THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” MONDAY JANUARY 5, 2026

“THE SCOREBOARD”

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INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD

MONDAY’S SCHEDULE

ALL TIMES EASTERN

COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN AT  PLEASANT VIEW CHRISTIAN 6:00 PM            

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INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD

TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE

ALL TIMES EASTERN

BHRA (ILL.)      AT          ATTICA 8:00 PM          

BOWMAN ACADEMY AT          CALUMET         7:00 PM            

CENTERVILLE AT          NEW CASTLE 7:00 PM            

CORNERSTONE CHRISTIAN AT          NEW WASHINGTON  6:00 PM            

ELWOOD          AT          BLUE RIVER VALLEY                 7:00 PM            

EVANSVILLE MATER DEI         AT          EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN        8:00 PM            

GARY 21ST CENTURY              AT          LAKE STATION 7:00 PM          

GARY WEST     AT          MORGAN TWP.             8:00 PM            

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

LOOGOOTEE  AT          BLOOMFIELD 6:30 PM           

MOORESVILLE CHRISTIAN   AT          INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA       7:30 PM            

NORTH POSEY             AT          EVANSVILLE HARRISON         8:00 PM            

NORTH VERMILLION AT          DUGGER UNION         6:00 PM            

SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH     AT          WESTVIEW      7:30 PM            

SOUTH NEWTON        AT          RIVERTON PARKE       6:00 PM            

TRINITY GREENLAWN              AT          TRITON              7:30 PM            

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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/

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MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

#4 UCONN 73 MARQUETTE 57

#7 GONZAGA 82 LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 47

SETON HALL 56 CREIGHTON 54

PURDUE FORT WAYNE 74 CLEVELAND STATE 71

WRIGHT STATE 81 IU INDY 77

OAKLAND 96 ROBERT MORRIS 73

DRAKE 74 INDIANA STATE 72

VALPARAISO 66 ILLINOIS CHICAGO 59

NORTHERN KENTUCKY 94 YOUNGSTOWN STATE 79

MURRAY STATE 86 BRADLEY 66

NORTHERN IOWA 62 EVANSVILLE 48

WASHINGTON STATE 81 OREGON STATE 67

INDIANA 90 WASHINGTON 80

ST. MARY’S 93 SEATTLE 76

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WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

DUKE 82 #18 NOTRE DAME 68

#11 KENTUCKY 74 MISSOURI 52

#24 MICHIGAN STATE 81 ILLINOIS 75

STANFORD 77 #16 NORTH CAROLINA 71 OT

#3 SOUTH CAROLINA 74 FLORIDA 63

#19 OHIO STATE 71 RUTGERS 49

#8 OKLAHOMA 95 MISSISSIPPI STATE 47

#2 TEXAS 67 #15 OLE MISS 64

#20 NEBRASKA 78 PURDUE 62

#22 BAYLOR 72 #10 IOWA STATE 70

#23 TENNESSEE 73 AUBURN 56

#13 LOUISVILLE 85 VIRGINIA TECH 60

#12 VANDERBILT 65 #5 LSU 61

#7 MARYLAND 82 INDIANA 67

GEORGIA 64 TEXAS A&M 56 OT

NORTH CAROLINA STATE 71 CALIFORNIA 60

CLEMSON 70 MIAMI FLORIDA 55

SYRACUSE 73 WAKE FOREST 58

GREEN BAY 64 ROBERT MORRIS 43

WEST VIRGINIA 60 KANSAS STATE 58

CREIGHTON 67 BUTLER 59

XAVIER 52 GEORGETOWN 51

KANSAS 83 CENTRAL FLORIDA 68

MILWAUKEE 66 CLEVELAND STATE 58

ALABAMA 77 ARKANSAS 48

PROVIDENCE 69 DEPAUL 59

SANTA CLARA 77 GONZAGA 73

ILLINOIS CHICAGO 70 INDIANA STATE 57

NORTHERN IOWA 91 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 64

GEORGIA TECH 67 SMU 59

MARQUETTE 85 VILLANOVA 69

WASHINGTON STATE 73 SEATTLE 69

WISCONSIN 74 PENN STATE 73

SAN FRANCISCO 85 LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 82 OT

ST. MARY’S 57 SAN DIEGO 49

PITTSBURGH 64 BOSTON COLLEGE 61

MURRAY STATE 93 BRADLEY 82 2OT

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL

THURSDAY, JAN. 8

7:30 P.M. | FIESTA BOWL (CFP SEMIFINAL) (GLENDALE, ARIZ.) | (13-1) OLE MISS VS. (12-2) MIAMI FL. ESPN

FRIDAY, JAN. 9

7:30 P.M. | PEACH BOWL (CFP SEMIFINAL) (ATLANTA, GA.) | (14-0) INDIANA VS. (13-1) OREGON ESPN

MONDAY, JAN. 19

7:30 P.M. | COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (MIAMI, FLA.) | ESPN

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL TRANSFER PORTAL

SUNDAY

QB

ALONZA BARNETT III: JAMES MADISON TO UCF

ROCCO BECHT: IOWA STATE TO PENN STATE

CUTTER BOLEY: KENTUCKY TO ARIZONA STATE

DREW DICKEY: VANDERBILT TO ARKANSAS STATE

BILLY EDWARDS JR.: WISCONSIN TO NORTH CAROLINA

JOSH HOOVER: TCU TO INDIANA

COLTON JOSEPH: OLD DOMINION TO WISCONSIN

LINCOLN KIENHOLZ: OHIO STATE TO LOUISVILLE

ALEX MANSKE: IOWA STATE TO PENN STATE

KENNY MINCHEY: NOTRE DAME TO NEBRASKA

JAYLEN RAYNOR: ARKANSAS STATE TO IOWA STATE

MARCELIS TATE: SOUTH FLORIDA TO TENNESSEE STATE

RB

LANDEN CHAMBERS: CENTRAL ARKANSAS TO UCF

CALEB HAWKINS: NORTH TEXAS TO OKLAHOMA STATE

MAKHI HUGHES: OREGON TO HOUSTON

JEKAI MIDDLEBROOK: MIDDLE TENNESSEE TO VIRGINIA

ABU SAMA: IOWA STATE TO WISCONSIN

JAQUALI SMITH: SACRAMENTO STATE TO COLORADO

WR

TYCHAUN CHAPMAN: SOUTHERN MISS TO MEMPHIS

WR BRETT ESKILDSEN: IOWA STATE TO PENN STATE

RJ GARCIA II: BOWLING GREEN TO FAU

JACKSON HARRIS: HAWAII TO LSU

MARQUIS JOHNSON: MISSOURI TO MISSISSIPPI STATE

NICK MARSH: MICHIGAN STATE TO INDIANA

JAHMARI POWELL-WONSON: MARYLAND TO FAU

DANNY SCUDERO: SAN JOSE STATE TO COLORADO

VICTOR SNOW: BUFFALO TO NC STATE

RAIDEN VINES-BRIGHT: WASHINGTON TO ARIZONA STATE

TE

GABE BURKLE: IOWA STATE TO PENN STATE

HAYDEN HANSEN: FLORIDA TO OKLAHOMA

JACOB HARRIS: BOWLING GREEN TO WISCONSIN

NATE KURISKY: LOUISVILLE TO DUKE

RYAN SCHWENDEMAN: SOUTHERN ILLINOIS TO WISCONSIN

MICHAEL SMITH: SOUTH CAROLINA TO SYRACUSE

MASON WILLIAMS: OHIO TO OHIO STATE

OL

MALACHI BRELAND: MEMPHIS TO ARKANSAS

NICHOLAS CRUJI: MAINE TO CHARLOTTE

VALEN ERICKSON: NC STATE TO LIBERTY

SHADRE HURST: TULANE TO HOUSTON

AUSTIN KAWECKI: OKLAHOMA STATE TO WISCONSIN

MAASAI KING: AKRON TO IOWA STATE

LOGAN MOORE: UAB TO BAYLOR

BEN MURAWSKI: UCONN TO MICHIGAN STATE

NETINHO OLIVIERI: PENN TO PITT

SIONE PERKINS: IOWA STATE TO NORTHERN ARIZONA

GAVIN PROUDFOOT: NORTHERN IOWA TO IOWA STATE

DREW TERRILL: MIAMI (OHIO) TO HOUSTON

ANDREW THREATT: CHARLESTON SOUTHERN TO NORTH CAROLINA

WILL TOMPKINS: IOWA STATE TO PENN STATE

BRADY WAYBURN: UCONN TO UCF

CHRISTIAN YOUNG: EMORY & HENRY COLLEGE TO SOUTHERN MISS

DL

DEMETRIUS BALLARD: BUFFALO TO BOSTON COLLEGE

BLAKE BURRIS: SMU TO FAU

MALACHI DAVIS: TOLEDO TO RUTGERS

IAN GEFFRARD: ARKANSAS TO TEXAS

NATE HENRICH: GANNON TO SAN DIEGO STATE

CARTER JANKI: PENN TO ILLINOIS

LAMONT LESTER JR.: MONMOUTH TO COLORADO

JONATHAN MALDONADO: NEVADA TO OLE MISS

RYAN MCCULLOCH: CAL TO UCLA

TOBI OSUNSANMI: KANSAS STATE TO INDIANA

CHIDERA OTUTU: UTSA TO CINCINNATI

KHAMANI POTTS: GRAND VALLEY STATE TO COLORADO STATE

KEVIN ROBERTS: WEST FLORIDA TO JAMES MADISON

LB

NYLAN BROWN: KENT STATE TO WASHINGTON STATE

RAY CONEY: TULSA TO TEXAS A&M

AUSTIN ROMAINE: KANSAS STATE TO TEXAS TECH

KEATON THOMAS: BAYLOR TO OLE MISS

TAVION WALLACE: ARKANSAS TO KENTUCKY

DB

KHALIL BARNES: CLEMSON TO GEORGIA

TAWFIQ BYARD: COLORADO TO TEXAS A&M

MJ CANNON: BOWLING GREEN TO CINCINNATI

NEHEMIAH CHANDLER: SOUTH ALABAMA TO FLORIDA STATE

TYRAN CHAPPELL: UCONN TO MICHIGAN STATE

DJ COLEMAN: BAYLOR TO FLORIDA

JAY CRAWFORD: AUBURN TO OLE MISS

JAMEEL CROFT JR.: KANSAS TO CHARLOTTE

KESHAWN DAVILA: ARKANSAS TO KANSAS STATE

ZAHMIR DAWUD: VILLANOVA TO RUTGERS

SHARIF DENSON: FLORIDA TO OLE MISS

CHRISTIAN ELLIS: VIRGINIA TECH TO VIRGINIA

DYLAN FLOWERS: WESTERN KENTUCKY TO DUKE

QUINTON HAMMONDS: NORTH TEXAS TO OKLAHOMA STATE

CHRISTIAN HARRISON: CINCINNATI TO ARKANSAS

ANTHONY HAWKINS: VILLANOVA TO IOWA

KYON LOUD: MONTANA TO DUKE

QUA MOSS: KANSAS STATE TO TENNESSEE

MARCUS NEAL: IOWA STATE TO PENN STATE

ANTHONY ROGERS: NICHOLLS STATE TO TULANE

JIQUAN SANKS: CINCINNATI TO INDIANA

DJ WALLER JR.: KENTUCKY TO LOUISVILLE

LAVON WILLIAMS: EAST TEXAS A&M COMMERCE TO ILLINOIS

PRESTON ZACHMAN: WISCONSIN TO INDIANA

K

BRAEDEN MCALISTER: GEORGIA STATE TO ARKANSAS

P

LS

HUDSON POWELL: MIAMI (OHIO) TO AUBURN

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WEEK 18 SCORES

SUNDAY, JAN. 4

MINNESOTA 16 GREEN BAY 3

JACKSONVILLE 41 TENNESSEE 7

HOUSTON 38 INDIANAPOLIS 30

NY GIANTS 34 DALLAS 17

CLEVELAND 20 CINCINNATI 18

ATLANTA 19 NEW ORLEANS 17

NEW ENGLAND 38 MIAMI 10

LA RAMS 37 ARIZONA 20

DETROIT 19 CHICAGO 16

WASHINGTON 24 PHILADELPHIA 17

BUFFALO 35 NY JETS 8

LAS VEGAS 14 KANSAS CITY 12

DENVER 19 LA CHARGERS 3

PITTSBURGH 26 BALTIMORE 24

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NFL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

JAN. 10

LOS ANGELES RAMS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS, 4:30 P.M. ET, FOX

GREEN BAY PACKERS AT CHICAGO BEARS, 8 P.M. ET, PRIME VIDEO

JAN. 11

BUFFALO BILLS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS, 1 P.M. ET, CBS

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, 4:30 P.M. ET, FOX

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS, 8 P.M. ET, NBC

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NBA

ORLANDO 135 INDIANA 127

DETROIT 114 CLEVELAND 110

BROOKLYN 127 DENVER 115

MINNESOTA 141 WASHINGTON 115

MIAMI 125 NEW ORLEANS 106

PHOENIX 108 OKLAHOMA CITY 105

MILWAUKEE 115 SACRAMENTO 98

LA LAKERS 120 MEMPHIS 114

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NHL

MONTRÉAL 4 DALLAS 3 OT

PITTSBURGH 5 COLUMBUS 4 OT

FLORIDA 2 COLORADO 1

CAROLINA 3 NEW JERSEY 1

CHICAGO 3 VEGAS 2 OT

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NATIONAL RELEASES

NFL

SEVEN FROM SUNDAY – WEEK 18

A look at seven statistical highlights from games played during the 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET windows on Sunday, January 4, the 18th week of the 2025 season.

• Carolina (NFC South), Chicago (NFC North) and New England (AFC East) won division titles this season after finishing last or tied for last in their divisions in 2024. In 20 of the past 23 seasons (2003-25), at least one team finished in first place in its division the season after finishing in last or tied for last place.
  
  Six teams – Carolina, Chicago, Jacksonville, New England, San Francisco and Seattle – qualified for the playoffs after missing the postseason last year. Since 1990 – a streak of 36 consecutive seasons (1990-2025) – at least four teams every season have qualified for the playoffs after failing to make the postseason the year before.
  
  With one game remaining this season, there have been 72 games decided by three-or-fewer points, the third-most in a season in NFL history, trailing only 2018 (73 games) and 2022 (73).
  
  There have been 60 games this season with a game winning score coming in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter or in overtime, the second-most in a single season in NFL history, trailing only 2022 (66 games).
  
  
• The Denver Broncos (14-3) defeated the Los Angeles Chargers, 19-3, in Week 18 and secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC, a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs. The Broncos won the AFC West for the first time since 2015 and have won 14 games in a season for the second time in franchise history (1998).
  
  The No. 2 seed New England Patriots (14-3), who clinched their first playoff berth since 2021 and their first AFC East title since 2019, will host the No. 7 seed Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) in the Wild Card round.
  
  The No. 3 seed Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4), who won the AFC South for the first time since 2022 and have 13 wins in a season for the second time in franchise history (14 wins in 1999), will host the No. 6 seed Buffalo Bills (12-5) in the first round of the playoffs.
  
  The Baltimore Ravens (8-8) visit the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), with the winner securing the AFC North division title. Baltimore or Pittsburgh will be the No. 4 seed and host the No. 5 seed Houston Texans (12-5) on Wild Card weekend.
  
  
• The Seattle Seahawks (14-3) defeated San Francisco, 13-3, in Week 18 and secured the NFC West division title for the first time since 2020, along with the No. 1 seed in the NFC, a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs. The Seahawks, who set a franchise record with 14 wins this season, are the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2014, when they won Super Bowl XLVIII.
  
  The No. 2 seed Chicago Bears (11-6), who won the NFC North for the first time since 2018, will host the No. 7 seed Green Bay Packers (9-7-1) on Wild Card weekend.
  
  The No. 3 seed and reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles (11-6), who won the NFC East for the second consecutive season, will host the No. 6 seed San Francisco 49ers (12-5). 
  
  The No. 4 seed Carolina Panthers (8-9) clinched the NFC South for the first time since 2015 and will host the No. 5 seed Los Angeles Rams (12-5) on Wild Card weekend. 
  
  
• Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett recorded his 23rd sack of the season in the Browns’ 20-18 victory over Cincinnati and surpassed Michael Strahan (22.5 in 2001 with the New York Giants) and T.J. Watt (22.5 in 2021 with Pittsburgh) for the most sacks in a single season since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.
  
  Garrett, who has a sack in 79 career games, tied Pro Football Hall of Famers DeMarcus Ware (79 games) and Reggie White (79) for the most games with a sack by a player in his first nine seasons since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.
  
  Per Next Gen Stats, on the record-breaking sack, Garrett crossed the line of scrimmage 0.23 seconds after the snap, the fastest on any sack this season. Garrett’s 0.70-second average get-off time ranked as the fastest among all pass rushers with at least 200 pass rushes this season.
  
  For more information on Next Gen Stats, check out NFL Pro, available within NFL+ Premium. With NFL+ Premium, get access to NFL Pro and track advanced analytics powered by Next Gen Stats and watch All-22 film. Available on desktop and mobile web, visit pro.nfl.com for more information.
  
  
• Cincinnati wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase had eight receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown in Week 18 and finished the 2025 season with 125 receptions for 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns.
  
