WSJM Sports

MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Basketball
Benton Harbor 71, Watervliet 68

• Grant Gondrezick II had 21 points in the first half but did not play in the second half of Benton Harbor’s 71-68 win over previously unbeaten Watervliet.  Watervliet had a 35-33 lead at halftime before the Tigers rallied in the second half for the win. Antwan Callahan added 15 points for the Tigers.  Tyson Williams had a game high 24 points for Watervliet, and Kaiden Bierhalter had 17.   Benton Harbor improves to 7-2 on the season while Watervliet falls to 6-1.

Schoolcraft 71, Centreville 51
Fruitport Calvary Christian 76, Fennville 71

Girls Basketball
Benton Harbor 59, Watervliet 58

Wrestling
St. Joseph, Kalamazoo Central, Loy Norrix at Lakeshore

• Lakeshore 60, Kalamazoo Central 14
• Lakeshore 75, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 6
• St. Joseph 36, Kalamazoo Central 33
• St. Joseph 54, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 28

Tonight
Boys Basketball
SMAC
Battle Creek Central at Kalamazoo Central, 4:15 p.m.

BCS
Our Lady of the Lake at Covert, 6:00 p.m.

Southwest 10
Bangor at Comstock, 7:30 p.m.
Bloomingdale at Hartford, 7:30 p.m.
Cassopolis at White Pigeon, 7:30 p.m.

Girls Basketball
SMAC
St. Joseph at Portage Central, 7:00 p.m.
Lakeshore at Portage Northern, 7:00 p.m.
Gull Lake at Mattawan, 7:00 p.m.
Battle Creek Lakeview at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 5:45 p.m.
Battle Creek Central at Kalamazoo Central, 4:15 p.m.

Lakeland
Dowagiac at Buchanan, 7:00 p.m.

SAC
Bridgman at South Haven, 6:00 p.m.

Boys Swimming and Diving
St. Joseph at Portage Northern, 6:00 p.m.
Bridgman at Battle Creek Lakeview, 6:00 p.m.

NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball
Tonight
Rutgers at Michigan State, 6:30 p.m.                            Superhits 103.7 Cosy FM 5:30
Michigan at Maryland, 7:00 p.m.                                  News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 6:30

NCAAMBKB – Women’s College Basketball
Last Night
(10) Iowa 84, Michigan State 81 – OT
Akron 80, Central Michigan 65
Western Michigan 68, Ohio 57
Kent State 79, Eastern Michigan 66

(10) Iowa 84, Michigan State 81 – OT – Clark helps No. 10 Iowa edge Michigan State 84-81 in OT
Caitlin Clark had 26 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds to help No. 10 Iowa beat Michigan State 84-81 in overtime. Clark, who leads the Big Ten in scoring, hit a turnaround jumper wit 31 seconds left to give Iowa the lead, then sealed it with a pair of free throws with 17 seconds left. Monika Czinano added 22 points hitting all 11 of her shots _ a school record _ for Iowa (15-4, 7-1 Big Ten) before fouling out. Kamara McDaniel had a team-high 21 points for the Spartans (10-9, 2-6). Matilda Ekh added 13, while Moira Joiner and Isoline Alexander had 11 apiece.  The Spartans had a final chance to win the game in overtime. With five seconds left, Clark was called for an intentional foul. McDaniel hit both free throws to get Michigan State within 82-81. McDaniel traveled on the ensuing possession with two seconds left and Molly Davis hit two free throws to seal the win.

Tonight
(7) Notre Dame at Clemson, 7:00 p.m.
(14) Michigan at Rutgers, 8:30 p.m.

NHL – NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Chicago Blackhawks at Philadelphia Flyers, 7:00 p.m.
Detroit Red Wings at Vegas Golden Knights, 10:00 p.m.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Oklahoma City Thunder 126, Indiana Pacers 106

Thunder 126, Pacers 106 – Thunder beat Pacers 126-106 for 4th straight victory
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Joe each scored 23 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled past the Indiana Pacers 126-106 on Wednesday night for their fourth straight victory. Joe, a reserve, tied a career high with seven made 3-pointers in just 22 minutes. Lu Dort had 22 points and a career-high 11 rebounds and Kenrich Williams added 12 points and a career-best 10 assists for the Thunder. Andrew Nembhard scored 18 points for the Pacers, who lost their fifth straight.

Today
Detroit Pistons vs. Chicago Bulls, 3:00 p.m.                  at Accor Arena, Paris, France

NBA – In Paris, Bulls and Pistons enjoy sights, culture and opera
The Detroit Pistons are playing a game in Paris on Thursday night. But two nights before the game, the Pistons were the spectators and the City of Lights played for them. The Pistons had a team party at the Paris Opera House to highlight their trip to France’s capital for a game against the Chicago Bulls. It’s been a midseason immersion into French cuisine, wine and culture for both teams. Everybody saw the Eiffel Tower, everybody saw the Champs-Élysées, but both teams decided they couldn’t come to Paris and not make every effort to enjoy the opportunity.

NBA – Chris Ford, champ as player, coach with Celtics, dies at 74
Chris Ford, a member of the Boston Celtics 1981 championship team, a longtime NBA coach and the player credited with scoring the league’s first 3-point basket, has died at the age of 74. His family announced his death in a statement issued by the Celtics. No official cause was given, but the statement said Ford died Tuesday. The Press of Atlantic City reported he died in Philadelphia after suffering a heart attack earlier this month. Ford was voted the team’s MVP in his first season with Boston. He retired following the 1981-82 season and was an assistant coach for the Celtics for seven seasons from 1983 to 1990, helping coach former teammates Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish to two titles in 1984 and 1986.

NFL – Bears Getsy, Raiders Graham to coach Senior Bowl teams
Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will serve as Senior Bowl head coaches. The Senior Bowl says Getsy will coach the American team and Graham the National team in the Feb. 4 showcase game for senior and graduate NFL prospects. The Bears have the top overall pick in April’s draft, and the Raiders own the No. 7 selection. It’s the first time the Senior Bowl won’t have two full team staffs coaching the game. NFL Football Operations has implemented a “coach up” format to promote professional development for coordinators and other assistants.

NFL – Bills, Bengals focus on playing with Hamlin home, recovering
The Bills and Bengals can refocus on their next matchup now that Buffalo’s safety Damar Hamlin has shown remarkable signs in his recovery some three weeks after collapsing on the field in Cincinnati. Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and needed to be resuscitated in the first quarter of Buffalo’s since-canceled game against Cincinnati on Jan. 2. The teams meet in Buffalo on Sunday in the AFC divisional round of the playoffs. Bills coach Sean McDermott says his team has been uplifted by the sight of Hamlin starting to make regular visits to the team’s facility this week.

WNBA – WNBA to play preseason game in Canada
The WNBA will head north for a preseason game in Canada. The Chicago Sky will face the Minnesota Lynx on May 13 in Toronto. It will be the first WNBA game to be played in the country and the third WNBA preseason game to be played outside of the United States. In 2004, the Detroit Shock and San Antonio Silver Stars met in Monterrey, Mexico, and in 2011 the Atlanta Dream played the Standard Life Great Britain Women’s basketball team in Manchester, England.

FIFA – Witness: Bribes helped Fox execs get soccer TV rights
The U.S. government’s star witness in a big-money bribery case engulfing the world of soccer has begun testifying at the trial of two former Fox executives accused of paying bribes to rig the bidding process for broadcasting rights to two of the sport’s biggest competitions. The trial in New York is the latest development in a tangled corruption scandal that dates back nearly a decade. The witness, Alejandro Burzaco, alleges that he and former Fox executives Hernan Lopez and Carlos Martinez conspired to bribe South American soccer officials for broadcasting rights to the Copa Libertadores and get inside information that helped them bid for the World Cup. Lawyers for Lopez and Martinez have asserted they are being framed.

Tennis – American Jenson Brooksby beats No. 2 Ruud at Australian Open
Jenson Brooksby has eliminated No. 2 seed Casper Ruud in four sets in the second round of the Australian Open. This upset comes a day after Mackenzie McDonald beat defending champion and No. 1 seed Rafael Nadal. So a pair of 20-something Californians have knocked out the top two players in the men’s bracket at Melbourne Park. The 22-year-old Brooksby Brooksby is ranked 39th and is making his debut at the Australian Open. Ruud was the runner-up at the French Open to Nadal last June and at the U.S. Open to Carlos Alcaraz last September. American men Michael Mmoh, Ben Shelton, J.J. Wolf and Tommy Paul also advanced. But the highest seeded man from the U.S., No. 8 Taylor Fritz, lost.

