“THE SCOREBOARD”
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INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
BLUE RIVER VALLEY 56 ANDERSON PREP 51
CENTERVILLE 46 EAST CENTRAL 44
CONNERSVILLE 67 SETON CATHOLIC 24
EMINENCE 57 DUGGER UNION 38
GREENCASTLE 59 EDGEWOOD 58
INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS 73 GUERIN CATHOLIC 69
INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE 88 INTERNATIONAL 10
PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE 77 MTI KNOWLEDGE 18
SOUTH DEARBORN 65 COOPER (KY.) 47
TRITON CENTRAL 48 INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA 44
DELAWARE COUNTY TOURNAMENT
YORKTOWN 88 DALEVILLE 36 R1
DELTA 59 COWAN 26 R1
MARION COUNTY TOURNAMENT
PARK TUDOR 51 FRANKLIN CENTRAL 39 QF
LAWRENCE NORTH 59 INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI 49 QF
PIKE 66 DECATUR CENTRAL 54 QF
LAWRENCE CENTRAL 71 BEN DAVIS 69 QF
NECC TOURNAMENT
GARRETT PRAIRIE HEIGHTS PPD., J15
FAIRFIELD WESTVIEW PPD., J15
ANGOLA LAKELAND PPD., J15
EASTSIDE WEST NOBLE PPD., J15
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INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
ALL TIMES EASTERN
BETHANY CHRISTIAN AT CAREER ACADEMY 7:30 PM
CHRISTEL HOUSE AT HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 7:30 PM
ELKHART AT MISHAWAKA MARIAN 7:30 PM
EVANSVILLE BOSSE AT MADISONVILLE NORTH HOPKINS (KY.) 8:00 PM
GARY WEST AT BOWMAN ACADEMY 8:00 PM
GEO NEXT GENERATION AT INDIANAPOLIS ROOTED 7:30 PM
GREENSBURG AT BATESVILLE 7:30 PM
HIGHLAND AT MUNSTER 8:00 PM
INDIANAPOLIS HOMESCHOOL AT INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS 7:30 PM
LIBERTY CHRISTIAN AT INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY 7:30 PM
MORRISTOWN AT KNIGHTSTOWN 7:30 PM
NEW PRAIRIE AT PENN 7:30 PM
SHAWE MEMORIAL AT HAUSER 7:30 PM
SOUTH BEND ADAMS AT SOUTH BEND RILEY 7:30 PM
SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH AT SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON 7:30 PM
TRINITY GREENLAWN AT PORTAGE CHRISTIAN 7:00 PM
UNION CITY AT NORTHEASTERN 7:30 PM
CLERC TOURNAMENT
INDIANA DEAF VS. NEW MEXICO DEAF 2:30 PM R1
NECC TOURNAMENT
TBA VS. TBA 7:30 PM CON
TBA VS. TBA 7:30 PM CON
TBA VS. TBA 7:30 PM CON
===========
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
CHARLESTOWN 61 LOUISVILLE MANUAL (KY.) 51
DECATUR CENTRAL 65 DANVILLE 34
EASTBROOK 47 WABASH 39
EVANSVILLE CENTRAL 72 VINCENNES LINCOLN 43
GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN 53 GREENWOOD 41
HUNTINGTON NORTH 57 FORT WAYNE WAYNE 39
LAPEL 58 WINCHESTER 17
LAWRENCEBURG 76 JAC-CEN-DEL 49
NEW HAVEN 56 FORT WAYNE NORTH 23
OAK HILL 53 NORTHWESTERN 14
OWEN VALLEY 67 CLAY CITY 27
PLAINFIELD 61 BLOOMINGTON NORTH 50
ROCHESTER 53 LOGANSPORT 22
TAYLOR 23 FRANKFORT 20 OT
VICTORY PREP 39 CHRISTEL HOUSE 31
NECC TOURNAMENT
CENTRAL NOBLE FREMONT PPD., J15
FAIRFIELD WESTVIEW PPD., J15
ANGOLA LAKELAND PPD., J15
EASTSIDE WEST NOBLE PPD., J15
POSTPONEMENTS
FRONTIER CULVER PPD.
NORTHRIDGE PENN PPD.
SOUTH BEND ADAMS BUCHANAN (MICH.) PPD.
TIPPECANOE VALLEY NORTH MIAMI PPD.
MISHAWAKA WARSAW PPD., J15
KANKAKEE VALLEY GRIFFITH PPD., J24
FORT WAYNE DWENGER NORWELL PPD., J28
RIVER FOREST MICHIGAN CITY PPD., J28
===========
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE THURSDAY
ALL TIMES EASTERN
AUSTIN AT NORTH HARRISON 7:30 PM
BLOOMFIELD AT CLAY CITY 7:30 PM
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH AT MOORESVILLE 7:30 PM
BOWMAN ACADEMY AT GARY 21ST CENTURY 8:00 PM
BROWN COUNTY AT EDINBURGH 7:30 PM
CASTLE AT EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL 8:00 PM
COLUMBUS NORTH AT CENTER GROVE 7:30 PM
CORYDON CENTRAL AT SILVER CREEK 7:30 PM
COVINGTON AT PARKE HERITAGE 7:30 PM
CRAWFORD COUNTY AT WEST WASHINGTON 7:30 PM
DECATUR CENTRAL AT PIKE 7:30 PM
DEKALB AT GOSHEN 7:30 PM
DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN AT FAITH CHRISTIAN 7:30 PM
DUGGER UNION AT RED HILL (ILL.) 6:30 PM
EASTERN (PEKIN) AT SOUTH CENTRAL (ELIZABETH) 7:30 PM
EASTERN GREENE AT MITCHELL 7:00 PM
ELKHART CHRISTIAN AT EAST NOBLE 7:30 PM
EVANSVILLE BOSSE AT EVANSVILLE REITZ 8:00 PM
FOREST PARK AT EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN 7:30 PM
FRANKLIN AT INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI 7:30 PM
FRANKTON AT TIPTON 7:30 PM
GIBSON SOUTHERN AT TECUMSEH 7:30 PM
HAGERSTOWN AT CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN 7:30 PM
HAMMOND MORTON AT HAMMOND SCIENCE & TECH 7:00 PM
HAMMOND NOLL AT EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL 8:00 PM
HANOVER CENTRAL AT HIGHLAND 8:00 PM
HERITAGE HILLS AT PERRY CENTRAL 8:30 PM
HOBART AT LOWELL 8:00 PM
ILLIANA CHRISTIAN AT LAKE STATION 8:00 PM
INDIANAPOLIS HERRON AT INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON 6:00 PM
INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN AT MORRISTOWN 7:30 PM
INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY AT INDIANAPOLIS RITTER 6:00 PM
JEFFERSONVILLE AT NEW ALBANY 7:30 PM
JOHN GLENN AT MARQUETTE CATHOLIC 7:30 PM
LAKELAND CHRISTIAN AT TRINITY GREENLAWN 6:30 PM
LAKEWOOD PARK AT WHITKO 7:30 PM
LAPEL AT SHENANDOAH 7:30 PM
LAPORTE AT CHESTERTON 8:00 PM
LAWRENCE NORTH AT LAWRENCE CENTRAL 7:30 PM
LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN AT CLOVERDALE 6:30 PM
MADISON AT SEYMOUR 7:30 PM
MILAN AT SHAWE MEMORIAL 6:00 PM
MOORESVILLE CHRISTIAN AT GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN 7:00 PM
MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) AT WARREN CENTRAL 7:30 PM
MUHLENBERG COUNTY (KY.) AT EVANSVILLE HARRISON 8:00 PM
MUNCIE BURRIS AT MADISON-GRANT 6:00 PM
NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) AT MARTINSVILLE (ILL.) 6:00 PM
NORTH VERMILLION AT SHAKAMAK 7:30 PM
NORTHEAST DUBOIS AT BARR-REEVE 7:30 PM
NORTHWEST HOMESCHOOL AT TRITON CENTRAL 7:30 PM
OREGON-DAVIS AT ARGOS 6:00 PM
ORLEANS AT BORDEN 7:30 PM
PIKE CENTRAL AT WHITE RIVER VALLEY 7:30 PM
PRINCETON AT WOOD MEMORIAL 8:00 PM
RENSSELAER CENTRAL AT WEST LAFAYETTE 8:00 PM
ROCK CREEK ACADEMY AT CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 7:30 PM
SCOTTSBURG AT SALEM 7:30 PM
SHERIDAN AT SPEEDWAY 7:30 PM
SHOALS AT NORTH KNOX 6:00 PM
SOUTH DEARBORN AT OLDENBURG ACADEMY 7:30 PM
SOUTH DECATUR AT WALDRON 7:30 PM
SOUTH RIPLEY AT RISING SUN 7:30 PM
SOUTH SPENCER AT SOUTHRIDGE 8:00 PM
SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE) AT NORTH DECATUR 7:30 PM
SOUTHWOOD AT PERU 7:45 PM
SPRINGS VALLEY AT PAOLI 7:30 PM
SWITZERLAND COUNTY AT SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER) 7:30 PM
TELL CITY AT BOONVILLE 7:00 PM
TRI AT MONROE CENTRAL 5:00 PM
TRI-COUNTY AT CASTON 7:30 PM
TWIN LAKES AT NORTH WHITE 6:30 PM
UNION CITY AT ANSONIA (OHIO) 7:30 PM
VINCENNES RIVET AT LOOGOOTEE 7:00 PM
WASHINGTON AT EVANSVILLE NORTH 7:30 PM
WESTERN AT MACONAQUAH 7:30 PM
WHEELER AT BOONE GROVE 7:00 PM
WHITELAND AT SOUTHPORT 7:30 PM
WINCHESTER AT CENTERVILLE 7:30 PM
CLERC TOURNAMENT
INDIANA DEAF VS. MARYLAND DEAF 4:00 PM R1
DELAWARE COUNTY TOURNAMENT
WES-DEL AT WAPAHANI 6:00 PM SF
DALEVILLE VS. DELTA 7:30 PM SF
GIAC TOURNAMENT
INDIANAPOLIS RIVERSIDE AT INDIANA MATH & SCIENCE 6:00 PM R1
IRVINGTON PREP AT PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE 6:00 PM R1
INDIANAPOLIS CITY TOURNAMENT
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN VS. INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL 6:00 PM SF
INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD VS. PURDUE ENGLEWOOD 7:30 PM SF
NECC TOURNAMENT
TBA VS. TBA 6:00 PM CON
TBA VS. TBA 6:00 PM CON
TBA VS. TBA 6:00 PM CON
==========
INDIANA WRESTLING
INDIANA STATE WRESTLING ASSOCIATION: https://www.iswa.com/
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS WRESTLING COACHES ASSOCIATION: https://www.ihsgw.net/
INDIANA MAT: https://indianamat.com/
GIRLS STATE FINALS BRACKETS: https://www.ihsaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2025-26%20GWR%20State%20Finals.pdf
============
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES
#5 PURDUE 79 IOWA 72
OLE MISS 97 #21 GEORGIA 95 OT
#13 ILLINOIS 79 NORTHWESTERN 68
TEXAS 80 #10 VANDERBILT 64
STANFORD 95 #14 NORTH CAROLINA 90
#17 ARKANSAS 108 SOUTH CAROLINA 74
#15 TEXAS TECH 88 UTAH 74
#23 UTAH STATE 71 NEVADA 62
#4 MICHIGAN 82 WASHINGTON 72
#1 ARIZONA 89 ARIZONA STATE 82
#6 DUKE 71 CALIFORNIA 56
#11 BYU 76 TCU 70
XAVIER 89 BUTLER 75
PITTSBURGH 89 GEORGIA TECH 66
MISSOURI 84 AUBURN 74
KENTUCKY 75 LSU 74
CINCINNATI 77 COLORADO 68
TULSA 86 CHARLOTTE 74
INDIANA STATE 94 ILLINOIS STATE 89
CENTRAL FLORIDA 82 KANSAS STATE 73
MEMPHIS 55 TEMPLE 53
SAN DIEGO STATE 74 WYOMING 57
UCLA 71 PENN STATE 60
SMU 77 VIRGINIA TECH 76
PEPPERDINE 67 PORTLAND 63
OREGON STATE 76 LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 70
SANTA CLARA 85 PACIFIC 69
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WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES
#14 OHIO STATE 108 PENN STATE 84
#10 TCU 51 WEST VIRGINIA 50
#3 UCLA 76 MINNESOTA 58
COLORADO 68 #19 IOWA STATE 62
#18 BAYLOR 61 UTAH 45
UMASS 82 AKRON 68
ST. LOUIS 66 LASALLE 57
SAN DIEGO STATE 73 NEW MEXICO 56
NORTHERN KENTUCKY 63 MILWAUKEE 55
RHODE ISLAND 46 VCU 41
GEORGE WASHINGTON 59 DUQUESNE 45
BALL STATE 103 BUFFALO 61
CLEVELAND STATE 68 DETROIT MERCY 52
BOWLING GREEN 61 WESTERN MICHIGAN 54
YOUNGSTOWN STATE 78 WRIGHT STATE 67 OT
MIAMI OHIO 69 EASTERN MICHIGAN 55
KENT STATE 71 OHIO 68
TOLEDO 70 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 49
GREEN BAY 69 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 57
WASHINGTON 82 INDIANA 63
BUTLER 62 PROVIDENCE 52
CINCINNATI 63 CENTRAL FLORIDA 59 OT
SETON HALL 64 MARQUETTE 61
RICHMOND 85 DAYTON 67
OKLAHOMA STATE 85 KANSAS 76
BOISE STATE 77 WYOMING 40
GRAND CANYON 65 NEVADA 51
COLORADO STATE 65 AIR FORCE 63
FRESNO STATE 86 UTAH STATE 56
UNLV 78 SAN JOSE STATE 50
==========
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
MONDAY, JAN. 19
7:30 P.M. | COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (MIAMI, FLA.) | ESPN
MIAMI VS. INDIANA
============
NFL
NFL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
NFL PLAYOFF DIVISIONAL-ROUND SCHEDULE
JAN. 17
BUFFALO BILLS AT DENVER BRONCOS, 4:30 ET, CBS, PARAMOUNT, FUBO
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, 8 P.M. ET, FOX, FUBO
JAN. 18
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT CHICAGO BEARS, 6:30 P.M. ET, NBC, PEACOCK
HOUSTON TEXANS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS, 3:00P.M. ET, ABC, ESPN, FUBO
NFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME SCHEDULE
JAN. 25
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP, 3:00 ET, CBS
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP, 6:30 ET, FOX
SUPER BOWL 60 SCHEDULE
FEB. 8
AFC CHAMPION VS. NFC CHAMPION, 6:30 PM NBC
==========
NBA
TORONTO 115 INDIANA 101
CLEVELAND 133 PHILADELPHIA 107
NEW ORLEANS 116 BROOKLYN 113
CHICAGO 128 UTAH 126
DENVER 118 DALLAS 109
SACRAMENTO 112 NEW YORK 101
LA CLIPPERS 119 WASHINGTON 105
===========
NHL
NEW JERSEY 3 SEATTLE 2 OT
OTTAWA 8 NY RANGERS 4
BUFFALO 5 PHILADELPHIA 2
VEGAS 3 LOS ANGELES 2 OT
===========
NATIONAL RELEASES
NFL
REPORT: GIANTS EXPECTED TO HIRE HARBAUGH AS COACH
The New York Giants are working to finalize an agreement to hire John Harbaugh as head coach, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The reported deal is not done, as the two sides are still negotiating contract numbers. However, Harbaugh is ready to accept the offer from the Giants, barring any setbacks, according to Schefter.
Harbaugh became the top head coaching candidate available after the Baltimore Ravens fired him last week, following 18 seasons, six AFC North titles, and one Super Bowl title together. Several other teams, including the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans, also showed strong interest in hiring him. He was expected to meet with the Titans on Thursday.
The 63-year-old had an in-person interview with the Giants on Wednesday. First-round quarterback Jaxson Dart was reportedly involved in the meeting. Harbaugh left New York’s facility without a deal, but he’s expected to reach an agreement with the team shortly.
Adding Harbaugh would be a massive move by the Giants, who’ve been looking to replace Brian Daboll after firing him midway through the 2025 season. The club finished the campaign with offensive coordinator Mike Kafka as its interim head coach.
Harbaugh will inherit a 4-13 team that hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2022. However, the Giants will enter the offseason with promising playmakers under rookie contracts on both sides of the ball, including Dart, wide receiver Malik Nabers, running back Cam Skattebo, and pass-rusher Abdul Carter, among others. New York also owns the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Harbaugh established himself as one of the NFL’s best coaches during his time with the Ravens, posting a 193-124 record from 2008-25, including the playoffs. The 2019 Coach of the Year led Baltimore to a Super Bowl title during the 2012 season.
The Ravens posted several successful campaigns under Harbaugh’s watch, but failed to make another Super Bowl run in recent years despite rostering two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. The franchise opted to part ways with Harbaugh after missing the playoffs with an 8-9 record this season.
The Giants have had six different head coaches since 2016, including interim coaches.
New York is expected to become the first team to fill its head coaching job this cycle. Eight vacancies remain around the NFL, including the Ravens.
RESTED BRONCOS, DEPLETED BILLS GEAR UP FOR PLAYOFF REMATCH
For the first time in 10 years, the Denver Broncos enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
The last time they were the No. 1 seed — 2015, Peyton Manning’s fourth and final season in Denver — happens to be the last time they won a Super Bowl.
Broncos coach Sean Payton knows the potential benefit of being No. 1. When his New Orleans Saints won Super XLIV in 2009, they were the NFC’s top seed.
But entering Saturday’s playoff opener against the visiting Buffalo Bills, Payton is also well aware that regular-season success and the No. 1 seed don’t guarantee anything when it comes to the postseason.
“The (bye) is important, but myth No. 2 is that (it) ensures the fast start. It doesn’t,” Payton said Tuesday. “Understand this: We’re playing a team that’s coming off one of their biggest wins in the last 10 years. We have to earn a fast start and take advantage of the energy, take advantage of the rest. But it has to be done out (on the field).”
Payton also knows the challenges presented by the Bills, who handily beat the Broncos 31-7 in last season’s wild-card round.
The Bills are still alive for the rematch thanks to their first road playoff win since the 1992 season, 27-24 at Jacksonville on Sunday.
Josh Allen, who entered with a foot injury and twice visited the injury tent during the game with head, hand and knee injuries, gutted out a performance that included 306 total yards, three total touchdowns and a pair of go-ahead fourth-quarter touchdown drives.
“I feel good. Honestly, I feel a little better than I have the last couple weeks,” Allen said on Tuesday.
Allen, who has won his first playoff game in each of the last six seasons, would secure his third AFC Championship Game appearance with a win over the Broncos.
However, he will have quite a limited receiver room entering the matchup after both Tyrell Shavers and Gabe Davis sustained torn ACLs in the win over the Jaguars. That leaves Buffalo with just three wide receivers on its active roster — Keon Coleman, Brandin Cooks and Khalil Shakir.
Shakir led the team with 719 receiving yards in the regular season, adding a game-high 12 catches for 82 yards against Jacksonville. Coleman, the team’s 2024 second-round pick, took a step back in production in Year 2 with 404 yards.
Curtis Samuel (elbow) had his practice window for a return from injured reserve opened Tuesday and was a full participant in the first two practices of the week.
“Another guy’s got to step up. That’s point-blank what it means,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “And I don’t mean to be short. It’s just right now, it’s full confidence in the guys in that room.”
Standout defensive tackle Ed Oliver (bicep) also saw his practice window open on Tuesday, making it possible that he will play his first game since Oct. 26. He was limited in Tuesday and Wednesday’s practices.
For Denver quarterback Bo Nix, this will be his first home playoff game. He completed 59.1% of his passes for 144 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Buffalo.
“I think everybody would say they’d rather be at home in this situation,” Nix said. “Last year was a tough environment, tough road experience. Good for a young person like me to go gain that experience (in my) first year. It’s obviously nice to be at home. It’s nice for that challenge to be on the other side.”
Nix will be assisted by a Broncos defense that set a franchise record with 68 sacks, 11 more than any other team and just four off the NFL record set by the 1984 Bears.
Buffalo running back Ty Johnson (ankle), cornerback Maxwell Hairston (ankle) and safety Jordan Poyer (hamstring) did not practice Tuesday or Wednesday. Team sack leader Greg Rousseau (back), linebacker Matt Milano (ankle) and tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee) have been limited.
Denver has just four players on the injury report, none of whom have missed a practice this week. Tight end Lucas Krull (foot) and linebackers Dre Greenlaw (hamstring) and Drew Sanders (ankle) have been limited.
The Bills have beaten the Broncos four of the last five times they’ve faced off and won both postseason matchups, including a 10-7 win in the 1991 AFC Championship Game.
SEAHAWKS, 49ERS SET FOR RUBBER MATCH WITH NFC TITLE-GAME BERTH AT STAKE
Every great NFL defense needs a nickname.
From the Purple People Eaters (Vikings) to the Steel Curtain (Steelers), the Monsters of the Midway (Bears) to the Doomsday Defense (Cowboys), the Fearsome Foursome (Rams) to the New York Sack Exchange (Jets) and the Orange Crush (Broncos) to the Legion of Boom (Seahawks), the best all got monikers.
Even the Dolphins’ No-Name Defense of the 1970s.
The current Seattle Seahawks defense hasn’t yet matched the Legion of Boom, which led the NFL in fewest points allowed from 2012 to 2015, but it has come up with a nickname just in case — the “Dark Side.”
That unit will be key when the top-seeded Seahawks (14-3) play host to the sixth-seeded San Francisco 49ers (13-5) on Saturday in an NFC divisional-round playoff game.
“I think throughout the season, we were just feeling like we had a really special defense, you know, special players, and we were also just doing special things,” Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams said. “We always hear of ‘Legion of Boom,’ especially being in here. We were starting to get to a point like, ‘Hey, maybe we deserve our own name.’”
The Seahawks had the league’s top-ranked scoring defense at 17.2 points per game.
Their best performance came in the regular-season finale in Santa Clara, Calif., against the 49ers in a game to determine the NFC West division title and the conference’s top playoff seed, which included a first-round bye. The Seahawks allowed just 173 yards of total offense in a 13-3 victory.
That dropped the 49ers to the No. 6 seed. They went on the road and defeated the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles 23-19 on Sunday to advance.
Christian McCaffrey gained just 48 yards on 15 carries but made six receptions for 66 yards and two touchdowns to boost San Francisco. Little-used receiver Demarcus Robinson added six catches for 111 yards and a score.
It was a costly victory, however, as star tight end George Kittle sustained a torn right Achilles tendon.
The 49ers will be without Kittle and All-Pro defender Nick Bosa (knee) against Seattle.
San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner, who was designated to return from injured reserve on Tuesday, was more likely to return should the 49ers advance to the NFC Championship Game, but Warner didn’t rule out playing this week. He has been sidelined since Oct. 12 with a fractured and dislocated right ankle.
Niners safety Ji’Ayir Brown (hamstring) and linebacker Luke Gifford (quadriceps) also sat out practice on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“I think that made us stronger for stuff like this,” Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams said about the 49ers’ injury-marred season. “Kittle going down in the first half (at Philadelphia). I think if we didn’t have experience with that, it would have been easy for everybody to fold and nobody would have blamed us. They would say, ‘Hey, they don’t have this player, don’t have that player, they probably should lose.’”
