NFL – National Football League – Week 15
Yesterday

Detroit Lions 20, New York Jets 17

Philadelphia Eagles 25, Chicago Bears 20

Lions 20, Jets 17 – Goff stuns Jets late as Lions hold on for 20-17 victory

Jared Goff threw a go-ahead 51-yard touchdown pass to Brock Wright on fourth-and-inches with 1:49 remaining and the Detroit Lions held on for a 20-17 victory over Zach Wilson and the New York Jets. Wilson and the Jets had one more chance to tie or win in his return as the starting quarterback. Wilson completed a 20-yard throw to Elijah Moore for a first down and Robert Saleh called a timeout with 1 second remaining. The Jets sent out Greg Zuerlein for a potential tying 58-yard field goal but his kick was wide left to send the Lions to their third straight win.  Kalif Raymond scored on a 47 punt return touchdown in the first quarter for Detroit, who have won 6 of their last 7 games.

Eagles 25, Bears 20 – Hurts runs for 3 TDs as Eagles squeeze by Bears 25-20 

Jalen Hurts tied a career high by running for three touchdowns and the Philadelphia Eagles beat the struggling Chicago Bears 25-20. The Eagles, with the best record in the NFL, made just enough plays to come away with a tighter-than-anticipated win. Hurts ran for 61 yards and threw for 315 yards with two interceptions. Chicago’s Justin Fields rushed for 95 yards to reach exactly 1,000 on the season, joining Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson as the only quarterbacks to rush for 1,000 or more. He also set a franchise single-season rushing record for a QB. But the Bears lost their seventh straight game.

Other NFL Scores

San Francisco 21, Seattle 13

Minnesota 39, Indianapolis 36, OT

Cleveland 13, Baltimore 3

Buffalo 32, Miami 29

Jacksonville 40, Dallas 34, OT

Kansas City 30, Houston 24, OT

New Orleans 21, Atlanta 18

Pittsburgh 24, Carolina 16

Denver 24, Arizona 15

Las Vegas 30, New England 24

Cincinnati 34, Tampa Bay 23

L.A. Chargers 17, Tennessee 14

N.Y. Giants 20, Washington 12

Tonight

Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers, 8:15 p.m.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Yesterday

Brookly Nets 124, Detroit Pistons, 121

Minnesota Timberwolves 150, Chicago Bulls 126

New York Knicks 109, Indiana Pacers 106

Nets 124, Pistons 121 – Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving lead Nets past Pistons, 124-121

Kevin Durant scored a career-high 26 of his 43 points in the third quarter, helping the Brooklyn Nets overcome a 17-point halftime deficit in a 124-121 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. Kyrie Irving added 38 points in Brooklyn’s seventh straight victory over Detroit. Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pistons with 26 points. Durant was 8 of 10 from the floor, going 3 of 3 on 3-pointers and 7 of 7 from the free-throw line as he outscored the Pistons 26-25 in the third.

Timberwolves 15, Bulls 126 – Timberwolves beat Bulls 150-126 to break team scoring mark

Anthony Edwards had season highs with 37 points and 11 assists and the Minnesota Timberwolves broke the franchise record for points in a game, routing the Chicago Bulls 150-126 on Sunday night. D’Angelo Russell added 28 points after missing two games and Minnesota made a season-high 23 pointers to roll past Chicago despite missing four regulars. Rudy Gobert missed his second straight game because of a sprained left ankle. Karl-Anthony Towns (right calf strain) and top reserves Jordan McLaughlin (left calf strain) and Taurean Prince (right shoulder) also sat out. DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 29 points.

Knicks 109, Pacers 106 – Knicks rally to beat Pacers 109-106 for 7th straight victory 

Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, Julius Randle made six free throws in the final minute and the New York Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers 109-106 on Sunday for their NBA-best seventh consecutive victory. The 19th and final lead change came in the final minute, when Randle made two foul shots with 45.6 seconds remaining for a 105-104 lead. After the teams exchanged turnovers, Randle hit four more free throws in the final two possessions. The Pacers missed a shot from just inside half-court at the buzzer. Randle finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds. RJ Barrett added 24 points. Buddy Hield and Aaron Nesmith each had 23 points for Indiana.

NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night

New York Rangers 7, Chicago Blackhawks 1

Rangers 7, Blackhawks 1 – Panarin leads surging Rangers to 7-1 win over Blackhawks 

Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists, Igor Shesterkin stopped 29 shots and the New York Rangers beat the Chicago Blackhawks 7-1 for their seventh straight win. Vincent Trocheck, Filip Chytil and Kappo Kakko each had a goal and an assist, and Vitali Kravtsov, Braden Schneider and Jacob Trouba also scored for the Rangers. Adam Fox had three assists, and Alexis Lafreniere and Mika Zibanejad each had two. Philipp Kurashev scored for Chicago and Arvid Soderblom finished with 19 saves. The Rangers have not lost since a 5-2 defeat at home to the Blackhawks on Dec. 3. Chicago has lost seven straight since then and is 1-14-1 since mid-November.

Tonight

Detroit Red Wings at Washington Capitals, 7:00 p.m.

NCAAFB – College Football
Saturday
FBS Bowls
Division II National Championship

Ferris State 41, Colorado Mines 14

FSU 41, CSM 14 – Ferris State wins 2nd straight NCAA Division II title 

Carson Gulker scored on three short runs, Sidney McCloud had a pick-6 and Ferris State rolled past Colorado School of Mines 41-14 to successfully defend its NCAA Division II national championship. Ferris was in its third national title game in four years, winning its first title last year to complete a 14-0 season. Gulker scored on a 2-yard run to complete a seven-play, 79-yard drive for a first-quarter score then the Bulldogs followed with a 20-point second quarter on Eddie Jewett’s field goals of 33 and 22 yards, CJ Jefferson’s 19-yard run and McCloud’s 31-yard return for a 27-0 lead. The Orediggers didn’t score until there was just over a minute left in the third quarter on John Matocha’s 10-yard pass to Michael Zeman.

NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball
Yesterday

Iowa State 73, Western Michigan 57

Eastern Michigan 79, Detroit Mercy 77

Missouri State 79, Central Michigan 58

Georgia 77, Notre Dame 62

Iowa State 73, WMU 57 – Grill scores 14, Iowa State stops Western Michigan 73-58 

Caleb Grill scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting with three 3-pointers and Iowa State cruised to a 73-57 win over Western Michigan. Jarren Holmes added 10 points for the Cyclones as all 11 players scored. Lamar Norman Jr. hit 6 3-pointers and scored 24 points for the Broncos.

EMU 79, UDM 77 – Eastern Michigan spoils big night from Detroit Mercy’s Davis

Emoni Bates and Tyson Acuff scored 19 points apiece and Eastern Michigan spoiled a big night by Detroit Mercy’s Antoine Davis in a 79-77 victory over the Titans. Davis scored 30 points for Detroit Mercy (5-7) to zip past Bradley’s Hersey Hawkins (3,008) into 10th place on the all-time scoring list. Davis, who came in averaging 24.3 points per game, upped his points total to 3,031. He passed Hawkins on a 3-pointer with 16:37 left in the first half. Davis needs 28 points to pass Saint Peter’s Keydren Clark for ninth place. Davis and former Washington Huskies women’s standout Kelsey Plum are the only two players to top 3,000 points and 500 assists in an NCAA Division I career. Davis also extended his NCAA double-digit scoring streak to 123 straight games.

Georgia 77, Notre Dame 62 – Bridges, Abdur-Rahim lead Georgia past Notre Dame 77-62

Braelen Bridges scored 18 points, Jabri Abdur-Rahim posted a double-double off the bench and Georgia breezed to a 77-62 victory over Notre Dame. Bridges sank all nine of his shots from the floor and added six rebounds for the Bulldogs (8-3). Abdur-Rahim finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Matthew Moncrieffe made all six of his shots and scored 15. Terry Roberts had 10 points, five assists and three steals. Nate Laszewski led the Fighting Irish (7-4) with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting with four 3-pointers. Cormac Ryan pitched in with 15 points, six rebounds and four assists. JJ Starling scored 14. Moncrieffe had 10 points to send Georgia into halftime with a 41-36 lead.

