NCAAMBB – Men’s College Basketball
Last Night
Minnesota 84, (20) Michigan 81 – OT
Minn 84, Michigan 81 – OT – Garcia beats buzzer with long 3-pointer to lift Minnesota past Michigan, 84-81 in OT
Dawson Garcia made a 3-pointer from the edge of the near center-court logo to give Minnesota an 84-81 overtime victory over No. 20 Michigan on Thursday night. Wolverines tied it on Danny Wolf’s driving layup with sevenseconds to play. But the Gophers had time to bring the ball upcourt, where Lu’Cye Patterson found Garcia for the winner from the “M” logo. The jumper gave coach Ben Johnson his first career victory over a ranked team. Garcia — whose two free throws with 7.4 seconds to play sent the game to overtime tied at 71 — finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Gophers (9-10, 1-6 Big Ten). Wolf led Michigan (13-4, 5-1) with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
Saturday
Buffalo at Western Michigan, 1:00 p.m.
Eastern Michigan at Bowling Green, 2:00 p.m.
Central Michigan at Northern Illinois, 2:00 p.m.
Notre Dame at Syracuse, 4:00 p.m. Sports Radio 96.1 WSBT 3:30
Sunday
(19) Illinois at (12) Michigan State, 12:00 p.m. Cosy Classic Hits 103.7 11:00
Northwestern at (20) Michigan, 2:00 p.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 1:30
NCAAWBB – Women’s College Basketball
Last Night
(3) Notre Dame 81, (17) Geogia Tech 66
ND 81, GT 66 – No. 3 Notre Dame surges past No. 17 Georgia Tech in second half for 81-66 victory
Sonia Citron scored 21 points, Maddy Westbeld had 20 and No. 3 Notre Dame surged in the second half to beat No. 17 Georgia Tech 81-66 on Thursday night. All-American Hannah Hidalgo missed her second game for Notre Dame with an ankle injury. The 5-foot-6 sophomore point guard is second in the nation in points (25.7) and steals (4.1) and connects on 45.8% of her 3-point attempts. Citron shot 9 for 13 and Westbeld was 8 of 11 as Notre Dame (15-2, 6-0 ACC) hit 55% of its shots compared to 38% for Georgia Tech (15-3, 3-3).
Saturday
Rutgers at Michigan, 12:00 p.m.
Western Michigan at Kent State, 1:00 p.m.
Eastern Michigan at Central Michigan, 1:00 p.m.
Sunday
(22) Michigan State at Illinois, 3:00 p.m.
SMU at (3) Notre Dame, 6:00 p.m. Sports Radio 96.1 WSBT 5:45
MLB – ‘Mr. Baseball’ Bob Uecker, Brewers announcer, dies at 90
Bob Uecker, the voice of his hometown Milwaukee Brewers who after a short playing career earned the moniker “Mr. Baseball” and honors from the Hall of Fame, has died. He was 90. In a statement released Thursday by the Brewers, Uecker’s family said he had battled small cell lung cancer since early 2023. Uecker, who was born and raised in Milwaukee, signed his first pro contract with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956 and reached the majors in 1962. He lasted six seasons in the big leagues. He then spent over 50 years broadcasting the Brewers, becoming synonymous with baseball in Wisconsin and beyond.
NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Indiana Pacers 111, Detroit Pistons 100
Pacers 111, Pistons 100 – Turner scores 28 and Siakam has 26 to lead the Pacers past the Pistons, 111-100
Myles Turner scored 28 points, Pascal Siakam added 26 and the Indiana Pacers beat the Detroit Pistons 111-100 on Thursday night. Turner was 8 of 11 from 3-point range while his teammates went 5 for 19. Tyrese Haliburton had 17 points and eight assists as the Pacers won for the seventh time in eight games. Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 25 points while Cade Cunningham had 20 points and nine assists despite shooting 7 for 21 (1 for 7 on 3-pointers). Detroit had won 10 of 12.
Tonight
Charlotte at Chicago, 8:00 p.m.
Saturday
Phoenix at Detroit, 4:00 p.m.
Philadelphia at Indiana, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday
Chicago at Portland, 9:00 p.m.
NFL – National Football League – Divisional Playoffs
Saturday
Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs, 4:30 p.m.
Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions, 8:15 p.m. Rock 107 WIRX 7:10
Sunday
Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles, 3:00 p.m.
Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills, 6:30 p.m.
NFL – Lions host Commanders as NFC’s top-seeded team for 1st time in franchise history
The Detroit Lions host the Washington Commanders on Saturday night in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. The Lions are favored to win by nearly double digits, according to BetMGM. Detroit is the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the first time in franchise history. Washington is coming off its first playoff win in 19 years and is aiming to reach its first NFC championship game since 1991. The Lions lost at San Francisco last year, falling one game short of their first Super Bowl. Detroit’s running game against Washington’s defense may prove to be pivotal.
