the rest of the first half, and take a 41-28 lead into the half.

The Hounds were able to cut the lead back down to 12 with 5:36 to go after a Rucker pull-up jumper, but the Oilers used an efficient 8-14 (57.1%) and 8-15 (53.3%) shooting in the third and fourth quarters to vault the lead up to 29, and an eventual 83-54 win.

Jaelynne Murray led UIndy in scoring for the second half with nine points, while Chikamba and Van Meter each tallied four of their own.

INSIDE THE BOX

– Gilbert tied her season high in points tonight with eight.

– Chikamba led the team with seven rebounds, including three on the offensive glass.

– The Greyhounds recorded 16 assists tonight which is a season high for the team.

OTHER NOTES

Findlay’s Alyssa Ziehler scored her 1,000th career point in the first quarter of tonight’s contest, after a two-point turn around shot at the 4:23 mark.

UP NEXT

The Greyhounds remain at home for Thursday night’s Basketball In Indy Night, at 5 p.m. against Ohio Dominican. The Panthers lead the all-time series between the schools 3-2, with UIndy’s last win coming in 2023 at Nicoson Hall.

===========

MARIAN MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

MEN’S BASKETBALL SCORES UPSET VICTORY OVER NO. 25 GEORGIA GWINNETT

Xenia, Ohio – The Marian men’s basketball team landed their most impactful victory of the season on Tuesday evening, as the Knights upset No. 25 Georgia Gwinnett 82-76 in game one of the Athletes in Action Christmas Classic. Four scorers reached double figures to lead Marian’s upset victory, as the team improves to 3-9 on the season with the top-25 victory.

The Knights fell in trouble early as they returned to play for the first time in 10 days, getting into an 8-0 deficit in the first two minutes that forced a quick timeout from coach Pat Knight. The Knights got on the board with a pair of Dylan Moles’ foul shots on their next possession, settling into the game as the junior and Aaron Humphrey Jr. brought the score within three.

Marian chipped away at the score, staying within three scores before pulling within four points at the 10:19 mark as Blake Russell scored on the low block. Trailing 20-16, the team turned to Aidan Franks, who followed the score from Russell with back-to-back jumpers, tying the game at 20 each. The 6-0 run sparked by Russell and Franks continued as the half progressed, with Humphrey, Ron Rutland III, and Josiah Gustin contributing to the team’s 11-0 run, catapulting in front 27-20. A three from Franks with 5:09 to play in the half pushed the lead back to seven, allowing Marian to keep control of the score going into the break. Dylan Moles dropped the final points for the Knights in the period, as they held a narrow 35-32 lead at intermission.

The second half started out back and forth as Marian hoped to hold on to the lead, with four different Knights contributing their 10 points in five minutes. Georgia Gwinnett rallied after Marian gained a 45-38 lead, slicing away to eventually tie the contest at 51 with 11:44 remaining. The Grizzlies eventually took a 55-53 lead with 10:31 to play, but Marian had an answer, going on an 8-0 run over the next three minutes of play, with Joshua Renfro tying the game before consecutive possessions with made three pointers from Luke Carroll and Ron Rutland III provided a 63-55 advantage.

The eight-point lead with 7:18 to play would be Marian’s largest of the game, but was not secure as Georgia Gwinnett calmly attacked the Knights, racing back to take a one-point 69-68 lead with 4:14 to play in the game. Rutland answered the fastbreak layup from the Grizzlies Patrick Johnson with a jumper of his own, putting his team in front 70-69. Two possessions later, Rutland delivered a clutch three-point shot from the feed of Gustin, pushing Marian’s lead to four. The Grizzlies would answer with a Drew Kramer three on its next trip down the floor, but it would be the closest they would come to taking away Marian’s hold of the lead.

