“THE SCOREBOARD” ================================================================ INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL FRIDAY ANDREAN 76 CALUMET 65 ANGOLA 58 LAKELAND 47 BARR-REEVE 49 BLOOMFIELD 45 BETHANY CHRISTIAN 77 FREMONT 36 BREMEN 65 CULVER 22 BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL 46 ORLEANS 39 CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) 56 FORT WAYNE LUERS 53 CARROLLTON CHRISTIAN (KY.) 65 SHAWE MEMORIAL 54 CENTERVILLE 70 CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN 29 CHESTERTON 75 CULVER ACADEMY 47 CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 58 NORTH HARRISON 52 CLAY CITY 51 RIVERTON PARKE 50 COLUMBIA CITY 48 FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA 33 CONNERSVILLE 74 NORTHEASTERN 51 COWAN 77 SOUTHERN WELLS 28 CRAWFORDSVILLE 90 COVINGTON 36 DALEVILLE 58 MADISON-GRANT 54 DELPHI 63 FRANKFORT 50 EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL 63 GRIFFITH 62 OT EASTBROOK 56 SOUTH ADAMS 39 EASTERN (GREENTOWN) 59 CARROLL (FLORA) 57 EASTERN HANCOCK 59 HAGERSTOWN 52 EASTSIDE 44 CHURUBUSCO 39 ELKHART CHRISTIAN 70 ARGOS 41 EVANSVILLE BOSSE 79 EVANSVILLE REITZ 60 EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN 63 NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) 48 EVANSVILLE HARRISON 68 EVANSVILLE CENTRAL 55 EVANSVILLE MATER DEI 49 NORTHEAST DUBOIS 42 EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL 71 WASHINGTON 64 OT FAIRFIELD 49 CENTRAL NOBLE 29 FAITH CHRISTIAN 70 NORTH WHITE 45 FORT WAYNE SNIDER 96 MARION 74 FRANKLIN 64 INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN 53 FRANKTON 73 BLUE RIVER VALLEY 36 FRONTIER 53 CLINTON CENTRAL 38 GARRETT 56 WEST NOBLE 53 GARY WEST 53 GARY LIGHTHOUSE 36 GOSHEN 60 JOHN GLENN 34 GREENSBURG 61 EAST CENTRAL 51 HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) 62 LEBANON 38 HEBRON 74 CALUMET CHRISTIAN 64 HOMESTEAD 56 NORWELL 48 INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 98 PURDUE ENGLEWOOD 97 JAY COUNTY 63 BELLMONT 55 JEFFERSONVILLE 79 CASTLE 55 KOKOMO 58 HUNTINGTON NORTH 52 KOUTS 91 TRI-TOWNSHIP 36 LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC 59 LEWIS CASS 46 LAKEWOOD PARK 68 ADAMS CENTRAL 60 LOGANSPORT 67 BENTON CENTRAL 51 MADISON 103 SWITZERLAND COUNTY 58 MCCUTCHEON 50 LAKE CENTRAL 43 MEDORA 71 CROTHERSVILLE 57 MILAN 70 UNION COUNTY 47 MISHAWAKA MARIAN 76 LAPORTE 55 MISSISSINEWA 48 MANCHESTER 47 MONROVIA 51 CASCADE 45 MORRISTOWN 64 ANDERSON PREP 32 MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) 58 YORKTOWN 41 MUNCIE CENTRAL 56 NEW CASTLE 40 MUNSTER 84 WHITING 37 NEW ALBANY 63 BLOOMINGTON NORTH 61 NORTHWOOD 43 ELKHART 36 NORTHRIDGE 62 DEKALB 39 OAK HILL 54 DELTA 35 PAOLI 75 CRAWFORD COUNTY 35 PARK TUDOR 74 PHALEN ACADEMY 60 PARKE HERITAGE 80 TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 49 PENN 61 MERRILLVILLE 50 PLYMOUTH 44 LAVILLE 40 PORTAGE 58 HAMMOND MORTON 41 PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY 65 INDIANAPOLIS HERRON 56 ROCHESTER 56 MACONAQUAH 48 ROCK CREEK ACADEMY 53 CLARKSVILLE 41 SEEGER 65 NORTH VERMILLION 64 SILVER CREEK 64 SEYMOUR 37 SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH 91 MISHAWAKA 52 SOUTH DEARBORN 89 NEW WASHINGTON 36 SOUTH DECATUR 74 KNIGHTSTOWN 60 SOUTH NEWTON 54 ATTICA 41 SOUTH PUTNAM 82 DUGGER UNION 52 SOUTH RIPLEY 85 JAC-CEN-DEL 57 SOUTH VERMILLION 59 WASHINGTON CATHOLIC 18 SOUTHWOOD 67 BLUFFTON 52 ST. THOMAS MORE 84 OREGON-DAVIS 54 TERRE HAUTE NORTH 59 EVANSVILLE NORTH 58 OT TRI-CENTRAL 53 NORTHFIELD 45 TRI-COUNTY 61 PIONEER 46 TRI-WEST 65 INDIANAPOLIS RITTER 62 TRITON CENTRAL 53 SPEEDWAY 52 TRITON 82 KNOX 52 WABASH 71 PERU 62 WALDRON 62 RISING SUN 47 WAPAHANI 58 SHENANDOAH 48 WASHINGTON TWP. 71 TRINITY ACADEMY 48 WAWASEE 45 EAST NOBLE 34 WEST CENTRAL 67 LAKE STATION 50 WEST LAFAYETTE 73 ROSSVILLE 48 WEST WASHINGTON 68 SHOALS 32 WESTVIEW 69 CONCORD 47 WHITELAND 89 BEECH GROVE 61 WHITKO 53 LAKELAND CHRISTIAN 26 ===================================================================== INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SATURDAY ALL TIMES EASTERN BEN DAVIS AT INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS 7:30 PM FORT WAYNE WAYNE AT ANDERSON 3:30 PM HUNTINGTON NORTH AT FAIRFIELD 7:30 PM INDIANAPOLIS HERRON AT EMINENCE 2:00 PM INTERNATIONAL AT UNION (MODOC) 6:00 PM LALUMIERE REGIONAL AT MICHIGAN CITY 8:00 PM MONROE CENTRAL AT BLUE RIVER VALLEY 7:30 PM PRAIRIE HEIGHTS AT TRINITY ACADEMY 7:30 PM PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE AT MISSISSINEWA 7:30 PM ====================================================================== INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL STATE FINALS SESSION 1 10:30 AM ET | CLASS 1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP BORDEN (24-4) VS. FREMONT (28-2) APPROX. 12:45 PM ET | CLASS 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP EASTERN (PEKIN) (20-7) VS. OAK HILL (24-3) SESSION 2 6 PM ET | CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP RONCALLI (27-3) VS. BELLMONT (24-3) 8:15 PM ET | CLASS 4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP CENTER GROVE (28-0) VS. NORWELL (25-4) STATE FINALS PREVIEW: https://www.ihsaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2025-26%20Girls%20Basketball%20Preview.pdf =============================================================== INDIANA STATE BOYS SWIMMING FRIDAY, FEB. 27, 2026PRELIM RESULTS SATURDAY, FEB. 28, 2026GATES OPEN AT 6:45 AM ET / 5:45 AM CT 9 AM ET / 8 AM CT | DIVING PRELIMINARIES, SEMIFINALS 1 PM ET / 12 PM CT | CHAMPIONSHIP/CONSOLATION FINALS IN ALL SWIMMING EVENTS; DIVING FINALSDIVING ORDER | HEAT SHEETS ===================================================================== MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES #21 MIAMI OHIO 69 WESTERN MICHIGAN 67 #3 MICHIGAN 84 #10 ILLINOIS 70 AKRON 92 KENT STATE 70 =============================================================== WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES #25 PRINCETON 97 DARTMOUTH 47 HAWAII 67 UC DAVIS 46 =============================================================== MEN’S COLLEGE HOCKEY SCORES #2 MICHIGAN 4 MINNESOTA 2 #20 MAINE 4 NORTHEASTERN 0 BOSTON 3 #10 BOSTON COLLEGE 1 NEW HAMPSHIRE 1 #6 PROVIDENCE 0 #19 UMASS 5 #13 UCONN 1 #3 NORTH DAKOTA 5 #4 WESTERN MICHIGAN 3 #11 CORNELL 5 ST. LAWRENCE 1 #5 PENN STATE 3 NOTRE DAME 3 #14 DARTMOUTH 7 #7 QUINNIPIAC 4 BOWLING GREEN 1 #16 MICHIGAN TECH 0 COLORADO COLLEGE 4 #9 MINNESOTA DULUTH 1 #18 MINNESOTA STATE 2 NORTHERN MICHIGAN 2 OT OHIO STATE 5 #1 MICHIGAN STATE 1 BEMIDJI STATE 3 #17 ST. THOMAS – MINNESOTA 1 #8 DENVER 5 ARIZONA STATE 2 =============================================================== MEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL SCORES GEORGE MASON 3 #19 NEW JERSEY TECH 1 #11 LINDENWOOD 34 VALLEY STATE 0 #16 PENN STATE 3 MERRIMACK 0 #15 LEWIS 3 NORTHERN KENTUCKY 0 #14 MCKENDREE 3 QUEENS 1 #2 LONG BEACH STATE 3 CONCORDIA IRVINE 1 #17 CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE 3 CAL LUTHERAN 0 #1 UCLA 3 #4 UC IRVINE 2 #7 PEPPERDINE 3 JESSUP 1 #9 UC SAN DIEGO 3 VANGUARD 1 #3 HAWAII 3 #6 BYU 0 ================================================================ COLLEGE WRESTLING SCORES NO MATCHES SCHEDULED ================================================================ DIVISION 1 COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES BALL STATE 7 ILLINOIS 6 PURDUE 12 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 2 INDIANA 20 ELON 1 GEORGIA TECH 8 NOTRE DAME 4 PERDUE 6 LIPSCOME 1 ================================================================= DIVISION 1 COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES NOTRE DAME 19 ALABAMA A&M 2 MARSHALL 4 BUTLER 3 SOUTHERN INDIANA 20 N. ALABAMA 1 PURDUE 9 MARIST 4 WESTERN KENTUCKY 4 INDIANA 1 INDIANA STATE 8 PENN STATE 5 HAWAII 12 BALL STATE 0 ================================================================= DIVISION 1 MEN’S LAX SCORES #7 PRINCETON 11 #6 SYRACUSE 7 #1 NORTH CAROLINA 11 #19 PENNSYLVANIA 9 ================================================================= DIVISION 1 WOMEN’S LAX SCORES #1 NORTH CAROLINA 27 FLORIDA STATE 3 ================================================================= NBA SCORES DETROIT 122 CLEVELAND 119 OT BOSTON 148 BROOKLYN 111 NEW YORK 127 MILWAUKEE 98 MEMPHIS 124 DALLAS 105 OKLAHOMA CITY 127 DENVER 121 OT ================================================================== NBA G-LEAGUE SCORES OSCEOLA 128 CLEVELAND 111 WINDY CITY 121 MAINE 106 IOWA 118 MEXICO CITY 117 RIO GRANDE VALLEY 135 NOBLESVILLE 133 OT WISCONSIN 134 MEMPHIS 126 SAN DIEGO 130 SANTA CRUZ 126 ================================================================== NHL SCORES WASHINGTON 3 VEGAS 2 BUFFALO 3 FLORIDA 2 UTAH 5 MINNESOTA 2 ANAHEIM 5 WINNIPEG 4 OT ================================================================== MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TAMPA BAY 6 TORONTO 5 NY YANKEES 17 MINNESOTA 5 PHILADELPHIA 10 MIAMI 2 NY METS 14 ST. LOUIS 3 PITTSBURGH 6 BALTIMORE 1 DETROIT 16 PHILADELPHIA 8 ATLANTA 15 BOSTON 8 KANSAS CITY 7 LAS VEGAS 6 SAN FRANCISCO 12 LA DODGERS 4 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 3 TEXAS 1 CHICAGO CUBS 8 CLEVELAND 6 LA ANGELS 4 CINCINNATI 3 MILWAUKEE 5 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 2 COLORADO 3 SAN DIEGO 2 WASHINGTON 4 HOUSTON 4 ARIZONA 3 SEATTLE 1 ================================================================== WOMEN’S PRO VOLLEYBALL SCORES INDY IGNITE 3 COLUMBUS 1 ORLANDO 3 DALLAS 1 ================================================================== MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER NO MATCHES SCHEDULED ================================================================= NATIONAL SPORTS NEWS RELEASES NFL COWBOYS PLACE FRANCHISE TAG ON GEORGE PICKENS AS FOCUS SHIFTS TO TALKS ON A LONG-TERM DEAL The Dallas Cowboys placed the franchise tag on George Pickens on Friday, a move that could guarantee the receiver nearly $30 million in 2026 while the sides work on a long-term contract. Dallas will use the non-exclusive tag on Pickens, a person with knowledge of the plan told The Associated Press, meaning he can negotiate with other teams but the Cowboys can match any offer. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because details of the tag weren’t announced. The Cowboys had been expected to use the tag on Pickens since last fall when he began to flourish in his breakout 2025 season coming off a trade from Pittsburgh, where his career got off to a rocky start. The one-year tender under the tag is projected to be $28.8 million for a receiver, according to overthecap.com. The Cowboys and Pickens have until July 15 to agree on a long-term deal that would replace the one-year contract. If Pickens signed elsewhere and the Cowboys decided not to match the offer under the non-exclusive provision, the club would get the equivalent of two first-round draft picks. The money is guaranteed if Pickens signs the one-year contract, but he could be fined for staying away from mandatory offseason minicamp or training camp practices in hopes of getting a more lucrative deal. Pickens, who turns 25 on Wednesday, had career highs in catches (93), yards receiving (1,429) and touchdowns (nine) for one of the best offenses in the NFL last season. Dallas had one of the worst defenses in the league and finished 7-9-1, missing the playoffs for the second year in a row. The 2022 second-round pick out of Georgia thrived alongside CeeDee Lamb, who is going into the second year of a $136 million, four-year contract that currently ranks him third among NFL receivers with an average annual value of $34 million. Lamb missed the entire offseason and training camp in 2024 holding out for the deal he signed about two weeks before the season opener. The Cowboys couldn’t use the tag on Lamb because he was going into the fifth year of his rookie contract. The fifth year is a team option that goes with all deals for first-round picks. Second-rounders have four-year deals, and Pickens earned $6.8 million on his rookie contract. Pickens’ talent was on display during three seasons with the Steelers, but so were enough instances of petulant or indifferent behavior for then-coach Mike Tomlin to question his maturity. Ultimately, Pittsburgh decided to send Pickens to Dallas for a third-round draft pick and a swap of late-round selections between the teams. The Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer never took issue with Pickens publicly in his first season as a head coach after a quarter-century as an NFL assistant. But Pickens and Lamb were benched for the first series in Las Vegas after missing curfew following a casino visit the night before the game. Dallas has already reached a $24 million, three-year agreement to re-sign free agent running Javonte Williams. Like Pickens, Williams rejuvenated his career in the 25-year-old’s first season with Dallas. His 1,201 yards rushing were the most for a Dallas back since two-time rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott had 1,357 in 2019. NFL BOOSTS SALARY CAP TO $301.2M IN 2026 The NFL informed its teams Friday that the salary cap for the upcoming season will be $301.2 million, an increase of $22 million from 2025. NFL Network reported on Jan. 30 that the 2026 salary cap was projected to land anywhere from $301.2 million and $305.7 million. The salary cap for 2025 was $279.2 million, which was a $23.8 million increase from the previous year. The league’s rise in prosperity and popularity has been reflected in TV rights deals with its broadcast partners and impacted the annual salary cap, which was $120.37 million in 2011. The cap has risen yearly since 2011, except for 2021 when the league prioritized recovery from the pandemic, including loss of live attendance gate and concessions profits. The new league year opens on Wednesday, March 11. ====================================================================== MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL FORMER ILLINI MOREZ JOHNSON JR. LEADS NO. 3 MICHIGAN TO WIN, BIG TEN TITLE In a triumphant return to his former school, Morez Johnson Jr. produced 19 points and a game-high 11 rebounds to lead No. 3 Michigan to an 84-70 victory over No. 10 Illinois on Friday night in Champaign, Ill., that clinched the Wolverines’ first Big Ten title since 2021. Johnson, a physical sophomore who transferred from Illinois to Michigan on April 1, and his teammates appeared to be fueled by the boos each time Johnson touched the ball. Aday Mara scored 19 points on 8 of 9 field goal shooting and Yaxel Lendeborg added 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists as Michigan (27-2, 17-1) snapped a nine-game losing streak to Illinois. Keaton Wagler, shadowed by the taller, longer Lendeborg most of the night, scored a game-high 23 points but shot 7 of 17 and committed a game-high four turnovers for Illinois (22-7, 13-5), which has dropped four of its last six. Kylan Boswell added 15 points. Ten students directly behind the Illinois bench painted “MIRK > MOREZ” on their chests to assert their preference for Illinois freshman David Mirkovic, who posted 12 points and 10 rebounds in the power forward spot that Johnson likely would have held had he not transferred. In the early going, Illinois’ students had plenty to cheer about. When Wagler swished a stepback 3-pointer over the 7-foot-3 Mara while getting fouled, then drained the accompanying free throw, Illinois held a 16-11 lead with 13:03 to go. Michigan responded with 11 straight points to take the lead for good, capped by a rare Johnson 3-pointer at the 9:45 mark as Illinois sagged off and dared him to shoot. The Wolverines kept transforming turnovers and long Illinois misses into fast-break points to take a 38-31 halftime lead. L.J. Cason fed Johnson on a 3-on-1 break for a layup with 1:11 to go, then Johnson converted a tip-in at the 0:42 mark to lead all first-half scorers with 13. Each time Illinois dug into Michigan’s lead in the second half, the Wolverines had an answer. Jake Davis swished a 3-pointer for the Illini, so Lendeborg swished a 3-pointer. Wagler made two free throws, so Johnson bullied Wagler in the post and threw down an enormous dunk that he capped with a primal scream. Wagler drove past Lendeborg for a layup to make it 47-41, so Michigan fed Mara for a 5-footer and a pick-and-roll slam. Five minutes later, Mara went on a personal 7-0 run to give the Wolverines a 66-52 lead with 9:12 to go. Trey McKenney followed with back-to-back 3-pointers to force Illinois to take a timeout trailing 72-54 with 7:27 left. Illinois never got closer than 14 again. Michigan shot 52.5% (31 of 59) from the floor and 62.1% (23 of 37) on shots inside the arc. They also converted 14 of 17 shots from the free throw line. NO. 21 MIAMI (OHIO) ESCAPES WESTERN MICHIGAN ON TREY PERRY’S WINNER Trey Perry made a go-ahead layup with 0.4 seconds left, helping No. 21 Miami (Ohio) remain unbeaten with a 69-67 victory over Western Michigan on Friday in Kalamazoo, Mich. Justice Williams sank a 13-foot jumper to forge a 67-67 tie with 12.8 seconds remaining before Perry used his body to fend off EJ Ryans and went off the glass to convert a left-handed layup. Miami’s Peter Suder scored 18 points before fouling out with his team trailing 57-50 with 7:03 remaining in the second half. Almar Atlason scored 16 points off the bench and Perry added 14 points while making his first start of the season for the RedHawks (29-0, 16-0 Mid-American Conference), who remained the lone unbeaten team in Division I. They have won a program-best 14 in a row on the road and completed a season sweep of the Broncos. Miami (Ohio) recorded an 87-76 victory over Western Michigan on Jan. 6. Head coach Travis Steele’s frustrations boiled over at halftime, as he verbally abused the referees and knocked down a speaker as he walked off the court. Steele was whistled for a technical foul, with Ryans making one of two foul shots to start the second half. Jayden Brewer collected 19 points and 11 rebounds and Williams and Ryans each had 14 points for the Broncos (10-19, 4-12), who have lost 10 of their last 13 games. The RedHawks trimmed a nine-point deficit to one at 63-62 after Atlason converted a four-point play with 3:26 remaining in the second half. Antwone Woolfolk’s layup gave Miami a 66-65 lead and Eian Elmer split a pair of free throws before Williams forged a tie. Suder made a layup in transition as Miami erased an eight-point deficit to level the contest at 49-49 with 11:02 remaining in the second half. Suder was whistled for his fourth foul just seven seconds later, and Williams responded by making three layups and two foul shots during a personal 8-0 run. Suder made a layup to extend Miami’s lead to 26-23 with 3:05 to play in the first half. However, Western Michigan scored the last seven points before intermission. Carson Vis converted a three-point play to highlight that sequence. ======================================================================= NBA NBA ROUNDUP: THUNDER EMERGE WITH SCRAPPY OT WIN OVER NUGGETS Chet Holmgren produced 15 points and a career-high 21 rebounds and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 36 points in his return from injury, lifting the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 127-121 victory over the visiting Denver Nuggets on Friday. Gilgeous-Alexander, playing his first game since sustaining an abdominal strain on Feb. 3, helped the Thunder dig out of an early 16-point deficit. In overtime, though, Gilgeous-Alexander remained on the bench. It didn’t matter, as Alex Caruso continued his strong play from the end of regulation. He finished with 12 points. Denver’s Jamal Murray hit a trio of 3-pointers in the final 30 seconds to finish with 39 points. Nikola Jokic finished with 23 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists while teammate Christian Braun also scored 23. Pistons 122, Cavaliers 119 (OT) Jalen Duren scored 33 points and grabbed 16 rebounds as host Detroit rallied from a nine-point deficit late in regulation to win in overtime against Cleveland. Cade Cunningham supplied 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists before fouling out in regulation for the Pistons, who have won seven of their past eight. Ausar Thompson had 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Jarrett Allen’s 25 points and nine rebounds led the Cavaliers, who have lost three of the past four. Cleveland played without its starting backcourt, Donovan Mitchell (groin) and James Harden (thumb). Celtics 148, Nets 111 Nikola Vucevic had 28 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes as Boston pulled away in the second half for a victory over visiting Brooklyn. The Celtics, who had a six-point lead midway through the third quarter, outscored the Nets 82-54 in the second half. Jaylen Brown logged 28 points, seven rebounds and nine assists for Boston, which hit 66.7% of its field-goal attempts while earning its 10th win in 12 games. Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 18 points. Danny Wolf scored 16 as the Nets dropped their seventh game in a row. Grizzlies 124, Mavericks 105 Cam Spencer scored 25 points and Olivier-Maxence Prosper added 16 points and a career-high 10 rebounds — his first career double-double — as visiting Memphis handed Dallas its seventh straight home loss. Scotty Pippen Jr. chipped in with 15 points for the Grizzlies, who snapped a three-game losing streak. GG Jackson and Jaylen Wells had 12 points each. Brandon Williams amassed 16 points and eight rebounds for the Mavericks, who have lost 12 of their past 14 games. Daniel Gafford added 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting. Knicks 127, Bucks 98 Jalen Brunson scored 22 of his game-high 27 points in the first quarter, helping visiting New York secure a victory over Milwaukee. OG Anunoby added 24 points and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds for New York, which shot 21-for-42 (50%) on 3-point attempts. Landry Shamet scored 15 points, while Josh Hart had 12 and Mikal Bridges and Mohamed Diawara scored 10 apiece. Myles Turner led Milwaukee with 19 points, followed by Kyle Kuzma with 17 and Bobby Portis with 14. Ryan Rollins scored 13, while Kevin Porter Jr. finished with 11 points and 10 assists for the Bucks, who had won eight of their previous 10 games. ====================================================================== WNBA REPORT: WNBA PLAYERS DIVIDED IN CBA APPROACH DURING ‘SPIRITED’ MEETING The approach to a potential strike was a point of contention among WNBA union members at a sometimes “tough” meeting where the state of labor negotiations was discussed, Front Office Sports reported. At a virtual meeting held Tuesday by the WNBPA, some players reportedly changed their minds from a mid-December meeting when a potential strike was authorized in a near-unanimous vote. However, more than half of player leadership in Tuesday’s meeting committed to a potential stoppage in play, authorizing the union’s executive committee, made up of seven players, to declare a strike whenever it feels necessary. A letter sent after the meeting from WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson to union members, per Front Office Sports, said “last night’s conversation was spirited, passionate, and at times tough. Jackson also note that “Honest debate is not division. It is engagement.” Players were told by the league in a meeting Monday night that a new CBA needs to be reached by March 10 for the season to move forward without interruption in play. The most recent movement in the negotiations was a counter proposal sent by the league on Feb. 20, roughly six weeks after the union sent a proposal in late December. The only significant change in the league’s latest proposal was to put team housing — which the league has provided to all players since 1999 — back on the table for 2026 only. The league’s latest counter proposal made no movement on revenue-sharing or the proposed salary cap of $5.65 million per team. Jackson’s letter reportedly said a survey would be sent to players to gather feedback on the league’s latest proposal and that a CBA would not be final without a majority of players voting in agreement. “Everyone has different experiences in the league and in their life,” veteran guard Lexie Brown told Front Office Sports. “So I did not expect all of us to come into these meetings, week by week, and just kumbaya and everybody agree on everything. That’s not reality.” ======================================================================= NHL NHL ROUNDUP: DUCKS TOP JETS ON CHRIS KREIDER’S OT GOAL Chris Kreider scored with 13 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Anaheim Ducks a 5-4 win over the visiting Winnipeg Jets on Friday. Pavel Mintyukov had a goal and an assist for the Ducks, who are on a four-game winning streak. Jacob Trouba, Leo Carlsson and Ryan Poehling collected Anaheim’s other goals. Lukas Dostal stopped 29 shots, though the Jets had five shots hit the post either directly or on a deflection. Alex Iafallo and Kyle Connor each had a goal and an assist for Winnipeg, which is 2-1-2 its past five games. Logan Stanley and Cole Perfetti had two assists apiece. Gabriel Vilardi and Elias Salomonsson also scored for Winnipeg. Connor Hellebuyck playing well in a losing effort, stopping 35 of 40 shots. Sabres 3, Panthers 2 Beck Malenstyn scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period as Buffalo prevailed in Sunrise, Fla. Alex Tuch scored a goal and added an assist, Peyton Krebs added an empty-net tally and Alex Lyon stopped 28 shots for the Sabres, who have won two straight games since the Olympic break and are 8-2-1 in their past 11 games. Sam Bennett logged a goal and an assist and Matthew Tkachuk scored for the Panthers, who have lost six of the past eight. Daniil Tarasov made 36 saves. Mammoth 5, Wild 2 Lawson Crouse scored twice, leading Utah to a victory over visiting Minnesota. Clayton Keller added a goal and two assists for Utah, which improved to 12-4-1 in its past 17 games and is 18-9-2 on home ice this season. Logan Cooley and Barrett Hayton also tallied, and Jack McBain, Nick Schmaltz and Mikhail Sergachev added two assists each. Matt Boldy scored and added an assist and Kirill Kaprizov also found the back of the net for the Wild, which saw its six-game winning streak end. Minnesota lost for just the second time in regulation over its past 12 (9-2-1). Capitals 3, Golden Knights 2 Pierre-Luc Dubois scored two goals and had an assist and Logan Thompson made 24 saves, leading Washington to a victory over visiting Vegas. Aliaksei Protas and Rasmus Sandin each had two assists and Jakob Chychrun also scored for the Capitals, who extended their home winning streak to five games and logged their sixth win in seven games overall. Braeden Bowman and Tomas Hertl scored goals and Akira Schmid finished with 27 saves for the Golden Knights, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. ===================================================================== GOLF AUSTIN SMOTHERMAN LEADS BY THREE AT COGNIZANT CLASSIC Austin Smotherman will carry a three-stroke lead into the weekend at the Cognizant Classic at The Palm Beaches. Smotherman followed his opening 62 with a 2-under-par 69 on Friday at PGA National’s Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. That brought him to 11 under, comfortably clear of Taylor Moore, who is in second after his second straight 4-under 67. “Yeah, leading a PGA Tour event, come on, pretty awesome,” Smotherman said. Smotherman, 31, is in fine position for his first win on the PGA Tour since turning pro a decade ago. He has won three times on the Korn Ferry Tour, including last June. Afterwards, he credited himself with playing “Austin Smotherman golf.” When asked what that meant, he responded, “as boring and simple as it can be. “That’s what I want to do out there. I feel like I ball strike it good enough to have that kind of boring golf, a bunch of fairways ideally,” he said. He suffered three bogeys Friday after a bogey-free opening round, but the key stretch for him after starting on the back nine was between Nos. 17 and 3. He birdied four holes in that stretch, starting with a 54-foot bomb at the par-3 17th hole. “Anything under par I thought would have been (good) following up a round like yesterday, which was a special one,” he said, “and try not to get too far ahead of myself thinking I’m going to make every long putt I’m looking at, like kind of was the feeling yesterday, and then today I still make a 55-footer on 17.” Moore overcame a bogey in each half of his round with three birdies on either