THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” THURSDAY JANUARY 1, 2026

“THE SCOREBOARD”

INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL

BOYS FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

ALL TIMES EASTERN

BARR-REEVE  AT          EASTERN GREENE                     7:30 PM            

BELLMONT      AT          ADAMS CENTRAL                      7:30 PM            

BENTON CENTRAL     AT          CRAWFORDSVILLE    7:30 PM            

BETHESDA CHRISTIAN           AT          UNIVERSITY    7:30 PM            

BLUE RIVER VALLEY  AT          WAPAHANI                     7:30 PM            

BORDEN           AT          NORTHEAST DUBOIS              7:30 PM            

BROWN COUNTY       AT          WALDRON                     7:30 PM            

BROWNSBURG            AT          PIKE                    7:30 PM            

CALVARY CHRISTIAN (ILL.)   AT          CENTRAL CHRISTIAN              2:00 PM            

CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN AT          MONROE CENTRAL                  7:30 PM            

CANNELTON  AT          VINCENNES RIVET                    6:00 PM            

CENTRAL NOBLE        AT          EAST NOBLE                  7:30 PM            

DETROIT CASS TECH (MICH.)            AT          GARY LIGHTHOUSE   5:30 PM            

DETROIT MUMFORD (MICH.)             AT          HAMMOND MORTON 8:30 PM          

DUGGER UNION         AT          INDIANA DEAF             7:30 PM            

EMINENCE      AT          WASHINGTON CATHOLIC    7:30 PM            

EVANSVILLE DAY         VS.        WAYNE (W.VA.)             1:30 PM            

EVANSVILLE MATER DEI         AT          EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL        4:30 PM            

FLOYD CENTRAL         AT          CENTER GROVE                         7:30 PM            

FORT WAYNE DWENGER       VS.        NEW HAVEN                  11:00 AM         

FORT WAYNE HOMESCHOOL            AT          NORWELL        7:30 PM            

GREENFIELD-CENTRAL          AT          RUSHVILLE                    7:30 PM            

HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN              AT          CROWN POINT            4:30 PM            

HENDERSON COUNTY (KY.) AT          EVANSVILLE HARRISON         8:00 PM            

HENRYVILLE   AT          MEDORA          7:30 PM            

LAFAYETTE JEFF           AT          LAPEL 7:30 PM            

LAWRENCE NORTH  AT          MARION            7:30 PM            

LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN     AT          COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN         7:45 PM            

MADISON-GRANT      AT          COWAN                           7:30 PM            

NORTHEASTERN         AT          NEW CASTLE                7:30 PM            

NORTHWESTERN       AT          MANCHESTER                             7:30 PM            

OLDENBURG ACADEMY        AT          CONNERSVILLE          7:30 PM            

PAOLI  AT          SCOTTSBURG                              7:30 PM            

PRINCETON    AT          JASPER                             8:00 PM            

ROSEVILLE (MICH.)   VS.        GARY 21ST CENTURY 7:00 PM          

SHOALS            AT          CRAWFORD COUNTY             7:30 PM            

SOUTH SPENCER       AT          SPRINGS VALLEY        8:00 PM            

SOUTHERN WELLS    AT          UNION CITY                   7:30 PM            

SOUTHPORT  AT          BREBEUF JESUIT                        4:30 PM            

TRITON CENTRAL       AT          INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI    7:30 PM            

UNION COUNTY         AT          WES-DEL                         7:30 PM            

WABASH          AT          LOGANSPORT                             7:30 PM            

WARREN CENTRAL    AT          NOBLESVILLE               7:30 PM            

WHITELAND   VS.        FORT WAYNE NORTH              3:15 PM            

WOODLAN      AT          FREMONT                       7:30 PM            

CENTRAL INDIANA CLASSIC

NORTH WHITE              AT          ELWOOD                         10:00 AM          POOL A

TRI-TOWNSHIP            VS.        EASTERN (GREENTOWN)      12:00 PM POOL B

SMITH ACADEMY        VS.        NORTH WHITE              2:00 PM             POOL A

DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN              VS.        TRI-TOWNSHIP            4:00 PM POOL B

SMITH ACADEMY        AT          ELWOOD                         6:00 PM             POOL A

EASTERN (GREENTOWN)      VS.        DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN              8:00 PM POOL B

CHURUBUSCO            AT          FRANKTON                     10:00 AM          POOL C

HERITAGE        VS.        TRI-CENTRAL                12:00 PM          POOL D

CHURUBUSCO            VS.        NORTH JUDSON                        2:00 PM             POOL C

HERITAGE        VS.        WINCHESTER               4:00 PM             POOL D

NORTH JUDSON         AT          FRANKTON                     6:00 PM             POOL C

TRI-CENTRAL VS.        WINCHESTER               8:00 PM             POOL D

KIPP INDY LEGACY     AT          ALEXANDRIA                 10:00 AM          POOL E

BLACKFORD   VS.        CLINTON PRAIRIE                      12:00 PM          POOL F

RANDOLPH SOUTHERN        VS.        KIPP INDY LEGACY     2:00 PM             POOL E

CLINTON PRAIRIE       VS.        CROTHERSVILLE                        4:00 PM             POOL F

RANDOLPH SOUTHERN        AT          ALEXANDRIA                 6:00 PM             POOL E

CROTHERSVILLE         VS.        BLACKFORD                  8:00 PM             POOL F

CLINTON CENTRAL TOURNAMENT

PURDUE ENGLEWOOD          VS.        SOUTHMONT               6:00 PM             R1

BELIEVE CIRCLE CITY              AT          CLINTON CENTRAL   8:00 PM             R1

DEKALB TOURNAMENT

HANOVER CENTRAL AT          DEKALB             10:00 AM          POOL A

LAKEWOOD PARK      VS.        FORT WAYNE NORTHROP    11:45 AM          POOL B

HANOVER CENTRAL VS.        INDIAN CREEK             1:30 PM             POOL A

FORT WAYNE NORTHROP    VS.        WHITELAND   3:15 PM             POOL B

INDIAN CREEK             AT          DEKALB             5:00 PM             POOL A

WHITELAND   VS.        LAKEWOOD PARK      6:45 PM             POOL B

FISHERS TOURNAMENT

FORT WAYNE WAYNE              AT          FISHERS                           10:30 AM          R1

EVANSVILLE NORTH VS.        CHESTERTON                              12:15 PM          R1

EVANSVILLE BOSSE  VS.        COLUMBUS NORTH                 2:00 PM             R1

NEW ALBANY VS.        LAWRENCE CENTRAL                            3:45 PM             R1

LOSER GAME 2             VS.        LOSER GAME 1                            5:30 PM             CON

LOSER GAME 4             VS.        LOSER GAME 3                            7:15 PM             CON

LAWRENCEBURG TOURNAMENT

INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE             VS.        SILVER CREEK 9:00 AM           POOL B

NEW PALESTINE          VS.        INDIANAPOLIS RITTER            9:00 AM             POOL C

CENTERVILLE AT          LAWRENCEBURG                      11:00 AM          POOL A

PLAINFIELD    VS.        GUERIN CATHOLIC                  11:00 AM          POOL D

FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK  VS.        NEW PALESTINE                         1:00 PM               POOL C

HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE)          VS.        INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE 1:00 PM               POOL B

CASTLE             VS.        PLAINFIELD    3:00 PM             POOL D

CENTERVILLE VS.        BLOOMINGTON SOUTH         3:00 PM             POOL A

SILVER CREEK              VS.        HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE)          5:00 PM               POOL B

INDIANAPOLIS RITTER            VS.        FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK  5:00 PM               POOL C

BLOOMINGTON SOUTH         AT          LAWRENCEBURG                      7:00 PM               POOL A

GUERIN CATHOLIC   VS.        CASTLE             7:00 PM             POOL D

PLYMOUTH TOURNAMENT

TWIN LAKES    VS.        HUNTINGTON NORTH            4:15 PM             R1

NEW PRAIRIE AT          PLYMOUTH     7:45 PM             R1

SOUTHRIDGE TOURNAMENT

PROVIDENCE VS.        FOREST PARK 11:00 AM         POOL B

SOUTH RIPLEY             AT          SOUTHRIDGE               12:45 PM          POOL A

PROVIDENCE VS.        ORLEANS         2:30 PM             POOL B

BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE          VS.        SOUTH RIPLEY             4:15 PM               POOL A

ORLEANS         VS.        FOREST PARK 6:00 PM            POOL B

BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE          AT          SOUTHRIDGE               7:45 PM               POOL A

TIPPECANOE VALLEY TOURNAMENT

LEO      AT          TIPPECANOE VALLEY              10:00 AM          R1

TIPTON              VS.        FORT WAYNE SOUTH              12:00 PM          R1

LOSER GAME 2             VS.        LOSER GAME 1             2:30 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 2         VS.        WINNER GAME 1         2:30 PM             1ST

WAWASEE TOURNAMENT

LAVILLE             VS.        SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS)    10:00 AM          POOL B

VICTORY PREP             VS.        SOUTH NEWTON        11:30 AM          POOL B

CAREER ACADEMY    VS.        JOHN GLENN                1:00 PM             POOL A

ELKHART CHRISTIAN               AT          WAWASEE       2:30 PM             POOL A

VICTORY PREP             VS.        LAVILLE                            4:00 PM             POOL B

SOUTH NEWTON        VS.        SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS)    5:30 PM               POOL B

ELKHART CHRISTIAN               VS.        CAREER ACADEMY    7:00 PM             POOL A

JOHN GLENN AT          WAWASEE       8:30 PM             POOL A

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INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL

WEDNESDAY’S SCORES

FREMONT 68 FT. WAYNE LUERS 43

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FRIDAY’S GIRL’S SCHEDULE

ALL TIMES EASTERN

BENTON CENTRAL     AT          FAITH CHRISTIAN       7:30 PM            

BLOOMINGTON NORTH         AT          INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI    1:30 PM            

BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL    AT          LANESVILLE    7:30 PM            

CANNELTON  AT          ROCK CREEK ACADEMY        1:30 PM            

CARMEL           AT          HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 7:30 PM          

CENTRAL NOBLE        AT          EAST NOBLE   6:00 PM            

EASTSIDE         AT          BELLMONT      7:30 PM            

EDON (OHIO) AT          HAMILTON       6:00 PM            

EVANSVILLE MATER DEI         AT          BOONVILLE    7:30 PM            

FISHERS            VS.        TBA                      TBA      

HERITAGE        AT          LAKELAND       7:30 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS ARSENAL TECH        AT          SPEEDWAY     7:30 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS       AT          MERRILLVILLE              1:30 PM            

JAY COUNTY   AT          WOODLAN      7:00 PM            

JENNINGS COUNTY  AT          BATESVILLE                   7:30 PM            

LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN     AT          COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN         5:30 PM            

NEW ALBANY AT          EVANSVILLE HARRISON         2:30 PM            

NORTHWESTERN       AT          MANCHESTER              6:15 PM            

OLDENBURG ACADEMY        AT          JAC-CEN-DEL 7:30 PM           

PURDUE ENGLEWOOD          AT          PARK TUDOR 7:30 PM           

RICHMOND    AT          NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) 2:30 PM           

TRI-CENTRAL AT          DALEVILLE       7:00 PM            

CENTRAL CHRISTIAN TOURNAMENT

IRVINGTON PREP       VS.        CENTRAL CHRISTIAN 3:30 PM           R1

KIPP INDY LEGACY     AT          VICTORY PREP             5:00 PM             R1

CHICAGO JULIAN (ILL.) TOURNAMENT

HAMMOND MORTON              VS.        TBA       TBA      

CLINTON PRAIRIE TOURNAMENT

NORTH WHITE              AT          CLINTON PRAIRIE       10:00 AM          R1

KOUTS VS.        ROCHESTER                  11:30 AM          R1

LOSER GAME 2             VS.        LOSER GAME 1             6:30 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 2         VS.        WINNER GAME 1         8:30 PM             1ST

DELPHI TOURNAMENT

FRANKFORT    VS.        WINAMAC        10:00 AM          R1

ROSSVILLE      VS.        NORTH NEWTON        11:45 AM          R1

PIONEER          VS.        TAYLOR             1:30 PM             R1

NORTH MONTGOMERY          AT          DELPHI              3:15 PM             R1

WINNER GAME 1         VS.        WINNER GAME 2         5:00 PM             SF

WINNER GAME 3         VS.        WINNER GAME 4         6:45 PM             SF

NORTHVIEW TOURNAMENT

GREENCASTLE             VS.        PARKE HERITAGE        3:30 PM             R1

LINTON             VS.        TERRE HAUTE NORTH             5:00 PM             R1

WEST VIGO     AT          NORTHVIEW                 6:30 PM             R1

SULLIVAN        VS.        TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 8:00 PM          R1

PLYMOUTH TOURNAMENT

NORTH JUDSON         VS.        WASHINGTON TWP.  2:30 PM             R1

NEW PRAIRIE AT          PLYMOUTH     6:00 PM             R1

TRI-TOWNSHIP TOURNAMENT

JOHN GLENN VS.        LAPORTE          5:00 PM             R1

WHEELER        AT          TRI-TOWNSHIP            6:30 PM             R1

WARSAW TOURNAMENT

PERU   AT          WARSAW          10:00 AM          POOL A

COLUMBIA CITY          VS.        PENDLETON HEIGHTS 12:00 PM      POOL B

INDIANAPOLIS RITTER            VS.        PERU   2:00 PM             POOL A

FORT WAYNE LUERS VS.        COLUMBIA CITY          4:00 PM             POOL B

INDIANAPOLIS RITTER            AT          WARSAW          6:00 PM             POOL A

PENDLETON HEIGHTS            VS.        FORT WAYNE LUERS 8:00 PM            POOL B

WHITELAND TOURNAMENT

TRI-WEST         AT          WHITELAND   10:00 AM          R1

OWEN VALLEY             VS.        ANDERSON    12:00 PM          R1

LOSER GAME 2             VS.        LOSER GAME 1             4:00 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 2         VS.        WINNER GAME 1         6:00 PM             1ST

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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING

https://indianamat.com

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MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

TOP 25:

VIRGINIA TECH 95 #21 VIRGINIA 85 3OT

#6 DUKE 85 GEORGIA TECH 79

#4 UCONN 90 XAVIER 67

ELSEWHERE:

NORTH CAROLINA STATE 70 WAKE FOREST 57

TULANE 79 E. CAROLINA 70

BUFFALO 81 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 67

SOUTH ALABAMA 63 LOUISIANA 58

WOFFORD 79 WESTERN CAROLINA 74

FLORIDA ATLANTIC 110 TEXAS SAN ANTONIO 70

CLEMSON 64 SYRACUSE 61

CAMPBELL 68 MONMOUTH 65

HIGH POINT 87 UNC ASHEVILLE 69

CHARLESTOWN 85 ELON 81

APPALACHIAN STATE 81 OLD DOMINION 73

TROY 100 TEXAS STATE 80

RADFORD 76 USC UPSTATE 69

TULSA 97 RICE 48

DAYTON 63 FORDHAM 56

VCU 89 ST. BONAVENTURE 82

GEORGE MASON 80 LASALLE 75

LONGWOOD 82 WINTHROP 70

DENVER 87 KANSAS CITY 74

COLGATE 85 LAFAYETTE 77

MARSHALL 84 GEORGIA STATE 80

WICHITA STATE 75 ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM 70

MEMPHIS 57 N. TEXAS 48

ST. LOUIS 102 ST. JOSEPH’S 79

GEORGE WASHINGTON 99 RICHMOND 85

STEPHEN F AUSTIN 74 NORTHWESTERN STATE 64

TEXAS A&M CORPUS CHRISTI 83 NEW ORLEANS 69

NORTH DAKOTA STATE 84 SOUTH DAKOTA 61

VILLANOVA 71 DEPAUL 66

NORTH CAROLINA WILMINGTON 65 DREXEL 53

ST. JOHN’S 95 GEORGETOWN 83

===========

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

TOP 25:

