THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” THURSDAY JANUARY 22, 2026

“THE SCOREBOARD”

===========

INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD

CENTERVILLE 65         RUSHVILLE     59         

EVANSVILLE DAY         58          NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG)              56         

FORT WAYNE NORTHROP    57          BELLMONT      49         

GREENWOOD              75          INDIAN CREEK             36         

INDIANAPOLIS RIVERSIDE    56          INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN       50         

KNOX   55          KANKAKEE VALLEY    53         

LAKE CENTRAL            60          HAMMOND NOLL       47         

LAPEL 73          ANDERSON    63         

NORTH DECATUR       52          OLDENBURG ACADEMY        45         

PERU   73          NORTHFIELD 44         

SOUTH BEND RILEY  89          CAREER ACADEMY    26         

SOUTH DEARBORN   58          EAST CENTRAL             36         

SOUTHPORT  65          BEECH GROVE             47         

SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER)           78          ROCK CREEK ACADEMY        38         

SPEEDWAY     67          IRVINGTON PREP       47         

VICTORY COLLEGE PREP      62          BELIEVE CIRCLE CITY              42         

WEST VIGO     48          SOUTH VERMILLION 36         

CARMI (ILL.) CLASSIC

MOUNT VERNON (POSEY)    65          HARRISBURG (ILL.)    36         

PCC TOURNAMENT

SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS)    64          HEBRON           62         

KOUTS 66          MORGAN TWP.             49         

===========

BOYS BASKETBALL THURSDAY SCHEDULE

ALL TIMES EASTERN

ANDERSON PREP       AT          SETON CATHOLIC      7:30 PM            

BELIEVE CIRCLE CITY AT       PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE        7:30 PM            

CENTRAL CHRISTIAN AT        MTI KNOWLEDGE       7:00 PM            

CHARLESTOWN AT    CORYDON CENTRAL 7:30 PM            

CHRISTIAN ACADEMY MADISON     AT          SOUTH DECATUR       7:00 PM            

CLAY CITY        AT          SOUTH PUTNAM         7:30 PM            

GREENFIELD-CENTRAL AT   INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE             7:30 PM            

HAMMOND MORTON AT        GARY WEST     8:00 PM            

HORIZON CHRISTIAN AT       SEVEN OAKS  7:30 PM            

ILLIANA CHRISTIAN   AT          HAMMOND NOLL       8:00 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS HERRON        AT          EMINENCE      7:30 PM            

RENSSELAER CENTRAL         AT          NORTH JUDSON         8:00 PM            

RICHMOND    AT          NORTHEASTERN         7:30 PM            

ROBINSON (ILL.)         AT          SULLIVAN        7:30 PM            

WHITING          AT          MARQUETTE CATHOLIC        8:00 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS CITY TOURNAMENT

INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD AT INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL  7:30 PM         QF

HERITAGE CHRISTIAN AT INDIANAPOLIS RITTER   7:30 PM QF

CHRISTEL HOUSE AT INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS      7:30 PM QF

INDIANAPOLIS ARSENAL TECH AT  INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA 7:30 PM   QF

PCC TOURNAMENT

TRI-TOWNSHIP            VS.        WASHINGTON TWP.  6:30 PM             R1

WESTVILLE      AT          BOONE GROVE            8:00 PM             R1

SSAC TOURNAMENT

ST. THOMAS MORE    VS.        VICTORY CHRISTIAN 7:00 PM           

===========

INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD

ALEXANDRIA  68          MISSISSINEWA             32         

ASSUMPTION (KY.)     56          FLOYD CENTRAL         41         

BLUFFTON       64          DEKALB             39         

CHURUBUSCO 73     FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY 32         

COLUMBUS NORTH  62          SILVER CREEK              46         

CULVER ACADEMY    54          MICHIGAN CITY           23         

DUGGER UNION         46          SHOALS            30         

GUERIN CATHOLIC   54          PERU   32         

HAMMOND MORTON 74        EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL     45         

INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA 54 CHRISTEL HOUSE      11         

KANKAKEE VALLEY    71          KNOX   33         

LEWIS CASS   70          WABASH          32         

LOOGOOTEE JV 35     WASHINGTON CATHOLIC    19         

MARQUETTE CATHOLIC 85  BOWMAN ACADEMY 4           

MONROE CENTRAL   52          WAPAHANI      25         

MONROVIA     64          SOUTH PUTNAM         39         

NORTH KNOX 42          SULLIVAN        33         

NORTHEASTERN         59          UNION COUNTY         48         

NORWELL        88          NEW HAVEN   26         

PERRY MERIDIAN 69 INDIANAPOLIS ARSENAL TECH        21         

PORTAGE         53          GARY WEST     20         

ROCHESTER   54          TAYLOR             16         

SHELBYVILLE 63          WHITELAND   53         

SOUTH BEND ADAMS 68       MISHAWAKA   61         

SOUTHMONT 57          TRI-WEST         36         

TRI-CENTRAL 54          ELWOOD          31         

VICTORY COLLEGE PREP      49          BELIEVE CIRCLE CITY              34         

SSAC TOURNAMENT

ST. THOMAS MORE    44          LALUMIERE     27         

===========

GIRLS BASKETBALL THURSDAY SCHEDULE

ALL TIMES EASTERN

ADAMS CENTRAL AT WAPAHANI      7:30 PM            

ATTICA AT         SOUTH VERMILLION 6:30 PM           

AUSTIN AT        INDIAN CREEK 7:30 PM         

BARR-REEVE  AT SOUTH KNOX          7:30 PM           

BEECH GROVE AT      SOUTHPORT  7:30 PM            

BLOOMFIELD AT          LINTON             7:30 PM            

BOONVILLE    AT          HERITAGE HILLS          8:00 PM            

BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL    AT          NEW ALBANY 7:30 PM           

CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN AT         BLUE RIVER VALLEY  7:30 PM            

CAREER ACADEMY    AT          GARY 21ST CENTURY 6:30 PM          

CENTERVILLE AT          TRI        7:30 PM            

CHARLESTOWN          AT          SALEM               7:30 PM            

CHRISTEL HOUSE      AT          INDIANAPOLIS HERRON 6:00 PM   

CLARKSVILLE AT         NORTH HARRISON    6:00 PM            

CLAY CITY        AT          DUGGER UNION         6:30 PM            

COLUMBUS EAST       AT          JENNINGS COUNTY  7:30 PM            

COVINGTON  AT          NORTH VERMILLION 7:30 PM           

DALEVILLE       AT          EASTERN HANCOCK 7:00 PM           

DELPHI              AT          SHERIDAN       7:30 PM            

DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN AT       ILLIANA CHRISTIAN   8:00 PM            

EAST CENTRAL             AT          MADISON        7:30 PM            

EASTBROOK   AT          BLUFFTON       7:30 PM            

EDGEWOOD  AT          CASCADE        7:30 PM            

ELKHART AT    SOUTH BEND ADAMS              7:30 PM            

ELWOOD AT    WES-DEL          6:00 PM            

EVANSVILLE BOSSE  AT          EVANSVILLE HARRISON         8:00 PM            

EVANSVILLE CENTRAL AT      EVANSVILLE MATER DEI         8:00 PM            

EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN  AT SOUTH SPENCER       8:00 PM            

EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL AT  EVANSVILLE NORTH 8:00 PM            

EVANSVILLE REITZ     AT          JASPER              8:00 PM            

FAITH CHRISTIAN       AT          NORTH NEWTON        7:30 PM            

FOREST PARK AT          MOUNT VERNON (POSEY)    8:00 PM            

GREENCASTLE             AT          WEST VIGO     7:30 PM            

HANOVER CENTRAL AT          HOBART           8:00 PM            

HENRYVILLE   AT          BORDEN           7:30 PM            

HORIZON CHRISTIAN AT       SEVEN OAKS  6:00 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI AT ANDERSON 7:30 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA AT BROWN COUNTY       6:30 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE AT      INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN   6:00 PM            

JAY COUNTY   AT          DELTA 7:30 PM            

LAFAYETTE JEFF AT    MARION            7:30 PM            

LAKE STATION AT        CALUMET         7:00 PM            

LAKELAND       AT          FREMONT                       7:30 PM            

LOOGOOTEE  AT          NORTHEAST DUBOIS 7:30 PM          

MACONAQUAH AT     WHITKO            7:30 PM            

MISHAWAKA MARIAN AT        SOUTH BEND RILEY  7:30 PM            

MONROE CENTRAL   AT          COWAN            6:30 PM            

MOORESVILLE CHRISTIAN   AT          BETHESDA CHRISTIAN           7:00 PM            

MORRISTOWN AT       HAUSER            7:30 PM            

MUNCIE CENTRAL AT              LAPEL                7:30 PM            

NORTH DECATUR AT MILAN                7:30 PM            

NORTH JUDSON AT   WINAMAC        8:00 PM            

NORTH MIAMI AT        CASTON           7:30 PM            

NORTHFIELD AT          MADISON-GRANT      7:30 PM            

ORLEANS AT   CRAWFORD COUNTY             7:30 PM            

PAOLI  AT          WEST WASHINGTON               7:30 PM

PARKE HERITAGE        AT          FOUNTAIN CENTRAL 7:30 PM           

PENN  AT          SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH     7:30 PM            

PERRY CENTRAL AT   SPRINGS VALLEY        8:00 PM            

PIONEER AT    PERU   7:45 PM            

PRAIRIE HEIGHTS       AT          FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK  7:30 PM            

PRINCETON    AT          PIKE CENTRAL                             8:00 PM            

RANDOLPH SOUTHERN        AT          WINCHESTER 6:30 PM           

RISING SUN    AT          JAC-CEN-DEL 7:30 PM           

RUSHVILLE     AT          BATESVILLE    7:30 PM            

SCOTTSBURG AT         EASTERN (PEKIN)        7:30 PM            

SEYMOUR        AT          FRANKLIN        7:30 PM            

SHAKAMAK     AT          EASTERN GREENE      7:30 PM            

SOUTHMONT AT          FRANKFORT                   7:30 PM            

SOUTHRIDGE  AT        GIBSON SOUTHERN 8:00 PM            

SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER)           AT          SOUTH RIPLEY 6:00 PM         

STEEL CITY ACADEMY AT       BOWMAN ACADEMY 8:00 PM           

SWITZERLAND COUNTY AT  SHAWE MEMORIAL   6:00 PM            

TERRE HAUTE SOUTH AT       BLOOMINGTON SOUTH         7:30 PM            

VALPARAISO  AT          LAKE CENTRAL            8:00 PM            

VINCENNES LINCOLN AT      CASTLE 8:00 PM         

WARSAW AT   TIPPECANOE VALLEY 7:30 PM          

WHITE RIVER VALLEY AT        NORTH DAVIESS          7:30 PM            

WOOD MEMORIAL     AT          VINCENNES RIVET     7:30 PM            

WOODLAN AT               LAKEWOOD PARK                     6:00 PM            

BI-COUNTY TOURNAMENT

JOHN GLENN VS.        OREGON-DAVIS          6:30 PM             SF

BREMEN AT     LAVILLE                            8:00 PM             SF

CULVER VS.    ARGOS                             6:30 PM             CON

NEW PRAIRIE VS. TRITON                     8:00 PM             CON

HOOSIER CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS

WEST LAFAYETTE AT  LOGANSPORT 6:30 PM           7TH

===========

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/

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

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES

#22 NORTH CAROLINA 91 NOTRE DAME 69

#11 ILLINOIS 89 MARYLAND 70

#7 NEBRASKA 76 WASHINGTON 66

#1 ARIZONA 77 CINCINNATI 51

#8 GONZAGA 84 PEPPERDINE 60

LASALLE 67 DAYTON 64

KENTUCKY 85 TEXAS 80

BOSTON COLLEGE 65 PITTSBURGH 62

PURDUE FORT WAYNE 83 DETROIT MERCY 76

CLEVELAND STATE 85 WRIGHT STATE 79

IU INDY 103 OAKLAND 85

VILLANOVA 66 GEORGETOWN 51

CREIGHTON 94 XAVIER 93

RHODE ISLAND 69 RICHMOND 68

BRADLEY 75 INDIANA STATE 68

DRAKE 101 MURRAY STATE 90

WICHITA STATE 77 E. CAROLINA 60

TULSA 83 MEMPHIS 66

VALPARAISO 69 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 63

TEXAS A&M 88 MISSISSIPPI STATE 68

VIRGINIA TECH 76 SYRACUSE 74

WEST VIRGINIA 75 ARIZONA STATE 63

ILLINOIS STATE 59 NORTHERN IOWA 54

NEW MEXICO 83 FRESNO STATE 74

NORTHWESTERN 74 USC 68

ST. MARY’S 81 OREGON STATE 51

GRAND CANYON 70 SAN DIEGO STATE 69

==========

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES

#22 WEST VIRGINIA 53 ARIZONA STATE 43

WISCONSIN 63 #24 NEBRASKA 60

#14 BAYLOR 73 CENTRAL FLORIDA 48

#25 WASHINGTON 81 PENN STATE 65

BYU 73 #19 TEXAS TECH 61

#3 UCLA 96 PURDUE 48

CENTRAL MICHIGAN 74 AKRON 53

VCU 63 GEORGE WASHINGTON 60

RHODE ISLAND 60 DAVIDSON 53

GEORGE MASON 57 ST. BONAVENTURE 48

IU INDY 75 NORTHERN KENTUCKY 70

NORTHERN ILLINOIS 64 WESTERN MICHIGAN 56

MIAMI OHIO 76 BUFFALO 52

OHIO 82 BOWLING GREEN 57

PURDUE FORT WAYNE 80 CLEVELAND STATE 70

BUTLER 73 DEPAUL 67

IOWA STATE 93 CINCINNATI 68

KANSAS STATE 69 HOUSTON 65

MARQUETTE 56 ST. JOHN’S 55

COLORADO STATE 67 GRAND CANYON 50

BOISE STATE 60 FRESNO STATE 52

WYOMING 63 UTAH STATE 51

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

NFL

NFL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

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

BOSTON 119 INDIANA 104

CLEVELAND 94 CHARLOTTE 87

NEW YORK 120 BROOKLYN 66

ATLANTA 124 MEMPHIS 122

DETROIT 112 NEW ORLEANS 104

TORONTO 122 SACRAMENTO 109

OKLAHOMA CITY 122 MILWAUKEE 102

===========

NHL

DETROIT 2 TORONTO 1 OT

ANAHEIM 2 COLORADO 1

UTAH 5 PHILADELPHIA 4 OT

PITTSBURGH 4 CALGARY 1

SEATTLE 4 NY ISLANDERS 1

VANCOUVER 4 WASHINGTON 3

===========

WOMEN’S PRO VOLLEYBALL

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

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

NATIONAL SPORTS NEWS RELEASES

NFL

BILLS OWNER FEELS TEAM HIT ‘PROVERBIAL PLAYOFF WALL’ AFTER LATEST LOSS

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula felt his team hit what he called “the proverbial playoff wall” in leading to his decision to abruptly fire coach Sean McDermott this week.

Speaking at a season-ending news conference on Wednesday, Pegula said he made up his mind immediately following a 33-30 overtime loss at Denver in a divisional playoff on Saturday.

He based his decision in part on seeing how distraught many Bills players, including quarterback Josh Allen, appeared in the locker room in the aftermath of the loss.

“I saw the pain in Josh’s face at his (news conference). And I felt his pain,” Pegula said. “I know we can do better. And I know we will get better.”

Pegula then listed many of Buffalo’s more memorable playoff defeats over the nine seasons under McDermott.

“It was where does the leadership of the team on the field and in the locker room, where do we go from that moment — another playoff failure,” Pegula said. “That’s why I decided Sean had to leave.”

Pegula spoke alongside general manager Brandon Beane, who was promoted in adding the title of president of football operations.

And it’s now on Beane to lead Buffalo’s first coaching search since McDermott took over in 2017 after two seasons under Rex Ryan.

The coaching search process has already started, with the Bills already set to interview several candidates including former Giants coach and former Buffalo’s offensive coordinator Brian Daboll; Commanders running backs coach Anthony Lynn, who finished the 2016 season as Buffalo’s interim coach; and Bills current offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

Pegula said Allen had no input in McDermott’s firing, but added the quarterback will play a role in the coaching search.

Pegula credited McDermott for transforming a franchise that had endured a 17-season playoff drought into a perennial winner.

“We all remember the playoff drought before Sean got here,” Pegula said. “Sean has definitely left the Buffalo Bills in a better place than when he arrived in 2017. He gave his heart and soul trying to win a championship.”

Ultimately, it was the lack of a Super Bowl appearance that wore on Pegula.

“It was one year after another. I just couldn’t see us doing that with Sean,” he said. “It’s not an easy decision trust me with that success. But what is success? Is it being in the playoffs seven years in a row with no Super Bowl.”

Despite a 98-50 regular-season record, and seven straight double-digit-win seasons, McDermott was 8-8 in the playoffs. Each of Buffalo’s past three postseason losses were decided by three points.

Buffalo ended the drought in 2017 and reached the playoffs in eight of nine seasons, but only advanced to the AFC title game twice, losing both times to Kansas City. The Bills became the NFL’s first team to win a playoff round in six straight years but not reach the Super Bowl.

Pegula’s appearance was rare as he’s not taken questions from Bills reporters since at least 2019. He said one major reason he’s taken a more behind-the-scenes role is due to dedicating time to his wife, Kim, who continues her lengthy recovery from a debilitating cardiac arrest in June 2022.

Pegula otherwise backed Beane, and disputed there being any sort of a rift that grew between the coach and GM.

“Our roster is a direct reflection of the hard work that Brandon and our scouting staff has done through the years,” Pegula said, particularly noting it was Beane’s decision to draft Allen in 2018. “One may complain over a deal, over a player, over a result. But the bottom line is, success over a long period of time means we’re doing something right.”

Beane said Allen is considering having a procedure to repair an injury to his right foot, but said it shouldn’t prevent the quarterback from practicing this spring.

Beane is conducting his first coaching search. He took over in Buffalo in May 2017, five months after McDermott was hired. The two were connected in having spent the previous six seasons in Carolina — McDermott as defensive coordinator and Beane in a front office role.

“Obviously, this is the start of a new chapter, but Sean’s a heck of a football coach, and we’ll always root for him and his family,” Beane said. “I bear guilt, blame, responsibility. There’s no finger-pointing. I understand there’s things I could have done better.”

Beane shared part of the blame in constructing a roster this season that was young and injury-depleted on defense and featured a middling group of receivers.

Despite Beane’s insistence in April that he judged this year’s group of receivers as better than in 2024, the production did not bear itself out. Buffalo’s wide receivers accounted for just over half of the team’s 3,981 passing yards this season, as opposed to more than 60% in 2024, when Allen earned AP NFL MVP honors.

Offseason free agent addition Joshua Palmer spent much of the season limited because of an assortment of injuries. Second-year receiver Keon Coleman’s development regressed in part because of disciplinary issues. He finished with 38 catches for 404 yards and four touchdowns, and was twice disciplined by the team this season for arriving late for meetings.

Before Beane could answer a question about Coleman, Pegula interjected and said it was “the coaching staff” that pushed for the player’s selection. Buffalo traded back twice before choosing Coleman with the first pick of the second round in 2024.

“I’m not saying Brandon wouldn’t have drafted him, but he wasn’t his next choice. That was Brandon being a team player and taking advice of his coaching staff who felt strongly about the player,” said Pegula, who later clarified to The Associated Press that he wasn’t referring to McDermott. “He’s taken, for some reason, heat over it, and not saying a word about it, but I’m here to tell you the true story.”

Beane said Coleman was “my pick,” before suggesting what Pegula meant is Buffalo could have considered addressing another position with the selection.

“It’s up to us to work with him and develop him,” Beane said of Coleman.

“His issues have not been on the field. They’ve just been maturity things that he owns,” Beane said. “I give him credit. He doesn’t make excuses, which I appreciate.”

FOOT SURGERY POSSIBLE FOR BILLS QB JOSH ALLEN

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen might require surgery to repair an injury to his right foot, but he would be ready to take part in organized team activities this offseason, team president of football operations Brandon Beane said Wednesday.

Beane did not state when a potential surgery could take place.

The foot injury occurred Dec. 21 in Buffalo’s 23-20 victory against the Cleveland Browns and impacted the 2024 league MVP the following week in a 13-12 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

That was one of the ailments that Allen, 29, played through during the playoffs. He also sustained right finger and left knee injuries when the Bills beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-24 in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

The Bills were eliminated last Saturday in a 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the AFC divisional round.

Beane announced Allen’s health news at an end-of-season news conference. He was joined by owner Terry Pegula, who for the first time spoke about his decision to fire head coach Sean McDermott after the Bills were eliminated from the playoffs and again fell short of reaching the Super Bowl.

BUCS QB BAKER MAYFIELD CALLS OUT FORMER COACH KEVIN STEFANSKI

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield didn’t waste much time taking aim at Kevin Stefanski, his former coach in Cleveland and now current head coach of the NFC South-rival Atlanta Falcons.

Mayfield took a jab at Stefanski on social media Tuesday while addressing a post from an Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter.

The newspaper writer wrote Stefanski was saddled with a “dumpster fire at quarterback in Cleveland — Baker Mayfield and Deshaun Watson failed, which started a chain reaction to 11 other starters.”

Mayfield, who played under Stefanski with the Browns from 2020-21, took issue with that comment before putting Stefanski on blast.

“Failed is quite the reach pal,” Mayfield wrote. “Still waiting on a text/call from him after I got shipped off like a piece of garbage. Can’t wait to see you twice a year, Coach.”

Mayfield, 30, guided the Browns to the playoffs in 2020 — their first postseason berth since 2002 — before requesting a trade out of Cleveland after the team acquired Watson during the 2022 offseason. The Browns shipped Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers for a fifth-round pick, and the top overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft requested his release and signed with the Los Angeles Rams later in 2022.

Mayfield has found success in Tampa Bay, earning back-to-back Pro Bowl selections in 2023 and 2024 while helping the Buccaneers capture consecutive division titles. The team limped to an 8-9 record this season and missed the playoffs.

The Falcons hired Stefanski on Saturday to replace the fired Raheem Morris as their new head coach. They finished 8-9 in the 2025 season.

VIKINGS DC BRIAN FLORES SIGNS CONTRACT BUT STILL HEAD-COACHING CANDIDATE

The Minnesota Vikings announced a contract extension on Wednesday for defensive coordinator Brian Flores, contingent on him not landing a head-coaching job in the current cycle.

Flores, a former head coach of the Miami Dolphins and regarded as one of the league’s top defensive coordinators, is a candidate for vacancies with the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. He also interviewed for the Washington Commanders’ opening for a DC but now will not make a lateral move.

“Brian has a unique ability to connect with players, understand their skill sets, and put them in positions to maximize their impact on the field,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said in a statement. “The identity of our defense is a reflection of his leadership and preparation.

“On a personal level, I’ve really valued the relationship we’ve built over the last three years, and that shared trust, alignment and high standard will continue to be critical to our success.”

Flores, who turns 45 next month, has been the Vikings’ defensive coordinator for three seasons. They ranked third in total defense (282.6 yards per game) in 2025 after ranking No. 16 in each of the previous two seasons. Minnesota was second in 2025 in passing defense (158.5), 21st in rushing defense (124.1) and seventh in fewest points allowed per game (19.6).

His three-year contract expired last week, opening options for Flores with other franchises.

Flores was 24-25 as head coach of the Dolphins from 2019-21. Since then, he has been a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach for the Steelers (2022) and the defensive coordinator for the Vikings since 2023.

He filed a lawsuit against the NFL and several teams in early 2022 after he was fired by Miami and interviewed for other jobs. He claimed that the league was “rife with racism,” particularly in hiring and promoting of Black coaches. The lawsuit remains in the court system and the league is seeking for the case to move to private arbitration.

SAM DARNOLD, SEAHAWKS TRY TO DENY RAMS 3RD ROAD PLAYOFF WIN

If Sam Darnold has a nemesis, it’s the Los Angeles Rams.

Which, along with Darnold’s oblique injury, lends another level of intrigue to the NFC Championship game on Sunday in Seattle.

“Just attacking rehab these last couple days,” the Seattle Seahawks quarterback said. “Obviously, will be throughout the week; just got to continue to prepare and get my body right for Sunday.”

Darnold tweaked his oblique in practice last week. It didn’t seem to hinder him last Saturday as the Seahawks pummeled the visiting San Francisco 49ers 41-6 in the divisional playoffs.

Of course, Darnold wasn’t called on to do much, as the Seahawks’ running game, defense and special teams were dominant. Darnold was 12-of-17 passing for 124 yards and a touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and was turnover-free.

The Rams have had Darnold’s number. In a playoff game last year while with Minnesota, Darnold was sacked nine times and committed a pair of turnovers, one of which was returned for a touchdown, in a 27-9 defeat in Inglewood, Calif.

In Week 11 this season, Darnold threw four interceptions in a 21-19 loss to the host Rams, though he nearly rallied Seattle to a victory before Jason Myers’ 61-yard field-goal attempt as time expired faded wide right.

On Dec. 18 in Seattle, Darnold was sacked four times and threw a pair of picks as the Seahawks fell behind by 16 points in the fourth quarter. He then led a miraculous comeback and found backup tight end Eric Saubert for a two-point conversion in overtime of a 38-37 victory.

Darnold credited the Rams’ defense for having a “really good scheme” that disguises their coverages. He said a key will be “staying on schedule … staying positive on first and second down.”

“It’s win or go home at this point,” Darnold said. “But we look at it as another game. We trust our process throughout the week.”