nine, more than counterbalancing the rough patches to earn his second straight solid score. “I think very different 67s,” Moore said when comparing his rounds. “I didn’t hit many fairways yesterday, kind of grinded a lot, had a couple chip-ins, which obviously helps. I thought I struck the ball much better today. Drove it in the fairways on the par-5s, I felt like. Yeah, still had a few up-and-downs, obviously, with the tough windy conditions this afternoon, but overall I thought it was solid.” Canadian A.J. Ewart had the round of the day, a 64 that powered him to 7 under for the week. He’s tied with Colombia’s Nico Echavarria (72), and Joel Dahmen is in fifth at 6 under after a second consecutive 68. Ewart, who played for nearby Barry University in college, came in with some familiarity. “We used to come and watch this tournament when I was at school. I think I came up here twice, maybe three times and watched,” Ewart said. “I had never actually played the golf course, but I felt like I knew it just from watching it.” Irishman Shane Lowry, one of the most recognizable players in the field, is in a large knot for sixth at 5 under after posting a 67. Defending champion Joe Highsmith made the cut on the number at even par. Notable players who missed the cut included Webb Simpson (1 over), Gary Woodland (2 over), Matt Kuchar (2 over) and Canada’s Adam Hadwin (3 over). AUSTON KIM MAINTAINS NARROW LEAD AT HSBC WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Auston Kim maintained a narrow lead over three seasoned competitors with a 3-under-par 69 on Friday at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore. Kim carded five birdies and a double-bogey at the par-5 16th hole at Sentosa Golf Club to move to 9-under par, one shot ahead of major champions Minjee Lee of Australia (64 on Friday) and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn (67) and three-time LPGA Tour winner Haeran Ryu of South Korea (68). Lurking two shots back at 7-under in the no-cut event are Australia’s Hannah Green (66), Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen (68), Sweden’s Linn Grant (69) and England’s Mimi Rhodes (69). Kim, an LPGA Tour member since 2024, has been knocking on the door of her first tour win. The American has eight finishes in the top 10 and was the runner-up at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship last season. “I think just sticking to my process. I’m trying to earn each shot and win each shot and win each day,” Kim, 25, said of her strategy heading into the weekend. “I can put a hundred percent of my focus into every single shot and try my best to execute each time, I’ll do well.” Lee soared into contention with an eagle at the par-4 second hole and six birdies in a bogey-free round. “I think just I holed a few more putts out there,” Lee said of the difference between Friday’s play and her opening-round of 72. “I holed a few long ones and I also holed out for eagle on the second. That always helps the score.” Jutanugarn had six birdies, including three straight from holes Nos. 5-7, and one bogey. Ryu collected four birdies in a round free of bogeys, but not free from pain. “Today, my neck was so bad and I cannot turn it around, it’s so hard, my neck,” Ryu said. “But yeah, golf is not perfect. I just think about it, just hit the fairway and the green. Yeah, that’s good for me. There’s a lot of birdies, and yeah, I’m so happy.” Angel Yin matched Lee for the low round of the day with a 64 to move into a tie for ninth at 6-under. Defending champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand (72) remained a 2-under posting four birdies and four bogeys. World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand is tied for 33rd at 1-under after a round of 70. ====================================================================== AUTO RACING TYLER REDDICK CHASING HISTORY AT COTA With two exciting finishes under its belt, NASCAR has opened its season strong and certainly raised questions. The biggest one might be this: Who or what can stop team owners Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, their two 23XI Racing teams and rising drivers Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace? After last season found the organization and Front Row Motorsports in court against NASCAR regarding an antitrust accusation, with Jordan and company citing the sanctioning body as an unfair, monopolistic group, a settlement was reached on Dec. 11. 23XI Racing has not let any distraction slow it down, though the third race this season — the 95-lapper around the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) on Sunday in Austin, Texas — will be a much different animal to deal with than the first two drafting tracks. It’s an affectionate animal for Reddick thus far. The NASCAR Cup Series has visited the Texas twister of a track five times since the 2020 COVID-affected campaign. Following Chase Elliott’s win in 2021 and Ross Chastain’s a year later, Reddick used a series of sharp lefts and rights to handily beat Kyle Busch in 2023 for his fourth career win and first with 23XI Racing in a race that had 16 lead changes and 3,110 green-flag passes (53.6 per lap). Over the past two seasons, William Byron and defending winner Christopher Bell have been the best at figuring out the track that looks like it was designed on an Etch A Sketch. Bell’s victory a year ago came against Byron, but the day’s biggest story was that road racing ace Shane van Gisbergen did not find the checkers first and finished sixth after leading 23 laps. That’s disappointing for someone who went 5-for-6 on road courses in 2025. The Jordan/Hamlin-led team brings a ton of momentum to the Lone Star State, and Reddick stands on the cusp of being alone in history Sunday. No driver has ever opened with three points wins. Only Matt Kenseth (2009), Jeff Gordon (1997), David Pearson (1976), Bob Welborn (1959) and Marvin Panch (1957) have won two consecutive races out of the gate. “If at any point during this week I’m running out of reasons to be motivated to go win, I’ll keep that in my back pocket, for sure,” Reddick said. “You know, it’s cool to be able, or have the opportunity to potentially do things like that, but … it’s all about just doing everything I can and showing up every week being as prepared as I can.” Naturally, the hotshot leads in points as Texas looms in the Southwestern horizon. He has 125 points, while teammate Wallace, the top driver with 86 laps led, is 40 points back in second. In fact, Wallace’s name could have replaced Reddick’s here this week, and the No. 23 Toyota that led in the closing laps at Daytona and Atlanta could be racing in Austin for history with a couple of breaks or better final maneuvers. Yet winning in Texas sounds speculative. “Pray for me,” Wallace joked about COTA, where he finished 20th last time. Can Reddick win again in the Texas capital like he did in 2023, or is it possible the snaking COTA will constrict 23XI Racing’s successful run to start 2026? The answer to both are as obvious as asking Michael Jordan if he knows his championship ring size. ===================================================================== INDIANA SPORTS TEAM RELEASES INDY IGNITE ANOTHER SWEEP PUSHES IGNITE TO FRANCHISE-BEST FIVE-MATCH WIN STREAK COLUMBUS, Ohio (February 27, 2026) – The Indy Ignite continue to “Light It Up” in Major League Volleyball, collecting records along the way. Tonight, the Ignite beat the Columbus Fury in straight sets to notch their fifth consecutive win, a new franchise best. The sweep was also their fourth this season, already more than the team managed in all of 2025. A proficient and aggressive offense powered Indy to the 25-21, 25-15, 25-23 triumph that boosted the team’s MLV-leading record to 11-2. The Ignite attacked at a season-best pace, hitting at 46.0% on 36.0% efficiency. Middle blocker Lydia Martyn pounded 10 kills in 15 attempts without an error to post season highs in kill percentage and efficiency (each 67.0%). Outside hitter Anna DeBeer put down 12 kills on 26 tries, scoring the best efficiency (38.5%) of her two-year pro career. “Happy to win 3-0, it’s not an easy thing to do in this league,” Ignite head coach Lauren Bertolacci said. “The girls did a good job staying in the game. The game got a little bit messy for a minute there, but we took control of it again and we were able to get the win. Like I keep saying, every win’s really important; we’re not going to take it for granted.” The Ignite broke away from an 11-11 tie in the first set with a 5-1 run that put them in front for good. Columbus closed within one point twice after that but a 4-1 Indy burst widened the gap once more, and middle blocker Blake Mohler’s slide kill drilled home the set-winning point. DeBeer had six kills and a block in the opener, with setter Mia Tuaniga distributing 17 assists. Tied at 13 in set two, the Ignite scorched the Fury 10-2 the rest of the way. Outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh kept the Fury on their heels, scoring seven points in the set on three kills, three service aces and a block. Tuaniga chipped in nine assists and five digs, with libero Elena Scott compiling seven digs and an assist. The final set had more back-and-forth action, with the teams exchanging the lead several times until they were knotted at 22. DeBeer then sandwiched a pair of kills around one from Mohler to close out the Fury, who fell to 0-6 at home this season and 3-9 overall. DeBeer led Indy in scoring with 13 points (12 kills, one block) as she continues edging closer to full strength following the ankle injury she sustained in the 2024 NCAA Championship semifinals with Louisville. “It definitely felt like I was in a pretty good offensive rhythm and that feels good,” she said. “Just getting my jumping higher and getting that back helps my overall game, so I definitely think (tonight) was one of the better ones. (The ankle) feels really good right now. Hopefully, it continues to stay like that and I’m able to get back. It’s been great recently.” Martyn (10 kills, two blocks) and Member-Meneh (eight kills, three aces, one block) followed DeBeer closely with 12 points apiece. Scott equaled her season high for a fourth time with 15 digs and Tuaniga finished with 36 assists. “When we passed really well, Mia did a great job on distribution and everyone was on a pretty high efficiency and kill percentage,” Bertolacci noted. “We’re tough to beat when we’re able to do that, and that’s good. Our attack today was really, really high level.” Following three in a row on the road, the Ignite return home to start a three-match homestand at Fishers Event Center. First up is Omaha at 2 p.m. ET Sunday for the Mental Health Awareness- themed match. Tickets are available at IndyIgniteVB.com. ====================================================================== NOBLESVILLE BOOM BOOM DROPS OVERTIME HEARTBREAKER TO VIPERS, 135-133 EDINBURG, Texas (Feb. 27, 2026) – The Noblesville Boom (14-11), the NBA G League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers, fell in overtime to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (16-8), 135-133, on Friday night at Bert Ogden Arena. M.J. Iraldi erupted for a career-high 36 points on 12-of-21 shooting from the field, along with three rebounds and three assists. Jalen Slawson (30 points, 11 assists) and Omar El-Sheikh (10 points, 10 rebounds) both recorded double-doubles. It was Slawson’s fourth 30-point game of the season, while El-Sheikh notched his first career double-double. Cameron Hildreth added 24 points and five assists. Rio Grande Valley was led by Daishen Nix, who finished with 26 points, 14 assists, five rebounds and four steals. Cameron Matthews followed closely with 25 points and seven rebounds, while Tristen Newton contributed 22 points and six assists. Noblesville found itself in a 14-point hole (32-18) after early struggles in the opening period. The Boom shot 6-of-17 from the field and 0-of-5 from beyond the arc while committing eight turnovers during the span. The team’s 18 points marked its lowest first-quarter scoring performance of the season. Neither team could miss in the second quarter, combining for 87 points on 69.7 percent shooting in the frame. The Boom posted their highest-scoring quarter (45) of the regular season, led by Jamal Bieniemy, who scored all 12 of his points in the period on 4-of-8 shooting from deep to keep the Boom within striking distance at halftime (74-63). Coming out of the break, Iraldi sparked the Boom with a personal 6-0 run, cutting the deficit to five and forcing the Vipers to burn an early timeout. Rio Grande Valley managed to push its lead back to double figures with 4:14 remaining in the third, but Noblesville closed the quarter on a 17-7 run to even the score at 94-94. In a quarter that saw eight lead changes, the Boom took their first lead of the game early in the fourth but couldn’t extend their advantage by more than two points. The Vipers created separation with a 15-6 run to build a nine-point cushion with under five minutes left in regulation. The Boom refused to go away, delivering a slew of clutch baskets – highlighted by a heavily contested step-back three from Slawson to tie the game with under 10 seconds remaining – before forcing a turnover on the ensuing possession to send the game into overtime. In the overtime session, the Boom pulled within two points of the target score of 135 after Samson Johnson converted a three-point play – his first points of the game – and Slawson knocked down a free throw. With a chance to win it, Iraldi drove to the rim for a potential game‑winning layup, but the attempt was blocked, leading to a transition corner three for the Vipers to seal the game. NEXT UP The Boom head to Mexico City for a two-game series against the Capitanes, beginning Sunday at Arena CDMX. Coverage will stream live on NBAGLeague.com, with tipoff set for 5:00 p.m. ET. Tickets and team updates are available at NoblesvilleBoom.com, and fans can stream every game live at NBAGLeague.com. ====================================================================== INDIANA SWIMMING NO. 3 INDIANA WINS THREE BIG TEN TITLES IN DOMINANT FRIDAY MADISON, Wis. – No. 3-ranked Indiana swept two events, won three conference titles and earned 11 medals on Friday (Feb. 27), the third of four days at the 2026 Big Ten Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships inside the Soderholm Family Aquatic Center on the campus of the University of Wisconsin. IU extended its lead in the team standings to 250 points with one day remaining in the competition. If the Hoosiers can close, they’ll win their fifth consecutive and 32nd overall Big Ten Championship in men’s swimming and diving Saturday night. “Fantastic night for the Hoosiers,” IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “One of our better days in program history. Sweeping two events and winning numerous others put the Bison in a good position with one day to go. There’s more work to do tomorrow. Time to run into the storm.” Indiana swept the medals in both the 100-yard backstroke and the 500-yard freestyle. The Hoosiers opened the night with the 1-2-3 finish the 100 back, with senior Owen McDonald (44.52) leading the way. McDonald’s second consecutive title in the event also marks Indiana’s eighth consecutive winning of the 100 back between himself, Gabriel Fantoni (2019-20) and Brendan Burns (2021-24). Sophomore Miroslav Knedla (44.74) repeated as silver medalist in the event, and classmate Raekwon Noel’s personal best 44.82 touched just in front of Northwestern junior Stuart Seymour. Senior Zalán Sárkány blasted a Big Ten Championship, pool and program record and personal best 4:09.14 to lead another 1-2-3 performance in the 500 free. Sophomore Luke Whitlock (4:09.60) also set a personal best to finish within a half second behind Sárkány, and junior Aaron Shackell touched third in 4:11.33. A year after missing the 50-yard freestyle championship final, junior Mikkel Lee topped the podium in the “splash-n-dash” Friday night – his first individual Big Ten title. Lee was the Big Ten’s lone swimmer under 19 seconds, his 18.98 touching two hundredths in front of Ohio State sophomore Matthew Klinge. Indiana settled for a 2-3-4 finish in the 200-yard breaststroke with two freshmen reaching the podium. Josh Bey (1:50.03), Noah Cakir (1:50.47) and senior Toby Barnett (1:50.75) all dropped personal best times to create a wall of cream and crimson in the event. Cakir’s time marked a 17-18 National Age Group record in the 200 breast. Senior diver Maxwell Weinrich joined the podium party with his performance on the 3-meter springboard, capturing 388.75 points to grab the silver medal. Weinrich has reached the championship final in both diving events this week. “I am so happy for Max,” IU head diving coach Drew Johnasen said. “The silver medal was his best finish at this meet on 3-meter. He continues to be a huge part of the team’s quest for another championship. Josh also had a career-best finish today. “The energy in the pool was electric. I can’t wait to see what everyone does tomorrow.” The night ended with a close finish in the 400-yard medley relay, as Michigan kept Indiana from extending its winning streak in the event to 11 years by one hundredth of a second. Junior Dylan Smiley nearly closed in on U-M’s Antoine Sauve, splitting 40.60 in the anchor to Sauve’s 41.43, but ran out of water in the end. TEAM SCORES 1. Indiana – 1,061.5 2. Michigan – 811 3. Ohio State – 712.5 4. Wisconsin – 569.5 5. Purdue – 527 6. Northwestern – 514 7. USC – 463.5 8. Minnesota – 430 9. Penn State – 307 RESULTS 100 BACKSTROKE 1. Owen McDonald – 44.52 (Big Ten Champion, NCAA Cut) 2. Miroslav Knedla – 44.74 (Big Ten Silver, NCAA Cut) 3. Raekwon Noel – 44.82 (Big Ten Bronze, Personal Best, NCAA Cut) 9. Kai van Westering – 45.35 (NCAA Cut) 15. Vidar Carlbaum – 46.06 (NCAA Cut) 200 BREASTSTROKE 2. Josh Bey – 1:50.03 (Big Ten Silver, Personal Best, NCAA Cut) 3. Noah Cakir – 1:50.47 (Big Ten Bronze, Personal Best, NCAA Cut) 4. Toby Barnett – 1:50.75 (Personal Best, NCAA Cut) 9. Alexei Avakov – 1:52.98 (Personal Best, NCAA Cut) 16. Travis Gulledge – 1:55.29 500 FREESTYLE 1. Zalán Sárkány – 4:09.14 (Big Ten Champion, Championship Record, Pool Record, Program Record, Personal Best, NCAA Cut) 2. Luke Whitlock – 4:09.60 (Big Ten Silver, Personal Best, NCAA Cut) 3. Aaron Shackell – 4:11.33 (Big Ten Bronze, NCAA Cut) 13. Luke Ellis – 4:16.83 (NCAA Cut) 17. Andrew Shackell – 4:17.06 (NCAA Cut) 50 FREESTYLE 1. Mikkel Lee – 18.98 (Big Ten Champion, NCAA Cut) t7. Dylan Smiley – 19.27 (NCAA Cut) 9. Travis Gulledge – 19.33 (Personal Best, NCAA Cut) 16. Vidar Carlbaum – 19.82 3-METER DIVING 2. Maxwell Weinrich – 388.75 (Big Ten Silver, NCAA Zone Qualifier) 11. Joshua Sollenberger – 329.85 (NCAA Zone Qualifier) 400 MEDLEY RELAY 2. Miroslav Knedla, Alexei Avakov, Owen McDonald, Dylan Smiley – 3:00.16 (Big Ten Silver, NCAA Cut) UP NEXT Championship Saturday. ===================================================================== INDIANA BASEBALL PITCHER’S DUEL GOES IN FAVOR OF HOME TEAM BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – On a well-pitched night from both sides, the Indiana Baseball team (3-6, 0-0 B1G) just couldn’t get the offense going. The Hoosiers scored a run in the ninth inning but were beaten 4-1 on Friday (Feb. 27) afternoon by Western Kentucky (6-4, 0-0 CUSA) at Nick Denes Field. Graduate student left-handed pitcher Tony Neubeck (L, 0-1) gave IU its best start of the season. He worked 5.1 innings of one-run baseball. The veteran struck out five batters and didn’t allow a walk. 50 of 71 pitches went for strikes. The lone run he allowed came on a double in the fourth inning. Graduate student right-handed pitcher Michael Sarhatt followed him with a pair of strikeouts in 1.2 innings of work. The two biggest chances of the day on offense for the Hoosiers ended in no runs on each occasion. Freshman second baseman Landen Fry hit a hard line drive at the second baseman who picked off sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley at second base for a double play. Sophomore outfielder Hogan Denny grounded into a double play two innings later with two runners on and no outs. Sophomore shortstop Cooper Malamazian finally got IU on the board in the ninth inning with an RBI double into the gap in left-center field. The Hoosiers brought the tying run to the plate in the form of freshman pinch hitter Owen ten Oever. He worked the count even at 2-2 but grounded out to the second baseman to end the game. IU still has lots of baseball left to play this weekend in Bowling Green. The two sides will play a scheduled doubleheader tomorrow (Feb. 28), beginning at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT. The series finale is still set for Sunday (March 1) afternoon. Scoring Recap Bottom Fourth The hosts opened the scoring in the fourth inning when Camden Ross hit a double down the line that ricocheted off the third base bag. Western Kentucky 1, Indiana 0 Bottom Eighth After exchanging zeros back-and-forth, Western Kentucky added insurance in the eighth. Ross hit another double to score Manny Alberto. Kiefer Tarnoki was hit with the bases loaded on a ball that looked on the plate. Austin Haller walked in the next at-bat with the bases juiced to score a third run in the frame. Western Kentucky 4, Indiana 0 Top Ninth IU finally added a run to the board in the ninth with an RBI double from Cooper Malamazian. Owen ten Oever came to the plate as the tying run but grounded out to end the game. Western Kentucky 4, Indiana 1 Top Hoosier Performers #29 Neubeck, Tony 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 5 K, 0 BB #42 Ricketts, Brayden 2-3, BB #15 Malamazian, Cooper 1-3, 2B, RBI Inside the Box Score • Despite struggling to end innings, IU outhit Western Kentucky 7-6 on the night. • Four of Western Kentucky’s six hits went for extra bases. IU had two, both in the ninth inning. • Brayden Ricketts and Jake Hanley each had multi-hit efforts. • All but one starter in IU’s order had a strikeout. Western Kentucky sat down 10 batters in total via the strikeout. • The Hoosiers walked four batters but none until the eighth inning. One of those was an intentional walk. Notes to Know • Sophomore third baseman Will Moore had a base knock on Friday afternoon to extend his reached-base streak out to 25 games. His current streak began back on April 18th, 2025 in the first game of the Maryland series. He’s missed three games through injury in that time but has now reached safely in the final 18 games of last year and the first seven games he’s contested this season. • Graduate student southpaw Tony Neubeck went 5.1 innings on Friday while allowing just one run. It’s the longest outing of his career since going six innings in a defeat to LSU on April 22nd, 2022. It’s the second time in his career that he’s gone at least five innings while allowing one-or-fewer runs (Feb. 24, 2023 at FIU). • Sophomore shortstop Cooper Malamazian got on the board with an RBI double in the ninth inning. It’s his team-leading 11th RBI of the season. He’s driven in runs in five of IU’s nine games. Malamazian has at least one hit in seven of nine outings this year for the Hoosiers. • IU’s pitching staff, aside from a couple lopsided innings, has been very solid to begin the year. Today’s game was the fifth time in nine outings that it has given up four-of-fewer runs. A starter for IU has worked into at least the fifth inning in each of the last three weekend games. Up Next The Hoosiers will resume the series in Bowling Green tomorrow (Feb. 28) to close out the month of February. First pitch from the first game of the day is set for 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT. The games will be carried on the Indiana Sports Radio Network via IUHoosiers.com/Audio. ====================================================================== INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL REGULAR SEASON ENDS AGAINST PENN STATE ON SATURDAY BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The 2025-26 Indiana women’s basketball regular season comes to a close on Saturday when it hosts Penn State in a 2 p.m. ET tip at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. GAME DAY INFOIndiana (16-13, 5-12 B1G) vs. Penn State (11-17, 4-13 B1G)Saturday, February 28, 2026 • 2 p.m. ETSimon Skjodt Assembly Hall • Bloomington, Ind.Broadcast: B1G+Radio: B97 (Austin Render)Live Stats: StatbroadcastSocial Media: Facebook | X | InstagramPromotion: Grace Berger bobblehead giveaway – first 2,000 fans ABOUT THE LADY LIONS Penn State enters the regular season finale on a three-game win streak, including an 85-82 win over USC at home on Wednesday night. Sophomore guard Kyomi McMiller had a career-high 40 points in the effort. McMiller leads the way with 22.3 points per game while junior center Gracie Merkle adds 19.1 points and a team-high 8.1 rebounds per game. SERIES HISTORY Penn State leads 33-21 LAST MEETING 12/7/24 – W, 75-60 (University Park, Pa.) NOTES The Hoosiers overcame a fourth-quarter deficit which including trailing at the five minute mark to defeat Rutgers, 79-69, on Wednesday night at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Senior guard Shay Ciezki led the way with 21 points while three others scored in double figures. Junior forward Edessa Noyan pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds and the first player since 2024 to grab 15 or more rebounds. Indiana has won eight-straight in the series with the Lady Lions, dating back to the 2017-18 season. It has also not lost a home game in the series since the 2014-15 season. If the season ended today, the Hoosiers would set a new program record for free throw percentage currently sitting a 79.2 percent. It would top last season’s record-breaking performance of 79.0 in 2024-25. Two Hoosiers rank in the Top 50 nationally in free throw percentage with Ciezki averaging 90.6 percent (sixth) and redshirt sophomore guard Lenée Beaumont is 43rd overall at 85.7 percent. Along with her high scoring efforts, Ciezki also continues to be one of the nation’s most efficient shooters, averaging a 50/40/90 for a majority of the season. Currently, she’s the only active player scoring 20 or more points per game while shooting 53.2 percent from the floor, 46.3 percent from the 3-point line and 90.6 percent at the free throw line. She could be just the second player in women’s college basketball to accomplish the feat as Eva Hogdson from William and Mary recorded the same numbers in 2019-20. UP NEXT The 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament field will be announced on Sunday, Mar. 1 after the conclusion of all regular season games. ================================================================= INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL INDIANA BASKETBALL GAME NOTES – GAME 29 VS. NO. 13/13 MICHIGAN STATE Opening Tip • Indiana University continues its three-game homestand against No. 13/13 Michigan State at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, March 1. Tip is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. ET on CBS with Ian Eagle (PxP), Bill Raftery (Analyst), and Tracy Wolfson (Sideline) on the call. • Michigan State (23-5, 13-4 B1G) is under the direction of Hall of Fame head coach Tom Izzo. The 31-year veteran has amassed 760 wins, the most of any Big Ten head coach. • Redshirt sophomore guard Jeremy Fears, a candidate for Big Ten Player of the Year, has averaged team highs in points (14.9 per game), assists (9.1), and steals (1.3). He has also knocked down a team-best 149 free throws. • Senior forward Jaxon Kohler has posted 12.