#19 OHIO STATE 83 PURDUE 56

#4 UCLA 97 PENN STATE 61

#10 IOWA STATE 80 HOUSTON 62

#1 UCONN 90 PROVIDENCE 53

#22 BAYLOR 77 OKLAHOMA STATE 68

#21 TEXAS TECH 73 CENTRAL FLORIDA 55

#8 TCU 72 BYU 48

ELSEWHERE:

BALL STATE 102 AKRON 73

MIAMI OHIO 67 KENT STATE 63

RADFORD 75 PRESBYTERIAN 32

GEORGE MASON 74 DAYTON 59

OHIO 85 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 83 OT

MASSACHUSETTS 73 WESTERN MICHIGAN 40

SETON HALL 81 GEORGETOWN 36

ST. LOUIS 72 DUQUESNE 62

ST. BONAVENTURE 54 GEORGE WASHINGTON 53

LASALLE 72 FORDHAM 69

NORTHERN IOWA 75 ILLINOIS CHICAGO 74

COLORADO STATE 61 GRAND CANYON 47

GARDNER WEBB 54 WINTHROP 48

TEXAS A&M CORPUS CHRISTI 85 NEW ORLEANS 54

TOLEDO 79 BUFFALO 46

STEPHEN F AUSTIN 76 NORTHWESTERN STATE 71

KANSAS STATE 79 CINCINNATI 52

COLGATE 63 LAFAYETTE 57

NAVY 77 BOSTON 64

ST. JOSEPH’S 55 VCU 45

NICHOLLS 66 TEXAS RIO GRANDE 57

YOUNGSTOWN STATE 97 SALEM INTERNATIONAL 20

MCNEESE STATE 63 HOUSTON CHRISTIAN 43

CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 60 USC UPSTATE 49

CHARLOTTE 62 MEMPHIS 49

DAVIDSON 62 LOYAL ILLINOIS 50

UTAH STATE 74 SAN JOSE STATE 61

UNLV 85 FRESNO STATE 59

NEW MEXICO 62 WYOMING 48

BOISE STATE 74 NEVADA 62

ARIZONA STATE 69 UTAH 68

SAN DIEGO STATE 62 AIR FORCE 51

KANSAS CITY 61 OMAHA 59

COLORADO 75 ARIZONA 56

===========

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31

MIAMI FLORIDA 24 OHIO STATE 14

IOWA 34 VANDERBILT 27

DUKE 42 ARIZONA STATE 39

TEXAS 41 MICHIGAN 27

UTAH 44 NEBRASKA 22

THURSDAY, JAN. 1

12 P.M. | NO. 4 TEXAS TECH VS. NO. 5 OREGON | ORANGE BOWL (CFP QUARTERFINAL) (MIAMI, FLA.) | ESPN

4 P.M. | NO. 1 INDIANA VS. NO. 9 ALABAMA | ROSE BOWL (CFP QUARTERFINAL) (PASADENA, CA.) | ESPN

8 P.M. | NO. 3 GEORGIA VS. NO. 6 OLE MISS | SUGAR BOWL (CFP QUARTERFINAL) (NEW ORLEANS, LA.) | ESPN

FRIDAY, JAN. 2

1 P.M. | RICE VS. TEXAS STATE | ARMED FORCES BOWL (FORT WORTH, TEXAS) | ESPN

4:30 P.M. | NAVY VS. CINCINNATI | LIBERTY BOWL (MEMPHIS, TENN.) | ESPN

8 P.M. | WAKE FOREST VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE | DUKE’S MAYO BOWL (CHARLOTTE, N.C.) | ESPN

8 P.M. | SMU VS. ARIZONA | HOLIDAY BOWL (SAN DIEGO) | FOX

THURSDAY, JAN. 8

7:30 P.M. | FIESTA BOWL (CFP SEMIFINAL) (GLENDALE, ARIZ.) | ESPN

FRIDAY, JAN. 9

7:30 P.M. | PEACH BOWL (CFP SEMIFINAL) (ATLANTA, GA.) | ESPN

MONDAY, JAN. 19

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

===========

WEEK 18 SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, JAN. 3

CAROLINA PANTHERS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, 4:30 P.M. ET

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, 8 P.M. ET

SUNDAY, JAN. 4

GREEN BAY PACKERS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS, 1 P.M. ET

CLEVELAND BROWNS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS, 1 P.M. ET

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT HOUSTON TEXANS, 1 P.M. ET

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT ATLANTA FALCONS, 1 P.M. ET

DALLAS COWBOYS AT NEW YORK GIANTS, 1 P.M. ET

TENNESSEE TITANS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS, 1 P.M. ET

NEW YORK JETS AT BUFFALO BILLS, 4:25 P.M. ET

DETROIT LIONS AT CHICAGO BEARS, 4:25 P.M. ET

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT DENVER BRONCOS, 4:25 P.M. ET

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS, 4:25 P.M. ET

ARIZONA CARDINALS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS, 4:25 P.M. ET

MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS, 4:25 P.M. ET

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, 4:25 P.M. ET

BALTIMORE RAVENS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS, 8:20 P.M. ET

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

NBA

GOLDEN STATE 132 CHARLOTTE 125

ORLANDO 112 INDIANA 110

ATLANTA 126 MINNESOTA 102

CLEVELAND 129 PHOENIX 113

SAN ANTONIO 134 NEW YORK 132

CHICAGO 134 NEW ORLEANS 118

DENVER 106 TORONTO 103

WASHINGTON 114 MILWAUKEE 113

OKLAHOMA CITY 124 PORTLAND 95

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

NHL

WASHINGTON 6 NY RANGERS 3

NASHVILLE 4 VEGAS 2

SAN JOSE 4 MINNESOTA 3

TAMPA BAY 4 ANAHEIM 3 OT

DETROIT 2 WINNIPEG 1

NEW JERSEY 3 COLUMBUS 2

BUFFALO 4 DALLAS 1

COLORADO 6 ST. LOUIS 1

BOSTON 6 EDMONTON 2

CALGARY 5 PHILADELPHIA 1

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

TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/PRESS RELEASES

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

BOWL ROUNDUP: NO. 10 MIAMI SENDS NO. 2 OHIO STATE HOME IN CFP STUNNER

Carson Beck passed for 138 yards and a touchdown as No. 10 seed Miami upset No. 2 seed and defending champion Ohio State 24-14 in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday.

Miami (12-2) will play either No. 3 Georgia (12-1) or No. 6 Ole Miss (12-1) in a semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz. The Bulldogs and Rebels meet on Thursday in the Sugar Bowl at New Orleans. In the two years of the CFP 12-team playoff, all five teams to receive first-round byes lost.

The Hurricanes stunned the Buckeyes (12-2) with a 14-0 halftime lead on the strength of a 9-yard touchdown catch by Mark Fletcher Jr. and a 72-yard pick-6 by Keionte Scott. Fletcher also ran for 90 yards in the game.

After Jeremiah Smith’s 14-yard TD catch on a pass from Julian Sayin made it 17-14 with 13:28 to go, the Hurricanes marched 70 yards to wrap it up when CharMar Brown ran in from the 5 with 55 seconds left. Sayin completed 22 of 35 passes for 287 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions while Smith made seven catches for 157 yards.

No. 13 Texas 41, No. 18 Michigan 27

Arch Manning passed for two touchdowns and rushed for two more to lead the Longhorns past the Wolverines in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., in a matchup of teams who had eyes on the College Football Playoff as late as the regular season’s final weeks.

Manning, named Citrus Bowl MVP, completed 21 of 34 passes for 221 yards and rushed for 155 on nine attempts for the Longhorns (10-3). Manning joined his famous uncle Peyton as a Citrus Bowl MVP. The elder Manning played in the game in back-to-back seasons for Tennessee and won MVP honors in a victory over Northwestern on Jan. 1, 1997.

Christian Clark took over the ball-carrying duties with four Texas running backs opting out of the contest and he rushed for 105 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries.

Bryce Underwood completed 23 of 42 passes for 199 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions while rushing for 69 yards and a score for Michigan (9-4).

No. 23 Iowa 34, No. 14 Vanderbilt 27

Mark Gronowski threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to help the Hawkeyes overcome a late surge to beat the Commodores in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Fla.

Gronowski, who won back-to-back FCS national titles at South Dakota State (2022, 2023) before spending his final season with the Hawkeyes (9-4), completed 16 of 22 passes for 212 yards and an interception, adding 54 rushing yards. Selected the game’s Most Valuable Player, Gronowski extended his own NCAA wins record, finishing his collegiate career with 58, the most at any level.

The Commodores (10-3) scored four of the final five times they touched the ball after tallying just three first-half points. Heisman runner-up Diego Pavia was largely muted in the first half before awakening in the second half to finish with 347 passing yards and a team-high 36 rushing yards to account for a combined three scores in his final collegiate game.

No. 15 Utah 44, Nebraska 22

Devon Dampier accounted for five touchdowns and 458 yards of total offense and the Utes scored 37 consecutive points to beat the Cornhuskers in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Utah (11-2) ended a five-game bowl losing streak and scored a win in Morgan Scalley’s coaching debut. Scalley, Utah’s defensive coordinator since 2016, was promoted to head coach after Kyle Whittingham resigned. Whittingham was expected to coach the game but left earlier in the week to join Michigan.

Nebraska (7-6) lost its third straight game and fourth out of five after a 6-2 start. TJ Lateef threw for 182 yards, a TD and an interception and ran for a score.

Duke 42, Arizona State 39

Darian Mensah’s fourth touchdown pass of the day went to Que’Sean Brown for 17 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:10 remaining as the Blue Devils held off the Sun Devils to win the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.

Brown caught the ball behind the line of scrimmage and made his way down the left sideline for his second TD of the game as the Blue Devils (9-5) followed their Atlantic Coast Conference championship with another postseason triumph. Mensah was 29 of 51 for 327 yards, with Brown making 10 catches for 178 yards and two TDs — all game highs. Nate Sheppard rushed for 170 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.

Arizona State quarterback Jeff Sims threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more. He was 27 of 38 for 375 passing yards. Jalen Moss collected 129 receiving yards with a touchdown on five catches, and Jason Brown Jr. rushed for 120 yards for the Sun Devils (8-5).

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NFL NEWS

WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 18

Below are the players and teams that can set historic marks or reach career milestones in Week 18 of the 2025 NFL season, including:

• Worst to First
• DE Myles Garrett
• QB Matthew Stafford
• QB Trevor Lawrence
• QB Justin Herbert
• RB Derrick Henry
• RB Christian McCaffrey
• RB Jonathan Taylor
• RB Bijan Robinson
• WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
• WR Puca Nacua
• WR Justin Jefferson 

WORST TO FIRST

Chicago and New England won division championships this season after finishing last in their divisions in 2024. In 20 of the past 23 seasons (2003-25), at least one team finished in first place in its division the season after finishing in last or tied for last place.

With a win on Saturday night against Seattle (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC), San Francisco will clinch the NFC West after finishing last in the division in 2024, earning their third division title in the past four seasons.

With a win on Saturday against Tampa Bay (4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC) or an Atlanta loss, Carolina will clinch their first NFC South division title since 2015 after finishing tied for last in the division in 2024.

If Carolina and San Francisco both win their divisions, four teams will have gone from worst to first in 2025, the most such teams in a season all-time. 

For the Week 18 playoff scenarios, click here.

MYLES GARRETT

Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett leads the league with 22 sacks and ranks first in the NFL with 124.5 sacks since entering the league in 2017, the second-most by a player in his first nine seasons since 1982 (Reggie White, 137 sacks). 

Garrett, who plays on Sunday at Cincinnati (1 p.m. ET, CBS), can surpass Michael Strahan (22.5 sacks in 2001 with the New York Giants) and T.J. Watt (22.5 in 2021 with Pittsburgh) for the most sacks in a season since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.   

The players with the most sacks in a season since 1982:

MATTHEW STAFFORD

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford leads the NFL with 42 touchdown passes and is the only quarterback in the league this season with multiple touchdown passes in 14 games. 

With at least two touchdown passes against Arizona on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX), Stafford can become the third player in NFL history with multiple touchdown passes in 15 games in a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning (2013 with Denver) and Dan Marino (1984 with Miami).

Stafford, who has eight interceptions this season, can become the third player in NFL history with at least 45 touchdown passes and fewer than 10 interceptions in a season, joining Tom Brady (2007 with New England) and Aaron Rodgers (2011 and 2020 with Green Bay).

Additionally, with two touchdown passes in Week 18, Stafford, who is 37 years old, can surpass Tom Brady (43 touchdown passes in 2021 with Tampa Bay) for the second-most touchdown passes in a single season by a quarterback age 37-or-older in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (55 touchdown passes in 2013 with Denver) has more.

The players age 37-or-older with the most touchdown passes in a season in NFL history:

Stafford, who has 419 career touchdown passes, can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (420 touchdown passes) for the seventh-most regular season touchdown passes in NFL history. Only Tom Brady (649 touchdown passes), Drew Brees (571), Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (539), Aaron Rodgers (526, entering Week 18), Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre (508) and Philip Rivers (425, entering Week 18) have more.

TREVOR LAWRENCE

Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence is tied for second among quarterbacks with nine rushing touchdowns, tied for fifth with 26 touchdown passes and seventh with 3,752 passing yards this season.

With a rushing touchdown against Tennessee on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX), Lawrence can become the fourth quarterback in NFL history with at least 25 touchdown passes and 10 rushing touchdowns in a season, joining Josh Allen (2023-25 with Buffalo), Kyler Murray (2020 with Arizona) and Cam Newton (2015 with Carolina).

With 248 passing yards in Week 18, Lawrence can become the third quarterback all-time with at least 4,000 passing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in a season, joining Josh Allen (2023 with Buffalo) and Cam Newton (2011 with Carolina).

DERRICK HENRY

Baltimore running back Derrick Henry ranks second with 16 rushing touchdowns and third with 1,469 rushing yards this season. Since entering the NFL in 2016, Henry leads the league with 122 rushing touchdowns, the fourth-most in NFL history.

With a rushing touchdown at Pittsburgh on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), Henry can tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen (123 rushing touchdowns) for the third-most rushing touchdowns in NFL history, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith (164) and LaDainian Tomlinson (145).

Henry has 41 career games with at least 100 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown and in Week 18, can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown (41 games) for the fifth-most such games in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith (56 games), Walter Payton (48), Barry Sanders (43) and LaDainian Tomlinson (43) have more.

With 31 rushing yards in Week 18, Henry can join Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders as the only players in NFL history with at least 1,500 rushing yards in five career seasons.

 CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY

San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey ranks first among running backs this season with 96 receptions and 890 receiving yards, and second with 2,069 scrimmage yards.

McCaffrey is the only running back all-time with at least 100 receptions in multiple seasons and with four receptions on Saturday night against Seattle (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC), he can become the only running back all-time with at least 100 receptions in multiple seasons and the first to do so in three career seasons.

McCaffrey, who also has 1,179 rushing yards this season, can join Pro Football Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk and Lenny Moore as the only running backs in NFL history with at least 900 receiving yards in multiple seasons and the first player all-time with at least 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in multiple career seasons.

McCaffrey has 620 career receptions and with five receptions in Week 18, can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (624 receptions) for the third-most receptions by a running back in NFL history. Only Larry Centers (827 receptions) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk (767) have more.

With 78 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns in Week 18, McCaffrey can become the sixth player all-time under the age of 30 with at least 13,000 scrimmage yards and 100 touchdowns, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Marshall Faulk, Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith and LaDainian Tomlinson.

With a touchdown reception in Week 18, McCaffrey, who has 36 touchdown receptions, can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk (36 touchdown receptions) for the most touchdown receptions by a running back since 1970.

JONATHAN TAYLOR

Indianapolis running back Jonathan Taylor leads the NFL with 20 touchdowns (18 rushing, two receiving) and ranks third with 1,924 scrimmage yards. Since entering the league in 2020, Taylor ranks second with 69 rushing touchdowns.

With 76 scrimmage yards on Sunday at Houston (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Taylor can become the third player in NFL history with at least 2,000 scrimmage yards and 20 touchdowns in multiple career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk and Priest Holmes.