Backup running back Zach Charbonnet, who led the Seahawks in the regular season with 12 rushing touchdowns, suffered a serious knee injury against the 49ers and is out for the rest of the season. Starter Kenneth Walker III carried a heavier load, rushing for 116 yards and three touchdowns.

The Seahawks (15-3) also have an injury concern at left tackle, with the top three candidates ailing. Starter Charles Cross left in the third quarter last Saturday with a foot injury and didn’t return. His backup, Josh Jones, wasn’t active against the 49ers with knee and ankle woes, and third-stringer Amari Kight, a rookie, played the final 17 snaps but missed practice time this week with a knee issue.

The Rams (14-5) have won two straight playoff games on the road to get to the conference title game. They dispatched Carolina 34-31 on Jan. 10 and Chicago 20-17 in overtime last Sunday.

They’re relatively healthy, with only safety Quentin Lake (illness) and linebacker Byron Young (knee) missing practice time this week.

The Los Angeles offense, which led the league in yards (394.6 per game) and scoring (30.5) during the regular season, struggled with a cold and hostile environment in Chicago.

It will be even louder Sunday in Seattle.

“When you go into the environment that we’re going into here on Sunday in Seattle, everybody’s gotta be on the same page and communicate,” said Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, a leading MVP candidate. “That’s what offense is all about. You gotta have 11 people working as one.”

The Rams’ Davante Adams, who led the NFL with 14 receiving touchdowns in the regular season, missed the last game against Seattle with an injury.

“This is the biggest game,” Adams told reporters this week. “Whatever game you’re currently in is the biggest game of the year. But this is, obviously, the biggest game right here. They took care of business against us last time. It’s tough being on the sideline … even though we did take care of business on offense and had a good day. But it’s time to finish it off this time.”

PATRIOTS PLOW INTO DENVER AS BRONCOS BUILD UP BACKUP QB

Head coach Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots kept the focus on the franchise’s bid to return to the Super Bowl, downplaying the massive plotline surrounding the top-seeded Denver Broncos hosting the AFC Championship game Sunday with a new quarterback.

New England (16-3) mowed down the Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans to reach the conference championship game one year after hiring Vrabel to revive the franchise following consecutive seasons finishing 4-13.

The Broncos (15-3) had no time to mourn the season-ending ankle injury to quarterback Bo Nix. As Denver walked off the same field celebrating a victory over the Buffalo Bills, 33-30, Nix was limping out of the picture and clearing a path for backup Jarrett Stidham to take the stage and make his first start of the season — for a spot in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, Calif.

Nix piloted the Broncos back to the playoffs for the second time in his two NFL seasons and Denver held the No. 1 seed with home-field advantage. He called the injury “the most devastating football news I’ve ever received” but is working to help Stidham, 29, prepare for his fifth career start and the Broncos to go win the next one.

“He’s still a good quarterback,” Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez said. “He can make a lot of throws. We’ve seen what he’s done when he’s been in games. He’s in the NFL for a reason.”

Vrabel was playing linebacker with New England when a backup named Tom Brady emerged to lead the Patriots to victories in Super Bowl XXXVI (2002), XXXVIII (2004) and XXXIX (2005). And there’s no need for the Broncos to issue a book on Stidham to the Patriots. They can get it from one of their coaches first-hand.

Stidham started his career as Brady’s backup in 2019 as a fourth-round pick under Bill Belichick and spent three seasons in New England as part of meetings facilitated by Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels — previously head coach of the Broncos from 2009-10.

Stidham was acquired from the Patriots by the Raiders in a trade after Las Vegas hired McDaniels in 2022. He signed with the Broncos as a free agent in 2023. When the Broncos drafted Nix, head coach Sean Payton had already signed Stidham based on what he knew about his experiences with McDaniels. Stidham expected to compete and become the starter and declared he would again be “a starter in this league.”

Now is the time.

“Ultimately, it’s our three years here and our three years watching him day in and day out that you guys don’t have access to,” Payton said of his foundation of belief in Stidham winning on this massive stage. “He will be ready to go and ready for the moment.”

Broncos No. 1 wide receiver Courtland Sutton was in disbelief when staff informed him of Nix’s injury. The former Oregon quarterback showed no signs of being hurt even during the postgame celebration on the sideline.

When he realized it was reality, Sutton said it took him most of Sunday night to shift his energy from shock, depression for Nix and excitement knowing Stidham will be prepared for his shot.

“It was one of those things, quick transition, you are sad and then you realize you still have a job to go out there and do,” Sutton said. “Jarrett is qualified. He’s a very talented guy in terms of football IQ, football ability.”

With zero pass attempts and only four total snaps this season, Stidham is living a zero-to-60 moment. He has heard from many predictable voices and some unexpected ones this week.

The names of Nick Foles, who beat the Patriots in relief of regular-season starter Carson Wentz to give the Eagles a Lombardi Trophy in the 2017 season, and Jeff Hostetler are again making the rounds. In 1990, Hostetler tagged in when Phil Simms was injured with two games left in the regular season. Hostetler won three playoff games and Super Bowl XXV for the New York Giants.

Those Giants also ranked No. 1 in total defense, allowed over 20 points twice in 16 regular-season games and had All-Pro linebackers Lawrence Taylor and Pepper Johnson to fall back on.

Which could well be precisely Payton’s point of emphasis this week.

Payton wasn’t yet with Bill Parcells and the Giants in ’90, but he’s an undeniable part of the same coaching tree with ample roots in the inclination to find ways to make quarterbacks uncomfortable.

The Patriots thrived with that approach last week, intercepting Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud four times in the first half.

“We talk all the time, when a quarterback gets hit, bad things happen,” Vrabel said.

Payton said he talked to Parcells this week — and they’re in touch regularly — about the predicament. He’s relatively at ease with Stidham given the performance of an offensive line anchored by right guard Quinn Meinerz and left tackle Garett Bolles. The Broncos’ backfield could also get a boost if running back J.K. Dobbins (foot injury) returns, the team’s leading rusher with 772 yards. He went through position drills Wednesday in his first practice since Nov. 4.

Maye was sacked 47 times in the regular season and 10 more in two playoff games. Getting heat to the pocket is already a strength of the Broncos. Denver has four players with 7.0 or more sacks. The Broncos led the NFL in sacks with 68 in 2025 and got to Josh Allen three times last week.

“(Maye is) fast. He can run. We had that challenge a week ago,” said Payton, who can tie Parcells and others on the NFL all-time list with his 11th playoff win on Sunday.

There are numerous mines for Maye to avoid in the Denver defense.

Outside linebackers Nik Bonitto — fifth in the NFL with 14 sacks this season — and Jonathon Cooper (8.0 sacks) are backed by lockdown cornerback Patrick Surtain II, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. They could be sensing blood in the water after Maye had five turnovers in the first two playoff games.

“We have to be able to not get careless with the football. We can’t be reckless,” Vrabel said. “A lot of it is operation. We had two turnovers with not everyone on the same page.”

Maye might not win the NFL MVP award given the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford’s 46-TD season, but he put himself in the running by excelling in pressure situations. He led the NFL with an average of 9.4 yards per pass attempt when pressured and was second in the league with a completion percentage of 57% in those situations.

New England ranked second in the regular season in points per game (28.2) and third in total offense (379.4 yards per game). Both teams were in the top 10 in total defense — Denver was No. 2 (287.2 ypg) and New England allowed 295.2. The Broncos (second at 91.1 yards per game) and Patriots (101.7) were also in the top six stopping the run.

This is Maye’s first-ever trip to Colorado. But his mentality outside of New England has been on point. Every time the Patriots packed for a road game this season, they brought home a victory.

“The magnitude of the noise is something we probably haven’t seen yet,” Maye said of going to Denver. “Playing on the road is one of the coolest things. Coming off the field with their screaming fans, coming out with a win. It’s pretty cool to celebrate in an away locker room, that’s different. Coach is always saying ‘road warriors’ and we’re trying to find that one more time.”

The Broncos beat the Patriots in the 2015 season’s AFC Championship game in Denver and hold a 4-1 advantage in the all-time postseason series. New England is 11-4 all-time in the AFC Championship and the Patriots’ 11 Super Bowl berths are the most in NFL history.

Vrabel can become the seventh head coach to lead the team he played for to a Super Bowl berth. He can become the eighth head coach to lead his team to the Super Bowl in his first season with the team.

BRONCOS QB BO NIX TERMS INJURY ‘DEVASTATING,’ HAS CONFIDENCE IN JARRETT STIDHAM

Injured Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix expressed full confidence in Jarrett Stidham on Wednesday in his first comments since sustaining a broken ankle in Saturday’s 33-30 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round.

Nix posted his feelings on Instagram, one day after undergoing ankle surgery in Birmingham, Ala.

“The last few days have been hard to put into words,” Nix wrote. “What started as one of the most exciting games I’ve ever been a part of ended with some of the most devastating football news I’ve ever received. This is not how I imagined my season would come to an end, but our season has been defined by overcoming adversity and responding to it.

“I can’t express how much this team and organization mean to me and how much I believe in them. I couldn’t be more proud of our guys. I couldn’t be more confident in Jarrett. And I couldn’t be more excited for what’s next. Thank you all for the kind words, love and support over the last few days.”

Nix injured the ankle on a running play during the game-winning overtime drive. He was able to finish the game.

Coach Sean Payton announced Nix’s devastating injury after the game.

Payton said Wednesday that Nix’s surgery went well.

Stidham ran the first-team offense Wednesday ahead of Sunday’s start against the visiting New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

Stidham has made four career starts, two with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 and two with the Broncos in 2023. He is 1-3 in those games.

Receiver Courtland Sutton found the situation to be a mixed bag of emotions.

“It was an unexplainable emotional roller-coaster,” Sutton told reporters. “That dude (Nix) has done so much. If anybody was deserving of this opportunity in this space, it’s him. … I have no doubt in my mind that Jarrett is going to be ready to play.”

Nix is keeping the faith about Denver’s season.

“We’re not finished, as a matter of fact we’re just getting started. We’re just going to keep climbing higher.

“Go Broncos.”

Nix passed for 279 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in the team’s first playoff victory since the 2015 season playoffs. He outplayed Buffalo star Josh Allen in the process.

Nix has passed for 7,706 yards, 54 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in 34 games through his first two regular seasons. He was the 12th overall selection of the 2024 NFL Draft.

REPORTS: FALCONS HIRING TOMMY REES AS OC, REJOINING NEW HEAD COACH

The Atlanta Falcons are hiring Tommy Rees as offensive coordinator, rejoining new head coach Kevin Stefanski after their time together on the Cleveland Browns’ staff, according to multiple reports on Wednesday.

Rees, 33, spent this season as the Browns’ offensive coordinator after serving as tight ends coach and passing game specialist in 2024. Stefanski yielded play-calling duties to Rees in November after Cleveland’s 2-6 start.

The Browns (5-12) ranked 31st in points per game (16.4), 30th in total yards (262.1), 27th in rushing yards (97.0) and 31st in passing yards (140.3) in 2025.

Rees served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Notre Dame from 2020-22 and held the same roles at Alabama in 2023.

Atlanta hired veteran offensive line coach Bill Callahan on Tuesday, announced defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was being retained on Monday and hired Stefanski last Saturday to replace fired head coach Raheem Morris. Rees would be replacing Zac Robinson.

Matt Ryan, a legendary quarterback for the franchise, was brought back as the new president of football on Jan. 10.

Rees played four seasons at quarterback for Notre Dame (2010-13) and completed 59.8% of his passes for 7,670 yards, 61 touchdowns and 37 interceptions in 47 games.

==========

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

2026 BIG 12 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE FEATURES NOTRE DAME-BYU, 2 GAMES IN EUROPE AND 9 LEAGUE GAMES PER TEAM

The 2026 Big 12 Conference football schedule released Wednesday includes all 16 programs playing nine conference games and 13 non-conference games against Power Four opponents and Notre Dame.

BYU will host Notre Dame in Week 7. Both teams barely missed reaching the College Football Playoff this past season.

There will be two games in Europe. The Aer Lingus College Football Classic will feature Big 12 member TCU against North Carolina Aug. 29 in Dublin, Ireland. The Union Jack Classic will match Big 12 members Arizona State and Kansas on Sept. 19 at Wembley Stadium in London.

Among the top non-conference games in Week 3, Kansas will host former Big 12 member Missouri, Oklahoma State will host Oregon and Utah will host Arkansas.

Annual Big 12 rivalry games are scheduled to begin in Week 7, when Kansas State hosts Kansas, Baylor hosts TCU and BYU will visit Utah. Arizona will host Arizona State during Thanksgiving week.

Defending Big 12 champion Texas Tech will play Abilene Christian, Oregon State and Sam Houston State in non-conference play.

The 2026 Big 12 Football Championship Game will be played Friday, Dec. 4, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

200 FBS QUARTERBACKS WENT INTO PORTAL, AND THE BEST ONES CAME OUT WITH PROMISES OF BIG PAYCHECKS

About 200 Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks entered the transfer portal by last week’s deadline. That doesn’t mean it’s a buyer’s market.

The top programs in the power conferences are paying a premium for players at the most important position on the field. Experienced starters commanded financial packages worth north of $3 million, according to media reports.

Among the 68 quarterbacks who were starters in 2025 at power conference schools and Notre Dame, 24 are out of eligibility, 16 entered the portal and 28 indicated they would return to their teams.

On paper, that would leave 40 open starter’s jobs in the Power Four in 2026. In reality, many of those have been spoken for by starters moving from one school to another.

A rundown of the top quarterback transfers, based on 247Sports rankings:

Sam Leavitt, LSU

Lane Kiffin was able to swoop in, get Leavitt and fend off multiple suitors to sign the top-ranked player in the portal. A foot injury limited Leavitt to seven games for Arizona State this past season. Last year, he led the Sun Devils to an 11-2 record, Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff. He threw for 4,513 yards and 34 TDs with nine interceptions in 20 games at Arizona State.

Brendan Sorsby, Texas Tech

At a reported $5 million, Sorsby received the most lucrative financial deal of the portal period to move from Cincinnati to his home state for his final season. In 35 career games at Indiana and Cincinnati, including 31 starts, he’s thrown for 7,208 yards and 60 touchdowns and rushed for 1,295 rushing yards and 22 TDs.

Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State

Mestemaker is following coach Eric Morris from North Texas to Oklahoma State after one of the most productive seasons in history for a freshman. He led the nation with 4,379 yards passing and 34 touchdowns through the air and will have three years of eligibility. Also following Morris to Stillwater is UNT offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Sean Brophy.

DJ Lagway, Baylor

A change of scenery could do wonders for Lagway after two seasons at Florida, where he won his last four starts in 2024 but was 4-8 in 2025. Injuries hampered him and fans turned on him after he threw five interceptions in a loss to LSU and three in a loss to Kentucky. The 6-foot-3, 247-pound Lagway’s raw talent is unquestioned.

Dylan Raiola, Oregon

Raiola was the highest-rated recruit in Nebraska history but was just 13-9 as the starter the last two years and he took 54 sacks. His 2025 season ended with a broken leg against Southern California on Nov. 1. With Dante Moore returning to Oregon instead of entering the NFL draft, Raiola will be the backup before taking over in 2027.

Darian Mensah, TBD

Mensah left Duke in a lurch when he announced he would enter the portal just ahead of the deadline. Duke sued Mensah on Tuesday for breach of contract. His expected landing place is Miami, if he gets through the litigation. Interestingly, Mensah already has helped Miami by leading Duke past Virginia in the ACC championship game to get the Hurricanes their CFP bid.

Husan Longstreet, LSU

Longstreet will be backup to Leavitt after appearing in four games as a freshman at Southern California. He was a five-star prospect, the No. 1 player in California and the nation’s No. 3 quarterback when he was coming out of high school in Corona, California.

Deuce Knight, Mississippi

Knight, who appeared in two games at Auburn as a freshman, jumped at the opportunity to return to his home state when the NCAA denied Trinidad Chambliss’ petition for a sixth season of eligibility. Chambliss is taking the NCAA to court but, regardless, the Rebels had to get a QB when Chambliss’ backup, Austin Simmons, transferred to Missouri.

Byrum Brown, Auburn

Brown followed coach Alex Golesh from South Florida and will enter his fourth season running his head coach’s offense. Brown led FBS quarterbacks with 42 total touchdowns and averaged 347.2 yards of offense per game in 2025. Brown will be joined by six receivers who also transferred from South Florida.

Rocco Becht, Penn State

Becht won 26 of his 39 starts for Iowa State and went with head coach Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser to Happy Valley for his final season. He led the Cyclones to the Big 12 title game in 2024 and had a nation-leading streak of 22 games over two seasons with at least one touchdown pass.

==========

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

TOP 25 ROUNDUP: ANDREJ STOJAKOVIC, NO. 11 ILLINOIS DUMP MARYLAND

Andrej Stojakovic scored a season-high 30 points to pace No. 11 Illinois to its eighth straight win, 89-70 over Big Ten nemesis Maryland in Champaign, Ill., on Wednesday.

Keaton Wagler contributed 13 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for Illinois (16-3, 7-1 Big Ten).

The Fighting Illini overcame the loss of second-leading scorer Kylan Boswell, who sustained a broken hand in practice on Monday. Jake Davis, who moved into the starting lineup for Boswell, made 4 of 6 attempts from 3-point range, scoring 12 points.

Andre Mills scored 16 points off the bench to pace Maryland (8-11, 1-7), which lost for the eighth time in its past 10 games and is off to its worst start since the 1988-89 season. The Terrapins had captured wins in five of their past six trips to Champaign.

No. 1 Arizona 77, Cincinnati 51

Freshman Brayden Burries logged 12 points, 10 rebounds and four assists as the Wildcats stayed unblemished with a walloping of the Bearcats in Tucson, Ariz.

Motiejus Krivas totaled 17 points and nine rebounds and Ivan Kharchenkov had 14 points for the Wildcats (19-0, 6-0 Big 12). Arizona’s leading scorer on the season, Koa Peat, managed 13 points and six boards.

After beating then-No. 2 Iowa State in its previous outing, Cincinnati (10-9, 2-4) saw its two-game winning streak come to an end as Baba Miller had 14 points and six rebounds, and Shon Abaev netted 13 points.

No. 7 Nebraska 76, Washington 66

Pryce Sandfort scored 23 points and Sam Hoiberg added 14 as the Cornhuskers stayed unbeaten with a victory against the Huskies in Lincoln, Neb.

Rienk Mast scored 12 points, and Jamarques Lawrence chipped in with 11 as Nebraska (19-0, 8-0 Big Ten) extended its best start in school history.

Hannes Steinbach registered 21 points and 12 rebounds to pace Washington (10-9, 2-6). Zoom Diallo added 18 points, six assists and five boards.

No. 8 Gonzaga 84, Pepperdine 60

Davis Fogle scored 17 points and the Bulldogs defeated the Waves for the 51st consecutive time, sailing to a victory in Spokane, Wash.

Mario Saint-Supery had 12 points and five rebounds and Tyon Grant-Foster also scored 12 points for short-handed Gonzaga (20-1, 8-0 West Coast Conference). The Bulldogs; streak is one shy of the all-time Division I record for victories over a single opponent. UCLA defeated Cal 52 straight times from 1961-85.

Styles Phipps scored 13 points to lead Pepperdine (6-15, 1-7), which lost for the seventh time in eight games.

No. 22 North Carolina 91, Notre Dame 69

Caleb Wilson scored 22 points and the Tar Heels snapped a two-game slide by thumping the Fighting Irish with a wire-to-wire victory in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Wilson shot an efficient 8 of 11 from the floor and also contributed seven rebounds and five assists for the Tar Heels (15-4, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). Henri Veesaar added 15 points and 12 rebounds while Derek Dixon chipped in 11 points.

Sir Mohammed paced the Notre Dame (10-9, 1-5) with 14 points in the team’s fifth consecutive loss. Jalen Haralson tossed in 13 points, and Ryder Frost scored 10.

===========

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: WISCONSIN UPSETS NO. 24 NEBRASKA

Gift Uchenna scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as Wisconsin upset No. 24 Nebraska 63-60 Wednesday in Madison, Wis.

The Badgers (13-7, 5-4 Big Ten) built a 17-15 lead after one quarter before pressing their advantage to 38-25 at the half. A strong second-half push from the Cornhuskers came up short.

Nebraska (14-5, 3-5) actually carried a two-point lead into the fourth quarter, and from the teams went back and forth. The Cornhuskers held a 60-57 lead with 2:12 to play before Kyrah Daniels, who scored 19 points, hit a tying 3-pointer. Daniels then collected an offensive rebound and absorbed a foul, after which she hit a free throw to regain the lead. After a Nebraska turnover, Uchenna provided the final margin with her layup.

The Cornhuskers were powered by Amiah Hargrove’s 15 points, Eliza Maupin’s 13 and Britt Prince’s 11.

No. 14 Baylor 73, UCF 48

The Bears’ Taliah Scott posted 22 points on 8-of-18 shooting in a comfortable victory over the Knights in Waco, Texas.

Baylor (18-3, 7-1 Big 12) sprinted out to a 14-4 lead early on, then gradually added to its advantage before attaining its largest lead of the game, 25 points, with the game’s final score.

Darianna Littlepage-Buggs chipped in with 13 points and 18 rebounds. UCF (10-9, 2-6), paced by Khyala Ngodu’s 11 points and 12 rebounds and Kristol Ayson’s 10 points off the becnh, shot just 30% for the game.

No. 22 West Virginia 53, Arizona State 43

Kierra Wheeler’s 16 points helped the Mountaineers survive a game of wild swings in a Big 12 win over the Sun Devils in Morgantown, W. Va.

West Virginia (16-4, 6-2) built a 10-point advantage in the first half, then fell behind 37-29 with a little more than a minute left in the third quarter. The Mountaineers chipped that deficit down to three by the end of the period, then outscored Arizona State 19-6 the rest of the way.

Sydney Shaw added 11 points and Gia Cooke had 10 for West Virginia. The Sun Devils (17-3, 4-3) were paced by 15 points apiece from McKinna Brackens and Gabby Elliott.

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

NHL

NHL ROUNDUP: CLAYTON KELLER’S OT GOAL LIFTS MAMMOTH PAST FLYERS

Clayton Keller notched the tying goal with 34.2 seconds remaining in regulation, then scored at 2:01 into overtime as the surging Utah Mammoth rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.

Keller’s wide-open snapshot off a Dylan Guenther pass completed the comeback from a two-goal, third-period deficit for Utah, which is amid a 7-0-1 stretch.

After Philadelphia failed to convert some solid empty-net looks with the Utah goaltender pulled, notably Garnet Hathaway having the puck poked away on his breakaway by the Mammoth’s Nick Schmaltz, the hosts tied it in the waning seconds of the third. Keller, who also recorded an assist, won the puck from Travis Sanheim along the side board, broke in, then slid a backhander under the Flyers’ Samuel Ersson (22 saves)

Christian Dvorak had two goals with an assist for the Flyers, who are mired in a 1-5-2 rut.

Red Wings 2, Maple Leafs 1 (OT)

Dylan Larkin scored at 3:08 of overtime and visiting Detroit defeated Toronto. Moritz Seider set up the game-winner after making a takeaway in the neutral zone and passing to Larkin, who was breaking toward the net.

Simon Edvinsson also scored for the Red Wings, who completed a sweep of the four-game season series with the Maple Leafs. John Gibson had a strong game and stopped 30 shots. The Red Wings have won three straight.

Scott Laughton scored for the Maple Leafs, who have lost the first two of five in a row at home. Joseph Woll also played a solid game and made 39 saves.

Kraken 4, Islanders 1

Vince Dunn and Jared McCann each had a goal and an assist as Seattle snapped a four-game losing streak with a victory against visiting New York.

Matty Beniers and Kaapo Kakko also scored for Seattle after coach Lane Lambert made changes on all four offensive lines and two of three defensive pairings in an effort to shake up a team that was in an 0-3-1 slump. Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer made 24 saves and added an assist.

Anthony Duclair tallied for the Islanders, who completed a seven-game trip with a 3-3-1 record. Goalie Ilya Sorokin stopped 21 of 24 shots. The Islanders were 1-for-7 with the man advantage against Seattle’s league-worst penalty kill.

Canucks 4, Capitals 3

Brock Boeser had a goal and an assist and host Vancouver rallied to halt an 11-game losing streak with a win over Washington.

Evander Kane, Drew O’Connor and Filip Hronek also scored for the Canucks, who were on an 0-9-2 skid. David Kampf and Jake DeBrusk each had two assists and Kevin Lankinen made 29 saves as Vancouver won at home for the first time since Dec. 6.

Dylan Strome had two goals and an assist and Justin Sourdif had a goal and an assist for the Capitals, who have lost four straight after taking a 2-0 in the game’s first 9:43 Wednesday before giving it up. John Carlson had two assists and Logan Thompson made 21 saves.

Penguins 4, Flames 1

Evgeni Malkin and Tommy Novak both scored a goal and added an assist to lead visiting Pittsburgh to a tidy victory over Calgary.

Egor Chinakhov and Bryan Rust also scored for the Penguins, who have netted points in five straight games and are on a 9-2-2 run since the holiday break. Goaltender Stuart Skinner made 18 saves to win for the sixth time in seven starts.

Yegor Sharangovich replied for the Flames, who have scored only one goal in two consecutive outings, losing both. Goalie Dustin Wolf stopped 21 shots in the loss.

Ducks 2, Avalanche 1 (SO)

Lukas Dostal made 40 saves through regulation and overtime and two more in the shootout as Anaheim beat Colorado in Denver.