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per night. The American Fork, Utah, native has shot 49.6% from the floor, 38.8% from the 3-point line, and 84.4% from the free throw line. • Junior forward Coen Carr (11.6 points per game) and senior center Carson Cooper (10.5) each averaged double figures in the scoring column. • The Spartans pull down 40.6 rebounds per game (20th nationally) and out-rebound their opponent by an average of 12.1 per night (3rd). Game Information March 1, 2026 • 3:45 PM ET Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) • Bloomington, Ind. TV: CBS (Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Tracy Wolfson) Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick) Series History: Indiana leads, 74-60 Last Meeting: MSU 81, IU 60 on Jan. 13, 2026, in East Lansing Series History • The Hoosiers lead the all-time series between the two longtime Big Ten stalwarts by a tally of 74-60. Indiana has won two straight games in against Michigan State in Bloomington and four of the last five games played in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. • The Spartans rallied late to defeat the Hoosiers in the first matchup of the season on Jan. 13 at the Breslin Center. Indiana tied the game at 53-53 with 11:19 to play in the second half but surrendered a 19-0 run over the next six minutes before ultimately falling, 81-60. Last Time Out • Indiana (17-11 8-9 B1G) fell for a third-straight game in a 72-68 result against Northwestern on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. • Fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson netted 18 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists. Sixth-year senior guard Tayton Conerway tallied 14 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the floor and three assists in 19 minutes off the bench. • Senior forward Sam Alexis added 13 points and four rebounds. Over his last three home starts, the Florida transfer has averaged 16.0 points on 92.0% (23-of-25) shooting from the floor. IU Single-Season Made 3-Pointers 1. Steve Alford – 107 (1986-87) 2. Lamar Wilkerson – 92 (2025-26) 3. James Blackmon Jr. – 91 (2016-17) IU Single-Season Made 3-Pointers (b1G Only) 1. Lamar Wilkerson – 59 (2025-26) 2. Steve Alford – 54 (1986-87) 3. Jay Edwards – 52 (1987-88) IU Single-Season Points (B1G Only) 1. Don Schlundt – 459 (1952-53) 2. Jimmy Rayl – 454 (1961-62) 3. Trayce Jackson-Davis – 436 (2022-23) 4. George McGinnis – 418 (1970-71) 5. Alan Henderson – 416 (1994-95) 6. Scott May – 412 (1975-76) 7. Mike Woodson – 405 (1978-79) 8. Steve Alford – 404 (1985-86) 9. Lamar Wilkerson – 401 (2025-26) 10. Brian Evans – 399 (1995-96) IU Single-Season 20-point Games (Since 1996-97) 1. Eric Gordon – 19 (2007-08) 2. Trayce Jackson-Davis – 18 (2022-23) 3. A.J. Guyton – 17 (1999-00) 4. Lamar Wilkerson – 15 (2025-26) Luke Recker – 15 (1998-99) =================================================================== INDIANA TRACK TWO PODIUM FINISHES IN DAY TWO OF B1G INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Indiana track and field wrapped up the second day of the Big Ten Indoor Championship on Friday, February 27th from the Fall Creek Pavilion. The Hoosiers continued to see several personal bests and multiple athletes advance to Saturday’s final rounds, highlighted by podium finishes in field events. Max Grangier started the day with the conclusion of the men’s heptathlon. Grangier saw personal bests in his overall score (5,025) and in the long jump (6.69m) and shot put (11.10m/) events. He also finished first in the 1,000-meter event with his time of 2:34.87. In the field, Hannah Alexander opened the day with a new personal best in the weight throw. She was able to break 20 meters with her distance of 20.46m/67-1.5. on the men’s side, Nikolaos Sidirenios was able to make the podium, finishing sixth overall with a personal best throw of 21.00m/68-10.75. He earned three team points for the Hoosiers. Josie Page also earned a podium finish in the high jump. Her height of 1.81m/5-11.25 was best for sixth overall and three team points for Indiana. Assistant coach Jake Jacoby said that “Josie had a fantastic meet. The last three meets she’s been really down and frustrated. We worked and she came and stepped up and had a PR, finished sixth, scored as a freshman. She set the tone and that will help her for the rest of her career.” The Hoosiers had a busy day on the track, seeing four athletes advance to tomorrow’s final rounds. Aliyah Johnson was the first to advance. She earned the automatic qualifier after winning her heat to advance to the women’s 60-meter finals. Trelee Banks Rose advanced to his second final of the weekend. His time of 6.64 was a personal best and fast enough to advance to the men’s 60-meter final. Camden Marshall and Andrew Mangum each ran qualifying times in the men’s 800-meter. They will participate in tomorrow’s final round race. In the men’s 60-meter hurdle, John Colquitt set a new personal best to qualify for tomorrow’s championship race. The final day of the Big Ten Championship will begin tomorrow at 11:30 am as Lee Martin and Jay Hmurovich in the men’s high jump and Kelly Moran in the women’s triple jump events. ==================================================================== INDIANA SOFTBALL INDIANA DOMINATES DAY ONE OF ELON & UNCG TOURNAMENT ELON, N.C. ––– Indiana Softball handled Charleston Southern and Elon on Friday afternoon (Feb. 27), defeating both teams by a combined 29-2 at Hunt Softball Park. The Hoosiers won in five innings by run rule over Charleston Southern to start the day before closing out Elon by a final margin of 20-1. Today’s results make it three wins in a row for Indiana and improves the season record to 13-4. Game 1: INDIANA 9, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 1 (F/5) Game 2: INDIANA 20, ELON 1 KEY MOMENTS • Charleston Southern opened the scoring in game one with a bloop single down the right field line that put the Buccaneers up 1-0. • Indiana countered in the bottom of the first inning, scoring one to make it a 1-1 game on a sacrifice fly from Avery Parker to left field to score Aly VanBrandt. • Aly VanBrandt broke the tie in the bottom of the second inning, hitting a 3-run bomb over the right center wall to put Indiana up 4-1. • Avery Parker went yard in the bottom of the third, hitting the foul pole in left field and putting Indiana up 5-1 • In the bottom of the fourth, Jada Ellison scored from third base on a wild pitch to make it a 6-1 game. • Alex Cooper tripled to start the bottom of the fifth inning before Avery Parker walked and Josie Bird hit a home run well beyond the center field wall to seal a 9-1 Indiana win in five innings over Charleston Southern. • Elon got out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI double to right center from Chloe Hatzopolous. • Aly VanBrandt tied the game at 1-1 with a solo home run in the top of the third and then hit her second home run of the game and third of the day in the top of the fifth to put the score at 5-1. • VanBrandt and Madalyn Strader doubled in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, and brought a combined four runs in to make it a 9-1 game. • The Hoosiers would go on to score 11 more runs in the top of the seventh. In that half inning, Alli Gavin hit two home runs to help accumulate the 11 runs. NOTABLES • Brooke Mannon pitched a complete game against Charleston Southern, going all 5.0 innings and only allowing two hits and one run. The win puts Mannon’s season record at 3-0. • Parker’s home run increases her season count to eight and Bird’s home run moves her season total to four. • VanBrandt’s three home runs on the day put her at five on the season. Her two home runs against Elon marked the second time she had two home runs in one game with the last being the win over Portland State (Feb. 12). • Gavin’s two home runs against Elon were the first two of her collegiate career. She also recorded a career-high five RBIs. • The Hoosiers scored 12 runs in the seventh inning against the Phoenix. • VanBrandt’s seven RBI against Elon tied a career high and the program’s single-game record. • Aubree Hooks went 4.2 innings in the game and earned a win to improve her season record to 4-0. UP NEXT Indiana will play another doubleheader tomorrow, facing Charleston Southern and UNC Greensboro in Greensboro at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively. ==================================================================== PURDUE SOFTBALL PURDUE SETS SINGLE-GAME HITS RECORD, SWEEPS THE DAY NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Purdue Softball erupted for 18 runs on 30 hits to sweep the day against Southern Illinois and Lipscomb on Friday in Nashville, Tenn. BOILER BITS (Game 1 vs Southern Illinois) Offensive Highlights Khloe Banks: 5-for-5, 4 R, 2 RBI, 3B, SB Bella Douglas: 3-for-5, 2 R, 4 RBI Haley Painter: 1-for-5, HR, 4 RBI Moriah Polar: 3-for-5, R, RBI Ashlynn Campbell: 4-for-4, 3 R Pitching Breakdown Brianna Fontenot: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, BB, 3 K Julia Gossett: (W, 3–3), 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 8 K Purdue wasted no time jumping on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning. Khloe Banks singled to open the game and advanced to third following a passed ball and a Southern Illinois error. Haley Painter followed two batters later, launching a three-run home run to give the Boilermakers an early 3–0 lead. Southern Illinois chipped away in the second inning with an unearned run, then added another in the fourth to cut the deficit to 3–2. Purdue responded immediately in the fifth, breaking the game open with a four-run frame. Ashlynn Campbell sparked the rally with a leadoff single before Banks ripped an RBI triple to right field. Moriah Polar followed with an RBI single, and Bella Douglas added another run with a base hit to center. Douglas then stole home during a double steal to extend the lead to 6–2. The Boilermakers continued to pile on in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded, Douglas drove in a run with a single to left, followed by an RBI single from Painter to push the advantage to 8–2. Purdue put the game away in the seventh with three more runs. Banks delivered an RBI single before Douglas capped the scoring with a two-run single to center, her fourth RBI of the afternoon. In the circle, Julia Gossett was dominant in relief, retiring all but one batter she faced and striking out eight over four hitless innings to earn the win. Purdue finished the game with 19 hits, a new single-game record. BOILER BITS (Game 2 at Lipscomb) Offensive Highlights Moriah Polar: 3-for-4, RBI, SB Haley Painter: 2-for-4, RBI Maura Condon: 1-for-3, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI Delaney Reefe: 2-for-2, 2 R, RBI, BB Ashlynn Campbell: 1-for-2, RBI Pitching Breakdown Brooke Perez: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, BB Julia Gossett: (W, 4–3), 5.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 6 K Lipscomb scored first in the bottom of the opening inning on a sac-fly, but Purdue responded immediately. In the second, Maura Condon reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second on a throwing error before Delaney Reefe singled to center to drive her in and tie the game. Purdue took the lead in the third inning. Banks singled and moved into scoring position before Painter lined an RBI single to right field, giving the Boilermakers a 2–1 advantage. The Boilermakers added to the lead in the fourth. Condon launched a solo home run to right-center, her first of the year, to make it 3–1, before Polar delivered an RBI infield single to score Reefe and extend the margin to three. Purdue continued to manufacture runs in the fifth. After Painter doubled to center, Condon lifted a sac-fly to left to plate the run. Campbell then singled to center to score Reefe and push the lead to 6–1. From there, Gossett took control in the circle. The junior retired all but one batter she faced over five hitless innings in relief, striking out six to close out the win. Purdue finished with 11 hits, scored in four different innings, and held Lipscomb hitless after the second inning. For updates on Purdue Softball, follow the Boilermakers on Twitter (@PurdueSoftball), Instagram (@purduesoftball), and Facebook (Purdue Softball). ==================================================================== NOTRE DAME MEN’S LAX GAME FOUR PREVIEW: #11/9 MARYLAND SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The No. 1/2 Fighting Irish travel to College Park, Maryland, to take on the No. 11/9 Terrapins in a marquee non-conference matchup at noon ET on Saturday, Feb. 28. The game will be broadcast on B1G+. GAME DETAILSLocation: College Park, Maryland | SECU StadiumSchedule: February 28 — Noon ETStream: B1G+Live Stats: FightingIrish.comTwitter Updates: @NDlacrosseFor a more in-depth look at the matchup – Game Notes: Notre Dame THE MARYLAND SERIES • Saturday will be the 20th meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Maryland. The Terrapins hold a slight advantage in the all-time series at 10-9 heading into the weekend, but the Irish have won three of the last four contests between the two sides. • Seven of the last 10 matchups have been extremely tight with the games being decided by two goals or less. • Maryland prevailed by a score of 11-10 in a neutral site showdown last season in Atlanta but the Irish claimed two wins during the 2024 season, including a victory in the NCAA National Championship game. GREATEST SHOW ON TURF • Notre Dame boasts the most prolific attack in the country heading into the weekend, averaging 20.0 goals per game which ranks first in the nation. • The Irish also lead the country in points per game with a mark of 31.33 through three contests. • Notre Dame is one of two teams in the country to score at least 15 goals in each game during the 2026 campaign with the other being No. 4/3 Richmond. • The Fighting Irish are sharing the ball at a high rate, averaging 11.33 assists per game, which ranks second in the nation. • Notre Dame has been ultra-efficient shooting the ball, posting the top mark in the country shooting at a clip of 42.0 percent. EVERYBODY EATS • The Irish can beat you in a number of ways, as the attack has been very balanced through the first month of the season. • The four attackman rotation has paid early dividends with each having at least nine points through three games. • Josh Yago leads the attackmen group in production with 13 points (9G, 4A) followed by Teddy Lally with 11 (5G, 6A), Brock Behrman’s 10 points (6G, 4A) and Luke Miller’s nine points (5G, 4A). • Will Maheras has paced the midfield with 10 points (7G, 3A). Jalen Seymour has added six goals while Will Angrick (4G, 1A) and Matt Jeffery (3G, 2A) have five points apiece. • Seventeen different players have registered a goal this season and 20 have tallied at least one point during the 2026 season. FANTASTIC FEBRUARYS FOR THE FIGHTING IRISH • Notre Dame is 43-5 in its last 48 games played in February dating back to the 2006 season. • Fighting Irish head coach Kevin Corrigan is 52-8 in the month of February during his Notre Dame tenure. • Last season the Irish went 3-0 in the month of February, picking up wins over Cleveland State, Marquette and Georgetown. INSTANT IMPACT • A number of newcomers to the 2026 squad wasted no time making a first impression in the season opener. • Graduate transfer Josh Yago leads the team in points with 13 (9G, 4A) after posting back-to-back four-point games to open the season followed by a season-high five-point effort in the win over No. 3 Georgetown which helped the grad student earn ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors. • Teddy Lally already has 11 points on the year off five goals and six assists. The freshman has recorded three or more points in all three games this season. • Aidan Diaz-Matos scored a goal within the first minute of the season opener off a faceoff win and is 29-of-50 at the dot on the year with a team-high 16 ground balls • Junior transfer Tyler Spano has won 23-of-36 faceoffs at the dot in his first three games with the Irish and is second on the squad in ground balls with 15. • Miguel Iglesias has made an impact at both ends of the field as a SSDM, scoring a goal in each of the last two games while also putting in sound defensive shifts. • Christopher Iuliano has played multiple positions for the Irish, filling in at close defense against Bellarmine and playing LSM against Marquette and Georgetown while also registering shifts on the wings for faceoffs. LYGHTS OUT • Lyght enters the 2026 campaign as the top defensive player in the country, having been named the USA Lacrosse Preseason Defenseman of the Year. • The junior was selected as the Schmeisser Award co-winner following an incredible sophomore season in 2025. • The defenseman was named ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Year following the 2025 regular season as voted on by the league’s coaches. • Lyght has also been named a USA Lacrosse First Team All-American following the 2025 regular season. • In the win over UNC this season, Lyght held UNC’s prolific attackman Owen Duffy to just one assist on the day, matching his career low for points in a game. • Lyght consistently draws the No. 1 option for the opposing attack throughout the season. • The defenseman held Connor Shellenberger to just one goal between the two matchups during the 2024 season. LOCKDOWN DEFENSE • Preseason All-Americans Will Donovan and Shawn Lyght each return to the defensive unit along with other starting close defenders Will Gallagher and Nate Schwitzenberg. • The Irish had their best performance of the season in the win over No. 3 Georgetown, limiting the Hoyas to just nine goals while recording a season-high 19 caused turnovers. • Lyght finished the contest against Georgetown with a season-high three caused turnovers and two ground balls. • Donovan has been a menace to opposing attacks, recording six caused turnovers and nine ground balls. • The short-stick defensive midfield unit that consists of Christian Alacqua, Chris Reinhardt, Kyle Bergen and Miguel Iglesias has impressed early this season. BACK BETWEEN THE PIPES • Goalie Thomas Ricciardelli returns in goal after earning the starting job in 2025. • Ricciardelli impressed in his debut season, leading the ACC and ranking eighth in the country in both save percentage (.566) and goals against average (9.14). • The shot stopper made 158 saves during the 2025 campaign while allowing 121 goals. • The goalie saved at least 50 percent of shots he faced in 10 of 14 games last season. • In his first NCAA Tournament appearance, Ricciardelli turned in an incredible performance against No. 2 Ohio State, making 15 saves while allowing just six goals for a mark of 71.4 percent. MIDFIELD EXPERIENCE AND DEPTH • While the Irish replaced all three starters at attack from last season, the midfield has plenty of experience returning to the 2026 roster. • Will Angrick, Will Maheras, Matt Jeffery, Fisher Finley, Max Busenkell and Jalen Seymour all saw significant playing time last season. • The six players combined to record 92 points off 56 goals and 36 assists last season over 14 games. • Angrick led the way with 27 points on 15 goals and 12 assists. • Notre Dame’s top two attacking midfield units have combined for 33 points through the first three games, coming from 22 goals and 11 assists. RECORD-BREAKING DAY • The Fighting Irish turned in the best offensive performance in seasons history against Bellarmine on Feb. 17. • Notre Dame scored a program-record 29 goals, surpassing the previous mark of 28 against Mount Union which stood since the 1983 season. • The Irish also set the program record for points in a game with 48 off 29 goals and 19 assists. • Thirteen players combined to score the 29 goals with Brock Behrman, Will Maheras and Jalen Seymour each recording the first hat tricks of their career. • Brock Behrman led the team with seven points off four goals and three assists, all career highs. FROM THE GRIDIRON TO THE LACROSSE FIELD • Two Notre Dame lacrosse players on the 2026 squad also are on the football roster, as Matt Jeffery and Dylan Faison are both dual-sport athletes. • Jeffery was the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2025 after making an impact in the midfield. • Faison was the No. 1 ranked incoming player in the class of 2026 before he reclassified and joined the Irish for this spring semester. • Jeffery got his sophomore season off to a great start, scoring two goals and adding an assist in the win over Marquette, setting a career high for points in a game. NEW SEASON, NEW FACES • The Irish welcome 17 incoming players to the 2026 roster. • Three players are transfers, as Josh Yago (Air Force), Luke Stickler (Johns Hopkins) and Tyler Spano (Washington & Lee) join from other programs. • Yago was named the ASUN Offensive Player of the Year in 2025 after recording 72 points off 37 goals and 35 assists. • Fourteen players on the 2026 roster are true freshman. CORRIGAN ALL-TIME DI PROGRAM WINS LEADER • With the win over No. 1 Duke on April 10, 2021, Baumer Family Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach Kevin Corrigan broke the NCAA record for most wins at a DI program with 311, passing Bob Shillinglaw (Delaware). • Corrigan became just the third coach in NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse history to reach the 300-win mark at a single school with the win over Marquette on April 10, 2019. • Corrigan is one of just four active Division I coaches to reach the 300-win mark in his career. • Corrigan has an overall record of 373-180 in his 40 seasons of coaching. • The head coach is 363-165 in his 38 seasons at Notre Dame. • Corrigan is the longest tenured men’s lacrosse coach at the DI level. ===================================================================== NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL SENIOR DAY VS. THE WOLFPACK ON SATURDAY GAME 29:NOTRE DAME (12-16, 3-12)OPPONENT:NC STATE (19-9, 10-5)TIP TIME:NOON ET | SATURDAY, FEB. 28WHERE:SOUTH BEND, IN | PURCELL PAVILIONWATCH:THE CWLISTEN:NOTRE DAME RADIO NETWORK | CLICK HERETICKETS:PURCHASE ONLINESTATS:FOLLOW ALONGSOCIAL:@NDMBB | #GOIRISH SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Three guaranteed games remain for the Fighting Irish (12-16, 3-12), with the next two being inside Purcell Pavilion. Notre Dame will host NC State (19-9, 10-5) on Saturday, Feb. 28, at Noon ET on the CW, followed by Stanford on Wednesday, March 4, at 9 p.m. The Irish will conclude the regular season on the road at Boston College on March 7. The Wolfpack enter the matchup tied for 4th place in the ACC standings after losing three of the last four: Louisville, Miami, and Virginia, but with a win vs. UNC. NC State is fueled by an impressive offense that ranks 18th in A/TO ratio (1.71), 22nd in threes/game (10.5), 11th in 3PT FG% (.390) and 29th in scoring offense (84.0). Their attack is evenly balanced as well, with four players averaging 13 points in ACC play: Ven-Allen Lubin (13.9), Darrion Williams (13.7), Paul McNeil Jr (13.3) & Quadir Copeland (13.2). Now obviously this is the first time a Coach Shrews-led Irish squad will face off against a Coach Wade-led Wolfpack team; however, with that said, the last 3 matchups between these 2 programs have been incredibly close: – L, 65-66, on 1/8/25 – L, 52-54, on 1/3/24 – L, 82-85, on 1/24/23 Notre Dame trails the all-time series, 10-11, and will look to garner their first win against NC State since Feb. 5, 2022. On Saturday, the program will honor its three seniors: Kebba Njie, Carson Towt and Matt MacLellan. No better trio exemplifies what it means to be a great teammate and to bring joy on & off the court daily. Kebba has played in 77 games in an Irish uniform, with 57 starts. He’s accumulated 484 and 524 rebounds over his 4-year career. He’s currently working toward completing his undergraduate degree in Sociology. Carson enters Saturday’s matchup boasting 1,339 career rebounds, which ranks 59th all-time in Division I. The graduate has played in over 151 games, totaling 1,375 points. After a successful career at the NAIA level with Madonna, Matt joined the Irish for his graduate season. He’s appeared in 8 games and is closing in on his Master’s of Science in Business Analytics. CERTA-FIED Cole Certa has been playing the best basketball of his collegiate career over the past month. The sophomore sharpshooter is riding a career-best 6 straight games in double figures, totaling 115 points behind 38-95 shooting (40.0%). His 19.2 ppg in February ranks 6th amongst ACC players. Cole is also converting 4.0 made threes per game in February, which ranks 3rd amongst Power Conference players. On Feb. 14 vs. Georgia Tech, Cole went off for a career high 37 points in the 89-74 win over Georgia Tech. The 37 points tied Matt Farrell for the second most in an ACC game (most in regulation), trailing only Markus Burton’s 43 points in 2OT game against Cal a season ago. Cole drained a career-best seven threes, finishing 7-11. He was 12-20 from the field overall. Certa dropped 21 points in the first half, marking the first time an Irish player has done so since Markus Burton’s 22 at Syracuse on Jan. 18, 2025. Lastly, the sophomore has recorded two 30+ point games over the last month and some change. His 2 30-burgers in ACC play trail only Ebuka Okorie’s 4. In fact, Cole owns the 3rd and 5th highest scoring performances in league play with his 37 and 34 points. 3-HEADED ATTACK For the Notre Dame offense to find a way without its floor general Markus Burton, it’s got to lean on its three-headed attack of Jalen Haralson, Cole Certa and Braeden Shrewsberry. The last two losses have been tough with Haralson’s 16.3 ppg on the sideline. Cole and Braeden are averaging 15.0 and 11.2 ppg, respectively, in ACC play. The note prior talked about Cole Certa’s offensive surge, so let’s discuss Braeden and Jalen. Braeden will look to get back in a groove on Saturday, the same groove that saw him post 3 straight games in double figures in early February. That 3-game stretch consisted of 20 points vs. Georgia Tech, 16 at SMU and 18 vs. Florida State. He was 13-29 from three in that span. Jalen Haralson was playing his best basketball of the season before an ankle injury sidelined him for 3 straight games. He had produced three games of 20 or more points over the last five he played: 20 vs Virginia, career high 26 at Syracuse and 23 at SMU. From Jan. 24-Feb. 10, Jalen averaged 18.