Humphrey extended Marian’s lead to three points with 1:46 to play, and with 38.2 seconds remaining, the post player converted a clutch three-point play, sinking the free throw to give the Knights a 79-73 lead. Marian then locked down on defense, forcing a traveling violation with under 25 seconds to play, sealing the lead. Gustin sank three free throws in the final 20 seconds, as the Knights iced out its first top-25 win of the season by an 82-76 final score.

Aaron Humphrey Jr. dominated for the Knights in the win, scoring a team-high 20 points while collecting nine rebounds. Dylan Moles scored 17 points, and Ron Rutland III scored 13 to go with his team-best four assists. In his season debut, Josiah Gustin scored 11 points to go with eight rebounds, and Aidan Franks led the bench in scoring with his seven first half points.

As a team, Marian forced 10 turnovers to six committed, and shot a strong 14-17 from the charity stripe.

Marian will play the winner of today’s Rio Grande and Southeastern matchup in the championship game of the green bracket. The tip is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.

==========

MARIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER NEWS

MARIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER EARNS FOUR NAIA ALL-AMERICA HONORS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – On Tuesday, December 16, the NAIA released its 2025 Women’s Soccer All-America Teams. The Marian women’s soccer team was one of two schools tied with the most All-American recipients this year, as the Knights’ quartet of Katie Koger, Marian Corro Celma, Kiley Jones, and Taylor Wert were each named as an NAIA All-American.

Marian led the Crossroads League in All-American nods, with Katie Koger and Marian Corro Celma being named to the First Team, while Kiley Jones was a Second Team All-American and Taylor Wert was a Third Team All-American. The Knights were one of three Crossroads League schools to earn All-American honors, with Grace receiving three and Indiana Wesleyan earning two.

William Carey was the only other program to join Marian with four NAIA All-Americans in 2025. Seven programs had three All-American honors in the 2025 season.

Katie Koger headlines Marian’s All-America haul, as the senior dominated on the pitch for the Knights, as she was named an NAIA All-American First Team honoree. Leading Marian in both goals and assists, Koger scored 35 points on the season, logging 14 goals and seven assists. Her final two assists of the season came in Marian’s victory over Taylor in the NAIA Tournament Round of 16 match. Koger was the Crossroads League Player of the Year and a member of the league’s first team, and was recently recognized in the classroom by being named to both the NAIA Scholar-Athlete and CSC Academic All-District lists. Koger was additionally named to the United Soccer Coaches All-America Team.

Marian Corro Celma joined Koger on the All-America First Team, earning her first career NAIA All-American nod. Corro Celma was the heart of Marian’s midfield and finished her senior year as team captain, scoring seven points on the year with two goals and three assists. The senior played a role in Marian’s 15 shutouts this season, and was named as an All-Crossroads League Midfielder as she was one of three players on the team to start and play in all 23 games. Corro Celma was named to the NAIA Scholar-Athlete list and was a member of the CSC Academic All-District Team. The native of Puebla, Mexico, was recently named to the United Soccer Coaches All-America Team.

Kiley Jones had a strong year for the Knights in her senior campaign, earning NAIA All-America Second Team honors, the first All-America award in her career. Jones was the third Knight joining Koger and Corro Celma to start each of the team’s 23 contests, and had a strong season anchoring Marian’s defense. Jones played a pivotal role in Marian’s 15 shutouts from her defensive position, while getting involved on offense with two goals and five assists. Jones was named as a First Team All-Crossroads League honoree this season, adding her All-America honor to her mantle.

Rounding out Marian’s All-American group is Taylor Wert, who earned Third Team All-America honors. Despite seeing her season get cut short due to injury in the postseason, Wert was the team’s fourth-leading scorer, tacking on seven goals and three assists this season. The first-year Knight was an All-Crossroads League First Team member, and registered two multi-goal games and scored two game-winning goals this season.

Marian finished the 2025 season with an overall record of 20-1-2, the second-best mark in program history. The Knights were NAIA Tournament Quarterfinalists and won the Crossroads League Regular Season championship.