Mikael Granlund and Cutter Gauthier had shootout goals and Jeffrey Viel scored in regulation for Anaheim in Alex Killorn’s 1,000th career game. The Ducks, who have won five in a row, played without top-line center Mason McTavish, a late scratch due to an upper-body injury.

Artturi Lehkonen scored and Scott Wedgewood turned away 16 shots for the Avalanche, who are 1-1-2 in their past four games.

===========

BASEBALL

REPORTS: METS TRADE FOR TWO-TIME ALL-STAR RHP FREDDY PERALTA

The New York Mets continued their barrage in talent acquisition, trading for two-time All-Star right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers alongside Tobias Myers, in exchange for prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat, according to multiple media reports.

In 2025, Peralta, 29, was one of the most efficient arms in the Brewers’ starting rotation. He finished the season with a 2.70 ERA, a career low, paired with a 5.5 wins above replacement (WAR), the second-highest on the club.

Through his career, Peralta has started 162 matchups, averaging a 3.59 ERA. The Brewers finished first in the NL Central in 2025, with 97 wins and 65 losses.

Peralta debuted in 2018 for Milwaukee, where he spent his entire professional career of eight seasons, winning two All-Star selections, and finishing fifth in Cy Young voting in 2025.

He represents the second headline-grabbing move for the Mets in under a week, after New York reached an agreement with free agent shortstop Bo Bichette — also a two-time All-Star — on a three-year, $126 million deal on Jan. 16.

Myers started six games for the Brewers in 2025, concluding his season with a 3.55 ERA and 38 strikeouts. The 27-year-old has 10 career wins and a 3.3 WAR.

Williams, 22, has yet to debut in the majors, but he finished 2025 with the Mets’ Double-A affiliate, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. Williams recorded 99 hits, 37 RBIs and 10 home runs through 96 games after Triple-A promotion.

Sproat, 25, was recently promoted to the majors for the first time in his young career, where he started four games in the Big Apple. Through 20.2 innings pitched, Sproat surrendered 18 hits and 11 runs batted in, with no home runs.

The Mets finished with a 83-79 record in 2025, missing out on the playoffs in the waning moments of the regular season.

REPORT: METS AGREE TO DEAL WITH RELIEVER LUIS GARCIA

The New York Mets are in agreement with veteran reliever Luis Garcia, MLB Network reported on Wednesday.

The deal with the free agent right-hander, who turns 39 on Jan. 30, is pending the results of a physical.

Garcia finished 2-2 with a 3.42 ERA and two saves in 58 appearances last season while pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angels.

He is 28-30 with a 4.07 ERA and 17 saves in 603 games (four starts) over 13 seasons with eight teams, including his first six seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies (2013-18).

CODY BELLINGER STAYS WITH THE YANKEES, AGREES TO $162.5 MILLION, 5-YEAR CONTRACT, AP SOURCE SAYS

Cody Bellinger became the last of the top free-agent hitters to reach a deal, agreeing Wednesday to stay with the New York Yankees for a $162.5 million, five-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.

Bellinger gets a $20 million signing bonus and a full no-trade provision. He has the right to opt out after the 2027 or 2028 seasons to become a free agent again, but if there is a work stoppage that leads to no games being played in 2027, the agreement specifies the opt outs will shift to after the 2027 and 2028 seasons.

A two-time All-Star acquired by the Yankees from the Chicago Cubs in December 2024, Bellinger hit .272 with 29 homers and 98 RBIs last year — including .302 with 18 homers and 55 RBIs at Yankee Stadium. A left-handed hitter, he played in 149 games in the outfield and seven at first base in his first season since 2022 without a stint on the injured list.

He is a son of former Yankee Clay Bellinger.

Voted the 2017 National League Rookie of the Year and 2019 NL MVP, Bellinger has a .261 average with 225 homers and 695 RBIs in eight seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2018-22), Cubs (2023-24) and the Yankees.

He earned $57.5 million from the $80 million, three-year contract he reached with the Cubs before the 2024 season. Bellinger declined a $25 million option for 2026 in favor of a $5 million buyout.

==========

GOLF

RORY MCILROY SAYS LIV AND PGA TOUR ‘TOO FAR APART’ TO STRIKE A DEAL

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Rory McIlroy believes the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have grown “too far apart” to form an alliance and bring a splintered sport back together.

“I just don’t see a world where it can happen at this point,” McIlroy said Wednesday at the Dubai Desert Classic on the European tour.

Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour from LIV has brought into sharper focus the fading hopes of any form of deal being struck by top officials on the two circuits.

Even U.S. President Donald Trump has gotten involved in negotiations at one point, but there’s no sign of a commercial partnership that was first mooted in 2023 when the tours announced a framework agreement.

To McIlroy, who was once one of the most outspoken critics of LIV before distancing himself from talks, it looks as far away as ever.

“Just I don’t see a world where the two or three sides or whoever it is will give up enough,” he said, in a reference to the involvement of the European tour in talks. “Like for reunification to happen, every side is going to feel like they will have lost, where you really want every side to feel like they have won.

“I think they are just too far apart for that to happen.”

Message to Rahm, Hatton

Among the top players still with LIV are Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, who were McIlroy’s teammates in Europe’s Ryder Cup win at Bethpage Black last year.

Rahm and Hatton are currently going through an appeal process after being sanctioned with fines by the European tour for playing the LIV Golf circuit. They are still allowed into European tour events while the process plays out.

McIlroy said paying the fines would be a sign of their commitment to the Europe’s Ryder Cup team ahead of the 2027 matches in Ireland.

“We went really hard on the Americans about being paid to play the Ryder Cup, and we also said that we would pay to play in Ryder Cups,” McIlroy said. “There’s two guys that can prove it.”

McIlroy’s goals

McIlroy will be playing on the European tour for a second straight week, having finished tied for third at the Dubai Invitational on Sunday. He shared the lead at one stage in the final round but wound up two strokes back from winner Nacho Elvira.

The No. 2-ranked McIlroy said he is constantly shifting his expectations and goals after completing the career Grand Slam last year.

For the Northern Irishman, it’s mostly about “finding joy in the process.”

“I think I need to show up at tournaments with enthusiasm every single time,” he said. “So playing in the places that I want to play, playing the tournaments I want to play. Not feeling like I’m at a tournament because I’m obligated or have to be there but because I want to be there.”

Asked what he still wanted to achieve in golf, McIlroy said: “Olympic medal. (British) Open at St. Andrews. Yeah, maybe like a U.S. Open at one of those like old, traditional golf courses — whether it’s Shinnecock this year or Winged Foot or Pebble Beach, (or) Merion.

“I would have told you two years ago,” he added, “if I won the Masters, it would have been great and I could have retired or whatever. But when you keep doing things, the goal posts keep moving, and you just keep finding new things that you want to do.”

==========

TENNIS

LORENZO MUSETTI, BEN SHELTON HEAD TO 3RD ROUND IN MELBOURNE

All six seeded players advanced in the Thursday afternoon session of the Australian Open.

In the most intriguing second-round match, fifth-seeded Lorenzo Musetti ousted Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in a battle of top-40 Italian players and occasional doubles partners.

The top-ranked American, eighth-seeded Ben Shelton cruised past qualifier Dane Sweeny of Australia 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

In other action, No. 15 Karen Khachanov of Russia defeated U.S. qualifier Nishesh Basavareddy 6-1, 6-4, 6-3; No. 15 Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic dismissed Spanish qualifier Rafael Jodar of Spain, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4; No. 22 Italian Luciano Darderi got past Argentine Sebastian Baez, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3; and upstart No. 30 Valentin Vacherot of Monaco eliminated wild card Rinky Hijikata of Australia 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

Former NCAA champion Ethan Quinn defeated Poland’s Hubert Hurcacz, 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-1 and will face Mensik in the third round.

Musetti put pressure on Sonego constantly, creating 23 break-point chances. Sonego fended 17 of those opportunities off, many of them in the early going. But Musetti broke in the eight game of the first set and games three and nine of the second set to take a 2-0 lead.

The final set featured five breaks of serve. Leading 5-4, Musetti withstood a 14-point final game, wrapping it up on his third match point.

“It was not an easy match against one of my best friends on tour,” Musetti said. “On court everyone wants to win. That’s not a secret. But it’s never easy to prepare for the match. To stay focused with the right attitude. I’ve done it today. I’m really, really proud of myself.”

Sonego committed 61 unforced errors and only won 13 of 39 second-serve points.

Shelton blistered 19 aces and endured only two double faults in a match that lasted 1 hour, 44 minutes. He did not face a break point and produced a winner-unforced error ratio of better than 2:1 (38-17).

Vacherot smacked 15 aces, won 50 of 60 first-serve points and saved 4 of 5 break-point chances. After Hijikata broke late to win the third set, Vacherot steadied, won 16 of 21 points on his serve and broke his opponent twice in the fourth set to advance.

Shelton will take on Vacherot in the third round. Three months ago, Vacherot stunned the world of tennis when he defeated five ranked players, including Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, and captured the ATP 1000 event in Shanghai. He qualified for the tournament and was ranked No. 204 at the time.

Khachanov will face Darderi in another third-round match.

DJOKOVIC’S 399TH GRAND SLAM MATCH WIN PROPELS HIM INTO AUSTRALIAN OPEN THIRD ROUND

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic dropped a service game for the first time in this Australian Open and didn’t lose another point against Francesco Maestrelli, advancing to the third round with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win.

It was Djokovic’s 399th win in a Grand Slam singles match, leaving the 24-time major just one more to be the first player ever to reach 400. He next faces Botic Van de Zandschulp, who beat Shang Juncheng 7-6 (6), 6-2, 6-3.

The break of serve, in the sixth game of the third set Thursday, was almost like Djokovic was doing a rehearsal for later matches. He followed a second serve to the net but then missed the volley to give it up.

It stung the 38-year-old Djokovic, a noted perfectionist. He broke Maestrelli at love in the next game to take a 5-2 lead, smacking the last ball into the net after the Italian, ranked No. 141, hit a groundstroke long.

Djokovic is in Australia seeking an 11th title at Melbourne Park and a 25th major overall, which would make him the most decorated tennis player of all time.

He said he took extra time out in the offseason and fine-tuned some skills as he chases the bigger goals.

“When I have more time, then I obviously try to look at my game and different elements that I can really improve. Otherwise, what’s the point?” he said. “That’s the kind of mentality I try to nurture. It’s been allowing to me play at the highest level at this age.”

On John Cain Arena later on a windy Day 5, Iga Świątek had a 6-2, 6-3 win over Marie Bouzkova and said she’s been trying to take lessons from Djokovic’s attitude to sustained success and longevity.

“It’s good to look at people like that and find inspiration,” the No. 2-ranked Swiatek said. A six-time major winner, Swiatek is in Australia bidding to complete a career Grand Slam.

“For sure I’ve got to learn to appreciate every single match,” she said.

Keys to success

Defending champion Madison Keys was down a double break in the second set before rallying to beat fellow American Ashlyn Krueger 6-1, 7-5.

“Once I kind of got back momentum I just tried to sink my teeth into the set,” Keys said of the second set.

Melbourne is where Keys made her Grand Slam breakthrough 12 months ago, and throughout her entire trip back so far, people have been asking her how confident she is about defending a major for the first time.

“The emotions are maybe just, like, a little bit more heightened,” she said. “I think in those tough kind of moments like today, getting down in that second set, just kind of reminding yourself that you have been here before, you figured it out.”

Besides, she told the crowd in her on-court interview, winning the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup last year will always remain a permanent highlight.

“That was such an amazing experience and nobody can take that away from me,” she said. “Whether or not I do repeat it, I still get to keep Daphne at home!”

Keys will next face former No. 1-ranked Karolina Plíšková, who had a 6-4, 6-4 win over Janice Tjen of Indonesia. The Czech player had just three matches last year after recovering from ankle surgery following the 2024 U.S. Open.

Two other highly-ranked U.S. women advanced in the same tough quarter of the draw, with No. 4 Amanda Anisimova fending off doubles champion Katerina Siniakova 6-1, 6-4 in a raucous atmosphere on Margaret Court Arena, and sixth-seeded Jessica Pegula having a 6-0, 6-2 win over McCartney Kessler, her doubles partner.

Anisimova, who has been runner-up at the last two major tournaments, will play fellow American Peyton Stearns.

Pegula will next face Oksana Selekhmeteva, who upset 2025 semifinalist Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-4.

Shelton advances

Eighth-seeded Ben Shelton, a semifinalist here last year, reached the third round with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over Dane Sweeny, the Australian qualifier who ended the 39-year-old Gael Monfils’ farewell trip to Melbourne Park in the first round.

More on Day 5

Jannik Sinner will continue his bid for a third straight Australian title when he takes on local wild-card entry James Duckworth in the first night match on Rod Laver Arena.

Two-time Australian Open winner Naomi Osaka, who made a grand entrance in her opening match, will take on Sorana Cirstea on Margaret Court Arena.

Before the start of the night session, spectators were asked to join in a moment of silence to remember the 15 people killed in the Bondi Beach terror attack last month. It was designated a “National Day of Mourning” in Australia on Thursday for the deaths, and signs in Rod Laver and Margaret Court Arena highlighted the message: “Light Will Win.”

JESSICA PEGULA, MADISON KEYS ADVANCE TO AUSTRALIAN OPEN’S 3RD ROUND

Two of the top four American women’s tennis players appear headed for a showdown in the round of 16 in the Australian Open.

However, No. 6 Jessica Pegula and No. 9 defending champion Madison Keys are not quite there yet.

Both veterans won their second-round matches over countrywomen in Melbourne on Thursday, as Pegula cruised past new doubles partner McCartney Kessler 6-0, 6-2 and Keys ousted Ashlyn Krueger, 6-1, 7-5.

Of course, any opponent making it to the third round of a major could pose a threat to Pegula or Keys. The reigning champ will have to face resurgent and former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, who knocked off Janice Tjen of Indonesia 6-4, 6-4.

Pegula might have been expecting to see No. 25 Paula Badosa on the other side of the net in the third round, but the Spainard was dismissed by Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-4, 6-4.

Selekhmeteva had never been past the first round of a major championship.

Pegula teamed up with Kessler for the first time on Wednesday, but the duo dropped their opening-round doubles match.

In their singles contest, Pegula took control from the outset, playing her usual brand of controlled tennis. She hit 10 winners and made only two unforced errors in the first set, which lasted just 21 minutes.

Kessler dropped the first eight games of the match before holding serve at love and then evening the second set at 2-2 by converting her second break-point chance of the fourth game. However, Pegula broke right back and was never threatened thereafter.

“I just tried to stay loose — got off to a really good start, which I was proud of, but then I lost it right back,” Pegula said. “She’s such a good competitor so I knew that at one point she was going to find a way to start playing better and work her way into the match.

“I think I got a little too passive at some point, but she started ripping and being a little more aggressive. I just had to adjust a little bit more, but I did a good job of not panicking and sticking to my game plan.”

Pegula won 13 of 15 points on Kessler’s second serve and took the match in 58 minutes.

Keys nearly matched Pegula, winning the first set in 23 minutes. But Krueger produced three easy service games in the second set and broke Keys twice to take a 5-2 lead.

Krueger would not win another game, though. She had one set point at 5-4, but Keys rattled off three straight points to knot the set. Keys fell behind in the 12th game, but won the net three points and her ninth straight match in Melbourne.

“I think I started really well and Ashlyn started a little bit slow,” Keys said. “And then I was fully expecting her to raise her level, which she did. It just kind of got away from me a little quickly.”

“I just wanted to, even if I lost the (second) set, make sure I tried to get back in the set and try to figure out where my game kind of went and be able to get a few more points on the board. Once I kind of got back momentum, I just tried to sink my teeth into the set and do whatever I could to get back into it.”

Keys did an excellent job on the return of serve, winning 30 of 58 points.

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

INDIANA RELEASES

INDIANA PACERS

CELTICS DOWN PACERS

Indiana’s road trip continued in Boston on Wednesday as the Pacers clashed with the Celtics at TD Garden. The Celtics defeated the Pacers, 119-104, and Indiana heads to Oklahoma City for the fourth contest in its five-game road trip.

Indiana trailed by more than 20 points twice in Wednesday’s matchup – the Pacers cut the Celtics’ lead down to just nine points in the third quarter, but Boston closed the quarter on a run that would snowball the lead back to 21 points by the final five minutes of the game.

Pascal Siakam and Jaylen Brown went toe-to-toe throughout the evening, beginning with a first period in which they each led their respective teams in scoring. Siakam notched nine points to Brown’s seven, and flushed down a vicious dunk over two Celtics early in the first quarter.

Boston led after one, 30-20.

Andrew Nembhard went on a tear to open the second quarter. He earned three straight trips to the free throw line, and scored through fouls twice. He’d shot four free throws – and converted three of them – by the halfway mark of the second quarter, but Indiana still trailed, 45-32.

Quenton Jackson left the game with a sore ankle halfway through the second period and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest.

The Celtics’ lead stretched to 23 points behind a 13-0 run that carried them into the final four minutes of the second quarter. They led at the halftime break, 66-46.

Siakam and Brown continued to be the offensive engines for each team throughout the first half. Siakam led Indiana in both scoring and rebounding as he notched 16 points and eight rebounds for the Blue and Gold. Brown’s 17 points led Boston to a 20-point halftime advantage.

The third quarter was a productive one for Siakam despite Indiana’s double-digit deficit. His 11 points in the period by the four-minute mark guided Indiana to a 10-2 run that cut Boston’s lead back to 15 points.

The Blue and Gold were within 12 points by the final minute of the third quarter when T.J. McConnell converted a layup high off the glass to cut the lead down to 10 points. Neemias Queta responded with a layup through contact, then converted the free throw to give the Celtics a 13-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, 91-78.

Siakam hit the 30-point mark in the fourth quarter and grabbed his 10th rebound, marking his ninth double-double of the season. He finished the game with 32 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. Despite his efforts, Indiana trailed by 21 points in the final five minutes of play.

The Celtics went on to defeat the Pacers, 119-104.

Jarace Walker had a productive night off the Indiana bench as he totaled 19 points, and Johnny Furphy rounded out the Pacers’ double-digit scorers with 10 points and eight rebounds. Nembhard was just shy of a double-double as he finished with nine points and nine assists.

Brown notched 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists for the Celtics.

The Pacers are back in action on Friday, Jan. 23, for an NBA Finals rematch in Oklahoma City, 8:00 PM ET.

Inside the Numbers

Boston outrebounded Indiana, 54-42.

The Pacers’ 31 assists marks their eighth game of 30+ assists this season. They are 3-5 in those games.

Indiana won the second half, 58-53.

The Celtics committed 16 turnovers leading to 19 Indiana points. The Pacers committed 14 leading to 16 Celtics points.

You Can Quote Me on That

“[The] second half was much better, and the guys stuck with it, got down to nine at one time. And so there are some positives, but we’re trying to win the game.” – coach Rick Carlisle on Indiana’s second-half effort

“There’s no moral victories in this, but we need to keep competing and executing no matter what. No matter what the score is, whether we’re ahead or behind.” – Carlisle on Indiana playing to a standard despite the score

“Pascal [Siakam]’s a great player. He’s a great competitor, he has great competitive integrity. You know, I talk about the leadership elements all the time…All-Star votes are due on Friday…I’m very hopeful that the coaches recognize his efforts. He’s been spectacular. He’s not just been great, he’s been beyond great.” – Carlisle on Pascal Siakam’s All-Star case

Stat of the Night

Both teams made 12 3-pointers, but Indiana shot 27 percent from deep to Boston’s 39 percent.

Noteworthy

Quenton Jackson left Wednesday’s game halfway through the second quarter with an ankle injury. He did not return.

The Pacers are 88-113 against the Celtics all-time.

Wednesday’s game concluded the season series with Boston. The Celtics won the season series, 3-1.

Tickets

After a five-game road trip, the Pacers will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host Josh Giddey and the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, Jan. 28 at 7:00 PM ET.

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

INDIANA FEVER

2026 INDIANA FEVER REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 21, 2026) — The Indiana Fever has unveiled its complete, 44-game schedule for the 2026 WNBA season. Select tickets will go on sale at 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 22. Fans can also join the Season Ticket Priority Waitlist (here). 

View the Complete 2026 Indiana Fever Schedule >>

The Fever will open the 2026 season on Saturday, May 9 from the confines of Gainbridge Fieldhouse, welcoming the Dallas Wings in a 1 p.m. ET tip off. The home schedule is also highlighted by visits from the Fever’s 2025 postseason opponents, hosting the Atlanta Dream on June 4 and June 18, before the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces make their lone trip to Indianapolis on Aug. 6.  

RELATED: Takeaways from the Fever’s 2026 Schedule >>

The 2026 season will feature first-ever meetings with expansion teams Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo. The Fever will play the former at home once (May 20) and twice on the road (May 30, July 31) and will also face the latter once at home (June 16) and twice away (Aug. 18, Sept. 18). 

Indiana will look to defend its 2025 Commissioner’s Cup title against six opponents this season, facing the Dream (June 4), New York Liberty (June 6), Washington Mystics (June 8), Chicago Sky (June 11), Connecticut Sun (June 13) and Tempo (June 16).  

Download 2026 Fever Schedule Wallpapers & Printable Schedule >>

Additional details on the schedule, including preseason game dates, broadcast information and theme night activations, will be announced at a later date.  

2026 Schedule Fast Facts 

• The Fever will open the season at home on May 9, a 1 p.m. ET contest against the Dallas Wings – a match-up that is expected to feature the last four No. 1 draft picks in Aliyah Boston (2023), Caitlin Clark (2024), Paige Bueckers (2025) and Dallas’ to-be-named 2026 selection.  
• The home opener will mark the first time since Dallas’ inaugural 2016 season that the Fever and Wings meet on opening night. Dallas won the May 14, 2016, game by a 90-79 scoreline. 
• Indiana’s schedule will feature five multi-game road trips, with the team’s two longest being a four-game road swing from July 5-12 followed by a five-game road trip from Aug. 16-23.  
• The Fever’s longest homestands of the season will be from May 15-22 and July 15-22, both including four-straight games to be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.  
• The 2026 season will welcome two new opponents, with Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo beginning play as expansion teams. While Toronto marks a new market for the league, the WNBA returns to Portland where an earlier iteration of the Fire played from 2000-2002. Current Fever assistant coach Tully Bevilaqua was a member of Fire all three of those seasons, where she set the franchise record for total assists (236).  
• Meetings with both of the Fever’s 2025 postseason opponents feature on the schedule, including four meetings with the Atlanta Dream (June 4, June 18, June 20, Aug. 16) and three against eventual champion Las Vegas Aces (July 5, July 12, Aug. 6). The Dream will visit Indianapolis twice, while Vegas’ lone stop is the final meeting of the season.  
• The 2026 schedule includes three series of back-to-back games for the Fever: July 8 at Los Angeles and July 9 at Phoenix, July 17 vs. Seattle and July 18 vs. New York, and Aug. 22 at New York and Aug. 23 at Chicago. 
• The Fever will see four opponents in back-to-back games, including May 22 and 28 vs. Golden State, June 18 and 20 vs. Atlanta, June 22 and 24 against Phoenix, and Sept. 22 and 24 vs. Minnesota. Three of the four will be home-and-home series, except for the Phoenix series, which will both take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.  
• Regional rivals, the Chicago Sky, will only make one trip to Naptown in 2026 – a 7 p.m. ET tip off on June 11.  
• In-season games for the 2026 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup presented by Coinbase will take place from June 1-17, with the championship game slated for Tuesday, June 30. The Fever will play six games during the group stage, expanded from five last season, with all results counting toward both the team’s regular season record and Commissioner’s Cup standing. 
• The entirety of the WNBA will pause from Aug. 31 to Sept. 16 for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026. 
• Four of the Fever’s road games have been moved to larger venues. These include July 5 at Las Vegas (T-Mobile Center), Aug. 8 at Chicago (United Center), Aug. 18 at Toronto (Scotiabank Arena) and Aug. 20 at Dallas (American Airlines Center). Last season eight of Indiana’s games were moved to larger capacity arenas, including a June 7 game that was the first-ever WNBA game played at the United Center.  
• For the second-straight year, the Fever will conclude the regular season against the Minnesota Lynx, this time on the road. In 2025, the Fever hosted the Lynx on Sept. 9, coming away with an 83-72 win.  

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

INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

HOOSIER BACK IN ACTION AT NO. 12/11 OHIO STATE ON THURSDAY

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana is back in action on Thursday night when it travels to Columbus to take on No. 12/11 Ohio State. Tipoff at the Schottenstein Center is slated for 8 p.m. ET on Peacock.

GAME DAY INFO

Indiana (11-8, 0-7 B1G) at No. 12/11 Ohio State (17-2, 6-1 B1G)

Thursday, January 22, 2026 • 6 p.m. ET

Schottenstein Center • Columbus, Ohio

Broadcast: Peacock (Jenny Cavnar, Kim Adams)

Radio: B97 (Austin Render)

ABOUT THE BUCKEYES

Ohio State secured a non-conference win at the Corretta Scott King Classic on Monday against No. 10 TCU, 71-69. Senior guard Chance Gray led the way with 22 points while sophomore guard Jaloni Cambridge had 18 points. Cambridge leads Ohio State in scoring with 21.6 points per game and shoots 50.5 percent from the field.

SERIES HISTORY

Ohio State leads 61-27

LAST MEETING

2/20/25 – W, 71-61 (Bloomington, Ind.)

NOTES

Indiana dropped its seventh game in a row when it fell to Washington on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 82-63. Senior guard Shay Ciezki had 23 points while freshman guard Maya Makalusky added 16 points, but the Hoosiers weren’t able to overcome a 64.3 percent shooting night by the Huskies.