Tennis – Nadal MRI shows hurt left hip flexor; recovery of 6-8 weeks
Rafael Nadal’s manager says the 22-time Grand Slam champion injured his left hip flexor during his loss at the Australian Open and could need about six to eight weeks to fully recover. Nadal had an MRI exam at a hospital in Melbourne under his doctor’s supervision on Thursday. That was a day after Nadal got hurt during a straight-set exit against Mackenzie McDonald in the second round at Melbourne Park. Nadal was the defending champion and seeded No. 1 in Australia. The 36-year-old now will head home to Spain to rest.

AHL – American Hockey League
Last Night
Grand Rapids Griffins 5, Rockford Ice Hogs 2
Chicago Wolves 6, Manitoba Moose 2

MCCAA – Junior College Athletics
Last Night
Women’s Basketball
Southwestern Michigan 56, Kellogg Community College 52

• SMC had three starters score in double figures as the Roadrunners beat Kellogg CC 56-52.  Macey Laubach had a team high 14 points while Ariana Lemons and Cameron Thomas each had 12.  SMC was outscored 21-11 in the final quarter and held on for the conference win.

Men’s Basketball
Southwestern Michigan 62, Kellogg Community College 59

• The SMC men pulled off the sweep on the night, and like the women had to hold on late for a 62-59 win over Kellogg CC. Sean Burress had 17 to lead the Roadrunners.  Mari Nichols scored 13 and Mikel Forest added 11.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NHL – NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Arizona Coyotes 4, Detroit Red Wings 3 – Shootout
Chicago Blackhawks 4, Buffalo Sabres 3 – OT

Coyotes 4, Red Wings 3 – SO – Coyotes beat Red Wings 4-3 in shootout to end 9-game skid
Nick Schmaltz and Nick Bjugstad scored on Arizona’s first two shootout attempts and the Coyotes beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 on Tuesday night to end a nine-game losing streak. Bjugstad, Travis Boyd and Dylan Guenther scored in regulation for the Coyotes. Lawson Crouse had three assists, and Connor Ingram made 37 saves. Ingram has started two straight games for the first time this season. He stopped 25 shots in a 2-1 loss Saturday in Minnesota. Dylan Larkin scored his team-leading 15th goal for Detroit. Pius Suter and David Perron also scored for the Red Wings in the second game of a back-to-back. They have lost six of eight.

Blackhawks 4, Sabres 3 – OT – Seth Jones rallies Blackhawks past Sabres 4-3 in overtime
Seth Jones scored two goals, including the game-winner 2:24 into overtime, and the Chicago Blackhawks rallied for a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Philipp Kurashev had a goal and two assists for Chicago, which was coming off an ugly 8-5 loss to Seattle. Connor Murphy also scored, and Petr Mrazek made 30 saves. Buffalo lost for the fifth time in six games. Tage Thompson, Victor Olofsson and Peyton Krebs scored for the Sabres, and Craig Anderson stopped 22 shots.

NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball
Last Night
Florida State 84, Notre Dame 71
Ball State 71, Western Michigan 70
Akron 69, Central Michigan 51
Kent State 77, Eastern Michigan 63

Florida State 84, Notre Dame 71 – Cleveland’s 8th double-double in row sends Seminoles to win
Matthew Cleveland had 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for his eighth straight double-double and Florida State led all the way in an 84-71 victory over Notre Dame. Darin Green Jr. led Florida State with 20 points, 15 in the first half. Jalen Warley added 17 points, Caleb Mills 11 and Cameron Corhen 10. Marcus Hammond had five 3-pointers and a season-high 19 points to lead Notre Dame, which has lost six of its last seven. Trey Wertz added 15 points, JJ Starling 12 and Dane Goodwin 11. Notre Dame got within six late but the Seminoles made 13 of 16 free throws in the final 2 1/2 minutes.

Ball State 71, WMU 70 – Coleman’s 22 help Ball State down Western Michigan 71-70
Mickey Pearson’s three-point play with 35 seconds left proved to be the game winner and Ball State beat Western Michigan 71-70. Lamar Norman Jr. missed a layup for the Broncos with 17 seconds left. Western Michigan secured the offensive rebound, called timeout but JaVaughn Hannah missed a shot at the buzzer to end it. Jarron Coleman scored 22 points, collected eight rebounds, distributed seven assists, and had four steals for the Cardinals. Norman led the Broncos with 31 points

Akron 69, CMU 51 – Castaneda’s 13 lead Akron past Central Michigan 69-51
Xavier Castaneda scored 13 points as Akron beat Central Michigan 69-51 on Tuesday night.
Jesse Zarzuela led the way for the Chippewas (7-11, 2-3) with 20 points. Central Michigan also got eight points and three blocks from Carrington McCaskill. Miroslave Stafl also put up eight points.

Kent State 77, EMU 63 – Carry has 14 as Kent State beats Eastern Michigan 77-63
Sincere Carry scored 14 points as Kent State beat Eastern Michigan 77-63 on Tuesday night.
Carry had five assists for the Golden Flashes (15-3, 5-0 Mid-American Conference).  Emoni Bates led the way for the Eagles (4-14, 1-4) with 24 points and six rebounds.

NCAAMBKB – COVID-19 outbreak at Northwestern postpones game at Iowa
The men’s basketball game between Iowa and Northwestern scheduled for Wednesday in Iowa City will not be played due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols within the Northwestern program. The two schools will work with the Big Ten to reschedule the game. All distributed tickets for the Northwestern-Iowa contest will be valid for the new date and time, if the game is able to be rescheduled. Iowa next plays at Ohio State on Saturday. Northwestern is scheduled to play Wisconsin at home Saturday.

NCAAMBKB – Women’s College Basketball
Tonight
(10) Iowa at Michigan State, 7:00 p.m.
Central Michigan at Akron, 7:00 p.m.
Western Michigan at Ohio, 7:00 p.m.
Eastern Michigan at Kent State, 7:00 p.m.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Tonight
Indiana Pacers at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:00 p.m.

NCAAFB – Michigan co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss placed on leave
The University of Michigan has placed offensive co-coordinator and quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss on leave, athletic department spokesman Kurt Svoboda confirmed on Tuesday night. ESPN reported the school’s police department is investigating a report of computer access crimes from last month at Schembechler Hall, where coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff have offices and the Wolverines practice. Weiss said in a statement to ESPN that he is fully cooperating with investigators and looks forward to the matter being resolved. The Associated Press left messages seeking comment from Weiss and the university police department.

NCAA – US appeals court to weigh NCAA case over pay for athletes
The NCAA hopes a federal appeals court will soon block a lawsuit that seeks to treat athletes as employees who are paid for their time. It is the latest test of amateurism in college sports. The Division I athletes who filed the suit being argued next month want hourly wages similar to those earned in work-study programs. They say the nation’s colleges are violating fair labor practices by failing to pay them for the time they put into their sports. Baylor University President Linda Livingston, chairperson of the NCAA’s Board of Governors, says the idea would have a “potentially catastrophic impact on college sports.”

NFL – Warren ready to embrace new challenge as Bears president
Kevin Warren is ready to tackle a new challenge as president and CEO of the Chicago Bears, and he has a big one going from Big Ten commissioner to leading a founding NFL franchise. A new suburban stadium could be on the horizon. The team owns the No. 1 pick in the draft coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history. And he’s looking forward to working with general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus. He says he’s a “big believer in challenges” and wouldn’t have been as attracted to the job “if it were easy.”

NFL – Browns hire Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator
A person familiar with the decision says the Cleveland Browns have hired former Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz as their defensive coordinator. Schwartz spent the past two seasons as a defensive adviser for Tennessee. Cleveland’s search for a coordinator began last week when coach Kevin Stefanski fired Joe Woods after three seasons. The 56-year-old Schwartz began his NFL career as a scout with Cleveland in the 1990s. He will take over the Browns’ defense once he signs his contract, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because that hasn’t happened yet. Schwartz previously worked as a coordinator with the Titans, Bills and Eagles. He won a Super Bowl running Philadelphia’s defense in 2017.