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, shooting a hot 59.7%. FRESHMAN STANDOUT JALEN HARALSON Jalen Haralson is in a loaded ACC Rookie class and deserves consideration for the league’s All-Rookie Team. Haralson is averaging a team best 16.3 ppg in ACC play. That number ranks 5th amongst ACC freshman. He shoots an efficient 52.9% from the floor in league play which ranks 7th overall amongst ACC players in any class. ACC Rookie Averages in League Play: 1. Ebuka Okorie, 22.7 2. Cameron Boozer, 22.5 3. Caleb Wilson, 20.1 4. Thijs De Ridder, 16.5 5. Jalen Haralson, 16.3 He’s registered double-digit points in all but 3 games and has earned six games of 20+ — three in ACC play over the last five games he played. Jalen is strong and shifty when attacking the rim, converting 69.3% from within 4.5 feet. The Fishers, Indiana, native shoots 53.9% overall from two-point range, in addition to leading the team in free throw attempts (6.0 per game). SHREWSBERRY LEADING FROM THREE Braeden Shrewsberry continues to prove he’s one of the best from deep, ranking 4th in the ACC in three-point shooting percentage at 40.0%. That number also ranks 45th in the country. He’s converting 2.8 made threes per game which ranks 3rd in the league. Shrewsberry’s sweet spot? The corner three – where he’s draining 50.0%, which is 14.1% above the Division I average. His best performance from beyond the arc came against Evansville when Shrewsberry scored a career-high 26 points behind a career-high 8 three pointers, shooting 80% from three (8-10). His 8 made triples tied for the 7th most in a game all-time in program history. Braeden has drained 78 threes on the year. For comparison, he recorded 78 as a freshman and 72 in a shortened sophomore campaign. BRAEDEN CAREER ACCOLADES Speaking of Shrewsberry making it rain, the junior reached the 1,000-point career milestone at SMU on Feb. 10, doing so in 84 games. He became the 69th Notre Dame player all-time to reach the milestone. That number ties Louisville for 3rd most all-time behind Duke (70) & UNC (81). Braeden also enters Saturday’s matchup with 228 career made threes. He is now 9 away (237) from moving into the program’s top-10. REBOUNDING TRANSLATES Towt’s current rebounding rankings: 9.3 rpg ranks 26th nationally, 4th in the ACC 3.7 offensive rpg – 1st in ACC/14th in country 5.7 defensive rpg – 5th in ACC 1,339 career rebounds – leads all active players His 1,339 career rebounds have pushed him into the top-100 all-time list at #59. KOEHLER EARNS STARTING ROLE Freshman Brady Koehler produced a career high 17 points at Virginia Tech, pouring in 15 in the 2nd half. Overall, he was 5-7 from the field, plus 2-3 from three & 5-6 from the stripe. Since that performance, Koehler has started in 10 straight. Fast forward to Virginia on Jan. 27 and the freshman impressed yet again. Koehler was all over the stat sheet, recording his first career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds (career high). He got it done from the free-throw line where he was a personal best 9-10. He also tied his career high of 4 blocks and set a new high for steals with 3. Overall, Koehler has recorded 4 double-digit scoring performances over the last 8 games — 16 points vs. Virginia; 11 points at #24 Louisville; 11 points at SMU, 14 vs. #1 Duke. Against #1 Duke, Koehler scored the team’s first 9 points of the game before finishing with 14 on 5-9 shooting. He now averages 7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, in ACC play on 48.7% shooting, 13-32 (40.6%) from three. NOTRE NOTABLES The Irish are 10 wins away from 2,000 all-time. They would become the eighth program to achieve this feat. Certa is averaging a team-best 16.6 ppg against ranked opposition. Brady Koehler has been excellent in the midrange, where he’s shooting 57.9%. Logan Imes recently produced back-to-back games in double figures for the first time of his career, filling in for the injured Jalen Haralson. He produced 12 points at Pitt, and the game prior vs. Georgia Tech, Logan delivered a career high 14 points on 6-12 shooting (2-4 from three). Cole is 75-83 from the free-throw line. His 90.4% leads all ACC players and would rank 2nd for a season at ND. Steve Vasturia holds the top spot at 91.0%. Garrett Sundra is 9 for his last 10 from two-point range. Sir Mohammed thrives in the paint, where he’s shooting 51.0%. NET is at 93 — 2-10 in Quad 1 // 1-4 in Quad 2// 2-1 in Quad 3 / 7-1 in Quad 4. KenPom is at 89 — ORtg ranked 93 at 115.0 — DRtg ranked 104 at 106.0. ===================================================================== NOTRE DAME HOCKEY IRISH TIE #5/5 NITTANY LIONS FRIDAY NIGHT NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey team skated to a 3-3 tie against the No. 5/5 Penn State Nittany Lions on Friday night in front of a sold out crowd for Fan Appreciation Night in the confines of Compton Family Ice Arena. The Irish had an opportunity to get on the board less than 30 seconds into the first period as junior alternate captain Cole Knuble wrapped around the back of the Penn State net and dished the puck to fellow junior, and team captain, Danny Nelson, but narrowly missed to the left of the post. Sophomore defenseman Jaedon Kerr let a one timer rip from just beyond the dot as the opening minute closed, but the shot was denied and the score stayed 0-0. Notre Dame put the pressure on the Nittany Lions early as they controlled the puck in the offensive zone trying to draw the game’s first score. With just over five minutes gone in the first period, the Irish notched the first goal of the night off the stick of freshman Dashel Oliver on a redirect from Henry Nelson’s initial shot to make it 1-0. Notre Dame kept the pressure on in the PSU zone following the goal looking to extend their lead as they continued to outshoot the visitors early. The special teams unit got their first taste of action at 9:56 of the first period as the Nittany Lions went to the penalty box on a tripping call. The powerplay unit had three early chances, but couldn’t find the back of the net to extend the lead while on the man-advantage. With 1:09 remaining on the first penalty, the Irish had a five-on-three edge following a tripping infraction on the visitors, but PSU killed both to prevent Notre Dame furthering their lead. Freshman forward Will Belle gave the Irish a 2-0 lead on a breakaway off of a Penn State turnover in the Notre Dame zone. Notching his first collegiate goal, the freshman beat out the defense to set up a breakaway chance with the Nittany Lions netminder where he buried a wrist shot into the back right of the goal. Less than 30 seconds later Cole Knuble extended the Notre Dame lead to 3-0. The winger was set up by Danny Nelson once again as Knuble buried the puck from the right slot. Penn State notched their first goal of the contest with just under 90 seconds left in the first frame as the puck sailed over the outstretched blocker of sophomore goaltender Nicholas Kempf to make it a 3-1 game. The second stanza began similarly to the first with another scoring opportunity from Cole Knuble, but his shot missed just to the right of the net to keep the scoreboard still at 3-1. Notre Dame carried their strong offensive pressure into the second frame with multiple chances within the first five minutes of play. The closest chance came off of the tape of freshman forward Pano Fimis, but his backhand attempt was gloved by the Penn State goaltender at 5:21 in the period to keep it a two-goal contest in favor of the Irish. The Irish penalty kill went to work at the 8:44 mark of the second period after junior forward Carter Slaggert got sent to the box for a hooking call. The Nittany Lions had a chance to edge closer, but their shot rang off the cross bar as play continued and the score remained locked at 3-1. Nicholas Kempf made a nice glove save off of a wrist shot to stop play with four seconds left on the penalty kill, and the special teams would escape the penalty with no damage done. After a series of back and forth possessions where neither team could capitalize on offense, both earned a trip to the box with less than two minutes left in the frame as the teams would get two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct. Fifty-five seconds into the powerplay Penn State found the back of the net, beating Kempf as the puck skipped over the extended left blocker pad of the sophomore goalie to make it a 3-2 game to end the middle period. Notre Dame killed the remainder of the four-on-four to open the final period of play and had a chance from Jaedon Kerr as both teams returned to full strength, but the rebound was too wide for the Irish in the area in front of the crease to extend the lead further. Henry Nelson had another chance not too long after the opportunity by Kerr, but the shot was just a bit high and skied off the cross bar back into play behind the Nittany Lion net. Penn State drew the equalizing goal on a two-on-one opportunity as the Nittany Lions beat Kempf on the stick side of his pads to make it a 3-3 game partway through the third. After knotting the score up, the puck would go up and down the ice changing possession between both teams but neither one could find the goal to go ahead in the contest. Freshman forward Cole Brown gave junior blueliner Paul Fischer a chance in front of the net at 8:53 in the period, but the shot from Fischer was denied and deflected out of the PSU zone. As time wound down into the final five minutes of play Nicholas Kempf made a poke save to get a rush going for the Irish as Dashel Oliver and graduate forward Sutter Muzzatti attempted to break the stalemate. The chance was stopped by the Penn State goalie as the final four minutes would go without another change in score as Notre Dame and the Nittany Lions headed to overtime. In the three-on-three overtime period, the Irish had two chances to end things but both shots missed high. Nicholas Kempf was a rock for Notre Dame in the extra session as he made seven saves in the five minute period. After neither team could convert in the five minutes of overtime play the game would officially end in a tie per NCAA rules, 3-3. Penn State would take the extra conference point in the shootout, converting on their first shot and holding the Irish off the board through three rounds. GOALS Dashel Oliver recorded his second goal of the season to open the scoring for Notre Dame partway through the first period. The freshman redirected a shot from junior defenseman Henry Nelson from the point. The shot clipped the back of Oliver’s stick and ricocheted over the PSU goalkeeper’s left pad to put the Irish up 1-0 in the contest. Scoring his first collegiate goal, an unassisted tally, to extend the Notre Dame lead in the first period, freshman Will Belle intercepted a passing attempt by a Penn State forward and turned the after burners on to get ahead of the encroaching defensemen on both sides, setting up a breakaway opportunity that Belle capitalized on to give the Irish a 2-0 lead just over halfway through the first frame. Junior alternate captain Cole Knuble had multiple chances to score throughout the night and was able to put the puck in the back of the net just 28 seconds after Will Belle pushed the Irish lead to two goals over the Nittany Lions. Knuble’s goal was his eighth of the year as he received a pass up the right side of the boards to slot a wrister into the top right of the PSU goal, giving Notre Dame a 3-0 lead in the first period. KEY STATS Will Belle recorded his first collegiate goal in the first period of Friday’s contest. Belle has three assists to add to his young career in an Irish sweater. Notre Dame recorded 41 face off wins of the 72 in the contest with Sutter Muzzatti leading in win percentage with a 63.2-percent success rate as he posted a 12-7mark at the dot. Nicholas Kempf finished the night with 25 saves, including seven in the overtime session to lift the Irish to the 3-3 tie. The Irish outshot the Nittany Lions 36-28 in the tie, including 25-9 halfway through the contest. UP NEXT Notre Dame returns to Compton Family Ice Arena to close out their final regular season home game on Saturday, February 28. The Irish will honor this year’s senior class with pregame festivities and a ceremony before hosting Irish Wear Green Night in South Bend. Game time is scheduled for 6pm. ================================================================== NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S LAX #8/8 IRISH HOST #24/23 PITT PANTHERS AT ARLOTTA #8/8 NOTRE DAME vs. #24/23 PITT – Saturday, Feb. 28 at 12 PMLocation: South Bend, IN | Arlotta StadiumLIVE STATS | ACCNX The No. 8/8 Irish will host the No. 25/23 Pitt Panthers on Sunday, Feb. 28 at noon at Arlotta Stadium. The Irish lead the all-time series 3-1 and are 2-0 at home in South Bend. The last matchup was in Pittsburgh, where the Irish fell 12-13 on April 12, 2025. BY THE NUMBERS1Freshman goalkeeper Ceci Patterson is first in the ACC with a save percenatge of .507 and is fourth in the ACC with a goals against average of 7.20.3Kate Timarky is third in the ACC with 15 goals so far this season.6Grace Maroney recorded her first career hat trick in the win over No. 3 Boston College on Feb 13, with her behind the back landing at #6 in SportsCenter Top 10.5After recording a hat trick in the season-opening win over No. 15/12 Michigan, Timarky scored a career-high five goals in the win over Central Michigan and then tied it, scoring five goals in the win at No. 25/23 Harvard.6Rassas recorded a career-best 6 goals and 9 points in the win over Central Michigan.20Freshman Uma Kowalski finished the opening weekend with an impressive 20 draw contols, earning ACC Defensive POTW honors. She won nine in the win over No. 15/12 Michigan and won 11 in the win over Central Michigan.25The 25-0 win over Central Michigan was the third regular season shutout in program history.10Ten different players landing in the scoring column in the win over Central Michigan.12The Irish welcome 12 freshman to this year’s squad.4The Irish named four captains for the 2026 campaign: Julia Carr, Abby Lyons, Franny O’Brien, and Kathryn Morrissey.2Two new assistant coaches join this season as Marina Miller and Mckenna Davis joined the staff this summer. IRISH FALL 7-9 TO VIRGINIA CAVALIERS The then-No. 5/4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-1, 1-1) suffered their first loss of the season as they fell, 7-9, to the #24/NR Virginia Cavaliers (2-3, 1-0) on Sunday evening in the Loftus Sports Center. The Irish were led by Grace Maroney and Katie Mallaber, who tied her career high, as they each scored two goals a piece. Maroney finished with a team-best three points. Emma Murphy and Abby Lyons each scored their first goal of the season, with Madison Rassas also scoring a goal for the Irish. At the draw, Uma Kowalski finished with a team-best four draw controls. The trio of Sloane Ginevan, Ceci Patterson, and Lila O’Brien led the team with two caused turnovers a piece, recording six of the team’s 10 caused turnovers. Ginevan and Patterson also led the Irish with two ground balls each. Patterson capped off her stat line with 11 saves, tying her career-best this season. IRISH DEFEAT #25/23 HARVARD, OPENING SEASON 4-0 The then-No. 16/16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish downed the No. 25 Harvard Crimson on the road Sunday afternoon in a 10-7 victory. The Irish picked up their second road win and their third ranked win of the season. Junior Kate Timarky had herself a day, matching her career-high of five goals in the win. Timarky had a hat trick in the second quarter alone, scoring three straight goals for the Irish. Maura Irish, Charley Bacigalupo, Franny O’Brien, Grace Maroney, and Madison Rassas all scored a goal in the win. M. Irish also dished out three assists, recording a career-high four points, career-high four caused turnovers, and a career-high four ground balls. She was followed by Maroney with two assists, tying her career-high. Abby Lyons and Franny O’Brien each caused three turnovers apiece, with O’Brien also recording a career-high five ground balls. Goalkeeper Ceci Patterson finished the day with four saves and picked up her fourth win of the season. IRISH TAKE DOWN #3 BOSTON COLLEGE ON THE ROAD IN ACC OPENER The then-No. 16/16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-0, 1-0) remain undefeated as they took down the No. 3 Boston College Eagles (0-2, 0-1) on Friday night, pulling off the upset with a 12-9 victory to open ACC play. A huge fourth quarter surge powered the Irish to the three-goal road win, shutting out the Eagles 6-0 in the fourth. “I’m proud of this team and the way they have been working to realize their potential,” said Head Coach Chris Halfpenny. “It was a quick turnaround from opening weekend to today, and this team was ready for the challenge. I can’t say enough about the combo of this freshmen class and our returning group. We’re all having a lot of fun.” The Irish were led by freshman Grace Maroney, recording her first career hat trick in the win. She was followed by Meghan O’Hare, Kate Timarky, and Madison Rassas with two goals apiece. Timarky also led the team with three ground balls. Freshman Maura Irish scored two goals as well, while also leading the team with five draw controls. Freshman Uma Kowalski finished with four draw controls and graduate student Julia Carr finished with a team-best two caused turnovers. Freshman goal keeper Ceci Patterson recorded eight saves and her third win of the season. OPENING WEEKEND FOR THE IRISH The Notre Dame Fighting Irish opened their 2026 season with a 2-0 start at home. After defeating No. 15/12 Michigan in 12-10 victory, the Irish defeated Central Michigan 25-0. The win is the third regular season shutout in program history. Sophomore preseason All-American Madison Rassas wasted no time, recording a hat trick in her first game of the season. Junior Kate Timarky recorded her sixth career hat trick in the win over Michigan as well. Junior Meghan O’Hare followed with two goals, three ground balls, and six draw controls. The freshmen trio of Maura Irish, Grace Maroney, and Mackenzie Conley each scored their first career goals in the win with M. Irish netting two goals in her Notre Dame debut. It was also a big night for freshmen Uma Kowalski and Ceci Patterson in their first game in an Irish uniform. Kowalski led the Irish with nine draw controls and Patterson recorded her first win in goal and finished the night with eight saves. In the win over Central Michigan, Rassas led the offensive charge for the Irish with a career-high six goals, three assists, and nine points. She posted an impressive stat line of nine goals, three assists, five ground balls, and three caused turnovers for the weekend. She was followed by another career-high performance from Kate Timarky who recorded a career-best five goals, two assists, and seven points. Timarky also recorded a hat trick in the season-opening win over Michigan for a total of eight goals, three assists, and 11 points on the weekend. Freshman Charley Bacigalupo not only scored her first career goal, but went on to score her first career hat trick. The rookie midfielder finished with two assists for five points on the day. Kowalski also scored her first career goal and absolutely dominated the draw. She recorded 11 draw controls after recording nine in the season-opening win over Michigan for an impressive total of 20 draws on the weekend. M. rish finished with a full stat line in the win as well as the freshman recorded one goal, one assist, two points, two ground balls, two draw controls, and four caused turnovers. Shannon Earley, Grace Maroney, Katie Mallaber, and Wynter Jock each recorded two goals a piece for the Irish. Mackenzie Conely also scored a goal in the shutout win. O’Hare won four draw controls and caused three turnovers, followed by Abby Lyons who caused two turnovers. Sloane Ginevan grabbed four ground balls, followed by Franny O’Brien with three ground balls. A LOOK AHEAD The Notre Dame Women’s Lacrosse program is ready for spring with the announcement of their 2026 schedule. The Irish are slated for 16 games with an even eight games at home and eight games on the road. The ACC docket will feature 10 conference games with five games on the road and five games at home. With eight opportunities to see the Irish at home, it is free admission for both indoor games at Loftus Sports Center and outdoor games at Arlotta Stadium. IRISH WELCOME 12 FRESHMEN With the Irish graduating five last season, the Irish have welcomed 12 freshmen to the roster. Eight of which were included in the IL Power 100 Incoming Freshmen Rankings – Ceci Patterson (#3) – Uma Kowalski (#15) – Charley Bacigalupo (#27) – Maura Irish (#29) – Maeve Cavanaugh (#45) – Mackenzie Conley (Watchlist) – Brooke Hopkins (Watchlist) – Grace Maroney (Watchlist) THE RASSAS FAMILY IS NO STRANGER TO NOTRE DAME Rassas isn’t just an Irish standout as one of the best players in the country, but she’s continuing her family’s legacy at Notre Dame. She comes from a long line of Notre Dame graduates, including both parents (Todd and Angela Rassas) as well as her grandfather and great-grandfather. Her father, Todd, was an All-American lacrosse player at Notre Dame (‘98), while her grandfather and great-grandfather were both football players for the Irish. As she continues the legacy, she’s already picking up several accolades at the start of her sophomore year. She was named to the 2026 Tewaaraton Watch List, the 2026 Preseason All-ACC Team and has also received USA Lacrosse Preseason All-American honors. TWO NEW ADDITIONS TO THE COACHING STAFF Head Coach Chris Halfpenny introduced two new additions to the staff this season as she welcomed Marina Miller and Mckenna Davis to the Irish. After graduating from Clemson in 2023, Miller stayed with the Tigers to serve as an assistant coach for the program for the 2024 season. In addition to serving as a coordinator of the defensive unit, Miller was key to the program’s draw strategy and success in 2024 as the Tigers were among the top 15 in the nation in draw control percentage and draw controls per game. In June of 2024, Miller started as an assistant coach at Davidson, helping guide the Wildcats to a 12-5 record in the 2025 season. Miller started her college career at Penn State before playing the next three years at Richmond, where she was a captain in 2022 for her senior season. Miller finished her undergraduate degree at Richmond before joining former Richmond head coach Allison Kwolek at Clemson for her graduate season while competing for the Tigers on their inaugural team in 2023. A captain at Clemson, Miller started all 18 games and scored 23 goals with 11 assists as she closed out her playing career. She also won 33 draw controls and was selected for the 2023 Senior All-Star Team and the South’s All-Region Second Team. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pa., Miller went to Pine-Richland High School where she was a four-year letter winner and two-time team captain. She led her lacrosse team to back-to-back Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic League (WPIAL) titles and ended her high school career as Pine-Richland’s all-time leading scorer with 325 goals and 94 assists. Davis is a 2025 Boston College alum, where she was an All-ACC standout and three-time All-American attacker for the Eagles. In her four-year Eagle career, Davis recorded 99 goals and 220 assists for 319 career points. As a junior, Davis helped guide the Eagles to their 2024 National Championship title as she netted two goals and recorded an assist for a total of three points, while also tallying one ground ball and a caused turnover. In her senior season at Boston College, Davis was second in the nation and the ACC with a personal-high 77 assists, breaking the single-season Eagles record. IRISH IN THE PROS With the start of the WLL in 2025, it didn’t take long for the Irish to get picked up. Five Notre Dame Women’s Lacrosse alums were all selected to the Boston Guard: Madison Ahern (‘24), Kasey Choma (‘24), Jackie Wolak (‘24), Hannah Dorney (‘23), and Andie Aldave (‘21). The Guard won the first ever WLL Championship last February. Now, the 2026 WLL season is ready to begin and the Irish have six alums on current WLL rosters: BOSTON GUARD:Madison Ahern (‘24)Kasey Choma (‘24)Jackie Wolak (‘24)Hannah Dorney (‘23)Andie Aldave (‘21). MARYLAND CHARM: Kelley Denes (‘24) ======================================================================= NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL IRISH COMEBACK BID FALLS SHORT AT GEORGIA TECH SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team fell Friday night to Georgia Tech 4-8 in the squad’s ACC opener. The Irish are now 7-10 on the season and 0-1 in conference action. Hayden Kyne launched her first career home run in the top of the fifth inning in a pinch hit situation. The freshman blasted the first pitch she saw over the left field fence for a two-run homer, scoring Kaia Cortes from second. It was the fourth and fifth RBI of the season for the Vacaville, California product. The Irish got RBI hits from Cortes and Lily Hagan in the game, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech got on the board in the first with a two-run homer to take an early lead. The Yellow Jackets followed it up with a run in the third and a pair of runs in the fourth that made it 5-0. After a three-run Irish fifth inning to cut into the lead, Georgia Tech scored three of its own in the sixth to keep Notre Dame at bay. The Irish will look to even the series tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 pm and will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra. ===================================================================== BUTLER SWIMMING AND DIVING KATE SCHILLING EARNS SPOT ON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM INDIANAPOLIS – Eighty-six swimming and diving student-athletes were named to the All-BIG EAST team on Friday, following their performances at the 2026 BIG EAST Swim and Dive Championships presented by JEEP. Butler’s Kate Schilling earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST Team in the 100 breast and 200 breast. In the 200 breast, Schilling posted a time of 2:13.90 which reset her own school record and earned her second place overall in the event. Schilling posted a time of 1:02.19 in the 100 breast which was a new personal best and a new school record. Her third-place finish is the best finish ever in the event for the Dawgs. The ALL-BIG EAST squad is comprised of BIG EAST competitors who finished in the top three in any individual or relay event at the championships. Forty-five women and 41 men earned honors. Fifty-three total student-athletes, 29 women and 24 men, picked up all-conference accolades in multiple events. Butler finished fifth overall at the BIG EAST Championships, marking the best finish for the squad in program history. ==================================================================== BUTLER BASEBALL DAWGS FALL IN GAME ONE AT MARSHALL HUNTINGTON, W. Va. – Butler fell to Marshall 4-3 on Friday afternoon in Huntington, West Virginia. With the loss, Butler slides to 2-7 on the season while Marshall improves to 3-5 overall. Game two of the series is scheduled for 4 p.m. tomorrow and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+. BULLDOG HIGHLIGHTS Danny Gavin recorded a hit. Matthew Rhoades was 1-for-5 at the dish. Gavin Gilmore went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a double. David Ayers was 2-for-3 with a run scored, an RBI and a triple. Connor Sackett tallied an RBI and a hit. Logan Crock recorded a hit and an RBI. Chris Lewis was 1-for-3 at the plate. HOW IT HAPPENED Butler got on the board first in the top of the first inning behind an RBI triple from Ayers. BU was then able to get out of a jam as the Thundering Herd put two runners on in the bottom half of the frame before BU was able to get out of it. The second inning was scoreless for both sides. In the third, Marshall put two runners on with no outs to start the frame. The Bulldog defense was able to turn a double play, leaving one runner on with two outs. In the ensuing at bat, BU grabbed the third out by way of strikeout, neutralizing the threat as the Dawgs held onto the 1-0 lead heading to the fourth. Marshall evened the score in the bottom of the fourth off an RBI double from Jackson Golden. Butler was able to limit the damage to one run as the score was even heading into the fifth. The Thundering Herd offense tacked on three more runs in the fifth behind two hits in the frame. The Dawgs were able to respond in the sixth as an RBI single from Sackett, but that was the only run Butler was able to scratch across in the frame. After a scoreless seventh, Crock was able to get the Dawgs within one, on an RBI single to right-center field. Butler was unable to add another as BU trailed 4-3 heading into the bottom of the eighth. BU held Marshall off the board as the Dawgs were within one heading to the final frame. Butler was unable to find the tying run in the top of the ninth, dropping the contest 4-3 in game one of the series. OF NOTE Butler tallied nine hits. BU’s pitching staff combined for nine strikeouts. Linde tossed 3.2 innings, allowing just two hits while punching out five. UP NEXT Butler and Marshall will play game two of the three-game set tomorrow in Huntington, West Virginia. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+. =================================================================== IU INDY MEN’S BASKETBALL EXEMPLIFYING EXCELLENCE: HIGHLIGHTING SENIORS FINLEY WOODWARD AND AJAY HOLUBAR INDIANAPOLIS – As the Jaguars embark on their final regular-season matchup against the Mastodons of Purdue Fort Wayne, they seek to add another conference win to their resume. It is not only a game of competition, but one of meaning, as the seniors will step into the Jungle for a final time in regular-season play. As the season begins to close, it is important to recognize two seniors, Ajay Holubar and Finley Woodward, who have laid the foundation for the future of this Jaguars team, not only in skill but in elite character. Ajay Holubar, who calls home just 18 miles away in Bargersville, Indiana, began his collegiate career at the University of Indianapolis and spent two years developing as a player into their game plan. In 2024, Holubar made his way to The Jungle, making an unforgettable impact in more ways than just basketball. He created a standard of perseverance that everyone on the team can emulate. Amidst the coaching change of last year, Holubar was the only player to remain a Jaguar. When his teammates chose to walk away, Holubar stayed, embracing the new era of the Jaguars men’s basketball under Coach Ben Howlett. “I enjoyed being able to learn about the new system. It was cool to watch all of my teammates figure it out as well and to see all of us start to click and become more of a unit.” Holubar continued. “And fully buy into what coach was looking for.” Holubar has indeed bought into Coach Howlett’s vision and coaching style, bringing hard work, perseverance, and grit to every drill, practice, and game. “He’s a guy if you call on him, you know what you are going to get,” Coach Howlett said. “You know you’re going to get top effort from him.” Coach Howlett not only brought experience and knowledge with him from West Liberty, but also a standout forward from Bristol, England, Finley Woodward. Coach Howlett’s vision for the program started with Woodward, whom he knew would be a formidable presence on the hardwood. “He came in as a freshman and had a minor role, and then each year he has developed into one of our go-to players.” Coach Howlett continued. “Just to see him get recognized as a really good player by other people is extremely rewarding for me.” Woodward’s commitment and adaptability under the leadership of Coach Howlett have allowed him to emerge as a difference maker, leading the team in assists, and Woodward remains grateful for the chance to compete. “I’m forever grateful, and it couldn’t have happened without coach Howlett believing in me and taking a chance on me,” Woodward said. “He’s allowed me to grow into a much better basketball player and has set me up for success in my future.” Woodward and Holubar have made a lasting mark within the Jaguars’ huddle, but their influence continues beyond the court, bleeding into the classroom. Both players see the importance of maintaining a balance between academics and athletics. They attack every class and homework assignment with intention, knowing it will lead to a successful future on or off the court. Woodward is majoring in criminal justice, and Holubar is seeking his master’s in public health administration. Woodward and Holubar demonstrate exactly what it means to be a student-athlete, and their commitment has not gone unnoticed. Woodward said, “At some point, the ball has to stop bouncing, so I made sure to stay on top of academics and put myself in a good position for my future.” And for Ajay, it revolves around finishing the task at hand. “That’s who I am and will always be. Somebody that you know is going to do the right thing and work the hardest in whatever I am tasked to do.” Holubar said. Coach Howlett knows that both players have a bright future ahead, and it is one he is excited to watch unfold. “Ajay is going to be a success story in life. We call him the CEO for a reason.” Coach Howlett continued. “Fin is still going to be playing. He has a future playing basketball. I think he is going to be a really good basketball coach someday, too.” As the doors close on their time as Jaguars, one thing is for sure: Ajay Holubar and Finley Woodward have created an example of excellence that every player can look to, and they have cemented their place in the legacy of Jaguars basketball. ===================================================================== IU INDY SOFTBALL SOFTBALL DROPS TWO ON OPENING DAY OF HILLTOPPER SPRING FLING BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The IU Indy softball team opened play at the Hilltopper Spring Fling on Friday with a pair of contests at the WKU Softball Complex, falling in extra innings to Ball State before dropping a matchup to host Western Kentucky. In the opener, the Jaguars (3-9) struck first and carried a tight game into extras before Ball State walked it off in the eighth for a 2-1 decision. IU Indy wasted no time manufacturing a run in the top of the first. Paige McPhearson singled to lead off the game, and Mae Munson and Molly Kable followed with base hits to load the bases. Callie Dickerson was then hit by a pitch to bring home McPhearson for the early 1-0 lead. Ball State evened the score in the fourth on an RBI double, and the game remained knotted at 1-1 through seven innings. Clara Phariss delivered a strong start in the circle, tossing 7.0 innings and allowing just two runs on seven hits. In the bottom of the eighth, the Cardinals used two singles and a walk to set up the winning run, which scored on a groundout to shortstop, handing IU Indy the 2-1 loss. McPhearson, Munson, Kable, Dickerson and Adeline Blackwell each recorded a hit in the contest as the Jaguars finished with five hits as a team. In the nightcap, IU Indy (3-10) faced tournament host WKU, which used a big first inning to pull away for a 16-2 win in five innings. The Hilltoppers erupted for 11 runs in the bottom of the first, including three home runs in the frame. WKU added four more runs in the second to extend the lead to 15-0 before IU Indy settled in defensively. The Jaguars broke through in the fourth when Kennedy Cowan singled and later scored on an RBI base hit from Reese Rosenbaum. IU Indy added another run in the fifth as Adeline Blackwell scored on a groundout by Lexi Gordon. Blackwell and McPhearson each collected hits in the game, while Rosenbaum drove in one of IU Indy’s two runs. Despite the tough result, the Jaguars continued to compete offensively late in the contest. IU Indy will look to bounce back as play continues at the Hilltopper Spring Fling tomorrow. ====================================================================== BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CELEBRATES SENIOR DAY IN FINAL HOME SHOWDOWN AGAINST OHIO SATURDAY Ball State vs. Ohio | Senior Day | #MACtionGame 29 vs. Ohio Saturday, Feb. 27, 2026 | Muncie, Ind.| Worthen ArenaGameday Info Live Stats | ESPN+ | Listen | TicketsGame Notes and Media InfoBall State | OhioSocial MediaX (Twitter) | Instagram | Facebook It’s #MACtion Time: -Ohio travels to Muncie after a hard-fought 60-56 overtime loss to Bowling Green on Wednesday. Despite the loss, the Bobcats have already clinched a spot in the upcoming MAC Tournament in Cleveland. They are led by junior Bailey Tabeling, who recently recorded 18 points and 11 rebounds. – The all-time series between Ball State and Ohio is historically tight, with Ohio holding a narrow 39–36 edge as of the 2024–25 season. However, Ball State has dominated the most recent chapter of this rivalry, entering the 2025–26 season on an eight-game winning streak against the Bobcats. Saturday’s game against Ohio will mark the 76th time in program history the two schools have met. – The Cardinals and the Bobcats first-ever meeting was on Jan. 31, 1976 with Ball State earning the victory by a score of 72-59. Ball State won its last encounter against Ohio by an 82-57 decision on March 8, 2025 in Muncie. – The Cardinals typically carry on their success throughout the month of February in preparation for the Mid-American Conference Tournament. Under head coach Brady Sallee the Cardinals own a 67-40 (.606) record in February with his best season being in 2019-20 as Ball State posted a 7-1 ledger that year. – The Cardinals officially clinched its spot in the 2026 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament with a commanding 83–68 victory over EMU last Tuesday. The win also secured head coach Brady Sallee‘s ninth 20-win season in program history. This achievement marks the fourth consecutive year the Cardinals have reached at least 20 victories, a stretch that includes a program-record 28 wins during the 2023–24 season.MAC Tournament Facts:The Cardinals continue to be a staple of March Madness in the MAC, securing their 36th program appearance in the conference tournament. Ball State’s dominance is especially clear over the last quarter-century, having advanced to Cleveland for 24 of the past 26 seasons. With an all-time tournament record of 27–33, the team has fought their way to seven championship games, ultimately crowning their efforts with titles in 2009 and 2025. Under head coach Brady Sallee, the Ball State women’s basketball team has made it to Cleveland for the MAC Tournament 11 times, including reaching the championship game in 2014, 2022, and 2025. The 2025 championship was a historic milestone, marking Sallee’s first conference tournament title in 21 years of head coaching and the program’s first since 2009.Stong Shooting Under Sallee:Brady Sallee is known for developing his players into strong shooters, over the years. In the last two seasons the Cardinals have ranked in the top 75 nationally in offense. In 2023-24 the Cardinals were 53rd in offense averaging 72.7 points per game while in 2024-25 Ball State finished the year ranked 72nd averaging 72.5 points per game. This season the Cardinals rank in the nation: 22nd in field goal percentage (46.3), 30th in field goal defense (36.9) and 23rd in scoring offense (79.1).Where We Rank in the MAC:Ball State remains at the top of the charts in assists per game (19.4),assist/turnover ratio (1.14), field goal percentage (46.3), field goal percentage defense (36.9), defensive rebounds per game (30.7), rebounds per game (44.07) and scoring offense (79.1).Scouting Ohio: – The Ohio Bobcats women’s basketball team is currently competing in the 2025-26 season under Head Coach Bob Boldon, who is in his 13th season with the program. After a challenging 2024-25 season (6-23 record), the Bobcats have shown significant improvement this year, sitting at 15-10 overall (9-5 MAC) as of late February 2026. – While the team previously struggled with turnovers (averaging 18 per game last season), there has been a concerted effort to improve ball handling and decision-making in 2025-26. – The Bobcats remain one of the most aggressive teams from deep in the MAC. Coach Boldon’s system prioritizes spacing and movement without the ball to create open looks. – Bailey Tabeling leads the Bobcats offensively averaging 14.0 points per game while Bella Ranallo scores 11.2 points per contest. – If the tournament were to start today, the Ohio Bobcats would be the No. 5 seed and would face No. 4 Central Michigan in Game 2 of the quarterfinals in Cleveland.It’s Almost Tournament Time: – Ball State head coach Brady Sallee owns a 11-11 overall Mid-American Conference Tournament mark. – In the 35 years of the tournament, the top seed has won the title 23 times. In 2016, the Buffalo Bulls became the lowest seed (#8) to ever advance to the tournament championship game and the highest seed to ever win the title. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds have met 17 times in the championship game, with the top seed winning 15 times. – The last time Ball State was the No. 2 seed in the MAC Tournament was in 2024. That year the Cardinals defeated the seventh-seeded Ohio Bobcats by a score of 77-53 before falling to No. 3 Kent State in the semifinals, 65-50. ==================================================================== BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL MEN’S BASKETBALL FACING NORTHERN ILLINOIS ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON IN DEKALB The Ball State men’s basketball team is back on the road to face Northern Illinois at 4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT) on Saturday afternoon in DeKalb. The contest will be broadcast on ESPN+, while Mick Tidrow and David Eha handle the radio call on WMUN 92.5 FM / 1340 AM and on the WMUN app. Links to both broadcasts and live stats can be found above and on the schedule page. Ball State (9-19, 4-11 Mid-American Conference) came back from 18 points down with 12 minutes to go in regulation to beat UMass 74-73 in overtime on Tuesday night behind a season high 26 points from Davion Hill and a game-winning floater by Armoni Zeigler. Northern Illinois (9-18, 4-11 MAC) has dropped its last two games including a 79-69 loss at Toledo on Tuesday. This will be the second game of the season between the Cardinals and Huskies following a 58-53 Ball State win on Jan. 24 in Muncie. Rashon Burno is in his fifth season as the head coach at NIU, who was picked to finish 13th in the conference preseason poll in its final season in the MAC. Northern Illinois focuses on the offensive glass and 3-point line, ranking second in the league in offensive rebounds per game (12.3) and fourth in 3-point percentage defense (32.8). The Huskies attempt the fourth-most 3-pointers per game (25.8) in the MAC and make the fifth-most (8.3). Sophomore guard Makhai Valentine paces NIU with 13.8 points per game and ranks near the top of the conference in 3-pointers made (67, No. 4) and free throw shooting (81.4, No. 6). Fellow sophomore guard Gianni Cobb averages the fifth-most steals (1.63) and 10th-most assists (4.0) per game in the MAC. The final week of the regular season is next up for the Cardinals starting with a road game at Western Michigan on Tuesday night. A WEEK OF BEGINNING AND ENDING: Ball State will play Northern Illinois on Saturday for the final time as Mid-American Conference foes a game after hosting UMass for the first time in series history with the Minutemen. UMass joined the MAC in advance of the 2025-26 season, and the Huskies are leaving the conference to join the Horizon League in time for the 2026-27 campaign. HILL TO THE HOOP: Guard Davion Hill went for a season high 26 points in Tuesday night’s 74-73 overtime win against UMass a game after notching his first double-double at the NCAA Division I level with 18 points and 11 rebounds on Feb. 20 against Akron. The 26-point performance included an 11-for-11 showing at the free throw line, which was the first 100 percent effort at the foul line for a Cardinal this season shooting more than six free throws. Hill has now scored in double figures in seven straight games and 12 of the last 13 and leads the team in average points overall (13.4 per game) and in MAC play (15.5). FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME FOR OVERTIME: The Ball State men’s basketball program went 33 games between overtime contests before Tuesday’s 74-73 win over UMass featuring an extra session. The Cardinals’ last overtime game before that was an 89-83 win against Northern Illinois on Feb. 15, 2025. FIVE IN DOUBLE FIGURES: Four Cardinals scored 10 points each in the win over the Minutemen on Tuesday to join Davion Hill in double figures scoring. Armoni Zeigler (seven rebounds, five assists) hit the game-winning floater in overtime, while Kayden Fish (five rebounds), Elmore James IV (four rebounds) and Juwan Maxey also hit important shots among their 10 points each on the night. DIALED IN FROM LONG RANGE: The Cardinals drained 13 3-pointers on Feb. 20 against Akron, which was the second-most Ball State has made this season behind 14 in a win over Le Moyne back on Nov. 30. Eight of those triples were hit in the first half, and the 46.4 percent (13-28) mark from distance was the third-best in a game this season for the Cardinals. COPELAND CAN REBOUND: Freshman forward Preston Copeland tallied three points and nine rebounds in Tuesday’s win over UMass after posting nine points and five rebounds against Akron and contributing seven points and 10 rebounds on Feb. 16 at Ohio in the two games prior. The game against the Bobcats was the second for Copeland this season with double figures in rebounds following a 16-board performance in a win vs Le Moyne on Nov. 30. MAXEY MAKING SHOTS: Juwan Maxey made two 3-pointers and scored 10 points against the Minutemen, draining multiple triples for the fifth time in six games. The guard has hit multiple 3-pointers in nine games this season including a three-game stretch with 3+ triples in each game at the Lafayette Classic in late November. The senior has now made at least one 3-pointer in seven straight games. MILESTONES MET: Senior guards Devon Barnes and Juwan Maxey hit career scoring milestones in their respective NCAA Division I careers on Feb. 14 against Kent State. Barnes joined the 1,000-point club on a free throw late in the first half, and Maxey made a layup early in the second half to hit the 500-point mark. BENCH GETTING BUCKETS: Led by Kayden Fish’s 17 points at Louisiana Monroe, the Ball State bench scored more than half the team’s points with 38 in the win against the Warhawks. Davion Hill added 14, and Juwan Maxey chipped in seven for the team averaging the fourth-most bench points per game in the MAC (25.7). SUCCESS OVER THE SUN BELT: Ball State’s win at Louisiana Monroe on Feb. 7 clinched the Cardinals’ first sweep of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge, which is in its third season. A 75-64 win over Louisiana in the season opener was the first leg in the two-game event. Ball State is now 3-0 at home and 1-2 on the road in the Challenge and was one of only three MAC teams to win on Saturday against Sun Belt opponents. The Cardinals became the first team in the series history with the Warhawks to win on the road, as both teams entered the contest 2-0 at home for a 2-2 split. LOT OF LEADING SCORERS: Only five teams in NCAA Division I (George Washington, Tarleton State, Illinois State, VCU and USC) feature more different leading scorers in games this season than Ball State’s eight. Davion Hill (nine), Armoni Zeigler (eight), Devon Barnes (four), Kayden Fish (two), Joey Hart (two), Elmore James IV (two), Juwan Maxey (two), and Preston Copeland (one) have all led the Cardinals in scoring in at least one game this season. WINNING WITH DEFENSE: Ball State’s 58-53 win against Northern Illinois on Jan. 24 was the first time the Cardinals have won a game scoring fewer than 60 points since Dec. 21, 2022 against Georgia Southern (58-54). The last time the program had won a conference game without reaching the 60-point mark was Feb. 16, 2019 vs Akron (57-56). TURNOVER TALK: Ball State committed only eight turnovers in the Jan. 24 triumph vs Northern Illinois a game after limiting giveaways to a season-low five in the win at Central Michigan. Seven giveaways was the previous season-low on four separate occasions before the game with the Chippewas, and Ball State is the top conference team in taking care of the ball (9.9 turnovers per game) and second in turnover margin (+2.1) against MAC foes. Ball State kept control of the ball at Bowling Green on Feb. 3, giving up only 10 turnovers to a team that averaged more than 16 turnovers forced per game entering the contest for the sixth-most in NCAA Division I. The Cardinals have had 14 games so far this season with 10 or fewer giveaways. CARDINALS CLAMPING DOWN ON DEFENSE: Ball State leads the Mid-American Conference in scoring defense (70.4 points per game) and ranks second in fewest fouls committed per game (15.6) and fourth in steals per game (7.6) through the season’s first 28 contests. ===================================================================== BALL STATE BASEBALL BALIUS, GILLIS, GRIFFITHS COLLECT HITS IN GAME 2 DEFEAT AT HAWAII MANOA, Hawaii — Hawaii got eight runs on six hits in a decisive fourth inning Friday night as the Rainbow Warriors beat Ball State 12-0 at Les Murakami Stadium. Ball State and Hawaii, meeting for the first time in program history, battle in game three on Saturday, and game four Sunday. Hawaii took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, and a one-out, bases-empty triple ignited the home team in the fourth inning of game two. It was the first of six hits in the inning to chase Cardinals starter Keegan Johnson. Ball State got hits from Gavin Balius, Brett Griffiths and Jacob Gillis on Friday, the same trio that collected hits in game one. Each has two hits in the series. ==================================================================== INDIANA STATE BASEBALL ARMSTRONG SHINES, SYCAMORE OFFENSE CLUTCH LATE IN 8-5 WIN OVER PENN STATE NASSAU, Bahamas – Jack Armstrong worked 4.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen and the Indiana State offense struck for four runs in the top of the ninth inning as the Sycamores topped Penn State on Friday night, 8-5, at Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium. The Sycamores (5-5) trailed 3-1 early in the contest as Penn State (2-5) strung together a pair of RBI doubles in the first inning off the bats of Bryce Molinaro and Jayden Davis. Indiana State turned to Armstrong (2-0) early out of the bullpen and the right-hander picked up where he left off against Miami (Ohio) last weekend in recording his second consecutive win in relief. Armstrong worked 4.2 hitless innings and posted a career-high seven strikeouts in navigating the middle innings, before turning the ball over to Ryan Karst in the seventh. Karst worked two scoreless frames before surrendering a late home run to the Nittany Lions. Hunter Small (S, 1) worked the final two outs in securing the save. The Sycamores rallied in the fourth inning to take the lead as Nick Sutherlin’s single put two runners on with one out in the frame. Caden Miller followed with an RBI base hit scoring Carter Beck, before Jeremy Martinez connected on a two-run double to right field plating both Sutherlin and Miller to put Indiana State ahead 4-3. Needing insurance late, the Sycamores received a helping hand from the Penn State defense as the Nittany Lions’ second baseman threw the ball away on Sebastian Torres’ two-out, bases-loaded grounder, allowing both Sutherlin and Miller to score on the play and make it a 6-3 game. Andrew Ortiz followed with a two-run single to right scoring both Torres and Martinez to provide the late insurance as the Sycamores held on for the win. Sutherlin finished 3-for-3 from the plate with two runs scored, a double, and added an RBI on a sacrifice fly. Miller and Ortiz both finished with extra-base hits, while Martinez added a double to go with his two RBIs. Davis had two of Penn State’s six hits and added one of the Nittany Lions’ two doubles in the game. Michael Anderson added a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth. Colin Fitzgerald (1-2) took the loss on the mound allowing six hits and four runs while striking out 10 in the contest. Kyle Emmons worked 2.0 shutout innings in relief, before Dimond Loosli surrendered four unearned runs in the ninth. How They Scored Indiana State scored first as the Sycamores plated an early run in the top of the first inning courtesy of Nick Sutherlin’s sacrifice fly to center bringing Andrew Ortiz home to make it 1-0. Penn State responded with three of their own in the bottom of the first as Bryce Molinaro and Jayden Davis both connected on RBI doubles, before Davis scored from second base on a wild pitch to make it 3-1 Nittany Lions. The Sycamores retook the lead in the top of the fourth inning as Caden Miller singled home Carter Beck, before Jeremy Martinez drilled a two-run double to right field plating Nick Sutherlin and Miller to make it a 4-3 Indiana State lead. Indiana State took advantage of a Penn State error in the top of the ninth to score four runs in the frame. Nick Sutherlin and Caden Miller scored on an errant throw on Sebastian Torres’ grounder, before Andrew Ortiz came through with a two-run single playing Jeremy Martinez and Torres to stake the Sycamores to an 8-3 lead. Penn State struck for the final two runs in the bottom of the ninth as Michael Anderson connected on a two-run home run to left field scoring Cade Mercado to provide the final 8-5 margin. News and Notes Nick Sutherlin recorded his second three-hit game of the 2026 season after going 3-for-3 with two runs and a double on Friday night. Andrew Ortiz recorded his first multi-hit game of the season and added his first multi-RBI contest. Jeremy Martinez tied with both Emil Estrella and Carter Beck for the team doubles lead after connecting on his third two-bagger of the season in the fourth inning. Carter Beck’s eight-game hitting streak came to an end, but the junior outfielder extended his on-base streak to 15 consecutive games after drawing a walk in the fourth inning. Jack Armstrong worked 4.2 scoreless innings on Friday night and added a career-high seven strikeouts in picking up his second win of the 2026 season. Armstrong has posted a 0.00 ERA over 11.2 innings spanning four appearances to date this year. He’s added a team-high 16 strikeouts over the span, including 13 over his last two outings against Miami (Ohio) and Penn State. Hunter Small recorded his first save as a Sycamore on the mound after recording the final two outs on Friday night. Indiana State picked up the inaugural win at the Atlantis Collegiate Baseball Series and the first international win in program history. Up Next Indiana State is back in action on Saturday afternoon in Nassau, Bahamas as the Sycamores take on Penn State in Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. ET and will be carried live on FloCollege. Indiana State Baseball Season Tickets on Sale Now Season tickets for the 2026 Indiana State baseball season are now on sale as the Sycamores head into their second season under Head Coach Tracy Archuleta. The Sycamores will play 21 home games inside Bob Warn Field this season, starting on March 4 against Lindenwood. Reserved chairback season tickets can be purchased for $110. General admission season tickets will go on sale as well with adult ($75), seniors ($55), and youth ($40) tickets also being available for purchase. There will be a $5 surcharge added to those wanting tickets printed. The Sycamores have teamed up with Pacesetter Sports and the Spirit Shop for the third consecutive season for a season ticket deal. Fans will receive a $50 Pacesetter gift card for each $110 reserved chairback season ticket, $35 gift card for each $75 general admission season ticket, $25 gift card for each $55 senior general admission ticket, and $20 gift card for each $40 youth season ticket sold. ===================================================================== PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL MEN’S BASKETBALL HEADS TO IU INDY ON SATURDAY FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne travels to the Circle City on Saturday (Feb. 28) for the final game of the regular season at IU Indy. The contest is a rescheduled match which was snowed out earlier this year. A Mastodon win combined with a Detroit Mercy loss to Oakland would give the Mastodons the No. 5 seed and a home game in the postseason. Game Day InformationWho: Purdue Fort Wayne (16-14, 10-9 Horizon League) at IU Indianapolis (7-23, 3-16 Horizon League)When: Saturday, February 28 | 2 PM ETWhere: Indianapolis, Ind. | The JungleLive Stats: LinkWatch: ESPN+ & MyINDY-TV 23 in IndianapolisListen: 1380 AMGame Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne (PDF) | IU Indianapolis Know Your Foe The Jaguars have lost five consecutive games. They are locked into the No. 11 seed in the Horizon League postseason and will play at No. 10 seed Cleveland State on Monday. Maguire Mitchell had 25 points on Wednesday in the Jaguars’ 86-74 loss to Oakland. The Jaguars score in bunches, at 83.30 per game, but are giving up 87.90 points a contest. Series History IU Indianapolis leads 32-23. The Mastodons won at home over the Jaguars on Feb. 15 this season. The Mastodons have won seven of the last eight meetings. The ‘Dons have never lost a Horizon League contest at IU Indy. ‘Dons & Ends // The Mastodons could finish the season as the No. 5, 6 or 7 seed in the Barbasol Horizon League Championship. A win on Saturday over IU Indy combined with a loss by Detroit Mercy at Oakland would give the Mastodons the No. 5 seed and a home game on Wednesday. // Corey Hadnot II is averaging 20.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals. He is one of two players in NCAA Division I men’s basketball averaging 20/4/3/1.5. The other is Cameron Boozer (Duke). // Two Mastodons have reached 1,000 points in their career in 2025-26. Corey Hadnot II reached 1,000 on Feb. 7 at Wright State. DeAndre Craig Jr. hit the 1,000 mark for his career (Denver and Purdue Fort Wayne combined) at Northern Kentucky (Feb. 18). // Mikale Stevenson can become the third Mastodon to reach 1,000 points. He is at 966 points. // Corey Hadnot II has 622 points this season, 7th all-time in program history for a single season. He went over the 600-point mark vs. Wright State (Feb. 25). 1. 746 Bryson Scott – 2017-18 2. 672 Bruce Roland – 1987-88 3. 642 John Konchar – 2018-19 4. 638 Max Landis – 2015-16 5. 635 Frank Gaines – 2011-12 6. 632 Frank Gaines – 2012-13 7. 