THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” THURSDAY JANUARY 8, 2026

“THE SCOREBOARD”

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INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD

BORDEN  72   NEW WASHINGTON  50         

BOWMAN ACADEMY 72          WHITING          28         

CHESTERTON 64         ANDREAN        24         

CORYDON CENTRAL 75         ROCK CREEK ACADEMY        47         

GARY 21ST CENTURY 74        GARY LIGHTHOUSE   57         

LAWRENCE CENTRAL 65       PARK TUDOR 53         

MISHAWAKA   35          BUCHANAN (MICH.) 29          OT

OAK FARM MONTESSORI      52          HAMILTON       28         

PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE        56          INDIANA DEAF             34         

SOUTH CENTRAL (ELIZABETH)          82          LANESVILLE    75         

SOUTHWOOD              57          MISSISSINEWA             47         

SPRINGS VALLEY        50          CRAWFORD COUNTY 24      

GREENE COUNTY INVITATIONAL

WHITE RIVER VALLEY 67        PIKE CENTRAL 60      

SHOALS            54          EVANSVILLE DAY         35         

RANDOLPH COUNTY TOURNAMENT

UNION CITY    50          UNION (MODOC)       40         

RIPLEY COUNTY TOURNAMENT

SOUTH RIPLEY             60          MILAN 56         

BATESVILLE    66          JAC-CEN-DEL 49         

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INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL THURSDAY SCHEDULE

ALL TIMES EASTERN

ANDREWS ACADEMY (MICH.)           AT          TRINITY GREENLAWN 6:30 PM         

CALUMET         AT          GRIFFITH          8:00 PM            

CORYDON CENTRAL AT          FLOYD CENTRAL         7:30 PM            

EDGEWOOD  AT          BROWN COUNTY       7:30 PM            

EVANSVILLE NORTH AT          EVANSVILLE HARRISON         8:00 PM            

GARY WEST     AT          LOWELL            8:00 PM            

HERITAGE HILLS          AT          GIBSON SOUTHERN 8:00 PM           

HIGHLAND      AT          WHEELER        8:00 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA       AT          UNIVERSITY                   7:30 PM            

INTERNATIONAL         AT          INDIANAPOLIS HERRON        7:00 PM            

JEFFERSONVILLE        AT          NEW ALBANY                7:30 PM            

LAKE STATION              AT          HAMMOND NOLL       8:00 PM            

LAWRENCE NORTH  AT          WARREN CENTRAL    7:30 PM            

LOGANSPORT              AT          KOKOMO         7:30 PM            

MADISON        AT          SCOTTSBURG               7:30 PM            

OWEN VALLEY             AT          CLOVERDALE 7:30 PM           

PARK TUDOR AT          INDIAN CREEK             7:30 PM            

PHALEN ACADEMY    AT          BELIEVE CIRCLE CITY              7:30 PM            

PIKE     AT          FISHERS            7:30 PM            

RENSSELAER CENTRAL         AT          WEST CENTRAL           7:30 PM            

SEYMOUR        AT          CHARLESTOWN          7:30 PM            

SHAWE MEMORIAL   AT          OLDENBURG ACADEMY        7:30 PM            

GREENE COUNTY INVITATIONAL

PLEASANT VIEW CHRISTIAN               VS.        DUGGER UNION         6:00 PM               CON

LOSER GAME 4             VS.        LOSER GAME 3             7:30 PM             CON

HENDRICKS COUNTY TOURNAMENT

AVON  AT          PLAINFIELD                   7:30 PM             SF

TRI-WEST         AT          BROWNSBURG            7:30 PM             SF

HENRY COUNTY TOURNAMENT

TRI        VS.        BLUE RIVER VALLEY  6:00 PM             R1

KNIGHTSTOWN            AT          SHENANDOAH             7:45 PM             R1

RANDOLPH COUNTY TOURNAMENT

WINNER GAME 1         AT          RANDOLPH SOUTHERN        6:00 PM             SF

WINCHESTER VS.        MONROE CENTRAL   7:30 PM             SF

RIVERTOWN TOURNAMENT

SWITZERLAND COUNTY        AT          SOUTH DEARBORN   6:00 PM             R1

RISING SUN    VS.        LAWRENCEBURG       7:30 PM             R1

SUGAR CREEK TOURNAMENT

WESTERN BOONE      VS.        SOUTHMONT 6:00 PM            R1

NORTH MONTGOMERY          VS.        CRAWFORDSVILLE    7:45 PM             R1

WAYNE COUNTY TOURNAMENT

CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN AT          HAGERSTOWN             7:30 PM             R1

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INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD

ANDREAN        62          BOWMAN ACADEMY 5          

BEECH GROVE             75          BELIEVE CIRCLE CITY 14      

CONNERSVILLE          65          UNION COUNTY         44         

DECATUR CENTRAL  50          MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE)          34         

EAST NOBLE   72          ANGOLA           55         

EASTERN HANCOCK 54          BLUE RIVER VALLEY  24         

EDGEWOOD  61          WEST VIGO     27         

EMAN  46          INDIANA MATH & SCIENCE  7           

EVANSVILLE CENTRAL            82          EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL        35         

EVANSVILLE MATER DEI         66          EVANSVILLE HARRISON         39         

EVANSVILLE NORTH 47          EVANSVILLE BOSSE  12         

ILLIANA CHRISTIAN   62          CALUMET         29         

INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL 69         NOBLESVILLE 68        2OT

INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA       49          INDIANAPOLIS RIVERSIDE    16         

KOKOMO         66          NORTHWESTERN       27         

MANCHESTER              67          CHURUBUSCO            31         

MARQUETTE CATHOLIC        64          HAMMOND CENTRAL             31         

NORTHRIDGE               62          SOUTH BEND ADAMS              36         

OREGON-DAVIS          43          TRITON              41         

OWEN VALLEY             59          BLOOMFIELD 19         

PLYMOUTH     40          ROCHESTER   36         

PRINCETON    66          VINCENNES LINCOLN            45         

SHELBYVILLE 61          SOUTHPORT  26         

SILVER CREEK              70          JEFFERSONVILLE        61         

SOUTH NEWTON        43          DONOVAN (ILL.)          39         

SOUTH PUTNAM         36          NORTH MONTGOMERY          32         

SOUTHWOOD              64          MARION            37         

TERRE HAUTE NORTH             71          SOUTH VERMILLION 12         

TIPPECANOE VALLEY              55          MACONAQUAH           32         

TIPTON              40          MADISON-GRANT      25         

UNIVERSITY    46          WESTERN        24         

VICTORY PREP             42          KIPP INDY LEGACY     25         

WASHINGTON TWP.  51          LAKE STATION              25         

WESTFIELD     58          INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD      57         

WHITKO            87          WABASH          25         

ZIONSVILLE    52          HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) 27   

RIVERTOWN TOURNAMENT

SWITZERLAND COUNTY 61  SOUTH DEARBORN   37          R1

LAWRENCEBURG       56          RISING SUN    47          R1

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INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL THURSDAY SCHEDULE

ALL TIMES EASTERN

ALEXANDRIA  AT          LAPEL                7:30 PM            

ATTICA               AT          COVINGTON  6:45 PM            

BARR-REEVE  AT          MITCHELL        7:00 PM            

BENTON CENTRAL     AT          MCCUTCHEON           7:30 PM            

BETHANY CHRISTIAN              AT          LAKEWOOD PARK      6:00 PM            

BETHESDA CHRISTIAN           AT          PARK TUDOR 6:00 PM            

BOONE GROVE            AT          RIVER FOREST              8:00 PM            

CANNELTON  AT          EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN        7:00 PM            

CASTON           AT          CULVER            7:30 PM            

CENTER GROVE          AT          CARMEL           7:30 PM            

CHARLESTOWN          AT          MADISON        7:30 PM            

COLUMBUS EAST       AT          SEYMOUR        7:30 PM            

CORYDON CENTRAL AT          EASTERN (PEKIN)        7:30 PM            

CRAWFORD COUNTY             AT          PAOLI                 7:30 PM            

CROTHERSVILLE         AT          SOUTH CENTRAL (ELIZABETH)          6:00 PM            

CROWN POINT            AT          MICHIGAN CITY                          8:00 PM            

EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL     AT          GARY WEST                    7:00 PM            

EASTBROOK   AT          TAYLOR             7:30 PM            

EDGEWOOD  AT          BROWN COUNTY       6:00 PM            

EMINENCE      AT          CROSSPOINT CHRISTIAN     6:00 PM            

EVANSVILLE CENTRAL            AT          EVANSVILLE BOSSE  8:00 PM            

EVANSVILLE REITZ     AT          CASTLE             8:00 PM            

FOUNTAIN CENTRAL AT          WESTERN BOONE      7:30 PM            

FRANKTON      AT          MUNCIE BURRIS                        6:00 PM            

GARY 21ST CENTURY              AT          GARY LIGHTHOUSE   7:00 PM            

GIBSON SOUTHERN AT          BOONVILLE    7:30 PM            

HAMILTON HEIGHTS AT          WEST LAFAYETTE        7:00 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS       AT          INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE 7:30 PM        

JASPER              AT          FOREST PARK 7:30 PM           

JIMTOWN         AT          WESTVIEW      7:30 PM            

LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC      AT          TWIN LAKES    6:30 PM            

LAVILLE             AT          LAKELAND CHRISTIAN           6:00 PM            

LEWIS CASS   AT          NORTHFIELD 7:30 PM            

MISHAWAKA   AT          ELKHART CHRISTIAN 7:30 PM          

MISHAWAKA MARIAN              AT          NEW PRAIRIE 7:30 PM           

MOUNT VERNON (POSEY)    AT          SOUTHRIDGE 8:30 PM           

NEW PALESTINE          AT          BLOOMINGTON NORTH         7:30 PM            

NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) AT SOUTH VERMILLION 7:30 PM    

NORTH DAVIESS          AT          ORLEANS         7:30 PM            

NORTH DECATUR       AT          SOUTH DECATUR       7:30 PM            

NORTH JUDSON         AT          KANKAKEE VALLEY    8:00 PM            

NORTH POSEY             AT          TECUMSEH     8:00 PM            

NORTH VERMILLION AT          RIVERTON PARKE       7:30 PM            

NORTH WHITE              AT          RENSSELAER CENTRAL 8:00 PM     

NORTHEAST DUBOIS AT        TELL CITY         8:00 PM            

OPH (ILL.)        AT          DUGGER UNION         6:30 PM            

OWEN VALLEY             AT          CLOVERDALE 6:00 PM           

PERRY CENTRAL         AT          HENRYVILLE   7:00 PM            

PIONEER          AT          FRONTIER        6:30 PM            

PORTAGE         AT          VALPARAISO  8:00 PM            

ROCK CREEK ACADEMY        AT          DOSS (KY.)       7:30 PM            

SEEGER             AT          CLINTON PRAIRIE       7:30 PM            

SHOALS            AT          SOUTH KNOX                6:30 PM            

SOUTH BEND RILEY  AT          SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH     7:30 PM            

SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON AT SOUTH BEND ADAMS    7:30 PM            

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

SOUTHMONT AT          PARKE HERITAGE        7:30 PM            

SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER)           AT          AUSTIN              6:00 PM            

ST. THOMAS MORE    AT          CAREER ACADEMY                   7:30 PM            

TRI-COUNTY  AT          NORTH NEWTON        8:00 PM            

TRINITY GREENLAWN              AT          OREGON-DAVIS          6:00 PM            

TRINITY LUTHERAN   AT          WEST WASHINGTON               7:30 PM            

TRITON              AT          JOHN GLENN                7:30 PM            

WASHINGTON              AT          PIKE CENTRAL              7:30 PM            

WASHINGTON CATHOLIC    AT          BLOOMINGTON HOMESCHOOL      5:30 PM              

WHEELER        AT          DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN              7:30 PM            

WHITING          AT          ILLIANA CHRISTIAN                  8:00 PM            

WOOD MEMORIAL     AT          SOUTH SPENCER       8:00 PM            

WOODLAN      AT          FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK  7:30 PM            

YORKTOWN    AT          MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE)          7:30 PM            

GREENE COUNTY TOURNAMENT

LOOGOOTEE  AT          WHITE RIVER VALLEY              6:00 PM             R1

LINTON             VS.        SHAKAMAK     7:30 PM             R1

HENDRICKS COUNTY TOURNAMENT

AVON  AT          PLAINFIELD    6:00 PM             SF

DANVILLE        AT          BROWNSBURG            6:00 PM             SF

SHELBY COUNTY TOURNAMENT

MORRISTOWN             AT          WALDRON      6:00 PM             R1

TRITON CENTRAL       VS.        SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)     8:00 PM             R1

WAYNE COUNTY TOURNAMENT

NORTHEASTERN         VS.        CENTERVILLE 6:00 PM            R1

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INDIANA WRESTLING

INDIANA STATE WRESTLING ASSOCIATION: https://www.iswa.com/

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS WRESTLING COACHES ASSOCIATION: https://www.ihsgw.net/

INDIANA MAT: https://indianamat.com/

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MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES

#4 UCONN 103 PROVIDENCE 98 OT

#3 IOWA STATE 70 BAYLOR 60

#5 PURDUE 81 WASHINGTON 73

#15 ARKANSAS 94 OLE MISS 87

CLEMSON 74 #24 SMU 70

#11 VANDERBILT 96 #13 ALABAMA 90

#23 VIRGINIA 84 CALIFORNIA 60

#9 BYU 104 ARIZONA STATE 76

#1 ARIZONA 101 KANSAS STATE 76

STANFORD 69 VIRGINIA TECH 68

INDIANA 84 MARYLAND 66

MISSISSIPPI STATE 72 OKLAHOMA 53

MISSOURI 73 KENTUCKY 68

MIAMI OF FLORIDA 81 WAKE FOREST 77

TEMPLE 75 E. CAROLINA 67

MARQUETTE 66 XAVIER 65

ST. LOUIS 71 VCU 62

GEORGE MASON 67 FORDHAM 58

LASALLE 79 RHODE ISLAND 72

RICHMOND 89 ST. BONAVENTURE 80

PURDUE FORT WAYNE 71 YOUNGSTOWN STATE 69

CREIGHTON 76 VILLANOVA 72

RICE 66 WICHITA STATE 64

FLORIDA ATLANTIC 76 ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM 71

CHARLOTTE 74 TEXAS SAN ANTONIO 58

VALPARAISO 77 ILLINOIS STATE 71

MURRAY STATE 79 EVANSVILLE 69

COLORADO 85 UTAH 73

GRAND CANYON 75 BOISE STATE 58

BRADLEY 93 DRAKE 66

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WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES

CINCINNATI 71 #11 IOWA STATE 63

#19 OHIO STATE 78 ILLINOIS 69

#17 TEXAS TECH 71 WEST VIRGINIA 66

#1 UCONN 88 ST. JOHN’S 43

#13 TCU 69 OKLAHOMA STATE 61

CENTRAL MICHIGAN 66 KENT STATE 57

RHODE ISLAND 79 GEORGE WASHINGTON 70

NORTHERN ILLINOIS 64 BUFFALO 58

BALL STATE 72 TOLEDO 68

CLEVELAND STATE 87 WRIGHT STATE 75

WESTERN MICHIGAN 55 AKRON 48

MIAMI OHIO 72 UMASS 60

OHIO 96 EASTERN MICHIGAN 87

GEORGETOWN 63 BUTLER 46

LOYOLA ILLINOIS 71 DAYTON 68

KANSAS STATE 71 HOUSTON 62

UTAH 62 KANSAS 59

MEMPHIS 74 FLORIDA ATLANTIC 66

VCU 50 ST. LOUIS 39

ARIZONA STATE 68 CENTRAL FLORIDA 45

NEW MEXICO 66 COLORADO STATE 59

BOISE STATE 70 AIR FORCE 59

SAN DIEGO STATE 87 GRAND CANYON 69

NEVADA 70 WYOMING 60 OT

FRESNO STATE 67 SAN JOSE STATE 52

UNLV 69 UTAH STATE 58

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL

THURSDAY, JAN. 8

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

FRIDAY, JAN. 9

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

MONDAY, JAN. 19

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

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER

https://www.profootballnetwork.com/cfb-hq/transfer-portal-tracker

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NFL

NFL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

JAN. 10

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

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

JAN. 11

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

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

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

JAN. 12

HOUSTON AT PITTSBURGH, 8:15 PM, ESPN, ABC, ESPN+

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NBA

DETROIT 108 CHICAGO 93

PHILADELPHIA 131 WASHINGTON 110

TORONTO 97 CHARLOTTE 96

DENVER 114 BOSTON 110

ATLANTA 117 NEW ORLEANS 100

NEW YORK 123 LA CLIPPERS 111

ORLANDO 104 BROOKLYN 103 OT

PHOENIX 117 MEMPHIS 98

OKLAHOMA CITY 129 UTAH 125 OT

SAN ANTONIO 107 LA LAKERS 91

GOLDEN STATE 120 MILWAUKEE 113

PORTLAND 103 HOUSTON 102

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NHL

DALLAS 4 WASHINGTON 1

MONTRÉAL 4 CALGARY 1

CHICAGO 7 ST. LOUIS 3

UTAH 3 OTTAWA 1

SAN JOSE 4 LOS ANGELES 3 OT

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NATIONAL RELEASES

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PICKS: OLE MISS IS LAST HOPE FOR SEC TO REACH FIRST TITLE GAME IN 3 YEARS

No pressure, Mississippi, but the Southeastern Conference hasn’t gone three years without a football national championship since the turn of the century.