With a rushing touchdown in Week 18, Taylor, who is 26 years old, can tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown (70 rushing touchdowns) for the third-most rushing touchdowns by a player under the age of 27 in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith (96 rushing touchdowns) and LaDainian Tomlinson (72) have more.

The players under the age of 27 with the most rushing touchdowns in NFL history:

BIJAN ROBINSON

Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson leads the NFL with 2,255 scrimmage yards in 2025 and leads all players with 5,605 scrimmage yards since entering the league in 2023.

With a touchdown reception on Sunday against New Orleans (1 p.m. ET, FOX), Robinson – who has 25 rushing touchdowns and nine receiving touchdowns in his career – can become the fifth player all-time with 25 rushing touchdowns and 10 receiving touchdowns in his first three seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen, Chuck Foreman, Abner Haynes and Alvin Kamara.

With 116 scrimmage yards in Week 18, Robinson can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (2,370 scrimmage yards in 2003 with San Diego) for the fifth-most scrimmage yards in a single season in NFL history. Only Chris Johnson (2,509 scrimmage yards in 2009 with Tennessee), Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk (2,429 in 1999 with the St. Louis Rams), Christian McCaffrey (2,392 in 2019 with Carolina) and Tiki Barber (2,390 in 2005 with the New York Giants) have more.

The players with the most scrimmage yards in a season in NFL history:

With 212 scrimmage yards in Week 18 – a mark he has surpassed twice this season – Robinson can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson (5,816 scrimmage yards) for the second-most scrimmage yards by a player in their first three seasons in NFL history, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (6,145).    

The players with the most scrimmage yards in their first three seasons in NFL history:

Robinson, who has 29 career games with at least 100 scrimmage yards, can become the third player in NFL history with at least 100 scrimmage yards in 30 games in his first three career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson (34 games) and Edgerrin James (32).

JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA

Seattle wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the NFL with 1,709 receiving yards this season.   

With at least 101 receiving yards at San Francisco on Saturday night (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC), Smith-Njigba, who is 23 years old, can surpass Justin Jefferson (1,809 receiving yards in 2022) for the most receiving yards by a player under the age of 24 in a season all-time.

With 91 receiving yards in Week 18, Smith-Njigba can become the seventh player all-time with at least 1,800 receiving yards in a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Calvin Johnson (1,964 receiving yards in 2012 with Detroit) and  Jerry Rice (1,848 in 1995 with San Francisco) as well as Cooper Kupp (1,947 in 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams), Julio Jones (1,871 in 2015 with Atlanta), Antonio Brown (1,834 in 2015 with Pittsburgh) and Justin Jefferson (1,809 in 2022 with Minnesota).

The players with at least 1,800 receiving yards in a season in NFL history:

Smith-Njigba, who has 13 games with at least 90 receiving yards this season, can join Cooper Kupp (16 games in 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams) as the only players all-time with at least 90 receiving yards in 14 games in a single season.

PUKA NACUA

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua ranks second in the league with 4,115 receiving yards and fifth with 303 receptions since entering the NFL in 2023.

With at least 49 receiving yards against Arizona on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX), Nacua can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (4,163 receiving yards with Minnesota) for the second-most receiving yards by a player in their first three seasons in NFL history, trailing only Justin Jefferson (4,825).  

The players with the most receiving yards in their first three seasons in NFL history:

Nacua, who has 34 games with at least five receptions, can join Michael Thomas (37 games) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (35) as the only players in NFL history with at least five receptions in 35 games in their first three career seasons.

JUSTIN JEFFERSON

Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson leads the league with 8,379 receiving yards since entering the NFL in 2020.

Jefferson has 947 receiving yards this season and with 53 receiving yards on Sunday against Green Bay (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Jefferson can become the third player ever with at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first six seasons, joining Mike Evans and Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss.

PATRIOTS COACH ECHOES SUPPORT FOR STEFON DIGGS; HASN’T HEARD FROM NFL FOLLOWING CRIMINAL CHARGES

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said Wednesday that he hasn’t heard anything from the NFL that would prevent Stefon Diggs from playing in Sunday’s regular-season finale as the receiver faces strangulation and other criminal charges in connection with a dispute with his former private chef.

The Patriots voiced their support for Diggs in a statement Tuesday after the allegations became public. Vrabel echoed that support.

“We’ve made a statement and we’ve taken the allegations very seriously,” Vrabel said. “I don’t think we have to jump to any sort of conclusions right now. Let the process take its toll.”

Diggs didn’t speak with reporters Wednesday as he has typically done throughout the season. But he was in the locker room prior to practice and on the practice field with the team.

The NFL issued a statement saying Diggs is eligible to play.

News of the charges against Diggs emerged after a court hearing Tuesday in Dedham, Massachusetts. Diggs is charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery.

According to police, the chef told investigators that Diggs hit her and tried to choke her during a discussion about money.

Diggs’ lawyer, David Meier, said in an emailed statement that Diggs “categorically denies these allegations.” Meier described the allegations as unsubstantiated and uncorroborated.

A court arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 23.

Vrabel said he didn’t anticipate the situation being a distraction for his team. The Patriots are currently 13-3 and have already wrapped up their first AFC East title since 2019. With a victory against Miami on Sunday and a loss or tie by the Denver Broncos against the Chargers, New England would also secure the conference’s top seed in the playoffs and a first-round bye.

“I think these are allegations. … Things that we have to handle,” Vrabel said. “Every day there are distractions, some are smaller than others. I’m confident that we’ll focus on the Dolphins.”

Diggs, 32, joined New England before this season after a trade from Houston. He has been a standout player for the Patriots, leading the team with 82 catches and 970 yards receiving.

PATRIOTS DEFENSIVE LINEMAN CHRISTIAN BARMORE ACCUSED OF THROWING GIRLFRIEND TO THE GROUND

New England Patriots defensive lineman Christian J. Barmore is facing a domestic assault and battery charge after his girlfriend told police he threw her to the ground in August at his home outside Boston.

A criminal complaint issued Dec. 18 claims Barmore, 26, briefly took the woman’s phone, threw her to the ground and grabbed her by the shirt inside the home in Mansfield, Massachusetts.

Mansfield Police Sgt. John Armstrong said the woman called police on Aug. 25 to report what had occurred almost three weeks earlier. The woman told police she had stayed at the home periodically during their relationship of several years.

Barmore’s lawyer, David Meier, issued a statement Wednesday saying “the evidence will demonstrate that no criminal conduct took place.” Meier called it a personal matter and said he expected it to be “resolved in the near future and both parties will move forward together.”

The woman told police she took their daughter early the morning of Aug. 8 into Barmore’s bedroom, where Barmore was upset because the thermostat was 2 degrees warmer than he preferred. She said their daughter wanted to see him.

She claimed Barmore “picked up the child, placed her on the floor just outside the master bedroom, turned back into the room and slammed the door shut,” according to police.

As the woman packed her belongings to leave later in the day, Barmore took the phone from her hand and disconnected a call with the woman’s mother, according to the criminal complaint. When she headed for the front door to call for help, police said, Barmore allegedly “grabbed her before she could and threw her to the floor.”

Barmore grabbed her by the shirt but “eventually let go” and the woman got up, she told police. A car provided by the team picked up the woman and their daughter and drove them to Delaware. She provided police with a photo showing bruises she said occurred when she was thrown to the floor.

New England coach Mike Vrabel said Barmore was away from the team with an illness Wednesday but that he hadn’t heard anything that would make him unavailable to play Sunday.

“We’ve made a statement and we’ve taken the allegations very seriously,” Vrabel said, referring to allegations against both Barmore and receiver Stefon Diggs. Diggs has been charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery in a dispute with his former private chef.

“I don’t think we have to jump to any sort of conclusions right now. Let the process take its toll,” Vrabel said.

An arraignment was scheduled for early February. The charge is a misdemeanor.

The team’s public relations office e-mailed a statement saying it had been aware of the matter when it occurred and notified the league.

“The matter remains part of an ongoing legal process. We will respect that process, continue to monitor the situation closely, as we have over the past few months, and cooperate fully with the league,” the Patriots said.

Barmore was a second-round pick in 2021 out of the University of Alabama.

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MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

TOP 25 ROUNDUP: VIRGINIA TECH TAKES DOWN NO. 21 VIRGINIA IN 3 OTS

Ben Hammond came off the bench to score 10 of his career-high 30 points in the third overtime as Virginia Tech outlasted No. 21 Virginia 95-85 in the Commonwealth Clash on Wednesday afternoon in Blacksburg, Va.

Christian Gurdak contributed 17 points and 19 rebounds as the injury-riddled Hokies (12-2, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) overcame the loss of three starters to win their sixth straight game.

Amani Hansberry delivered 17 points and 15 rebounds for Virginia Tech, while Neoklis Avdalas added 17 points and eight rebounds. The Hokes were without Tyler Johnson, who was on crutches with an undisclosed injury, joining Tobi Lawal (foot) and Antonio Dorn (back) on the sideline.

Malik Thomas scored 26 points and Thijs De Ridder added 22 points and 13 rebounds to pace Virginia (11-2, 0-1), which saw its six-game winning streak end.

No. 4 UConn 90, Xavier 67

Alex Karaban scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Huskies to a win over the Musketeers in Cincinnati.

Braylon Mullins amassed 17 points, six rebounds and four assists for UConn (13-1, 3-0 Big East). Solo Ball came back after missing one game with a wrist injury to score 17 points.

Malik Messina-Moore led the Musketeers (9-5, 1-2) with 16 points. UConn dominated from the 3-point arc, hitting 13 of 28 (46.4%). The Musketeers were just 4 of 18 (22.2%) on long-distance attempts.

No. 6 Duke 85, Georgia Tech 79

Freshman Cameron Boozer totaled a game-high 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Blue Devils, who fought off the Yellow Jackets for a victory in both teams’ Atlantic Coast Conference opener in Durham, N.C.

Isaiah Evans added 17 points, while Cayden Boozer scored 13 for Duke (12-1, 1-0 ACC), which rebounded from its first loss of the season — an 82-81 defeat against then-No. 19 Texas Tech on Dec. 20.

Kowacie Reeves Jr. tied his career high with 23 points to lead Georgia Tech (9-5, 0-1), which fell to 0-4 against major-conference opponents. The Yellow Jackets were outrebounded 42-28 and were outscored 24-11 at the free-throw line.

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WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 4 UCLA STAYS HOT, CRUSHES PENN ST.

Lauren Betts poured in a game-high 25 points on 11-of-19 shooting to lead No. 4 UCLA to its seventh straight victory, a 97-61 wire-to-wire walloping of Penn State on Monday in University Park, Pa.

Betts scored 10 points in the first quarter as the Bruins (13-1, 3-0 Big Ten) shot 57.9% from the field, built a 29-12 lead and never looked back. Gianna Kneepkens added 17 points, Kiki Rice scored 16 and Sienna Betts chipped in 10 for UCLA, which led by 38 late in the game.

Lauren Betts and Gabriela Jaquez each grabbed a game-high seven rebounds and Charlisse Leger-Walker dished out a game-high eight assists for the Bruins, who shot 52.9% (36 of 68) from the field and 50% from 3-point range (9 of 18). UCLA outscored Penn State 46-26 in points in the paint and scored 24 points off 18 turnovers.

For the Lady Lions (7-7, 0-3), Gracie Merkle came off the bench to score 15 points on 6-for-6 shooting from the field, while Kiyomi McMiller scored 13 and secured six rebounds. Penn State, which has lost three straight and six of seven, shot 43.6% (24 of 55) from the field and just 21.1% (4 of 19) from beyond the arc.

No. 1 UConn 90, Providence 53

Azzi Fudd notched game highs of 18 points and six assists to lead four double-digit scorers as the Huskies remained undefeated with a blowout of the host Friars.

Sarah Strong chipped in 17 points and a game-high seven rebounds, Blanca Quinonez added 11 points and Jana El Alfy scored 10 for UConn (14-0, 5-0 Big East), which jumped out a 30-7 lead after one quarter and led by 38 late in the third. The Huskies excelled from the field, shooting 55% (33 of 60) and made 12 of 26 shots from 3-point range.

Sabou Gueye scored 12 for the Friars (8-7, 1-3), but also committed seven of the team’s 30 turnovers, which the Huskies turned into 41 points. Payton Dunbar and Princess Moody each chipped in 11 points for Providence, which has lost five of its last seven after shooting 35.4% (17 of 48) from the field and 42.1% (8 of 19) from beyond the arc.

No. 10 Iowa State 80, Houston 62

Audi Crooks posted her fifth straight game of 30-plus points, scoring a game-high 35 on 17-of-21 shooting from the field, as the undefeated Cyclones took down the host Cougars.

Crooks added a team-high 13 rebounds while Jada Williams posted a double-double of 16 points and a game-high 14 assists for Iowa State (14-0, 2-0 Big 12), which broke open a close game by outscoring Houston 28-17 in the second quarter. The Cyclones shot well from both the field (53.1%) and 3-point range (50%) and dominated points in the paint (52-24).

Briana Peguero paced the Cougars (6-7, 0-2) with 14 points, with Jade Jones adding 11 and TK Pitts stuffing the stat sheet with nine points along with a game-high 15 rebounds and four steals. Houston has lost four of its last five after a 5-3 start.

No. 19 Ohio State 83, Purdue 56

Jaloni Cambridge scored 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out a game-high seven assists as the Buckeyes cruised to a victory over the Boilermakers in West Lafayette, Ind.

Kennedy Cambridge scored 16, Chance Gray chipped in 14 points and Kylee Kitts contributed nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds as the Buckeyes (12-2, 2-1 Big Ten) built a 13-point lead after one quarter and never trailed. Ohio State was outrebounded 40-39, but scored 29 points off 26 Purdue turnovers.

The Boilermakers (8-6, 0-3), who shot just 30.2% (16 of 53) from the field, compared to 42% for the Buckeyes (29 of 69), were led by Madison Layden-Zay, who scored a game-high 17 points. Nya Smith posted 11 points and Tara Daye added 10 as Purdue lost its second straight game following a three-game win streak.

No. 22 Baylor 77, Oklahoma State 68

Taliah Scott finished with a game-high 24 points as the Bears rallied from a 19-point deficit to avoid an upset bid by the Cowgirls in Stillwater, Okla.

Trailing 60-41 late in the third, Baylor (12-3, 1-1 Big 12) went on a 25-4 run to take a 66-64 lead with 3:34 remaining in regulation. Scott scored nine of her points during that stretch, and finished 13 of 15 from the free-throw line. Jana Van Gytenbeek notched 17 points and a game-high eight assists, while Kayla Nelms chipped in 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Baylor won despite shooting just 41.7% (25 of 60) from the field.

Jaydn Wooten led a quintet of double-figure scorers for Oklahoma State (12-3, 1-1) before fouling out. Achol Akot delivered 14 points and a game-high 10 boards and Micah Gray also scored 14, while Amari Whiting and Stailee Heard each scored 10. The Cowgirls, who shot 40.6% (26 of 64) from the field, have dropped two of their last four after a 10-1 start.

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NBA NEWS

NBA ROUNDUP: JULIAN CHAMPAGNIE (11 TREYS) LEADS SPURS PAST KNICKS

Julian Champagnie poured in career-high 36 points and set a team record with 11 3-pointers as the host San Antonio Spurs roared from behind to beat the New York Knicks 134-132 on Wednesday in a rematch of the NBA Cup final.

San Antonio snapped a two-game losing streak but also saw star center Victor Wembanyama leave the game due to a left leg injury with 10:32 to play. He later returned to the Spurs bench and reports indicated that Wembanyama sustained a hyperextended knee but that he felt confident the injury is not significant.

Wembanyama racked up 31 points and 13 rebounds in 24 minutes of play before coming down awkwardly on his left leg while attempting to secure an offensive rebound. He stayed down until teammate Stephon Castle helped him up, then hobbled his way to straight to the locker room.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 29 points and eight assists. Miles McBride added 21 points while Karl-Anthony Towns and Jordan Clarkson hit for 20 each as New York saw its three-game winning streak end.