622 Corey Hadnot II – 2025-26 // Corey Hadnot II reached 232 field goals this year on Feb. 25 vs. Wright State, 4th for a single season in program history. Only Bruce Roland (279 in 1987-88), Bryson Scott (247 in 2017-18) and Rickie Smith (242 in 1980-81) have more field goals in a season than Hadnot II this year // The Mastodons have used only two starting lineups all season. // The Mastodons have six games this season when they’ve trailed for more than 10 minutes and rallied back to win: Chicago State (largest deficit: 6, time trailed: 11:16), Northern Kentucky (15, 21:37), Detroit Mercy (8, 11:13), Cleveland State (16, 27:58), at Youngstown State (5, 14:25) and at Detroit Mercy (9, 13:41). While the ‘Dons didn’t win at Wright State (Feb. 7), they did erase a 17-point deficit to take the lead in the second half. // Purdue Fort Wayne’s 16-point comeback victory vs. Cleveland State (Jan. 4) was the second largest comeback in the program’s NCAA Division I era. The largest comeback victory in program history came in a win at North Dakota State (Jan. 20, 2011) when the ‘Dons rallied back from 18. // In December, Corey Hadnot II was named to the Lou Henson Award Watch List. The award recognizes the best player in NCAA Mid-Major Division I basketball. The award is given out at the end of the season. // Speaking of watch lists, Maximus Nelson was named to the watch list of the State Farm 3-point contest at the Final Four this season. Darius Duffy was named to the watch list of the dunk contest. // The Mastodons have 15 games this season with single-digit turnovers, including just two vs. Detroit Mercy on Dec. 14. The Mastodons are 10-5 in those games. The ‘Dons are 7-2 in games with eight or fewer turnovers. // Including this season, the ‘Dons have had a winning streak of at least four games in every season since 2009-10 except for one (2017-18). That is 16-of-17 seasons. // Mikale Stevenson’s 34 points against Milwaukee (Jan. 18) is tied for the 5th best scoring performance in the league this season. The 8th and 11th best scoring games in the league this season belong to Corey Hadnot II. He had 33 at Oakland (Dec. 3) and 32 at Western Michigan (Nov. 12). // Through 19 league games, Corey Hadnot II is averaging 21.2 points per game in league play, best in the league. // In league games only, Maximus Nelson is 4th in the league in 3-point percentage (40.2 percent). // Jon Coffman picked up his 200th career victory on Nov. 15 against Boyce. He is the program’s leader in victories. // DeAndre Craig Jr. has scored double-digits 23-of-30 games this season. He has 16 games of 15 or more points. He scored a career-high 24 points at Northern Kentucky (Feb. 18). // Darius Duffy has 137 rebounds on the season, 77 have been on the offensive glass. // Maximus Nelson owns 208 3-pointers as a Mastodon. He has reached 8th in program history in 3-point field goals made. He reached the top 10 in the Mastodons’ road game at Detroit Mercy (Jan. 21). // Deangelo Elisee has 39 blocks on the season, 4th in the Horizon League. // Mikale Stevenson is 5th in the league in steals (47). // How good has Corey Hadnot II been this year? – Corey Hadnot II is 4th in the nation with 232 field goals. He has 622 points this season, 5th in the nation. He is 1st in the league at 20.7 points per game (19th in the nation). – His 232 field goals also ranks 4th in program history for a single season. – The 14 field goals he made against IU Indianapolis (Feb. 15) tied for the second most in a game in the program’s Division I era. – Hadnot II is averaging 20.7 points per game, should he finish at that average, it would rank 6th in Mastodon history for a single season and 3rd during the Division I era. – He has the most field goals made (14 vs. IU Indy) and 3rd most field goals attempted (tied, 22 at WMU) by a Horizon League player this season. – He has the 4th most steals in a game by a Horizon League player this season (6 at Ohio State). – Through 30 games, Hadnot is on track to score 637 points in the regular season this year. This would rank 5th all time for points scored by a player in a single season in Mastodon history. – Through 30 games, he is on track to have 55 steals in the regular season this year. This would rank 26th all time for steals by a player in a single season in Mastodon history. – Hadnot II’s scoring is up this year as is his shooting percentage. His field goal percentage has improved each sea son. (Freshman: 40.9 -> Sophomore: 44.6 -> Junior: 52.5) – Hadnot II is 2nd in the league in sports-reference’s usage percentage (29.5). He leads the league in points produced (586) and points produced per game (19.2). He is 2nd is player efficiency rating (24.8). // In the nation, the ‘Dons are: – 8th in turnover margin (3.9) – 31st in steals per game (8.7) – 39th in fast break points per game (14.23) – 45th in fewest turnovers per game (10.1) – 39th in turnovers forced per game (14.03) // Weekly alumni spotlight: – 22 former Mastodons have played professionally in the last 14 years. John Konchar (2014-19) is playing for the Utah Jazz. He had four points, five rebounds and five steals vs. New Orleans on Feb. 26. // John Konchar Enters Mastodon Hall of Fame – Former Mastodon John Konchar (2014-19) was inducted into the Mastodon Hall of Fame on Jan. 31. Konchar, the seven-year NBA veteran with the Utah Jazz, finished his collegiate career as the first student-athlete in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history to record 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 500 assists and 200 steals. // Red Coat honor – In May 2025 head coach Jon Coffman was selected as a Red Coat recipient from the Mad Anthonys Foundation. Each year the Red Coat is given to an individual that has made a positive impact on the region and the state of Indiana. A few of the previous honorees include: Keith Busse, Chuck Surack, Brad Stevens, Bob Chase, Arnie Ball, Shelley Long, Matt Painter, Brian Kelly, Joe Tiller, Bob Knight and John Wooden. The Red Coat Gala began in 1958. // No place like home – The ‘Dons have won 28 consecutive regular season home games against non-league opponents, a streak that started on Nov. 16, 2019 vs. Stetson. As the Mastodons are finished with non-league home games this season, the streak will continue to next season. – The Mastodons are 11-3 at home this season. You can add in another win if you include the Mastodons exhibition win over Ball State. – The Mastodons have recorded double-digit wins at home in 12 of the last 14 years, including this season. // NCAA Rankings, Historically Speaking – Top 25 in the nation in 3-pointers per game in eight of the last 10 years. – Top 35 in the nation in points per game in seven of the last 12 years. – Since the start of the 2014-15 season, the ‘Dons are 7th in the nation in total made 3-pointers (3,667), 11th in 3-point field goal percentage (36.9 percent) and 26th in field goal percentage (46.6 percent). – The ‘Dons have been top 25 in the nation in 3-pointers per game in eight of the last 10 years and top 35 in the nation in points per game in seven of the last 12 years. – Purdue Fort Wayne finished each of the last two seasons ranked fourth in the nation in turnover margin; in 2024-25 (5.3) and in 2023-24 (5.7). =================================================================== PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL MASTODON WBB HOSTS GREEN BAY ON SENIOR DAY FORT WAYNE, Ind. – With one game remaining in the regular season, Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball will welcome Green Bay for a contest against the Phoenix on Saturday (Feb. 28). The Mastodons are jockeying for position in the Barbasol Horizon League Championship seeding, with the possibility of finishing between fourth and sixth depending on their results the rest of the way. A win over Green Bay or a loss by Robert Morris to Wright State would clinch a home game in the first round for the Mastodons on Wednesday. Saturday is also Senior Day. Lauren Lee, Alana Nelson and Jordan Reid will be honored prior to the contest. It is also Fan Appreciation Day for the Mastodons. Game Day InformationWho: Green Bay PhoenixWhen: Saturday, February 28 | 2 PM ETWhere: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports CenterLive Stats: LinkWatch: ESPN+Tickets:LinkGame Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne | Green Bay | Horizon League Know Your Foe Green Bay is 22-7 with a 17-2 league record, with both league losses coming in the last four games, including an overtime loss at Cleveland State. The Phoenix’ last win came against IU Indy, which was a 72-61 win behind 18 second half points from Maddy Skorupski. Jenna Guyer is leading the team with 14.9 points per game, fourth in the league. Guyer is also shooting 40 percent from the three point line this season, first in the league. Series History Green Bay leads 15-1. The Phoenix won the game between the two earlier this season 69-57 in Green Bay. Rylee Bess led the Mastodons with 10 points in that game. Macharia Magic Destiny Macharia scored a career-high 15 points against Youngstown State on February 21, reaching double-digits for the second time this season. She had 12 against Northern Kentucky in late December. Oh Offing! In her last four games, Hillary Offing has scored 9.5 points per game in 14 minutes per outing. This included an 8-of-11 effort at Cleveland State and a 5-for-7 performance against Oakland. Lee Love Lauren Lee tallied 13 points and six rebounds in the Mastodons’ game against Oakland, both of which marked season-highs for the graduate student. Watch Out For Alana Alana Nelson was selected for the Celsius Women’s 3-Point Championship Watch List. The event will be held on April 3 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Nelson and Green Bay’s Jenna Guyer were the only two representatives for the Horizon League on the list. Assists Here! Lauren Lee’s 3.4 assists per game this season ranks fifth in the Mastodons’ Division I history. Her 2.17 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks as the best in the program’s Division I era. Anyone’s Night The Mastodons have six different players that have scored 20 points or more in a game this season: Rylee Bess, Lili Krasovec, Alana Nelson, Hillary Offing, Jordan Reid and Ella Riggs. Alotta Alana Alana Nelson ranks in the top-70 nationally with a field goal percentage of 50.0. She is also top-100 with 16.5 points per game and 57th in 3-point percentage at 39.3. Even More Alana When Alana Nelson scores 15 or more, the Mastodons are 15-3. The three losses were at Xavier, at Wright State and against Youngstown State. Look at Lee! Lauren Lee is second in the HL with 4.3 assists per league game. She also has a 2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio in league play, a league-best. Her 2.2 assist-to-turnover for the entire season is second in the league and 30th in the country. The Latest of Lili Over the last seven games, Lili Krasovec averaged 12.6 points per game. 3-Point Threat Rylee Bess has the second-best season-long 3-point percentage by a freshman in program history. Her mark of 39.3 percent (59-of-150) is only bested by Jordan Zuppe (2007-08), who shot 43.3 percent (74-of-171) in her freshman season. At Her Bess(t) Rylee Bess’ 39.3 3-point percentage is the fourth-best by any freshman in the country this season and 56th nationally among all players. Chasing 2,000 Jordan Reid needs 43 points to reach 2,000 in her career between Purdue Fort Wayne and Indiana Wesleyan. Last Time Out Purdue Fort Wayne defeated Milwaukee 71-52. Alana Nelson scored a team-high 17 points and added eight rebounds as well. Next Time Up The Mastodons will compete in the Barbasol Horizon League Championship which begins on Wednesday, March 4th. ====================================================================== EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ACES HEAD TO MURRAY FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOON CONTEST EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team heads into the final stretch of regular season play this weekend, traveling to Murray to take on the Murray State Racers. Tip-off on Saturday is set for 2 PM. Evansville at Murray State | Saturday, February 28 | 2 PMSite | LocationCFSB Center | Murray, Ky.Links2 PM CT: Live Stats | TV: ESPN+Follow the Aces Women’s Basketball Site | Twitter | Instagram | Game Notes Series History – Saturday’s matchup marks the 45th all-time meeting between Evansville and Murray State– The Racers lead the all-time series, 29-15– Murray State took the first meeting this season, a 90-80 win over Evansville on December 29Historic Performance– Camryn Runner had one of the finest single game performances in program history on Thursday against Drake, breaking the program record for the most points in a regulation game with 36 while adding 9 assists and 8 rebounds to go with no turnovers– Runner is only player the country since 2002 to score 36 points with 9 assists, 8 rebounds and no turnovers in a single game– Runner also passed the 1,000 point plateau for her career, becoming the 22nd player in program history and the second fastest player in Aces history to reach the 1,000 point markSeason-Best Night – Kylee Norkus enjoyed her best game of the season against Drake, scoring a career-high 15 points – Norkus also totaled a season-high in rebounds with 6 – Alongside Runner, Norkus helped the Aces mount a fourth quarter comeback, scoring 8 pointsScouting the Opponent– Murray State enters Saturday’s game having clinched the MVC Regular Season title, holding a 25-3 record with a 16-1 mark in MVC play– Murray State is coming off a 115-67 win over Indiana State on Thursday– Offensively, the Racers are led by Halli Poock, who leads the MVC in scoring at 21.6 ppgFollow AlongSaturday’s game will be streamed live on ESPN+. Live stats are available at GoPurpleAces.com. ====================================================================== EVANSVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL MEN’S BASKETBALL SET FOR FINAL REGULAR SEASON WEEKEND EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The 2025-26 regular season comes to a close this weekend when the University of Evansville men’s basketball team welcomes Valparaiso and Southern Illinois on Saturday and Sunday; both games begin at 3 p.m. ESPN+ and Purple Aces Radio Network will have the broadcast. Following Saturday’s game, seniors Alex Hemenway and Trent Hundley will be recognized. Weekend ScheduleUE vs. ValparaisoSaturday, February 28 | 3 p.m. CST | Ford Center | Evansville, Ind.Game CoverageESPN+ | Live Stats | Live Audio | Game Notes | Virtual Game ProgramUE vs. SIUSunday, March 1 | 3 p.m. CST | Ford Center | Evansville, Ind.Game CoverageESPN+ | Live Stats | Live AudioUE BasketballMen’s Basketball Home Page | Twitter Last Time Out– Belmont hit 21 3-pointers and led by as many as 36 points in a 98-64 win over the Purple Aces on Wednesday in Nashville– AJ Casey registered game highs in points (21), rebounds (7), and assists (5)– Leif Moeller scored 11 points while Alex Hemenway finished with 10 tallies Still Going Strong– AJ Casey scored 21 points at Belmont and 19 at Murray State to get back on track after scoring a total of 13 points in the two prior games– Casey scored a career-high 28 points in the win over Illinois State marking the highest tally for a UE player this season– He continues to rank among the MVC’s best in multiple categories including: scoring (14th-12.24 PPG), rebounds (9th-5.52 RPG), shooting % (7th-50.7%), steals (7th-1.28/game), and offensive boards (T8th-2.00/gm) Series Notes– On Feb. 6, the Beacons halted a 4-game skid against the Aces with a 70-63 overtime win at The ARC– Before UE’s 4-game streak, Valpo won five meetings in a row– The last seven meetings between the schools have been decided by 12 points or fewer Finishing Strong– Josh Hughes is averaging 11.5 PPG over the last four contests including a 16-point game at Murray State– The performance against the Racers matched his season scoring high– Over his last 13 games, Hughes is averaging 10.0 PPG while shooting 49.5%– He opened the season averaging 13.2 PPG through the first six games while scoring at least 12 points in each contest Scouting the Opponent– Valparaiso enters the final weekend of the regular season with a chance to finish as high as third in the MVC– The Beacons are 17-13 overall and 11-8 in the Valley while winning six of their last seven games– In their home finale on Wednesday, Valpo hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds to earn a 74-71 victory over Drake– Owen Dease leads a trio of double figure scorers with 13.0 points per game– JT Pettigrew is averaging 11.9 points and a team-high 6.6 caroms while Rakim Chaney checks in with 10.3 PPG– Dease was the top performer for the Beacons in the first game against UE, posting 18 points ======================================================================= SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCREAMING EAGLES CONCLUDE REGULAR SEASON AT LITTLE ROCK, SEEK TO SECURE THIRD SEED IN OVC TOURNAMENT EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball concludes its season-long four-game road stretch and the regular season on Saturday when the Screaming Eagles travel to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for a 1 p.m. contest. Saturday’s game can be seen with an ESPN+ subscription and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM. USI Women’s Basketball (19-9, 13-6 OVC) heads into Saturday’s Ohio Valley Conference regular-season finale having already clinched a first-round bye in next week’s OVC Tournament. USI needs to win on Saturday to secure the third seed in the tournament, while a loss would slot the Eagles into the fourth seed behind Morehead State University due to a tiebreaker against the top-seeded teams. With either result, USI will make its tournament debut at Ford Center in downtown Evansville next Thursday afternoon. The Screaming Eagles are coming off a 73-62 road loss at Morehead State on Tuesday. USI led the contest through the first quarter and was tied at halftime with Morehead State, but the second-half advantage went to Morehead State. Senior guard Ali Saunders paced the Screaming Eagles with 21 points for her 11th 20-point outing of the season. Junior forward Chloe Gannon tallied 19 points, scoring 10 or more for the 13th straight game. Overall, this season, Saunders continues to lead the team and ranks second in the OVC with 17.6 points per game, while averaging over 19 points per contest in OVC play. Gannon is second on the squad with 13.3 points per game. Additionally, with a win on Saturday, USI will complete the four-game road stretch with a .500 mark of 2-2 and improve to 3-1 in regular-season finales since moving up to Division I in 2022-23. The Eagles won the regular-season finale each of the first two D-I years against Tennessee State University and Southeast Missouri State University, but fell at Tennessee State at the end of last season. USI heads into Saturday’s matchup at Little Rock (15-14, 11-8 OVC) with another opportunity to complete its sixth OVC regular-season series sweep of the season. The Screaming Eagles defeated Little Rock in the OVC opener back on December 18 at home, 57-40. Saunders led three Screaming Eagles in double figures in that game with 15 points. The all-time series between Little Rock and USI is tied, 4-4. The Eagles have won two in a row in the series, including the win earlier this season and last year’s victory in the OVC Tournament quarterfinals against the Trojans, 73-52. Saturday’s meeting could be the last meeting between the two programs for the foreseeable future, with Little Rock set to depart the OVC after this season. Little Rock heads into Saturday’s regular-season finale against USI with wins in three of its last four games, including a 73-68 victory on Thursday at home against Morehead State. Ending the season with four straight home games, Little Rock is 2-1 through the first three games of the homestand. Graduate combo guard Jordan Holman leads the team and is tied alongside Saunders for second in the OVC with 17.6 points per game. Holman is the only Trojan averaging double figures. Holman has scored 20-plus in five of the last six games. Little Rock averages just over 60 points while surrendering just above 62 points per contest. Fans can get their tickets now for next week’s OVC Tournament through usiscreamingeagles.com or the USI Ticket Office. ===================================================================== SOUTHERN INDIANA SOFTBALL USI FALLS TO AUSTIN PEAY AND OHIO ON FRIDAY CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Softball fell in its first two games of the Governors Classic in Tennessee on Friday, dropping a pair of 8-0 decisions against Austin Peay State University and Ohio University. USI (3-11) struggled to get the ball to find green grass in the first game against Austin Peay (9-8), while the Governors struck early with runs in each of the first three innings and scored in four of the five innings played. The Governors totaled 11 hits, as the Screaming Eagles tallied one off the bat of freshman infielder Jadyn Tinsley. Freshman pitcher Anna Kemp (1-4), who pitched one inning in the start, and sophomore pitcher Kylie Witthaus were each tagged for four runs by the Governors’ offense. Witthaus pitched 3.2 innings in relief. Austin Peay’s starting pitcher Alanah Jones (5-3) struck out four in five innings of work. In Friday’s second game against Ohio (11-5), the Bobcats came out swinging with five runs in the opening frame, three of which came on back-to-back home runs. Ohio added three more runs in the second inning. Despite some solid contact and quality at-bats as the game settled in, USI could not get anything to string together. Senior outfielder Caroline Stapleton and sophomore designated player Grace Huffman each had a hit. Following the first two innings, Ohio was shut out the rest of the way. The Bobcats posted seven hits. Freshman pitcher Elly Robbins (1-4) went 1.1 innings, giving up only three earned runs. Witthaus came on once again to toss 3.2 innings in relief, striking out two with no runs allowed. Ohio starting pitcher Skipp Miller (5-1) hurled four shutout innings with four strikeouts toward the winning effort. Next, the Screaming Eagles make the short trip to Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday for a twin bill against Belmont University. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. Coverage and live stat links are available on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com. ===================================================================== SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL USI DOMINATES IN 20-1 WIN OVER UNA FLORENCE, Ala. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball started a three-game series at North Alabama with a dominating 20-1 win Friday afternoon in Florence, Alabama. USI is 7-3 after the first two weeks of the season, while UNA goes to 6-4. The Screaming Eagles scored their 20 runs on 19 hits, including five extra-base hits. USI senior shortstop Clayton Slack put the Screaming Eagles in front 3-0 in the top of the first with a three-run blast to left field. The home run was Slack’s second of the season. The first inning rally started with a walk by senior centerfielder Khi Holiday and a single by senior first baseman Patrick McLellan before the home run by Slack. USI increased the lead to 4-0 in the third when Holiday tripled to lead off the frame and scored on a groundout by graduate designated hitter Noah Foster. The Lions would get on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the inning with a home run to make the score, 4-1. The Screaming Eagles blew the game open in the top of the fourth, plating nine runs to take a 13-1 lead. The nine-run frame, which saw USI score nine runs on seven hits, was highlighted by a three-run blast by senior catcher Micajah Wall. USI would go on to score four more times in the fifth, three more in the seventh, in cruising to a 20-1 victory after seven innings. Overall at the plate, Foster and Wall concluded the game with four RBIs each, while junior third baseman Parker Martin and Slack had three RBIs each. The win went to junior right-hander Abdriel Figueroa, who started and picked up his second win of the year. Figueroa (2-1) allowed the Lions one run on two hits and a walk, while striking out three in five innings. Senior right-hander Andres Gonzalez and sophomore right-hander Colin Wolfe followed to scoreless frames in the sixth and seventh to complete the game. Up Next for the Screaming Eagles: USI and UNA continue the three-game series Saturday with a 2 pm. contest. The series concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. ===================================================================== VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SENIOR DAY ON TAP SATURDAY FOR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Valparaiso (0-28, 0-17 MVC) Game #29 – February 28, 2026 – 1 p.m. Illinois State (17-11, 11-6 MVC) Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) – Valparaiso, Ind. Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valpo women’s basketball team returns home to the ARC to open up a three-game homestand to close out the regular season Saturday afternoon as the Beacons take on Illinois State. Previously: Valpo was within seven points of host UNI in the second half of Thursday’s meeting in Cedar Falls, Iowa before the Panthers pulled away for a 92-54 victory. Fiona Connolly paced the Beacons with 20 points. Following Valpo Basketball: Video: ESPN+ Radio: WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso) Streaming Audio: TuneIn app Links for live coverage: Available via ValpoAthletics.com Head Coach Courtney Boyd (0-28 at Valpo, 1st season; 180-96 [.652] overall, 9th season): Courtney Boyd was named the ninth head coach of the Valparaiso University women’s basketball program on April 4, 2025. A national championship-winning head coach and player, an NAIA National Coach of the Year, and a two-time conference Coach of the Year, Boyd has won 20 or more games in seven of her first eight seasons as a head coach. She spent the last two seasons at the helm of the Quincy University program after six seasons as head coach at Clarke University, leading the latter program to the NAIA national title in 2022-23. Series Notes: Illinois State leads the all-time series over Valpo, 16-4, including wins in each of the last nine matchups. In this season’s first meeting in Normal, the Redbirds earned a 93-74 victory despite a career game from Milana Nenadic, who set a program record for made field goals in a game as she went 16-of-25 from the field for 34 points – tied for fifth on Valpo’s single-game scoring chart. @ValpoWBB… …at UNI – Fiona Connolly and Allia von Schlegell combined for six early points to give Valpo a quick 5-1 lead. – The Beacons were still tied with the Panthers at 8-8 with 5:39 remaining in the first quarter before UNI went on a 14-2 run to close the period — including an 8-0 spurt in the final 1:14 — as it led 22-10 10 minutes in. – Valpo limited UNI to just 11 points on 2-of-11 shooting from the floor in the second quarter, but the Beacons scored just 11 points of their own on 2-of-9 shooting for the period. – Valpo scored the first five points of the quarter to close to within seven, but that was as close as it would get in the period and the Panthers eventually led 33-21 at halftime. – After the offensive struggles of the first half, the Beacons exploded for 25 points in the third quarter on 10-of-17 shooting, including 4-for-4 from 3-point range. But that coincided with a similar offensive surge for UNI, which scored 31 points in the quarter on the same shooting numbers while adding 7-of-8 from the foul line. – Valpo got to within 39-32 on the second of two consecutive 3-pointers from von Schlegell with 7:41 to play in the quarter, and still trailed by just 10 with 5:41 remaining in the period before UNI scored seven points in a span of 55 seconds to extend its lead. – The Panthers held a 64-46 lead at the end of the third quarter and were able to pull away in the final period. – Connolly led all players with 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and a perfect 7-for-7 mark from the foul line, her fifth 20-point effort of the season. – von Schlegell hit three 3-pointers as part of a 13-point night. – Kayla Preston tied her career best with a team-high six rebounds. – Valpo finished the night shooting 34% from the field, including 5-of-16 from 3-point range, while UNI hit at a 44.6% clip and was 13-of-25 from the 3-point line. – The Beacons did enjoy a strong evening at the foul line, hitting 15-of-19 from the charity stripe. …at Drake – Drake was the team which started on the front foot, as the Bulldogs led 12-5 just 3:02 into the ballgame. – But the Beacons exploded over the next few minutes offensively, scoring on eight consecutive offensive possessions and putting up 21 points. Five different players hit 3-pointers during the stretch, which saw Valpo go up by seven points with 2:15 to play in the period on a layup from Fiona Connolly. – Another drive and finish by Connolly in the final 40 seconds closed the scoring in the opening frame, as Valpo held a 28-21 lead. – An 11-1 run for the Beacons, capped by a 3-pointer by Milana Nenadic, pushed the Beacons’ lead to 41-26 with three minutes to play in the half. – Valpo carried a 46-34 lead into the locker room at halftime. – Kayla Sullivan connected from deep 1:19 into the third quarter, restoring Valpo’s largest lead at 15 points. – Drake went on a 14-2 run over the next six-plus minutes to cut Valpo’s lead to three points, where it remained at the end of the quarter, as the Beacons were in front 56-53. – The Bulldogs scored on back-to-back possessions early in the fourth quarter to take their first lead since the first quarter with 8:18 to play, but Valpo responded with a 9-1 run — including five points from Allia von Schlegell — and when Kamryn Winch connected on a foul-line jumper with 5:22 to play, the Beacons led 65-58. – That proved to be Valpo’s last point for over four and a half minutes, as Drake scored 17 in a row to take the lead for good. Abbie Aalsma started the key run with back-to-back triples following Winch’s basket. – The 28-point first quarter was Valpo’s highest scoring quarter of the season. – The Beacons led at halftime for the third time this year and after three quarters for the first time. – For the second time this season, four Beacons scored in double figures, led by a game-best 20 points from Connolly, including a 7-of-8 mark from the foul line. It was the senior’s fourth 20+ point game of the season. – Nenadic tallied 14 points and paced Valpo with seven rebounds. – von Schlegell scored in double figures for the 16th time with a 12-point night, while Sullivan reached double digits for the fourth time with 11 points, including a season-high three 3-pointers. – Mikayla Huffine was one off her season best with six assists. – Valpo shot 36.4% from the field and was 10-for-33 from 3-point range — its second-highest total of triples this year. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs were 43.3% from the floor, including 8-for-18 from the 3-point line. …looking ahead – Valpo concludes the regular season at the ARC next weekend with games against Belmont and Murray State. …at the ARC – Saturday’s game is the 11th of 13 home games this season for the Beacons, as Valpo hosts three nonconference games and 10 MVC games. – The Beacons are currently 0-10 at the ARC this year. – Valpo posted a 9-6 record at the ARC last season, the program’s first winning record at home since the 2019-20 season. ….and @ValleyHoops – Valpo is in its ninth season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. – Valpo was picked outside the top-four of the MVC preseason poll, as the Valley released only the top four selections. – The Valley finished last season ranked seventh in the NET, matching the conference’s highest NET/RPI ranking in Valpo’s time as an MVC member (2020-21). …looking back at last year – Valpo finished last season with a 13-19 overall record and went 9-11 in MVC play to finish in eighth place. – Among the Beacons’ 13 victories were a thrilling rally from a 20-point deficit for a home win over Drake which entered the game ranked 69th in NET, the program’s highest-ranked win since a win over #54 UNI in 2021-22. – Leah Earnest was tabbed a First Team All-MVC honoree as she concluded a decorated career that saw her finish first in program history in career rebounds and third in career scoring. – The 2024-25 Beacons hit 245 3-pointers, third-most in a single season in program history, and tallied 314 steals, seventh on the program’s single-season chart and the most since 2001-02. @RedbirdWBB – Illinois State enters Saturday’s game with a 17-11 overall record and sits in fourth place in the MVC standings at 11-6 in conference play. – The Redbirds have won seven of their last nine, most recently overcoming a halftime deficit to defeat Southern Illinois, 78-60. – Three ISU starters average in double figures in the scoring column, led by Doneelah Washington, who posts 17 points and nine rebounds per game. Celebrating the Seniors – Prior to Saturday’s game, Valpo will honor the three members of its senior class. – Mikayla Huffine is in her first season as a Beacon after playing one year at Iowa Western C.C. and two seasons at Quincy. – Bella Swedlund is in her second year at Valpo after one season apiece at Kansas and Toledo. – Fiona Connolly is in her second season at Valpo following two seasons at La Salle. Big Quarters – Valpo has had its two highest-scoring quarters of the season in the last two games. – At Drake last Thursday, the Beacons scored 28 first-quarter points – 10-14 FG; 6-9 3PT; 2-2 FT. – Then last time out at UNI, Valpo poured in 25 third-quarter points – 10-17 FG; 4-4 3PT; 1-1 FT. A Quick 20 – Fiona Connolly scored a game-high 20 points Thursday at UNI – her fifth 20-point game of the season – despite playing just 19:09 due to foul trouble. – It is the second time this year the Beacons have had a 20-point scorer play fewer than 20 minutes, as Milana Nenadic did so in 19:15 at Iowa State back in November. – Before this season, Valpo had just three players accomplish the feat in the last 22 years. – Connolly and Nenadic are the only two MVC players to accomplish the feat this season. It’s Been 84 Years (OK, not quite) – Saturday’s game snaps a stretch of four consecutive road games for Valpo. – Valpo’s last home game came back on Feb. 7, meaning the Beacons have gone 21 days between home games – it’s actually the second time this year the program has had 21 days between home games, as it hosted Milwaukee Nov. 16 and then didn’t play at home until hosting UIC Dec. 7. – It is Valpo’s longest stretch between home games within conference play since joining the MVC. Allia’s Big Day(s) – Freshman Allia von Schlegell has been the Beacons’ leading scorer in MVC play, but took it to another level in Valpo’s last home game against Southern Illinois. – von Schlegell’s 29 points bested her previous career high of 19 points by 10, as she established a career high for field goals made and matched her career best for 3-pointers made. – von Schlegell scored the most points by a Valpo freshman since Ali Saunders scored 32 against UAB Nov. 21, 2022. It also matched the most points by an MVC freshman this season. – 15 of von Schlegell’s points came in the fourth quarter alone as she outscored SIU in the final period. It is the most points in a single period by a Valpo player this season. – Even more impressively, von Schlegell scored those 29 points while not committing a single turnover in 35 minutes of action. She is one of just five D-I freshmen this year with a game with 29 or more points and no turnovers. The Freshman Fills It Up – von Schlegell has made a big impact in her rookie season. – She has scored in double figures 17 times this year – 12 times, von Schlegell has dropped at least 15 points – the most 15+ point games by a Valpo freshman since Dani Franklin hit the 15-point mark 12 times in the 2014-15 season. – von Schlegell currently ranks second among MVC freshmen in scoring (11.6 points/game) and is first in 3-pointers made (60). – She ranks 48th nationally in freshman scoring and is tied for seventh among freshmen nationally in 3-pointers made. – von Schlegell scored in double figures six times in nonconference action, tied for seventh-most in program history by a freshman in nonconference games since Valpo joined the North Star Conference for the 1987-88 season. – Notably, the six players ahead of von Schlegell on that list all went on to earn All-Freshman/Newcomer Team honors and closed their time at Valpo among the top-12 in program history in career scoring. Freshman Scoring Leaders – von Schlegell is one of just nine freshmen in program history to score at least 300 points as a rookie and has put herself in position to challenge Valpo’s freshman scoring record. – Sarrah Stricklett scored 377 points as a rookie in 1996-97, a mark which von Schlegell enters Thursday 65 points back of: 377 – Sarrah Stricklett, 1996-97 365 – Dani Franklin, 2014-15 351 – Debbie Bolen, 1989-90 331 – Tabitha Gerardot, 2010-11 329 – Meredith Hamlet, 2015-16 326 – Jeanette Gray, 1999-2000 325 – Allia von Schlegell, 2025-26 322 – Ali Saunders, 2022-23 302 – Jasmyn Walker, 2014-15 – Notably, every player on this list was an All-Freshman/Newcomer Team honoree in their respective season. Connolly’s Career Best Too – von Schlegell wasn’t the only Valpo player to set a career high in the home game against SIU. – Senior Fiona Connolly edged past her previous career best of 21 points, accomplished twice earlier this season, with a 22-point effort against the Salukis. – It is the first time two Valpo players scored 20+ points in the same game since Leah Earnest tallied 24 points and Layla Gold 21 versus Detroit Mercy Dec. 21, 2024. – von Schlegell and Connolly combined for 51 points against the Salukis, the highest combined scoring output for two Valpo players since Tabitha Gerardot (32) and Gina Lange (24) combined for 56 in a win over Cleveland State Feb. 2, 2013. Nenadic’s Night – It was truly a night to remember for Milana Nenadic at Illinois State Jan. 15, coming off the bench to deliver 34 points on 16-of-25 shooting. – The 16 field goals made broke the program record for baskets in a single game, as the previous mark was shared at 15 by Deb Lahti (Feb. 19, 1983 vs. Carthage) and Lyn Swanson (Feb. 8, 1986 at Carthage). – Nenadic is tied for ninth among NCAA D-I players this season for field goals in a game. – Nenadic’s 25 field goal attempts are tied for eighth-most in a single game in Valpo history. – The junior now shares fifth on Valpo’s single-game scoring chart with Dani Franklin, who dropped 34 at Stetson Nov. 12, 2016. Those two are the only Valpo players to score at least 34 in a game since 1992. Nenadic’s 34 points are the most by a player coming off the bench in program history. – The 34 points is tied with Murray State’s Halli Poock for the highest-scoring game by an MVC player this season. – Nenadic’s previous career best was 20 points earlier this year while facing All-American Audi Crooks at Iowa State. – Nenadic is just the fourth MVC player in the last nine seasons with at least 16 baskets in a game, and joins a few pretty solid players in that department — Drake’s Katie Dinnebier, Belmont’s Destinee Wells and Murray State’s Katelyn Young. – Nenadic went on to score 18 points later that weekend against Drake and was named MVC Newcomer of the Week Jan. 19 for her efforts, becoming Valpo’s first MVC weekly award winner in over four years. Skip the Second? – Four times in MVC play, the second quarter has proven to be the Beacons’ undoing. – Most recently, the Beacons were outscored by SIU at the ARC 25-13 in the second quarter, while the other three quarters saw Valpo hold the 60-57 edge. – Drake outscored Valpo at the ARC 19-7 in the second quarter, while the Beacons outscored the Bulldogs 49-47 in the other three periods. – At Illinois State, a 31-12 second quarter for the Redbirds accounted for the entire final margin, as Valpo matched ISU 62-62 in the other three quarters. – At Indiana State, the Sycamores’ 24-13 advantage in the second quarter offset Valpo’s 65-64 edge in the other three periods. Shifting Starters – For the first time this season, Valpo has utilized the same starting lineup – Huffine, von Schlegell, Connolly, Sullivan and Nenadic – in five consecutive games. – The Beacons have used 10 different starting lineups this year. – Ten different players have been a part of at least one starting five this year, with only one – Huffine – starting every game. All ten have started at least three games apiece. – The Beacons have not used the same starting lineup in more than four consecutive games this season. The Tall and the Short – This year’s Valpo roster features recent extremes on both ends of the height spectrum. – Mor Shabtai and Mikayla Huffine both are listed at 5-4, making them the shortest Valpo players since 5-3 Rashida Ray (2007-11). – On the flip side, Kamryn Winch and Milana Nenadic both check in at 6-3, making them the tallest Valpo players since 6-5 Nicole Johanson (2018-19). International Flavor – Valpo has a trio of international players on its 2025-26 roster: sophomore Mor Shabtai (Israel) and transfers Milana Nenadic (Ontario, Canada) and Kennedy Sproule (Manitoba, Canada). – Prior to Shabtai’s arrival last year, the Valpo program hadn’t had an international player since Sharon Karungi (Uganda) roamed the paint from 2013-15. Sister Act – For the third straight season, the Beacons have a pair of sisters on their roster, as freshman Nuala Connolly joins senior sister Fiona on this year’s squad. – The last two years featured identical twins Nevaeh and Saniya Jackson. – Before that, the last set of sisters to suit up together in the Brown and Gold were the trio of Hamlet sisters: Annemarie (2013-16) overlapped with both older sister Elizabeth (2013-14) and younger sister Meredith (2015-19). ===================================================================== VALPO SOFTBALL BEACONS TAKE TWO ON FIRST DAY AT LINDENWOOD INVITE The Valpo softball team emerged victorious twice on its first day of competition at the Lindenwood Invite Friday in St. Charles, Mo., taking down Green Bay by a 5-2 final before defeating the host Lions, 4-1. How It Happened – Green Bay Batting as the home team, it took the Beacons just two batters into the bottom of the first to take the lead, as Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) recorded an infield single and stole second before Grace Hollopeter (Lake Village, Ind./North Newton [Purdue Fort Wayne]) knocked her home with an RBI single. That might have been seen as the precursor for another big offensive performance from the Beacons, but it was the lone run they scored in the first three frames, while the Phoenix evened the score with an unearned run in the second. A big turning point came with the score tied and runners on the corners with one out in the top of the fourth, as Caitlyn Quickle (Leesburg, Ohio/Fairfield Local) induced an inning-ending double play to keep it a 1-1 game. Valpo took advantage in its half of the fourth, stringing together three straight hits — the last a two-run single from Kayden Krug (Milford, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) to give the Beacons a 3-1 lead. Green Bay got one run back in the top of the fifth before Valpo closed the scoring with a Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) RBI single and an Addie Young (Delaware, Ohio/Olentangy Berlin) sacrifice fly in its half of the inning. The Phoenix got the potential tying run on base in the sixth and to the plate in the seventh, but the Beacons were able to pitch around both instances to close out the win. How It Happened – Lindenwood Valpo opened the scoring in the top of the second, as Rodas delivered a one-out triple and finished her trip around the bases on a sacrifice fly by Krug. A two-out mini-rally in the top of the fifth doubled the Beacons’ lead. Kaia Garnica (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) connected on a double and Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead]) capped an 11-pitch at-bat with a run-scoring single. The hosts plated an unearned run with two outs in the bottom of the fifth to cut Valpo’s edge to 2-1. Another two-out hit in the top of the sixth restored the two-run advantage, this time off the bat of Vrastil. Valpo capped the scoring as Cadan Brinkman (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community [Campbell/Wofford]) connected on a two-out solo homer in the seventh. Inside the Games Valpo’s win over Green Bay was its seventh straight in the all-time series. Valpo defeated Lindenwood for the first time in program history after dropping both matchups last season. Sydney McDermott (Stout, Ohio/Portsmouth West) was involved in both victories in the circle Friday, earning the save against Green Bay with a scoreless seventh inning before throwing a complete-game four-hitter with nine strikeouts and a lone unearned run against Lindenwood. McDermott’s six wins this season are already her single-season high, while the save was the second of her career. The complete game against the Lions was the 13th in her time at Valpo. Quickle picked up her first collegiate win against Green Bay as she tossed the first four innings, giving up just two hits and an unearned run while striking out four. Rodas led the way against Green Bay at the plate with a perfect 3-for-3 game — the second three-hit game of her collegiate career and her first since going 3-for-4 against Drake April 22, 2023. Krug went 2-for-3 with two RBIs versus the Phoenix, while Vrastil picked up a pair of hits and stole two bases in the opening win as well — the sophomore is now 14-for-14 stealing bases this season and 31-for-31 for her career. Led by Vrastil’s pair of swipes, Valpo stole five bases against Green Bay. The sophomore had a two-hit game against Lindenwood as well, giving her eight multi-hit games on the year. Highlighted by her home run — her second at Valpo and the fifth of her collegiate career — Brinkman posted her first career three-hit game against Lindenwood. A two-out single in the bottom of the sixth extended Gallagher’s on-base streak and she reached twice on a hit and a walk versus Lindenwood to make it a 15-game on-base streak to open the season. Next Up Valpo (8-7) comes back on Saturday with two more games to close its final pre-conference weekend, taking on Western Illinois at 4:30 p.m. and Lindenwood at 7 p.m. ===================================================================== UINDY WRESTLING UINDY WRESTLING SET TO COMPETE AT NCAA SUPER REGIONAL IV INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy Wrestling team will be competing in this years’ NCAA DII Super Regional IV hosted by Central Oklahoma in Edmond, OK. The lineup of 11 teams this year consists of three ranked inside the top-25 including; No. 2 Central Oklahoma, No. 10 McKendree and No. 13 Central Missouri. The rest of the field along with the Greyhounds includes; Newman, Maryville, Quincy and Thomas More who all received top-25 points, and Drury, Kentucky Wesleyan and Ouachita Baptist rounding out the 11 team field. The Greyhounds have faced off against six of this year’s 11 teams in the Super Region IV, holding a 5-3 dual record in eight meetings against those teams. UIndy arrives to the event with a strong 10-man lineup that consists of seven 2025-26 All-GLVC honorees, as well as the GLVC Freshman of the Year, Ethan Farnell, in the 197 weight class. The Greyhounds bring a handful of Super Regional experience to this year’s event, with the likes of Nathan Smith (125), Aidan Sprague (133), Shane Bates (174), Christian Chavez (184) and Cale Gray (285) are all making return trips to the NCAA DII Super Regional. Chavez is the only Greyhound to have not competed in the Super Region IV, as he competed in the Super Region III at West Liberty. Along with those five, the Greyhounds bring five first timers to Edmond, OK, that are not short of experience. Zach Haughton (141), Gavin Garcia (149), and Ethan Farnell were all recognized on the 2025-26 All-GLVC honoree list. Freshman Michael Ortega (157) makes his debut appearance in his first year with the program, while the brother of Ethan Farnell, Logan Farnell (165), appears in this year’s event for the first time in his three-year Greyhound career. The Hounds will get things underway at the University of Central Oklahoma on Sunday at 10 a.m. ET on March 1. ==================================================================== UINDY SOFTBALL WIN STREAK COMES TO A CLOSE FRIDAY WITH MIDWEST SPLIT MARION, Ill. – The 11th-ranked UIndy softball team split a pair of in-region neutral-site contests Friday, shutting out Ferris State, 7-0, before dropping a 9-1 decision versus Parkside. The games were played at Oasis Sports Complex in Marion, Ill. UP NEXT UIndy remains in Marion to face Midwest-rival Grand Valley State Saturday at 1:30 p.m. The Hounds will stay one more night, wrapping up the road trip Sunday with one another in-region game versus Purdue Northwest at 11 a.m. GAME 1 | UIndy 7, Ferris State 0 Ace Cheyenne Eads blanked the Bulldogs with another solid impressive performance in the circle to move to 6-0 on the year. The Shelbyville, Ind., native spun seven complete frames, allowing just three hits—all singles—while striking out six and walking only one. Meanwhile, the Greyhound offense offered seven runs and 13 hits in support. A two-run double from sophomore Sydney Oliver got things rolling in the second inning and the Greyhounds were off and running from there. Junior Cara Cooper kept the pressure on with a two-run homer in the fourth, and Oliver delivered again in the seventh, capping the scoring with an RBI single. Freshman Christina Stankus continued to swing a hot bat, leading the Hounds with three hits while driving in two. Third baseman Maya Rodriguez added two hits and two ribbies of her own, and leadoff hitter Brooklyn Willis added two singles and a run scored. GAME 2 | Parkside 9, UIndy 1 The Hounds’ 11-game, season-opening win streak ended with a loss to the Rangers, who struck first with a four-run inning to open the game. They tacked on single runs in the second and third innings before UIndy got on the board with a solo shot from Eads—her first of the season. The homer marked the lone UIndy run of the contest, with Rodriguez’s fourth-inning single representing the only other UIndy hit. Eads reached base two other times via a hit by pitch and a walk, while Ella Palm and Willis also coaxed a base on balls. ===================================================================== UINDY BASEBALL GREYHOUNDS STAVE OFF COMEBACK IN GAME ONE, FALL TO PANTHERS IN GAME TWO SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The University of Indianapolis baseball team defeated Washburn 16-13 before falling to GLVC opponent, Drury 13-9 in day one of the Drury Invitational. GAME 1 | UIndy 16, Washburn 13 In the first meeting between these schools since 1995, the Hounds were seeking its first win in the three all-time outings, and did just that by driving home 10 runs in the first inning including an eight run fifth inning. With things all square after four innings, Chase Mason got the scoring run started with a solo home run, followed by Brayton Bowen and Luke Smock doubles that brought home three more runs to give UIndy a 6-2 lead. With the bases loaded and only one out, Austin Bode stepped up to plate and mashed a grand slam to deep right center field to give UIndy a commanding 10-2 lead. This was Bode’s fourth home run of the season, and the first of his collegiate career. Following the fifth inning outburst, the Greyhounds added four more runs in the sixth and seventh innings, including a second home run of the day for Mason which is his first game as a Greyhound with multiple home runs. After the Greyhounds took a 14-3 lead, Washburn made a charge of its own with nine runs in the seventh and eighth innings to cut the lead to 14-12. But Maddux Bach added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth to clinch the UIndy win. Aidan Pearson started his first game for the Greyhounds in his first season with the team, and pitched a strong five innings, only allowing one earned run on four hits with six punch outs. While Drake Downing garnered his second save of the season to stave off the Washburn comeback. GAME 2 | UIndy 9, #24 Drury 13 The Panthers jumped to an early 6-0 lead after the opening two innings, before Bode was able to drive in Maddux Bach with an RBI double to get the bats going for the Hounds in the top of the third. Next up to bat, Garret Rusch hit a double down the left field line, bringing in Smock and Bode to bring the Hounds within three with no outs in the third. Rusch was brought home by a Mason single up the middle, before he was brought in by a Gavin Duran double to left field. Duran was able to score the tying run after advancing to third on a wild pitch, before coming back home because of a throwing error, bringing the score to 6-6 after the top of the third. Drury found three more runs in the bottom of the third to give them a 9-6 lead. Smock scored the seventh run for UIndy, courtesy of a Mason RBI, but the Panthers were able to find another run in the bottom of the fourth to keep a three-run cushion on top of the Hounds. UIndy was scoreless for the fifth and sixth innings, while Drury secured two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to give them the 12-7 advantage. The Hounds recorded their final two runs in the top of the seventh when Bach drove in Duran and Mason to cut the Panther lead to three, before Drury was able to score their final run in the bottom of the seventh. UP NEXT The Hounds return to the diamond tomorrow for another GLVC match-up, this time against Missouri S&T at 12 p.m. ET. ====================================================================== MARIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NO. 4 MARIAN ROUTS (RV) INDIANA WESLEYAN 87-45 IN CL TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian women’s basketball team left no doubt on Friday night in the Crossroads League Tournament Semifinals, as the Knights rolled past rival Indiana Wesleyan 87-45, outscoring the Wildcats 77-32 over the final 33 minutes of Friday’s contest to punch a championship game ticket. Marian is 28-2 entering the Crossroads League Championship game. Marian got off to a quick start after winning the tip as Kiley McNally scored on the team’s opening possession, but Indiana Wesleyan would gain an early advantage as they knocked down a pair of three-point shots to take a lead. The Wildcats led by four throughout the first five minutes of the opening quarter, eventually leading by five at the media stoppage as the Knights struggled on offense early. After the break, Kenna Kirby and Taylor Double caught fire, sparking the offense with a pair of jumpers. The Wildcats would eventually sink two free throws with 3:10 remaining in the first quarter, but it would not be enough to hold a lead, as the Knights locked down on defense and used a Zoe Wheeler basket to send the game into the second quarter tied 13-13. The strong defense of Marian was on sight throughout the second quarter, as the Knights denied the Indiana Wesleyan attack and made life difficult for the visitors. After allowing a field goal with 6:10 to play in the first quarter, Marian locked down and held the Wildcats without a make from the floor for the first five minutes of the second, totaling over 11 minutes of play without a made shot. The defense also held the Wildcats scoreless for the first 3:39 of the second quarter, extending their streak to six minutes of gameplay without a point from the visitors. While the defense dominated, the offense found its groove, as Wheeler, Kennedy Coleman, and Olivia Faust each scored a jumper to force an IWU timeout. A three-point make from Taylor Double moments later capped the Knights’ explosive 9-0 run to begin the second, putting the team in attack mode. Taylor Double, Kenna Kirby, and Madisyn Bailey carved up the Wildcats with open shots throughout the quarter, as Marian bullied its way to a 41-21 lead at halftime, doing so without their All-American Abbey McNally, who sat the entire second quarter in foul trouble. McNally picked up a third foul early in the third quarter as play resumed, which limited her minutes, but despite the reigning CL Player of the Year not being on the floor, the Knights continued to lead, as Kiley McNally picked up the slack in her sister’s absence. Kiley scored the first points of the second half, and played a key role on defense to help the lead grow to 24 as the third quarter expired. Taylor Double also found a groove on offense in the quarter, dropping seven points in the period as she helped Marian go on top 57-33. Abbey McNally would get going as the third quarter ended, and carried over her hot streak into the fourth quarter, as the senior scored eight points alone in the final stanza as the Knights began to run away with the game. Taylor Double was a perfect 3-3 from the field in the final stanza, which included two made three-point shots, while Kenna Kirby scored another eight points to help carry the lead toward 40 points. A pair of three-pointers from Zoe Wheeler punctuated Marian’s strong finish to the game, as the team scored 30 points in the fourth and shot 69 percent from the floor, capping the game with a Double three-point shot in the closing seconds, stamping their championship game appearance with an 87-45 victory. Double finished the night with her best game of the season, scoring a season-high 25 points while assisting on four shots. Abbey McNally logged her 17th double-double of the season, playing just 20 minutes to record her 12 points and 10 rebounds. Kiley McNally would finish with nine points and seven rebounds, and off the bench, Kenna Kirby scored 15 points and Zoe Wheeler scored 10. Madisyn Bailey would finish the night with two steals and seven assists. Marian will