HUNTSVILLE, TX. – Jacksonville State women’s basketball was downed at Sam Houston Saturday afternoon in a 53-48. The Gamecocks held Sam Houston to 13 fewer points than they average on the season, but offensive production struggled due to the Bearkats’ defensive efforts. The Gamecocks had two standouts reach double digits. Bre’Anna Rhodes scored 11 points on 50% shooting from the field. Rhodes also grabbed the second most rebounds with five. Mya Barnes’s six rebounds were the most on the afternoon. Maria Sanchez Ponce was the other Gamecock to score in double-figures as she added 10 points. Ponce was extremely efficient making 4-5 shots from the field and two free throws.
The first quarter was low scoring for both teams as the defenses shined. At the media timeout in the first, Jax State held a slim 6-3 advantage. By the end of the quarter, the Red-and-White was leading 9-6. Shaquice May had the most points in the quarter thanks to a made three-point basket.
Jax State’s offense shot the ball much better in the second quarter as 54.6% of their field goals found the bottom of the net. However, Sam Houston’s offense found their stride in the second as well. The Bearkats shot 66.7% from the field and hit the lone three they attempted. In fact, Jax State called a timeout early in the second to stop a 9-0 run by Sam Houston that gave them a 15-11 lead.
The run continued out of the timeout as Sam Houston extended it to a 14-2 run and a 20-13 lead with 4:28 left in the first half. Barnes drove and hit a layup to end the run. At the halftime break, Jax State trailed Sam Houston 21-29.
In the third quarter, Ponce hit a layup to cut the Bearkats lead to just three points at the 4:54 mark. Sam Houston only missed one field goal attempt in the third to help them eventually extend their lead to 43-33 heading into the final quarter of action.
In the fourth, Jax State was trailing 41-51 at the media timeout with 4:16 left in the game. The Gamecocks would go on a 7-0 scoring run to force a Sam Houston timeout with 2:15 left in the game. The run cut the Bearkats’ lead to 53-48 that held for the remainder of the game.
Jax State will return home on Thursday, Jan. 23, to face UTEP at 6 p.m. before a matchup at home against New Mexico State on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 1:30 p.m. The games will be streaming on ESPN+ and tickets can be purchased at JaxStateSports.com.
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Facebook (Jacksonville State Women’s Basketball), Instagram (@JaxStateWBB), and X (@JaxStateWBB) accounts.
Of course, a lot of the time after seeing Melky make a nice diving or sliding catch you’d realize that he made the play right where he’d started out before heading off in the wrong direction for a while. But that was part of the fun, and he knew it.
Of course, it’s easier to show love of baseball on defense or on the bases than while batting or pitching, which require a whole lot of stern-faced concentration. Hence the obvious love of the game of players like Alexei Ramírez, who always seemed amazed at himself when he made a great play, and Mark Buehrle, who was as adept with a glove as with a curveball and who enjoyed a nifty play as much as a nifty pitch. I set records that will never be equaled. In fact, I hope 90% of them don’t even get printed.
One not-so-great defender (though not bad, despite how it often looked) was Melky Cabrera, who shared Alexei’s wonder at defensive feats.
I remember one time I’m batting against the Dodgers in Milwaukee. They lead, 2–1, it’s the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, two out and the pitcher has a full count on me. I look over to the Dodger dugout and they’re all in street clothes.” — Bob Uecker
The World Baseball Softball Confederation says more than 65 million people worldwide play one of the two games, and that’s just on some sort of set team or league, not counting neighborhood pickup games, More than 99.9% of them play it because it’s a fun thing to do. The rest play for the White Sox. I make fun of situations and try and find the humor in things, but it’s never at the expense of the other guy.
Bob Uecker’s death last week at the age of 90 was not just a reminder of what a great guy (and bad ballplayer) he was, but also a reminder of a very important fact — baseball is supposed to be fun. That’s something that’s easy to forget if you have any involvement with the Chicago White Sox.
Therein the limitations of the big bat flip. Many are in fact the result of sheer exuberance, and lots of tun to see. Many more are posturing for a moment about the hitter’s own greatness, a la all that strutting stuff in pro football … still, no harm done. And some, unfortunately, are an in-your-face to the opposing pitcher, which has nothing to do with the love of the game. Uecker showed the way, guys — roll with him.
That’s all too bad, because enjoying watching games is a lot easier when the players you’re watching are enjoying it as well.