Tennis – Australian Open – Hampered by bad hip, Nadal out in 2nd Rd of Australian Open
Rafael Nadal says his hip was injured during a second-round loss at the Australian Open to Mackenzie McDonald. The 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 defeat abruptly ended Nadal’s title defense and bid for a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam trophy. Nadal pulled up awkwardly at the end of a point late in the second set against the 65th-ranked McDonald. The No. 1-seeded Nadal was visited by a trainer on the sideline and then left the court for a medical timeout. His wife wiped away tears up in the stands. Nadal returned to play but was physically compromised and not his usual chase-every-ball self.

MCCAA – Junior College Athletics
Tonight
Women’s Basketball
Southwestern Michigan at Kellogg Community College, 5:30 p.m.

Men’s Basketball
Southwestern Michigan at Kellogg Community College, 7:30 p.m.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Thursday
Boys Basketball
SMAC
St. Joseph 46, Battle Creek Lakeview 42
-After trailing by 5 at halftime. St. Joe rallied for a 46-42 road victory at Battle Creek Lakeview.      Luke Lehner had 10 points to lead the Bears.
Kalamazoo Central 49, Lakeshore 25
Mattawan 62, Battle Creek Central 56
Portage Central 61, Loy Norrix 56 – OT
Gull Lake 67, Portage Northern 51

Wolverine
Edwardsburg 52, Paw Paw 32
Niles 60, Vicksburg 34
Otsego 80, Sturgis 40
Plainwell 57, Three Rivers 50

BCS
Our Lady of the Lake 53, New Buffalo 37
-Owen McLoughlin had a game high 30 points, going 10 of 11 from the free throw line as Our Lady of the Lake beat New Buffalo 53-37.

River Valley 49, Michigan Lutheran 41
-River Valley got a game high 31 points from Jayden McNabb as the Mustangs defeated Michigan Lutheran 49-41.  Ty Johnson had 11 in the loss for the Titans.

Countryside 80, Eau Claire 76
Howardsville Christian 67, Covert 16

SAC
South Haven 72, Holland Black River 17
Galesburg-Augusta 70, Allegan 59 – OT
Coloma 44, Gobles 34
Fennville 59, Martin 36

Southwest 10
Centreville 67, Bangor 28
Cassopolis 71, Comstock 53
White Pigeon 49, Decatur 47
Hartford 51, Mendon 45
-Hartford improves to 4-1 on the season with a 51-45 win over Mendon. Brody Johnson led Hartford with 22 points 21 coming from beyond the arc. Zach Truelove added 10 and Caiden Smith added 10.

Lawrence 73, Marcellus 33
-Christian Smith scored 21 points to lead Lawrence over Marcellus 73-33. Zander Payment added 12 and John Schuman had 10

Non-Conference
Parchment 45, Berrien Springs 43
Lawton 47, Dowagiac 39
Saugatuck 67, Bloomingdale 18
Delton-Kellogg 58, Climax-Scotts 60
Kalamazoo Christian 50, Muskegon West Mi Chr. 45

Girls Basketball
SMAC
Battle Creek Lakeview 42, St. Joseph 29
-St. Joe took a 17-8 lead after the first quarter but Lakeview outscored the Bears 34-12 the rest of the way for a 42-29 win at the Bear Den. Jaslynn Ward scored 10 points for St. Joe.

Kalamazoo Central 69, Lakeshore 55
-Jada Collins had a game high 24 ponts for the Maroon Giants ina 69-55 win at Lakeshore, Tayla Dillard added 19 for KC. Paige Lies had 17 to lead lakeshore, While Megan Wurster had 16 and Emily Lockman had 10.

Mattawan 54, Battle Creek Central 35
Portage Central 61, Loy Norrix 35
Gull Lake 27, Portage Northern 19

Wolverine
Edwardsburg 44, Paw Paw 41
Vicksburg 80, Niles 16
Otsego 59, Sturgis 23
Plainwell 64, Three Rivers 42

BCS
Michigan Lutheran 39, River Valley 27
Our Lady of the Lake 32, New Buffalo 17
-Abby Schruben scored 13 points in Our Lady of the Lake’s 32-17 win over New Buffalo

Southwest 10
Decatur 33, Bangor 21
Hartford 47, Comstock 28
Cassopolis 34, Mendon 27
Bloomingdale 51, Marcellus 32
Centreville 48, White Pigeon 42

SAC
Watervliet 49, Martin 27
Gobles 41, Allegan 40 – OT
Holland Black River 58, Fennville 38

Southwest 10
Comstock Cass
Bangor Centreville
Marcellus 35, Lawrence 22
Mendon 33, Hartford 23
White Pigeon 44, Decatur 24

Non-Conference
Bridgman 57, Watervliet Grace Christian 17
Berrien Springs 50, Parchment 25
-Grace Constable and Aubreona Smith each had 13 points for Berrien Springs in a 50-25 win over Parchment, Jasyl Williams added 10 for the Shamrocks.

Dowagiac 32, Lawton 19
Climax-Scotts 40, Delton-Kellogg 26

Tonight
Boys Basketball
Watervliet at Edwardsburg, 7:00 p.m.       News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM
Centreville at Schoolcraft, 7:00 p.m.
Fruitport Calvary Christian at Fennville, 6:00 p.m.

Girls Basketball
Watervliet at Edwardsburg, 5:30 p.m.
Brandywine at Bloomingdale, 6:00 p.m.

Wrestling
St. Joseph, Kalamazoo Central, Loy Norrix at Lakeshore, 5:00 p.m.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our WSJM Sports Player of the Week is Grant Gondrezick II from Benton Harbor Boys Basketball.  He’s currently a senior at Benton Harbor High School and has a 3.4 Grade Point Average.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk St. Joe, Our Lady of the Lake, Lakeshore, Michigan Lutheran, and Benton Harbor Girls Basketball this week from Full Circle Café & Espresso Bar…

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball
Last Night
Iowa 93, Michigan 84 – OT

Iowa 93, Michigan 84 – OT – Sandfort rallies Iowa past Michigan in overtime, 93-84
Payton Sandfort scored Iowa’s final seven points in regulation to tie it, then got off to a fast start with five of his team’s first six points in overtime as the Hawkeyes knocked off Michigan 93-84. Iowa trailed 77-70 with 2:18 left in regulation. Sandfort hit from 3 to get within 77-75 and he added a catch-and-shoot 3 from the top of the key over the outstretched arms of Kobe Bufkin, drawing the foul and adding a free throw for a four-point play to tie the game at 79-79 with 20 seconds left.

Saturday
Bowling Green at Western Michigan, 1:00 p.m.
Buffalo at Central Michigan, 4:30 p.m.
Notre Dame at Syracuse, 7:00 p.m.

Sunday
Northwestern at Michigan, 12:00 p.m.
WSJM will join the game at Noon right before tip-off

NCAAMBKB – Women’s College Basketball
Last Night
(7) Notre Dame 86, Wake Forest 47

(7) Notre Dame 86, Wake Forest 47 – Westbeld scores 25, No. 7 Irish women race past Wake Forest
Maddy Westbeld matched her career-high with 25 points and No. 7 Notre Dame bounced back from its worst offensive game of the season with an 86-47 win over Wake Forest. Westbeld dominated the first half with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting with a couple of 3-pointers and also had six rebounds and four assists. She had 10 points, including a last-second 3-pointer, to help the Irish take a 21-8 lead after one quarter. She added nine in the second as the lead increased to 44-25. Elise Williams scored 13 points for Wake Forest

Saturday
Western Michigan at Central Michigan, 1:00 p.m.
Michigan State at (17) Michigan, 2:00 p.m.
Eastern Michigan at Buffalo, 2:00 p.m.

Sunday
(7) Notre Dame at Syracuse, 2:00 p.m.

