========INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL REGIONALS========
CLASS 1A
LAVILLE (8-4) AT PIONEER (11-1)
SOUTH ADAMS (9-3) AT NORTH MIAMI (9-3)
SHERIDAN (8-2) AT SOUTH PUTNAM (10-2)
MILAN (6-4) AT PROVIDENCE (9-2)
CLASS 2A
SOUTHMONT (11-1) AT ANDREAN (10-1)
EASTBROOK (12-0) AT ADAMS CENTRAL (12-0)
LAPEL (12-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (11-1)
BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (12-0) AT LINTON (9-3)
CLASS 3A
ANGOLA (7-5) AT KNOX (12-0)
FORT WAYNE LUERS (7-5) AT TWIN LAKES (10-2)
CASCADE (12-0) AT LAWRENCEBURG (10-1)
INDIAN CREEK (8-3) AT GIBSON SOUTHERN (11-1)
CLASS 4A
HOBART (10-2) AT SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (11-1)
FORT WAYNE DWENGER (10-2) AT LEBANON (10-2)
INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (9-3) AT YORKTOWN (9-2)
MARTINSVILLE (6-6) AT HERITAGE HILLS (11-1)
CLASS 5A
MERRILLVILLE (9-2) AT MICHIGAN CITY (8-3)
LAFAYETTE JEFF (10-1) AT CONCORD (10-1)
NEW PALESTINE (11-0) AT EAST CENTRAL (9-2)
FLOYD CENTRAL (10-1) AT BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (10-1)
CLASS 6A
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (8-3) AT PENN (11-0)
FISHERS (8-3) AT WESTFIELD (9-2)
BROWNSBURG (11-0) AT DECATUR CENTRAL (9-2)
WARREN CENTRAL (7-4) AT CENTER GROVE (10-1)
=====================================================
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE/SCORES
WEDENSDAY’S SCORES
BOONE GROVE 41 HEBRON 33
BOONVILLE 53 PIKE CENTRAL 25
CARROLL (FLORA) 70 TAYLOR 8
CHRISTEL HOUSE 32 INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON 11
FISHERS 52 ANDERSON 19
HOMESTEAD 68 NORTHRIDGE 47
INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE 63 INDIANAPOLIS RITTER 31
JENNINGS COUNTY 71 LAWRENCEBURG 37
LAWRENCE CENTRAL 76 WESTFIELD 39
LEO 61 FORT WAYNE WAYNE 43
MADISON-GRANT 51 WES-DEL 34
NEW PALESTINE 60 GREENWOOD 11
NORTH JUDSON 50 SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) 44
PARK TUDOR 50 SOUTHPORT 35
RANDOLPH SOUTHERN 52 UNION CITY 29
ROCHESTER 59 NORTH MIAMI 52 2OT
SOUTH BEND ADAMS 73 LALUMIERE 11
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 70 WEST VIGO 32
VALPARAISO 58 HAMMOND CENTRAL 35
=====================================================
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
ALL TIMES EASTERN
ADAMS CENTRAL AT LAKEWOOD PARK 6:00 PM
BEECH GROVE AT GREENFIELD-CENTRAL 7:30 PM
BLOOMFIELD AT SHOALS 6:00 PM
BOWMAN ACADEMY AT GARY WEST 8:00 PM
CALUMET AT CALUMET CHRISTIAN 7:00 PM
CAREER ACADEMY AT LAKELAND CHRISTIAN 6:00 PM
CLINTON PRAIRIE AT SOUTHMONT 6:30 PM
COWAN AT CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN 7:30 PM
DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN AT GARY 21ST CENTURY 8:00 PM
DUGGER UNION AT LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN 7:30 PM
EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL AT GRIFFITH 8:00 PM
EMAN AT PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE 6:00 PM
EVANSVILLE BOSSE AT PRINCETON 8:00 PM
EVANSVILLE HARRISON AT SOUTH SPENCER 8:00 PM
EVANSVILLE MATER DEI AT TECUMSEH 8:00 PM
FLOYD CENTRAL AT CHARLESTOWN 7:30 PM
FOREST PARK AT SPRINGS VALLEY 7:30 PM
GOSHEN AT MISHAWAKA MARIAN 7:30 PM
GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN AT TRITON CENTRAL 7:30 PM
HERITAGE AT FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY 6:30 PM
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN AT EASTBROOK 7:30 PM
HIGHLAND AT RIVER FOREST 8:00 PM
INDIANA MATH & SCIENCE AT TRADERS POINT CHRISTIAN 6:00 PM
INDIANAPOLIS ARSENAL TECH AT PHALEN ACADEMY 6:00 PM
INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL AT MOORESVILLE 7:30 PM
INDIANAPOLIS RIVERSIDE AT BELIEVE CIRCLE CITY 6:00 PM
KANKAKEE VALLEY AT KOUTS 8:00 PM
KNOX AT TIPPECANOE VALLEY 7:30 PM
KOKOMO AT PERU 7:45 PM
LAKE CENTRAL AT LAFAYETTE JEFF 8:00 PM
LAVILLE AT JIMTOWN 7:30 PM
LINTON AT NORTH KNOX 7:30 PM
LOGANSPORT AT TWIN LAKES 6:30 PM
LOOGOOTEE AT EASTERN GREENE 7:30 PM
MARQUETTE CATHOLIC AT ANDREAN 8:00 PM
MARTINSVILLE AT COLUMBUS NORTH 7:30 PM
MICHIGAN CITY AT TRI-TOWNSHIP 7:00 PM
MILAN AT HAUSER 7:30 PM
MISHAWAKA AT LAPORTE 8:00 PM
MOORESVILLE CHRISTIAN AT SHERIDAN 7:30 PM
MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) AT INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI 7:30 PM
NORTH MONTGOMERY AT FRONTIER 6:30 PM
NORTH PUTNAM AT COVINGTON 6:45 PM
NORTHEASTERN AT YORKTOWN 7:30 PM
OLDENBURG ACADEMY AT SHAWE MEMORIAL 6:00 PM
PAOLI AT LANESVILLE 7:30 PM
PERRY MERIDIAN AT DECATUR CENTRAL 6:00 PM
RENSSELAER CENTRAL AT TRI-COUNTY 7:30 PM
SOUTH DEARBORN AT BATESVILLE 7:30 PM
SOUTH DECATUR AT MORRISTOWN 7:30 PM
SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER) AT BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL 7:30 PM
TELL CITY AT MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) 8:00 PM
TRI-CENTRAL AT TIPTON 7:30 PM
TRINITY GREENLAWN AT MISHAWAKA CHRISTIAN 5:30 PM
UNIVERSITY AT TRI-WEST 7:00 PM
VINCENNES LINCOLN AT TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 7:30 PM
VINCENNES RIVET AT EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN 8:00 PM
WABASH AT MISSISSINEWA 7:30 PM
WEST VIGO AT NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) 7:30 PM
WEST WASHINGTON AT SOUTH CENTRAL (ELIZABETH) 6:00 PM
WESTERN BOONE AT MONROVIA 7:30 PM
WHEELER AT ILLIANA CHRISTIAN 8:00 PM
WHITE RIVER VALLEY AT SULLIVAN 6:00 PM
ZIONSVILLE AT WARREN CENTRAL 7:30 PM
BANKS OF WABASH TOURNAMENT
RIVERTON PARKE VS. SOUTH VERMILLION 6:00 PM R1
NORTH VERMILLION AT PARKE HERITAGE 7:30 PM R1
===================================================
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
WEEK 12
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 12
7 P.M. | BUFFALO AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN | CBSSN
7 P.M. | NIU AT UMASS | ESPNU
7 P.M. | TOLEDO AT MIAMI (OHIO) | ESPN2
THURSDAY, NOV. 13
7:30 P.M. | TROY AT OLD DOMINION | ESPN
FRIDAY, NOV. 14
7:30 P.M.| NO. 15 LOUISVILLE VS. CLEMSON | ESPN
9 P.M. | NO. 9 OREGON VS. MINNESOTA | FOX
SATURDAY, NOV. 15
12 P.M. | NO. 2 INDIANA VS. WISCONSIN | BIG TEN NETWORK
12 P.M. | NO. 3 TEXAS A&M VS. SOUTH CAROLINA | ESPN
12 P.M. | NO. 10 NOTRE DAME AT NO. 24 PITT | ABC
12 P.M. |NO. 21 MICHIGAN AT NORTHWESTERN | FOX
12 P.M. | ARIZONA AT CINCINNATI | FS1
12 P.M. | KANSAS STATE AT OKLAHOMA STATE| ESPNU
12 P.M. | AIR FORCE AT UCONN | CBSSN
12 P.M. | UTSA AT CHARLOTTE | ESPN+
12 P.M. | SOUTH FLA. AT NAVY | ESPN2
12 P.M. | EASTERN MICHIGAN AT BALL STATE| ESPN+
12:45 P.M. | ARKANSAS AT LSU| SEC NETWORK
1:00 P.M. | OREGON STATE AT TULSA | ESPN+
1:00 P.M. | WEST VIRGINIA AT ARIZONA STATE | TNT
1:30 P.M. | TENNESSEE TECH AT KENTUCKY| SEC NETWORK +
2:00 P.M. | MARSHALL AT GEORGIA STATE | ESPN+
2:00 P.M. | NORTH TEXAS AT UAB | ESPN+
3:00 P.M. | UTEP AT MISSOURI STATE | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | NO. 4 ALABAMA VS. NO. 12 OKLAHOMA | ABC
3:30 P.M. | NO. 8 TEXAS TECH VS. UCF | FOX
3:30 P.M. | NO. 14 VIRGINIA AT DUKE | ESPN2
3:30 P.M. | NO. 17 GEORGIA TECH AT BOSTON COLLEGE | ACC NETWORK
3:30 P.M. | NO. 18 MIAMI (FLA.) VS. NC STATE | ESPN
3:30 P.M. | NO. 19 USC VS. NO. 20 IOWA | TBA
3:30 P.M. | PENN STATE AT MICHIGAN STATE | TBA
3:30 P.M. | MARYLAND AT ILLINOIS | FS1
3:30 P.M. | MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT WESTERN KENTUCKY| ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | SAN JOSÉ STATE AT NEVADA | CBSSN
3:30 P.M. | APP STATE AT JAMES MADISON | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | SOUTH ALABAMA AT UL MONROE | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | TEXAS STATE AT SOUTHERN MISS | ESPN+
4:00 P.M. | MEMPHIS AT EAST CAROLINA | ESPNU
4:00 P.M. | FLORIDA ATLANTIC AT TULANE | ESPN+
4:15 P.M. | NO. 25 TENNESSEE VS. NEW MEXICO ST. | SEC NETWORK
4:30 P.M. | NORTH CAROLINA AT WAKE FOREST | THE CW NETWORK
5:00 P.M. | LIBERTY AT FIU | ESPN+
6:00 P.M. | COASTAL CAROLINA AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN | ESPN+
7 P.M. | NO. 6 OLE MISS VS. FLORIDA | ESPN
7 P.M. | NO. 13 UTAH AT BAYLOR | ESPN2
7 P.M. | NO. 23 WASHINGTON VS. PURDUE | FS1
7 P.M. | SAM HOUSTON VS. DELAWARE | ESPN+
7 P.M. | UTAH STATE AT UNLV | CBSSN
7:30 P.M. | NO. 1 OHIO STATE VS. UCLA | NBC
7:30 P.M. | NO. 5 GEORGIA VS. NO. 11 TEXAS | ABC
7:30 P.M. | VIRGINIA TECH AT FLORIDA STATE | ACC NETWORK
7:45 P.M. | NO. 22 MISSOURI VS. MISSISSIPPI ST. | SEC NETWORK
8 P.M. | KENNESAW STATE AT JACKSONVILLE STATE | ESPNU
10 P.M. | LOUISIANA TECH AT WASHINGTON STATE | THE CW NETWORK
10:15 P.M. | NO. 7 BYU VS. TCU |ESPN
10:30 P.M. | BOISE STATE AT SAN DIEGO STATE | CBSSN
10:30 P.M. | WYOMING AT FRESNO STATE | FS1
====================================================
MEN’ SCOREBARD
TOP 25:
#1 HOUSTON 78 OAKLAND 45
#20 TENNESSEE 99 NORTH FLORIDA 66
ELSEWHERE:
INDIANA 101 MILWAUKEE 70
WESTERN MICHIGAN 83 PURDUE FT. WAYNE 71
MISSOURI 83 MINNESOTA 60
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 77 EVANSVILLE 72
VALPO 68 NICHOLLS 63
========================================================
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES
TOP 25:
#23 KENTUKCY 90 USC UPSTATE 30
#24 MICHIGAN STATE 96 YOUNGSTOWN STATE 52
#18 NOTRE DAME 85 AKRON 58
#15 DUKE 83 NORFOLK STATE 32
#22 LOUISVILLE 74 COLORADO 68
#13 OLE MISS 94 SOUTHERN 44
#19 VANDERBILT 75 AUSTIN PEAY 65
#17 TCU 122 TENNESSEE STATE 39
#1 UCONN 85 LOYOLA ILLINOIS 31
#16 IOWA STATE 97 VALPARAISO 50
#5 LSU 117 CHARLOTTE 59
#6 OKLAHOMA 89 KANSAS CITY 61
ELSEWHERE:
PENN STATE 90 COPPIN STATE 62
BALL STATE 95 NORTHERN KENTUCKY 64
PURDUE FT. WAYNE 68 PURDUE 67
CENTRAL MICHIGAN 68 BUTLER 59
EASTERN KENTUCKY 83 EVANSVILLE 60
WISCONSIN 90 BOWLING GREEN 78
SOUTHERN INDIANA 68 ST. LOUIS 52
NEBRASKA 84 CREIGHTON 50
=======================================================
NFL SCHEDULE
WEEK 11
THURSDAY, NOV. 13
NY JETS AT NEW ENGLAND, 8:15 P.M. (PRIME VIDEO)
SUNDAY, NOV. 16
WASHINGTON VS. MIAMI AT MADRID, 9:30 A.M.
TAMPA BAY AT BUFFALO, 1 P.M. (CBS)
LA CHARGERS AT JACKSONVILLE CINCINNATI AT PITTSBURGH, 1 P.M. (CBS)
CAROLINA AT ATLANTA, 1 P.M. (FOX)
GREEN BAY AT NY GIANTS, 1 P.M. (FOX)
CHICAGO AT MINNESOTA, 1 P.M. (FOX)
HOUSTON AT TENNESSEE, 1 P.M. (FOX)
SAN FRANCISCO AT ARIZONA, 4:05 P.M. (FOX)
SEATTLE AT LA RAMS, 4:05 P.M. (FOX)
KANSAS CITY AT DENVER, 4:25 P.M. (CBS)
BALTIMORE AT CLEVELAND, 4:25 P.M. (CBS)
DETROIT AT PHILADELPHIA, 8:20 P.M. (NBC)
MONDAY, NOV. 17
DALLAS AT LAS VEGAS, 8:15 P.M. (ESPN/ABC)
BYES: INDIANAPOLIS, NEW ORLEANS
===============================================
NBA SCOREBOARD
ORLANDO 124 NEW YORK 107
DETROIT 124 CHICAGO 113
CHARLOTTE 111 MILWAUKEE 100
BOSTON 131 MEMPHIS 95
CLEVELAND 130 MIAMI 116
PORTLAND 125 NEW ORLEANS 117
HOUSTON 135 WASHINGTON 112
GOLDEN STATE 125 SAN ANTONIO 120
PHOENIX 123 DALLAS 114
OKLAHOMA CITY 121 LA LAKERS 92
ATLANTA 133 SACRAMENTO 100
DENVER 130 LA CLIPPERS 116
===============================================
NHL SCOREBOARD
NY RANGERS 7 TAMPA BAY 3
EDMONTON 2 PHILADELPHIA 10T
UTAH 5 BUFFALO 2
NEW JERSEY 4 CHICAGO 3 OT
===============================================
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER PLAYOFFS
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
NOV. 22 – NOV. 23
EASTERN CONFERENCE: TBD
WESTERN CONFERENCE: TBD
CONFERENCE FINAL
NOV. 29 – NOV. 30
SEMIFINAL WINNERS, TBD
CHAMPIONSHIP
SATURDAY, DEC. 6: CONFERENCE FINAL WINNERS, 2:30 P.M.
=========================================================
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES
NFL NEWS
FROM LONG SHOTS TO FAVORITES: MATTHEW STAFFORD AND JONATHAN TAYLOR HAVE RESHAPED THE NFL MVP RACE
As the NFL season heads deep into the second half, the MVP race has been shaken up thanks in large part to some record-threatening performances from players like Matthew Stafford and Jonathan Taylor and the emergence of Drake Maye.
Stafford became the betting favorite to win the AP NFL MVP this week, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, after he threw four more touchdown passes in the Los Angeles Rams’ 42-26 victory over San Francisco on Sunday. Stafford became the first player ever with at least four TD passes and no interceptions in three straight games.
More than 15 players had better opening odds at BetMGM to win the MVP award than Stafford, who now is the favorite at plus-275 after a six-game stretch with 20 touchdowns and no interceptions.
Stafford, who turns 38 in February, could become the oldest player to win his first MVP, and the third oldest to win overall, trailing only 40-year-old Tom Brady in 2017 and Aaron Rodgers, who won in 2021 after turning 38 that season.
Taylor’s candidacy is even more surprising, with more than 40 players opening with better odds, as he tries to become the first running back since Adrian Peterson in 2012 to take home the award.
Taylor currently is tied with two-time winner Patrick Mahomes for the third-best odds after helping Indianapolis improve to 8-2, rushing for 244 yards and three TDs in a win over Atlanta on Sunday.
That made Taylor the fourth player ever with multiple games with at least 200 yards rushing and three TD runs, joining Jim Brown, Peterson and Derrick Henry.
Taylor’s 17 touchdowns overall are tied for the third most by any player in his team’s first 10 games of the season, trailing only LaDainian Tomlinson’s 22 in 2006 and Shaun Alexander’s 19 in 2005. Both those players went on to win MVP those seasons, with Alexander setting an NFL record with 28 touchdowns and Tomlinson surpassing it the next season with what still is the record of 31.
New England’s Maye also has shot up in the MVP odds to second best behind Stafford after helping the Patriots get off to an 8-2 start. Maye has posted a passer rating of at least 100 in eight of his 10 starts this season and has a 113.9 mark on the season. Maye joined Mahomes and Dak Prescott as the only players age 23 or younger to have a rating of at least 100 eight times in his team’s first 10 games.
Last season’s winner, Josh Allen, has the fifth-best odds, followed by another unlikely candidate in Seattle’s Sam Darnold.
Darnold’s 9.92 yards per attempt are on pace to be the highest for any qualifying quarterback since Norm Van Brocklin averaged 10.1 in 1954.
If Darnold won MVP after signing with the Seahawks as a free agent in March, it would be the third time a player won the award in his first season with a team. Brown won as a rookie in 1957 with Cleveland and Earl Morrall won in his first season with the Baltimore Colts in 1968.
Giants join coaching carousel
The decision by the New York Giants to fire coach Brian Daboll less than seven months after drafting quarterback Jaxson Dart in the first round is the latest entry in a trend of teams using high picks on QBs leading to quick coaching changes.
Tennessee already did it this season, firing Brian Callahan after he had just six games with No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward.
In all, there have been 35 quarterbacks taken in the first round of the past 10 drafts. With the moves by the Giants and Titans, eight of those teams fired their coach during the rookie season of the quarterback and eight more made a change before the start of the second season.
Daboll was part of a ballyhooed class in 2022 of 10 new coaches hired. Only three of those coaches remain in the job midway through their fourth season, with Tampa Bay’s Todd Bowles and Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell appearing to be on solid ground at their spots, while Miami’s Mike McDaniels is in a more tenuous situation after GM Chris Grier was let go last month.
The others haven’t been so lucky.
Nathaniel Hackett was the first to go, not making it through one season in Denver before being fired with a 4-11 record. Lovie Smith was out in Houston after one 3-13-1 campaign.
The Raiders fired Josh McDaniels midway through his second season, while Chicago’s Matt Eberflus, New Orleans’ Dennis Allen and Jacksonville’s Doug Pederson all got fired either during or after their third seasons.
Shough breaks a 44-year drought in New Orleans
The long wait for a rookie QB to win a start in New Orleans is over after 44 years.
Second-round pick Tyler Shough helped New Orleans beat Carolina on Sunday in his second career start, making him the first Saints rookie QB to win a start since Dave Wilson did it on Nov. 8, 1981, against the Rams.
New Orleans rookies had been 0-11 since then, including a loss to Shough the previous week in his first start and six by Spencer Rattler last season after Derek Carr got hurt. Danny Wuerffel lost twice in 1997, with Ian Book (2021) and Wilson (1981) having the other losses.
There had been 567 regular-season games won by rookie quarterbacks during the drought for the Saints, with Chicago leading the way with 33 and 18 teams having at least 20 wins.
Only two other teams had fewer than nine wins from rookie QBs in that span, with Green Bay having only three and Kansas City having one by Mahomes in Week 17 of the 2017 season.
Double returns
It was a weekend of happy returns for both Seattle and the New York Jets.
New York’s Kene Nwangwu returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter and 36 seconds later, Isaiah Williams brought back a punt 74 yards for a score in the Jets’ 27-20 win over Cleveland.
It marked the first time in franchise history that the Jets had a kickoff return and a punt return for TDs in the same game. No other team had done that since Baltimore on Oct. 15, 2017, against Chicago, and the last team to do it in the first quarter was the Chargers against Indianapolis on Nov. 11, 2007.
The return TDs helped the Jets win the game despite gaining only 169 yards of offense and getting no takeaways. Teams had been 0-216 in the Super Bowl era when gaining less than 175 yards and generating no takeaways in the regular season and playoffs.
Seattle also got two return touchdowns as DeMarcus Lawrence became the second player in the last 75 years to return two fumbles for TDs in the same game. Jeremy Chinn was the only other player to do it in that span, in 2020 for Carolina against Minnesota.
The two defensive touchdowns helped Seattle score 38 points in the first half, marking the third time this season the Seahawks had at least 31 points before halftime.
Seattle became the fourth team ever with at least three games in a season with more than 30 points in the first half, with the Rams the last team to do it in 1980. The Raiders did it in 1968 and the Chargers in 1961.
The Seahawks had scored at least 31 points in the first half three time in 331 games in the regular season and playoffs before doing it three times in the last seven games.
EX-NFL STAR ANTONIO BROWN GETS $25K BAIL AND GPS MONITOR ON MIAMI ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE
Former NFL star wide receiver Antonio Brown will be released on $25,000 bail and must wear a GPS ankle monitor on an attempted murder charge in Florida, a judge ordered Wednesday.
Brown, 37, has pleaded not guilty to the second-degree attempted murder charge, which carries a potential 15-year prison sentence and a fine up to $10,000 if he is convicted. His lawyer, Mark Eiglarsh, said Brown would return to his home in Broward County, Florida, while the case proceeds.
“He no longer has a passport. He’ll be living at his home. I look forward to working with him zealously on this case,” Eiglarsh told Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer at a bond hearing.
Brown appeared at the hearing via video wearing a red jail shirt and spoke only to answer questions from the judge. Prosecutors had sought pretrial detention, contending Brown is a high-paid former professional athlete with the resources to flee.
According to an arrest warrant, Brown is accused of grabbing a handgun from a security staffer after a celebrity boxing match in Miami on May 16 and firing two shots at a man he had gotten into a fistfight with earlier. The victim, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, told investigators that one of the bullets grazed his neck.
Brown’s attorney said Wednesday that the affidavit is mistaken and that Brown actually used his personal firearm, and that the shots were not aimed at anyone.
“It was my client’s own gun,” Eiglarsh said.
Based on his social media posts, Brown had been living in Dubai for several months. In a social media post after the altercation, Brown said he was defending himself because he was “jumped by multiple individuals who tried to steal my jewelry and cause physical harm to me.”
Eiglarsh said Brown has unspecified business interests in Dubai and always intended to turn himself in on the attempted murder charge.
“He didn’t flee to Dubai,” the lawyer said. “He always had a desire and intention to answer this case.”
Brown, who spent 12 years in the NFL, was an All-Pro wide receiver who last played in 2021 for Tampa Bay but spent most of his career with Pittsburgh. For his career, Brown had 928 receptions for more than 12,000 yards and accounted for 88 total touchdowns counting punt returns and one pass.
JAMEIS WINSTON TO START AT QB FOR THE GIANTS IN INTERIM COACH MIKE KAFKA’S FIRST BIG DECISION
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — With Jaxson Dart in concussion protocol, Jameis Winston is taking over as the New York Giants’ starting quarterback for their game Sunday against Green Bay.
It is interim coach Mike Kafka’s first big decision since taking over following the firing of Brian Daboll and auditioning for the full-time job by showing what he can do in the final games of this lost season. Kafka announced the move prior to practice Wednesday, his first in charge, saying it was his call.
“Jameis has done a great job since he’s been here,” Kafka said. “I got good feel for those guys, and I think Jameis will do a heck of a job. He’s a great leader, he has a lot of production in this league and I think he’s going to do a great job leading that group.”
Kafka opted for Winston over former starter Russell Wilson, who had served as Dart’s backup since getting benched for the rookie after an 0-3 start.
“Russ understands the direction we’re going moving forward,” Kafka said. “Russ is a true pro, and I know he’s been through a couple tough things. Listen, the way he responds is unbelievable, and I have a ton of respect for Russ. He’s going to be the backup this week. He’s one play away just like he was last week, and so we need him and he’s a crucial part of our offense.”
Wilson, who turns 37 later this month and is not signed beyond this season, was 3 of 7 for 45 yards in relief of Dart last weekend at Chicago when the Giants blew another late lead, losing 24-20 and falling to 2-8.
That defeat led ownership to fire Daboll and promote Kafka, the 38-year-old offensive coordinator who had interviewed for several NFL head-coaching vacancies but had not run a team at any level until now. Kafka could be one of the candidates considered following the season, along with other QB gurus with an eye on developing Dart at football’s most important position.
Kafka, 38, said his focus is solely on players and coming up with a game plan, rather than thinking about his future and showing off for ownership and general manager Joe Schoen. Kafka promoted tight ends coach Tim Kelly to be offensive coordinator but will still call plays.
“Really smart coach. He’ll help us tie in the run game and the pass game,” Kafka said. “He does a great job with a lot of experiences to bank on.”
Keeping Dart healthy and putting him in the best positions possible is the top aim down the stretch. Getting concussed against the Bears looks like it is taking him out of the mix to face the Packers at home.
“Jaxson’s still in the protocol,” Kafka said. “He’s in the middle of it. To be honest with you, I have a lot of trust in our medical staff, in our medical team and they’re taking great care of him. Each day I get a little bit of an update. He’s right on track and right on pace in the program.”
With Dart unavailable, the Giants are going with Winston, who signed a two-year contract last offseason and is expected to return in 2026 as Dart’s backup. A Heisman Trophy winner in 2013 who was the No. 1 pick in the draft a decade ago, Winston started seven games last season for Cleveland and has been third on the Giants’ depth chart since early in training camp.
“He’s very excited for the opportunity,” Kafka said, “and I think he’ll run with it.”
COMMANDERS HOPE ROAD TRIP TO MADRID WILL HELP TEAM REGROUP AFTER POOR RUN
MADRID (AP) — Bringing the guys together for a road trip might be just what the Washington Commanders need to get the season back on track.
The Commanders (3-7) are in Madrid to face the Miami Dolphins on Sunday in the NFL’s final international game of the season. They’re hoping some camaraderie and quality time together in one of Europe’s top cities can help the team end a five-game losing streak.
“I told the team that today as a group, we are coming here to actually get stronger,” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday in his first news conference in Madrid. “Some of that is connection, some of that is our practice and the way that we can do that together. But all of it will be done together.”
“That’s the first part of us getting stronger together,” Quinn added. “But that was the main goal, to get connected and actually get stronger during this week here together. And we think we can do that.”
The Commanders are coming off a 44-22 loss at home to the Detroit Lions. Their last win was at the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 5.
“As a team, I think getting away, having an opportunity to really kind of hunker down together, it’s been important, and it’s been great,” quarterback Marcus Mariota said. “I think guys going to dinner, just little things like that, connecting, especially with where we are in the season, I think it’s important just to kind of step away and I think it’s been good for us.”
The game is the seventh NFL game abroad this season, the most ever since the league started making a push to expand globally.
Daniels and Payne out
Washington remains without quarterback Jayden Daniels because of a dislocated shoulder he suffered during the team’s 38-14 loss to Seattle in Week 9. The Commanders will also be without defensive tackle Daron Payne, who was suspended for one game without pay by the NFL for hitting Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in the second quarter against the Lions.