  Chase, who had 127 receptions in 2024, is the third player all-time with at least 125 receptions in multiple career seasons, joining Antonio Brown and Michael Thomas.
  
  Chase is the fourth player all-time with at least 1,400 receiving yards in three of his first five NFL seasons, joining Justin Jefferson (four seasons), Larry Fitzgerald (three) and Demaryius Thomas (three).
  
  Chase, who has 6,837 career receiving yards, surpassed Torry Holt (6,784 receiving yards) for the second-most receiving yards by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history. Only Justin Jefferson (7,432 receiving yards) had more.
  
  Chase, who has 54 career touchdowns, tied Pro Football Hall of Famer Lance Alworth (54 touchdown receptions) and Rob Gronkowski (54) for the fourth-most touchdown receptions by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (66 touchdown receptions) and Randy Moss (60) as well as Dez Bryant (56) had more.
  
  
• Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passed for 259 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions while wide receiver Puka Nacua had 10 receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown in the team’s 37-20 victory over Arizona.
  
  Stafford is the third player in NFL history with multiple touchdown passes in 15 games in a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning (2013 with Denver) and Dan Marino (1984 with Miami).
  
  Stafford, who had a career-high 46 touchdown passes with eight interceptions this season, is the third player in NFL history with at least 45 touchdown passes and fewer than 10 interceptions in a season, joining Tom Brady (2007 with New England) and Aaron Rodgers (2011 and 2020 with Green Bay).
  
  Stafford, who is 37 years old and had a career-high 46 touchdown passes this season, surpassed Tom Brady (43 touchdown passes in 2021 with Tampa Bay) for the second-most touchdown passes in a single season by a quarterback age 37-or-older in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (55 touchdown passes in 2013 with Denver) had more.
  
  Stafford, who has 423 career touchdown passes, surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (420 touchdown passes) for the seventh-most regular season touchdown passes in NFL history. Only Tom Brady (649 touchdown passes), Drew Brees (571), Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (539), Aaron Rodgers (526, entering Week 18), Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre (508) and Philip Rivers (425) have more.
  
  Nacua, who has 4,191 receiving yards since entering the NFL in 2023, surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (4,163 receiving yards with Minnesota) for the second-most receiving yards by a player in their first three seasons in NFL history, trailing only Justin Jefferson (4,825). 
  
  Nacua, who has 35 games with at least five receptions, joins Michael Thomas (37 games) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (35) as the only players in NFL history with at least five receptions in 35 games in their first three career seasons.
  
  
• Kansas City tight endTravis Kelcehas 13,002 receiving yards since entering the NFL in 2013 and joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (15,127 receiving yards) and Jason Witten (13,046) as the only tight ends in NFL history with at least 13,000 receiving yards.
  
  
• Additional notes from Sunday include:
  
  
  
  • Denver quarterback Bo Nix passed for 141 yards and had 49 rushing yards in the Broncos’ 19-3 victory over the Chargers.
    
    Nix has 24 wins since 2024, tied with Russell Wilson (24 wins) for the most wins by a quarterback in their first two career seasons in NFL history.
    
    
  • Detroit quarterback Jared Goff passed for 331 yards and a touchdown at Chicago, while running back Jahmyr Gibbs had 113 scrimmage yards (80 rushing, 33 receiving) and a touchdown reception.
    
    Goff, who has 39,622 career passing yards, surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (39,502 passing yards) for the third-most passing yards by a player in his first 10 seasons. Only Matt Ryan (41,796 passing yards) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (41,626) had more.
    
    Gibbs has 31 career games with a scrimmage touchdown since entering the NFL in 2023, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famers Randy Moss (31 games) and Barry Sanders (31) for the most games with a touchdown by a player in his first three seasons all-time.
    
    
  • Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson had eight receptions for 101 yards in Minnesota’s 16-3 victory over Green Bay.
    
    Jefferson, who had 1,048 receiving yards this season, joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss and Mike Evans as the only players in NFL history with at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of their first six seasons.

NFL ROUNDUP: BRONCOS STUFF CHARGERS, CLINCH TOP SEED IN AFC

Ja’Quan McMillian returned an interception 45 yards for the only touchdown of the day, Wil Lutz kicked four field goals and the host Denver Broncos secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a grinding 19-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

It is the first time in 10 years that Denver (14-3) has clinched home-field advantage in the AFC. The Broncos went on to win Super Bowl 50 in that 2015 season in Santa Clara, Calif., which is the site of this year’s game. They will have a week off before hosting a playoff game.

Bo Nix finished 14-for-23 passing for 141 yards and ran for a season-high 49 yards for Denver, and the defense sacked Trey Lance four times to finish with 68 for the season, a franchise record and the most in the league.

Los Angeles (11-6), which rested several players including quarterback Justin Herbert, is the seventh seed and will travel to No. 2 New England next weekend for the first round of the playoffs. Lance, making his sixth NFL start for his third team, was 20-for-44 passing for 136 yards, rushed for 69 yards, threw one interception and lost a fumble.

Patriots 38, Dolphins 10

Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 131 yards and had two rushing touchdowns and a scoring reception to lead host New England to a rout of Miami.

Rookie TreVeyon Henderson rushed for two touchdowns for New England, which amassed 243 yards on the ground to cap its sixth 14-win season in franchise history. The Patriots (14-3) settled for the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs after Denver secured the lone first-round bye by defeating the Los Angeles Chargers; New England will host the seventh-seeded Chargers next weekend in the AFC wild-card round.

The Dolphins (7-10) fell short of the postseason and finished with a losing record for the second consecutive season. Rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers made his third start and completed 16 of 23 passes for 137 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Jaguars 41, Titans 7

Jacksonville clinched its first AFC South title since 2022 with a dominant victory over visiting Tennessee.

Trevor Lawrence completed 22 of 30 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns, breaking the franchise’s single-season total touchdowns record (38) and moving into second place on Jaguars’ all-time passing yards leaderboard (17,822) in the victory. Parker Washington caught five passes for 87 yards and Brenton Strange caught six passes for 52 yards, both recording touchdown catches for Jacksonville (13-4).

Brandon Allen was 17-of-30 passing for 72 yards and an interception in relief of Tennessee quarterback Cam Ward. The No. 1 overall pick’s rookie season ended prematurely when he sustained a first-quarter shoulder injury. Elic Ayomanor led the Titans (3-14) with three catches for 50 yards.

Texans 38, Colts 30

Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked a career-best six field goals, including the go-ahead 43-yarder with 12 seconds remaining, as host Houston defeated Indianapolis for its ninth victory in a row.

The Texans (12-5) will be the No. 5 seed in the AFC and will visit either the Pittsburgh Steelers or Baltimore Ravens in the wild-card round next weekend. With the Jaguars well ahead in their game, the Texans rested several starters in the second half, including C.J. Stroud, who completed 14 of 23 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown in the first half. Davis Mills was 3-of-9 passing for 36 yards in the second half. Tommy Togiai scored on a 17-yard fumble to end the game when Indianapolis’ lateral-fest backfired.

The loss was the seventh straight for the Colts (8-9). Riley Leonard completed 21 of 34 passes for 270 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Colts in his first NFL start. Blake Grupe kicked a 22-yard field goal with 2:39 remaining to give Indianapolis a 30-29 lead.

Falcons 19, Saints 17

Zane Gonzalez made all four of his field goal attempts, Dee Alford had a crucial fourth-quarter interception and Atlanta beat visiting New Orleans.

With the win, Atlanta (8-9) sent the Carolina Panthers to the postseason. Had the Falcons lost, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would have clinched the NFC South. Kirk Cousins threw for 180 yards and a touchdown, while Drake London had 78 receiving yards and a score for the Falcons, who finished the season on a four-game winning streak.

Tyler Shough threw for 259 yards and a touchdown, while adding a score on the ground for the Saints (6-11), who saw their four-game winning streak snapped.

Browns 20, Bengals 18

Myles Garrett notched his record-breaking 23rd sack of the season in the fourth quarter, Andre Szmyt hit the game-winning 49-yard field goal as time expired and Cleveland defeated host Cincinnati.

Garrett, whose defensive teammates Devin Bush and Sam Webb returned an interception and a fumble for touchdowns early in the game, rushed up the middle to sack Joe Burrow with 5:04 to play. Garrett surpassed the NFL single-season record of 22.5 shared by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt.

Rookie Shedeur Sanders completed 11 of 22 passes for just 111 yards but improved to 3-4 as a starter for the Browns (5-12), who finished with back-to-back wins against AFC North rivals. Burrow completed 29 of 39 passes for 236 yards, three touchdowns and one interception for the Bengals (6-11). Cincinnati kicker Evan McPherson missed two extra points.

Rams 37, Cardinals 20

Matthew Stafford threw four touchdown passes and Los Angeles wrapped up the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoffs with a victory over Arizona at Inglewood, Calif.

Colby Parkinson had two TD receptions for the Rams (12-5), Puka Nacua and Tyler Higbee had one each. Stafford finished the regular season with a career-high 46 passing TDs to lead the league for the first time in 17 NFL seasons. Los Angeles ended a two-game losing skid and set up a wild-card game at the Carolina Panthers next weekend.

Jacoby Brissett completed 22 of 31 passes for 243 yards and two TDs as the Cardinals (3-14) closed on a nine-game losing streak. Trey McBride had seven receptions to finish with 126 on the season, extending his single-season NFL record for a tight end. Michael Wilson had five receptions for 99 yards and a touchdown for Arizona.

Giants 34, Cowboys 17

Jaxson Dart threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns as New York closed the season with a win over rival Dallas in East Rutherford, N.J.

Dart put the Giants ahead for good with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Bellinger with 20 seconds left in the first half, capping a 96-yard drive. Rookie kicker Ben Sauls added four field goals for the Giants (4-13), who could have earned the No. 1 draft selection in 2026 with a loss and a Las Vegas win. Instead, the Raiders clinched the top pick.

Dak Prescott played the first half for the Cowboys (7-9-1) and completed 7 of 11 passes for 70 yards. Joe Milton III played the second half and hit 7 of 13 passes for 73 yards with an interception.

Vikings 16, Packers 3

Justin Jefferson caught eight passes for 101 yards and Minnesota pulled away from visiting Green Bay. Jefferson surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the sixth consecutive season to start his career, joining Randy Moss and Mike Evans as the only players to achieve the feat.

C.J. Ham rushed for a touchdown for Minnesota (9-8), which won its fifth in a row to finish the season. J.J. McCarthy completed 14 of 23 passes for 182 yards before giving way to Max Brosmer, who completed 7 of 8 passes for 57 yards. Jordan Mason rushed for a game-high 94 yards on 14 carries.

Chris Brooks had 13 carries for 61 yards to lead Green Bay (9-7-1), which rested many of its starters as it prepares for a wild-card playoff game next weekend. Clayton Tune made his second career start and completed 6 of 11 passes for 34 yards.

Lions 19, Bears 16

Jake Bates kicked a 42-yard field goal on the final play to lift visiting Detroit past NFC North champion Chicago.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff passed for 331 yards and a touchdown. Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 80 yards and also caught a touchdown pass, while Amon-Ra St. Brown caught 11 passes for 139 yards as the Lions finished with a 9-8 record.

Caleb Williams passed for 212 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears, who rallied from 16-0 fourth-quarter deficit. Colston Loveland caught 10 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown. Despite the loss, Chicago (11-6) held onto the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs thanks to Philadelphia’s loss to Washington. The Bears, who clinched the division the previous week, will host the seventh-seeded Packers on wild-card weekend.

Bills 35, Jets 8

Mitchell Trubisky completed 22 of 29 passes for 259 yards and four touchdowns and Ray Davis rushed for 151 yards on 21 carries to help Buffalo beat visiting New York in the final regular-season game played at 53-year-old Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y.

The Bills (12-5), who will move into a new facility next season, will open the AFC playoffs on the road as the No. 6 seed against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Josh Allen, who has a sore right foot, extended his streak of games started to 135, but jogged off the field after handing off to James Cook on Buffalo’s first play from scrimmage.

Rookie quarterback Brady Cook made his fourth straight start for the Jets (3-14) and was 11 of 22 for 60 yards. He threw a 2-yard TD pass to Andrew Beck with 7:33 left and then completed a pass to Quentin Skinner for the two-point conversion. The Bills had a 470-122 edge in net yards.

Raiders 14, Chiefs 12

Daniel Carlson booted the game-winning field goal from 60 yards out with eight seconds remaining to give host Las Vegas a win over backup-laden Kansas City.

The Chiefs (6-11) made two late field goals to pull ahead 12-11 with 1:01 remaining, but Aidan O’Connell completed 21- and 5-yard passes to get the Raiders in range for Carlson’s new career-long field goal. Tyree Wilson had two sacks, two forced fumbles and one safety for the Raiders (3-14), in a game played after the team was mathematically locked into the No. 1 draft pick in 2026.

The Chiefs’ Shane Buechele completed 7 of 14 passes for 88 yards in relief of Chris Oladokun finished 11 of 17, amassing 58 yards.

Commanders 24, Eagles 17

Josh Johnson earned his first NFL win since 2018 and visiting Washington scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to beat Philadelphia, which begins its Super Bowl defense as the NFC’s No. 3 seed by hosting the sixth-seeded San Francisco 49ers in a wild-card playoff game next weekend.

Johnson, 39, collected just his second win since entering the league as a 2008 fifth-round draft pick. The previous victory was a 16-13 road win over Jacksonville on Dec. 16, 2018. He was 14 of 22 for 131 yards, one touchdown and one interception against the Eagles. The Commanders (5-12) won for just the second time in their last 12 games.

The NFC East champion Eagles (11-6) rested many of their starters, including quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley. Tanner McKee, making his second career start for Philadelphia, passed for 241 yards with a TD and an interception. Tank Bigsby had 106 yards from scrimmage with a TD and Jalyx Hunt had an interception and a fumble recovery.

NFC WEST LEADS SUPER BOWL ODDS; 4 ROAD TEAMS FAVORED IN OPENING ROUND

While 14 teams from all eight divisions made this year’s NFL playoffs, the betting market has a lot of belief behind an NFC West team bringing home the title.

The Seattle Seahawks (+340 on DraftKings, +420 on FanDuel) and Los Angeles Rams (+425, +430) are the teams with the best odds to win Super Bowl LX and hoist the Lombardi Trophy on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, Calif.

Seattle (14-3) earned the No. 1 seed with a 13-3 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night. The Rams (12-5) are the No. 5 seed in the NFC. The 49ers (12-5), whose stadium will host this year’s Super Bowl, are the No. 6 seed and have the 11th-best odds to win the Super Bowl at +2200 on FanDuel and +2800 on DraftKings.

The Denver Broncos, the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 14-3 record, have the best odds on that side of the bracket at +650 on both sites.

The New England Patriots (+950 on DraftKings, +1000 on FanDuel), Buffalo Bills (+950, +1000) and the defending-champion Philadelphia Eagles (+1000, +850) round out the top six in odds.

Although the Jacksonville Jaguars (+1400 on DraftKings, +1500 on FanDuel) won the AFC South and will start with a home playoff game, the sportsbooks gave the Houston Texans (+1200, +1100) slightly better odds even though they finished a game back in the division.

The sportsbooks also view NFC North competitors in the Chicago Bears (+2200, +1800) and Green Bay Packers (+2200, +1700) similarly after the pair split the season series and Chicago won the division.

The Carolina Panthers (+15000, +22500) have by far the longest Super Bowl odds after winning a three-way tie in the NFC South with an 8-9 record.

Well ahead of them are the Los Angeles Chargers (+3000 in both) and Pittsburgh Steelers (+5000, +5500), who have the third- and second-longest odds.

As for odds on individual games in the wild-card round, the Rams are 10- to 10.5-point road favorites at the No. 4 seed Panthers (4:30 p.m. ET) and the Packers are 1.5-point road favorites at the Bears (8 p.m. ET) in Saturday action.

On Sunday, the Bills are 1.5-point road favorites at the Jaguars (1 p.m. ET), the Eagles are 3.5-point home favorites against the 49ers (4:30 p.m. ET) and the Patriots are 3.5-point home favorites against the Chargers.

In Monday’s wild-card finale, the Texans, who enter on a nine-game winning streak, are 3- to 3.5-point road favorites over the Steelers.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL

WISCONSIN GETS QB IN PORTAL BY LANDING COLTON JOSEPH FROM OLD DOMINION, COLORADO ADDS ELITE RECEIVER

Quarterback Colton Joseph is heading to Wisconsin after throwing for more than 2,500 yards and eclipsing 1,000 yards rushing at Old Dominion this season.

Joseph announced his decision Sunday with an X post that included the message, “On Wisconsin.”

It was a big weekend for Colorado coach Deion Sanders, too.

The Buffaloes received several commitments from an array of players including San Jose State receiver Danny Scudero, who was named to The Associated Press All-America second team. Scudero’s intention to join the Buffaloes was confirmed by a person familiar with the situation who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because Colorado hasn’t announced its new arrivals.

Colorado also had pledges from receiver Kam Perry of Miami (Ohio), along with defensive linemen Lamont Lester Jr. and Yamil Talib, the nephew of longtime NFL cornerback Aqib Talib. In addition, running back Damian Henderson II is set to join Colorado.

Joseph and the Badgers

Joseph completed 59.7% of his passes this season for 2,624 yards with 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for Old Dominion, which went 10-3. He also rushed for 1,007 yards and 13 touchdowns on 158 carries.

