NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night

Carolina Hurricanes 3, Chicago Blackhawks 0

Hurricanes 3, Blackhawks 0 – Raanta, Hurricanes beat Blackhawks 3-0 for 9th straight win 

Antti Raanta made 24 saves for his first shutout since March and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-0 on Tuesday night for their ninth consecutive victory. Martin Necas, Jesper Fast and Jordan Martinook scored to help the Hurricanes extend their franchise-record points streak to 15 games. Raanta, making his third consecutive start, had his 16th career shutout. He faced only seven shots in both the first and third periods. The Blackhawks were aiming for back-to-back wins for the first time since late October. They’ve lost nine of their last 10. Chicago goalie Petr Mrazek made 46 saves against one of his former teams.

Tonight

Detroit Red Wings at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7:00 p.m.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night

Indiana Pacers 129, Atlanta Hawks 114

Pacers 129, Hawks 114 – Hield makes 6 3-pointers as Pacers beat Hawks 129-114 

Buddy Hield made six 3-pointers on his way to 28 points, and the Indiana Pacers beat the Atlanta Hawks 129-114. Hield hit 11 of 16 shots, including 6 of 7 from deep. He leads the NBA with 132 3s this season. The Pacers led by 10 entering the fourth quarter and doubled that margin in about six minutes. Tyrese Haliburton had 23 points and seven assists. Myles Turner scored 18. John Collins had 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks, who were without injured starters De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela. Trae Young had 22 points and 10 assists.

Tonight

Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons, 7:00 p.m.

Milwaukee Bucks at Chicago Bulls, 8:00 p.m.

NCAAFB – Power vs. speed: Michigan, TCU present unfamiliar challenges

No. 2 Michigan brings its smash-mouth ways into the College Football Playoff semifinal to face No. 3 TCU on Saturday. It’s tempting to boil down the Fiesta Bowl matchup to Big Ten power vs. Big 12 speed on each side of the ball, especially when the Wolverines’ offense is on the field. Both sides think that’s an oversimplification. While Michigan’s heavy personnel packages and towering offensive line isn’t what TCU is used to facing, the same can be said for the Wolverines going up against a Horned Frogs’ defense that regularly lines up with five defensive backs.

NCAAFB – College Football – Bowls
Yesterday

Buffalo 24, Georgia Southern 21                                 Camellia Bowl – Montgomery, AL

Memphis 38, Utah State 10                                          SERVPRO First Responder Bowl – Dallas, TX

East Carolina 53, Coastal Carolina 29                         TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl – Birmingham, AL

Wisconsin 24, Oklahoma State 17                                Guaranteed Rate Bowl – Phoenix, AZ

Today

UCF vs. Duke, 2:00 p.m.                                              Military Bowl Presented by Peraton – Annapolis, MD

Kansas vs. Arkansas, 5:30 p.m.                                    AutoZone Liberty Bowl – Memphis, TN

(15) Oregon vs. North Carolina, 8:00 p.m.                     San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl–San Diego, CA

Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss, 9:00 p.m.                                TaxAct Texas Bowl – Houston

NFL – Cardinals’ J.J. Watt indicates he’ll retire at end of season

Even though he’s still playing great football, it looks as if J.J. Watt is ready to call it a career. The three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year indicated Tuesday that he will retire at the end of the season, posting pictures of his wife and family on social media while writing: “Koa’s first ever NFL game. My last ever NFL home game. My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It’s been an absolute honor and a pleasure.” Watt and his wife, Kealia, became parents in October. Koa is the name of their son. The 33-year-old Watt was among the premier defensive players in the NFL during the early 2010s with the Houston Texans.

NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball
Last Night

Notre Dame 59, Jacksonville 43

Notre Dame 59, Jacksonville 43 – Notre Dame beats Jacksonville, snaps 3-game losing streak

Marcus Hammond scored 15 points, Dane Goodwin added 12 points and Notre Dame beat Jacksonville 59-43 to snap a three-game losing streak. Notre Dame won a game with less than 60 points scored for the first time since Jan. 3, 2018. The Irish only had 21 points in the first half but scored 22 in the opening 10 minutes of the second. Notre Dame went ahead by double digits for the first time with 6:11 left in the second half. J.J. Starling and Cormac Ryan, two of Notre Dame’s top-three scorers, each went 0 for 5 from the field in the first half. Ryan started 0 for 7 until scoring at the 12:49 mark of the second half, but the three-point play came during a 15-2 run as Notre Dame built a 45-36 lead.

NCAAWBKB – Women’s College Basketball
Tonight

(18) Michigan at Nebraska, 7:00 p.m.

Hillsdale at Eastern Michigan, 7:00 p.m.