Quinn said Payne visited with the NFL and apologized. The coach said it was “out of character for him to do that. So, he wanted to be able to express his remorse for that incident.”
Execution struggles
Quinn took over defensive coordinator duties this week. He has blamed poor execution for the team’s recent struggles.
“I do feel that way,” Quinn said. “And the reason why, I’ve seen where it hits good and I’ve seen where it doesn’t. So, had we not seen where we could hit the marks, I’d feel otherwise. So, that’s what we’re digging in hard on, to have this time together here on this trip to do those things, that’s important for us.”
The Dolphins are also 3-7 but Mike McDaniel’s team is coming off a 30-13 home victory over the Buffalo Bills.
Pleasure vs business
Mariota said “never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined I’d be sitting here today” after growing up in Hawaii in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. He said he brought his parents and brother to the game in Madrid, and many of the players were able to do some sightseeing in the Spanish capital.
“You got to find the happy medium,” he said. “We are here on business, and we have a job at hand … We understand that there’s opportunities to take some time away and to experience what Madrid has to offer, but also, we have guys that understand like, ‘Hey, there’s times to hunker down and let’s get things rolling and making sure that we’re ready to roll.’”
PATRIOTS LOOK TO EXTEND WIN STREAK, STAY UNBEATEN IN AFC EAST IN MATCHUP WITH JETS
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Patriots coach Mike Vrabel made sure his team took time to celebrate the narrow victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
He also made it clear that it would be more muted than normal with only three days to recover before hosting the AFC East-rival New York Jets (2-7) on Thursday night.
“This is the all-hands-on-deck week,” Vrabel said.
By Tuesday it was evident that message had been received by New England (8-2) when Vrabel offered to take 25 minutes off a team meeting to allow his players more time to recoup. He also set practice for inside the team’s temperature-controlled bubble on a day when the thermometer only rose to around 40 degrees.
Their response? No, thanks.
Quarterback Drake Maye said the reasoning from their standpoint was simple.
“To not take shortcuts,” Maye said. “Trying not to let the little things go and know that these things will matter, (and) have mattered for us in the past and will show up again. … We’re trying to make it hard to play up here in December and late in the season. I think we have the advantage. So just trying to embrace it.”
A win Thursday would be the Patriots eighth straight, extending their longest win streak since 2021 when they last qualified for the playoffs. They would also move to 3-0 in the AFC East and maintain their lead over defending division champion Buffalo (6-3, 2-2).
But after an 0-7 start to the season, the Jets have showed progress over the last two weeks, sandwiching a bye week between back-to-back wins over Cincinnati and Cleveland.
Though coach Aaron Glenn said this week isn’t about trying to post the Jets’ first three-game winning streak since early in the 2023 season.
“I don’t care if it’s three games, I don’t care if it’s one game, we just want to win,” he said. “And the more you win, the more confident you get as players, the more confident you get as a team and that’s the only thing that we care about.”
Stepping up
The Jets are likely to be without star wide receiver Garrett Wilson on Thursday night because of a knee injury that could sideline him a few weeks.
Wilson missed the first two games of his career after initially hurting his right knee before returning last week. Now, New York will need someone else — or a few players — to make up for the loss on an already struggling offense.
Adonai Mitchell, acquired from Indianapolis in New York’s trade of Sauce Gardner, was inactive last Sunday but could make his Jets debut at New England. John Metchie III, another trade deadline addition, is also on the active roster, as are Tyler Johnson, Allen Lazard, Arian Smith and Isaiah Williams.
“I mean, it’s tough, but it is what it is,” quarterback Justin Fields said of not having Wilson. “There’s going to be guys that, you know, have opportunities to go make plays, but it’s definitely tough when one of your best guys on offense is out. But like I said, it’s an opportunity for some other guys to go come in and make plays.”
Big-play threats
With running back Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) and wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) both out last week against Tampa Bay, the Patriots needed someone to step into the play-making role.
Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson and receiver Kyle Williams answered the call. Henderson scored on runs on 55 and and 69 yards, and Williams added a 72-yard touchdown reception.
It’s added a new quick-score dimension to New England’s offense.
“Just making big plays. Just make it easier on the guys up front,” Maye said. “It’s hard to get explosiveness in this league. And that’s what you want, to make drives shorter. … Just got to get the ball in their hands in space and they’ll make something happen.”
Shouldering the load
Breece Hall has factored in the winning score of the Jets’ two victories this season.
Against Cincinnati on Oct. 26, Hall rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns and also threw the winning TD pass in New York’s 39-38 win. Last Sunday, the fourth-year running back took a screen pass from Fields 42 yards for the go-ahead score in the 27-20 victory over Cleveland.
Hall’s 125 total yards against the Browns accounted for 74% of the Jets’ 169 net yards. He’s the only NFL player to account for at least 74% of a team’s offense in a win, and he has done it twice.
“He’s that man,” Fields said. “It’s simple. He’s that man.”
Big Mac
Will McDonald reestablished himself as a pass-rushing force last week with a record-tying performance.
The Jets’ 2023 first-round pick joined Mark Gastineau (twice) and John Abraham as the only players in franchise history to have four sacks in a game. McDonald, who had a career-high 10½ sacks last season, has seven this season and five in his last two games.
“I have been relentless since the beginning of the season,” he said. “Nothing wants to stand in front of you if you keep being relentless. Eventually, they’re going to move out of the way. For me and the team, that’s all we need to keep doing and we’ll be just fine down the line.”
BALTIMORE’S LAMAR JACKSON ABSENT FROM PRACTICE DURING THE PORTION OPEN TO REPORTERS
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Quarterback Lamar Jackson was not at practice for the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday during the portion open to reporters.
Jackson has played the last two games after missing three because of a hamstring injury. He was able to play for the duration of Baltimore’s win over Minnesota last weekend.
The Ravens (4-5) have won three in a row to pull within a game of first-place Pittsburgh in the AFC North, but another injury to Jackson certainly would be a setback. Baltimore plays at Cleveland this weekend, followed by a home game against the New York Jets.
CARDINALS WIDE RECEIVER MARVIN HARRISON JR. OUT VS. 49ERS AFTER SURGERY FOR APPENDICITIS
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona Cardinals receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will miss Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers after having surgery this week for appendicitis.
Coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed the news on Wednesday.
Harrison — a second-year receiver out of Ohio State — has played in all nine games this season, catching 34 passes for 525 yards and four touchdowns. The Cardinals have suffered a wave of injuries at receiver over the past week, losing Zay Jones (Achilles tendon) and Simi Fehoko (arm), who were both put on injured reserve.
Arizona currently has just three healthy receivers on the roster — Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch and Xavier Weaver.
Gannon also told reporters that linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. (ribs) would not play on Sunday and that linebacker Baron Browning had been placed in concussion protocol.
The Cardinals (3-6) have lost five of their past six games.
NFL PREVIEW: WEEK 11, WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Below are the players that can set historic marks or reach career milestones in Week 11 of the 2025 NFL season, including:
- QB Matthew Stafford
- QB Justin Herbert
- QB Baker Mayfield
- RB Christian McCaffrey
- RB Jahmyr Gibbs
- RB De’Von Achane
- WR Davante Adams
- WR Ja’Marr Chase
- WR Amon-Ra St.Brown
- WR Emeka Egbuka
- DE Myles Garrett
MATTHEW STAFFORD
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passed for 280 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions last week and became the first player in NFL history with at least four touchdowns and no interceptions in three consecutive games. Stafford has 402 career touchdown passes and became the ninth player ever with at least 400 career regular-season touchdown passes.
With a touchdown pass on Sunday against Seattle (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX), Stafford will tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (four games in 1984 with Miami) for the second-most consecutive games in a single season with at least four touchdown passes in NFL history, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (five games in 2004).
The players with the most consecutive games with at least four touchdown passes in a single season in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON | GAMES |
| Peyton Manning HOF | Indianapolis | 2004 | 5 |
| Dan Marino HOF | Miami | 1984 | 4 |
| Drew Brees | New Orleans | 2011 | 3 |
| Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City | 2018 | 3 |
| Matthew Stafford | L.A. Rams | 2025 | 3* |
| Russell Wilson | Seattle | 2020 | 3 |
| *active streak | |||
JUSTIN HERBERT
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert ranks second in the league this season with 2,610 passing yards and since entering the league in 2020, ranks second among all players with 23,703 passing yards.
With 154 passing yards on Sunday at Jacksonville (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Herbert will surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (23,856 passing yards) for the third-most passing yards by a player in his first six career seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (24,885 passing yards) and Patrick Mahomes (24,241) have more.
The players with the most passing yards in their first six seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | PASS YARDS |
| Peyton Manning HOF | Indianapolis | 24,885 |
| Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City | 24,241 |
| Dan Marino HOF | Miami | 23,856 |
| Justin Herbert | L.A. Chargers | 23,703* |
| *in sixth season | ||
BAKER MAYFIELD
Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield passed for 273 yards and three touchdowns for a 106.1 rating last week. Since entering the league as the No. 1 overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, Mayfield has passed for 27,024 yards and 187 touchdowns, while adding 10 rushing touchdowns.
On Sunday at Buffalo (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Mayfield needs one passing or rushing touchdown to become the fourth player selected No. 1 overall with at least 200 combined passing and rushing touchdowns in their first eight seasons in NFL history, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (253), Cam Newton (240) and Matthew Stafford (201).
The quarterbacks selected No. 1 overall with the most combined passing and rushing touchdowns in their first eight seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | PASS TDs | RUSH TDs | TOTAL TDs |
| Peyton Manning HOF | Indianapolis | 244 | 9 | 253 |
| Cam Newton | Carolina | 182 | 58 | 240 |
| Matthew Stafford | Detroit | 187 | 14 | 201 |
| Jared Goff | L.A. Rams, Detroit | 185 | 12 | 197 |
| Baker Mayfield | Cleveland, Carolina, L.A. Rams, Tampa Bay | 187 | 10 | 197* |
| *in eighth season | ||||
CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY
San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey has 69 receptions this season and nine games with at least 50 receiving yards, the most by a running back in 2025.
With six receptions on Sunday at Arizona (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX), McCaffrey can become the fourth running back in NFL history with at least 75 receptions in six career seasons, joining Larry Centers, Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk and Alvin Kamara.
In Week 11, McCaffrey, who has 49 career games with 50-or-more receiving yards, can become the third running back all-time with at least 50 receiving yards in 50 career games, joining Larry Centers (55 games) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk (50).
JAHMYR GIBBS
Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs totaled 172 scrimmage yards (142 rushing, 30 receiving) and three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) last week and leads the NFL with 41 scrimmage touchdowns since entering the NFL in 2023.
With a touchdown on Sunday Night Football at Philadelphia (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), Gibbs – who is 23 years old – can tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown (42 scrimmage touchdowns) for the fourth-most touchdowns by a player under the age of 24 in NFL history, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famers Barry Sanders (47), Randy Moss (43) and Emmitt Smith (43).
The players under the age of 24 with the most touchdowns in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | TOUCHDOWNS |
| Barry Sanders HOF | Detroit | 47 |
| Randy Moss HOF | Minnesota | 43 |
| Emmitt Smith HOF | Dallas | 43 |
| Jim Brown HOF | Cleveland | 42 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | Detroit | 41* |
| *active streak | ||
DE’VON ACHANE
Miami running back De’Von Achane totaled 225 scrimmage yards (174 rushing, 51 receiving) and two rushing touchdowns last week, becoming the third player in NFL history with at least five rushing touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns in each of his first three seasons. Since entering the league in 2023, Achane leads all NFL running backs with 13 touchdown receptions.
With a touchdown reception in Madrid on Sunday against Washington (9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network), Achane can become the fourth player in NFL history with at least five rushing touchdowns and five receiving touchdowns in two of his first three career seasons, joining Billy Cannon, Chuck Foreman and Dan Reeves.
In Week 11, Achane can tie Austin Ekeler (14 touchdown receptions) for the third-most touchdown receptions by a running back in their first three seasons in the Super Bowl era, trailing only Chuck Foreman (17 touchdown receptions) and Christian McCaffrey (15).
The running backs with the most touchdown receptions in their first three seasons in the Super Bowl era:
| PLAYER | TEAM | REC. TDs |
| Chuck Foreman | Minnesota | 17 |
| Christian McCaffrey | Carolina | 15 |
| Austin Ekeler | L.A. Chargers | 14 |
| Dan Reeves | Dallas | 14 |
| De’Von Achane | Miami | 13* |
| *in third season | ||
DAVANTE ADAMS
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams has recorded 42 receptions for 568 yards and a league-high nine touchdown receptions this season. Since entering the league in 2014, Adams leads the league in touchdown receptions (112), ranks second in receptions (999) and third in receiving yards (12,412).
With a touchdown reception on Sunday against Seattle (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX), Adams can become the fifth player in NFL history with at least 10 touchdown receptions in seven career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Randy Moss (nine seasons), Jerry Rice (nine), Marvin Harrison (eight) and Terrell Owens (eight).
Additionally, Adams can join Brandon Marshall and Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens as the only players in NFL history with at least 10 touchdown receptions in a season with three different teams.
With his next reception, Adams will become the fifth wide receiver in NFL history with 1,000 receptions in their first 12 seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (1,050 receptions), Marvin Harrison (1,042) and Andre Johnson (1,012) as well as Larry Fitzgerald (1,018).
The wide receivers with the most receptions in their first 12 seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | RECEPTIONS |
| Jerry Rice HOF | San Francisco | 1,050 |
| Marvin Harrison HOF | Indianapolis | 1,042 |
| Larry Fitzgerald | Arizona | 1,018 |
| Andre Johnson HOF | Houston | 1,012 |
| Davante Adams | Green Bay, Las Vegas, N.Y. Jets, L.A Rams | 999* |
| *in 12th season | ||
JA’MARR CHASE
Cincinnati wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has recorded a league-high 51 touchdowns since entering the NFL in 2021 and ranks second in receiving yards (6,256).
With 91 receiving yards on Sunday at Pittsburgh (1:00 p.m. ET, CBS), Chase can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (6,346 receiving yards) for the fourth-most receiving yards by a player in their first five seasons in NFL history, trailing only Justin Jefferson (7,432 receiving yards), Torry Holt (6,784) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (6,743).
The players with the most receiving yards in their first five seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | REC. YARDS |
| Justin Jefferson | Minnesota | 7,432 |
| Torry Holt | St. Louis Rams | 6,784 |
| Randy Moss HOF | Minnesota | 6,743 |
| Jerry Rice HOF | San Francisco | 6,346 |
| CeeDee Lamb | Dallas | 6,339 |
| Ja’Marr Chase | Cincinnati | 6,256* |
| *in fifth season | ||
AMON-RA ST.BROWN
Detroit wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has recorded a league-high 494 receptions for 5,544 receiving yards and 41 touchdowns since entering the NFL in 2021.
With three receptions on Sunday Night Football at Philadelphia (8:20 p.m., ET, NBC), St. Brown can surpass CeeDee Lamb (496 receptions) for the second-most receptions by a player in their first five seasons in NFL history, trailing only Michael Thomas (510).
The players with the most receptions in their first five seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | RECEPTIONS |
| Michael Thomas | New Orleans | 510 |
| CeeDee Lamb | Dallas | 496 |
| Justin Jefferson | Minnesota | 495 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | Detroit | 494* |
| *in fifth season | ||
EMEKA EGBUKA
Tampa Bay wide receiver Emeka Egbuka registered six catches for 115 receiving yards and a touchdown last week, his third game this season with at least 100 receiving yards, the most among rookies. Egbuka leads all rookies this season in receiving yards (677) and touchdown receptions (six).
With 123 receiving yards on Sunday at Buffalo (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Egbuka can become the fifth player in the Super Bowl era with at least 800 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions in their first 10 career games in NFL history, joining Odell Beckham Jr., Marques Colston, Ja’Marr Chase and Mike Evans.
The players with at least 800 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions in their first 10 career games in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | REC. YARDS | REC. TDs |
| Odell Beckham Jr. | N.Y. Giants | 972 | 9 |
| Marques Colston | New Orleans | 869 | 7 |
| Ja’Marr Chase | Cincinnati | 867 | 8 |
| Mike Evans | Tampa Bay | 841 | 8 |
| Emeka Egbuka | Tampa Bay | 677* | 6* |
| *in first nine career games | |||
MYLES GARRETT
Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett is tied for the league-high with 11 sacks this season and since entering the league in 2011, has recorded the fifth most sacks in the NFL (113.5), including 73 games with a sack.
With a sack on Sunday against Baltimore (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX), Garrett will tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Jared Allen (74 games) for the fourth-most games with a sack by a player in his first nine seasons since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famers Reggie White (79 games) and Demarcus Ware (79) along with Von Miller (77).
The players with the most games with a sack in their first nine seasons since 1982:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | GAMES |
| Reggie White HOF | Philadelphia, Green Bay | 79 |
| Demarcus Ware HOF | Dallas | 79 |
| Von Miller | Denver | 77 |
| Jared Allen HOF | Kansas City, Minnesota | 74 |
| Myles Garrett | Cleveland | 73* |
| *in ninth season | ||
Additionally, with his next sack, Garrett can become the first player since 1982 with at least 12 sacks in six consecutive seasons, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor (five consecutive seasons from 1985-89).
NFL NEWS: WEEK 11 WEEKLY PREVIEW
After passing the midway point of the 2025 season last week, established stars are setting the pace through the first 10 weeks.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford leads the NFL with 25 touchdown passes in nine starts in 2025 and in the second half of the season, looks to join Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers as the only quarterbacks all-time with at least 40 touchdown passes in three career seasons.
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson has a 127.1 passer rating in six starts this season and looks to join Drew Brees (2018-19) as the only qualified passers all-time with a passer rating of 115-or-higher in consecutive seasons.
Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor leads the NFL with 1,399 scrimmage yards and 17 scrimmage touchdowns in 10 games and can become the third player in NFL history with at least 2,000 scrimmage yards and 20 scrimmage touchdowns in multiple career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk and Priest Holmes.
San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey, with 1,318 scrimmage yards (692 receiving, 626 rushing) in 10 games this season, can become the eighth player all time with at least 2,000 scrimmage yards in three career seasons and the first player in NFL history with 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in two career seasons.
Cincinnati wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase leads the NFL with 76 receptions in nine games and can become the third player in NFL history with at least 125 receptions in multiple career seasons, joining Antonio Brown and Michael Thomas.
Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba has an NFL-leading 1,041 receiving yards in nine games this season (115.7 per game) and at his current pace over a 17-game season, can join Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson (1,964 receiving yards in 2012 with Detroit) and current teammate Cooper Kupp (1,947 receiving yards in 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams) as the only players in NFL history with 1,900 receiving yards in a season.
Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett is tied for the NFL-lead with 11 sacks in nine games this season and looks to become the fourth player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, with at least 14 sacks in five career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Reggie White (seven seasons), Kevin Greene (five) and Bruce Smith (five).
Here’s a look at a few interesting storylines entering Week 11:
- Touchdown Madrid: The NFL will complete this season’s slate of international games in Week 11 with the Washington Commanders (3-7) facing the Miami Dolphins (3-7) (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network) at Bernabéu Stadium in the first-ever regular season game in Madrid.
- Miami running back De’Von Achane, who ranks fourth in the NFL with 1,105 scrimmage yards this season, totaled 225 scrimmage yards (174 rushing, 51 receiving) and two rushing touchdowns last week and became the third player in NFL history with at least five rushing touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns in each of his first three seasons, joining Roger Craig and Abner Haynes.
- Achane has nine scrimmage touchdowns (five rushing, four receiving) in 2025 and can become the fourth running back since 2000 with at least 10 scrimmage touchdowns in each of his first three career seasons, joining Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson and Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson.
- Washington linebacker Bobby Wagner leads the NFC and ranks second in the NFL with 99 tackles this year. With his next tackle, he will join London Fletcher as the only players with at least 100 tackles in 14 consecutive seasons since 2000.
- New York Jets (2-7) at New England (8-2) (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video): The Patriots have won seven consecutive games since Week 4, tied with Denver for the longest active winning streak in the NFL. Last week, rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson recorded rushing touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards and rookie wide receiver Kyle Williams had a 72-yard touchdown reception as New England became the fourth team all-time with three scrimmage touchdowns of 50-or-more yards by rookies in the same game.
- Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel can become the sixth head coach since 1970 to record an eight-or-more game winning streak in his first season with a team, joining Jim Caldwell (14 consecutive wins with Indianapolis in 2009), Steve Mariucci (11 with San Francisco in 1997), Ted Marchibroda (nine with the Baltimore Colts in 1975), Andy Reid (nine with Kansas City in 2013) and Jim Harbaugh (eight with San Francisco in 2011).
- In Week 9, Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs surpassed 900 career receptions and last week, reached 11,000 career receiving yards since entering the NFL in 2015. Diggs, who has touchdowns in each of his past three – the longest active streak in the AFC – needs two touchdown receptions to become the seventh player all-time with at least 900 receptions, 11,000 receiving yards and 75 touchdown receptions in his first 11 career seasons.
- New York Jets running back Kene Nwangwu registered a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and wide receiver Isaiah Williams recorded a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown in the team’s Week 10 win, the Jets’ first game in franchise history with both a kickoff-return touchdown and punt-return touchdown.
- Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) at Jacksonville (5-4) (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): The Chargers enter Week 10 on a three-game winning streak and since Week 16 last season, have won eight of the past nine games in which linebacker Khalil Mack appeared.
- Mack, who has a sack in four of his past five games, joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Kevin Greene as the only players since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, to record at least 35 sacks with three different teams (40.5 with the Oakland Raiders, 36 with Chicago and 35 with the L.A. Chargers).
- Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who ranks second in the NFL in passing yards (2,610) and tied for third in touchdown passes (19), can become the fourth quarterback in NFL history with at least 20 touchdown passes in each of his first six career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning and Dan Marino as well as Russell Wilson.
- Seattle (7-2) at Los Angeles Rams (7-2) (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX): The Seahawks and Rams are tied with the Eagles for the best record in the NFC and both rank in the top five in scoring offense and scoring defense entering Week 11. Seattle (44 points in Week 10) and Los Angeles (42 points last week) will mark the fifth game since 1990 in which both teams scored at least 42 points in their previous game.
- Los Angeles Rams Matthew Stafford leads the NFL with 25 touchdown passes and has only two interceptions this season and joined Patrick Mahomes (2020) as the only players in NFL history with at least 25 touchdown passes and two-or-fewer interceptions in his team’s first nine games of a season.
- Stafford, with five touchdown passes in Week 7 and four touchdown passes in both Weeks 9 and 10, became the first player in NFL history with at least four touchdowns and no interceptions in three consecutive games.
- Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams leads the NFL with nine touchdown receptions this season, including six in his past three games. With his next touchdown catch, he will become the fifth player in NFL history with at least 10 touchdown receptions in seven career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Randy Moss (nine seasons), Jerry Rice (nine), Marvin Harrison (eight) and Terrell Owens (eight).
- Adams has 999 career receptions since entering the NFL in 2014 and can become the fifth wide receiver ever with at least 1,000 receptions in his first 12 career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (1,050 receptions), Marvin Harrison (1,042) and Andre Johnson (1,012) as well as Larry Fitzgerald (1,018).
- Seattle wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the NFL with 1,041 receiving yards this season and joined Antonio Brown (2014 with Pittsburgh) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin (1995 with Dallas) as the only players with at least 75 receiving yards in each of his first nine games of a season in NFL history.
- Kansas City (5-4) at Denver (8-2) (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS): The Broncos have won seven consecutive games since Week 4 and since Week 8 last season, have won 10 consecutive home games, the longest active home winning streak. Kansas City head coach Andy Reid has a .846 winning percentage (22-4) in games following a bye week, the highest winning percentage among head coaches all-time with a minimum of 10 games.
- The Broncos lead the NFL with 46 sacks and this week, can become the third team in NFL history with at least 50 sacks in their first 11 games of a season, joining the 1989 Minnesota Vikings (53 sacks) and 1987 Chicago Bears (51).
- Denver quarterback Bo Nix has at least one touchdown pass in 18 consecutive games, the fifth-longest streak by a player in his first two seasons in NFL history. In two games against Kansas City last season, he totaled six touchdown passes with no interceptions for a 138.4 rating.
- Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes has 34,701 passing yards in 121 career regular-season games and in Week 11, can surpass Matthew Stafford (126 games) as the fastest player to reach 35,000 career regular-season passing yards in NFL history.
- Mahomes’ .857 winning percentage against the AFC West (36-6) is the highest among all quarterbacks against their own division since 1970, minimum 20 starts. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott, set to appear on Monday Night Football in Week 11 at Las Vegas, has the second-highest winning percentage against his own division (.795, 35-9) since 1970.
- Detroit (6-3) at Philadelphia (7-2) (Sunday night, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Since 2022, the Eagles (46 regular-season wins) and Detroit (42) are the only two NFC teams with at least 40 regular-season wins over the past four seasons.
- Lions quarterback Jared Goff passed for 320 yards and three touchdowns last week, his 44th-career game with 300-or-more passing yards, tied with Drew Brees and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino for the third-most by a player in his first 10 career seasons. Only Patrick Mahomes (49 games, in his first nine seasons) and Matt Ryan (45) have more.
- Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs had 172 scrimmage yards (142 rushing, 30 receiving) and three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) last week and leads the NFL with 41 scrimmage touchdowns since entering the NFL in 2023. Gibbs, who is 23 years old, is one of five players under the age of 24 with at least 40 scrimmage touchdowns all-time, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Barry Sanders (47 scrimmage touchdowns), Randy Moss (43), Emmitt Smith (43) and Jim Brown (42).
- Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has at least five receptions in eight consecutive games and 57 career games since entering the NFL in 2021. With five receptions in Week 11, he can tie Jarvis Landry (58 games) for the most games with at least five receptions by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history.
- St. Brown leads the NFL with 494 receptions since 2021 and can join Michael Thomas (510 receptions) as the only players with at least 500 receptions in their first five seasons all-time.
- Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts is the first player in NFL history with at least 15 touchdown passes (16), five rushing touchdowns (five) and one-or-fewer interceptions (one) in his team’s first nine games of a season.
NFL THURSDAY CAPSULE: NEW YORK JETS (2-7) AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (8-2)
Gillette Stadium | Referee: Alan Eck
All-Time Series History
Regular Season: NE leads series, 73-55-1 (NE won 2 of past 3)
Postseason: NE leads series, 2-1
The Last Time…
Regular Season: 10/27/24: NYJ 22 at NE 25
Postseason: AFC-D 1/16/11: NYJ 28 at NE 21
JETS NOTES:
JETS registered a 99-yard KR for TD & 74-yard PR for TD last week, 1st game in franchise history with both a KR-TD & PR-TD. • QB JUSTIN FIELDS aims for 3rd in row with TD pass. 1 of 2 QBs (Jalen Hurts) in league this season with only 1 INT (min. 8 games starts). Aims for 3rd in row on road with 95+ rating. • RB BREECE HALL had 147 scrimmage yards (83 rush, 42 rec.) & rec. TD in Week 10. Aims for 2nd in row on road with multiple rush TDs. Has 125+ scrimmage yards & TD in his last 2. Aims for 3,000 career rush yards. Has 4,509 career scrimmage yards in 49 games, 1 of 8 active RBs with 4,500+ scrimmage yards in less than 50 career games. • RB KENE NWANGWU had 99-yard KR-TD last week, 4th player in NFL history with a KR TD in 4 of his first 5 seasons & 6th player in NFL history with 5 career KR TD of 95+ yards. Had 97 yard KR TD in last meeting (11/24/22, w/ Min.) • WR ISAIAH WILLIAMS had 74-yard PR-TD last week. • TE MASON TAYLOR (rookie) ranks 5th among rookie TEs in rec. yards (246). • EDGE WILL MCDONALD had career-high 4 sacks last week, 1 of 3 players in the NFL to do so this season. Aims for 3rd in row with sack. • LB JERMAINE JOHNSON had 2nd sack of season in Week 10. • LB JAMIEN SHERWOOD is tied for 9th in NFL in tackles this season (81). Had 6 tackles & PD in Week 10. Has 5+ tackles in all 9 games this season. Aims for 5th in row with PD. Had 11 tackles in last meeting. • LB QUINCY WILLIAMS had 7 tackles, 2 TFL & sack in Week 10. Has 5+ tackles in 4 of his last 5. Aims for 7th in row vs. NE with 7+ tackles. Had 9 tackles & TFL in last meeting. • CB AZAREYE’H THOMAS (rookie) aims for 4th in row with PD. • S TONY ADAMS led team with season-high 9 tackles & PD last week.