NHL – NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Detroit Red Wings 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Chicago Blackhawks 3, Colorado Avalanche 2

Red Wings 4, Maple Leafs 1 – Red Wings beat Maple Leafs for 1st time in nearly 4 years
Lucas Raymond had a goal and two assists as the Detroit Red Wings beat Toronto 4-1 for their first victory over the Maple Leafs in nearly four years. Robby Fabbri, Ben Chiarot and Moritz Seider also scored for Detroit. Rasmus Sandin scored for the Maple Leafs, who had won three in a row. Detroit’s previous win against the Maple Leafs was a 3-2 overtime victory on Feb. 1, 2019. Toronto had had won nine in a row in regulation over the Red Wings, outscoring them 48-21.

Blackhawks 3, Avalanche 2 – Raddysh scores in third as Blackhawks beat Avalanche 3-2
Taylor Raddysh snapped a tie in the third period, and the lowly Chicago Blackhawks beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 for their third straight victory. Sam Lafferty and Andreas Athanasiou also scored for Chicago, and Petr Mrazek made 31 saves. The Blackhawks had a 2-20-1 stretch before their win streak. Cale Makar and Evan Rodrigues scored for Colorado, and Nathan MacKinnon had two assists. Pavel Francouz had 27 stops for the defending Stanley Cup champions. The slumping Avalanche dropped to 1-6-1 in their last eight games.

Saturday
Columbus Blue Jackets at Detroit Red Wings, 7:00 p.m.
Seattle Kraken at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:00 p.m.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Tonight
New Orleans Pelicans at Detroit Pistons, 7:00 p.m.
Atlanta Hawks at Indiana Pacers, 7:00 p.m.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Chicago Bulls, 8:00 p.m.

NFL – National Football League – Wild Card Weekend
Saturday
Seattle at San Francisco, 4:30 p.m.
LA Chargers at Jacksonville, 8:15 p.m.

Sunday
Miami at Buffalo, 1:00 p.m.
NY Giants at Minnesota, 4:30 p.m.
Baltimore at Cincinnati, 8:15 p.m.

Monday
Dallas at Tampa Bay, 8:15 p.m.

NFL – Bears hire Big Ten Commissioner Warren as team president
The Chicago Bears have hired Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren as their president and CEO, bringing him back to the NFL to help lead a founding franchise after three years running one of college athletics’ marquee conferences. Warren replaces the retiring Ted Phillips and becomes the Bears’ fifth president. His biggest task is helping the Bears finalize the purchase of a 326-acre tract of land in suburban Arlington Heights that could become the site of a new stadium. Warren became the first Black commissioner of a Power Five conference when the Big Ten hired him in June 2019 out of the Minnesota Vikings’ front office to replace the retiring Jim Delany. Now, the conference is searching for a new leader again.

NFL – Texans interview Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson
The Houston Texans interviewed Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson on Thursday, making him the first announced candidate for their head coaching vacancy. Texans general manager Nick Caserio is searching for his third coach in as many years. Lovie Smith was 3-13-1 in one season and was fired on Monday, a year after Houston fired David Culley following one season and a 4-13 record. The Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts are also interested in interviewing the 36-year-old Johnson about potentially leading their teams.

NCAAFB – Michigan lineman Mazi Smith gets probation in gun case
Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith has been sentenced to 12 months probation for a misdemeanor charge of possessing a gun in his pickup truck without a concealed-weapon permit. Washtenaw County Judge Karen Valvo also sentenced Smith on Thursday to 40 hours of community service and ordered him to retake concealed pistol license training. He also must pay nearly $1,000 in fines and probation fees. Smith’s record will be scrubbed clean if stays out of trouble during probation. Smith, a first team all-Big Ten selection who has declared for the NFL Draft, was stopped Oct. 7 by Ann Arbor police.

NCAA – NCAA board approves recommendations for Division I reform
At the NCAA convention, outgoing President Mark Emmert said goodbye, incoming President Charlie Baker introduced himself and the state of college sports was declared unstable. Baylor President Linda Livingstone says college sports is “both thriving and threatened.” Livingstone is chairwoman of the NCAA’s Board of Governors. Earlier in the day the Division I Board Division I Board of Directors approved a host of recommendations intended to reform the top-tier of college sports, from membership standards to the size of championship brackets. But Livingstone re-iterated federal intervention is needed to help preserve college sports.

AHL – American Hockey League
Tonight
Iowa Wild at Grand Rapids Griffins, 7:00 p.m.

ECHL – ECHL Hockey League
Tonight
Toledo Walleye at Kalamazoo Wings, 7:00 p.m.

MCCAA – Junior College Athletics
Saturday
Women’s Basketball
Kalamazoo Valley at Lake Michigan College, 1:00 p.m.
Southwestern Michigan at Marian-Ancilla, 1:00 p.m.

Men’s Basketball
Kalamazoo Valley at Lake Michigan College, 1:00 p.m.
Southwestern Michigan at Marian-Ancilla, 1:00 p.m.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Basketball
SMAC
St. Joseph 60, Portage Northern 45

• Matt Lanier scored 21 points and Chase Sanders scored 20 as St. Joe pulled away in the final quarter for a 60-45 home win over Portage Northern.    Cane Mack had 19 points to lead Northern.

Mattawan 42, Lakeshore 27

• Mattawan outscored Lakeshore 21-8 in the final quarter for a 42-27 win over Lakeshore.  Noah VanLaningham and Will Kuiper lead Mattawan with 13 each.  Ryan Kiesling added 10 for the Wildcats.  Lakeshore falls to 2-5, the Lancers were led by Jack Carlisle with 11 points.

Kalamazoo Central 65, Portage Central 38
Battle Creek Central 63, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 226
Battle Creek Lakeview at Gull Lake, 7:00 p.m.

BCS
Eau Claire 84, River Valley 58

Girls Basketball
SMAC
Loy Norrix 41, Battle Creek Central 36

BCS
Howardsville Chr. 56, Our Lady of the Lake 54 – 2 OT

Southwest 10
Decatur 33, Bangor 21
Hartford 47, Comstock 28
Cassopolis 34, Mendon 27
Bloomingdale 51, Marcellus 32
Centreville 48, White Pigeon 42

SAC
Watervliet 38, Bridgman 32

Non-Conference
Michigan Lutheran 39, Andrews Academy 35
Buchanan 33, Schoolcraft 15

Tonight
Boys Basketball
Wolverine
Edwardsburg at Niles, 7:15 p.m.
Otsego at Plainwell, 7:15 p.m.
Vicksburg at Sturgis, 7:15 p.m.
Paw Paw at Three Rivers, 7:15 p.m.

Lakeland
Brandywine at Benton Harbor, 7:00 p.m.
Berrien Springs at Dowagiac, 7:15 p.m.

BCS
Our Lady of the Lake at Howardsville Chr., 7:00 p.m.
Countryside Academy at Michigan Lutheran, 7:30 p.m.
New Buffalo at Covert, 6:00 p.m.

SAC
Watervliet at Bridgman, 7:15 p.m.
Allegan at Coloma, 7:30 p.m.
South Haven at Fennville, 7:30 p.m.
Kalamazoo Christian at Constantine, 7:30 p.m.
Saugatuck at Delton-Kellogg, 7:30 p.m.
Martin at Galesburg-Augusta, 7:30 p.m.
Gobles at Holland Black River, 7:30 p.m.
Kalamazoo Hackett at Lawton, 7:30 p.m.
Parchment at Schoolcraft, 7:30 p.m.

Southwest 10
Bloomingdale at Lawrence, 7:30 p.m.
Mendon at Cassopolis, 7:30 p.m.
White Pigeon at Centreville, 7:30 p.m.
Bangor at Decatur, 7:30 p.m.
Comstock at Hartford, 7:30 p.m.

Girls Basketball
SMAC
Mattawan at Lakeshore, 7:00 p.m.
Portage Northern at St. Joseph, 7:00 p.m.
Portage Central at Kalamazoo Central, 7:00 p.m.
Gull Lake at Battle Creek Lakeview, 7:00 p.m.

Lakeland
Brandywine at Benton Harbor, 5:15 p.m.
Berrien Springs at Dowagiac, 5:30 p.m.

BCS
Countryside Academy at Eau Claire, 6:00 p.m.

Wolverine
Edwardsburg at Niles, 6:00 p.m.
Otsego at Plainwell, 6:00 p.m.
Vicksburg at Sturgis, 6:00 p.m.
Paw Paw at Three Rivers, 6:00 p.m.