The sixth-seeded Rebels are the SEC’s last hope in the College Football Playoff after Georgia and Alabama lost in the quarterfinals. They will play for a spot in the national championship game when they meet No. 10 seed Miami at the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday.

Big Ten teams won the last two national titles — 2023 Michigan and 2024 Ohio State — and with No. 1 Indiana matched against No. 5 Oregon in the Peach Bowl on Friday, the conference is assured of being represented in the championship game again.

The last SEC team to play for it all was Georgia, which hammered TCU 65-7 in 2022 for its second straight title and the conference’s fourth in a row.

The “It Just Means More” conference hasn’t gone three years without a title since a four-year stretch from 1999-2002.

LSU won the Bowl Championship Series title game in 2003 but shared the title with Southern California. From 2006-22, the SEC won 13 of 17 championships and had at least one team in the title game all but one year.

The picks, with seedings and lines from BetMGM Sportsbook:

No. 6 Mississippi (plus 3 1/2) vs. No. 10 Miami

The Rebels (13-1) are as much a feel-good story as Indiana, maybe even more. The plot: Coach (Lane Kiffin) ditches team for a job with a conference rival (LSU), new coach (Pete Golding) opens his tenure with two playoff victories and several assistants stay on while moonlighting at LSU during the playoff run. Oh, and the star of the team (QB Trinidad Chambliss) is a transfer from Division II Ferris State. All this has galvanized the Rebels.

Against Miami, the challenge will be keeping Chambliss upright. The Hurricanes (12-2) have a combined 12 sacks in playoff wins over Texas A&M and Ohio State, and lead the nation with 46. The Rebels have kept Chambliss mostly clean, allowing just one sack in three games since Florida got to him five times on Nov. 15.

Miami QB Carson Beck has shaken off his interception issue with offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson’s emphasis on spreading around short passes. Beck has thrown just one interception in the last six games; he was picked off nine times in the first eight.

Pick: Mississippi 28-27.

No. 1 Indiana (minus 3 1/2) vs. No. 5 Oregon

The Hoosiers and Ducks were dominant in the quarterfinals and now they square off for the second time this season. Indiana (14-0) handed Oregon (13-1) its only loss, 30-20 in Eugene on Oct. 11. The winner of the rematch will play for its school’s first national championship in football.

Much attention is paid to Indiana’s offense with Fernando Mendoza leading the way. He is going to have to be sharp against an Oregon defense that has improved its pass coverage since the first meeting. The Ducks flummoxed Behren Morton in the 23-0 quarterfinal win over Texas Tech.

This game will be close, and the Hoosiers have the more consistent defense. Remember, James Madison found a way to move the ball against Oregon in the first round, and the Hoosiers have the Heisman Trophy winner in Mendoza.

The Hoosiers intercepted Dante Moore twice and sacked him six times in the first meeting, and they’ve recorded eight sacks and allowed just 13 points in two playoff games.

Pick: Indiana 23-19.

AP predictions scorecard

Quarterfinal CFP games: Straight-up — 1-3; Against spread — 2-2.

Season straight up — 195-64; Against spread — 125-133-1.

TRANSFER PORTAL ROUNDUP: NOTRE DAME, GEORGIA LOSE ADDITIONAL PLAYERS

It’s not always good news in the NCAA’s transfer portal, as Top-15 programs Notre Dame and Georgia demonstrated on Wednesday.

Two Bulldogs, cornerback Ondre Evans and safety Joenel Aguero, announced they would be entering the portal, while Notre Dame had four players enter the portal, with previous entrant defensive back Cree Thomas landing at Colorado.

Wide receiver Antavious “Scrap” Richardson, linebackers Anthony Sacca and Bodie Kahoun and special teams ace Preston Zinter made their intentions to leave the No. 11 Fighting Irish public on Tuesday, giving Notre Dame at least 14 departures so far with no new additions, per 247’s transfer portal tracker.

Five of those players — quarterback Kenny Minchey (Kentucky), pass-rusher Joshua Burnham (Indiana), Thomas, safety JaDon Blair (Missouri) and running back Gi’Bran Payne (Cincinnati) have already found landing places.

The No. 3 Bulldogs are in a similar boat, having lost 10 players to the portal to go along with several recent NFL Draft departees, though Kirby Smart’s program has added Clemson safety Khalil Barnes in return.

If there’s additional solace for fans of those programs, it’s that the most recent departures are light on experience and playing time.

Aguero, a rising senior, has appeared in 36 games over three seasons in Athens, Ga. He has recorded 72 tackles with an interception and three passes defensed. Evans, who will be a redshirt sophomore, has yet to collect any stats.

Thomas was a freshman for the Irish in 2025, appearing in three games and collecting one tackle and a pass defensed.

Sacca and Richardson were also freshmen, not seeing any game action last fall.

Zinter, primarily a special teams player, recorded two solo tackles in 2025 after nabbing four tackles with a blocked punt in 2024.

In other portal news on Wednesday, former Boston College wide receiver Reed Harris, ranked No. 17 overall in 247’s rankings, committed to Arizona State, where he will pair with recent pledge Omarion Miller to give the Sun Devils a dangerous duo on the outside.

No. 14 prospect DJ Lagway, the former Florida quarterback, made some waves by appearing at a Baylor basketball game with Dave Aranda.

Former Southern California defensive lineman Devan Thompkins — No. 23 in 247’s rankings — has announced his new home of Tuscaloosa, Ala., where he will suit up for Alabama in 2026.

And wide receiver Eugene Wilson III found his new home as well. The former Florida standout, ranked 46th by 247, joined Lane Kiffin’s LSU Tigers.

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MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 4 UCONN RALLIES, TOPS PROVIDENCE IN OT

Freshman Braylon Mullins scored a career-high 24 points and hit two of his six 3-pointers in overtime as No. 4 UConn erased a double-digit deficit in the second half en route to a 103-98 win at Providence on Wednesday night.

Mullins hit an early jumper and a three during a 7-3 start to the overtime session, and after the hosts scored the next three points, he sank another long-distance shot with 1:53 left.

Silas Demary Jr.’s jumper with 11 seconds left clinched an 11th straight win for UConn (15-1, 5-0 Big East). Demary finished with 23 points and 15 assists.

Ryan Mela scored a team-high 19 points off the bench while Jamier Jones (18 points) and Duncan Powell each hit three 3-pointers for Providence (8-7, 1-3).

No. 1 Arizona 101, Kansas State 76

Brayden Burries tied a career high with 28 points to go with nine rebounds and Motiejus Krivas finished with a career-best 25 points with 12 rebounds to lead Arizona past Kansas State in battle of Wildcats in Tucson, Ariz.

Arizona (15-0, 2-0 Big 12) is off to its best start since beginning 21-0 in 2013-14. Kansas State (9-6, 0-2) has lost its last two games after winning four straight. The visitors were led by PJ Haggerty’s 19 points and seven assists.

Arizona had four players with at least nine rebounds — Krivas, Tobe Awaka (11), Koa Peat (10) and Burries. Peat also had 15 points, giving him his third double-double of the season.

No. 3 Iowa State 70, Baylor 60

Tamin Lipsey scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half and the Cyclones moved to 15-0 for the first time in school history in beating the host Bears in Big 12 play at Waco, Texas.

Joshua Jefferson recorded 19 points, a career-high 17 rebounds and three steals for Iowa State, which is 2-0 in Big 12 play. The Cyclones took control with a 26-4 burst bridging both halves.

Cameron Carr scored 17 points and Caden Powell had 11 points and 11 rebounds for Baylor (10-4, 0-2), which set a season low for points while losing its second straight game. The Bears shot 30.6% from the field and a woeful 5 of 27 from 3-point range.

No. 5 Purdue 81, Washington 73

Braden Smith scored a game-high 23 points and Trey Kaufman-Renn registered a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds to lift the Boilermakers to a victory against the visiting Huskies in West Lafayette, Ind.

C.J. Cox (11 points) and Daniel Jacobsen (10) also scored in double figures for Purdue, which led by as many as 23 points early in the second half before allowing Washington to cut the deficit to single digits late.

Hannes Steinbach scored 14 of his 17 points after halftime to pace the Huskies. Peterson followed with 15 points, Zoom Diallo had 14 points and eight assists, and Franck Kepnang posted a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.

No. 9 BYU 104, Arizona State 76

Richie Saunders scored a career-high 31 points and collected eight rebounds to lead the Cougars to an easy win over the Sun Devils in Provo, Utah.

Saunders went 10-of-13 from the field and made six 3-pointers. He averaged 28.0 points in two wins over Arizona State last season. AJ Dybantsa tallied 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists for the Cougars. Rob Wright III added 27 points as BYU (14-1, 2-0 Big 12) won its 11th straight game after shooting 57.4% from the field and blocking 10 shots.

Anthony Johnson scored 24 points to lead the Sun Devils (9-6, 0-2). Massamba Diop chipped in 22 points and nine boards as the Sun Devils suffered their fourth straight loss.

No. 11 Vanderbilt 96, No. 13 Alabama 90

In a Southeastern Conference battle that saw both teams get to the bonus with 14 minutes to play and combining for 63 fouls, the host Commodores outlasted the Crimson Tide in Nashville.

Tyler Tanner scored 29 points and added seven assists for Vanderbilt (15-0, 2-0), which is off to its best start since opening the 2007-08 season 16-0. Duke Miles scored 19 points and Tyler Nickel added 12 in the win.

Amari Allen led Alabama (11-4, 1-1) with 25 points and Aden Holloway scored 22 in the loss. Allen was one of three players to foul out of the game.

No. 15 Arkansas 94, Ole Miss 87

Darius Acuff Jr. scored 26 points and handed out nine assists as the Razorbacks took the lead less than six minutes into the game and never looked back, holding off the Rebels in Oxford, Miss.

Trevon Brazile added 18 points, Meleek Thomas and Billy Richmond III had 13 each, and Karter Knox scored 10 for the Razorbacks (12-3, 2-0 Southeastern Conference).

Malik Dia and Ilias Kamardine scored 16 points each, AJ Storr added 12, Eduardo Klafke put in 11 and Patton Pinkins added 10 to lead the Rebels (8-7, 0-2)

No. 23 Virginia 84, Cal 60

Malik Thomas scored 20 points and the Cavaliers pulled away early in the second half for a victory against the Golden Bears in Atlantic Coast Conference action in Charlottesville, Va.

The Cavaliers (13-2, 2-1 ACC) improved to 9-0 at home and 11-0 when outrebounding their opponents, compiling a decisive 45-26 advantage on the glass. Ugonna Onyenso had 12 points, nine rebounds and four of the Cavaliers’ nine blocked shots. Sam Lewis, Thijs De Ridder and Johann Grunloh each scored 12 points.

The Golden Bears (13-3, 1-2) were held to a season low in points and dropped to 0-3 when giving up more than 72 points. Dai Dai Ames, who played at Virginia last season, led Cal with 18 points. Justin Pippen added 17 with five steals and John Camden had 15 points. Chris Bell, who came in averaging 14.8 points, was scoreless on 0-for-6 shooting.

Clemson 74, No. 24 SMU 70

RJ Godfrey scored 17 points and reserve Butta Johnson connected on three clutch second-half 3-point shots as the host Tigers knocked off the Mustangs.

Dillon Hunter had 10 points for the Tigers (13-3, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who have a six-game winning streak. Clemson joined No. 6 Duke and Miami as the only ACC teams without a conference loss.

Boopie Miller’s 23 points paced SMU (12-3, 1-1), while Samet Yigitoglu had 14 points and 11 rebounds and B.J. Edwards and Jaron Pierre Jr. added 12 points apiece in the Mustangs’ first game as a ranked team since February 2017.

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WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: CINCINNATI KNOCKS OFF NO. 11 IOWA STATE

Mya Perry posted 26 points and went 4-for-6 from 3-point range as host Cincinnati upset No. 11 Iowa State 71-63 in Big 12 play on Wednesday.

Caliyah DeVillasee added 13 points, and Kylie Torrence had a team-leading nine rebounds for Cincinnati (6-10, 1-3), which used an 8-0 run to grab an early 12-5 lead in the first quarter, played a close, back-and-forth game for the middle two periods, then pulled away late. The Bearcats hung on despite not making any field goals for the last 5:19 of the game.

Audi Crooks had 23 points and 10 rebounds while Jada Williams added 13 points and seven assists for Iowa State (14-2, 2-2), which never led by more than three points and was stymied for the majority of the game thanks in large part to 36% shooting from the field and just 19% from beyond the arc. Their largest lead of the game was three points.

No.1 Connecticut 88, St. John’s 43

Sarah Strong scored a game-high 24 points and the top-ranked Huskies had little trouble with the Red Storm in Hartford, Conn.

Azzi Fudd posted 16 points and Blanca Quinonez added 14 for UConn (16-0, 7-0 Big East), which led 50-22 at the half. For the game, the Huskies shot 59% from the field, 39% from 3-point range, and 90% from the free-throw line.

Beautiful Waheed led St. John’s (13-4, 3-3) with 14 points. The Red Storm, coming off back-to-back wins against Marquette and DePaul, committed 33 turnovers, which resulted in 46 points for the Huskies.

No. 13 TCU 69, Oklahoma State 61

Olivia Miles posted 20 points, six rebounds and eight assists as the Horned Frogs held to beat the visiting Cowgirls in Fort Worth, Texas.

Clara Silva had 12 points and seven rebounds, and Marta Suarez added 11 points for TCU (15-1, 3-1 Big 12), which trailed 51-50 with 6:59 left in the fourth quarter but went on a 7-0 run to retake the lead and create space on the scoreboard. The Horned Frogs outscored the visitors 22-17 in the final period.