PATRIOTS NOTES:
PATRIOTS have won 7 straight for the 1st time since Weeks 7-13, 2021 & have scored 23+ points & allowed 23-or-fewer points in each of last 7 games. • QB DRAKE MAYE passed for 270 yards, 2 TDs & INT in Week 10, his 9th consecutive game with 200+ pass yards. Only QB in NFL with multiple pass TDs in 5 straight games. Ranks 3rd in NFL in pass yards (2,555), tied for 3rd in TDs (19) & 5th in rating (113.9). • RB TREVEYON HENDERSON (rookie) rushed for 147 yards, including 55 & 69 yard rush TDs last week. 5th player under the age of 24 in the Super Bowl era with multiple 50-yard rush TDs in a game. 4th rookie to record multiple 50+ yard rush TD in a single game in NFL history. Aims for 3rd in row with 55+ rush yards. Ranks 4th in league among rookies in rush yards (430). • WR MACK HOLLINS had team-high 10 rec. for 106 yards in Week 10. • WR KYLE WILLIAMS (rookie) had 1st career TD last week, a 72-yard rec., 2nd longest among rookies in 2025. • WR STEFON DIGGS finished with 5 rec. for 46 yards & TD last week. Aims for 4th straight with rec. TD. Ranks 3rd in last 10 seasons (2016-25) in rec. (855) & 5th in rec. TDs (69). • LB K’LAVON CHAISSON aims for 3rd in row with sack. • LB JACK GIBBENS had team & season-high 10 tackles, TFL & PD last week. Aims for 3rd straight with PD. • LB ROBERT SPILLANE had 9 tackles, TFL & PD last week. 1 of 6 in AFC with 80+ tackles & sack this season. Had 7 tackles, sack & INT in last meeting (11/12/23 w/ LV). • CB CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ had season-high 9 tackles in Week 10. Aims for 4th in row with PD. Had 6 tackles & PD in last meeting. • S CRAIG WOODSON (rookie) had career-high 2 PDs last week, 1 of 5 rookie safeties with multiple PDs in a game this season.
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 12: NO. 10 TEXAS AT NO. 5 GEORGIA MAIN EVENT; ACC, AMERICAN RACES IN SPOTLIGHT
Two of the three matchups of Associated Press Top 25 teams in Week 12 of the college football season take place in the Southeastern Conference, and the tightly bunched Atlantic Coast Conference and American Conference races should start untangling.
No. 10 Texas visits No. 5 Georgia in the only top-10 matchup on Saturday and No. 11 Oklahoma heads to No. 4 Alabama.
No. 9 Notre Dame goes to No. 23 Pittsburgh with an opportunity to strengthen its College Football Playoff resume. The Fighting Irish put a beat down on Navy last week for their seventh straight win, and the Panthers will be the toughest of their three remaining opponents.
In the ACC, there are five teams with one loss in conference play and two others with a pair of losses. Two of those one-loss teams square off when No. 20 Virginia visits Duke, and two-loss Miami faces a tricky home game against N.C. State, which has wins over Virginia and Georgia Tech.
There also are five one-loss teams in the American, and the jockeying now begins in earnest for spots in the conference title game and possibly the automatic CFP bid that goes to the highest-ranked Group of Five champion.
No. 25 South Florida visits Navy in a matchup of one-loss teams and two-loss Memphis goes to one-loss East Carolina. Tulane is coming off its big win at Memphis and will need to be on point when Florida Atlantic visits. North Texas, the fifth one-loss team, goes on the road to play a UAB team that upset Memphis four weeks ago.
Best game
No. 10 Texas (7-2, 4-1 SEC, No. 10 CFP) at No. 5 Georgia (8-1, 6-1, No. 5), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Georgia beat the Longhorns twice last season, the second time in the SEC championship game, and another win here would put the kibosh on Texas’ slim hopes of returning to the title game and CFP. As it is, Texas A&M and Alabama are on a collision course to play in Atlanta on Dec. 6 if both win out.
Texas’ biggest regret will be its Oct. 4 loss at Florida. Still, the Longhorns head to Athens off four straight wins and well-positioned for an attractive bowl game.
The Bulldogs have won five in a row since their three-point home loss to Alabama, and even if they lose to Texas, they can still make the CFP.
Under the radar
No. 18 Michigan (7-2, 5-1 Big Ten, No. 18 CFP) vs. Northwestern (5-4, 3-3), Saturday, at Wrigley Field, noon ET (Fox)
The Wolverines head to the home of the Chicago Cubs needing to win out and get help to make the Big Ten championship game. If they win here and at Maryland, their home game against No. 1 Ohio State on Nov. 29 could be for a spot in Indianapolis on Dec. 6 if they prevail in other Big Ten tiebreaker scenarios.
Northwestern won’t be an easy out at Wrigley. The Wildcats are on the cusp of bowl eligibility and one of the Big Ten’s surprise teams. Michigan will be without star running back Justice Haynes (foot), though Jordan Marshall more than picked up the slack against Purdue on Nov. 1.
Heisman watch
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia isn’t getting Heisman hype to the level of Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza or Alabama’s Ty Simpson, but days like he had against Auburn make him hard to ignore.
Pavia’s 489 yards of total offense in an overtime win over Auburn were a career high. He passed for three touchdowns and ran for one. His seven rushing TDs are most among SEC quarterbacks, his 21 passing TDs are tied for most, and his 70% completion rate leads the conference.
Pavia’s odds of winning the Heisman are 25-to-1, tied for fifth, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Sayin and Mendoza are the favorites at 7-to-4, Simpson is 11-to-2 and Texas A&M’s Marcell Reed is 15-to-2.
Numbers to know
2 — Sacks allowed by Cincinnati and Maryland, fewest in the nation.
17 — FBS-leading blocked kicks by Notre Dame since 2022.
25-0 — UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano’s touchdown pass-interception ratio. He’s third in the nation in TD passes and the only full-time starter without an interception.
41-0 — Lincoln Riley’s record when his team holds the opponent to 20 points or less over his nine seasons at Oklahoma and Southern California.
32 — Tulane’s consecutive wins when entering the fourth quarter with the lead.
Hot seat
Michigan State’s Jonathan Smith is only in his second season, which would make a firing almost unthinkable in the previous era of college athletics. This is the age of the quick trigger, though, and the current athletic director and school president weren’t the ones who hired Smith.
Smith is 8-13 overall, 3-12 in Big Ten games, and he benched the quarterback he brought with him from Oregon State, Aidan Chiles, for the Minnesota game two weeks ago.
The Spartans have averaged 18.7 points per game and allowed 32.9 per game in Big Ten games under Smith, and they’ll take a seven-game conference losing streak into their home game against Penn State. If they don’t win Saturday or against Iowa (road) or Maryland (home), they would go winless in Big Ten play for the first time since 1958.
Smith’s buyout, if fired after the season, would be $34 million, according to the Detroit Free Press.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS: TREND OF GOING FOR IT ON 4TH DOWN CONTINUES TO RISE AND SO DOES SUCCESS RATE
College football teams are on pace to go for it on fourth down rather than punt or attempt a field goal more often than in any in the past 10 seasons and probably ever. Teams also are converting at the highest rate.
Through Week 11, the average number of fourth-down conversion attempts per game (both teams) is 3.64, according to Sportradar. That’s up 7.7% compared with the same point last season. The conversion rate is 54.9%, up from 54%.
The burgeoning influence of analytics since the early 2010s has led to more aggressive in-game decisions. In situations where a team traditionally would punt, extensive data analysis showed that the reward of going for it on fourth down at times was greater than the risk.
The NCAA record book does not include year-by-year trends for fourth-down conversions. Sportradar has tracked the statistic since 2015, and the highest attempts-per-game average is 3.6 in 2022. The highest full-season conversion rate, not including the 2020 pandemic season, is 53.8% in 2021.
This season, Florida Atlantic has gone for it an average of 5.44 times per game and has a nation-leading 49 attempts. The Owls have converted 67.4%. Cincinnati has converted 10 of its FBS-low 11 attempts. Of 136 FBS teams, 81 have converted at least 50%.
The picks for this week’s games, with Top 25 rankings and lines from BetMGM Sportsbook:
UCLA at No. 1 Ohio State (minus 31 1/2)
Carnell Tate sat out against Purdue but should be back. He, Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin will be too much for UCLA’s overmatched defense. UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava can’t do it all against the nation’s best defense, though he tried last week against Nebraska.
Pick: Ohio State 48-14.
Wisconsin (plus 30 1/2) at No. 2 Indiana
Hoosiers’ narrow escape from Penn State kept them in position to go through a regular season unbeaten and untied for the first time. Badgers’ upset of a ranked Washington last week will keep Hoosiers focused.
Pick: Indiana 38-10.
South Carolina at No. 3 Texas A&M (minus 19 1/2)
Passing game coordinator Mike Furrey is Gamecocks’ new play-caller. He got two weeks to prepare, and that’s not enough to improve the SEC’s worst offense. Aggies have held four conference opponents under 300 yards and to 17 points or fewer.
Pick: Texas A&M 35-13.
No. 11 Oklahoma at No. 4 Alabama (minus 6 1/2)
Alabama wants payback after the Sooners ended its playoff hopes last year. OU’s top-10 defense is good enough to keep Tide in check, but John Mateer has thrown four interceptions and just two TD passes in four games since his hand surgery.
Pick: Alabama 24-17.
No. 10 Texas (plus 6) at No. 5 Georgia
College Football Playoff implications abound. Longhorns are fighting for their lives. Bulldogs probably could survive a loss here. These are two evenly matched teams. Edge goes to the one playing at home.
Pick: Georgia 22-20.
Florida at No. 6 Mississippi (minus 16 1/2)
Lane Kiffin, mentioned as a potential candidate for the vacant Florida job, will seek retribution for the Gators’ upset of his Rebels in Gainesville last year. Don’t expect much resistance from a team that appeared to give up against Kentucky last week.
Pick: Mississippi 40-9.
Minnesota (plus 25 1/2) at No. 7 Oregon
Ducks, who got out of Iowa with an 18-16 win last week, come off a short week and face another opponent that will do all it can to slow the game down.
Pick: Oregon 29-16.
UCF at No. 8 Texas Tech (minus 24)
UCF hasn’t beaten a top-10 opponent since knocking off Auburn in the 2017 Peach Bowl, the last game Scott Frost coached before heading to Nebraska. Frost’s return to Orlando has been a struggle so far.
Pick: Texas Tech 42-10.
No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 23 Pittsburgh
(plus 12 1/2)
Fighting Irish love to run the ball with Jeremiyah Love. Panthers are among the best in the country at stopping it. Pitt has a rising star in freshman QB Mason Heintschel.
Pick: Pittsburgh 27-26.
TCU at No. 12 BYU (minus 4 1/2)
Cougars didn’t meet the moment at Texas Tech last week, but they still control their destiny in the Big 12 if they win out. TCU plays its first ranked opponent.
Pick: BYU 30-24.
No. 14 Georgia Tech (minus 16 1/2) at Boston College
Georgia Tech averages 221 rushing yards per game and will be going against a defense that ranks 100th against the run.
Pick: Georgia Tech 45-21.
No. 15 Utah (minus 8 1/2) at Baylor
Utes have scored at least 42 points in four of their last five games and are a nightmare matchup for the Bears with a Devon Dampier-led offense that leads the Big 12 in rushing.
Pick: Utah 38-27.
NC State (plus 14 1/2) at No. 16 Miami
Wolfpack rose up to beat Virginia and Georgia Tech but still need another win to achieve bowl eligibility. Miami could be without Mark Fletcher Jr. for second straight game.
Pick: Miami 28-19.
Iowa at No. 17 Southern California (minus 6 1/2)
USC’s 500-yards-a-game offense goes against Iowa’s top-five defense. Hawkeyes surely studied how Nebraska held Trojans to season low for yards two weeks ago. Problem is, Iowa’s offense ranks 122nd.
Pick: USC 23-12.
No. 18 Michigan (minus 11 1/2) vs. Northwestern, at Wrigley Field
Wolverines are motivated by hopes of reaching Big Ten championship game and CFP. Northwestern averages just 18.3 points per game against Big Ten opponents.
Pick: Michigan 31-16.
Clemson (plus 3) at No. 19 Louisville
Clemson, ranked No. 4 in the preseason, dropped off the radar after a 1-3 start. Tigers can still get to a bowl if they win two of the last three. Louisville still kicking itself over losing to California.
Pick: Clemson 24-23.
No. 20 Virginia at Duke (minus 5 1/2)
The likely absence of Cavaliers QB Chandler Morris (head) puts Blue Devils in position to steal a win. ACC passing leader Darian Mensah in bounce-back mode after turning over the ball three times in loss to UConn.
Pick: Duke 34-17.
New Mexico State at No. 21 Tennessee (minus 39 1/2)
Tennessee has scored more than 40 points in six games and will again even if Joey Aguilar sits out most of the second half.
Pick: Tennessee 52-10.
Arizona at No. 22 Cincinnati (minus 6 1/2)
Cincinnati better not look ahead to its big home game against BYU next week because the Wildcats can be a handful. Arizona’s defense has been stout, and it leads the Big 12 with 12 interceptions.
Pick: Cincinnati 26-21.
Appalachian State (plus 21) at No. 24 James Madison
James Madison is ranked for the first time under second-year coach Bob Chesney. Mountaineers have lost three straight by a total of 13 points.
Pick: James Madison 33-20.
No. 25 South Florida (minus 10 1/2) at Navy
South Florida is averaging better than 50 points per game against American Conference opponents. Navy has allowed 31-plus points in five straight games.
Pick: South Florida 43-23.
Bye: No. 13 Vanderbilt.
AP predictions scorecard
Last week: Straight-up — 10-5; Against spread — 6-9.
Season: Straight-up — 140-43; Against spread — 87-95-1.
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MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS
NEW NO. 1 HOUSTON ROUTS OAKLAND IN DOMINANT WIN
No. 1 Houston’s top three scorers finished with more combined points than the entire opposing team in Wednesday night’s 78-45 beatdown of visiting Oakland.
Emanuel Sharp finished with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field with four rebounds and four assists. Kingston Flemings had 19 points and nine assists. Chris Cenac Jr. contributed 11 points and four rebounds.
Oakland (0-3) made 16 of 51 shots (31.4%) against the Cougars’ stifling defense.
The Golden Grizzlies made 19 shots from 3-point range in their first two games against Michigan and Purdue. They went 0-for-5 from beyond the arc in the first half against Houston (3-0).
Nassim Mashhour ended the drought with a 3-pointer 15 seconds into the second half.
He finished 3-of-4 from 3-point range. Oakland finished 3-of-13 from the perimeter
Isaac Garrett made half of Oakland’s shots from the field (8 of 16) and finished with a game-high 20 points. He was the Golden Grizzlies’ lone scorer in double figures.
Houston won its first game after swapping spots with Purdue in the Associated Press Top 25 Monday, going from No. 2 to No. 1.
Oakland lost at Purdue 87-77 on Friday.
Houston never trailed against Oakland, taking an 8-0 lead 77 seconds in following 3-pointers by Milos Uzan and Sharp.
By the time the lead increased to 21-8 with 11:58 remaining in the half, Garrett had scored all of Oakland’s points.
Houston later had a 10-0 run and scored the last six points of the first half to build a 39-17 halftime lead.
The Cougars led by at least 19 points in the second half and saw their lead grow as large as 40 points.
Houston outrebounded Oakland 46-32 and outscored the Golden Grizzlies 40-20 in points in the paint.
The Cougars also dominated in transition, outscoring Oakland 17-2 in fastbreak points.
The Golden Grizzlies had only six assists and nearly had as many turnovers (13) as field goals made.
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WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS
WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: HANNAH HIDALDO NABS NCAA-RECORD 16 STEALS, NOTRE DAME ROUTS AKRON
Hannah Hidalgo set an NCAA record with 16 steals and a program record with 44 points, as No. 18 Notre Dame routed Akron 85-58 Wednesday night in South Bend, Ind.
Hidalgo’s record-breaking scoring performance came on 16-of-25 shooting from the floor with three 3-pointers made on six attempts and a 9-of-11 performance at the free-throw line for the Fighting Irish (3-0).
While Hidalgo came out on fire, the Fighting Irish only began to truly pull away from the winless Zips (0-3) late in the third quarter. Notre Dame went on a 9-0 run to build a 26-point lead.
Ni’Rah Clark led the Zips with 13 points.
No. 13 Ole Miss 94, Southern 44
Christeen Iwuala and Cotie McMahon each posted double-doubles as the Rebels rolled past the Jaguars in Oxford, Miss.
Iwuala finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes of playing time, while McMahon added 18 points and 10 boards in 21 minutes. The duo helped Ole Miss (3-0) jump to a 14-point lead early, only cut down to 11 points before the end of the first quarter on Demonnie Lagway’s 3-pointer just before the buzzer.
The made basket offered a rare highlight for Southern (0-3), which shot just 16-of-50 from the floor, 10-of-19 from the foul line, and committed 17 turnovers. Zaria Hurston’s 21 points accounted for nearly half the team’s scoring.
No. 15 Duke 83, Norfolk State 32
The Blue Devils held the Spartans scoreless for the game’s first 6:13, setting the tone early in a runaway win in Durham, N.C.
The Blue Devils (2-1) limited the Spartans (2-2) to five first-quarter points, then built a 22-point halftime lead. Ten different Duke scorers made field goals throughout the night, led by Taina Mair’s 18 points. Arianna Roberson and Riley Nelson each adding 12 points off the bench and Toby Fournier chipping in 10 points.
Duke held Norfolk State to just 10-of-62 shooting from the floor, including 2-of-20 from 3-point range. Just five Spartans scored, and only Anjanae Richardson (11 points) broke double figures.
No. 19 Vanderbilt 75, Austin Peay 65
A 10-2 run to start the second half gave the Commodores some breathing room as they held off an upset bid from the Governors in Clarksville, Tenn.
Vanderbilt (3-0) got all it could handle in the first half from Austin Peay (1-1), which had four scorers in double figures led by Kyra Perkins’ 16 points off the bench.
The Commodores countered with four double-figure scorers of their own, including 26 from Mikayla Blakes. Vanderbilt leaned heavily on Blakes, who played 38 minutes, and Aubrey Galvan, who was on the floor all 40 minutes en route to 18 points.
No. 22 Louisville 74, Colorado 68
Skylar Jones scored 21 points off the bench as the Cardinals rallied to hold off the visiting Buffaloes.
The Cardinals (2-1) dug an early hole of as many as 11 points, then trailed the Buffaloes (1-1) 37-34 at halftime. A 10-0 run midway through the third quarter gave Louisville a brief lead that Colorado recaptured with a 13-4 run. The teams went back-and-forth in the final quarter, tying twice before the Cardinals took the lead for good with a 6-1 surge.
Zyanna Walker’s 19 points and seven rebounds off the bench led Colorado.
No. 23 Kentucky 90, USC Upstate 30
Clara Strack recorded her third double-double of the season by halftime, and the Wildcats rolled past the Spartans in Lexington, Ky.
Strack, who came into Wednesday’s contest averaging 17 points and 11 rebounds per game, had 11 and 10 by intermission to go with three blocked shots for Kentucky (4-0). She finished with 18 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks, while teammate Tonie Morgan added her own double-double of 11 points and 16 assists.
USC Upstate (1-3) did not make a field goal in the second quarter until the 1:19 mark. By then, Kentucky built a 30-point lead that grew to as many as 62 points in the second half.
No. 24 Michigan State 96, Youngstown State 52
All 12 Spartans who saw the floor made at least one field goal as the team cruised past the Penguins in East Lansing, Mich.
Grace VanSlooten led the balanced scoring effort for Michigan State (3-0), finishing with 17 points. Emma Shutmate came off the bench to chip in 14 points, shooting 4-of-5 from 3-point range to pace the Spartans to a 12-of-25 night from deep as a team.
Youngstown State (2-1) could not keep pace, hitting 5-of-14 from beyond the arc and 22-of-47 from the floor overall. Sarah Baker and Faith Burch led the charge with 10 points each for the Penguins.
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NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: NIKOLA JOKIC POURS IN 55 IN NUGGETS’ WIN OVER CLIPPERS
Nikola Jokic scored 25 of his season-high 55 points in the first quarter and the Denver Nuggets extended their winning streak to six games with a 130-116 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday at Inglewood, Calif.
Jokic added 12 rebounds with six assists while going 18 of 23 from the floor and 5 of 6 from 3-point range. His 25 first-quarter points were a high for any quarter in his career. The 55 points tied the highest total in the NBA this season. Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a 55-point effort against the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 23.
Aaron Gordon scored 18 points, Jamal Murray had 15 and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 12 for Denver, which is 2-0 on a three-game road trip after opening the season 1-2 away from home.
James Harden scored 23 points and Jordan Miller added a career-high 22 in his first game of the season for the Clippers, who saw their losing streak reach six games. Ivica Zubac had 18 points and nine rebounds for Los Angeles.
Magic 124, Knicks 107
Franz Wagner scored 13 of his 28 points during a decisive second-quarter run by Orlando, which overcame an injury to Paolo Banchero to hand New York its first home loss of the season.
Banchero departed in the middle of the second quarter with a strained left groin. Desmond Bane contributed 22 points and eight assists for the Magic, who have won five of seven following a four-game losing streak.
Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 31 points while Karl-Anthony Towns posted 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, whose five-game winning streak ended. Brunson exited in the fourth quarter due to a right ankle injury and left the arena on crutches.
Warriors 125, Spurs 120
Stephen Curry scored 46 points, nearly half of them in a pivotal run in the third quarter, to help visiting Golden State earn a win over San Antonio in the first of two games between the teams in three days in the Alamo City.
The squads will battle again Friday in an NBA Cup clash. The Spurs led by as many as 16 in the first half and by seven at the break before Golden State leapfrogged to the lead with a dominating third in which Curry scored 22 of the Warriors’ 43 points Jimmy Butler III finished with 28 points and Moses Moody had 19.
Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 31 points while taking 15 rebounds and distributing 10 assists. Stephon Castle also posted a triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, with Devin Vassel hitting for 15 points.
Thunder 121, Lakers 92
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 30 points and nine assists in just three quarters of action to lead Oklahoma City to a home win over Los Angeles.
Playing the second night of a back-to-back, the Thunder certainly didn’t look fatigued, reeling off a 23-7 run that started just more than two minutes into the game to take control. Oklahoma City has won four consecutive games and 12 of 13 to start the season. Isaiah Joe scored 21 for the Thunder, who had seven players score in double-figures.
Luka Doncic never found an offensive rhythm, finishing with a team-high 19 points but going just 7 of 20 from the field and 1 of 7 on 3-pointers with four turnovers. Doncic was minus-31 in nearly 33 minutes. Austin Reaves was just 4 of 12 from the field and missed all five of his shots from beyond the arc as the Lakers finished just 40.3% from the field — a season low.
Celtics 131, Grizzlies 95
Payton Pritchard made five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 24 points to propel Boston past visiting Memphis.
Ten players made at least one 3-pointer for the Celtics, who shot 21 of 51 (41.2%) from behind the arc. Derrick White (20), Jaylen Brown (19), Luka Garza (14) and Neemias Queta (13) were the other Boston players who scored in double figures.
Jaren Jackson Jr. put up 18 points for the Grizzlies, who never led and lost for the seventh time in its past eight games. Ja Morant (ankle) didn’t play.
Cavaliers 130, Heat 116
Jarrett Allen scored a game-high 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the short-handed Cleveland won at Miami.
The Heat, who beat visiting the visiting Cavaliers on Monday, slipped to 5-1 at home despite 27 points from Norman Powell.
Cleveland, which has won five of six, got 21 points from De’Andre Hunter. The Cavaliers were missing Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, who both rested, and Jaylon Tyson (concussion) and Darius Garland (toe), who got hurt on Monday.
Rockets 135, Wizards 112
Kevin Durant scored 23 points, Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard combined for 41 off the bench and host Houston claimed a victory over Washington.
Durant tallied 16 first-quarter points to get the Rockets rolling while Eason (20 points, 4-for-6 3-pointers) and Sheppard (21 points, 5-for-8 3-pointers) teamed to extend the margin to 28 in the second quarter before helping fend off the plucky Wizards into the final period.
Alperen Sengun (16 points, 13 rebounds) posted a double-double while Amen Thompson (18 points, eight assists) and Jabari Smith Jr. (15 points, eight rebounds) contributed to another balanced offensive attack for the Rockets, who entered play leading the NBA in offensive rating.
Suns 123, Mavericks 114
Devin Booker scored 26 points and Phoenix topped host Dallas for its fourth straight victory.
Grayson Allen added 23 points for the Suns, and Dillon Brooks contributed 18. Jordan Goodwin scored all of his season-high 13 before halftime.
Klay Thompson led the Mavericks with a season-high 19 points. Rookie Cooper Flagg had 16 points and appeared to tweak his left shoulder in the first quarter. P.J. Washington left with a shoulder strain midway through the first quarter and did not return for Dallas, which has lost six of its past seven games.
Hornets 111, Bucks 100
Miles Bridges scored 20 points and rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner made all eight of his shots from the field as Charlotte defeated visiting Milwaukee to snap a three-game losing streak.
Kalkbrenner finished with 17 points and nine rebounds, Collin Sexton provided 16 points and eight assists and Kon Knueppel bagged three 3-pointers on the way to 16 points for the Hornets.
Ryan Rollins pumped in 25 points, Myles Turner had 21 points and Bobby Portis added 14 points for Milwaukee, which has alternated wins and losses for eight games. The Bucks were playing without scoring leader Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has a knee ailment.
Pistons 124, Bulls 113
Paul Reed piled up 28 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and four steals as depleted Detroit won its eighth straight game, knocking off visiting Chicago.
Duncan Robinson contributed 23 points for Detroit, while Daniss Jenkins supplied 18 points and 12 assists. Caris LeVert added 17 points.
Matas Buzelis led Chicago, which has lost four straight, with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Kevin Huerter amassed 20 points, Isaac Okoro had 15 points, and Ayo Dosunmu added 12.
Trail Blazers 125, Pelicans 117
Shaedon Sharpe scored a season-best 35 points and Deni Avdija had 32 as visiting Portland defeated New Orleans.
Jrue Holiday paired 17 points with 12 assists for the Blazers, who snapped a two-game losing streak on the third leg of a five-game road swing.
Rookie Derik Queen posted 26 points for the Pelicans, Saddiq Bey added 25 and Trey Murphy III tallied 22. The second quarter featured nine lead changes and the ejections of New Orleans’ Yves Missi and Portland’s Jerami Grant.
Hawks 133, Kings 100
Jalen Johnson recorded 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to help visiting Atlanta steamroll Sacramento.
Johnson made 9 of 10 field-goal attempts in just 24 minutes as the Hawks improved to 2-0 to start a four-game road trip. Atlanta reserve Onyeka Okongwu hit 6 of 7 shots and scored 21 points.
Keon Ellis made six 3-pointers and scored 20 points off the bench for the Kings, who lost for the fifth time in six games. Zach LaVine (thigh) and Malik Monk (ankle) sat out on the second night of a back-to-back.
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NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: JACK ROSLOVIC’S 2ND STRAIGHT OT GOAL LIFTS OILERS
Jack Roslovic scored in overtime for the second straight game, lifting the Edmonton Oilers to a 2-1 road victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday.
Just over a minute into OT, Philadelphia’s Cam York mishandled a puck near center ice, giving Matt Savoie and Roslovic a 2-on-0 breakaway. Savoie slipped a pass across to Roslovic, who roofed a one-timer past Dan Vladar at 1:19. Roslovic also netted the game-winner in Edmonton’s 5-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.
Evan Bouchard also scored in this one for the Oilers, who were playing the opener of a seven-game road trip. Savoie finished with two assists, and Stuart Skinner made 20 saves for the visitors.
Vladar made 30 stops for Philadelphia, which had a goal overturned in the final minute of regulation. Matvei Michkov scored the only goal for the Flyers, who have lost four straight home games (0-2-2).
Devils 4, Blackhawks 3 (OT)
Simon Nemec notched a hat trick, including the game-winner at 3:26 of overtime, boosting visiting New Jersey to a victory against Chicago.
Nemec registered the first multigoal game of his three-season career as New Jersey won for the third time in four games (3-0-1). Dawson Mercer scored a goal, Jack Hughes logged two assists and Jacob Markstrom made 17 saves for the Devils.
Connor Bedard, Landon Slaggert and Sam Lafferty were the Blackhawks’ goal-scorers. Nick Foligno and Louis Crevier recorded two assists apiece, and Spencer Knight stopped 33 shots for Chicago, which had won three in a row.
Rangers 7, Lightning 3
Will Cuylle, J.T. Miller and Alexis Lafreniere tallied on New York’s first three shots, and the team continued its road prowess in a shellacking of Tampa Bay.