He didn’t play in Old Dominion’s 24-10 Cure Bowl victory over South Florida after deciding to enter the transfer portal.

Joseph completed 59.9% of his passes for 1,627 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions while making eight starts in 2024. He rushed for 647 yards and 11 touchdowns that season.

Wisconsin has gone to the transfer portal for quarterbacks every year since coach Luke Fickell arrived, though injuries have limited their production.

Tanner Mordecai came over from SMU in 2023 but missed 3 1/2 games with a broken hand that season. Tyler Van Dyke arrived from Miami the following year but tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the third game of the season. Former Mississippi State quarterback Braedyn Locke started when Mordecai and Van Dyke were injured.

Billy Edwards Jr. transferred from Maryland and opened the 2025 season as Wisconsin’s starter, but he sprained his knee in the second quarter of the Badgers’ season-opening victory over Miami (Ohio).

Edwards returned to start Wisconsin’s Sept. 20 loss to Maryland but got hurt again and didn’t play the rest of the season. San Diego State transfer Danny O’Neil, Southern Illinois transfer Hunter Simmons and freshman Carter Smith each started multiple games after Edwards’ injury.

Colorado’s additions

The Buffaloes added some offensive weapons for highly touted quarterback Julian Lewis.

Scudero had 88 catches for 1,291 yards and 10 TDs last season for San Jose State. He had a program-best four touchdown catches against Wyoming.

The Buffaloes will be the third school for Perry, who started at Indiana before transferring to Miami (Ohio). He finished with 43 catches for 976 yards and six touchdowns for the RedHawks in 2025.

Henderson follows his coach at Sacramento State to Colorado. Brennan Marion was hired by Sanders as offensive coordinator to implement Marion’s high-tempo, run-oriented “Go-Go” system. Henderson rushed for 565 yards last season after starting his career at Colorado State.

Talib comes to Boulder from Charlotte, where he had 28 tackles and an interception last season for the 49ers. He was at Oklahoma State in 2024.

Lester had 9 1/2 sacks and two forced fumbles last season for Monmouth.

TOP TRANSFER QB BRENDAN SORSBY COMMITS TO TEXAS TECH

Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby, considered the top quarterback in the transfer portal, said Sunday night that he has committed to Texas Tech.

Sorsby reportedly visited Texas Tech on Friday and LSU on Saturday before making the decision.

Sorsby will receive an estimated $5 million in 2026, according to On3. The website said former Texas Tech star Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs was one of the people Sorsby called to break the news.

He had a stellar season for the Bearcats this season, throwing for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns while being intercepted five times. Sorsby also rushed for nine scores.

Sorsby has three seasons of starting experience, one for Indiana in 2023 and two with Cincinnati.

Overall, Sorsby has passed for 7,208 career yards and 60 touchdowns against 18 interceptions. He has 1,305 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground.

Texas Tech spent a lot of money on transfers last offseason and it paid off with a program-record 12 wins. The Red Raiders were the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff but were blanked in their lone playoff game, a 23-0 loss to No. 5 Oregon.

Quarterback Behren Morton completed 18 of 32 passes for 137 yards and two interceptions and Texas Tech had just 215 yards.

Also, Sorsby is the boyfriend of Texas Tech women’s volleyball player Gretchen Sigman, who transferred from Cincinnati to Texas Tech in mid-December.

LSU reportedly will host Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt on a visit Monday. Leavitt was interested in Texas Tech and visited Kentucky over the weekend.

GEORGIA DEFENSIVE TACKLE CHRISTEN MILLER DECLARES FOR NFL DRAFT

Georgia defensive tackle Christen Miller has declared for the NFL draft, choosing to forgo his final year of eligibility.

Miller spent all four years of his collegiate career in Athens. After redshirting in 2022, he rotated into the lineup in 2023 and emerged as a dominant presence on the defensive line in 2024.

Miller announced his decision on social media on Saturday, two days after the Bulldogs’ season-ending loss to Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff.

“Thank you to Dawg Nation for embracing a kid from the east side of Atlanta and exposing me to experiences that helped me grow and transform into who I am today. Your support has helped prepare me to take this next step and dominate at the next level,” Miller wrote. “With that being said, I’m excited to be declared for the NFL Draft.”

Miller earned 2025 AP All-SEC first-team honors after finishing the season with 23 total tackles, 4 tackles for loss and 1 1/2 sacks. He recorded 64 tackles, 11 1/2 tackles for loss and 4 sacks in 43 career games.

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MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

NO. 7 GONZAGA HEATS UP AFTER SLOW START, ROUTS LOYOLA MARYMOUNT

Graham Ike recorded 16 points and seven rebounds to help No. 7 Gonzaga roll to an 82-47 victory over Loyola Marymount on Sunday night in West Coast Conference play at Spokane, Wash.

Mario Saint-Supery had 13 points and five assists and Jalen Warley added 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting and collected seven rebounds as the Bulldogs (16-1, 4-0 WCC) won their ninth straight game. Adam Miller had 11 points and three steals as Gonzaga defeated the Lions for the 35th time in the past 37 meetings.

Gonzaga used three lengthy runs totaling a 50-0 edge to run away from the Lions and win by 35 or more points for the seventh time this season. The Bulldogs shot 53.7% from the field, including 6 of 20 from behind the arc, and held a 46-33 rebounding advantage.

Rodney Brown Jr. scored 11 points for the Lions (10-7, 1-3), who continue to have troubles in Spokane. Loyola Marymount has won just once at Gonzaga since 1991 but that victory was memorable — 68-67 on Jan. 19, 2023 to snap the Zags’ 75-game home winning streak.

The Lions shot just 30.2% from the field and were 6 of 23 from 3-point range.

The Bulldogs already held a 17-point lead before delivering the knockout blow with 21 straight points.

Gonzaga led 46-29 before Braden Huff started the burst with a layup with 15:02 remaining. He also scored inside to make it a 36-point margin before Ike’s layup capped it and made it 67-29.

Loyola Marymount scored its first points in a span of 8:05 on Jan Vide’s basket with 7:56 remaining.

Davis Fogle later scored on a fast break as Gonzaga led by a game-high 42 with 4:09 left and cruised to the finish.

Gonzaga dug an early 10-point hole before using bursts of 15-0 and 14-0 to take a 33-19 halftime lead. Ike had 10 points and five rebounds in the half.

Rick Issanza’s basket gave the Lions a 14-4 lead six-plus minutes into the game.

But Loyola Marymount missed its next 11 shots as the Bulldogs ripped off 15 consecutive points. Tyon Grant-Foster’s dunk gave Gonzaga a 16-14 lead with 8:07 left in the half before the Bulldogs finished the run with three more points.

Brown’s putback and Nakyel Shelton’s 3-pointer allowed the Lions to knot the score at 19 before Gonzaga’s second big first-half run.

Ike had eight points during that 14-0 surge to help the Bulldogs take the 14-point lead into the break.

NO. 4 UCONN CRUISES PAST MARQUETTE TO STAY ATOP BIG EAST

Solo Ball scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead No. 4 UConn to a 73-57 Big East victory over Marquette on Sunday afternoon in Storrs, Conn.

Silas Demary Jr. added 14 for the Huskies (14-1, 4-0), which included 3-for-3 shooting from deep. Tarris Reed Jr. scored 13 points with nine boards as Connecticut never trailed.

Freshman Nigel James Jr. led Marquette (5-10, 0-4) with 15 points on 5-for-18 shooting. Chase Ross added 11 and Ben Gold grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

Guard Sean Jones was a late scratch for Marquette with a foot injury. He wore a boot on his left foot in warmups.

Marquette hung tough in the first half, holding the Huskies to 2-for-9 shooting from deep to go into the break down 37-29.

The Golden Eagles’ offense could not keep up early in the second half as they shot just 1 of 7 to start the half. That included four missed 3-point attempts as they went nearly four minutes without scoring.

During that scoreless stretch, the Huskies reeled off an 8-0 run to take a 52-35 lead. Alex Karaban started the spree with a layup before Ball added a fast-break basket and Reed converted a putback. Ball scored 11 of his 17 in the second half on 4-of-7 shooting.

The Huskies pushed their lead to as much as 63-40 on Braylon Mullins’ 3-pointer with 6:43 to go. UConn accomplished this despite going 5-for-24 from 3-point range for the day.

Marquette, however, shot the exact same 5-for-24 from deep.

The Huskies remain unbeaten at home against Marquette since the 2012-13 campaign – though UConn did not face Marquette while spending 2014-20 in the American Athletic Conference — and won their sixth in a row over the Golden Eagles at any venue.

This is the first time Marquette has started conference play with four straight losses since the 1998-99 season, when Mike Deane coached the Golden Eagles in Conference USA.

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WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 22 BAYLOR STUNS PREVIOUSLY PERFECT NO. 10 IOWA ST.

Taliah Scott hit a tiebreaking jumper with two seconds left for the last of her 21 points and No. 22 Baylor picked up a key road victory by handing No. 10 Iowa State its first loss with a 72-70 decision in Big 12 Conference play on Sunday at Ames, Iowa.

Iowa State (14-1, 2-1 Big 12) had played only two other games with single-digit margins.

Darianna Littlepage-Buggs added 13 points, Yuting Deng notched 12 and Jana Van Gytenbeek chipped in with 11 points for Baylor (13-3, 2-1), which led 70-62 but scored only two points in the last three minutes. The Bears were 17 of 18 on free throws compared to Iowa State’s 7 of 10.

Jada Williams led all scorers with 28 points on 11-for-28 shooting that included 6 of 17 on 3-pointers for Iowa State. Audi Crooks knocked down 11 of 20 shots and finished with 26 points.

No. 2 Texas 67, No. 15 Ole Miss 64

Jordan Lee’s 17 points and Madison Booker’s 15 points and six assists were enough to boost the Longhorns in the Southeastern Conference game at Austin, Texas.

The Rebels outscored Texas 24-12 in the fourth quarter. The Longhorns (17-0, 2-0 SEC) were 2 for 11 on 3-pointers, with both baskets from Lee.

Cotie McMahon’s led all scorers with 19 points and Latasha Lattimore added 17 to pace Ole Miss (14-3, 1-1), which was 2-for-12 on 3s. Sira Thienou added 14 points.

No. 3 South Carolina 74, Florida 63

Raven Johnson’s 17 points and Tessa Johnson’s 15 points lifted the Gamecocks over the Gators in Gainesville, Fla.

Madina Okot added 12 points and 17 rebounds and Joyce Edwards had 11 points and 10 boards for South Carolina (15-1, 2-0 SEC), which was charged with 21 turnovers. Florida committed 20 turnovers.

Liv McGill led Florida (12-5, 0-2) with 18 points, but the Gators shot 4-for-23 on 3-point attempts. Laila Reynolds added 12 points and Emilija Dakic had 10 points. Florida ended with a 59-36 rebounding deficit.

No. 12 Vanderbilt 65, No. 5 LSU 61

Mikayla Blakes scored 32 points, including a pair of clutch late baskets, as the Commodores won the showdown against the Tigers in Nashville, Tenn.

Vanderbilt (15-0, 2-0 SEC) went ahead on Aubrey Galvan’s 3-pointer at the 2:05 mark, and Blakes followed with two baskets in the next 48 seconds for a 64-58 lead. Galvan finished with 14 points. Blakes made 10 of 25 shots from the field.

LSU (14-2, 0-2) lost for the second time in four days despite holding a 49-42 lead with less than seven minutes remaining. MiLaysia Fulwiley and Jada Richard each had 13 points, Mikaylah Williams posted 12 points and ZaKiyah Johnson had 10 points.

No. 7 Maryland 82, Indiana 67

Oluchi Okananwa cranked out a career-high 34 points and the Terrapins claimed the Big Ten victory over the Hoosiers at College Park, Md.

Maryland (15-1, 3-1 Big Ten) broke away from a 39-32 halftime lead by scoring the first 12 points of the second half. Okananwa shot 12 of 22 from the field with three made 3-pointers. Teammate Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu had 12 points on 6-for-7 shooting and pulled in 15 rebounds.

Maya Makalusky’s 20 points and Shay Ciezki’s 17 points paced Indiana (11-5, 0-4), which was dinged with 21 turnovers. Makalusky made six of the Hoosiers’ nine 3-point baskets.

No. 8 Oklahoma 95, Mississippi State 47

Aaliyah Chavez’s 17 points led six Sooners in double figures in the SEC romp at Norman, Okla.

Zya Vann notched 16 points, Raegan Beers tallied 15, Sahara Williams and Payton Verhulst both had 12 and reserve Caya Smith provided 11 points for Oklahoma (14-1, 2-0 SEC), which led 48-22 at halftime. Williams, Beers and Vann all had 11 rebounds.

Kharyssa Richardson provided 13 points off the bench for Mississippi State (14-2, 1-1), which misfired on 24 of 25 3-pointers and shot 20% overall (14 of 70) from the field. Oklahoma was 3 of 17 on 3s.

No. 11 Kentucky 74, Missouri 52

Clara Strack’s 19 points and 10 rebounds and Tonie Morgan’s 18 points and 14 assists boosted the Wildcats past the Tigers at Lexington, Ky.

Morgan made 7 of 11 shots from the field. Jordan Obi added 10 points for Kentucky (15-1, 2-0 SEC).

Grace Slaughter led Missouri (12-5, 0-2) with 15 points, but the Tigers shot 5-for-28 on 3-pointers and hit 30% of their shots overall. Chloe Sotell had 12 rebounds, but she was scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting on all 3-point attempts.

No. 13 Louisville 85, Virginia Tech 60

Laura Ziegler’s 18 points and the Cardinals’ defense helped in the romp over the visiting Hokies.

Imari Berry’s 13 points and Mackenly Randolph’s 11 also aided the cause for Louisville (14-3, 4-0 ACC), which was ahead 44-27 at halftime and began the third quarter with a 10-2 run. The Cardinals held the Hokies without a 3-point basket on 16 attempts.

Carys Baker notched 16 points and Samyha Suffren added 14 off the bench for Virginia Tech (11-5, 1-3).

Stanford 77, No. 16 North Carolina 71 (OT)

Courtney Ogden scored 21 points and the Cardinal rallied in regulation on the way to escaping with an ACC victory at Chapel Hill, N.C.

Lara Somfai added 13 points and Chloe Clardy had 12 points off the bench, including four in the extra session, for Stanford (13-3, 2-1), which trailed by seven in the fourth quarter. The Tar Heels were up 65-61 before baskets from Ogden and Somfai in the final 90 seconds pulled the Cardinal even, though Clardy missed on the final shot in regulation.

Nyla Harris’ 18 points and Ciera Tommey’s 16 paced North Carolina (13-4, 2-2), which took its second overtime defeat at home in league play to end a four-game winning streak.

Duke 82, No. 18 Notre Dame 68

Taina Mair poured in a season-high 23 points and supplied six assists and Toby Fournier racked up 20 points as Duke knocked off No. 18 Notre Dame 82-68 on Sunday at Durham, N.C.

The Blue Devils (9-6, 4-0 ACC) have rattled off six consecutive victories. Ashlon Jackson scored 13 points, Riley Nelson added 11 points and Delaney Thomas provided 10 points and 12 rebounds. Duke used a 26-17 edge after the first quarter to set an early tone. The Blue Devils led 43-25 before Notre Dame scored the last nine points of the first half.

Hannah Hidalgo tallied 22 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals for Notre Dame (10-4, 2-2), which lost on the road for the second time in four days following an overtime setback at Georgia Tech. The Irish were unable to avenge last March’s ACC tournament semifinal loss to Duke despite 15 points from Cassandre Prosper and 12 points from Iyana Moore, who was the only reserve used off the Notre Dame bench.

No. 19 Ohio State 71, Rutgers 49

Jaloni Cambridge scored 18 points and Chance Gray netted 17 to carry the Buckeyes over the Scarlet Knights in the Big Ten game at Columbus, Ohio.

Elsa Lemmila added 10 points and 11 rebounds for Ohio State (13-2, 3-1 Big Ten). The Buckeyes pulled away after leading 51-42 through three quarters.

Faith Blackstone posted 15 points and Imani Lester had 14 points for Rutgers (8-7, 0-4), which was charged with 21 turnovers. The Scarlet Knights were 4-for-17 shooting on 3s.

No. 20 Nebraska 78, Purdue 62

Britt Prince hit four of six 3-point attempts on the way to 17 points, and perimeter shooting helped carry the Cornhuskers at Lincoln, Neb.

Amiah Hargrove, who had 13 points, and Callin Hake, who finished with 11, both made three 3-point shots as part of Nebraska’s 12-of-19 shooting from beyond the arc. Eliza Maupin had 13 points without a 3-point attempt for Nebraska (13-2, 2-2), which was up 43-32 at halftime.

Tara Daye recorded 12 points and Kiki Smith and Kendall Puryear both had 10 points for Purdue (8-7, 0-4), which committed 16 turnovers.

No. 23 Tennessee 73, Auburn 56

Talaysia Cooper’s 18 points and reserve Janiah Barker’s 17 points led the Volunteers in the SEC victory over the host Tigers.

Tennessee (10-3, 2-0 SEC), which broke out to a 22-9 lead, shot 51% from the field, making 9 of 21 shots from 3-point range.