NFL – Lions guard Kevin Zeitler is out vs. Washington, who are set to have Bobby Wagner
The Detroit Lions will be without starting right guard Kevin Zeitler when they host the Washington Commanders in the divisional round on Saturday night. The Lions ruled out Zeitler with the hamstring injury that knocked him out of their regular-season finale January 5 against Minnesota and also will not have defensive lineman Pat O’Connor because of a calf ailment. The Commanders are expected to be at nearly full strength with linebacker Bobby Wagner set to play after missing a couple of practices this week because of an ankle injury.
NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Detroit Red Wings 5, Florida Panthers 2
Nashville Predators 3, Chicago Blackhawks 2 – SO
Red Wings 5, Panthers 2 – Larkin scores twice as Red Wings roll past Panthers 5-2 for 8th win in 9 games
Dylan Larkin scored two goals and the surging Detroit Red Wings beat the Florida Panthers 5-2. Larkin, Jonatan Berggren and Patrick Kane had power-play goals for Detroit, which also got a goal from Marco Kasper. Cam Talbot stopped 40 shots for the Red Wings, who have won eight of their last nine games. Anton Lundell and Evan Rodrigues scored for Florida, which is 4-6-1 in its last 11. Larkin’s empty-netter with 1:22 left sealed the win. Florida was 12-0-1 in its previous 13 games against Detroit.
Predators 3, Blackhawks 2 – SO – Forsberg and Stamkos help the Predators outlast the Blackhawks 3-2 in a SO
Steven Stamkos scored in regulation and had Nashville’s third straight shootout goal in the Predators’ 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night. Filip Forsberg tied it with 3:03 left with his 300th NHL goal, and Juuse Saros made 24 saves in regulation and overtime. Gustav Nyquist and Ryan O’Reilly scored on Nashville’s first two attempts in the tiebreaker and Stamkos put it away on the third. Connor Bedard and Alec Martinez scored for Chicago, and Arvid Soderblom made 39 saves. The Blackhawks have lost four in a row.
Saturday
Detroit at Tampa Bay, 7:00 p.m.
Vegas at Chicago, 8:00 p.m.
Sunday
Detroit at Dallas, 8:00 p.m.
NCAAFB – OSU and ND built the old-fashioned way, mixing in a few high-impact transfers
Ohio State and Notre Dame have reached the same destination with rosters built much the same way. The teams set to play in the College Football Playoff championship game in Atlanta on Monday night sign elite high school recruiting classes year after year. That has been and continues to be their foundations. They have used the transfer portal judiciously, equally and with great success while putting together their teams. Five of the 22 Ohio State starters in its semifinal win over Texas were transfers. Four of Notre Dame’s starters in the semifinal against Penn State were transfers.
NCAA – Title IX memo upsets plans for schools to pay NIL money directly to athletes
The U.S. Department of Education says plans for colleges to pay athletes directly for their name, image and likeness deals would run afoul of Title IX. The guidance issued Thursday adds more confusion to the shifting landscape of college sports. The nine-page memo from the DOJ’s Office for Civil Rights says NIL money that goes to athletes should be treated the same as athletic financial aid — in other words, scholarships. If that position remains in place after President-elect Donald Trump takes office next week, it could upend plans that many schools are making for next school year.
WNBA – Indiana Fever set to open up new practice facility before 2027 WNBA season
The Indiana Fever are building a new practice facility set to open before the 2027 WNBA season, the franchise announced Thursday. The $78 million performance center will be in downtown Indianapolis and connect to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Fever play, via a skybridge. The Fever have had their own practice court and training area in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Indiana Pacers also play. It was renovated in 2020.
Golf – PGA Tour to move Genesis Invitational out of Riviera. New venue to be determined
The PGA Tour is moving the Genesis Invitational out of Riviera Country Club next month because of the deadly wildfires that have decimated part of Los Angeles. Riviera is in part of the evacuation zone although the 99-year-old course was not damaged. The tour expects to announce a new location in the coming days. It is relocating after consulting with the title sponsor, the club and the Tiger Woods foundation that hosts the tournament. It will be the first time since 1998 that the PGA Tour’s tournament in Los Angeles is not played at Riviera.
Tennis – Two-time defending champ Sabalenka is into the 4th round at the Australian Open
It wasn’t often pretty, but two-time defending Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka has extended a few impressive streaks while becoming one of the first players to advance to the fourth round of the year’s opening Grand Slam tournament. In a tougher-than-expected match, Sabalenka beat Clara Tauson 7-6 (5), 6-4 in a poor early serving display by both players to open the sixth day of play on Rod Laver Arena. It was Sabalenka’s eighth match victory in a row to start the season after winning the Brisbane International 10 days ago, and her 17th match win in a row at Melbourne Park.