Warriors 132, Hornets 125

Stephen Curry celebrated a homecoming with a team-high 26 points, nine teammates added to a 3-point shooting barrage and Golden State held off host Charlotte.

Playing for the 13th time in the state in which he starred both in high school and in college, Curry drilled five of his 10 3-point shots on a day when the Warriors went a sizzling 24 of 49 from beyond the arc. Brandin Podziemski and Jimmy Butler III added 19 points apiece for Golden State, which completed a 2-1 trip after losing the opener in Toronto.

Brandon Miller put up a season-best 33 points for the Hornets, who completed a winless two-game homestand.

Magic 112, Pacers 110

Paolo Banchero scored the go-ahead layup with 7.5 seconds left to lift Orlando over Indiana in Indianapolis.

Banchero scored a game-high 29 points and added 10 rebounds for the Magic, who allowed just 15 points in the fourth quarter. Desmond Bane added 18 points while Anthony Black chipped in 15.

Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 26 points, followed by Bennedict Mathurin’s 23 and Andrew Nembhard’s 19. The Pacers took their 10th straight loss.

Wizards 114, Bucks 113

CJ McCollum scored the game’s final four points, including a jumper with 1.2 seconds remaining in regulation, and Washington rallied for a road win over Milwaukee.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 14-footer with 0.4 seconds remaining was off the mark, giving the Wizards their third win in the past four outings. Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington each compiled 20 points for Washington, and McCollum finished with 18 points.

Antetokounmpo totaled 33 points and 15 rebounds, and Kevin Porter Jr. added 19 points for the Bucks.

Nuggets 106, Raptors 103

Peyton Watson scored 24 points and added eight rebounds as injury-depleted Denver defeated host Toronto.

Jamal Murray added 21 points for the Nuggets, who played their first game since Nikola Jokic sustained a knee injury that will keep him out for at least a month. Denver’s Jonas Valanciunas exited the game with a strained right calf.

The Raptors’ Brandon Ingram sank a 3-pointer that would have tied the game, but a video review showed that the attempt did not beat the buzzer. Ingram scored 30 points, and teammate Scottie Barnes compiled 20 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists.

Hawks 126, Timberwolves 102

Jalen Johnson and Kristaps Porzingis both returned to the lineup and led host Atlanta past Minnesota, ending a seven-game losing streak while beating the Timberwolves in Atlanta for the third straight time.

Johnson, who missed a Monday game with an illness, had 34 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and extended his streak of double-doubles to 14 straight contests. Porzingis, who missed 10 straight games with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, scored 16 points in 17-plus minutes.

Minnesota was led by Anthony Edwards with 30 points, 24 of them coming in the first half. However, Edwards tossed a towel in frustration and walked out of a timeout huddle and into the locker room with 7:52 remaining.

Cavaliers 129, Suns 113

Donovan Mitchell collected 34 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists and Darius Garland scored 19 points as Cleveland beat visiting Phoenix 129-113.

Evan Mobley posted 16 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots while Jarrett Allen had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who won their second straight.

Devin Booker scored 19 of his 32 points in the third quarter for the Suns, who had their four-game winning streak snapped. Dillon Brooks put up 20 points as Phoenix finished a four-game road trip with a 3-1 record.

Thunder 124, Trail Blazers 95

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points while leading Oklahoma City to a home win over Portland.

Ajay Mitchell scored 17 off the bench for the Thunder, who won three consecutive games to close their four-game homestand. Oklahoma City took the season series between the teams 3-1, winning the last three matchups.

Sidy Cissoko led the Blazers with 19 points and a career-high five 3-pointers while Deni Avdija added 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Portland’s two-game winning streak was snapped.

Bulls 134, Pelicans 118

Isaac Okoro scored 24 points, Tre Jones and Jalen Smith had double-doubles and host Chicago had eight double-figure scorers in a victory against New Orleans.

Jones finished with 20 points and 12 assists while Smith had 14 points and 14 rebounds. The balanced offense enabled the Bulls to overcome the absence of their top two scorers — guards Coby White (calf) and Josh Giddey (hamstring).

Zion Williamson scored 31 and Jordan Poole recorded 26 for the Pelicans, who lost their fifth consecutive game after a five-game winning streak.

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NHL NEWS

DAVID PASTRNAK’S 3-POINT EFFORT HELPS BRUINS POUND OILERS, END SKID

David Pastrnak tallied two goals and an assist to help the visiting Boston Bruins snap a six-game losing streak with a convincing 6-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.

The Bruins led 2-0 at the first intermission and produced two goals in each period. Pastrnak’s goals bookended the scoring.

Elias Lindholm and Hampus Lindholm each notched a goal and an assist, Jonathan Aspirot and Casey Mittelstadt also scored and Viktor Arvidsson and Fraser Minten dished out two assists apiece to help Boston snap a 0-4-2 run.

Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman stopped 34 of the 36 shots he faced, backstopping a 5-for-5 penalty kill.

Zach Hyman and Jack Roslovic scored and Connor Ingram made 23 saves for Edmonton, which has lost two of its past three games.

Connor McDavid extended his point streak to 14 games (13 goals, 21 assists) with the primary helper on Hyman’s goal.

The Bruins built an early 6-1 edge in shots on the strength of their power play. Seconds after a 5-on-3 power because a 5-on-4 edge, Pastrnak put Boston up 1-0 when he took the carom off the end wall and banked in a shot off Ingram’s pad from the goal line at 7:28.

Swayman sprawled out to save a McDavid breakaway with 6:02 left in the first. The Bruins goaltender also made multiple close-range stops on the Edmonton captain during a kill that started less than a minute later.

Mittelstadt doubled the Boston lead with 1:47 left before the first intermission, taking Arvidsson’s drop feed entering the zone and ripping home a short-side shot from the left dot.

The hosts clawed back at 2-1 as McDavid weaved through the defense and dished a backhand feed for Hyman to one-time by Swayman with 40.2 seconds to go in the period.

Arvidsson started the play that led to Hampus Lindholm’s goal at 7:05 of the second. After Arvidsson brought the puck over the line and fed it back to Fraser Minten, the defenseman got the puck and fired a high shot past Ingram from the left side just after a power play expired.

The Boston lead grew to three with 1:41 left in the middle frame, as Aspirot forced a turnover in the defensive zone before jumping up and burying a Pastrnak feed at the end of a rush.

Following Swayman’s stop of a Roslovic break-in off the third-period draw, Elias Lindholm continued the Bruins’ run with a snap shot that deflected in off Ingram at 4:20.

Roslovic did net a wrister from the left circle to make it 5-2 at 7:22.

Pastrnak scored off Minten’s one-time feed with 5:26 remaining.

FLAMES MAINTAIN STRONG HOME FORM WHILE TROUNCING FLYERS

Connor Zary scored and added an assist as the Calgary Flames topped the Philadelphia Flyers 5-1 on Wednesday night, extending their home winning streak to five games.

Calgary, which improved to 10-1-1 in its past 12 home games, wrapped up December with a 9-4-0 record.

Mikael Backlund, Jonathan Huberdeau, Rasmus Andersson and Yegor Sharangovich also scored for the Flames, who are 15-4-2 in games played on New Year’s Eve since the 2000-01 season.

Matt Coronato and MacKenzie Weegar each added a pair of assists for Calgary, which has won five of its past six games overall. Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf made 25 saves to extend his home win streak to seven games.

Travis Konecny tallied for the Flyers, who lost for just the second time in five games. Samuel Ersson stopped 20 shots.

Zary made it 5-1 at 9:37 of the third, picking up the loose puck off the Nikita Grebenkin turnover behind the Flyers’ net and snapping a shot past Ersson.

The Flames scored three times in the second period to open a 4-1 lead.

Calgary went up 2-0 at 3:08 of the middle frame as Huberdeau’s shot hit Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale and got past Ersson.

Konecny got the Flyers on the board at 8:49 of the second period as Flames forward Nazem Kadri knocked in the rebound off Konecny’s shot.

Andersson restored the Flames’ two-goal lead on a 5-on-3 power play, one-timing a Zary pass by Ersson.

Calgary made it a three-goal margin on a power play at 17:52 of the second as Sharangovich snapped a shot past Ersson.

Philadelphia outshot Calgary 4-3 in the first period, but it was the Flames with a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes.

Backlund opened the scoring at 13:30, one-timing a Coronato feed glove-side past Ersson. With the goal, the Flames captain extended his point streak to six games (five goals, four assists).

On Wednesday afternoon, the Flyers made a minor league trade, acquiring forward Philip Tomasino from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Egor Zamula.

AVALANCHE START FAST, BLOW OUT BLUES FOR 9TH CONSECUTIVE WIN

Nathan MacKinnon recorded two goals to top 400 for his career and added two assists as the Colorado Avalanche won their ninth in a row, downing the St. Louis Blues 6-1 in Denver on Wednesday.

Valeri Nichushkin notched his second career hat trick, Brock Nelson had a goal and added an assist, the 300th of his career, and Josh Manson produced two assists for Colorado.

MacKinnon, who now has 401 goals, is the third player in franchise history to reach the mark and the first to do it all with Colorado. Joe Sakic, the franchise leader with 625, had 391 with the Avalanche, and Michel Goulet is second with 456, all with the Quebec Nordiques.

Mackenzie Blackwood turned away 12 shots for Avalanche but was denied his third shutout of the season when Dalibor Dvorsky scored late in the third period.

Colorado remains unbeaten in regulation at home (17-0-2), where it has won 15 straight. The Avalanche have just two regulation losses through 39 games.

Jordan Binnington made 37 saves for St. Louis, which has dropped two straight and had a season-low shot total.

The Avalanche blitzed the Blues from the start, scoring four times in the first 4:39. Nichushkin started the onslaught a minute into the game, and MacKinnon atoned for his goaltender-interference infraction that erased a potential Cale Makar goal when he knocked in a rebound at 3:13.

Nichushkin got his second 13 seconds later, and MacKinnon’s one-timer 1:13 after that made it 4-0. It was the fastest four goals to start a game in franchise history and third fastest in NHL history.

MacKinnon now has 34 goals, which leads the NHL, and he has 70 points. The Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid, who was the league leader, also collected his 70th point on Wednesday.

The score remained 4-0 until midway through the second period when Nelson scored a rare power-play goal for Colorado. The Avalanche hadn’t connected on a man advantage in the previous three games. Dvorsky tallied at 14:32 of the third, and Nichushkin answered at 16:06.

SABRES SKATE PAST STARS FOR FRANCHISE-RECORD-TYING 10TH STRAIGHT WIN

Tage Thompson logged two goals and an assist as the Buffalo Sabres tied a franchise record with their 10th straight win, beating the host Dallas Stars 4-1 on Wednesday.

Josh Doan and Bowen Byram each had a goal and an assist and Noah Ostlund notched two assists for the Sabres, who also won 10 in a row in 1983-84, 2006-07 and 2018-19. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 28 saves for his third consecutive victory.

Mavrik Bourque scored and Casey DeSmith stopped 27 shots for the Stars, who have lost three straight (0-2-1). Dallas hadn’t dropped three in a row since an 0-3-1 stretch in October.

Bourque gave Dallas a 1-0 lead 15 seconds into the contest. Luukkonen stopped Miro Heiskanen’s point shot that deflected off Jason Robertson’s stick, but the rebound bounced in front and Bourque got his stick on it to put it past Luukkonen stick side.

Buffalo wasn’t fazed and pushed the pace in the opening period in pursuit of the equalizer but still trailed 1-0 at the first intermission.

The Sabres finally broke through at 7:44 of the second period, courtesy of Doan. Thompson gathered a loose puck at the Stars’ blue line, held it in the corner and then took it behind the net, where he protected it before feeding Doan in the left circle for a snap shot that beat DeSmith short side to tie it 1-1.

Byram put the Sabres ahead 2-1 at 17:05 of the middle frame. Ostlund took a short pass from Alex Tuch inside the defensive zone and sent it across the ice into the neutral zone for Byram, who had jumped up on the other side. The defenseman then carried it to the right circle and snapped it far side.

Thompson pushed the lead to 3-1 at 9:21 of the third period. DeSmith stopped Byram’s shot from the blue line and Doan’s whack at the rebound, but Thompson wouldn’t be denied on the doorstep blocker side.

Thompson tallied his 20th of the season to make it 4-1 just over two minutes later. He took a centering feed from Ostlund at the top of the slot and fired a snap shot inside the right post.

DEVILS RALLY PAST BLUE JACKETS WITH 3 THIRD-PERIOD GOALS

Nico Hischier, Arseny Gritsyuk and Luke Hughes scored within a two-minute span early in the third period Wednesday night for the visiting New Jersey Devils, who stormed back to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2.

Mason Marchment and Charlie Coyle scored in the first and second for the Blue Jackets before Kirill Marchenko sparked the Devils’ rally by getting whistled for hooking 2:45 into the third.

Hischier won the subsequent faceoff deep in the Blue Jackets’ zone and cut the gap in half four seconds later when Luke Hughes’ shot from the slot glanced off his stick and trickled under the legs of teammate Stefen Noesen and Blue Jackets goalie Jet Greaves.

Gritsyuk capped an end-to-end rush and tied the score 55 seconds later, when his shot from the right faceoff circle sailed beyond Greaves’ glove.

Another faceoff win for the Devils led to Luke Hughes’ go-ahead goal at 4:45. Cody Glass outdueled Adam Fantilli to begin the sequence that ended with Luke Hughes beating Greaves stick side from the left faceoff circle.

Jake Allen made 33 saves for the Devis, who snapped a four-game losing streak (0-3-1) as they finished December with a 5-9-1 record.

Greaves recorded 30 saves for the Blue Jackets, whose three-game winning streak ended.

Marchment extended his point streak with his new club by scoring 6:18 into the first. Allen got a glove on Marchenko’s shot from the slot but couldn’t corral it before Marchment reached in and buried the rebound over Allen’s blocker.

The Blue Jackets doubled the lead in similar fashion late in the second. Columbus defenseman Dante Fabbro stole the puck from Jack Hughes at the Devils goal line and passed to Cole Sillinger, whose shot glanced off Boone Jenner as he collided in the crease with New Jersey defenseman Colton White. With Jenner and White on the ice, Coyle swooped in and again put the puck over Allen.

STRONG START HELPS RED WINGS EXTEND JETS’ LOSING STREAK TO 7

Dylan Larkin scored his team-high 21st goal and the host Detroit Red Wings held off the slumping Winnipeg Jets, 2-1, on Wednesday night.

Larkin and Mason Appleton scored in the first period for the Atlantic Division-leading Red Wings. John Gibson made 24 saves for Detroit, which finished 11-3-1 in the month of December. All but three of those victories were decided by a single goal.

Logan Stanley scored the lone goal for the Jets, who have lost seven straight. All but one of those defeats were decided by one goal.

Connor Hellebuyck made 17 saves.

The Jets were the more physical team, getting credited with 24 hits compared to the Red Wings’ 14. However, the Red Wings defenders helped preserve the lead by blocking 20 shots.

With John Morrissey in the penalty box for roughing, the Wings grabbed the lead midway through the first period. Larkin fired a shot that eluded Hellebuyck’s glove, with Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond collecting assists.

Appleton made it 2-0 after a Jets turnover at center ice. J.T. Compher collected the puck, skated into Winnipeg territory and passed it to Appleton, whose shot bounced off Hellebuyck’s pads, deflected off defenseman Luke Schenn and into the net.

There were four penalties called, two on each side, in the second period, and Winnipeg had an 11-6 shots on goal advantage but it didn’t affect the score.

Stanley scored with 12:56 remaining to pull the Jets within one. He took a pass from Jonathan Toews and skated into the right circle. His shot from a tough angle managed to squeeze through Gibson’s pads.

Shortly thereafter, Detroit killed off a penalty against Larkin. Gibson made a quality save against Gustav Nyquist with 1:38 remaining to clinch the Red Wings victory.

Detroit now plays a home-and-home set against Pittsburgh, beginning with a road game on Thursday. The Jets will try once again to end their slide at Toronto on Thursday.