Khady Leye had 14 points for Auburn (11-5, 0-2), which shot 2 of 16 on 3-pointers. The Tigers committed 17 turnovers.

No. 24 Michigan State 81, Illinois 75

Kennedy Blair scored 19 points, aided by 11-for-12 free-throw shooting, as the Spartans held on to beat the Fighting Illini at East Lansing, Mich.

Grace VanSlooten and Rashunda Jones each had 15 points for Michigan State (14-1, 3-1 Big Ten), which went 21 of 25 at the foul line. Emma Shumate added 11 off the bench.

Berry Wallace and reserve Maddie Webber both connected on four 3-point shots and finished with 22 points apiece for the Illini (13-2, 3-1). Destiny Jackson grabbed 10 rebounds.

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NHL

NHL ROUNDUP: PANTHERS STIFLE AVS, SNAP COLORADO’S 10-GAME WIN STREAK

Aaron Ekblad scored the eventual game-winner at 18:12 of the second period as the Florida Panthers edged Colorado 2-1 on Sunday in Sunrise, Fla., to end the Avalanche’s 10-game winning streak and send the NHL’s top team to only its third regulation loss of the season.

Sam Bennett also scored for the Panthers, who avoided a third straight loss and won for the second time in five outings (2-2-1). Florida improved to 14-9-3 on home ice this season. Goaltender Daniil Tarasov made 27 saves for Florida.

Artturi Lehkonen scored Colorado’s lone goal, redirecting a Josh Manson point shot past Tarasov. Lehkonen has seven goals and four assists in 21 games against the Panthers.

For Colorado, all three regulation losses have come with the team trailing entering the third period. Scott Wedgewood stopped 23 shots in just his second regulation loss of the season (18-2-4).

Canadiens 4, Stars 3 (OT)

Lane Hutson scored at 3:40 of overtime as Montreal recovered for a win against host Dallas after blowing a third-period lead.

Juraj Slafkovsky had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, who have won four of their last six. Samuel Montembeault made 24 saves.

Wyatt Johnston scored twice — including the third-period equalizer — and Oettinger made 25 saves for the Stars, who have lost a season-high five straight (0-2-3).

Hurricanes 3, Devils 1

Taylor Hall had a goal and an assist to help Carolina end a three-game losing streak with a win against New Jersey in Newark, N.J.

Nikolaj Ehlers and Logan Stankoven also scored, and Brandon Bussi made 28 saves for the Hurricanes after surrendering a season-high six goals in his previous outing, a 7-5 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

Dawson Mercer ended a 16-game goalless drought and Jake Allen made 27 saves for the Devils, who were trying to win three in a row for the first time since Nov. 24-28.

Penguins 5, Blue Jackets 4 (OT)

Rickard Rakell scored the tying goal with 14 seconds left in regulation, and Sidney Crosby came through with the game-winner 2:22 into the overtime, as visiting Pittsburgh overcame a three-goal deficit to beat Columbus.

Pittsburgh trailed 4-1 early in the second period, but worked its way back and Rakell later converted from the low slot to force overtime. In the extra session, Crosby, who assisted on Rakell’s goal, came off the bench, took a pass from Erik Karlsson, broke free, then went forehand-backhand to beat Greaves for Pittsburgh’s season-high fifth straight win.

Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko each had a goal with an assist for Columbus, which had won four of five.

Blackhawks 3, Knights 2 (OT)

Tyler Bertuzzi registered a hat trick, including the game-winning goal 1:18 into overtime, to lift host Chicago to a victory over Vegas.

Bertuzzi entered the night tied with the injured Connor Bedard (shoulder) for the team lead with 19 goals this season. He ended the game with his 22nd goal and fifth career hat trick. Chicago extended its winning streak to three games.

Brandon Saad and Mark Stone scored for the Golden Knights, who took their fifth straight defeat and eighth in nine games. Stone has a goal in four straight games, matching a career high.

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INDIANA RELEASES

COLTS FOOTBALL

TEXANS WIN 38-30 OVER COLTS, CLINCH NO. 5 SEED IN AFC PLAYOFFS

HOUSTON (AP) — C.J. Stroud accounted for two touchdowns and Ka’imi Fairbairn made a go-ahead field goal with 12 seconds left to lift the Houston Texans to a 38-30 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday that extended their winning streak to nine games.

The victory gives the Texans (12-5) the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs.

Defensive tackle Tommy Togiai scooped up a fumble on the final play and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown to pad the lead.

The Texans clinched a third straight postseason berth last week and they had a chance to win the AFC South with a victory and a Jacksonville loss. But with the Jaguars up big over the Titans at halftime, coach DeMeco Ryans opted to rest quarterback Stroud, defensive stars Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter, Derek Stingley and several other starters after the break.

The Colts led 30-29 after a field goal with about 2 1/2 minutes to go before Fairbairn’s 43-yard kick put the Texans on top 32-30 and gave him a career-high six field goals in the game.

Rookie Riley Leonard had 270 yards passing with two TDs and he ran for another score. But he also lost a fumble and threw an interception in his first NFL start after the 44-year-old Philip Rivers started the past three games for the Colts after coming out of retirement.

It’s the seventh straight loss for the Colts (8-9), who were eliminated from postseason contention with Houston’s win last week.

Stroud had an 11-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter and added a 2-yard run in the period to put the Texans up 20-10.

The Texans trailed 27-26 early in the fourth when Alijah Huzzie picked off Leonard to give them great field position. They failed to move the ball and settled for a 44-yard field goal to take a 29-27 lead.

Jonathan Taylor had 14 carries for just 26 yards to end the season with 1,585 yards and finish second in the NFL in yards rushing behind Buffalo’s James Cook.

Alec Pierce had four receptions for a season-high 132 yards with two touchdowns before being ejected late in the third quarter for making contact with an official. He was ejected when he brushed an official with his arm as he was complaining about a flag not being thrown on a pass intended for him in the end zone. He was given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and disqualified.

The Colts took a 24-23 lead on a 1-yard TD scamper by Leonard on Indy’s first drive of the second half. That score was set up by a 53-yard reception by Pierce.

Houston went back on top with a 43-yard field goal later in the third.

After the penalty on Pierce, the Colts settled for a 39-yard field goal that put them up 27-26.

Houston took a 13-10 lead when Stroud threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Higgins with about 9 ½ minutes left in the first half.

About a minute later, Danielle Hunter sacked Leonard and caused a fumble which Henry To’oTo’o recovered on the 2-yard line. Stroud ran for the score on the next play to make it 20-10.

Pierce’s second touchdown came on an 8-yard grab that capped a 92-yard drive and cut the lead to 20-17 with about 90 seconds until halftime.

Fairbairn’s 29-yard field goal extended the lead to 23-17 at halftime.

Leonard connected with Pierce on a 66-yard touchdown pass to put the Colts up 7-3 early in the first.

Fairbairn’s second field goal of the game cut the lead to 7-6 later in the first.

A 50-yard field goal by Blake Grupe pushed Indy’s lead to 10-6 near the end of the quarter.

Injuries

Houston RB Jawhar Jordan injured his ankle in the second quarter and didn’t return.

Up next

The Texans will hit the road for the playoffs next week with an opponent to be determined.

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INDIANA PACERS

GAME REWIND: PACERS 127, MAGIC 135

The Indiana Pacers arrived in Orlando for Sunday’s matchup with an 11-game losing streak in tow, and would play to avoid tying the franchise’s longest such streak in its history. Indiana played without Bennedict Mathurin, who was sidelined with a sprained thumb. Orlando – just a full game behind fifth place in the Eastern Conference – played to move up in the standings.

The Magic defeated the Pacers, 135-127, and Indiana’s 12-game losing streak ties the franchise’s longest such streak in its history.

There was no shortage of offense from either team on Sunday. Anthony Black opened the scoring with a triple, but Micah Potter responded on the other end with a dunk off a pass from Aaron Nesmith.

Nesmith was active in the first quarter – he scored eight of Indiana’s first 13 points as he knocked down two 3-pointers in his 3-for-3 start from the field.

Black matched Nesmith with eight points of his own by the 6:00 mark of the first quarter, but Indiana kept its advantage, 17-14.

The Pacers extended that lead with under three minutes to play in the first period as TJ McConnell hit a baseline fadeaway to put Indiana ahead, 27-16.

Jay Huff’s eight points off the bench and buzzer-beating and-1 opportunity put the Pacers up eight to end the first quarter, 36-28. The Pacers shot 64 percent from the field in the first quarter, including 44 percent from 3-point range.

After trailing by as many as a dozen points, the Magic stormed back in the second quarter to cut the Pacers’ lead to just five with under 10 minutes until halftime. The run snowballed, and by the 8:00 mark of the second quarter, the Magic led by two points. A 17-0 run powered that comeback.

After shooting over 60 percent from the floor in the first quarter, the Pacers struggled in the second. They made just 30 percent of their looks from the floor, but maintained a 39 percent rate from distance.

Indiana also recorded seven turnovers in the first half to Orlando’s two.

Black and Nesmith continued to lead their respective teams in scoring as each recorded 18 points in the first half. Black added five assists for the Magic as Orlando took an 11-point lead into the halftime break, 69-58.

Indiana responded by making all nine of its first nine shots in the third period.

Andrew Nembhard picked up his aggression in the third – he scored 13 points in the third quarter. Pascal Siakam matched that energy as he scored 20 points of his own, and the Pacers shot 67 percent from the floor in the third period. They trailed by seven points heading into the fourth period, 107-100.

Nesmith got the best of Wendell Carter Jr. as he drove down the lane and dunked over him in the beginning of the fourth quarter. The dunk marked 25 points for Nesmith, who was critical in Indiana’s comeback to trail by just four points with nine minutes remaining, 113-109.

Nembhard gave Indiana the lead early in the fourth as he connected on two free throws, but the Magic surged to create a four-point cushion just over a minute later. Orlando scored eight straight unanswered points after Indiana took its first lead of the second half, and led with five minutes to play, 123-116.

Nembhard knocked down a triple to cut the lead back to three points with under three minutes to play, 126-123.

Orlando held off the late push from Indiana, and went on to defeat the Pacers, 135-127.

Siakam’s 34 points led all scorers, and he added seven rebounds and five assists to his line on Sunday. Desmond Bane had a flurry of offense in the second half that bumped his output up to 31 points, six rebounds, and six assists to lead the Magic. Paolo Banchero, Black, Nembhard, and Nesmith each notched 20+ points, and each recorded a double-double excluding Nesmith.

The Pacers are back in action on Tuesday as they host the Cleveland Cavaliers in Gainbridge Fieldhouse and attempt to stop the losing skid.

Inside the Numbers

The Pacers outrebounded the Magic, 41-36.

Indiana committed 11 turnovers to Orlando’s seven. The Magic scored 18 points off those 11 turnovers.

Andrew Nembhard’s 20 points and 11 assists mark his third double-double of the season.

Micah Potter notched a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

You Can Quote Me on That

“The stretch in the second quarter is what we’ve got to address. We have any kind of long offensive or defensive droughts, and most of the time they’re related. You get bad droughts on offense, it’s probably your defense isn’t doing a good enough job, and vice versa.” – coach Rick Carlisle on managing both sides of the ball

“I was very proud of the way the guys hung in in the second half. We got down 10 or 12, or whatever it was, actually came back, got the lead, and they just had a couple of loose ball plays…So there’s, there are positives to build on.” – Carlisle on Indiana’s effort to come back from a double-digit deficit

Stat of the Night

Indiana’s 38 assists are a new season-high. The previous high mark was 32 assists set against Charlotte in late November.

Noteworthy

Bennedict Mathurin was sidelined for Sunday’s contest with a right thumb sprain.

Indiana’s 12-game losing streak ties the franchise’s longest such streak in its history.

For the sixth year, the Pacers invited the players’ mothers to travel to Orlando with the team. Fourteen mothers joined Indiana in Orlando for the matchup with the Magic.

Tickets

The Pacers will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Jan. 6, to host Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7:00 PM ET.

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INDY FUEL

FUEL CLOSE OUT THE WEEKEND WITH A SHOOTOUT WIN

KALAMAZOO– The Indy Fuel headed to Kalamazoo to close out their three-game weekend. After fighting a deficit, the game was sent to overtime. The Fuel won in a 12-round shootout. 

1ST PERIOD

Lee Lapid took the first penalty of the game at 4:04 for interference, but the Fuel penalty kill stood strong, holding Kalamazoo without a shot on goal.

Kalamazoo’s Griffen Ness was assessed the second penalty of the night at 8:50 for hooking. With 32 seconds remaining on the Fuel power play, Eric Martin was called for tripping, creating brief 4-on-4 action. Neither team was able to capitalize with the man advantage.

Jadon Joseph took the next penalty of the period at 17:56 for high-sticking. Wings forward Zach Okabe capitalized on the power play, scoring at 18:40 to give Kalamazoo a 1–0 lead.

Lapid was sent to the box again late in the period, taking a slashing penalty at 19:24 to close out the first.

2ND PERIOD

Lapid started the second period in the box, serving the remainder of his slashing penalty from the first.

Evan Dougherty was assessed a roughing minor at 2:07, but the Fuel were unable to capitalize on the ensuing power play. Quinn Preston was later called for holding, yet Indy again came up empty with the man advantage.

At 8:06, former Fuel forward Colin Bilek broke free on a breakaway and scored to extend Kalamazoo’s lead to 2–0.

The Fuel responded at 12:01, as Matt Petgrave found the back of the net with assists from Cody Laskosky and Jadon Joseph to cut the deficit to one.

Wings defenseman David Keefer was called for unsportsmanlike conduct at 14:04. Just as the power play expired, Nick Grima was assessed a delay of game penalty. Neither team was able to convert on the special teams opportunities.

The second period came to an end with the Fuel outshooting the Wings 24–17.

3RD PERIOD

Things got heated 1:36 into the period when Hunter Strand was assessed an illegal check to the head. Wings forward Bilek and Fuel defenseman Dustin Manz were each handed fighting majors following the altercation.

Tyler Kobryn took the next penalty at 10:35 for goalie interference.

Terry Broadhurst tied the game at the 13-minute mark, with assists from Eric Martin and Will Ennis.

At 16:05, Connor Powell was assessed a minor penalty for roughing.

The Fuel controlled play throughout regulation, outshooting the Wings 39–24.

OVERTIME

Both teams generated multiple scoring chances, but neither could find the back of the net. At 5:47, Terry Broadhurst was called for a tripping minor. The Fuel penalty kill stood tall, keeping the game scoreless and sending it to a shootout.

SHOOTOUT

Both the Fuel and Wings converted in the opening round of the shootout. The duel extended to 12 total rounds before Nick Grima netted the deciding goal to secure the Fuel victory.

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INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL

BIG TEN PLAY RESUMES WITH VICTORY OVER WASHINGTON

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Conor Enright is fine with giving others the glory, with setting them up to score and facilitating Indiana victories. On Sunday night, it was mission accomplished.

The veteran guard was a catalyst in the Hoosiers’ 90-80 victory over Washington at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. He had season highs in points (12) and assists (nine) as IU (11-3 overall, 2-1 in the Big Ten) won its third straight game.

Enright wouldn’t want it any other way.

“I definitely take more pride in assists because two people are happy from that,” he said. “I love sharing the ball.”

Coach Darian DeVries has seen this before from Enright — first at Drake, and now as a Hoosier.

“Conor just understands what we’re trying to do,” DeVries said. “Part of it from being with us before. The things he does lead to winning.”

Darian DeVries reflected on an Enright assist to guard Lamar Wilkerson.

“There’s a spot. Lamar just hit a 3-pointer. Maybe a couple possessions later, Conor has the ball in transition. He finds Lamar.

“Conor just knows how to hunt those guys down so that they can stay in the zone. He finds  those shooters. He just has such a great feel and understanding of the game. All he cares about is winning. That’s what makes him so special.”

Beyond that, Darian DeVries added, “Conor brings it every day. He plays the game with great enthusiasm, great energy, great passion. I love that about him. Your team needs a guy like that. Obviously, fans love having a guy like that, as well.

“It’s what he does every day. Every day in practice, as well. He’s a guy that hardly ever gets to sit out. He’s always giving that max effort defensively. It doesn’t matter how many days in a row we practice, he’s going to bring it. That just raises the standard for everybody else to try to match.”

On Sunday night, Hoosier scoring glory went to guards Tayton Conerway (20 points) and Wilkerson (22). Conerway was strong early and Wilkerson late as the Hoosiers showed their work from a nearly two-week holiday break had paid off.

“I thought we came really prepared in practice every day,” Enright said. “We had some time where we could clean stuff up and we weren’t focusing on preparing for necessarily a team right away. Then we got some days to prepare for Washington. I think we’ve been having a great approach. If we keep that, it will help us throughout.”

Six Hoosiers other than leading scorers Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries scored at least eight points. The bench contributed 26 points overall.

“It shows how much gravity Tucker and Lamar have, how great they are in practice,” Enright said. “We’re a deep team. I think it was great for our confidence to show we got other guys that can step up. If teams want to play like that (focus on Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries), we’re going to have other guys step up every night.”

One of them was freshman Trent Sisley, who came off the bench for 10 points and four rebounds in 15 minutes, most of that production coming in the second half.

“I’ve got great faith in him,” Darian DeVries said. “He gets better and better. Tonight, he gave us a huge lift. We rode him as long as we could until he got a little gassed. He put in the work.”