The NAIA All-America Committee consists of the NAIA-Women’s Soccer Coaches Association officers and seven additional women’s soccer coaches. The 2025 Select Sport America-NAIA Women’s Soccer National Coach of the Year will be announced in January.

MUKnights.com: Your online source for Marian Athletics, tickets, multimedia, Knight merchandise, photos, and more.

===========

MARIAN VOLLEYBALL NEWS

LYONS EARNS THIRD CONSECUTIVE AVCA REGIONAL TEAM HONORS

Louisville, Ky. – The AVCA is pleased to announce its 2025 All-Region teams for NAIA women’s volleyball, as chosen by the NAIA Selection Committee. Emma Lyons was named to the AVCA team for the third time in her career.

Each of the nine regions named 14 student-athletes to the All-Region team, and eight players earned honorable mention honors. Additionally, a Player of the Year, a Freshman of the Year, a Coach of the Year, and an Assistant Coach of the Year were selected for each region.

This year’s 198 All-Region first-team or honorable mention players represent 106 different NAIA schools. The University of the Cumberlands leads the way with six All-Region selections. Indiana University Kokomo, McPherson College, the University of Providence,  Stephens College, Texas A&M University Texarkana, and Xavier University of Louisiana each have four All-Region picks.

Emma Lyons was named an AVCA North Central Region Honorable Mention, dominating from the libero position. Lyons led the team in digs with 586 recording 5.33 digs per set. She recorded her 2000th dig as well as broke the school record with 2047 this season. She tallied 92 assists throughout the year as well as recorded the second highest amount of aces with 26.

Marian finished the season with an 18-12 overall record and a 9-9 record in the Crossroads League. The Knights made it to the NAIA Opening Round to finish off their season.