SHARKS SWEEP SEASON SERIES FROM WILD, FINAL WIN OCCURS IN SO

Macklin Celebrini celebrated making the Canadian Olympic hockey team in a big way Wednesday as the teenage phenom added a shootout goal to his goal and assist in regulation to push the San Jose Sharks past the visiting Minnesota Wild 4-3.

Igor Chernyshov also registered a goal and an assist in the win, while Jeff Skinner added his fifth goal of the season.

Yaroslav Askarov made 20 saves in regulation and stopped both shots he faced in the shootout as San Jose won its third straight.

Marcus Foligno tallied his first goal of the season, while Vladimir Tarasenko and Mats Zuccarello also scored for the Wild.

Jesper Wallstedt stopped 25 shots, including a pair by Celebrini in overtime, to force the shootout.

Minnesota claimed the first lead on Tarasenko’s goal midway through the first period. He potted his eighth of the season, blasting a shot past Askarov on a 2-on-1 breakaway with Ryan Hartman, who got the primary assist.

San Jose jumped ahead with a pair in the second period. Chernyshov scored his third of the season — and third in as many games — just 74 seconds into the period. Celebrini earned the primary assist, his 40th of the season, to extend his points’ streak to nine games.

By reaching that milestone in his 40th game of the season, the 19-year-old became the third-fastest teenager to reach 40 assists in a season. Sidney Crosby holds the record, getting 40 in 34 games in 2006-07, and Wayne Gretzky reached it in 36 games 45 years ago.

Skinner’s power-play goal from the high slot put the Sharks ahead with 3:13 left in the second period, and Celebrini gave San Jose a two-goal lead on his 22nd of the season just 4:16 into the third. Chernyshov recorded his fifth assist in seven NHL games.

The Wild rallied to force overtime, scoring a pair just 2:07 apart. Foligno scored a tight-angle goal from the right circle, and Zuccarello’s fourth of the season was unassisted with 11:13 remaining in regulation after he intercepted a pass from Celebrini in the Wild’s attack zone.

Minnesota’s Quinn Hughes had a breakaway chance midway through the 5-minute overtime that Askarov came out to stop.

After Celebrini scored in the second round of the shootout, William Eklund clinched the win with a goal in the third round.

Each team only took one minor penalty apiece in the contest.

The Sharks won all three games in the season series — the first two ended in overtime with Celebrini and Collin Graf tallying the game-winners.

DARREN RADDYSH’S OT GOAL HELPS LIGHTNING BEAT DUCKS FOR 5TH STRAIGHT W

Darren Raddysh tallied 2:47 into overtime and the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning closed out 2025 with a 4-3 New Year’s Eve afternoon win over the Anaheim Ducks.

The defenseman took a feed from Brandon Hagel and flipped in the game-winner, beating Lukas Dostal (25 saves) after the goaltender stopped Anthony Cirelli one-on-one with no Ducks player nearby shortly before.

In their fifth straight win, the Lightning opened the three-game West Coast road swing by receiving goals from J.J. Moser, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov.

Kucherov and Raddysh also added assists. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 25 shots, and Hagel assisted on three goals.

Coach Jon Cooper was behind the bench for his 1,000th NHL game as Tampa Bay went 7-6-1 in December.

Jansen Harkins, Beckett Sennecke and Mason McTavish scored, but Anaheim fell to 1-4-2 in its past seven.

Tampa Bay defenseman Erik Cernak (hand) was back in the lineup for the first time since Nov. 22, but Anaheim blue-liner Radko Gudas (illness) missed his second straight match.

At 11:19 of the second meeting between the clubs, Point scored at the far post, but he crossed into the offensive zone early after Nikita Kucherov fumbled the puck near the blue line. The Western Conference squad successfully challenged for offside, and the goal was taken off the board.

However, a strong series of passing led to Moser letting Ducks defenseman Ian Moore slide by through the left circle before ripping in the match’s first marker at 13:30.

Late in the second, Lightning defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous coughed up the puck trying to leave the defensive end, and Ross Johnston intercepted it. Harkins tied it with a sharp-angle goal on a two-on-one at 15:17.

Point regained the lead with 49 seconds left by chipping in a wide shot by Max Crozier for a 2-1 edge after 40 minutes.

Sennecke notched his 12th goal, the most among rookies, to tie it 2-all at 3:57 into the third, but Kucherov one-timed the tiebreaking tally from the right circle on his club’s second man advantage.

On his team’s third power play, Pavel Mintyukov made a great play keeping the puck in the offensive zone, and McTavish knotted it for a third time at 13:02.

STEVEN STAMKOS TALLIES 600TH GOAL AS PREDATORS BEAT GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Steven Stamkos scored his 600th career goal to lead the Nashville Predators to a 4-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday afternoon in Las Vegas.

Stamkos roofed a one-timer from the left circle off a Filip Forsberg crossing pass at the 15:37 mark of the first period to tie the game, 2-2, and become the 22nd player in NHL history to reach 600 and the first to do it since Sidney Crosby accomplished the feat on Nov. 23, 2024. It was his 12th goal in 14 games in December and his 18th of the season.

Nick Perbix, Reid Schaefer and Michael Bunting also scored goals and Luke Evangelista had two assists for Nashville, which won for the fifth time in its last six games. Justus Annunen made 29 saves for the Predators.

Mark Stone and Ben Hutton scored goals and Pavel Dorofeyev had two assists for Vegas, which lost its third straight game and the sixth in seven games. Akira Schmid finished with 15 saves.

Vegas jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on a power-play goal by Stone, who tapped in a Dorofeyev crossing pass by the right post, and Hutton, who deflected a Tomas Hertl one-timer five-hole for his career-high sixth goal.

Nashville rallied to take a 3-2 lead with three goals in a five-minute span later in the opening period. Perbix made it 2-1 at the 11:20 mark when he ripped a wrist shot from inside the blue line past a Erik Haula screen and Schmid’s glove side.

After Stamkos’ milestone goal tied it, the Predators took a 3-2 lead 44 seconds later when Reid Schaefer’s wrist shot from the left circle caromed in off Smith.

Nashville scored its fourth consecutive goal midway through the second period when Bunting, stationed by the left post, deflected Nick Blankenburg’s shot from the right point.

Cole Smith had a chance to make it 5-2 at the 7:31 mark of the third period when he was awarded a penalty shot after being dragged down by Hutton on a breakaway but his wrist shot from the slot clanged off the right post.

Vegas, which played without center Jack Eichel and defenseman Shea Theodore for the seventh straight game, lost defenseman Brayden McNabb to a left arm injury following a nasty collision with Bunting in the neutral zone midway through the second period.

TOM WILSON POWERS CAPITALS OVER RANGERS TO CELEBRATE OLYMPIC NOD

Tom Wilson had two goals and an assist to lead the host Washington Capitals to a 6-3 win over the New York Rangers on Wednesday.

Wilson celebrated being named to the Canadian Olympic team earlier in the day by surpassing 20 goals and reaching 200 for his career.

Justin Sourdif also scored twice, Aliaksei Protas had a goal and an assist and Anthony Beauvillier added a goal for the Capitals, who won for the third time in 10 games (3-5-2). Connor McMichael and defenseman Rasmus Sandin each had two assists and Charlie Lindgren made 22 saves.

New York defenseman Adam Fox had a goal and an assist in his return after missing 14 games with an upper-body injury. Vincent Trocheck and defenseman Braden Schneider also scored for the Rangers, who are 1-3-1 in their last five. Artemi Panarin had two assists and Jonathan Quick stopped 21 shots.

The Capitals scored twice in less than four minutes in the second period to take a 3-1 lead.

Wilson broke a tie with his 20th goal 7:33 into the middle period with a one-timer from in front.

Seconds earlier, Wilson laid a big check on the Rangers’ Noah Laba along the boards in the neutral zone. Laba stayed down, was helped off after the goal and did not return due to an upper-body injury.

New York’s Sam Carrick fought Wilson in retaliation less than two minutes later. Carrick got an extra minor for roughing.

One second remained in the power play when Sourdif swatted in a loose puck with 8:48 left in the period.

Fox’s power-play goal with 4:43 left in the second period made it 3-2.

Protas scored with 6:26 remaining and Wilson’s second came with 3:23 left.

Schneider got his goal with 1:44 remaining, but Sourdif scored into an empty net in the final minute.

The Rangers’ Conor Sheary (lower-body injury) left in the second period.

Beauvillier gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead with 7:33 left in the first period.

Trocheck tied it with 40 seconds left in the opening period for his 600th career point.

Washington goaltender Logan Thompson was also named to the Canadian Olympic team Wednesday.

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TOP INDIANA HEADLINES/PRESS RELEASES

INDIANA PACERS

GAME REWIND: PACERS 110, MAGIC 112

The Pacers fell in gut-wrenching fashion in their final game of 2025, dropping a 112-110 decision to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday afternoon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Indiana (6-28) was in it all the way until the final buzzer, but Aaron Nesmith missed what would have been the game-winning three and the Pacers lost their 10th straight game.

Paolo Banchero scored the game-winning basket and had a game-high 29 points and 10 rebounds for Orlando (19-15).

Tied at 106 late in regulation, the Magic moved briefly in front on Desmond Bane’s runner with 3:13 remaining, but Andrew Nembhard answered with a bucket on the other end.

Neither team scored on its next two possessions before Bane got to the rim for a go-ahead basket with 1:13 to play. On the other end, Nembhard drew a mismatch against Magic center Wendell Carter Jr., but was unable to convert a stepback jumper.

The Magic corralled the rebound and had a chance to put the game away, but Pascal Siakam blocked Bane at the rim, springing a fastbreak the other way. Bennedict Mathurin drew a foul, then sank his 12th and 13th free throws of the contest to tie the game at 110 with 29.1 seconds left.

After a timeout, the Magic got the ball to Banchero, who spun past Aaron Nesmith to the rim for a go-ahead basket plus a foul with 7.5 seconds remaining. The All-Star forward missed the ensuing free throw, however, and Siakam grabbed the rebound before Indiana called timeout and advanced the ball with 6.2 seconds to play.

Nesmith inbounded to Siakam who passed back to Nesmith who took a a deep three from the top of the arc that clinged off the back iron.

“Last play got blown up a little bit, they did a good job covering it,” Nesmith said. “I thought I had less time than I did. Could have took more time on the three, set my feet and made the shot. But it’s a look we’ll take.”

Siakam finished with 26 points for the Pacers, while Mathurin added 23. Nembhard scored 19 and dished out seven assists in the loss.

The Pacers closed the calendar year with 10 straight losses and head coach Rick Carlisle heads into 2026 still one win shy of 1,000 career victories.

Mathurin started 2-of-4 from the field on Wednesday, but his teammates missed their first seven shots. That sluggish start allowed Orlando to race out to a 15-6 lead.

But Indiana gradually chipped away at the deficit. Mathurin scored 12 points in the opening frame and Ben Sheppard — back on the court for the first time since Dec. 3 after recovering from a calf strain — made both his shots off the bench to help the Pacers whittle the Magic’s lead down to 31-28 by the end of the first quarter.

The Pacers took their first lead of the afternoon early in the ensuing frame. Sheppard scored seven more points to trigger a 12-4 run by the Blue & Gold that put the hosts up 48-41.

But Jamal Cain scored nine points while Banchero and Anthony Black added five points apiece as Orlando responded with a 19-5 spurt to retake the lead.

The Pacers fought back with a 13-6 run of their own, tying the game on Nesmith’s layup with 28.6 seconds left in the first half. But Nesmith fouled Cain on the other end and the Magic forward hit both free throws to put Orlando up 68-66 at the intermission.

The Pacers came out hot to start the second half, with Andrew Nembhard scoring seven and Pascal Siakam adding six as the hosts opened the third quarter with a 22-10 run to open up the first double-digit lead for either team.

Indiana remained in front for the rest of the quarter, though the Magic managed to close the game to 95-94 by the end of the frame thanks in part to former Pacers center Goga Bitadze, who scored eight points off the bench.

The visitors reclaimed the lead soon thereafter, outscoring Indiana 6-2 over the first three minutes of the final frame. The Pacers missed their first seven field goal attempts to start the fourth quarter, though the Magic only capitalized slightly, building a five-point lead.

Nembhard’s layup with 6:13 to play ended Indiana’s drought and made it a one-possession game. After a Banchero bucket on the other end, Nesmith hit a 3-pointer and then Nembhard got to the rim for the game-tying layup with 4:47 remaining.

The two teams then traded buckets, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

Sheppard was the fourth and final Pacer to reach double figures, scoring all 12 of his points in the first half.

Bane had 18 points, seven rebounds, and six assists for the Magic. Black tallied 15 points and five assists, Bitadze had 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench, while Jalen Suggs and Cain contributed 11 points apiece.

The Pacers will return to action on Friday when they host San Antonio at Gainbridge Fieldhouse before traveling to Orlando for a rematch with the Magic on Sunday afternoon.

“Our fight. I thought we fought well,” Nesmith said after the loss. “I think in the past in previous games when teams go on a run, we’ve kind of laid down and let go of the rope a little bit. Today we held onto the rope. We scratched, we clawed, we fought. We did make some timely shots. We got some tough stops. Those are the positive things you can build on moving forward into 2026.”

Inside the Numbers

Both teams struggled offensively in the fourth quarter, with Orlando scoring 18 points and Indiana managing just 15.

The Pacers forced Orlando into 19 turnovers, matching the most by a Pacers opponent this season. They’ve forced 19 turnovers five times this season, including their last two games.

Indiana lost despite outscoring the Magic by 27 points from 3-point range. The Pacers were 12-for-35 (34.3 percent) from beyond the arc, while the Magic were just 3-for-21 (14.3 percent) from long distance.

Siakam surpassed 25 points for the 15th time this season in the loss. He has 25 games with at least 20 points.

Mathurin went a perfect 13-for-13 from the free throw line, his most free throws without a miss in a game in his career.

In his third game back from an MCL sprain, Nesmith played 31:36 off the bench, tallying nine points, 10 rebounds, and three steals.

Playing his fourth game since joining the Pacers, center Micah Potter logged 25:57 off the bench and finished with eight points, three rebounds, and three assists. Potter had the best plus/minus of any player in Wednesday’s game, as the Pacers outscored the Magic by 23 with him on the floor.

You Can Quote Me On That

“In the second half, we showed what we’re capable of and how we’re capable of playing together, fighting for a crowd that is paying good money to watch us pay and watch us try to win. The first half there were too many wild ups and downs. We go on a run and get up six or eight and then they go on a 10-0 run. That type of stuff is avoidable…We’ve got to be more connected.” -Carlisle on the difference between the first half and the second

“I think we missed a couple easy ones. We missed some layups…If we convert on those, it turns into 24 points in the fourth, we probably win the game. Just some unfortunate misses.” -Nesmith on the Pacers’ offensive struggles in the fourth quarter

“Aaron’s always nice because we just have that chemistry, know where he’s going to be. Know what he brings to the table all the time. [He’s] competitive, flies around, plays hard, shoots the three. It’s comfortable playing with a guy like that that you’ve got a lot of reps with.” -Nembhard on having Nesmith back

“I’m getting there. I’m getting tired quicker than usual…I was short on a lot of my shots today, so got to get the legs underneath me. But I’m feeling pretty good. I’m happy with how I’m integrating myself back into offense, defense, and kind of a leadership role on the team.” -Nesmith on how he feels being back for three games after being out for weeks with an MCL sprain

“You watch him, he’s only into the moment and into appreciating being in the NBA, being on a team, trying to do his part. One time he came out of the game [and] he’s trying to get the crowd going. It’s what we need.” -Carlisle on what Micah Potter brings

“I thought he played very, very well considering he’s been out for five weeks or whatever it’s been. It’s a long road back. Very, very pleased with how he played. He does what he does. He runs, he rebounds, he plays with tremendous energy, plays the right way. He just did a lot of good things.” -Carlisle on Sheppard’s return

“We’ve just got to stick together. Hold each other accountable to a higher standard like we’ve done in the past and we’ll figure this thing out. I think we are figuring it out, we are moving in a positive direction. We’ve got to just keep stacking days.” -Nesmith on his message to the team

Stat of the Night

The Magic outscored Indiana 70-38 in the paint on Wednesday.