Washington’s 21-for-24 second-half free throw shooting helped them make a big push to nearly wipe out deficits as large as 15 points.

“If I had one complaint,” Darian DeVries said, “we put them at the free-throw line a little too much there, in the second half especially.”

Washington (9-5, 1-2) started big with a pair of 6-foot-11 players in Franck Kepnang and Hannes Steinbach. IU countered with can’t-miss shooting (a 5-for-5 3-point start), especially from Conerway.

Edge Hoosiers.

“The way (Washington) guarded me and (Tayton Conerway),” Enright said, “they helped us start the game. It was the same with Trent. We were able to step up with confidence and knock down those shots.”

IU’s rebounding emphasis paid off against a Washington team that ranked among the nation’s best in offensive rebounding. The Hoosiers held them to eight offensive rebounds while grabbing 11. The Huskies only had a 14-13 edge in second-chance points.

“We spent a lot of time on that, on increasing our physicality and just getting that mindset,” Darian DeVries said. “Washington is big. They play around the rim a lot. Somebody has to come out with the ball. We gave up a few, which will happen, but for us to give up eight (offensive rebounds) and get 11 is pretty good.”

Conerway opened IU’s scoring with a pair of 3-pointers, making Washington pay for leaving him open on the perimeter. Guard Connor Enright followed with his own two 3-pointers for a 12-10 IU lead. Then Conerway added another 3-pointer, making IU 5-for-5 from the perimeter.

The problem – Washington was 6-for-8 with three 3-pointers for a 15-15 tie after four minutes.

Consecutive Nick Dorn baskets, including a layup off a Reed Bailey feed that became a three-point play, pushed the Hoosiers ahead 28-24 with 11 minutes left in the first half. Two Conerway free throws made it 30-24 to cap a 13-2 IU run.

Forward Sam Alexis muscled in a basket. Enright followed with an off-balance basket for a three-point play and a 46-35 Hoosier lead with four minutes left. A 6-0 Indiana run capped by a Tucker DeVries jumper helped Indiana take a 52-40 halftime lead. Conerway led with 18 points on 5-for-5 shooting from the field, 2-for-2 from the line, plus two assists and one turnover in 14 minutes.

Washington opened the second half with a 10-2 run — 6-for-6 from the line after being just 1-for-1 in the first half — to close within 54-50 in four minutes. IU was just 1-for-9 from the field.

Enright’s assist on a Bailey layup and then 3-pointers from Wilkerson and Sisley restored Hoosier momentum with a 62-50 lead. Forward Sisley added another 3-pointer,  then a two-point hook shot, then a reverse layup off an Enright assist. Wilkerson’s second 3-point pushed IU ahead 72-59 midway through the second half.

A 9-0 Washington run cut the lead to 78-72 with four minutes left. Wilkerson’s 3-pointer ended that run. He followed with a layup. Alexis dunked a Conerway missed layup. IU led 85-76 with 57 seconds left.

Wilkerson’s two free throws with 25.2 seconds left, then followed with a rebound and two more free throws to seal the victory.

“(Tayton and Lamar) were vital to us winning,” Darian DeVries said. “Tayton getting us off to a great start there in the first half with (Washington) in a little bit of a triangle and two (defense). He goes four-for-four from three. Conor hit a couple in there, as well.

“In the second half I thought a combination of Lamar and Trent really carried us there in the second half as things got a little tight. I thought they were the ones that both individually gave us a nice little burst to get it back up there again.”

Next up – Wednesday’s trip to Maryland (7-7, 0-3).

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INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

HOOSIERS UPENDED AT NO. 7/6 MARYLAND

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Freshman forward Maya Makalusky set a career-high 20 points but Indiana women’s basketball couldn’t overcome No. 7/6 Maryland on the road on Sunday night.

KEY MOMENTS

Maryland (15-1, 3-1 B1G) took and early 12-5 lead on a 6-0 run with six minutes to play as Indiana (11-5, 0-4 B1G) used a timeout. It would spark a 7-0 run, with junior forward Edessa Noyan was open on the left side of the rim to put IU on top, 14-13.

The lead was short lived for Indiana who fell behind late in the quarter on a 6-0 Terp run but freshman forward Maya Makalusky connected on her second 3-pointer of the evening to make it a 25-20 deficit.

Freshman guard Nevaeh Caffey hit an jumper while Makalusky added her third triple to bring IU within three with 6:22 to go. After that, Maryland’s lead grew to as many as nine before Caffey and senior guard Shay Ciezki could get to the line and make it a five-point game.

Out of the break, the Terps used a 12-0 run to find separation as IU fell behind by as many as 21 with just over two minutes to play in the frame.  The Hoosiers chipped away to hold Maryland without a field goal in that final stretch including a redshirt sophomore guard Lenée Beaumont’s drive to the bucket made it 62-49.

Ciezki scored seven of her 17 points in the fourth quarter as Indiana couldn’t make up any ground late in the game.

NOTABLE

Makalusky recorded her first 20-point scoring effort in Sunday’s game, tying a season-high six 3-pointers. 

Ciezki (17 points) while Beaumont and Caffey each had 11 points. Beaumont had a team-high five rebounds.

Sophomore forward Zania Socka-Nguemen made her return after missing eight games, logging  16 minutes with four points and three rebounds off the bench.

UP NEXT

Indiana is next up at No. 25/20 Nebraska on Thursday night in an 8 p.m. ET tip on B1G+.

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PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BOILERS’ UPSET BID COMES UP SHORT AT #20/25 NEBRASKA

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Purdue women’s basketball team could not climb out of a double-digit deficit in the first half in a 78-62 loss on the road to No. 20/25 Nebraska on Sunday afternoon.

The Boilermakers (8-7, 0-4) held the 13th ranked offense nine points below its season average and recorded 13 steals on 15 Nebraska (13-2, 2-2) turnovers to score 16 points, but the Cornhuskers shot 51.1% from the field and went 12-of-19 behind the arc.

Purdue was 44.2% from the floor and knocked down eight 3-pointers on 20 attempts on the afternoon. The Boilermakers put up 30 points in the paint, their 12th game over 30 this season, and flipped 10 offensive rebounds into 16 points.

Three Boilermakers finished in double figures, led by Tara Daye’s 12 points. The redshirt junior notched her 13th double-digit performance to go with six points and a season-high six assists.

Kiki Smith jumped back into double figures for the first time in three games with a 10-point outing with a pair of 3-pointers. Kendall Puryear added 10 points off the bench on 5-of-7 shooting with six coming in the fourth quarter.

The Layden sisters both finished with six points. McKenna Layden connected twice from the outside to match her season high, while Madison Layden-Zay finished with six points on a pair of triples. Layden-Zay passed head coach Katie Gearlds for third all-time on the Purdue 3-point chart. She is now five away from Karissa McLaughlin’s career record of 244.

KEY MOMENTS

• Nebraska jumped out to a 13-9, as Purdue stayed within striking distance with 3-pointers from Hila Karsh, Layden-Zay and Nya Smith.

• Purdue started the game 3-of-4 from behind the arc.

• The Boilermakers were 6-of-12 in the first quarter with four assists but trailed 22-17.

• After Nebraska extended its advantage to nine points early in the second, Purdue rolled off a 8-3 run, capped by a Smith triple.

• Following a nine-point run by the Cornhuskers, Purdue brought it back to single digits with layups from Karsh and Daye and a Smith triple.

• Trailing by 11 at the break, 43-32, the Boilermakers came out to win the third quarter.

• Seven different players scored in the frame with no one scoring more than three points.

• Puryear gave Purdue six points over the final 10 minutes on 3-of-3 shooting.

• The Boilermakers held Nebraska to 5-of-13 from the floor, but the hosts went 9-of-12 at the line to pull away in the fourth.

NOTES

• Nebraska leads the all-time series 13-10.

• Layden-Zay added one rebounds, three assists and one steal. She is now18 rebounds and 14 steals from becoming the second player in Big Ten history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists, 200 3-pointers and 50 blocks.

• The Boilermakers have knocked down seven 3-pointers in 74 games under head coach Katie Gearlds.

• Purdue lost the rebounding battle 29-28 and held the Cornhuskers to just four second chance points on seven offensive rebounds.

• The Boilermakers dished out 15 assists on 23 made baskets.

• Daye finished with five or more assists in a game for the second time in her career.

UP NEXT

The Boilermakers will hit the road for the second straight time on Thursday night with a 7:30 p.m. tip at Wisconsin on B1G+.

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NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

NO. 18 IRISH DROP ROAD DECISION AT DUKE

DURHAM, N.C. –  The No. 18 Fighting Irish fell to Duke inside Cameron Indoor Stadium on Sunday afternoon, dropping a 82-68 decision. The loss moves Notre Dame’s record to 10-4 on the season and 2-2 in ACC play.

Hidalgo had a team-high 22 points while also filling up the box score with nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Cassandre Prosper scored 15 points on the day while Iyana Moore and Malaya Cowles also finished in double figures in points with 12 and 10, respectively.

HOW IT HAPPENED

After Notre Dame jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead, the Blue Devils reeled off 13 straight points to take a nine-point advantage at 15-6 with 3 minutes left in the first frame. The Irish made it a four-point game at 21-17 with a minute to play before Duke scored the last five points to make it 26-17 after the opening 10 minutes of action.

Duke continued to dictate play in the second quarter, pushing its lead to 18 at 43-25 with 2 minutes remaining in the half. However, the Irish finished the period with a flurry, scoring the last nine points, capped off by a three from Vanessa de Jesus at the buzzer, to cut the lead in half going into the halftime intermission at 43-34.

Prosper led the Irish on the offensive end over the first 20 minutes, scoring 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting. Despite the deficit, Notre Dame shot 50 percent in the first half, going 14-for-28 from the field.

Hidalgo connected on a three in the first possession of the second half to trim the lead to six but Duke answered with 13 of the next 15 points to push its lead back to 17 at 56-39 with six minutes left in the third quarter.

The Irish defense locked in, only allowing the hosts to score three points for the remainder of the period, cutting the lead to 11 by the end of the third with the score 59-48.

The Irish were unable to string together enough scores and stops to make a run in the final frame, as the Duke lead hovered around 10 points for much of the fourth. The Blue Devils knocked down a number of free throws in the final minute and went on to win by a score of 82-68.

UP NEXT

The Fighting Irish return home to Purcell Pavilion for a midweek matchup against Boston College at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 8. The game will be broadcast on ACCNX.

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BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BUTLER FALLS AT CREIGHTON 67-59

OMAHA, Neb. – Butler fell to the Creighton Bluejays 67-59 on Sunday afternoon in Omaha, Neb. With the loss, Butler slides to 7-8 on the season and 1-4 in BIG EAST action while Creighton improves to 7-8 overall and 3-3 in conference play.

​

BULLDOG HIGHLIGHTS

Saniya Jackson led Butler with 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the floor. Jackson added three rebounds and two assists to her stat line.

Mallory Miller (15) and Addison Baxter (14) rounded out the Bulldogs in double figures.

Baxter led BU on the glass pulling down seven rebounds.

Lily Zeinstra paced the offense with four assists.

Butler shot 21-for-60 (35.0%) from the floor and shot 4-for-19 (21.1%) from beyond the arc.

CREIGHTON HIGHLIGHTS

Kennedy Townsend and Grace Boffeli led the Bluejays with 16 points apiece in the contest. Kendall McGee (15) rounded out the Bluejays in double figures.

Townsend led Creighton on the glass pulling down a game-high eight rebounds.

Allison Heathcock and McGee paced the offense with four assists each in the game.

Creighton shot 24-for-54 (44.4%) while sinking 5-for-11 shots from beyond the arc (45.5%).

CU outrebounded Butler 37-36.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Butler jumped out to a 6-0 lead behind back-to-back buckets from Miller. The Bluejays were able to score two quick buckets of their own, before the Dawgs strung together three-consecutive makes. BU held a 12-6 advantage at the first media timeout. Both sides continued to trade buckets over the final five minutes of the frame as Butler held the 17-9 advantage after the first.

The Butler lead grew to as many as 10 at the 6:50 mark of the second frame after a deep 3-pointer from Lily Zeinstra. Creighton clawed back with a 6-0 run of its own forcing Butler to take a timeout with a four-point lead. The CU run continued, as the Bluejays finished the half on a 16-4 run, taking the 29-27 lead into the break.

Creighton opened the half on a 7-0 run as the Bluejay lead ballooned to nine early in the quarter. The Bulldogs responded with a 7-0 run of their own, cutting the Bluejay lead to two at the six minute mark. Creighton would go on to hold a 47-42 lead at the end of the quarter.

Creighton never relinquished the lead in the final quarter as the Bluejays cruised to the 67-59 victory at the final whistle.

UP NEXT

Butler will return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 7 as the Georgetown Hoyas are set to visit Hinkle Fieldhouse. Tip-off at Indiana’s basketball cathedral is slated for 7 p.m. and the game can be streamed live on ESPN+.

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IU INDY MEN’S BASKETBALL

JAGS FALL TO RAIDERS DESPITE D’AUGUSTINO’S CAREER DAY

INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indianapolis men’s basketball team dropped a home heartbreaker on Sunday (Jan. 4) despite a heroic effort from junior guard Kyler D’Augustino. D’Augustino scored 20 of his career-high 31 points in the second half but the Jaguars’ come-from-behind effort fell short in an 81-77 defeat.

Senior Jaxon Edwards finished with 15 points off the bench and freshman Maguire Mitchell closed with 12 points on four treys. Michael Imariagbe and TJ Burch paced Wright State (9-7, 4-1 HL) with 19 points apiece and Logan Woods added 13 off the bench.

Sophomore Micah Davis had a potential game-tying wing three rim out on the Jaguars’ final offensive possession with six seconds left before Edwards was fouled going for the rebound. Edwards missed the front of the ensuing one-and-one before WSU grabbed the board and sealed the win. The game featured seven ties and nine lead changes, the bulk of which came in the final minutes of the contest.

WSU led by as many as 15 in the first half, fueled by a white hot start from behind the arc. The Raiders made 7-of-11 from deep in building a 37-22 advantage with 5:18 left before intermission. The Jags cut the margin back to 46-39 by halftime, thanks in part to late threes from Aiden Miller and Mitchell.

“We got shoved around in the first half and should have rebounded more, they got more rebounds as well off of free throws,” D’Augustino said. “If as a team we got in there and fought a little harder for those rebounds, we would have probably won the game.”

The Jaguars visibly upped the intensity in half number two, stacking defensive stops and forcing 12 Raider turnovers after getting just five first half turnovers.

IU Indy hung around and finally took a 63-62 lead on a D’Augustino runner with 7:41 to play before the teams traded the lead back-and-forth repeatedly down the stretch. Finley Woodward gave the Jags a 73-71 lead with 2:18 to play after a nifty find from D’Augustino before WSU regained the advantage on a Kellen Pickett three-point play.

D’Augustino gave the Jaguars a one-point lead on each of the next two offensive trips before WSU went ahead for good with 40 seconds left on a pair of Pickett free throws. D’Augustino finally missed on a drive with 26 seconds left, allowing WSU to take a three-point lead on a pair of Logan Woods freebies.

After a timeout, the Jags drew up a clean look for Davis, only to see the lefty’s attempt spin out.

Wright State shot 57 percent overall and 9-of-17 (52.9 percent) from three, but hit just one triple in the second half. The Jaguars shot 48 percent overall and 40 percent from beyond the arc. Wright State outscored the Jags 20-7 at the free throw line, more than doubling IU Indy’s attempts by a 25-11 margin.

D’Augustino went for 20-plus for a fourth straight game, hitting 13-of-24 field goal attempts and all four of his free throw attempts. Davis added seven points off the bench and Woodward finished with two points and a career-high 10 assists. Edwards hit 6-of-11 shots and collected two of the team’s 10 steals.

The Jaguars will return to action on Friday (Jan. 9) when they trek north to Green Bay for a 7:00 p.m. tip on ESPN+.

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INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SYCAMORES COME UP SHORT ON SUNDAY IN HARD-FOUGHT LOSS AT DRAKE

DES MOINES, Iowa – Indiana State men’s basketball dropped their Sunday afternoon contest against the Drake Bulldogs, 74-72. The Sycamores fell to 8-8, 1-4 MVC, while Drake moved to 8-7, 2-2 MVC.

Ian Scott paced five Sycamores in double figures with 16 points, pulling down six rebounds and recording three assists. Scott was a perfect 8-for-8 from the line. Jo Van Buggenhout scored 13 points making 4-of-8 from the field and 3-of-7 from deep, adding in four rebounds and four assists.

Bruno Alocen came off the bench and finished with 11 points, six rebounds (three offensive), three assists, and three steals, all with no turnovers in 30+ minutes. He made 3-of-5 from downtown. Both Derek Vorst and Camp Wagner each scored 10. Vorst recorded six rebounds and two assists, while Wagner grabbed four rebounds.

The Sycamores started the game a little slow, attempting only one field goal shot (and made it) by Van Buggenhout through the first media timeout at 15:39. The only other two points came from Scott at the line. Drake led 9-5.

The Bulldogs went up 15-9, but back-to-back baskets by Sterling Young and Enel St. Bernard brought the game back within one, 15-14, with just about 12 minutes on the clock.