Offensive tackle Josh Jones (knee) was the only active Seattle player to miss both the Tuesday and Wednesday practices. Linebacker Tyrice Knight (shoulder) was limited Wednesday after missing Tuesday, and linebacker Ernest Jones (illness) sat out the Wednesday session.
Starting left tackle Charles Cross was a full participant Tuesday after missing the final three games of the regular season, but he was listed as limited Wednesday with knee and hamstring issues when the hamstring previously was the only injury listed.
The Seahawks will be playing their first playoff game at home since January 2021.
“We need it loud, man,” defensive lineman Jarran Reed said, “so the Dark Side can come alive.”
The 49ers won 17-13 at Seattle in the season opener, thanks to Bosa’s strip sack of Sam Darnold with 36 seconds left and the Seahawks at San Francisco’s 9-yard line. Brock Purdy threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to backup tight end Jake Tonges with 1:34 remaining for the go-ahead score.
RAMS LAYER UP, PACK THEIR OWN LAFLEUR TO VISIT BEARS, ‘ICEMAN’
Any skeptics left doubting the merit of Caleb Williams’ nickname might look to the mercury for confirmation on Sunday night when the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams stage the finale of a four-game NFL Divisional Playoff weekend.
Williams’ late-game heroics and growing legend for cool under pressure hit a new level last week. He led Chicago back from a 21-3 deficit with a team-playoff record 361 passing yards to lift the Bears over the rival Green Bay Packers, the first postseason win for the franchise since 2011. It was the seventh game-winning fourth-quarter drive for Williams this season.
“I feel calm in those moments. I feel my conditioning is the best in those moments. I feel that I’m the best in those moments because of what I’ve prepared to be in those moments,” Williams said. “For myself, it’s just ‘next play, next play, next play,’ and then when you have to go make a play, it’s life or death in those moments.”
As the Rams roll into Chicago (12-6), the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs, the challenge is heating back up following a 34-31 win over the Panthers in the wild-card round last Saturday. Frigid temperatures are in the forecast for gametime — highs in the teens with snow flurries around kickoff time at 6:30 p.m. ET.
A little precipitation and chill might not hurt Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who is 4-1 at Chicago in his career when the kickoff temperature is below 40 degrees. He’s not alone. L.A.’s lead running back, Kyren Williams, is from St. Louis and played at Notre Dame. Wide receiver Davante Adams, the NFL leader with 14 touchdown catches, spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Packers and knows his way around frosty Soldier Field, too.
Stafford said he’s not feeling any pain or lingering issues with his sprained right index finger. He was hurt at Carolina last week but didn’t miss a snap and led the Rams to a comeback win with 304 yards and three TDs.
Williams had 3,942 passing yards and 27 touchdowns in 2025. The Rams are quick and relentless along the defensive line and had 47 sacks in the regular season. Los Angeles (13-5) will test Williams’ eye discipline and gauge the readiness of left tackles Theo Benedet and Braxton Jones, activated from injured reserve this week. Both have started this season, but the Bears lost Ozzy Trapilo (knee) to a season-ending injury against the Packers.
“Obviously it’s a bit of a whirlwind,” Benedet said of coming off the bench last week for the game-winning drive and resuming his role as the starting left tackle.
It’s not unthinkable the game could be won by two dudes under stocking hats on the sideline.
Rams coach Sean McVay and Bears coach Ben Johnson are regarded as two of the game’s brightest offensive minds. McVay enters his 15th career playoff game against a 15th different team but is very familiar with Johnson, who shares common pupils with McVay in Stafford and Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Before McVay helped pry Stafford from Detroit in a trade, Johnson was on the coaching staff with the Lions for two seasons. Then the Rams sent Goff to the Lions in the QB swap.
“He does a great job. I’ve studied him really closely since he took over and started it doing it in Detroit,” McVay said. “I think what shows his flexibility is the ability to have one of the best offenses with a player like Jared, who’s really special, and then being able to have some similar foundational principles with Caleb but also accentuate the things that make him really unique with the athleticism, move the spot and take advantage of their skill around it.”
Bears fans will recognize the bloodlines of the Rams’ offensive coordinator — Mike LaFleur — and Packers coach Matt LaFleur and McVay are longtime friends and coaching allies from their days as assistants with the Washington Commanders organization.
Did McVay phone a friend for tips on taking down the Bears?
“What do you think? We watch the tape, we do our work, and Matt is a very close friend of mine,” he said.
Year 17 has been a brilliant season for Stafford. He led the NFL in passing yards (4,707) and touchdowns (46) in the regular season. Adams and Puka Nacua, the league leader with 129 receptions, loom as massive worries even for a defense that was first in the NFL in interceptions (23) and takeaways (33).
“I’ve got so much respect for that guy. You talk about the ultimate competitor,” Johnson said. “He’s one of the more talented throwers of the football I’ve ever been around. He’s outstanding. He’s a great teammate. … His toughness. Physical toughness.”
McVay said the Rams are spending extra time drilling all 11 defensive players on playing until they hear a whistle because of Williams’ flair for flourishing on unrehearsed extensions of busted plays.
“Some of those second reaction plays where he’s getting flushed to his right or getting flushed to his left and guys understand how to be able to work with him,” McVay said, “those are the ones that are really scary.”
When he lost No. 1 wide receiver Rome Odunze for five weeks due to a foot injury, Williams turned to rookie tight end Colston Loveland to fill that void. Loveland, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 draft, had eight receptions for 137 yards last week.
“I know Caleb has an immense amount of trust in him,” Johnson said. “He’s one of the first ones in the building every single day. He is always studying his playbook while he’s eating breakfast. He is always the last one off the practice field, doing the jugs machine. Model of consistency, which for a rookie speaks volumes.”
The winner of Sunday’s game plays in the NFC title game next week, meeting either the San Francisco 49ers (13-5) or Seattle Seahawks (14-3).
The Rams beat the 49ers in the 2021 NFC Championship, 20-17, and beat the Saints in the 2018 conference championship game.
Chicago last won the NFC Championship Game in 2006 and also won in 1985 prior to winning Super Bowl XX. The Bears lost the 2010 NFC Championship to the Packers.
Rams nose tackle Poona Ford (elbow) and offensive lineman Kevin Dotson (ankle) were limited on Wednesday but plan to play Sunday. Dotson has been out since he was hurt in Week 16 against the Seahawks.
Dotson is an essential cog in the running game.
“He’s a beast. When he was playing this year, I thought he was one of the best guards, if not the best guard in the league,” Stafford said. “So if we can get him back, obviously that would be a huge boost.”
Odunze and wide receiver D.J. Moore (knee) were limited to start the week but Bears safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (concussion) was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice.
DRAKE MAYE, PATRIOTS STARE DOWN TEXANS’ MENACING DEFENSE
Drake Maye’s first career start came against the Houston Texans and their vaunted defense.
Maye will get another look at perhaps the finest defense in the NFL on Sunday when the New England Patriots battle the Texans in the AFC divisional round on Sunday at Foxborough, Mass.
Maye is an MVP candidate after starring in his second regular season, but the quarterback relishes that first start against Houston. The Patriots lost 41-21 on Oct. 13, 2024.
“It feels like 10 years ago,” Maye said Wednesday. “It’s been a long journey. Just taking time to reflect on running out there with the team (and having) first-snap jitters was pretty cool. It’s fun to look back on.”
Maye was intercepted twice that day while throwing for 243 yards and three touchdowns. That provides a hint at the challenge ahead in trying to help the Patriots advance to the AFC title contest.
“We got our hands full,” Maye said. “We know it’s going to be a tough game. We have to play the game the right way.”
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel also is concerned with the Texans, who led the NFL in total defense and finished second in scoring defense and takeaway margin during the regular season.
“They chase the football and they get a lot of hats to the football,” Vrabel said. “They create turnovers. They play physical.”
Maye helped lead second-seeded New England to a 16-3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, the franchise’s first postseason win since Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams. He passed for 268 yards and one touchdown and was intercepted once.
Maye was sacked five times and this week’s matchup features Houston pass rushers Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., known for their speed and relentless style.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans — a former two-time Pro Bowl linebacker — is concerned about the foot speed of Maye, who had 66 yards on 10 rushes against the Chargers.
“Where he’s taking that next step is his ability to escape the pocket,” Ryans said Wednesday. “I think it really doesn’t get talked about much, but his athletic ability, his ability to escape the pocket has been really clutch for them. He’s made some big runs to really hurt a lot of defenses, so we have to be conscious of that.”
The fifth-seeded Texans advanced with a 30-6 road victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night.
Sheldon Rankins returned a fumble for a touchdown after Anderson’s strip-sack of Aaron Rodgers and Calen Bullock intercepted Rodgers’ final pass of the game and returned it for a score. The Texans allowed just 175 total yards and 13 first downs.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud passed for 250 yards and a touchdown but was sloppy with three turnovers (one interception, two lost fumbles).
Stroud admitted he must be better with ball protection. He’s now focused on notching a second straight playoff win in a tough road atmosphere.
“I think last week was a good test for us,” Stroud said. “I think being able to get past that with a ‘W,’ this next week is going to be the same type of environment — loud.”
Regardless, Houston has the opportunity to reach the AFC Championship Game for the first time in franchise history.
“I don’t take it lightly to be one of the final four teams left in the AFC,” Ryans said. “It’s where you want to be, it’s the position you want to be in if you’re a competitor and I’m a true competitor.”
It appears Houston won’t have Nico Collins on Sunday. The three-time 1,000-yard receiver sustained a concussion during the Monday night game and was one of four Texans to miss practice Wednesday. The others are defensive end Denico Autry (knee), offensive tackle Trent Brown (ankle) and receiver Justin Watson (concussion). Autry has blocked 14 kicks in his career.
Sitting out for New England were offensive tackles Morgan Moses and Thayer Munford Jr., both with knee ailments. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez remains in concussion protocol after being hurt against the Chargers. Vrabel is hopeful Gonzalez will be cleared by Sunday.
49ERS LB FRED WARNER POTENTIALLY AVAILABLE AGAINST SEAHAWKS
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner indicated he may be able to return from his three-month stint on the injured list in Saturday night’s divisional-round matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.
The 49ers opened Warner’s 21-day practice window Tuesday with the intention of activating the four-time All-Pro for a potential appearance in the NFC Championship Game.
Out since Oct. 12 with a fractured and dislocated right ankle, Warner told local media Wednesday that he is proceeding “day by day” and has not ruled out playing as soon as this weekend.
“Just so grateful, blessed to be back,” Warner said. “When all this happened, I didn’t really think about the possibility of returning in-season. But the way things progressed and being able to have this opportunity to be back with my teammates and have a chance at helping them win this week and so on and so forth, that’s my only goal going forward.”
Warner, who needs to pass multiple health checkpoints to be cleared to play, was a limited participant in practice on Tuesday and Wednesday. The 49ers plan to practice again Thursday and travel to Seattle on Friday.
Limited to six appearances in the regular season, Warner also missed San Francisco’s 23-19 win in the wild-card round against the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles. Eric Kendricks was promoted from the practice squad to start at middle linebacker.
Warner’s return would provide an emotional boost following the loss of tight end George Kittle, who tore his right Achilles at Philadelphia.
“Just pure energy,” defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said about Warner. “Fred is the ultimate energy giver, so just having him out there is awesome.”
Warner joined the 49ers as a third-round draft pick in 2018 and has posted career totals of 948 tackles, 17 forced fumbles, 10 sacks and 10 interceptions in 121 games (all starts).
His 12 playoff starts include appearances in two Super Bowls, both of which San Francisco lost to the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs.
NFL PLAYOFF WEEKEND SETS A RECORD WITH 12 FOURTH-QUARTER LEAD CHANGES
The NFL has never experienced a playoff weekend quite like this.
The first four games of the 2025 postseason featured a combined 12 lead changes in the fourth quarter, topping the record for the most in an entire playoffs.
The previous high for an entire postseason, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, was 10 in the 2007 playoffs, including three in the Super Bowl when the New York Giants ended New England’s bid for a perfect season. The four winning touchdowns scored in the final three minutes of regulation also set a record for an entire postseason.
The weekend started with a back-and-forth game between Carolina and the Los Angeles Rams that wasn’t decided until Matthew Stafford’s 19-yard TD pass to Colby Parkinson provided the record-tying fourth lead change of the fourth quarter.
Before this season, there had been only four playoff games featuring four fourth-quarter lead changes, with the most recent coming in New England’s overtime win over Kansas City in the 2018 AFC title game.
The wait for another lasted just one day as Buffalo and Jacksonville traded leads in their game before the Bills prevailed 27-24 on Josh Allen’s 1-yard run with 1:04 left for the fourth lead change in the final quarter.
The next game that day featured three more, with San Francisco topping Philadelphia 23-19 in a win capped by Brock Purdy’s 4-yard TD pass to Christian McCaffrey with 2:54 left.
The other fourth-quarter lead change came Saturday night when Chicago became the fourth team in NFL history to win a playoff game after trailing by at least 15 points at the start of the fourth quarter. The last time that happened came in Super Bowl 52 when New England rallied from 28-9 down at the end of the third quarter — the game had been 28-3 — to beat Atlanta 34-28 in overtime.
The win was the record seventh this season for the Bears when they trailed in the final two minutes and the third this season in six games that they trailed by double digits in the final five minutes. That matches the total of the other 31 teams combined. The rest of the league was 3-158 in that scenario.
What made the game even more odd was the fact that the Bears never ran a play on offense while leading the game. Chicago scored a field goal on the opening drive but allowed a touchdown by Green Bay.
The Bears didn’t go ahead again until Caleb Williams’ 25-yard pass to D.J. Moore with 1:43 to play. Green Bay then held the ball for the rest of the game, falling short on an incomplete pass on the final play.
This marked just the fifth time in the last 20 seasons that a team won a playoff game without running an offensive play with the lead, with it last happening in Kansas City’s 25-22 overtime win over San Francisco in Super Bowl 58.
Even stranger, the Bears and Packers played three times this season and Chicago ran no plays on offense when leading, compared to 106 for Green Bay. But the Bears won two of those contests, with their only lead in a Week 16 win coming on a game-ending TD pass in overtime from Williams to Moore.
The two late game-winning TD passes from Stafford and Williams on Saturday marked the first time since Dec. 23, 1972, that two playoff games on the same day featured a winning touchdown pass in the final two minutes, according to Sportradar.
The games that day included Terry Bradshaw’s 60-yard pass to Franco Harris known as the “Immaculate Reception” in Pittsburgh’s win over the Raiders and Roger Staubach’s 10-yarder to Ron Sellers for Dallas against San Francisco to cap the first playoff comeback from at least 15 points down to start the fourth quarter.
Points for the defense
The weekend ended with two stellar defensive efforts, with New England beating the Los Angeles Chargers 16-3 and Houston getting two defensive touchdowns in a 30-6 win over Pittsburgh.
The Texans became the eighth team in the Super Bowl era to score two defensive TDs in a playoff game and the second to do it in the last 18 seasons. The other time it happened came in the wild-card round two years ago when Houston did it against Cleveland.
According to the NFL research department, the Texans became the second team to get multiple defensive touchdowns and allow no touchdowns in a playoff game. Chicago did it in a 73-0 win over Washington in the 1940 NFL championship game.
The Patriots will next host the Texans in the first playoff game featuring two teams that didn’t allow a touchdown in the previous round of the playoffs since the 2002 NFC title game. Tampa Bay beat San Francisco 31-6 in the divisional round that season and Philadelphia knocked off Atlanta 20-6.
NFC West teams fill up division round
The wins by the Rams and 49ers give the NFC West three of the four teams in the NFC divisional round along with No. 1 seed Seattle and a chance at having both conference finalists.
This marked just the fourth time in NFL history that three teams from the same division made it to the divisional round in the same season, with it last happening in 2022 when Philadelphia beat the New York Giants in one game and Dallas lost to San Francisco in the other.
It also happened in the NFC Central in 1997 with Green Bay, Minnesota and Tampa making it and in the 1992 NFC East when Dallas, Philadelphia and Washington did it.
If Los Angeles wins at Chicago to advance to the NFC championship game against the Seattle-San Francisco winner, it would be the 21st time that one division had both title game participants and the fourth for the NFC West.
The Rams and 49ers split title games with Los Angeles, winning in the 2021 season and San Francisco in 1989. Seattle beat the 49ers at home in the 2013 season.
Seventh seed struggles
This marked the sixth season since the NFL added a seventh playoff team in each conference, and the results haven’t been good so far.
With the losses by Green Bay and the Chargers, those seventh seeds are now 1-11 in the wild-card round, with the only win coming in the 2023 season when the Packers beat the Cowboys 48-32.
Eight of the other 11 games were won by double-digits by the No. 2 seed, with the average margin of victory in those 11 wins being 12.4 points per game.
49ERS COUNT ON 2 UNLIKELY CONTRIBUTORS AT LINEBACKER FOR PLAYOFF RUN
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Eric Kendricks was sitting at home waiting for the right opportunity when the San Francisco 49ers called him Thanksgiving week with the offer of a spot on the practice squad.
Garret Wallow was picked up by San Francisco off waivers in December after being cast off by the Denver Broncos.
The two linebackers who were afterthoughts for most of the 2025 season played key roles for the banged-up San Francisco 49ers in their wild-card win over the Philadelphia Eagles that set up a divisional round matchup against Seattle on Saturday.
Kendricks had 10 tackles, including two for loss, and broke up a fourth-down pass that sealed a 23-19 win for the 49ers (13-5). Wallow had 11 tackles and a pass defensed in his first start in three years as the two were part of a defense that held Philadelphia to just a pair of field goals on the final seven drives.
“I don’t think they just stepped up and got through the game,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “I think they played at a high level.”
It’s been a season filled with some unlikely contributors for a 49ers team ravaged by injuries from Jake Tonges’ winning touchdown catch in the opener to Eddy Pineiro’s near-perfect mark on field goals to Kendrick Bourne’s 142-yard receiving game that fueled a Week 5 upset against the Los Angeles Rams.
Kendricks and Wallow were just the latest surprise contributors.
Kendricks, who spurned San Francisco at the last minute in the 2024 free agency period, had been sitting out his season waiting for the right opportunity after spending last season in Dallas and undergoing shoulder surgery in late January.
“I was ready to sign with a team in the offseason. I really was. If something felt right,” he said. “It was about me getting a playbook and getting in there with the guys. But it was just me being patient, not being too eager to jump on something that didn’t feel right, and just waiting for that right opportunity.”
That came when the 49ers called in November when Tatum Bethune went down with an ankle injury.
Kendricks’ typical day before joining the Niners featured a 5:20 a.m. alarm for a 6 a.m. workout. He’d then return home to wake up his two young kids and cook pancakes for his son and eggs for his daughter. He’d then head back out for more workouts and recovery before starting over the next day.
“I tried to keep myself busy, tried to stay in a routine because I just knew if I needed to be ready, I was going to be ready,” he said.
He has shown that he was ready.
The 33-year-old Kendricks was slowed by his own injuries at first. But he was healthy enough to be elevated from the practice squad to the active roster for the final three games, playing just 46 defensive snaps.
When Bethune went down with a season-ending groin injury in Week 18, Kendricks was promoted to the 53-man roster and started the playoff opener as the middle linebacker calling the defensive signals.
He’s handled the role seamlessly with help from assistant coach and former NFL linebacker K.J. Wright, who entered the NFL only four years before Kendricks in 2011.
“I’ve been kind of just knocking on his meeting door, getting extra time with him since I got here,” Kendricks said. “Whether it’s super early in the morning or after meetings, I feel like he’s got me prepared. We went through a bunch of situations, watched a bunch of film together.”
That paid off on the final defensive play against the Eagles. Kendricks lined up like he might be blitzing but dropped back and broke up a pass near the goal line from Jalen Hurts to Dallas Goedert on fourth-and-11 in the final minute.
Now Kendricks, who went to the playoffs four times in his first eight seasons with Minnesota, is two wins away from making his first Super Bowl.
“I would say it’s unlikely because I was not on a team for so long, so a little bit unlikely,” he said. “From the outside looking in, I think it may look super unlikely, but being in the building for the last month and some change now, it’s not a question by me of why we’re in the situation we’re in. I believe in this team.”
DOLPHINS INTERVIEW KEVIN STEFANSKI FOR COACHING VACANCY
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Former Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has interviewed with the Miami Dolphins for their head coaching vacancy.
The Dolphins began reaching out to candidates after hiring Jon-Eric Sullivan as their general manager last week, a day after firing coach Mike McDaniel following four seasons.
Miami interviewed Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak on Saturday.
Stefanski, 43, is a two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year and has interviewed with several teams looking for a new head coach, including Tennessee, Atlanta and Baltimore. He was fired last week by Cleveland with a 46-58 record in six seasons.
The Dolphins are expected to complete more interviews in the coming days but had been linked to former Baltimore coach John Harbaugh, who was fired by the Ravens after 18 seasons. The team has not announced an interview with Harbaugh.
Stefanski would be a different coaching hire from what Miami owner Stephen Ross typically has chosen.
Ross has not hired someone with previous head coaching experience since becoming the Dolphins’ majority owner in 2009 — recently gambling on Joe Philbin (2012-2015), Adam Gase (2016-18), Brian Flores (2019-21) and McDaniel (2022-25).
SURPRISED BUT NOT SHOCKED, THE STEELERS PREPARE FOR LIFE AFTER MIKE TOMLIN
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Art Rooney II sensed Mike Tomlin might be ready for a change. Nineteen years doing any job is a long time, let alone in the white-hot spotlight that comes with coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers.
So when Tomlin walked into Rooney’s office on Tuesday and told his longtime boss he was stepping down after a largely successful run that included one Super Bowl victory, an appearance in another and 19 straight non-losing seasons, Rooney wasn’t shocked.
“He was pretty clear about what his intentions were,” Rooney said Wednesday as the Steelers began the process of hiring just their fourth head coach since 1969. “We had a great conversation, and I understood where he was.”
Rooney described the impetus behind Tomlin’s decision as “more family-related than football-related” and stressed the team was “certainly willing to make another run at it next year with Mike.”
Tomlin went 193-114-2 in Pittsburgh, tied with Hall of Famer Chuck Noll for the ninth most regular-season wins in NFL history. Tomlin arrived in Pittsburgh in January 2007 as a relative unknown 34-year-old defensive coordinator. He left as the longest-tenured head coach in major North American professional sports with a resume that will receive strong Hall of Fame consideration of its own, even if he never coaches another game.
Whether that happens is anyone’s guess, though Rooney said it was his understanding that Tomlin does not intend to coach in 2026. A future in television, even if it serves as merely a breather before the 53-year-old married father of three returns to the sideline, could be in the offing.
Rooney did not try to talk Tomlin out of the decision, saying instead that the club is “grateful” for the way Tomlin carried himself both on and off the field during what Rooney described as a “winning era” for one of the league’s most visible franchises.
That era, however, ended with the Steelers in a rut. Their season-ending 30-6 loss to Houston in the first round of the playoffs on Monday night marked Pittsburgh’s sixth straight one-and-done postseason appearance, all of them by multiple scores.
“I can’t explain the more recent history there,” Rooney said. “It’s hard to explain, given the overall track record. Frustrating for all of us, mostly for Mike.”
Fans inside Acrisure Stadium didn’t hesitate to voice their displeasure at times this season, chanting “Fire Tomlin!” on multiple occasions, including in the waning minutes against the Texans.