While Uecker may have been the most fun of any player, or at least ex-player, there are and have been plenty of players whose love of the game shows — and that love of the game makes them lovable in return. Many are or were stars, Ernie Banks being the most obvious example on a Chicago team. These days Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor among those getting such raves from fans and even opposing players.
Billy Hamilton may not have hit a lick, but he has topped the majors in defense, baserunning, and enthusiasm ever since he came on the scene, and he made every game he played in more exciting to watch. José Abreu’s sprints off of the field, boyish grins rounding third, and even his ill-conceived slides on the concrete floor of the dugout provided extra spice.
And as for the lousy recent performances and records and those likely to be come for the next few years:
After all, it’s pretty darn hard to enjoy a sport when you lose three-quarters of the time, with the whole baseball world eyeballing your futility. It’s not easy when you lose a mere 101 games, either. And decidedly difficult before that, when your boss was an acerbic geriatric has-been with two DUIs on the record (and how many others you bragged your way out of, TLR?) who was so full of himself he told opposing pitchers to throw at one of his own players because he was in a snit about the player enjoying a game moment.
And what’s with the inability to show happiness at getting a hit? There are exceptions when a slugger tops a single 30 feet down the third-base line and knows it was sheer luck (one helped Andrew Vaughn end a big 0-fer, as I recall), but mostly it’s that bizarre ritual of giving a hand signal back to the dugout. No fun, that.
These days, Nicky Lopez — who was one of those players whose love of the game shined through — and Jake Amaya are gone. Unless one of the bargain bin, dumpster-diving pickups of the offseason turns out to field well, or a minor-leaguer who’s not an embarrassment in the field is called up, love of the game may not be obvious — especially given the likelihood of more miserable outcomes for years to come.
But, yes, White Sox players, we understand it’s hard to show your love of baseball when you’re constantly being blown out of games. It’s hard for us fans, too. But give it a try. Remember, struggle as you may, Bob Uecker was there before you., Anybody with ability can play in the big leagues. But to be able to trick people year in and year out the way I did, I think that was a much greater feat. — Bob Uecker
And it’s not like the White Sox have been devoid of players whose love for the game shone through, including one at the top of any list over the past decade.
OK, that’s unfair. Not inaccurate, but unfair.
At the plate, of course, the main show of great enthusiasm for the game tends to come from bat flips. But that calls for another Ueckerism:
(Luis Robert Jr. is obviously a tremendous fielder and great fun to watch most of the time, but he’s a quiet sort of guy, though he has a reputation as something of a jokester.)
Stroudsburg 38, Delaware Valley 30: At Stroudsburg, Andrew Elliott, Brady Colville, Bryce Thoman, Jeremiah Segal and Chris DellaBella had pins in a nonleague loss.After a dominant first three matches, where she compiled three first-period pins, the junior earned a 7-4 decision over Panther Valley’s Alisa Williams in the semifinals and a 3-2 decision over Palisades’ Bryce Snyder, who is ranked second in the state according to pa-wrestling.com, for the title.Wyoming Valley West’s Isabella Seip went 5-1 to place second at 120. The senior compiled three first-period pins, a 7-3 decision and a 15-12 sudden victory decision to reach the final.Nanticoke Area wrestler Sierra Ripka secured the 172-pound title at the Coal Cracker Girls Invitational on Saturday at Lehighton High School.Ranked fifth in the state, Seip lost by fall to Palisades’ Savannah Witt, a defending state champion who is ranked No. 1 in the state.107: Jasionowicz (S) pinned Carides, 1:35; 114: Bialasiewicz (S) tech. fall Snyder, 15-0; 121: Brown (S) dec. Churchill, 6-3; 127: Fetherman (S) pinned Gouldthorpe, 4:34; 133: Elliott (DV) pinned Evans, 1:54; 139: Berwick (S) tech. fall Mele, 17-1; 145: Colville (DV) pinned Bunn, 0:50; 152: Ogden (S) pinned Eckert, 5:17; 160: DeMaria (S) dec. Brazanskas, 3-2; 172: Thoman (DV) pinned Alvarez, 1:00; 189: Segal (DV) pinned Albabili, 2:37; 215: Essington (S) maj. dec. Koloski, 14-3; 285: DellaBella (DV) pinned Ball, 2:51.