The trio strung together their goals in the opening 7:08, setting up the Rangers’ eighth win in 10 road games (8-1-1) and fifth straight victory away from home. Cuylle and Vincent Trocheck hit the net twice each and Will Borgen also scored. Artemi Panarin recorded four assists as 11 Rangers posted points. Igor Shesterkin made 33 saves.
In losing for the first time in five home games, the Lightning received goals from Scott Sabourin, Zemgus Girgensons and Jake Guentzel. Jack Finley and Curtis Douglas notched their first NHL points with assists on Sabourin’s tally. Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy surrendered five goals on 13 shots.
Mammoth 5, Sabres 2
Utah scored five unanswered goals to rally for a win over visiting Buffalo.
JJ Peterka, Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller each had a goal and an assist for the Mammoth, who have two wins in their past seven games — both against Buffalo. Nick DeSimone and Lawson Crouse also scored, and Karel Vejmelka made 17 saves.
Isak Rosen scored twice and Colten Ellis made 32 saves for the Sabres, who squandered a 2-0 lead. Buffalo has lost four straight (0-3-1) and remains winless on the road (0-4-2).
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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL NEWS
CLEVELAND GUARDIANS’ PITCHER LUIS ORTIZ PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO TAKING BRIBES TO AID GAMBLERS
NEW YORK (AP) — Cleveland Guardians’ pitcher Luis Ortiz pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges that he took bribes to help gamblers win bets placed on pitches he threw. His teammate, Guardians former closer Emmanuel Clase, has also been charged in the alleged scheme.
Ortiz, the 26-year-old former starting pitcher for the club, appeared in Brooklyn federal court after his initial arrest Sunday at Boston’s Logan International Airport.
He was released on a $500,000 bond until his next court date in December, and issued GPS monitoring. Ortiz, who has already surrendered his passport to authorities, was also ordered to limit his travel to New York, Massachusetts and Ohio.
The other conditions of his release include no gambling, no possessing firearms or illegal drugs and having no contact with co-conspirators, victims and witnesses.
Ortiz, wearing a black leather jacket and jeans, provided short responses to the judge’s questions in court and didn’t respond to reporters seeking comment as he left the courtroom with his wife and lawyer.
Clase, a three-time All-Star, will be arraigned at the same courthouse Thursday. His lawyer, Michael Ferrara, said Clase maintains his innocence.
“Emmanuel Clase has devoted his life to baseball and doing everything in his power to help his team win,” he said in an emailed statement Wednesday.
The two natives of the Dominican Republic have been on non-disciplinary paid leave since July, when MLB began investigating what it said was unusually high in-game betting activity when they pitched.
Prosecutors say Ortiz and Clase took several thousand dollars in payoffs to help two unnamed gamblers in their home country win at least $460,000 on bets placed on the speed and outcome of certain pitches.
They say Ortiz, who earned a $782,600 salary this year, rigged pitches in games against the Seattle Mariners and the St. Louis Cardinals this summer.
Prosecutors say he agreed in advance with bettors to throw balls instead of strikes on pitches in exchange for bribes and kickbacks.
Chris Georgalis, a lawyer for Ortiz, has denied the charges, saying payments between his client and individuals in the Dominican Republic that were cited in the indictment were for legal activities.
Prosecutors say Clase, who is on the fourth season of a $20 million, five-year contract, recruited Ortiz into the scheme. They say the Guardians’ all-time saves leader began providing bettors with information about his pitches in 2023, but didn’t ask for payoffs until this year.
Clase and Ortiz are each charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery.
Following the pitchers’ indictments, Major League Baseball announced new limits on betting on individual pitches.
The indictments are the latest gambling-related allegations to roil American professional sports.
Last month, more than 30 people, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, were arrested in what authorities described as a gambling sweep involving leaked inside information about NBA athletes and rigged poker games backed by Mafia families.
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INDIANA SPORTS NEWS AND RELEASES
INDY FUEL
FUEL CRUSH THE RUSH IN OVERTIME, 5-4
FISHERS – The Fuel hosted the Rapid City Rush on Wednesday night in the first of three games against them this week. After going down 4-1, the Fuel scored four unanswered goals to defeat the Rush.
1ST PERIOD
Matt Hubbarde opened the scoring at 5:43 to put the Rush up 1-0. At 12:02, Chaz Smedsrud made it 2-0.
The Fuel got on the board at 15:06 with a goal from Owen Robinson. Chris Cameron and Kevin Lombardi claimed the assists on that goal.
Rapid City answered back with a goal by Ryan Chyzowski to make it 3-1 at 17:54.
Time expired soon after, with the Fuel down 3-1 while outshooting the Rush, 14-9.
2ND PERIOD
Owen Flores replaced Mitchell Weeks in net at the start of the second period.
Things got chippy between both teams early in the second period, but there were no penalties called. At 13:57, Rush captain Ryan Wagner scored for Rapid City to make it 4-1.
Sahil Panwar scored for the Fuel at 14:26 with the help of Matt Petgrave and Lee Lapid. This brought the score to 4-2, Rush.
Kevin Lombardi tacked on another one for the Fuel at 16:31 to make it 4-3. Will Ennis and Jesse Tucker had the assists on that goal. This extended Lombardi’s point streak to six games.
Indy’s 17 shots in the second period brought their total to 31, while the Rush only recorded 14 through two periods.
3RD PERIOD
The first penalty of the game came at 2:33 when Rapid City’s Seth Fyten took a minor penalty for hooking.
Sahil Panwar capitalized on the power play at 4:03 with his second goal of the night to tie the game 4-4. Harrison Israels and Nick Grima earned the assists.
Indy’s Michael Marchesan took a holding penalty at 13:56, giving the Rush their first power play of the game, but the Fuel killed it off.
With three seconds to go in the third, it appeared the Fuel scored; however, it was called a no-goal, and the game headed to overtime.
In regulation, the Fuel outshot the Rush, 37-18.
OVERTIME
At 1:02, with the first shot of overtime, Lee Lapid scored to give the Fuel the 5-4 win over the Rush.
The Fuel recorded 38 shots on goal, which is the most for them in a single game this season. They will face Rapid City two more times on Friday and Saturday.
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INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
HOOSIERS HANG 100, WIN THIRD-STRAIGHT GAME
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Tayton Conerway got the word in shoot-around: Attack.
Attack against Milwaukee Wednesday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall; attack if Indiana’s offense got bogged down; attack if, well, just attack.
The graduate guard did, again and again on his way to 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting with a team-leading six assists in the Hoosiers’ 101-70 victory.
“Tayton has an ability to get by people,” coach Darian DeVries said. “He’s got a little shake to his game. You haven’t seen it a lot. He hasn’t needed to. I thought tonight he did a really good job.
“We thought he could potentially have a big night. We talked to him at shootaround that any time we’re in trouble, just create a gap or have the other guys create a gap and just stick your head down and try to get to the rim and make a play.
“He did a good job attacking. He got to the rim a lot. He got into the paint. That’s something we’re going to need throughout the year.”
Conerway was more than willing to deliver.
“Coming into the game,” he said, “my team had a lot of confidence in me. We felt we could attack their one-on-one defense. There ain’t too many people that can stay in front of our guys.
“So definitely exploiting that and having my teammates believe in me, and Coach DeVries at the end of the day just telling me, man, they can’t stay in front of you, so go get the job done, and that’s what happened.”
Conerway had plenty of get-it-done company. Guard Lamar Wilkerson finished with 24 points. Forward Reed Bailey had 14 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Forward Tucker DeVries had 12 and five.
IU (3-0) has scored 299 points on the year.
“Our guys share the ball,” Darian DeVries said. “That’s where good offense comes from, guys who are willing to move it, share it. We got great balance. One night it could be this guy, one night the next guy.
“They really don’t care. They don’t talk about it. They just go out and play and they take what the defense gives them. We’re getting the right type of shots.”
IU’s 3-point sharpshooting continued. It was 14-for-28 for the second straight game with Wilkerson setting the pace by making 5-of-6. Trent Sisley was 2-for-2. In all, seven Hoosiers made at least one 3-pointer.
Indiana has made at least 10 3-pointers in every game.
“I would say the reason why is how unselfish we are on moving the ball,” Conerway said. “We like giving up a good shot for a great shot. Sometimes even though that layup is open, if we kick it out, it’s a wide-open 3-pointer. Lamar, Tucker, they ain’t going to miss too many of them.
“So that’s the reason why — stay unselfish.”
That’s reflected in the ball movement and passing. Overall, Indiana shot 56.7% from the field, and had 23 assists against seven turnovers. It’s the kind of crisp offensive execution IU hasn’t consistently had in years.
“It’s because all the guys are here to win,” Bailey said. “We know that from the coaching staff, from Coach DeVries, is that the way we’re going to do that is keep the ball moving and make sure that we touch the ball. If we’re moving the ball and cutting and screening and the ball is moving, we’re hard to guard.
“You can see with what we’re doing right now, and then with the shooters we’ve got on the floor, I think we’re just a really good basketball team when we’re able to move the ball like we have.”
IU hit eight straight first-half baskets to build leads as large as 15 points. The lead swelled to 33 late in the second half.
But Darian DeVries wanted more on the defensive end against Milwaukee’s strong perimeter shooting. He let the Hoosiers know it in the first half.
“I didn’t think we were as hooked up as we typically we are, especially defensively,” he said. “We gave them some opportunities from the three-point line that we put a lot of time into that the last couple days. You can’t let them get on a hot streak.
“I thought the guys after halftime did a much better job. We were way more aggressive. We got them pushed out and we were able to disrupt them a lot more.”
Junior guard Nick Dorn, an Elon transfer, waited a long time for his Hoosier debut and made instant impact – two points, one assist and two fouls in one first-half minute. He returned to the bench, and didn’t get back until 5:40 remained in the game. He finished with eight points, three rebounds, and an assist.
“You saw why we’re excited to get him out there,” Darian DeVries said.
Seven early Wilkerson points, including a pair of 3-pointers, pushed IU ahead 11-6. Two Sisley 3-pointers and a Bailey layup made it 19-8 in less than eight minutes.
Milwaukee (2-2) closed within five points. Dorn came and quickly assisted on a Wilkerson 3-pointer, then make a basket of his own. The double-digit lead was restored, then cut in half. Darian DeVries called a timeout.
Conerway got hot. Enright hit a 3-pointer. By the time the Hoosiers had wrapped up an eight-straight-basket run, their lead was 42-27.
Wilkerson hit his third and fourth 3-pointers to give him 15 points as IU reached halftime leading 51-39. It had 14 assists, three turnovers and shot 60.0% from the field. Bailey had 12 points. Conerway added 11.
IU pushed the lead to 18 points early in the second half. Forward Sam Alexis’s rebounding and inside scoring were major factors.
A Wilkerson fastbreak layup made it 71-52 with 10 minutes left. A Conerway layup gave IU a 77-56 lead with eight minutes left.
The Hoosiers, whose next game is Sunday night at home against Incarnate Word, cruised from there.
“I don’t know if that (100-points-a-game pace) is sustainable,” Darian DeVries said, “but hopefully what (fans) see is not just the points. Hopefully, they see guys who play the right way. They play hard. They play unselfish. They share the ball. They understand cutting, moving, screening for one another.
“That’s what ultimately we want people to take joy in — they like watching this team play together.”
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INDIANA VOLLEYBALL NEWS
RECRUITING MOMENTUM CONTINUES WITH NATIONALLY-RANKED CLASS
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – As the Indiana volleyball team continues to rise the ranks of the Big Ten, it will do so with the help of talented prep recruits. For the second-straight season, head coach Steve Aird and his staff have signed a top-15 nationally-ranked recruiting class. All three players that will sign are in the top-60 of the Prep Volleyball Rankings as of National Signing Day (Nov. 12).
“The 2026 class adds three high-level, high-character athletes to our program. They are well trained, competitive and expect to contribute early and often,” Aird said. “I am proud of how far we have come over the last few years, but we want to keep pushing. Our depth is becoming a strength and that is so important in the Big Ten. The next few years we are stacking top recruiting classes with players that are coming to IU and expect to win. These three are winners and they know where we want to go. Our entire program is excited to welcome them to Bloomington and they are ready to get to work.”
The Hoosiers will welcome three freshmen to the program next season, two of which will graduate high school early and join the team in January. The three players are all from the Midwest – with two from Ohio and one from the state of Indiana. The group covers three valuable positions for the future of IU’s team.
Mallory Matheny, a 5-11 setter from Columbus, Ohio, is set to become the next great player in a long list of talented setters coached by Aird. As of signing day, she’s the No. 21 overall recruit in the country by Prep Volleyball – making her the second-highest ranked player to sign at IU (per the recruiting service).
Matheny was named an Under Armour All-American this fall after a prolific club and high school career. She is the third signee in program history to earn the prestigious honor (Emily Fitzner, Ramsey Gary) and will head to Orlando on January 1st, 2026 to play in the premier high school all-star event.
The young setter provided nearly 2,000 assists in her high school career and contributed over 500 digs. She prepped at Bishop Hartley High School where she was a four-time all-conference selection. She also helped lead Mintonette Volleyball Club to the 16 Open AAU National Championship in 2024.
Sara Snowbarger, a 6-1 outside hitter from Wooster, Ohio, is next in line to produce at a high level on the left side of IU’s offense. A true six-rotation player with an excellent feel for the game, Snowbarger was the first commit in IU’s 2026 class. She is the No. 35-ranked player by Prep Volleyball and the fifth-highest ranked signee in program history.
It’s the second-straight season that IU will have signed a pair of top-50 recruits. Current freshman outside hitter Jaidyn Jager has been as advertised in her first season at IU. The Hoosiers will hope to get the same impact from Matheny and Snowbarger next year. Freshman outside hitter Charlotte Vinson was a top-25 nationally ranked recruit and is expected to play a big part in the future of the program.
Ellie Hepler, a 5-5 libero and defensive specialist from Warsaw, Indiana, adds depth to a talented collection of young back row players in Bloomington. She is the No. 59 overall recruit by Prep Volleyball (July 2025) and the No. 71 overall recruit by Prep Dig (October 2025). Hepler played her club volleyball for Boiler Juniors.
During her high school career, Hepler broke the Warsaw school record with 2,007 digs. She averaged 4.90 digs per set across four years at Warsaw and also provided 236 aces in her prep career. The Tigers went 104-34 during her four-year career in high school. She was coached by her mother, Chandra, in her prep career.
She joins a group of back row players that includes talented freshmen Audrey Jackson, Hannah Leftridge and Avery Freeman. All three players have spent time in the libero jersey for IU this season and will factor into the success of the program for years to come. IU will now have signed four top-180 recruits at the position in the last two seasons.
When complete, it’s expected that IU’s signing class will be one of, if not, the highest in program history. Last year’s group was ranked top 15 in the nation by Prep Dig and Prep Volleyball. All three players in the 2026 group are ranked nationally in the top 60 by Prep Volleyball. It is set to be the third top-15 recruiting class that Aird has signed in his time in Bloomington.
This year’s IU team is enjoying one of the best seasons in program history. As of Nov. 12th, IU is 19-5 (10-4 B1G) and enroute to its first NCAA tournament bid since 2010. Five of IU’s regular rotation players are freshmen, including Jager, middle blocker Victoria Gray and setter Teodora Kričković.
Mallory Matheny • 5-11 • Setter • Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Hartley (Mintonette)
• No. 21 Overall Recruit by Prep Volleyball (July 2025)
• No. 50 Overall Recruit by Prep Dig (October 2025)
• Under Armour All-American – third recruited to Indiana by head coach Steve Aird
• Career Stats: 1,800 assists, 756 digs, 219 aces, 202 kills
• Four-time All-CCL Conference selection
• 2025 JVA All-National Team
• 2025 AVCA High School All-American Watch List
• 2025, 2024 OHSVCA Second Team All-State (Division III)
• 2024 Second Team All-OHSAA Selection
• 2024 AAU 16 Open National Champion
• 2024 AAU 16 Open All-Tournament Team
Matheny – Why IU: “It immediately felt like home the first time stepping into the gym. The culture is unlike any other program. It was a place I know I will grow and be pushed every day in with the most amazing people.”
Aird on Matheny: “In our evaluations during the club season, Mallory was one of the best setter prospects in the country. He skill level is elite and she can flat out run a team. But her soft skills and leadership qualities are what sold me. Her communication, energy and passion immediately present themselves when you watch her compete. She plays hard, is driven to be great and will compete every single day. Our setting group is a strength of this program and it will allow us to play any system we want in 2026 and beyond. She will also be joining us in January and will have an excellent runway to contribute from day one.”
Sara Snowbarger • 6-1 • Outside Hitter • Wooster, Ohio/Wooster (Mintonette)
• No. 35 Overall Recruit by Prep Volleyball (July 2025)
• No. 104 Overall Recruit by Prep Dig (October 2025)
• Career Stats: 1,923 kills, 1,397 digs, 204 aces, .368 hitting percentage
• Wooster Career Kills Record (1,923) and Career Digs Record (1,397)
• Top 10 in Ohio State High School History in Kills (1,923)
• 2025, 2024 and 2023 OHSVCA First Team All-State (Division II)
• 2025 JVA All-National Team
• 2025 AVCA High School All-American Watch List
• 2024 Finalist for Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year
• 2024 AAU 16 Open National Champion
• Four-year varsity letterwinner at Wooster High School
• Four-year team MVP and three-year team captain
• Four-time District Player of the Year
• Member of three OCC championship teams
Snowbarger – Why IU: “The first time I came to camp I knew there was something special about IU, it was weird, it felt like home instantly. I loved how the coaches related to the players and how they taught the game, then once I started to meet the team it was a no brainer, I just love everything about the program!”
Aird on Snowbarger: “Sara is a true six-rotation outside hitter with all the tools. She is an exceptional passer with a high volleyball IQ and a great feel for the game. She had a fantastic prep career and accomplished a great deal in high school and club. Sara competes hard, is a great teammate and will add value to the program across the board. She will enroll early in January and I am certain that the spring will allow her to adjust, get stronger and gain confidence before the 2026 season.
Ellie Hepler • 5-5 • Defensive Specialist/Libero • Warsaw, Ind./Warsaw (Boiler Juniors)
• No. 59 Overall Recruit by Prep Volleyball (July 2025)
• No. 71 Overall Recruit by Prep Dig (October 2025)
• Career Stats: 2,007 digs, 436 assists, 236 aces
• Warsaw Career Digs Record (2,007)
• 2025 IHSVCA First Team All-State (4A)
• 2025 First Team All-Conference Selection
• 2025 AVCA High School All-American Watch List
• 2024 IHSVCA Second Team All-State (4A)
• 2024 IHSVCA Junior All-Star Game Selection (3A/4A)
• Four-year varsity letterwinner at Warsaw High School
Hepler – Why IU: “It is an amazing culture and felt like home with the staff and players.”
Aird on Hepler: “Ellie is all gas, no breaks with a contagious energy that IU fans will love. She plays the game hard but with a joy that is uncommon. She will add to a stable of young libero/defensive specialists that raise the level of our gym and provides the program with another highly capable option. Our team motto is to ‘play hard and play fast’ and she does that consistently. She will make everyone in the program better and we are fortunate she chose IU.”
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PURDUE WOMEN’S GOLF NEWS
WOMEN’S GOLF WELCOMES ARIANA URREA ON NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Head coach Zack Byrd has announced that Ariana Urrea will join Purdue Women’s Golf as the program’s newest Boilermaker. Making it official on National Signing Day (Nov. 12), the Lima, Peru, native has decided to continue her golf career in West Lafayette.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ari to our Boilermaker family,” said Byrd. “As soon as she stepped on campus, you could see how excited she was for the opportunity to wear the Old Gold and Black. Her work ethic and international tournament experience speak for themselves. The growth she has shown the last three years of her career has us extremely excited for her future here in West Lafayette. Boiler Up!”
Urrea is currently ranked No. 438 in the world according to the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR). In 21 WAGR sanctioned tournaments over the past two years, she won three times and recorded 12 Top 10 finishes. Urrea tied for sixth at the 2024 IMG Academic Junior World Championship, was the medalist at the 2024 Quito Junior Open and ended her year competing in the Latin America Women’s Amateur. In February, the two-time Optimist Junior Golf Championship runner-up (2021, 2025) won a Peru Golf Association title before traveling to Spain and earning a victory at the 2025 Torneo WAGR Scalpers.
Representing her country and competing on the Peruvian National Team since 2021, Urrea led Puru to a victory at the 2025 Junior Pan-American Games as she finished runner-up on the individual leaderboard. She also led teams to victory at the 2024 South American U-18 and the 2022 South American U-15.
As a senior at Windermere Preparatory School in Windermere, Florida, Urrea led the team to a district title as the tournament’s medalist. Her team finished runner-up at regionals before placing third at the state championship. Individually, Urrea cracked the Top 10.
Urrea also shines in the classroom. She has made the headmaster’s list each of the past two years and landed on the high honor roll as a freshman. Urrea is a member of her school’s National Honor Society, the Science National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society. She plans to major in engineering at Purdue.
“I chose Purdue because it offers the perfect balance of elite academics and athletics,” said Urrea. “The university’s strong tradition of excellence, combined with incredible coaching and facilities, creates the ideal environment for me to grow as both a golfer and a student. From my first visit, I felt the genuine support and family atmosphere that makes Purdue so special. I’m proud to call myself a Boilermaker and can’t wait to represent Purdue on and off the course.”
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PURDUE VOLLYBALL NEWS
VOLLEYBALL INKS 4 ON NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue volleyball welcomed four on National Signing Day, announced by Art and Connie Euler head coach Dave Shondell. The Boilermakers signed middle blocker Lily Bosworth, defensive specialist Elle Schara, defensive specialist MaryKate Scheumann and pin hitter Sydni Vice.
The four signees hail from three states: Indiana (Schara from Crown Point and Scheumann from Decatur), Illinois (Bosworth from Mahomet) and Tennessee (Vice from Collierville).
Schara, Scheumann and Vice will graduate early and join the Boilermakers in January. Bosworth will join the team next summer.
Two signees: Schara and Vice were named to the AVCA All-Region team, announced last week.
The Boilermakers are currently ranked No. 9 in the AVCA Coaches’ Poll and No. 6 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings with just six matches remaining in the regular-season.
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PURDUE SOFTBALL NEWS
FREZZOTTI SIGNS EIGHT NEW BOILERMAKERS
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Head softball coach, Magali Frezzotti, announced the signing of eight new players for the upcoming 2026-27 academic year. The class was tabbed the 44th best recruiting class in the nation according to D1 Softball.
The roster features Jaelynn Anthony (right-handed pitcher), Taylor Day (outfield), Ashyr Lawson (infield), Alena Mascarenas (utility), Kylie Rocha (catcher), Roxanne Sardo (right-handed pitcher), Jenna Thompson (infield), and Ryanne Womack (infield).
Jaelynn Anthony
Position: RHP
Hometown: Montgomery, Ill.
High School: Oswego High School
Intended Major: Undecided
Club Team: Wasco Diamonds
Prior to Purdue:
3x All-Conference Selection in high school
3x MVP of Varsity Softball Team
Recognized in Extra Inning Softball Class of 2026 Power Four Division Watch List in 2025
2025 MaxPreps Player of the Year in Illinois
2025 MaxPreps All-America Team honorable mention
2025 Chicago Tribune Player of the Year
2025 Kendall County Records Player of the Year
2025 First-Team All State, 2024 Third-Team All State
2025 NFCA All-Region First Team
3x Chicago Tribune All-Area First Team
3x Kendall County All-Area First Team
Listed 2x from the Chicago Tribune as one of All-Area Top 25 Players to Watch
Helped lead Oswego to first conference title in six years, first-ever sectional title, first-ever super sectional title, first-ever state appearance(s) and first regional title in 38 years
Ranked #67 in Extra Inning Softball Pitcher-Duo Position rankings for class of 2026 (‘22), #89 (‘23)
Ranked #108 Extra Inning Softball Elite class of 2026
Recognized as one of four top National High School performers in 2024
Ranked a 4 star recruit from OnDeck Softball
Personal:
Parents are Raymond and Jennier Anthony. She has one sibling, Dezlynn Anthony. Her father, Raymond, played Division I basketball at Lamar University. She chose Purdue because of the beautiful facilities, the level of softball competition, and the quality of education.
Taylor Day
Position: Outfield
Hometown: Lancaster, Calif.
High School: Paraclete High School
Intended Major: Biology
Club Team: BSC Bengals – Briggs 18U
Prior to Purdue:
3x High School League Champion
2025 Extra Innings Softball Legacy & Legend Elite Spotlight
2025 Extra Innings Softball Rankings #15
2024 Line Drive Softball Top 50
2024 Alliance Top-Ten Overhand Velo Leaderboard #6
TCS National Doubles Leaderboard (‘23,’24)
2024 TCS Nationals All-Tournament First Team
2024 Futures Watch List for Outfield
2x All-Conference First Team (‘24,‘25)
2023 All-Conference Second Team
2024 CIF SS Champion, 2023 CIF SS Quarterfinalist
Sparkler Power Pool Team (‘23,’24,’25)
2023 Sparkler Top-Ten Finisher
2023 Bombers Exposure First-Team All Tournament 16U
2023 TCS National All-Tournament Team 16U
Dean’s List Honoree (‘23,’24,’25)
2024 Academic Award for Math
National Honors Society (2024-2025)
2024 National Spanish Honors Society
Personal:
Parents are Lohnnie Day and Michele Day. Her father, Lohnnie, played basketball at CSUSB and Arizona State. Her mother, Michele, played soccer at CSUSB. She chose Purdue because of the education, resources, and the excellent coaching staff.
Ashyr Lawson
Position: Infield
Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.
High School: Decatur High School
Intended Major: Orthodontics
Club Team: BSC Bengals – Unity TJ
Prior to Purdue:
2025 All-County Decatur Central
2025 All-Conference Decatur Central
2025 All-State Honorable Mention Decatur Central
2025 Varsity Softball Most Valuable Player
3x Leadership Academy Member
2024 Franklin Central All County Champions
2024 Franklin Central County Champion
Indiana Gators Meyer National Champion
Hit the game-winning home run to send her team to the National Championship
Finished the 2025 season with a .407 BA, 8 HR, 38 RBI, and 35 hits including 6 triples and 24 runs scored
Finished the summer season with a 30-18-1 record and a .371 BA with 7 HRs and 38 RBI
Will graduate from high school with honors
Personal:
Parents are Jennifer Asher and Aaron Lawson. She has four siblings, Hudson, Dirks, Bronx, and Sunshine. She chose Purdue because of its academic excellence, the program’s winning tradition, and supportive environment.
Alena Mascarenas
Position: Utility
Hometown: Gilbert, Ariz.
High School: Highland High School
Intended Major: Business
Club Team: BSC Bengals – Arizona Rising Appel
Prior to Purdue:
Line Drive Softball Top 30 in Class of 2026
First-Team All State
First-Team All Region
High school Varsity Softball team captain
Finished top three in the Colorado Sparkler tournament
Earned a spot in the semifinals during junior high school season at Highland High School
Earned a combined .500 BA, with 13 HR, and 30 stolen bases during first three high school seasons
Golden Scholar Award all four years of high school
Will graduate taking all honors and AP classes in high school
Personal:
Parents are Gina and Tres Mascarenas. She has one sibling, her sister Gianna. She chose Purdue because of the top academics, amazing athletic program, and the family community feel. She feels this is a place she can grow on and off of the field.
Kylie Rocha
Position: Catcher
Hometown: Murrieta, Calif.
High School: Vista Murrieta High School
Intended Major: Digital Criminology
Club Team: BSC Bengals – BSC Bengals – Briggs 18U
Prior to Purdue:
4x Southwestern All-Academic Team
2024 Made it to the CIF for Varsity Softball
2024 Made it to the CIF for Varsity Basketball
2024 Made it to the CIF for Varsity Softball
4x Principle Recognition List
Played three years of varsity basketball and three years of varsity softball in high school
2024 Led the BSC Bengals with seven home runs
Appeared in 26 of 32 games for the BSC Bengals in Fall 2024 with a .367 batting average and four home runs
Personal:
Parents are Morgan and Joseph Rocha. Both of her parents played a sport at Modesto Junior College (Morgan, Softball, Joseph, football). She has three siblings, Joseph Jr., Hayden, and Kaliope. She chose Purdue because of the culture, the softball program, and the academic prestige of the university.
Roxanne Sardo
Position: RHP
Hometown: Folsom, Calif.