Jadyn Wooten had a team-high 25 points off the bench and Stailee Heard added 23 points for Oklahoma State (13-4, 2-2).

No. 17 Texas Tech 71, West Virginia 66

Bailey Maupin posted 27 points, hitting 7 of 8 free throws, to lead the Lady Raiders to a tight victory over the Mountaineers Morgantown, W. Va., and keeping Texas Tech unbeaten.

Jalynn Bristow led the Lady Raiders (17-0, 4-0 Big 12) with nine rebounds and her three assists tied for the team lead. In a game in which neither team ever led by more than six points, West Virginia (13-3, 3-1) with less than two minutes to play when Maupin’s 3-pointer with 1:52 to play gave the visitors the lead for good.

Jordan Harrison had 22 points, Carter McCray added 15 points and six rebounds, and Kierra Wheeler had a team-leading nine rebounds for the Mountaineers, who had won seven straight entering the game.

No. 19 Ohio State 78, Illinois 69

Jaloni Cambridge posted a career-high 41 points — including 29 in the second half — while adding six rebounds and six assists as the Buckeyes pulled away late to defeat the Fighting Illini in Champaign, Ill.

Chance Gray added 18 points and Elsa Lemmila had a team-leading eight rebounds for Ohio State (14-2, 4-1 Big Ten), which outscored Illinois 42-33 in the second half after the game was tied at intermission.

Cearah Parchment posted 20 points and seven rebounds, and Berry Wallace added 17 points for Illinois (13-3, 3-2), which has dropped back-o-back conference games. The hosts shot just 15.4% from 3-point range and turned the ball over 17 times.

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NBA NEWS

HAWKS AGREE TO TRADE HIGH-SCORING GUARD TRAE YOUNG TO WIZARDS, AP SOURCE SAYS

Trae Young’s tenure in Atlanta is over, with the Hawks agreeing to trade the high-scoring and frequently criticized guard to the Washington Wizards for a package including veteran CJ McCollum, a person with knowledge of the move said Wednesday night.

Corey Kispert is also headed from Washington to Atlanta, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade had not received the required league approval. The person said the league’s trade call will not take place before Thursday. Typically, teams cannot discuss pending trades until they are approved by the league.

“I know you all have questions for me that right now I’m not at liberty to talk about or answer,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said, unprompted, at the start of his postgame news conference Wednesday night following Atlanta’s win over visiting New Orleans.

NBA reporter Marc Stein was first to disclose that the sides were closing in on a deal, and ESPN first reported that the agreement was in place.

The Wizards held McCollum and Kispert out of their loss at Philadelphia on Wednesday night, and Young was on the bench in street clothes for Atlanta. He left the bench area in the fourth quarter, then returned and left again for the final time with about 30 seconds left — slapping hands with a few fans as he headed toward the locker room.

NBA ROUNDUP: PAOLO BANCHERO BANKSHOT LIFTS MAGIC PAST NETS IN OT

Paolo Banchero banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime off an inbounds pass from Anthony Black as the Orlando Magic eked out a 104-103 victory over the Brooklyn Nets after blowing an 18-point lead Wednesday night in New York.

Rookie Egor Demin banked in a 3 with 5.3 seconds left over Wendell Carter Jr. to put Brooklyn up 103-101 in the extra period after the Nets rallied from a 10-point deficit with 4:02 left in regulation.

Banchero finished with 30 points and 14 rebounds, Carter added 20 for the Magic, who shot 42.7% and were outscored 29-14 in the fourth.

Michael Porter Jr. led all scorers with 34 points and hit eight of Brooklyn’s 17 3s. Demin scored all of his 18 points after the third quarter but the Nets shot 41.9% and lost for the fourth time in five games.

Thunder 129, Jazz 125 (OT)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 46 points to lift host Oklahoma City past Utah and end a brief two-game losing streak.

Gilgeous-Alexander forced overtime with a tying basket at the buzzer to end regulation, then Chet Holmgren made perhaps the biggest play in the extra period, slamming home Gilgeous-Alexander’s miss with 30 seconds left to break a tie. Gilgeous-Alexander then grabbed the rebound off Svi Mykhailiuk’s missed corner 3-pointer and sank both free throws to make it a two-possession game with less than 10 seconds remaining.

Holmgren finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds, while Jalen Williams had 17 points and eight assists. Lauri Markkanen led Utah with 29 points and added 13 rebounds. Keyonte George had 25 points and 11 assists in the loss.

Nuggets 114, Celtics 110

Peyton Watson scored 30 points and Jamal Murray added 22 points, eight rebounds and a career-high 17 assists to lead visiting Denver over Boston for the Nuggets’ NBA-best 15th road victory.

Watson made 6 of his 7 3-point attempts, including a 3-pointer that put Denver up 106-93 with 2:24 to play. Watson has scored at least 20 points in each of his last five games. Denver’s Nikola Jokic missed his fifth straight game with a knee injury. The Nuggets have a 3-2 record without him.

Boston received a game-high 33 points along with seven rebounds and four assists from Jaylen Brown, who also committed seven turnovers. Neemias Queta had six points and a career-high 20 rebounds for the Celtics. Ten of Queta’s 20 rebounds came at the offensive end.

Trail Blazers 103, Rockets 102

Deni Avdija scored 41 points and Portland held off visiting Houston as Tari Eason’s would-be game-winning tip-in was ruled to come after time expired.

Portland led in the final seconds when Houston’s Kevin Durant missed a jumper with 0.8 seconds left. Eason got his hand on the ball and tapped it into the net. But the officials reviewed the call and ruled that Eason’s fingertips were still in contact with the ball when the red light on the backboard came on and waved off the hoop.

Durant matched his season high of 37 points and Amen Thompson added 24 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, as the Rockets lost for just the second time in seven games. Durant needs just 15 points to pass legendary Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) and move into seventh place on the all-time scoring list.

Hawks 117, Pelicans 100

Zaccharie Risacher knocked down seven 3-pointers and scored a season-high 25 points to lead Atlanta over visiting New Orleans, ending the Hawks’ two-game losing streak while handing the Pelicans their second nine-game losing streak of the season.

Four-time Atlanta all-star Trae Young was on the bench in street clothes with a right quad contusion when reports surfaced during the fourth quarter that he had been traded to Washington. Young left the area for a few minutes, returned to the bench and stayed there until seconds remained.

With Onyeka Okongwu out with an illness and Kristaps Porzingis on restricted minutes, Atlanta started reserve Mouhamed Gueye at center. Porzingis still wound up with 13 points, while Gueye contributed 10 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, finishing the game at plus-27.

Knicks 123, Clippers 111

Karl-Anthony Towns scored nine points during a decisive 30-13 run spanning the third and fourth quarters as host New York snapped a season-long four-game losing streak with a win over Los Angeles.

Towns finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds while adding seven assists for the Knicks, who avoided their first five-game losing streak since December 2022. Jalen Brunson had 26 points and seven assists while OG Anunoby finished with 20 points.

Ivica Zubac (22 points, 11 rebounds) and John Collins (18 points, 10 rebounds) each posted double-doubles for the Clippers, who lost for just the second time in nine games. Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points while James Harden finished with 23 points following a one-game absence due to a shoulder injury.

Raptors 97, Hornets 96

Immanuel Quickley’s 3-point basket at the buzzer lifted Toronto past host Charlotte as the Hornets were unable to build off their win over NBA-best Oklahoma City on Monday.

Quickley’s basket, which was launched just left of the top of the 3-point arc, delivered the final points in a back-and-forth sequence down the stretch. LaMelo Ball’s drive for a basket with 1.6 seconds left broke a tie and gave the Hornets a 96-94 lead. Each team called a timeout before the Raptors inbounded the ball for the last shot, which was the seventh successful 3-pointer of Toronto’s 34 long-range attempts, with Quickley going 3-for-11.

RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 28 points, Quickley finished with 21 and Scottie Barnes scored 15 of his 17 points in the first half. Collin Sexton’s 22 points off the bench led the Hornets while Ball added 15.

Pistons 108, Bulls 93

Isaiah Stewart poured in a career-high 31 points and host Detroit pulled away from Chicago.

Stewart made 14 of 17 field-goal attempts while easily surpassing his previous high of 26 points. Duncan Robinson had 12 points, while Javonte Green, Ron Holland and Ausar Thompson contributed 11 apiece. Daniss Jenkins dished out 15 assists in Detroit’s third straight win.

Ayo Dosunmu led the Bulls with 24 points. Nikola Vucevic had 20 points with 16 rebounds and Matas Buzelis also scored 20 for Chicago.

76ers 131, Wizards 110

Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey all scored more than 20 points for the first time in 1 1/2 seasons together, guiding Philadelphia to a comfortable win over visiting Washington.

Embiid (28 points), George (23) and Maxey (22) led seven players in double figures for the Sixers, who used a 16-0 run spanning the final two quarters to post their fourth win in five games. VJ Edgecombe chipped in with 13 points, seven assists, six rebounds and five steals.

Tre Johnson scored 20 points and Bub Carrington made five 3-pointers in an 18-point effort for Washington, which had won five of its previous seven games. The Wizards played without CJ McCollum (quad) and Kyshawn George (hip), among others.

Suns 117, Grizzlies 98

Dillon Brooks scored 21 points and Grayson Allen added 19 off the bench as Phoenix ended a six-game losing streak to host Memphis, winning for the seventh time in nine games.

Brooks, who spent his first six seasons in the NBA with the Grizzlies, had 18 points in the first half. Allen, who spent two seasons with the Grizzlies, was playing in his second game after returning from a nine-game absence because of a knee injury.

The Grizzlies, playing the second game of a back-to-back, lost for the fifth time in six games. Memphis swept the series (4-0) last season and won the only meeting between the two early this season in Phoenix. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 19 points.

Spurs 107, Lakers 91

Keldon Johnson scored 27 points and San Antonio’s balanced attack overcame Luka Doncic’s individual excellence as the Spurs defeated visiting Los Angeles in the second game of a back-to-back for both teams.

Victor Wembanyama came off the bench for the second straight game and racked up 16 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots in 26 minutes of court time for San Antonio. Castle scored 15 points, De’Aaron Fox had 14 and Julian Champagnie added 11.

Doncic amassed 38 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Lakers, who played without LeBron James (out for rest on the second game of a back-to-back). Doncic also had seven turnovers. Jake LaRavia added 16 points and Jaxson Hayes scored 10 for Los Angeles.

Warriors 120, Bucks 113

Stephen Curry had a team-high 31 points, De’Anthony Melton added a season-high 22 and Golden State opened an eight-game homestand with a victory over Milwaukee in San Francisco.

Melton, who hadn’t scored more than 16 points or made more than three 3-pointers in a game this season, bombed in 5 of 9 from beyond the arc. Al Horford came off the bench to contribute eight points, a game-high-tying 10 rebounds, six assists and two blocks for the Warriors, while Jimmy Butler III chipped in with 21 points.

Giannis Antetokounmpo put up a 34-point, 10-rebound double-double in just 31 minutes, but it wasn’t enough for the Bucks to pick up a third straight win. Kevin Porter Jr. had 15 points and a game-high nine assists, while Ryan Rollins added 16 points.

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NHL NEWS

NHL ROUNDUP: WILLIAM EKLUND’S OT GOAL LIFTS SHARKS PAST KINGS

William Eklund scored off a feed from Macklin Celebrini to finish a 2-on-1 break at 3:08 of overtime and lift the visiting San Jose Sharks to a 4-3 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night.

Celebrini had a goal and two assists to extend his point streak to 12 games (nine goals, 15 assists) and Yaroslav Askarov made 23 saves for San Jose, which has won five of six.

Alex Turcotte and Kevin Fiala each had a goal and an assist, Joel Edmundson had two assists and Darcy Kuemper made 24 saves for the Kings, who were trying to win three in a row for the first time since mid-November.

Alex Laferriere tipped in a shot by Edmundson to give Los Angeles its first lead of the game at 3-2 with 2:10 left in the third period. Celebrini drove the net with Askarov pulled for the extra skater and scored with a wrist shot from the right hash marks to tie it 3-3 with 1:07 remaining.

Canadiens 4, Flames 1

Alexandre Texier scored once in his first career three-point game and Cole Caufield tallied one goal and one assist to lead host Montreal to a decisive victory over Calgary.

Goaltender Jacob Fowler made 28 saves as Montreal opened a four-game homestand on a positive note. Lane Hutson and Oliver Kapanen also found the net for the Canadiens, who are on a 7-1-2 run.

Joel Farabee tallied for the Flames, who kicked off a five-game road trip with a third consecutive loss. Goalie Dustin Wolf stopped 31 shots.

Blackhawks 7, Blues 3

Louis Crevier, Oliver Moore, Connor Murphy and Landon Slaggert each had a goal and assist while Spencer Knight made 27 saves in Chicago’s victory against visiting St. Louis.

The Blackhawks went 3-for-4 on the power play to stretch their winning streak to a season-high four games. Chicago seized control in the second period, scoring four goals on 17 shots, which included a sequence of three goals over a 4:46 span.

Blues rookie Otto Stenberg interrupted the barrage with his first career goal at 8:22 of the second. St. Louis struggled in the opener of a three-game road trip and has lost three of five.

Mammoth 3, Senators 1

Utah goaltender Karel Vejmelka had a 32-save night as his team battled for a win against visiting Ottawa.

Lawson Crouse, John Marino and Daniil But all scored, and Clayton Keller tallied two assists for the Mammoth, who have won three of their last four games. Utah was outshot 33-21 in the win.

Ridly Greig scored for the Senators, who have lost two straight games. Leevi Merilainen made 18 saves after being pulled in his previous start for allowing three goals on nine shots.

Stars 4, Capitals 1

Sam Steel had a goal with an assist, and Matt Duchene notched an assist for his 900th career point, as visiting Dallas snapped its season-high six-game losing streak with a victory over Washington.

Radek Faksa recorded an early short-handed goal, Wyatt Johnston scored late and Roope Hintz added an empty-netter for Dallas. Casey DeSmith stopped 23 of 24 shots for the Stars, who had allowed at least four goals in each game of their previous 0-3-3 rut.

DeSmith, Dallas’ backup goaltender, was stout most of the evening, yielding only Alex Ovechkin’s 915th career goal with 2:19 left in the third period, while Capitals netminder Logan Thompson (32 saves) was pulled for the extra skater.

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MLB

O’S CLAIM FORMER TOP PROSPECT MARCO LUCIANO OFF WAIVERS FROM PIRATES

The Baltimore Orioles claimed outfielder Marco Luciano, a former top minor league prospect, off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.

In other moves, the Orioles sent left-hander Josh Walker outright to Triple-A Norfolk and designated outfielder Jhonkensy Noel for assignment two days after claiming him off waivers from the Cleveland Guardians.

Luciano, 24, batted .217 in 41 career games for the San Francisco Giants in 2023 and 2024, with three RBIs, a .286 on-base percentage and .304 slugging percentage.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Luciano batted .214 with 23 homers, 66 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 13 attempts in 125 games in 2025 for Sacramento of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.

San Francisco had signed Luciano as an infielder for $2.6 million in 2018. He became the club’s No. 1 prospect and included in MLB Pipeline’s top prospects before the organization saw him as a better fit in the outfield.

The Pirates had claimed Luciano off waivers from the Giants on Dec. 5.

Walker, 31, is a career 0-1 with a 6.59 ERA, 14 walks and 31 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings for the New York Mets (2023-24) and Toronto Blue Jays (2025). He was traded from the Blue Jays to the Philadelphia Phillies on May 29, 2025.