Boys wrestling
Ripka, ranked fourth in the state, secured a first-period takedown in the final for a 3-0 lead. Snyder answered with a reversal with 10 seconds left in the first period. Ripka spent the second and third period on bottom, and didn’t allow Snyder to turn her to secure the win.Elsewhere in District 2, Crestwood’s Rachel Shoemaker (126), Delaware Valley’s Kate Prior (157) and Honesdale’s Jaidyn Mikulak (237) placed third; Honesdale’s Maddison Miller (144) and Wyoming Valley West’s Brooke Long (157) placed fourth; Western Wayne’s Mia Gifford (108), Nanticoke Area’s Emily Kivler (120) and Hazleton Area’s Mia Molinaro (138) placed fifth; Hanover Area’s Claire Gyle (102) and Santina Saraka (108) and Wallenpaupack’s Alayna Atos (138) placed sixth; and Hanover Area’s Morgan Osburn (102), Hazleton Area’s Lynzee Andreuzzi (132) and Crestwood’s Samara Bailey (237) finished eighth.Originally Published:
The next puzzle will be available at midnight in your time zone. Thanks for playing — and share your scores in the comments!Yellow: AWAYGreen: CENTER
Purple: 17
Scroll below for one answer in each of the four categories.Game No. 118’s difficulty: 2 out of 5
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Blue: MARICHAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .You can access Sunday’s game here.(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic)Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.AdvertisementA quick public service announcement before we continue: The bottom of this article includes one answer in each of the four categories. So if you want to solve the board hint-free, we recommend you play before continuing.Need help with today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle? You’ve come to the right place.
Brazilian soccer player Neymar made an estimated 0 million in 2024, earning million on the field with Saudi Arabian team Al Hilal, and million off the field in endorsements and sponsorships. The soccer superstar also has partnerships with brands including Puma, Skims, Red Bull, Blaze Casino, Qatar Airways, and more.
Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid athlete in the world. Ronaldo earns an estimated 0 million annually under his current contract with Saudi Arabian soccer team Al Nassr, which expires in 2025. He earned an estimated 0 million on the field in 2024 and million off the field. And his brand partnerships with companies are lucrative. The brands include Herbalife, his own CR7 brand that includes apparel, fragrances, and more, and a lifetime deal with Nike.Here are the 10 highest-paid athletes in the world as of 2025.
Pro golfer Jon Rahm made an estimated total of 8 million in 2024. Rahm left the PGA tour in 2023 to join rival LIV Golf League for a multiyear contract worth over 0 million. Rahm earned 8 million in 2024 on the field and million off the field in 2024. Rahm is the captain of his Saudi-backed LIV Golf League team, Legion XIII, and has a stake in the team.
“From player recruitment to sports science, we see huge potential to enhance our operations and gain a competitive edge.Dunfermline stress that, although the new owners are not based in Scotland, Park Bench’s UK representative, Kobi Waterman, is “likely to attend games frequently”.Both new owners also have minority stakes in Spanish club Cordoba, while Bord has a similar investment in Bulgarian outfit Septemvri Sofia, and say they were attracted to “a club steeped in history and tradition”.Las Vegas-based businessmen James Bord and Evan Sofer have completed their takeover of Dunfermline Athletic aiming to use their background in data analytics and artificial intelligence to realise the Scottish Championship club’s “immense potential”.They say that, after DAFC Fussball GMBH put its stake up for sale, the club received “significant interest from all corners of the globe”.The announcement comes the day after the appointment of Michael Tidser as head coach after a compensation agreement with neighbours and League 1 promotion candidates Kelty Hearts.Their Park Bench SFC LLC has acquired 99.84% of the Fife club’s shares, including all of the stake previously owned by German consortium DAFC Fussball GMBH.”Working closely with our highly qualified backroom staff, we’ll be implementing these tools to support smarter decision-making and ultimately help the team perform at its very best.”Bord and Sofer thanked the previous owners “for the stable financial position the club is in currently”.In a letter to fans, the pair said: “You may have heard about our backgrounds in data analytics and artificial intelligence and we are big believers in the impact this technology can have across the club.However, despite numerous investment proposals, there was “unanimous belief” that this proposal represented “the strongest opportunity for growth and sporting success”.Having built his career working for industry leaders such as Starlizard and Smartodds, London-born Bord is the founder of Short Circuit Science, a sports analytics provider utilising artificial intelligence with which he works closely with Sofer.They added that, although “there is no quick fix”, with Dunfermline currently second bottom of the Championship, they had “long-term” ambition and a desire to compete “at the highest level”.