Asked if those playoff failures factored into Tomlin’s decision to walk away, Rooney demurred. He also declined to get into specifics about what might happen should Tomlin want to return to coaching in 2027. Tomlin exited while still under team control for two more years, with the club holding the option for 2027.
During the rare occasions the Steelers have found themselves looking for a head coach, they often have been looking for a certain type. Noll, Tomlin and Bill Cowher were all defensive coordinators in their 30s when Pittsburgh plucked them from relative anonymity. They all left with at least one Super Bowl ring.
It’s far too early in the process for the club to start whittling down the field for a job that figures to be among the most coveted of the nine current head coach vacancies in the NFL, considering the Rooney family’s track record of giving coaches ample time to find their footing.
“Can I sign up for another Chuck Noll or another Bill Cowher or another Mike Tomlin or somebody that we feel fits that mold? (That) would be great,” Rooney said.
Rooney essentially ruled out any of the staff Tomlin left behind — including offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who has been contacted by Tennessee about its opening — from being a candidate to replace Tomlin, though it’s possible they may have an opportunity to stick around in some capacity if they mesh with the new hire.
Whoever takes over will be given the same “the standard is the standard” mandate that Tomlin embraced, though it led to diminishing returns in his final years.
“There will be changes, and we’ll have to all get comfortable with kind of the plans,” Rooney said. “Whether you call it a ‘rebuild’ or not, I don’t like that word that much. We’ll try to compete Day 1 if we can.”
That plan seems unlikely to include Aaron Rodgers. The 42-year-old who helped guide the Steelers to the AFC North title will be a free agent in March, and Rodgers made it clear from the moment he arrived last June that Tomlin’s presence was the main reason he signed, a sentiment Rooney echoed on Wednesday.
Rooney declined to put a timeline on a potential hire, though he expects it to be before the NFL combine in late February. The Steelers have the 21st overall pick in the draft, which they will be hosting for the first time.
The club has long pointed to the draft as an opportunity to select its next franchise quarterback, something that has proven elusive since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement in January 2022. The discussion about the quarterbacks “will be an important one” when Rooney and general manager Omar Khan meet with prospective candidates.
Whatever quarterback/coach combination walks onto the field at Acrisure Stadium next fall will be tasked with helping the franchise emerge from a decade of purgatory in which it has been good but not nearly good enough, and do so quickly.
“I’m not going to say, ‘Well, we’re going to take a couple years to figure this out, and then we’ll try and compete,’” Rooney said. “So I think you try every year. Some years you have the horses to really get there, some years you don’t. But you try.”
TITANS CONTINUE COACHING SEARCH BY INTERVIEWING FORMER MIAMI COACH MIKE MCDANIEL, AP SOURCE SAYS
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans met with former Miami coach Mike McDaniel on Wednesday, as the latest candidate evaluated in their search for a new head coach, according to a person familiar with the interview schedule.
McDaniel was fired Jan. 8 after going 7-10 with Miami missing the playoffs for a second straight year.
He is considered a creative offensive mind, and the Titans are rebuilding with quarterback Cam Ward. McDaniel interviewed in person with team officials, the person confirmed to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Titans are not commenting on individual interviews during the search.
The Dolphins went 35-33 under McDaniel, reaching the playoffs in his first two seasons but losing in the first round each time. Miami missed the postseason in 2024 after being eliminated by the Jets in the regular-season finale.
Postseason hopes ended Week 15 this past season, extending the Dolphins’ 25-year playoff-win drought.
The Titans started the search to replace Brian Callahan, who was fired Oct. 13, on Jan. 6, meeting with interim coach Mike McCoy in person. The team confirmed Jan. 10 that seven candidates interviewed over the first week including Kevin Stefanski, Jason Garrett and both Kansas City coordinators Matt Nagy and Steve Spagnuolo.
Tennessee resumed the search Monday, interviewing Raheem Morris followed by Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley on Tuesday.
JAGUARS PLAN FOR TWO-WAY STAR TRAVIS HUNTER TO HAVE A HIGHER EMPHASIS ON DEFENSE IN 2026
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars will continue playing Travis Hunter on both sides of the ball but expect him to have a “higher emphasis” on defense in 2026.
General manager James Gladstone indicated Wednesday that Hunter could slide into a starting cornerback role when organized training activities begin in May. End-of-season starters Montaric Brown and Greg Newsome II are pending free agents, creating potential holes at the position.
“We still expect him to play on both sides of the ball,” Gladstone said. “At this point, walking into the offseason, corner is a position that we have a few guys who are on expiring contracts. So, by default, you can expect there to be a higher emphasis on his placement.”
Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner and the second overall draft pick last year, had season-ending surgery in early November to repair the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. He is expected back on the field long before training camp.
“The steps that he was taken by the midpoint of the season really made us feel good about what the back half of the year was going to be on both sides of the ball and what that impact was going to look like being a feature point on offense and an impact player on defense,” Gladstone said. “It was just disappointing timing but nonetheless feel good about where we are heading into this offseason and what next year should hold.”
Hunter injured his knee during a noncontact drill in practice. The receiver/cornerback was coming off a career performance in London before the injury. He caught eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams, and the Jaguars were planning to use him as their No. 1 receiver moving forward.
“You felt like he was starting to peak and really make a real dent,” Gladstone said. “And the plan for post bye was to continue to enhance that. Tough not to be able to see that come to life down the backstretch.”
Hunter rarely looked like a player worth what Jacksonville gave up to get him — Gladstone traded four picks to Cleveland, including a first-rounder in 2026, to move up three spots in the draft — and often appeared confused about where to line up on offense.
Throw in the Jaguars (13-5) winning nine of 10 regular-season games following his injury, and it was hardly surprising to hear speculation about how much Hunter really helped as a rookie. But coaches and teammates believe the few plays he made were enough to prove he’s going to be special.
“He was ascending,” cornerback Jourdan Lewis said. “When he got hurt, he was finding his groove on offense and defense. It felt like he was making a big play every time we needed him. He knows what is expected of him now. Just working, honestly. Keep working and putting your head down.”
Hunter played a combined 486 snaps this season, with 324 of those coming on offense. He played 67% of the downs on that side of the ball. He played 162 snaps on defense and was on the field 36% of the time on that side of the ball.
He finished with 28 receptions for 298 yards and a score. He also had 15 tackles and three pass defenses.
He might not be needed as much at receiver, either. Jacksonville traded for veteran receiver Jakobi Meyers after Hunter’s injury and signed him to a three-year, $60 million contract extension. Parker Washington also emerged as a viable option, and there’s hope that Brian Thomas Jr. regains his rookie form after a down year.
“I never really look at anybody as like 1, 2 or 3ish,” coach Liam Coen said. “But I’m really excited about getting back to work with Travis and continue that evolution and see what that looks like.”
WR ADAM THIELEN RETIRES: ‘WHAT A RIDE IT HAS BEEN!’
Two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Adam Thielen announced his retirement Wednesday after 12 NFL seasons.
Thielen, 35, spent the majority of his career with the Minnesota Vikings. He enjoyed a second stint with the club in 2025 after two seasons with the Carolina Panthers before joining the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 2.
Thielen’s season officially came to an end on Monday after the Steelers dropped a 30-6 decision to the Houston Texans in an AFC wild-card game.
“What a ride it has been!” Thielen wrote on Instagram. “13 years what a blessing! Have been blessed with so many great relationships and mentors over the years that I am forever grateful for! Thank you to everyone who has supported me through the years, it has meant everything to my family and I!”
Thielen became a Steeler one day after being granted his request by the Vikings to be waived to pursue more playing time in his final NFL season.
He finished with 19 catches for 186 yards in 16 games (seven starts) this season with Minnesota and Pittsburgh.
Thielen played collegiately at Minnesota State before signing with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He was released by the Vikings to save salary cap space in March 2023 and signed a three-year, $25 million deal with the Panthers. Carolina traded him to Minnesota on Aug. 27.
Thielen made his NFL debut in 2014 and totaled 704 receptions for 8,497 yards and 64 touchdowns in 178 regular-season games (135 starts).
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OREGON QB DANTE MOORE SAYS HE’LL RETURN TO THE DUCKS RATHER THAN DECLARE FOR THE NFL DRAFT
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore has decided to return to the Ducks next season rather than declare for the NFL draft.
Moore, 20, announced his decision on Wednesday on ESPN.
“When it comes to me just making my decision, of course I want to feel most prepared and what’s best for my situation, especially as a quarterback. And with my decision, it’s been very tough. I prayed a lot about it, talked to many people, my mentors, and people I just look up to, and with that being said, of course I’ll be coming back to Oregon for one more year, being able to play for the Oregon Ducks and reach our goal and be national champions,” he said.
This season, Moore completed nearly 72% of his throws for 3, 565 yards, with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Oregon finished 13-2.
Moore had been forecast to be the second quarterback selected in the NFL draft, behind Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.
The Ducks were coming off a 56-22 loss to Indiana in a College Football Playoff semifinal Friday night. Moore had three crucial turnovers in the first half, leading to three Indiana touchdowns that gave the Hoosiers a commanding 35-7 lead at halftime.
Moore completed 24 of 39 passes for 285 yards and two touchdowns against the Hoosiers.
Moore began his college career at UCLA but left after one season to sign with Oregon. He backed up Dillon Gabriel last season before moving up to the starting job when Gabriel departed for the NFL.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning said following the Indiana loss that he hoped to have Moore return.
“Dante has been exceptional,” the coach said. “It’s gone right for us 13 times. It didn’t go right tonight. You can’t let that overshadow (the season). Every one of us has unbelievable disappointment. Learn from it.”
Moore’s decision comes after ex-Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola announced he’d be transferring to Oregon, and Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq and safety Dillon Thieneman declared for the NFL draft.
Sadiq had a team-high 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns this past season, his first as a starter. He was expected to be a first-round draft pick.
Thieneman finished the season with 96 tackles, including 3.5 for loss, as well as five pass breakups and two interceptions.
Among the players who has announced they will return to the Ducks include center Iapani Laloulu, a finalists for the Remington Trophy this year, tight end Jamari Johnson and defensive ends Teitum Tuioti and Matayo Uiagalelei.
OREGON’S KENYON SADIQ AND DILLON THIENEMAN HAVE DECLARED FOR THE NFL DRAFT
Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq and safety Dillon Thieneman have declared for the NFL draft.
Sadiq, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound junior, had a team-high 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns this past season, his first as a starter. He was expected to be a first-round draft pick.
“I can’t begin to explain how much these last three years have meant to me,” Sadiq said in a post to Instagram on Tuesday. “The relationships built, the adversities overcome, and all the memories made will forever be a part of my life.”
For his career at Oregon, Sadiq had 80 catches for 892 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Thieneman announced on Wednesday that he was also forgoing his senior season. He finished the season with 96 tackles, including 3.5 for loss, as well as five pass breakups and two interceptions.
Oregon went 13-2 this season and defeated James Madison and Texas Tech in the College Football Playoff before falling to Indiana in the national semifinals.
Sadiq and Thieneman are the first two Oregon players to declare for the draft. Among the players who has announced they will return to the Ducks include center Iapani Laloulu, a finalists for the Remington Trophy this year, and defensive ends Teitum Tuioti and Matayo Uiagalelei. Tight end Jamari Johnson has also said he will remain at Oregon.
ALABAMA QB TY SIMPSON CONSULTED NICK SABAN ABOUT LUCRATIVE PORTAL OFFERS
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson consulted former Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban when deciding whether to enter the NFL Draft, stay at Alabama or take one of the many lucrative offers being thrown his way to transfer.
Simpson told On3 he consulted Saban after Alabama’s Jan. 1 playoff loss to Indiana, with Saban advising Simpson to ask himself what he’d do if money weren’t a factor in the decision.
Simpson declared for the 2026 NFL draft on Jan. 7 and submitted the appropriate paperwork on Tuesday, despite reportedly fielding offers between $4 million and $6.5 million from Miami, Ole Miss and Tennessee.
Although he told On3 he weighed all of his options, he stood firm in his decision to enter the draft rather than transfer to another school.
“I just couldn’t do it because of everything I stood for and what Alabama had meant to me and the legacy that I built there,” he said. “Everybody would just remember me as the guy who took all this money and went to Miami or Tennessee for his last year. But I was a captain. I put my hand and footprints in the cement at Denny Chimes.”
One of Simpson’s agents, Peter Webb, confirmed the reasons behind Simpson’s decision to The Athletic on Wednesday, saying, “In a time where kids transfer for more money at every possible turn and make it a transactional decision based on finances, Ty is a unicorn and took the road less traveled. What started at low-to-mid seven-figure proposals quickly looked like we could maybe even approach eight figures at the finish line.
“But Ty ultimately wanted to chase his dreams of playing in the NFL and make sure the last college jersey he ever wore had the iconic Alabama Crimson Tide logo.”
Simpson posted “Been a great ride” on Instagram on Tuesday with a photo of his Crimson Tide locker.
A projected 2026 first-round pick, Simpson led the Crimson Tide to the CFP quarterfinals in 2025 in his first season as a starter. The redshirt junior took over after three years in a backup role when Jalen Milroe decided to head for the NFL because it was time to “chase my dreams.”
Field Level Media rates Simpson as a top-three quarterback along with Oregon’s Dante Moore and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. All three would likely be in the mix in the top 20 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
If Simpson gets drafted 20th overall, for example, he would be in line for a four-year contract worth $18-21 million fully guaranteed. As the No. 10 pick, Simpson would make a projected $26-29 million guaranteed, highlighted by a $16 million signing bonus.
Simpson passed for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions in 15 games in 2025. He finished 41st nationally with his 145.2 passer-efficiency rating and did not rank among the top 10 Heisman Trophy vote-getters.
NDAMUKONG SUH, AARON DONALD, MARK INGRAM AMONG 2026 HALL OF FAME CLASS
Star defensive players Ndamukong Suh and Aaron Donald, former Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and wideout Marvin Harrison are part of the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame Class, announced by the National Football Foundation and the Hall of Fame on Wednesday.
Running back Garrison Hearst, safety Eric Weddle and coach Chris Petersen also are among the 22-player class that includes 18 players and four coaches.
The class includes 10 unanimous first-team All-Americans. Eleven of the players were offensive performers and seven were defenders.
“We are thrilled to announce the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame Class,” said Archie Manning, NFF Chairman and a 1989 College Football Hall of Famer from Ole Miss. “Each of these legends ranks among the absolute best to have ever played or coached the game, and we look forward to adding their incredible accomplishments to those permanently enshrined in the NFF Hall of Fame.”
Suh and Donald were dominating college players before enjoying stellar NFL careers.
Suh (2006-09) was a first-team All-American for Nebraska and put together one of the top defensive seasons in college history in 2009. The defensive tackle had 12 sacks and won the Bednarik, Lombardi, Nagurski and Outland awards as well as finishing fourth in Heisman Trophy balloting.
Donald (2010-13) of Pittsburgh also swept the top four defensive awards in 2013 when he recorded a staggering 28.5 tackles for loss. The defensive tackle had 66 TFL’s overall in his dominating career for the Panthers.
Ingram (2008-10) became the first player in Alabama’s storied history to win the Heisman in 2009 when he rushed for 1,658 yards and 17 touchdowns and scored 20 overall while leading the Crimson Tide to the national title. He finished his career with 3,261 rushing yards and 42 rushing scores.
Before Harrison (1992-95) was a stellar NFL player, he was a superb receiver and returner at Syracuse. He had 13 100-yard outings and 20 career touchdowns as a receiver and also returned two punts for scores.
Hearst (1990-92) finished third in the Heisman balloting in 1992 when he rushed for 1,547 yards and scored 21 total touchdowns for Georgia. Overall, he had 3,232 yards and 33 touchdowns on the ground.
Weddle (2003-06) was a lightly recruited safety who was given a chance by then-Utah coach Urban Meyer and became one of top pieces of the school’s undefeated season in 2004. He intercepted 18 career passes and forced nine fumbles and also had a stunning eight touchdowns in 2006 with scores coming on defense, as well as a runner, passer and return specialist.
Petersen coached at Boise State (92-12 from 2006-13) and Washington (55-26 from 2014-19) and had three top-five national finishes (two at Boise State, one at Washington). Petersen’s first season at Boise State (12-0 in 2006) concluded with one of the biggest upsets in college football history in the Fiesta Bowl when the Broncos beat Oklahoma 43-42. The highlights included a hook-and-lateral to tie the game with 7 seconds left in regulation and a Statue of Liberty play two-point conversion to win it in overtime.
Other players who are part of the class are New Hampshire running back Jerry Azumah (1995-98), Penn State running back Ki-Jana Carter (1991-94), Texas-Arlington offensive tackle Bruce Collie (1981-84), Oklahoma linebacker George Cumby (1976-79), Colorado defensive back Chris Hudson (1991-94), Washington center Olin Kreutz (1995-97), Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis (2005-08), Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch (2010-13), Virginia receiver Herman Moore (1988-90), Kansas State cornerback Terence Newman (1999-2002), U.S. Military Academy guard Bob Novogratz (1957-58) and Florida State receiver Peter Warrick (1996-99).
The other coaches to earn induction are deceased Jim Margraff (1990-2018) of John Hopkins and the late Ken Sparks (1980-2016) of Carson-Newman. TCU’s Gary Patterson (2000-21) also will be inducted.
Induction ceremonies are Dec. 8 in Las Vegas.
FTC SEEKS INFO FROM 20 UNIVERSITIES WITH DIVISION I SPORTS INTO WHETHER AGENTS ARE FOLLOWING LAW
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission is asking 20 universities with Division I sports programs whether agents working with their athletes are following a federal law tied to sports-agent conduct.
The FTC’s inquiry, announced Monday, began with sending letters to schools seeking responses by March 23 tied to compliance with the Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act that was enacted in 2004. The FTC didn’t reveal specifically which schools had been contacted.
Christopher Mufarrige, the director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement the inquiry “is aimed at better understanding whether sports agents are complying with the law and the degree to which student athletes are being protected.”
The letters seek information dating to July 1, 2021, coinciding with athletes being allowed to profit from their fame through name, image and likeness rules. Requested information includes when athletes entered into a contract, when the school was notified by the agent of that deal, whether there had been any complaints about an agent and copies of agency contracts with athletes’ personal information redacted.
The sports agent act is a federal law that prohibits agents from recruiting an athlete by providing false or misleading information or providing anything of value to the athlete before entering a contract. There’s also the state-level Uniform Athlete Agent Act, offering similar requirements in at least 40 states and other jurisdictions.
The structure and penalties can vary by state. Cases are difficult to prosecute and aren’t frequently pursued. Notably, officials in North Carolina spent years pursuing cases under the state-level act against a former NFL agent and five others tied to providing improper benefits to Tar Heels football players dating to 2010.
Charges were first filed in 2013. Most cases were resolved either through dismissals or deals with prosecutors. One reached trial in 2020, ending in a mistrial.
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MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25 ROUNDUP: TEXAS ENDS NO. 10 VANDERBILT’S PERFECT START
Matas Vokietaitis scored 22 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor and Texas’ defense did the rest in a stunning 80-64 upset of previously undefeated No. 10 Vanderbilt on Wednesday in Austin, Texas.
The Commodores (16-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) were seeking a program-record 17-0 start to the season, having matched the 16-0 start set by the 2007-08 team.
Tramon Mark added 21 points for the Longhorns (11-6, 2-2), and Dailyn Swain posted 14 points, nine boards and seven assists.
Duke Miles led Vanderbilt with 21 points while Tyler Tanner had 17. The Commodores shot just 26.7% from the floor in the second half and 36.7% overall.
No. 1 Arizona 89, Arizona State 82
Koa Peat achieved his first game with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds and Tobe Awaka scored a career-high 25 points to help the host Wildcats hold off the Sun Devils in Tucson, Ariz.
Peat finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds after making all seven of his shots from the field in the second half. Arizona (17-0, 4-0 Big 12) used a stretch of 11 straight made field goals to pull away to a 75-63 lead with 7:01 left.
Maurice Odum finished with 23 points and seven assists to lead Arizona State (10-7, 1-3). Massamba Diop added 16 points and six rebounds.
No. 4 Michigan 82, Washington 72
Aday Mara scored 20 points on 10-of-11 shooting to lead the Wolverines to a victory over the Huskies in Seattle.
Morez Johnson Jr. recorded 16 points and a career-best 16 rebounds as Michigan (15-1, 5-1 Big Ten) bounced back from its first setback of the season, against Wisconsin on Saturday.
JJ Mandaquit scored 15 points while Quimari Peterson added 13 as the Huskies (10-7, 2-4) lost for the third time in the past four games.
No. 5 Purdue 79, Iowa 72
Braden Smith scored 16 points and dished eight assists as the Boilermakers held on for a win over the Hawkeyes in West Lafayette, Ind.
Trey Kaufman-Renn added 12 points for Purdue (16-1, 6-0 Big Ten), which won its eighth game in a row. Fletcher Loyer scored 11 points, and Oscar Cluff finished with 10 points on 4-for-4 shooting.
Bennett Stirtz scored 19 points on 7-for-15 shooting to lead Iowa (12-5, 2-4), which dropped its third consecutive game. Kael Combs scored 16 points and Cam Manyawu chipped in 13.
No. 6 Duke 71, Cal 56
Isaiah Evans had eight of his 17 points in a late first-half surge, Cameron Boozer saved 17 of his game-high 21 points for the second half and the Blue Devils pulled away from the Golden Bears in their first visit ever to Berkeley, Calif.
Boozer also snatched a game-high 13 rebounds to complete his eighth double-double for Duke (16-1, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), which has won five straight.
Lee Dort had 14 points and a team-high nine rebounds for Cal (13-5, 1-4), which lost its third straight despite playing before its biggest home crowd of the season and leading by six on four occasions in the first half.
No. 11 BYU 76, TCU 70
AJ Dybantsa scored 25 points as the Cougars pulled away late in a win over the Horned Frogs in Provo, Utah.
Richie Saunders tallied 18 points and Robert Wright III added 15 for BYU (16-1, 4-0 Big 12), which pushed its winning streak to 13 games.
Xavier Edmonds racked up 19 points for TCU (11-6, 1-3). Micah Robinson added 10 points for the Horned Frogs, who dropped their third straight game.
No. 13 Illinois 79, Northwestern 68
Keaton Wagler scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half while leading the Fighting Illini to a victory over the Wildcats in Evanston, Ill.
Tomislav Ivisic contributed 14 of his season-high-tying 21 points in the second half — including two crucial 3-pointers late — as Illinois (14-3, 5-1 Big Ten) extended its winning streak to six games.
Jayden Reid, dropped from the Northwestern starting lineup for the first time this season, delivered a career-high 28 points off the bench to pace the Wildcats (8-9, 0-6). Nick Martinelli, the nation’s leading scorer at 24.1 points per game, finished with 20 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field.
Stanford 95, No. 14 North Carolina 90
Freshman Ebuka Okorie scored a career-high 36 points on 12-of-20 shooting and added nine assists as the host Cardinal closed on an 11-3 run to beat the Tar Heels.
Ryan Agarwal set career highs with five 3-pointers and 20 points for Stanford (14-4, 3-2 ACC), which shot 57.1% from the field and from long distance. Jeremy Dent-Smith added a season-high 20 off the bench while shooting 6 of 7 from 3-point range.