High School: Destiny Christian Academy
Intended Major: Orthodontics or Sports Psychology
Club Team: Lady Magic, NorCal Rising
Prior to Purdue:
2025 First-Team All League
2025 Sectional Champion
2025 League Champion
Finished her Junior high school season with 72 strikeouts in 32 innings pitched
4x Varsity high school softball player
Runner-Up at Arizona Last Blast Tournament
PGF Organizational Challenge Champion
A five-sport athlete including AAU basketball, club soccer, swim, volleyball, and softball (both high school and travel softball)
Will graduate with a 4.1 GPA in high school
Personal:
Parents are Gino and Ronda Sardo. She has two siblings, Angelo, and William. Her cousin, Daniella, played for San Francisco State softball, her cousin Francesca, played for Maine softball, and her cousin, Stefanie, played for DePaul softball. She chose Purdue because of the academic prestige, the supportive and motivating coaches, and the impeccable athletic facilities.
Jenna Thompson
Position: Infield
Hometown: Yardley, Penn.
High School: Pennsbury High School
Intended Major: Business
Club Team: Unity 18U, Newtown Rock Gold 18U
Prior to Purdue:
2025 Trentonian All-Area First Team
2025 SOL Patriot Division Second-Team
2025 Philadelphia Phillies Softball Carpenter Cup Classic team selection
2025 Great Britain Women’s National Team Bronze Medalist at the WBSC European softball championship
Finished the 2025 season with a .471 BA for Pennsbury high school
2024 Great Britain National Team U22 Bronze Medalist at the WBSC European softball championship-one of the youngest players to ever be selected to the National team at 16
2024 Great Britain National Team Silver Medalist at the WBSC European softball championship
2024 Great Britain National Team U18 World Cup Qualifier
Ranked #54 in the Line Drive Softball 2026 Hot 100 Player Rankings
2024 PGF Show me the Money Winner with Unity 18U
2023 Pennsbury High School Suburban One League Champions
2025 Member of the National Honor Society
2025 Member of the National Business Honor Society
2022 President’s Award for Academic Achievement
Personal:
Parents are Nancy Murphy and Stephen Thompson. She has one sibling, her brother, Stephen. Her cousin Lauren played for Lafayette women’s volleyball, and her mom, Nancy, was recruited to play basketball and softball in college and was inducted into the Pennsbury high school Hall of Fame. Her father, Stephen, played rugby and soccer growing up in England and is now the assistant coach at Pennsbury high school for soccer, and the head soccer coach for Bucks County Community College. She chose Purdue because of the combination of academic and athletic excellence.
Ryanne Womack
Position: Infield
Hometown: Hemet, Calif.
High School: Hemet High School
Intended Major: Kinesiology
Club Team: OC Batbusters Stith, Fernandez
Prior to Purdue:
3x First-Team All League
2x Team Most Valuable Player
2x Most Valuable Player
High School Underclassman Award
Hit 10+ home runs during league play, pitching the most innings, with a .450 BA
Played three years of high school softball, and was the MVP two out of three years
2x Scholar-Athlete with a 3.5 and above GPA
2x 3.8 and Above Academic Honors
Personal:
Parents are Lisa and Robert Womack. Her mother, Lisa, played softball at Cal Baptist, and her father, Robert, played high school baseball. She chose Purdue because of the amazing people and education as well as the welcoming factor and feeling of home after stepping on campus.
For updates on Purdue Softball, follow the Boilermakers on Twitter (@PurdueSoftball), Instagram (@purduesoftball), and Facebook (Purdue Softball).
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PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
#2 PURDUE HEADS SOUTH FOR SHOWDOWN WITH #8 ALABAMA
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
[2 / 1] Purdue (2-0) at [8 / 9] Alabama (2-0)
Thursday, November 13 | 7:00 p.m. ET
Tuscaloosa, Ala. | Coleman Coliseum (15,383)
TV: ESPN2 (Tom Hart, Jimmy Dykes)
RADIO: Purdue Global Radio Network (Rob Blackman, Bobby Riddell)
• The No. 2-ranked Purdue Boilermakers begin a gauntlet on Thursday, when it travels to No. 8-ranked Alabama for the completion of a home-and-home series that started a year ago in Mackey Arena. It will be the third straight year that the two teams will have played and the Boilermakers are looking for a signature win early in the season against a very good Crimson Tide squad.
• Of Purdue’s remaining 29 games, just two of them will now come against teams ranked below 100 via KenPom.
• The Boilermakers are looking to start 3-0 or better for the fifth consecutive year and for the 15th time in Matt Painter’s 21 seasons.
• The matchup at No. 8 Alabama marks Purdue’s highest-ranked, non-conference opponent on the road since Matt Painter’s first year at Purdue — a 90-70 loss at No. 4 Memphis on Dec. 30, 2005.
• Purdue is shooting for its first non-conference road win over an AP top-10 team since an 89-83 win over No. 3 Kentucky on Dec. 19, 1970.
• Matt Painter is 4-2 all-time against Alabama, but one of the losses came in the 2004 NCAA Tournament. No. 8 seed Alabama knocked off No. 9 seed Southern Illinois (led by Painter), 65-64, in the first round. Alabama would advance to the Elite Eight that season.
• Starting with the Alabama game, Purdue is scheduled to currently play 27 games against the KenPom top 100, and 17 games against the top 50.
• In the last three games dating to last season, Braden Smith has 35 assists against seven turnovers (15 vs. Houston, 11 vs. Evansville, 9 vs. Oakland). As a team, Purdue has 44 assists against just 12 turnovers so far this season.
• Purdue is 10th in the country in turnover percentage (9.1 %), and seventh in assist rate (A / FGM –> 73.7 %). Purdue is 11th nationally in percentage of points scored by 3-pointers (46.2 %).
• Smith moved into third place on the Big Ten’s career assists list with 778 helpers. Next on the chart is Mateen Cleaves (816 assists).
• With Fletcher Loyer scoring 30 points in the opener, Purdue now has four active players with 30-point games (Smith, Cluff, Kaufman-Renn).
• Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Purdue’s 118 victories rank third nationally (Houston – 134; Duke – 123).
• Purdue has won 34 straight non-conference home games, dating to Nov. 9, 2019 (Texas). It’s the longest streak in school history.
• Purdue’s 14 weeks ranked No. 1 in the AP poll since the 2021-22 season are the most in the country (Auburn – 11; Houston 11; Gonzaga – 9).
• Purdue had four players (Smith, Loyer, Kaufman-Renn, Cluff) nominated by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for their position awards. Purdue is one-of-five schools to have at least four players nominated (UConn, Houston – 5; Purdue, Duke, Florida – 4).
• Braden Smith has been named as the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year, while Trey Kaufman-Renn joined him on the first team.
• Braden Smith is already the only player in Big Ten conference history to amass 1,400 points, 775 assists, 525 rebounds and 175 steals in a career. He is one of 10 players in NCAA history to reach those marks.
• Purdue has had a consensus first- or second-team All-American in seven of the past nine seasons despite never enrolling a top-30 recruiting class or a top-30 prospect at any point during that span.
• Matt Painter ranks fourth on the Big Ten’s list for career wins with 473, trailing only Tom Izzo (739), Bob Knight (662) and Gene Keady (512) in Big Ten history. Painter has 498 career victories and with four more victories, Painter will become the seventh-fastest active coach to reach 500 wins (Few, Calipari, Self, Pitino, Izzo, Bennett).
• Purdue has sold out its ticket allotment for the upcoming season, stretching its sellout streak in Mackey Arena to 106 games by the time the March 7, game against Wisconsin rolls around. Purdue has 91 straight sellouts entering Sunday’s contest with Akron.
HUAN SIGNS PAPERWORK TO JOIN CLASS OF 2026
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue head coach Matt Painter has announced that Sinan Huan has signed his scholarship papers and will join the Class of 2026.
Huan committed to the Boilermakers on Tuesday and signed his paperwork on Wednesday night, joining three other commits that have already submitted their paperwork. Huan joins Jacob Webber (G; Kearney, Nebraska), Luke Ertel (G; Mount Vernon, Indiana) and Rivers Knight (F; Charlotte, N.C) in a highly-regarded recruiting class.
With Huan’s signing, Purdue’s class is now ranked No. 2 in the country via 247Sports, while being ranked No. 14 nationally by On3 / Rivals.
Huan is a 7-foot, 225-pound center from Beijing, China, who is prepping at Georgetown Prep in Washington, D.C. He is the third top-50 player to sign with Purdue joining Webber (#33 on On3 / Rivals) and Ertel (#41 on 247Sports). Huan is ranked as high as No. 36 nationally by On3.
It marks the first time Purdue has had three top-50 players in the same class since the Baby Boilers in the Class of 2007.
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PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
PURDUE DROPS ROAD TILT AT PFW
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team dropped its road contest at Purdue Fort Wayne on Wednesday night, 68-67. Purdue held a two-point lead under a minute to play, before PFW (1-2) guard Rylee Bess connected on a game-winning 3-pointer with five seconds on the clock.
Purdue (2-1) was led offensively by Hila Karsh’s 18 points with a pair of 3-pointers. Kiki Smith stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, three 3-pointers, six rebounds, two assists, a career-high five steals and one block. Tara Daye joined them in double figures with 13 points and six rebounds.
The Boilermakers shot 47.4% from the floor and connected on seven 3-pointers. Purdue held a 13-rebound advantage at the end of the night 36-23 and did not allow a second chance point on one offensive rebound.
Purdue Fort Wayne finished the night shooting 48% form the field and went 15-of-23 at the line. The Mastodons took advantage of 24 Boilermaker turnovers to score 24 points.
NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series 7-1.
• There were 14 lead changes, 18 ties and neither club opened a lead greater than six points.
• Madison Layden-Zay connected on one 3-pointer to pull her within 34 of the all-time career record of 244.
• Lana McCarthy finished with eight points, three rebounds, a pair of assists and one steal.
• Purdue turned eight rebounds into nine second chance points.
• Karsh has finished in double figures in all three games this season.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers will hit the road for the second straight game with a trip to No. 23/20 Kentucky next Tuesday night. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. on SEC Network.
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NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NEWS
NO. 9 NOTRE DAME FACES A NEW CHALLENGE AS PASS DEFENSE NAVIGATES QUICK TURNAROUND AT NO. 23 PITT
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — No. 9 Notre Dame spent last week figuring out how to slow down Navy’s run-heavy offense.
This week, the defense is switching gears against No. 23 Pittsburgh.
Yes, the Fighting Irish began this week with the usual emphasis — stopping the run — while fully understanding that it’s going to take a much more balanced defensive approach to keep their winning streak intact Saturday at Pittsburgh.
“It can be real, it can be,” coach Marcus Freeman said of the challenge in making such a dramatic change. “Or it can be not — if you put the work in and you go to work and prepare the right way. I’m never going to allow myself or our guys to make an excuse for a performance below what we have set for ourselves. It’s win this play. That’s how you follow up good with good with good is to win this play.”
The Irish (7-2, No. 9 CFP) certainly have been good lately. They’ve won seven straight since starting the season with back-to-back losses against top-20 opponents, and the biggest explanation has been the progression of Freeman’s defense and its increasingly opportunistic secondary.
Notre Dame snared 12 interceptions during a four-game stretch against Boise State, N.C. State, Southern California and Boston College, giving it a FBS-leading 16.
After beating Navy 49-10 in a game in which the Midshipmen threw only 10 passes, the Irish are ranked third.
But the turnovers didn’t come by mere happenstance.
Safety Adon Shuler, a second-year player from New Jersey who has two interceptions this season and five in his career, believes Notre Dame’s recent defensive success is no real secret.
“I think after like, the first two weeks, we really started ramping up and getting pressure on the quarterback,” he said. “Also, the defensive line has helped that tremendously. That’s helped us be in better position to make plays.”
The combination should set up the Irish well for this week’s trip to Pitt (7-2, No. 22 CFP).
Unlike Navy, the top rushing team in the nation, the Panthers like to throw the ball. They’re averaging 302.6 yards per game and have 24 TD passes — half of those coming since 18-year-old Mason Heintschel replaced Eli Holstein as the starter in early October. But Heintschel also has thrown five interceptions in his five starts — all wins — including two last week in a victory over Stanford.
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said he sees Freeman’s influence all over Notre Dame’s aggressive philosophy.
“(He was) a heck of a football player,” Narduzzi said. “Obviously, a former linebacker. He was a great player at Ohio State. He’s a tremendous coach. He’s a competitor in all respects.”
Narduzzi also sees Freeman’s responding to the message — all over the field.
In the four games with all those interceptions, Notre Dame limited each opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing. By forcing them to become more one-dimensional, the Irish managed to put more pressure on quarterbacks, leading to more mistakes and, naturally, more opportunities for interceptions.
So now, in perhaps their final real chance to impress the College Football Playoff selection committee, the Irish may change tactics but not the approach.
“The biggest thing we talked about the past couple of weeks was just to make sure we’re stopping the run,” linebacker Drayk Bowen said. “We try to stop the run, make sure they start airing the ball out, and that’s when our defensive backs can go do what they do. And when the defensive line and linebackers are rushing, you know that’s when they can go get sacks, and that’s when good things start to happen.”
CARR NAMED SEMIFINALIST FOR DAVEY O’BRIEN AWARD
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Freshman quarterback CJ Carr continues his campaign as one of the best quarterbacks in college football, today named a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award.
Carr has also been named a semifinalist for the 2025 Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award.
Through nine games this season, Carr has completed 152 passes for 2,275 yards and 19 touchdowns. He has also rushed for two touchdowns. Carr leads all FBS players in yards per pass attempt (10.11), and ranks third among all FBS players in passing efficiency (176.8), third in passing yards per completion (14.97) and 17th in passing touchdowns (19). He leads all freshman FBS players in passing efficiency and passing yards per completion, and ranks second in passing touchdowns.
Carr and Notre Dame’s offense has been explosive this season. Notre Dame ranks third in the nation in team passing efficiency (176.70), fourth in turnover margin (1.11), sixth in the nation in passing yards per completion (14.91), ninth in scoring offense (38.7), 15th in total offense (466.1) and 17th in sacks allowed (1.11).
Carr was recognized nationally in several instances for his Arkansas performance. in which Carr completed 22 passes for 354 yards and four touchdowns and posted the most first-half passing yards (294) by an Irish quarterback since 2008. He was named a Manning Award Star of the Week and Manning Award Quarterback of the Week, the Shaun Alexander Award Freshman of the Week, and a member of the Davey O’Brien Great 8.
LOVE NAMED SEMIFINALIST FOR WALTER CAMP PLAYER OF THE YEAR
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Junior running back Jeremiyah Love adds another national honor to his resume today, earning selection as a semifinalist for Walter Camp Player of the Year, the fourth-oldest college football award in the nation which honors the nation’s top college football player.
He continues his impressive 2025 campaign, also having been named a national semifinalist for the 2025 Maxwell Award.
Notre Dame has had four Walter Camp Players of the Year in program history: TE Ken MacAfee (1977), FL Tim Brown (1987), FL Raghib Ismail (1990) and LB Manti Te’o (2012).
Love is part of a group of 11 semifinalists and one of just two running backs on the list.
Love has made his case throughout 2025 to be one of the best players in college football. He leads all FBS players in total touchdowns (tied- 16 touchdowns), and ranks second nationally in scoring (10.7), third in rushing touchdowns (13), fourth in all-purpose yards per game (138.00), fourth in total points (96), fifth in rushing yards (988), sixth in rushing yards per game (109.8).
Through nine games, Love has posted 154 carries for 988 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, adding 24 receptions for 254 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He averages 138.0 all-purpose yards per game, with 6.4 yards per rush and 10.6 yards per catch this season.
He is in the top six all-time in program history in career touchdowns (37) and career rushing touchdowns (31) in just 38-career games. He has posted six games in 2025 with multiple touchdowns.
Love became the first player in program history to collect two 90-yard rushing touchdowns in a career with a 98-yard effort against Indiana in the College Football Playoff in 2024 and a 94-yard score at Boston College in 2025.
This season, Love was named the Associated Press National Player of the Week and the Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week for his impressive performance against No. 20 USC. Love racked up 228 rushing yards on 24 carries to average 9.5 yards per carry in a 34-24 win over USC in the Jeweled Shillelagh rivalry contest. The 228 rushing yards Love put up against USC are the most for a Notre Dame player in a single game in Notre Dame Stadium’s 513-game history.
FAISON NAMED BURLSWORTH TROPHY SEMIFINALIST
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Junior wide receiver Jordan Faison has been named one of the Top 10 Semifinalists for the 2025 Burlsworth Award, which honors the most outstanding football player in America who began his career as a walk-on.
Faison leads all Irish receivers with 45 receptions for 545 yards and three touchdowns in 2025. He is also Notre Dame’s primary punt returner, posting nine punt returns for 89 yards. He has posted five games with 60 or more receiving yards this season.
In the game against Purdue, Faison led the team with five catches for 105 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter, and earned Burlsworth Trophy Walk-On of the Week honors for his performance.
In 2024 as a sophomore, after winning the 2024 NCAA Lacrosse National Championship, Faison made a statement in Notre Dame’s run to a National Championship appearance and wins in the Sugar and Orange Bowl. He played in 13 games and was the leading receiver in four games. He posted 30 receptions for 356 yards and a touchdown. In the CFP First Round win, he collected 132 all-purpose yards and was the team’s offensive and special teams player of the game.
Faison joined the Notre Dame football team during 2023 preseason camp as a walk-on player, planning to compete for a roster spot with the team and, as one of the top prep lacrosse players in the nation, join the defending national champion Notre Dame lacrosse team as a scholarship player in the spring of 2024.
Faison made his collegiate athletics debut in 2023 at No. 25 Louisville, catching two passes for 48 yards – which included a 36-yard touchdown grab. Faison’s debut was just the beginning. He would end the season with 19 catches for 322 yards and four touchdowns, capping the year by earning Sun Bowl MVP honors with five catches for 115 yards and a touchdown.
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NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
COACH SHREWSBERRY INKS THREE FUTURE IRISH
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Glenn & Stacey Murphy Notre Dame Men’s Basketball Head Coach Micah Shrewsberry continued to add on what he’s building in The Bend on Wednesday afternoon. Pen officially met paper for three future Irish as Coach Shrewsberry welcomed the additions of Jonathan Sanderson, Gan-Erdene Solongo and Nick Shrewsberry.
“We are excited to add all three of these young men to our basketball program,” Shrewsberry explained. “They will be great additions to our team on and off the court, because they love the game, work really hard, and are great teammates.”
The ties to the program run deep in this class. Jonathan is the son of Notre Dame Men’s Basketball’s Director of Strength & Conditioning Jon Sanderson. The Sanderson family is also the legal guardians of Gan-Erdene. In addition, Nick is the son of Head Coach Micah Shrewsberry.
Jonathan and Gan-Erdene are attending La Lumiere for their senior year, making them the third and fourth Laker products in the Shrews Era. Nick attends South Bend’s Saint Joseph High School, continuing that great local pipeline as well.
JONATHAN SANDERSON
Jonathan Sanderson is a four-star recruit ranked 55th in his class by ESPN and 65th by 247 Sports. He’s a 6-3 point guard ranked top-10 at his position and second-best overall in the state of Indiana.
Last year, the Sandersons lived in Nashville, where both Jonathan and Gan-Erdene attended The Ensworth School. As a junior, Sanderson averaged 24.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals, leading the Tigers to the DII-AA State Semifinals. He was later honored as the Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year and a Division II-AA Mr. Basketball finalist.
Jonathan on choosing Notre Dame:
“I chose Notre Dame because it felt like the perfect fit for my style of play. I really like how they utilize their guards and the way Coach Shrewsberry sees and teaches the game. I also love the culture and environment surrounding the program.”
“Notre Dame fans should know they’re getting a player who competes every single play and is very high energy. I’ll do whatever it takes to help us succeed.”
Coach Shrewsberry on Jonathan:
“Jonathan is the ultimate competitor. He has a motor and a competitive drive that doesn’t shut off. His energy and passion are some of the first things that you notice from him once he steps on the court.”
“I think he can be great for us defensively, with the way that he can guard the ball for 94 feet. On the offensive side, he’s a really talented playmaker and scorer. His ability to shoot the ball while also putting pressure on the paint off the dribble will be a great asset to our team. He is also a tremendous athlete with a college-level body right now.”
GAN-ERDENE SOLONGO
Gan-Erdene Solongo is a 7-foot center from Mongolia, who also has dual citizenship with Ireland. A four-star recruit from both ESPN and Rivals, with the latter ranking him 93rd overall and the 12th-best center in the class.
Solongo arrived in the USA at 15 but needed permanent residence to remain after a year at The Flyght Academy (Ohio). Enter the Sanderson family, who became his legal guardians.
Last year at Ensworth, Solongo averaged 12.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game, earning him Division II-AA All-State honors.
Solongo will be the first 7-footer to commit to Notre Dame since the turn of the century (2000-present) and the first recruit with Irish heritage since Ron Rowan ‘83.
Gan-Erdene on choosing Notre Dame:
“I chose Notre Dame because I love Coach Shrewsberry’s style of play and how much he focuses on player development. Coach Shrews and the whole staff truly care — they treat players like family and always push to help us grow, on and off the court.”
“I’m honored to represent Notre Dame as a Mongolian-Irish player — and to become the second Irish citizen ever to play here, after Ron Rowan. I’m ready to bring passion, power, and pride to the court. Let’s make history together.”
Coach Shrewsberry on Gan-Erdene:
“Gan has some physical traits that you just can’t teach. His size and physical strength are something that will help him immediately adapt to the college game. Although he hasn’t been playing the game for a long time, you can already see the growth that he has made from year to year.”
“He spends a lot of time working on his game and practicing the fundamentals that will help him become a really good player for us. He is a great teammate and someone that the entire Notre Dame community will enjoy getting to know.”
NICK SHREWSBERRY
Lastly, the program welcomed Nick Shrewsberry, a 6-5 shooting guard who is currently enrolled at South Bend’s Saint Joseph High School. Last season, Shrewsberry led the Huskies to a 27-3 record and a Class 3-A State Championship. He scored 16 points in the state title game.
Overall, Shrewsberry averaged 13.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.6 steals as a junior. He tallied eight games of 20 points or more and shot 78-of-215 from three, aka 36.3 percent, which led the squad.
Nick on choosing Notre Dame:
“I chose Notre Dame because it’s so close to home and I spend a lot of time on campus and at the basketball facilities. Also, with my dad being the coach I already have great relationships with all the players and coaches, and I know I will fit in well at Notre Dame. I also already know how they play and know what to expect going into college.”
“It’s going to be really fun playing with my brother. He’s one of my best friends and we’re really close, so being on the same team will only bring us closer. Also, just being able to compete with and against him every day and seeing how much we both have grown since we last played together will be cool to see.”
Coach Shrewsberry on Nick:
“Nick has improved more than anyone that I have been around in a short amount of time. The growth that he took from his sophomore to junior season was tremendous. He improved his shooting, ball handling and athleticism, which added a different element to his game.”
“He has a tremendous work ethic and a very disciplined approach to improving his game. I’m not sure if there is anyone who has taken as many shots in Rolfs as he has. He is also a great teammate who wants nothing more than to see Notre Dame have success.”
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NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
HIDALGO’S HISTORIC NIGHT LEADS IRISH PAST AKRON
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Hannah Hidalgo turned in the single-greatest individual performance in Notre Dame history in Wednesday’s 85-58 win over Akron, breaking the program records for points in a game with 44 and steals in a game with 16 while also grabbing nine rebounds.
Hidalgo’s 16 steals are not only the program record, passing her own mark of 12, but also the NCAA D-I all-time record for steals in a single game which was previously 14 and held by seven players.
To make the performance even more impressive, Hidalgo logged just 27:31 of game action in the victory. The junior was efficient in her scoring, finishing 16-for-25 from the field, 3-for-6 from beyond the arc and 9-for-11 from the free-throw line.
Cassandre Prosper joined Hidalgo in double figures with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Notre Dame wasted no time in building an early lead, jumping out to an early 14-4 advantage behind swarming defense that led to easy layups on the other end. Hidalgo registered four steals in the opening five minutes of action leading to eight quick points.
The Irish increased the lead to 13 by the end of the first frame, taking a 25-12 advantage into the second quarter. Hidalgo led the charge with 14 points, five rebounds, five steals and two assists in the opening 10 minutes of action.
Hidalgo continued her incredible run of play, scoring Notre Dame’s first 14 points of the second quarter, totaling 28 in the first half.
Iyana Moore started to find her rhythm in her first game with the Irish, scoring five points in the final stages of the second quarter, as Notre Dame took a 14-point lead into the halftime break at 48-34.
Notre Dame came out of the intermission and continued to build on its lead, outscoring the Zips 22-11 in the third quarter to take a commanding 70-45 lead into the final frame.
The Irish added 15 points over the last 10 minutes of regulation, paced by Prosper’s eight-point fourth quarter, to go on and win by a final score of 85-58.
NOTRE DAME STAT OF THE GAME
Hidalgo’s 44 points breaks the program record for points in a game which was previously shared by Ruth Riley (41: Jan. 30, 1999 vs. Providence) and Jewell Loyd (41: Dec. 10, 2014 vs. DePaul). The 44-point performance also sets the Purcell Pavilion record which was previously held by Jessica Shepard (39: Dec. 17, 2017 vs. DePaul). Hidalgo is the first D-I women’s player this season to crack the 40-point mark this season.
NOTRE DAME NUMBERS & NOTES
Notre Dame has started 3-0 for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
Notre Dame has scored 299 points over three games, which is tied for the most points through the opening three games of any season in program history (2024-25).
The 30 steals as a team rank second in program history for most steals in a single game.
The Irish improve to 2-0 against Akron in the all-time series
The win gives the Fighting Irish 17 straight victories at home in non-conference regular season play.
The Irish have recorded double-digit steals in all three games this season.
The 30-steal performance is the most the Irish have posted in a game since recording a program-record 36 against New Hampshire on Nov. 12, 2010.
ND has recorded 10 or more steals in 47-of-72 games since the beginning of the 2023-24 season.
Hidalgo has posted 25+ points in three consecutive games for the second time in her career. She scored 25+ in four straight from Dec. 12-29, 2024 last season.
Tonight’s performance marks the third time that Hidalgo has posted back-to-back 30+ point performances in her career.
Hidalgo has now recorded 11 career 30+ point games, tying her with Arike Ogunbowale for most in program history.
Hidalgo broke into the top 10 in program history for career free throws made, as she now has 370 in her career, passing Jacqueline Batteast (366) for 10th all time.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Irish go on the road for the first time this season for the annual Shamrock Classic with a ranked matchup against rival No. 14 Michigan in Detroit. The game is slated to tip at 4 p.m. ET and will air on NBC.
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BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
BUTLER SIGNS FOUR STUDENT-ATHLETES ON NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler women’s basketball program signed four players on Wednesday morning as a part of National Signing Day. Alexis Baer, Joslyn Bricker, Olivia Hastings and Laniah Wills will make Indianapolis their home over the next four seasons.
Lexi Baer
6-2, Guard
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria Notre Dame
Baer is a 6-2 guard at Peoria Notre Dame High School under Head Coach Mike Breitbach. Baer is entering her fourth year of varsity action and, in the past two seasons, has helped lead her squad to a combined 67-9 record, while posting back-to-back undefeated seasons in conference action. Baer and her team were Big 12 conference champions and state runner-up in 2023-24, before being crowned state champions in 2024-25.
In her first season of varsity action, the guard averaged 12 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game, and shot 40 percent from behind the arc. In her sophomore season, she averaged 12 ppg and 5.0 rpg while chipping in 2 assists per game. During Peoria Notre Dame’s state championship season, Baer carried the load for her team, averaging 16 ppg, 7 rpg, and 2 apg while shooting 40 percent from deep.
Baer currently holds school records for most 3-pointers in a season with 119 in 2024-25. Baer broke her own record, which she set the year prior, of 98 in a season. She is a 1,000-point scorer in high school and is a high honor roll student.
The Peoria, Ill. native also played volleyball and ran track in high school and plans to study sports medicine at Butler.
Why Baer Chose Butler: I chose Butler because of many reasons. I value genuine relationships with people, and I know that I will get that at Butler, from the coaches to the players, on and off the court. Education is very important to me as well, and I know that Butler will set me up for success after college, not only in sports. Overall, choosing Butler just felt right. I wanted to find the school that best fit me, a school that will help me grow as a player, student, and person. Butler is that school.
Head Coach Austin Parkinson on Signing Baer: “Lexi is a guard who has in the gym range. She has the unique ability to come off screens and get her feet set with such a quick release. She has tremendous length and will have the ability to guard multiple positions.”
Joslyn Bricker
5-9, Guard
Warsaw, Indiana
Warsaw High School
Bricker is a 5-9 guard at Warsaw High School in Warsaw, Indiana, under Head Coach Lenny Krebs. In her first two seasons of varsity action, Bricker has helped lead her team to a 40-10 record. She has been a vital part of Warsaw’s success, averaging 17.8 points per game, 3.2 assists per game, and 4.8 rebounds per game.