He bounced on waivers from the Phillies to the Orioles in August, then to the Atlanta Braves in November, and the Braves to the Orioles on Dec. 10.

Noel, 24, batted .193 in parts of two seasons with the Cleveland Guardians in 2024 and 2025, totaling 19 home runs, 41 RBIs, a .242 on-base percentage and .401 slugging percentage.

REPORT: CUBS TO ACQUIRE MARLINS RHP EDWARD CABRERA

The Chicago Cubs are finalizing a deal to acquire right-hander Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins, according to multiple reports Wednesday.

The Cubs’ No. 1 prospect, outfielder Owen Caissie, has long been coveted by Miami and is reportedly set to be part of the trade.

Cabrera, 27, has pitched for the Marlins since making his debut in 2021. He is under team control through 2028 and is projected to earn $3.7 million in arbitration in 2026, per MLB Trade Rumors.

He is 25-29 with a 4.07 ERA in 89 career games (87 starts) and 431 2/3 innings. He has recorded 478 strikeouts, 216 walks and a 1.309 WHIP.

Cabrera missed time due to injuries in 2025 with a right middle finger blister and a sprained right elbow. He was on the injured list twice in 2024 with a right shoulder impingement.

Caissie, 23, made his major league debut in 2025 and hit .192 (5 for 26) with a homer and four RBIs in 13 games. The Canadian native batted .281 with 41 homers and 130 RBIs in 226 games over the past two seasons at Triple-A Iowa.

Cabrera’s name previously popped up as a possibility to help fill holes in the New York Yankees’ starting rotation created by the elbow surgeries of Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt which will keep them all out for the start of the season.

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INDIANA RELEASES

INDIANA PACERS

GAME PREVIEW: PACERS AT HORNETS

Coming off a close loss to Cleveland on Tuesday night, the Pacers (6-31) will have another chance to return to the win column on Thursday in Charlotte against the Hornets (13-23).

The Pacers dropped their 13th straight game on Tuesday — a new franchise record — but very nearly ended their skid against one of the East’s stronger teams. The Blue & Gold played well and led for much of the night, even taking a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter.

But the Cavaliers rallied, using an 11-0 run midway through the final frame to surge ahead and ultimately held on for a 120-116 victory. Six Pacers scored in double figures in the loss, with Pascal Siakam scoring a team-high 22 points, Jay Huff adding 20 while going 7-for-10 from the field and 4-for-7 from 3-point range, and Andrew Nembhard recording a double-double with 15 points and 11 assists.

The Hornets are coming off a very impressive showing on Monday, when they blew out the NBA’s best team on the road, rolling to a 124-97 victory at Oklahoma City. Brandon Miller scored 28 points and rookie sharpshooter Kon Kneuppel added 23 points while going 5-for-7 from beyond the arc in the win. The Hornets were red-hot from three, going 19-for-37 (53.2 percent) from beyond the arc while also limiting the Thunder to just 36.6 percent from the field on the other end.

The Hornets will be on a back-to-back against the more rested Pacers on Thursday, as Charlotte hosts Toronto on Wednesday.

This is the second meeting this season between Indiana and Charlotte. The Pacers took the first contest on Nov. 19, a 127-118 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Projected Starters

Pacers: G – Andrew Nembhard , G – Aaron Nesmith, F – Johnny Furphy, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Jay Huff

Hornets: G – LaMelo Ball, G – Brandon Miller, F – Kon Kneuppel, F – Miles Bridges, C – Moussa Diabate

Injury Report

Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton – out (right Achilles tendon tear), Isaiah Jackson – out (concussion), Bennedict Mathurin – out (right thumb sprain), Obi Toppin – out (right foot stress fracture)

Hornets: Moussa Diabate – probable (right wrist sprain), Brandon Miller – probable (left knee contusion), Tidjane Salaun – questionable (left ankle sprain), Ryan Kalkbrenner – out (left elbow sprain), Mason Plumlee – out (right groin surgery), Grant Williams – out (right knee surgery)

Last Meeting

Nov. 19, 2025: The Pacers’ offense was rolling in a 127-118 win over the Hornets at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Indiana shot 54.1 percent from the field and went 16-for-38 (42.1 percent) from 3-point range in the victory. The Blue & Gold scored 38 points in the first quarter and 70 in the first half, leading by as many as 24 in the victory.

Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Pascal Siakam added 22 points and seven assists, Jay Huff scored 20 points off the bench, and Andrew Nembhard finished with 16 points and seven assists.

Kon Kneuppel led the Hornets with a game-high 28 points, going 11-for-20 from the field and 5-for-12 from 3-point range. Miles Bridges added 25 points for Charlotte.

Noteworthy

The Pacers have lost their last two and six of their last eight games in Charlotte.

The Pacers used their 21st different starting lineup in 37 games this season on Tuesday against Cleveland.

Indiana’s 13-game losing streak is the longest in franchise history. The Pacers had previously had three separate 12-game losing streak, all during the 1980s.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle needs one win to become the 11th coach in NBA history to reach 1,000 career victories.

Broadcast Information (Where to Watch and Listen to Pacers Games >>)

TV: FanDuel Sports Network – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (studio host)

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INDY FUEL

FUEL FACE RAPID CITY TO KICK OFF THREE-GAME SET

RAPID CITY- The Fuel will play the Rapid City Rush on Friday night in the first of three games against the Mountain division team. After three games against them in Indy, the Fuel are 2-1 against them on the season.

LAST TIME OUT

The last time these two teams played was November 15, 2025 when the Rush took a 2-1 win over the Fuel to close out a three-game set in Indy. The Fuel claimed the first two wins, one in overtime and one, a 3-0 shutout before Rapid City responded back with a low-scoring victory. Jadon Joseph was the lone goal scorer for the Fuel that night.

UP THE MOUNTAIN

The Rush currently sit in sixth place in the Mountain division with 30 points and a 14-14-2-0 record. The Kansas City Mavericks lead the division with 44 points and a 21-7-1-1 record. In the overall Western conference standings, the Fuel sit four spots ahead of the Rush despite having just two more points.

SCOUTING REPORT

Rapid City’s Ryan Wagner leads the team in points with 31 and assists with 19. His twelve goals land him second on the team behind Ryan Chyzowski who has 14 on the year. They will be ones to watch offensively as the Fuel take them on this weekend. Rapid City’s goaltender duo of Connor Murphy and Arsenii Sergeev both have save percentages above .900 and a combined 13 wins.

KEVIN LOMBARDI NAMED 2026 INDY FUEL ECHL ALL-STAR REPRESENTATIVE

FISHERS– The Fuel have announced on Wednesday that Kevin Lombardi has been named the 2026 Indy Fuel All-Star representative for this season. 

The 2026 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Visit Allen, Texas and Allen CDC will consist of players from the Allen Americans being combined with the ECHL All-Stars to form two teams – Stars and Stripes. A draft will take place leading up to the All-Star Classic to choose the two teams. CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets today!

“I am super grateful and excited to represent the Indy Fuel at the All-Star Game. Thank you to my teammates, coaches, staff, and fans for all the support. The ECHL on Wednesday announced the players named as ECHL All-Stars for the 2026 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Visit Allen, Texas and Allen CDC, to be hosted by the Allen Americans on Monday, Jan. 19 at 6:00 p.m. CT at Credit Union of Texas Event Center.”

The ECHL All-Stars were determined in a vote of coaches, team captains, media relations directors, broadcasters and members of the media.

As of January 7, Lombardi has played fifteen games for the Indy Fuel, tallying nine goals and nine assists. He leads the team in goals and points per game. Additionally, he leads forwards in points and goal differential with +7. 

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INDIANA FOOTBALL

NO. 1 INDIANA AND NO. 5 OREGON TURN CFP PEACH BOWL SEMIFINAL INTO CELEBRATION OF BIG TEN’S SUPREMACY

ATLANTA (AP) — The Big Ten is marching into the heart of Southern football with a proud swagger, daring any conference to challenge its claim as the power to beat in the College Football Playoff.

Undefeated No. 1 Indiana (14-0, CFP No. 1 seed) and No. 5 Oregon (13-1, CFP No. 5) have turned the CFP semifinal at Friday night’s Peach Bowl into a Big Ten celebration.

Atlanta is home to the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Georgia Tech, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the annual site of the Southeastern Conference championship game. Those leagues will be represented in Thursday night’s first CFP semifinal between Miami and Mississippi in the Fiesta Bowl.

The Peach Bowl winner may be favored in the national championship game on Jan. 19 as the Big Ten looks for its third straight title, following Ohio State and Michigan the last two seasons.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning, the former Georgia defensive coordinator who also coached at Alabama and Arizona State, among other schools, says the Big Ten has made a strong claim to national supremacy that will be on display in the semifinal game. Oregon or Indiana will have an opportunity to give the conference its third different national champion in three years.

“I’ve been a part of the SEC, just like coach (Curt) Cignetti has,” Lanning said of the Indiana coach, who also is a former Alabama assistant. “I’ve been a part of the old Pac-12. I’ve been a part of a bunch of different conferences, and it’s hard to argue that anybody is doing it better right now than the Big Ten. There’s some quality from top to bottom.”

Added Cignetti: “Oregon is a great football team. But the Big Ten is a great conference, a lot of good teams top to bottom. And that’s a great thing about the playoffs. You give 12 teams a chance to win it all, and at the end of the day there’s one standing.”

Rematch

Indiana took a 30-20 win at Oregon on Oct. 11 to hand the Ducks their only loss. Oregon quarterback Dante Moore threw two interceptions and was sacked six times.

“We just didn’t play up to our standard,” Oregon running back Noah Whittington said. “It’s simple as that. We just got to come out, play our brand of football, and we’ll take care of business.”

Hoosiers winning with balance

Cignetti guided the Hoosiers’ surprising climb to the top of the AP Top 25 with the impressive combination of a powerful defense, strong running game and the leadership of quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner who led the nation with 36 touchdown passes.

The Hoosiers rank 10th in the nation with 220.7 rushing yards per game. They rank third in scoring with 41.6 points per game. The defense ranks second with its averages of 10.3 points, 242.6 yards and 73.7 rushing yards allowed.

CFP momentum

Each team is coming off dominant wins in the CFP quarterfinal round.

Indiana overwhelmed Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl as Mendoza passed for 192 yards and three touchdowns. The Ducks shut out Texas Tech 23-0 in the Orange Bowl as freshman Brandon Finney Jr. had two interceptions and a fumble recovery.

Going For It

Lanning has become known for his sometimes bold play-calling, including a proclivity to go for it on fourth down.

The Ducks converted on four of eight fourth-down attempts in the win over Texas Tech. Oregon successfully faked a punt on fourth down in the first half. Late in the game, Jordan Davison scored on a 1-yard touchdown run on fourth down to pad the final margin.

Earlier this year, Oregon converted on five of seven fourth-down attempts in a double-overtime victory over Penn State. Through 14 games, the Ducks have been successful 14 times on 30 fourth-down attempts. In contrast, Indiana has converted eight of 16 attempts through 14 games.

Lanning solidified his reputation for unconventional plays last year in the Ducks’ 32-31 regular-season victory over Ohio State, when the young coach exploited an illegal substitution penalty late in the game to take time off the clock. Soon thereafter, the NCAA issued guidance to close the loophole.

Ducks’ RB depth chart takes a hit

The Oregon depth chart at running back took a hit on Tuesday when Davison was listed as out on the availability report.

The CFP report didn’t specify why Davison has been ruled out. The Oregonian reported Davison had broken his clavicle against Texas Tech.

Davison has rushed for 667 yards and 15 touchdowns. Whittington leads the team with 829 rushing yards.

MENDOZA, UNBEATEN INDIANA TO FACE MOORE, OREGON IN REMATCH OF BIG TEN RIVALS IN PEACH BOWL SEMIFINAL

No. 5 Oregon (13-1, CFP No. 5 seed) vs. No. 1 Indiana (14-0, CFP No. 1 seed), Friday, 7:30 p.m. EST (ESPN)

BetMGM Sportsbook College Football Odds: Indiana by 3 1/2.

Series record: 2-2. Indiana won 30-20 at Oregon on Oct. 11.

What’s at stake?

Each team is playing for a shot at its first national championship. The rematch of Big Ten rivals puts the Hoosiers’ unbeaten season on the line as each team will try to advance to the Jan. 19 championship game. Oregon lost to Ohio State 42-20 on Jan. 12, 2015 in its first CFP championship game. Indiana had not won more than eight games in a season since 1945 before enjoying a dramatic turnaround in two seasons with coach Curt Cignetti. The 2024 Hoosiers lost in the CFP to Notre Dame to cap an 11-2 season before their 14-0 run to this year’s semifinals.

Key matchup

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore vs. Indiana pass defense. Moore threw for 186 yards and a touchdown in the regular-season home loss to Indiana, but he threw two interceptions and was sacked six times. Moore accounted for five touchdowns, throwing for four and running for one, in the Ducks’ CFP first-round 51-34 win over James Madison and was named offensive MVP of the CFP quarterfinal Orange Bowl 23-0 win over Texas Tech, completing 26 of 33 passes for 233 yards.

Players to watch

Oregon: Noah Whittington, who leads the Ducks with 829 rushing yards despite missing two games with an injury, may have a bigger load after running back Jordon Davison was listed as out on the availability report released on Tuesday. Davison rushed for 667 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. Whittington is a native of Fort Valley, Georgia, who averaged 93.8 rushing yards per game in the last six games of the regular season.

Indiana: Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw for three touchdowns in the Hoosiers’ 38-3 rout of Alabama in the CFP Rose Bowl quarterfinal. Mendoza is projected as the potential No. 1 pick in this year’s NFL draft. Mendoza was named The Associated Press player of the year in his first year at Indiana after transferring from California. He leads FBS quarterbacks with 36 touchdown passes with only six interceptions. He ran for six touchdowns.

Facts & figures

Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the only venue to host two CFP national championship games, including Ohio State’s 34-23 win over Notre Dame last year and Alabama’s 26-23 overtime win over Georgia following the 2017 season. … Oregon had four takeaways in its 23-0 Orange Bowl CFP quarterfinal win over Texas Tech. …. Following its first Orange Bowl appearance, Oregon is playing in its first Peach Bowl. … The Ducks have won 10 or more games in all four seasons under coach Dan Lanning. … Oregon has won eight consecutive games since its home loss to Indiana. … Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq leads FBS tight ends with eight touchdown receptions. … Indiana outgained Alabama 407-193 in the Rose Bowl. … It was the Hoosiers’ first bowl win since the Cooper Bowl in 1991. … Indiana was the first team to advance following a first-round bye in the 12-team CFP format. … Indiana rose to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the first time after beating defending national champion Ohio State for the Big Ten championship. … The Hoosiers average 220.7 rushing yards per game to rank 10th in the nation. They rank third in scoring with 41.6 points per game. … Indiana’s defense ranks second with its averages of 10.3 points, 242.6 yards and 73.7 rushing yards allowed.

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INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL

HOOSIERS ROLL MARYLAND BEHIND BIG SECOND HALF

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Once Lamar Wilkerson is rolling, it’s tough to stop him.

Wilkerson scored 18 of his 24 points in the second half to help the Hoosiers take advantage of an offensive brownout from Maryland in an 84-66 over the Terrapins in College Park. Wilkerson connected on 9-of-17 shots overall to spark Indiana, which picked up its third Big Ten win of the year.

Wilkerson led four Hoosiers who scored in double figures, including forward Reed Bailey, who scored 15 points off the bench while grabbing six rebounds and handing out a pair of assists. The 18-point win for the Hoosiers is the largest margin of victory at Maryland in program history.