Caleb Wilson scored 20 of his career-high 26 points in the second half and grabbed nine rebounds for North Carolina (14-3, 2-2), which has lost two of its past three games. Henri Veesaar matched his career high with 26 points.
No. 15 Texas Tech 88, Utah 74
Sparked by stars JT Toppin and Christian Anderson, the Red Raiders broke away from the Utes with a huge run heading into halftime on the way to a victory in Lubbock, Texas.
Toppin led Texas Tech (13-4, 3-1 Big 12) with 31 points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots, and he also had seven assists. Anderson logged 26 points and 10 assists, buoyed by six 3-pointers.
Keanu Dawes and Don McHenry paced Utah (8-9, 0-4) with 18 points apiece, and Terrence Brown contributed 17. That trio combined to hit 18 of 34 shots from the field. The rest of the Utes were a combined 7 of 24 (29.2%).
No. 17 Arkansas 108, South Carolina 74
Darius Acuff Jr. scored 18 points and added a season-high 13 assists, Meleek Thomas contributed five 3-pointers and 21 points off the bench, and the Razorbacks blew out the Gamecocks in Fayetteville, Ark.
Malique Ewin added 18 points for the Razorbacks (13-4, 3-1 Southeastern Conference), who had six players score in double figures. Arkansas bounced back decisively from its worst loss of the season, 95-73 at Auburn on Saturday.
Meechie Johnson scored 17 of his 29 points in the first half and added six assists for the Gamecocks (10-7, 1-3), who have lost three of their past four games. Nick Pringle scored 15 points and grabbed a game-high seven rebounds for the Razorbacks against his former team.
Ole Miss 97, No. 21 Georgia 95 (OT)
Patton Pinkins rebounded a missed shot and scored at the buzzer to lift the Rebels to an overtime upset of the Bulldogs in Athens, Ga.
AJ Storr, who led Ole Miss with 27 points, missed a jumper with one second left, but Pinkins was able to put it in for the winning shot to round out his 18-point performance.
The Rebels (10-7, 2-2 SEC) also got 14 points from Travis Perry and 13 from Ilias Kamardine. Georgia (14-3, 2-2) was led by Jeremiah Wilkinson, who had six 3-pointers and scored a season-high 32.
No. 23 Utah State 71, Nevada 62
Mason Falslev scored 26 points to lift the Aggies over the visiting Wolf Pack in Logan, Utah.
Falslev hit 9 of 14 shots from the field to boost the Aggies (15-1, 6-0 Mountain West) to their eighth straight victory while remaining unbeaten in conference play and surviving their first true conference test. Utah State had been beating conference foes by an average of 26 points.
Corey Camper Jr. scored 14 points and Elijah Price notched his third consecutive double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds for Nevada (12-5, 4-2).
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WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 10 TCU EDGES WVU ON BUZZER-BEATING TREY
Marta Suarez sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer, lifting No. 10 TCU to a 51-50 win over West Virginia on Wednesday in Morgantown, W.Va.
The lead changed hands six times in the fourth quarter, and the Mountaineers’ Jordan Harrison made 1 of 2 foul shots with 2.8 seconds to go for a two-point lead. Donovyn Hunter’s inbounds pass to Suarez set up the winning hoop.
Olivia Miles scored 14 points to pace the Horned Frogs (17-1, 5-1 Big 12), who earned their third win in a row. Suarez finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and three steals. She made just 1 of 6 3-point attempts, but it was the big one.
Harrison logged 19 points and six rebounds for West Virginia (14-4, 4-2), which took its second loss in the past three games. Gia Cooke added 10 points.
No. 3 UCLA 76, Minnesota 58
Kiki Rice registered 25 points on near-perfect shooting as the Bruins beat the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis for their 10th consecutive win.
Rice made 8 of 9 shots from the floor, including all three of her 3-point attempts, and was 6 of 6 from the foul line. She added five assists, four rebounds and three steals for UCLA (16-1, 6-0 Big Ten). Lauren Betts chipped in with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Gabriela Jaquez scored 12 points.
Amaya Battle compiled 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals for Minnesota (12-5, 3-3), which had won six of its previous seven games. Mara Braun produced 15 points.
No. 14 Ohio State 108, Penn State 84
Jaloni Cambridge poured in 33 points and dished out six assists as the Buckeyes cruised past the Lady Lions in Columbus, Ohio.
Chance Gray sank seven 3-pointers and scored 23 points as Ohio State (16-2, 6-1 Big Ten) rolled to its fifth consecutive victory by posting its second-highest point total of the season. Elsa Lemmila added 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the floor.
Moriah Murray put up 25 points, Gracie Merkle scored 21 and Kiyomi McMiller added 20 for Penn State (7-11, 0-7), which suffered its seventh straight loss. The Lady Lions enjoyed their top scoring production in their past 13 games, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
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NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: KNICKS LOSE GAME, JALEN BRUNSON TO INJURY VS. KINGS
DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points and Zach LaVine added 25 as the Sacramento Kings posted their season-best third straight win by controlling the visiting New York Knicks 112-101 on Wednesday night.
Precious Achiuwa recorded 20 points and a season-best 14 rebounds and Russell Westbrook added 19 points and 11 assists for the Kings. Maxime Raynaud added 10 points for Sacramento.
New York star guard Jalen Brunson injured his right ankle four-plus minutes into the contest and didn’t return. He had four points before exiting to snap his streak of 18 straight 20-point outings.
Mikal Bridges scored 19 points and OG Anunoby added 15 as New York lost for the sixth time in its past eight games. The contest marked Knicks coach Mike Brown’s first visit to Sacramento since being fired as Kings coach in December 2024.
Cavaliers 133, 76ers 107
Donovan Mitchell scored 27 of his 35 points in the second half and dished out nine assists to highlight Cleveland’s victory at Philadelphia.
Cleveland’s Darius Garland chipped in with 20 points and seven assists before leaving with a foot injury late in the third quarter. Evan Mobley added 17 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and four blocks for the Cavaliers, who will play at Philadelphia again on Friday.
Joel Embiid paced the Sixers with 20 points, while Paul George notched 17. Philadelphia’s starting guards, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, combined for just 23 points on 8-of-26 shooting.
Nuggets 118, Mavericks 109
Jamal Murray scored 33 points to lead Denver to a win over host Dallas.
Aaron Gordon added 22 and Peyton Watson had 18 for the short-handed Nuggets, who made it three straight victories.
Naji Marshall posted 24 points and Brandon Williams added 20 for the Mavericks, who were without Cooper Flagg in the second half after he sprained his left ankle.
Bulls 128, Jazz 126
Nikola Vucevic scored a season-high 35 points, including the go-ahead layup with four seconds left, and Jalen Smith notched 12 points and 10 rebounds to boost Chicago over visiting Utah.
The Bulls overcame a career-best 43 points off the bench from Utah’s Brice Sensabaugh. Keyonte George followed with 25 points, including a personal 8-0 run late in regulation that helped the Jazz erase a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Tre Jones assisted on Vucevic’s winning shot, winging a pass from the right wing off his back foot following an Isaac Okoro offensive rebound.
Raptors 115, Pacers 101
After seeing a 27-point deficit in the second quarter trimmed to just four in the fourth, Toronto turned to Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes down the stretch as the Raptors won in Indianapolis.
Ingram had a game-high 30 points to go with seven rebounds, while Barnes added 26 points, 13 assists, and seven rebounds as the Raptors won for the seventh time in their last 10 games.
Pascal Siakam, Indiana’s leading scorer, was held without a basket until early in the second quarter. He recovered quickly, scoring 10 points in the second and another 12 in the third, and finished the night with a team-high 26 points and 10 rebounds.
Pelicans 116, Nets 113
Trey Murphy III had a game-high 34 points and Saddiq Bey made a pair of big plays in the final minute to lift New Orleans past visiting Brooklyn.
Brooklyn has lost five in a row and eight of nine. Michael Porter Jr. had 20 points for the Nets, but missed a long three at the buzzer that could have tied it. Five other Nets scored in double figures, including Egor Demin, who made five threes and finished with 17.
Zion Williamson scored 25 points for the Pelicans, including 14 in the third quarter to keep the Pelicans close. Yves Missi had 12 points and 12 boards for New Orleans, which earned just its second victory since Christmas.
Clippers 119, Wizards 105
Los Angeles leaned into its star tandem as Kawhi Leonard scored 33 points and James Harden added 22 points with eight assists to help the Clippers top Washington in Inglewood, Calif.
Rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser scored 16 points and fellow reserve Jordan Miller added 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Clippers extended their winning streak to four games and picked up a victory for the 11th time in 13 games going back to Dec. 20. Los Angeles shot 47% from the floor while winning for the eighth time in its past nine home games.
Kyshawn George scored 23 points and Khris Middleton added 17 for the Wizards, who lost their fourth consecutive game and fell to 0-2 on a four-game road trip. Wizards starting center Alex Sarr received a technical foul in each of the first two quarters and was ejected with under two minutes remaining before halftime after scoring four points.
GRIZZLIES CENTER ZACH EDEY TO MISS ANOTHER 6 WEEKS WITH INJURED ANKLE
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies announced Wednesday center Zach Edey will miss another six weeks to recover from a stress reaction in his left ankle that has sidelined him since Dec. 7.
Brandon Clarke and Scotty Pippen Jr. are expected to return to play in four to six weeks, but Edey’s ankle appears likely to keep him out much longer.
“Based on the unanimous recommendation of consulting experts, Edey will continue on his current plan of offloading and rehabilitation, with a reevaluation to follow in approximately six weeks,” the team said.
The Grizzlies are in Berlin to face the Orlando Magic on Thursday as part of a two-game European road trip.
The 7-foot-3 Edey was the two-time AP National Player of the Year at Purdue. He missed 12 games early in his rookie season because of a sprained left ankle before going on to play in 66 games.
Edey had surgery on his left ankle in June after he was voted to the All-Rookie first team. He missed the first 13 games of this season while recovering and made his season debut Nov. 15. He is averaging 13.6 points and 11.1 rebounds.
The Grizzlies then announced on Dec. 11 that Edey had a stress reaction in that ankle and a full recovery was expected.
Clarke strained his right calf Dec. 20 against Washington. Pippen had a procedure on a toe Oct. 21.
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NHL
NHL ROUNDUP: SENS ERUPT EARLY, PUMMEL RANGERS 8-4
Brady Tkachuk scored his 200th career goal and collected two of his three assists in a four-goal first period for the Ottawa Senators, who netted the first six goals of an 8-4 victory over the host New York Rangers on Wednesday night.
Tkachuk joined Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Alexei Yashin as the fourth player to score 200 goals for Ottawa when he finished off a 2-on-1 to give the Senators a 3-0 lead. Dylan Cozens added a goal and two assists in Ottawa’s dominant period.
Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot scored in the second to chase New York goalie Jonathan Quick. David Perron scored in the third and Tim Stutzle added an empty-netter as the Senators posted their second-highest goal total in any game against the Rangers.
Rookie Gabe Perreault tallied twice and Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and an assist for New York. Noah Laba also scored, and J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad each notched two assists. The Rangers dropped their fifth straight game (0-4-1) and have been outscored 30-12 since beating the Florida Panthers in the Winter Classic.
Golden Knights 3, Kings 2 (OT)
Mark Stone scored 25 seconds into overtime to lift visiting Vegas to its season-high fifth straight win as it defeated Los Angeles.
Stone had a goal and an assist, Braeden Bowman and Mitch Marner also scored, Eichel had three assists and Akira Schmid made 22 saves for the Golden Knights, whose winning streak comes on the heels of a five-game skid (0-3-2).
Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist, Brandt Clarke also scored and Kuemper made 24 saves for the Kings, losers of four of five (1-2-2).
Devils 3, Kraken 2 (OT)
Nico Hischier scored twice, the latter at 3:42 of overtime, as New Jersey defeated Seattle in Newark, N.J.
Cody Glass also scored and Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes assisted on both Hischier goals for the Devils, who won their second straight following a four-game skid. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 15 saves.
Jared McCann had a goal and an assist, Adam Larsson scored and Vince Dunn had two helpers for the Kraken, who are 1-1-1 on their five-game trip that continues Thursday in Boston. Goalie Philipp Grubauer stopped 23 of 26 shots.
Sabres 5, Flyers 2
Captain Rasmus Dahlin scored twice on the power play to record the fifth multi-goal performance of his career, fueling host Buffalo past Philadelphia.
Ryan McLeod collected a goal and an assist and Mattias Samuelsson and Jack Quinn each scored a goal to help the Sabres secure their 14th win in the last 16 games. Buffalo won two of the three games against Philadelphia this season, with both victories being recorded at home.
Owen Tippett collected a goal and an assist and Trevor Zegras added his team-leading 18th goal for the Flyers, who saw their losing streak extend to a season-high four games (0-3-1).
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BASEBALL
LEFT-HANDER RANGER SUÁREZ AND BOSTON RED SOX AGREE TO $130 MILLION, 5-YEAR CONTRACT, AP SOURCE SAYS
Left-hander Ranger Suárez and the Boston Red Sox agreed Wednesday to a $130 million, five-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced.
A 30-year-old who became an All-Star in 2024, Suárez had spent his first eight major league seasons with Philadelphia. He was 12-8 with a 3.20 ERA last year, striking out 151 and walking 38 in 157 1/3 innings. He did not make his season debut until May 4 because of lower back stiffness.
Suárez is 53-37 with a 3.38 ERA in 119 starts and 68 relief appearances.
He joins a rotation projected to include left-hander Garrett Crochet, right-handers Sonny Gray and Brayan Bello along with possibly right-hander Tanner Houck.
He declined a $22,025,000 qualifying offer from the Phillies, who get an additional draft pick after the fourth round this July as compensation.
CHICAGO CUBS FINALIZE CONTRACT WITH ALL-STAR THIRD BASEMAN ALEX BREGMAN
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs added Alex Bregman on Wednesday, finalizing a $175 million, five-year contract with the All-Star third baseman.
Bregman will be formally introduced by Chicago during a news conference on Thursday at Wrigley Field. With Nico Hoerner wearing No. 2 for the Cubs, Bregman will switch to No. 3 with his new team.
Chicago is deferring $70 million, which is 40% of the contract.
Bregman gets $35 million annually, with $15 million deferred this year and in 2029, $10 million each in 2027 and 28, and $20 million in 2030.
His deferred money is due in eight installments each July 31 from 2034-41. The payments are $1,875,000 each for the salaries of this year and 2029, $1,875,000 apiece for 2027 and ’28 and $2.5 million for 2030.
He receives a full no-trade provision and a hotel suite on road trips.
Bregman, who turns 32 in March, also was pursued by Chicago before he signed a $120 million, three-year contract with Boston last February, a deal that included opt-outs after each of the first two seasons. He attended an NHL game in Chicago on Monday night and got a big cheer when he was shown on the videoboard, wearing a Blackhawks jersey.
Bregman hit .273 with 18 homers and 62 RBIs in his only season with the Red Sox. He missed all of June with a quadriceps injury and appeared in 114 games, his fewest since 2021.
His contract with the Cubs includes a no-trade provision that allows him to block deals without his consent.
Bregman was selected by Houston with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 amateur draft out of LSU. He played his first nine seasons with the Astros, winning World Series titles in 2017 and 2022 — although the first of those yielded a sign-stealing scandal that earned Bregman and his teammates plenty of scorn.
Chicago finished second in the NL Central last year with a 92-70 record. The Cubs reached the playoffs for the first time since 2020 before getting eliminated by Milwaukee in a five-game Division Series.
The Cubs used Matt Shaw at third base last season, and the rookie played stellar defense while batting .226 with 13 homers, 44 RBIs and 17 steals in 126 games. Shaw also can play second base, but Hoerner is a two-time Gold Glove winner at the position.
The Cubs could make another trade to clear up the team’s infield situation, or Shaw could move into a super-utility role with Bregman’s arrival.
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GOLF
LIV ADDS THOMAS DETRY AND INCREASES TOTAL PURSE TO $30M AMONG 2026 CHANGES
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Thomas Detry of Belgium is joining LIV Golf for 2026, the fifth year for the Saudi-funded league that is increasing its total purse to $30 million and got statements from Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm that they’re not about to leave.
LIV Golf wrapped up a week of previews — the season starts Feb. 4 in Saudi Arabia — that concluded Wednesday with CEO Scott O’Neil saying he had no problem with Brooks Koepka leaving and that those who remained were committed to the league.
He also held out hope the Official World Golf Ranking, which has been reviewing the LIV application for more than six months, will decide whether to include LIV before its season opener.
The preview week began with blockbuster news that Koepka, a five-time major champion and former No. 1 in the world, had been allowed to rejoin the PGA Tour without having access to equity in the tour for five years and by making a $5 million charitable donation.
O’Neil would not discuss any financial terms of Koepka’s departure.
“I don’t think this is where he wanted to be,” O’Neil said, adding that he is rooting for Koepka.
“I will tell you I’ve got 57 guys that are running towards the light, and they understand the mission,” he said. “They understand what’s expected of them, and they jump in and dive it and do it extraordinarily well.”
The tour said it was offering the path back only to three other players who have won majors or The Players Championship since 2022 — DeChambeau, Rahm and Cameron Smith. They all said they were staying put.
Rahm and DeChambeau had not given any indication of wanting to return to the PGA Tour and they affirmed that on Tuesday.
“Right now I’ve got a contract. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do at LIV Golf this year,” DeChambeau said.
“I’m not planning on going anywhere,” Rahm said.
O’Neil said prize money would increase from $25 million to $30 million, which includes the team performance. He said just over $22 million would go toward the individual result.
Changes to some of those teams include players and team names. Detry, who won his first PGA Tour title last year in the Phoenix Open, joins the 4 Aces team led by Dustin Johnson, who signed an extension to stay with LIV.
Two teams are changing names — the Iron Heads will now be the Korean Golf Club, though its previous captain, Kevin Na, is no longer with LIV. Stinger GC, a team composed of South African players, is now called Southern Guards. The U.K.-based Majesticks kept the name but changed the branding to include the Union Jack flag.
Trevor Immelman, the former Masters champion and now CBS Sports lead golf analyst, said in December that one of the obstacles to receiving ranking points was that the majority of LIV members were invited with contracts to join the league, different from the 24 tours that are part of the OWGR.
LIV, which began with 48 players in 2022, now has 57 players, including five wild-card players.
“The intention is to get this done before the season starts. That’s the intention. But hey — I don’t have a vote, ironically enough,” O’Neil said. “Hopefully that that news comes through and true, and I’m still going to nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize if we get this thing done.”
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INDIANA RELEASES
INDIANA PACERS
GAME REWIND: PACERS 101, RAPTORS 115
The Indiana Pacers entered the matchup with the Raptors on Wednesday as the owners of the Eastern Conference’s longest winning streak at three consecutive games. That streak was snapped by Toronto.
Toronto led 67-48 at the halftime break, and Indiana’s streak was in jeopardy. The Pacers cut the lead to as little as four points in the final quarter, but ultimately fell to Toronto, 115-101.
Toronto came out of the gates strong – the Raptors opened the first quarter with an 11-2 run that forced an Indiana timeout just over two minutes into play.
Poor shooting plagued the Pacers throughout the first period, and Toronto capitalized on Indiana’s offensive hesitancy. The Blue and Gold shot 32 percent from the floor to Toronto’s 73 percent. The lopsided start created a deficit as large as 21 points before the conclusion of the quarter as Indiana’s defense stalled due to the offensive drought.
Aaron Nesmith did secure a chasedown block as A.J. Lawson elevated to dunk down an Indiana turnover, but the ball was swatted out of bounds by the pursuing Nesmith.
Indiana still trailed after one, 39-18.
The Pacers made their initial four 3-pointers to open the second quarter as they started to chip down Toronto’s lead. Jay Huff recorded two blocked shots in a single Raptor possession, and Indiana was within 15 points of Toronto’s lead at the halfway point of the second period.
The Raptors went on a 14-2 run from that point, led in large part by Gradey Dick. Dick notched 17 first half points to lead Toronto, and was just one of four Raptors to score in double digits through the first half.
Indiana didn’t have a player reach double figures until Pascal Siakam knocked down a 3-pointer to give him 10 points with a minute and 41 seconds left in the first half.
Four turnovers in each of the first two quarters gave Indiana eight for the half – one more than Indiana’s lowest mark in a full game this season. The Pacers had just seven turnovers against the 76ers on December 12.
Toronto was also loose with the ball, and committed seven turnovers leading to five Indiana points.
The Pacers trailed, 67-48 at the half.
Siakam enforced his will on the game in the third quarter as he found an offensive groove to inch the Pacers within 13 points of the lead by the nine minute mark of the period. He scored eight points in the first three minutes of the frame.
Siakam finished the quarter with 12 points over his eight minutes. Indiana outscored the Raptors in the third quarter, 30-27, and cut the lead to 13 two separate times, but couldn’t get over the hump. They trailed after three, 94-78.
Indiana cut the lead to 13 points again after Quenton Jackson laced a triple – his third of the evening. A subsequent layup from Siakam cut it to 11, and a midrange pull-up from Andrew Nembhard finally cut it to single digits. Indiana trailed, 98-89, with just under eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter.
A free throw from Johnny Furphy and a smooth layup from Nembhard later, and Indiana trailed by just four points. Over five minutes remained in the fourth quarter, and the Blue and Gold were in the midst of a 19-6 run.
Toronto hit three straight triples to fend off the Blue and Gold, and went back up double digits by the 3:21 mark of the fourth. The Raptors didn’t look back, defeating the Pacers, 115-101, led by Brandon Ingram’s 30-point performance. Scottie Barnes followed with 26 points, seven rebounds, and 13 assists.
Siakam led Indiana with his 26 points and 10 rebounds – his eighth double-double of the season. Furphy recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds, marking the first double-double of his career.
The Pacers are back in action on Friday, Jan. 16 as they host Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans at 7:00 PM ET.
Inside the Numbers
Indiana’s 28.6 percent shooting from 3-point range is its lowest mark in 11 games.
Toronto shot 49.4 percent from the field to Indiana’s 38.4 percent.
The Pacers committed 11 turnovers leading to 13 Raptors points. Toronto committed 12 turnovers leading to just nine Pacers points.
Toronto scored 20 fastbreak points. Indiana scored five.
You Can Quote Me on That
“I was looking at the stats all throughout the game. He was a positive. He’s one of the few positives that we had…It just speaks to your value to a team, when you play that hard and with that good spirit, that speed.” – coach Rick Carlisle on Johnny Furphy
“We’re going to keep competing to win. Pascal continues to play at an All-Star level, and you know, Nembhard is really playing exceptionally well with everything that’s heaped on his shoulders.” – Carlisle on the play of Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard
“We’re a team that’s reliant on our strength in numbers…we need everybody to be playing well, and so we’ve got to keep pushing forward with that in mind and keep working with these guys to help them get better.” – Carlisle on the growth of depth players
“They’re a very physical team and we just didn’t match that. I think as a starting group it’s our responsibility to do that. [We] just didn’t match their physicality, and they were able to disrupt us too easily.” – Johnny Furphy on Indiana’s first quarter
“That’s something that’s always kind of come naturally to me. I’ve just always wanted to grab rebounds. It’s not something I’m necessarily thinking about, it’s just something I enjoy doing no matter what.” – Furphy on his rebounding
“He’s an elite player, so I’m learning how to operate around him and give him opportunities to do what he does best. He’s got so much just gravity and so much attention towards him. [I’m] learning how to play around him and find gaps and help him positively.” – Furphy on playing with Pascal Siakam
“We just upped our physicality. It was just a lot more physical, from our part. They didn’t have a lot of easy buckets like they did in the first half. We got into a zone a little bit, disrupted [them]. They were too comfortable in the first half. I thought we did a better job of making them a little bit more uncomfortable.” – Pascal Siakam on Indiana’s second half adjustments
“We’ve had a lot of injuries. It’s been a hard year and I feel like we just never give up. Guys are not giving up…We’re fighting.” – Siakam on Indiana’s attitude at the halfway point of the season
Stat of the Night
Johnny Furphy recorded his first career double-double as he scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against the Raptors.