Game No. 117’s difficulty: 2.5 out of 5A quick public service announcement before we continue: The bottom of this article includes one answer in each of the four categories. So if you want to solve the board hint-free, we recommend you play before continuing.Green: COWBOYS
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Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.Purple: LIBERTY
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic)Need help with today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle? You’ve come to the right place.You can access Thursday’s game here.Scroll below for one answer in each of the four categories.AdvertisementBlue: MIAMIYellow: DYNAMO
Owen and Kruger had an eventful first set as each had multiple breaks of serve. They finished in a tiebreak that Owen was able to take control of late and finish the set. With this momentum, Owen was able to dictate the second set and win the match.Adam Chodur (BYU) def. Ken Minh (WSU) 6-2 6-4
Wells and Mottier had a tight first set. Wells jumped out to an early break but then was broken, and they traded games back and forth. It wasn’t until late in the first set he was able to take control and win the set 6-4. With the momentum from the first set, he was able to be in the driver’s seat for much of the second and put the match away.
“Great work from the team,” said BYU Head Coach Zack Warren. “They took their winter break seriously and trained hard to be ready for tonight’s matchup. That is a very good Weber state team that will compete for a conference championship this year.” Tygen Goldammer (BYU) def. Liam Day (WSU) 6-4 6-4 Redd Owen (BYU) def. Connor Kruger (WSU) 7-6 (7-5) 6-2
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
BYU’s Goldammer and Wells got the winning started for the Cougars in the doubles play. Owen and Schreiner followed closely with a win of the same score. Fuchs and Thayne were down in the middle of a tiebreak as the teams decided to play it out. The Cougars fought back in the tiebreak to finish the sweep of the doubles play.
Fuchs got out to a slow start as he dropped the first two games. He then found his serve and was able to hold it throughout the rest of the match. As he threw in a couple of breaks it helped him secure the point.
“Wally (Thayne) and Zach (Fuchs) came through with a nationally-ranked doubles win at the No. 1 spot tonight,” Warren said. “That Weber State duo is one of the best double teams in our region, winning the ITA regional title and playing in the National Championship.”
PROVO, Utah – BYU men’s tennis opened its season with a 6-1 win over Weber State on Friday night at the BYU Indoor Tennis Courts. Singles Results
Goldammer’s win came in the first of the second wave of matches to be played, with four courts available for use. He was able to stay solid throughout the night in a close contest with Day. Goldammer’s big serve helped him to stay on serve in both sets and he was able to get late breaks to put Day away.
Chodur was making his first dual-match appearance as a Cougar. He was solid throughout the first, not dropping a service game and breaking twice. He had a similar formula in the second but suffered a break at 5-2. Despite Minh’s best efforts, Chodur was able to finish the match on serve at 6-4.
“Fantastic effort from Otto (Schreiner), who played in his first dual match after returning from his mission and Adam (Chodur) who secured his first dual-match win as a Cougar,” Warren said. “Collectively, top to bottom, it was a great effort and once again a packed house. Thanks for the amazing support from Cougar Nation.”
Thayne and Sarap had a very close first set. In the tiebreak, Thayne got down early and despite his winning a couple of points in a row, it proved too much as he lost the first set. The second set was much of the same, neither able to get much ground on the other’s serve. Sarap was able to break Thayne at 4-3 and use that momentum to finish the match.
The Cougars will be back in action on Jan. 31 as they head to Portland to face Portland State. They will have back-to-back matches on their road trip with the University of Oregon on Feb. 1.