SAC
Allegan at Coloma, 6:00 p.m.
South Haven at Fennville, 6:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Christian at Constantine, 6:00 p.m.
Saugatuck at Delton-Kellogg, 6:00 p.m.
Martin at Galesburg-Augusta, 6:00 p.m.
Gobles at Holland Black River, 6:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Hackett at Lawton, 6:00 p.m.
Parchment at Schoolcraft, 6:00 p.m.

Southwest 10
Bloomingdale at Lawrence, 6:00 p.m.

Saturday
Boys Basketball
Lakeshore vs. Detroit Lincoln King, 10:15 a.m.               at GR Ottawa Hills
Benton Harbor vs. North Farmington, 5:15 p.m.              at GR Ottawa Hills
Howardsville Christian at Michigan Lutheran, 6:30 p.m.
Buchanan at Union City, 2:00 p.m.
Fennville at Hamilton, 2:30 p.m.

Girls Basketball
Michigan Lutheran vs. Frankfort, 7:00 p.m.                    at Ferris State
Bangor at Hartford, 1:30 p.m.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Detroit Pistons 135, Minnesota Timberwolves 118
Washington Wizards 100, Chicago Bulls 97
New York Knicks 119, Indiana Pacers 113

Pistons 135, T-Wolves 118 – Bey, Bogdanovic lead shorthanded Pistons past Timberwolves
Saddiq Bey scored 31 points and the Detroit Pistons rallied to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 135-118. Bojan Bogdanovic added 27 points for the shorthanded Pistons, who were down 10-0 in the first three minutes. Four other players had at least 13 points. Anthony Edwards scored 20 for Minnesota, which had won four straight since a 116-104 loss to Detroit on New Year’s Eve. D’Angelo Russell added 19 and Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 14 rebounds.  The Pistons were without three rotation post players: Marvin Bagley III (hand), Jalen Duran (ankle) and Isaiah Stewart (shoulder). That left Nerlens Noel, who had played in only nine of Detroit’s first 45 games, as the starting center against Gobert.

Wizards 100, Bulls 97 – Kuzma hits late 3-pointer to lift Wizards past Bulls, 100-97
Kyle Kuzma broke a tie with a 3-pointer with 5.7 seconds left and the Washington Wizards beat the Chicago Bulls 100-97 on Wednesday night. Following a timeout, Kuzma drove to his right and hit a leaning shot as he floated toward the Wizards’ bench. Zach LaVine missed a 16-footer for Chicago with 2.3 seconds left, with Deni Avdija grabbing the last of his career-high 20 rebounds for Washington. Earlier, LaVine beat the shot clock to tie it at 97. Kuzma finished with 21 points. Backup forward Anthony Gill scored a career-high 18 points, and Monte Morris added 17 for Washington.8 points for Chicago. Bulls scoring leader DeMar DeRozan missed his first game of the season because of quadriceps strain.

Knicks 119, Pacers 113 – Brunson, Barrett help Knicks hold off Pacers, 119-113
Jaylen Brunson scored 34 points to help the New York Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers 119-113 on Wednesday night. RJ Barrett added 27 points in his return from a finger injury that sidelined him six games, and Julius Randle had 14 points and 16 rebounds. Buddy Hield led Indiana with 31 points. After New York led by 25 points in the third quarter, Hield cut it to 105-103 with a 3-pointer with 3:10 left. Brunson countered for the Knicks, scoring the next seven points of the game. Hield’s four-point play with 1:22 remaining pulled the Pacers to 112-109. He had a chance to tie it on Indiana’s next possession, but his 3-pointer was off the mark.

NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball
Tonight
Michigan at Iowa, 7:00 p.m.            News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 6:30

NCAAMBKB – Women’s College Basketball
Last Night
Wisconsin 84, Michigan State 80 – OT
Western Michigan 79, Northern Illinois 70
Akron 60, Eastern Michigan 43
Bowling Green 101, Central Michigan 68

Tonight
Wake Forest at (7) Notre Dame, 7:00 p.m.

NHL – NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Toronto Maple Leafs at Detroit Red Wings, 7:00 p.m.
Colorado Avalanche at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m.

NHL – NHL remains abuzz about likely No. 1 pick Connor Bedard
Connor Bedard was the star as Canada won the world junior hockey championship, providing a string of jaw-dropping and record-setting performances in the run to gold. There had been talk before the event that fellow forward Adam Fantillimight be closing the gap on the 17-year-old standout many expect to be the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft this summer. Bedard instead showed just how wide the gulf is between himself and his contemporaries. Entering Wednesday’s games, the worst team in the league was Chicago, followed closely by Columbus and Anaheim.

NFL – Going home: Bills’ Hamlin released from Buffalo hospital
Bills safety Damar Hamlin has been released from a hospital in Buffalo nine days after he went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated during a game at Cincinnati. Hamlin went home home after spending two days undergoing tests at Buffalo General Medical Center. He was transferred to Buffalo after spending last week at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where the 24-year-old experienced what doctors called “a remarkable recovery.” Neither doctors nor the Bills disclosed the results of the tests Hamlin had. Doctors said he will continue his rehabilitation with the Bills.

MLB – Tigers change Comerica Park’s dimensions, encourage offense
The home of the Detroit Tigers is set to become a little more hitter friendly. The outfield dimensions at Comerica Park are changing, with the center field wall being moved in 10 feet to 412 feet from home plate. The Tigers announced the changes on Wednesday. In addition, the outfield wall has been lowered in center field from 8 1/2 feet to 7 feet, in right-center field from 13 feet to 7 feet and in right field from 8 1/2 feet to 7 feet. The Tigers say the goal is to “reward hitter outcomes on balls hit to the deepest parts of the park” and also “maintain the high number of extra-base hits on balls in play to the gaps, resulting in action on the basepaths.” The Tigers also said they hope the lowered outfield wall will encourage “more electric defensive plays such as home run robberies.”  The Tigers hit just 110 homers last season, which ranked last in the big leagues. Though the actual distance hasn’t changed, the left field corner will be labeled 342 feet instead of 345 after laser measurements were taken.  Comerica Park will still have the second deepest center field wall in baseball behind Colorado’s Coors Field at 415. The league average is 402.

MLB – Smyly could earn up to $41.5M over 3 years in Cubs contract
Left-hander Drew Smyly could earn up to $41.5 million over three years from his contract with the Chicago Cubs if he pitches 150 innings annually, and catcher Tucker Barnhart could raise earnings to $9.5 million under his two-year contract if he becomes a regular starter. Smyly is guaranteed $19 million as part of a two-year contract announced Dec. 24 that calls for salaries of $8 million this year and $8.5 million in 2023. The deal includes a $10 million mutual option for 2025 with a $2.5 million buyout.

Tennis – Naomi Osaka says she’s pregnant, plans tennis return in 2024
Naomi Osaka is pregnant and plans to return to competition in 2024. The former world No. 1 posted what she called a “little life update” Wednesday on social media, including a picture of an ultrasound. The 25-year-old Osaka has been dating Cordae, a rapper, for years. She wrote that she has so much to look forward to in the future. Osaka added that “one thing I’m looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, ‘that’s my mom.’” She hasn’t played a competitive match since September and withdrew from the Australian Open, which begins Sunday.

USA Soccer – US women’s soccer tries to overcome past lack of diversity
Women’s soccer in the United States is trying to improve its diversity. The effort starts with the sport’s pay-to-play model, which can exclude talented kids from communities of color. Even U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone has lamented that soccer is seen as a “rich, white kids’ sport.” U.S. national team defender Crystal Dunn has seen the national team become steadily more representative, but she says there’s still work that needs to be done. That starts with making sure young women of color feel welcome all the way down to the youth level.

AHL – American Hockey League
Last Night
Iowa Wild 5, Grand Rapids Griffins 2

ECHL – ECHL Hockey League
Last Night
Kalamazoo Wings 5, Fort Wayne Komets 4

NBAGL – NBA G-League
Last Night
Windy City Bulls 121, Long Island Nets 118

Tonight
Raptors 905 (Mississauga, Ontario) at Motor City Cruise, 7:00 p.m.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Basketball
Kalamazoo Phoenix 87, Covert 29

Girls Basketball
Benton Harbor 38, Kalamazoo Hackett 37 – OT
DeWitt 66, Gull Lake 32
Bronson 69, Sturgis 22

Wrestling
St. Joseph, Lakeshore, Gull Lake at Battle Creek Lakeview

• St. Joseph 60, Battle Creek Lakeview 24
• Gull Lake 42, St. Joseph 33
• (Lakeshore’s results not reported)

Last Night
Boys Basketball
SMAC
Portage Northern at St. Joseph, 7:00 p.m.
Lakeshore at Mattawan, 7:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Central at Portage Central, 7:00 p.m.
Battle Creek Central at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 5:45 p.m.
Battle Creek Lakeview at Gull Lake, 7:00 p.m.