===========

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

==========

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

DECEMBER 17

  • 1894 – CRICKET DAY THREE 1T AUSTRALIA VERSUS ENGLAND; ENGLAND 325 ALL OUT, 261 BEHIND ON FIRST INNING.
  • 1920 – AMERICAN LEAGUE VOTES TO ALLOW PITCHERS WHO USED THE SPITBALL IN 1920 TO CONTINUE USING IT AS LONG AS THEY ARE IN THE LEAGUE (THE NATIONAL LEAGUE WILL DO THE SAME – 17 HOLDOVER SPITBALLERS IN ALL).
  • 1927 – DONALD BRADMAN SCORES 118 ON FIRST-CLASS CRICKET DEBUT, 188 MINUTES 8 FOURS.
  • 1927 – VICTORIA SCORES 793 IN CRICKET AGAINST QUEENSLAND, BILL PONSFORD SCORES 437.
  • 1928 – JOHN MCGRAW BACKS MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL NATIONAL LEAGUE PRESIDENT JOHN HEYDLER’S DESIGNATED HITTER IDEA.
  • 1932 – SAINT LOUIS CARDINALS TRADE JIM BOTTOMLEY TO CINCINNATI REDS FOR ESTEL CRABTREE AND OWNIE CARROLL.
  • 1933 – B H VALENTINE SCORES 133 ON TEST CRICKET DEBUT, ENGLAND VERSUS INDIA AT BOMBAY.
  • 1933 – LALA AMARNATH SCORES CENTURY ON TEST CRICKET DEBUT (WENT ON TO 118).
  • 1933 – NFL STARTS KEEPING OFFICIAL STATISTICS AS WESTERN DIVISION CHAMPS CHICAGO BEARS BEAT EASTERN DIVISION CHAMPS NEW YORK GIANTS 23-21 IN FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, IN FRONT OF 25,000 SPECTATORS AT WRIGLEY FIELD, CHICAGO.
  • 1944 – GREEN BAY PACKERS WIN NFL CHAMPIONSHIP.
  • 1946 – DONALD BRADMAN AND BARNES COMPLETE 405 RUN 5TH WICKET STAND, SCORE 234 EACH.
  • 1975 – FIRST TIME NEW YORK ISLANDERS SHUT-OUT NEW YORK RANGERS, 3-0-BILLY SMITH’S 5TH.
  • 1977 – BOBBY SIMPSON SCORES 176 AUSTRALIA VERSUS INDIA AT THE WACA, AGED 41.
  • 1984 – NEW JERSEY DEVILS’ FIRST PENALTY SHOT-ROCKY TROTTIER SCORES AGAINST EDMONTON OILERS.
  • 1984 – NEW JERSEY DEVILS’ FIRST SHUTOUT, GLENN RESCH MAKES 42 SAVES BEAT MINNESOTA, 2-0.
  • 1988 – 77TH DAVIS CUP: GERMANY BEATS SWEDEN IN GOTHENBURG (4-1).
  • 1988 – BRYAN MURRAY BECOMES THE 17TH NHL COACH TO WIN 300 GAMES (WASHINGTON CAPITALS).
  • 1988 – NEW YORK ISLANDERS BREAK 12-GAME LOSING STREAK, BEAT NEW JERSEY DEVILS 5-2.
  • 1989 – 78TH DAVIS CUP: GERMANY BEATS SWEDEN IN STUTTGART (3-2).
  • 1989 – MICHAEL BEVAN SCORES CRICKET CENTURY ON FIRST-CLASS DEBUT (114 SOUTH AFRICA VERSUS WESTERN AUSTRALIA).
  • 1989 – PATTI RIZZO/MIKE HILL WIN LPGA MAZDA GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP.
  • 1991 – CLEVELAND CAVALIERS BEAT MIAMI HEAT 148-80, BY RECORD 68 POINTS.
  • 2003 – THE NEW YORK YANKEES AND GARY SHEFFIELD FINALIZE A US$39 MILLION, THREE-YEAR DEAL.
  • 2004 – THE SEATTLE MARINERS BASEBALL TEAM SIGN FREE-AGENT THIRD BASEMAN ADRIAN BELTRE TO A $64 MILLION, FIVE-YEAR DEAL.
  • 2021 – AT HONDA CENTER IN ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA, USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: ARIZONA COYOTES BEATS ANAHEIM DUCKS BY SCORE 6-5.
  • 2021 – AT UNITED CENTER IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: NASHVILLE PREDATORS BEATS CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS BY SCORE 3-2.
  • 2021 – AT CANADA LIFE CENTRE IN WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: WASHINGTON CAPITALS BEATS WINNIPEG JETS BY SCORE 5-2.
  • 2021 – AT ENTERPRISE CENTER IN SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI, USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: SAINT LOUIS BLUES BEATS DALLAS STARS BY SCORE 4-1.
  • 2021 – AT PPG PAINTS ARENA IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: PITTSBURGH PENGUINS BEATS BUFFALO SABRES BY SCORE 3-2.
  • 2021 – AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN IN NEW YORK, NEW YORK, USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS BEATS NEW YORK RANGERS BY SCORE 3-2.