After another one-point, 20-19 deficit, Drake scored five unanswered to lead 24-19 at the next media break (7:43). Despite already having six turnovers in the game, the Sycamores were shooting an efficient 58.3% from the field.

Drake built to a seven-point lead, but Indiana State cut it back within three, 29-26, after a triple by Vorst at the 5:23 mark.

After a Bulldog three-pointer, Indiana State recorded seven points in a single trip down the court to swing the momentum. Van Buggenhout drained a three-pointer, but a Bulldog committed a foul on the play that sent Scott to the line and gave the Sycamores the ball back after the free throws. Scott knocked down both, and after a missed shot, Alocen pulled in the offensive rebound that led to a Scott slam. This sequence put Indiana State on top 33-31 with 4:21 remaining.

Indiana State held a 39-33 led at the 3:05 mark, and neither team would find the basket before the half. Wagner swatted a shot near the rim with about 10 seconds left that helped keep Drake scoreless, sending the game into the halftime break.

The Sycamores ended the half on a 13-2 run overall, shooting 51.9% from the field and 46.7% from downtown. From the 6:30 mark through the end of the half, the overall Sycamore streak was 18-4 making 6-of-8 from the field and 4-of-5 from three.

A pair of free throws by Vorst opened the half for Indiana State, but Drake made a run to trail by a point, 41-40, still with 18:21 left to play. The Sycamores countered, scoring off a pair of layups and a triple by Young. Drake tied the game at 49 all with 15:08 to play.

Over the next nine minutes of action, the game remained tight – neither team led by more than three points. At the media timeout at 6:47, it was Indiana State that held a one-point, 61-60 advantage. In the stretch, both teams were fairly even – the Sycamores made 5-of-10 from the field compared to the Bulldogs’ 4-of-9.

After a pair of free throws by Scott with five minutes to play, Drake came back down the court and made a three-pointer, tying the game at 68 apiece at the final media timeout (3:45).

Drake took the lead with 1:08 on the clock on a layup. Each team missed a shot attempt in the next minute, then a free throw by Drake gave the Bulldogs the lead 74-72, with 10 seconds to play.

The Sycamores couldn’t capitalize on two attempts inside three seconds remaining, letting Drake hold on to the 74-72 victory.

News & Notes

The Sycamores got back on track from the free throw line, making 16-of-19 (84.2%). It’s the best effort since December 7 against Southern Indiana (9-of-10, 90%). With a minimum of 11 attempts as a team, 84.2% is a season high.

With 16 assists on 23 made field goals (69.6%), it’s the second-best percentage dating back through the starter of the LA Tech MTE (85.7% against Belmont on December 29).

Indiana State has dished out more assists than their opponents now in three-straight games. The Sycamores have accomplished this 14 games out of 16 this season.

The Sycamores in three of the last four games have finished better than 37.0% from three after making 10-of-27 for 37.0% against Drake.

Indiana State recorded 32 rebounds compared to Drake’s 29. It’s the first time the Sycamores outscored the opposition since December 7 against Southern Indiana.

Sycamore opponents have shot 52.0% or better from the field in three of the last four games.

The 51 field goal attempts are the second-lowest number of the season (46 at Illinois State).

Sunday afternoon marks the second game in a row where all the Sycamores’ shots came inside the paint or beyond the arc. This has occurred three of the last four games (Drake, Northern Iowa, Illinois State).

Sunday afternoon was only the third time this season five Sycamores reached double-digit scoring in the same game.

With 16 second chance points, it’s the most by the Sycamores since November 28 against Alcorn State (18). It’s the third most this season.

Jo Van Buggenhout knocked down three triples, tying for the most by him this season (three against Ball State on November 22).

Bruno Alocen made a season high three three-pointers after his 3-for-5 effort. He also tied his steals high of three.

Ian Scott went perfect from the free throw line, 8-for-8, tying for the most free throw makes in his career. Before this afternoon, Scott has games of 6-for-6 five times in his career, with only one other game making 8-for-8.

Enel St. Bernard moves his stretch of 4+ rebound games off the bench to nine in a row.

Up Next

Indiana State will return to action on Saturday, January 10 at home against the University of Evansville. Game time is set for 1 p.m. ET with the doors opening at noon.

==========

INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL

SYCAMORES COME UP SHORT ON SUNDAY IN HARD-FOUGHT LOSS AT DRAKE

DES MOINES, Iowa – Indiana State men’s basketball dropped their Sunday afternoon contest against the Drake Bulldogs, 74-72. The Sycamores fell to 8-8, 1-4 MVC, while Drake moved to 8-7, 2-2 MVC.

Ian Scott paced five Sycamores in double figures with 16 points, pulling down six rebounds and recording three assists. Scott was a perfect 8-for-8 from the line. Jo Van Buggenhout scored 13 points making 4-of-8 from the field and 3-of-7 from deep, adding in four rebounds and four assists.

Bruno Alocen came off the bench and finished with 11 points, six rebounds (three offensive), three assists, and three steals, all with no turnovers in 30+ minutes. He made 3-of-5 from downtown. Both Derek Vorst and Camp Wagner each scored 10. Vorst recorded six rebounds and two assists, while Wagner grabbed four rebounds.

The Sycamores started the game a little slow, attempting only one field goal shot (and made it) by Van Buggenhout through the first media timeout at 15:39. The only other two points came from Scott at the line. Drake led 9-5.

The Bulldogs went up 15-9, but back-to-back baskets by Sterling Young and Enel St. Bernard brought the game back within one, 15-14, with just about 12 minutes on the clock.

After another one-point, 20-19 deficit, Drake scored five unanswered to lead 24-19 at the next media break (7:43). Despite already having six turnovers in the game, the Sycamores were shooting an efficient 58.3% from the field.

Drake built to a seven-point lead, but Indiana State cut it back within three, 29-26, after a triple by Vorst at the 5:23 mark.

After a Bulldog three-pointer, Indiana State recorded seven points in a single trip down the court to swing the momentum. Van Buggenhout drained a three-pointer, but a Bulldog committed a foul on the play that sent Scott to the line and gave the Sycamores the ball back after the free throws. Scott knocked down both, and after a missed shot, Alocen pulled in the offensive rebound that led to a Scott slam. This sequence put Indiana State on top 33-31 with 4:21 remaining.

Indiana State held a 39-33 led at the 3:05 mark, and neither team would find the basket before the half. Wagner swatted a shot near the rim with about 10 seconds left that helped keep Drake scoreless, sending the game into the halftime break.

The Sycamores ended the half on a 13-2 run overall, shooting 51.9% from the field and 46.7% from downtown. From the 6:30 mark through the end of the half, the overall Sycamore streak was 18-4 making 6-of-8 from the field and 4-of-5 from three.

A pair of free throws by Vorst opened the half for Indiana State, but Drake made a run to trail by a point, 41-40, still with 18:21 left to play. The Sycamores countered, scoring off a pair of layups and a triple by Young. Drake tied the game at 49 all with 15:08 to play.

Over the next nine minutes of action, the game remained tight – neither team led by more than three points. At the media timeout at 6:47, it was Indiana State that held a one-point, 61-60 advantage. In the stretch, both teams were fairly even – the Sycamores made 5-of-10 from the field compared to the Bulldogs’ 4-of-9.

After a pair of free throws by Scott with five minutes to play, Drake came back down the court and made a three-pointer, tying the game at 68 apiece at the final media timeout (3:45).

Drake took the lead with 1:08 on the clock on a layup. Each team missed a shot attempt in the next minute, then a free throw by Drake gave the Bulldogs the lead 74-72, with 10 seconds to play.

The Sycamores couldn’t capitalize on two attempts inside three seconds remaining, letting Drake hold on to the 74-72 victory.

News & Notes

The Sycamores got back on track from the free throw line, making 16-of-19 (84.2%). It’s the best effort since December 7 against Southern Indiana (9-of-10, 90%). With a minimum of 11 attempts as a team, 84.2% is a season high.

With 16 assists on 23 made field goals (69.6%), it’s the second-best percentage dating back through the starter of the LA Tech MTE (85.7% against Belmont on December 29).

Indiana State has dished out more assists than their opponents now in three-straight games. The Sycamores have accomplished this 14 games out of 16 this season.

The Sycamores in three of the last four games have finished better than 37.0% from three after making 10-of-27 for 37.0% against Drake.

Indiana State recorded 32 rebounds compared to Drake’s 29. It’s the first time the Sycamores outscored the opposition since December 7 against Southern Indiana.

Sycamore opponents have shot 52.0% or better from the field in three of the last four games.

The 51 field goal attempts are the second-lowest number of the season (46 at Illinois State).

Sunday afternoon marks the second game in a row where all the Sycamores’ shots came inside the paint or beyond the arc. This has occurred three of the last four games (Drake, Northern Iowa, Illinois State).

Sunday afternoon was only the third time this season five Sycamores reached double-digit scoring in the same game.

With 16 second chance points, it’s the most by the Sycamores since November 28 against Alcorn State (18). It’s the third most this season.

Jo Van Buggenhout knocked down three triples, tying for the most by him this season (three against Ball State on November 22).

Bruno Alocen made a season high three three-pointers after his 3-for-5 effort. He also tied his steals high of three.

Ian Scott went perfect from the free throw line, 8-for-8, tying for the most free throw makes in his career. Before this afternoon, Scott has games of 6-for-6 five times in his career, with only one other game making 8-for-8.

Enel St. Bernard moves his stretch of 4+ rebound games off the bench to nine in a row.

Up Next

Indiana State will return to action on Saturday, January 10 at home against the University of Evansville. Game time is set for 1 p.m. ET with the doors opening at noon.

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PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MASTODONS AND JAGUARS CLASH ON RIVALRY NIGHT

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne and IU Indianapolis women’s basketball teams will meet on Monday (Jan. 5) for a Horizon League contest at 7 p.m. in the Gates Sports Center.

Game Day Information
Who: IU Indianapolis Jaguars
When: Monday, January 5 | 7 PM
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center
Live Stats: Link
Watch: ESPN+
Listen:WELT 95.7
Tickets:Link
Game Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne | IU Indianapolis | Horizon League

Know Your Foe

IU Indianapolis is 5-9 and 1-4 in Horizon League play this season. The Jaguars are coming off a 63-44 loss at Northern Kentucky, where the Norse held the Jags to just eight points in the first half. Since playing the ‘Dons at home on December 3, the Jaguars are 2-4 with wins over IU Columbus and Milwaukee. Like the last meeting, Nevaeh Foster still leads the team in scoring with 12.9 points per contest.

Series History

IU Indy leads the series 25-18, but the Mastodons have a six-game winning streak active against the Jaguars. It is the longest active winning streak for the ‘Dons against any league foe. The Mastodons won the game in Indy this season 74-68 thanks to 23 points from Alana Nelson and 21 from Jordan Reid.

A Win Would…

• Give the Mastodons an 18-25 all-time record against IU Indy

• Be the seventh win in a row against the Jaguars

• Give the ‘Dons an 8-5 mark against IU Indy as members of the Horizon League

• Give the ‘Dons an 8-3 mark against IU Indy under Maria Marchesano

Rivalry Riches

After their win over IU Indy on December 3, the Mastodons opened a six-game winning streak against the Jaguars. The six-game winning streak is the longest for the Mastodons in the series dating back to 1980.

20-20-20 Vision

Alana Nelson scored 20+ points in three games in a row on two different occasions this season. She became the third Mastodon to do so in the Division I era, joining Amy Gearlds (2002-03, 2003-04) and Amanda Hyde (2012-13, 2013-14). Hyde had five such three-game stretches.

In the Record Books

Alana Nelson’s 43.5 single-season 3-point field goal percentage ranks seventh in program history with at least 30 makes. With three more makes, she will qualify for second place on the career leaderboard behind just Lauren Ross (47.6, 2024-25).

Triple Trouble

Purdue Fort Wayne has had the top 3-point shooter in the Horizon League in each of the last three seasons.

2025-26 – Alana Nelson – 43.5 percent

2024-25 – Lauren Ross – 47.6 percent

2023-24 – Shayla Sellers – 40.2 percent

Double-Digit Dubs

Purdue Fort Wayne has double-digit wins for the fourth season in a row. This marks the first four-year stretch with double-digit wins in the Division I era and first since 1993-97.

Marchesano Mania

Maria Marchesano owns 51 Horizon League wins as the Mastodon head coach. She was the fastest to reach 50 league wins in program history. She needs five more to break into the top-20 in HL wins in league history.

More Maria Madness

Maria Marchesano’s 59.3 winning percentage (51-35) in Horizon League contests ranks 13th in league history with a minimum of three seasons. Cleveland State’s  Chris Kielsmeier is the only active coach with a better mark.

Chasing 2,000

Jordan Reid needs 187 points to reach 2,000 in her career between Purdue Fort Wayne and Indiana Wesleyan.

League Leader

Alana Nelson leads the Horizon League this season in points (270), points per game (18.0), effective field goal percentage (62.6), field goals (96) and minutes per game (34.5). In league play, she leads in points (114), points per game (22.8), field goals (41) and 3-point field goals (14).

Career Points Tracker

Let’s take a look at the career scoring numbers for the three former NAIA All-Americans on the roster regardless of level.

Alana Nelson – 2,539 (482 at Northwood, 1,787 at Spring Arbor, 270 at PFW)

Jordan Reid – 1,813 (1,395 at Indiana Wesleyan, 418 at PFW)

Lauren Lee – 1,685 (1,630 at Campbellsville, 54 at PFW)

In the Polls

Purdue Fort Wayne was receiving votes in the latest Mid-Major Top 25 Poll on December 30. The Mastodons spent eight weeks in the Top 25 last season and received votes in all but the first poll of the 2024-25 season.

Vetting Krasovec

Lili Krasovec has 15 free throws makes on her last 17 trips to the charity stripe (88.2 percent).

Lili Love

Lili Krasovec scored a career-high 19 points against Northern Kentucky after going 7-of-11 from the floor. She has scored in double-digits nine times this season after doing so just twice at Boston College.

Lock In Lili

Lili Krasovec has scored 15+ points six times this season. In those games, she was a combined 34-for-54 (62.9 percent) from the floor and 23-of-26 (88.5 percent) from the free throw line.

Wagner’s Wicked

On limited attempts off the bench, the 6-foot-4 Avery Wagner is shooting 36.4 percent from 3-point range (4-of-11).

3-Ball Fun

The Mastodons are 3-1 this season when they hit 10 or more 3-pointers this season. Under Maria Marchesano’s leadership, the ‘Dons have had 53 such games with a 41-12 record in those games.

Look at Lee!

Through five Horizon League games, Lauren Lee is third in the HL with 4.2 assists per game. She also has a 2.3 assist to turnover ratio, a league-best.

Reid About Jordan

Jordan Reid is the only player in the Horizon League in the top-10 in both rebounding (5.6) and steals (2.5) per game this season.

I’ll Take That

Jordan Reid is averaging 2.5 steals per game, which ranks second in the Horizon League and top-70 nationally. If that average holds for a season-long mark, it would be second-best in the program’s Division I era and fourth-best overall.

Inside The Arc? Guaranteed Bucket

Lili Krasovec is shooting 64.0 percent from the floor this season (64-for-100). If she qualified for the leaderboard with enough makes, she would lead the Horizon League in the field goal percentage category. Once she reaches 75 made baskets, she would qualify for the season mark in Mastodon history. Her 64.0 percent would rank first, topping Jazzlyn Linbo’s 58.3 from last season.

Last Time Out

The Mastodons beat Oakland on the road 84-64. In the last two road games at Oakland, the ‘Dons won by a combined 60 points.

Next Time Up

Purdue Fort Wayne hits the road for the RMU and YSU trip on Thursday and Saturday (Jan. 8-10).

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PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL

MASTODONS RALLY IN VICTORY OVER CLEVELAND STATE

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne defeated Cleveland State 74-71 on Sunday (Jan. 4) afternoon in a Horizon League contest with the help of a 13-4 run to close the game.

Mikale Stevenson and DeAndre Craig Jr. both had six points in the final 13-4 run which lasted the final 3:28. Craig had back-to-back steals and layups to score four points and put the Mastodons up 68-67. Stevenson earned a steal of his own on the next possession and drained a 3-pointer setup by an assist by Corey Hadnot II. The 3-pointer put the ‘Dons up 71-67 with 2:11 left and forced a Cleveland State timeout.

Craig made a pair of free throws with two seconds remaining to ice the contest.

Craig finished with 20 points and three steals. Hadnot totaled 20 points, six assists and five rebounds. Stevenson added 28 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Cleveland State had five score in double-digits, led by Chevalier Emery’s 15. The Vikings shot 23-of-60 (38.3 percent) from the floor and made 16 of a school-record 42 3-point attempts (38.1 percent). The Mastodons finished at 23-of-58 (39.7 percent) and 11-of-37 (29.7 percent) from three.

The ‘Dons trailed 43-32 at halftime. Cleveland State led by double-digits at late as with six minutes remaining at 65-55. Cleveland State’s largest lead was 16 at 40-24 with 3:13 remaining in the first half. The 16-point comeback is the biggest comeback win for the Mastodons in a Horizon League game.

Purdue Fort Wayne improves to 9-8 (3-3). Cleveland State falls to 5-11 (1-4). The ‘Dons hit the road for a pair of league games this week. First up is a trip to Youngstown State on Wednesday (Jan. 7).