Wilkerson’s big second half helped rescue an Indiana squad that was wobbling a bit after halftime. Leading by five at the break, IU stretched that lead to eight on a 3-point jumper from guard Conor Enright, but a 7-0 run by Maryland sliced the lead to one at 39-38. Indiana’s lead was still at just three with 17:03 to play when Wilkerson got rolling.

He first scored on a driving layup to stop IU’s bleeding, then he knocked down a 3-pointer off a pass from forward Trent Sisley to rebuild the lead to eight. He was fouled on the play and converted the four-point play from the line. After a missed Maryland shot, guard Tayton Conerway found Wilkerson beyond the arc, and Wilkerson knocked down a rainbow to push the lead to 52-40.

Wilkerson scored IU’s next seven points to boot, and when the dust settled, IU was up 15 at 59-44 with 12:09 to play, giving the Hoosiers a comfortable lead that Maryland never challenged.

Enright finished with 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting, and Conerway scored 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting to go with eight rebounds and four assists in the win.

Defense—and more than a little poor shooting—hampered both teams in the first half. Maryland jumped out to an early five-point lead behind a pair of buckets in the paint from Elijah Saunders, then Darius Adams capitalized on a turnover to score a layup and put the Terps up 8-3. Maryland went up 16-11 on a driving bucket off an offensive rebound by Andre Mills with 11:06 left in the half then the Hoosiers started to make a push.

Conerway started things off with a pair of free throws, then Wilkerson scored on a layup off a Terps turnover to pull IU within one. Another turnover from Maryland’s Isaiah Watts led to a Wilkerson breakout, and he converted a pair of free throws to give Indiana the lead. IU continued its march to the free-throw line with freebies from Conerway and Bailey to give the Hoosiers a 23-16 edge with 6:48 left before halftime.

An 11-4 run by the Terps pulled them within one at 27-26, but IU went on a 7-0 run when a pair of Bailey free throws sandwiched a three from Conerway and a Conerway layup with 1:43 left before the break.

Indiana took a 36-31 lead into the locker room despite going just 2-of-12 from 3-point range and shooting 9-of-26 overall. The Hoosiers, however, converted all 16 of their first-half free throws. Maryland, meanwhile, turned the ball over seven times in the first 20 minutes.

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INDIANA BASEBALL

HANLEY NAMED PERFECT GAME PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Perfect Game officially kickstarted the beginning of the college baseball season with the release of its Preseason All-American teams on Wednesday (Jan. 7) afternoon. The organization tabbed sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley as a Third Team selection ahead of the 2026 campaign.

Hanley, the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year, produced one of the best first-year campaigns in program history. The Mason, Ohio native had 14 home runs, 52 RBIs and 73 hits while starting all 56 games at first base. On top of his offensive prowess, Hanley played elite defense for head coach Jeff Mercer. He had zero errors on the season and was a national finalist for the Rawlings/ABCA Gold Glove award.

He enters the season with a seven-game reached-base streak that dates back to last year. He had a season-long 10-game hitting streak in 2025 to begin his college career. IU returns a deep sophomore core with four returning starters that played at least 45 games last season. Three of IU’s four infield starters (Hanley, shortstop Cooper Malamazian and third baseman Will Moore) will resume their starting spots.

Hanley was one of three Big Ten players to make a Perfect Game Preseason All-American team, joining Roch Cholowsky (UCLA) and Maddox Molony (Oregon). Henry Ford (Tennessee) and Brady Ballinger (Kansas) were the other first baseman honored by the national outlet.

IU begins its 2026 campaign in February with a true road series at North Carolina (Feb. 13-15).

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PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL

#5 PURDUE WINS 6TH STRAIGHT WITH VICTORY OVER WASHINGTON

#5 Purdue 81, Washington 73 (Postgame Notes)

The No. 5-ranked Purdue Boilermakers topped Washington 81-73 to improve to 14-1 overall and stay unbeaten in the Big Ten with a 4-0 record.

Purdue led by as many as 23 points and held a double-digit lead for 27:27 of the last 28:04 of the ballgame. The Boilermakers didn’t trail and were tied for just 27 seconds.

Over the last six games, Purdue has trailed or been tied for just 16 minutes and nine seconds of the last 240 minutes.

The win enables Purdue to match the best 15-game start in school history at 14-1, done eight other times, including previously under Matt Painter in years 2023-24, 2022-23, 2010-11 and 2009-10.

Purdue is 4-0 in the Big Ten for just the third time under Matt Painter (12-0 in 2017-18; 4-0 in 2010-11).

Since the start of 2016-17, Purdue is 77-12 (.865) in Big Ten games in Mackey Arena, the second-best winning percentage among Power-5 teams (Kansas, 73-10; .880).

Purdue is now 205-15 under Matt Painter when scoring at least 80 points, including 119-5 since the start of the 2017-18 season.

Purdue shot 56.7 percent from the field (34-of-60), now shooting over 50 percent in eight of 15 games, including five times during the six-game winning streak.

The Boilermakers shot 67.9 percent in the first half against Washington, the highest percentage in a half this season.

Purdue won the rebound battle by a 37-25 margin, against a team that ranked 39th nationally in rebound margin.

Purdue’s bench scored 20 or more points for the ninth time in the last 10 games.

Trey Kaufman-Renn had 14 points, 14 rebounds and six assists for his seventh double-double in 13 games this season. Prior to this season, he had four double-doubles in 110 career games. Kaufman-Renn surpassed 1,300 career points in the victory.

Braden Smith led Purdue with 23 points, seven assists and three steals – his third 20-point game of the season (Oakland – 20; Alabama – 29). Smith also reached the 900-assist plateau for his career, making him the second player in NCAA history with 1,500 points, 900 assists and 500 rebounds (Ohio’s D.J. Cooper). He enters Saturday’s game with Penn State with 1,575 points, 900 assists and 593 rebounds.

J. Cox tallied 11 points for his third double-figure outing in his last four games. Over the last four games, Cox is averaging 10.8 points per game.

Purdue had six players with at least eight points, including Omer Mayer. Mayer’s eight points were the most for him since Nov. 28, vs. Eastern Illinois. Mayer went 2-of-2 from 3-point range and in the last three games, is 4-of-7 from 3-point range.

Jack Benter went 1-of-1 from the field and has now made 14 straight field goal attempts, spanning five games.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Braden Smith finished with 23 points and seven assists and made two late free throws to help No. 5 Purdue fend off Washington’s late rally for an 81-73 victory Wednesday night.

Trey Kaufman-Renn added 14 points and 14 rebounds as the Boilermakers won their fifth in a row and matched a school-best start at 14-1 (4-0 Big Ten) for the ninth time in program history.

It came on a night Purdue honored Smith, an Associated Press preseason All-American guard, before the national anthem by presenting the Big Ten’s new career assists leader with a framed poster. Smith broke the record Friday at Wisconsin and pushed his career total to 900 on Wednesday.

Yet, it was an odd night for Smith, who went 10 of 15 from the field with only one 3-pointer while committing six turnovers and spending nearly 8 1/2 consecutive minutes on the bench after drawing his third foul with 4:20 left in the first half.

Hannes Steinbach had 17 points to lead the Huskies (9-6, 1-3). Quimari Peterson had 15 and Zoom Diallo added 14 points. Franck Kepnang had 10 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out with 9:14 to play.

Purdue’s inability to close out the victory allowed Washington to cut a 22-point deficit into single digits several times in the final three minutes.

But it was never really close after Washington’s early turnovers helped fuel Purdue’s 9-0 run to open the game — the Huskies first at Mackey Arena. Purdue extended the lead to 31-15 midway through the first half and looked like it would pull away after opening the second half with six straight points to make it 51-28.

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NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL

AL WASHINGTON NAMED LINEBACKERS COACH, DEFENSIVE RUN GAME COORDINATOR

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Notre Dame Football program has announced that Al Washington has moved into the role of Linebackers Coach and will continue to serve as Defensive Run Game Coordinator for the Irish starting in the 2026 season.

“When the linebackers role came open, we immediately thought of Al,” said Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman. “With his previous experience coaching linebackers he will be a great asset to that room, and taking on this role will continue to enhance his skillset as he ultimately looks to elevate in his career.”

Washington spent the previous four seasons with the Irish as the Peter Schivarelli Defensive Line Coach.

In the 2025 regular season, Washington’s unit helped the Irish rank first in the nation in interceptions (tied – 21 total INTs), fourth in turnover margin (1.08), ninth in team sacks (2.92), 11th in rushing defense (99.3), 13th in scoring defense (17.6) and 13th in team passing efficiency defense (108.80).

In 2024, the Irish defense was one of the most complete defenses in the country, ranking among the FBS’ top teams. At the end of the season, Notre Dame was first in pass efficiency defense (104.4), first in turnovers gained (33), first in defensive touchdowns (6), first in blocked kicks (6), second in fumbles recovered (14), second in blocked punts (3), fourth in passing yards allowed (169.4), fourth in scoring defense (15.5), fifth in passes intercepted (19) and 11th in total defense (307.4).

Washington mentored seniors Howard Cross III and Rylie Mills to standout final seasons, with Mills named a team captain and Second-Team All-American by The Sporting News and Sports Illustrated, and Cross named an FWAA Second Team All-American. Mills was drafted in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks.

The Irish allowed one or fewer touchdowns on seven occasions in 2024. In three multi-touchdown games, the second touchdown was scored late in the fourth quarter, once the game was already put away for the Irish. In 2024, the Irish held 12 opponents to 17 or fewer points, and just two opponents scored more than 30 points. That was the best run for an Irish defense since 2012 when Notre Dame held 10 opponents under 16 points and just one opponent (Alabama in the BCS title game) reached 30 points.

Washington’s unit played a key role in an Irish defense that finished off the 2023 season as one of the top units in the country. Notre Dame ranked first in the country in pass efficiency defense (94.91), second in red zone defense (.706), fourth in pass yards allowed (154.2) and eighth in total defense (282.9).

The 2023 defensive unit was not only one of the best in the country for the season, it is historically one of the best units the Irish have fielded in program history. The 2023 defense ranks among the top-six all-time at Notre Dame in eight different categories, including opponent pass-yards-per-attempt (1st, 5.4), total pass yards allowed (1st, 1,85) and opponent yards-per-play (2nd, 4.4). Cross was a Bednarik Award semifinalist after piling up 66 tackles to rank second among all Power 5 front-four linemen. Cross also earned national defensive player of the week accolades after Notre Dame’s victory at No. 17. Duke as he  led the Irish with 13 tackles and forced two fumbles, including the game-clinching forced fumble with 0:27 remaining.

The defensive line’s production in 2022 was highlighted by junior defensive end Isaiah Foskey, who capped his career at Notre Dame as the program’s all-time leading sack artist with 26.5. Foskey led all Irish players with 11 sacks in 2022 and earned consensus All-America honors.

From 2019-21, Washington served as the linebackers coach at Ohio State. In 2021, Washington and the Buckeyes’ defense ranked in the Top-20 nationally in defensive touchdowns and turnover margin. Ohio State led the nation in defensive touchdowns with six and ranked 15th nationally in turnover margin (+9). Sophomore linebacker Steele Chambers was named an honorable mention All-Big Ten honoree by the media after totaling 47 tackles, 5.0 tackles-for-loss and 1.0 sack in 2021.

In 2020, he developed all four senior linebackers for the next level. Each of the four senior linebackers on the 2020 Ohio State team were in the NFL as of August 2021: Tuf Borland (Minnesota), Baron Browning (Denver), Justin Hilliard (San Francisco) and Pete Werner (New Orleans). Werner was a Butkus Award Semifinalist in 2020 after he led the team in tackles with 54 and forced fumbles with two. Werner was a First Team All-Big 10 selection by the coaches following the season.

Washington helped Ohio State’s defense lead the nation in four statistical categories in 2019, including total defense and passing yards allowed, while compiling a 13-1 record and a third consecutive outright Big Ten Conference championship. He also developed four linebackers into all-conference performers with Malik Harrison a first-team honoree and Tuf Borland, Baron Browning and Pete Werner all earning honorable mention honors.

Washington coached linebackers at Michigan during the 2018 season, helping the Wolverines produce the nation’s No. 3-ranked overall defense and the second-ranked unit against the pass. Washington also mentored consensus All-American and Butkus Award finalist Devin Bush, who was the Big Ten’s Woodson-Nagurski Defensive Player of the Year and Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year. All three of his linebackers earned All-Big Ten honors this past season as Khaleke Hudson and Josh Uche each were named honorable mention all-league by the league’s coaches and voting media.

Washington assisted with special teams, and the Wolverines were tied for fourth nationally in blocked punts, led the Big Ten in punt average and allowed just one kick return all season of 30 yards or more.

Washington returned to the state of Ohio in 2017 when he served as defensive line coach for Luke Fickell at Cincinnati in Fickell’s first season with the Bearcats.

Prior to Cincinnati, Washington spent five years at his alma mater, Boston College. Washington coached running backs from 2013 through 2015 before taking over as the program’s special team’s coordinator and defensive line coach during the 2016 season. He began his tenure in 2012 as the assistant special teams coach and assistant defensive line coach. In his final year at Boston College, Washington moved to the defensive side of the ball and coached the defensive line.

With his help, the Eagles were one of the nation’s best units, ranking in the top 10 in total defense, sacks, tackles for loss and rush defense. He coached defensive end Harold Landry, an All-American, who led the nation with 16.5 sacks. Landry was a second round draft choice of the Tennessee Titans. Over the three seasons that he coached running backs, Boston College ranked first in the ACC with 211.8 yards per game. The Eagles improved their rushing output in each season and broke the school’s season rushing record in 2014.

In 2013, Washington helped develop Andre Williams into a Heisman Trophy finalist and the ACC’s first-ever Doak Walker Award recipient. That season, Williams rushed for 2,177 yards and 18 touchdowns, becoming just the 16th player in FBS history to surpass the 2,000-yard mark.

Washington coached linebackers at Elon in 2011. A two-year stint at Slippery Rock preceded Washington’s tenure at Elon. He began his coaching career in 2007 as the defensive line coach at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institution (RPI) before a one-year stay in 2008 at N.C. State as a graduate assistant.

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NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

HIDALGO SELECTED TO WOODEN AWARD TOP 25 LIST

LOS ANGELES – Hannah Hidalgo was selected to the John R. Wooden Midseason Top 25 Watch List on Wednesday evening as announced by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Selected by a poll of national college basketball experts, the list is composed of 25 student-athletes who are frontrunners for the nation’s most prestigious college basketball honors: the Wooden Award All-American Team and the Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player.

Hidalgo has been a finalist for the Wooden Award in each of her last two seasons and has continued to add to her storied career during her junior campaign. The guard leads the country in steals per game (5.86) and ranks second nationally in points per game (25.3).

The junior has made national news a number of times this season, setting the NCAA record for steals in a game with 16 in the win over Akron and posting the only 30-point triple-double in program history with 30 points, 13 steals and 10 assists in a victory against Bellarmine.

Hidalgo has also set the program records for most 20+ point career games (62) and most 30+ point career games (13) along with most points in a game in program history with 44.

The Merchantville, New Jersey product also created another memorable moment on the big stage this season, knocking down the game-winning shot to beat No. 11 USC with 1.9 seconds left in the game.

The next phase of the honor will be the National Ballot, which features 15 top players who have met or exceeded the qualifications for the award.

The winners and the All-Americans of the 2026 John R. Wooden Award will be honored at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Friday, April 10.