NCAAWBKB – Women’s College Basketball
Yesterday

Michigan State 91, Detroit Mercy 41

Eastern Illinois 78, Central Michigan 67

(5) Notre Dame 63, (6) Virginia Tech 52

(5) Notre Dame 63, (6) Virginia Tech 52 – Miles scores 16, No. 5 Notre Dame beats No. 6 Virginia Tech

Olivia Miles had 16 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and five steals to lead No. 5 Notre Dame to a 63-52 victory over No. 6 Virginia Tech on Sunday. Miles scored 13 points in the second half as the Irish (9-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) rallied from a three-point deficit entering the fourth quarter. Georgia Amoore led the Hokies (10-1, 1-1) with 20 points. Elizabeth Kitley added 16 points and 20 rebounds for Virginia Tech, which was seeking its third victory ever over a Top 5 team. Lauren Ebo added 15 points for the Irish.

MLB – Judge’s 62nd home run ball sells for $1.5 million at auction

The ball New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit for his American League-record 62nd home run has sold for $1.5 million at auction. The price is the second highest paid for a baseball auction, according to Goldin Executive Chairman and Founder Ken Goldin. He identified the buyer as a prominent Midwestern businessman and collector. Bidding on the ball opened on Nov. 29 and ended Saturday. The minimum opening bid was set at $1 million. The home run ball was consigned to Goldin in November by Cory Youmans, who was initially offered $3-million just after the game.

Venus Williams awarded wild-card entry for Australian Open

Venus Williams has been awarded a wild-card entry to play at the Australian Open next month. It will be 25 years after she played the Grand Slam tournament for the first time. The 42-year-old Williams has reached the final twice in Australia, including a loss to her younger sister, Serena, in the 2017 championship match. She will be contesting the season-opening major for the 22nd time. Venus and Serena Williams combined to win the Australian Open women’s doubles title four times and Venus also won the mixed doubles title in 1998. Serena Williams will not be contesting the Jan. 16-29 tournament at Melbourne Park after announcing at the U.S. Open that she was ready to evolve away from tennis.

FIFA – World Cup 2020 – Qatar
Saturday
3rd Place Match

Croatia 2, Morocco 1

Sunday
World Cup Finals

Argentina 3, France 3          PKS ARG 4, FRA 2

ARG 3, FRA 3 – ARG PKS 4-2 – Messi wins World Cup, Argentina beats France on penalties

Lionel Messi finally won the biggest prize in soccer. Argentina beat France 4-2 in a penalty shootout to claim a third World Cup title despite Kylian Mbappé scoring the first hat trick in a final in 56 years. Gonzalo Montiel scored the clinching penalty as Argentina won after a 3-3 draw. Messi’s once-in-a-generation career is complete now that he is finally a World Cup champion. Messi is definitively in the pantheon of soccer’s greatest ever players alongside Pelé and Diego Maradona. Europe’s run of four straight World Cup winners dating to 2006 came to an end.

FIFA – World Cup in Qatar sets scoring record with 172 goals

The six-goal final between France and Argentina set a World Cup record of 172 at this year’s tournament. The previous tournament record of 171 goals was set in 1998 and 2014. The 1998 tournament in France was the first edition in the current 64-game, 32-team format. A new record is likely to be set at the 2026 World Cup. The tournament has been expanded to 48 teams playing either 80 or 104 games. Argentina and France drew 3-3 through extra time to set the record in this year’s final at Lusail Stadium.

FIFA – 2026 World Cup hosts take diplomatic handover from Qatar

A diplomatic delegation from the three host countries of the 2026 World Cup were in Qatar for a handover ceremony ahead of the final between France and Argentina. The United States, Mexico and Canada will stage soccer’s biggest event in less than 3½ years. U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who led a presidential delegation to the final, says “we could not be more excited.” Greenfield says Qatar “set the standards high.” The 2026 tournament will be played in 11 American cities, three in Mexico and two in Canada.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Saturday
Girls Basketball
Tri-State Holiday Classic at Southwestern Michigan College

Benton Harbor 36, Country Club Hills Hillcrest (IL) 29

Dowagiac 46, South Bend Riley (IN) 17

Elkhart Christian (IN) 66, Edwardsburg 52

South Bend Riley (IN) 43, Niles 29

Country Club Hills Hillcrest (IL) 36, Lawton 19

Sunday
Boys Basketball

Mattawan 48, Detroit Douglass 44

Tonight
Boys Basketball

Benton Harbor at Grand Rapids Union, 7:00 p.m.