Bricker has helped lead her team to three conference championships and, in 2025, led Warsaw to being 4A State Runner-Ups. During her team’s remarkable season, Bricker averaged 19 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 3.2 apg.
The Warsaw, Indiana native has been recognized as an Indiana Junior All-Star Core Member, ICGSA All-State First Team, AP All-State team, Times Union Player of the Year, Journal Gazette All-Area selection, All-State Honorable Mention and has been named an all-conference player three times.
Bricker, a high honor roll and national honor society student, also played volleyball, flag football and helped with Unified Track & Field. She plans to study health science at Butler in the fall.
Why Bricker Chose Butler: I felt an immediate connection with the coaching staff at Butler from the moment they began recruiting me. My faith is very important to me, and I know that it also matters to the coaches and players. Combining that with the prestigious academics and the opportunity to play high-level basketball really drew me to Butler.
Head Coach Austin Parkinson on Signing Bricker: “Joslyn is the ultimate competitor and leader. She can score from all three levels and is one of the best I’ve seen at playing off of two feet and always being on balance. Simply put, any team she is on wins.”
Olivia Hastings
6-3, Forward/Center
Sydney, NSW, Australia
Willoughby Girl High School
Hastings is a 6-3 forward/center from Sydney, Australia, and most recently has seen action in NBL 1 for the Norths Bears. Hastings was a part of the 2025 Bronze Australia National Classic with the Under 18 squad and was a part of the Under 16 Silver Easter Classic squad.
Hastings was recognized for her contributions to her Club Team, the North Bears, in 2022 and 2024 when she was named Defensive Player of the Year for the club. She was the youngest player to play on the Norths NBL 1 team in 2025. She represented New Zealand at the U17 FIBA World Cup Basketball Tournament and was selected to play in the 2025 Asia Basketball Without Borders event in Singapore.
Hastings will study marketing at Butler.
Why Hastings Chose Butler: The decision to travel so far from home to further my education and grow as a basketball player was a massive decision. After being fortunate to receive several D1 college offers, I asked my basketball mentors how to choose the ‘right’ team and college. I was told to prioritize what was important to me, and when you have met the right coaching team ‘you will just know’. That was very true. After my visit with the Butler coaching staff and tour of the campus, nothing else could compare! The vision, expertise, style of play, and team culture being created by the coaching staff really stood out. Also, the warm and welcoming staff that spent time talking to me about all of the education options and the impressive business school with a truly unique approach to internships to prepare students for success beyond college, was next level! I feel so very grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the Butler women’s basketball team and cannot wait to learn from my teammates and also bring some Aussie-Kiwi (slang for Australian/New Zealander) humor, dedication, drive and commitment to achieving our goals!
Head Coach Austin Parkinson on Signing Hastings: “Olivia is a long and versatile post player who has the ability to play inside and out. She has a high motor and is an excellent rebounder. Playing against the competition in the NBL 1 and her various national teams has been great preparation for what she will see in the BIG EAST.”
Laniah Wills
6-0, Guard
Anderson, Indiana
Lapel High School
Wills is a 6-0 guard at Lapel High School in Anderson, Indiana, under Head Coach Zach Newby. In her first three seasons of varsity action, Wills has helped lead her team to a 63-22 record. Wills has been a dominant force for Lapel, averaging a double-double with 20.4 points per game and 12.7 rebounds per game over the course of her career.
Wills and Lapel were the 2023 State Runner-Up, and in 2024, went to regionals. In her career, Wills has been named an All-State selection (2023, 2024, 2025) and was named Freshman of the Year, Area Player of the Year, and a Junior All-Star.
Wills had the best game of her young career on December 11, 2024, when the junior posted 48 points, 23 rebounds, and seven assists against Madison Grant High School. Wills also competes on the IGB 17u GU AA team.
The Anderson, Indiana, native also played volleyball in high school and will study Creative Media and Entertainment at Butler.
Why Wills Chose Butler: I chose Butler because they are not only a great sports school, but they are also a great academic institution.
Head Coach Austin Parkinson on Signing Wills: “Laniah is the type of player that raises everyone’s level of play around her. She can fly up and down the floor and is a tremendous rebounder. She can guard multiple positions and will be a unique matchup for opponents with her ability to also play on the perimeter.”
BUTLER FALLS TO CENTRAL MICHIGAN
INDIANAPOLIS – Butler fell to the Central Michigan Chippewas 68-59 on Wednesday evening at Hinkle Fieldhouse. With the loss, BU slides to 1-2 on the season while CMU improves to 2-1.
BULLDOG HIGHLIGHTS
Lily Zeinstra led the way for BU with 16 points on an efficient 5-for-8 shooting performance from the floor. Zeinstra sank three 3-pointers and added three rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Addison Baxter (14) and Saniya Jackson (12) rounded out the Bulldogs in double figures.
Saniya Jackson and Neveah Jackson paced the squad on the glass, pulling down four rebounds apiece.
Mallory Miller led the squad in assists with four.
Butler forced 17 CMU turnovers in the contest.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN HIGHLIGHTS
Madi Morson led CMU with 14 points on 6-for-19 shooting. Morson added four rebounds, two assists and three steals.
Nekhu Mitchell (10), Zareia Chevre (10), Ayanna-Sarai Darrington (10) and Demetria Prewitt rounded out the Chippewas in double figures.
Mitchell led CMU on the glass with a game-high seven rebounds.
Chevre and Taylor Anderson paced the offense with four assists apiece.
CMU forced 23 Butler turnovers and outrebounded BU 34-24.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both sides traded buckets through the first few possessions before a 6-0 run from Butler put the Dawgs on top at the first media timeout. BU closed the quarter on a 13-6 run as the Dawgs held a 21-15 advantage at the end of the first.
CMU started the second quarter on a 7-0 run before the visitors took a timeout at the six-minute mark of the frame. Both sides continued to trade buckets as the score was even at 28-28 with just over two minutes left in the quarter. The two sides headed to the break with CMU up 34-31.
Both sides came out of the half trading buckets as the Chippewas held a narrow 43-41 lead at the halfway point of the third quarter. CMU forced four Butler turnovers over the course of the next four minutes as the visitors were able to extend their lead to seven. The seven-point advantage would hold until the end of the frame as the Dawgs trailed 52-45 heading into the final quarter.
Butler held CMU to one made field goal in the first five minutes of the quarter as Butler stormed back to take the lead at 55-54 with five minutes left in the game. CMU responded with an 8-0 run giving the Chippewas a seven-point advantage. BU was unable to mount a comeback in the final three minutes of the game, dropping the contest 68-59.
UP NEXT
Butler will return to action on Sunday, Nov. 16 as BU welcomes Northern Kentucky to Hinkle Fieldhouse. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+. Fans can purchase tickets for the game at Butlersports.com/buytickets.
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IU INDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SIGNS SWYNN JACKSON
INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indy women’s basketball team signed Swynn Jackson on national signing day for the 2026-27 academic year.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Swynn to our program,” said Head Coach Kate Bruce. “She’s a dynamic guard who plays with great pace, poise, and vision. Her work ethic and competitiveness really stand out as she’s the kind of player who makes everyone around her better. We can’t wait to see the impact she’ll have on and off the court!”
Jackson, a 5-11 guard from Fort Wayne, Indiana will join the Jaguars after finishing her high school career at Northrop. Jackson is a well-rounded player averaging 14.9 points per game, 5.0 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 steals and 3.3 blocks during her junior season, ranking her in the top 20 for all of Indiana girls basketball in assists and blocks per game. She finished the season with a field goal percentage of .470 and a three-point percentage of .380.
Jackson is set to join the Jaguars prior to the 2026-27 season.
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BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
WBB SIGNS INDIANA NATIVE LILLIAN BARNES & KLASKE MIEDEMA FROM THE NETHERLANDS
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State women’s basketball 14th-year head coach Brady Sallee announced the signing of Indiana standout Lillian Barnes (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso High School) along with European standout Klaske Miedema (Netherlands).
Barnes, a two-time winner of The Times Girls Basketball Player of the Year award is a scoring powerhouse for the Valparaiso Vikings. Her playmaking ability has helped Valparaiso to two consecutive regional titles. She has been selected for the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Underclass All-State Supreme 15 list for three consecutive seasons while garnering Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) Most Valuable Player.
She also is the Vikings scoring leader with 1,485 points and is on pace to break the schools’ all-time scoring record in both girls’ and boys’ basketball at Valparaiso High School.
The highly touted Indiana recruit is ranked 165th overall and sits at the 67th best guard in the country while also being tabbed as the fifth best player in the state of Indiana according to Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.
Brady Sallee on Lilli Barnes:
“In this class of in-state ’26 recruits, Lilli was the prize! We feel like we got the best player in the state. She does it all and can do it from multiple positions. She competes at an elite level and makes everyone around her better. She is an elite playmaker that Cardinal Nation will love watching for years to come!”
Miedema joins the Cardinals’ well-rounded European roster next year after competing for the Orange Lions Academy v21, along with the Dutch women youth basketball league under coach Molly McDowell.
She has also had stints with the CBV Binneland women and the Dutch women’s basketball league under coach Harvey van Stein.
Miedema has earned many accolades which includes being selected to play for FIBA European championship U16 division B, U18 and U20. She helped her team earn two Dutch championships the u16 MBCA (2021-22) and most recently the Dutch championship u21 OLA (2024-25).
Brady on Klaske Miedema:
“We are so excited to welcome Klaske to our Ball State Women’s Basketball family! Her size, her length and her versatility are exactly what we wanted in this class! Klaske will play multiple positions for us and possesses an ability to shoot it from deep and get it to the rim. She excels in the open floor and simply put; she is an ideal fit in our system!”
SALENBIEN TURNS IN ANOTHER CAREER-BEST 20-POINT PERFORMANCE IN WBB’S HOME OPENING WIN
MUNCIE, Ind. – Senior Bree Salenbien led all scorers with 20 points in the Cardinals 95-64 dominating win over Northern Kentucky Wednesday night in Worthen Arena.
With the win, Ball State improves to 3-0 on the season while Northern Kentucky falls to 0-3. This marks the third-straight year the Cardinals have started with a 3-0 ledger.
“We talked a lot about taking care of our home court,” Ball State head coach Brady Sallee said. “We hit shots early which allowed us to get in the press. It was a heck of a win. I am proud of my group we played our tail off and when we play like that good things will happen.”
Salenbien, along with tying her career high of 20 points, also pulled down seven rebounds and went a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. Junior Karsyn Norman also reached double digits with 18 points. Newcomer Giorgia Gorini had 11 and Tessa Towers ended the night with 10 points while also tallying eight rebounds.
It was a solid team effort that set the tone early offensively for the Cardinals, along with some help on defense which allowed Ball State to take a staggering 28-10 advantage over the Norse to end the first quarter of play. Seven different Cardinals had two or more points with Towers leading the way after the first frame with eight.
During the second period the Cardinals held the Norse to only three points up until just under the four-minute mark. Ball State continued with its fast-paced style of play allowing players to score in transition while attacking the rim. A Brooke Winchester 3-pointer sealed the 51-23 advantage for Ball State at intermission over the Norse. Norman led Ball State at the half with nine points.
A 3-pointer from Norman at the 3:39 mark of the third frame followed by a layup from Salenbien helped Ball State extend its lead to 31 (69-38).
The on-and-off 30-point deficit throughout the second and third quarters along with Ball State’s tight defense was too much for Northern Kentucky to overcome in the final period. For the game, Ball State led the way in almost every statistical category.
All-in-all it was a team effort tonight as the Cardinals had 11 players score three or more points. Ball State’s bench totaled 37 points. Ball State moved the ball well which was apparent by its 19 total assists.
The Ball State women’s basketball team returns to the road Saturday when it plays at Memphis for a 4 pm ET tipoff in FedExForum.
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BALL STATE BASEBALL NEWS
BASEBALL SIGNS FOUR TO 2026 CLASS
The Ball State baseball team and head coach Rich Maloney have announced the signings of four student-athletes for the 2026 recruiting class.
The class includes two pitchers, an outfielder and an infielder / right-handed pitcher. Two of the signees are from Indiana, while the other two hail from Florida and Illinois.
“We are excited to have these four gentlemen join our Ball State Baseball Family,” Maloney said. “This is a very talented group, strong academically and oozing with positive leadership traits.”
Ray Barwis
Lighthouse Point, Fla. | ESB Academy
Barwis is an outfielder from southeast Florida with national rankings in his recruiting class by Perfect Game.
The left-handed hitter is a student-athlete scholar and plans on majoring in communications with an entertainment and sports communication concentration at Ball State.
Coach Maloney on Barwis
“An outfielder / left-handed hitter who is very athletic, has a strong skill set, and is hardworking with outstanding leadership skills and strong academically.”
Samuel Chin
La Grange Park, Ill. | St. Laurence HS
Chin is a left-handed pitcher out of the Chicagoland area who posted a 2.20 ERA and was named First Team All-Conference as a freshman at St. Laurence. He followed that up with a 4-1 record, 1.69 ERA and .178 batting average against his sophomore year and 4-2 record and .195 batting average against as a junior.
Chin helped lead St. Laurence to its first baseball state title in 2025 and will be a team captain for his senior season. Academically, he is a National Honor Society and honor roll member who plans on majoring in business management at Ball State.
Coach Maloney on Chin
“Left-handed pitcher with a lean frame and a lot of room to grow. Has feel for three pitches-will benefit greatly from our strength program.”
Trey Deckman
Columbia City, Ind. | Columbia City HS
An infielder / right-handed pitcher from nearby Columbia City, Deckman was named First Team All-Conference as a sophomore and junior and honorable mention All-State as a junior. He hit .444 with 43 hits as a sophomore and also plays basketball for the Eagles.
Academically, Deckman is a National Honor Society member with plans to major in business management in college.
Coach Maloney on Deckman
“A shortstop with projection who is athletic and has good actions. He will benefit greatly from our strength program. Outstanding student!”
Kellen Thomson
Greenwood, Ind. | Center Grove HS
A right-handed pitcher from the southern suburb of Indianapolis, Thomson posted a 9-0 record, 2.10 ERA and .209 batting average against in 48.2 innings pitched as a junior for the Trojans. He was named All-County as a sophomore and junior, leading his teams to 27-3 and 27-5 records those seasons.
Thomson is an honor roll member who has received the Academic All-Trojan athlete award each year in high school. Once he gets to college, he wants to study business administration.
Coach Maloney on Thomson
“A physical right-handed pitcher with upside and a strike-thrower with feel. Makings of a good changeup and sinking fastball.”
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BALL STATE FOOTBALL NEWS
FOOTBALL GAMEDAY: CARDINALS AIM FOR PERFECT HOME RECORD WHEN EASTERN MICHIGAN VISITS MUNCIE
MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State puts an unblemished home mark on the line Saturday in a home finale and Senior Day when it hosts Eastern Michigan and tries to complete an unbeaten home record for the first time since a 6-0 finish in 2013.
— The Cardinals moved to 4-0 at home last Wednesday night in Midweek #MAC-tion play while upending Kent State, 17-13, with a late TD pass from Kiael Kelly to tight end Kameron Anthony. Ball State scored first and led 10-0 before 13 unanswered points by the Golden Flashes put the home streak in jeopardy. Ball State faced 3rd-and-12 at Kent State’s 39-yard line, with 2:23 to play, when Kelly found Anthony for a 10-yard completion. Following a timeout, Kelly hit Anthony again, on 4th-and-2, for the clinching 29-yard touchdown. Entering that series of downs, Anthony had two career catches for 15 yards.
— While the Ball State offense has shined at Scheumann Stadium so far this season, averaging 32.0 points per game prior to last week’s victory, the Cardinals labored through the final three quarters against Kent State. Leading 10-0, Ball State punted five times and missed on a pair of 50-yard field goal tries until capitalizing on Kent State miscues and taking its final possession just 37 yards from paydirt. Four plays later, the Cardinals were celebrating.
— Ball State defensive end Nathan Voorhis added his MAC-leading 11th sack of the season against Kent State. He ranks first nationally in sacks per game (1.22), second in total sacks, and has earned at least one sack in seven of Ball State’s nine games. Within two sacks of the Cardinals’ program record, his 11 sacks are the most since Anthony Winbush recorded 11.5 in 2017. The Ball State record of 13 is shared by Kelly George (1982) and Craig Newburg (1981).
— Other defensive stars against Kent State included Joey Stemler with a season-high 10 tackles, the most by a Ball State player this season, and Joedrick Lewis who corraled an interception for the third straight game. Lewis’ fourth-quarter pick turned back one of several Kent State drives deep in Cardinals’ territory.
— Offensively, Qua Ashley and Kiael Kelly remain the Cardinals’ rushing leaders with 525 and 470 net yards this season. Kelly’s 1,155 passing yards this season already have surpassed his first three seasons combined (608), more than doubling his career total to 1,763.
WHAT A WIN MEANS:
— Ball State will record consecutive wins for the first time this season.
— Ball State will move to 5-0 in Scheumann Stadium for the first time since 2013 when the Cardinals went 6-0 at home (10-3 overall) and earned a berth into the GoDaddy Bowl.
— The Cardinals will finish with an unbeaten and untied home record for the eighth time at Scheumann Stadium and the 17th time in program history. The last was a 3-0 mark in 2020.
— The Cardinals will win their fourth MAC game for the first time since a 4-4 mark in 2021.
— Mike Uremovich will become the first Ball State coach to go unbeaten at home in his first year as coach, since Dwight Wallace went 5-0 (10-1 overall, 8-0 MAC) and won the MAC title in 1978.
INSIDE THE SERIES: EASTERN MICHIGAN
— Saturday’s 66th meeting between Ball State and Eastern Michigan stands as the longest series in program history.
— Since 14 meetings between 1936 and 1970, the Cardinals and Eagle met on the gridiron in every season from 1973 to 2023 (51 seasons), stopped last season when the MAC dropped its divisional format.
— Besting the Eagles with a 37-26-2 record in the series, Ball State has gotten the better of Eastern Michigan at both Scheumann Stadium (17-13-2) and Rynearson Stadium (20-13).
— Since 2000, the Cardinals are 16-8 vs. EMU.
— Ball State began playing in the MAC in 1975, EMU in 1976. Prior to 1976, EMU led the early years of the series, 9-6-2. But since both schools have competed in the MAC, Ball State boasts a 31-17 advantage.
— The last time Eastern Michigan won three straight against the Cardinals was 2016-18, taking two in Muncie and one in Ypsilanti.
SENIOR DAY
— Twenty-one Ball State senior student-athletes will be honored before Saturday’s Senior Day game against EMU: Jack Beebe, Drew Cassens, Alfred Chea, Adam Dolan, Koby Gross, Otto Hess, Scott Hudson, Drew Hughes, Kiael Kelly, Qian Magwood, Muheem McCargo, DC Pippin, Nick Presley, Aaron Roberts, Hunter Sanderson, Adam Saul, Zavier Simpson, Joey Stemler, Nathan Voorhis, Jackson Wiegold and Khristian Zachary.
— Nine of those departing seniors players are among 11 Cardinals have already received their undergraduate degrees:
From Ball State (6): Jack Beebe, Drew Hughes, Aidan Leffler, Joey Stemler, Maximus Webster and Jackson Wiegold
Transfers (5): Drew Cassens (Butler), Alfred Chea (UConn), Adam Dolan (Butler), Aaron Roberts (Purdue) and Eric Weatherly (Bucknell).
— Also recognized on Saturday will be seven senior student staffers: Brittney Bottomley, Megan Heilman, Cecelia Kramer, Dane Massey, Cam Pippin, Cosmo Rodriguez and Madisyn Standridge.
STATEMENT WIN FOR UREMOVICH?
— First-year coach Mike Uremovich aims to become just the second coach in Ball State history to open his first season with an unbeaten and untied record in the Cardinals’ home stadium.
— He would be the first to do so while inheriting a team with a losing record.
— The only other coach to make that claim was Dwight Wallace in 1978, who inherited a 9-2 team and went 10-1 to win a conference title in his first season. Wallace and the Cardinals won the MAC championship (8-0) while finishing 5-0 at Scheumann Stadium.
TWO-WIN IMPROVEMENT IN FIRST SEASON
— Mike Uremovich can lead the Cardinals to a two-win improvement over last season’s three wins, with a Saturday victory over EMU. Since World War II, no coach has ever recorded more than a two-win improvement in his first year.
— Former Ball State coaches with a two-win improvement in their first season: George Serdula (1953), Ray Louthen (1962), Bill Lynch (1995), Pete Lembo (2011).
STILL IN CHAMPIONSHIP CONVERSATION
— With three games to play in the regular season, Ball State (3-2 in MAC play) remains one of seven teams within a game of first place in the Mid-American Conference.
— Ball State’s only defeat against the other top six programs was its loss at Western Michigan.
— Looming large in any tiebreaker scenario is Ball State’s 20-14 win over co-leader and defending champ Ohio.
— Key games for the Cardinals are road bouts at Toledo (3-2) and Miami (4-1) to end the regular season.
— Under the leadership of first-year coach Mike Uremovich, Ball State was picked 10th in the MAC coaches preseason poll.
EVERY GAME TIGHT IN THE MAC
— Eleven of Ball State’s past 17 games in the MAC have been decided by six points or less. Eleven of the last 15 have been decided by seven or less.
— Six out of eight Ball State games in the Mid-American Conference last year were decided by six points or less — five of those by three points or less.
— Last season’s only games not decided by six points or less were the season’s final two games following a coaching change.
— The 2024 campaign marked the first time in program history with six or more MAC games decided by six points or fewer.
SHAQ VANN: EMU GRAD & BALL STATE WR COACH AMONG 30 COACHES UNDER 30
— Wide receivers coach and Eastern Michigan grad Shaq Vann has been named one of the top young Division I coaches in America by 247Sports.com. He had a successful on-field debut with the Cardinals, coaching a pair of all-conference selections (Cam Pickett, Malcolm Gillie) and having a successful recruiting cycle despite a head coaching change. Retained by Mike Uremovich, he previously spent time at Washington where he was a GA working with wide receivers. That WR group helped lead the Huskies to the national title game and had a trio of players picked among the first three rounds of the NFL Draft.
— A native of South Bend, Indiana, Vann earned a master’s degree at EMU while serving as a graduate assistant for two seasons before landing at Washington. A star running back for the Eagles, Vann ranks sixth in the EMU record book with 24 career touchdowns and finished his EMU career seventh with a career 2,577 rushing yards.
— Vann’s wide receiver group in 2025 may be led by veterans Qian Magwood, Ty Robinson and transfer Eric Weatherly, but the strongest of the group may be up-and-coming youngster Donovan Hamilton.
TURNOVER CARDS IN LAST FOUR GAMES
— Over the past four games, the Ball State defense has forced EIGHT turnovers (5 INTs, 3 FRs), compared to just ONE in its first five games.
LEWIS LEADING CARDINALS AIR DEFENSE
— Ball State has intercepted a pass in four straight games, with Joedrick Lewis boasting an interception in each of the past three.
LIMIT THE FLAGS
— Ball State is the MAC’s leader in fewest penalties (40), fewest penalty yards (339), fewest penalties per game (4.44) and fewest penalty yards per game (37.67).
Fewest Penalties – 1st in MAC, 10th in FBS
Fewest Penalties/Gm – 1st in MAC, 12th in FBS
Fewest Penalty Yds – 1st in MAC, 11th in FBS
Fewest Penalty Yds/Gm – 1st in MAC, 11th in FBS
VOORHIS: FBS SACKS LEADER
— Nathan Voorhis (pronounced VORR-is) currently ranks first among FBS sack leaders (1.22 per game), and is two shy of Ball State’s single-season program record of 13. His 11.0 total sacks rank second nationally.
— Voorhis has had a sack in seven of Ball State’s nine games and boasts eight sacks over four Cardinals’ home games, including a career-high 3.5 in a victory over MAC-leading Ohio.
— His 3.5 sacks against Ohio are the second-most in any game by an FBS player this year, trailing four by Isaiah Smith of SMU, against Boston College. (Ironically, Voorhis’ 3.5 vs. Ohio are tied by Western Michigan’s Nadame Tucker who had 3.5 against Ball State.)
FBS Sacks Leaders
Player Gms Sacks Yds SPG
1. Nathan Voorhis, Ball State 9 11.0 74 1.22
2. Cashius Howell, Tex A&M 9 10.5 76 1.17
3. David Bailey, Texas Tech 10 11.5 107 1.15
CARDINALS’ ALL-TIME SACKS LEADERS
— MAC and FBS sacks leader Nathan Voorhis boasts 11.0 sacks on the year, twice as many as last year’s leader, Riley Tolsma, who had 5.5.
— Voorhis is just the second Ball State player since 2000 to record at least 10 sacks in a season. His current total of 11.0 is the most in a season for a Cardinals’ defender since Anthony Winbush registered 11.5 in 2017.
Ball State Single-Season Sacks Leaders
Player Sacks Yds
1. Kelly George, 1982 13.0 —
Craig Newbury, 1981 13.0 —
3. Anthony Winbush, 2017 11.5 64
4. Nathan Voorhis, 2025 11.0 74
Keith McKenzie, 1995 11.0 52
Bryant Branigan, 1992 11.0 72
— Anthony Winbush is the Cardinals’ “NCAA-recognized” official record-holder with 11.5 sacks in 2017. Sacks have been officially recognized as an NCAA statistic since 2000. Ball State sack records date to 1978. Ball State sack yardage records date to 1990.
— Since sack yardage was first recorded at Ball State in 1990, Voorhis’ 74 yards in sack yardage this year is second in program history to Toby Beagle who had nine sacks for 82 yards in 1990.
CARDINALS AMONG MAC & FBS SACK LEADERS
— As a team, Ball State’s 2.33 sacks per game (21 total) rank fourth in the MAC and 40th nationally.
KELLY AS QB1
— Kiael Kelly has appeared in 33 career games and been a starter in 18 games overall (twice at WR, once as utility QB).
— In the 15 games in which he has started as Ball State’s primary QB, Kelly has amassed 1,107 rushing yards on 265 carries, for an average of 73.8 yards per game.
— He has rushed for 90+ yards in six of his 15 starts as QB1, including games this year against New Hampshire and Ohio.
— The Cardinals are 6-5 in the MAC with Kelly as QB1, including a 3-3 mark to end the 2023 season.
— With Kelly at the helm in 2023, Ball State averaged 235.3 rush yards over its last six games.
CAREER RUSHING BY A CARDINALS QB
— Kiael Kelly is always a threat to gain yards with his legs, and he enters the Eastern Michigan game 245 yards shy of the Cardinals’ career record for rushing yards by a quarterback. He is currently second in career rush yards by a QB.
— He must average at least 82 yards per game in order to break the QB rushing record by the end of the regular season.
— He tallied 83 yards in one game as a reserve in 2022. He rushed for 724 yards during a six-game stint as starter in 2023, and he compiled 91 lining up as a QB or wildcat last season.
— Those 724 yards over six games in 2023 stand as a Ball State single-season record for a quarterback.
— He boasts 1,368 career rush yards overall through nine games of the 2025 season. He is one of just three Ball State QBs ever to rush for over 1,000 yards in their careers.
Ball State Career Rushing Yards by a Quarterback
Player Yards Carries
1. Art Yaroch, 1973-76 1,613 421
2. Kiael Kelly, 2022-present 1,368 340
GAMES WITH 100 RUSHING YARDS BY A QB
— Kiael Kelly is the second QB in Ball State history to rush for at least 100 yards in two different games. The other, Art Yaroch (pronounced yuh-ROW), quarterbacked from 1973-76 (in Ball State’s first season in the MAC in 1975, and in their first league championship season a year later). Yaroch rushed for 100+ yards on four occasions.
KELLY PASSING HIGHS
— Kiael (pronounced ky-ELL) Kelly had the three best passing games of his career in Ball State’s games against UConn, Ohio and Kent State.
— He had career highs with 17 completions and 209 passing yards at UConn, in addition to catching the first touchdown pass of his career.
— He had similar numbers against Ohio, with 17 completions and a career-high 33 pass attempts. His 185 passing yards were the second-highest total of his career.
— Against Kent State, he completed 17 passes for a third time this season and his 173 passing yards were the third-best of his career.
— Kelly’s 53-yard strike to Qian Magwood at UConn, one play before his 19-yard TD reception from Magwood, was the longest throw of his career.
— He has accounted for (passed or scored) at least two touchdowns in five of the Cardinals’ past seven games.
MAGWOOD & KELLY CONNECTIONS
— Fifth-year senior Qian Magwood is Ball State’s only returning player from the Cardinals’ 2020 MAC championship season and he currently leads Ball State with 18.3 yards per catch. His 13 receptions are second to Eric Weatherly among wide receivers and he is always a favorite target of QB Kiael Kelly.