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NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

NOTRE DAME STARTS 2026 HOME SLATE WITH BOSTON COLLEGE

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — After a two-game road swing to start the new year, Notre Dame (10-4, 2-2) is back at home on Thursday and hosts Boston College (4-13, 0-4). Tyler Reidy and Conor Clingen will call the ACCNX contest.

NOTES

Notre Dame has posted a balanced scoring attack over the last five games, getting 24.2 points per game from Hannah Hidalgo, 19.2 points per game from Cassandre Prosper, 13.6 points per game from Iyana Moore, 12.8 points per game from Malaya Cowles, and 9.8 points per game from Vanessa de Jesus.

Hidalgo continues to pace the country in steals (5.9) and the ACC in points (25.3). She ranks second nationally in the latter category.

Hidalgo has 361 career steals, just 21 shy of breaking the Notre Dame career record held by Skylar Diggins (381).

Prosper continues to be one of the most improved players in the country. She has increased her scoring 182.8 percent from her first three years to this year (5.8 –> 16.4) and her rebounding 84.2 percent from her first three years to this year (3.8 –> 7.0).

The Irish are undefeated at home this season (8-0) and averaging 93.0 points, 19.3 steals and 17.6 assists per game in those contests.

Notre Dame is 31-9 all-time against Boston College and 18-1 at home. The Irish won last year’s meeting in Chestnut Hill, 89-63.

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BULLDOGS FALL TO GEORGETOWN 63-46 ON WEDNESDAY EVENING

INDIANAPOLIS – Butler suffered a 63-46 defeat to Georgetown at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Wednesday evening. With the loss, Butler slides to 7-9 on the season and 1-5 in BIG EAST play while Georgetown improves to 9-6 and 2-4 in conference action.

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BULLDOG HIGHLIGHTS

McKenna Johnson led the way for Butler with 11 points on 3-for-10 shooting from the floor. Johnson added two rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Mallory Miller led the Bulldogs on the glass with five rebounds in the contest.

Saniya Jackson recorded four steals.

Butler shot 13-for-41 (31.7%) from the floor and was 6-for-18 (33.3%) from beyond the arc.

Butler forced 13 Georgetown turnovers.

GEORGETOWN HIGHLIGHTS

Laila Jewett led the way for Georgetown with 17 points on 3-for-10 shooting from the floor.

Brianna Scott rounded out the Hoyas in double figures with 11 points to her credit.

Destiny Agubata led GU on the glass, pulling down seven rebounds in the contest.

Georgetown forced 20 Butler turnovers.

GU shot 21-for-56 (37.5%) from the floor and 5-for-18 (27.8%) from beyond the arc.

The Hoyas grabbed 35 rebounds to Butler’s 24.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Both sides traded buckets to open the game, as the Dawgs jumped out to an early 9-8 lead at the halfway mark of the quarter. Neither side was able to create much of a lead as Georgetown took the 20-16 advantage into the second frame.

Butler opened the second on a 5-2 run while holding the Hoyas scoreless for over three minutes. Georgetown’s defense held Butler to 1-for-7 shooting from the floor over the final minutes of the second, as the Hoyas took the 32-23 advantage into the break.

Georgetown’s offense exploded out of the break, stringing together a 10-0 run forcing Butler to take a timeout with six minutes left in the quarter. Butler responded with a 9-2 run of its own, cutting the Hoya lead to 12. GU took the 46-32 advantage into the final quarter of action.

GU started the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run as the Hoya lead ballooned to 21. Butler was unable to mound a comeback in the final quarter of action falling 63-46 at the final whistle.

UP NEXT

Butler will travel to New York City this weekend for a Saturday showdown with the St. John’s Red Storm. Tipoff at Carnesecca Arena is slated for 2 p.m. Fans can stream the game live on ESPN+.

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INDIANA STATE SWIMMING

INDIANA STATE HEADS TO CARBONDALE TO OPEN THE 2026 SPRING SLATE

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State swimming and diving opens the 2026 spring portion of the calendar as the Sycamores head to Carbondale, Ill. and Shea Natatorium to take on the Southern Illinois Salukis in a dual meet. Events are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. ET with results to be posted on MeetMobile.

“We’re looking forward to getting back into racing this this weekend,” said head coach Josh Christensen. “SIU is a very talented team and always great competition. This meet will provide a big challenge and an opportunity to continue to hone our racing and competition skills as we head towards conference.”

Event Schedule

200 Medley Relay, 1000 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle, 100 Backstroke, 100 Breaststroke, 200 Fly, 50 Freestyle, 1M Diving, 100 Freestyle, 200 Backstroke, 200 Breaststroke, 500 Freestyle, 100 Fly, 3M Diving, 200 IM, 200 Freestyle Relay

The Sycamores return to the pool as a team for the first time since hosting Toledo back on December 6 for Senior Day at the Vigo County Aquatic Center. Indiana State won 14 of the 16 events against the visiting Rockets highlighted by senior Haley Halsall setting a new Sycamore record in the 200-yard Fly event to highlight the 229-68 victory.

Halsall became the first Indiana State swimmer to break the 2:00 mark in the event in program history with her time of 1:59.73 taking down the Sycamores’ fourth record of the season. Claire Parsons (500 Free) and Grace Cummings (1650 Free) both took down school records at the Miami Invitational, while Jecza Lopez broke the 3M Diving mark (315.75) earlier this season against Illinois and Vanderbilt continuing a recent trend of Indiana State successes in the pool.

Indiana State highlighted the meet with the Rockets with Grace Cummings (500-, 1000 Free), Erin Cummins (200 Free), Kate Reeves (100 Back), Ali Pearson (100, 200 Breast), Kaleigh Kelley (50 Free), Raine Boles (100 Fly), Jecza Lopez (1M, 3M Diving), and Maria Saldana Riebeling (200 IM) all claiming individual event wins. The Sycamores also topped the Rockets in both the 200-yard Medley Relay and 400-yard Freestyle Relay.

Boles, Cummins, Addison Johnson, Parsons, Kalli Agapios, Cummings, Dilks, Sara Keefe, Kate Reeves, Jenna Nave, Anna Asplund, and Sophia Diaz have all improved on their times with new appearances inside the Indiana State Top 10 Performance Lists in the swimming events. Lopez, Bree Cleary, Brenna Woodruff, Ella Taylor, and Sophia Dansereau have all improved on their scores in the diving events this season.

Sycamores Among the Valley Top 10

50-yard Free: Raine Boles (23.07, 5th)

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

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

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

1000-yard Free: Grace Cummings (9:54.12, 1st), Claire Parsons (9:57.39, 2nd), Gemma Dilks (10:04.20, 3rd), Maria Saldana Riebeling (10:14.87, 7th), Haley Halsall (10:19.48, 10th)

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

50-yard Back: Sahara Visscher (26.39, 10th)

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

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

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

100-yard Breast: Ali Pearson (1:01.35, 2nd), Jenna Nave (1:04.38, 8th)

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

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

100-yard Fly: Raine Boles (54.47, 3rd), Sophia Diaz (54.74, 6th), Erin Cummins (55.13, 8th)

200-yard Fly: Haley Halsall (1:59.73, 1st), Sophia Diaz (2:03.53, 4th), Raine Boles (2:04.19, 8th)

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

1M Diving: Jecza Lopez (287.40, 1st), Bree Cleary (242.62, 10th)

3M Diving: Jecza Lopez (315.75, 1st), Bree Cleary (241.65, 9th)

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PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL

MASTODONS EDGE PENGUINS 71-69 IN ROAD #HLMBB CONTEST

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Purdue Fort Wayne earned a 71-69 road Horizon League win at Youngstown State on Wednesday (Jan. 7) evening. All 10 Mastodons that saw the court scored in the game. Eight Mastodons made a 3-pointer.

The two teams were tied at 42 at half. EJ Mosley, Yuval Levin, Mason Shrout and Chris Morgan each had a 3-pointer off the bench in the first half. 

Purdue Fort Wayne scored seven straight points to take a 68-62 lead with 4:47 remaining. A Maximus Nelson 3-pointer capped the stretch and forced a Youngstown State timeout. The Penguins tied it at 69 on an Imanuel Zorgvol dunk with 54 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Mikale Stevenson grabbed a Corey Hadnot II miss with 37 seconds left to give the Mastodons a second-chance opportunity. Hadnot was fouled with three seconds on the shot clock and 22 seconds left in the game. Hadnot made both free throws, which ended up being the difference in the game. Cris Carroll’s 3-point attempt for YSU with three seconds left was off the mark.

The Mastodons shot 22-of-53 (41.5 percent), making 10-of-24 from three. Youngstown State shot 25-of-60 (41.7 percent) in the contest. Carroll led the Penguins with 14 points.

Hadnot had 14 points for the ‘Dons, to go with five assists and four rebounds. Stevenson had 13 points and six rebounds.

Purdue Fort Wayne improves to 10-8 (4-3 Horizon League). The Penguins fall to 8-9 (2-5 Horizon League). The ‘Dons are at Robert Morris on Sunday (Jan. 11).

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EVANSVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL

AJ CASEY RESETS CAREER SCORING HIGH AGAINST MURRAY STATE

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – AJ Casey reset his career scoring mark as he finished with 24 points on Wednesday evening to lead the University of Evansville men’s basketball team in a 79-69 loss to Murray State at the Ford Center.

Another efficient shooting effort saw Casey go 10-of-13 from the floor while adding a triple and five boards. He is the first UE player this season to record 10 field goals in a game. Josh Hughes scored 14 points while Bryce Quinet added 13. James Dyson-Merwe led the team with six boards while Leif Moeller added five assists.

“Our effort tonight was really good. We did a nice job of executing our game plan especially in the first half,” UE head coach David Ragland said. “They finished the first half on a 12-0 run, but I am proud of how we fought back throughout the second half. Towards the end of the game, we had a few guys in foul trouble and Murray State was able to rotate guys in and that made a difference. Our group left everything out on the floor tonight and played for one another.”

Murray State hit its first three shots to take a 6-2 advantage. AJ Casey had a nice start for the Purple Aces scoring his team’s opening seven tallies as MSU held an 8-7 edge just over two minutes in. Bryce Quinet’s 3-point play put Evansville in front for the first time at 10-8 as UE would lead throughout the middle portion of the half.

Trent Hundley’s layup solidified a 14-11 edge at the 12:25 mark before two Quinet free throws with 8:17 left in the period gave UE its largest lead of the half at 20-16. Evansville’s defense held the Racers to 2-for-10 over the stretch as UE wrestled away the two-possession advantage.

The Racers stormed back with nine in a row to retake a 25-20 lead entering the final six minutes of the period, however, the Aces answered ones again when James Dyson-Merwe tied the game at 30-30 with 2:50 remaining until the break. Murray State regained control in the final moments, outscoring UE by a 12-0 margin to take a 42-30 lead into halftime. MSU drained their final four shots, including a pair of triples, to take the double-digit advantage.

Josh Hughes and Casey posted the first two field goals of the second half to quickly cut the deficit to eight. With MSU up 45-35, UE got even closer when Dyson-Merwe and Quinet converted back-to-back buckets to make it a 45-39 game inside of the 17-minute mark. Following a Racer score, the Aces continued to fight back with AJ Casey doing the damage. Six in a row by the senior got his squad all the way back within two points (47-45) with 14:56 on the clock. Casey’s efforts capped a 15-5 start to the stanza by the Purple Aces.

Holding onto a 49-47 edge, Murray State slowly added to its lead with a pair of free throws at the 10:30 mark that pushed the lead to 58-51. The Aces refused to give in and continued to claw their way back. Six in a row over the next 1:16 made it a 1-point game.  Alex Hemenway got things rolling with a jumper while Kaia Berridge found Hughes for the alley-oop before Quinet completed the stretch with a layup.

UE remained within a possession over the next two minutes before the Racers slowly took control. A triple by JJ Traynor pushed the lead back to seven (68-61) with 6:37 left before a jumper gave MSU a 74-63 edge as the game entered its final three minutes. In total, the Racers outscored UE by a 16-4 margin to take their largest lead of 14 points as they turned a 63-61 lead into a 79-65 advantage. They held UE to 2-of-9 from the field while forcing a pair of turnovers.

A pair of late baskets closed the gap in the final moments as the Racers finished the night with a 79-69 victory. Evansville shot a season-high 50.9% while holding the Racers to 45.8%. The Racers connected on seven triples while UE was 1-for-12 from long distance. MSU also finished with a 36-32 rebounding advantage.

On Saturday, the Aces travel to Indiana State for a 12 p.m. CST game against the Sycamores inside the Hulman Center.

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EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

CONFERENCE ROAD TEST AT SIU NEXT FOR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – On Thursday, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team looks to build off their first MVC win of the year when they travel to Carbondale, Ill. to take on Southern Illinois. Tip-off is set for 6 PM.

Series History  

– Thursday marks the 61st meeting between Evansville and Southern Illinois

– SIU leads the series 32-28

– Last season, the Aces and Salukis split the season series, with each team winning at home

– The Aces have won two of the last three match-ups, but the Salukis hold an 8-2 advantage in the last 10 meetings

– Evansville last won in Carbondale in 2016-17

Impact Freshmen

– Evansville has seen a number of freshmen make an impact of their first season of collegiate basketball

– Sydney Huber has made eight starts and played an average of 21.3 minutes per game. The sharpshooter has connected on 20 three-pointers and scored 5.9 ppg

– Backcourt mate BreAunna Ward has started six games and played 17.3 ppg

– Georgia Ferguson has made an impact in the frontcourt, appearing in all 14 games with three starts, scoring 5.2 ppg while racking up a team-leading 12 blocks

Double the Fun

– In Evansville’s win over Valpo on Friday, Camryn Runner recorded her second career double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds

– Runner’s 13 rebounds were a career-high and the most by an Ace in a game this season

– Runner is one of three MVC guards with multiple double-doubles this season, while her double-double against the Beacons was the second by a guard in MVC play this year

– Entering the weekend, Runner ranks eighth in the MVC with 16.1 ppg and is one of three Valley players to average 16-plus points and 5.5-plus rebounds per game

Scouting the Opponent

– SIU enters Thursday at 3-10 overall and looking for their first MVC win of the year

– The Beacons last played on Sunday at Northern Iowa, a 91-64 defeat

– Gift Uchenna leads the Salukis in scoring at 14.5 ppg

Follow Along

Thursday’s game will be streamed live on ESPN+. Live stats are available at GoPurpleAces.com.

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SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SCREAMING EAGLES RETURN TO LIBERTY ARENA THIS WEEK AGAINST SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND UT MARTIN

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Following three straight road games, University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball returns home to Liberty Arena this week for a pair of Ohio Valley Conference contests, taking on Southeast Missouri State University, presented by Tri-State Orthopaedics, on Thursday and the University of Tennessee at Martin on Saturday. Both games are slated for 5 p.m.

This week’s games can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM and WREF 97.7 FM.

For Saturday, USI Athletics invites USI employees to come support the Screaming Eagles on USI Employee Appreciation Night. USI employees are eligible for up to four (4) free tickets for both games of the doubleheader at Liberty Arena. Additional tickets can be purchased at regular price. Tickets can be ordered online at usi.universitytickets.com.

USI Women’s Basketball (9-4, 3-1 OVC) enters the week in a five-way tie for first in the Ohio Valley Conference standings with a 3-1 conference record. USI started 3-0 and looks to bounce back after its first OVC loss last time out against Lindenwood University last Saturday. Prior to the Lindenwood game, USI captured a 70-55 road win last Thursday at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

USI is 6-1 at home this season and have won five in a row inside Liberty Arena. In the Eagles’ last homestand, USI opened OVC play in December with a pair of home wins against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Morehead State University.