Ciekzi continues to be one of the nation’s best scorers. She is the Big Ten’s leading scorer (and sixth nationally) with 23.2 points per game also ranks fourth in the nation in scoring (440 points) She shoots 52.9 percent from the floor, 41.9 percent from the 3-point line and 91.1 percent at the free throw line.

The Hoosier finished one shy of their season-high with 12 made 3-pointers against Washington last Wednesday. They are shooting 35.7 from beyond-the-arc, which ranks third in the Big Ten. Ciezki leads the way with 37 made triples while redshirt sophomore guard Lenée Beaumont has knocked down 31. Freshman forward Maya Makaluksy has connected on 28 so far this season.

UP NEXT

Indiana will travel to Purdue to play in the annual Barn Burner Trophy game on Sunday, Jan. 25 at 12 p.m. ET.

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

PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

PURDUE DROPS WEST COAST FINALE AT #3 UCLA

LOS ANGELES – The Purdue women’s basketball team dropped its West Coast finale at No. 3 UCLA on Wednesday night, falling 96-48.

The Boilermakers (10-9, 2-6) put a trio of players in double figures, led by Nya Smith’s 14 points. The sophomore notched her third double-digit performance of the year with a pair of 3-pointers, five rebounds and one assist.

Facing UCLA (17-2, 8-0) All-American center Lauren Betts, freshman Avery Gordon held her own to set a career high in scoring with 13 points on 4-of-4 shooting and 5-of-7 at the line.

 Tara Daye posted her sixth straight game in double figures and her 14th of the year, as she finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.

Purdue shot 33.3% on the night and was 3-of-24 from distance. Madison Layden-Zay accounted for six of Purdue’s 14 assists on the night.

UCLA had all five starters reach double figures, paced by Gabriela Jaquez’s 25 points. The Bruins finished 53.7% from the floor, going 13-of-22 from behind the arc.  

UP NEXT

Purdue returns to Mackey Arena for the first time in two weeks for their first matchup with in-state foe Indiana. The annual Barn Burner Trophy Game will tip off at noon on B1G+.  

===========

PURDUE SWIMMING AND DIVING

PURDUE TO HOST DIVING EVENTS AT B1G TRIPLE DUALS

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – While their teammates compete in the swimming events in Evanston the weekend of Jan. 30-31 at the annual Big Ten Triple Duals, the Purdue Divers are now slated to host the meet’s diving events at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center.

Purdue head diving coach David Boudia announced the schedule update, which was agreed upon so the meet could feature platform diving.

The Big Ten Triple Duals is a longstanding two-day meet featuring Minnesota, Northwestern and Purdue, with the host aquatic center rotating between the three. Northwestern’s Norris Aquatics Center is hosting again this year but does not feature a platform diving tower.

BIG TEN TRIPLE DUALS – DIVING EVENTS AT PURDUE

• Platform: Friday, Jan. 30 at 3 p.m. ET – Streamed on B1G+

• 1-Meter: Saturday, Jan. 31 at 10 a.m. ET

Both genders are slated to compete in the same event both days. Scores will be combined with the meet totals of the swimming events being contested in Evanston. Admission is free at the Burke Aquatic Center.

BIG TEN TRIPLE DUALS – SWIMMING EVENTS AT NORTHWESTERN

• 9 Events on Day 1: Friday, Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. ET

• 8 Events on Day 2: Saturday, Jan. 31 at 12 p.m. ET

The Boilermakers are up next in the rotation to host the Big Ten Triple Duals next year. In recent history, they also hosted in 2011, 2014, 2017, 2020 and 2024. Northwestern replaced Wisconsin at the meet and in the host rotation in 2015.

In February 2021 at the Big Ten Championships, diving events were also contested separate from the swimming events and held co-ed at the Burke Aquatic Center. For the swimming events, Minnesota hosted the women and Ohio State hosted the men.

This weekend’s Indiana-Purdue meet in Bloomington will also feature platform diving as a scored event, which is customary for the annual rivalry dual. Action is set for Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center.

==========

PURDUE WRESTLING

#17 PURDUE TO HOST MICHIGAN STATE IN B1G HOME OPENER ON FRIDAY

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — No. 17 Purdue Wrestling will open a four-dual homestand against Michigan State on Friday in Holloway Gymnasium.

First match is set for 5 p.m. ET. Doors will open at 4 p.m. and, as always, admission is free to all students and fans. The dual will be nationally televised on Big Ten Network.

The Boilermakers (8-3, 1-2 B1G) will be wearing their special edition Hammer Down Cancer singlets, an annual tradition in which the team raises money and awareness for cancer research. Every match-worn singlet on Friday night is already available to purchase via online auction, which will remain open until 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday night. All proceeds will be donated to the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research.

To place your bid on a Nike match-worn wrestling singlet, or to donate for cancer research, click here.

Early arriving fans will receive Hammer Down Cancer-themed bracelets.

DUAL PREVIEW

The team will be wrestling in West Lafayette for the first time since Nov. 15, when the Boilers swept the Boilermaker Duals, a quad meet against Buffalo, Northern Illinois and American.

Purdue is set to battle Michigan State (3-4, 0-2 B1G), a team it hasn’t seen in dual competition since Jan. 15, 2022 in Holloway. The Spartans edged Purdue that day via tiebreaker criteria; with the score tied 16-16 after 10 matches, and neither team scoring a fall, Michigan State took the contest due to having more individual match points.

Prior to that meeting, Purdue had won eight straight and 10 of the past 11 against the Spartans. Friday will be the 79th meeting in the series, which dates back to March 7, 1925, an 11-9 Purdue win in Lansing, Mich.

This year’s Spartan team has two nationally ranked stars: No. 27 Kael Wisler (197 lbs) and No. 27 Max Vanadia (285). The latter is the younger brother of Purdue’s starting 197-pounder, No. 20 Ben Vanadia. However, Max is not listed among Michigan State’s expected starters.

Purdue’s Vanadia projects to face Wisler in the only ranked matchup of the dual.

LAST TIME OUT

The Boilers closed an extensive road swing with a pair of duals at Maryland and Rutgers last weekend. Purdue beat Maryland 28-11 on Friday before falling 24-9 at Rutgers on Sunday.

Purdue produced 10 match wins, including three over ranked opponents, and four Boilermakers earned their first career Big Ten dual wins on the trip: Blake Boarman (133), Ashton Jackson (125), Vincent Paino (141) and Isaiah Schaefer (141).

NEXT UP

Purdue will host its annual Mackey Mania dual across the street next Sunday, Feb. 1, in Mackey Arena.

The Boilermakers will square off with a tough Wisconsin team in the legendary home of Purdue Basketball, with first match slated for 1 p.m. Tickets are free for all fans, but must be claimed in advance. Click here to secure your free spot for the best show in town.

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

NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

ABII SELECTED TO NAISMITH MIDSEASON TEAM

ATLANTA — Notre Dame commit and 2026 incoming freshman Jacy Abii has been named to the 2026 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Girls’ High School Player of the Year Midseason Team.

The Frisco, Texas native signed with the Irish in November as part of the 2026 signing class.

Abii has extensive experience with USA Basketball, including averaging 8.3 points per game at the 2024 FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup. She was also a member of the U16 FIBA U16 Women’s Americas Championship team in 2023. A five-star recruit, Abii is the No. 9 ranked player in the 2026 SportsCenter NEXT 100.

Notre Dame is back at Purcell Pavilion at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 22 as it takes on Miami in a midweek ACC matchup. The game will be broadcast on ACCN.

===========

NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL

IRISH FALL 69-91 TO #22/24 TAR HEELS IN CHAPEL HILL

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-9, 1-5) fell 69-91 on the road to the No. 22/24 North Carolina (15-4, 3-3) on Wednesday evening as the Tar Heels remain an undefeated 12-0 at home this season.

The Irish finished the night shooting 27-65 from the floor on 36 percent shooting, just above the 34.6 percent that Carolina is holding opponents to on their floor. The Tar Heels also shot just above their season average of 48 percent at home as they shot 31-61 from the floor on 50.8 percent shooting Wednesday night.

“Our dudes have got talent, but they’ve never been through the wars before. They’ve never been through the grit and grime. I’ve got to get us gritty and grimey to be able to come in here and sustain, and do what we need to do,” Glenn & Stacey Murphy Head Coach Micah Shrewsberry said. “ We’ve got to build calluses in practice, and that’s the only way that you’re gonna be ready to do it. You can show flashes in practice, but to do it every day, we’ve got to push them harder in what we do. It’s hard to do when you’re down people, but that’s what they need.”

Sophomore Sir Mohammed led the Irish with 14 points on 6-11 shooting. Mohammed has now posted three straight games in double figures for the first time in his career. The guard has amassed 41 points in that timespan.

Freshman standout Jalen Haralson finished with 13 points, shooting 6-16 from the floor while also grabbing six rebounds.

Freshman Ryder Frost finished with 10 points, marking his third game in double figures and first since scoring 10 in the win over Detroit Mercy (11/7).

Junior guard Braeden Shrewsberry dished out a career-best five assists, followed by Logan Imes with four assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED

North Carolina started hot, draining its first three of four from beyond the arc, 4-5 overall from the field. Notre Dame, down seven early, got back-to-back three-pointers from Certa and Shrewsberry to make it 10-11 at the 15:00 minute mark.

Carolina fired off two more threes after the media timeout, resulting in a 7-0 run over the next 3.5 minutes.

A Sundra three-pointer coming out of a Notre Dame timeout ended the drought, as the Irish started 3-4 from deep. However, fast forward to 9:39 and Jonathan Powell hit a three, making it a 6-12 start for the Tar Heels from three.

Notre Dame struggled finishing in the paint and midrange, starting the game 2-16 from two-point range, falling into a nine-point hole.

Haralson tried to get the offense going by attacking the basket and finished off an impressive three-point play at 6:03. That was followed by a Ryder Frost defensive board, then an ensuing Frost three to make it a one-possession game.

Yet Carolina had an answer once again, staving off the Irish rally with a 9-2 run in less than 90 seconds to make it 25-35.

Threes from Frost and Sundra cut the deficit to seven at 31-38 with 1:33 left in the half, but UNC scored on their next possessions. Sir Mohammed registered the last bucket of the half to ultimately trail by 9 at the end of the first half in a 33-42 battle.

Notre Dame surged late to nearly match North Carolina from three at the half – 6-12 compared to their 7-17. The Irish, who got some good looks around the basket, went 6-22 (.273) from two-point range in the first half. A huge plus for ND – only one turnover in the half. A difference maker, Carolina 9-14 from the free-throw line vs. ND’s 3-6; in addition to, UNC leading second chance points 7-0. 

At the midway point, Carolina’s Caleb Wilson was the only player on either side in double figures, boasting 14 points. Notre Dame spread the wealth with Certa (7 pts), Haralson (7), Sundra (6) and Frost (6) combining for 26 points.

The Tar Heels continued to flourish from three-point range coming out of the break, as two triples kicked off an 8-0 run, forcing a Coach Shrewsberry timeout down 33-50.

North Carolina went on to outscore Notre Dame 28-12 over the first nine minutes of the half, building a 45-70 advantage. In that span, the Tar Heels shot 10-14 from the field, including 5-9 from three, compared to ND’s 5-17 & 0-4 from three.

Trailing by as much as 29, the Irish continued to chip away at the deficit. Mohammed scored 10 of Notre Dame’s 22 points in the final nine minutes of the half, with the Irish ultimately falling by 22 at 69-91.

UP NEXT

The Irish are back at Purcell as they host Boston College in a game presented by Verizon. The Irish tip off at 6 PM on ACC Network this Saturday, Jan. 24.

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

NOTRE DAME MEN’S LAX

LYGHT NAMED USA LACROSSE PRESEASON DEFENSEMAN OF THE YEAR

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Shawn Lyght’s long list of accolades just got longer as the defenseman has been named the USA Lacrosse Preseason Defenseman of the Year on Wednesday.

The junior is already one of Notre Dame’s most accomplished players despite having played just two seasons with the Irish. Lyght was named the 2025 William C. Schmeisser Co-Defensive Player of the Year, awarded to the top defensemen in the country.

Lyght also was selected as ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Year last season following his lockdown defense. The junior regularly is the primary defender of the opposition’s top offensive threat.

The defenseman has earned All-America honors in each of his first two seasons in South Bend, including unanimous All-American status following his sophomore season in 2025.

Lyght and the Irish open the season at Marquette on Feb. 14 in Milwaukee against the Golden Eagles.

===========

NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S LAX

RASSAS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Sophomore Madison Rassas received USA Lacrosse Preseason All-American honors ahead of the 2026 season. The USA Lacrosse Division I Women’s Preseason All-Americans were announced, honoring 74 players from 29 institutions.

Last season, Rassas earned All-ACC Second Team honors and IWLCA West/Midwest All-Region Second Team honors in her rookie season. She led the Irish with 29 goals, recording 4 assists as well for a combined 33 points on the season. Rassas has also tallied 33 draw controls, 5 ground balls, and 5 caused turnovers.

The midfielder also set a program record as she recorded 5 goals and 8 points in the home-opening win over CMU, scoring the most goals and points by a Notre Dame freshman in a home opener.

Preseason All-Americans are selected by USA Lacrosse Magazine staff and contributors with input from collegiate coaches.

===========

BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SANIYA JACKSON’S CAREER NIGHT LIFTS BUTLER TO 73-67 VICTORY OVER DEPAUL

INDIANAPOLIS – Behind a career-high 22 points from Saniya Jackson, Butler defeated the DePaul Blue Demons 73-67 on Wednesday evening at Hinkle Fieldhouse. With the win, Butler improves to 9-11 on the season and 3-7 in BIG EAST play while DePaul slides to 4-17 overall and 1-9 in conference action.

​

BULLDOG HIGHLIGHTS

Saniya Jackson was spectacular for Butler recording her first career double-double. The redshirt sophomore poured in a career-high 22 points on an efficient 7-for-10 shooting performance from the floor. The Fort Wayne native added 10 rebounds, four assists and a steal in the contest.

Kennedy Langham and Lily Zeinstra rounded out the Bulldogs in double figures with 16 and 13 points, respectively.

Saniya Jackson led the squad on the glass with 10 rebounds. Caroline Dotsey followed closely behind with nine boards to her credit.

Mallory Miller and Saniya Jackson paced the offense with four assists apiece.

Butler shot 22-for-47 (46.8%) from the floor and shot 4-for-12 (33.3%) from beyond the arc.

BU outrebounded DePaul 37-29.

DEPAUL HIGHLIGHTS

A quartet of Blue Demons scored in double figures with Michelle Ojo (12) and Ally Timm (12) leading the way for the visitors.

Kate Novik (10) and Alayna West (11) rounded out the Blue Demons in double figures.

Novik led the Blue Demons on the glass pulling down a team-best seven boards.

Meg Newman paced the offense for DePaul, dishing out five assists.

DePaul shot 27-for-65 (41.5%) from the floor and shot 9-for-22 (40.9%) from behind the arc.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Both sides traded buckets to open the game as Butler held a narrow 9-8 advantage at the first media timeout. Coming out of the timeout, the Butler lead grew to as many as seven (15-8) behind a 6-0 run from the Dawgs. BU took the 20-12 advantage into the second quarter.

DePaul scored five quick points to start the second, as the Blue Demons cut the Butler lead to five (22-17). A flagrant foul against DePaul helped BU extend its lead to eight with just over four minutes left in the quarter. The Dawgs took the 31-27 advantage into the half behind nine first half points from Saniya Jackson.

After trading buckets to start the second half, a flagrant foul on DePaul gave Butler two shots and the ball. After converting both free throws, the BU lead stood at 10 with just under five minutes left in the quarter. DePaul then held Butler scoreless over the final two minutes of quarter, as BU took the four-point advantage (47-43) into the final 10 minutes of action.

Two made free throws from Addison Baxter at the 7:12 mark of the fourth helped Butler extend its lead to nine. DePaul’s defense stood tall and was able to cut the Butler lead to five with 2:22 left in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs were relentless in the final minutes thwarting the Blue Demons comeback efforts as the Dawgs secured the 73-67 victory at the final whistle.

UP NEXT

The Bulldogs will be back in action this weekend as Butler faces Marquette at Hinkle on Sunday, Jan. 25. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.

===========

IU INDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

JAGUARS DEFEND JUNGLE IN WIN OVER NORTHERN KENTUCKY

INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indy Jaguars put together a strong second-half performance to earn a 75–70 Horizon League victory over Northern Kentucky on Wednesday night in the Jungle. After trailing early, the Jaguars used a decisive fourth quarter to secure the home win. Olivia Smith led all scorers with 23 points.

Northern Kentucky jumped out to an early advantage, outscoring IU Indy 20–10 in the opening period. The Norse capitalized on hot shooting and early momentum, while the Jaguars struggled to find offensive rhythm and finished the quarter shooting under 20 percent from the field.

IU Indy responded in the second quarter with improved ball movement and defensive pressure. The Jaguars outscored Northern Kentucky 17–10, cutting into the deficit before halftime. Timely baskets and trips to the free-throw line helped IU Indy go into the break trailing by just three, 30–27.

The Jaguars took control coming out of halftime, putting together their most efficient offensive quarter of the night. IU Indy scored 19 points in the third, shooting nearly 70 percent from the floor, to cut the lead to one at 47-46.

IU Indy sealed the win with a strong fourth quarter, scoring 29 points and holding off multiple Northern Kentucky rallies. The Jaguars attacked the basket, drew fouls, and converted from the free-throw line down the stretch to earn the 75–70 victory.

Olivia Smith led all scorers with 23 points including a 9-10 mark at the free throw line to anchor IU Indy. Destini Craig added 12 points and eight rebounds while Nevaeh Foster collected 11 points, including three three-pointers that helped secure the win. E’Zaria Adams added 10 point while Ariana Williams collected eight points and five rebounds.

With the win, the Jags improve to 4-6 in Horizon League play. They will next travel to Oakland next week on Wednesday, January 28.

===========

IU INDY MEN’S BASKETBALL

JAGUARS PUT UP DOMINANT ROAD EFFORT AT OAKLAND IN 103-85 WIN

ROCHESTER, Mich. – The IU Indianapolis men’s basketball team put up a dominant 40-minute effort and captured a road win at Oakland University on Wednesday night (Jan. 21), 103-85. Senior Finley Woodward matched his career-high with 22 points, nine assists and six rebounds and junior Kyler D’Augustino scored 18 of his 21 points in the first half.

Senior Jaxon Edwards chimed in with 20 points and nine rebounds with an array of dunks and buckets in close. The Jaguars (6-16, 2-9 HL) shot 60 percent from the floor, 50 percent from three-point range and outscored Oakland (11-10, 7-3 HL) 68-36 in the paint. Offensively, the Jaguars routinely picked apart the Oakland zone, delivering 31 assists on 45 field goals to take down one of the Horizon League’s top teams.

“I think we were really patient. I thought we took good shots; we didn’t rush any shots in transition and guys were shooting with their feet set,” head coach Ben Howlett said. “It was a really good performance by us. I thought we followed our loss with some really good practices and we were able to play a really good game today.”

The game opened at breakneck speed with both teams scoring at will. Oakland’s largest lead came midway through the first half when Brody Robinson hit a tough three to build a 34-30 advantage. The Jags responded with a 9-0 run, punctuated by a Woodward bucket, followed by a Matt Compas steal and score on the ensuing inbounds pass. The Jaguars never relinquished the lead over the final 26 minutes of the contest and led 54-44 at the break.

D’Augustino and Woodward shouldered the load with 18 points each in the first half before others bore the burden after intermission.

Each time Oakland threatened, the Jaguars had an immediate response before eventually landing the knockout blow with a late 18-3 run to take a 26-point lead.

Early in the half, Oakland closed within six at 56-50 before Edwards scored back-to-back baskets in close to regain a double-digit lead. It was 83-72 with 6:46 remaining after OU’s Ziare Wells split a pair of free throws, but Edwards tipped-in his own miss to retake a 13-point lead. After Oakland again split a pair of free throws, Woodward spotted Compas for a layup. Moments later, the Jags spun off nine straight points, capped by uncontested dunks from Edwards and Maguire Mitchell to end any suspense.

Mitchell closed with 13 points, four rebounds and four assists and Micah Davis added 15 points, five rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Kameron Tinsley tallied six points on a pair of second half threes as the Jags went 7-of-12 (58.3 percent) from deep after halftime.

Isaac Garrett led Oakland with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting and Robinson finished with 13 points and 11 assists. Oakland finished at 47 percent shooting and 19-of-30 (63.3 percent) at the free throw line.

The Jags managed just three free throw attempts, hitting two.

“This league is really good. It’s a tough out every night. We’ve got to attack tomorrow and we’ve got a really good team coming in on Sunday that we’ve got to prepare for,” Howlett said.

The win snapped an eight-game losing streak to Oakland and was the first road win over the Golden Grizzlies since 2020.

IU Indy will return home to host Purdue Fort Wayne on Sunday (Jan. 25) at 2:00 p.m. inside the Jungle. The game will be broadcast on MYINDY-TV and ESPN+ as Greg Rakestraw (pxp) and Hall of Famer Bob Lovell (analyst) are on the call. In addition, the game can be heard in Central Indiana on 1430 Indy’s Sports Ticket as Jimmy Cook (pxp) and Chaz Hinds (analyst) call the action.

===========

IU INDY WOMEN’S SOCCER

WOMEN’S SOCCER ADDS THREE MIDYEAR TRANSFERS FOR 2026

INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indianapolis women’s soccer program and head coach Angela Berry White have announced the additions of three student-athletes to join the program with the start of the spring semester. All three transfers bring Division I experience to the IU Indy program and will begin training with the team immediately.

The three additions consist of Elle Blessinger (Green Bay), Sofia Rodriguez (Morehead State) and Megan Swift (Chicago State).

“We’re excited to bring these three young ladies into the program and get them in with our returners right away,” White said. “In Sofia, she brings really good size in goal and we have high expectations for her. Elle brings really good size to the defensive third and moves really well for her size, so she’s going to contribute right away.

“Megan is a fast, talented forward who’s going to impact the game in the attacking third. She’s going to come in right away and challenge for minutes.”

The three transfers brings the group of newcomers to seven as White inked four true freshmen earlier this winter.

Elle Blessinger – Evansville, Ind. / Castle (Green Bay)

D – 5-foot-11 – Senior

-Played the past three seasons at Green Bay

-Has 25 career appearances and 19 starts to her credit with the Phoenix

-Played a career-high 12 games and 800 minutes as a true freshman in 2023

-Returns to her home state after a standout career at Castle High School

Sofia Rodriguez – Taylor Mill, Ky. / Newport Central Catholic (Morehead State)

GK – 5-foot-11 – Junior

-Played last season at Morehead State, making five appearances and three starts in goal

-Had a 2.51 goals against average and 13 saves in her five appearances

-Began her collegiate career at Western Carolina, spending two seasons with the Catamounts but never appearing in net at WCU

-Played three seasons with Cincinnati United Premier (CUP), helping them to a third-place national finish in 2020-21

Megan Swift – Mission Viejo, Calif. / San Juan Hills (Chicago State)

F – 5-foot-6 – Junior

-Played last season at Chicago State, appearing in 17 matches with five starts

-Recorded her first collegiate point with an assist and career-high three shot attempts in a 3-0 win over New Haven

-Began her collegiate career by spending two seasons at Campbell University, making seven appearances for the Camels during the 2023 season

-Starred at San Juan Hills (Calif.) High School, totaling 29 goals across her final three high school seasons

===========

BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PUTS TOGETHER IMPRESSIVE SECOND-HALF COMEBACK TO DEFEAT UMASS

MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State women’s basketball team put together an impressive second half showing to earn the 78-60 victory over UMass Wednesday night in Worthen Arena.

With the win, the Cardinals improved to 15-4 on the season and 7-0 in Mid-American Conference action while the Minute-women fall to 13-4 and 5-2 in the league. This is the second-straight season the Cardinals have started MAC play 7-0.

Ball State’s second-half surge was characterized by stifling defense and a balanced offensive effort. UMass was held to a total of only 21 points in the entire second half, allowing Ball State to erase the halftime deficit and build a commanding lead.

The opening 10 minutes of play was intense which was to be expected as Ball State and UMass are presently two of the top teams to beat in the MAC. The Cardinals and the Minute-women swapped baskets throughout the first quarter, with the lead changing hands three times and the score being knotted on four occasions. UMass ended the frame atop of Ball State, 25-21.

It was pure defense in the second period as body’s hit the floor and fouls were called that stopped the flow of the game. Unfortunately, the Cardinals offense took a bit of a toll with the one bright light being that Tessa Towers as she fought hard in the paint to put points on the board for BSU.

At the media timeout, UMass was holding onto a 31-27 lead with 4:17 on the clock. After the huddle, emotions continued to run high with Ball State hanging close to UMass throughout the remainder of the half. The Cardinals still trailed by six (39-33) at intermission.

The Cardinals opened the third frame with a 6-0 run after baskets from Bree Salenbien, Towers and Alba Caballero to tie the game at 39-39.  The Minute-women remained in control up until the 4:38 mark when the Cardinal strung together a 15-3 run that eventually propelled the Cardinals to a 57-47lead over UMass which ended the fourth. The third quarter also saw Grace Kingery come alive on both offense and defense, scoring seven points while also capitalizing off a steal.

In the final frame, the Cardinals maintained their momentum, outscoring the Minute-women 21-13 to seal tonight’s victory.