Noteworthy
The Pacers are 58-54 against the Raptors all-time.
The Pacers will play the Raptors once more this season – Feb. 8 at Toronto.
Toronto leads the season series, 3-0.
Fever coach Stephanie White was in attendance for Wednesday’s game against the Raptors.
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INDY FUEL
FUEL DEFEAT FORT WAYNE 3-2 ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT
FORT WAYNE – The Indy Fuel visited Fort Wayne on Wednesday night to take on their in-state rivals, the Komets, for the first time in 2026. After giving up two goals early in the third frame to tie the game, Sahil Panwar scored a crucial power play goal to take the 3-2 victory.
1ST PERIOD
About six minutes into the first period, Mitchell Weeks made a behind-the-back save after Fort Wayne had a breakaway chance.
At 7:18, it was the Fuel’s Matt Petgrave who struck first with a backhanded shot in front of the net. Assisted by Nick Grima, this made it 1-0.
Petgrave also took the game’s first penalty at 8:37 for tripping. Despite the Komets keeping heavy pressure on Fuel goalie Weeks, Indy killed off the penalty.
Sahil Panwar took the game’s next penalty at 11:20 for slashing, putting the Komets back on the power play. They killed that one off as well.
Nick Grima took a double minor for high sticking next, at 14:24. With 29 seconds left, Fort Wayne’s Lynden McCallum headed to the penalty box for hooking. That penalty was also killed off.
After the first frame, the Fuel were up 1-0 despite being outshot 12-7.
2ND PERIOD
Fort Wayne went back to the power play after Petgrave took his second penalty of the game. This time he headed to the box for holding at 1:20. It was killed off.
There was nothing else to add to the game sheet until there were 39 seconds left in the second period, when Tyler Paquette scored to make it 2-0 for the Fuel. Jadon Joseph had the lone assist on that goal.
The Komets outshot the Fuel, 26-14 through two.
3RD PERIOD
The Komets opened the scoring on the period at 2:19. Dustyn McFaul scored his first goal of the season to make it 2-1.
At 3:16, the Fuel went back to the power play after a hooking call on Harrison Rees. It was killed off.
Fort Wayne’s Austin Magera scored at 7:29 to tie the game 2-2.
Matt Miller took a high sticking penalty at 12:10, putting the Fuel on the power play once again. That penalty was also killed off.
The Fuel earned a late power play after Fort Wayne’s Dru Krebs took a holding call at 14:41. Komets captain Alex Aleardi joined Krebs in the box after the Komets took a bench minor for too many men on the ice. This gave Indy a lengthy 5-on-3 chance.
Sahil Panwar capitalized on the power play and gave Indy their lead back, making it 3-2 late in the game.
With about a minute and a half left, the Komets pulled their goaltender in favor of the extra skater. They took a two-man advantage after Nick Grima took a slashing penalty with 14 seconds to go in regulation.
They did not have enough time to capitalize though, and the Fuel claimed the 3-2 regulation victory before heading home.
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INDIANA FOOTBALL
MIAMI’S COLUMBUS HIGH WILL HAVE SOME CFP CHAMPIONS ON MONDAY NIGHT, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS
MIAMI (AP) — Tuesday’s classes at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami have been canceled.
There wouldn’t be much learning going on that day. No matter what happens Monday night in the College Football Playoff title game between Indiana and Miami — a game that will be played in South Florida — Columbus will be busily celebrating the sight of alums hoisting the national championship trophy.
Thing is, will it be Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner? Or will it be Miami coach Mario Cristobal?
“The kids here, that’s all they’re talking about this week,” said Herb Baker, the school’s longtime athletic trainer known by many in South Florida simply as Brother Herb.
Columbus, a Catholic all-boys school that sits about 5 miles from the University of Miami campus and about 25 miles from Hard Rock Stadium — where the game will be played — is a house divided right now. There are Miami fans. There are Mendoza fans. The optimist would say the school can’t lose. The pessimist would say the school can’t win.
“It’s a no-lose situation,” said Columbus football coach Dave Dunn — who immediately started wondering when the CFP bracket came out if the stars would align for an Indiana-Miami final. “You’re really kind of celebrating the success of all of our alums. And to do it on this type of stage is just amazing.”
The list of Columbus grads in this game is seven-deep. Indiana has Mendoza at quarterback and his brother, Alberto Mendoza, as the backup. Miami has Cristobal, associate head coach Alex Mirabal, defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald, offensive lineman Ryan Rodriguez and backup quarterback Vinny Gonzalez.
The kids, the families, they all know each other. Fernando Mendoza, then at Cal, played against Miami last year in what became a wild Hurricanes comeback win. Alberto Mendoza quarterbacked Columbus to a state title in 2023; the final TD pass he threw in that game was to Fitzgerald. Fernando and Alberto Mendoza’s father, also named Fernando, was a teammate of Cristobal and Mirabal at Columbus in the late 1980s. If all that wasn’t enough, the Mendoza family home is less than a mile from the Miami campus in Coral Gables — and Elsa Mendoza, the mother of the Indiana quarterbacks, played tennis for the Hurricanes in her college years.
Ties that bind, indeed.
“It’s always special when you get to play with or against guys that you know or knew growing up, competed against, played on the same teams with,” said Cristobal, whose sons attend Columbus and whose nephew is on the Explorers’ football coaching staff. “At the end of the day, your preparation doesn’t change. Your intensity is always driven up the closer and closer you get to game time and as you go deeper into the season. We all know the brand of football played down here in South Florida is special.”
Columbus sits in the area of Miami known as Westchester, and the heavily Cuban-American suburb clearly has divided loyalties right now.
Along the fence that separates the school from SW 87th Avenue is a long blue banner, reading “Fernando Mendoza Class of 2022 He15man Winner” — the “15” replacing two letters in “Heisman” is a nod to his Indiana jersey number, and yes, the digits are in the Hoosiers’ crimson.
“I think playing a national championship would get anybody fired up and definitely stir up some emotions,” Fernando Mendoza said. “However for myself, I believe it’s going to be a great game. The Hurricanes are a fantastic team, led by a great coach in Coach Cristobal.”
Around the corner from the school: a famous hot dog restaurant called Arbetter’s. There are some photos inside of former Hurricanes star Ray Lewis and former university president Donna Shalala, among others. There’s also a “Mendoza Dog” for sale in a nod to the Heisman winner, a quarter-pound grilled sausage with sauerkraut, spicy brown mustard and potato sticks.
Whichever way the title game goes, some at Columbus are certain to be thrilled.
“I’m going through it myself,” Baker said. “I like Mendoza, but you know, I’m a diehard Miami fan. So, I’m conflicted, but I made up my mind. I’m going to root for Miami. The conflict was there, but I resolved that I’m a local guy, so I’ve got to root for my team.”
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INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
HOOSIERS FALL TO WASHINGTON
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s basketball couldn’t overcome a hot shooting night by Washington as it fell 82-63 on Wednesday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
KEY MOMENTS
Freshman forward Maya Makalusky and senior guard Shay Ciezki each had a pair of threes to keep the game within reach, 9-6, with 5:07 to play. Washington (13-4, 3-3 B1G) used a late 9-0 run at the end of the first quarter to take a 24-13 lead.
Washington’s lead grew to as many as 17 late in the second quarter but the Hoosiers’ offense found life with a 7-0 run to finish the quarter. Sophomore guard Lenée Beaumont hit the runner in the paint as time expired to pull Indiana (11-8, 0-8 B1G) to a 41-31 deficit at the break.
Four 3-pointers in the third kept Indiana in it midway through the third as Beaumont drained one to stay within 10, 50-40. Despite a late layup by freshman guard Nevaeh Caffey, IU found itself down 61-47 going to the fourth.
Makaluksy had eight of her 16 points in the fourth quarter but the Huskies led by as many as 29 midway through the frame.
NOTABLE
Washington’s win was the largest win in the series between the two teams as they picked up their second ever win in the series. Indiana still leads the all time series 3-2.
Ciezki tied a season high, seven 3-pointers as she also hit seven against Illinois-Chicago.
Makalusky finished in double figures for the sixth time this season with three of those games coming in Big Ten play. She finished with 16 points and hit four 3-pointers.
Ciezki scored a team high of 23 points for the 15th time this season.
IU connected on 12 3-pointers, the second most in a single game this season.
UP NEXT
Indiana resumes action on Thursday, Jan. 22 at No. 14/15 Ohio State. Tipoff at the Schottenstein Center is set for 8 p.m. ET on Peacock.
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PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
#5 PURDUE REMAINS UNDEFEATED IN BIG TEN PLAY WITH WIN OVER IOWA
[5] Purdue 79, Iowa 72 (Postgame Notes)
Purdue improved to 16-1 overall and 6-0 in the Big Ten Conference with a 79-72 win over Iowa in front of the 100th straight sellout at Mackey Arena.
The win was Purdue’s eighth straight victory – its second win streak of eight games this season. It marks the sixth time in school history that Purdue has had a pair of eight-game win streaks (or longer) in the same season.
Purdue has yet to play a game this year decided by six or fewer points.
The win was Purdue’s fifth straight against Iowa and the 11th win in the last 13 games against the Hawkeyes. Purdue has won seven straight games against Iowa in Mackey Arena.
Purdue’s 16-1 start matches the best 17-game start in school history, done five times in school history (last: 2022-23). The 6-0 Big Ten start is tied for the seventh-best conference start in school history and is the best league start since 2017-18 (12-0).
Purdue improved to 28-3 (.903) during the month of January since the 2022-23 season.
Purdue shot 72.7 percent (16-of-22) from the field in the second half, and made nine of its 10 shots in the final 10 minutes of the contest. Purdue scored on 16 of its last 17 possessions in the final 10 minutes of the game, scoring 32 points in that span.
Purdue shot 52.9 percent from the field, the seventh time in the last eight games that Purdue has shot over 52 percent from the field. During Purdue’s eight-game winning streak, Purdue is shooting 54.0 percent from the field.
Purdue has won 17 straight games in games played on Wednesday, dating to a 65-55 loss to Marquette on Nov. 13, 2019.
Purdue has won 999 games since the start of the 1980-81 season – the start of the Gene Keady era.
The Purdue senior class now owns a 103-24 (.811) record, tied for the seventh-most victories by a senior class in Purdue history.
Braden Smith scored 16 points (all in the second half) with eight assists, four rebounds and two steals, going 6-of-9 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Smith now needs two rebounds for 600 in his career, which would give him over 1,600 career points, 900 assists and 600 rebounds.
Smith tied Cassius Winston (76 games) for the most assists in Big Ten Conference games, now with 478 in 66 games played.
Smith already has 164 assists this season, already tied for the 13th most in a season in Purdue history.
Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 12 points with three assists and two rebounds.
Fletcher Loyer tallied 11 points with four assists and two rebounds.
Oscar Cluff had 10 poinst with four rebounds and two assists, on a perfect shooting night, going 4-of-4 from the field and 2-of-2 from the free throw line. Cluff is now shooting 75.5 percent (83-of-110) from the field for the season.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Braden Smith blamed himself for No. 5 Purdue’s first-half struggles Wednesday.
The preseason All-American responded by reverting to his familiar form the rest of the way.
One week after the senior guard started the second half on the bench for the first time in his career, Smith delivered a dazzling final 20 minutes at Mackey Arena in a 79-72 victory over Iowa that could go a long way toward the Boilermakers capturing another conference crown.
“I had a horrible first half,” Smith said after scoring all 16 of his points after halftime. “For me it was like, understanding I can’t let these guys down because we have goals and one of them, obviously, is to win the Big Ten championship. So we can’t afford to lose a game at home. I woke up, too. That helps.”
Smtih figured it out in time to rally the Boilermakers (16-1, 6-0 Big Ten) from a nine-point second-half deficit to avoid a second home loss to an Iowa team. Iowa State routed the Boilermakers on the same court last month.
His second-half totals: 6 of 7 from the field, 4 for 4 from the free-throw line, four assists and no turnovers while never coming out. Purdue missed only one shot from the field in the final 10 1/2 minutes.
And when Purdue needed Smith defensively, he got the job done. He forced a series of key turnovers midway through the second half, fueling the run that got Purdue back into the game and then back into the lead.
After that, there was nothing first-year Iowa coach Ben McCollum could do to slow down Smith or Purdue.
“He’s the one that’s kind of the quarterback of the team,” McCollum said. “Obviously, he’s a really good player who does a lot for them.”
Smith faced a similar scenario in last week’s victory over Washington.
He drew three first-half fouls, which put him on the bench for a nine-minute stretch straddling halftime. Smith also rebounded that night with a stronger second-half showing.
This time, he didn’t need any advice about what he needed to fix.
“I had three turnovers, (and) a blocked shot they had on me so I would count that as four because they got the ball,” Smith said. “They shot 70% from 3-point range from guys, respectfully, who don’t usually make 3s and like, that’s also part of it. Guys are going to have nights like that and then we’ve got to take care of the ball offensively and just do our job.”
Smith’s recovery was so complete, Purdue coach Matt Painter simply turned his best player loose offensively and defensively as Smith and his teammates turned up the heat on the Hawkeyes with a blistering shooting percentage of 72.7%. The difference was Smith.
“Braden has confidence, so he likes every matchup,” Painter said. “But it was just letting him play in transition, letting him play with the ball there and then making reads. I thought a big part of our surge back at about the 15-minute mark was when Braden came right out and hit a pull-up (jumper). Then he gets to the basket. We needed him to get going and, obviously, he did.”
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NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL
JOHNSON SELECTED TO FWAA FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICA TEAM
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Freshman safety Tae Johnson earned selection to the 2025 FWAA Freshman All-America Team after a breakout season for the Irish.
The FWAA began its Freshman All-America team in 2001. Sam Young (OL, 2006), Ian Williams (DL, 2007), Aaron Lynch (DL, 2011), KeiVarae Russell (DB, 2012), Nyles Morgan (LB, 2014), Justin Yoon (K, 2015), Kyle Hamilton (DB, 2019), Kyren Williams (RB, 2020), Joe Alt (OL, 2021), Benjamin Morrison (CB, 2022) and Leonard Moore (CB, 2024) are the previous players to earn the honor while playing for the Irish.
Johnson, who played in 10 games with eight starts this season, posted four interceptions (including a pick-six), three pass breakups, 48 tackles and 0.5 TFL. He also returned a blocked punt for a touchdown.
In the win at Boston College, Johnson snagged two interceptions, including one late in the fourth quarter, to seal the win. Two weeks later at Pittsburgh, Johnson notched his first-career pick-six, returning an interception 49 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.
The Fort Wayne, Indiana native was named the Walter Camp National FBS Defensive Player of the Week and the Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Week on November 18th following his dominant performance in the win over Pittsburgh. To go along with the pick-six, Johnson added five tackles and his first-career half tackle for loss against the Panthers.
Johnson returned a blocked punt for a touchdown in the home opener against Texas A&M. He then made his first career start against Purdue, and started the next seven games of the season at safety. In a three week stretch in October, he recorded his first career interception against Boise State, then followed it up with a team-high seven tackles in the 36-7 win over NC State. A week later against USC, Johnson set a career-high with eight tackles. He was named to the 2025 The Athletic Midseason All-Freshman Team in mid-October.
With Johnson’s help at the end of the regular season, Notre Dame led the nation in interceptions (tied – 21 total INTs), ranked fourth in turnover margin (1.08), ninth in team sacks (2.92), 11th in rushing defense (99.3), 13th in scoring defense (17.6) and 13th in team passing efficiency defense (108.8).
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NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
NOTRE DAME, LOUISVILLE SET FOR TOP-25 SHOWDOWN
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — No. 23 Notre Dame (12-4, 4-2) looks to end No. 9 Louisville’s (16-3, 6-0) undefeated start to conference play on Thursday, as the Irish host the Cardinals at Purcell Pavilion. Courtney Lyle and Stephanie White will have the call on the ACC Network.
NOTES
Notre Dame is coming off its second ranked win of the season, as the Irish downed No. 22 North Carolina on Sunday, 73-50. The difference in the game was a dominant third quarter, as Notre Dame outscored the visitors 22-5 in the frame behind three triples from Vanessa de Jesus.
On Monday, Hidalgo was named ACC Player of the Week for the fourth time this season and 10th time in her career, a mark that ranks second in conference history. One of her most dominant performances this season, Hidalgo had 31 points, eight rebounds, seven steals, six assists and a block against the Tar Heels.
On Tuesday, Cassandre Prosper was named to the USBWA National Team of the Week for the second time this season. She had 27 points and 13 rebounds against Boston College on Thursday and followed that showing with 17 points and 14 rebounds against Carolina. Prosper’s 27 rebounds last week were the most recorded by any ACC player in that span.
Hidalgo has averaged 23.3 points per game this year against ranked competition, which ranks fifth nationally (min. three games).
Prosper has recorded a double-double in six of the last eight games. She entered that stretch with zero in her career.
The Irish rank sixth nationally in steals/game, and three players (Hidalgo, de Jesus and Malaya Cowles) are averaging 2+ per game, the most of any team in the ACC.
Hidalgo has 374 career steals, just shy of the program record held by Skylar Diggins (381).
Notre Dame is 22-14 all-time against Louisville and 9-5 at home. The Irish have won the last four meetings, and both teams have been ranked in four of the last five matchups.
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BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BEHIND THREE IN DOUBLE FIGURES, BUTLER DEFEATS PROVIDENCE 62-52
INDIANAPOLIS – Butler defeated the Providence College Friars 62-52 on Wednesday evening at Hinkle Fieldhouse behind three Bulldogs in double figures. Saniya Jackson and Anna Wypych led the way for BU with 13 points apiece in the contest. With the victory, Butler improves to 8-10 overall and 2-6 in BIG EAST play while the Friars slide to 9-10 overall and 2-6 in conference action.
BULLDOG HIGHLIGHTS
Saniya Jackson and Wypych led the Dawgs with 13 points apiece in the contest. Jackson added three rebounds and three steals while Wypych chipped in one rebound.
Caroline Dotsey led the squad on the glass with 10 rebounds in the contest.
Lily Zeinstra paced the offense with four assists.
Butler shot 25-for-47 (53.2%) from the floor and shot 8-for-16 (50%) from beyond the arc.
Butler forced 14 Providence turnovers, marking the 18th time in the last 20 games that BU has forced its opponent to commit double digit turnovers.
Addison Baxter made her first collegiate start in the contest.
Butler outrebounded PC 35-31.
PROVIDENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Sabou Gueye led the way for PC with a game-high 22 points on 10-for-16 shooting from the floor. Gueye added eight rebounds and four steals assists in the contest.
Teneisia Brown pulled down seven rebounds for PC.
Brown paced the offense with four assists.
Providence shot 20-for-59 (33.9%) from the floor and 4-for-23 (17.4%) from beyond the arc.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Butler jumped out to an early 11-2 lead behind three-consecutive 3-pointers. Butler continued to dominate the first frame, forcing eight Providence turnovers in the quarter as the Dawgs took the 18-9 lead into the second quarter.
The Dawgs continued to pressure the Friars as the visitors were held to only two shot makes on eight shots in the first six minutes of the second frame as the Bulldog lead grew to 15 (30-15). Providence responded with a 6-0 run of its own, before a technical foul on PC gave Butler the ball and two free throws, which halted the visitors’ run. Butler closed the second with a 17-point advantage (40-23).
Both sides traded buckets early in the third as Butler took the 49-31 lead into the first media timeout of the half. Butler came out of the timeout and put together a 6-0 run while holding Providence scoreless as the BU lead ballooned to 20 with under three minutes left in the quarter. Butler closed the frame with the 51-36 lead.
Providence was able to generate a little momentum with an early 3-pointer in the fourth cutting the Butler lead to 12. The Dawgs were able to fend off the Friars comeback efforts, securing the 62-52 victory at the final whistle.
UP NEXT
Butler will once again hit the road as the Bulldogs travel to Philadelphia, Pa. to face Villanova on Sunday, Jan. 18. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
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BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
BUTLER FALLS AT XAVIER, 89-75, IN CINCINNATI
Xavier captured an 89-75 win over visiting Butler Wednesday night at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Tre Carroll led the Musketeers with 29 points, while Michael Ajayi once again paced the Bulldogs with 22 points and 12 rebounds.
With the result, Xavier improves to 11-7 (3-4 BIG EAST) and the Bulldogs fall to 10-7 (1-5).
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Xavier’s lead grew to as many as 13 midway through the first half before an 8-0 spurt by the Bulldogs cut the advantage to 33-30 with 5:22 remaining in the opening half.
Xavier responded to lead, 44-36, at the half.
A strong start to the second half for Xavier got the lead to double figures for much of the final 20 minutes.
TIP-INS:
Xavier shot 47 percent from the field and had 30 assists on 35 made field goals.
Carroll added nine rebounds and was one of five Musketeers in double figures.
Ajayi’s double-double was his 13th of the season; he entered the game second nationally in both rebounding and double-doubles.
Yame Butler got the start in place of an ill Azavier Robinson and scored 14 points, his high in a Butler uniform.
Yohan Traore scored 14 points for Butler – all in the second half.
Butler had 19 assists on 26 made field goals.
UP NEXT: Butler continues a week on the road with a Saturday noon tip at No. 25 Seton Hall. The Bulldogs return to Hinkle Tuesday (Jan. 20), hosting DePaul.
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IU INDY MEN’S BASKETBALL
JAGUARS TO HOST ROBERT MORRIS ON THURSDAY NIGHT
INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indianapolis men’s basketball team will return home to kickoff a two-game homestand, beginning on Thursday night (Jan. 15) when the Jaguars host Robert Morris at 6:30 p.m. inside the Jungle. Thursday’s game will be aired on ESPN+ as Greg Rakestraw (pxp) and Hall of Famer Bob Lovell (analyst) are on the call.
The Jags (4-15, 0-8 HL) are looking to snap a six-game skid, coming off another close miss over the weekend. The Jags fell on the road at Milwaukee on Sunday 95-83 in a game in which they led for more than 22 minutes. However, the host Panthers outscored the Jaguars 23-8 over the final six-plus minutes to capture a 12-point victory. Junior Kyler D’Augustino pumped in a team-high 24 points and freshman Maguire Mitchell finished with 19 points and a career-high six rebounds in the loss. Micah Davis added 15 points and four steals off the bench and senior Finley Woodward closed with 10 points and eight assists in the loss.
While the Jaguars have continued to click offensively, ranking tops in the Horizon League in scoring, the squad has struggled defensively. IU Indy opponents check in at 90.3 points per game and shooting 51.5 percent from the floor.
D’Augustino tops the Horizon League in scoring in league games at 20.5 points per game and shoots an efficient 54.3 percent from the floor and 37.8 percent from beyond the arc. Mitchell is second on the team in scoring at 10.4 points per game and second in the country for made threes by a freshman at 45. Senior Jaxon Edwards has upped his play against Horizon League opponents, averaging 11.6 points per game while leading the team in rebounding (4.8 rpg), steals (14) and blocked shots (7) and shooting nearly 57 percent from the floor.