Noteworthy

Wednesday’s was the Magic’s lone visit to Gainbridge Fieldhouse this season. The Pacers will visit Orlando on Jan. 4 and March 23.

The Pacers’ 10-game losing streak is tied for the fifth-longest skid in franchise history.

Carlisle tweaked the starting lineup to start the second half, inserting Nesmith and Potter into the first unit in place of Johnny Furphy and Jay Huff.

Furphy started for the third straight game, but played just 5:15 in the first half due to early foul trouble and did not see the floor in the second half.

Huff did not record a block for the first time in 28 games.

Up Next

The Pacers will play their first game in 2026 when they host Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday, Jan. 2 at 7:00 PM ET.

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INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

IU AND NO. 24/19 MICHIGAN STATE MEET ON NEW YEAR’S DAY

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana opens 2026 by facing its first of four-straight ranked opponents when it meets No. 24/19 Michigan State on Thursday at 12 p.m. ET

ABOUT THE SPARTANS

Michigan State came back from the holiday break with a 70-64 win at home over Rutgers on Dec. 28. Redshirt sophomore guard Kennedy Blair finished with a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds against the Scarlet Knights, while junior guard Rashunda Jones added 14 points. Senior forward Grace VanSlooten averages a team-best 14.0 points per game while the Spartans high-powered offense averages the league’s second-best 90.5 points per game.

SERIES HISTORY

Michigan State leads 51-34

LAST MEETING

2/23/25 – L, 65-73 (East Lansing, Mich.)

NOTES

Thursday afternoon’s matchup against Top 25 Michigan State will kick off a stretch of four (potentially five) straight ranked foes the Hoosier will see in upcoming games. No. 6/7 Maryland (Jan. 4), No. 20/25 Nebraska (Jan. 8), No. 14/14 Iowa (Jan.11) and RV/RV Washington (Jan. 14) are all up next on the IU schedule.

A tough third quarter sank Indiana women’s basketball against the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Monday night, 71-48. The Hoosiers scored a season-low third quarter total of five points and just 20 in the second half. Redshirt sophomore guard Lenée Beaumont led with 17 points while senior guard Shay Ciezki added 16 points.

The backcourt duo of Ciezki and Beaumont continue to pace Indiana in scoring this season as Ciezki’s 23.7 points per game is fifth in the country while Beaumont is adding 15.2 points per game. The two have combined to lead IU in offense in each game this season.

IU’s freshmen are also logging important minutes in their rookie seasons. Guard Nevaeh Caffey and forward Maya Makalusky are both in the starting lineup for the Hoosiers. Caffey is coming off a career-high 13 points against Minnesota while Makalusky has earned a Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor once this season. 

UP NEXT

The Hoosiers hit the road for the next two, first up at No. 7/7 Maryland on Sunday, Jan. 4 in a 6 p.m. ET tip on BTN.

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PURDUE WRESTLING

#20 BOILERS READY FOR EAST COAST DOUBLEHEADER

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — No. 20 Purdue Wrestling returns to action on Friday with a pair of duals at Drexel and Rider. The Boilermakers head into the new year 6-0, and one more win would mark their best start to a season since 2006-07.

It is a rare road trip in which the Boilermakers will compete in two different cities and states on the same day. Purdue faces Drexel (4-2, 1-0 EIWA) in Philadelphia’s Daskalakis Athletic Center at 1 p.m. ET before trotting across state lines to battle Rider (3-3, 1-0 MAC) at Alumni Gym in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, at 7 p.m. ET.

The Drexel dual will stream live on FloWrestling. The Rider dual will be available on ESPN+. As always, live updates will be provided by the @PurdueWrestling X/Twitter account.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

#20 Purdue

125 | Jacob Macatangay / Ashton Jackson

133 | Blake Boarman / Isaiah Schaefer

141 | #33 Greyson Clark

149 | #21 Gavin Brown

157 | #18 Stoney Buell

165 | #4 Joey Blaze

174 | #16 Brody Baumann / Aidan Costello

184 | #26 James Rowley

197 | #24 Ben Vanadia

285 | Hayden Filipovich / Tyson Russell

Drexel

125 | Desmond Pleasant

133 | Kyle Waterman

141 | Jordan Soriano

149 | Pat Kelly / Deon Pleasant

157 | Luke Nichter

165 | Cody Walsh

174 | #18 Jasiah Queen

184 | Ethan Wilson

197 | #32 Ibrahim Ameer

285 | #31 Nate Schon

Rider

125: #19 Tyler Klinsky

133: #32 Will Betancourt

141: #15 Eli Griffin

149: Dylan Layton

157: James Farina / Gianni Maldonado

165: Brendon Abdon

174: Enrique Munguia

184: JP Hangey / Giovanni Alejandro

197: #23 Brock Zurawski

285: Hogan Swenski 

OPPONENT HISTORY

Though it is a rare circumstance, Friday won’t be the first time Purdue has wrestled both programs on the same day. The Boilers swept the Broncs and Dragons on Jan. 4, 2008, beating Rider 24-18 and Drexel 35-6. History was repeated on Nov. 6, 2021, when Purdue returned to defeat Drexel 29-18 and Rider 33-3 in their respective home gyms.

All-time, Purdue holds a 4-1 series edge over Drexel and shares a split 2-2 series with Rider.

The Boilermakers will look to avenge their most recent meeting with each team after dropping a 23-13 contest to Rider and a 20-17 matchup with Drexel in West Lafayette during the 2022-23 season.

RANKED BOILERS

Of Purdue’s 10 typical starters, nine have already been ranked at some point during the 2025-26 season. In the most recent release from InterMat, seven still hold spots in the national rankings.

141 | #33 Clark

149 | #21 Brown

157 | #18 Buell

165 | #4 Blaze

174 | #16 Baumann

184 | #26 Rowley

197 | #24 Vanadia

Rider and Drexel have numerous ranked stars in their own right. Drexel boasts No. 18 Jasiah Queen (174 lbs), No. 32 Ibrahim Ameer (197) and No. 31 Nate Schon (285).

Rider’s lineup features No. 19 Tyler Klinsky (125 lbs), No. 32 Will Betancourt (133), No. 15 Eli Griffin (141) and No. 23 Brock Zurawski (197).

PROBABLE RANKED MATCHUPS

Though matchups are subject to change, probable starters suggest these ranked matches will be key ones to watch:

Purdue-Drexel:

174 | #16 Baumann vs. #18 Queen

197 | #24 Vanadia vs. #32 Ameer

Purdue-Rider:

141 | #33 Clark vs. #15 Griffin

197 | #24 Vanadia vs. #23 Zurawski

LAST TIME OUT

The Boilermakers have not competed since finishing 10th out of 30 as a team at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 6-7. Blaze became Purdue’s eighth Cliff Keen champion by dominating his bracket, improving to 10-0 this season.

Purdue hasn’t wrestled in a dual since trouncing Davidson, 38-4, on Nov. 23.

NEXT UP

Purdue will open Big Ten season with its first conference dual at Nebraska on Friday, Jan. 9. The dual is set for 8 p.m. ET at the Devaney Center with the broadcast on B1G+.

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PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BOILERS DROP NEW YEAR’S EVE TILT TO #19 OHIO STATE

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team could not overcome a slow start in the first half in an 83-56 loss to No. 19/19 Ohio State on Wednesday afternoon in Mackey Arena.

Madison Layden-Zay nearly posted her first career double-double, finishing with 17 points and matching her career high with eight rebounds. Finishing in double figures for the fourth straight time and the seventh time this season, Layden-Zay connected on a trio of 3-pointers, while going 6-of-6 at the line.

Layden-Zay pulled within seven of Karissa McLaughlin’s career 3-point record of 244. She is one shy of Katie Gearlds for third in program history.

Tara Daye jumped back into double figures for the ninth time this year, finishing with 10 points and five rebounds. Nya Smith posted her best scoring game as a Boilermaker with 11 points, including a perfect 5-of-5 at the line. Purdue (8-6, 0-3) went 20-of-29 at the line, both season highs.

Purdue finished the afternoon shooting 30.2% from the field and went 4-of-22 from behind the arc. The Boilermakers won the rebounding battle 40-39 but managed three points on 13 second chance opportunities.

Ohio State (12-2, 2-1) put four players in double figures, led by Kennedy Cambridge’s 16 points. The Buckeyes were 9-of-25 from distance and shot 42% on the day. Ohio State turned 26 Purdue turnovers into 29 points.

NOTES

• Layden-Zay finished with a team-high three steals. She is 15 swipes away from 200 for her career.

• It was Layden-Zay’s 29th career game with three or more steals.

• The fifth year is 19 rebounds away from joining the 500-rebound club.

• Kendall Puryear turned in a six-point, six-rebound performance off the bench.

UP NEXT

The Boilermakers will open 2026 with a two-game road swing to Nebraska on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET and Wisconsin on Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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BUTLER FOOTBALL

12 BULLDOGS NAMED TO PHIL STEELE ALL-PFL TEAMS

INDIANAPOLIS – Phil Steele and the DraftScout.com staff announced all-league players from every FCS conference this week. Butler had 12 student-athletes selected to the Pioneer Football League Teams in 2025. Four made the first team, four were on the third team, and four more were on the fourth team.

​

Charles Mackley (OL), Devaon Holman (DB), Ryan Short (K) and Ethan Loss (KR) represented Butler as the First Team All-PFL selections on the Phil Steele release. Both Mackley and Holman were named to the All-PFL First Team as chosen by the league’s coaches earlier in December.

​

Ethan Loss (WR), Jeremiah Jackson (LB), Mason Armstrong (LB) and Will Mason (DB) made the third team, Andrew Raegan (QB), Preston Brady (FB), Nik Belski (OL) and Kirk Doskocil (OL) were on the fourth team.

​

Mackley was an integral part of Butler’s offensive line this season, starting at guard in all 12 games. He was part of a unit that allowed only 15 sacks on the season. The redshirt sophomore played in only six games last season before having a breakout season in 2025 as a staple of the offensive line.

​

Holman started all 12 games for Butler at defensive back and accumulated 44 total tackles on the season, a mark that ranked fourth on the team. Holman finished the season tied for the team lead in interceptions with two and racked up 7.5 tackles for loss. Holman added six pass breakups and three forced fumbles for BU. The junior had two tackles for loss against Hanover and Dayton and recorded interceptions in the games against Weber State and San Diego.

​

Loss led the Butler receiving corps with 56 catches for 670 yards in 2025. The redshirt junior averaged 11.96 yards per catch and averaged 55.83 receiving yards per game. Loss had one receiving touchdown and also featured in the running game, scoring two touchdowns while carrying the rock 31 times for 209 yards. Loss was named an honorable mention return specialist as the Michigan native had two touchdown returns on kickoffs this season and averaged 125.7 all-purpose yards per game, a mark that led the PFL.

​

Short was spectacular this season for Butler, going 15-for-16 while hitting a season-long 45-yard field goal. Short was 5-of-5 from 40-49, 3-of-3 from 30-39 and 7-of-8 from 20-29. The redshirt junior also served as the squad’s punter and averaged 37.42 yards per punt. He was named a finalist for the prestigious Fred Mitchell Award, which recognizes 41 placekickers for their excellence on the football field throughout the 2025 season.

​

Jackson tallied 56 total tackles in 2025, 10 of which went down as tackles for loss. Jackson recorded two sacks, four pass breakups and one forced fumble on the season. Armstrong was second on the team in tackles (65) and logged 10 tackles for loss while adding one sack and one fumble recovery. Mason rounded out the defenders on the All-PFL team and led Butler’s defense with 70 tackles, two interceptions, four pass breakups and one forced fumble.

Andrew accumulated 615 rushing yards and 1,553 passing yards in 2025 while accounting for 20 total touchdowns (eight rushing, 12 passing). Andrew had a career day against Presbyterian, totaling 115 rushing yards and 195 passing yards in the contest. Brady played in 11 games for Butler in 2025 and was pivotal in Butler’s running game. Brady tallied eight catches for 92 yards on the season. Belski and Doskocil rounded out the Dawgs on the All-PFL Teams and were major contributors to Butler’s offensive unit this season. The duo played in all 12 games this season and were part of a unit that allowed only 15 sacks on the season.

2025 Phil Steele All-PFL First Team

OL – Charles Mackley

DB – Devon Holman

K – Ryan Short

KR – Ethan Loss

2025 Phil Steele All-PFL Third Team

WR – Ethan Loss

LB – Jeremiah Jackson

LB – Mason Armstrong

DB – Will Mason

2025 Phil Steele All-PFL Fourth Team

QB – Raegan Andrew

FB – Preston Brady

OL – Nik Belski

OL – Kirk Doskocil

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BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

WBB ENDS THE NEW YEAR ON A HIGH NOTE, SCORING 102 AT AKRON

AKRON, Ohio. – The Ball State women’s basketball team (10-4, 2-0 MAC) used a balanced offense and stifling defense to give the Cardinals the 102-73 Mid-American Conference victory over Akron (3-10, 0-1 MAC) Wednesday afternoon at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Ball State saw six different Cardinals reach double-digit scoring this afternoon which was led by Tessa Towers with a career best 23 points after shooting 11-of-16 from the field. Towers also grabbed 13 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season. The 13 rebounds also tied a personal high for Towers.

Behind Towers was Bree Salenbien who had 14 points while Zhen Verburgt, Grace Kingery and Karsyn Norman each finished the game with 11. Rounding out the double-digit scoring was Violeta Rojas who added a career best 10 points.

For the game, Ball State controlled the ball very well having only nine turnovers while Akron struggled in that category committing 16 miscues. The Cardinals out- rebounded the Zips 50-35 including 35 defensive rebounds.

After having over a week off for the holiday break, the Cardinals were ready to return to the court this afternoon against the Zips for their first league road trip of the season.

Ball State got off to a slow start in the opening minutes of play but was able to brush off its rustiness to close out the first quarter of play with a 17-4 scoring spree over a four-minute span. The run was capped off by a layup from Towers and a steal from Gorini which led to the Cardinals 25-14 advantage over the Zips to end the frame.

The Cardinals saw a well-rounded offense in the second 10 minutes of action which included layups from Towers, Norman, Gorini and Aniss Tagayi. It also came to no shock that Ball State’s defense was on point as the Cardinals were able to hold the Zips to only 29 points in the first half. Ball State took the impressive 50-29 advantage over Akron into the locker room at intermission.

After the break, it was not much of a contest anymore, as the Cardinals continued to dominate the floor both offensively and defensively. The Cardinals extended their lead to 69-39 after a three-pointer from Verburgt at the halfway point of the third stanza. Ball State eventually built an 86-49 cushion over Akron to end the third.

The fourth quarter mimicked the previous ones, and the Zips could not catch up to the Cardinals no matter how hard they tried. The fourth period was highlighted by a Gorini layup with only a few minutes left in the game for the Cardinals 100th point that would also put the exclamation point on today’s victory.

The Ball State women’s basketball team continues Mid-American Conference action when it travels to Northern Illinois Saturday for the last time as the Huskies will join the Horizon League next year. The game is slated for a 3 pm ET tipoff in the Convocation Center.

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SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

EAGLES RESUME OVC PLAY THIS WEEK AT SIUE AND LINDENWOOD

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball rings in the new year by returning to Ohio Valley Conference play this week, traveling to face Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Thursday at 1 p.m. and at Lindenwood University on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Both games this week can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM.

USI Women’s Basketball (8-3, 2-0 OVC) heads into its New Year’s Day tilt at SIUE (8-4, 1-1 OVC) with a 2-0 start in conference action for the third consecutive season after capturing home wins against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 57-40, and Morehead State University, 78-59, in mid-December.

The Screaming Eagles seek their second win in their OVC road opener, having last won an OVC road opener at Southeast Missouri State University in 2023-24.