BCS
River Valley at Eau Claire, 8:00 p.m.

Non-Conference
Schoolcraft at Buchanan, 7:00 p.m.

Girls Basketball
SMAC
Battle Creek Central at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 4:15 p.m.

BCS
Howardsville Christian at Our Lady of the Lake, 7:00 p.m.
River Valley at Eau Claire, 6:30 p.m.

Southwest 10
Decatur at Bangor, 7:30 p.m.
Hartford at Comstock, 7:30 p.m.
Bloomingdale at Marcellus, 7:30 p.m.
Cassopolis at Mendon, 7:30 p.m.
Centreville at White Pigeon, 7:30 p.m.

SAC
Watervliet at Bridgman, 6:00 p.m.

Non-Conference
Andrews Academy at Michigan Lutheran, 7:30 p.m.

Boys Swimming and Diving
Mattawan at St. Joseph, 6:00 p.m.
Battle Creek Central at Bridgman, 6:00 p.m.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball
Last Night
Michigan State 69, (18) Wisconsin 65
Notre Dame 73, Georgia Tech 72 – OT
Western Michigan 85, Eastern Michigan 79
Northern Illinois 73, Central Michigan 54

Michigan State 68, (18) Wisconsin 65 – Michigan State rallies for 69-65 win at No. 18 Wisconsin
A.J. Hoggard made a tiebreaking layup with 41 seconds left and Michigan State rallied past No. 18 Wisconsin 69-65 for its seventh consecutive victory. Wisconsin was playing a second straight game without leading scorer and three-year starter Tyler Wahl. Joey Hauser had 20 points as Michigan State won its first road game since Dec. 7. Michigan State made its last eight field-goal attempts and went 16 of 17 from the foul line to win a nip-and-tuck game that featured 14 lead changes.  It was a rare narrow loss for the Badgers, who are 18-6 over the last two seasons in games decided by five points or fewer. Gard said the difference this time was simple.

Notre Dame 73, Georgia Tech 72 – OT – Notre Dame rallies to force OT, beats Georgia Tech 73-72
Dane Goodwin scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Nate Laszewski made a pair of free throws with 23 seconds left in overtime to get Notre Dame past Georgia Tech 73-72. Kyle Sturdivant scored five points in the extra period for Georgia Tech, but he missed a 3 and Javon Franklin a jumper inside in the final five seconds. Goodwin and Trey Wertz each made 3-pointers for the Fighting Irish in the extra period. J.J. Starling added 16 points for Notre Dame (9-8, 1-5 ACC). Sturdivant scored 18 points for Georgia Tech (8-8, 1-5), which is 0-9 as an ACC member in South Bend.

WMU 85, EMU 79 – Norman scores 25 as W. Michigan tops E. Michigan 85-79
Lamar Norman Jr.’s 25 points helped Western Michigan defeat Eastern Michigan 85-79 on Tuesday night.  Norman shot 6 for 13 (1 for 7 from 3-point range) and 12 of 15 from the free throw line for the Broncos (5-11, 1-2 Mid-American Conference). Markeese Hastings scored 14 points while going 4 of 5 and 4 of 4 from the free throw line, and added 14 rebounds and four steals.  The Eagles (4-12, 1-2) were led by Emoni Bates, who posted 23 points and six rebounds.

NIU 73, CMU 54 – Coit scores 23, Northern Illinois beats Central Michigan
David Coit scored 23 points as Northern Illinois beat Central Michigan 73-54 on Tuesday night.  Coit also contributed three steals for the Huskies (5-11, 1-2 Mid-American Conference). Zarigue Nutter scored 22 points while shooting 7 of 10 from the field and 7 for 13 from the line, and added six rebounds. Kaleb Thornton shot 5 for 9 (2 for 3 from 3-point range) and 4 of 8 from the free throw line to finish with 16 points.  The Chippewas (6-10, 1-2) were led by Brian Taylor, who recorded 15 points, 11 rebounds and two steals. Markus Harding added 11 points for Central Michigan. In addition, Carrington McCaskill had eight points and two steals.

NCAAMBKB – Women’s College Basketball
Last Night
(17) Michigan 80, Purdue 59

(17) Michigan 80, Purdue 59 – No. 17 Michigan women roll past Purdue 80-59
Leigha Brown scored 21 points, Emily Kiser had 17 points and seven rebounds and No. 17 Michigan beat Purdue 80-59. Brown reached 20-plus points for the third straight game — and Michigan scored 80-plus in each of those Big Ten contests. Brown has scored at least 20 points in five of her last six games. Leading 39-35 at the break, Michigan started the second half on a 12-2 run, with 3-pointers by Brown and Jordan Hobbs, to go ahead by double figures for good. The Wolverines led 60-44 entering the fourth as Purdue only made three field goals in a nine-point third quarter. Laila Phelia also scored 17 points for Michigan, which plays Michigan State on Saturday. Kiser scored all of her points after the first quarter.

Tonight
Wisconsin at Michigan State, 7:00 p.m.
Northern Illinois at Western Michigan, 7:00 p.m.
Akron at Eastern Michigan, 7:00 p.m.
Central Michigan at Bowling Green, 7:00 p.m.

NHL – NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Detroit Red Wings 7, Winnipeg Jets 5

Red Wings 7, Jets 5 – Defenseman Seider has 4 assists, Red Wings beat Jets 7-5
Moritz Seider had four assists, tying the Red Wings’ single-game franchise record for a defenseman, and Detroit beat the Winnipeg Jets 7-5 to snap a three-game skid. Jake Walman, Jonatan Berggren and Oskar Sundqvist scored in the first period — all assisted by Seider — to give Detroit a 3-0 lead. Dominik Kubalik, Dylan Larkin, Robby Fabbri and Lucas Raymond also scored for the Red Wings. Neal Pionk, Sam Gagner, Nate Schmidt, Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets, whose five-game winning streak ended.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Philadelphia 76ers 147, Detroit Pistons 116

Sixers 147, Pistons 116 – Embiid scores 36 points, Harden has triple-double for 76ers
Joel Embiid rocked braids and had 36 points and 11 rebounds, James Harden added a second straight triple-double and the Philadelphia 76ers routed the Detroit Pistons 147-116 on Tuesday night. Harden finished with 16 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds Embiid returned from a three-game absence with a sore left foot with a new look. But it was the same dominant performance out of last season’s NBA scoring champion. Saddiq Bey, Jaden Ivey and Rodney McGruder each scored 17 points for the Pistons.

Tonight
Minnesota Timberwolves at Detroit Pistons, 7:00 p.m.
Chicago Bulls at Washington Wizards, 7:00 p.m.
Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m.

NFL – Bears GM Poles expects Fields to be starting QB next season
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles says he expects Justin Fields to be the team’s starting quarterback next season and just about slammed the door on drafting one with the No. 1 overall pick. Poles left it slightly ajar Tuesday by saying he would have to be “blown away” to take a passer. Quarterbacks such as Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Kentucky’s Will Levis are among the top prospects available in the draft. Fields emerged as one of the NFL’s most exciting players in his second season. But he was drafted by former general manager Ryan Pace. The Bears finished 3-14 in one of the worst seasons in franchise history.

NFL – Ballard will be patient in finding right coach for Colts
Indianapolis Colts coach Chris Ballard says he will be patient in conducting the team’s coaching search. Ballard would not discuss specific candidates other than to say interim coach Jeff Saturday would be interviewed by the Colts. But two days after completing a 4-12-1 season and earning the No. 4 pick in April’s NFL draft, Ballard told reporters he blamed himself for the poor results and that he could wait until mid-February to make a hire.