Five Cardinals ended the night in double-figures with both Kingery and Salenbien leading the way with 14-points apiece. Karsyn Norman finished the game with 12 points while both Aniss Tagayi and Caballero each scored 11 points.

Salenbien also collected 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season while Caballero tallied her first career double-double pulling down 10 rebounds as well.

The Ball State women’s basketball team will host the only other team in the league that’s undefeated the Miami RedHawks in its Redbird rivalry game on Saturday at 11 am ET in Worthen Arena.

===========

BALL STATE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

MVB RETURNS TO WORTHEN FOR TWO HOME CONTESTS

This Week in Ball State Men’s Volleyball: The Ball State men’s volleyball program returns to Worthen Arena for matches Jan. 22 and 23 versus Maryville (MO) and no. 20 Charleston (W.Va.).

Last Serve: The Cardinals had two great performances at the First Point Collegiate Challenge last week, taking the opening set against no. 1 UCLA and falling to the Bruins in a closely contested four-set battle (25-22, 24-26, 24-26, 20-25). Patrick Rogers led the Cardinals with 18 kills on a season-high .593 clip, adding two aces, six digs and four blocks. Ryan Louis chipped in 11 kills, and Lucas Machado directed the offense with 40 assists. Ball State capitalized on UCLA service errors to win set one and stayed locked in a back-and-forth contest through the next two frames, which featured 30 total ties, but key late points swung both sets in UCLA’s favor.

Ball State ended their trip to Phoenix with a 3-1 (25-17-25-18, 23-25, 25-23) win against then no. 11 Stanford. Patrick Rogers led once again with a match-high 17 kills on .577 hitting and three aces, while Ryan Louis added 12 kills and three aces. Wil Basilio chipped in 10 kills, and Lucas Machado dished out 42 assists with a perfect five-for-five completion on attacks as Ball State dominated the first two sets behind a .489 hitting percentage, eight total service aces and strong blocking led by Jacob Surette who had five total in set two alone.

Match History – Maryville: These teams have met twice since 2022 inside Worthen Arena, with Ball State completing two sweeps. In 2025, The Cardinals held the Saints to a .282 hitting percentage, including a .032 clip in set one, while hitting .513 after three. Lucas Machado completed a season-high 11 digs that night along with a match-high 37 assists. Will Patterson led both teams with seven total blocks, and Patrick Rogers had nine kills with three blocks and six digs.

Scouting Maryville: The Saints are members of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). Since its first year of competition in 2022, Maryville competed as an independent, going 51-37 through three seasons. The team joined the GLVC after the league announced it would begin sponsoring men’s volleyball, with 2026 being the inaugural season. The Saints were picked to finish second in the GLVC Preseason Poll after closing 2025 as runner-up to Lincoln Memorial in the Independent Volleyball Association (IVA) Tournament.

Outside hitter Makai Scott and libero Aiden Whitemountain serve as the primary attackers of the Saints, with Scott tallying 28 kills on a .049 clip and Whitemountain recording 23 kills while hitting .263 through three matches played. The team as a whole is hitting a percentage of .156.

The defensive effort is anchored by senior libero Zac Clark, who has a team-high 23 digs, followed by Aiden Whitemountain with 20 and Makai Scott with 18. Maryville has seven total blocks on the season, led by Tristan Benbow with four as well as RJ Robateau and Makai Nzioki who have three.

 The Saints see its fourth-straight match against a ranked opponent, falling to then no.11 CSUN (Jan. 8) and no.17 UC Santa Barbra (Jan. 9) in four sets along with then no. 6 UC Irvine in three (Jan. 10).

Match History – Charleston (W.Va.): These two teams will meet for the first time in program history. 

Scouting Charleston (W.Va.): Charleston earned a spot on the AVCA Top 20 Poll this week after claiming a 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 25-20, 25-18) victory over Daemen University (N.Y.), entering at no. 20. The Golden Eagles opened the 2026 season with a victory over Lees-McRae College in straight sets (Jan. 11). The team’s only defeat so far came in the form of a competitive four-set loss at the hands of no. 15 McKendree (Jan. 16).

As a unit, The Golden Eagles average a .242 hitting percentage, led by senior outside hitter Lucas Torres who is posting 3.50 kills per set (35 total) on a .286 clip with five service aces. Opposite Xander Bomert and Outside hitter Kai Cousins also aids the offense with 21 and 20 total kills this season on .447 and .308 clips, respectively.

Charleston’s defense is led by setter Yotam Bringer with 2.36 digs per set (26 total) and eight total blocks, including two solo. Libero Mikolaj Daszkiewicz follows with 2.09 digs per set (23 total).

In the NCAA, the team ranks ninth in aces per set (1.91), 16th in assists per set (2.364), 15th in digs per set (9.09), and 16th in opponent hitting percentage (.200).

Ball State head coach Mike Iandolo will see competition against the team which he served a three-year head coaching stint from 2018-20. In his first year, Iandolo led the Golden Eagles to the most single-season wins it had seen up to that point (16) and greatest win percentage (16-10) prior to a 22-7 finish in 2023.

AVCA Top 20 Poll: Ball State entered the 2026 season ranked #16 in the AVCA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Preseason Poll with a total of 144 points. After defeating then no. 11 Stanford in Phoenix, Ariz., the Cardinals moved up to no. 12 on the poll.

Preseason All-MIVA: Outside hitter Patrick Rogers and setter Lucas Machado earned 2026 Preseason All-MIVA honors, with Rogers being named MIVA Preseason Player of the Year. After recording a team-high 363 kills on a .271 hitting percentage and a team-leading 33 service aces, Rogers was named All-MIVA first team and an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention. He then spent the offseason with the US National Team, winning gold at the 2025 NORCECA Final Six and earning tournament MVP honors. Machado totaled a team-best 771 assists in 2025, averaging 8.38 per set, posted a career-high 54 assists against Purdue Fort Wayne on Feb. 26, reached 40 or more assists seven times, and added 117 digs, 49 total blocks and 22 service aces.

Coach Iandolo: Mike Iandolo was named the Cardinals’ head coach on Dec. 16, removing the interim label he held since last June. After joining Ball State as an assistant coach prior to the 2022 season, Iandolo helped the men to a 23-4 record, MIVA regular season and tournament titles, and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002. Since 2022, Iandolo assisted the Cardinals to three 20-win seasons and three MIVA regular season championships. His promotion ahead of the 2026 season marks the second head coaching role of his career, following a three-year stint at the University of Charleston (W.Va.).

===========

INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING

SYCAMORES HEAD TO SOUTH BEND FOR ANNUAL TIM WELSH CLASSIC

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State swimming and diving continues the season on the road this weekend as the Sycamores head to South Bend, Ind. and the Rolfs Aquatic Center for the annual Tim Welsh Classic hosted by Notre Dame. Competitions will run January 23-24 with three separate sessions scheduled over the two-day meet.

The first competition is set for January 23 starting at 10 a.m., while second session begins at 5 p.m. Friday evening. The final session begins at 11 a.m. on January 24. All results will be posted live on MeetMobile.

“This weekend is going to provide us a lot of great racing opportunities against some high-quality competition,” said head coach Josh Christensen. “The meet format, with the three separate sessions, helps space things out a bit and allows us to get make sure everyone is racing all of their main events. We’ve always really enjoyed this meet and see it is a nice rehearsal opportunity for conference.”

Friday, January 23 Event Schedule – 10 a.m.

200 Freestyle Relay, 500 Freestyle, 200 IM, 50 Freestyle, 400 Medley Relay, 3M Diving (1 p.m.)

Friday, January 23 Event Schedule – 5 p.m.

200 Medley Relay, 400 IM, 100 Fly, 200 Freestyle, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, 800 Freestyle Relay

Saturday, January 24 Event Schedule – 11 a.m.

1000 Freestyle, 200 Backstroke, 100 Freestyle, 200 Breaststroke, 200 Fly, 400 Freestyle Relay, 1M Diving (10:45 a.m.)

Indiana State is back in competition this weekend for the first time since the Sycamores topped both Southern Illinois and Evansville on January 10, 2026, in Carbondale, Ill. at the Shea Natatorium. The Sycamores picked up their first ever team win over SIU in Carbondale with the 156-140 victory, while taking the 253-42 win over Evansville.

The Sycamores highlighted the meet with eight event wins including Grace Cummings (1000 Free, 500 Free) and Jecza Lopez (3M Diving, 1M Diving) continuing their strong campaigns with the Blue and White. The Indiana State duo claimed Missouri Valley Conference weekly honors following the meet as Cummings received her third MVC Freshman of the Week nod, while Lopez claimed her sixth MVC Diver of the Week recognition.

Haley Halsall (200 Fly), Raine Boles (100 Fly), and Kaleigh Kelley (50 Free) also claimed individual wins in the pool. Indiana State capped the meet winning the 200-yard Freestyle Relay with the fifth-fastest time on the Sycamores’ all-time performance list.

Indiana State has consistently competed in the Tim Welsh Invite since the 2022-23 season with the Sycamores suiting up inside the Rolfs Aquatic Center against host Notre Dame and assorted opponents. The Sycamores finished fourth last season scoring 478 points against the field including Ohio State, Notre Dame, Akron, and Wisconsin.

This season, the Sycamores are one of four teams competing in the field. Indiana State, Akron, Notre Dame, and Illinois will all be competing on the women’s side over the two-day meet.

The Sycamores welcomed back Kayleigh Kelley to the pool over the meet against SIU and Evansville as the junior made her debut back among the Valley’s Top 10 performance list this season appearing in the 50-yard Freestyle.

Overall, Indiana State has the conference leader in five separate events to date including the 500-yard Free (Claire Parsons), 1000-yard Free (Grace Cummings), 1650-yard Free (Cummings), 1M Diving (Jecza Lopez) and 3M Diving (Lopez). Indiana State also features the deepest distance group in the MVC this season with four swimmers in the top four in the 1000-yard Free, three in the top four in the 500-yard Free, and three in the top four in the 1650-yard Freestyle events.

Sycamores Among the Valley Top 10

50-yard Free: Kaleigh Kelley (23.06, 5th), Raine Boles (23.07, 6th)

100-yard Free: Erin Cummins (50.51, 7th)

200-yard Free: Erin Cummins (1:48.33, 3rd), Claire Parsons (1:48.64, 4th)

500-yard Free: Claire Parsons (4:46.65, 1st), Grace Cummings (4:49.66, 3rd), Erin Cummins (4:51.14, 4th), Maria Saldana Riebeling (4:54.61, 9th)

1000-yard Free: Grace Cummings (9:49.88, 1st), Claire Parsons (9:57.39, 2nd), Gemma Dilks (10:04.20, 3rd), Maria Saldana Riebeling (10:08.62, 4th)

1650-yard Free: Grace Cummings (16:23.09, 1st), Claire Parsons (16:34.29, 2nd), Maria Saldana Riebeling (16:49.27, 3rd), Haley Halsall (17:04.93, 9th)

100-yard Back: Sahara Visscher (55.72, 5th)

200-yard Back: Anna Asplund (1:59.83, 4th), Sahara Visscher (2:00.33, 5th)

50-yard Breast: Ali Pearson (28.67, 2nd), Jenna Nave (29.83, 9th)

100-yard Breast: Ali Pearson (1:01.35, 2nd), Jenna Nave (1:04.38, 9th)

200-yard Breast: Ali Pearson (2:15.22, 3rd)

50-yard Fly: Raine Boles (25.04, 6th)

100-yard Fly: Raine Boles (54.47, 4th), Sophia Diaz (54.74, 7th), Erin Cummins (55.13, 9th)

200-yard Fly: Haley Halsall (1:59.73, 2nd), Sophia Diaz (2:03.53, 6th)

400-yard IM: Maria Saldana Riebeling (4:27.27, 8th)

1M Diving: Jecza Lopez (287.40, 1st)

3M Diving: Jecza Lopez (315.75, 1st), Bree Cleary (241.65, 10th)

===========

INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL

SYCAMORES DROP CLOSE CONTEST TO BRADLEY ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT

PEORIA, Ill. – Indiana State men’s basketball fell to Bradley 75-68 Wednesday night in Carver Arena.

Ian Scott led the Sycamores with 15 points and a game-high eight rebounds, while Sterling Young added 13 points and Bruno Alocen contributed 10 points and five rebounds off the bench. Xavier Hall dished out a game-high seven assists.

Ian Scott put the first points on the board with a layup shortly followed by a two-point jumper from the Braves. Play went back-and-forth for the next 7:22 with three ties and five lead changes. Both teams scored 11 points over the back-and-forth with the Sycamores scoring led by Bruno Alocen with five points. The Trees broke away with a 7-0 run over the next 1:25 stopped by a two-point jumper from Bradley to set the score at 20-15 with 7:38 left in the half.

Bradley shortened the gap to three with a 7-5 run over the next 1:53, before the Sycamores turned the tide back around with a 9-7 run to put them back up by five with 2:29 left on the clock. The Braves put the next five points on the board to tie the game up before Enel St. Bernard scored a layup to put the Sycamores up by two going into the break.

Sterling Young opened the scoring in the second half to start a 11-6 run in favor of Indiana State to give the Sycamores a 47-40 advantage. Bradley worked to shorten the gap with a 6-3 run stopped by a layup from Scott to set the score at 52-46 Indiana State at the 13:50 mark. The Braves brought the game back within one point with a 13-8 run over the next 6:02 stopped by a two-point floater from Jo Van Buggenhout.

The shot sparked an 8-1 run for the Trees to set the score at 68-60 in favor of the Sycamores following a two-handed slam by Hunter Harding. The Braves turned the game around scoring the last 15 points, including making 11-of-15 from the free throw line, to give Bradley a 75-68 victory. In the stretch the Sycamores didn’t give up continuing to shoot but the shots stayed outside the basket (eight shots taken after Harding’s basket).

News and Notes

Indiana State finished the game shooting better than 50% for the second time in three games (51.9%).

Indiana State has finished with a better shooting percentage from the floor against their opponents in each of the last three games.

With 16 assists tonight, the Sycamores have tied or finished with more assists than the opponents in each of the last seven games, averaging 17.9 assists per game on an average of just over 28 made field goals per game.

The Sycamores’ defense held Bradley to 34.9% shooting from the field (fifth-lowest by an opponent this season) and 22.7% from three (sixth lowest).

Bradley taking the win shooting 34.9% is the lowest percentage by an opponent this season and still winning.

Indiana State’s 31 defense rounds are the fourth highest mark this season.

With seven assists tonight, Xavier Hall crossed the 500-assist mark in his career.

Ian Scott recorded his sixth-straight game shooting better than 50% from the field – all six games of 2026 so far. In the stretch, he is 39-for-64 (61%) averaging 16.2 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game.

Hunter Harding recorded his first start of the season, playing 15 1/2 minutes going 1-for-2 from the field and recording three rebounds, an assist, and a block.

Enel St. Bernard shot a perfect 4-for-4 from the field.

Sterling Young finished near perfect in the second half, making 4-of-5 from the field which includes knocking down 3-of-3 from downtown. He scored 11 in the half in just over seven minutes.

Markus Harding returned to the floor tonight after getting injured on December 7 against Southern Indiana.

Bradley’s 31 free throw attempts are the most by an opponent this season and the most since Senior Day of last season against Southern Illinois (March 2, 33 attempts).

The Braves attempted 24 free throws in the second half of tonight’s game, making 26.

Bradley’s 22 points off turnovers are the most since #/4/4 Duke recorded 26 on November 14 earlier this season.

One steal by the Sycamores is the lowest of the season.

However, Bradley entered the game ranked 22nd in the nation in Division I in turnovers per game (9.2).

The 19 turnovers marks a season high and the most since January 18 of last season against Drake (also 19).

However, Bradley entered 34th in the nation in turnovers forced per game (14.95).

The Sycamores moved to 5-5 on the season when holding a halftime lead.

In MVC play this season, the record is 1-5.

In the 11 non-conference games, scoring breakdown comparison:

First half: Indiana State (382) to opponents (385)

Second half: Indiana State (447) to opponents (374)

In the nine conference games, scoring breakdown comparison:

First half: Indiana State (341) to opponents (343)

Second half: Indiana State (319) to opponents (357)

Overtime: Indiana State (35) to opponents (43)

Up Next

Indiana State returns to Hulman Center on Saturday afternoon to welcome the Drake Bulldogs. The 1 p.m. ET contest is Indiana State’s Hall of Fame game and the team reunions for the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 teams. Those teams will also be honored during the game.

===========

INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SYCAMORES HEAD SOUTH FOR THURSDAY NIGHT TILT AT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State looks to earn its second straight conference win Thursday night when it travels to Southern Illinois for a 7 p.m. tip in Carbondale.

Thursday’s game will be aired on ESPN+, while John Sherman will have the radio call on WVIG-FM/105.5 The Legend.

Last Time Out

Da’Naria Washington scored a season-high 17 points Sunday afternoon and Kennedy Claybrooks finished one rebound and one assist shy of a triple-double, as Indiana State claimed a 77-71 win over Evansville inside Hulman Center.

Claybrooks finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, while Clemisha Prackett logged her seventh double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Amerie Flowers and Jayci Allen added 10 points apiece, with the latter coming off the bench to score in double-figures.

Indiana State led wire-to-wire, with treys from Claybrooks, Kayla Smith and Washington sparking an 18-point opening quarter. The Sycamores closed the second quarter on a 15-4 run to push their lead to double-digits, largely behind 13 first-half points from Washington. A 6-0 Sycamore run to close the third kept the Trees in front with 10 minutes to play, with a pair of Jayci Allen treys pushing the lead to 67-52 midway through the fourth. Evansville used a 13-2 run in the back half of the fourth to pull within one possession, but it wasn’t enough as the Sycamores held serve at home.

Homecoming

Thursday’s game at Southern Illinois marks a return to Carbondale for one of Indiana State’s staff members, as graduate assistant Tyranny Brown was a four-year letterwinner for the Salukis.

Brown, who graduated from Southern Illinois in 2025, was 8-3 against Indiana State in her career while with the Salukis (2021-25). She finished her career with 402 points, 145 rebounds and 100 assists, and was a part of SIU’s 2021-22 team which won the MVC regular season title.

Balancing Act

Indiana State’s recent two-game homestand saw the Sycamores score at a high level with the Blue and White putting up 77 points against both Belmont and Evansville. The Sycamores’ scoring came from a multitude of players, as six different Trees averaged double-digit scoring across the two games, while seven Sycamores recorded at least one double-figure scoring outing between the games against the Bruins and Purple Aces.

Indiana State had five athletes score in double-figures in both games, a figure that typically bodes well for the Blue and White. The Sycamores are 4-1 this season and 5-1 under head coach Marc Mitchell when having five or more players in double-figures.

Doing It All

Indiana State guard Kennedy Claybrooks had a game to remember in the Sycamores’ recent win over Evansville, finishing one rebound and one assist shy of a triple-double against the Purple Aces.

Claybrooks tallied 13 points, nine rebounds and nine assists against Evansville, with the nine rebounds matching a career high. The Memphis native shot 50 percent from the floor against the Purple Aces, marking her third straight game shooting 50 percent or better from the field. Claybrooks also knocked down her only 3-point attempt of the game and hit four free throws down the stretch to secure the win for the Blue and White.

Claybrooks is averaging 9.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game against conference foes this season while shooting nearly 46 percent from the field and 42 percent from 3-point range.

D’s Big Day

Indiana State guard Da’Naria Washington put together her best game in a Sycamore uniform in Sunday’s 77-71 win over Evansville. Washington tallied a season-high 17 points on a 5-for-8 shooting mark against the Purple Aces, including a 2-for-3 mark from 3-point range.

Washington also added six rebounds, four assists and two steals while playing a season-high 37 minutes. Sunday’s game was her first game as a Sycamore with multiple 3-pointers, and she is shooting 50 percent from behind the arc in conference play.

The Indianapolis native has seen her numbers take an upward trajectory since the calendar flipped to conference play. Washington is averaging 8.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game against MVC competition while shooting better than 50 percent from both the field and 3-point range against Valley foes.

Doubling Up

Indiana State forward Clemisha Prackett has recorded double-doubles in three of her last four games, including each of the Sycamores’ last two contests.

Prackett averaged 11.5 points and 13.0 rebounds per game in the Trees’ last two home games against Belmont and Evansville. She had a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double against the Bruins and followed with a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double against the Purple Aces. In addition, Prackett also had an 18-point, 13-rebound game at UIC in early January.

Since the start of the new year, Prackett is averaging 13.0 points and 10.8 rebounds per game while shooting 51 percent from the floor. She is one of three players in the MVC currently averaging a double-double against conference opponents this season, alongside Murray State’s Sharnecce Currie-Jelks and Northern Iowa’s Ryley Goebel.

On This Date

Indiana State owns a 5-6 record in games played on January 22, including a 2-3 mark in road games played on this date.

The Sycamores are 1-1 against Southern Illinois on this date with a loss in the 1985-86 season in Carbondale (68-46) and a win during the 2008-09 season in Terre Haute (63-37).

1986 – at Southern Illinois (L, 46-68)

2000 – Missouri State (L, 54-63)

2003 – at Evansville (W, 87-70)

2006 – Missouri State (W, 58-34)

2009 – Southern Illinois (W, 63-37)

2011 – Creighton (L, 53-62)

2012 – Drake (L, 59-67)

2016 – Loyola Chicago (W, 62-48)

2017 – at Drake (L, 62-76)

2021 – at Northern Iowa (L, 69-95)

2023 – at Bradley (W, 71-60)

Southern Illinois At A Glance

Southern Illinois enters Thursday’s game at 5-12 overall and 2-6 in conference play. The Salukis have won two of their last three, including a 63-58 win over UIC in their last game. Thursday’s game closes a five-game homestand for SIU.

Alanya Kraus leads a quartet of Salukis averaging double-figures at 14.0 points per game, with Indya Green (11.5), Kayla Cooper (10.8) and Jeniah Thompson (10.2) all in double-digits. Green adds a team-leading 8.1 rebounds per game, while Tkiyah Nelson has dished out 4.0 assists per game this season.

Kelly Bond-White is in her fourth season as head coach at Southern Illinois and owns a 32-77 record at the helm of the Salukis. Bown-White. Bond-White was a longtime assistant at Texas A&M and was on the Aggies’ 2011 National Championship staff.

Series History Against Southern Illinois

Indiana State is 48-60 all-time against Southern Illinois, including a 19-25 record in Carbondale. The Sycamores have won their last two games in Carbondale and split the season series last year.

Indiana State is 3-2 in its last five games against Southern Illinois, which includes a 2024 MVC Tournament first round win.

Last Meeting Against Southern Illinois (Feb. 9, 2025)

Deja Jones recorded the first triple-double by an Indiana State player in 30 years as the Sycamores routed Southern Illinois 87-63 inside Banterra Center.

Jones finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists to become the first Sycamore since Amy Walker in 1995 with a triple-double. Bella Finnegan led the Sycamores with a career-high 30 points, including a program single-game record eight 3-pointers, and Keslyn Secrist added a career-best 22 as all five Indiana State starters scored in double-figures.

Indiana State found its stroke from behind the arc early with five first-half 3-pointers between Finnegan and Secrist helping the Sycamores take a 44-37 lead at the half. The Sycamores’ attack came alive in the third quarter, going on a 21-4 run to close the quarter and essentially put the game out of reach. Jones completed her triple-double midway through the fourth, while Finnegan hit the 30-point mark inside the final minute of the Sycamores’ blowout win.

Up Next

Indiana State returns home to face Illinois State Sunday afternoon, with tipoff inside Hulman Center set for 2 p.m.

===========

PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL

MASTODONS WIN FIFTH STRAIGHT; TOP DETROIT MERCY 83-76

DETROIT – Purdue Fort Wayne earned their fifth win in a row thanks to an 83-76 victory at Detroit Mercy on Wednesday (Jan. 21) evening at Calihan Hall.

The ‘Dons shot 12-of-30 form three, with Mikale Stevenson going 6-of-10 for 22 points. Corey Hadnot II also had 22 points, but he did it without a 3-pointer. Hadnot was 7-of-14 from inside the arc and made 8-of-11 free throw attempts.

While Stevenson and Hadnot had the gaudy point totals, Wednesday saw multiple Mastodons make key plays. The ‘Dons finished with 19 bench points. Darius Duffy had seven of them, and nine rebounds. Ebrahim Kaba (5), EJ Mosley (5) and Chris Morgan (2) also scored off the bench.

Defensively the Mastodons kept the Titans scoreless in fast break points.

Detroit Mercy opened the second half with a layup to take their largest lead of the second half at 41-36. Back-to-back Stevenson 3-pointers put the ‘Dons up 45-43 just a few minutes later. Purdue Fort Wayne took the lead for good on a 14-2 run. The stretch ended with 10:30 on the  clock and the Mastodons up 62-51. Stevenson had seven of the 14 points. Detroit Mercy didn’t get any closer than five points the rest of the way. Maximus Nelson provided a dagger on a 3-pointer with 2:22 left to put the ‘Dons up 76-67.

Nelson made three 3-pointers in the contest to bring his Mastodon career total to 186. He passed Bobby Planutis to take the No. 10 spot in program history in career 3-pointers.

Detroit Mercy was led by TJ Nadeau’s 22 points.

Purdue Fort Wayne improves to 13-8 (7-3 Horizon League), and are just a half game out of first place. Detroit Mercy falls to 8-11 (5-5 Horizon League). The Mastodons are back in action on Sunday (Jan. 25) at IU Indy.