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EVANSVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL

CASEY AND TURNBULL LEAD UE AGAINST UNI

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the fourth time in five Missouri Valley Conference games, AJ Casey reached double figures to pace the University of Evansville men’s basketball team in a 62-48 loss to Northern Iowa on Sunday afternoon at the Ford Center.

Casey recorded a game-high 17 points hitting seven of his nine field goal tries. He tied for the team high with five boards. Connor Turnbull registered 12 points while blocking two Panther shots. Ben Schwieger led a balanced UNI attack with 14 points. Seven different Panther players scored at least six points.

“Northern Iowa is a really good team who is similar to Illinois State. They are one of the top defensive teams in the nation and that poses difficulties for any opponent,” UE head coach David Ragland said. “I thought we did a really good job defensively against their top two scorers but did not do as well against their supporting cast. Once you dig a hole like we did in the first half, it is hard to climb out of.”

Connor Turnbull tied the game at 2-2 just over two minutes in before the Panthers converted back-to-back triples to take an 8-2 advantage Following a 1-for-7 start from the field, AJ Casey converted consecutive baskets to cut the UNI lead to 11-6. With just under 13 minutes left in the half, the fourth consecutive 3-pointer by the Panthers extended their lead to 14-6.

Casey’s third basket of the game made it a 6-point game at 14-8 with 11:35 showing on the clock. The defense for the Panthers took over at that point holding the Aces off the scoreboard for the next 5:32 while the offense scored nine in a row to take its largest lead at 23-8. Evansville missed four shots during the stretch while committing five turnovers.

Leif Moeller’s first basket of the afternoon ended the cold streak while Turnbull and Casey added field goals in a 6-0 spurt that cut the deficit to single digits (23-14) with 4:39 remaining in the period. UNI quickly responded with three triples over the next two minutes to extend its lead to 32-14. UE posted the next four points before a basket at the buzzer sent the Panthers into the break with a 34-18 edge. Over the first 20 minutes, UNI was 8-for-15 from downtown while the Aces were 0-for-6. Casey had 10 of Evansville’s 18 first-half tallies.

Baskets by Turnbull and Moeller in the opening two minutes of the final period cut the gap to 12 points, but another run by UNI gave them their first 20-point lead at 44-24 inside of the 14-minute mark. UE did not give up and worked to chip away in the final minutes. Alex Hemenway’s triple got the Aces within 13 (52-39) with 6:29 left, but the Panthers went back up by 18 before completing the day with a 62-48 win.

The Panthers shot 45.8% for the game while UE shot 42.2% including 11-of-22 in the second half. UNI had a 33-25 rebounding lead.

Another home game is on tap Wednesday when the Aces welcome Murray State at 7 p.m.

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VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL

PETTIGREW PROPELS VALPO PAST UIC

The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team entered the Missouri Valley Conference win column on Sunday afternoon at the Athletics-Recreation Center, rallying from down eight to beat UIC 66-59. Freshman JT Pettgirew (Lisle, Ill. / Bolingbrook) led the Beacons in both points (21) and rebounds (seven), while sophomore Justus McNair (Joliet, Ill. / Joliet West) contributed 12 points and six boards.

How It Happened

The game was back-and-forth early, and eventually McNair knocked in a go-ahead 3 to make it 9-6 Valpo with 14:12 on the first-half clock. The Flames regained an 11-9 edge on a 3 with 12:49 on the clock.

UIC built up a six-point lead at the 11:29 mark and expanded the edge to eight with 9:43 to go in the half. Shon Tupuola (Brownsburg, Ind. / Brownsburg [Saint Mary-of-the-Woods]) stemmed the tide with a dunk with 8:16 to shrink the gap to six.

A key 3 by Brody Whitaker (Greencastle, Ind. / Greencastle [University of Indianapolis / Marian]) with 6:03 to go in the first half sliced a six-point UIC advantage in half, then Whitaker assisted as Pettigrew drained one from long range to tie the game at 23.

Valpo took its first lead in nearly 10 minutes when Owen Dease (Evansville, Ind. / Evansville Reitz [Texas A&M Corpus Christi]) drained a 3 with 3:51 to go in the half. Valpo opened the edge to four, but UIC reeled off the final five points of the half and went into the intermission leading 32-31.

UIC went on a 10-0 run midway through the second half, prompting a Valpo timeout with the Flames ahead 49-43 with 11:35 remaining. Valpo trailed 54-47 with 6:53 to play, but the hosts outscored the guests 19-5 down the stretch.

Chaney drained a 3 with 5:12 on the clock to slim the UIC lead to one. That would be Valpo’s final made field goal of the game, but the Beacons got the job done at the free-throw line down the stretch, going 13-for-16 in the final 4:31 to surge ahead.

Inside the Game

Pettigrew poured in a career high for the second straight game, finishing with 21 points including a glowing 10-of-10 at the free-throw line. He scored in double figures for the sixth time in his last eight games and grabbed precisely seven rebounds for the third straight contest.

Pettigrew became the first Valpo player to go perfect at the free-throw line with at least 10 attempts since Tevonn Walker also went 10-for-10 on Jan. 3, 2018 at Bradley. Walker (twice), Alec Peters (twice) and Ryan Broekhoff are the only Valpo players to do so since 2007.

Pettigrew became just the fifth freshman nationally to go perfect at the free-throw line with at least 10 attempts this season, joining Isaiah Johnson (Colorado), Kam Sanders (Air Force), Caleb Wilson (North Carolina) and Roman Domon (Murray State).

McNair tied a career high with six rebounds, matching his total from Nov. 19 at Cleveland State. His 12 points marked his third-highest total of the year and highest in his last five games.

Valpo made a conscious effort to get the ball inside, as the Beacons attempted a season-low 11 3s, five fewer than the previous season low for 3-point attempts. When they did shoot 3s, they went in at a higher clip, as the squad’s 3-point percentage of 45.5 was its second best of the year and best since 45.8 on Nov. 29 vs. Western Michigan.

Valpo created 40 free-throw attempts, the team’s most since Jan. 8 of last season vs. Indiana State (43) and most in regulation since Nov. 27, 2024 vs. Northern Illinois (44). This marked Valpo’s highest free-throw total in a regulation conference game since joining the Missouri Valley Conference.

The 31 made free throws (77.5 percent) were Valpo’s most since Jan. 8 of last season vs. Indiana State (32) and most in a regulation game since Nov. 27, 2024 vs. Northern Illinois (35). This marked Valpo’s most made free throws in a regulation conference game since joining the Missouri Valley Conference.

Dease was the team leader in plus-minus at +24 in 30 minutes, followed by Pettigrew at +20.

Valpo held UIC to two made 3s, the fewest by a Valpo opponent since the season opener when the Beacons held Eastern Illinois to a pair of triples as well. Valpo’s defensive 3-point percentage of 16.7 was a season best and the best since holding Illinois State to 5.6 percent from 3 in a 59-50 victory on Jan. 14, 2024.

The Beacons picked up their second win of the season when trailing at halftime, reversing a 32-31 deficit by outscoring the Flames 35-27 after the break.

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UINDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S HOOPS FALLS TO MCKENDREE ON THE ROAD

 LEBANON, Ill. — The University of Indianapolis fell to McKendree, 74-64, on Sunday, despite matching the Bearcats in total rebounds and securing 12 second-chance points. Patricia Chikamba led all scorers and tied her season high of 24-points. Gracie Poe added 13, shooting 3-for-4 from beyond the arc.

INS & OUTS

The opening quarter saw McKendree edge out the Greyhounds with a narrow 17-14 lead. Baylie Parks initiated the scoring with a fastbreak layup just seconds into the game, assisted by Kyra Taylor. The Greyhounds responded with Autumn Rucker and Chikamba each contributing points in the paint, while Poe added two 3-pointers, off Kylah Lawson’s assists.

 The Greyhound defense held the Bearcats scoreless for nearly six minutes in the second quarter, using a dominant 14-0 run to take the lead late in the first half. McKendree used a run of their own to regain their lead, outscoring UIndy 6-0 in the final minute of the second quarter.

A  3-pointer from Poe off an Amyrah Sapenter assist tied the game at 31  early in the third quarter.  McKendree answered with a jumper by Baylie Parks, followed by a 3-pointer from Chloe White, widening their lead. The Greyhounds attempted to close the gap with scoring from Halie Gilbert and  Chikamba, but McKendree maintained their advantage with a quick 3-pointer by Tessa Crawford. Despite the Greyhounds’ efforts, including multiple defensive rebounds by Gilbert and a steal from Sapenter, McKendree finished the quarter leading 53-43, highlighted by late points from Taylor Fohey.

The Hounds put up 21 fourth-quarter points, but could not cut into the Bearcat lead falling 64-74.

The Greyhounds return to action on the road against the Upper Iowa Peacocks Thursday, Jan. 8 at 6:30 p.m.

INSIDE THE BOX

-The Greyhounds recorded 38 points in the paint compared to 28 from the Bearcats

-McKendree was able to capitalize 19 points off of the 20 turnovers from UIndy

– The Hounds had three blocks compared to one from the Bearcats with Gilbert, Poe and Van Meter recording a block apiece

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UINDY MEN’S BASKETBALL

MEN’S BASKETBALL EARNS 1500TH PROGRAM WIN IN ROAD VICTORY OVER MCKENDREE

Lebanon, Ill. — The University of Indianapolis men’s basketball team used a 56-point second half to secure the program’s 1,500th win with an 82-75 victory over McKendree.

Sunday’s win marks the sixth-straight victory over the Bearcats for the Greyhounds.

INS & OUTS

The Greyhounds were hot in the second half, recording 56 second-half points. UIndy was 60.71% from the field in the second half going 9-15 from three-point range in the second half.

Carmelo Harris recorded all of his 20 points in the second half, getting the Greyhounds going early with a reverse layup to dig into the Bearcat lead.

Harris went on a tear with eight consecutive points to bring the Greyhounds within five points, less than two minutes into the second half.

The squads went point for point the next few trips down the floor, with Nate Dudukovich making a corner three off a Shaun Arnold assist as a response to a Wyatt Zellers three-pointer, which kept the Hounds within five.

Immediately following the Dudukovich three Harris hit his third three of the night to bring the Hounds within two.

Tyler Parrish, who led all scorers with a career-high 25 points off of .636 shooting and 5-for-6 from beyond the arc, tied the game at  60 with a step-back three with seven minutes remaining.

Kelvin Amoako gave the Hounds the lead with five minutes left in the game with an explosive bucket at the rim off a Parrish assist.

The Bearcats answered with a quick jumper to give them a one-point lead, but back-to-back buckets from Parrish and Harris gave the Greyhounds control again. The contest had three ties in the span of two minutes, but the Hounds went on a 7-0 run to lift them over the Bearcats and secure the win.

INSIDE THE BOX

-The Greyhound’s 56-second-half points is the most points by a Greyhound squad in a single half since Dec. 31, 2021, when the Hounds recorded 59 first-half points in their 105-61 victory over East West University

-The Greyhounds out-shot the Bearcats from three-point range, shooting 40% beyond the arc, compared to McKendree’s 23.8% from three

-Arnold went 4-for-5 from the field and added four assists and four rebounds for the Greyhounds

-Amoako grabbed 11 rebounds for UIndy

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SMALL INDIANA COLLEGE SPORTS WEB SITES

UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/

MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/

INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/

ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index

TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/

OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx

ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index

IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/

IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/

IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/

PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/

INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx

GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/

GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/

HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php

TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/

VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index

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TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

On January 5 in …

1895 – Victor Trumper makes first-class cricket debut for New South Wales at age 17 years 64 days.

1912 – First National Hockey Association game (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada).

1925 – French Baseball Federation awards silver medals to John McGraw, Charlie Comiskey, and Hugh Jennings.

1927 – Judge Landis begins 3-day public hearing on charges that four games played between Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers in 1917 had been thrown to Chicago.

1934 – Fenway Park catches fire for second time (May 8th 1926 also).

1934 – National and American baseball leagues select a uniform ball.

1937 – Fingleton and Donald Bradman make record stand of 346 for 6th wicket.

1951 – Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins LPGA Ponte Vedra Beach Women’s Golf Open.

1957 – Brooklyn Dodgers’ Jackie Robinson retires rather than be traded to New York Giants.

1960 – Continental League, a proposed third major baseball league, gets an assurance of congressional support from New York Senator Kenneth Keating.

1963 – San Diego Chargers beat Boston Patriots 51-10 in AFL championship game.

1964 – San Diego Chargers win AFL-championship.

1971 – First one-day international, Australia versus England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

1971 – Harlem Globetrotters lose 100-99 to New Jersey Reds, ending 2,495-game win streak.

1971 – Sonny Liston, American World Champ heavyweight boxer (1962-64), found dead at age 36.

1972 – Largest crowd at Cleveland Arena (Cleveland Cavaliers versus Los Angeles Lakers-11,178).

1976 – Greg Chappell scores 182* at Sydney Cricket Ground against West Indies.

1984 – Greg Chappell scores 182 in his last Test innings.

1984 – Adrian Dantly (Utah Jazz), ties NBA record of 28 free throws.

1989 – Major League Baseball signs US$400 million with ESPN, to show 175 games in 1990.

1990 – J Donald Crump appointed 8th Commissioner of Canadian Football League.

1991 – Edwin Jongejans of Netherlands wins 1-metre springboard diving title.

1991 – Kevin Bradshaw of US International scores NCAA Division 1 record 72 points.

1992 – Ravi Shastri scores 206 at Sydney Cricket Ground before being Warne’s first cricket Test wicket.

1993 – Brian Lara completes 277 versus Australia at cricket Sydney Cricket Ground.

1993 – Reggie Jackson is elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.

1994 – Aleksandr Popov swims world record 100m free style (47.82).

1994 – Yat Weiju swims world record 100m butterfly stroke (58.71).

1996 – Miami Dolphins’ coach Don Shula announces his retirement.

1996 – Muralitharan no-balled for throwing in ODI versus West Indies at the Gabba.

2009 – Canada beats Sweden 5-1 to win gold in the world junior hockey championships. This is Canada’s fifth straight championship, and its 15th gold, matching Russia/Soviet Union for the all-time lead.

2009 – Free-agent outfielder Milton Bradley reaches terms on a three-year, US$30 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.

2010 – At the World Junior Hockey final in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, team USA beats team Canada 6-5 in overtime.

2022 – At PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, NHL regular season game: Pittsburgh Penguins beats Saint Louis Blues by score 5-3.

2022 – At Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, NHL regular season game: Toronto Maple Leafs beats Edmonton Oilers by score 4-2.

Births of sports figures on January 5

1905 – Birth of László Papp in Hungary; middleweight boxer (Olympics-gold-1948, 1952, 1956).

1920 – Birth of Mohammad Aslam Khokhar; cricket player (Pakistani bat scored 16 and 18 in only test).

1926 – Birth of Claude (Buddy) Young; NFL running back (New York Yankees, Dallas Texans, Baltimore Colts).

1928 – Birth of Imtiaz Ahmed; cricket player (Pakistan wicket-keeper in 41 Tests 1952-62).

1931 – Birth of Walter Davis; American running high jumper (Olympics-gold-1952).

1932 – Birth of Chuck Noll in Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NFL coach (Pittsburgh Steelers).

1938 – Birth of Edwin Elliason in Washington, USA; archer (Olympics-1992).

1938 – Birth of Jim Otto; NFL center (Oakland Raiders).

1939 – Birth of Bridget Parker in England; equestrian three day event (Olympics-gold-1972).

1941 – Birth of Bob Cunis; cricket player (New Zealand pace bowler of the late 1960s).

1941 – Birth of Mansur Ali Khan; cricket player (Nawab of Pataudi, Indian batsman and captain).

1942 – Birth of Eusebio de Silva Ferreira; Mozambique/Portugal soccer star (Europa Cup 1 1962).

1945 – Birth of Sam Wyche; NFL coach (Cincinnati Bengals).

1948 – Birth of Parthasarathy Sharma; cricket player (Indian batsman of the mid-1970s).

1961 – Birth of Curt Bader in Bloomfield, Iowa, USA; sprint kayak (Olympics-1996).

1962 – Birth of Brendon Kuruppu; cricket player (Sri Lankan batsman, 201 debut versus New Zealand 1987).

1962 – Birth of Danny Jackson; US baseball pitcher (Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies, Saint Louis Cardinals).

1962 – Birth of Donald John Cowie in Auckland, New Zealand; yachting Star class (Olympics-1996).

1963 – Birth of Jeff Fassero in Springfield, Illinois, USA; pitcher (Montreal Expos).

1964 – Birth of John Erickson in Woodland Hills, California, USA; golfer (1991 Windsor Charity).

1964 – Birth of Tracy Ham; Canadian Football League quarterback (Montreal Alouettes).

1965 – Birth of Rick Tuten; NFL punter (Seattle Seahawks).

1966 – Birth of Renaldo Turnbull; NFL defensive end (New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers).

1967 – Birth of Chris Nabholz; US baseball pitcher (Boston Red Sox).

1967 – Birth of J B Brown; NFL cornerback (Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers).

1967 – Birth of Ray Crockett; NFL defensive back (Denver Broncos-Super Bowl XXXII).

1968 – Birth of Felton Spencer; NBA center (Utah Jazz).

1968 – Birth of Jean Zedlitz in Stockton, California, USA; LPGA golfer (1994 Children’s Med-14th).