— In the Ohio win, Kelly found Magwood for a 43-yard game-winning TD down the left sideline with 57 seconds remaining in the game.
— On the final play of the first quarter at UConn, Kelly found Magwood on a screen pass. Magwood sprinted the right sideline for 53 yards for what was the longest catch of Magwood’s career and the longest pass of Kelly’s.
— To open the second quarter, Kelly handed to Magwood on a reverse and ventured into his own route in the right flat. On the first pass of his career, Magwood found Kelly for a 19-yard TD, reaching the end zone for Ball State’s first score.
— In two consecutive plays at UConn, Kelly & Magwood connected for 72 yards with career longs and career firsts for both of them.
STRONG IN RUN GAME IS UREMOVICH MANTRA
–Since hired last December, head coach Mike Uremovich has preached a strong run game.
–Ball State has rushed at least 33 times in eight of nine games this season, averaging 134.3 yards per game on the ground. The Cardinals have tallied at least 170 rushing yards in four games, most recently with 216 yards in the win over Akron.
–Ball State is 3-1 when rushing for at least 170 yards. By comparison, Eastern Michigan has allowed at least 115 rushing yards in all 10 games, and at least 170 yards, with a 1-7 record, in 8 of 10.
–Ball State’s season high 308 rushing yards against New Hampshire were the most Ball State rush yards in a game since 2019.
–The Cardinals had 243 yards on just 15 carries at halftime against UNH. It was just the 15th 300-yard rushing game in Ball State’s 101-year football history.
CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH A RECEPTION
— Wide receiver Eric Weatherly has caught a pass in 32 consecutive games, counting 23 over every game with Bucknell the past two seasons.
Only eight players in the country have caught passes in more consecutive games.
BY THE NUMBERS
6-5 — Kiael Kelly’s record in the MAC as QB1. He was 3-3 during a six-game stretch in 2023, and 3-2 to begin the 2025 campaign.
8 — Takeaways by Ball State over its past four games — five INTs and three fumble recoveries. The Cardinals collected just one in their first five games
11 — Sacks by Nathan Voorhis are the most by a Cardinal since Anthony Winbush had 11.5 in the 2017 season. The program record is 13.
5-0 — Ball State is looking to improve to 5-0 at home for the first time since the 2013 season, when the Cardinals went 6-0 at “The Scheu.”
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BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEN’S BASKETBALL SIGNS GUARD AMARI BARRETT TO 2026 CLASS
The Ball State men’s basketball team and head coach Michael Lewis have announced the signing of Amari Barrett to the program.
A 6-foot-4 guard from Edmond, Okla., Barrett was a second team All-State selection as a junior at Millwood High School. The three-time team captain averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists per game to lead his team to a Class 3A State Championship and 22-5 record in 2024-25.
Barrett averaged 14 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists per game as a sophomore for a team that finished as state runner-up in the 2023-24 season.
“I’m really excited about adding Amari to our program,” Lewis said. “I think he, much like some of the guards we have on our team right now, has athleticism, versatility, quickness, length, and a really competitive spirit which we value in our program.”
Barrett has been named the Greater Metro Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year twice.
Academically, Barrett is a National Honor Society member and plans to major in business at Ball State when enrolling prior to the 2026-27 season.
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INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
SYCAMORE BENCH SHINES IN HOME-OPENING ROUT OF EIU
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State women’s basketball made its 2025-26 home debut Tuesday night inside Hulman Center and delivered an emphatic response, cruising past Eastern Illinois 90-69 to notch its first win of the season.
Tierney Kelsey once again led the way off the bench, posting a game and career-high 22 points. Jayci Allen followed with 21 points and Clemisha Prackett chipped in 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Sycamores’ first double-double of the season. Kennedy Claybrooks directed the offense with eight assists as the Sycamores improved to 1-1 on the year.
Indiana State led for nearly the entirety of the game, but things didn’t come easy in the early stages. The Sycamores used a 15-2 run early in the second quarter to take control as Kelsey and Allen both hit double-figures in the first half, but EIU fought back and was within two possessions at the half. Indiana State extended its lead back to double-digits in the third quarter and used a 14-3 run to start the fourth quarter to effectively put the game out of reach. Prackett nearly recorded a double-double in just the fourth quarter as the Trees picked up their first win of the season in the home opener.
First Half
Indiana State struck first, jumping out to a quick 5-0 lead behind a three-pointer from Samiyah Briggs and a driving layup from Claybrooks. Eastern Illinois responded with a 12-2 run to take control early, but the Sycamores answered right back. A balanced attack featuring five different scorers fueled a 10-2 Indiana State run, putting the Trees back in front 17-14 late in the first quarter. After EIU tied it up with free throws in the final seconds, Da’Naria Washington knocked down two of her own to give Indiana State a 19-17 edge after 10 minutes.
The Sycamores extended their lead midway through the second quarter, using another strong stretch sparked by Allen to go up 35-19. The Panthers trimmed the margin with a 9-0 run, but Kelsey halted the momentum with a pair of free throws. Both teams traded baskets and trips to the line in the closing minutes, as the half ended with Indiana State holding a 42-37 advantage.
Second Half
Indiana State came out firing in the third, as Briggs opened with a three-pointer and Washington followed with a pull-up jumper. The Sycamores continued to find their rhythm offensively, and a 7-0 run capped by an Allen jumper pushed the lead to 59-45. EIU managed to stay within striking distance, but Indiana State maintained control heading into the fourth with a 62-53 lead.
The Sycamores put the game out of reach early in the final frame. Flowers and Prackett hit back-to-back jumpers to start the quarter, and a 10-0 run moments later, highlighted by Kelsey’s inside finishing, stretched the lead to 76-59. From there, Indiana State kept its foot on the gas, dominating the boards and converting at the free throw line to seal the 90-69 victory.
News and Notes
Tuesday’s game marked the first time Indiana State hit the 90-point mark since a 90-74 win over Evansville on Jan. 12, 2025. It also marked the first time with a 25-point quarter since Feb. 27, 2025 at Drake, as the Sycamores had 28 points in the fourth quarter Tuesday.
Tuesday’s game was the first for the Sycamores with 40-plus bench points since Nov. 9, 2021 vs. Stephens College. The Sycamores tallied a whopping 59 bench points Tuesday, with three players coming off the bench to score in double figures.
Tuesday’s game was the first for Indiana State with 20-plus fastbreak points and 20-plus points off turnovers since March 1, 2025 at Evansville.
Indiana State recorded six blocks Tuesday, marking the second straight game with five or more blocks to start the season.
Tierney Kelsey (22) and Jayci Allen (21) both scored in double-figures off the bench for the second straight game, while the Sycamore duo became the first players with 20-plus points off the bench for the Blue and White since Dec. 21, 2024 at Purdue.
Tuesday’s game was the first with multiple Sycamores hitting the 20-point mark since Feb. 27, 2025 at Drake, while it also marked the first time Indiana State had multiple players with 10-plus rebounds since Jan. 16, 2025 against Southern Illinois
Amerie Flowers recorded double-digit rebounds for the second straight game, pulling down 10 boards Tuesday night. Flowers is averaging 12.5 rebounds per game for the season.
Clemisha Prackett registered her first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The 14 points and 10 rebounds were both season highs, while she also added two blocks.
Kayla Smith: Season-high 6 points; career-high 6 rebounds (second 5+ rebound game this season).
Tierney Kelsey set career highs in points (22), field goals made (7) and free throws (8), while tying her career high of five rebounds. Kelsey also drew a game-high 10 fouls without committing one.
Kennedy Claybrooks dished out a career-high eight assists, while adding season highs of four rebounds and two steals.
Jayci Allen notched a Division I career-high 21 points, while recording her second straight game in double figures.
Up Next
Indiana State hits the road to take on Western Kentucky Friday night. Tipoff in the opener of the Sycamores’ three-game road trip is set for 7:30 p.m.
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PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BESS CALLED GAME – MASTODONS KNOCK OFF PURDUE 68-67
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – On a day riddled with potential distractions, the Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball team was anything but distracted.
The Mastodons, who pregame had unveiled a banner for the accomplishments of last year’s squad’s run to the WNIT Great 8, could have coasted on the quality and successes of their former vintage.
The pregame Party in the Paint or the 1,158 screaming fans could have pulled the Mastodons’ focus. But as Lili Krasovec said in her media availability earlier in the week, “our focus is to be focused.”
The Mastodons sure did that.
Freshman Rylee Bess drilled a step-back 3-pointer with 5.7 seconds left to knock off Purdue 68-67 in the Gates Sports Center for the Mastodons’ first-ever win over the Boilermakers.
Out of a Mastodon timeout, Purdue Fort Wayne designed a play for Krasovec, who had dominated in the post all evening. Lauren Lee found Krasovec in the post and a double-team approached. The veteran from Hungary was patient, flung a pass to the top of the key for Bess. Bess shook her single defender with a step-back and buried the triple, marking an instant classic that will go down as one of the most clutch shots in Mastodon history.
With the win, Purdue Fort Wayne moved to 1-2 and handed the Boilers their first loss as they fell to 2-1.
While the freshman Bess’ game-winning 3-pointer stole the highlights and the hype of the game, the play of the experienced upperclassmen that made the difference in the contest. Jordan Reid finished with 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting, seven rebounds and three steals. Krasovec was 4-for-6 from the floor and 7-for-8 from the line for 15 points. Alana Nelson went 6-for-13 from the floor for 14 points.
Purdue Fort Wayne never gave in to Purdue’s inside pressure. While the Boilermakers finished 20-of-34 (58.8 percent) inside the arc, the Mastodons never trailed by more than six. It was a back-and-forth contest, but the Mastodons forced 24 turnovers en route to 24 points off those turnovers. There were 18 ties and 14 lead changes.
The Mastodons led by one at the halftime break, but Purdue had an 8-0 run that put the Boilers up six early in the third quarter. The aforementioned upperclassmen sparked a 10-2 run to go back up two. In the fourth quarter, free throws started to pile up on both sides, eventually putting the Boilermakers up two with 1:29 left.
Purdue’s Hila Karsh grabbed an offensive rebound after a missed free throw, but a good defensive stand gave the ‘Dons a chance. A miss by the Mastodons gave Purdue a look on the following possession, but the Mastodons played 29 seconds of smothering defense that led to a missed 3-pointer. That set up Bess’ shining moment and sealed the Mastodon victory.
Purdue Fort Wayne finished the game shooting 24-of-50 (48.0 percent) from the floor while Purdue shot 27-of-57 (47.4 percent). The Mastodons led 24-9 in points off turnovers and 32-28 in points in the paint.
Purdue Fort Wayne (1-2) will host Southern Illinois on Saturday (Nov. 15) at 5 p.m. in the Gates Sports Center. It will be a doubleheader with the men’s program, which plays Boyce at 2 p.m.
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PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL
HADNOT SCORES 32 IN SETBACK AT WMU
KALAMZOO, Mich. – Corey Hadnot II had a career-high 32 points in Purdue Fort Wayne’s 83-71 men’s basketball loss at Western Michigan on Wednesday (Nov. 12) evening.
Hadnot added four steals to go with his 32 points. DeAndre Craig Jr. recorded 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Western Michigan out-shot Purdue Fort Wayne 44 percent to 35 percent in the contest. The Broncos did their damage in the second half, out-scoring the ‘Dons 51-34 in the final 20 minutes to erase a five-point Mastodon advantage at the break. Jayden Brewer had a team-high 26 points for WMU. 21 points came in the second half.
Western Michigan improves to 2-2. The ‘Dons fall to 1-3. The ‘Dons host Boyce on Saturday.
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EVANSVILLE MEN’S SOCCER NEWS
FOUR-GOAL OUTBURST POWERS ACES TO MVC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Entering the MVC Tournament with the number one seed for the first time in program history, the University of Evansville men’s soccer team flexed their muscles on Wednesday night, besting fifth-seeded UIC 4-1 at Arad McCutchan Stadium.
MVC Freshman of the Year Andres Escudero (San Sebastián de los Reyes, Spain/IES Joan Miro) notched his fourth brace of the season, scoring the Aces’ first and fourth goals. Devin Shepherd (Denver, Colo./Arapahoe) and Nate Roberts (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman) added goals to mark Evansville’s highest scoring output of the season.
Evansville jumped on the Flames immediately, with Pablo Calvete (Ponferrada, Spain/UNIR) taking the ball away from a UIC player and using some nifty dribbling to send a through ball to Escudero. From there, Evansville’s star freshman used his speed to get behind the defense and sneak a right-footed shot past the UIC keeper and inside the far post to net his 10th goal of the season.
The Purple Aces kept the pressure on, as Escudero nearly found another goal less than two minutes later, beginning a barrage of six shots in the next 20 minutes of play. The Aces broke through in the 25th minute on a wild sequence, with Escudero and Tancredi Fadda (Monza, Italy/University of Milan) tallying shots before Shepherd came up with possession. From just inside the right side of the box, Sheperd struck, hitting the crossbar and finding the back of the net for his fifth goal of the year, making it 2-0.
The Evansville offense kept humming in the first half, finding another scoring chance in the 35th minute off an errant pass from the UIC keeper. Armon Haghighat (Irvine, Calif./Irvine Valley CC) corralled the ball before passing to Roberts, who gave the ball to Ben Zec (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) at the top of the box. Zec gave the ball right back to Roberts, who slid a shot past the keeper for his second goal in the last three matches and increasing the lead to three.
In the final minute of the half, UIC earned a penalty, and although the penalty shot was saved by Evansville keeper Michal Mroz (Elk Grove, Ill./Elk Grove), the Flames’ Edouard Nys collected his shot and tapped the ball in to make it 3-1 heading into half.
Evansville put a cherry on top of the night in the 66th minute of play, finding their fourth goal of the evening. Nacho Diaz-Caneja (Coruña, Spain/Oregon State) started the attack, putting a beautiful pass into the box for Shepherd. Although Shepherd’s shot was saved, Escudero collected the deflection right in front of the goal for a tap-in, securing the brace.
On the night, Evansville out-shot UIC 20-9, including a 12-4 advantage in shots on goal. Escudero and Shepherd each tallied five shots on the night, with Escudero putting four on target and Shepherd adding three. Mroz made three saves for the Aces.
“It was a great performance,” said Head Coach Robbe Tarver. “The message this week has been “prove it”. I don’t think many people believed in this team before the season started, except the guys in the locker room. All year we have proven that we can be very good, and I said tonight you have to go prove it again, and I think that’s what our guys did.”
“I think they really have an understanding of what it means to wear Evansville across their chest and what they represent, who they represent, and the people that have come before them that have set the standard.”
“There have been meaningful soccer games in Evansville in November on our campus, and we wanted to get back to that. For us to have that tonight, with probably our best performance of the year, that was really special. Now it’s prove it again on Saturday, with even more people in the stands, because we are going to need another big crowd to win an MVC title!”
With the win, Evansville moves to 7-4-8 overall and advances to the MVC Championship game for the fourth time in the last five years, taking on sixth-seeded Western Michigan. Kick-off for Saturday’s MVC Championship at Arad McCutchan Stadium is set for 6 PM.
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EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PURPLE ACES DROP ROAD CONTEST AT EASTERN KENTUCKY
RICHMOND, Ky. – Sophomore Avery Kelley (Evansville, Ind./Memorial) scored a team-high 15 points for her second double figure scoring effort of the season on Wednesday night, but the Evansville women’s basketball team fell to host Eastern Kentucky by a score of 83-60 inside Baptist Health Arena.
Logan Luebbers Palmer (Union, Ky./Randall K. Cooper) added 10 points for the Aces, while Elle Snyder (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) led the team with six rebounds.
EKU began the game red-hot from the field, shooting 70% in the first quarter of play to open up an early lead. Lubbers Palmer scored the Aces’ first two baskets of the night before Kelley knocked down a three-point jumper, making it a 15-7 game at the 6:16 mark. However, the Colonels continued to stay hot, extending the lead to 19 at the end of the quarter.
Midway through the second quarter, Evansville put together a run, with Sydney Huber (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Mount Vernon) and Kelley helping the Aces to a seven-point scoring swing. However, EKU went on run of their own to end the half, taking a 57-31 lead at the break.
Transfer Mireia Mustaros (Barcelona, Spain/Odessa College) led the Aces in the third quarter, scoring six points, but the Colonels took a 73-46 lead into the fourth quarter.
After another basket from Mustaros to start the final quarter of play, Luebbers Palmer knocked down a three-pointer to get into double figures for the second game in a row. The fourth quarter also saw the first collegiate points from Daniela Llavero (Malaga, Spain/IES Mediterráneo), while fellow freshman BreAunna Ward (St. Louis, John Burroughs School) added a basket in a night in which she scored her first collegiate points, finishing the game with six points.
The Aces return to action on Sunday, closing out a season-opening road swing at Wright State. Tip-off is set for 1 PM from Dayton.
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SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
EAGLES OPEN ROAD SLATE WITH WIN AGAINST BILLIKENS
ST. LOUIS – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball showcased a strong defensive performance on Wednesday night, outlasting Saint Louis University 68-52 toward the Screaming Eagles’ first road victory of the season.
The Screaming Eagles (2-1) built off their strong defense to pull away late in the second half against the Billikens (1-3). Following a five-point halftime margin, USI outscored Saint Louis by 11 in the second half.
While USI shot the ball at a 40 percent rate (27-68), the Eagles held Saint Louis to only 30 percent from the floor (17-56). USI also limited the Billikens to 24 percent (6-25) from distance. The Eagles knocked 7-19 for 37 percent from three.
USI had five players score in double figures on Wednesday. Senior guard Ali Saunders led all scorers with a game-high 15 points and dished out five assists. Junior guard Sophia Loden added 12 points and pulled down seven rebounds. Junior guard Shannon Blacher tallied 11 points, and sophomore guard Lexi Sepulveda netted 11 points off the bench, one off her career high. Junior forward Chloe Gannon registered 10 points.
In a defensive first half of basketball, Gannon got the Screaming Eagles going to open the contest with a pair of baskets. The two teams exchanged blows in the middle of the first quarter. USI built a 12-7 lead with under four minutes left in the opening period following consecutive makes by Loden and Sepulveda off two Saint Louis turnovers. The Eagles’ lead grew to seven, but the Billikens closed the gap in the final minute. USI led 16-13 through the first 10 minutes of action.
The game went scoreless for the first two and a half minutes of the second quarter, which was followed by another scoring drought. The first field goal of the second frame came with 4:30 left in the first half. The Billikens hit a triple and another basket to take an 18-17 lead. The Screaming Eagles answered with an 8-0 run off a couple of made three-pointers by Sepulveda and junior forward Amiyah Buchanan, as well as a jumper from Saunders. USI ended up going into the halftime locker room with a 26-21 advantage.
The Eagles came out of the break on fire, scoring 26 third-quarter points. Blacher scored a couple of field goals, including a three-pointer, early in the quarter, while Saunders drained a pair of threes in the middle of the third to help USI’s lead grow to 41-32 halfway through the quarter. Blacher scored again on a layup with four minutes left in the third to extend the Screaming Eagles’ advantage into double digits, 45-34. Saint Louis made a small run, but USI carried a 52-43 lead to the fourth quarter.
After a higher-scoring third quarter, USI’s defense dug in for the final frame and limited Saint Louis to single-digit scoring in a quarter for the second time in the game. The Eagles took advantage of six Billiken turnovers in the fourth quarter. Buchanan and Sepulveda each converted off Saint Louis turnovers near the midway point of the fourth to push USI’s lead to 13, 58-45. A pair of made jumpers from Saunders in the last two and a half minutes to give USI a 14-point cushion helped cement the victory before an exclamation point three-pointer by Blacher in the waning seconds of the contest.
USI will be back home for the next two games over the next couple of weeks. The Screaming Eagles’ next game will be against Indiana University East on Monday, November 17, at 6 p.m. inside Liberty Arena.
Tickets for all home games at Liberty Arena can be purchased online at usiscreamingeagles.com or at the USI Ticket Office.
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VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
CHANEY SCORES 24 TO LIFT VALPO PAST NICHOLLS
Freshman Rakim Chaney (Rockford, Ill. / Rockford Auburn [212° Sports Academy]) poured in a game-high 24 points, leading the Valparaiso University men’s basketball team to a 68-63 victory over visiting Nicholls in the final game of the season-opening BBN Tipoff on Wednesday night at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
How It Happened
The Beacons scored the first four points of the game and Chaney added an early 3, but Nicholls used a 7-0 run to take a 10-7 lead. Chaney hit another triple to make it 10-10, and soon after Shon Tupuola (Brownsburg, Ind. / Brownsburg [Saint Mary-of-the-Woods]) slammed home a dunk to seesaw Valpo back ahead 14-13.
The Tupuola dunk started a 13-0 run that turned a one-point deficit into a 12-point advantage. Another Chaney trey capped the Beacon burst.
The Colonels scored the final six points of the half on a pair of 3s to slice the deficit in half, as the Beacons went into the break up 25-19 with Chaney accounting for over half of the team’s first-half scoring with 13 points.
Nicholls scored the first six points of the second half to level the contest at 25. Valpo scored the next four including a dunk by Tupuola. Dease hit a 3 with 15:03 on the clock to put Valpo ahead 32-30.
The Valpo lead fluctuated between two and six and reached seven when Brody Whitaker (Greencastle, Ind. / Greencastle [University of Indianapolis [Marian]) drained a 3 at the 7:52 mark that made it 49-42. Nicholls rallied to tie the game at 51 on a 3 with 6:08 left.
A driving layup by Tucker Tornatta (Evansville, Ind. / Reitz Memorial [University of Indianapolis]) put Valpo back in front. The Colonels slimmed the lead to one on a 3 with 3:17 left, but Valpo eventually extended the lead to six as Dease slammed down a dunk on a Chaney assist with 1:43 remaining. JT Pettigrew (Lisle, Ill. / Bolingbrook) had a dunk with 10 seconds remaining to provide an exclamation mark.
Inside the Game
Chaney finished with 24 points, six rebounds and three assists while also grabbing two steals. He went 8-of-11 from the floor and 4-of-5 from 3.
Chaney became the first Valpo player with a 24-point, six-rebound game that included eight made field goals and four made 3s since Quinton Green on Feb. 11, 2023 vs. Illinois State. If you toss in the three assists and two steals, Chaney was the first Valpo player since Tevonn Walker on Jan. 10, 2018 vs. Drake to post that stat line.
Chaney became the first Valpo freshman to make eight shots and four 3s as part of a game that featured at least 24 points and at least six rebounds since Alec Peters on Dec. 14, 2013 vs. Loyola Marymount.
Chaney became the second freshman nationally with a 24-point, six-rebound game featuring eight made field goals and four made 3s this season, joining Duke’s Cameron Boozer (Nov. 8 vs. Western Carolina).
Chaney and Carter Hopoi (Tauranga, New Zealand / Mount Maunganui College NZ]) each made their first career starts.
Dease tallied 13 points and had a team-best plus-minus of +17.
Tupuola recorded 10 points and seven rebounds while recording two blocks.
Whitaker contributed nine points and seven rebounds, sharing the team lead on the glass.
The two teams had similar shooting numbers with Nicholls at 43.1 percent and Valpo at 41.5. The Colonels caught fire in the second half, shooting 53.6 percent including 50 percent from deep over the final 20 minutes.
Valpo has held its opponent to exactly 63 points in each of its last three victories – the two this season vs. Nicholls and Eastern Illinois and last year’s MVC quarterfinal win over UNI. Also, Valpo held Brescia to 62 points in an exhibition game leading into this season.
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VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
NENADIC LEADS WAY AS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL BATTLES #16/18 IOWA STATE
Valpo women’s basketball redshirt junior Milana Nenadic (Kitchener, Ontario/Cameron Heights [Idaho State/Maine]) enjoyed easily the most prolific game of her collegiate career, exploding for 20 points to lead the Beacons on Wednesday as they dropped a 97-50 decision at #16/18 Iowa State.
How It Happened
Matched up against Iowa State All-American post Audi Crooks, Nenadic went right at her early on, scoring eight points in the first four-plus minutes to help Valpo to a 10-8 lead.
The Cyclones closed the final 5:26 of the opening period on an 8-0 run to lead 16-10 with 10 minutes elapsed.
Iowa State pushed its lead to double figures for the first time three minutes into the second quarter, but on back-to-back possessions, Kylie Waytashek (Royalton, Minn./Royalton) and Mor Shabtai (Tel Aviv, Israel/Tichonet) drilled 3-pointers to bring the Beacons back within 24-18 with 6:10 to play in the half.
The Cyclones limited Valpo to just four points the remainder of the half, reeling off a 19-4 run to close the half as the Beacons trailed 43-22 at halftime.
Nenadic had eight points as Valpo out-scored Iowa State 17-11 over the first 6:50 of the second half to bring its deficit down to 54-39.
The Cyclones once again closed the quarter on a run, this time a 13-3 run to push their lead back out to 67-42 with 10 minutes to play, and then scored the first six of the fourth quarter en route to the win.
Inside the Game
Wednesday’s game was the 49th time in program history Valpo has faced a nationally-ranked team and the eighth time it has played a current Big 12 program.
Nenadic more than doubled her previous collegiate scoring output with her 20-point night, which included the first 3-pointer of her career. Making her first collegiate start, the junior also matched her career high with six rebounds and set a new best with a pair of steals.
Shabtai tied her career best in the scoring column, dropping eight points for the second time this season. She also handed out four assists, just one off her career high, while not committing a turnover in 29 minutes of action.
Kamryn Winch (Bonne Terre, Mo./North County [Maryville]) led all players with eight rebounds, while Autumn Dibb (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) came down with six boards.
Valpo shot just 29% (18-of-62) from the floor and was 5-of-17 from 3-point range. Iowa State hit at a 53.4% clip (39-of-73) from the field, but the Beacons held the Cyclones to just 4-of-16 from the 3-point line.
Crooks scored a school-record 43 points for the Cyclones, the first time Valpo has surrendered 40+ to an opposing player since 1991.
Next Up
Valpo (0-3) gets its home schedule underway Sunday afternoon as part of Back-to-Back Beacons day at the ARC, as the women host Milwaukee at 4 p.m. Tickets are available at bit.ly/Valpo-Tickets.
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SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
SCREAMING EAGLES SET FOR HISTORIC RUN
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Men’s and Women’s Cross Country makes their long-awaited return to the NCAA post-season Friday when they co-host the NCAA Division I Great Lakes Region Championships Friday at Angel Mounds.
Friday’s races mark the first time in school history that the Screaming Eagles will compete in an NCAA-sponsored post-season event in any sport, and they will do it in front of their home crowd.
A total of 35 schools from four states (Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin) and nine different conferences will converge on Angel Mounds Friday and the Screaming Eagles will find themselves competing against multiple Power 4 institutions, including six from the Big Ten.
USI’s men are coming off a second-place finish at the Ohio Valley Conference Championships two weeks ago in Charleston, Illinois. The Screaming Eagles finished in a tie with the University of Tennessee at Martin but lost out on a tiebreaker as UT-Martin claimed a 3-2 win in comparing the top five runners for each team against each other.
Junior Alex Nolan and senior Dominick Beine both earned first-team All-Conference honors after finishing third and sixth, respectively. Nolan was named the OVC Male Athlete of the Year the previous day after carding four top 20 finishes on the season and earning OVC Runner of the Week honors three times.
USI’s women were third at the OVC Championships despite placing three runners in the top 15 of the race. Sophomore Hadessah Austin and junior Ellie Hall both raced to first-team All-OVC honors with respective finishes of fourth and fifth, while junior Zoe Seward finished 14th to coral second-team All-OVC accolades.
Hall also was named the OVC Female Athlete of the Year after being named the OVC Runner of the Week twice and posting the conference’s fastest six-kilometer time (20 minutes, 58.5 seconds) during the regular season.
As for the field, Michigan State, Butler, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Michigan respectively represent the top five teams in the most-recent U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association Great Lakes Region Poll. Purdue, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Toledo and Youngstown State rounded out the top 10, while Oakland, Miami, Akron, Ohio and USI were all in the top 15.
Nationally, Michigan State (13th), Butler (14th), Wisconsin (15th) and Notre Dame (16th) find themselves in the top 20 of the latest USTFCCCA Top 30 Men’s Coaches’ Poll. Michigan was ranked No. 26.
On the women’s side, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Toledo and Ohio were the top five teams in the latest USTFCCCA Great Lakes Region Poll. Cincinnati, Bowling Green, Michigan, Ohio State and Xavier rounded out the top 10, while Central Michigan, Miami (OH), Indiana State, Indiana and Youngstown State were in the top 15.