===========

PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

‘DONS NEVER TRAIL IN 10-POINT WIN OVER CLEVELAND STATE

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – For the first time in the series history, the Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball team beat Cleveland State in Fort Wayne. The Mastodons won in wire-to-wire fashion on Wednesday night (Jan. 21) in an 80-70 victory over the visiting Vikings.

The Mastodons shot 51.8 percent from the floor (29-of-56). This is the fourth time this season that the ‘Dons have shot over 50 percent. Unlike those other three games, though, the Mastodons hit their first seven shots in Wednesday’s contest. Alana Nelson, Jordan Reid (2), Lili Krasovec (2), Rylee Bess and Ella Riggs all scored in the 16-5 start that was capped off by a pair of 3-pointers from Reid and Riggs.

In the second quarter, the Mastodons built a lead as large as 21 after an 8-0 spurt. Nelson had a layup, then the duo of freshmen Destiny Macharia and Bess each hit a triple. Free throw shooting kept Cleveland State in the game. The Vikings finished with 28 freebies, 16 of which came after the halftime break. The Mastodons kept the Vikings honest everywhere else on the floor though, holding CSU to 38.5 percent from the floor (20-of-52) and 16.7 percent from 3-point range (2-of-12).

The Vikings had an 8-0 run in the third quarter to cut the Mastodons’ lead to just eight, but momentum swung back to the Mastodons in the early moments of the fourth. Lauren Lee hit a 3-pointer with 7:36 left to go up 15 and put the game out of reach. The Vikings did not get closer than the final margin of 10 the rest of the way.

Nelson played her most complete offensive game in two weeks, as she finished with 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting (75 percent) and a 4-for-5 (80 percent) effort from 3-point land. She also added a team-high six rebounds and two steals. Bess joined Nelson in double-figures with 13 points, 10 of which came in the first 20 minutes.

Cleveland State had a 36-30 edge in points in the paint, but Purdue Fort Wayne led in points off turnovers (23-16), second chance points (10-9), fast break points (9-8) and bench points (18-6). Izabella Zingaro had 22 points, all coming in the paint or from the stripe. Jada Leonard had 18 and Macey Fegan had 16 in the same fashion as Zingaro.

The Mastodons held Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year Colbi Maples to just five points on 1-of-8 shooting.

Purdue Fort Wayne improved to 12-8, 6-4 in Horizon League play, while Cleveland State fell to 15-6, 5-5 in the HL. The Mastodons have a revenge game next on the calendar with a trip to Highland Heights on Saturday (Jan. 24) to play Northern Kentucky at 1 p.m.

===========

PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

PURDUE FORT WAYNE HOSTS NO. 20 CHARLESTON AND MARYVILLE

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball program will host No. 20 Charleston on Thursday (Jan. 22) and Maryville on Friday (Jan. 23). The Charleston match was moved from its original Saturday (Jan. 24) date due to possible weather conditions. 

Game Day Information
Who: No. 20 Charleston
When: Saturday, January 22 | 7 PM
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center
Watch:Link
Live Stats:Link
Tickets:Link
Game Notes:MIVA | Purdue Fort Wayne

Game Day Information
Who: Maryville
When: Friday, January 23 | 7 PM
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center
Watch:Link
Live Stats:Link
Tickets:Link
Game Notes:MIVA | Purdue Fort Wayne

Know Your Foes

No. 20 Charleston is 2-1 on the season, beating Lees-McRae and Daemen and falling to McKendree. The Golden Eagles are ninth in the nation in aces per set, averaging 1.91. Max Nissen leads the team in kills per set on the season with 4.20 a set. Freshmen Kai Cousins (3.44) and Xander Bomert (3.41) both have added to Charleston’s offense, each averaging over 3.40 kills per set. Senior Paul Stommel has ran the Golden Eagles’ offense on 10.20 assists per set.

Maryville has started the year 0-3, losing all three to ranked opponents: No. 11 CSUN, No. 17 UC Santa Barbara and No. 6 UC Irvine. The Saints will take on No. 12 Ball State on Thursday (Jan. 22) before taking on the Mastodons. Three Maryville attackers are averaging over 2.00 kills per set: Makai Scott (2.55), Makai Nzioki (2.33) and Aiden Whitemountain (2.09). Libero Zac Clark has dug out 2.09 attacks per set. Jake Usher has ran the Saints offense with 7.64 assists a set.

Series Histories

The Mastodons are an undefeated 4-0 over Maryville. The ‘Dons beat the Saints in five sets last season, led by Logan Muir’s 21 kills.

Purdue Fort Wayne owns a 2-1 series history lead against Charleston. The last meeting resulted in a Golden Eagle sweep over the Mastodons.

‘Dons This Season

The ‘Dons fall at an even 2-2 after two weeks of volleyball. Beating (RV) NJIT and Menlo, while falling to Missouri S&T and No. 12 CSUN. Purdue Fort Wayne ranks eighth in the nation in both assists per set (12.24) and kills per set (13.18). Hunter Hopkins is averaging 10.59 assists per set this season, seventh best in the nation. Brody McAfee is second in the nation in hitting percentage, averaging 0.833 through four matches. The trio of Owen Banner (4.18 pps, 3.47 kps), Carlo Huisden (4.15 pps, 3.60 kps) and Logan Muir (3.76 pps, 3.29 kps) led the ‘Dons offensively, all averaging over 3.75 points per set and 3.00 kills per set.  Casey Lyons leads the ‘Dons in rejections, averaging 1.20 blocks per set.

Last Time Out

Purdue Fort Wayne topped Menlo in straight sets (25-19, 25-18, 25-23) on Friday (Jan. 16) to begin the Under Armour Challenge. Logan Muir led the Mastodons with 13 kills on a .500 hitting percentage. Hunter Hopkins collected 33 assists and an ace in the contest. Owen Banner reached 10 kills and four digs.

The ‘Dons lost in four sets (35-33, 25-17, 24-26, 25-16) to No. 12 CSUN on Saturday (Jan. 17) to finish out the Under Armour Challenge. Owen Banner reached 10 kills. Hunter Hopkins finished with 31 assists and nine digs. Andrew Mayer also finished with nine digs.

Preseason All-MIVA

Logan Muir was selected for the Preseason All-MIVA Team on December 15. Muir was named to the 2025 All-MIVA Second Team following last season. The Junior led the Mastodons in points (464.5), kills (391) and service aces (41) last year. He was second in the MIVA in kills per set (4.39), aces per set (0.41) and points per set (5.19) during conference play. Muir’s 5.09 points per set ranked fifth in the nation. The California native also was 10th in the MIVA in hitting percentage with .299. Muir recorded double-digit kills in 19 of the ‘Dons’ 26 matches. He hit a career-high 23 kills in three sets at McKendree, the third most in the program’s rally scoring era.

Fresh Faces

Purdue Fort Wayne begins the 2026 season with a roster refresh, adding five freshmen and two transfers. The additions include Carlo Huisden (OH), Joaquin Jones (S), Vince Spadoni (OH), Jean Paul Gonzalez (OH), Owen Banner (OH/OPP), Ethan Skalski (OH/OPP) and Brody McAfee (OPP/MB).

Coming Up

The ‘Dons welcome MIVA newcomer Northern Kentucky (Feb. 6) and Daemen (Feb. 8) on the Arnie Ball Court in the Gates Sports Center.

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

SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SCREAMING EAGLES WELCOME EASTERN ILLINOIS AND WESTERN ILLINOIS THIS WEEK

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball returns home to Liberty Arena this week to begin a season-long four-game homestand when the Screaming Eagles host Eastern Illinois University Thursday at 5 p.m. and Western Illinois University Saturday at 1 p.m. in Ohio Valley Conference play.

This week’s games can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM and WREF 97.7 FM. Saturday’s game can also be watched for free through Gray Media over-the-air outlets. In the Evansville market, Saturday’s game can be seen on WFIE 14.3 Outlaw. For outside markets, check local listings for channels.

On Thursday, fans are encouraged to wear white USI apparel to white out Liberty Arena. There will be a free white t-shirt giveaway to the first 500 students, courtesy of Pepsi. Saturday is the Hoops for Troops Military Appreciation game, sponsored by the USI Student Veteran Association. Veterans and their guests will receive free tickets (limit to five per veteran) with proof of service. The pre-game will feature a special full-court flag presentation for the national anthem by Rolling Thunder Chapter 6, Honor Flight of Southern Indiana, and the Wounded Warrior Project.

USI (13-4, 7-1 OVC) enters the week tied for first place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings alongside Western Illinois (15-2, 7-1 OVC). Western Illinois visits Morehead State University on Thursday before coming to USI on Saturday.

The Screaming Eagles are 8-1 at home this season and has won seven in a row inside Liberty Arena. This week begins a season-long four-game homestand for the Eagles, who will host Lindenwood University and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville next week to start the second half of the OVC season.

Last time out, USI completed an OVC road sweep on Saturday with a 72-67 win at Tennessee State University following a 71-69 overtime win at Tennessee Tech University last Thursday. The Screaming Eagles recorded their largest comeback win of the season on Saturday at Tennessee State, coming back from an 11-point deficit to get past the Tigers. The win gave USI its third OVC weekly sweep of the season and its first win at Tennessee State since the conclusion of the 2022-23 season, which was USI’s first season at the Division I level.

The win at Tennessee State was highlighted by senior guard Ali Saunders’ 29-point outing, which is her second-best scoring output in a USI uniform behind her career-high 35 points from earlier this season at home against Morehead State. Saunders scored 23 of her 29 points in the second half. Junior guard Shannon Blacher added 14 points, junior forward Chloe Gannon tallied 10 points and 10 rebounds her second double-double of the season, and junior guard Sophia Loden notched 10 points with nine boards.

Between the two road games last week, Saunders averaged 26 points on nearly 52 percent shooting overall with four three-pointers and went 16-17 at the free-throw line. Saunders also averaged 5.5 rebounds, five assists, and 1.5 steals last week. On the season, Saunders leads the team in scoring and is second in the OVC at 17.6 points per game. Saunders has led USI in scoring in eight of the last 10 games, including six of the eight OVC games so far. Plus, Saunders has scored 20 or more in six of the last 10 games.

Loden and Gannon are averaging 12.1 and 12.0 points per game, respectively. Loden leads the team with 8.2 rebounds per game, which ranks third in the OVC, and has seven double-doubles this season. Gannon, coming off her second double-double of the year, has scored 10-plus in 12 games and in six of the last eight contests.

As a team, USI is averaging 70.6 points per game while limiting the opposition to 55.6 points per game. Defensively, USI’s scoring defense (55.6) and field goal percentage defense (34.8 percent) rank first in the OVC and top 20 in the nation. USI is also first in the OVC with 42 rebounds per game.

Eastern Illinois (3-16, 2-6 OVC) is in the middle of a three-game road stretch. The Panthers began the current road swing with a 55-47 loss at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock last Thursday. Eastern Illinois’ two OVC wins came in a home sweep against Tennessee Tech (January 8) and Tennessee State (January 10).

The Panthers are led in scoring by junior guard Ava Stoller at 12.7 points per game. Stoller is also averaging three assists per contest. Redshirt junior forward Sydney-James Desroches is second on the team in scoring with 10.4 points per outing and paces the squad with seven rebounds per game. The Panthers average 57.9 points and allow 72.3 points per outing.

Eastern Illinois leads the all-time series against USI, 5-3. The two sides split home wins last season. USI has won three of the last four meetings and the last two at Liberty Arena.

Western Illinois, who is in the midst of a four-game road stretch, heads into the week on a five-game winning streak. The Leathernecks’ only losses this season are against the University of Iowa, 86-69, back on November 26 and against the University of Tennessee at Martin, 86-78, on January 1. Both setbacks were on the road. Last week, Western Illinois won 74-61 at Eastern Illinois and 75-59 at Little Rock.

Senior forward Mia Nicastro has led the charge for Western Illinois this season, averaging an OVC-best 24.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Nicastro has been named OVC Player of the Week four times this season and was recently named to the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Watch List. Junior guard Raegan McCowan is averaging 17 points per game but has not played since December 18. Senior guard Addi Brownfield is third on the team in scoring with 12.2 points per contest.

USI is 5-0 against Western Illinois in the series history. The Screaming Eagles won 72-58 at home last January before a 76-70 road win in Macomb, Illinois, last February. USI’s first win against a D-I opponent at the Division I level came against Western Illinois in a non-conference game in November 2022.

Tickets for all home games at Liberty Arena can be purchased online at usiscreamingeagles.com or the USI Ticket Office.

===========

SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S SOCCER

KAISER IS NEW USI MEN’S SOCCER HEAD COACH

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Athletics announced the hiring of Mads Kaiser as the new men’s soccer head coach. Kaiser becomes the ninth head coach in the history of the program.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Mads Kaiser as the next leader of our Men’s Soccer program,” said USI Vice President/Director of Athletics Jon Mark Hall. ” The interest level in this position was extremely high, including coaches that were competing in NCAA, NAIA, and JUCO national tournaments.

“This is a critical time for all of our programs with the conclusion of our transition to Division I and we are excited that Mads will be here to lead our men’s soccer student-athletes,” continued Hall. “Throughout our search, Mads consistently stood out for his tactical expertise, his proven track record of developing student-athletes, and his deep understanding of the competitive landscape in Division I soccer.”

“I’m extremely grateful to President Steven J. Bridges, Director of Athletics Jon Mark Hall, and the entire search committee for the trust they’ve placed in me,” said Kaiser. “This is a program with strong roots and tremendous potential, and our standards, work ethic, and identity will reflect that every day.

“I’m eager to get on the field with our student-athletes, engage our alumni, and start the work to build a program that the entire USI community can be proud of,” concluded Kaiser.

Kaiser comes to USI from Saint Francis University (Loretto, Pennsylvania) where he has directed the Red Flash to a 22-16-11 record over three seasons as the head coach.

In his three seasons at the helm, Kaiser was named the Northeast Conference Coach of the Year in 2023 when he directed the Red Flash to its only unbeaten Division I team (7-0-8 overall, 5-0-4 NEC). He also has guided St. Frances to three consecutive NEC Tournament appearances and coached a NEC Defensive Player of the Year (2023), two Goalkeepers of the Year (2023, 2025), and a NEC Rookie of the Year (2022).

St. Francis has had 11 All-NEC performers (10 first team, one second team) and seven NEC All-Rookie selections during his tenure at St. Francis.

The Red Flash finished second in the NEC regular season in 2025 and advanced to the NEC Tournament title game after finishing 8-9-1 overall and 7-2-0 in NEC play.

Kaiser started his career as Saint Francis’ head coach with the longest unbeaten streak in program history, 8-0-8. It took a visit to West Virginia, ranked no. 3 in the country at the time, to end the unbeaten run in the second match of the 2024 season.

Prior to joining the staff at St. Francis, Kaiser worked as the graduate assistant men’s soccer coach at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. In his almost three years with the Rangers, he helped guide the team back to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Final, posting a 21-12-5 record.

Before coaching in the collegiate ranks, Kaiser served as the head coach at Kings Hammer SC in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he guided the U12 academy team to the state cup quarterfinals in his first season.

The Rheinberg, Germany native earned his bachelor’s degree in sport management from Davis and Elkins College (2018) and a master’s degree in marketing from Regis (2020). He also holds a U.S. Soccer C License (B-License candidate) and is a UEFA C/B candidate (DFB Germany).

===========

VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL

BEACONS FEND OFF SALUKIS FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT HOME WIN

The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team raced out to a 39-20 halftime lead and led by as many as 21, before holding on to defeat Southern Illinois 69-63 on Wednesday night at the Athletics-Recreation Center. The Beacon bench outscored the Salukis 35-7, led by a big boost from sophomore Justus McNair (Joliet, Ill. / Joliet West), who poured in 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting.

How It Happened

Southern Illinois scored the game’s first four points, and the Salukis led 8-5 with 15:13 left in the first half.

That’s when the Beacons went on the most important run of the game, scoring the contest’s next 20 points. Isaiah Barnes (Chicago, Ill. / Simeon Career Academy [Tulsa/Michigan]) had a fastbreak dunk and hit a big 3 during that stretch, while McNair swished in two triples during the big Beacon burst.

By the time SIU finally made a free throw with 8:25 left in the half, Valpo had built up a 17-point lead and had held the Salukis without a point for nearly seven minutes. 

McNair made another 3 with 6:28 on the clock to push the lead to 19. His free throw with 1:33 left in the half gave Valpo its first 20-point lead of the night, and the cushion was 19 when the halftime horn sounded at 39-20.

SIU shot under 30 percent and missed eight of its nine 3-point attempts in the first half, while Valpo shot 50 percent from both the floor and from 3.

It was indeed a Missouri Valley Conference contest, so everyone knew that when one team had a big half, the other was likely to make a push. After Valpo took its largest lead of 21 early in the second half, SIU scored 14 of the game’s next 16 points to get within single figures at 43-34 with 13:28 to play.

A dunk by Shon Tupuola (Brownsburg, Ind. / Brownsburg [Saint Mary-of-the-Woods]) on a JT Pettigrew (Lisle, Ill. / Bolingbrook) assist lifted the lead to 13 with 10:37 left and reengaged the crowd. SIU whittled the lead to seven at 52-45 with 5:43 to go, but Brody Whitaker (Greencastle, Ind. / Greencastle [University of Indianapolis / Marian]) made two free throws then drained a 3 to lift the lead back to 12.

The gap fluctuated between nine and 12 before SIU got within six with 37 seconds left and within four with 10 seconds to play. Whitaker made two free throws with 10 seconds on the clock to allow the Beacons to escape despite being outscored 43-30 after halftime.

Inside the Game

McNair’s 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting and 4-of-6 from 3 played a key role in the game’s outcome. He had his highest scoring output in league play and second highest of the season behind 21 on Nov. 19 at Cleveland State. McNair’s four 3s marked a season high.

Whitaker finished with 12 points, the bulk of which came at the free-throw stripe, where he went 9-for-9. He tied a career high for made free throws, leading to his third double-figure scoring output in his last four games.

Over the last two games, Valpo’s bench has outscored the opponents’ bench 57-7. Wednesday’s 35-7 edge in bench points reversed the first matchup between the two teams, when Valpo faced a 30-13 disparity in that category.

Six of the seven players who came off the Beacon bench had positive plus-minus numbers, while four of the five starters were in the negative. Sader Servilus (Montreal, Quebec, Canada [Fort Erie International Academy]) posted a team-best +13.

Barnes scored eight points on 3-of-5 shooting and drained each of his two 3-point attempts. He had his highest scoring output in Valley play and highest since 10 points on Dec. 13 vs. UNCW.

Freshman Rakim Chaney (Rockford, Ill. / Rockford Auburn [212 Sports Academy]) handed out six assists, tied for his most in league play and one shy of a personal best.

Valpo’s strong 3-point defense continued as SIU finished the game just 3-of-14 (21.4 percent) from long distance.

Both teams scuffled from the free-throw line with SIU at 60 percent (18-of-30) and Valpo at 66.7 percent (20-of-30).

The Beacons improved to 9-3 at home and recorded their fourth straight victory at the ARC. This marks Valpo’s first four-game home winning streak since 2019-2020 (Drake, Indiana State, Evansville, Illinois State).

This marked the second straight game where Valpo defeated a team after losing to them earlier in the season – reversing the results on both UNI and Southern Illinois.

The victory was Valpo’s first home win over the Salukis since Feb. 12, 2020, ending a four-game home skid in head-to-head matchups.

Postgame Press Conference

Click here for postgame press conference.

Up Next

After a weekend off, Valpo (10-10, 4-5 MVC) will host Belmont next week on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the ARC on Pack the ARC Night. For tickets, visit tickets.valpoathletics.com.

===========

VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HITS ROAD, FACES BRADLEY FRIDAY

Valparaiso (0-19, 0-8 MVC)

Game #20 – January 23, 2026 – 6 p.m.

at Bradley (11-7, 4-3 MVC)

Renaissance Coliseum (4,200) – Peoria, Ill.

Next Up in Valpo Basketball: Approaching the midway point of the MVC slate, the Valpo women’s basketball team faces its first repeat opponent in Valley action as the Beacons take on Bradley for the second time in 15 days Friday evening.

Previously: The Beacons looked to erase a double-digit second-half deficit against Drake at the ARC for a second straight year, but Sunday’s effort came up short as the visiting Bulldogs earned a 66-56 victory. Coming off her record-setting performance Thursday night, Milana Nenadic again paced the Beacon offense with 18 points.

Following Valpo Basketball: Video: ESPN+

Links for live coverage: Available via ValpoAthletics.com

Head Coach Courtney Boyd (0-19 at Valpo, 1st season; 180-87 [.674] overall, 9th season): Courtney Boyd was named the ninth head coach of the Valparaiso University women’s basketball program on April 4, 2025. A national championship-winning head coach and player, an NAIA National Coach of the Year, and a two-time conference Coach of the Year, Boyd has won 20 or more games in seven of her first eight seasons as a head coach. She spent the last two seasons at the helm of the Quincy University program after six seasons as head coach at Clarke University, leading the latter program to the NAIA national title in 2022-23.

Series Notes: Bradley leads the all-time series between the two programs by a 14-11 mark, but Valpo has the 10-8 edge since joining the MVC. The Beacons had an eight-game winning streak in the series snapped at last season’s MVC Women’s Basketball Tournament, and in the first meeting this year, the Braves claimed an 80-44 win in Valpo. Kayla Preston finished with 15 points and six rebounds in that game.

@ValpoWBB…

…versus Drake

– Valpo jumped on top quickly, as Allia von Schlegell, Kayla Sullivan and Kayla Preston knocked down 3-pointers on three straight possessions to give the Beacons a 9-3 lead less than two minutes into the game. Valpo held the lead throughout the first quarter and led 18-14 at the end of the period.

– Drake went on a 17-3 run over the final six and a half minutes of the second quarter to take a 33-25 lead into halftime.

– Drake’s lead reached its apex at 48-34 with 3:36 to play in the third quarter before a Preston 3-point play slowed the Bulldog momentum. The Beacons trailed 54-45 with 10 minutes to play.

– Valpo’s defense kept Drake off the board for the first five possessions of the fourth quarter, and on the offensive end, a Preston layup and three points from Milana Nenadic had the Beacons within 54-50 with 6:51 remaining.

– After the scoreless stretch to open the quarter, the Bulldogs scored on three straight possessions to force a Valpo timeout with 5:14 to play and the score 60-50.

– Drake got its lead up to 12 points before a Nenadic triple and a Fiona Connolly layup had the deficit down to 62-55 with 2:08 to go.

– The Beacons got two more stops in a row on the defensive end to give themselves a chance to inch even closer, but a pair of great looks right at the rim on the offensive side didn’t fall.

– Coming off her 34-point game Thursday night, Nenadic paced Valpo on Sunday with 18 points and tied for team-high honors with five rebounds.

– Sullivan and Preston both scored in double figures as well, finishing with 11 and 10 points, respectively. For each of them, it was their second-highest scoring output this season. Sullivan hit 2-of-3 from the 3-point line, while Preston was 4-for-5 from the field.

– For just the third time this year (at Iowa State, Bradley), Valpo’s two leading scorers on the season —Connolly and von Schlegell — were limited to single digits, as both finished with seven points. Connolly did match Nenadic for team-high honors with five rebounds.

– Valpo shot just 32.1% from the floor Sunday, but the Beacons were 7-for-19 from 3-point range — they have now hit better than 35% from 3-point range in each of the last two games after doing so just once in the season’s first 17 contests.

– Drake shot 41.1% from the field, but was just 5-for-19 from beyond the arc. Valpo has held its opponents below 30% shooting from deep in five of the last six games.

…at Illinois State

– Allia von Schlegell knocked down a pair of early 3-pointers, Fiona Connolly hit from deep and Milana Nenadic had five quick points as the Beacons used a 11-2 run to jump out to a 14-8 lead approaching the midway mark of the first quarter.

– von Schlegell hit her third triple of the game with 2:28 to play in the period, and after Illinois State moved within one late in the quarter, converted a driving layup to put the Beacons up 23-20 after 10 minutes.

– The Redbirds regained the lead early in the second quarter, but von Schlegell returned the lead to the Beacons with another triple with 7:25 to play in the half. After a quick five-point spurt from ISU, Connolly slowed the Redbird momentum with a triple.

– Valpo was within 34-33 at the halfway mark of the second period before Illinois State went on a 17-2 run, closing the half leading 51-35.

– The Redbirds started the second half with another 17-2 run to push their lead to 68-37. The Beacons outscored ISU 13-8 over the final half of the third quarter — including nine points from Nenadic — to make it a 76-50 game with 10 minutes to play.

– After winning the first quarter, Valpo closed the game by winning the fourth quarter as well, 24-17. Nenadic nearly outscored the Redbirds herself in the final period, dropping 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting over the final 10 minutes.

– Nenadic was the story of the night for the Beacons, coming off the bench to deliver 34 points on 16-of-25 shooting – breaking the program’s single-game record for made field goals and moving into a tie for fifth in program history in points scored.

– Thursday marked the second time in the last three years a Beacon has dropped 30 or more at Illinois State, as Leah Earnest finished with 32 points at CEFCU Arena in 2024. No other Valpo opponent has had more than one 30-point performance against them since the start of the 2009-10 season.

– The game was bookended by big periods, as Nenadic closed with a 14-point quarter after von Schlegell had kicked off the game with 11 points in the first quarter.

– The freshman finished with 16 points, her 10th double-figure scoring effort of the year. She matched her season best for made field goals, going 6-of-9 from the floor — including 4-for-5 from 3-point range.

– von Schlegell also dished out a season-high five assists, matching Mikayla Huffine for team-high honors.