SCOUTING ROBERT MORRIS
Reigning league champion Robert Morris is 11-7 overall and 3-4 in Horizon League play. The Colonials boast non-conference wins over Drake, Stetson, Southern Utah and UIC, but have dropped three out of four of late. Below is a look at the Colonials’ possible starting five.
G Ryan Prather Jr. (6-5, R-Jr.) – 13.6 ppg, 3.2 apg
G Kaleb Brown (6-7, Sr.) – 3.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg
G Albert Vargas (5-10, Sr.) – 8.7 ppg, 4.5 apg
F DeSean Goode (6-8, Soph.) – 14.9 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 64.1 FG%
F Nikolaos Chitkoudis (6-9, Jr.) – 11.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg
INSIDE THE SERIES
RMU leads the all-time series 7-2 between the two sides, including having won the last five meetings. IU Indy is just 1-3 in the four meetings in Indy.
UP NEXT
The Jags will cap the two-game homestand against Detroit Mercy on Saturday (Jan. 17) with a 2:00 p.m. tip-off inside the Jungle.
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BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCORES 103 POINTS AGAINST BUFFALO; REMAINS UNSCATHED IN #MACTION
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State women’s basketball team (13-4, 5-0 MAC) has opened Mid-American Conference action with a 5-0 ledger for the third-straight season after defeating Buffalo (2-24, 0-5 MAC) by a 103-61 decision Wednesday night in Worthen Arena.
Tessa Towers led the Cardinals against the Bulls, finishing with 16 points. She was strongly supported by teammates Grace Kingery and Bree Salenbien, who each contributed 14 points to the effort. Aniss Tagayi rounded out the significant scoring for the Cardinals, adding another 13 points in the contest while defensively, Alba Caballero turned in a personal best 11-rebound performance.
Ball State outpaced Buffalo 24-14 in the opening frame to build an early 10-point advantage over the Bulls. Back-to-back defensive plays which were accompanied by layups from Tagayi at the 3:28 mark allowed the Cardinals to push ahead of the Bulls.
Ashlynn Brooke capitalized off a Bulls’ turnover with a made 3-pointer to open the second stanza for the Cardinals. That bucket set the tone with just three minutes shaved off the clock as Ball State extended its lead to 21 (35-14) off another fast break layup from Tagayi. The Cardinals’ defense came into play as well holding the Bulls to only nine points in the second quarter allowing Ball State to take an impressive 44-23 advantage over Buffalo at intermission.
After the break, Ball State made some impressive plays defensively and continued to have a hot shooting hand which gave the Cardinals a 29-point (56-27) edge that was capped off by a layup from Tagayi with 6:22 on the clock. The Cardinals ongoing success led to Ball State eventually taking a 71-44 advantage over the Bulls into the last 10 minutes of action.
The fourth quarter mimicked the previous ones, and the Bulls could not catch up to the Cardinals no matter how hard they tried. The period was highlighted by layups from Laura Martinez at the two-minute mark for the Cardinals 103rd point of the game that also put the exclamation point on tonight’s victory. It marked the third time this season the Cardinals have reached the 100-point plateau.
For the game, the Cardinals poured in the points, showcasing their depth and offensive versatility. When the final buzzer sounded, the 42-point margin highlighted a total team effort that left Buffalo reeling.
Ball State shined in the rebound category tonight outpacing Buffalo, 44-29. The Cardinals also shot 55 percent (35-63) from the field while defensively holding Buffalo to 39 percent from the floor.
The Ball State women’s basketball team will play on the road at Western Michigan Saturday afternoon at 1 pm ET in University Arena.
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INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
SYCAMORES GET REVENGE ON REDBIRDS WITH 94-89 WIN
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State men’s basketball earned a hard-fought 94-89 victory over Illinois State on Wednesday night inside the Hulman Center.
Every Sycamore who saw action found the scoring column, led by Xavier Hall with 16 points. Enel St. Bernard and Sterling Young followed with 14 points apiece, while Ian Scott added 13 and Derek Vorst chipped in 11. Scott and St. Bernard paced the team on the glass with six rebounds each, with Vorst adding five, and Jo Van Buggenhout and Young shared the game high with five assists. St. Bernard also contributed defensively with two blocked shots.
Indiana State opened the game with back-to-back baskets from a Vorst dunk and a floater by Young, while the Sycamore defense held Illinois State scoreless until the 16:23 mark. The Redbirds responded with an 8-0 run, which was halted by a St. Bernard dunk that ignited a 7-0 surge by the Sycamores to take an 11-8 lead.
The teams traded baskets over the next four minutes, with Illinois State briefly evening the score at 23-23. St. Bernard again shifted momentum with a dunk, sparking a 14-2 Indiana State run over a 3:17 stretch that featured scoring from five different Sycamores. Illinois State cut the deficit to five in the final minutes of the half, but Scott knocked down two free throws to send Indiana State into the break with a seven-point advantage.
Young got the scoring started for both teams in the second half as the Sycamores in the first 10 seconds of the half. The teams quickly traded baskets before Vorst’s and-one put the Sycamores back up 10. A pair of three-pointers by Wagner and Young were sandwiched by a Redbird three, with Indiana State holding a 10-point, 64-54 lead at the first media at 15:39.
The Sycamores allowed only five Redbird shot attempts over the next three minutes and 15 seconds as Indiana State scored nine points to lead 70-58 with 11:57 to play. Back-to-back makes from Sivert Wærstad Nordheim and Indiana State gave them their largest lead of the game, 79-63, with about 10 minutes remaining in the game.
Illinois State put together a run from the 10-minute mark through the 4:24, outsourcing the Sycamores 13-5 to trail only 84-78 with, forcing a Sycamore timeout.
Illinois State brought it within three, 88-87, with 2:11 remaining in the game. St. Bernard knocked down a free throw, grabbed the offensive rebound on the possession, then put back the layup to put Indiana State up four with 45 seconds remaining. A pair of clutch free throws by Young put Indiana State up six, 93-87, with 17 seconds left, before a tip-in by the Redbirds cut it to four.
Hall made the final free throw of the game to send Indiana State to victory over the MVC preseason favorite Illinois State, 94-89.
News and Notes
With 26 assists, the Sycamores tied their season high in assists
This is the most assists since playing Belmont on Dec. 29, 2025, where they had 24
With just six turnovers tonight, this marked the fewest turnovers by the Sycamores all season
The last time the Sycamores had six or fewer turnovers was Jan. 27, 2024, vs Bradley, where they also recorded six
This is the fourth time this season that the Sycamores have had four-plus players with 10+ points
The last time that this occurred was at Drake on Jan. 4, 2026
This is the first time since Jan 1, 2026, at UNI that the Sycamores have shot 50%+, shooting 56.1% tonight
With the Red Birds shooting 55.4% tonight, this is the first time since Jan. 4, 2026, at Drake that an opponent has shot 50%+ on the Sycamores
The Red Birds recorded just 28 rebounds, which marks the fewest rebounds against the Sycamores for a DI opponent this season
The last time a team had 28 or fewer on the Sycamores was against Illinois State on Feb. 15, 2025, where they also recorded 28
With 35 points coming off the bench tonight, this marks the most against a DI opponent
The Sycamores improve to 7-2 when scoring the first basket of the game
Indiana State is 9-1 when shooting better than their opponent this season
The Trees are 7-4 this season when they score eight-plus three-pointers
The Sycamores are 6-1 on the season when outrebounding their opponent
Indiana State is 3-1 when scoring 90+ points in a game, with the lone loss coming to Bradley in 3OT on Dec. 18, 2025
The Trees improve to 3-1 when five players score in double-digits
Sterling Young recorded his MVC high of 14 points
He also tied a season high with five assists
Camp Wagner tied his career high with four assists
Sivert Nordheim recorded his MVC high with seven points
He also marked a season high vs. a D1 opponent
Enel St. Bernard recorded a MVC high with 14 points
He also recorded an MVC high of six rebounds
Going 4-for-6 from the free-throw line marked a career best
With two blocks, he ties his season high and records a new MVC high
Xavier Hall tied his MVC high with 16 points
He also tied his season high of three-pointers made with two
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INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
SYCAMORES RETURN HOME TO FACE BELMONT THURSDAY
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State plays host to its first game inside Hulman Center since New Year’s Day when it welcomes league-leading Belmont Thursday night for a 7 p.m. tip.
Thursday’s game will be aired on ESPN+ with Chris Machado (play-by-play) and Nyah Wilson (analyst) on the call. John Sherman will have the radio call on WVIG-FM/105.5 The Legend
Last Time Out
Kennedy Claybrooks tallied a team-high 16 points and a career-high 11 assists for her first career double-double, but Indiana State’s quest for a road conference win fell short at Bradley, 79-74, inside Renaissance Coliseum.
Samiyah Briggs tacked on 15 points to match her season high, while Jayci Allen added 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench, her most in an MVC contest. Claybrooks also added five rebounds and a game-high four steals for the Sycamores.
Indiana State started strong from deep, hitting five of its first seven 3-point attempts to lead by eight late in the second. Bradley pulled within one possession at the half, but the Blue and White scored the first five points out of the intermission to push their lead back out. The home side closed the third quarter with a 20-6 run to take a 61-54 lead over the Sycamores, but Indiana State fought back in the fourth. A 9-0 run for the Trees put Indiana State ahead 63-61, and the Blue and White still had a lead with less than three minutes remaining. Indiana State couldn’t finish the job down the stretch, though, as Bradley outscored the Trees 7-2 in the last two minutes to fend off a resilient Sycamore effort.
Dishing Out Dimes
Indiana State senior guard Kennedy Claybrooks produced her best game in a Sycamore uniform in Sunday’s road contest at Bradley, leading the Sycamore with 16 points while also handing out a career-high 11 assists for her first career double-double.
Claybrooks was 5-for-8 from the field and banked in her only 3-point attempt of the contest. She was also a perfect 5-for-5 from the charity stripe, pulled down five rebounds and added four steals.
The 11 assists for Claybrooks were the most by any Missouri Valley Conference athlete in a game this season. She is the only athlete in the MVC this season to produce a game with 15 or more points, 10 or more assists, five or more rebounds and three or more steals.
Finding Their Stroke
Indiana State has ranked in the bottom half of the MVC in 3-point shooting for most of the 2025-26 season, but the Sycamores put together one of their most productive games from behind the arc in their last game at Bradley.
The Trees went 7-for-15 from distance in Peoria, with the 46.7 percent mark from 3-point range matching the Sycamores’ best effort this season. Indiana State also went 7-for-15 from deep in its home-opening win over Eastern Illinois.
Indiana State’s strong showing from long range was buoyed by an impressive start from deep. The Sycamores hit five of their first seven 3-point attempts against the Braves, including each of their first three. Six different Sycamores knocked down a 3-pointer in Sunday’s game.
Thieves Avenue
Indiana State has picked up its pressure in recent games, as the Sycamores have recorded double-digit steals in two of their last three games.
The Sycamores tallied 13 steals in their last game against Bradley, their most against a Division I opponent this season, while also recording 10 steals in their last home game against Valparaiso.
Conversely, Indiana State has steadily improved at taking care of the basketball in recent games. The Sycamores have a positive turnover margin in four of their first five conference games, including two games with fewer than 10 turnovers (nine against Drake, eight against UIC). Indiana State’s 12.4 turnovers per game in conference play rank third in the MVC.
Big-Time Bench
Indiana State’s reserves have given the Sycamores significant contributions throughout the 2025-26 season, as the Trees rank among the national leaders in bench production. Entering Thursday’s game, the Sycamores rank seventh in bench scoring at 31.9 points per game. Three of the Trees’ four leading scorers this season (Tierney Kelsey – 15.5, Jayci Allen – 10.3, Clemisha Prackett – 8.9) starting less than two-thirds of this season’s games.
The Sycamores’ bench production has been a collective effort this season, as six different players – Allen, Kennedy Claybrooks, Amerie Flowers, Kelsey, Prackett and Da’Naria Washington – have produced double-digit scoring games off the bench for Indiana State this season. The Blue and White have scored 30-plus bench points in eight games this season, including four with 40-plus points.
Making It Count
Indiana State has been among the national leaders when it comes to free throws this season, as the Sycamores rank in the top 15 nationally in both free throws made (15th, 16.2) and attempted (13th, 23.3) per game. The Sycamores rank second in the conference in both free throws made and attempted, trailing only Murray State in both categories.
Despite ranking near the middle of the pack of the conference in free throw percentage (69.6 percent), Indiana State has fared better from the charity stripe in recent games. The Sycamores have shot better than 75 percent from the line in five of their last seven games and are shooting 72.2 percent from the charity stripe during that span.
Indiana State shot 92.9 percent from the free throw line in its last game against Bradley, going 13-for-14 from the charity stripe against the Braves. It marked the second time this season with just one missed free throw for the Sycamores, as Indiana State went 16-for-17 from the line at Austin Peay in mid-November.
On This Date
Indiana State owns a 2-6 record in games played on January 11, with a 2-4 mark in the Division I era.
The Sycamores are 1-1 in home games played on this date, defeating Drake in the 1993-94 season and falling to Creighton in 2000-01 season.
1972 – at Illinois State (L, 26-44)
1980 – at Indiana (L, 49-65)
1994 – Drake (W, 75-66)
2000 – at Northern Iowa (L, 62-77)
2001 – Creighton (L, 64-71)
2009 – at Wichita State (W, 52-48)
2016 – at Drake (L, 55-80)
2021 – at Drake (L, 40-90)
Belmont At A Glance
Belmont enters Thursday’s game at 10-7 overall and a perfect 6-0 in conference play. The Bruins have won five straight, with six of their seven losses coming against teams in the top 40 of the NET rankings.
Jailyn Banks leads a balanced Belmont attack with 15.2 points per game, with Hilary Fuller (13.6) and Avery Strickland (11.1) also averaging double-figures. Tuti Jones adds 9.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.1 steals per game. Quinn Eubank adds a team-high 6.9 rebounds per game, with seven Bruins averaging more than five points per game.
Bart Brooks is in his ninth season as head coach at Belmont and owns a 208-75 record. Brooks has led Belmont to postseason appearances in each of his first eight seasons, including four NCAA Tournament appearances.
Series History Against Belmont
Indiana State is 2-9 all-time against Belmont, including a 1-3 mark in Terre Haute. The Bruins have won all six meetings since they joined the MVC prior to the 2022-23 season.
The Sycamores’ last win in the series was a 48-34 victory in Terre Haute during the 2012-13 season
Last Meeting Against Belmont (March 6, 2025)
Indiana State jumped out to a hot start inside Hulman
Center. That spark soon faded, though, as Belmont exploded for 57 second-half points in a 90-69 setback for the
Sycamores.
Keslyn Secrist led all players with 22 points, her fifth 20-point game this season, and also added five rebounds. Savannah White had 13 points and seven boards, while Deja Jones finished with 11 points and eight assists.
Indiana State hit eight of its first 13 shots and led by as many as eight midway through the first quarter, but Belmont closed on an 11-0 run to take a three-point lead after one quarter. After a low-scoring second quarter saw the teams go to the intermission separated by three points, Belmont broke things open with an 11-2 run in the third quarter and never looked back. The Bruins put up a 28-point third quarter and followed with a 29-point fourth quarter to cruise past the Sycamores.
Up Next
Indiana State remains at home to face Evansville Sunday at 2 p.m.
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PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
GREEN BAY WBB OUTLASTS MASTODONS
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Purdue Fort Wayne dropped a Horizon League contest 69-57 at Green Bay on Wednesday (Jan. 14).
The Horizon League leading Phoenix jumped out to a 7-2 lead and never trailed. The Mastodons hit three 3-pointers in the first quarter with two from Rylee Bess and one from Ella Riggs. They finished with eight triples.
After the Phoenix went up 15 in the second quarter, the ‘Dons pushed back with a 6-2 stretch to cut it to 11.
Hillary Offing earned some extended run in the third quarter. She scored a Division I career-high six points in six minutes. The redshirt-sophomore made two layups in a 90-second stretch, the latter of which she converted into a traditional 3-point play.
Despite Offing’s quick scoring burst, the Phoenix answered with an 11-3 push to lead back out to 20.
The Mastodons switched to a zone defense to start the fourth quarter and confused Green Bay’s offense. Meanwhile, the Mastodons went on a 13-2 run to make a single-digit deficit. Lili Krasovec scored six points in that stretch. The Mastodons unfortunately ran out of time to complete a full comeback.
Bess led the Mastodons with 10 points. Jenna Guyer had 17 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks for the Phoenix.
Even with Bess earning her first start of the season, the ‘Dons led in bench points 23-21.
The Mastodons fell to 11-8, 5-4 in Horizon League. The Phoenix improved to 14-5 and 9-0 through the first half of Horizon League play.
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EVANSVILLE VOLLEYBALL
ACES VOLLEYBALL ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF SAVANNAH GOGEL
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Evansville head volleyball coach Zach Weinberg has announced the addition of Savannah Gogel to the Purple Aces program.
The native of Santa Claus, Ind. was a freshman last season at Northern Illinois University where she saw action in 40 sets while accumulating a total of 53 kills during the season.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Savannah back home to Southern Indiana! Savannah is uniquely familiar with Meeks Family Fieldhouse, having played on the same club team as our current team members Brooke, Kendall, and Hinsley,” Weinberg exclaimed. “She is a dynamic and physical middle blocker, who also can give us positional flexibility on the right side if needed. As a staff, we couldn’t be more excited to bring the quality of volleyball player and human being that Savannah is into the program!”
Gogel made her collegiate debut in August against Lamar and finished with three kills and two block assists. She posted her top effort in non-conference action against IU Indy where she tallied eight kills and four block assists.
On Halloween, Gogel had her top match of the season registering 13 kills while hitting .370. She added five block assists, two digs, and two service aces in a 5-set Mid-American Conference victory over Buffalo.
She graduated from Heritage Hills HS where she set the single-match school record for kills with 33. As a senior, Gogel accumulated 292 kills, a .314 hitting percentage, 35 aces, 150 digs, and 14 assists. She was a 4-time First Team All-Conference player while garnering All-District accolades on three occasions.
In the classroom, Gogel was equally impressive finishing in the top 10% of her class in all four years and was an Indiana Academic All-State Gold honoree.
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VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL
VALPO TO CELEBRATE RYAN BROEKHOFF, HALL OF FAME CLASS AS BEACONS HOST UNI
Valparaiso (8-10, 2-5 MVC)
vs. UNI (12-6, 4-3 MVC)
Game No. 19 – Saturday, Jan. 17, 2 p.m. CT
Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) – Valparaiso, Ind.
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team will return home on Saturday to host UNI as part of the department’s All-Sports Reunion Weekend. The Valpo Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be celebrated at halftime. The Beacons will look to extend their home winning streak to three as they finish out the regular-season series with UNI.
Last Time Out: Valpo battled back from down 12 with 8:31 to go to tie the game with 1:26 remaining, but host Belmont improved to 16-3 overall and 6-2 in league play on Tuesday night in Nashville by pulling out a 78-74 victory on a go-ahead shot with 11 seconds to go. The Beacons were led in scoring by fifth-year senior Owen Dease, who poured in 24 points, while freshman Rakim Chaney had his biggest game in league play with 17 points and fellow rookie JT Pettigrew notched his first conference double-double featuring a career-high 12 rebounds.
Glancing Ahead: Valpo will continue a three-game homestand and a long travel-free stretch on Wednesday, Jan. 21 by hosting Southern Illinois at 7 p.m. on Fan Appreciation Night. That will mark Valpo’s final game before a bye weekend as they will have six days off from game action following that contest.
Following the Beacons: Streaming – ESPN+ – Todd Ickow (play-by-play), Brian Jennings (analyst) and Austin Amburgey (sideline)
Radio – WVUR 95.1 FM Valparaiso, TuneIn Radio App, ValpoAthletics.com – Jack Hutter and Grayson Merchant
X updates – @ValpoBasketball
Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.
Head Coach Roger Powell Jr.: Roger Powell Jr. (30-53) is in his third season as the head coach of the Valpo men’s basketball program. After helping guide Gonzaga to a 121-13 record during his four seasons as an assistant coach, Powell returned to Valpo, where he was part of head coach Bryce Drew’s staff from 2011-2016 and led the team to 124 wins in five seasons, including a program-record 30 victories and a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) title game appearance in 2015-16. He was part of head coach Mark Few’s Gonzaga staff as the Bulldogs reached the 2021 national championship game after winning their first 31 games of the season. During Powell’s first season on staff in 2019-20, Gonzaga was 31-2 at the time the NCAA college basketball season was halted due to COVID-19. The Bulldogs reached the Sweet Sixteen in each of his final three seasons on staff, including two Elite Eight appearances and the aforementioned trip to the 2021 national title game. Prior to his arrival at Gonzaga, Powell served as the associate head coach at Vanderbilt University under Bryce Drew from 2016-2019. During his stint as an assistant at Valpo, he was part of four Horizon League regular-season championships in a five-year period while also leading the 2012-13 and 2014-15 squads to Horizon League tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. A product of Joliet West High School and a native of Joliet, Ill., Powell capped a prolific collegiate playing career at Illinois with a national title game appearance in 2005 before going on to a successful professional playing career. In the second season of the Powell Era in 2024-2025, Valpo over doubled its overall win total from the previous season and doubled its conference win output before earning a Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinal berth. The Beacons finished with 15 wins, the team’s highest total since 2019-20.
Series Notes: Valpo is 7-34 all-time against UNI, but the Beacons won both matchups last season, winning 80-73 on Jan. 4 at the ARC and 64-63 on March 7 in an MVC quarterfinal as part of Arch Madness in St. Louis. The Beacons are 5-12 against the Panthers since joining the Missouri Valley Conference prior to the 2017-18 campaign including a 58-48 setback on Dec. 29 of this season in Cedar Falls.
Dec. 29 – UNI 58, Valpo 48: Valpo took good care of the basketball, dominated the rebounding battle and played solid defense, but UNI prevailed 58-48 in late December in Cedar Falls, a night where Valpo did everything right except shoot. The Beacons were just 3-of-23 from beyond the 3-point arc. Owen Dease scored all of his game-high 18 points after halftime.
Scouting the Panthers
Currently ranked fourth in the MVC in KenPom rating at 107 and fourth in the NET at 100.
Looking to end a three-game losing streak with losses to Belmont (78-65), Bradley (75-69) and most recently UIC (69-61) on Tuesday.
Started league play at 4-0 before this three-game skid.
Picked to finish second in the MVC preseason poll.
Led in scoring by Trey Campbell at 13.6 points per game.
Under the direction of legendary head coach Ben Jacobson, the winningest coach in program history.
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UINDY MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEN’S HOOPS RETURN TO THE NIC TO HOST CARDINALS, HAWKS
vs. William Jewell (8-7)
Basketball Night In Indy presented by Portillo’s
Faculty & Staff Appreciation Night
Thursday // January 15
7:30 p.m. ET // Indianapolis, IN
Watch | Live Stats | Listen | Tickets
vs. Rockhurst (11-4)
Youth Day
Saturday // January 17
3:30 p.m. ET // Indianapolis, IN
Watch | Live Stats | Listen | Tickets
The UIndy men’s basketball team returns to The Nic for the first time in over a month to host the William Jewell Cardinals and the Rockhurst Hawks this Thursday and Saturday.