NCAAHKY – College Hockey
Last Night
57th Great Lakes Invitational – Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids

Western Michigan 8, Michigan Tech 1

Ferris State 4, Michigan State 2

Tonight
57th Great Lakes Invitational – Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids

Michigan State vs. Michigan Tech, 3:30 p.m.  – 3rd place game

Western Michigan vs. Ferris State, 7:00 p.m. –Championship 

MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Basketball
Earl McKee Holiday Classic at Benton Harbor Farnum Gym

Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills 65, Ypsilanti Lincoln 43

Benton Harbor 74, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 65

Cornerstone Holiday Tournament

East Kentwood 70, Parchment 37

Girls Basketball

Benton Harbor 59, Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills 31

Kalamazoo Central 71, St. Clair Shores South Lake 33

Frankenmuth 35, Battle Creek Lakeview 31

Tonight
Boys Basketball
Earl McKee Holiday Classic at Benton Harbor Farnum Gym

Kalamazoo Loy Norrix vs. Ypsilanti Lincoln, 5:15 p.m. – 3rd place game

Benton Harbor vs. vs. Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills, 7:00 p.m. – Championship

Chuck Turner Classic at Battle Creek Central

Battle Creek Academy vs. Kalamazoo Heritage, 2:00 p.m.

Bellevue vs. Bronson, 4:00 p.m.

Ypsilanti vs. Battle Creek Central, 8:00 p.m.

River Valley Tournament

GR Forest Hills Eastern vs. River Valley, 1:00 p.m.

Eau Claire vs. Potterville, 2:30 p.m.

Girls Basketball
River Valley Tournament

Cassopolis vs. Potterville, 4:00 p.m.

Benton Harbor vs. River Valley, 5:30 p.m.

Chuck Turner Classic at Battle Creek Central

Coldwater vs. Battle Creek Central, 6:00 p.m.

Motor City Roundball Classic at Detroit Redfield Prep

Battle Creek Lakeview vs. Dexter, 12:30 p.m.Carolina Hurricanes’ Jesper Fast, second right, is congratulated on his goal by Hurricanes’ Jordan Martinook (48), and Jordan Staal (11) with Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek (34) and Connor Murphy (5) nearby and during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)Indiana Pacers’ Oshae Brissett (12) grabs a rebound next to Atlanta Hawks’ AJ Griffin (14) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

NHL – National Hockey League 
Last Night 
Carolina Hurricanes 3, Chicago Blackhawks 0

Hurricanes 3, Blackhawks 0 – Raanta, Hurricanes beat Blackhawks 3-0 for 9th straight win 
Antti Raanta made 24 saves for his first shutout since March and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-0 on Tuesday night for their ninth consecutive victory. Martin Necas, Jesper Fast and Jordan Martinook scored to help the Hurricanes extend their franchise-record points streak to 15 games. Raanta, making his third consecutive start, had his 16th career shutout. He faced only seven shots in both the first and third periods. The Blackhawks were aiming for back-to-back wins for the first time since late October. They&#8217;ve lost nine of their last 10. Chicago goalie Petr Mrazek made 46 saves against one of his former teams.
Tonight 
Detroit Red Wings at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7:00 p.m.
NBA – National Basketball Association 
Last Night 
Indiana Pacers 129, Atlanta Hawks 114