Tristan Sarap (WSU) def. Wally Thayne (BYU) 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 Doubles Results Redd Owen/Otto Schreiner (BYU) def. Tristan Sarap/William Gulch (WSU) 6-4 Up Next Zach Fuchs (BYU) def. Jordan Coutinho (WSU) 6-3 6-3 Tygen Goldammer/TJ Wells (BYU) def. Jordan Coutinho/Liam Day (WSU) 6-4 Wally Thayne/Zach Fuchs (BYU) def. Connor Kruger/Ken Minh (WSU) 7-6 (7-5) TJ Wells (BYU) def. Theo Mottier (WSU) 6-4 6-2
Minnesota RØKKR faces Toronto Ultra in Friday’s final match. Ultra is undefeated in Major I qualifiers so far, while RØKKR has a 2-2 record and is 6th in the standings. Ultra is the quick pick here, but RØKKR knocked out Ultra in the second round of Minor I last weekend with a reverse sweep. So, honestly, this is the match to watch on Friday, as it has the best chance for an electrifying finish. Week Three starts with a matchup between the 1-3 Cloud9 and the 0-4 Los Angeles Guerrillas M8. Cloud9 needs the win to begin distancing themselves from the jumble of teams at the bottom of the standings. The Guerrillas are searching for that first win of the season, as they also went out in round one of Minor I. Cloud9 has the edge in this matchup. In match two, we have OpTic Texas taking on the Vegas Falcons. This matchup should be an easy one for OpTic as the Falcons are also looking for their first win of the season. At the same time, OpTic has a 3-1 record in qualifiers and placed in the 3rd-4th tie at Minor I. Matches on Friday, January 17th:
Los Angeles Guerrillas M8 vs. Cloud9 New York – 3 PM EST / 2 PM CST / 12 PM PST
Vegas Falcons vs. OpTic Texas – 4:30 PM EST / 3:30 PM CST / 1:30 PM PST
Minnesota RØKKR vs. Toronto Ultra – 6 PM EST / 5 PM CST / 3 PM PST
Each team only has three matches left in qualifying to change their Major I destiny. Tune into the official CDL YouTube Channel so you don’t miss a second of the action as they race to the finish. Coverage should begin 30 minutes before each day’s first match starts. Saturday’s matches begin with another fight at the bottom half of the standings. The Surge get their only chance at separating from the 7th-10th place pack this week by battling the Falcons. Unfortunately for the Falcons, they have been easy pickings this season, so the Surge will likely get the boost in CDL points they need. Cloud9 faces the Heretics in Saturday’s second match. Both these teams badly need any win they can get. The winner will likely edge their way into a winner’s bracket start, while the loser will presumably find the loser’s bracket. Due to this match’s weight, Cloud9 versus Heretics will be the can’t-miss match of the day. (Gray News) – The Call of Duty League’s (CDL) holiday hiatus ended last weekend, with Atlanta FaZe winning at CDL Minor I. With the CDL points earned from Minor I only counting towards qualifying for the postseason, FaZe still sits at 10th in the season standings, outside a winner’s bracket start. However, the good news is that they don’t have to do much to get back into a strong position.
Vancouver Surge vs. Vegas Falcons – 3 PM EST / 2 PM CST / 12 PM PST
Cloud9 New York vs. Miami Heretics – 4:30 PM EST / 3:30 PM CST / 1:30 PM PST
Boston Breach vs. Carolina Royal Ravens – 6 PM EST / 5 PM CST / 3 PM PST
Finally, RØKKR will take on FaZe in FaZe’s only matchup of the week. After a strong performance at Minor I, FaZe will be looking to right their qualifiers record with a win. FaZe did take RØKKR down in the semifinals of Minor I, but it was a close finish at 3-2, so don’t count RØKKR fully out of this one. The Carolina Royal Ravens clash with Boston Breach will end Saturday’s schedule. It is a battle at the top, with the Royal Ravens trying to maintain their perfect qualifiers record while the Breach hopes to bring them back to level pegging. Copyright 2025 Gray Media Group. All rights reserved.
Los Angeles Guerrillas M8 vs. Toronto Ultra – 3 PM EST / 2 PM CST / 12 PM PST
Los Angeles Thieves vs. OpTic Texas – 4:30 PM EST / 3:30 PM CST / 1:30 PM PST
Minnesota RØKKR vs. Atlanta FaZe – 6 PM EST / 5 PM CST / 3 PM PST
Week three’s final slate of matches kicks off Sunday with a skirmish between Ultra and the Guerrillas M8. In a classic tale of undefeated versus utterly defeated, Ultra will try not to tarnish their strong start to the season, while the Guerrillas will desperately try to ruin someone else’s day for once. The Los Angeles Thieves will also look to keep their qualifiers record unharmed as they face OpTic in Sunday’s second match. OpTic, like the Breach on Saturday, will try to even the playing field and bring the Thieves back to earth. The penultimate week of Major I qualifiers starts this afternoon, and four teams are tied with 1-3 records at 7th-10th in the standings. From top to bottom, those teams are Miami Heretics, Vancouver Surge, Cloud9 New York, and Atlanta FaZe. Each team placing 8th or above in the Major I qualifiers gets a winner’s bracket start, ensuring at least two matches in Madrid. The other four teams are subject to make or break their tournament in the loser’s bracket. So, the teams to watch in the last two weeks of qualifiers are those dancing around the winner’s bracket cutline. Let’s take a look at the matchups for this weekend.Matches on Sunday, January 19th: Gray Television is an investor in OpTic Gaming.Matches on Saturday, January 18th:
Pakistan vs West Indies, Day 1 Live Score: West Indies last played a Test in Pakistan in 2006. This series is taking place towards the end of the WTC cycle, with both teams at the bottom of the table. But the preparations from the teams haven’t been lacking.