…looking ahead

– The Beacons come back to the ARC Thursday, Jan. 29 for a Kids Day game versus Indiana State at 11 a.m.

– A short trip follows next Saturday, Jan. 31 as Valpo heads up to the Windy City to face UIC.

…away from home

– Friday’s game is the fifth of 10 road games in MVC play for the Beacons, who played six true road games as well in the nonconference slate.

– Valpo is currently 0-9 in true road games.

– Last season’s squad posted a 3-11 mark in true road games.

….and @ValleyHoops

– Valpo is in its ninth season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.

– Valpo was picked outside the top-four of the MVC preseason poll, as the Valley released only the top four selections.

– The Valley finished last season ranked seventh in the NET, matching the conference’s highest NET/RPI ranking in Valpo’s time as an MVC member (2020-21).

…looking back at last year

– Valpo finished last season with a 13-19 overall record and went 9-11 in MVC play to finish in eighth place.

– Among the Beacons’ 13 victories were a thrilling rally from a 20-point deficit for a home win over Drake which entered the game ranked 69th in NET, the program’s highest-ranked win since a win over #54 UNI in 2021-22.

– Leah Earnest was tabbed a First Team All-MVC honoree as she concluded a decorated career that saw her finish first in program history in career rebounds and third in career scoring.

– The 2024-25 Beacons hit 245 3-pointers, third-most in a single season in program history, and tallied 314 steals, seventh on the program’s single-season chart and the most since 2001-02.

@BradleyWBB

– Bradley enters Friday’s game at 11-7 overall this season and sits in a three-way tie for fourth place in the MVC standings at 4-3 in Valley play.

– Since the first meeting of the season, the Braves have beaten Indiana State and Drake, while falling to UNI.

– Kaylen Nelson averages a team-best 17.6 points/game, while Maya Foz leads all MVC freshmen in scoring at 14.1 points/game.

Fancy Seeing You Again

– Valpo will take the court against Bradley for the second time in a 15-day span Friday night in Peoria.

– It is the second-shortest turnaround between games against the same team in the regular season since the program joined the MVC – in 2024, the Indiana State/Evansville weekends were just 14 days apart.

– The Beacons actually played Bradley twice in 14 days last season – the second regular season matchup and then the MVC Tournament game.

– In 2018, Valpo had just six days between playing Drake to close the regular season and meeting the Bulldogs again in the MVC Tournament.

Newcomer of the Week

– Redshirt junior Milana Nenadic was tabbed the MVC Newcomer of the Week Jan. 19 after two strong performances last week, including her record-setting night at Illinois State.

– Nenadic started the week with 34 points on 16-of-25 shooting and six rebounds at Illinois State (see more notes about that performance below), and followed with a team-high 18 points and five rebounds versus Drake.

– Nenadic’s 26 points/game average was the highest by any MVC player who played two games last week. She hit at a 54.8% clip from the field, including 5-of-11 from 3-point range after hitting just two 3-pointers over the season’s first 17 games.

– Nenadic is Valpo’s first weekly award honoree from the MVC in over four years, as the program’s last winner was Olivia Brown, who earned Newcomer of the Week accolades Jan. 10, 2022.

Nenadic’s Night

– It was truly a night to remember for Milana Nenadic at Illinois State last week, coming off the bench to deliver 34 points on 16-of-25 shooting.

– The 16 field goals made broke the program record for baskets in a single game, as the previous mark was shared at 15 by Deb Lahti (Feb. 19, 1983 vs. Carthage) and Lyn Swanson (Feb. 8, 1986 at Carthage).

– Nenadic is tied for ninth among NCAA D-I players this season for field goals in a game.

– Nenadic’s 25 field goal attempts are tied for eighth-most in a single game in Valpo history.

– The junior now shares fifth on Valpo’s single-game scoring chart with Dani Franklin, who dropped 34 at Stetson Nov. 12, 2016. Those two are the only Valpo players to score at least 34 in a game since 1992.

– To reiterate, Nenadic came off the bench — the 34 points are the most by a reserve in program history.

– The 34 points is tied with Murray State’s Halli Poock for the highest-scoring game by an MVC player this season.

– She scored her 34 points while being matched up primarily against a likely All-MVC honoree in Illinois State’s Doneelah Washington — notable, as Nenadic’s previous career best was 20 points earlier this year while facing All-American Audi Crooks at Iowa State.

Some Good Company

– Nenadic is just the fourth MVC player in the last nine seasons with at least 16 baskets in a game, and joins a few pretty solid players in that department — Drake’s Katie Dinnebier, Belmont’s Destinee Wells and Murray State’s Katelyn Young. She is tied for 24th overall in MVC history for baskets in a game.

– You want an even bigger name? Nenadic is the first D-I player to score at least 34 points in a game without a single free throw attempt since UConn’s Azzi Fudd scored 34 with zero trips to the foul line last February against St. John’s.

More on the Illinois State Trip

– Led by Nenadic and von Schlegell, Valpo shot a season best from the field, hitting 32-of-72 — its 32 made baskets the program’s most in a single game since Dec. 28, 2019 against Chicago State.

– The Beacons gave themselves that many chances at the basket because they committed a season-low eight turnovers, their lowest mark since committing just eight miscues against Bradley Jan. 29, 2023. Contrast that with the team’s 17 assists, their second-best mark of the season.

– Despite forcing just nine turnovers, Valpo won the turnover battle for the first time this season.

Skip the Second?

– Three times in MVC play, the second quarter has proven to be the Beacons’ undoing, including each of the last two.

– Last time out, Drake outscored Valpo 19-7 in the second quarter, while the Beacons outscored the Bulldogs 49-47 in the other three periods.

– At Illinois State, a 31-12 second quarter for the Redbirds accounted for the entire final margin, as Valpo matched ISU 62-62 in the other three quarters.

– At Indiana State, the Sycamores’ 24-13 advantage in the second quarter offset Valpo’s 65-64 edge in the other three periods.

Fiona Leads the Way

– Senior Fiona Connolly has been a consistent offensive presence for Valpo this season, scoring in double figures in 11 of her 18 appearances and being held under eight points just twice.

– Connolly is averaging a team-best 11.7 points/game this season, over triple her scoring average of 3.5 points/game last year.

– She has also nearly doubled her production on the boards, averaging 4.0rebounds/game this season after posting 2.2 boards/game last year.

Allia Heats Up

– Freshman Allia von Schlegell has been on a tear in the scoring department recently.

– von Schlegell has scored in double figures seven times in Valpo’s last 10 games, averaging 13.4 points/game over that stretch.

– Included in this run is a 17-point effort at Indiana State; back-to-back 18-point games versus SIUE and at Western Michigan; and a game-high and season-best 19 points at Evansville.

– von Schlegell currently ranks third among MVC freshmen in scoring (9.8 points/game) and first in 3-pointers made (34).

Nonconference Scoring

– von Schlegell scored in double figures six times in nonconference action, among the best in program history in terms of double-digit scoring outputs by a freshman in nonconference games since Valpo joined the North Star Conference for the 1987-88 season:

Dani Franklin, 2014-15, 11

Meredith Hamlet, 2015-16, 8

Tabitha Gerardot, 2010-11, 8

Sarrah Stricklett, 1996-97, at least 7 (2 boxes unavailable)

Debbie Bolen, 1989-90, at least 7 (1 box unavailable)

Jeanette Gray, 1999-2000, 7

Allia von Schlegell, 2025-26, 6

Stephanie Greer, 1987-88, 6

Amy Cole, 1987-88, 6

Linda Batz, 1987-88, 6

Ali Saunders, 2022-23, 5

Jamie Gutowski, 2002-03, 5

– Notably, the six players ahead of von Schlegell on that list all went on to earn All-Freshman/Newcomer Team honors and closed their time at Valpo among the top-12 in program history in career scoring.

Shifting Starters

– Valpo used its eighth different starting lineup of the season at Southern Illinois, as Kayla Preston made her first collegiate start after coming off the bench in each of her previous 58 collegiate appearances.

– Ten different players have been a part of at least one starting five this year, with only one – Mikayla Huffine – starting every game.

– Mor Shabtai had started 34 consecutive games dating back to last season prior to missing the Indiana State/Evansville road trip due to injury.

The Tall and the Short

– This year’s Valpo roster features recent extremes on both ends of the height spectrum.

– Mor Shabtai and Mikayla Huffine both are listed at 5-4, making them the shortest Valpo players since 5-3 Rashida Ray (2007-11).

– On the flip side, Kamryn Winch and Milana Nenadic both check in at 6-3, making them the tallest Valpo players since 6-5 Nicole Johanson (2018-19).

International Flavor

– Valpo has a trio of international players on its 2025-26 roster: sophomore Mor Shabtai (Israel) and transfers Milana Nenadic (Ontario, Canada) and Kennedy Sproule (Manitoba, Canada).

– Prior to Shabtai’s arrival last year, the Valpo program hadn’t had an international player since Sharon Karungi (Uganda) roamed the paint from 2013-15.

Sister Act

– For the third straight season, the Beacons have a pair of sisters on their roster, as freshman Nuala Connolly joins senior sister Fiona on this year’s squad.

– The last two years featured identical twins Nevaeh and Saniya Jackson.

– Before that, the last set of sisters to suit up together in the Brown and Gold were the trio of Hamlet sisters: Annemarie (2013-16) overlapped with both older sister Elizabeth (2013-14) and younger sister Meredith (2015-19).

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

UINDY MEN’S BASKETBALL

HOUNDS HEAD TO MISSOURI TO FACE BEARCATS, PANTHERS

vs. Southwest Baptist (9-8)
Thursday // January 22
8:30 p.m. ET // Bolivar, MO
Watch | Listen | Live Stats

vs Drury (8-9) 
Saturday // January 24
4:30 p.m. ET // Springfield, MO
Watch | Listen | Live Stats

Fresh off an 89-87 win over Rockhurst, the Hounds are back on the road, traveling to Bolivar, MO, to face Southwest Baptist Thursday night, before facing Drury in Springfield, MO on Saturday.

In their game against Rockhurst, UIndy finished with five players scoring in double-digits, with Carmelo Harris leading the way with 23 points. Ethan Edwards was next in the scoring column, finishing with 15 points on 6-8 shooting off the bench. Shaun Arnold collected his fifth double-double of the season, ending the game with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Southwest Baptist

The Bearcats are currently T-12th in the GLVC standings, with a 3-6 mark in league play, and a 9-8 record overall. Southwest Baptist has lost their last three games, with their most recent result being a 61-84 loss at Illinois Springfield. A key to SBU’s success is a hard-nosed defensive collective, as the Bearcats hone the GLVC’s 4th strongest scoring defense, allowing just 68.1 points per game. On the offensive front, Zac Reedus and Barron Silsby offer a strong one-two punch. Reedus sits 10th in the GLVC in scoring, averaging 16.2 points per game. Silsby puts up a solid 13.6 points on average, with the 7th-best three-point percentage in the league (37.4%).

Drury

The Panthers will look to return to the win column in their Thursday night matchup against Illinois Springfield, after falling to McKendree 89-76 on Saturday. As a squad, the Panthers are averaging 82.4 ppg while only allowing their opponents 77.4 ppg. Drury is led by junior guard Zach Howell who is putting up 16.2 ppg for his squad. The Panthers are first in the GLVC in steals per game (9.1) and rank second in the league in assists (15.6), turnovers forced (14.7) and blocks (3.5) per game.

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

UINDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

UINDY HITS ROAD FOR TWO MORE GLVC CONTESTS

at Southwest Baptist (5-10)
Thursday // January 22
6:30 p.m. ET // Bolivar, MO
Watch | Live Stats | Listen

at Drury (6-7)
Saturday // January 24
2 p.m. ET // Springfield, MO
Watch | Live Stats | Listen | Tickets 

The Greyhounds head into this weekend’s GLVC doubleheader weekend of games with a two game win streak, picking up the team’s first two GLVC wins this season against Rockhurst and William Jewell. Graycie Poe is coming off a stellar weekend of play with games of 13 points, and a season-high 21 against Rockhurst. Poe also went a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line, while racking up eight boards and six assists in two games.

Southwest Baptist

The Bearcats hone a 5-10 mark on the season, with a 2-7 record in league play. SBU is coming off a 51-89 loss at Illinois Springfield, where they shot just 30.4% from the field. Natalia Crooke leads the way in the scoring department, averaging 10.5 points per game.

Drury

The Panthers sport one of the best records in the GLVC this season, with a 7-2 conference record, and a 10-6 overall record. Drury enters Saturday’s contest rankings top-3 in points-per-game (69.8), field goal percentage (.436), and 3-point percentage (.364), while dominating the defense glass, grabbing 28.7 boards per contest.

Sara Menderl and Rhi Gibbons both ranking top-10 in the GLVC in points-per-game, with 14.2 and 14.1 points per game, respectively. Along with leading the team in scoring, Mendel also grabs a league-high 9.9 boards per game, and 11 double-doubles on the year with a 23 and 11 outing against Union (TN).

===========

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

On January 22 in …

1857 – National Association of Baseball Players founded, New York.

1883 – England complete first innings victory in Tests versus Australia at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

1927 – The world’s first live radio commentary of a soccer match is broadcast.

1942 – Sietze de Groot wins 8th Dutch 11-city skate (8:44:06).

1948 – Jim Laker takes 7-103 in his first Test Cricket innings versus West Indies Barbados.

1950 – Polly Riley wins LPGA Tampa Golf Open.

1951 – Fidel Castro is ejected from a Winter League game after beaning batter.

1956 – Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Tampa Golf Open.

1956 – Canadian Football Council forms.

1960 – 10th NBA All-Star Game: East beats West 125-115 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1960 – Paul Pender beats Sugar Ray Robinson for middleweight boxing title.

1963 – Ruth Jessen wins LPGA Naples Professional Golf Tournament.

1967 – NFL Pro Bowl: East beats West 20-10.

1968 – NBA announces it will expand to Milwaukee and Phoenix.

1969 – Roy Campanella and Stan Musial elected to baseball Hall of Fame.

1970 – Test debut of Barry Richards, South Africa versus Australia, Cape Town.

1972 – 22nd NBA All-Star Game: West beats East 112-110 at Los Angeles, California.

1973 – George Foreman TKOs Joe Frazier in two rounds for heavyweight boxing title.

1980 – PGA begins a senior golf tour.

1980 – West Indies beat England 2-0 to win first World Series Cup.

1981 – 40th New York Islanders’ shut-out 3-0 versus Detroit Red Wings-Billy Smith’ 15th.

1981 – O A “Bum” Phillips becomes head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

1982 – Free agent Reggie Jackson signs a four-year, nearly US$4 million contract with the California Angels.

1983 – Björn Borg retires from tennis after winning five consecutive Wimbledon championships.

1984 – Annette Kennedy of SUNY sets women’s basketball record with 70 points.

1984 – Hilbert van de Thumb becomes European all-round skates.

1984 – NFL Super Bowl XVIII: Los Angeles Raiders beat Washington Redskins 38-9 in Tampa, Florida; Most Valuable Player: Marcus Allen, Running Back.

1987 – Blizzard in New Jersey, as 334 attend the New Jersey Devils – Calgary Flames NHL game, New Jersey wins 7-5.

1988 – First-class cricket debut of Brian Lara, Trinidad and Tobago versus Leeward Island.

1988 – First-class cricket debut of Hansie Cronje, OFS versus Transvaal.

1988 – Mike Tyson TKOs Larry Holmes in four rounds for heavyweight boxing title.

1989 – Super Bowl XXIII: San Francisco 49ers beat Cincinnati Bengals, 20-16 in Miami; Most Valuable Player: Jerry Rice, San Francisco, Wide Receiver.

1990 – Wasim Akram scores Test century (123) at Adelaide.

1990 – Will Clark, National League’s Most Valuable Player signs a $15 million four-year contract with San Francisco Giants.

1993 – Johan Koss skates world record 5km in 6:38.77.

1994 – 45th NHL All-Star Game; East beat West 9-8 at New York Rangers.

1995 – Pat Bradley wins LPGA HealthSouth Inaugural Golf Tournament.

1998 – NHL’s Minnesota franchise selects the nickname Wild.

1998 – Rickey Henderson rejoins Oakland Athletics for fourth time.

1998 – World League of American Football becomes NFL East.

2003 – Catcher Ivan Rodriguez signs a one-year deal worth $10 million to play with the Florida Marlins.

2006 – Kobe Bryant scores 81 points in regulation NBA basketball play and is second only to the legendary 1960s center Wilt Chamberlain, who had 100 points.

2022 – At SAP Center in San Jose, California, USA, NHL regular season game: Tampa Bay Lightning beats San Jose Sharks by score 7-1.

2022 – At Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, NHL regular season game: Edmonton Oilers beats Calgary Flames by score 5-3.

2022 – At Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA, NHL regular season game: Minnesota Wild beats Chicago Blackhawks by score 4-3.

2022 – At Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, NHL regular season game: Nashville Predators beats Detroit Red Wings by score 4-1.

2022 – At UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, USA, NHL regular season game: Toronto Maple Leafs beats New York Islanders by score 3-1.

2022 – At Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, USA, NHL regular season game: Colorado Avalanche beats Monteal Canadiens by score 3-2.

2022 – At Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., USA, NHL regular season game: Washington Capitals beats Ottawa Senators by score 3-2.

2022 – At Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, USA, NHL regular season game: New York Rangers beats Arizona Coyotes by score 7-3.

2022 – At Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, USA, NHL regular season game: New Jersey Devils beats Carolina Hurricanes by score 7-4.

2022 – At TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, NHL regular season game: Boston Bruins beats Winnipeg Jets by score 3-2.

2022 – At KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, USA, NHL regular season game: Buffalo Sabres beats Philadelphia Flyers by score 6-3.

Births of sports figures on January 22

1915 – Birth of Tom Burtt; cricket player (slow left-armer took 33 wickets for New Zealand).

1921 – Birth of Andy Ganteaume; cricket player (West Indies batsman, 112 in only Test innings 1948).

1931 – Birth of Galina Zybina in USSR; discus thrower (15 world records between 1952-58).

1931 – Birth of Rauno Makinen in Finland; Greco-Roman featherweight (Olympics-gold-1956).

1952 – Birth of Karen Moe [Thornton]; American swimmer (Olympics-gold-1972).

1957 – Birth of Mike Bossy; NHL forward (New York Islanders).

1961 – Birth of Barb Thomas Whitehead in Sibley, Iowa, USA; LPGA golfer (1995 Hawaiian Open).

1963 – Birth of Jeff Treadway; US baseball infielder (Los Angeles Dodgers).

1964 – Birth of Stojko Vrankovic; NBA center (Los Angeles Clippers).

1964 – Birth of Wayne Kirby in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA; outfielder (Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers).

1965 – Birth of Tim Prukop; WLAF linebacker-secondary coach (Amsterdam Admirals).

1966 – Birth of Carlton Haselrig; NFL guard (New York Jets).

1966 – Birth of Nishantha Ranatunga; cricket player (brother of Arjuna Sri Lankan ODI allrounder).

1967 – Birth of Manabu Nakanishi; wrestler (NJPW).

1967 – Birth of Nicholas Gillingham; British swimmer (world record 200m freestyle).

1968 – Birth of Andrey Sokolov; hockey defenseman (Team Kazakhstan Olympics-1998).

1968 – Birth of Brian Jones; NFL linebacker (New Orleans Saints).

1969 – Birth of Keith Gordon; US baseball outfielder (Cincinnati Reds).

1969 – Birth of Ousmane Bary; WLAF cornerback (Barcelona Dragons).

1969 – Birth of Shelley Sandie; Australian basketball guard (Olympics-1988, 1996).

1969 – Birth of Vinnie Clark; NFL cornerback (Jacksonville Jaguars).

1970 – Birth of Keith Wagner; NFL/WLAF tackle (New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Scottish Claymores).

1971 – Birth of Bucky Brooks; wide receiver (Jacksonville Jaguars).

1972 – Birth of Steve Scifres; guard/tackle (Dallas Cowboys).

1972 – Birth of Toddrick McIntosh; NFL defensive end (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

1973 – Birth of Deon Minor in Paris, Texas, USA; 400m runner.

1973 – Birth of George Noga; Canadian Football League linebacker (Winnipeg Blue Bombers).

1973 – Birth of Reggie Barlow; wide receiver (Jacksonville Jaguars).

1973 – Birth of Said Larossi; soccer player (Emmen/Vitesse).

1973 – Birth of Vincent Bradford; linebacker (San Francisco 49ers).

1974 – Birth of Pavel Mikhalevitch; soccer player (NEC).

1974 – Birth of Stephanie Rottier in Saint Niklaas, Belgium; tennis star (1995 semi Prague).

1975 – Birth of Lee Maxwell Francis Vertongen in Palmerston North, New Zealand; cyclist (Olympics-1996).

Deaths of sports figures on January 22

1968 – Duke Kahanamoku of Hawaii, 100m swimmer (Olympics-gold-1912, 1920, 1924), dies at age 77.

1978 – Herbert Sutcliffe, cricket player (54 Tests for England 4555 runs), dies (born 1894).

1983 – Fred Bakewell, cricket player (dashing England bat of 1930s, 6 Tests), dies.

2001 – Death of Tommie Agee of cardiac arrest in Manhattan, New York, at age 58; Major League Baseball center fielder for the New York Mets, American League Rookie of the Year in 1966.

On January 23 in …

1879 – US National Archery Association is formed, in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

1902 – Winnipeg Victorias sweep Toronto Wellingtons in two games for the Stanley Cup.

1943 – Detroit Red Wings scores NHL record 8 goals in one period.

1944 – Detroit Red Wings score 15 goals against New York Rangers and NHL record 37 points, also most consecutive goals and most lopsided game 15-0.

1948 – Donald Bradman scores 201 in 272 minutes versus India, 21 fours 1 six.

1948 – Test debut of Neil Harvey, versus India at Adelaide.

1950 – Associated Press picks “Miracle Braves” of 1914 as greatest sports upset.

1950 – NFL rule changes open way for two-platoon system (offense and defense).

1953 – Bobby Simpson makes first-class debut for New South Wales at age 16 years 357 days.

1953 – NFL Dallas Texans become Baltimore Colts (later Indianapolis Colts).

1953 – NFL’s National and American conferences become Eastern and Western conferences.

1954 – Longest undefeated streak in Toronto Maple Leaf history (18 games).

1955 – Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins LPGA Tampa Golf Open.

1958 – Hanif Mohammad completes 337 in 970 minutes versus West Indies.

1962 – Bob Feller and Jackie Robinson elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.

1965 – BPAA All-Star Tournament won by Dick Weber.

1965 – Boston Celtics’ center Bill Russell misses all 14 shots in loss to Philadelphia Warriors led by Wilt Chamberlain.

1967 – Stan Musial is named general manager of Saint Louis Cardinals.

1968 – Joe Medwick elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.

1971 – 4th ABA All-Star Game: East 126 beats West 122 at Carolina.

1972 – Ard Schenk becomes European all-round skating champ.

1972 – Second NFL Pro Bowl: AFC beats NFC 26-13.

1973 – 23rd NBA All-Star Game: East beats West 104-84 at Chicago, Illinois.

1975 – Ralph Kiner elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame.

1976 – Ian Redpath hits his only two sixes in Cricket Tests, versus West Indies Adelaide.

1976 – Washington Capitals end 25-game winless streak (0-22-3) beating New York Rangers 7-5.

1978 – 8th NFL Pro Bowl: NFC beats AFC 14-13.

1979 – Willie Mays elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.

1981 – Mike Bossy becomes first in NHL to score 50 goals in 50 games.

1981 – Boston Red Sox trade Fred Lynn to California Angels for Frank Tanana and Joe Rudi.

1983 – Houston Rockets is first NBA team to be held scoreless in an overtime Portland Trail Blazers out-score them 17-0 and win 113-96.

1983 – Schöne skates ladies world record 5 km (7:40.97).

1984 – Greatest unpaced one-hour bicycle distance, F Moser (Italy), 51.15 km.

1984 – Buffalo Sabres win NHL record 10th straight road game.

1988 – 62nd Australian Women’s Tennis: Steffi Graf beats Chris Evert (6-1, 7-6).

1988 – Bob Benoit bowls first 300-point game in a televised title match.

1989 – NBA New Jersey Nets begin a 32+ game road losing streak.

1990 – Dean Jones scores twin Test tons versus Pakistan at Adelaide Oval.

1993 – Graham Gooch scores his 100th 100, on tour at Cuttack.

1993 – US female Figure Skating championship won by Nancy Kerrigan.

1994 – Bernie Kosar is second quarterback to throw touchdown passes in AFC and NFC Championship games.

1996 – Chris Cairns scores 120, 96 balls, 10×4, 9×6 in Test New Zealand versus Zimbabwe.

2022 – At Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, NHL regular season game: Saint Louis Blues beats Vancouver Canucks by score 3-1.

2022 – At Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, USA, NHL regular season game: Seattle Kraken beats Florida Panthers by score 5-3.

2022 – At Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, USA, NHL regular season game: Los Angeles Kings beats New Jersey Devils by score 3-2.

2022 – At Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, USA, NHL regular season game: Ottawa Senators beats Columbus Blue Jackets by score 2-1.

2022 – At PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, NHL regular season game: Pittsburgh Penguins beats Winnipeg Jets by score 3-2.

Births of sports figures on January 23

1915 – Birth of Herma Bauma in Austria; javelin thrower (Olympics-gold-1948).

1919 – Birth of Bob Paisley; English soccer player/trainer/manager of FC Liverpool.

1919 – Birth of Nina Dumbadze; USSR discus thrower (Olympics-bronze-1952).

1923 – Birth of Horace Ashenfelter; American 3000m steeplechase (Olympics-gold-1952).