USI will be playing on New Year’s Day for the first time on Thursday. The Eagles have played on New Year’s Eve in each of their first three seasons in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Most recently, USI concluded its non-conference slate before the holiday break, falling 89-44 at the top-25 University of Tennessee on December 22. The result moved USI’s road record to 2-2 on the season. Senior guard Ali Saunders led the Screaming Eagles in scoring for the fourth game in a row with 14 points against the Lady Volunteers. Junior forward Chloe Gannon also notched double figures with 11 points at Tennessee.

Saunders has led the scoring charge of late for the Screaming Eagles. Over the last four games, Saunders is averaging 21.3 points per game on nearly 42 percent shooting overall, above 34 percent from three with 11 made triples, and a perfect 22-22 at the free-throw line. Overall, Saunders has made 23 consecutive attempts from the charity stripe.

On the season, Saunders tops the squad at 16.2 points per outing. Junior guard Sophia Loden is second with 13 points per game while leading the team with 9.2 rebounds per game. Gannon is also averaging double digits at 12.4 points per contest.

Collectively, USI is averaging 72.2 points per game, ranking third in the OVC. Defensively, the Screaming Eagles are holding opponents to 53.7 points per game. USI’s scoring defense (53.7) and field goal percentage defense (34.0) rank in the top 25 nationally.

Like the Screaming Eagles, SIUE is off to a strong start this season with eight wins overall entering 2026. The Cougars have won three of their last four games. SIUE began its OVC slate before the holiday break on the road with a 59-52 win over Eastern Illinois University before a 75-51 loss at Western Illinois University.

Freshman forward Lauren Miller, who is the reigning OVC Freshman of the Week, and freshman guard Kiyoko Proctor pace the Cougars at 13.6 points per game. Proctor also leads the team in three-point shooting (39.3 percent), assists (2.7 per game), and steals (1.7 per contest). In the last game at Western Illinois, Miller and Proctor led the team with 21 and 14 points, respectively. The Cougars average 65.2 points per game and allow 56.3 points per outing.

USI leads the all-time series against SIUE, 31-25, including four straight wins in the series. The Screaming Eagles are 5-1 against SIUE since moving up to Division I and joining the Ohio Valley Conference in 2022 to renew an old, longtime rivalry against the Cougars when both teams were in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Lindenwood (9-4, 1-1 OVC) is off to another good start this season as well and enters the week off back-to-back wins. The Lions wrapped up their non-conference schedule last time out with a 71-36 win against Ottawa University (Kansas). Like SIUE, Lindenwood also split its opening OVC set, falling 74-65 at Western Illinois before an 87-55 victory at Eastern Illinois.

Three Lions are averaging double figures this season. Graduate guard Aleshia Jones is first on the team with 13.3 points per game. Junior guard Ellie Brueggemann and junior guard Brooke Coffey are right behind with 12.8 and 12.6 points per contest, respectively. Lindenwood is posting 74.3 points and allowing 60.9 points per game.

The Screaming Eagles are 9-1 all-time against Lindenwood and 5-1 as OVC foes. USI looks to avenge its only setback that came in the Eagles’ last visit to St. Charles, Missouri, last February, when the Lions came out ahead 75-56.

Following this week’s road swing to SIUE and Lindenwood, USI Women’s Basketball will return home to Liberty Arena next week for a pair against Southeast Missouri State on January 8 and the University of Tennessee at Martin on January 10.

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SMALL INDIANA COLLEGE SPORTS WEB SITES

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

MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/

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

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

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

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

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

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

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

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

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

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

ON JANUARY 1 IN …

1840 – FIRST RECORDED BOWLING MATCH IN US, KNICKERBOCKER ALLEYS, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK.

1886 – FIRST TOURNAMENT OF ROSES, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, USA.

1897 – FIRST FOOTBALL GAME BETWEEN BLACK COLLEGES – ATLANTA UNIVERSITY 10, TUSKEGEE 0.

1902 – FIRST ROSE BOWL COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME (PASADENA, CALIFORNIA). UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN BEATS STANFORD 49 TO 0.

1908 – JACK HOBBS MAKES HIS TEST DEBUT AT THE MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND (83 AND 28).

1909 – ROBERT FOWLER RUNS WORLD RECORD MARATHON (2:52:45.4).

1910 – SIMPSON-HAYWARD (ENGLAND) TAKES 6-43 ON DEBUT WITH UNDERARM LOBS.

1912 – FIRST RUNNING OF SAN FRANCISCO’S FAMED “BAY TO BREAKERS” RACE (7.63 MILES/12.3 KM).

1916 – FIRST FOOTBALL GAME IN ROSE BOWL (WASHINGTON STATE VERSUS BROWN UNIVERSITY).

1923 – THE VERY FIRST RADIO BROADCAST OF THE ROSE BOWL IS BEAMED IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA OVER KHJ RADIO.

1927 – FIRST US COAST-TO-COAST NETWORK RADIO BROADCAST OF FOOTBALL’S ROSE BOWL IS MADE. GRAHAM MCNAMEE PROVIDES THE PLAY-BY-PLAY ON NBC RADIO.

1929 – ROY RIEGELS RUNS 60 YARDS THE WRONG WAY WITH ROSE BOWL FUMBLE RECOVERY.

1935 – FIRST SUGAR BOWL AND FIRST ORANGE BOWL.

1942 – ROSE BOWL PLAYED IN NORTH CAROLINA DUE TO JAPANESE THREAT-OREGON 20, DUKE 16.

1944 – US ARMY DEFEATS NAVY 10-7 IN FOOTBALL “ARAB BOWL”, ORAN, NORTH AFRICA.

1948 – DONALD BRADMAN SCORES 132 IN THE FIRST INNINGS OF THE THIRD TEST VERSUS INDIA.

1954 – ROSE AND COTTON BOWL ARE FIRST TELEVISED SPORT COLORCASTS.

1959 – ROHAN KANHAI COMPLETES 256 VERSUS INDIA AT CALCUTTA.

1961 – BRIGGS STADIUM IS RENAMED TIGERS STADIUM.

1967 – CRU BECOMES THE CAFA AND TURNS OVER THE GREY CUP TROPHY TO THE CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE.

1967 – DAY’S PLAY IN THE CALCUTTA TEST VERSUS WEST INDIES CANCELLED BY RIOTS.

1967 – GREEN BAY PACKERS BEAT DALLAS COWBOYS 34-27 IN NFL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.

1967 – KANSAS CITY CHIEFS BEAT BUFFALO BILLS 31-7 IN AFL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.

1969 – JACK KENT COOKE, OWNER OF NHL’S LOS ANGELES KINGS, FINES EACH PLAYER $100 FOR “NOT” ARGUING WITH THE REFEREE.

1970 – CHARLES “CHUB” FEENEY REPLACES WARREN GILES AS PRESIDENT OF AMERICAN BASEBALL’S NATIONAL LEAGUE. GILES HELD THE POSITION FOR 18 YEARS, AND FEENEY WILL HOLD IT FOR THE NEXT 16.

1973 – 47TH AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S TENNIS: MARGARET COURT BEATS GOOLAGONG (6-4, 7-5).

1974 – LEE MACPHAIL TAKES OVER AS AMERICAN LEAGUE PRESIDENT, SUCCEEDING JOE CRONIN.

1977 – TONY DORSETT RUNS FOR RECORD 202 YARDS IN THE SUGAR BOWL.

1980 – 54TH AUSTRALIAN WOMENS TENNIS: BARBARA JORDAN BEATS S WALSH (6-3, 6-3).

1980 – ALABAMA BEATS ARKANSAS IN SUGAR BOWL FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.

1981 – GEORGIA BEATS NOTRE DAME IN SUGAR BOWL FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL TITLE.

1982 – CLEMSON WINS THE ORANGE BOWL FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.

1983 – PGA INAUGURATES ALL-EXEMPT TOUR.

1983 – PENNSYLVANIA STATE BEATS GEORGIA IN SUGAR BOWL FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL TITLE.

1986 – IOWA’S ALL-AMERICAN RUNNING BACK, RONNIE HARMON, FUMBLES THE BALL FOUR TIMES IN HIS LAST GAME-THE ROSE BOWL.

1986 – OKLAHOMA WINS ORANGE BOWL FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.

1988 – MIAMI BEATS OKLAHOMA FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.

1990 – MITSUKO NISHIWAKI BEATS NAKANO TO BECOME JAPAN WOMEN WRESTLING CHAMP.

1990 – SPORTS NEWS NETWORK BEGINS OPERATION ON CABLE TV.

1991 – THE COLORADO BUFFALOES CLAIM US COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WITH A 10-9 WIN OVER NOTRE DAME IN THE 1991 ORANGE BOWL.

1992 – THE ESPN RADIO NETWORK DEBUTS.

1993 – BLOCKBUSTER BOWL 3: STANFORD BEATS PENNSYLVANIA STATE, 24-3.

1994 – ALEKSANDR POPOV SWIMS WORLD RECORD 100M FREE STYLE (47.83).

1994 – CARQUEST BOWL 4: BOSTON COLLEGE BEATS VIRGINIA, 32-13.

1994 – FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY BEATS THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA IN THE ORANGE BOWL FOR THE US NATIONAL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.

1995 – RAMAN LAMBA AND RAVI SEHGAL SCORE 464 FOR FIRST WICKET FOR DELHI.

2008 – AT THE RALPH WILSON STADIUM IN BUFFALO, NEW YORK, THE FIRST REGULAR-SEASON OUTDOOR NHL HOCKEY GAME IN THE US IS HELD. 71217 FANS WATCH THE 2008 WINTER CLASSIC, IN WHICH THE BUFFALO SABRES PLAY THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS, RUNNING INTO OVERTIME, AND ENDING WITH A SHOOT-OUT WITH THE PENGUINS WINNING.

2010 – AT LEAST 96 PEOPLE ARE KILLED AND 100 INJURED BY A SUICIDE BOMB ATTACK AT A VOLLEYBALL COURT NEAR LAKKI MARWAT, CLOSE TO NORTH AND SOUTH WAZIRISTAN IN THE NORTH-WEST OF PAKISTAN.

2022 – AT CRYPTO.COM ARENA IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: LOS ANGELES KINGS BEATS PHILADELPHIA FLYERS BY SCORE 6-3.

2022 – AT CLIMATE PLEDGE ARENA IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: VANCOUVER CANUCKS BEATS SEATTLE KRAKEN BY SCORE 5-2.

2022 – AT XCEL ENERGY CENTER IN SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA, USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: SAINT LOUIS BLUES BEATS MINNESOTA WILD BY SCORE 6-4.

2022 – AT SCOTIABANK ARENA IN TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS BEATS OTTAWA SENATORS BY SCORE 6-0.

2022 – AT BRIDGESTONE ARENA IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: NASHVILLE PREDATORS BEATS CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS BY SCORE 6-1.

2022 – AT UBS ARENA IN ELMONT, NEW YORK, USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: NEW YORK ISLANDERS BEATS EDMONTON OILERS BY SCORE 3-2.

2022 – AT NATIONWIDE ARENA IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: CAROLINA HURRICANES BEATS COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS BY SCORE 7-4.

2022 – AT FLA LIVE ARENA IN SUNRISE, FLORIDA, USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: FLORIDA PANTHERS BEATS MONTREAL CANADIENS BY SCORE 5-2.

2022 – AT TD GARDEN IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: BOSTON BRUINS BEATS BUFFALO SABRES BY SCORE 4-3.

BIRTHS OF SPORTS FIGURES ON JANUARY 1

1861 – BIRTH OF ISAAC MURPHY; THOROUGHBRED JOCKEY, 628 WINS ON 1,412 MOUNTS (44.5 PERCENT).

1863 – BIRTH OF PIERRE DE COUBERTIN IN FRANCE; BARON, REVIVER OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES.

1875 – BIRTH OF N F DRUCE; CRICKET PLAYER (5 TESTS FOR ENGLAND VERSUS AUSTRALIA 1897-98).

1898 – BIRTH OF GEORGE VAN DERTON; BELGIAN RACER (WON 500 RACES).

1902 – BIRTH OF BUSTER NUPEN; CRICKET PLAYER (ONE-EYED SOUTH AFRICAN QUICK, GREAT ON MATTING).

1906 – BIRTH OF FRANK STACK IN CANADA; SPEED SKATER (OLYMPICS-BRONZE-1932).

1908 – BIRTH OF KINUE HITOMA IN JAPAN; 800M RUNNER (OLYMPICS-SILVER-1928).

1909 – BIRTH OF D D HINDLEKAR; CRICKET PLAYER (INDIAN BATSMAN AND WICKET-KEEPER 1936-46).

1911 – BIRTH OF HAMMERIN’ HANK GREENBERG; HALL-OF-FAME FIRST BASEMAN (DETROIT TIGERS).

1918 – BIRTH OF WILLY DEN OUDEN; DUTCH SWIMMER, (WORLD RECORD 100M, 1:04.06).

1921 – BIRTH OF ALAIN MIMOUN O’KACHA; ALGERIAN/FRENCH WORLD CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPION (OLYMPICS-GOLD-1956).

1925 – BIRTH OF GEORGE CONNER; NFL TACKLE, LINEBACKER (CHICAGO BEARS).

1928 – BIRTH OF KHAN MOHAMMAD; CRICKET PLAYER (PAKISTAN FAST-MED BOWLER, 54 WICKETS IN 13 TESTS).

1936 – BIRTH OF WILLYE B WHITE; AMERICAN LONG JUMPER (OLYMPICS-SILVER-1956).

1940 – BIRTH OF JACK KIEFER IN COLUMBIA, PENNSYLVANIA, USA; PGA GOLFER (1994 RALPHS SENIOR CLASSIC).

1943 – BIRTH OF JERILYN BRITZ IN MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, USA; LPGA GOLFER (1979 US WOMEN’S OPEN).

1944 – BIRTH OF CHARLIE DAVIS; CRICKET PLAYER (WEST INDIES BATSMAN IN 15 TESTS 1968-73).

1945 – BIRTH OF JACQUES ICKX IN BELGIUM; LE MANS AUTO RACE (SIX-TIME WINNER).

1946 – BIRTH OF MANFRED STENGL IN AUSTRIA; TWO MAN LUGIST (OLYMPICS-GOLD-1960).

1955 – BIRTH OF MICHAEL JAMES SULLIVAN IN GARY, INDIANA, USA; PGA GOLFER (1980 SOUTHERN OPEN).

1961 – BIRTH OF IRV EATMAN; NFL TACKLE (HOUSTON OILERS).

1963 – BIRTH OF GLENN TRIMBLE; CRICKET PLAYER (SON OF SAM TWO ODI’S FOR AUSTRALIA 1986).

1963 – BIRTH OF LANCE SMITH; NFL GUARD (NEW YORK GIANTS).

1965 – BIRTH OF ANDREW O VALMON IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, USA; 400M RUNNER.

1965 – BIRTH OF HARRY GALBREATH; NFL GUARD (GREEN BAY PACKERS).

1965 – BIRTH OF MARK DEWEY; US BASEBALL PLAYER (PITTSBURGH PIRATES).

1966 – BIRTH OF MIKA NIEMINEN IN TAMPERE, FINLAND; HOCKEY FORWARD (TEAM FINLAND, OLYMPICS-BRONZE-1998).

1967 – BIRTH OF ANDY HECK; NFL TACKLE (SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, CHICAGO BEARS).

1967 – BIRTH OF DERRICK THOMAS; NFL LINEBACKER (KANSAS CITY CHIEFS).

1968 – BIRTH OF JOHN DE VISSER; SOCCER PLAYER (SC HEERENVEEN).

1968 – BIRTH OF SANDY BEASLEY IN RICHMOND, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA; SOFTBALL OUTFIELDER (OLYMPICS-1996).

1969 – BIRTH OF REEMT PYKA IN BREMERHAVEN, GERMANY; HOCKEY FORWARD (TEAM GERMANY).

1970 – BIRTH OF BRIAN MORTON IN WOLLONGONG, AUSTRALIA; CANOEIST (OLYMPICS-1996).