1968 – Birth of Joe Juneau in Pont-Rouge, Québec, Canada; NHL center (Washington Capitals).

1968 – Birth of Leila Meskhi in Tbilisi, Georgia; tennis star (1995 Hobart).

1969 – Birth of David Dixon; NFL guard (Minnesota Vikings).

1969 – Birth of Derrick Ned; NFL fullback (New Orleans Saints).

1969 – Birth of Kurt Barber; NFL defensive end (New York Jets).

1970 – Birth of James Patton; NFL defensive end (Buffalo Bills).

1971 – Birth of Eric Smith; NFL/WLAF wide receiver (Chicago Bears, Scotland Claymores).

1971 – Birth of Hillary Butler; WLAF linebacker (Frankfurt Galaxy).

1971 – Birth of Jason Bates in Downey, California, USA; infielder (Colorado Rockies).

1972 – Birth of Joseph Patton; NFL guard (Washington Redskins).

1974 – Birth of Calvin Collins; center/guard (Atlanta Falcons).

1974 – Birth of Michelle Scerri in Melbourne, Australia; golfer (1995 Tasmanian).

1975 – Birth of Warrick Dunn; running back (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

Deaths of sports figures on January 5

1952 – Nawab of Pataudi, cricket player (play polo three Tests for England three for India), dies.

1960 – Donald Knight, cricket player (54 runs in two Tests for England 1921), dies.

1966 – George Duckworth; cricket player (24 Tests for England, ct 45 stp 15), dies.

1975 – Don Wilson, Houston Astros’ pitcher, dies at age 29 of carbon monoxide poisoning.

1988 – “Pistol Pete” Mavarich, American NBA player (Atlanta Hawks), dies of a heart attack at age 40 (born 1947).

1994 – Death of Brian Johnston; British cricket player, BBC Radio commentator for 40 years.

2014 – Death of Eusébio, Portuguese footballer (born 1942).

2015 – Death of Jean-Pierre Beltoise, French race car driver (born 1937).

On January 6 in …

1681 – First recorded boxing match (Duke of Albemarle’s butler versus his butcher).

1896 – First US women’s six-day bicycle race starts, Madison Square Garden, New York.

1925 – Paavo Nurmi sets indoor record, 4:13.6 mile and 14:44.6 5,000m.

1930 – Donald Bradman scores 452* in cricket for New South Wales against Queensland, 377 minutes, 49 fours.

1937 – Donald Bradman scores 270 Australia versus England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, including 110 singles.

1947 – Ray Lindwall smashes 100 versus England in Melbourne Cricket Ground Test.

1951 – Indianapolis beats Rochester 75-73 in NBA-record six overtimes.

1956 – US Federal court bars former Little League Commissioner Carl Stotz from forming a rival group.

1964 – Charlie Finlay announces he wants to move Kansas City Athletics to Louisville.

1965 – Geoff Boycott takes 3-47 against South Africa, his best Test bowling.

1972 – US female Figure Skating championship won by Janet Lynn.

1972 – US male Figure Skating championship won by Kenneth Shelley.

1976 – Ted Turner purchases Atlanta Braves for reported $12 million.

1980 – Philadelphia Flyers set NHL record of 35 straight games without a defeat.

1981 – 50th hat trick in New York Islanders’ history – John Tonelli scores five goals.

1984 – Last day of Test cricket for Chappell, Marsh and Lillee.

1986 – Last day in Test cricket for Bob Holland.

1991 – Qian Hong swims female world record 50m butterfly (27.30 seconds).

1992 – New York Yankees sign free agent Danny Tartabul.

1992 – Sachin Tendulkar completes 148 versus Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

1992 – Shane Warne takes 1-150 in his first Test innings.

1994 – In Detroit, Michigan, ice skater Nancy Kerrigan is clubbed on the right leg by an assailant under orders from figure skating rival Tonya Harding’s ex-husband.

1994 – Yat Weiju swims world record 50m butterfly stroke (26.44).

1995 – Atlanta Hawks’ Lenny Wilkens becomes NBA’s winningest coach (939).

1998 – Barry Switzer resigns as Dallas Cowboys’ coach.

1998 – Don Sutton selected to Baseball Hall of Fame.

2006 – 18-year-old shortstop Justin Upton signs a five-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks for US$6.1 million, the largest signing bonus in a minor-league contract for a drafted player who was not a free agent.

2006 – The Toronto Blue Jays trade Corey Koskie to the Milwaukee Brewers for minor league pitching prospect Brian Wolfe.

2022 – At crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, USA, NHL regular season game: Florida Predators beats Los Angeles Kings by score 4-2.

2022 – At T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, NHL regular season game: Vegas Golden Knights beats New York Rangers by score 5-1.

2022 – At Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, USA, NHL regular season game: Arizona Coyotes beats Chicago Blackhawks by score 6-4.

2022 – At Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, USA, NHL regular season game: Colorado Avalanche beats Winnipeg Jets by score 7-1.

2022 – At American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, USA, NHL regular season game: Dallas Stars beats Florida Panthers by score 6-5.

2022 – At Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, NHL regular season game: Pittsburgh Penguins beats Philadelphia Flyers by score 6-2.

2022 – At Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, USA, NHL regular season game: New Jersey Devils beats Columbus Blue Jackets by score 3-1.

2022 – At Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, USA, NHL regular season game: Tampa Bay Lightning beats Calgary Flames by score 4-1.

2022 – At KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, USA, NHL regular season game: San Jose Sharks beats Buffalo Sabres by score 3-2.

2022 – At TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, NHL regular season game: Minnesota Wild beats Boston Bruins by score 3-2.

Births of sports figures on January 6

1864 – Birth of Ban Johnson in Norwalk, Connecticut, USA; baseball founder (American League).

1891 – Birth of Ted McDonald; cricket player (great Australian quick of 1920s).

1920 – Birth of Early Wynn in Hartford, Alabama, USA; Baseball Hall of Famer (pitcher).

1921 – Birth of Cary Middlecoff; golfer (1956 Vardon Trophy, 1955 Byron Nelson Award).

1931 – Birth of Graeme Hole; cricket player (Australian batsman of the fifties).

1935 – Birth of Ian Meckiff; cricket player (Australia quick 57-63, “threw”? his career away).

1937 – Birth of Lou Holtz; American football coach (New Jersey Jets).

1943 – Birth of Terry Venables; British soccer player/manager.

1944 – Birth of Robert Landers in Tarrant County, Texas, USA; PGA golfer (Fort Worth-1976, 1978, 1980).

1945 – Birth of Barry John; Welsh international rugby player.

1946 – Birth of Harold Jackson in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA; NFL wide receiver (Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots).

1947 – Birth of Ian Millar in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; dressage rider (World Cup 1988, 1989, Olympics-1996).

1948 – Birth of Dayle Hadlee; cricket player (brother of Richard, New Zealand medium-pacer of 1970s).

1949 – Birth of Michael Boit in Nandi, Kenya; 800m runner (Olympics-bronze-1972).

1954 – Birth of Norbert Hahn in the German Democratic Republic; two-man luge (Olympics-gold-1976, 1980).

1957 – Birth of Nancy Lopez Knight in Torrance, California, USA; pro golfer (1988 Mazda, 1981 Dinah Shore).

1959 – Birth of Kapil Dev; cricket player (India’s finest all-rounder 1978-94, Cup-1982).

1960 – Birth of Paul William Azinger in Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA; PGA golfer (1987 Phoenix Open).

1961 – Birth of Howie Long; NFL tackle/actor/broadcaster (Broken Arrow).

1962 – Birth of Philip Brown in Birmingham, England; 4x400m runner (Olympics-silver-1984).

1962 – Birth of Sean Landeta; NFL place kicker (New York Giants).

1963 – Birth of Norm Charlton in Fort Polk, Louisiana, USA; pitcher (Seattle Mariners).

1964 – Birth of Charles Haley; NFL defensive end (Dallas Cowboys).

1965 – Birth of Christine Wachtel; East German running star (world indoor record 800m).

1965 – Birth of Jose Dejesus; US baseball pitcher (Kansas City Royals).

1965 – Birth of Lindsay H Burns in Big Timber, Montana, USA; rower (Olympics-silver-1996).

1965 – Birth of Tim McDonald; NFL player (San Francisco 49ers).

1966 – Birth of Bob Kratch; NFL guard (New England Patriots).

1966 – Birth of Donnell Woolford; NFL cornerback (Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears).

1966 – Birth of Shahid Saeed; cricket player (Pakistani batsman in Test versus India 1989).

1967 – Birth of David Belcher; Australian rower (Olympics-1996).

1967 – Birth of Larry Donald in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; US boxer (Olympics-1992).

1968 – Birth of Jerry Crafts; NFL/WLAF tackle (Philadelphia Eagles, Amsterdam Admirals).

1968 – Birth of Vlastimil Plavucha in Banska Bystrica, Czechoslovakia; hockey forward (Team Slovakia).

1969 – Birth of Alvin Morman in Rockingham, North Carolina, USA; pitcher (Houston Astros).

1969 – Birth of Florence Descampe in Brussels, Belgium; LPGA golfer (1992 McCall).

1969 – Birth of Jason Childs; NFL tackle (Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers).

1969 – Birth of Nick A’Hern; Australian 20k walker (Olympics-22-1992, 1996).

1970 – Birth of Daniel Naulty in Los Angeles, California, USA; pitcher (Minnesota Twins).

1970 – Birth of Gabrielle Reece in Trinidad; volleyball star/model (Extremists).

1970 – Birth of Geert Brusselers; soccer player (NAC).

1970 – Birth of John Gerak; NFL tight end/guide (Minnesota Vikings, Saint Louis Rams).

1970 – Birth of Keenan McCardell; NFL wide receiver (Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars).

1970 – Birth of Kerrin Petty in Townshend, Vermont, USA; cross country skier (Olympics-1994).

1970 – Birth of René Binken; soccer player (Volendam).

1971 – Birth of Jed DeVries; NFL tackle (Cleveland Browns).

1971 – Birth of Mike Wells; NFL defensive end (Detroit Lions).

1971 – Birth of Myron Baker; NFL linebacker (Chicago Bears).

1972 – Birth of Denis Montana; Canadian Football League receiver (Montreal Alouettes, Toronto Argonauts).

1972 – Birth of Willie Clark; NFL cornerback (San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles).

1973 – Birth of Sairaj Bahatule; cricket player (promising Bombay leg-spin all-rounder).

1974 – Birth of Juan Roque; tackle (Detroit Lions).

1974 – Birth of Marcus Crandell; Canadian Football League quarterback (Edmonton Eskimos).

1974 – Birth of Paul Grant; NBA center (Minnesota Timberwolves).

1975 – Birth of James Farrior; linebacker (New York Jets).

1975 – Birth of Laura Berg in Whittier, California; softball outfielder (Olympics-gold-1996).

1976 – Birth of Jeremy Linn; American 100m breaststroke (Olympics-silver/gold-1996).

1976 – Birth of Richard Zednik in Bystrica, Czechoslovakia; NHL forward (Team Slovakia, Washington Capitals).

1977 – Birth of Stacey Gartrell in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; swimmer (Olympics-1996).

1978 – Birth of Steve Hartsell in Ann Arbor, Michigan; pairs skater (with Danielle Hartsell).

Deaths of sports figures on January 6

1907 – Walter Read, cricket player (English batsman, 117 at no 10 versus Australia 1884), dies.

1915 – Reginald Wood, cricket player (one Test England versus Australia 1886), dies.

1928 – Alvin C Kraenzlein, track star (Olympics-4 gold-1900), dies at age 51.

1936 – Charles A Stoneham, president (New York Giants), dies.

1939 – Albert Ward, cricket player (England batsman in 7 Tests 1893-95), dies.

1967 – Johnny Keane, baseball player/manager (Saint Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees), dies at age 55.

2015 – Death of Vlastimil Bubník, Czech ice hockey player and footballer (born 1931).

2023 – Death of Gianluca Vialli at age 58; soccer player (Italy, Juventus, Chelsea), manager, coach.

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TV SPORTS

Monday, 1/5/26

NBA REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
New York Knicks vs Detroit Pistons	7:00pm	Peacock
Chicago Bulls vs Boston Celtics	7:30pm	CHSN NBCS-BOS
Atlanta Hawks vs Toronto Raptors	7:30pm	FanDuel Sports ATL SN
Phoenix Suns vs Houston Rockets	8:00pm	SCHN AFSN
Charlotte Hornets vs Oklahoma City Thunder	8:00pm	FanDuel Sports OKC FanDuel Sports CHA
Denver Nuggets vs Philadelphia 76ers	8:30pm	Peacock
Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers	10:00pm	Rip City KJZZ
Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Clippers	10:00pm	Peacock NBCS-CA
NHL REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Anaheim Ducks vs Washington Capitals	7:00pm	MNMT Victory+
Utah Mammoth vs New York Rangers	7:00pm	Utah16 MSG
Detroit Red Wings vs Ottawa Senators	7:30pm	FanDuel Sports DET ESPN+
Seattle Kraken vs Calgary Flames	9:30pm	KONG ESPN+
Minnesota Wild vs Los Angeles Kings	10:30pm	FanDuel Sports North FanDuel Sports West
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL	TIME ET	TV
Columbia at Cornell	5:00pm	ESPN+
Nebraska at Ohio State	6:30pm	FS1
William & Mary at Charleston	7:00pm	CBSSN
Penn at Princeton	7:00pm	NBCS-PHI
Yale at Brown	7:00pm	NESN
Oregon at Rutgers	7:00pm	Peacock
Milwaukee at Green Bay	7:00pm	ESPN+
Dartmouth at Harvard	7:00pm	ESPN+
Lamar at Southeastern Louisiana	7:00pm	ESPN+
Texas Southern at Grambling State	7:30pm	SWAC TV
UIW at UTRGV	7:30pm	ESPN+
Stephen F. Austin at McNeese	7:30pm	ESPN+
Northwestern State at Nicholls	7:30pm	ESPN+
Alabama A&M at Mississippi Valley State	8:00pm	SWAC TV
A&M-Corpus Christi at Houston Christian	8:00pm	ESPN+
East Texas A&M at New Orleans	8:00pm	ESPN+
USC at Michigan State	8:30pm	FS1
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
England Championship: Leicester City vs West Bromwich Albion	3:00pm	Paramount+

Tuesday, 1/6/26

NBA REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers	7:00pm	FanDuel Sports Ohio FanDuel Sports IND
Orlando Magic vs Washington Wizards	7:00pm	MNMT FanDuel Sports FL
Miami Heat vs Minnesota Timberwolves	8:00pm	NBC Peacock
Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans	8:00pm	Spectrum GCSN
San Antonio Spurs vs Memphis Grizzlies	8:00pm	FanDuel Sports SW FanDuel Sports MEM
Dallas Mavericks vs Sacramento Kings	11:00pm	NBC Peacock
NHL REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Anaheim Ducks vs Washington Capitals	7:00pm	MNMT Victory+
Utah Mammoth vs New York Rangers	7:00pm	Utah16 MSG
Detroit Red Wings vs Ottawa Senators	7:30pm	FanDuel Sports DET ESPN+
Seattle Kraken vs Calgary Flames	9:30pm	KONG ESPN+
Minnesota Wild vs Los Angeles Kings	10:30pm	FanDuel Sports North FanDuel Sports West
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL	TIME ET	TV
Bowling Green at Kent State	1:00pm	ESPN+
UMass at Ohio	6:00pm	CBSSN
Duke at Louisville	7:00pm	ESPN
Cincinnati at West Virginia	7:00pm	ESPN2
Michigan at Penn State	7:00pm	FS1
South Carolina at LSU	7:00pm	ESPNU
Georgia at Florida	7:00pm	SECN
Syracuse at Georgia Tech	7:00pm	ACCN
St. John’s at Butler	7:00pm	Peacock
Central Michigan at Akron	7:00pm	ESPN+
Eastern Michigan at Ball State	7:00pm	ESPN+
Western Michigan at Miami (OH)	7:00pm	ESPN+
Georgetown at DePaul	8:00pm	TruTV
Iowa at Minnesota	8:00pm	BTN
George Washington at Dayton	8:00pm	CBSSN
UCF at Oklahoma State	8:00pm	ESPN+
Toledo at Northern Illinois	8:00pm	ESPN+
Lindenwood at SIUE	8:30pm	ESPN+
TCU at Kansas	9:00pm	ESPN
Texas at Tennessee	9:00pm	ESPN2
Texas Tech at Houston	9:00pm	FS1
Texas A&M at Auburn	9:00pm	SECN
NC State at Boston College	9:00pm	ACCN
Utah State at Air Force	9:00pm	ALT
New Mexico at Colorado State	9:00pm	MWN
UCLA at Wisconsin	9:00pm	Peacock
UNLV at Wyoming	10:00pm	CBSSN
Fresno State at San Jose State	10:00pm	NBCS-BAY
San Diego State at Nevada	11:00pm	FS1
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
Serie A: Pisa vs Como	9:00am	Paramount+
Serie A: Lecce vs Roma	12:00pm	Paramount+
Copa del Rey: Granada vs Rayo Vallecano	12:00pm	ESPN+ fuboTV
EPL: West Ham United vs Nottingham Forest	3:00pm	Peacock
Serie A: Sassuolo vs Juventus	2:45pm	Paramount+

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