BIRTHS OF SPORTS FIGURES ON DECEMBER 17

  • 1881 – BIRTH OF AUBREY FAULKNER; CRICKET PLAYER (GREAT SOUTH AFRICA ALL-ROUNDER EARLY 20TH CENTURY).
  • 1910 – BIRTH OF KEKI KHURSEDJI TARAPORE; CRICKET PLAYER (0-72 IN HIS ONLY TEST FOR INDIA).
  • 1914 – BIRTH OF MUSHTAQ ALI; CRICKET PLAYER (PROLIFIC INDIAN BATSMAN OF 1930S AND 1940S).
  • 1933 – BIRTH OF BRUCE MORRISON; CRICKET PLAYER (ONE TEST NEW ZEALAND VERSUS ENGLAND 1963).
  • 1935 – BIRTH OF CAL RIPKEN SENIOR; BASEBALL MANAGER (BALTIMORE ORIOLES).
  • 1936 – BIRTH OF ROLAND SHELDON; PITCHER (NEW YORK YANKEES).
  • 1944 – BIRTH OF FERENCE BENE IN HUNGARY; RECORD 12 SOCCER GOALS (OLYMPICS-GOLD-1964).
  • 1946 – BIRTH OF ALBERT PADMORE; CRICKET PLAYER (WEST INDIES OFF-SPINNER MID-70S).
  • 1951 – BIRTH OF TATYANA KAZANKINA IN THE USSR; MIDDLE DISTANCE RUNNER (OLYMPICS-GOLD-1976).
  • 1957 – BIRTH OF BOB OJEDA; PITCHER (NEW YORK METS).
  • 1959 – BIRTH OF MICHELLE MACKALL IN WASHINGTON DC, USA; LPGA GOLFER (1995 FRIENDLY’S-32ND).
  • 1959 – BIRTH OF TAMMIE GREEN IN SOMERSET, OHIO, USA; LPGA GOLFER (1989 DU MAURIER LTD CLASSIC).
  • 1962 – BIRTH OF ROCCO ANTHONY MEDIATE IN GREENSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, USA; PGA GOLFER (1991 DORAL-RYDER).
  • 1964 – BIRTH OF FRANK MUSIL IN PARDUBICE, CZECHOSLOVAKIA; NHL DEFENSEMAN (OTTAWA SENATORS).
  • 1964 – BIRTH OF JOE WOLF; NBA FORWARD/CENTER (ORLANDO MAGIC, DENVER NUGGETS).
  • 1964 – BIRTH OF TYRONE BRAXTON; NFL SAFETY (DENVER BRONCOS-SUPERBOWL 32).
  • 1965 – BIRTH OF CRAIG BERUBE IN CALAHOO, ALBERTA, CANADA; NHL LEFT WING (WASHINGTON CAPITALS).
  • 1965 – BIRTH OF JEFF GRAYER; NBA GUARD (CHARLOTTE HORNETS, OLYMPICS-BRONZE-1988).
  • 1965 – BIRTH OF SCOTT EDWARD GUMP IN ROCKLEDGE, FLORIDA, USA; PGA GOLFER (1991 INTERNATIONAL-SECOND).
  • 1966 – BIRTH OF HANS VISSER; DUTCH SOCCER PLAYER (MVV, FC UTRECHT).
  • 1967 – BIRTH OF ALAN NOLET IN TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA; GYMNAST (OLYMPICS-1996).