Tennis – Naomi Osaka stops playing because of an injury against Belinda Bencic
Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka has stopped playing because of an injury after dropping the opening set of her third-round match against Belinda Bencic. This was Osaka’s first run to the third round at a major tournament since 2022. She missed time in recent seasons because of mental-health breaks, then was off the tour while pregnant. Her daughter, Shai, was born in July 2023. Osaka began this season by making it to the final of a tournament at Auckland, New Zealand, on Jan. 5, but she stopped playing in the title match there because of an abdominal injury. On Friday, Osaka was visited by a trainer during a changeover late in the first set.
AHL – American Hockey League
Tonight
Cleveland Monsters at Grand Rapids Griffins, 7:00 p.m.
ECHL – ECHL Hockey League
Tonight
Kalamazoo Wings at Indy Fuel, 7:00 p.m.
Toledo Walleye at Fort Wayne Komets, 7:30 p.m.
NBAGL – NBA G-League
Last Night
Grand Rapids Gold 127, Raptors 905 109
Tonight
Valley Suns at Motor City Cruise, 7:00 p.m.
MCCAA – Michigan Community College Athletic Association
Saturday
Women’s Basketball
Glen Oaks Community College at Lake Michigan College, 1:00 p.m.
Grand Rapids Community College at Southwestern Michigan College, 1:00 p.m.
Men’s Basketball
Glen Oaks Community College at Lake Michigan College, 3:00 p.m.
Grand Rapids Community College at Southwestern Michigan College, 3:00 p.m.
MHSAA – Michigan High School Athletic Association
Last Night
Boys Basketball
SAC
Coloma 53, Bridgman 49 – OT
Girls Basketball
SMAC
St. Joseph 36, Kalamazoo Central 34
Lakeshore 42, Portage Central 17
Mattawan 44, Portage Northern 25
Gull Lake 41, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 29
BCS
Michigan Lutheran 31, Our Lady of the Lake 20
Southwest 10
Centreville 43, Cassopolis 35
Decatur 43, Comstock 12
Hartford 35, Bloomingdale 21
Lawrence 48, Marcellus 29
White Pigeon 61, Bangor 28
Tonight
Boys Basketball
SMAC
Kalamazoo Central at St. Joseph, 7:00 p.m.
Lakeshore at Portage Central, 7:00 p.m.
Portage Northern at Mattawan, 7:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix at Gull Lake, 7:00 p.m.
Battle Creek Central at BC Lakeview, 7:00 p.m.
Lakeland
Benton Harbor at Buchanan, 7:00 p.m. WSJM
Berrien Springs at Brandywine, 7:00 p.m.
Wolverine
Plainwell at Niles, 7:15 p.m.
Edwardsburg at Vicksburg, 7:15 p.m.
Three Rivers at Sturgis, 7:15 p.m.
Paw Paw at Otsego, 7:15 p.m.
BCS
Michigan Lutheran at Our Lady of the Lake, 7:00 p.m.
Covert at Eau Claire, 7:00 p.m.
Countryside at New Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
Howardsville Christian at River Valley, 7:30 p.m.
SAC
Allegan at South Haven, 7:30 p.m.
Fennville at Watervliet, 7:30 p.m.
Saugatuck at Gobles, 7:30 p.m.
Lawton at Kalamazoo Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Parchment at Kalamazoo Hackett, 7:30 p.m.
Holland Black River at Martin, 7:30 p.m.
Delton-Kellogg at Galesburg-Augusta, 7:30 p.m.
Schoolcraft at Constantine, 7:30 p.m.
Southwest 10
White Pigeon at Bangor, 7:30 p.m.
Hartford at Bloomingdale, 7:30 p.m.
Centreville at Cassopolis, 7:30 p.m.
Comstock at Decatur, 7:30 p.m.
Marcellus at Lawrence, 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball
SMAC
Battle Creek Central at BC Lakeview, 5:45 p.m.
Lakeland
Berrien Springs at Brandywine, 5:45 p.m.
Wolverine
Plainwell at Niles, 6:00 p.m.
Edwardsburg at Vicksburg, 6:00 p.m.
Three Rivers at Sturgis, 5:45 p.m.
Paw Paw at Otsego, 5:45 p.m.
BCS
Covert at Eau Claire, 5:45 p.m.
Howardsville Chr. at New Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
SAC
Bridgman at Coloma, 7:30 p.m.
Allegan at South Haven, 6:00 p.m.
Fennville at Watervliet, 6:00 p.m.
Saugatuck at Gobles, 6:00 p.m.
Lawton at Kalamazoo Christian, 6:00 p.m.
Parchment at Kalamazoo Hackett, 6:00 p.m.
Holland Black River at Martin, 6:00 p.m.
Delton-Kellogg at Galesburg-Augusta, 6:00 p.m.
Schoolcraft at Constantine, 6:00 p.m.