Lansing Sexton vs. Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 6:30 p.m.        at Mason Holiday Hoops

Concord at Sturgis, 7:00 p.m.

Kalamazoo Phoenix at Countryside, 7:00 p.m.

Buchanan at Constantine, 7:30 p.m.

Decatur at Climax-Scotts, 7:00 p.m.

Gobles at Marcellus, 7:00 p.m.

Girls Basketball

Our Lady of the Lake at Brandywine, 7:00 p.m.

Constantine at Buchanan, 7:00 p.m.

Marcellus at Gobles, 7:00 p.m.Detroit Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond (11) returns a punt for a touchdown against the New York Jets during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts runs for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) takes a shot against Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Detroit. The Nets defeated the Pistons 124-121. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)Minnesota Timberwolves forward Nathan Knight (13) goes up to the basket against Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Stacy Bengs)New York Rangers right wing Kaapo Kakko shoots the puck on Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom (40) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)Ferris State slot receiver Marcus Taylor (1) runs up the field to gain yardage in the first half of the NCAA Division II college football championship against Colorado School of Mines on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022 in McKinney, Texas. (AP Photo/Emil T. Lippe)Notre Dame’s Maddy Westbeld (21) shoots over Virginia Tech’s Cayla King (22) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Blacksburg, Va., Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022. (Matt Gentry/The Roanoke Times via AP)

NFL – National Football League – Week 15 
Yesterday 
Detroit Lions 20, New York Jets 17 
Philadelphia Eagles 25, Chicago Bears 20

Lions 20, Jets 17 – Goff stuns Jets late as Lions hold on for 20-17 victory 
Jared Goff threw a go-ahead 51-yard touchdown pass to Brock Wright on fourth-and-inches with 1:49 remaining and the Detroit Lions held on for a 20-17 victory over Zach Wilson and the New York Jets. Wilson and the Jets had one more chance to tie or win in his return as the starting quarterback. Wilson completed a 20-yard throw to Elijah Moore for a first down and Robert Saleh called a timeout with 1 second remaining. The Jets sent out Greg Zuerlein for a potential tying 58-yard field goal but his kick was wide left to send the Lions to their third straight win.  Kalif Raymond scored on a 47 punt return touchdown in the first quarter for Detroit, who have won 6 of their last 7 games.

Eagles 25, Bears 20 – Hurts runs for 3 TDs as Eagles squeeze by Bears 25-20 
Jalen Hurts tied a career high by running for three touchdowns and the Philadelphia Eagles beat the struggling Chicago Bears 25-20. The Eagles, with the best record in the NFL, made just enough plays to come away with a tighter-than-anticipated win. Hurts ran for 61 yards and threw for 315 yards with two interceptions. Chicago’s Justin Fields rushed for 95 yards to reach exactly 1,000 on the season, joining Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson as the only quarterbacks to rush for 1,000 or more. He also set a franchise single-season rushing record for a QB. But the Bears lost their seventh straight game.
Other NFL Scores 
San Francisco 21, Seattle 13 
Minnesota 39, Indianapolis 36, OT 
Cleveland 13, Baltimore 3 
Buffalo 32, Miami 29 
Jacksonville 40, Dallas 34, OT 
Kansas City 30, Houston 24, OT 
New Orleans 21, Atlanta 18 
Pittsburgh 24, Carolina 16 
Denver 24, Arizona 15 
Las Vegas 30, New England 24 
Cincinnati 34, Tampa Bay 23 
L.A. Chargers 17, Tennessee 14 
N.Y. Giants 20, Washington 12
Tonight 
Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers, 8:15 p.m.
NBA – National Basketball Association 
Yesterday 
Brookly Nets 124, Detroit Pistons, 121 
Minnesota Timberwolves 150, Chicago Bulls 126 
New York Knicks 109, Indiana Pacers 106

Nets 124, Pistons 121 – Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving lead Nets past Pistons, 124-121 
Kevin Durant scored a career-high 26 of his 43 points in the third quarter, helping the Brooklyn Nets overcome a 17-point halftime deficit in a 124-121 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. Kyrie Irving added 38 points in Brooklyn’s seventh straight victory over Detroit. Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pistons with 26 points. Durant was 8 of 10 from the floor, going 3 of 3 on 3-pointers and 7 of 7 from the free-throw line as he outscored the Pistons 26-25 in the third.