  • 1967 – BIRTH OF PAULINE MAURICE IN WELLAND, ONTARIO, CANADA; SOFTBALL OUTFIELDER (OLYMPICS-1996).
  • 1967 – BIRTH OF VINCENT DAMPHOUSSE IN MONTRÉAL, QUEBEC, CANADA; NHL CENTER (MONTREAL CANADIENS).
  • 1968 – BIRTH OF CURTIS PRIDE IN WASHINGTON DC; OUTFIELDER (DETROIT TIGERS).
  • 1968 – BIRTH OF JEFF[REY] KLEPACKI IN KEARNY, NEW JERSEY, USA; ROWER (OLYMPICS-1992, 1996).
  • 1969 – BIRTH OF DEAN WILSON IN KANEOHE, HAWAII, USA; GOLFER (1991 WESTERN ATHLETIC).
  • 1969 – BIRTH OF MARC DAVIS IN OCEANSIDE, CALIFORNIA, USA; 3K STEEPLECHASE RUNNER (GOODWILL-GOLD-1994).
  • 1969 – BIRTH OF MARTY CARTER; NFL SAFETY (CHICAGO BEARS).
  • 1969 – BIRTH OF ROB MAAS; DUTCH SOCCER PLAYER (FEYENOORD).
  • 1969 – BIRTH OF SCOTT PLAYER; WLAF PUNTER (FRANKFURT GALAXY).
  • 1970 – BIRTH OF EARL DOTSON; NFL TACKLE (GREEN BAY PACKERS-SUPERBOWL 31).
  • 1970 – BIRTH OF MICHAEL MOLS; SOCCER PLAYER (FC TWENTE).
  • 1971 – BIRTH OF ALYSON HABETZ IN CROWLEY, LOUISIANA, USA; FEMALE PITCHER (COLORADO SILVER BULLETS).
  • 1971 – BIRTH OF CARL REEVES; NFL DEFENSIVE END (CHICAGO BEARS).
  • 1971 – BIRTH OF MARK BYERS; WLAF LINEBACKER (FRANKFURT GALAXY).
  • 1971 – BIRTH OF NIKKI MCCRAY IN COLLIERVILLE, TENNESSEE, USA; BASKETBALL GUARD (OLYMPICS-GOLD-1996).
  • 1971 – BIRTH OF SARI KRISTIINA FISK; ICE HOCKEY DEFENSEMAN (FINLAND, OLYMPICS-1998).
  • 1971 – BIRTH OF TONY RICHARDSON; NFL FULLBACK (KANSAS CITY CHIEFS).
  • 1972 – BIRTH OF BRIAN WILLIAMS; NFL LINEBACKER (GREEN BAY PACKERS-SUPERBOWL 31).
  • 1972 – BIRTH OF DEWAYNE WASHINGTON; NFL CORNERBACK (MINNESOTA VIKINGS).
  • 1972 – BIRTH OF DON DAVIS; LINEBACKER (NEW ORLEANS SAINTS).
  • 1972 – BIRTH OF IVAN PEDROSO IN CUBA; LONG JUMPER (OLYMPICS-4TH-1992).
  • 1975 – BIRTH OF NICK FARRELL IN EAST YORK, ONTARIO, CANADA; BOXER (OLYMPICS-1996).
  • 1981 – BIRTH OF EMMA LAAKSONEN; ICE HOCKEY DEFENSEMAN (FINLAND, OLYMPICS-1998).