now play for a Crossroads League Tournament Championship, with the Knights hosting the University of Saint Francis at 7:00 p.m. on Monday night in Indianapolis. ===================================================================== MARIAN SOFTBALL NO. 5 MARIAN SWEEPS NO. 23 SAINT XAVIER IN SEASON-OPENER INDIANAPOLIS – After three different postponements to their season opener, the Marian softball team finally got its 2026 season underway on Friday afternoon, as the Knights swept No. 23 Saint Xavier in their first home games of the campaign. Marian won game one 11-8 and game two 5-3, beginning the season 2-0. GAME 1 | Marian 11-8 Saint Xavier Scoring came in bunches in Marian’s first game of the season, with a total of nine runs crossing the plate in the second inning after the first went by scoreless. Macy Coan worked strongly through a four-batter first inning, but in the second, the junior was unable to get to through a scoreless frame, as three hits and two defensive errors allowed Saint Xavier to take a quick four-run lead. The Cougars were in position to add to their lead on an RBI single, but a strong throw from Abby Madere peeled a runner at the plate, ending the scoring at four. Marian immediately got the runs back, earning all five of their runs in the bottom of the second, with the scoring onslaught beginning with an Alex Kiemeyer walk. Ally Malone quickly plated her teammate with an RBI triple, while two batters after Malone, Karly Anderson slammed an RBI double. A pair of base hits followed the double, with Mystic Means picking up an RBI single, and later in the inning, Lily Wendt slugged an RBI base hit of her own. Marian finished their big inning by scoring on a wild pitch, as Mystic Means was able to cross the plate on an errant throw. Coan quickly dialed in after seeing her team take the lead, pitching a four-batter third and a three-up, three-down fourth inning. The junior saw her team lead grow after her strong fourth inning, as the Knights brought home four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Abbey Hofmann doubled in Karly Anderson in the frame, and two batters later, Abby Madere picked up her first base hit of the season with an RBI double. Mallorie Beutel would follow with an RBI single, as the freshman drove in her first run to give the Knights an 8-4 lead. Kiemeyer finished Marian’s big inning with an RBI single, giving the Knights a 9-4 advantage. Saint Xavier would threaten in the top of the fifth inning as the Cougars had multiple batters reach base, but Coan was able to pitch out of a jam with the help of her defense, stranding the bases to protect the 9-4 lead. The Cougars would get on the board again in the sixth inning as Marian went to the bullpen, with Kaite Lackman allowing a three-run home run with two outs, letting the game inch within two runs. Marian would quickly get the scores back in the bottom of the sixth as Karly Anderson provided insurance with a two-out, two-RBI double, giving the Knights a four-run lead once again. Anderson’s double proved key for the Knights as they locked down the win, as the two runs allowed the Knights to absorb a Cougar score in the top of the seventh. Katie Lackman stood tall after giving up her seventh-inning run, standing the bases loaded as a fly out sealed the 11-8 victory. Coan (1-0) pitched five strong innings, allowing six hits and four runs, one of which was earned. The junior faced 25 batters in her first outing of the season, striking out one batter. At the plate, Karly Anderson led the team with a 3-4 outing, doubling twice in the game with three RBI and two runs scored. Ally Malone had a double and triple in the win, as she was one of four Knights who had two base hits in the game. Marian totaled 14 hits in the win and drew six walks at the plate. GAME 2 | Marian 5-3 Saint Xavier In game two, Alayna Tesnar made her first collegiate start, and got off to a rocky start as she made her season debut, seeing a pair of infield hits and a walk load the bases. The sophomore would get two strikeouts to help reach the end of the frame, but left a pitch over the plate for Haley Matlock, who drove in two on a double to left. Saint Xavier was poised to score more, but got greedy trying to score a third run on the double, ending the inning at the plate as Ally Malone threw out Natalie Johnson at home. Marian didn’t wait long to get the runs back for its pitcher, as Abbey Hofmann slammed a lead-off double to kick-start the offense. Mystic Means and Mallorie Beutel would walk to load the bases, and with a scoring chance present, Alex Kiemeyer wore a pitch, taking a ball off her elbow guard to bring home a run. A passed ball then allowed Means to score from third, tying the game 2-2. The deadlock allowed Tesnar to settle into the game, as she quickly pitched a three-up, three-down frame in the second, and gained a run of support in the bottom of the inning, as Delaney Rundle scored on a wild pitch after reaching base on a dropped third strike. The 3-2 lead would not last long, as the Cougars played small ball in the top of the third, manufacturing a run to level the game 3-3. Marian attempted to retake the lead in the bottom of the third, but came up empty, leaving the bases loaded as the game remained tied, moving to the fourth inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Marian put up the final runs of the game, as Mystic Means reached on a bunt single to set up Abby Madere. The senior wasted no time driving home the go-ahead runs, hitting her first home run in nearly one year, launching a pitch to center field to vault Marian in front 5-3. The runs would be the final two of the game, as Lexi Smith relieved in the fifth Tesnar after the sophomore’s scoreless fourth. Making her collegiate debut, Smith had to work in her first inning as she stranded a pair of two-out hits, while in the sixth, the freshman faced the minimum, as her fellow battery-mate Mati Hughes threw out a runner stealing to get the Knights out of the sixth. Smith would face adversity in the seventh inning as she allowed a lead-off double, but the first-year Knight remained calm, getting three straight infield outs to end the game and close Marian’s 5-3 victory. Tesnar (1-0) picked up the win in the circle, allowing three runs and five hits in 4.0 innings of work. The sophomore struck out two batters in her first collegiate start. Lexi Smith (1) picked up the save, throwing three scoreless innings to end the game, as she stranded four hits over the final three frames of the day. At the plate, Mystic Means had a strong game going 2-3, while Abby Madere had the big hit of the game with her two-run home run in the fourth inning. Madere finished the game 1-3 at the plate. Marian heads south to Florida, where the team will play nine regular season games and one exhibition in their annual spring break trip. The team’s first two games in Florida will be on Monday, March 2, with the team taking on Michigan-Dearborn and Judson. ==================================================================== 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 ================================================= “SPORTS EXTRA” TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY 1903 Pittsburgh owner Barney Dreyfuss and James Potter lead a syndicate to buy the Phillies from John Rogers and A. J. Reach for $170,000. Owning more than one team will not be prohibited for another seven years. 1966 Refusing to report to spring training, Dodger pitchers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale begin their joint holdout, asking for a $1 million three-year contract to be divided equally between them. The deal, equivalent to an annual salary of $167,000 for each hurler, will make them the best-paid baseball players, easily surpassing Willie Mays’ $125,000 yearly paycheck with the Giants. 1975 The Mets purchase slugger Dave Kingman from the Giants. San Francisco drafted the 26-year-old first baseman/outfielder as the team’s first pick in the initial round of the secondary phase of the 1970 amateur draft. 1985 Rick Reuschel signs as a free agent with the Pirates, spending the first two months in the minors. After being called up in May, ‘Big Daddy’ will win 14 games and be named the National League’s Comeback Player of the Year by the Sporting News. 1986 Joaquin Andujar, Dale Berra, Enos Cabell, Keith Hernandez, Jeffrey Leonard, Dave Parker, and Lonnie Smith, known as the ‘Cocaine Seven,’ are severely disciplined for their “prolonged pattern of drug use” and the distribution of drugs to others in the sport. Commissioner Peter Ueberroth drops their season-long suspension after they agree to donate ten percent of their base salaries to drug-related community service in the city they played, submit to random drug testing, and do one hundred hours of community service. 1989 The Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee elects Red Schoendienst, who spent 19 years in the major leagues and managed the Cardinals to a world championship in 1967, and Al Barlick, a 29-year veteran umpire, best known for his booming voice. The pair joins last month’s BBWAA selection of Reds’ catcher Johnny Bench and Red Sox outfielder Carl Yastrzemski. 1990 After meeting for more than five hours and taking three ballots, the Veterans Committee does not select a player for induction to the Hall of Fame for the second time in three years. The finalists, Phil Rizzuto, Nellie Fox, Richie Ashburn, Leo Durocher, Joe Gordon, Tony Lazzeri, Cecil Travis, Carl Mays, Vic Willis, Hal Newhouser, and umpire Bill McGowan, do not receive the 11 votes required for election from the 14 members present at the annual meeting. 2000 “In the end, I could not ignore Darryl’s past infractions and concluded that each of us must be held accountable for his or her actions. I am hopeful that he will use this time away from the game productively and will care for himself and his family.” – BASEBALL COMMISSIONER BUD SELIG, commenting on his decision to suspend Darryl Strawberry. Baseball suspends Yankee outfielder/DH Darryl Strawberry for one year after his positive test for cocaine last month. Commissioner Bud Selig does not make any provision for an early return to the eight-time All-Star game from the suspension based on good behavior. 2005 Right-hander Jake Peavy (15-6, 2.27) and the Padres agree to the terms of a four-year deal, with the team holding an option for a fifth year. The 23-year-old right-hander, who led the majors with the lowest ERA, opted to sign now rather than take a chance in his first year of salary arbitration eligibility after the season. 2011 The U.S. government places a plaque at Jackie Robinson’s former apartment in Montreal as a tribute to the Canadian city for its exemplary treatment of the future Hall of Fame infielder. The season before he broke the color barrier, the Dodger farmhand led the hometown Royals to the 1946 International League championship with a .349 batting average, earning the circuit’s Most Valuable Player for his outstanding performance. 2014 In an online contest sponsored by the MLB Network, the fans choose Mets’ third baseman David Wright as the Face of Major League Baseball. The seven-time All-star, dubbed “Captain America” due to his heroics last season’s WBC, narrowly beat A’s infielder Eric Sogard in the bracket-style competition where fans voted on Twitter. ========================================================================= TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY On February 28 in … 1891 – Oscar Grundén skates world record 500 metre (50.8 seconds). 1903 – Barney Dreyfuss and James Potter buy Philadelphia Phillies for $170,000. 1906 – Stanley Cup: Ottawa Silver Seven sweep Queens University (Kingston Ontario) in two games. 1929 – Chicago Black Hawks lose record NHL 15th straight game at home. 1931 – Canadian Rugby Union adopts the forward pass. 1940 – First televised basketball game (college game at New York City’s Madison Square Garden-University of Pittsburgh beats Fordham University, 50-37). 1954 – Patty Berg/Pete Cooper win LPGA Orlando Mixed Golf Tournament. 1957 – Jockey Johnny Longden’s 5,000th career victory. 1958 – West Indies 1-504 in reply to Pakistan 328, day three of third Test Cricket. 1959 – Ice Dance Championship at Colorado Springs USA won by Denny and Jones of Great Britain. 1959 – Ice Pairs Championship at Colorado Springs won by Wagner and Paul of Canada. 1959 – Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Colorado Springs won by Carol Heiss USA. 1959 – Men’s Figure Skating Championship in Colorado Springs won by David Jenkins USA. 1959 – NFL Chicago Cardinals trade Ollie Matson to Los Angeles Rams for nine players. 1960 – Mickey Wright wins LPGA Tampa Golf Open. 1960 – US wins Olympics hockey gold medal by defeating Czechoslovakia 9-4. 1960 – VIII Olympic Winter Games at Squaw Valley, California close. 1966 – Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale begin a joint holdout against Los Angeles Dodgers. 1967 – Wilt Chamberlain sinks NBA record 35th consecutive field goal. 1969 – Ice Dance Championship at Colorado Springs won by Towler and Ford of Great Britain. 1969 – Ice Pairs Championship at Colorado Springs won by Rodnina and Ulanov of USSR. 1969 – Ladies Figure Skating Champion in Colorado Springs won by Gabriele Seyfert, German Democratic Republic. 1969 – Men’s Figure Skating Championship in Colorado Springs won by Tim Wood USA. 1970 – Caroline Walker runs world female record marathon (3:02:53). 1971 – 53rd PGA Championship: Jack Nicklaus shoots a 281 at PGA National to win his second golf grand slam. 1981 – Calvin Murphy (Houston Rockets) sets NBA record with 78 consecutive free throws. 1982 – Ayako Okamoto wins LPGA Arizona Copper Golf Classic. 1986 – Seven Major League Baseball players, who are admitted drug users, are severely disciplined by Commissioner Peter Ueberroth. Penalties include year-long suspensions without pay, heavy fines, drug-related community service and career-long drug testing. 1988 – XV Olympic Winter Games close at Calgary, Canada. 1988 – Pat Verbeek becomes first New Jersey Devils’ player to score four goals in an NHL game. 1988 – Yvonne van Gennip skates world record 5 km ladies (7:14.13). 1989 – Red Schoendienst and Al Barlick elected to Baseball Hall of Fame. 1991 – Don Mattingly named 10th New York Yankees’ Captain. 1991 – Noureddine Morceli runs world record 1500 metre indoor (3:34:16). 1993 – Iolanda Chen triple jumps world indoor record hop step (14.46 metres). 1998 – Vancouver Canucks Mark Messier is fourth NHL player to get 1,600 points. 2010 – The 2010 Winter Olympics close in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. An estimated 3.5 billion people watched the games worldwide. Canada won 14 gold medals, most ever by a single nation at the Winter Games. 2022 – At crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, USA, NHL regular season game: Boston Bruins beats Los Angeles Kings by score 7-0. 2022 – At Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., USA, NHL regular season game: Toronto Maple Leafs beats Washington Capitals by score 5-3. 2022 – At Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, USA, NHL regular season game: New Jersey Devils beats Vancouver Canucks by score 7-2. Births of sports figures on February 28 1917 – Birth of Hans Deutgen in Sweden; world champion archer. 1931 – Birth of Gustav Thoni in Italy; skier (World Cup-1971, 1972, 1973, 1975). 1935 – Birth of Clive Halse; cricket player (South Africa fast bowler on 1963-64 Australia/New Zealand tour). 1939 – Birth of Charles Brown in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; featherweight boxer (Olympics-bronze-1964). 1940 – Birth of Mario Andretti; race-car driver (1969 Indianapolis 500). 1945 – Birth of Charles “Bubba” Smith in Texas, USA; NFL player (Baltimore Colts)/actor (Police Academy). 1946 – Birth of Graham Vivian; cricket player (son of Giff, five Tests for New Zealand 1965-72). 1951 – Birth of Gustavo Thoeni in Italy; giant slalom (Olympics-gold-1972). 1951 – Birth of Karsan Ghavri; cricket player (Indian lefty medium pacer early 80s). 1952 – Birth of Melissa Babish in South Carolina, USA; swimmer (Olympics). 1956 – Birth of Adrian Dantley in Washington DC; NBA forward (Olympics-gold-1976, Utah Jazz, 1981, 1984 top scorer). 1957 – Birth of Ian Smith; cricket wicket-keeper (New Zealand of the 1980s). 1957 – Birth of Jeff Woodland in Papua New Guinea; Nike golfer (1991 Dakota Dunes Open). 1958 – Birth of Christine Lathan-Brehmer in German Democratic Republic; 400 metre runner (Olympics-gold-1976). 1958 – Birth of Mark Pavelich; NHL player (New York Rangers). 1961 – Birth of Barry McGuigan; British boxer. 1961 – Birth of Wayne Smith in Albany, Washington, USA; Australasia golfer. 1962 – Birth of Angela Bailey in England; Canadian 4X100 metre relayer (Olympics-silver-1984). 1962 – Birth of Chunli Li in Auckland, New Zealand; table tennis player (Olympics-1996). 1962 – Birth of Steve Tsujiura; hockey forward (Team Japan 1998). 1965 – Birth of Duane Ferrell; NBA forward (San Francisco Warriors, Indiana Pacers). 1965 – Birth of Mikko Makela in Tampere, Finland; NHL right wing (New York Islanders). 1966 – Birth of Erik van Kessel; Dutch soccer player (FC Utrecht). 1966 – Birth of Jan Varholik in Kosice, Czechoslovakia; hockey defenseman (Team Slovakia). 1966 – Birth of Tim Goad; NFL defensive tackle (Cleveland Browns). 1966 – Birth of Vincent Askew; NBA guard/forward (Seattle Supersonics, Portland Trail Blazers). 1967 – Birth of Antone Davis; NFL tackle (Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles). 1967 – Birth of Jeff[rey] Pfaendtner in Detroit, Michigan, USA; rower (Olympics-bronze-1996). 1968 – Birth of J T Snow; US baseball first baseman (New York Yankees, California Angels). 1968 – Birth of Mike Milchin in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; pitcher (Minnesota Twins). 1969 – Birth of Shawn McEachern in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA; NHL forward (Boston Bruins, Washington Senators). 1970 – Birth of Jan Varholik; hockey defenseman (Team Slovakia 1998). 1970 – Birth of Mika Stromberg in Helsinki, Finland; hockey defenseman (Team Finland). 1970 – Birth of Noureddine Morceli in Algeria; 1500 metre runner (Olympics-gold-1996). 1972 – Birth of Melisa Moses in Jacksonville, Florida, USA; diver (Olympics-4th-1996). 1972 – Birth of Scott Gragg; NFL tackle (New York Giants). 1973 – Birth of Demetrice Martin; WLAF cornerback (Scotland Claymores). 1973 – Birth of Denard Walker; cornerback (Tennessee Oilers). 1973 – Birth of Eric Lindros in London, Ontario, Canada; NHL center (Philadelphia Flyers). 1973 – Birth of Gary Walker; NFL defensive tackle/defensive end (Houston Oilers). 1973 – Birth of Henry Bailey; NFL wide receiver/kick returner (Pittsburgh Steelers). 1974 – Birth of Katie Allen; Australian field hockey full back/half back (Olympics-1996). 1974 – Birth of Kevin Abrams; cornerback (Detroit Lions). 1974 – Birth of Michael Swift; WLAF cornerback (Rhein Fire). 1975 – Birth of Azhar Mahmood; cricket pace bowler (Pakistani ODI 1996). 1976 – Birth of Angie Kennedy in Nambour, Queensland, Australia; swimmer (Olympics-1996). 1977 – Birth of Aki-Petteri Berg; NHL defenseman (Team Finland Olympics-bronze-1998, Los Angeles Kings). 1977 – Birth of Debbie Koegel in Norristown, Pennsylvania; dance skater (and Oleg Fediukov). 1979 – Birth of Virginia Ledgerwood in Chester, Virginia; rhythmic gymnast (Olympics-1996). 1980 – Birth of Tayshaun Prince; American basketball player. 1980 – Birth of Piotr Giza; Polish football player. Deaths of sports figures on February 28 1912 – Bill Storer, English cricket wicketkeeper (6 Tests 1897-99), dies. 1980 – Ian Alexander Ross Peebles, cricket player (45 wickets for England), dies. 1984 – Leslie Walcott, cricket player (Test for West Indies versus England 1930), dies. 1990 – Colin Milburn, cricket player (9 Tests for England, 654 runs), dies. 1990 – Tuppy Owen-Smith, South Africa cricket player (batsman versus England 1929), dies. 1995 – Keith Rigg, cricket player (8 Tests for Australia 1931-37), dies. 2017 – Death of Vladimir Petrov, Russian ice hockey player (born 1947). ================================================= TV SPORTS TODAY SATURDAY FEBRUARY 28 MLB SPRING TRAININGTIME ETTVMinnesota Twins vs Boston Red Sox1:05pmMLBNKansas City Royals vs Colorado Rockies3:10pmMLBNNBA REGULAR SEASONTIME ETTVPortland Trail Blazers vs Charlotte Hornets1:00pmRip CityFanDuel Sports CHAHouston Rockets vs Miami Heat3:30pmPrimeSCHNToronto Raptors vs Washington Wizards7:00pmTSNMNMT2Los Angeles Lakers vs Golden State Warriors8:30pmABCESPN UnlimitedNew Orleans Pelicans vs Utah Jazz9:30pmGCSNKJZZNHL REGULAR SEASONTIME ETTVPittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers12:30pmABCESPN UnlimitedBoston Bruins vs Philadelphia Flyers3:00pmABCESPN UnlimitedEdmonton Oilers vs San Jose Sharks4:00pmNBCS-CASNNew Jersey Devils vs St. Louis Blues5:00pmMSGSNFanDuel Sports MWChicago Blackhawks vs Colorado Avalanche6:00pmCHSNALTNew York Islanders vs Columbus Blue Jackets6:00pmMSGSNFanDuel Sports OhioWashington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens7:00pmMNMTSNOttawa Senators vs Toronto Maple Leafs7:00pmESPN+SNCalgary Flames vs Los Angeles Kings7:00pmNHLNSNFanDuel Sports WestDetroit Red Wings vs Carolina Hurricanes7:00pmFanDuel Sports SouthFanDuel Sports DETBuffalo Sabres vs Tampa Bay Lightning7:00pmMSG-BUFFanDuel Sports SunNashville Predators vs Dallas Stars8:00pmFanDuel Sports NSHVictory+Vancouver Canucks vs Seattle Kraken10:00pmSNKONGMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALLTIME ETTVLouisville at ClemsonTBAESPN/2Alabama at TennesseeTBAESPN/2Virginia Tech at North CarolinaTBAESPN/2Kansas at ArizonaTBAESPNColorado at Houston12:00pmESPN/2Virginia at Duke12:00pmESPN/2NC State at Notre Dame12:00pmCWSeton Hall at UConn12:00pmFS1Iowa at Penn State12:00pmBTNFlorida State at Georgia Tech12:00pmACCNBucknell at Lehigh12:00pmCBSSNSaint Joseph’s at Rhode Island12:00pmWLNE-DT5Fordham at VCU12:30pmUSAMissouri at Mississippi State1:00pmSECNLe Moyne at New Haven1:00pmNEC Front RowSaint Francis U at Central Connecticut1:00pmNEC Front RowChicago State at Wagner1:00pmNEC Front RowNM State at Middle Tennessee1:00pmESPN+Cleveland State at Robert Morris1:00pmESPN+Georgetown at Xavier1:30pmTNTSan Diego State at New Mexico2:00pmCBSVanderbilt at Kentucky2:00pmESPN/2UCLA at Minnesota2:00pmFS1Oregon at Northwestern2:00pmBTNTennessee State at UT Martin2:00pmESPNUBoston College at Miami (FL)2:00pmACCNOklahoma State at Cincinnati2:00pmCBSSNSt. Bonaventure at George Mason2:00pmMNMTCampbell at Towson2:00pmMNMT2South Dakota State at South Dakota2:00pmMidCo Sports 2Mercyhurst at Stonehill2:00pmNEC Front RowUMBC at UMass Lowell2:00pmESPN+FGCU at Stetson2:00pmESPN+Youngstown State at Green Bay2:00pmESPN+Gardner-Webb at USC Upstate2:00pmESPN+The Citadel at Wofford2:00pmESPN+Purdue Fort Wayne at IU Indianapolis2:00pmESPN+Central Michigan at Buffalo2:00pmESPN+Maine at Binghamton2:00pmESPN+Austin Peay at Bellarmine2:00pmESPN+VMI at Chattanooga2:00pmESPN+UMass at Bowling Green2:00pmESPN+North Alabama at West Georgia2:00pmESPN+New Hampshire at UAlbany2:00pmESPN+Queens at Central Arkansas2:00pmESPN+Charleston Southern at UNC Asheville2:00pmESPN+William & Mary at North Carolina A&T2:00pmFloCollegeRadford at Longwood3:00pmESPN+Detroit Mercy at Oakland3:00pmESPN+FIU at Louisiana Tech3:00pmESPN+UTEP at WKU3:00pmESPN+Sacramento State at Montana State3:00pmESPN+Elon at Monmouth3:00pmFloCollegeUtah at Arizona State3:30pmTNTSouth Carolina at Georgia3:30pmSECNBethune-Cookman at Southern3:30pmHBCU GoTexas Tech at Iowa State4:00pmCBSTexas at Texas A&M4:00pmESPN/2Wisconsin at Washington4:00pmFS1Nebraska at USC4:00pmBTNPitt at California4:00pmACCNRichmond at Loyola Chicago4:00pmCBSSNNortheastern at Hampton4:00pmMNMTAir Force at Wyoming4:00pmMWNFairleigh Dickinson at LIU4:00pmNEC Front RowNorthern Colorado at Idaho4:00pmESPN+Ball State at Northern Illinois4:00pmESPN+Southeastern Louisiana at Nicholls4:00pmESPN+Southern Indiana at Little Rock4:00pmESPN+Presbyterian at Winthrop4:00pmESPN+Lipscomb at Eastern Kentucky4:00pmESPN+Valparaiso at Evansville4:00pmESPN+Howard at Morgan State4:00pmESPN+Northern Arizona at Eastern Washington4:00pmESPN+Toledo at Ohio4:00pmESPN+NJIT at Bryant4:00pmESPN+Eastern Illinois at SIUE4:30pmESPN+North Carolina Central at Delaware State4:30pmESPN+Norfolk State at Coppin State4:30pmESPN+ETSU at Mercer4:30pmESPN+Stephen F. Austin at Houston Christian4:30pmESPN+Lindenwood at Western Illinois4:30pmESPN+Tennessee Tech at Southeast Missouri4:45pmESPN+North Dakota at North Dakota State5:00pmESPN+Colorado State at San Jose State5:00pmMWNAlabama State at Alabama A&M5:00pmSWAC TVDelaware at Kennesaw State5:00pmESPN+Brown at Cornell5:00pmESPN+Lamar at UIW5:00pmESPN+BYU at West Virginia5:30pmFOXProvidence at Creighton5:30pmTNTAlcorn State at Prairie View A&M5:30pmSWAC TVEast Texas A&M at UTRGV5:30pmESPN+Missouri State at Sam Houston5:30pmESPN+Furman at Western Carolina5:30pmESPN+Syracuse at Wake Forest5:45pmCWLiberty at Jacksonville State6:00pmESPNUOklahoma at LSU6:00pmSECNSMU at Stanford6:00pmACCNSan Francisco at Pacific6:00pmCBSSNHarvard at Penn6:00pmNBCS-PHIPortland State at Montana6:00pmSWXUNCG at Samford6:00pmESPN+Dartmouth at Princeton6:00pmESPN+Yale at Columbia6:00pmESPN+Jacksonville at North Florida6:00pmESPN+McNeese at New Orleans6:00pmESPN+Weber State at Idaho State6:00pmESPN+TCU at Kansas State6:30pmESPN2Northwestern State at A&M-Corpus Christi6:30pmESPN+Stony Brook at Hofstra7:00pmMSG2Hawai’i at Cal State Fullerton7:00pmESPN+Wright State at Northern Kentucky7:00pmESPN+Boise State at Fresno State7:30pmMWNFlorida A&M at Grambling State7:30pmSWAC TVVillanova vs. St. John’s8:00pmFOXBaylor at UCF8:00pmFS1Oregon State at Santa Clara8:00pmCBSSNDuquesne at Saint Louis8:00pmFanDuel Sports MWXWashington State at Pepperdine8:00pmESPN+San Diego at Portland8:00pmESPN+CSUN at UC Riverside8:00pmESPN+Omaha at St. Thomas8:00pmSummitOral Roberts at Kansas City8:00pmSummitArkansas at Florida8:30pmESPN/2Ole Miss at Auburn8:30pmSECNUtah Tech at Southern Utah8:30pmESPN+Seattle U at Loyola Marymount9:00pmESPN+Tarleton at California Baptist9:00pmESPN+Long Beach State at CSU Bakersfield9:30pmESPN+Grand Canyon at Utah State10:00pmFS1Nevada at UNLV10:00pmCBSSNCal Poly at UC San Diego10:00pmESPN+Gonzaga at Saint Mary’s10:30pmESPNUC Santa Barbara at UC Irvine10:30pmESPN2MOTORSPORTSTIME ETTVNASCAR Truck: NASCAR Truck Series Race St. Petersburg12:00pmFOXXfinity: Focused Health 2503:00pmCWGOLFTIME ETTVPGA Tour: Cognizant Classic1:00pmGOLFPGA Tour: Cognizant Classic3:00pmNBCLPGA Tour: Women’s World Championship8:30pmGOLFSOCCERTIME ETTVEPL: AFC Bournemouth vs Sunderland7:30amPeacockLa Liga: Rayo Vallecano vs Athletic Club8:00amESPN+Serie A: Como vs Lecce9:00amParamount+Bundesliga: Werder Bremen vs Heidenheim9:30amESPN+Bundesliga: Hoffenheim vs St. Pauli9:30amESPN+Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen vs Mainz 059:30amESPN+Bundesliga: Borussia M’gladbach vs Union Berlin9:30amESPN+EPL: Burnley vs Brentford10:00amPeacockEPL: Liverpool vs West Ham United10:00amPeacockEPL: Newcastle United vs Everton10:00amPeacockLa Liga: Barcelona vs Villarreal10:15amESPN+Ligue 1: Rennes vs Toulouse11:00ambeIN SportsfuboTVSerie A: Verona vs Napoli12:00pmParamount+Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern München12:30pmESPN+La Liga: Mallorca vs Real Sociedad12:30pmESPN+EPL: Leeds United vs Manchester City12:30pmPeacockLigue 1: Monaco vs Angers SCO1:00pmbeIN SportsfuboTVMLS: Chicago Fire vs CF Montréal2:30pmMLS Season PassMLS: New York RB vs New England2:30pmMLS Season PassSerie A: Internazionale vs Genoa2:45pmParamount+EPL: Manchester City vs Newcastle United3:00pmPeacockLa Liga: Real Oviedo vs Atlético Madrid3:00pmESPN+Ligue 1: Le Havre vs PSG3:05pmbeIN SportsfuboTVMLS: Minnesota United vs Cincinnati4:30pmMLS Season PassMLS: Colorado Rapids vs Portland Timbers4:30pmMLS Season PassLiga MX: Atlético San Luis vs Puebla6:00pmVIXMLS: Real Salt Lake vs Seattle Sounders FC7:30pmMLS Season PassMLS: SJ Earthquakes vs Atlanta United7:30pmMLS Season PassLiga MX: León vs Necaxa8:00pmfuboTVLiga MX: Monterrey vs Cruz Azul8:00pmVIXMLS: Dallas vs Nashville SC8:30pmMLS Season PassMLS: Houston Dynamo vs Los Angeles FC8:30pmMLS Season PassMLS: Sporting KC vs Columbus Crew8:30pmMLS Season PassMLS: Vancouver Whitecaps vs Toronto FC9:30pmMLS Season PassLiga MX: América vs Tigres UANL10:00pmVIXMLS: LA Galaxy vs Charlotte10:30pmMLS Season Pass About The Author troyderengowski61@gmail.com See author's posts Post navigation THE INDIANA SRN “SCOREBOARD” FEBRUARY 27