The Hounds ended their seven-game road stint this past Sunday, traveling to Quincy, Ill., for a matchup against Quincy University. Carmelo Harris achieved a new season-high in scoring, finishing with 28 points on 7-for-16 shooting. Shaun Arnold tied the UIndy school record for most steals in a game, collecting eight on the afternoon. Tyler Parrish finished second in scoring with 15 points, which marks six consecutive games with 10+ points.
William Jewell
The Cardinals come to Indianapolis on a three-game win streak, defeating conference opponents Drury (73-69), Maryville (121-59) and McKendree. Jewell holds an 8-7 overall record, standing 6th in the GLVC table with a 4-3 clip.They’ve held opponents under 70 points in eight contests so far, sparking a scoring defense that ranks fourth in the GLVC (67.9 ppg). Justice Sutton heads the scoring department for the Cardinals, averaging 17.1 points per game, which stands 7th in the league.
Rockhurst
Much like the Cardinals, the Hawks hold a three-game win streak, defeating Southwest Baptist (87-78), Missouri St. Louis (85-79) and Maryville (104-65). The Hawks are led by Drenin Dinkins, averaging 21.3 ppg off a.439 clip. Just behind Dinkins for the Hawks, the GLVC Player of the week, Jaylen Wesley, is averaging 20.9 ppg, shooting from a .521 clip.
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MARIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
NO. 4 MARIAN HAMMERS INDIANA WESLEYAN 84-47 TO RETURN TO WIN COLUMN
INDIANAPOLIS – Aiming to get back in the win column after suffering its first defeat of the 2025-26 campaign, the Marian women’s basketball team dominated quarters two through four on Wednesday night against Indiana Wesleyan, running away with an 84-47 victory. The fourth-ranked Knights improve to 17-1 on the season and 7-1 in the Crossroads League.
Despite scoring the first points of the night with a Kenna Kirby fastbreak layup, the Knights played from behind throughout Wednesday’s first quarter, as Indiana Wesleyan came out aggressive on a 5-2 start. It took time for the Knights to settle into a groove as the Wildcats expanded their lead to five points, but Marian would keep in the game with baskets from Kirby and Olivia Faust. Indiana Wesleyan would end the quarter outscoring Marian 10-6 after the media timeout at the 4:31 mark, knocking down a pair of three-point shots to keep the Knights in a deficit at the quarter break.
Marian trailed 19-14 after one quarter of play.
As the second quarter began, so too did the Knights’ offensive assault, as an early steal and fastbreak layup from Kiley McNally ignited the scoring in a 25-point period. Olivia Faust and Taylor Double scored consecutive baskets to tie the game at 21-21 with 5:56 to play in the half, setting the tone as the Knights began to pull away in the final six minutes of the half.
The Wildcats would snap the streak with consecutive baskets as Alya Krygier answered Double, but it would do little to slow the Knights, as Marian scored the game’s next six points. The spark created by Double and Faust saw Marian end the first half on a 20-6 run, controlling the final six minutes of the period to take a one-sided 39-27 lead.
Marian’s hot offense carried over into the third quarter, as the team poured another 21 points on the scoreboard, extending the lead to 20 points throughout the quarter. Abbey McNally started the 21-point period with the half’s first points, while a dose of Madisyn Bailey’s points and assists pushed Marian to 50-36 edge. In the final three minutes, Zoe Wheeler took control of the game, as the momentum from her first half buzzer-beater carried into the quarter as she scored seven consecutive Marian points. Wheeler’s hot shooting pushed Marian on top 60-39 at the end of three quarters.
The Knights closed their strong victory with a one-sided fourth quarter, pouring on 24 points while holding the Wildcats to eight in the last 10 minutes. Abbey McNally and Madisyn Bailey each finished off double-doubles with strong play in the quarter, scoring or assisting on the team’s first 15 points in the stanza. Kenna Kirby put the finishing touches on the game for the Knights, scoring the team’s last points in Marian’s one-sided 84-47 victory.
The 37-point victory is Marian’s second-largest victory over Indiana Wesleyan in program history, one point shy of the mark previously set on February 28, 2020, in a Crossroads League Tournament victory.
Abbey McNally paced Marian in the win, pouring in 23 points while snaring 17 rebounds, recording her fourth consecutive double-double and 10th of the season. Madisyn Bailey’s double-double was the first in her career, as the point guard had 10 points and 10 assists, while also grabbing five rebounds and four assists. Taylor Double finished the night with 15 points, Olivia Faust scored 14, and Zoe Wheeler had a bench-leading 10 points.
Marian finished the game plus-16 on the glass, while shooting 51.6 percent from the floor.
Marian finishes the first half of league play on the road Saturday afternoon, traveling to (RV) Huntington for a 1:00 p.m. contest with the Foresters.
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MARIAN MEN’S BASKETBALL
MARIAN FALLS TO INDIANA WESLEYAN TO CLOSE OUT HOME STRETCH
INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian men’s basketball team fell to No. 11 Indiana Wesleyan on Wednesday evening. The Knights moved to 2-6 in the Crossroads League and 4-14 overall on the year.
Indiana Wesleyan won the tip, going up 8-3 early in the game, but Marian was able to push back and take the two-point lead with baskets from Aaron Humphrey Jr. and Dylan Moles. After the first five minutes of action, both teams went back and forth, but the Knights were able to maintain the 23-19 lead with baskets from Aidan Franks, Joshua Renfro, Moles, and Josiah Gustin.
Indiana Wesleyan pushed back at Marian’s lead with a pair of free throws, but Franks was able to counter with a layup. The Wildcats kicked up the action with a three-pointer followed by a free throw before Renfro took the 27-25 lead back with a layup. The Visitors took their biggest lead of the game with a trio of baskets with under five minutes left in the half. Each team fired off multiple baskets with Humphrey Jr. recording a pair of layups, followed by a dunk from Gustin, bringing the score 33-36 in favor of the visitors. The Wildcats closed out the half with four baskets to increase their lead to 46-33 going into halftime.
Each team opened up the second half with a pair of three-pointers, with Ron Rutland III recording the basket for the Knights. Indiana Wesleyan was quick to fire off a pair of baskets, but Marian pushed back at the lead with four baskets from Moles and Rutland III to bring the score within nine. Both teams traded baskets once more, with Gustin recording the points for Marian, but Indiana Wesleyan fired back with a pair of baskets to increase their lead 59-45. Aidan Franks fired off a basket, but the Wildcats were able to counter with a pair, once again increasing their lead to 16.
Marian fired off four baskets against Indiana Wesleyan’s one, with Luke Carroll, Franks, and Rutland III tallying the points to bring the margin down to 11. The Wildcats took control of the game, recording six baskets compared to the Knights’ three. With five minutes remaining, Indiana Wesleyan continued to push full steam ahead, recording nine more baskets compared to the pair that Gustin and Moles fired off, ending the game with a 64-91 loss to the Wildcats.
Dylan Moles led the Knights with 22 points, while Josiah Gustin recorded 11 points. Aidan Franks led the way in rebounds with four, while Ron Rutland III led the team in assists with four and steals with three.
The Knights will be back in action as they travel to Huntington to take on the Foresters on Saturday, January 17th at 3 PM.
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SMALL INDIANA COLLEGE SPORTS WEB SITES
UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/
MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
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TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
On January 15 in …
1857 – First first-class cricket game in Sydney: New South Wales versus Victoria at The Domain.
1892 – James Naismith publishes the rules of basketball, in Triangle Magazine, Massachusetts.
1895 – Albert Trott takes record 8-43 on cricket Test debut.
1905 – Coen de Koning becomes world champion all-round skater.
1908 – C Hill and R J Hartigan make 8th wicket partnership 243 for Australia.
1930 – George Headley scores cricket century on debut versus England (made 176).
1934 – Babe Ruth signs a 1934 baseball contract for $35,000 ($17,000 cut).
1936 – Horace Stoneham elected president of New York Giants.
1939 – First NFL pro bowl, New York Giants beat All Stars 13-10 in Wrigley Field.
1942 – Chicago Cubs drop plans to install lights at Wrigley Field due to World War II.
1942 – US President Franklin Roosevelt asks commissioner to continue baseball during war.
1956 – Bauer Marlene wins LPGA Sea Island Golf Open.
1956 – NFL Pro Bowl: East beats West 31-30.
1957 – Brooklyn Dodgers sign a new three-year lease for Ebbets Field.
1958 – New York Yankees sign million dollar plus deal to show 140 games on WPIX TV.
1961 – NFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 35-31.
1961 – Suggs wins LPGA Sea Island Women’s Golf Invitational Open.
1962 – 50th Australian Mens Tennis: Rod Laver beats R Emerson (8-6, 0-6, 6-4, 6-4).
1964 – Baseball agrees to hold a free-agent draft in New York City, New York.
1966 – AFL Pro Bowl: All-Stars beats Buffalo 30-19.
1966 – NFL Pro Bowl: East beats West 36-7.
1967 – At the Los Angeles Coliseum, the Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 in the first-ever world championship game (later called the Super Bowl) of American football. A crowd of 61,946 people is on hand. For their win, each member of the Packers collect $15,000: this is the largest single-game share in the history of team sports.
1970 – Milwaukee Brewers make their first trade (with Oakland Athletics).
1972 – Heavyweight Joe Frazier knocks out Terry Daniels.
1974 – 24th NBA All-Star Game: West beats East 134-123 at Seattle, Washington.
1977 – Jane Blalock wins LPGA Colgate Triple Crown Golf Tournament.
1978 – Super Bowl XII: Dallas Cowboys beat Denver Broncos, 27-10 in New Orleans, Louisiana; Most Valuable Players: defensive end Harvey Martin, and defensive tackle Randy White.
1981 – Bob Gibson elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame.
1983 – Hartford Whalers’ smallest crowd 4,812 (beat New Jersey Devils) during blizzard.
1983 – Javed Miandad and Mudassar Nazar make 451 stand versus India.
1984 – Hana Mandlikova ends Martina Navratilova’s 54-match tennis winning streak.
1984 – Schönbrun skates world record 5 km (7:39.44).
1985 – Mike Gatting and Graeme Fowler both score 200’s versus India.
1988 – Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder makes racist remarks about black athletes.
1988 – Kiran More stumps five West Indian batsman at Madras, world Test record.
1988 – Narendra Hirwani takes 16-136 (8-61 and 8-75) versus West Indies on Test debut.
1989 – Betsy King wins LPGA Jamaica Golf Classic.
1990 – 42-year-old George Foreman knocks out George Cooney in two rounds.
1990 – Toronto Blue Jays’ player Cecil Fielder signs with Detroit Tigers as a free agent.
1990 – New York Knicks’ Trent Tucker scores with 1/10 second remaining, beats Chicago Bulls, 109-106.
1991 – Australia beats New Zealand 2-0 to win the World Series Cup.
1991 – Birth of Rubab Raza, Pakistan swimmer.
1995 – Dawn Coe-Jones wins LPGA Chrysler-Plymouth Tournament of Golf Champion.
1995 – San Diego Chargers beat Pittsburgh Steelers 17-13 for AFC championship.
1995 – San Francisco 49ers beat Dallas Cowboys for NFC championship.
1997 – Chicago Bulls’ player Dennis Rodman kicks cameraman, Eugene Amos, in the groin.
2022 – At SAP Center in San Jose, California, USA, NHL regular season game: Pittsburgh Penguins beats San Jose Sharks by score 2-1.
2022 – At Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, NHL regular season game: Ottawa Senators beats Edmonton Oilers by score 6-4.
2022 – At Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, USA, NHL regular season game: Los Ageles Kings beats Seattle Kraken by score 3-1.
2022 – At Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, USA, NHL regular season game: Colorado Avalanche beats Arizona Coyotes by score 5-0.
2022 – At United Center in Chicago, Illinois, USA, NHL regular season game: Chicago Blackhawks beats Anaheim Ducks by score 3-0.
2022 – At Enterprise Center in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA, NHL regular season game: Toronto Maple Leafs beats Saint Louis Blues by score 6-5.
2022 – At Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, NHL regular season game: New York Rangers beats Philadelphia Flyers by score 3-2.
2022 – At Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, USA, NHL regular season game: Tampa Bay Lightning beats Dallas Stars by score 3-1.
2022 – At Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, USA, NHL regular season game: Detroit Red Wings beats Buffalo Sabres by score 4-0.
2022 – At FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida, USA, NHL regular season game: Florida Panthers beats Columbus Blue Jackets by score 9-2.
2022 – At UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, USA, NHL regular season game: Washington Capitals beats New York Islanders by score 2-0.
2022 – At PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, NHL regular season game: Carolina Hurricanes beats Vancouver Canucks by score 4-1.
2022 – At TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, NHL regular season game: Boston Bruins beats Nashville Predators by score 4-3.
Births of sports figures on January 15
1932 – Birth of Dean Smith; American actor/relay runner (Olympics-gold-1952).
1932 – Birth of Louis Woodard Jones in New Rochelle, New York, USA; 4X400m relayer (Olympics-gold-1956).
1943 – Birth of Mike Marshall; Major League Baseball pitcher (1974 Cy Young Award).
1949 – Birth of Howard Allen Twitty in Phoenix, Arizona, USA; PGA golfer (1979 BC Open).
1953 – Birth of Randy White; NFL tackle (Dallas Cowboys).
1956 – Birth of Paul Parker; cricket player (one Test England versus Australia 1981).
1956 – Birth of Vera Sosulya in the USSR; toboggan (Olympics-gold-1980).
1960 – Birth of Tim Curtis; cricket player (England righty batsman in five Tests 1988-89).
1963 – Birth of Lijuan Geng in Hebei, China; Canadian tennis player (Olympics-1996).
1963 – Birth of Richard Nasheim; hockey forward (Team Austria 1998).
1963 – Birth of Yaro Dachniwsky in Chicago, Illinois, USA; team handball goalie (Olympics-1996).
1964 – Birth of Cees van der de Linden; soccer player.
1964 – Birth of Paula Schnurr in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada; 1500m runner (Olympics-8-1992, 1996).
1965 – Birth of Michael Clemons; Canadian Football League running back (Toronto Argonauts).
1967 – Birth of Richard Blakey; cricket player (England wicket-keeper in India 1993).
1967 – Birth of Ted N Tryba in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, USA; PGA golfer (1995 Anheuser-Busch Golf).
1968 – Birth of Bob Dahl; NFL guard (Washington Redskins).
1968 – Birth of Felton Spencer; NBA center (San Francisco Warriors).
1968 – Birth of Laurie Fellner in Appleton, Wisconsin, USA; team handball goalie (Olympics-1992, 1996).
1968 – Birth of Steve McConaghy; Australian soling yachter (Olympics-1996).
1969 – Birth of Adam Burt in Detroit, Michigan, USA; NHL defenseman (Hartford Whalers).
1969 – Birth of Delino DeShields in Seaford, Delaware, USA; infielder (Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Dodgers).
1969 – Birth of Leonard Wheeler; NFL safety/cornerback (Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings).
1969 – Birth of Marsha Miller in Rochester, New York, USA; WPVA volleyball player (National-17th-1995).
1969 – Birth of Rob van Dijk; Dutch soccer player (Feyenoord).
1969 – Birth of Rod de Highden; Australian 5k/10k/marathon runner (Olympics-1996).
1969 – Birth of Siupeli Malamala; NFL guard/tackle (New York Jets).
1970 – Birth of Dan Landry in San Diego, California, USA; volleyball opposite hitter (Olympics-1996).
1970 – Birth of Elroy Kromheer; soccer player (FC Volendam).
1970 – Birth of Michele Granger in Anaheim, California, USA; softball pitcher (Olympics-gold-1996).
1971 – Birth of LeShon Johnson; running back (Arizona Cardinals).
1973 – Birth of Daniel Nijhof; Dutch soccer player (FC Twente).
1973 – Birth of Randy Srochenski; Canadian Football League linebacker (Saskatchewan Roughriders).
1974 – Birth of Mike Minter; safety (Carolina Panthers).
1975 – Birth of Greg Loveridge; cricket player (New Zealand leg-spinner, did not bowl versus Zimbabwe 1996).
1975 – Birth of Mary Pierce in Montréal, Québec, Canada; tennis star (1995 Australian Open).
1984 – Birth of Megan Quann, American swimmer.
Deaths of sports figures on January 15
1936 – Henry Forster, cricket player (Hants and Oxford University), Governor-General of Australia, dies.
1942 – Melvin Winfield Sheppard, runner (Olympics-gold-1908, 1912), dies at age 58.
1966 – Betsy Mitchell, US 100m backstroke swimmer, dies at age 25.
1968 – Bill Masterson, first NHL player fatally injured during game (January 13), dies.
1986 – James H “Jim” Crowley, US football player (Notre Dame), dies at age 83.
1989 – Wilf Slack, cricket player (whilst bat in Gambia England player 1986), dies.
1993 – Henry Iba, basketball coach, dies at age 88.
2017 – Death of Jimmy Snuka, Fijian-born American professional wrestler (born 1943).
On January 16 in …
1883 – Québec Rugby Football Union forms.
1905 – Baseball outfielder Frank Huelsman traded for 6th time in 8 months.
1931 – Donald Bradman scores 223 Australia versus West Indies, 297 minutes, 26 fours.
1933 – Bert Oldfield flattened by Larwood delivery in Adelaide cricket Test.
1936 – First photo-finish camera installed at Hialeah Race track in Hialeah, Florida, USA.
1952 – US Standard Board clears Stan Musial to get an $85,000 salary.
1953 – 27th Australian Womens Tennis: Maureen Connolly beat J Sampson (6-3, 6-2).
1953 – 41st Australian Mens Tennis: Ken Rosewall beats Mervyn Rose (6-0, 6-3, 6-4).
1955 – Jackie Pung wins LPGA Sea Island Golf Open.
1955 – NFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 26-19.
1964 – American League owners vote 9-1 against Charlie Finley moving Kansas City Athletics to Louisville, Kentucky.
1965 – AFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 38-14.
1968 – 21st NHL All-Star Game: Toronto Maple Leafs beat All-Stars 4-3 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
1970 – Amateur Athletic Union player Steve Myers makes a basketball field goal of 92 feet 3.5 inches from out of bounds, in Tacoma, Washington – it shouldn’t have counted, but was allowed.
1970 – Curt Flood files a civil lawsuit challenging baseball’s reserve clause.
1970 – NFL re-aligns into three divisions (down from four).
1971 – Ard Schenk skates world record 1500m (1:58.7).
1972 – Atje Keulen-Deelstra becomes European all-round lady skating champ.
1972 – Super Bowl VI: Dallas Cowboys-24, Miami-3 in New Orleans; Most Valuable Player: Roger Staubach, Quarterback.
1974 – New York Yankees’ Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.
1977 – Washington Capitals’ H Monahan scores on second penalty shot against New York Islanders.
1981 – Ivan Lendl intentionally loses a match in the Volvo Masters in order to avoid having to play Björn Borg.
1988 – Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder fired from CBS-TV for racial remarks.
1988 – NFL Saint Louis Cardinals announce move to Phoenix, Arizona.
1994 – Scott skates world record 1000m (1:12.54).
1997 – Anthony Stuart takes ODI hat-trick, Australia versus Pakistan, Melbourne Cricket Ground.
2022 – At Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., USA, NHL regular season game: Vancouver Canucks beats Washington Capitals by score 4-2.
Births of sports figures on January 16
1894 – Birth of Guy Chamberlin; early NFL end/coach (Canton Bulldogs, Frankford Yellow Jackets, Chicago Cardinals).
1902 – Birth of Eric Liddell in China; English 400m runner (Olympics-gold-1924).
1911 – Birth of Jay Hanna “Dizzy” Dean; Hall of Fame baseball pitcher (Saint Louis Cardinals).
1923 – Birth of Martin Stokken in Norway; nordic relay (Olympics-silver-1952).
1935 – Birth of A J Foyt in Houston, Texas, USA; auto race driver (Indy 500 1961, 1964, 1967, 1977).
1956 – Birth of Wayne Daniel; cricket player (West Indies fast bowler 1976-84).
1962 – Birth of Kevin Ross; NFL safety (Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs).
1964 – Birth of Gail Graham in Vanderhoof, British Columbia, Canada; LPGA golfer (1995 Fieldcrest Cannon).
1964 – Birth of Mark Collins; NFL cornerback/safety (New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers).
1964 – Birth of Trevor Barsby; cricket player (Queensland opening batsman since 1984-85).
1966 – Birth of Anthony Washington in Glasgow, Montana, USA; discus thrower (Olympics-4th-1996).
1966 – Birth of Jack McDowell in Van Nuys, California, USA; pitcher (New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians).
1967 – Birth of Jeff Branson in Waynesboro, Michigan, USA; infielder (Cincinnati Reds).
1969 – Birth of Chelan Kozak in Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada; equestrian (Olympics-1996).
1969 – Birth of Roy Jones in Pensacola, Florida, USA; light-middleweight boxer (Olympics-silver-1988).
1970 – Birth of Don MacLean; NBA forward (New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets).
1970 – Birth of Ron Villone in Englewood, New Jersey, USA; pitcher (San Diego Padres).
1971 – Birth of Jukka-Pekka Nummi; WLAF cornerback (Scottish Claymores).
1971 – Birth of Junior Bryant; NFL defensive end (San Francisco 49ers).
1971 – Birth of Michel Kreek; Dutch soccer player (Ajax).
1971 – Birth of Scott Williams in Orange, California, USA; field hockey defender (Olympics-1996).
1971 – Birth of Ulrich van Gobbel; Suriname/Dutch soccer player (Feyenoord).
1972 – Birth of Desiree Leipham in Spokane, Washington, USA; WPVA volleyball player (Nationals-17th-1995).
1972 – Birth of Joe Horn; wide receiver (Kansas City Chiefs).
1972 – Birth of Lee McIntyre in Peak Hill, Australia; golfer (T3 1995 New South Wales Trainee Champ).
1973 – Birth of Mario Bates; NFL-running back (New Orleans Saints).
1973 – Birth of Willie Whitehead; Canadian Football League defensive end (Hamilton Tiger Cats).
1980 – Birth of Albert Pujols; Dominican Major League Baseball player.
1983 – Birth of Emanuel Pogatetz; Austrian football player.
Deaths of sports figures on January 16
1907 – Alfred Shaw, cricket player (seven Tests for England 1877-82), dies.
1994 – Noël Foré, Belgian cyclist (Paris-Roubaix 1959), dies at age 61.
1997 – Jim Kensil, NFL president (New York Jets), dies of heart failure at age 66.
On January 17 in …
1916 – First PGA Championship: Jim Barnes at Siwanoy Country Club, Bronxville, New York; Professional Golfer Association (PGA) forms.
1934 – New York Giants reward National League Most Valuable Player pitcher Carl Hubbell with $18,000 contract.
1939 – Ed Barrow is elected New York Yankees president succeeding deceased J Ruppert.
1945 – Gilbert Dodds, record miler (4:05.3), retires to do gospel work.
1954 – NFL Pro Bowl: East beats West 20-9.
1954 – Suggs Louise wins LPGA Sea Island Golf Open (Cloister).
1960 – Mickey Wright wins LPGA Sea Island Women’s Golf Invitational.
1960 – NFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 38-21.
1963 – Wilt Chamberlain of NBA San Francisco Warriors scores 67 points versus Los Angeles Lakers.
1970 – 357 baseball players are available in the free-agent draft.