NFL – Damar Hamlin’s toy drive: What’s the plan for the $8.6M?
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin plans to support young people through education and sports with the $8.6 million in GoFundMe donations that unexpectedly poured into his toy drive fundraiser after he suffered a cardiac arrest in the middle of a game last week. The Giving Back Fund is a nonprofit that helps athletes and celebrities manage their charitable giving. They will host the “The Chasing M’s Foundation” Charitable Fund. A GoFundMe spokesperson said they will transfer the donations that have come in since Hamlin’s injury. Hamlin’s marketing representative, Jordon Rooney, said he and his family are humbled by the “tremendous support” and will communicate with donors over time.

MLB – AP source: Correa spurns Mets, reaches $200M deal with Twins
A person familiar with the negotiations says Carlos Correa has agreed to a $200 million, six-year contract that keeps him with the Minnesota Twins after failing to complete deals with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. The deal for the All-Star shortstop is subject to a successful physical. Correa agreed Dec. 13 to a $350 million, 13-year contract with the Giants, who called off a news conference a week later over concerns with a right ankle injury. Correa agreed that night to a $315 million, 12-year deal with the Mets, who also had concerns about the ankle. The agreement with the Twins could be worth $270 million over 10 seasons if Correa remains healthy.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Basketball
BCS
Eau Claire 89, Our Lady of the Lake 53

• Karmelo Taylor scored a game high 31 points and Demarion Travis scored 18 in Eau Claire’s 89-53 win over Our Lady of the Lake.  Landon Baskin also chipped in 12 points for the Beavers.  Owen McLoughlin had 24 points in the loss for the Lakers.

Michigan Lutheran 63, Covert 41,

• Adam Conrad was one of three players for Michigan Lutheran to score in double figures, he led the Titans with a game high 17 points in a 63-41 win over Covert.  Jackson Anderson had 15 and Micah Herbst had 10.  Marcus Preston had 13 points to lead Covert.

Howardsville Christian 50, New Buffalo 37

Lakeland Conference
Berrien Springs 43, Buchanan 24
Brandywine 62, Dowagiac 29

SAC
South Haven 53, Lawton 30
Kalamazoo Christian 61, Bridgman 47
Kalamazoo Hackett 68, Coloma 28
Watervliet 53, Schoolcraft 47
Bangor 62, Holland Black River 60 – OT
Allegan 69, Constantine 54
Decatur 41, Gobles 21
Parchment 72, Fennville 37

Southwest 10
Comstock 47, Mendon 46

Non-Conference
Otsego 70, Lakeshore 36

• Otsego outscored Lakeshore 23-4 in the final quarter on the way to a 70-36 win over the Lancers.  Blake Marks had 16 points to lead Otsego,  Jack Carlisle had 14 points to lead Lakeshore. The Lancers fall to 2-4 while Otsego improves to 6-1.

Edwardsburg 56, Portage Central 51
Niles 55, Cassopolis 52
Three Rivers 62, Gull Lake 47
Mattawan 65, Plainwell 41
Paw Paw 60, Lawrence 40

• Ben McCaw had 19 points in the loss for Lawrence

Portage Northern 46, Vicksburg 37
Battle Creek Central 60, Charlotte 44
Holt 59, Battle Creek Lakeview 58
Sturgis 51, White Pigeon 47
Martin 47, Kalamazoo Heritage 37
Wyoming Potters House 59, Saugatuck 34

Girls Basketball
BCS
Our Lady of the Lake 42, Eau Claire 10

• Nora Proos had 10 points for Our Lady of the Lake in a 42-10 over Eau Claire. Ja’mya Beene had 6 points to lead Eau Claire.

Howardsville Christian 46, New Buffalo 16

Lakeland Conference
Buchanan 67, Berrien Springs 18

• Alyssa Carson had 27 points and Faith Carson had 13 points in Buchanan’s 67-18 win over Berrien Springs.  Zion Ellis had 6 to lead the Shamrocks.

Brandywine 41, Dowagiac 40

SAC
Bridgman 41, Constantine 21
Kalamazoo Christian 52, Watervliet 35
Schoolcraft 53, Allegan 45 – OT
Parchment 54, Fennville 32
Gobles 39, Decatur 16

Southwest 10
Mendon 41, Comstock 22

Non-Conference
Lakeshore 70, Otsego 64

• Megan Wurster scored 20 points to lead Lakeshore in a 70-64 win at Otsego, Paige Lies had 15 and Helaina Mihalik scored 10.

Edwardsburg 36, Portage Central 22
Cassopolis 64, Niles 46
Martin 47, Hartford 30
Plainwell 50, Mattawan 41
Vicksburg 53, Portage Northern 32
Paw Paw 72, Bloomingdale 28
Sturgis 48, White Pigeon 31
Wyoming Potter’s House 48, Saugatuck 37

Boys Swimming and Diving
South Haven 116, Marshall 65

Tonight
Boys Basketball
Covert at Kalamazoo Phoenix, 6:00 p.m.

Girls Basketball
Benton Harbor at Kalamazoo Hackett, 7:00 p.m.
Lansing Waverly at Kalamazoo Central, 5:45 p.m.
DeWitt at Gull Lake, 7:00 p.m.
Sturgis at Bronson, 7:00 p.m.

Wrestling
St. Jose, Lakeshore, Gull Lake at Battle Creek Lakeview, 5:00 p.m.
Dowagiac, Berrien Springs at Brandywine, 6:00 p.m.
Constantine, Delton-Kellogg, Martin, at Lawton, 6:00 p.m.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As you heard on News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM. Joel Cordes brings you all of the action from Farnum Gymnasium as St. Joe travels to face Benton Harbor in a non-conference matchup

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As you heard on News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM. Joel Cordes brings you all of the action from Farnum Gymnasium as St. Joe travels to face Benton Harbor in a non-conference matchup

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NCAAFB – College Football – CFP National Championship
Last Night
(1) Georgia 65, (3) TCU 7

Georgia 65, TCU 7 – No. 1 Georgia bullies TCU 65-7 to win 2nd consecutive title
Stetson Bennett threw two touchdown passes and ran for two scores in the first half as No. 1 Georgia demolished No. 3 TCU 65-7 to become the first team to win consecutive College Football Playoff national championships. The Bulldogs became the first repeat champs since Alabama went back-to-back a decade ago and left no doubt that they have replaced the Crimson Tide as the new bullies on the block. TCU, the first Cinderella team of the CFP era, never had a chance against the Georgia juggernaut and suffered the most lopsided loss in a national title game dating to the start of the BCS in 1998.

NCAAFB – Georgia becomes 12th back-to-back champ in AP Top 25 history
Georgia is No. 1 in the final Associated Press college football poll, becoming the 12th back-to-back national champion in the history of the rankings after routing TCU. The Horned Frogs were No. 2, their best final rankings since the 2010 season. Michigan was No. 3, followed by Ohio State and Alabama. The Bulldogs won the College Football Playoff national championship game 65-7 to secure their third AP title overall. Their first came in 1980. Georgia also became the 14th school with as many as three AP national titles.  Notre Dame finished at No. 18.

NCAAFB – Michigan All-America RB Blake Corum staying for senior year
Michigan All-America running back Blake Corum is staying in school for his senior season and putting his NFL dreams on hold. Corum announced his decision on social media hours before the national championship game, writing he had “unfinished business.” He had a season-ending left knee injury on Nov. 19 after running for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns. Corum had 952 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2021. The second-ranked Wolverines lost to third-ranked TCU in a College Football Playoff semifinal. Corum will return along with quarterback J.J. McCarthy to lead Michigan with or without coach Jim Harbaugh.

NCAAFB – USC’s Reggie Bush, Tebow make College Football Hall of Fame
Reggie Bush, whose Heisman Trophy victory for Southern California in 2005 was later vacated because of NCAA violations, is among 18 players in the latest College Football Hall of Fame class. Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who won the Heisman in 2007, was also elected to the Hall by the National Football Foundation, along with Dwight Freeney of Syracuse; Luke Kuechly of Boston College; LaMichael James of Oregon and Michael Bishop of Kansas State. Bush played on two national championship teams with USC and led the Trojans to another title game in 2005.

NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Winnipeg Jets at Detroit Red Wings, 7:00 p.m.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Boston Celtics 107, Chicago Bulls 99

Celtics 107, Bulls 99 – Celtics top Bulls 107-99, improve NBA’s best record to 29-12
Jayson Tatum scored 32 points, Jaylen Brown added 19 as the Boston Celtics beat the Chicago Bulls 107-99 Monday night and reached the midway point of their season with the NBA’s best record. Grant Williams added 20 points and Al Horford had seven rebounds and eight points, including a clutch 3-pointer with 24 seconds to play that helped seal the win for the defending Eastern Conference champions, who are 29-12 after the first 41 games. Zach LaVine led Chicago with 27 points, scoring 15 in the fourth quarter while leading the Bulls’ furious comeback bid. Chicago, which had won three straight, lost DeMar DeRozan in the third quarter with a strained right quadriceps.

Tonight
Detroit Pistons at Philadelphia 76ers, 7:00 p.m.

NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball
Tonight
Michigan State at (18) Wisconsin, 7:00 p.m.         Superhits 103.7 Cosy-FM 6:00 p.m.
Georgia Tech at Notre Dame, 7:00 p.m.
Eastern Michigan at Western Michigan, 7:00 p.m.
Central Michigan at Northern Illinois, 8:00 p.m.

NCAAMBKB – Women’s College Basketball
Tonight
(17) Michigan at Purdue, 6:30 p.m.

NFL – Bills safety Hamlin back in Buffalo to continue recovery
Doctors who treated Damar Hamlin say the Bills safety was moved to a hospital in Buffalo to continue his recovery. It’s an uplifting sign of the remarkable progress Hamlin has made a week after going into cardiac arrest and having to be resuscitated on the field during a game in Cincinnati. Hamlin was discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in the morning and flown to Buffalo, where Dr. William Knight said he was “doing well.” Hamlin’s return comes a day after he cheered on the Bills from his hospital bed during their 35-23 win over New England. The game proved to be a cathartic outpouring of support for the Bills and Hamlin.

NFL – Lions appear to have bright future under coach Dan Campbell
The Detroit Lions opened and the closed the 2022 season with a lot of excitement and a dash of hope. The Lions were featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” in the preseason and ended the regular season by winning eight of 10 games. Detroit fell just short of making the playoffs for the first time in six years and finished with its first winning record since 2017. The Lions’ win at Green Bay on Sunday night kept the Packers out of the postseason and provided another sign that the franchise finally has a bright future.

NFL – Clock ticking for Bears with No. 1 pick after brutal season
General manager Ryan Poles is now on the clock after the Chicago Bears wrapped up one of the worst seasons in franchise history. They set a franchise record for losses with 14 and extended one by dropping their 10th game in a row in Sunday’s finale against Minnesota. They also got a big assist from former coach Lovie Smith and landed the No. 1 pick in the draft for the first time since 1947. The Bears also figure to have about $118 million in salary cap room. Chicago needs playmaking receivers and help on both the offensive and defensive lines.

NFL – Packers’ Quay Walker apologizes for shoving Lions physician
Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker apologized after the second ejection of his rookie season and said he has spoken directly to the Detroit Lions physician he shoved during the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s game. Walker issued an apology via Twitter and expressed his regret again while speaking to reporters Monday. This was the second time Walker got ejected from a game in his rookie season. He also was ejected during an October 30 loss at Buffalo after shoving Bills practice squad tight end Zach Davidson on the sideline.

NFL – Poor results send Indy into another offseason of uncertainty
Jeff Saturday spent Monday thanking players for their effort over the Indianapolis Colts’ final eight games and arguing to keep his coaching title — minus the interim tag. He’ll get that answer and others in time. First, this franchise must figure out what’s next. One day after finishing a dismal 4-12-1 season with another last-minute collapse, the Colts began trying to determine what went wrong, what must change and who returns from what appears to be an uncertain and perhaps tumultuous offseason.

NFL – National Football League – Wild Card Playoffs
Saturday
Seattle at San Francisco, 4:30 p.m.
L.A. Chargers at Jacksonville, 8:15 p.m.

Sunday
Miami at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
N.Y. Giants at Minnesota, 4:30 p.m.
Baltimore at Cincinnati, 8:15 p.m.

Monday
Dallas at Tampa Bay, 8:15 p.m.
NWSL – NWSL bans 4 from coaching, takes other disciplinary actions
The National Women’s Soccer League has permanently banned four coaches and announced disciplinary action against several other individuals and teams in response to an investigation into alleged abuse and misconduct. Former North Carolina coach Paul Riley, former Chicago Red Stars coach Rory Dames, former Washington Spirit coach Richie Burke and former Racing Louisville coach Christy Holly can’t coach in the NWSL again. The league and its players association announced results of their investigation last month. The investigation found “widespread misconduct” directed at players dating back nearly a decade.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Basketball
Benton Harbor 57, St. Joseph 54

• Benton Harbor’s Grant Gondrezick scored a game high 33 points as Benton Harbor edged out St. Joseph 57-54 in a back and forth battle at Farnum Gymnasium.  Brian Gillespie added 12 points for the Tigers as they improved to 5-1 on the season.   Luke Lehner led the Bears with 14 points, while Chase Sanders scored 13.  St. Joe falls to 3-3.

Delton-Kellogg 62, Bloomingdale 45

Girls Basketball
Benton Harbor 54, St. Joseph 44

• Benton Harbor jumped out to a 25-4 lead after the first quarter and held on for a 54-44 win over St. Joe at the Bear Den.  Desrae Kyles had 24 points to lead the Tigers, while Jamya Jordan had 18.   Tess Kapelke had 14 points coming off the bench to lead St. Joe, while Jaslynn Ward and Eleah Hedstrom added 12 each for the Bears.

Tonight
Boys Basketball
BCS
Our Lady of the Lake at Eau Claire, 8:00 p.m.
Covert at Michigan Lutheran, 7:30 p.m. Howardsville Chr. at New Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.

Lakeland Conference
Buchanan at Berrien Springs, 7:00 p.m.
Dowagiac at Brandywine, 7:00 p.m.

SAC
Lawton at South Haven, 7:00 p.m.
Bridgman at Kalamazoo Christian, 7:00 p.m.
Coloma at Kalamazoo Hackett, 7:00 p.m.
Watervliet at Schoolcraft, 7:00 p.m.
Holland Black River at Bangor, 7:30 p.m.
Allegan at Constantine, 7:00 p.m.
Gobles at Decatur, 7:00 p.m.
Fennville at Parchment,

Southwest 10
Mendon at Comstock, 7:30 p.m.

Non-Conference
Edwardsburg at Portage Central, 7:00 p.m.
Cassopolis at Niles, 7:00 p.m.
Gull Lake at Three Rivers, 7:00 p.m.
Plainwell at Mattawan, 7:00 p.m.
Paw Paw at Lawrence, 7:15 p.m.
Portage Northern at Vicksburg, 7:00 p.m.
Battle Creek Central at Charlotte, 7:00 p.m.
Holt at Battle Creek Lakeview, 7:00 p.m.
Sturgis at White Pigeon, 7:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Heritage at Martin, 7:00 p.m.
Calhoun Christian at Delton-Kellogg, 7:00 p.m.
Saugatuck at Wyoming Potters House, 7:00 p.m.

Girls Basketball
BCS
Our Lady of the Lake at Eau Claire, 6:30 p.m.
Howardsville Chr. at New Buffalo, 6:00 p.m.

Lakeland Conference
Buchanan at Berrien Springs, 5:30 p.m.
Dowagiac at Brandywine, 5:30 p.m.

SAC
Constantine at Bridgman, 6:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Christian at Watervliet, 7:30 p.m.
Schoolcraft at Allegan, 7:00 p.m.
Parchment at Fennville, 7:00 p.m.
Decatur at Gobles, 7:00 p.m.

Southwest 10
Comstock at Mendon, 7:30 p.m.

Non-Conference
Lakeshore at Otsego, 7:15 p.m.
Portage Central at Edwardsburg, 7:15 p.m.
Niles at Cassopolis, 7:30 p.m.
Hartford at Martin, 7:00 p.m.
Mattawan at Plainwell, 7:00 p.m.
Vicksburg at Portage Northern, 7:00 p.m.
Bloomingdale at Paw Paw, 6:30 p.m.
White Pigeon at Sturgis, 7:00 p.m..
Wyoming Potters House at Saugatuck, 7:00 p.m.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.