Pacers 129, Hawks 114 – Hield makes 6 3-pointers as Pacers beat Hawks 129-114 
Buddy Hield made six 3-pointers on his way to 28 points, and the Indiana Pacers beat the Atlanta Hawks 129-114. Hield hit 11 of 16 shots, including 6 of 7 from deep. He leads the NBA with 132 3s this season. The Pacers led by 10 entering the fourth quarter and doubled that margin in about six minutes. Tyrese Haliburton had 23 points and seven assists. Myles Turner scored 18. John Collins had 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks, who were without injured starters De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela. Trae Young had 22 points and 10 assists.
Tonight 
Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons, 7:00 p.m. 
Milwaukee Bucks at Chicago Bulls, 8:00 p.m.
NCAAFB – Power vs. speed: Michigan, TCU present unfamiliar challenges 
No. 2 Michigan brings its smash-mouth ways into the College Football Playoff semifinal to face No. 3 TCU on Saturday. It’s tempting to boil down the Fiesta Bowl matchup to Big Ten power vs. Big 12 speed on each side of the ball, especially when the Wolverines’ offense is on the field. Both sides think that&#8217;s an oversimplification. While Michigan&#8217;s heavy personnel packages and towering offensive line isn&#8217;t what TCU is used to facing, the same can be said for the Wolverines going up against a Horned Frogs&#8217; defense that regularly lines up with five defensive backs.
NCAAFB – College Football &#8211; Bowls 
Yesterday 
Buffalo 24, Georgia Southern 21                                 Camellia Bowl – Montgomery, AL 
Memphis 38, Utah State 10                                          SERVPRO First Responder Bowl – Dallas, TX 
East Carolina 53, Coastal Carolina 29                         TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl – Birmingham, AL 
Wisconsin 24, Oklahoma State 17                                Guaranteed Rate Bowl – Phoenix, AZ
Today 
UCF vs. Duke, 2:00 p.m.                                              Military Bowl Presented by Peraton – Annapolis, MD 
Kansas vs. Arkansas, 5:30 p.m.                                    AutoZone Liberty Bowl – Memphis, TN 
(15) Oregon vs. North Carolina, 8:00 p.m.                     San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl–San Diego, CA 
Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss, 9:00 p.m.                                TaxAct Texas Bowl – Houston
NFL – Cardinals&#8217; J.J. Watt indicates he&#8217;ll retire at end of season 
Even though he’s still playing great football, it looks as if J.J. Watt is ready to call it a career. The three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year indicated Tuesday that he will retire at the end of the season, posting pictures of his wife and family on social media while writing: “Koa’s first ever NFL game. My last ever NFL home game. My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It’s been an absolute honor and a pleasure.” Watt and his wife, Kealia, became parents in October. Koa is the name of their son. The 33-year-old Watt was among the premier defensive players in the NFL during the early 2010s with the Houston Texans.
NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball 
Last Night 
Notre Dame 59, Jacksonville 43
Notre Dame 59, Jacksonville 43 – Notre Dame beats Jacksonville, snaps 3-game losing streak 
Marcus Hammond scored 15 points, Dane Goodwin added 12 points and Notre Dame beat Jacksonville 59-43 to snap a three-game losing streak. Notre Dame won a game with less than 60 points scored for the first time since Jan. 3, 2018. The Irish only had 21 points in the first half but scored 22 in the opening 10 minutes of the second. Notre Dame went ahead by double digits for the first time with 6:11 left in the second half. J.J. Starling and Cormac Ryan, two of Notre Dame’s top-three scorers, each went 0 for 5 from the field in the first half. Ryan started 0 for 7 until scoring at the 12:49 mark of the second half, but the three-point play came during a 15-2 run as Notre Dame built a 45-36 lead.
NCAAWBKB – Women’s College Basketball 
Tonight 
(18) Michigan at Nebraska, 7:00 p.m. 
Hillsdale at Eastern Michigan, 7:00 p.m.
NCAAHKY – College Hockey 
Last Night 
57th Great Lakes Invitational – Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids 
Western Michigan 8, Michigan Tech 1 
Ferris State 4, Michigan State 2
Tonight 
57th Great Lakes Invitational – Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids 
Michigan State vs. Michigan Tech, 3:30 p.m.  – 3rd place game 
Western Michigan vs. Ferris State, 7:00 p.m. – Championship 
MHSAA – High School Sports 
Last Night 
Boys Basketball 
Earl McKee Holiday Classic at Benton Harbor Farnum Gym 
Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills 65, Ypsilanti Lincoln 43 
Benton Harbor 74, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 65
Cornerstone Holiday Tournament 
East Kentwood 70, Parchment 37
Girls Basketball 
Benton Harbor 59, Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills 31 
Kalamazoo Central 71, St. Clair Shores South Lake 33 
Frankenmuth 35, Battle Creek Lakeview 31
Tonight 
Boys Basketball 
Earl McKee Holiday Classic at Benton Harbor Farnum Gym 
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix vs. Ypsilanti Lincoln, 5:15 p.m. – 3rd place game 
Benton Harbor vs. vs. Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills, 7:00 p.m. – Championship
Chuck Turner Classic at Battle Creek Central 
Battle Creek Academy vs. Kalamazoo Heritage, 2:00 p.m. 
Bellevue vs. Bronson, 4:00 p.m. 
Ypsilanti vs. Battle Creek Central, 8:00 p.m.
River Valley Tournament 
GR Forest Hills Eastern vs. River Valley, 1:00 p.m. 
Eau Claire vs. Potterville, 2:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball 
River Valley Tournament 
Cassopolis vs. Potterville, 4:00 p.m. 
Benton Harbor vs. River Valley, 5:30 p.m.
Chuck Turner Classic at Battle Creek Central 
Coldwater vs. Battle Creek Central, 6:00 p.m.
Motor City Roundball Classic at Detroit Redfield Prep 
Battle Creek Lakeview vs. Dexter, 12:30 p.m.Carolina Hurricanes&#8217; Jesper Fast, second right, is congratulated on his goal by Hurricanes&#8217; Jordan Martinook (48), and Jordan Staal (11) with Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek (34) and Connor Murphy (5) nearby and during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)Indiana Pacers&#8217; Oshae Brissett (12) grabs a rebound next to Atlanta Hawks&#8217; AJ Griffin (14) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Southwest Michigan's Sports Leader

WSJM Sports

NHL – National Hockey League Last Night Carolina Hurricanes 3, Chicago Blackhawks 0 Hurricanes 3, Blackhawks 0 – Raanta, Hurricanes beat Blackhawks 3-0 for 9th straight win Antti Raanta made 24 saves for his first shutout since

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