1970 – AFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 26-3.
1970 – Sporting News names Willie Mays as Player of the Decade for the 1960s.
1971 – Super Bowl V: Baltimore Colts-16, Dallas Cowboys-13 in Miami, Florida; Most Valuable Player: Chuck Howley, Dallas, Linebacker.
1977 – 7th AFC-NFC pro bowl, AFC wins 24-14.
1977 – Kansas City Royals release Tommy Davis, ends an 18-year career with ten teams.
1985 – Azharuddin scores second Test century in second Test (versus England).
1986 – Tim Witherspoon beats Tony Tubbs in 15 to regain WBA heavyweight title.
1989 – Al Arbour wins his 600th NHL game as coach.
1989 – Phoenix Suns cancel game at Miami Heat, due to racial unrest in Miami, Florida.
1990 – Dave Stewart signs record US$3,500,000 per year Oakland Athletics contract.
1993 – Russian Irina Privalova cycles world record 300m indoor (35.45 seconds).
1995 – Australia beats Australia A 2-0 to win the World Series Cup.
1995 – Los Angeles Rams announce that they are moving to Saint Louis, Missouri.
1997 – NBA suspends Dennis Rodman indefinitely, fines him $25,000 for kicking cameraman.
2002 – Jermaine Dye agrees to a three-year extension worth $32 million to stay with the Oakland Athletics.
2003 – Torii Hunter agrees to four-year, US$32 million deal to stay with the Minnesota Twins.
2006 – Alex Rodriguez announces he will be a member of the United States team in the World Baseball Classic.
2009 – Joannie Rochette defends her Canadian figure skating championship, as she wins her fifth-straight national title.
2022 – At T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, NHL regular season game: Pittsburgh Penguins beats Vegas Golden Knights by score 5-3.
2022 – At Enterprise Center in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA, NHL regular season game: Saint Louis Blues beats Florida Predators by score 5-3.
2022 – At UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, USA, NHL regular season game: New York Islanders beats Philadelphia Flyers by score 4-1.
2022 – At Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, USA, NHL regular season game: Chicago Blackhawks beats Seattle Kraken by score 3-2.
2022 – At SAP Center in San Jose, California, USA, NHL regular season game: San Jose Sharks beats Los Angeles Kings by score 6-2.
2022 – At Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, USA, NHL regular season game: Arizona Coyotes beats Montreal Canadiens by score 5-2.
2022 – At Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, USA, NHL regular season game: Colorado Avalanche beats Minnesota Wild by score 4-3.
2022 – At KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, USA, NHL regular season game: Detroit Red Wings beats Buffalo Sabres by score 3-2.
Births of sports figures on January 17
1913 – Birth of Yuvraj of Patiala; cricket player (scored 24 and 60 in only Test India versus England).
1925 – Birth of A H Kardar; cricket player (Pakistani first Test captain, previously played for India).
1926 – Birth of Clyde Walcott; cricket player (one of the three W’s, later ICC chairman).
1928 – Birth of Ken Archer; cricket player (Australian batsman, five Tests early 50s).
1929 – Birth of Jacques “Jake the Snake” Plante in Québec, Canada; NHL goaltender (number 1).
1935 – Birth of Jimmy Powell in Dallas, Texas, USA; PGA golfer (1990 Southwestern Bell Classic).
1939 – Birth of Antao D’Souza; cricket player (Pakistani pace bowler in six Tests 1959-62).
1939 – Birth of Toini Gustafson in Sweden; 5km/10km cross country skier (Olympics-gold-1968).
1940 – Birth of H Kipchoge “Kip” Keino in Kenya; 1500m runner (Olympics-gold-1968, 1972).
1942 – Birth of Cassius Marcellus Clay AKA Muhammad Ali in Louisville, Kentucky, USA; heavyweight champion boxer (1964-67, 1974-78).
1951 – Birth of Rolando Thoeni in Italy; slalom (Olympics-bronze-1972).
1954 – Birth of Janet Dykman in Monterey Park, California, USA; archer (Olympics-1996).
1957 – Birth of Donna Stone in New Jersey, USA; fencer-epee (Olympics-1996).
1960 – Birth of Chili Davis in Kingston, Jamaica; outfielder (California Angels).
1964 – Birth of Jeff Tabaka; US baseball pitcher (San Diego Padres).
1966 – Birth of Don Myrah in Oakland, California, USA; cyclist (Olympics-20th-1996).
1966 – Birth of Trish Johnson in Bristol, England; LPGA golfer (1993 Las Vegas).
1967 – Birth of Gregory Caccia in Bayshore, New York, USA; team handball right back (Olympics-1996).
1967 – Birth of William Michael Heinen Junior in Rayne, Louisiana, USA; PGA golfer (1994 Shell Houston).
1970 – Birth of Candace Murray in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; softball shortstop (Olympics-1996).
1970 – Birth of Darnell Walker; NFL cornerback (Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers).
1970 – Birth of Jeremy Roenick in Boston, Massachusetts, USA; NHL center (Team USA, Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes).
1971 – Birth of Derek Plante in Cloquet, Minnesota, USA; NHL center (Buffalo Sabres).
1971 – Birth of Peter Winter; Australian decathlete (Olympics-1996).
1971 – Birth of Tyler Houston; US baseball catcher (Atlanta Braves).
1972 – Birth of Rohn Meyer; Canadian Football League offensive linebacker (Calgary Stampeders).
1972 – Birth of Wendall Gaines; NFL tight end (Arizona Cardinals).
1974 – Birth of Derrick Mason; wide receiver (Tennessee Oilers).
1974 – Birth of Guillermo Mercedes; Dominican/US baseball infielder (Texas Rangers).
1974 – Birth of Marcus Spriggs; offensive tackle (Buffalo Bills).
1974 – Birth of Sharon Marie Ferris in New Zealand; yachter (Olympics-1996).
1977 – Birth of Ali el Kattabi; soccer player (Sparta).
Deaths of sports figures on January 17
1933 – John Hodges, cricket player (6 wickets in Australia’s first two Tests), dies.
1952 – Walter O “Spike” Briggs, owner (Detroit Tigers), dies at age 74.
1959 – Abdul Aziz, cricket player, dies at age 17 struck by ball in fc match for Karachi.
1993 – Ger ter Horst, Dutch soccer trainer (Sparta), dies.
1994 – Klaas Peereboom, Dutch sports reporter (Het Parool), dies at age 77.
1994 – Death of Helen Stephens, American runner (born 1918).
2023 – Death of Chris Ford at age 74 of a heart attack in Philadelphia, USA; basketball player (NBA Boston Celtics), coach (Boston Celtics).
===========
TV SPORTS
Thursday, 1/15/26
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Memphis Grizzlies vs Orlando Magic | 2:00pm | Prime |
| Phoenix Suns vs Detroit Pistons | 7:30pm | AFSN FanDuel Sports DET |
| Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat | 7:30pm | NBCS-BOS FanDuel Sports Sun |
| Oklahoma City Thunder vs Houston Rockets | 7:30pm | Prime FanDuel Sports OKC |
| Milwaukee Bucks vs San Antonio Spurs | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports MIL FanDuel Sports SW |
| Utah Jazz vs Dallas Mavericks | 8:30pm | KJZZ KFAA |
| Atlanta Hawks vs Portland Trail Blazers | 10:00pm | Rip City FanDuel Sports ATL |
| New York Knicks vs Golden State Warriors | 10:00pm | Prime |
| Charlotte Hornets vs Los Angeles Lakers | 10:30pm | Spectrum FanDuel Sports CHA |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Philadelphia Flyers vs Pittsburgh Penguins | 7:00pm | ESPN ESPN+ |
| Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres | 7:00pm | RDS MSG-BUF |
| San Jose Sharks vs Washington Capitals | 7:00pm | NBCS-CA MNMT |
| Vancouver Canucks vs Columbus Blue Jackets | 7:00pm | SN FanDuel Sports Ohio |
| Seattle Kraken vs Boston Bruins | 8:00pm | KONG NESN |
| Winnipeg Jets vs Minnesota Wild | 8:00pm | TSN FanDuel Sports North |
| Calgary Flames vs Chicago Blackhawks | 8:30pm | SN CHSN |
| Dallas Stars vs Utah Mammoth | 9:00pm | Victory+ Utah16 |
| New York Islanders vs Edmonton Oilers | 9:00pm | MSGSN SN |
| Toronto Maple Leafs vs Vegas Golden Knights | 9:30pm | ESPN TSN |
| MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| NM State at Liberty | 6:00pm | CBSSN |
| NJIT at UMass Lowell | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UMBC at Bryant | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Mercer at VMI | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Binghamton at UAlbany | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| James Madison at App State | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Oakland at Milwaukee | 7:00pm | ESPNU |
| Elon at Northeastern | 7:00pm | NESN+ |
| North Carolina A&T at William & Mary | 7:00pm | MASN |
| Hofstra at Stony Brook | 7:00pm | SNY |
| Youngstown State at Wright State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| North Florida at North Alabama | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UTEP at Delaware | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Detroit Mercy at Northern Kentucky | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Old Dominion at Georgia Southern | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Maine at Vermont | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| West Georgia at Stetson | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Green Bay at Cleveland State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Queens at FGCU | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| The Citadel at UNCG | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Drexel at Monmouth | 7:00pm | FloCollege |
| Jacksonville at Central Arkansas | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Robert Morris at IU Indianapolis | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Charleston at Towson | 8:00pm | CBSSN |
| St. Thomas at North Dakota | 8:00pm | MidCo Sports |
| Kansas City at South Dakota | 8:00pm | MidCo Sports 2 |
| Eastern Kentucky at Austin Peay | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Arkansas State at South Alabama | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Eastern Illinois at Little Rock | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| California Baptist at Abilene Christian | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Bellarmine at Lipscomb | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Southern Indiana at Tennessee Tech | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| SIUE at UT Martin | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Morehead State at Tennessee State | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Tarleton at Southern Utah | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Wichita State at Florida Atlantic | 9:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Lindenwood at Southeast Missouri | 9:00pm | ESPNU |
| Cal State Fullerton at UC Davis | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Eastern Washington at Weber State | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Idaho at Idaho State | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UTA at Utah Tech | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UC Santa Barbara at CSU Bakersfield | 9:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Gonzaga at Washington State | 10:00pm | CBSSN |
| Northern Arizona at Sacramento State | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Northern Colorado at Portland State | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Hawai’i at Cal Poly | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| CSUN at UC San Diego | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| San Diego at Seattle U | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UC Riverside at Long Beach State | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| Serie A: Verona vs Bologna | 12:30pm | Paramount+ |
| Bundesliga: Augsburg vs Union Berlin | 2:30pm | ESPN+ fuboTV |
| Serie A: Como vs Milan | 2:45pm | Paramount+ |
Friday, 1/16/2026
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| New Orleans Pelicans vs Indiana Pacers | 7:00pm | GCSN FanDuel Sports IND |
| Cleveland Cavaliers vs Philadelphia 76ers | 7:00pm | NBCS-PHI FanDuel Sports Ohio |
| Chicago Bulls vs Brooklyn Nets | 7:00pm | ESPN CHSN |
| Los Angeles Clippers vs Toronto Raptors | 7:30pm | SN FanDuel Sports SoCal |
| Minnesota Timberwolves vs Houston Rockets | 9:30pm | ESPN SCHN |
| Washington Wizards vs Sacramento Kings | 10:00pm | MNMT NBCS-CA |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| San Jose Sharks vs Detroit Red Wings | 7:00pm | NBCS-CA FanDuel Sports DET |
| Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes | 7:30pm | Scripps FanDuel Sports South |
| Tampa Bay Lightning vs St. Louis Blues | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports Sun FanDuel Sports MW |
| Nashville Predators vs Colorado Avalanche | 9:00pm | FanDuel Sports NSH ALT |
| Anaheim Ducks vs Los Angeles Kings | 10:30pm | Victory+ FanDuel Sports West |
| MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Creighton at Providence | 6:30pm | FS1 |
| Toledo at Kent State | 6:30pm | CBSSN |
| Baylor at Kansas | 8:00pm | FOX |
| Loyola Chicago at Dayton | 8:30pm | ESPN2 |
| Marquette at DePaul | 8:30pm | FS1 |
| Ohio at Ball State | 8:30pm | CBSSN |
| Colorado State at Boise State | 10:30pm | FS1 |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| Ligue 1: Monaco vs Lorient | 1:00pm | beIN Sports |
| Bundesliga: Werder Bremen vs Eintracht Frankfurt | 2:30pm | ESPN+ fuboTV |
| Serie A: Pisa vs Atalanta | 2:45pm | Paramount+ |
| La Liga: Espanyol vs Girona | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Ligue 1: PSG vs Lille | 3:00pm | beIN Sports |
Saturday, 1/17/26
| NFL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| AFC Divisional Playoff: Buffalo Bills vs Denver Broncos | 4:30pm | CBS Paramount+ |
| NFC Divisional Playoff: San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks | 8:00pm | FOX |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Utah Jazz vs Dallas Mavericks | 5:00pm | KJZZ KFAA |
| Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks | 7:30pm | NBCS-BOS FanDuel Sports ATL |
| Indiana Pacers vs Detroit Pistons | 7:30pm | FanDuel Sports IND FanDuel Sports DET |
| Phoenix Suns vs New York Knicks | 7:30pm | AFSN MSG |
| Oklahoma City Thunder vs Miami Heat | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports OKC FanDuel Sports Sun |
| Minnesota Timberwolves vs San Antonio Spurs | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports North FanDuel Sports SW |
| Charlotte Hornets vs Golden State Warriors | 8:30pm | FanDuel Sports CHA NBCS-BAY |
| Washington Wizards vs Denver Nuggets | 9:00pm | MNMT2 ALT |
| Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers | 10:00pm | NBATV Spectrum Rip City |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Minnesota Wild vs Buffalo Sabres | 12:30pm | MSG-BUF FanDuel Sports North |
| New York Rangers vs Philadelphia Flyers | 1:00pm | MSG NBCS-PHI |
| New York Islanders vs Calgary Flames | 3:00pm | MSGSN SN |
| Seattle Kraken vs Utah Mammoth | 5:00pm | Utah16 KONG |
| Toronto Maple Leafs vs Winnipeg Jets | 7:00pm | SN ESPN+ |
| Florida Panthers vs Washington Capitals | 7:00pm | Scripps MNMT |
| Carolina Hurricanes vs New Jersey Devils | 7:00pm | MSGSN FanDuel Sports South |
| Montreal Canadiens vs Ottawa Senators | 7:00pm | ESPN+ SN |
| Columbus Blue Jackets vs Pittsburgh Penguins | 7:00pm | FanDuel Sports Ohio ATTSN-PIT |
| Boston Bruins vs Chicago Blackhawks | 8:00pm | NESN CHSN |
| Los Angeles Kings vs Anaheim Ducks | 10:00pm | Victory+ FanDuel Sports West |
| Nashville Predators vs Vegas Golden Knights | 10:00pm | Scripps FanDuel Sports NSH |
| Edmonton Oilers vs Vancouver Canucks | 10:00pm | ESPN+ SN |
| MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| UConn at Georgetown | 12:00pm | FOX |
| Kentucky at Tennessee | 12:00pm | ESPN |
| Virginia at SMU | 12:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| Georgia Tech at NC State | 12:00pm | CW |
| Butler at Seton Hall | 12:00pm | TNT |
| Minnesota at Illinois | 12:00pm | BTN |
| Notre Dame at Virginia Tech | 12:00pm | ACCN |
| Elon at Hofstra | 12:00pm | CBSSN |
| Mount St. Mary’s at Canisius | 12:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Duquesne at Fordham | 12:30pm | USA |
| UCLA at Ohio State | 1:00pm | CBS |
| Alabama at Oklahoma | 1:00pm | SECN |
| Wagner at New Haven | 1:00pm | NEC Front Row |
| Boston University at Loyola Maryland | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Eastern Michigan at Bowling Green | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Old Dominion at App State | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Chattanooga at Western Carolina | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Holy Cross at Lafayette | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Buffalo at Miami (OH) | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Iowa at Indiana | 2:00pm | FOX |
| Florida at Vanderbilt | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Bradley at Illinois State | 2:00pm | ESPN2U |
| TCU at Utah | 2:00pm | TNT |
| Rutgers at Wisconsin | 2:00pm | BTN |
| Syracuse at Boston College | 2:00pm | ACCN |
| ETSU at Samford | 2:00pm | CBSSN |
| South Dakota at North Dakota | 2:00pm | MidCo Sports |
| St. Thomas at North Dakota State | 2:00pm | WDAY-DT3 |
| Youngstown State at Cleveland State | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Central Connecticut at Saint Francis U | 2:00pm | NEC Front Row |
| Stonehill at Mercyhurst | 2:00pm | NEC Front Row |
| Le Moyne at Chicago State | 2:00pm | NEC Front Row |
| Iowa State at Cincinnati | 2:00pm | Peacock |
| Winthrop at UNC Asheville | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Cornell at Yale | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Rider at Saint Peter’s | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| North Florida at Central Arkansas | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Bucknell at Colgate | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Princeton at Harvard | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Queens at Stetson | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Presbyterian at Gardner-Webb | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Western Michigan at Akron | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Sam Houston at FIU | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| West Georgia at FGCU | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| NM State at Delaware | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Navy at Lehigh | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Detroit Mercy at IU Indianapolis | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Siena at Manhattan | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Fairfield at Marist | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Miami (FL) at Clemson | 2:15pm | CW |
| St. Bonaventure at La Salle | 2:30pm | USA |
| Utah State at Grand Canyon | 2:30pm | FS1 |
| Longwood at Radford | 2:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Kennesaw State at WKU | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Penn at Dartmouth | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UTEP at Liberty | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Drake at UIC | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Coastal Carolina at Georgia Southern | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Quinnipiac at Merrimack | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UMass at Northern Illinois | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UNI at Valparaiso | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Jacksonville at North Alabama | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Missouri at LSU | 3:30pm | SECN |
| Georgia State at ULM | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Michigan at Oregon | 4:00pm | NBC |
| Arkansas at Georgia | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Arizona at UCF | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Nebraska at Northwestern | 4:00pm | BTN |
| North Carolina at California | 4:00pm | ACCN |
| Richmond at Saint Louis | 4:00pm | CBSSN |
| UC San Diego at CSU Bakersfield | 4:00pm | Spectrum |
| Charleston at Stony Brook | 4:00pm | SNY |
| Nevada at Air Force | 4:00pm | ALT |
| Prairie View A&M at Jackson State | 4:00pm | SWAC TV |
| UTA at Utah Valley | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Western Illinois at Little Rock | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Louisiana at South Alabama | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Lamar at Nicholls | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Mercer at UNCG | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| James Madison at Marshall | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Morehead State at Tennessee Tech | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Southeastern Louisiana at A&M-Corpus Christi | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Arkansas State at Troy | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| East Texas A&M at Houston Christian | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Southern Indiana at Tennessee State | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Howard at North Carolina Central | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Southern Miss at Texas State | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Lindenwood at UT Martin | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| SIUE at Southeast Missouri | 4:45pm | Gray Media |
| Wofford at Furman | 5:00pm | Nexstar |
| UNLV at San Jose State | 5:00pm | MWN |
| Southern at Grambling State | 5:00pm | SWAC TV |
| Alabama A&M vs. Alabama State | 5:00pm | SWAC TV |
| UC Irvine at UC Davis | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Louisiana Tech at Jacksonville State | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Northern Arizona at Portland State | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Northwestern State at UIW | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Kansas City at South Dakota State | 5:15pm | MidCo Sports 2 |
| McNeese at UTRGV | 5:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Texas A&M at Texas | 6:00pm | ESPN + |
| Wake Forest at Florida State | 6:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| South Carolina at Auburn | 6:00pm | SECN |
| Duke at Stanford | 6:00pm | ACCN |
| Colorado at West Virginia | 6:00pm | CBSSN |
| Purdue at USC | 6:00pm | Peacock |
| Austin Peay at Lipscomb | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Stephen F. Austin at New Orleans | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Eastern Washington at Idaho State | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Pacific at Oregon State | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Missouri State at Middle Tennessee | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Columbia at Brown | 7:00pm | NESN |
| Campbell at UNCW | 7:00pm | WITN-DT2 |
| Wyoming at Fresno State | 7:00pm | MWN |
| Bellarmine at Eastern Kentucky | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| USC Upstate at High Point | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| The Citadel at VMI | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Robert Morris at Northern Kentucky | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Belmont at Southern Illinois | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Saint Mary’s at Santa Clara | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| LIU at Fairleigh Dickinson | 7:30pm | YES |
| Louisville at Pitt | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| BYU at Texas Tech | 8:00pm | ESPN/2 |
| New Mexico at San Diego State | 8:00pm | CBSSN |
| St. John’s at Villanova | 8:00pm | Peacock |
| Cal State Fullerton at UC Riverside | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Bethesda at San Diego | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Long Beach State at CSUN | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Omaha at Oral Roberts | 8:00pm | Summit |
| Ole Miss at Mississippi State | 8:30pm | SECN |
| Abilene Christian at Southern Utah | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Montana at Montana State | 9:00pm | Scripps |
| Idaho at Weber State | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Hawai’i at UC Santa Barbara | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Tarleton at Utah Tech | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Portland at Loyola Marymount | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Kansas State at Oklahoma State | 10:00pm | CBSSN |
| Northern Colorado at Sacramento State | 10:00pm | KMAX |
| Gonzaga vs. Seattle U | 10:00pm | KHQ |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| EPL: Manchester United vs Manchester City | 7:30am | USA Peacock |
| La Liga: Real Madrid vs Levante | 8:00am | ESPN+ |
| Serie A: Udinese vs Internazionale | 9:00am | Paramount+ |
| Bundesliga: Wolfsburg vs Heidenheim | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund vs St. Pauli | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Hamburger SV vs Borussia M’gladbach | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Hoffenheim vs Bayer Leverkusen | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Köln vs Mainz 05 | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| EPL: Sunderland vs Crystal Palace | 10:00am | Peacock |
| EPL: Chelsea vs Brentford | 10:00am | Peacock |
| EPL: Leeds United vs Fulham | 10:00am | Peacock |
| EPL: Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United | 10:00am | Peacock |
| EPL: Liverpool vs Burnley | 10:00am | Peacock |
| La Liga: Mallorca vs Athletic Club | 10:15am | ESPN+ |
| Ligue 1: Lens vs Auxerre | 11:00am | beIN Sports fuboTV |
| Serie A: Napoli vs Sassuolo | 12:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Bundesliga: RB Leipzig vs Bayern München | 12:30pm | ESPN+ |
| La Liga: Osasuna vs Real Oviedo | 12:30pm | ESPN+ |
| EPL: Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal | 12:30pm | Peacock |
| Ligue 1: Toulouse vs Nice | 1:00pm | beIN Sports fuboTV |
| Serie A: Cagliari vs Juventus | 2:45pm | Paramount+ |
| La Liga: Real Betis vs Villarreal | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Ligue 1: Angers SCO vs Olympique Marseille | 3:05pm | beIN Sports fuboTV |
| Liga MX: Necaxa vs Atlas | 6:00pm | VIX |
| Liga MX: Tigres UANL vs Toluca | 8:00pm | fuboTV |
| Liga MX: Tijuana vs Atlético San Luis | 10:00pm | VIX |
| Liga MX: Cruz Azul vs Puebla | 10:00pm | VIX |
============