Timberwolves 15, Bulls 126 – Timberwolves beat Bulls 150-126 to break team scoring mark 
Anthony Edwards had season highs with 37 points and 11 assists and the Minnesota Timberwolves broke the franchise record for points in a game, routing the Chicago Bulls 150-126 on Sunday night. D’Angelo Russell added 28 points after missing two games and Minnesota made a season-high 23 pointers to roll past Chicago despite missing four regulars. Rudy Gobert missed his second straight game because of a sprained left ankle. Karl-Anthony Towns (right calf strain) and top reserves Jordan McLaughlin (left calf strain) and Taurean Prince (right shoulder) also sat out. DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 29 points.
Knicks 109, Pacers 106 – Knicks rally to beat Pacers 109-106 for 7th straight victory 
Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, Julius Randle made six free throws in the final minute and the New York Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers 109-106 on Sunday for their NBA-best seventh consecutive victory. The 19th and final lead change came in the final minute, when Randle made two foul shots with 45.6 seconds remaining for a 105-104 lead. After the teams exchanged turnovers, Randle hit four more free throws in the final two possessions. The Pacers missed a shot from just inside half-court at the buzzer. Randle finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds. RJ Barrett added 24 points. Buddy Hield and Aaron Nesmith each had 23 points for Indiana.
NHL – National Hockey League 
Last Night 
New York Rangers 7, Chicago Blackhawks 1

Rangers 7, Blackhawks 1 – Panarin leads surging Rangers to 7-1 win over Blackhawks 
Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists, Igor Shesterkin stopped 29 shots and the New York Rangers beat the Chicago Blackhawks 7-1 for their seventh straight win. Vincent Trocheck, Filip Chytil and Kappo Kakko each had a goal and an assist, and Vitali Kravtsov, Braden Schneider and Jacob Trouba also scored for the Rangers. Adam Fox had three assists, and Alexis Lafreniere and Mika Zibanejad each had two. Philipp Kurashev scored for Chicago and Arvid Soderblom finished with 19 saves. The Rangers have not lost since a 5-2 defeat at home to the Blackhawks on Dec. 3. Chicago has lost seven straight since then and is 1-14-1 since mid-November.
Tonight 
Detroit Red Wings at Washington Capitals, 7:00 p.m.
NCAAFB – College Football 
Saturday 
FBS Bowls 
Division II National Championship 
Ferris State 41, Colorado Mines 14