The Screaming Eagles are coming off a 75-65 road loss on Saturday at Lindenwood. After a hot-shooting start for both teams, USI cooled off offensively while Lindenwood created some separation in the third quarter that the Eagles could not overcome. USI shot for 38 percent overall compared to Lindenwood’s 48 percent from the floor.

Senior guard Ali Saunders led USI against Lindenwood with 23 points, a season-high seven rebounds, and four assists, including her 400th career assist. Five of Saunders’ seven makes from the field came from beyond the arc. Freshman forward Channah Gannon tallied 13 points with five rebounds and three steals.

Heading into this week’s games, Saunders leads the team in scoring at 16.6 points per game. Saunders has scored 14 or more points in each of the last six games and has led USI in scoring in five of the last six games, including three of the four OVC games so far. Over the last six outings, Saunders is averaging 20.3 points per game. Additionally, Saunders is working on a USI record at the free-throw line having made 32 consecutive free throws.

Second on the team in scoring this season is junior forward Chloe Gannon and junior guard Sophia Loden with each averaging 12.5 points per contest. Gannon has scored 10-plus in nine games this season and in three of the last four games, and Loden paces the squad with 8.3 rebounds per game.

USI received votes in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll. As a team, USI is averaging 71.5 points per game while limiting the opposition to 55.5 points per game. Defensively, USI’s scoring defense (55.5) and field goal percentage defense (35.3 percent) rank first in the OVC and top 30 in the nation.

Southeast Missouri (5-8, 1-3 OVC) is coming off an OVC split last week, claiming a 70-68 win against Eastern Illinois University before a 58-51 loss against Western Illinois University.

The Redhawks have three players averaging double figures and over 12 points per game. Graduate guard Lexi McCully leads the way with 13.1 points per contest. Graduate guard Carmen Taylor and sophomore forward Ainaya Williams are second and third with 12.5 and 12.2 points per game, respectively. All three tallied double digits in the last game against Western Illinois. Collectively, SEMO averages 70.2 points and allow 68.4 points per outing this season.

Southeast Missouri leads the all-time series against USI, 12-6. However, the Screaming Eagles are 5-1 against SEMO since becoming OVC foes. USI has won four in a row in the series, with all four consecutive wins coming by double figures.

UT Martin (7-6, 3-1 OVC) heads into the week coming off an OVC sweep last week with an 86-78 double-overtime victory against Western Illinois and a 58-51 triumph against Eastern Illinois. The Skyhawks face Morehead State on Thursday before visiting the Screaming Eagles on Saturday.

The Skyhawks also have three players averaging double figures, with redshirt junior guard Kenley McCarn leading the way at 15.8 points per game. McCarn recorded a team-high 21 points in the last game against Eastern Illinois. Redshirt sophomore forward Zy Thompson is second on the team with 11.9 points per outing, while freshman guard Sidni Middleton is third at 10.8 points per contest. Thompson and Middleton are the reigning OVC Newcomer and Freshman of the Week honorees.

The all-time series between USI and UT Martin is tied, 3-3. The two sides split their regular-season meetings in 2024-25 with respective home wins. USI won 69-59 in Liberty Arena last December before UT Martin won 84-69 down in Martin, Tennessee, last February. The Skyhawks’ win last February snapped a three-game winning streak for USI in the series, which included the 2023-24 OVC Tournament Championship game victory.

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

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VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL

VALPO KNOCKS OFF MVC PRESEASON FAVORITE ILLINOIS STATE

Fifth-year senior Owen Dease (Evansville, Ind. / Evansville Reitz [Texas A&M Corpus Christi]) and freshman JT Pettigrew (Lisle, Ill. / Bolingbrook) continued their recent red-hot play by once again exceeding or matching personal bests as the Valparaiso University men’s basketball team picked up its best win yet on Wednesday evening at the Athletics-Recreation Center. The Beacons handed Illinois State its first league loss, prevailing 77-71 over the preseason favorites to win the Missouri Valley Conference. This marked Valpo’s best win in five years based upon KenPom ratings.

How It Happened

The two teams were back-and-forth early, with Tucker Tornatta coming off the bench to snap a six-all tie with 13:49 on the first-half clock by draining a 3.

Freshman JT Pettigrew hit a pair of big 3s and knocked down three total shots in quick succession midway through the first half. His second 3 made it 19-13 Valpo with 8:24 left until the break, then he added a 3-point play to make it 22-13 with 7:34 left in the first.

Dease swished a 3 with 5:53 left in the first half to give Valpo its first double-figure advantage at 25-14. Rakim Chaney (Rockford, Ill. / Rockford Auburn [212 Sports Academy]) later tacked on a trey of his own to push the gap to 12, and Dease hit another one from distance that built it back to a dozen, which stood as the halftime margin with the hosts ahead 35-23.

Valpo held Illinois State to just 28 percent shooting and 28.6 percent from 3 in the first half, while Valpo drained six of its eight 3-point shots before the break, busting out of a shooting slump from the previous few games.

The Valpo lead increased to 15 on a dunk by Shon Tupuola (Brownsburg, Ill. / Brownsburg]) a minute in to the second half, but Illinois State rattled off the next six points to move to within single figures. The Valpo lead was 12 with 15:42 on the clock, but the Redbirds scored seven straight including a 3 by Johnny Kinziger with 14:02 to go that made it a five-point game.

Dease responded with a big triple, but Illinois State went on another run – this time 7-0 – to tie the game at 48 with 9:55 to play. Brody Whitaker (Greencastle, Ind. / Greencastle [University of Indianapolis / Marian]) snapped a 50-all tie with 9:11 left by knocking down a big trey.

Illinois State took the lead with 6:57 on the clock, its first lead since 4-3, but fortunately for the Beacons that was short-lived. After Illinois State regained the lead at 64-63, Dease guided in a go-ahead jumper to make it 65-64 Valpo with 3:25 to play. Chaney followed with a trey of his own to up the lead to four.

Chaney hit another go-ahead shot with 1:49, giving Valpo the lead for good. The highlight of the late-game frenzy was a Valpo classic – the patented home run play – with Dease dunking home a full-court baseline inbound from Whitaker. That play made it a six-point lead with 26 seconds left and sent the crowd into a state of jubilation.

Inside the Game

Illinois State entered the game ranked 88th in the KenPom, making this Valpo’s first top-100 KenPom win since Nov. 27, 2023 vs. James Madison (98) and best win in terms of KenPom rating since knocking off nationally-ranked Drake 74-57 on Feb. 7, 2021, when the Bulldogs were 55th in the KenPom.

Speaking of KenPom, Valpo moved up to 179 after the victory, the team’s highest ranking since Jan. 9, 2021 (169).

Valpo snapped a nine-game losing streak in games against the team picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference, topping the league’s preseason favorite for the first time since Feb. 13, 2021 (W 70-57 at UNI). The Beacons improved to 3-14 against preseason favorites since joining the MVC.

Illinois State entered the game with the top NET rating in the Missouri Valley Conference at 58.

Valpo improved to 7-0 at the ARC against Illinois State since joining the Missouri Valley Conference and still have not lost to the Redbirds in Northwest Indiana since Jan. 19, 1981. Valpo is now 13-3 overall against Illinois State since joining the MVC.

Dease’s 28 points marked a career high, the third time in his last five games that he’s set a personal best and second time in the last three contests. He outdid his previous best of 26 on Jan. 1 at Southern Illinois thanks in part to going 3-for-3 from long range and 9-for-9 at the stripe on Wednesday.

Pettigrew matched his personal best of 21 that was set last game, Sunday vs. UIC.

The Beacons knocked down nine of their 12 3-point attempts, shooting a season-high 75 percent from distance, outdoing the previous season high of 45.8 percent on Nov. 29 vs. Western Michigan. Two of their best three 3-point shooting percentages of the season have come in the last two games, when they’ve attempted just 11 and 12 3s after attempting at least 16 in each of their first 14 games.

The 3-point percentage of .750 was the team’s best since Jan. 18, 2007 at Western Illinois (.750 from 3, W 78-60). The Beacons notched the second-best 3-point percentage in the nation this season and best against a Division-I opponent. George Mason went 7-of-8 from 3 on Nov. 11, 2025 vs. Catawba. Valpo became the first team nationally to shoot 75 percent from 3 with at least nine makes since USC was 12-of-16 (75%) on Feb. 11, 2025 vs. Penn State.

This was the first time a team shot above 70 percent from 3 against Illinois State since Jan. 11, 2006, when Missouri State made 71.4 percent of its 3-point attempts (5-of-7) in a win over the Redbirds.

The Beacons continued to do a good job of getting to the free-throw line as they were 26-of-35, their third straight game with at least 24 makes and third straight game with at least 29 attempts.

Dease and Pettigrew shared the team lead in rebounds with six apiece. Illinois State did grab 17 offensive rebounds to Valpo’s four and outscored the Beacons 14-0 on second-chance points.

Illinois State leading scorer Chase Walker got to 20 points, but he was just 8-of-19 from the floor thanks in large part to the defense of Tupuola.

Dease led the team in plus-minus again at +8 followed by Pettigrew at +6.

The Beacons shot 51.2 percent from the floor, the team’s best against a D1 opponent since Nov. 19 at Cleveland State and third best overall on the season.

Valpo limited Illinois State to 5-of-16 (.313) from 3, the ninth straight game Valpo has forced an opponent to miss at least two thirds of its 3-point attempts.

Valpo led by as many as 15 in the game and held the lead for over 30 minutes with Illinois State in front for only 1:13.

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IU INDY WRESTLING

HOUNDS CRUISE PAST DRURY IN FIRST HOME DUAL OF SEASON

INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 20 ranked UIndy wrestling team picked up its first win of the season, 29-12 in against Drury, in the team’s second dual of the 2025-26 season.

The Greyhounds dominated tonight, picking up eight wins of tonight’s 11 matches, including two pin victories and a tech fall win. Along with tonight’s dominance, the Greyhounds continued its long standing success against Drury, extending its win streak over the Panthers to 10.

INS & OUTS

The first of the eight Greyhounds to earn a win tonight was Luke Robards (157), who began the day with an 8-3 decision. He began the match with a take down in each of the first two periods to capture six points against Garrett Salt. He wrapped things up in the third, and walked away with the Hounds’ first three team points of the day.

Shane Bates (174), and Christian Chavez (184) claimed the next two UIndy wins, with Bates using an early take down in the first to propel his way to an 11-4 decision victory. While Chavez controlled his match from the jump, earning the Greyhounds’ only tech fall win of the day after a 12 point first period.

Noah Clouser (197) showed out in his first dual appearance for the Greyhounds, earning a pin in the first period after just 44 seconds, earning the Greyhounds another six team points.

The nationally ranked duo of Nathan Smith (125) and Aidan Sprauge (133) continued UIndy’s winning ways tonight. Smith earned an impressive pin, after Bryson Humprhries take down was caught by a Smith reversal into a fall victory in the second period. While Sprague came back after trailing 3-0, reeling off eight straight points to clinch his 8-3 decision win.

Gavin Garcia (149) and Elijah Hinshaw (285) capped off the night for UIndy with two more decision victories, and getting UIndy to 29 team points for the evening. Garcia clawed his way back to a 6-4 decision win, after a take down with one minute remaining gave him the two point edge.

Hinshaw wrestled an extra match in tonight’s dual, but earned a well rounded shutout decision that saw him escape twice, earn a two-point near fall, and earn riding time en route to his 5-0 win.

Chayce Yant (141), Logan Farnell (157), and Cale Gray (285) also all competed tonight for UIndy, but all fell in their respective weight classes.

#20 UINDY 29, DRURY 12

125: No. 11 Nathan Smith over Bryson Humphries (Fall 4:14)

133: No. 10 Aidan Sprague over Dylan Roth (Dec 8-3)

141: Nathan Wishne over Chayce Yant (MD 16-2)

149: No. 10 Gavin Garcia over Mason Knight (Dec 6-4)

157: Luke Robards over Garrett Salt (Dec 9-3)

165: Gaven Bremenkamp over Logan Farnell (MD 16-4)

174: Shane Bates over Jeremiah Halter (Dec 11-4)

184: Christian Chavez over Nathan Brower (TF 16-1 3:25)

197: Noah Clouser over Owen Gardner (Fall 0:44)

285: Hunter Tennison over No. 5 Cale Gray (MD 11-3)

Extra 285: Elijah Hinshaw over Brady Griffin (Dec 5-0)

UP NEXT

After picking up the team’s first dual win of 2026, the Hounds will have one week off before they will take on Findlay in a non-conference showdown at 6:30 p.m. on Friday Jan. 16.

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MARIAN MEN’S BASKETBALL

MARIAN FALLS TO NO. 1 GRACE LANCERS

INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian men’s basketball team fell to No. 1 Grace on Wednesday evening. The Knights moved to 2-4 in the Crossroads League and 4-12 overall on the year.

Grace struck first with a three-pointer, but Marian was quick to take charge with four baskets from Luke Carroll, Aidan Franks, and Aaron Humphrey Jr. to take the 8-3 lead. The Lancers pushed at the lead, but the Knights continued to counter with Humphrey Jr. and Franks maintaining the lead into the 12-minute mark. Grace was able to take the 16-14 lead, but Humphrey Jr. and Ron Rutland III were able to take the lead back with a pair of baskets. The Lancers fired off a pair of baskets, but Dylan Moles was able to fire off a three-pointer to draw the 21-21 tie with a little under nine minutes remaining in the half.

Each team fired off a basket with Joshua Renfro recording the points for the Knights before Grace went on a six-basket run to increase their lead 31-23. Franks ended the run with a three-pointer to decrease the margin to five. The Lancers took charge, firing off five baskets to increase their lead to 16. Rutland III broke up the run with a layup, but Grace went on another four-basket run to end the quarter 49-28.

Each team opened up the second half trading baskets with Franks firing off a dunk followed by a pair of free throws. The Lancers continued to extend their lead with a pair of baskets to extend their lead to 59-36. Each team traded multiple baskets with Humphrey Jr. firing off a trio. Grace went on another three-basket run to increase the lead, but Renfro was able to benefit from a foul followed by a jumper from Carroll to bring the score 68-42.

The visitors fired off a free throw, but Marian was able to counter with a pair of baskets from Renfro and Humphrey Jr. Grace continued to strike with a trio of baskets, but Rutland III broke up the run with a layup, extending the lead to 75-50. In the final minutes, Grace outshot Marian nine baskets to six, ending the game 91-62.

Aaron Humphrey Jr. led the way with 16 points while Aidan Franks fired off 15 points and five rebounds. Ron Rutland III was also in the double digits with 12 points and seven rebounds. Luke Carroll led the way with eight rebounds, while he and Rutland III led with two assists each.

The Knights will be back in action as they continue their home stretch, as they host the University of Saint Francis (Ind.) at 3:00 PM in the P.E. Center.

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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 8 in …

1897 – Michael Eagan wins first US national amateur handball championship.

1902 – First National Bowling Championship held (Chicago, Illinois, USA).

1931 – Philadelphia Quakers set NHL record of 15 straight loses.

1938 – Donald Bradman scores 107 for South Australia versus Queensland (first innings).

1947 – Toronto Maple Leafs’ rookie Howie Meeker scores five goals in a game.

1953 – Cleveland Indians bar night games with Cleveland Browns (who refuse to share TV receipts).

1955 – Furman sets NCAA basketball single-game scoring record with 154 points.

1955 – Georgia Tech ends Kentucky’s 130-game home basketball win streak.