DEATHS OF SPORTS FIGURES ON DECEMBER 17

  • 1925 – A N “MONKEY” HORNBY, CRICKET PLAYER (ENGLAND CAPTAIN AT OVAL 1882), DIES.
  • 2008 – SAMMY BAUGH, FOOTBALL PLAYER WHO SET NUMEROUS PASSING RECORDS WITH THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS (1937-1952), DIES AT AGE 94 IN ROTAN, TEXAS, USA.

==========

TV SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, 12/17/25

NBA REGULAR SEASONTIME ETTV
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS VS CHICAGO BULLS8:00PMCHSN
FANDUEL SPORTS OHIO
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES VS MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES8:00PMFANDUEL SPORTS MEM
FANDUEL SPORTS NORTH
WASHINGTON WIZARDS VS SAN ANTONIO SPURS8:00PMMNMT
FANDUEL SPORTS SW
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS VS OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER8:00PMNBATV
FANDUEL SPORTS OKC
FANDUEL SPORTS DET SOCAL
NHL REGULAR SEASONTIME ETTV
LOS ANGELES KINGS VS FLORIDA PANTHERS7:00PMFANDUEL SPORTS WEST
SCRIPPS
UTAH MAMMOTH VS DETROIT RED WINGS7:30PMTNT
MAX
WINNIPEG JETS VS ST. LOUIS BLUES8:00PMFANDUEL SPORTS MW
SN
CAROLINA HURRICANES VS NASHVILLE PREDATORS8:00PMFANDUEL SPORTS COUTH
FANDUEL SPORTS NSH
NEW JERSEY DEVILS VS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS10:00PMTNT
MAX
COLLEGE FOOTBALLTIME ETTV
STAFFDNA CURE BOWL: OLD DOMINION VS. USF5:00PMESPN
68 VENTURES BOWL: LOUISIANA VS. DELAWARE8:30PMESPN
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALLTIME ETTV
HOWARD AT DREXEL11:00AMNBCS-PHI
BRYAN AT SAMFORD1:00PMESPN+
LIPSCOMB AT DUKE6:00PMACCN
MIDWAY AT LIBERTY6:00PMESPN+
DARTMOUTH AT HOLY CROSS6:00PMESPN+
SACRED HEART AT UMASS LOWELL6:00PMESPN+
TOLEDO AT MICHIGAN STATE6:30PMPEACOCK
MIAMI (OH)-MIDDLETOWN AT IU INDIANAPOLIS6:30PMESPN+
KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN AT UNC ASHEVILLE6:30PMESPN+
LOUISVILLE AT TENNESSEE7:00PMESPN
SOUTH CAROLINA AT CLEMSON7:00PMESPN2
KANSAS CITY AT OKLAHOMA7:00PMSECN
FLORIDA STATE AT DAYTON7:00PMCBSSN
BELMONT AT EVANSVILLE7:00PMMVC TV
DEPAUL AT ST. JOHN’S7:00PMPEACOCK
FIU AT MIAMI (FL)7:00 PMESPN+
UTRGV AT LAMAR7:00PMESPN+
MARY BALDWIN AT HIGH POINT7:00PMESPN+
NORTH CAROLINA A&T AT UNCG7:00PMESPN+
CANISIUS AT RHODE ISLAND7:00PMESPN+
RIDER AT DELAWARE7:00PMESPN+
OHIO WESLEYAN AT OHIO7:00PMESPN+
CHICAGO STATE AT BOWLING GREEN7:00PMESPN+
MIAMI (OH) AT WRIGHT STATE7:00PMESPN+
MARIST AT GEORGIA TECH7:30 PMESPN+
LIU AT MISSISSIPPI STATE7:30PMSEC NETWORK+
LITTLE ROCK AT MOREHEAD STATE7:30PMESPN+
ETSU AT NORTH CAROLINA8:00 PMESPN+
LE MOYNE AT TEXAS8:00 PMESPN+
VALPARAISO AT NORTHWESTERN8:00PMPEACOCK
ORAL ROBERTS AT MISSOURI STATE8:00PMESPN+
EAST-WEST AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS8:00PMESPN+
NORTHERN COLORADO AT TEXAS TECH8:00PMESPN+
YORK AT OMAHA8:00PMSUMMIT
BUTLER VS. UCONN8:30PMPEACOCK
TOWSON AT KANSAS9:00PMESPN
QUEENS AT ARKANSAS9:00PMSEC NETWORK
ABILENE CHRISTIAN AT ARIZONA9:00PMESPN+
PACIFIC AT BYU9:00PMESPN+
COLORADO-COLORADO SPRINGS AT DENVER9:00PMSUMMIT
MONTANA STATE AT CAL POLY10:00PMESPN+
STANTON AT UC RIVERSIDE10:00PMESPN+
SOUTHERN AT CALIFORNIA BAPTIST10:00PMESPN+
UC SAN DIEGO AT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT11:30PMESPN+
SOCCERTIME ETTV
LEAGUE CUP: MANCHESTER CITY VS BRENTFORD2:30PMPARAMOUNT+
UEFA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: OL LYONNES VS ATLETICO MADRID3:00PMPARAMOUNT+
UEFA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: SL BENFICA VS PSG3:00PMPARAMOUNT+
UEFA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: PARIS FC VS BARCELONA3:00PMPARAMOUNT+
UEFA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: TWENTE VS REAL MADRID3:00PMPARAMOUNT+
UEFA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: WOLFSBURG VS CHELSEA FC3:00PMPARAMOUNT+
UEFA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: OH LEUVEN VS ARSENAL3:00PMPARAMOUNT+
UEFA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: JUVENTUS VS MANCHESTER UNITED3:00PMPARAMOUNT+
UEFA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: ROMA VS ST. PÖLTEN3:00PMPARAMOUNT+
UEFA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: BAYERN VS VÅLERENGA3:00PMPARAMOUNT+
LEAGUE CUP: NEWCASTLE UNITED VS FULHAM3:15PMPARAMOUNT+

About The Author