1970 – BIRTH OF TOM SIER; SOCCER PLAYER (SC HEERENVEEN).

1970 – BIRTH OF VADIM GLOVATSKIY; HOCKEY DEFENSEMAN (TEAM KAZAKHSTAN OLYMPICS-1998).

1971 – BIRTH OF BENO BRYANT; WLAF RUNNING BACK (AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS).

1971 – BIRTH OF BOBBY HOLIK IN JIHLAVA, CZECHOSLAVAKIA; NHL LEFT WING (NEW JERSEY DEVILS, TEAM CZECH REPUBLIC).

1971 – BIRTH OF BRIDGET PETTIS; WNBA GUARD (PHOENIX MERCURY).

1971 – BIRTH OF KEVIN LEE; NFL WIDE RECEIVER (NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS).

1971 – BIRTH OF KEVIN MITCHELL; NFL LINEBACKER (SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS).

1972 – BIRTH OF BARRON MILES; NFL DEFENSIVE BACK (PITTSBURGH STEELERS)/WLAF CORNER (FRANKFURT).

1972 – BIRTH OF IVAN DROPPA; HOCKEY DEFENSEMAN (TEAM SLOVAKIA 1998).

1973 – BIRTH OF CLYDE WIJNHARD; SOCCER PLAYER (AJAX, RKC).

1973 – BIRTH OF FANG LI IN HUNAN, CHINA; TENNIS STAR (1991 FUTURES-BILBAO-ESP).

1973 – BIRTH OF JUSTIN ARMOUR; NFL WIDE RECEIVER (BUFFALO BILLS).

1973 – BIRTH OF MERCURY HAYES; WIDE RECEIVER (ATLANTA FALCONS).

1974 – BIRTH OF JOHNIE CHURCH; NFL DEFENSIVE END (SEATTLE SEAHAWKS).

1975 – BIRTH OF BECKY KELLAR; ICE HOCKEY DEFENSEMAN (CANADA, OLYMPICS-1998).

1975 – BIRTH OF CHRIS ANSTEY; NBA CENTER (DALLAS MAVERICKS).

1985 – BIRTH OF DEIVSON ROGERIO DA SILVA; BRAZILIAN FOOTBALL PLAYER WHO PLAYS FOR BESIKTAS J.K.

DEATHS OF SPORTS FIGURES ON JANUARY 1

1944 – C T B TURNER, CRICKET PLAYER (17 TESTS 1886-95, 101 WICKET ALL TIME GREAT), DIES.

1949 – MALCOLM CAMPBELL, ENGLISH CYCLIST (WORLD SPEED-RECORD), DIES AT AGE 63.

1964 – ALF HALL, CRICKET PLAYER (SOUTH AFRICAN LEFTY QUICK TOOK 40 WICKETS IN 7 TESTS), DIES.

1967 – MAURICE LEYLAND, CRICKET PLAYER (41 TESTS FOR ENGLAND, 2764 RUNS), DIES.

1980 – FRANK CLIFFORD WYKOFF, SPRINTER (OLYMPICS-GOLD-1928, 1932, 1936), DIES AT AGE 70.

1990 – JOE HARDSTAFF JUNIOR, CRICKET PLAYER (23 TESTS FOR ENGLAND, 1636 RUNS), DIES.

1998 – DEATH OF HELEN WILLS MOODY, AMERICAN TENNIS PLAYER (31 GRAND SLAMS), AT AGE 92 (BORN 1905).

2020 – DEATH OF DAVID STERN, AMERICAN BUSINESSMAN AND NBA COMMISSIONER (BORN 1942).

ON JANUARY 2 IN …

1832 – FIRST CURLING CLUB IN US (ORCHARD LAKE CURLING CLUB) OPENS.

1879 – FIRST TEST MATCH HAT-TRICK, FRED SPOFFORTH AT THE MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND.

1879 – NORTHWESTERN LEAGUE (MINOR BASEBALL LEAGUE) IS ORGANIZED, IN ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

1909 – FIRST OFFICIAL DUTCH 11-CITY SKATE (MINNE HOEKSTRA WINNER IN 13:50).

1911 – BROOKLYN DODGERS’ PRESIDENT CHARLES EBBETS ANNOUNCES PURCHASE OF GROUNDS TO BUILD A NEW CONCRETE-AND-STEEL STADIUM TO SEAT 30,000.

1918 – NHL MONTRÉAL WANDERERS DISBAND AFTER WESTMOUNT ARENA BURNS DOWN.

1933 – DONALD BRADMAN SCORES 103 AGAINST THE BODYLINE ATTACK IN THE SECOND TEST.

1933 – NHL BOSTON BRUINS BEAT NEW YORK RANGERS IN NEW YORK 13-3.

1934 – DONALD BRADMAN SCORES 253 NEW SOUTH WALES VERSUS QUEENSLAND, 204 MINUTES, 29 FOURS 4 SIXES.

1936 – DONALD BRADMAN SCORES 357 FOR SOUTH AFRICA VERSUS VICTORIA, 424 MINUTES, 40 FOURS.

1939 – DONALD BRADMAN SCORES 107 SOUTH AFRICA VERSUS VICTORIA, HIS FOURTH CONSECUTIVE CENTURY.

1961 – FIRST AFL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, HOUSTON OILERS BEAT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS 24-16.

1965 – NEW YORK JETS SIGN QUARTERBACK JOE NAMATH.

1966 – GREEN BAY PACKERS BEAT CLEVELAND BROWNS 23-12 IN NFL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.

1971 – A BARRIER COLLAPSES AT IBROX PARK FOOTBALL GROUND AT END OF A SOCCER MATCH IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, KILLING 66.

1972 – DALLAS COWBOYS BEAT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 14-3 IN NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.

1972 – MIAMI DOLPHINS BEAT BALTIMORE COLTS 21-0 IN AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.

1977 – BOWIE KUHN SUSPENDS ATLANTA BRAVES’ OWNER TED TURNER FOR ONE YEAR DUE TO TAMPERING CHARGES IN GARY MATTHEWS FREE-AGENCY SIGNING.

1979 – 30TH NEW YORK ISLANDERS’ SHUT-OUT OPPONENT-GLENN RESCH 9-0 VERSUS VANCOUVER CANUCKS.

1979 – GAVASKAR GETS TWIN TONS FOR INDIA FOR THE THIRD TIME (VERSUS WEST INDIES).

1980 – 68TH AUSTRALIAN MEN TENNIS: GUILLERMO VILAS BEAT JOHN SADRI (7-6, 6-3, 6-2).

1981 – MARY TERSTEGGE MEAGHER SWIMS FEMALE RECORD 200 METRE BUTTERFLY (2:05.65).

1981 – SYLVESTER CLARKE KNOCKS OUT SPECTATOR WITH BRICK, WEST INDIES VERSUS PAKISTAN.

1982 – 70TH AUSTRALIAN MENS TENNIS: JOHAN KRIEK BEATS S DENTON (6-2, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4).

1982 – SAN DIEGO CHARGERS BEAT MIAMI DOLPHINS, 41-38 IN 13:52 OF OVERTIME.

1983 – KEN ANDERSON OF CINCINNATI, OHIO COMPLETES RECORD 20 CONSECUTIVE PASSES.

1984 – DARRYL CULLINAN, 16, SCORES HIS FIRST FIRST-CLASS CRICKET CENTURY.

1984 – MIAMI BEATS NEBRASKA IN ORANGE BOWL FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.

1985 – 90TH HAT TRICK IN NEW YORK ISLANDERS’ HISTORY-BRENT SUTTER.

1985 – AUSTRALIA BEATS WEST INDIES BY INNINGS AT SYDNEY CRICKET GROUND, BOB HOLLAND 10 MATCH WICKETS.

1985 – NEVADA-LAS VEGAS BEATS UTAH 142-140, HIGHEST COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORE.

1985 – UNDEFEATED BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY BECOMES COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPION.

1986 – NEW YORK ISLANDERS’ MIKE BOSSY SCORES HIS 500TH GOAL.

1987 – PENNSYLVANIA STATE UPSETS MIAMI IN FIESTA BOWL FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS.

1989 – NOTRE DAME BEATS WEST VIRGINIA FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.

1989 – UCLA WINS A RECORD 7TH CONSECUTIVE BOWL GAME.

1991 – COLORADO WINS ITS FIRST AP NATIONAL TITLE POLL.

1992 – TEST DEBUT OF SHANE WARNE, VERSUS INDIA AT SYDNEY.

1995 – CARQUEST BOWL 5: SOUTH CAROLINA BEATS WEST VIRGINIA, 24-21.

2022 – AT UNITED CENTER IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: CALGARY FLAMES BEATS CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS BY SCORE 5-1.

2022 – AT T-MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: WINNIPEG JETS BEATS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS BY SCORE 5-4.

2022 – AT BALL ARENA IN DENVER, COLORADO, USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: COLORADO AVALANCHE BEATS ANAHEIM DUCKS BY SCORE 4-2.

2022 – AT CAPITAL ONE ARENA IN WASHINGTON, D.C., USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: NEW JERSEY DEVILS BEATS WASHINGTON CAPITALS BY SCORE 4-3.

2022 – AT PPG PAINTS ARENA IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: PITTSBURGH PENGUINS BEATS SAN JOSE SHARKS BY SCORE 8-5.

2022 – AT LITTLE CAESARS ARENA IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN, USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: BOSTON BRUINS BEATS DETROIT RED WINGS BY SCORE 5-1.

2022 – AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN IN NEW YORK, NEW YORK, USA, NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME: NEW YORK RANGERS BEATS TAMPA RAY LIGHTNING BY SCORE 4-0.

BIRTHS OF SPORTS FIGURES ON JANUARY 2

1927 – BIRTH OF GINO MARCHETTI; NFL DEFENSIVE END (DALLAS TEXANS, BALTIMORE COLTS).

1947 – BIRTH OF ALEKSANDR TIKHONOVA IN USSR; BIATHALON RELAY (OLYMPICS-GOLD-1968, 1972, 1976, 1980).

1947 – BIRTH OF CALVIN HILL; NFL RUNNING BACK (DALLAS COWBOYS).

1947 – BIRTH OF LANNY BASSHAM; AMERICAN RIFLE-3 POSITION (OLYMPICS-GOLD-1976).

1954 – BIRTH OF LUDMILA BOROZNA IN THE USSR; VOLLEYBALL PLAYER (OLYMPICS-GOLD-1972).

1959 – BIRTH OF KIRTI AZAD; CRICKET PLAYER (INDIAN OFF-SPIN ALL-ROUNDER IN 7 TESTS 1981-83).

1960 – BIRTH OF RAMAN LAMBA; CRICKET PLAYER (INDIAN OPENING BATSMAN 1986-87).

1963 – BIRTH OF DAVID CONE IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, USA; BASEBALL PITCHER (NEW YORK METS/TORONTO BLUE JAYS/NEW YORK YANKEES).

1963 – BIRTH OF EDGAR MARTINEZ IN NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA; BASEBALL FIRST BASEMAN (SEATTLE MARINERS).

1964 – BIRTH OF PERNELL WHITAKER; BOXER (OLYMPICS-GOLD).

1964 – BIRTH OF RUMESH RATNAYAKE; CRICKET PLAYER (SRI LANKAN PACER IN 23 TESTS 1983-92).

1965 – BIRTH OF GREG SWINDELL IN FORT WORTH, TEXAS, USA; PITCHER (HOUSTON ASTROS, CLEVELAND INDIANS).

1965 – BIRTH OF RUSS COURTNALL IN DUNCAN, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA; NHL RIGHT WING (VANCOUVER CANUCKS).

1967 – BIRTH OF HARLON BARNETT; NFL SAFETY (MINNESOTA VIKINGS).

1968 – BIRTH OF SCOTT MITCHELL; NFL QUARTERBACK (DETROIT LIONS).

1969 – BIRTH OF RICK TABARACCI IN TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA; NHL GOALIE (CALGARY FLAMES).

1969 – BIRTH OF ROBERT SVEHLA IN MARTIN, CZECHOSLOVAKIA; NHL DEFENSEMAN (FLORIDA PANTHERS, SLOVAKIA).

1969 – BIRTH OF STEPHEN DAVIES; AUSTRALIAN FIELD HOCKEY FORWARD/VICE CAPTAIN (OLYMPICS-SILVER-1992, 1996).

1970 – BIRTH OF ALEKSANDR SHIMIN; HOCKEY GOALTENDER (TEAM KAZAKHSTAN OLYMPICS-1998).

1970 – BIRTH OF ANTHONY STUART, CRICKET PLAYER (AUSTRALIAN ODI PACE BOWLER, HAT TRICK 1997).

1970 – BIRTH OF GLENN CADREZ; NFL LINEBACKER (DENVER BRONCOS-SUPER BOWL XXXII).

1970 – BIRTH OF ROYCE CLAYTON IN BURBANK, CALIFORNIA, USA; INFIELDER (SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS, SAINT LOUIS CARDINALS).

1971 – BIRTH OF AAMER NAZIR; CRICKET PLAYER (PAKISTANI PACE BOWLER 1993-).

1971 – BIRTH OF AARON WILLIAMS; NBA CENTER (SEATTLE SUPERSONICS).

1971 – BIRTH OF BRAD PARPAN; WLAF QUARTERBACK (RHEIN FIRE).

1971 – BIRTH OF HORACE COPELAND; NFL WIDE RECEIVER (TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS).

1971 – BIRTH OF ROBERT O’NEAL; WLAF DEFENSIVE BACK (AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS).

1972 – BIRTH OF JEFF JACKSON; AMERICAN BASEBALL OUTFIELDER (PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES).

1972 – BIRTH OF LAKE DAWSON; NFL WIDE RECEIVER (KANSAS CITY CHIEFS).

1972 – BIRTH OF MATTIAS NORSTROM IN MORA, SWEDEN; NHL DEFENSEMAN (TEAM SWEDEN, LOS ANGELES KINGS).

1973 – BIRTH OF ABU WILSON; RUNNING BACK (INDIANAPOLIS COLTS).

1973 – BIRTH OF CHRIS WOODRUFF IN KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, USA; TENNIS STAR (1993 NCAA DIVISION I).

1973 – BIRTH OF FREDRIC FORD; WLAF CORNERBACK (SCOTLAND CLAYMORES)/NFL CORNERBACK (EAGLES).

1974 – BIRTH OF JUHA LIND; NHL FORWARD (TEAM FINLAND OLYMPICS-BRONZE-1998, DALLAS STARS).

1980 – BIRTH OF STEPHANIE STIEGLER IN SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA; PAIRS SKATER (AND ZIMMERMAN).

1981 – BIRTH OF MAXI RODRIGUEZ; ARGENTINA AND ATLETICO MADRID FOOTBALL PLAYER.

1985 – BIRTH OF HEATHER O’REILLY; US WOMEN’S NATIONAL SOCCER PLAYER.

DEATHS OF SPORTS FIGURES ON JANUARY 2

1946 – JOE DARLING, CRICKET PLAYER (AUSSIE CAPTAIN 21 TESTS, WON 7 LOST 4), DIES.

1960 – FAUSTO COPPI, ITALIAN, RAN WORLD RECORD 45,798 KM, DIES AT AGE 40.

1961 – BOB CATTERALL, CRICKET PLAYER (1555 RUNS/24 TESTS FOR SOUTH AFRICA 1922-31), DIES.

1994 – SAMMY TAFT, CANADIAN BUSINESSMAN (COINED TERM “HAT TRICK”), DIES AT AGE 81.

2004 – DEATH OF PAUL HOPKINS, REPORTED TO BE THE OLDEST LIVING FORMER MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER (BORN 1904).

2017 – DEATH OF VIKTOR TSARYOV, RUSSIAN FOOTBALLER (BORN 1931).

2023 – DEATH OF KEN BLOCK IN A SNOWMOBILE CRASH IN UTAH; AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL RALLY DRIVER (HOONIGAN BRAND, DC SHOES BRAND).

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TV SPORTS

THURSDAY, 1/1/26

FRIDAY, 1/2/2026

SATURDAY, 1/3/26

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