1928 – Birth of Eugene Monti in Italy; bobsledder (Olympics-2 golds-1968).

1928 – Birth of Kees [Cornelis] Broekman; Dutch speed skater (Olympics-silver-1952).

1929 – Birth of Ian Thomson; cricket player (England seam bowler versus South Africa 1964-65).

1936 – Birth of Jerry Kramer; football player (Green Bay Packers), author (Instant Replay).

1942 – Birth of Laurie Mayne; cricket player (Australian pace bowler in six Tests 1965-70).

1944 – Birth of Sergey Belov; USSR basketball player (Olympics-gold-1972).

1946 – Birth of Asif Masood; cricket player (Pakistani quick with long and erratic run-up).

1951 – Birth of Margaret Johnson Bailes in the Bronx, New York, USA; 4X100 runner (Olympics-gold-1968).

1951 – Birth of Michael Matz; equestrian show jumper (Olympics-silver-1996).

1952 – Birth of Omar Henry; cricket player (first colored player for South Africa 1992).

1953 – Birth of Pat Haden in Westbury, New York, USA; NFL quarterback (Los Angeles Rams).

1954 – Birth of Trevor Hohns; cricket player (Australian leg-spinner 1989).

1960 – Birth of Greg Ritchie; cricket player (Queensland and Australian batsman Fat Cat Mahatma Cote).

1961 – Birth of Trey Junkin; tight end (Arizona Cardinals).

1963 – Birth of Hakeem Olajuwon; NBA center (Houston Rockets).

1963 – Birth of Rocco Romano; Canadian Football League guard (Calgary Stampeders).

1964 – Birth of Frank Winters; NFL center (Green Bay Packers-Super Bowl XXXI).

1965 – Birth of Tim Berrett in Tunbridge Wells, England; Canadian 20k walker (Olympics-14-1992, 1996).

1966 – Birth of Haywoode Workman; NBA guard (Indiana Pacers).

1966 – Birth of Mike Brim; NFL cornerback (Cincinnati Bengals).

1966 – Birth of Scott Fortune in Newport Beach, California, USA; volleyball player (Olympics-Gold-1988, Bronze-1992, 1996).

1967 – Birth of Christine Parris-Washington in Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada; softball (Olympics-1996).

1967 – Birth of Naim Suleymanoglu in Bulgaria; Turkish weight lifter (Olympics-gold-1988).

1968 – Birth of Eric Metcalf; NFL receiver/running back (Atlanta Falcons, San Diego Chargers).

1968 – Birth of Lubomir Kolnik in Skalica, Czechoslovakia; hockey forward (Team Slovakia, Espoo).

1968 – Birth of Petr Korda in Prague, Czechoslovakia; tennis star (1993 Doubles-Cincinnati Ohio).

1968 – Birth of Todd Scott; NFL safety (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

1969 – Birth of Brendan Shanahan in Mimico, Ontario, Canada; NHL left wing (Hartford Whalers, Detroit Red Wings).

1969 – Birth of Eric Carter; Canadian Football League cornerback (Hamilton Tiger Cats).

1970 – Birth of Alan Embree in Vancouver, Washington, USA; pitcher (Cleveland Indians).

1970 – Birth of Jim Schwantz; NFL linebacker (Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers).

1970 – Birth of Mark Wohlers in Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA; pitcher (Atlanta Braves).

1970 – Birth of Marquel Fleetwood; WLAF quarterback (Frankfurt Galaxy).

1970 – Birth of Richard Smehlik in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia; NHL defenseman (Buffalo Sabres, Olympics-Gold-1998).

1970 – Birth of Sherman Obando in Changuinola, Panamá; outfielder (Montreal Expos).

1971 – Birth of Adam Parore; cricket wicket-keeper (New Zealand, first Maori Test centurion).

1971 – Birth of James Logan; WLAF linebacker (Scotland Claymores).

1971 – Birth of Julie Foudy in San Diego, California, USA; soccer midfielder (Olympics-1996).

1971 – Birth of Kevin Mawae; NFL center/guard (Seattle Seahawks).

1971 – Birth of Mark Grimmette in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; doubles luger (Olympics-1994).

1972 – Birth of Anthony Peterson; NFL linebacker (Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers).

1972 – Birth of Gary Harrell; NFL/WLAF receiver (New York Giants, Frankfurt Galaxy).

1972 – Birth of Kez McCorvey; NFL wide receiver (Detroit Lions).

1972 – Birth of Tanya Harding; Australian softball pitcher (Olympics-bronze-1996).

1973 – Birth of Mark Kolesar in Minnesota, USA; NHL right wing (Toronto Maple Leafs).

1974 – Birth of Glen Chapple; cricket player (Lancashire and England A pace bowler).

1975 – Birth of Kevin Alexander; NFL wide receiver (New York Giants).

1976 – Birth of Byron Hanspard; NFL running back (Atlanta Falcons).

1976 – Birth of Phil Boudreault in Copper Cliff, Ontario, Canada; boxer (Olympics-1996).

1980 – Birth of Theresa Kulikowski in Tacoma, Washington; gymnast (World-bronze-1995, Olympics-1996).

Deaths of sports figures on January 23

1947 – Roy Park, cricket player (prolific Victorian bat and official), dies.

1997 – Laura “Dinky” Patterson dies during bungee jump at Super Bowl rehearsal at age 43.

===========

TV SPORTS

Thursday, 1/22/26

NBA REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Charlotte Hornets vs Orlando Magic	7:00pm	FanDuel Sports FL FanDuel Sports CHA
Houston Rockets vs Philadelphia 76ers	7:00pm	SCHN NBCS-PHI
Denver Nuggets vs Washington Wizards	7:00pm	ALT MNMT
Golden State Warriors vs Dallas Mavericks	7:30pm	Prime
Chicago Bulls vs Minnesota Timberwolves	8:00pm	CHSN FanDuel Sports North
San Antonio Spurs vs Utah Jazz	9:30pm	FanDuel Sports SW KJZZ
Miami Heat vs Portland Trail Blazers	10:00pm	FanDuel Sports Sun Rip City
Los Angeles Lakers vs Los Angeles Clippers	10:00pm	Prime
NHL REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Chicago Blackhawks vs Carolina Hurricanes	7:00pm	Hulu ESPN+
Vegas Golden Knights vs Boston Bruins	7:00pm	Scripps NESN
Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens	7:00pm	MSG-BUF RDS
Dallas Stars vs Columbus Blue Jackets	7:00pm	Victory+ FanDuel Sports Ohio
Ottawa Senators vs Nashville Predators	8:00pm	FanDuel Sports NSH TSN
Florida Panthers vs Winnipeg Jets	8:00pm	Scripps TSN
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Edmonton Oilers	9:00pm	ATTSN-PIT SN
Detroit Red Wings vs Minnesota Wild	9:30pm	ESPN ESPN+
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL	TIME ET	TV
UAlbany at Maine	6:00pm	ESPN+
Binghamton at New Hampshire	6:00pm	ESPN+
Vermont at UMass Lowell	6:00pm	ESPN+
NJIT at UMBC	6:00pm	ESPN+
Green Bay at Youngstown State	6:30pm	ESPN+
Louisiana at App State	6:30pm	ESPN+
South Florida at UAB	7:00pm	ESPN2
Wisconsin vs. Penn State	7:00pm	FS1
Monmouth at Hampton	7:00pm	CBSSN
Marist at Siena	7:00pm	SNY
UNCW at William & Mary	7:00pm	MASN
Campbell at Charleston	7:00pm	WCBD-DT2
Southern Miss at Georgia State	7:00pm	ESPN+
Eastern Kentucky at North Florida	7:00pm	ESPN+
ULM at Marshall	7:00pm	ESPN+
Milwaukee at Robert Morris	7:00pm	ESPN+
Central Arkansas at West Georgia	7:00pm	ESPN+
South Alabama at James Madison	7:00pm	ESPN+
Quinnipiac at Mount St. Mary’s	7:00pm	ESPN+
Canisius at Sacred Heart	7:00pm	ESPN+
Niagara at Fairfield	7:00pm	ESPN+
Merrimack at Iona	7:00pm	ESPN+
Arkansas State at Georgia Southern	7:00pm	ESPN+
Texas State at Coastal Carolina	7:00pm	ESPN+
Bellarmine at Jacksonville	7:00pm	ESPN+
Towson at Elon	7:00pm	FloCollege
Hofstra at North Carolina A&T	7:00pm	FloCollege
Stony Brook at Northeastern	7:00pm	FloCollege
Western Illinois at Morehead State	7:30pm	ESPN+
Stetson at Lipscomb	8:00pm	ESPN+
FGCU at Austin Peay	8:00pm	ESPN+
North Dakota at Oral Roberts	8:00pm	Summit
Tennessee Tech at Lindenwood	8:30pm	ESPN+
Eastern Illinois at Southern Indiana	8:30pm	ESPN+
Little Rock at Southeast Missouri	8:30pm	ESPN+
Tennessee State at SIUE	9:00pm	ESPNU
Missouri State at NM State	9:00pm	CBSSN
North Dakota State at Denver	9:00pm	ALT2
Portland State at Eastern Washington	9:00pm	SWX
South Dakota State at St. Thomas	9:00pm	KMSP-DT2
Idaho State at Montana State	9:00pm	ESPN+
Weber State at Montana	9:00pm	ESPN+
UC San Diego at UC Davis	9:00pm	ESPN+
Sacramento State at Idaho	9:00pm	ESPN+
FIU at UTEP	9:00pm	ESPN+
Cal Poly at UC Santa Barbara	9:00pm	ESPN+
UC Irvine at UC Riverside	10:00pm	ESPN+
Long Beach State at Cal State Fullerton	10:00pm	ESPN+
CSU Bakersfield at Hawai’i	11:59pm	ESPN+
GOLF	TIME ET	TV
PGA Tour: The American Express	4:00pm	GOLF
Champions Tour: Mitsubishi Electric Championship	7:00pm	GOLF
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
UEFA Europa League: Bologna vs Celtic	12:45pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Europa League: Brann vs Midtjylland	12:45pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Europa League: PAOK vs Real Betis	12:45pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Europa League: Feyenoord vs Sturm Graz	12:45pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Europa League: Young Boys vs Olympique Lyonnais	12:45pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Europa League: Fenerbahçe vs Aston Villa	12:45pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Europa League: Malmö FF vs Crvena Zvezda	12:45pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Europa League: Celta de Vigo vs Lille	3:00pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Europa League: Nice vs Go Ahead Eagles	3:00pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Europa League: Ferencváros vs Panathinaikos	3:00pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Europa League: Rangers vs Ludogorets	3:00pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Europa League: Roma vs Stuttgart	3:00pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Europa League: Salzburg vs Basel	3:00pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Europa League: Dinamo Zagreb vs FCSB	3:00pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Europa League: Utrecht vs Genk	3:00pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Europa League: Sporting Braga vs Nottingham Forest	3:00pm	Paramount+ VIX

Friday, 1/23/2026

NBA REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Toronto Raptors vs Indiana Pacers	7:00pm	SN FanDuel Sports IND
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Charlotte Hornets	7:00pm	ESPN FanDuel Sports CHA FanDuel Sports Ohio
Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics	7:30pm	FanDuel Sports IND NBCS-BOS
Brooklyn Nets vs New York Knicks	7:30pm	YES MSG
Atlanta Hawks vs Memphis Grizzlies	8:00pm	FanDuel Sports ATL FanDuel Sports MEM
Detroit Pistons vs New Orleans Pelicans	8:00pm	FanDuel Sports DET GCSN
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Milwaukee Bucks	9:30pm	ESPN FanDuel Sports OKC FanDuel Sports MIL
Toronto Raptors vs Sacramento Kings	10:00pm	TSN NBCS-CA
NHL REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Chicago Blackhawks	7:00pm	ESPN ESPN+
Vegas Golden Knights vs Toronto Maple Leafs	7:00pm	Scripps SN
St. Louis Blues vs Dallas Stars	8:00pm	Victory+ FanDuel Sports MW
Philadelphia Flyers vs Colorado Avalanche	9:00pm	NBCS-PHI ALT2
Washington Capitals vs Calgary Flames	9:00pm	MNMT SN
New Jersey Devils vs Vancouver Canucks	10:00pm	MSGSN SN
New York Rangers vs San Jose Sharks	10:00pm	MSG NBCS-CA
Anaheim Ducks vs Seattle Kraken	10:00pm	Victory+ KONG
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL	TIME ET	TV
Mercyhurst at New Haven	11:30am	NEC Front Row
Saint Louis at St. Bonaventure	5:30pm	ESPN2
Indiana at Rutgers	6:00pm	FS1
UMass at Buffalo	7:00pm	CBSSN
Chicago State at Saint Francis U	7:00pm	NEC Front Row
Wagner at Le Moyne	7:00pm	NEC Front Row
LIU at Stonehill	7:00pm	NEC Front Row
Fairleigh Dickinson at Central Connecticut	7:00pm	NEC Front Row
Ohio State at Michigan	8:00pm	FOX
Marquette at Butler	8:00pm	FS1
Akron at Ohio	8:00pm	ESPNU
Utah State at Colorado State	10:00pm	FS1
GOLF	TIME ET	TV
PGA Tour: The American Express	4:00pm	GOLF
Champions Tour: Mitsubishi Electric Championship	7:00pm	GOLF
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
Bundesliga: St. Pauli vs Hamburger SV	2:30pm	ESPN+ fuboTV
Serie A: Internazionale vs Pisa	2:45pm	Paramount+
Ligue 1: Auxerre vs PSG	2:00pm	beIN Sports
La Liga: Levante vs Elche	3:00pm	ESPN+ fuboTV

Saturday, 1/24/26

NBA REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers	2:00pm	ABC ESPN+
Golden State Warriors vs Minnesota Timberwolves	5:30pm	ABC ESPN+
Washington Wizards vs Charlotte Hornets	6:00pm	MNMT FanDuel Sports CHA
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic	7:00pm	FanDuel Sports Ohio FanDuel Sports FL
Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls	8:00pm	NBCS-BOS CHSN
Los Angeles Lakers vs Dallas Mavericks	8:30pm	ABC ESPN+
Miami Heat vs Utah Jazz	9:30pm	KJZZ FanDuel Sports Sun
NHL REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Buffalo Sabres vs New York Islanders	1:00pm	MSGSN MSG-BUF
Utah Mammoth vs Nashville Predators	3:30pm	Utah16 FanDuel Sports NSH
Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins	7:00pm	NESN SN
Carolina Hurricanes vs Ottawa Senators	7:00pm	SN FanDuel Sports South
Detroit Red Wings vs Winnipeg Jets	7:00pm	FanDuel Sports DET SN
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Columbus Blue Jackets	7:00pm	FanDuel Sports Sun FanDuel Sports Ohio
Los Angeles Kings vs St. Louis Blues	8:00pm	FanDuel Sports West FanDuel Sports MW
Florida Panthers vs Minnesota Wild	9:00pm	Scripps FanDuel Sports North
Washington Capitals vs Edmonton Oilers	10:00pm	ESPN+ MNMT
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL	TIME ET	TV
Maryland at Michigan State	12:00pm	CBS
Ole Miss at Kentucky	12:00pm	ESPN
NC State at Pitt	12:00pm	ESPN2
Nebraska at Minnesota	12:00pm	FS1
Clemson at Georgia Tech	12:00pm	ACCN
Niagara at Sacred Heart	12:00pm	ESPN+
Vermont at Bryant	12:00pm	ESPN+
Villanova vs. UConn	12:30pm	FOX
Georgetown at Providence	12:30pm	TNT
Georgia at Texas	1:00pm	SECN
Mercer at Wofford	1:00pm	Nexstar
ULM at App State	1:00pm	ESPN+
UMass Lowell at UMBC	1:00pm	ESPN+
Quinnipiac at Marist	1:00pm	ESPN+
Drake at Indiana State	1:00pm	ESPN+
Southern Miss at Coastal Carolina	1:00pm	ESPN+
Army West Point at Navy	1:30pm	CBSSN
West Virginia at Arizona	2:00pm	CBS
North Carolina at Virginia	2:00pm	ESPN
Oklahoma at Missouri	2:00pm	ESPN2
Yale at Penn	2:00pm	ESPNU
Miami (FL) at Syracuse	2:00pm	ACCN
Duquesne at Loyola Chicago	2:00pm	MARQ
Hofstra at William & Mary	2:00pm	MASN
Northeastern at Drexel	2:00pm	ESPN+
Brown at Princeton	2:00pm	NBCS-PHI
George Mason at Rhode Island	2:00pm	WLNE-DT5
Green Bay at Robert Morris	2:00pm	ESPN+
Northern Illinois at Ball State	2:00pm	ESPN+
USC Upstate at Gardner-Webb	2:00pm	ESPN+
Milwaukee at Youngstown State	2:00pm	ESPN+
Columbia at Dartmouth	2:00pm	ESPN+
Boston University at Colgate	2:00pm	ESPN+
UAlbany at New Hampshire	2:00pm	ESPN+
Temple at UTSA	2:00pm	ESPN+
Binghamton at Maine	2:00pm	ESPN+
Bellarmine at North Florida	2:00pm	ESPN+
American at Holy Cross	2:00pm	ESPN+
FIU at NM State	2:00pm	ESPN+
Cornell at Harvard	2:00pm	ESPN+
Arkansas State at Georgia State	2:00pm	ESPN+
Towson at North Carolina A&T	2:00pm	FloCollege
St. Thomas at South Dakota	2:00pm	Summit
St. John’s at Xavier	2:30pm	TNT
UNCW at Hampton	2:30pm	MNMT
High Point at Radford	2:30pm	ESPN+
Illinois at Purdue	3:00pm	FOX
Richmond at George Washington	3:00pm	USA
Saint Peter’s at Merrimack	3:00pm	NESN
Oakland at Detroit Mercy	3:00pm	ESPN+
UCF at Colorado	3:00pm	ESPN+
Troy at Georgia Southern	3:00pm	ESPN+
Kennesaw State at Louisiana Tech	3:00pm	ESPN+
Eastern Kentucky at Jacksonville	3:00pm	ESPN+
Virginia Tech at Louisville	3:30pm	CW
South Carolina at Texas A&M	3:30pm	SECN
VMI at Western Carolina	3:30pm	ESPN+
WKU at Sam Houston	3:30pm	ESPN+
Kent State at Eastern Michigan	3:30pm	ESPN+
Eastern Illinois at Morehead State	3:30pm	ESPN+
Alabama A&M at Texas Southern	3:30pm	HBCU Go
San Diego State at UNLV	4:00pm	CBS
Memphis at Wichita State	4:00pm	ESPN2
Jackson State at Bethune-Cookman	4:00pm	ESPNU
Florida State at SMU	4:00pm	ACCN
Murray State at UNI	4:00pm	CBSSN
Monmouth at Campbell	4:00pm	WRAL-DT2
San Jose State at Wyoming	4:00pm	MWN
Air Force at Boise State	4:00pm	MWN
Iowa State at Oklahoma State	4:00pm	Peacock
The Citadel at ETSU	4:00pm	ESPN+
Texas State at James Madison	4:00pm	ESPN+
Missouri State at UTEP	4:00pm	ESPN+
Charleston Southern at Longwood	4:00pm	ESPN+
Coppin State at Norfolk State	4:00pm	ESPN+
South Alabama at Marshall	4:00pm	ESPN+
North Dakota at Denver	4:00pm	Summit
Delaware State at North Carolina Central	4:30pm	ESPN+
Tennessee State at Lindenwood	4:30pm	ESPN+
Queens at West Georgia	4:30pm	ESPN+
Winthrop at Presbyterian	4:30pm	ESPN+
Nicholls at Southeastern Louisiana	4:30pm	ESPN+
Western Illinois at Southern Indiana	4:30pm	ESPN+
UTRGV at Houston Christian	4:30pm	ESPN+
Little Rock at UT Martin	4:30pm	ESPN+
East Texas A&M at Northwestern State	4:30pm	ESPN+
VCU at Davidson	5:00pm	USA
Seton Hall at DePaul	5:00pm	truTV
Tennessee Tech at SIUE	5:00pm	Gray Media
Elon at Charleston	5:00pm	WCBD
Mississippi Valley State at Grambling State	5:00pm	SWAC TV
Bucknell at Loyola Maryland	5:00pm	ESPN+
New Orleans at McNeese	5:00pm	ESPN+
Stetson at Austin Peay	5:00pm	ESPN+
Middle Tennessee at Jacksonville State	5:00pm	ESPN+
Rider at Mount St. Mary’s	5:00pm	ESPN+
A&M-Corpus Christi at UIW	5:00pm	ESPN+
Abilene Christian at Tarleton	5:00pm	ESPN+
Sacramento State at Eastern Washington	5:00pm	ESPN+
Furman at UNCG	5:00pm	ESPN+
FGCU at Lipscomb	5:00pm	ESPN+
Portland State at Idaho	5:00pm	ESPN+
UC Riverside at UC Davis	5:00pm	ESPN+
Bowling Green at Toledo	5:00pm	ESPN+
Utah at BYU	5:30pm	FOX
Alabama State at Prairie View A&M	5:30pm	SWAC TV
Wake Forest at Duke	5:45pm	CW
TCU at Baylor	6:00pm	ESPN2
Northwestern at UCLA	6:00pm	FS1
Morgan State at Howard	6:00pm	ESPNU
Vanderbilt at Mississippi State	6:00pm	SECN
Boston College at Notre Dame	6:00pm	ACCN
Dayton at Saint Joseph’s	6:00pm	CBSSN
UAPB at Southern	6:00pm	SWAC TV
East Carolina at North Texas	6:00pm	ESPN+
Idaho State at Montana	6:00pm	ESPN+
Central Michigan at Western Michigan	6:00pm	ESPN+
Delaware at Liberty	6:00pm	ESPN+
Pepperdine at Washington State	6:00pm	ESPN+
Houston at Texas Tech	6:30pm	ESPN
Seattle U at Pacific	7:00pm	ESPN+
Louisiana at Old Dominion	7:00pm	ESPN+
Central Arkansas at North Alabama	7:00pm	ESPN+
Lafayette at Lehigh	7:00pm	ESPN+
Manhattan at Iona	7:00pm	ESPN+
Stephen F. Austin at Lamar	7:00pm	ESPN+
Canisius at Fairfield	7:00pm	ESPN+
Northern Kentucky at Wright State	7:00pm	ESPN+
Cal State Fullerton at Cal Poly	7:00pm	ESPN+
UC Santa Barbara at Long Beach State	7:00pm	ESPN+
Kansas at Kansas State	8:00pm	FOX
Nevada at New Mexico	8:00pm	FS1
Chattanooga at Samford	8:00pm	ESPNU
California at Stanford	8:00pm	ACCN
San Francisco at Gonzaga	8:00pm	CBSSN
Weber State at Montana State	8:00pm	Scripps
Saint Mary’s at Portland	8:00pm	KUNP
UIC at Bradley	8:00pm	ESPN+
Northern Colorado at Northern Arizona	8:00pm	ESPN+
Utah Valley at California Baptist	8:00pm	ESPN+
Omaha at Kansas City	8:00pm	Summit
Tennessee at Alabama	8:30pm	ESPN
LSU at Arkansas	8:30pm	SECN
Southern Utah at Utah Tech	9:00pm	ESPN+
Santa Clara at San Diego	9:30pm	ESPN+
Cincinnati at Arizona State	10:00pm	CBSSN
UC Irvine at UC San Diego	10:00pm	ESPN+
CSUN at Hawai’i	11:59pm	Spectrum
GOLF	TIME ET	TV
PGA Tour: The American Express	4:00pm	GOLF
Champions Tour: Mitsubishi Electric Championship	7:00pm	GOLF
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
EPL: West Ham United vs Sunderland	7:30am	USA Peacock
La Liga: Rayo Vallecano vs Osasuna	8:00am	ESPN+
Serie A: Como vs Torino	9:00am	Paramount+
Bundesliga: Eintracht Frankfurt vs Hoffenheim	9:30am	ESPN+
Bundesliga: Bayern München vs Augsburg	9:30am	ESPN+
Bundesliga: Mainz 05 vs Wolfsburg	9:30am	ESPN+
Bundesliga: Heidenheim vs RB Leipzig	9:30am	ESPN+
Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen vs Werder Bremen	9:30am	ESPN+
EPL: Fulham vs Brighton & Hove Albion	10:00am	Peacock
EPL: Burnley vs Tottenham Hotspur	10:00am	Peacock
EPL: Manchester City vs Wolverhampton Wanderers	10:00am	Peacock
La Liga: Valencia vs Espanyol	10:15am	ESPN+
Ligue 1: Rennes vs Lorient	11:00am	beIN Sports fuboTV
Serie A: Fiorentina vs Cagliari	12:00pm	Paramount+
Bundesliga: Union Berlin vs Borussia Dortmund	12:30pm	ESPN+
La Liga: Sevilla vs Athletic Club	12:30pm	ESPN+
EPL: AFC Bournemouth vs Liverpool	12:30pm	Peacock
Ligue 1: Le Havre vs Monaco	1:00pm	beIN Sports fuboTV
Serie A: Lecce vs Lazio	2:45pm	Paramount+
La Liga: Villarreal vs Real Madrid	3:00pm	ESPN+
Ligue 1: Olympique Marseille vs Lens	3:05pm	beIN Sports fuboTV
Women’s Friendly: USA vs Paraguay	5:30pm	TNT Peacock
TENNIS	TIME ET	TV
Australian Open	3:00am	ESPN2
Australian Open	8:00am	ESPN2

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

About The Author