FSU 41, CSM 14 – Ferris State wins 2nd straight NCAA Division II title 
Carson Gulker scored on three short runs, Sidney McCloud had a pick-6 and Ferris State rolled past Colorado School of Mines 41-14 to successfully defend its NCAA Division II national championship. Ferris was in its third national title game in four years, winning its first title last year to complete a 14-0 season. Gulker scored on a 2-yard run to complete a seven-play, 79-yard drive for a first-quarter score then the Bulldogs followed with a 20-point second quarter on Eddie Jewett’s field goals of 33 and 22 yards, CJ Jefferson’s 19-yard run and McCloud’s 31-yard return for a 27-0 lead. The Orediggers didn’t score until there was just over a minute left in the third quarter on John Matocha’s 10-yard pass to Michael Zeman.
NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball 
Yesterday 
Iowa State 73, Western Michigan 57 
Eastern Michigan 79, Detroit Mercy 77 
Missouri State 79, Central Michigan 58 
Georgia 77, Notre Dame 62
Iowa State 73, WMU 57 – Grill scores 14, Iowa State stops Western Michigan 73-58 
Caleb Grill scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting with three 3-pointers and Iowa State cruised to a 73-57 win over Western Michigan. Jarren Holmes added 10 points for the Cyclones as all 11 players scored. Lamar Norman Jr. hit 6 3-pointers and scored 24 points for the Broncos.
EMU 79, UDM 77 – Eastern Michigan spoils big night from Detroit Mercy&#8217;s Davis 
Emoni Bates and Tyson Acuff scored 19 points apiece and Eastern Michigan spoiled a big night by Detroit Mercy’s Antoine Davis in a 79-77 victory over the Titans. Davis scored 30 points for Detroit Mercy (5-7) to zip past Bradley’s Hersey Hawkins (3,008) into 10th place on the all-time scoring list. Davis, who came in averaging 24.3 points per game, upped his points total to 3,031. He passed Hawkins on a 3-pointer with 16:37 left in the first half. Davis needs 28 points to pass Saint Peter’s Keydren Clark for ninth place. Davis and former Washington Huskies women’s standout Kelsey Plum are the only two players to top 3,000 points and 500 assists in an NCAA Division I career. Davis also extended his NCAA double-digit scoring streak to 123 straight games.
Georgia 77, Notre Dame 62 – Bridges, Abdur-Rahim lead Georgia past Notre Dame 77-62 
Braelen Bridges scored 18 points, Jabri Abdur-Rahim posted a double-double off the bench and Georgia breezed to a 77-62 victory over Notre Dame. Bridges sank all nine of his shots from the floor and added six rebounds for the Bulldogs (8-3). Abdur-Rahim finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Matthew Moncrieffe made all six of his shots and scored 15. Terry Roberts had 10 points, five assists and three steals. Nate Laszewski led the Fighting Irish (7-4) with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting with four 3-pointers. Cormac Ryan pitched in with 15 points, six rebounds and four assists. JJ Starling scored 14. Moncrieffe had 10 points to send Georgia into halftime with a 41-36 lead.
NCAAWBKB – Women’s College Basketball 
Yesterday 
Michigan State 91, Detroit Mercy 41 
Eastern Illinois 78, Central Michigan 67 
(5) Notre Dame 63, (6) Virginia Tech 52