1955 – Louise Sugg wins LPGA Los Angeles Golf Open.

1962 – Golfer Jack Nicklaus, age 21, makes his first professional appearance, comes in 50th.

1972 – NCAA announces freshman can play on teams starting in fall.

1973 – Greg Chappell’s best Test bowling, 5-61 versus Pakistan at Sydney Cricket Ground.

1980 – NCAA decides to sponsor women’s championships in five sports.

1980 – New York Islanders’ Glenn Resch’s 20th shut-out opponent-Vancouver Canucks 3-0.

1981 – India all out 63 in one-day international versus Australia.

1981 – Cincinnati Reds become last team to sign a free agent (Larry Biitner).

1984 – NHL Washington Capitals’ Bengt Gustafsson scores five goals.

1984 – NCAA announces that basketball tournament will have 64 teams.

1986 – Willie McCovey is 16th elected to Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year.

1988 – 9th largest NBA crowd 38,873-Chicago Bulls at Detroit Pistons.

1988 – US female Figure Skating championship won by Debi Thomas.

1991 – Gaylord Perry, Ferguson Jenkins, and Rod Carew elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.

1991 – Tamás Darnyi swims world record 400m medley (4:12.36).

1993 – Chicago Bulls’ player Michael Jordan scores his 20,000th career point.

1994 – Rintje Ritsma skates world record 1500m (1:51.60).

1994 – US male Figure Skating championship won by Scott Davis.

1995 – Mike Schmidt is elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

1996 – For first time in 25 years no one is elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.

1998 – New York Giants’ general manager George Young resigns to accept NFL position.

2002 – Juan Gonzalez agrees to a $24 million, two-year deal with the Texas Rangers.

2010 – The Togo national football team is involved in an attack in Angola, and as a result withdraws from the Africa Cup of Nations.

2022 – At crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, USA, NHL regular season game: Los Angeles Kings beats Detroit Red Wings by score 4-0.

2022 – At Honda Center in Anaheim, California, USA, NHL regular season game: New York Rangers beats Anaheim Ducks by score 4-1.

2022 – At T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, NHL regular season game: Chicago Blackhawks beats Vegas Golden Knights by score 2-1.

2022 – At Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, USA, NHL regular season game: Nashville Predators beats Arizona Coyotes by score 4-2.

2022 – At Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA, NHL regular season game: Minnesota Wild beats Washinton Capitals by score 3-2.

2022 – At Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, USA, NHL regular season game: Colorado Avalanche beats Toronto Maple Leafs by score 5-4.

2022 – At Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, USA, NHL regular season game: Columbus Blue Jackets beats New Jersey Devils by score 4-3.

2022 – At FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida, USA, NHL regular season game: Florida Panthers beats Carolina Hurricanes by score 4-3.

2022 – At Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, NHL regular season game: San Jose Sharks beats Philadelphia Flyers by score 3-2.

2022 – At Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, USA, NHL regular season game: Boston Bruins beats Tampa Bay Lightning by score 5-2.

2022 – At American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, USA, NHL regular season game: Dallas Stars beats Pittsburgh Penguins by score 3-2.

Births of sports figures on January 8

1909 – Birth of Bruce Mitchell; cricket player (South African bat, their top run-scorer (3471)).

1913 – Birth of Horace Smith; cricket player (New Zealand, only Test wicket off his first ball (Paynter)).

1923 – Birth of Johnny Wardle; cricket player (Yorkshire and England left-arm bowler of 1950s).

1930 – Birth of Doreen Wilber; American archer (Olympics-gold-1972).

1934 – Birth of Jacques Anquetil in France; Tour de France bicycle racer (5-time winner).

1946 – Birth of Elaine Cheris in Dotham, Alabama, USA; fencer-epee (Olympics-1996).

1949 – Birth of Lawrence Rowe; cricket player (prolific West Indies batsman, 302 versus England 1974).

1952 – Birth of Norm Jarvis in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada; golfer (1984 Chilliwack).

1953 – Birth of Bruce Sutter; pitcher (Chicago Cubs, Saint Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves).

1959 – Birth of Michael Harwood in Sydney, New South Wales; Australasia golfer.

1961 – Birth of Shoaib Mohammad; cricket player (son of Hanif Patient and prolific batsman).

1963 – Birth of Hiromi Kobayashi in Fukushima, Japan; LPGA golfer (1993 JAL Big Apple).

1964 – Birth of Virgil Hill in Missouri, USA; middleweight boxer (Olympics-silver-1984).

1965 – Birth of Champaka Ramanayake; cricket player (Sri Lankan opening bowler).

1965 – Birth of Eric Wohlberg in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada; cyclist (Olympics-1996).

1966 – Birth of Darryl Hall; Canadian Football League linebacker (Calgary Stampeders).

1967 – Birth of Hollis Conway in Chicago, Illinois, USA; high jumper (Olympics-silver/bronze-1988, 1992).

1967 – Birth of Kent Jones in Portales, New Mexico, USA; golfer (NM State Amateur-1990-91).

1967 – Birth of Roger Rowland in Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Nike golfer (1990 Macon Open-second).

1967 – Birth of Willie Anderson; American NBA guard (New York Knicks, Olympics-bronze-1988).

1968 – Birth of Alexander Alexeev; NHL defenseman (Belarus, Olympics-1998).

1968 – Birth of Brian Johnson in Oakland, California, USA; catcher (San Diego Padres).

1968 – Birth of Mark Duane Croghan in Akron, Ohio, USA; 3k steeplechase (Olympics-5th-1996).

1968 – Birth of Paul Carey; US baseball infielder (Baltimore Orioles).

1969 – Birth of Brian Boehringer in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA; pitcher (New York Yankees).

1970 – Birth of Jon Klemm in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; NHL defenseman (Colorado Avalanche).

1971 – Birth of Billy Joe Hobert; NFL quarterback (Oakland Raiders).

1971 – Birth of Branislav Janos; hockey forward (Team Slovakia 1998).

1971 – Birth of Darren Langdon in Deer Lake, Newfoundland, Canada; NHL left wing (New York Rangers).

1971 – Birth of Jason Giambi in West Covina, California, USA; infielder (Oakland Athletics).

1971 – Birth of Roosevelt Potts; NFL running back (Indianapolis Colts).

1971 – Birth of Stephane Barin; hockey forward (Team France 1998).

1972 – Birth of Brandie Burton in San Bernardino, California, USA; LPGA golfer (1993 du Maurier Ltd).

1972 – Birth of Devlin Murphy in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; canoe (alternate-Olympics-1996).

1974 – Birth of Arjan Blaauw; Dutch soccer player (FC Groningen).

1974 – Birth of Brian Roberson; wide receiver (New York Giants).

1975 – Birth of Vitali Yachmenev in Chelyabinsk, Russia; NHL right wing (Los Angeles Kings).

1976 – Birth of Brad Snyder in Ontario, Canada; shot putter (Olympics-1996).

Deaths of sports figures on January 8

1900 – Billy Bates cricket player (656 runs and 50 wickets in 15 Tests for England), dies.

1950 – George Rowe, cricket player (15 wickets in four Tests for South Africa 1895-1902), dies.

1987 – P G Joshi, cricket player (12 Tests for India 1951-60, ct 18 stp 9), dies.

1994 – Harvey Haddix, pitcher (12 perfect inning game), dies at age 68.

1995 – Carlos Monzon [El Macho], Argentine middleweight boxing champion (1970-77), dies at age 52.

2016 – Death of Maria Teresa de Filippis, Italian racing driver (born 1926).

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TV SPORTS

Thursday, 1/8/26

NBA REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Indiana Pacers vs Charlotte Hornets	6:00pm	FanDuel Sports IND FanDuel Sports CHA
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Minnesota Timberwolves	7:00pm	FanDuel Sports Ohio FanDuel Sports North
Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls	8:30pm	NBATV FanDuel Sports Sun CHSN
Dallas Mavericks vs Utah Jazz	9:00pm	KFAA KJZZ
Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Clippers	10:30pm	KJZZ FanDuel Sports SoCal
NHL REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Calgary Flames vs Boston Bruins	7:00pm	SN NESN
Florida Panthers vs Montreal Canadiens	7:00pm	Scripps SN
Vancouver Canucks vs Detroit Red Wings	7:00pm	FanDuel Sports DET SN
Buffalo Sabres vs New York Rangers	7:00pm	MSG-BUF MSG
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Philadelphia Flyers	7:00pm	TSN NBCS-PHI
New Jersey Devils vs Pittsburgh Penguins	7:00pm	MSGSN ATTSN-PIT
Anaheim Ducks vs Carolina Hurricanes	7:00pm	Victory+ FanDuel Sports South
New York Islanders vs Nashville Predators	8:00pm	Hulu ESPN+
Edmonton Oilers vs Winnipeg Jets	8:00pm	SN TSN
Ottawa Senators vs Colorado Avalanche	9:00pm	ALT SN
Minnesota Wild vs Seattle Kraken	10:00pm	KONG FanDuel Sports North
Columbus Blue Jackets vs Vegas Golden Knights	10:00pm	FanDuel Sports Ohio Scripps
COLLEGE FOOTBALL	TIME ET	TV
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: CFP Semifinal	7:30pm	ESPN
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL	TIME ET	TV
Hofstra at Towson	12:30pm	MNMT
Chicago State at Fairleigh Dickinson	5:00pm	YES
Maine at UMBC	6:00pm	ESPN+
UMass Lowell at Bryant	6:00pm	ESPN+
Northwestern at Michigan State	6:30pm	BTN
Liberty at Louisiana Tech	7:00pm	CBSSN
UNCW at Northeastern	7:00pm	NESNplus
Stony Brook at Drexel	7:00pm	NBCS-PHI+
William & Mary at Monmouth	7:00pm	SNY
Stonehill at Central Connecticut	7:00pm	NEC Front Row
New Haven at Le Moyne	7:00pm	NEC Front Row
Saint Francis U at Wagner	7:00pm	NEC Front Row
Mercyhurst at LIU	7:00pm	NEC Front Row
New Hampshire at NJIT	7:00pm	ESPN+
Binghamton at Vermont	7:00pm	ESPN+
North Alabama at Eastern Kentucky	7:00pm	ESPN+
West Georgia at North Florida	7:00pm	ESPN+
Old Dominion at Coastal Carolina	7:00pm	ESPN+
Central Arkansas at Bellarmine	7:00pm	ESPN+
App State at Georgia State	7:00pm	ESPN+
Lipscomb at Stetson	7:00pm	ESPN+
Queens at Jacksonville	7:00pm	ESPN+
Austin Peay at FGCU	7:00pm	ESPN+
Elon at North Carolina A&T	7:00pm	FloCollege
Hampton at Campbell	7:00pm	FloCollege
UT Martin at Morehead State	7:30pm	Gray Media
Delaware at Sam Houston	7:30pm	ESPN+
Denver at South Dakota State	8:00pm	Midco Sports
Idaho State at Northern Colorado	8:00pm	ESPN+
Abilene Christian at Tarleton	8:00pm	ESPN+
Weber State at Northern Arizona	8:00pm	ESPN+
Southern Utah at Utah Valley	8:00pm	ESPN+
Texas State at Southern Miss	8:00pm	ESPN+
North Dakota at Omaha	8:00pm	Summit
North Dakota State at Kansas City	8:00pm	Summit
Rutgers at Illinois	8:30pm	BTN
ULM at Louisiana	8:30pm	ESPN+
Tennessee State at Western Illinois	8:30pm	ESPN+
Southeast Missouri at Southern Indiana	8:30pm	ESPN+
Little Rock at SIUE	8:30pm	ESPN+
Tennessee Tech at Eastern Illinois	8:30pm	ESPN+
Middle Tennessee at UTEP	9:00pm	CBSSN
Montana State at Eastern Washington	9:00pm	SWX
Montana at Idaho	9:00pm	ESPN+
WKU at NM State	9:00pm	ESPN+
UC Davis at UC Santa Barbara	9:00pm	ESPN+
UC Riverside at CSU Bakersfield	9:30pm	ESPN+
Pepperdine at San Diego	9:30pm	ESPN+
Long Beach State at UC Irvine	10:00pm	Spectrum
Pacific at Portland	10:00pm	KUNP
Cal Poly at CSUN	10:00pm	ESPN+
Cal State Fullerton at UC San Diego	10:00pm	ESPN+
Utah Tech at California Baptist	10:00pm	ESPN+
Seattle U at Oregon State	10:00pm	ESPN+
Ohio State at Oregon	10:30pm	BTN
San Francisco at Loyola Marymount	11:00pm	CBSSN
Santa Clara at Gonzaga	11:30pm	ESPN2
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
Serie A: Cremonese vs Cagliari	12:30pm	Paramount+
Supercopa de España: Atlético Madrid vs Real Madrid	2:00pm	ESPN2 fuboTV
Serie A: Milan vs Genoa	2:45pm	Paramount+
EPL: Arsenal vs Liverpool	3:00pm	Peacock

Friday, 1/9/2026

NBA REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Toronto Raptors vs Boston Celtics	7:00 pm	SN NBCS-BOS
Philadelphia 76ers vs Orlando Magic	7:00pm	NBCS-PHI FanDuel Sports FL
New Orleans Pelicans vs Washington Wizards	7:00pm	GCSN MNMT
Los Angeles Clippers vs Brooklyn Nets	7:30pm	FanDuel Sports SoCal YES
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Memphis Grizzlies	8:00pm	NBATV FanDuel Sports OKC FanDuel Sports MEM
Atlanta Hawks vs Denver Nuggets	9:00pm	FanDuel Sports ATL ALT
New York Knicks vs Phoenix Suns	9:00pm	MSG AFSN
Sacramento Kings vs Golden State Warriors	10:00pm	NBCS-CA NBCS-BAY
Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers	10:00pm	Rip City SCHN
Milwaukee Bucks vs Los Angeles Lakers	10:30pm	NBATV Spectrum FanDuel Sports MIL
NHL REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Washington Capitals vs Chicago Blackhawks	8:00pm	MNMT2 CHSN
Florida Panthers vs Montreal Canadiens	8:00pm	Scripps SN
Vancouver Canucks vs Detroit Red Wings	9:00pm	FanDuel Sports MW FanDuel Sports DET
COLLEGE FOOTBALL	TIME ET	TV
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: CFP Semifinal	7:30pm	ESPN
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL	TIME ET	TV
Bryant & Stratton at Youngstown State	11:00 AM	ESPN+
Miami (OH) at Toledo	6:00pm	CBSSN
Saint Peter’s at Mount St. Mary’s	7:00pm	ESPN+
Merrimack at Siena	7:00pm	ESPN+
Cleveland State at Oakland	7:00pm	ESPN+
Canisius at Manhattan	7:00pm	ESPN+
IU Indianapolis at Green Bay	7:00pm	ESPN+
Niagara at Iona	7:00pm	ESPN+
Rider at Fairfield	7:00pm	ESPN+
Wright State at Detroit Mercy	7:00pm	ESPN+
Marist at Sacred Heart	7:00pm	ESPN+
Akron at Bowling Green	8:00pm	CBSSN
Northern Kentucky at Milwaukee	8:00pm	ESPN+
USC at Minnesota	8:30pm	BTN
UNLV at Colorado State	10:00pm	CBSSN
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
Bundesliga: Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund	2:30pm	ESPN2 fuboTV
La Liga: Getafe vs Real Sociedad	2:45pm	ESPN+ fuboTV
Liga MX: Tijuana vs América	3:00pm	VIX
Liga MX: Mazatlán vs Juárez	3:00pm	VIX
Liga MX: Atlas vs Puebla	3:00pm	VIX

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