Nationally, Notre Dame is ranked No. 5 in the latest USTFCCCA Top 30 Women’s Coaches’ Poll. Michigan State and Wisconsin are ranked No. 23 and No. 25, respectively.
The women’s six-kilometer race opens the competition Friday with a 10 a.m. (CST) start time, while the men’s 10k is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Admission costs are $10 at the gate and per NCAA host operations, no pets will be permitted.
Friday’s meet also is co-hosted by the Evansville Regional Sports Commission as well as the University of Evansville.
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SOUTHERN INDIANA VOLLEYBALL NEWS
USI VOLLEYBALL SET TO HOST LINDENWOOD FOR HOME SERIES FINALE
EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball is set to host Lindenwood University in the final home series of the 2025 regular season on Thursday and Friday.
Both matches will be played at 6 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+ for subscribers. Admission to both matches and all USI Volleyball home games this season will be free, courtesy of ProRehab.
The Screaming Eagles are coming off a three-game week, going 2-1. After dropping the match against Tennessee Tech University at home last Wednesday, the Screaming Eagles went on the road to sweep (2-0) the University of Tennessee at Martin. USI remains in third place in the Ohio Valley Conference rankings, boasting a 10-4 conference record and a 14-12 overall record.
Setter Aysa Thomas earned her third OVC Freshman of the Week award for her all-around performance in the Eagles’ three games. She tallied 108 assists, 36 digs, and 10 kills, averaging 9.82 assists per set and 3.27 digs per set. Thomas picked up her 17th and 18th career double-doubles in the TTU game, and the second UT Martin win.
Leading the offense in last week’s games were juniors Ashby Willis and Leah Coleman, who together made up almost half of the team’s kills in the three games last week. Willis added double-digit kills in each game for 35 total to lead the team. She also had 28 digs, marking a double-double in each of the games at UT Martin, in her best game in the final match with 14 kills and 12 digs. Coleman also recorded her best game of the week in the final match at UT Martin with 13 kills, three digs, and one block.
The Screaming Eagle defense was led by sophomore Audrey Small, who picked up 51 digs over the three games for 4.64 per set, helping the team to maintain a 16.55 digs per set average for the week. Small had her best game in the second win at UT Martin, tying her season-high with 26 digs. Behind Thomas, senior Keira Moore followed Small with 29 digs. Moore reached 1,500 career digs in the win over TTU on October 28 and now sits at 1,534. She will be honored for her achievement in the game against LU on Friday.
The defense at the net was led by junior McKenzie Murphy, who added 12 blocks, including three solo blocks. Murphy remains the blocks leader in the OVC, with 103 so far this season, averaging 1.10 per set.
Scouting the Opponent:
USI has a long history with Lindenwood University, with the first matchup between the programs in 1992. The Screaming Eagles hold an 11-1 record over the Lions, winning the last two matches in 2023 in four sets at Lindenwood. The Lions are coming off a series loss at Southeast Missouri State University, which has moved them to 6-8 in OVC play and 10-12 overall. Lindenwood is the reigning OVC champion, which was picked to finish second in the OVC, and currently sits in eighth place in conference standings.
In Lindenwood’s last match, SEMO swept them 3-0. Sophomore Autumn Bax, and reigning OVC Freshman of the Year, led the Lions’ offense in both SEMO matches, with 16 kills in game one and 14 in the second. Bax leads the team in kills for the whole season with 279 kills so far, averaging 3.44 kills per set. With the third most kills, Kylee Richey has 199 for 2.46 kills per set. In the SEMO series, she tallied 20 kills. Richey has earned three OVC Freshman of the Week awards. Leading the defensive effort at the net is redshirt sophomore Jade Roth, who has 67 blocks so far this season for .93 per set. In the back row, junior Dana Grib has 354 digs and averages 4.37 digs per set. Head Coach Will Condon, the 2024 OVC Coach of the Year, is in his ninth season at the helm. He holds a 536-271 record in his career as a coach and a 123-107 record at Lindenwood.
For updates on the final two regular-season games inside Liberty Arena, fans can follow USI Athletics on Facebook, Instagram, and X for game coverage, as well as online at usiscreamingeagles.com.
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UINDY MEN’S SOCCER NEWS
UINDY REMAINS #9 IN LATEST NCAA DII REGIONAL RANKINGS
INDIANAPOLIS – After the UIndy men’s soccer team’s run in the GLVC Tournament ended on Saturday night, the Hounds remain at No. 9 in the latest regional poll, released Wednesday afternoon.
UIndy will head into the selection show on Monday with an overall 10-5-3 record, and an 8-4-2 GLVC record. The Hounds are one of six GLVC teams to make an appearnce in this week’s rankings, joining the likes of; Lincoln, Maryville, McKendree, Missouri S&T, and Rockhurst.
The Hounds will await their NCAA Tournament fate on Monday night at 7 p.m. for the 2025 NCAA DII Tournament Selection Show.
SR3 RANKINGS
| RK. | SCHOOL | IN-REGION | OVERALL |
| 1. | Fort Hays St. | 14-0-3 | 15-0-3 |
| 2. | Lincoln (MO) | 10-0-6 | 10-0-6 |
| 3. | Rogers St. | 12-2-4 | 12-2-4 |
| 4. | Rockhurst | 12-3-3 | 12-3-3 |
| 5. | Cedarville | 11-0-7 | 11-0-7 |
| 6. | McKendree | 9-4-5 | 9-4-5 |
| 7. | Maryville (MO) | 10-6-2 | 10-6-2 |
| 8. | Tiffin | 11-2-4 | 11-2-4 |
| 9. | UIndy | 9-5-3 | 9-5-3 |
| 10. | Northeastern St. | 8-7-3 | 8-7-3 |
| 11. | Saginaw Valley | 10-2-3 | 10-2-3 |
| 12. | Missouri S&T | 9-6-3 | 9-6-3 |
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UINDY VOLLEYBALL
VOLLEYBALL NAMED #8 IN NEWEST MIDWEST REGIONAL RANKINGS
INDIANAPOLIS — The 18-9 University of Indianapolis Volleyball team earned the No. 3 spot in the Midwest Region in the latest NCAA Regional Rankings.
So far in the 2025 season, the Hounds have had six matchups against teams ranked top 10 in the Midwest, including UMSL, Findlay, Ohio Dominican, Rockhurst, Quincy and a sweep against Cedarville.
The Greyhounds look to make their 11th NCAA Tournament appearance and the program’s first appearance since the 2019 season.
Selection Monday comes on Nov. 24 when the 64-team NCAA DII Championship field—eight from each region—will be announced on NCAA.com.
NCAA DII Midwest Region Rankings
| RK | SCHOOL | IN-REGION | OVERALL | |||||
| 1. | Mo.-St. Louis | 19-2 | 21-4 | |||||
| 2. | Findlay | 20-3 | 21-3 | |||||
| 3. | Ferris St. | 16-3 | 20-6 | |||||
| 4. | Ohio Dominican | 20-4 | 21-5 | |||||
| 5. | Wayne State | 17-4 | 19-5 | |||||
| 6. | Rockhurst | 19-4 | 19-8 | |||||
| 7. | Quincy | 16-3 | 20-5 | |||||
| 8. | UIndy | 13-6 | 18-9 | |||||
| 9. | Cedarville | 18-5 | 20-5 | |||||
| 10. | Grand Valley | 13-6 | 17-7 |
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MARIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER NEWS
GRACE KNOCKS OFF MARIAN IN CL CHAMPIONSHIP ON PENALTY SHOOTOUT
INDIANAPOLIS – In a battle among two of the Crossroads League’s best, extra time and a penalty shootout were needed Wednesday night to determine the league tournament victor, with No. 14 Grace advancing on penalties over No. 2 Marian. The match went through full time and two overtime periods, with Grace claiming the tournament championship in a 6-5 shootout following 110 minutes with a 1-1 score. Marian will enter the NAIA Tournament with an 18-0-2 overall record.
Marian held the upper hand throughout much of Wednesday’s championship match, establishing strings of possession throughout the first half, while taking two shots on target in the period. The Knights built a chance around the 15-minute mark, and in the 27th minute, Marian took their first shot of the match, with Olivia Parmer firing a close look on goal off a Kiley Jones corner kick. The set piece looked to cross the goalline and give the Knights an early lead, but the officials ruled no goal on the field, keeping the deadlock in place. Marian would take one final shot in the 45th minute of the match, as Jones again sent a corner to the box, but the header taken by Marian Corro Celma ended in the hands of keeper Ivy Cline, with the match heading to intermission at a 0-0 score.
The Knights regrouped after halftime, and went on the offensive early, with Parmer ripping a shot in the fifth minute of the half. Marian controlled possession with corners from Jones, one of which resulted in a header attempt for Erin Kelly that sailed over the crossbar. An Allie Tredway shot in the 53rd minute closed a chapter of strong offense, but the Knights would come fighting back.
In the 61st minute, Sienna Mullen took an open look on the goal, but clanged her shot off the left post. Staying with the play, Olivia Parmer managed to control the carrom and played through three defenders before firing home an open look on net, logging her 10th goal of the season. Parmer’s shot gave Marian a 1-0 lead with 29:49 to play in regulation.
Marian’s good fortune lasted just nine minutes and two seconds, as Grace went on the aggressive approach following the goal. A Cassidy Felger shot missed high in the 63rd minute, while in the 70th minute, a foul rewarded the Lancers with a free kick, which Rosalie Gefrorer was able to sail in for a goal over Lily Ames. Gefrorer’s goal leveled the match 1-1.
The Knights kept clawing for chances in the final moments of the half, but were only able to manage one shot attempt, with Tredway drilling the post on an 88th mintue look. With no additional scoring, the match would head to overtime, the first for Marian since an October 30, 2021, match with Indiana Wesleyan.
Grace would take the lone shot attempt in the first bonus session, getting a look from Nora Pollack in the 93rd minute, but the shot was saved by Lily Ames. Neither team would take a shot attempt in the second overtime, sending the game to a penalty shootout, the first for Marian since the 2019 NAIA National Semifinal match against William Carey.
The Lancers had the first shot in penalties, and made their first one against Cassidy Nowlan, but Kiley Jones would follow with a make to level the kicks. Madelief Lowik missed in round two for Grace, while Katie Koger drained her shot, giving Marian an edge. Both teams would make their penalty in the third round, but in the fourth, Silvia Quezada came up empty, as the Lancers’ make would tie the penalties 3-3. Both sides made their shots in the fifth round, and in the sixth, Cassidy Felger and Sophia Lewis matched again.
In the seventh round with the penalty score tied 5-5, Zoe Mueller was able to lead the round with a good shot. Turning to Marian, Kylie Conrad was unable to convert and extend the shootout, allowing Grace to advance on penalties 6-5.
Parmer scored Marian’s lone goal of the match, taking a team-best three shot attempts in the draw. Lily Ames recorded her second draw of the year in goal, making one save while allowing one goal. The Knights held an 8-3 shot advantage in the match, while taking six corner kicks to Grace’s zero.
The Knights will now turn their sights on the next two days, with the All-Crossroads League Teams to be announced on Thursday, while the NAIA Selection Show will be Friday night. The NAIA Selection Show will air at 7:00 p.m. and will be shown on the NAIA YouTube channel.
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MARIAN VOLLEYBALL NEWS
NO. 12 MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE ENDS MARIAN VOLLEYBALL’S CL TOURNAMENT RUN
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio – The Marian volleyball team saw their Crossroads League Tournament run come to an end on Wednesday night, as the Knights were unable to rally after falling behind two sets, losing to Mount Vernon Nazarene 3-0 in the CL Semifinal Round. Marian drops to 18-11 following the loss.
Marian held their own early in set one, as Emma Lyons served up a pair of aces to begin the match and provide a quick 2-0 lead. The start helped Marian jump out to an 8-5 lead, which gradually surged to a 14-10 lead, as a 4-0 run led by two Chloe Cook kills provided the lead. Mount Vernon roared back and scored four unanswered points of their own, setting up a 7-1 run that gave the Cougars a 17-15 lead. Marian would rally back within one as the score moved to 18-17, but the Knights could not regain the lead, as Mount Vernon ended the set on a 7-0 run, taking the 1-0 lead with their 25-17 win.
In set two, the Knights battled to the finish against the 12th-ranked Cougars, surging back and forth as they played within two points in the opening 16 rallies. Mount Vernon held the lead early and eventually took their lead to five points, but a 4-0 run led by Evie Dart brought the Knights within one. Trailing 14-13, Dart’s surge forced a Cougar timeout, and helped Marian take a 20-18 lead. Mya Cunningham, Chloe Cook, and Nicole Wilkinson each scored in the run that gave Marian the lead, but the team would not hang on to the lead, as their eventual 23-20 advantage turned into a tie. A Cougar 4-0 run gave the home team the advantage, with Mount Vernon reaching set point five times. Marian would stave off four set points, but a Faith Maloney kill would win set two for Mount Vernon 30-28.
Having exerted immense energy in set two, the Knights gradually ran out of steam in set three, as the Cougars would finish the sweep with a 25-13 win. Marian did start out the third set with a 5-2 lead, but immediately yielded a 9-0 run, with the Cougars taking full control of the game. Mount Vernon doubled the lead as they went on top 16-8, and would lead by 11 before eventually closing victoriously 25-13.
Chloe Cook led Marian in kills in the loss with 11, while Khori Dryden had nine kills. Sami Luttel had a team-high 13 assists, and Emma Lyons recorded 15 digs, a team-high. Lyons became the second Knight in program history to log her 2000th career dig in the match, doing so in set one. Lyons has 2013 career digs, five short of breaking the program record.
Marian will await their NAIA postseason fate, as they will see if they qualify for the NAIA National Tournament. The NAIA selection show is Monday, November 17, airing on the NAIA YouTube channel at 5:00 p.m.
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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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SPORTS EXTRA
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
Nov. 12
1892 — William “Pudge” Heffelfinger becomes the first pro football player by getting $500 to play for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. Heffelfinger doesn’t disappoint his bosses, returning a fumble for a touchdown to give Allegheny a 4-0 victory.
1920 — Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis is hired as baseball’s first commissioner.
1931 — Maple Leaf Gardens opens in Toronto, with the Chicago Black Hawks winning 2-1 before 13,233 fans.
1967 — Travis Williams of Green Bay returns two kickoffs for touchdowns against Cleveland, and the Packers beat the Browns 55-7. The Packers score 45 points in the first half, 35 in the opening quarter.
1972 — Richard Petty wins a record fourth NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National championship after finishing third in the Texas 500.
1972 — Don Shula becomes the first NFL coach to win 100 regular-season games in 10 seasons when the Miami Dolphins beat the New England Patriots 52-0.
1994 — Prairie View loses 52-7 to Jackson State, breaking an NCAA Division I-AA record with 45 straight losses. Columbia lost 44 straight from 1983-88.
1995 — Miami’s Dan Marino breaks Fran Tarkenton’s NFL career record of 47,003 yards passing with a 9-yard pass to Irving Fryar during the Dolphins’ 34-17 loss to the New England Patriots.
2006 — Indianapolis edges Buffalo 17-16 to become the first team to have consecutive 9-0 records.
2007 — Top-ranked Roger Federer loses consecutive matches for the first time in 4 1/2 years, falling to No. 7 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 4-6, 7-6 (1), 7-5 at the Masters Cup.
2010 — Minnesota’s Kevin Love grabs a franchise-record 31 rebounds and scores 31 points, the NBA’s first 30-30 game in 28 years. Love grabs 15 rebounds in the third quarter alone, and the Timberwolves rally from a 21-point, third-quarter deficit to stun the New York Knicks 112-103. Moses Malone was the last player to have a 30-30 game — 32 points, 38 rebounds for Houston against Seattle in 1982.
2013 — Keith Dawson tips in a miss with less than six seconds left to give No. 2 Michigan State a 78-74 victory over top-ranked Kentucky. It’s the earliest meeting of 1 vs. 2 in AP poll history and the first since 2008.
2016 — Anthony Moeglin throws a 24-yard touchdown pass to William Woods with 39 seconds left to lift John Carroll to a 31-28 win over Mount Union. The loss ends the Purple Raiders’ NCAA-record 112-game regular-season winning streak. The Division III powerhouse hadn’t lost since Oct. 22, 2005.
2017 — Brittany Force becomes the NHRA’s first female Top Fuel season champion since Shirley Muldowney in 1982 in the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals. Force is the daughter of 16-time Funny Car champion John Force.
2019 — Former Houston Astros MLB pitcher Mike FIERS reveals the team secretly “stole signs” via camera from visiting teams.
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Nov. 13
1934 — Ralph Bowman of the St. Louis Eagles scores the first penalty-shot goal in NHL history. Bowman’s goal comes on the second penalty shot attempt in league history and is the only goal for the Eagles, who lose to the Montreal Maroons 2-1.
1949 — Chicago’s Bob Nussbaumer intercepts four passes, and the Cardinals set an NFL record for points in a regular-season game with a 65-20 victory over the New York Bulldogs.
1955 — Goalies Glenn Hall and Terry Sawchuk play to a 0-0 tie at Boston Garden. Hall, a rookie goalie with the Detroit Red Wings, and Terry Sawchuk of the Bruins, played to a 0-0 tie on Oct. 22 at the Olympia in Detroit. The shutout is the 61st for Sawchuk and the fourth for Hall.
1964 — St. Louis Hawks forward Bob Pettit becomes the first NBA player to score 20,000 points, with 29 in a 123-106 loss to the Cincinnati Royals.
1971 — Colorado’s Charlie Davis sets an NCAA record for a sophomore by rushing for 342 yards in a 40-6 victory over Oklahoma State.
1982 — Southern Miss beats Alabama 38-29 for the Tide’s first loss in Tuscaloosa since 1963, breaking a 57-game winning streak in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
1982 — Chicago’s Tony Esposito becomes the fourth NHL goaltender with 400 victories. Esposito makes 34 saves to help the Black Hawks beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 at Joe Louis Arena.
1984 — Bernie Nicholls of Los Angles becomes the first NHL player to get a goal in all four periods of a game. Nicholls scores once in each period and again at 2:57 of overtime to give the Kings a 5-4 victory over the Quebec Nordiques.
1992 — Riddick Bowe wins the world heavyweight championship with a unanimous decision over Evander Holyfield.
1993 — No. 2 Notre Dame runs out to a 17-point lead and hangs on to beat top-ranked Florida State 31-24 when Charlie Ward’s desperation pass is knocked down on the goal line as time expires.
1999 — Lennox Lewis becomes the undisputed heavyweight champion with a unanimous decision over Evander Holyfield in Las Vegas.
2005 — In the longest play in NFL history, Chicago defensive back Nathan Vasher returns a missed field goal 108 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first half in a 17-9 win against the 49ers.
2009 — McKendree basketball coach Harry Statham wins his 1,000th game with a 79-49 victory over East-West University. The 72-year-old Statham is 1,000-381 at the NAIA school.
2015 — Candance Brown makes a layup with 1.2 seconds left and Gardner-Webb rallies to shock No. 22 North Carolina 66-65 in the opener for both teams. Gardner-Webb had trailed by 15 points entering the fourth quarter.
2015 — Russia’s track federation is suspended by the sport’s international governing body and its athletes are barred from international competition for a widespread and state-sanctioned doping program. It’s the first time the IAAF bans a country for doping.
2018 — Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer becomes the fifth Division I women’s basketball coach to win 1,000 games when the Scarlet Knights beat Central Connecticut State 73-44. Stringer joins Pat Summitt, Geno Auriemma, Tara VanDerveer and Sylvia Hatchell.
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TV SPORTS
(ALL TIMES EASTERN)
SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND/OR BLACKOUTS
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Thursday, Nov. 13
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
6 p.m.
FS1 — Pittsburgh at West Virginia
6:30 p.m.
BTN — San Jose St. at Michigan St.
7 p.m.
ESPN2 — Purdue at Alabama
9 p.m.
CBSSN — California at Kansas St.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
6 p.m.
ESPNU — South Florida at Fairfield
7 p.m.
SECN — Belmont at Tennessee
8:30 p.m.
BTN — Drake at Iowa
9 p.m.
ESPN2 — North Carolina at UCLA
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
7:30 p.m.
ESPN — Troy at Old Dominion
COLLEGE SOCCER (MEN’S)
5:30 p.m.
ACCN — Atlantic Coast Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Cary, N.C.
8 p.m.
ACCN — Atlantic Coast Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Cary, N.C.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
8 p.m.
ESPNU — Florida St. at Louisville
GOLF
10 a.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, First Round, Pelican Golf Club, Belleair, Fla.
1 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Butterfield Bermuda Championship, First Round, Port Royal Golf Course, Southampton, Bermuda
4 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Charles Schwab Cup Championship, First Round, Phoenix Country Club, Phoenix
2 a.m. (Friday)
GOLF — DP World Tour: The DP World Tour Championship, Second Round, Jumeirah Golf Estates (Earth Course), Dubai, United Arab Emirates
NBA BASKETBALL
7 p.m.
NBATV — Toronto at Cleveland
NFL FOOTBALL
8:15 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — N.Y. Jets at New England
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Friday, Nov. 14
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
7 p.m.
ACCN — Indiana St. at Duke
7:30 p.m.
PEACOCK — Illinois St. at Southern Cal
8 p.m.
FS1 — Xavier at Iowa
PEACOCK — Md.-Eastern Shore
8:30 p.m.
TRUTV — Northwestern at DePaul
9 p.m.
ACCN — NC Central at North Carolina
ESPN2 — Michigan at TCU
SECN — Georgia Tech at Georgia
10 p.m.
PEACOCK — Arizona at UCLA
11 p.m.
ESPN2 — Gonzaga at Arizona St.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
7 p.m.
ESPNU — Duke at West Virginia
9 p.m.
CBSSN — Baylor at UNLV
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
7:30 p.m.
ESPN — Clemson at Louisville
9 p.m.
FOX — Minnesota at Oregon
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
7 p.m.
SECN — Missouri at Mississippi St.
GOLF
10 a.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, Second Round, Pelican Golf Club, Belleair, Fla.
1 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Butterfield Bermuda Championship, Second Round, Port Royal Golf Course, Southampton, Bermuda
4 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Charles Schwab Cup Championship, Second Round, Phoenix Country Club, Phoenix
2 a.m. (Saturday)
GOLF — DP World Tour: The DP World Tour Championship, Third Round, Jumeirah Golf Estates (Earth Course), Dubai, United Arab Emirates
NBA BASKETBALL
7 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — Miami at New York
9:30 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — Golden State at San Antonio
NHL HOCKEY
2 p.m.
NHLN — Pittsburgh vs. Nashville, Johanneshov, Sweden
_____
Saturday, Nov. 15
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
Noon
CW — Ohio at Louisville
PEACOCK — Clemson at Georgetown
1 p.m.
PEACOCK — Penn St. at La Salle
2 p.m.
CW — Butler at SMU
PEACOCK — Maryland at Marquette
6 p.m.
TRUTV — William & Mary at St. John’s
7 p.m.
FOX — UConn vs. BYU, Boston
TRUTV — Duquesne at Villanova
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
4 p.m.
NBC — Notre Dame vs. Michigan, Detroit
9 p.m.
FOX — South Carolina vs. Southern Cal, Los Angeles
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Noon
ABC — TBA
ACCN — Notre Dame at Pittsburgh (Command Center)
BTN — Wisconsin at Indiana
CBSSN — Air Force at UConn
ESPN — TBA
ESPN2 — South Florida at Navy
ESPNU — Kansas St. at Oklahoma St.
FOX — Michigan vs. Northwestern, Chicago
FS1 — Arizona at Cincinnati
12:45 p.m.
SECN — Arkansas at LSU
1 p.m.
TNT — West Virginia at Arizona St.
TRUTV — West Virginia at Arizona St.
3:30 p.m.
ABC — Oklahoma at Alabama
ACCN — Georgia Tech at Boston College
CBS — TBA
CBSSN — San Jose St. at Nevada
ESPN — TBA
ESPN2 — TBA
FOX — UCF at Texas Tech
FS1 — Maryland at Illinois
4 p.m.
ESPNU — Memphis at East Carolina
4:15 p.m.
SECN — New Mexico St. at Tennessee
4:30 p.m.
CW — North Carolina at Wake Forest
7 p.m.
CBSSN — Utah St. at UNLV
ESPN — Florida at Mississippi
ESPN2 — Utah at Baylor
FS1 — Purdue at Washington
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
ABC — Texas at Georgia
ACCN — Virginia Tech at Florida St.
NBC — UCLA at Ohio St.
7:45 p.m.
SECN — Mississippi St. at Missouri
8 p.m.
ESPNU — Kennesaw St. at Jacksonville St.
10 p.m.
CW — Louisiana Tech at Washington St.
10:15 p.m.
ESPN — TCU at BYU
10:30 p.m.
FS1 — Wyoming at Florida St.
ESPN2 — UC Davis at Montana St.
CBSSN — Boise St. at San Diego St.
11 p.m.
ESPNU — SIAC Championship: TBD
GOLF
8:30 a.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, Third Round, Pelican Golf Club, Belleair, Fla.
11:30 a.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Butterfield Bermuda Championship, Third Round, Port Royal Golf Course, Southampton, Bermuda
2:30 p.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, Third Round, Pelican Golf Club, Belleair, Fla.
4:30 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Charles Schwab Cup Championship, Third Round, Phoenix Country Club, Phoenix
1:30 a.m. (Sunday)
GOLF — DP World Tour: The DP World Tour Championship, Final Round, Jumeirah Golf Estates (Earth Course), Dubai, United Arab Emirates
NBA BASKETBALL
5 p.m.
NBATV — Memphis at Cleveland
8 p.m.
NBATV — L.A. Lakers at Milwaukee
NHL HOCKEY
7 p.m.
NHLN — Boston at Montreal
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
Noon
CBS — NWSL Playoffs: TBD, Semifinal
_____
Sunday, Nov. 16
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
12:30 p.m.
FS1 — Notre Dame at Ohio St.
1 p.m.
ESPN2 — TBA
3 p.m.
ESPN — Houston at Auburn
5 p.m.
ESPN — UNLV at Memphis
5:30 p.m.
BTN — Incarnate Word at Indiana
7:30 p.m.
BTN — Akron at Purdue
8:30 p.m.
ESPN — Miami vs. Florida, Jacksonville, Fla.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
Noon
PEACOCK — Ohio St. at UConn
1 p.m.
BTN — N. Dakota St. vs. Nebraska, Sioux Falls, S.D.
ESPN — TCU at NC State
3 p.m.
ACCN — Jacksonville at Georgia Tech
ESPN2 — Louisville at Clemson
5 p.m.
ACCN — Indiana at Florida St.
COLLEGE SOCCER (MEN’S)
11 a.m.
ESPNU — Ivy League Tournament: TBD, Championship
1 p.m.
ACCN — Atlantic Coast Tournament: TBD, Championship, Cary, N.C.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
1 p.m.
ACCN — Miami at Louisville
SECN — Oklahoma at Tennessee
3 p.m.
SECN — Vanderbilt at Mississippi St.
5 p.m.
ESPN2 — SMU at Stanford
COLLEGE WRESTLING
7 p.m.
ESPN2 — National Duals Invitational: From Tulsa, Okla.
FIGURE SKATING
3 p.m.
NBC — 2025 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: The 2025 Skate America, Lake Placid, N.Y.
GOLF
9:30 a.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, Final Round, Pelican Golf Club, Belleair, Fla.
11 a.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Butterfield Bermuda Championship, Final Round, Port Royal Golf Course, Southampton, Bermuda
2 p.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, Final Round, Pelican Golf Club, Belleair, Fla.
4 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Charles Schwab Cup Championship, Final Round, Phoenix Country Club, Phoenix
NFL FOOTBALL
9:30 a.m.
NFLN — Washington vs. Miami, Madrid
1 p.m.
CBS — Regional Coverage: Tampa Bay at Buffalo, Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, L.A. Chargers at Jacksonville
FOX — Regional Coverage: Carolina at Atlanta, Houston at Tennessee, Chicago at Minnesota, Green Bay at N.Y. Giants
4:05 p.m.
FOX — Regional Coverage: Seattle at L.A. Rams OR San Francisco at Arizona
4:25 p.m.
CBS — Regional Coverage: Baltimore at Cleveland OR Kansas City at Denver
8:20 p.m.
NBC — Detroit at Philadelphia
PEACOCK — Detroit at Philadelphia
NHL HOCKEY
9 a.m.
NHLN — Nashville vs. Pittsburgh, Johanneshov, Sweden
7 p.m.
NHLN — Detroit at N.Y. Rangers
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
3 p.m.
ABC — NWSL Playoffs: TBD, Semifinal
SPEED SKATING
2 p.m.NBC — ISU: World Cup Speedskating #1 – Olympic Games Qualifying Event, Salt Lake City