(5) Notre Dame 63, (6) Virginia Tech 52 – Miles scores 16, No. 5 Notre Dame beats No. 6 Virginia Tech 
Olivia Miles had 16 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and five steals to lead No. 5 Notre Dame to a 63-52 victory over No. 6 Virginia Tech on Sunday. Miles scored 13 points in the second half as the Irish (9-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) rallied from a three-point deficit entering the fourth quarter. Georgia Amoore led the Hokies (10-1, 1-1) with 20 points. Elizabeth Kitley added 16 points and 20 rebounds for Virginia Tech, which was seeking its third victory ever over a Top 5 team. Lauren Ebo added 15 points for the Irish.
MLB – Judge&#8217;s 62nd home run ball sells for $1.5 million at auction 
The ball New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit for his American League-record 62nd home run has sold for $1.5 million at auction. The price is the second highest paid for a baseball auction, according to Goldin Executive Chairman and Founder Ken Goldin. He identified the buyer as a prominent Midwestern businessman and collector. Bidding on the ball opened on Nov. 29 and ended Saturday. The minimum opening bid was set at $1 million. The home run ball was consigned to Goldin in November by Cory Youmans, who was initially offered $3-million just after the game.
Venus Williams awarded wild-card entry for Australian Open 
Venus Williams has been awarded a wild-card entry to play at the Australian Open next month. It will be 25 years after she played the Grand Slam tournament for the first time. The 42-year-old Williams has reached the final twice in Australia, including a loss to her younger sister, Serena, in the 2017 championship match. She will be contesting the season-opening major for the 22nd time. Venus and Serena Williams combined to win the Australian Open women’s doubles title four times and Venus also won the mixed doubles title in 1998. Serena Williams will not be contesting the Jan. 16-29 tournament at Melbourne Park after announcing at the U.S. Open that she was ready to evolve away from tennis.
FIFA – World Cup 2020 &#8211; Qatar 
Saturday 
3rd Place Match 
Croatia 2, Morocco 1 
Sunday 
World Cup Finals 
Argentina 3, France 3          PKS ARG 4, FRA 2
ARG 3, FRA 3 – ARG PKS 4-2 – Messi wins World Cup, Argentina beats France on penalties 
Lionel Messi finally won the biggest prize in soccer. Argentina beat France 4-2 in a penalty shootout to claim a third World Cup title despite Kylian Mbappé scoring the first hat trick in a final in 56 years. Gonzalo Montiel scored the clinching penalty as Argentina won after a 3-3 draw. Messi’s once-in-a-generation career is complete now that he is finally a World Cup champion. Messi is definitively in the pantheon of soccer’s greatest ever players alongside Pelé and Diego Maradona. Europe’s run of four straight World Cup winners dating to 2006 came to an end.
FIFA – World Cup in Qatar sets scoring record with 172 goals 
The six-goal final between France and Argentina set a World Cup record of 172 at this year’s tournament. The previous tournament record of 171 goals was set in 1998 and 2014. The 1998 tournament in France was the first edition in the current 64-game, 32-team format. A new record is likely to be set at the 2026 World Cup. The tournament has been expanded to 48 teams playing either 80 or 104 games. Argentina and France drew 3-3 through extra time to set the record in this year&#8217;s final at Lusail Stadium.
FIFA – 2026 World Cup hosts take diplomatic handover from Qatar 
A diplomatic delegation from the three host countries of the 2026 World Cup were in Qatar for a handover ceremony ahead of the final between France and Argentina. The United States, Mexico and Canada will stage soccer’s biggest event in less than 3½ years. U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who led a presidential delegation to the final, says “we could not be more excited.&#8221; Greenfield says Qatar “set the standards high.” The 2026 tournament will be played in 11 American cities, three in Mexico and two in Canada.
MHSAA – High School Sports 
Saturday 
Girls Basketball 
Tri-State Holiday Classic at Southwestern Michigan College 
Benton Harbor 36, Country Club Hills Hillcrest (IL) 29 
Dowagiac 46, South Bend Riley (IN) 17 
Elkhart Christian (IN) 66, Edwardsburg 52 
South Bend Riley (IN) 43, Niles 29 
Country Club Hills Hillcrest (IL) 36, Lawton 19 
Sunday 
Boys Basketball 
Mattawan 48, Detroit Douglass 44
Tonight 
Boys Basketball 
Benton Harbor at Grand Rapids Union, 7:00 p.m. 
Lansing Sexton vs. Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 6:30 p.m.        at Mason Holiday Hoops 
Concord at Sturgis, 7:00 p.m. 
Kalamazoo Phoenix at Countryside, 7:00 p.m. 
Buchanan at Constantine, 7:30 p.m. 
Decatur at Climax-Scotts, 7:00 p.m. 
Gobles at Marcellus, 7:00 p.m.
Girls Basketball 
Our Lady of the Lake at Brandywine, 7:00 p.m. 
Constantine at Buchanan, 7:00 p.m. 
Marcellus at Gobles, 7:00 p.m.Detroit Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond (11) returns a punt for a touchdown against the New York Jets during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)Philadelphia Eagles&#8217; Jalen Hurts runs for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) takes a shot against Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Detroit. The Nets defeated the Pistons 124-121. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)Minnesota Timberwolves forward Nathan Knight (13) goes up to the basket against Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Stacy Bengs)New York Rangers right wing Kaapo Kakko shoots the puck on Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom (40) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)Ferris State slot receiver Marcus Taylor (1) runs up the field to gain yardage in the first half of the NCAA Division II college football championship against Colorado School of Mines on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022 in McKinney, Texas. (AP Photo/Emil T. Lippe)Notre Dame&#8217;s Maddy Westbeld (21) shoots over Virginia Tech&#8217;s Cayla King (22) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Blacksburg, Va., Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022. (Matt Gentry/The Roanoke Times via AP)

Southwest Michigan's Sports Leader

WSJM Sports

NFL – National Football League – Week 15 Yesterday Detroit Lions 20, New York Jets 17 Philadelphia Eagles 25, Chicago Bears 20 Lions 20, Jets 17 – Goff stuns Jets late as Lions hold on for 20-17